Bambang Pamungkas

Bambang Pamungkas

Bambang Pamungkas, also known as Bepe, is an Indonesian footballer who last played for Persija Jakarta in the Indonesian Super League and the Indonesia national football team. His natural position is striker. Bambang made his name in South East Asian football when he scored the only goal for Indonesia at the 2002 Tiger Cup semifinal against Malaysia, and was the tournament's top scorer with eight goals.
Bambang is considered to be an outstanding header of the ball, and has a reputation for sharpness in the penalty box. He is Indonesia's most capped player and top goalscorer, with 85 caps and 37 goals. He is perhaps the national team's most popular player among its supporters. He is considered as one of top ten Asian players of 2012 by ESPN Soccernet.
Bambang played for several clubs around his hometown as a youth, before beginning his senior career with Persija Jakarta. He was the club's top goalscorer in 1999â€"2000 Liga Indonesia with 24 goals. In 2000, he joined EHC Norad in the Dutch Third Division. But after only 4 months he returned to Persija, the only Indonesian club he ever played for.
Bambang helped his club to win the Liga Indonesia in 2001, and he was awarded the accolade of that season's best player. Persija Jakarta narrowly missed out on winning the championship again in 2004 by one point. The following season Persija reached the 2005 final, but lost 2â€"3 to Persipura Jayapura.
Shortly afterwards Bambang accepted an offer to play in the Malaysian Football League with Selangor FA, along with national team-mate Elie Aiboy. In his 1st season in Malaysia he won the Premier League Malaysia, FA Cup Malaysia, and Malaysia Cup, and became the league's top-scorer with 23 goals in 24 matches. During two seasons in Malaysia he scrored 63 goals in four competitions: Malaysia Premier League, Malaysia Super League, FA Cup Malaysia, Malaysia Cup, AFC Cup. Despite having scored a total of 158 goals in Liga Indonesia, like Singaporean forward Indra Sahdan Daud, Bambang lost his place in the nation team to foreign-born talent.

In 2010 he had a trial at Wellington Phoenix FC, but failed

New Zealand club to secure a contract.

In 1998 Bambang's international career began when he was selected to play for the Indonesian youth team; his tally of seven goals in the Asian Cup U-19 Group V made him the competition's top scorer. He made his senior international debut the following year in a friendly match against Lithuania, in which he scored one goal. His total of 37 goals for his country make him the national team's highest-ever goalscorer.
Bambang has taken part in four FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns, playing in 14 matches and scoring 3 times. Bambang has also been involved in three AFC Asian Cups: 2000, 2004 and 2007. He scored a goal against Bahrain in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, in a match Indonesia won 2â€"1.
In the 2002 Tiger Cup, Bambang was the top scorer with 8 goals, but an injury ruled him out of the Indonesian squad for the 2004 event. He scored twice in the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup, once against Myanmar and once against Cambodia. In 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup Bambang scored two goals in a match against Thailand, both from penalty kicks. He has scored a total of 12 goals in the ASEAN Football Championship, making him the 5th-highest goalscorer in ASEAN Football Championship history.
On 18 December 2011, following the match between Sriwijaya and Persija Jakarta, Bambang, Ismed Sofyan, and Leo Saputra were involved in an assault on Hilton Moreira at his hotel, allegedly provoked by Hilton's behaviour during the match.

Bambang is one of the welfare and rights in

leading advocates for player Indonesia.

Bambang is married to Tribuana Tungga Dewi, with whom he has three children: Salsa Alicia, Jane Abel, Syaura Abana. The 2nd youngest of 7 children. he initially had no thoughts of becoming a footballer. He likes reading and cooking, and has ambitions to become a teacher or a chef once his footballing career is over.
Bambang devotes some of his free time to charity work, promoting the Bambang Pamungkas Foundation that he set up to provide financial assistance and resources to schools in Indonesia. He is also involved in raising funds for children's cancer charities.
As a well-known public figure, Bambang has appeared in many product endorsements, including for Biskuat, Ti Phone, Nike, and Bodrex.
Bambang has written a book in Bahasa Indonesia, Ketika Jemariku Menari, relating his life, his career, and his teammates at club and national level, especially during the AFF 2010 campaign. Former Indonesia national team manager Ivan Venkov Kolev comments in the book that Bambang is "One striker rare in Indonesia. Commitment and professionalism are hallmarks of rare skill players in Indonesia". Pamungkas has been chosen as a torch bearer for 2012 Summer Olympics flame passage through Calderdale on 24 June 2012.

Related Sites for Bambang Pamungkas

• Bambang Pamungkas :[Official Website]: read Bambang Pamungkas
• Bambang Pamungkas - Goal.com read Bambang Pamungkas