Arumainayagam was a brilliant winger in his heyday.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Indian football great I. Arumainayagam was conferred the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) 2025 on Tuesday.
Arumainayagam, now in his 86th year, played for India during one of its most celebrated periods and was part of the team that won the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.
He also turned out for the country at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup, where India finished runner-up, and at the 1966 Merdeka Cup, where India finished third.
He made his international debut against Thailand on August 28, 1962, at the Asian Games and went on to represent India 18 times, scoring three goals.
“He was a bit surprised, but happy and proud,” Arumainayagam’s son Nilton Christopher told The Hindu after the award announcement.
“He remembers a few moments of his career, but not much. However, we are all very happy. We have been waiting for this for a long time, but everything happens with time. We are thankful to the Government, all the supporters and well wishers,” added Nilton, himself a former Indian Railways footballer.
Arumainayagam had a distinguished domestic career as well, representing Madras/Tamil Nadu, Bengal and Railways in the Santosh Trophy between 1958 and 1971. He was part of Bengal’s victorious Santosh Trophy team in 1962-63.
At club level, Arumainayagam played for Mohun Bagan from 1961 to 1968, scoring 56 goals, and winning the Calcutta Football League four times, the Durand Cup thrice, the IFA Shield twice, and the Rovers Cup once.
Published – August 18, 2026 09:20 pm IST
