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AsiaOne
13-05-2025
- Sport
- AsiaOne
His legacy lives on: Singapore's cricket community mourns coach Arjun Menon who was 'brutally murdered' in Malawi, Singapore News
Singapore's cricket fraternity mourned former national cricketer and coach Arjun Menon who was "brutally murdered" on Saturday (May 10) night at his residence in Malawi, Africa. On Monday (May 12), Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) members held a minute of silence in his memory before the start of the national league matches. "His legacy lives on in the players he shaped and the communities he uplifted across continents," the association said in an earlier Facebook post on Sunday. In the same post, SCA expressed 'profound sadness' at his passing. The association said that Menon's career reflected his 'unwavering dedication' to the development of cricket, both at home and abroad. 'A passionate ambassador for Singapore cricket, he carried the Singapore flag with pride wherever he coached. And Malawi, where he passed on, was the beneficiary of his cricket contribution,' the post said. Menon, 48, was coach for Malawi's national cricket team for five years and played a crucial role in the team's international success which led to three accolades during the Malawi Sports Awards. In a Facebook post on March 1, Menon said clinching the awards was an "extremely proud moment" for him as the Head of Cricket operations at Cricket Malawi. The Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) described Menon as a "dedicated coach" and a "passionate advocate for the development of cricket", adding that they "strongly condemn this heartless act of violence". Reports said that Menon was allegedly "attacked by thugs" in the city of Blantyre, although the cause of death is still unknown. Cricket origins The SCA added that Menon was a "talented wicketkeeper" who started his cricket journey in St. Patrick's School. As a student there in 1993, he was part of the Singapore Schoolboys Cricket tour to Perth, he had shared on Facebook on March 20. He was "smitten" by the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) ground, and told his teammates he would love to work there one day. He found himself working there 14 years later. He added: "That trip and that particular day kneeling on the WACA ground having this photo taken set the course for me of where I find myself today." Menon's cricket legacy in Singapore Having represented Singapore both as a junior and senior player, he returned as a coach after pursuing his degree. He coached numerous national teams in countries such as Chile, Botswana, Indonesia and Malawi, but still "remained deeply connected" to Singapore, SCA said. In 2017, Menon led the Singapore national team to a historic gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games. In an interview with Straits Times, Menon said it was "one of the proudest moments in my life singing Majulah Singapura as I watched our nation's flag hoisted above the rest during the medal ceremony". [[nid:717373]]
CNA
13-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Cricket community mourns Singapore coach who was 'brutally murdered' in Malawi
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) on Monday (May 12) held a minute of silence for Mr Arjun Menon, a Singaporean cricket player and coach who was killed in Malawi last week. Mr Menon was the coach of Malawi's national cricket team. According to the Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS), he was 'brutally murdered' at his residence in Malawi on Friday night. 'MNCS is deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic and untimely death of Mr Arjun Menon,' said Dr Henry MS Kamata, CEO of MNCS, in a statement on Facebook. 'As sports council, we strongly condemn this heartless act of violence and urge law enforcement authorities to pursue all leads to ensure that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice.' 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. In an earlier Facebook post on Saturday, the association had expressed 'profound sadness' at Mr Menon's death. Mr Menon's career reflected his 'unwavering dedication' to the development of cricket, both at home and abroad, it wrote. 'A passionate ambassador for Singapore cricket, he carried the Singapore flag with pride wherever he coached. And Malawi, where he passed on, was the beneficiary of his cricket contribution.' IN MEMORY OF Mr. Arjun Menon. Players, match officials and umpries today held a minute of silence in memory of late Mr.... Posted by Singapore Cricket Association on Monday, May 12, 2025 'MORE THAN A COACH' According to the SCA, Mr Menon's cricket journey began at Saint Patrick's School, where he discovered his love for the sport. A talented wicketkeeper, he went on to represent Singapore at the youth level before making his senior debut against the United Arab Emirates in Malaysia. He played five senior matches for Singapore's national team before moving to Australia in 1999 to pursue a degree. The association described Mr Menon's coaching legacy as 'immense', noting that he led national teams in Chile, Botswana, Indonesia and Malawi. 'But (he) always remained deeply connected to his roots and love for Singapore,' it added. From 2015 to 2019, Mr Menon served in key coaching and development roles within the SCA, including as head coach of the national men's team. In 2017, he led the country to a historic gold medal win in Twenty20 (T20) cricket at the Southeast Asian Games. In 2020, he became the operations manager for Cricket Malawi. He also took on coaching duties, guiding the country's national team at the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier A. Describing him as a 'dedicated coach' and 'passionate advocate' for cricket's development in Malawi, Dr Kamata said Mr Menon's contributions to the sport were 'immense and far-reaching'. 'His commitment, professionalism and vision were truly inspirational, and his loss is a devastating blow to the entire sporting fraternity in Malawi and beyond.' SCA noted that Mr Menon remained a proud Singaporean even while he was overseas, often crediting Singapore's cricketing journey as the inspiration for his global work. 'Arjun was more than a coach; he was a mentor, leader and an embodiment of Singaporean values of excellence, humility, and service. 'His legacy lives on in the players he shaped and the communities he uplifted across continents.'
