Arjun was my nephew and it is with a heavy heart that I post this in his memory.

Arjun was like a son to me, and being a mischievious boy growing up, he got a fair share of reprimands from me which he duly portrayed in a sketch. Little did he know that, that would not let him get away with subsequent mischief.

I am so proud to see that he grew up to be a very responsible, considerate and kind-hearted person. He also had a soft spot for animals and would feed stray cats around the block where he lived. He made strange choices when it came to pets. Once he brought home a baby snake which unfortunately escaped, leaving his family in a state of paranoia, looking at nooks and corners for a whole week! Then there was a turtle which sadly had to be released in a pond near his house when it became too big to be kept as a 'pet'.

His parents were thus glad when he decided to pursue his love for sports, especially cricket. After a stint with the Singapore national team, he went on to get a degree in Sports Science and accreditation as an ACB Level II coach. He felt a pull towards countries where the sport was still in its infancy and where he felt he could make a positive contribution towards developing the sport. This led him to Chile, Botswana and Malawi and we were very happy to hear that he achieved his dream of getting these countries on the 'cricket' map.

Before I end, I would just like to share that in my birthday wishes to him on his last birthday .... less than two months before his passing ..... I called him 'Monu', (my usual reference to him), which is a term of endearment for sons in our community, and thought to myself "must ask him if he minds me calling him that at age 48". I am glad I didn't.

We will never get over our loss and miss you a lot, Monu!!

Arjun son. I call you son because that is what you were from the day l met you.
Words fail me. I do not know what to say, where to begin and where to end. I still don't believe you are no more.

You will always be remembered for your contagious laugh. You laughed with your heart and your eyes until tears rolled down.

Your kind heart and the ability to make everyone smile even amid stormswas who you were. Your humour and care for all humanity across races touched not only me but everyone that knew you.

I will cherish the time the creator loaned you to us. You left permanent foot prints in our hearts and I know we have a powerful angel watching over us.

Keep on shining wherever you are.

As children, Arjun spent so much of his time at our house that calling him a cousin never quite felt accurate. We played together, fought like siblings, got into trouble together — and in every way that mattered, we grew up side by side.

Most weekdays you would find the three of us — my sister, Arjun and me — sitting at our dining table after school, supposedly doing homework. I say “supposedly” because while the rest of us tried to solve equations the traditional way, Arjun approached life — and math — as an artist. His textbooks weren’t filled with neat workings and tidy answers. They were alive with comics, sketches and imagination. If there was a number 23, it became Michael Jordan. If there was a question about speed, suddenly there was an epic racing scene across the page. Actually one of his math textbooks had a hole right through the centre of it with amazing burn marks drawn on each and every page as if a bullet had pierced through the book. Clearly not the best of hand-me-downs…but it was pure Arjun. Creative. Fearless. Completely original. I sometimes wish I had kept that book, because it captured him so perfectly.

When I look back now, I realise how much of what I loved as a child had his influence woven into it. My dad introduced me to football, but it was Arjun who brought rugby into my world, with his love for the All Blacks and Jonah Lomu. While my dad filled our home with classic country music, Arjun opened the door to pop — I can still hear “Electric Youth” playing in my head — and later to rock and metal. Even our Barbie games with my sister weren’t safe from his imagination; GI Joe action figures would somehow find their way into the storyline.

Weekends and school holidays were the best. That was when he was allowed to rent an Atari, and later a Nintendo. That’s where my first love of Sonic, Mario, Street Fighter and Zelda began. He didn’t just share games with us — he shared worlds. And inspired by his time in the theatre group Act 3, we would put on our own plays. Arjun was always the creative force, the director. My sister took on the role of narrator and co-director. Prema and I were cast in whatever roles they assigned us. Even then, he was leading with imagination.

As adults, our lives took different paths, as they often do. We weren’t in each other’s daily routines the way we once were, but in many ways he simply became a slightly more aloof older brother. He never forgot my birthday. He never stopped spoiling my children with ice creams and little treats, just as he used to spoil us when we were young. The roles changed, but the affection never did.

My one tangible memoir of his that exists takes the form of a mural that he drew on the bedroom of my kids' wall. He had introduced me to the world of Mister Men spawning my love for books and so i immediately agreed when he volunteered to draw this on the kids' wall. Unlike my aunt who couldn't wait to paint over the mural of "the Flash" he's drawn tearing out of his own bedroom wall (she told me it gave her the creeps to see a guy entering the room :)), this is something i'm not sure i ever want to remove.

