General Henri Lodewijk George (Ody)
Koopman
Male
Netherlands
1902-07-19
Salatiga, Dutch East Indies, -
1949-05-00
Amsterdam, Netherlands


About

The following piece was translated from the Wikipedia entry in Dutch on Henri Koopman, which can be accessed here:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ody_Koopman

Henri Koopman was born in the Dutch East Indies, where his father, Jan George Koopman (c. 1878-1941), was a member of the Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger (KNIL), or Royal Dutch East Indies Army. Henri had an Indian background; his mother, Catharina Johanna Westrijk (c. 1880-c. 1933), was born from a relationship between a Dutchman and a Javanese woman. Henri’s younger sister was the internationally known model Catharina ‘Toto’ Koopman (1908-1991).

Koopman started taking part in tennis tournaments in the early 1920s. In 1930, he won the mixed doubles title at the Dutch National Championships with Margaretha Canters. He won the men’s doubles title at the same tournament three times: in 1931 and 1932 (with Joop Knottenbelt) and in 1933 (with Hendrik Timmer).

Koopman took part in the Wimbledon tournament in in 1931 and 1934. In 1931, he reached the third round in the men’s singles event and, together with Knottenbelt, reached the second round in the men’s doubles event. In 1934, together with Timmer, he reached the third round in the men’s doubles event there.

Koopman was active in motor sport from 1935. In 1935 and 1936, he took part in the Monte Carlo Rally driving a BMW. In 1937, he participated in the same rally in a Fiat.

Koopman married twice. His first marriage, to Anna Louisa Enthoven, ended in divorce. He had two sons from his second marriage, to Elisabeth Wilhelmina ‘Bep’ Haas (c. 1907-85), who was also a tennis player. While still married to his second wife, he spent some time living in Ascona, Switzerland, with a lover. A daughter was born from this relationship in 1949.

A 27-year-old Dutch woman was found murdered on May 10 of that year in a villa rented by Koopman and his lover. Koopman appears to have fled. More than a week later he was found near Ascona and arrested on suspicion of the murder. He died the day after the arrest in an insane asylum in nearby Mendrisio. According to Swiss authorities, his death was caused by “total exhaustion”, partly because he had not eaten anything while on the run.



Media


Archive statistics 1921 - 1935
6
80
43


Tournament wins 1934 - Amsterdam (Amateur)
1933 - Amsterdam (Amateur)
1932 - Apeldoorn (Amateur)
1929 - Amsterdam (Amateur)
1927 - Amsterdam, Festina (Amateur)
1921 - Wageningen (Amateur)


Tournaments Netherlands National Championship - 1935 Wimbledon - 1934 Netherlands International Championships - 1934 Netherlands National Championship - 1934 Amsterdam - 1934 Netherlands National Championship - 1933 Amsterdam - 1933 Bussum - 1933 Netherlands International Championships - 1932 Netherlands National Championship - 1932 Amsterdam - 1932 Apeldoorn - 1932 Amsterdam Indoor - 1932 Amsterdam, Festina - 1932 Wimbledon - 1931 Netherlands International Championships - 1931 Netherlands National Championship - 1931 West German Championships - 1931 D.D.V. Amsterdam - 1931 Amsterdam, Festina - 1931 Netherlands National Championship - 1930 Den Haag Indoor - 1930 Amsterdam - 1930 Bussum - 1930 Amsterdam Indoor - 1930 Amsterdam, Festina - 1930 Amsterdam - 1929 Amersfoort - 1929 Roland Garros - 1928 Netherlands National Covered Court Championships - 1928 Amsterdam Indoor - 1928 Netherlands International Championships - 1927 Amsterdam - 1927 Apeldoorn - 1927 Utrecht, U.S.S.V. Sphaerinda - 1927 Amsterdam, Festina - 1927 Haarlem - 1926 Enschede - 1926 Zandvoort - 1925 D.D.V. Amsterdam - 1924 Netherlands National Championship - 1922 Hilversum - 1922 Wageningen - 1921

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