Nòmber: Juan (Bennie) Leito
Fecha Nasementu: 26 yüni 1937
Lugá: Kòrsou
Deporte: Natashon
Fayesé: q.e.p.d
A drenta salon di fama 1985
Bennie for di aña 1949 ora ku e zwembad di Rif a habri su portanan ofisialmente a traha einan. Segun e añanan a pasa Bennie a logra finalmente di bira Beheerder di e zwembad. Al mismo instante e a sigui komo instruktor. Aki e a sigui traha te ku den 1986 despues di 37 aña di trabou na Rif e a fayesé. Durante su karera Bennie ku su gran sentimentu i rèspèt pa su próhimo a gana rèspèt i rekonosementu di tur esnan ku a anda ku n’e i di hopi instanshanan riba nos Isla.
Na aña 1975 Bennie a wòrdu kondekorá ku:
* Eremedaille verbonden aan de Orde van Oranje-Nassau.
* Tambe a risibí un plakat di Mérito duna pa Departamentu di Desaroyo Públiko.
* Kultura i Deporte, pa motibu di su méritonan den e ramonan aki.
* Plakat Zwem-Pionier A Duna pa N.A.Z.B.
* Plakat di Stichting Rif-Zwembad komo prueba di dedikashon i trabou sobresaliente.
* 1984 Plakat di Mérito Pa labor i kontribushon ekstraordinario na bienestar di
R.K.S.V. SITHOC voetbal vereniging.
* 1988 C.S.F Award pa dedikashon komo dirigente deportivo
Bennie tabata un deportista all-a- round pero tambe self-made.
El a dediká hopi tempu na Boxeo ku pupilanan manera e.o. Galento Jr. Hopi aña tambe e a duna na futbòl kaminda e tabata entrenadó di , welpen, pupillen, aspirant i junior.
El a fungi tambe komo masahista di e ekipo di futbòl grandi SITHOC.
Bennie al lanta e klup di landamentu SITHOC for di apertura di Rif Zwembad, i a traha komo coach den tur e disiplinanan. E tabata masha orguyoso di su pupillonan. Pero semper e tabata papia di esnan ku a destaká manera Randy Wiel, Ruthley Isidora, Nilo Fernandes esakinan di natashon i di Sixto Djun-Djun Rovina di futbòl. Bennie Leito un gran deportista, un gran lider i un instruktor renombrá kende durante hinter su bida produktivo a dediká su mes na edukashon di nos hubentut. Ku gran amor pa nos muchanan semper e tabata presente pa yuda nan ku nan desaroyo tantu deportivo komo humano. Bennie tabata un hòmber ku prinsipionan fuerte. Disiplina tabata laga ku e tabata eksigí di grandi i chikí. Rèspèt pa un otro ser humano ta un di e balornan mas haltu ku e semper a purba di desaroyá den su alumnonan.
Su relashon honesto i strikto ku e tabatin ku hende tabata un di e karakterístikanan di su persona ku a demanda rèspèt di tur hende ku a anda ku n’e. Inkansa-bel ku dedikashon i amor e tabata yuda kada mucha ku kier a siña i dediká su mes na landamentu i e tabatin e kapasidat pa mira un talento for di tempran i train e adekuadamente. I asina for di 1949 ora ku e pisina di Rif a keda kla e fundeshi di klup SITHOC a keda forma. SITHOC ta Bennie i Bennie ta SITHOC. Ya for di tempran SITHOC tabatin diferente sekshon manera figuurzwemmen, waterpolo i lantamentu kompetitivo. Tur hende sa di su esfuersonan pa hasi nos klup esun di mas mihó na Kòrsou den tur ramo. I por konstatá ku e a logra e meta ei gloriosamente ku un tim den kual tur e talentonan ku e a deskubrí a haña formashon deportivo i awor ta representando Kòrsou i Antia den un forma ekselente. Bennie ta esun ku a forma e sekshon di veteranonan i e sekshon aki ta un ku a bira masha yega na dje i visa versá.
Manera tur nos miembronan sa SITHOC awor aki ta konsistí ademas di un sekshon di veteranonan di un sekshon di training, sekshon di pre-top, sekshon di tòp, sekshon di waterballet (sunchro), sekshon di waterpolo hubenil i senior i un sekshon di instrukshon (zwemles). Den su karera komo “beheerder” di Rifzwembad Bennie a konfrontá difikultatnan serio ku e pisina. Pipanan ku frekuentemente tabata frusa i kibra, pòmpnan ku no kier a traha, sefta den laman ku mester a wòrdu kambia etc etc. Pero Bennie semper a logra ku su personalidat persistente pa haña un solushon pa e problemanan aki. Sea ku òf sin rekursonan finansiero pero semper ku hopi sosten i forsa di su amigunan den tur sekshon di nos komunidat e a logra di mantené e pisina di Rif operashonal. Tabata duele ku e último añanan Rif a sigui bai atras apesar di su luchanan. Den 1983 su speransa a lanta ora ku un rapòrt di un komishon a resultá den un reservashon di 100.000 florin di Banko Maduro pa renová e pisina. Pero lástimamente no a keda kla.
