Samuel "Sammy" Monsels (born 2 August 1953) is a Surinamese former sprinter and current athletics trainer. He competed in the

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

and

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

and the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

. He is the brother of sprinter

Eddy Monsels Eduard George Monsels (24 January 1948 – 1 November 2023) was a Surinamese sprinter. He competed in the men's 100 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics, becoming the first competitor to actually appear for Suriname in the Olympics. He is the br ...

Athletics

Monsels grew up in Suriname and attended Mulo there. He came to the Netherlands in 1971 to compete in the

Kingdom Games The Kingdom Games ( nl, Koninkrijksspelen, pap, Weganan di Reino) was a multi-sport event, held every two years between the youth of the countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. At the final edition in 2009, these countries were the Netherland ...

, and remained in the Netherlands to undergo training as a technical specialist.From ''Sammy Monsels'' by Nic Lemmens (1972), published in De Atletiekwereld nr. 3: KNAU In Paramaribo, Monsels was a member of the 'Gazelle' athletics association.
In 1971 Monsels was Surinamese champion in the 100 metres and 200 metres at both the senior level (11.0 seconds and 22.3 seconds) and the junior level (11.0 and 22.5). Between 1971 and 1983 Monsels won seven Dutch sprint championships in the 60 metres (indoor) and the 100 and 200 metres (outdoor). Representing the Netherlands, Monsels reached the final of the 60 metres at the

1973 European Athletics Indoor Championships The 1973 European Athletics Indoor Championships were held between 10 and 11 March 1973 in Rotterdam, Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision ...

in Rotterdam, finishing fifth. In 1972 and 1976 he competed in the Olympic Games, representing Suriname, reaching the second round of the 100 metres and 200 metres on both occasions. In the late 1970s Monsels quit competitive athletics for a while, but returned in the early 1980s. In 1982 he represented Suriname at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Havana.Stutgard, Ricky W. (1990
''De eerste Surinaamse sportencyclopedie (1893–1988)''
Alberga, Paramaribo. . p. 57 As late as 1990, Monsels competed in the Netherlands national indoor athletics championships in The Hague, finishing third in the 60 metres with a time of 6.89 seconds, behind

Emiel Mellaard Emiel Remco Mellaard (born 21 March 1966) is a retired Dutch long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along wit ...

and

Frank Perri Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Cu ...

Military

In 1974 Monsels was a tank driver in the

Royal Netherlands Army The Royal Netherlands Army ( nl, Koninklijke Landmacht) is the land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the was raised – making the Dutc ...

. In 1975 he returned to Suriname from the Netherlands as the country became independent. He became a sports instructor in the Suriname National Army. After the 1980 coup, he received a promotion and became sports chief in the Surinamese army. In 1983, he acted as an intermediary between strongman Dési Bouterse and the exiled former President

Henk Chin A Sen Hendrick Rudolf "Henk" Chin A Sen (; pinyin: ''Chén Yàxiān''; 18 January 1934 – 11 August 1999) was a Surinamese politician who served as the President of Suriname from 15 August 1980 until 4 February 1982. Biography Hendrick Rudolf Chin ...

. In 1987 he left the Surinamese army and moved to the Netherlands.

Singer

In 1988, Monsels released a reggae-pop

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

called "No Bombs, No Guns, All We Need Is Peace And Harmony".

Trainer

In 1992, Monsels founded Atletiek Vereniging Bijlmer, an athletics club in Bijlmermeer and was trainer and president of the association until 1997. Then in 1999 he founded Continental Sport, another athletics club in the area. He again was trainer and president.

December murders

In 2002, after questioning by Surinamese judge Albert Ramnewash, Monsels said he was in Fort Zeelandia on 8 December 1982 but was not involved in the killings.Sammy Monsels
article by Jessica Dikmoet

Netherlands championships

;Outdoor ;Indoor

Personal records

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Monsels, Sammy 1953 births Living people Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics Athletes from Paramaribo Dutch male sprinters Surinamese male sprinters Olympic athletes for Suriname Competitors at the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games Royal Netherlands Army personnel Surinamese military personnel December murders 20th-century Surinamese male singers Athletics (track and field) coaches