I Arumainayagam with his 1962 Asian Games gold medal

Bengaluru: One of India’s finest footballers, Isaiah Arumainayagam, who enthralled the crowds in the Garden City and Kolkata, donning the colours of top clubs like Mohun Bagan and Southern Railway, finally got the nation’s honour that was long overdue.Arumainayagam was part of the India team that emerged runners-up at Asia Cup in 1964 and won the bronze medal at Merdeka Cup in 1966.In a chat with TOI in 2020, Arumainayagam, one of the few surviving members of the India squad that won the gold at Asian Games 1962, said that he was lucky to play with legends like Chuni Goswami, PK Banerjee and Tulsidas Balram.The octogenarian was elated to know that he will soon be decorated with the Lifetime Arjuna award. “Is that so? I got the Arjuna award!” was the first reaction, who is now troubled by memory issues. “I’m happy to win the honour,” he said after much prodding.The 84-year-old’s son Dennis said they have been applying for the last three years.