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Prominently known as Spiderman, the Port Klang-born goalkeeper with 196 caps (national team appearances) to his credit, Arumugam was among the key players in the squad which qualified for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, besides having helped Malaysia to win five Merdeka Tournaments between 1973 and 1979.
He also won the Malaysia Cup on multiple occasions while playing for Selangor across the 1970s and 80s.
Mohan said, renaming the ground and road as Datuk R Arumugam Mini Stadium and Jalan Datuk R Arumugam, respectively, was a delightful announcement and recognition for all the sports fraternity, especially those in football.
“In the same instance, I urge that more such recognition is bestowed upon other sportsmen and footballers who have contributed to the sports fraternity in Malaysia. Names like Santokh Singh and Soh Chin Aun are very much still in the hearts of Malaysians. Their contribution to the nation is priceless.
“On the same note, Santokh, who is also Mifa Ambassador, expressed his gratitude to the federal and state governments as well as Majlis Perbandaran Klang for having given recognition to his former teammate.
“He too believes that this initiative will definitely attract many youngsters to do well in football and sports in general,” Mohan said in statement today.
Mohan thanked Dewan Negara Speaker SA Vigneswaran who had initiated and brought the proposal forward to the government.
“The naming of the stadium and the street is great motivation for the many young footballers and sportsmen out there to help achieve their dreams, making a name for themselves in the books of Malaysian sports and perhaps worldwide,” he said.
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