Wikipedia

R. Arumugam

In thisIndian name,the nameRengasamyis apatronymic,and the person should be referred to by thegiven name,Arumugam.The abbreviation "a/l" (anak lelaki) or "a/p" (anak perempuan), if used, means "son of" or "daughter of" inMalayrespectively.

DatukArumugam Rengasamy(also known asSpiderman) was a legendaryMalaysianinternational football player fromSelangor.His long arms and difficult saves earned him the nickname "Spiderman".[3]He was inducted into theFIFACentury Club in May 2021.[4][5]

Datuk
Arumugam Rengasamy
AMN PJN
Personal information
Full name Arumugama/lRengasamy
Date of birth 31 January 1953[1]
Place of birth Port Klang,Selangor,
Federation of Malaya
Date of death 18 December 1988(1988-12-18)(aged 35)
Place of death Petaling Jaya,Selangor,Malaysia
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1971–1988 Selangor
International career‡
1973–1986 Malaysia 142[2] (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 March 2021

Career

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He made his debut forSelangor FAwhen he was 18 years old in theBurnley Cupyouth competition in 1971.[3]He representedSelangor FAin theMalaysia Cup tournament from 1972 to 1988, a period during whichSelangor FAwon the Malaysia Cup eight times.[3]

International

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R. Arumugam was called up to theMalaysian national football teamin 1973 for the World Cup qualifying round matches in Seoul, South Korea.[3]During his time with the national team,Malaysiawon theMerdeka Tournamentin 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979 and 1986. He also representedMalaysiain the 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1985 Sea Games. He won a bronze medal with the national team during the1974 Asian Gamesin Tehran.Malaysiaalso qualified for the1980 Moscow Olympic Games,butMalaysiadecided toboycott the Games.R. Arumugam earned 196 caps (not all A class international matches), 142 matches is against full national team.[6]His personal goal was to earn 200 caps. He retired in 1986.

In 2022,IFFHSlist him on their list of the top 25 goalkeepers with most clean-sheets in national team which he had a total of 50 clean-sheets and the firstSoutheast Asiaplayer to do so.[7]

After retirement

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In 1983, he formed his own club, Starbrite SC, as part of his personal contribution to the youngsters in his housing area.[8]

Death and legacy

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R. Arumugam died in a car accident atFederal HighwaynearPetaling Jayaon 18 December 1988. His wife, Maria Selvie survived the incident with his two daughters, Subha Arumugam and Rubha Arumugam.

In recognition of his services to both state and nation, the Football Association of Selangor andPublic Bank,where Arumugam had been employed, started a trust fund in his name on 5 January 1989. On 4 June 2011, Yang Dipertuan Agong posthumously awarded him the Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN), which carries the title "Datuk".

The character of Muthu Kumar inOla Bola,a 2016 film chronicling the Malaysian national team's road to the 1980 Olympic qualifiers, was based on Arumugam.[9]

Honours

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Club

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F.A. Selangor
Champion:1984
Winner:1973, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986
Winner:1985, 1987

International

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Winners:1973,1974,1976,1979,1986
Winners:1977,1979
Runners-up:1981
Bronze Medal:1974

Individual

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Records

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Orders

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See also

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References

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  1. ^"Arumugam Rengasamy - NFT".Archivedfrom the original on 22 October 2022.Retrieved22 October2022.
  2. ^Rengasamy Arumugam – Century of International AppearancesArchived18 April 2023 at theWayback Machine- RSSSF
  3. ^abcd"Klang pays tribute to legendary goalkeeper Arumugam".The Star.Archived fromthe originalon 9 February 2018.Retrieved9 February2018.
  4. ^FIFA Century Club- FIFA. 4 May 2021.
  5. ^"SEVEN LEGENDS ARE NOW MEMBERS OF THE ELITE FIFA CENTURY CLUB".FAM. Archived fromthe originalon 3 August 2021.Retrieved3 August2021.
  6. ^"Malaysia - Record International Players - RSSSF".Archivedfrom the original on 27 September 2022.Retrieved5 February2023.
  7. ^abcd"NEW IFFHS STATISTICS - THE MOST CLEAN-SHEETS IN NATIONAL TEAM".IFFHS.Archivedfrom the original on 29 March 2022.Retrieved15 September2022.
  8. ^"Starbrite continue to provide platform for youngsters to grow-The Star. Retrieved 5 January 2021".Archivedfrom the original on 26 January 2022.Retrieved26 January2022.
  9. ^"What The" Ori "Ola Bola Team Looked Like And Some Facts You Didn't Know About Them-Vulcanpost. Retrieved 5 January 2021".16 February 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 26 January 2022.Retrieved26 January2022.
  10. ^"นักฟุตบอลเจ้าของฉายา" กัปตันกระดูกเหล็ก "พล.ต.อำนาจ เฉลิมชวลิต"(in Thai). Siamsport. 2 March 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 16 May 2022.Retrieved15 May2022.
  11. ^"AFC war on footbrawl".Gov.sg.The Straits Times. 10 May 1985.Archivedfrom the original on 15 May 2022.Retrieved15 May2022.
  12. ^14 EX-INTERNATIONALS INDUCTED INTO AFC CENTURY CLUBArchived16 November 2021 at theWayback Machine- BERNAMA, 11 February 1999.
  13. ^"Anugerah Kelab Satu Abad AFC 1999, 11hb Februari 1999"(in Malay). Chedinsphere. Archived fromthe originalon 3 June 2019.Retrieved15 February2013.
  14. ^"OLYMPIC COUNCIL OF MALAYSIA/AWARDS/HALL OF FAME: FULL LIST"(in Malay).OCM.Archived fromthe originalon 12 December 2020.Retrieved5 January2022.
  15. ^"'Super Mokh' and 'Spiderman' honoured ".The Star.Archived fromthe originalon 18 November 2022.Retrieved24 September2011.
  16. ^"From Raja Bola to King James, 'Spiderman' to Safiq - The best Malaysia XI of all time".Goal.Archived fromthe originalon 8 June 2020.Retrieved30 May2022.
  17. ^ab"Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".Archivedfrom the original on 19 July 2019.Retrieved25 August2018.
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