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Top Cricket Malawi official dies after 'heartless violence'
Malawian cricket is in mourning after the death of top official Arjun Menon on Saturday night.A statement from the Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) said that the 48-year-old had been "brutally murdered" at his residence in police in the Southern African nation are yet to issue a statement following Menon's a wicketkeeper who represented Singapore five times at senior level, was the operations manager of Cricket chief executive Dr Henry Kamata said Menon's contributions to the sport were "immense and far-reaching" and that he had played a "pivotal role" in the growth and success of the national side."We strongly condemn this heartless act of violence and urge law enforcement authorities to pursue all leads to ensure that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice," Dr Kamata added in a statement posted on social media."We extend our heartfelt condolences to Arjun's family, friends, the cricket community, and all those affected by this tragic loss."Menon had previously coached Singapore and also had stints in Chile, Botswana and Indonesia."Arjun was more than a coach; he was a mentor, leader, and an embodiment of Singaporean values of excellence, humility, and service," a statement from the Singapore Cricket Association said."His legacy lives on in the players he shaped and the communities he uplifted across continents."
Straits Times
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Former Singapore cricketer and coach Arjun Menon dies in Malawi
Former national cricketer Arjun Menon (right) conducting a cricket awareness course for journalists in Malawi on May 5, 2021. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ARJUN MENON SINGAPORE – As a player and later on a coach, former national cricketer Arjun Menon's passion for the sport was always evident. The love for the game and an eagerness to spread that affection for cricket took him on a journey spanning four continents. But it reached a tragic end on May 11 in east African country Malawi, where Arjun, 48, has been the operations manager of Cricket Malawi since February 2020. The Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) said in a Facebook post on May 11 that he had died earlier in the day. When contacted, SCA president Mahmood Gaznavi said he was deeply saddened by the news, adding that 'reports emerging from Malawi seem to indicate that his life was taken by very dubious people'. In a Facebook post, Nation Publications Limited which owns The Nation, a Malawi-based newspaper, said reports had indicated Arjun was attacked by thugs in Blantyre. It added that Arjun was instrumental in Malawi cricket's recent international success that led to the sport grabbing three accolades at the Malawi Sport Awards. Mahmood said that he last spoke to Arjun about three months ago and added that he was a 'very, very down to earth and measured guy who had a lot of love for the game'. Mahmood was inspired by how Arjun used his strengths to advance the sport overseas and impact people's lives at the same time. 'He used his knowledge to advance what he thought was the larger purpose in life, which was to help not just those in cricket, but those outside of cricket, especially the underprivileged,' said Mahmood. Arjun first took up the game while he was a student at Saint Patrick's School and the talented wicketkeeper went on to represent Singapore at youth level. In 1996, he earned his first senior cap for the national team against the United Arab Emirates in the Asian Cricket Council Trophy. He earned four more caps with the national team before completing his undergraduate studies in Perth, Australia, in 2004, where he moved into coaching. Arjun then had a five-year stint with SCA from 2015 to 2020 which saw him take on various roles such as game development manager and as head coach. In 2017, he led the national cricket team to a Twenty20 gold medal, the Republic's first-ever SEA Games gold in the sport which was making its debut at the biennial regional games in Kuala Lumpur. In a previous interview with The Straits Times, Arjun said it was 'one of the proudest moments in my life singing Majulah Singapura as I watched our nation's flag hoisted above the rest during the medal ceremony'. Arjun also had stints as a coach in Chile, Australia, India, Mozambique, Botswana and Indonesia before his move to Malawi, where he also took on coaching duties and guided the national side at the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier A. In a 2021 interview with ST, Arjun detailed the contributions he had made beyond the cricket oval in Malawi. He shared how he had tagged along with a group of women in his social circle and visited the Maoni Orphanage to donate some blankets and toys. Once there, he got to witness the living conditions of the children's dormitories, which housed 47 children but had only five bunk beds. The spartan sleeping arrangements, which could fit only 10 children, left him ill at ease. 'On the drive back, I felt a bit uneasy at the prospect that I was now going home to my big king-size bed and all the comforts we take for granted while that night, about 37 children would be sleeping on thin mattresses on the floor,' he told ST. Arjun then made a heartfelt plea for donations in a group chat with his former schoolmates from Saint Patrick's School and managed to raise funds to purchase 30 bed frames costing about $30 each and 50 mosquito nets, which are useful in combating malaria, a serious problem in Malawi. SCA said in its Facebook post that Arjun's career 'reflected his unwavering dedication to the development of cricket, both at home and abroad.' It added: 'A passionate ambassador for Singapore cricket, he carried the Singapore flag with pride wherever he coached. And Malawi, where he passed on, was the beneficiary of his cricket contribution.' SCA also highlighted that Arjun was an embodiment of Singaporean values of excellence, humility, and service. 'His legacy lives on in the players he shaped and the communities he uplifted across continents He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, players, and all who have the honour of knowing him,' SCA added. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
