R. Arumugam (1953 – 1988)
33 tahun lalu, pada hari ini, Malaysia kehilangan seorang pemain bola sepak prolifik yang dinobatkan “Spiderman” dalam pasukan Harimau Malaya, penjaga gol Datuk R. Arumugam.
Awal tahun ini, mendiang Arumugam tersenarai dalam FIFA Century Club untuk 138 penampilan antarabangsa bersama pasukan Malaysia. Tujuh pemain Malaysia turut disenaraikan termasuk Soh Chin Aun, Shukor Salleh, Mokhtar Dahari, Zainal Abidin Hassan, M. Chandan dan Santokh Singh.
Pertama kali R. Arumugam menyarung jersi Harimau Malaya adalah bersama pasukan Malaysia B di Kejohanan Kemerdekaan Vietnam pada tahun 1972. Kali terakhir beliau bermain pada peringkat antarabangsa adalah di Sukan Asia 1986.
Beliau bermula bermain bola sepak bersama pasukan Selangor di Piala Burnley 1971 ketika berusia 18 tahun. Arumugam mewakili pasukan negeri tersebut dalam kejohanan Piala Malaysia selama 16 tahun, di mana Selangor meraikan kemenangan sebanyak sembilan kali.
Detik-detik cemerlang legenda bola sepak pastinya termasuk memenangi pingat gangsa di Sukan Asia 1974 serta layak ke Sukan Olimpik Moscow 1980, yang diboikot oleh Malaysia.
Semoga kejayaan dan pengorbanan mendiang R. Arumugam sentiasa diingati oleh rakyat Malaysia dan dijadikan inspirasi buat generasi muda.
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33 years ago today, Malaysia lost a prolific football player in their national team, the Spiderman of Harimau Malaya, goalkeeper Datuk R. Arumugam.
Earlier this year, the late Arumugam was officially inducted into the FIFA Century Club and his 138 appearances for Malaysia were finally recognised. Seven Malaysians were included in the list including Soh Chin Aun, Shukor Salleh, Mokhtar Dahari, Zainal Abidin Hassan, M. Chandran and Santokh Singh.
R. Arumugam made his first international appearance in the Malaysia B team at the 1972 Vietnam Independence Games. His last match with Malaysia was at the 1986 Asian Games.
He made his debut for Selangor FA at the 1971 Burnley Cup when he was 18 years old. He continued to represent the state team in the Malaysia Cup tournament for 16 years, where Selangor won the coveted trophy a total of nine times.
The late football legend’s shining moments surely include winning the bronze medal at the 1974 Asian Games as well as qualifying for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, which Malaysia eventually boycotted.
We hope the nation will forever remember the successes and sacrifices of the late R. Arumugam and turn them into inspiration for the younger generation.