I p’esei nos kier a hasi un yamada na tur instansianan konserní pa hasi tur esfuerso posibel pa realisá e soño di nos gran edukador, luchadó Bennie pa e fasilidat aki bira un digno di nos komunidat, digno di un persona manera Bennie Leito ku semper a mira e pisina komo un nesesidat krusial pa formashon di nos hubentut.
Tambe no ta kere ku e Rifzwembad aki lo mester bira e momento pa rekordá e gran persona aki. I nos ta proponé pa bai yama e fasilidat aki Pisina Memoria Bennie Leito.
Laga nos sigui bo ehèmpel Bennie komo lider , edukador, deportista i ser humano.
English Version
Bennie, in the year 1949 when the Rif swimming pool officially opened its doors, began working there. Over the years, Bennie eventually became the Manager of the swimming pool and continued as an instructor. He worked there until 1986, and after 37 years of service at Rif, he passed away. Throughout his career, Bennie, with a deep sense of sentiment and respect for others, earned recognition and respect from everyone he worked with and from various institutions on our island.
In 1975, Bennie was decorated with:
- The Order of Orange-Nassau’s Medal of Honor.
- A Merit Plaque presented by the Department of Public Works, Culture, and Sports, acknowledging his merits in these fields.
- The Swim-Pioneer Plaque given by the N.A.Z.B. (Curaçao Swimming and Lifesaving Federation).
- A Plaque from the Rif Swimming Pool Foundation as proof of dedication and outstanding work.
- In 1984, a Merit Plaque for extraordinary contributions to the well-being of R.K.S.V. SITHOC football club.
- In 1988, the C.S.F. Award for dedication as a sports leader.
Bennie was an all-around athlete and a self-made man. He dedicated a lot of time to boxing with pupils such as Galento Jr. For many years, he was involved in football, coaching youth teams like welpen, pupillen, aspirant, and junior. He also served as a masseur for the senior SITHOC football team. Bennie founded the SITHOC sports club when the Rif swimming pool opened in 1949 and worked as a coach in various disciplines. He took great pride in his proteges, always mentioning those who excelled, such as Randy Wiel, Ruthley Isidora, Nilo Fernandes in swimming, and Sixto Djun-Djun Rovina in football.
Bennie Leito was not only a great sportsman but also a leader and a renowned instructor who dedicated himself to the education of the youth. With great love for children, he was always present to assist in their development, both in sports and as individuals. Bennie was a man of strong principles, demanding discipline from both young and old. Respect for fellow human beings was one of the highest values he tried to instill in his students.
His honest and strict relationship with people was one of his characteristics that demanded respect from everyone who worked with him. Tirelessly, with dedication and love, he helped every child who wanted to learn and devoted himself to sports training. From 1949, when the Rif pool opened, the foundation of the SITHOC club was laid. SITHOC was Bennie, and Bennie was SITHOC. From early on, SITHOC had different sections such as figure swimming, water polo, and competitive swimming. Everyone knows about his efforts to make our club one of the best on Curaçao in every sport. He gloriously achieved that goal with a team that represents Curaçao and the Netherlands Antilles excellently. Bennie formed the veterans’ section, which has become very successful, proving that it goes both ways.
As all our members know, SITHOC now consists of various sections: veterans, training, pre-top, top, water ballet (synchronized swimming), youth and senior water polo, and instruction (swimming lessons). In his role as the “manager” of the Rif swimming pool, Bennie faced serious difficulties with the facility, such as frequently broken tiles, malfunctioning pumps, leaks in the pool that needed fixing, and more. But Bennie always managed, with his persistent personality, to find solutions to these problems, whether there were financial resources. He did so with the support and strength of his friends from all sections of our community, maintaining the operational status of the Rif pool. It was painful to see in recent years that despite his efforts, the Rif pool continued to deteriorate. In 1983, his hope rose when a commission’s report resulted in a reservation of 100,000 guilders from Maduro Bank to renovate the pool. Unfortunately, it did not materialize.
That’s why we want to make an appeal to all relevant authorities to make every possible effort to realize the dream of our great educator and fighter, Bennie, for this facility to become a dignified one for our community, worthy of a person like Bennie Leito who always saw the pool as a crucial necessity for the formation of our youth.
We also do believe that this Rif swimming pool should become the moment to remember this great person. And we propose to name this facility Bennie Leito Memorial Pool.