Singaporean cricket coach killed in Malawi was a 'gentle giant' who touched the lives of many, friends say

CNA

15-05-2025

SINGAPORE: It was cricket that brought Mr Arjun Menon and his neighbour, Mr Sean Gerard, together as friends.
When the then-teenagers met for the first time, Mr Menon had wickets in his hands. He invited Mr Gerard and his friends to play a game of cricket, and the pair would go on to play with the Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) together.
Now, it is the memories of playing cricket together that Mr Gerard, a CEO of a digital agency, holds closely to his heart.
"Arjun was the pillar of our team. He was our wicketkeeper, and you could see he was so passionate about the game," he said.
Mr Menon was killed in his residence in Blantyre, Malawi, last Friday night (May 9).
The 48-year-old was the coach of Malawi's national cricket team and had played five senior matches for Singapore's national team before moving to Australia in 1999.
A SMILE THAT WOULD LIGHT UP ANY ROOM
Despite spending parts of his career abroad, Mr Menon always made time for everybody, said Mr Anthony Lourdes, who is based in New Zealand and works as a residential youth worker.
The two were schoolmates in St Patrick's School, but only got close by playing football together as part of the school's alumni team in the last ten years.
Whenever Mr Menon would visit Singapore, the group of friends would get together to play football and go out for drinks.
"Everyone always had the nicest thing to say about him, because that's how he was," he said. "Every time he walked into a room, he smiled … and he would light up any room."
Mr Menon brought different groups of friends from football, cricket and St Patrick's School together.
"So many of us have moved, you know, thousands of miles away, but (Mr Menon) connected all of us in this very, very big way," said Mr Ashley Nonis, who met Mr Menon in St Patrick's School.
"He's a larger-than-life character, literally, I would describe as a gentle giant."
"GAVE HIS WHOLE LIFE" TO CRICKET
Mr Menon always gave and "never expected anything in return", Mr Nonis added. His passion for cricket ran deep, despite the lack of infrastructure and progression for such a career in Singapore, he said.
Mr Menon had followed in his late coach Grant Stanley's footsteps to become the national coach of the men's team from 2015 to 2019.
In 2017, he led the team to win a historic gold at Twenty20 cricket at the Southeast Asian Games.
"He gave his whole life to it, and he travelled the road less taken," said Mr Nonis.
Beyond cricket, Mr Menon was always thinking about ways to give back.
For Mr Jeremy Lim, who knew Mr Menon since they were 13, what he will miss the most about Mr Menon is their conversations, he said.
"When guys get together, it's always about banter. It's always about having a laugh," said the marketing sales director. "But when I sit down with Arjun, it's always about how we can get better. How can we make the world a better place?"
Over the past five years, Mr Menon led charity initiatives in Vietnam in a joint effort with other members of the alumni football team. They would buy sports gear and food, and raise funds for orphans there, Mr Lim said.
KINDNESS REMEMBERED
Above all, friends of Mr Menon whom CNA spoke to, echoed the same sentiment that he was kind.
Mr Nonis, who works in automotive sales, fondly recalled when he first joined the alumni football team. He did not have a jersey yet, so Mr Menon - the team's goalkeeper - offered his.
"Till today, I wear that same jersey every time I play," he said, adding that he would score a "couple of goals" in it.
"So it's really emotional because … our lives are so intertwined, and he was a large part of me growing up."
Mr Nonis added that he "cannot imagine" Mr Menon as someone who would have any enemies.
"It's ridiculous," he said about the killing. "I just can't understand why anyone would do this."
For Mr Gerard, Mr Menon was a "gentleman and a legend". He recalled the pranks Mr Menon would play on him as kids, including a time he pranked him with fake blood.
"He was a prankster, and he would have a huge, hearty laugh," he said. "And he would tell stories to everyone," he said, adding that loyalty and friendship were "above everything else" to Mr Menon.
CELEBRATING HIS LIFE
On Monday, SCA held a minute of silence for Mr Menon before its National League matches at the Singapore National Cricket Ground and Ceylon Sports Club.
"Arjun was more than a coach; he was a mentor, leader and an embodiment of Singaporean values of excellence, humility, and service," SCA said.
Mr Menon's family is set to hold a memorial on May 31. The family has declined to comment at this time.
For Mr Lim, the date weighs extra heavily as it was when he had planned to meet Mr Menon in Africa. He had planned a trip with his family to visit Zimbabwe, Johannesburg and Botswana. Mr Menon had helped to vet their itinerary, he said.
"He was going to come all the way (from Malawi) just to hang out for a couple of days. So that's the kind of guy he is."
Moving forward, his friends hope to honour him through his love for sport.