With all these memories, saying goodbye was — and is — incredibly hard. Because I’m not just saying goodbye to a cousin. I’m saying goodbye to my childhood companion, to the boy who coloured my world with imagination, to someone who helped shape so many of the things I love.

Arjun, thank you for the laughter, the creativity, the music, the games, and the memories that will always be part of me. You may have taken your final bow, but the story you helped write in my life will never end.

I think it might have been late 1988. I took Arjun (maybe 9), and his two cousins Divya and Latha to a mime show by the world famous mime, Marcel Marceau.

We were chattering away about all kinds of stuff in the car when Arjun said his dad (very senior at PWD/LTA) had gone out to work that night. I said “yes … he’s helping to pave the roads lah.” Of course Arjun was having none of that… “my fadder is a manager you know”… I said “no lah… he puts on nice clothes when he leaves home… but at the road side he will change to singlet and shorts… and then he will help to pave the road…” Arjun very earnestly kept insisting … and I kept it up by saying “I think he shovels the tar on the road you know… he just didn’t tell you…” We just went back and forth until finally Arjun had had enough and he went for the nuclear option.. “My fadder is very IMPORTANT you know! He earns ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!”

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

To me, Arjun was the young man who stood by me on the day I started my life with Sandy. Thank you Arjun for being my BEST man for my wedding and carrying out the duties on that special day for us.

This was the first time we met, a cricket coach from Singapore watching the rugby World Cup wearing a Sharks rugby jersey in Malawi.

My day one from the hood.
Neptune Court wasn’t just blocks—it was a village built on love, loyalty, and brotherhood.
Long hours at the swing, endless chats and roasting, football days, club nights.
Arjun been more than family. Always one call away.
A real one who pushed and believed in my DJ journey before the world caught on.
Held me and my family down through every high and low.
Standing as his groomsman was an honour.
Forever my brother. Forever in my heart.

An evening with friends where Arjoun's kindness and good humor shone through.

Coach AJ was the only person who always believed in me and always was the go to person when i was going through any difficulties
The day before Coach AJ passed, I had messaged him and told him that cricket is not for me and I can’t deal with the pressure anymore and he believed in me and explained to me that i am more than capable of doing wonders and in the Arjun Memorial cricket tournament that was hosted at home in Malawi we played against a higher ranked side Germany and i won my first ever Player of the match and i will always dedicate that man of the Match to Coach AJ the time we sang his favorite Bob Marley Song after we won the Game was the time i was filled with tears and really missed his presence around us
Coach AJ will be the reason to who i am today
He changed my whole perspective to life and in cricket and changed me to becoming a respectful and a Honest Human Being
He will always be close to my Heart and i i will always Cherish the sweet memories we had together

My best memory with coach arjun was, when i had first come for u19 trials and i had no idea who the coaches are gonna be and how everything is going to be done. I still remember i was warming up with one of my mates and i was just rolling my arm and bowling LEG SPIN and i had seen him come out of the car and he came straight to me before anyone else and told me straight away that i am going to be a legend spinner while i loved fast bowling, i was pretty upset and not happy at first and had one of my worst tournaments in the u19 which was also my first ever international tournament which made me even more upset. Later on he kept working with me and told me “look i believe in you and i guarantee you will do something big with your leg spin and if anything goes wrong i am responsible “ he kept working with me and gave me a chance in the mens senior team and i started performing so well and realized that he is one of the best coach for a reason because he saw something in me i could never neither could my family or friends or any other coaches. There was a time i remember he had told me that i am the best upcoming leg spinner of Africa and slowly slowly i had started being compared to very top players which showed me and assured me that coach arjun put me in the right direction and which i will forever be grateful for. One more story i remember is, i was in Zimbabwe last year playing club cricket and i had a game on 11/05/2025 Sunday morning, i had spoken to him the night before and he had told me that he has a strong feeling i will do well tomorrow, the next morning game day me and my mate Aftab didn’t wake up to the alarm, we actually woke up to a call from our malawi management hearing our beloved coach arjun has passed away, we couldn’t handle any if our feelings and I don’t know about Aftab but i cried alot for almost a week but what’s interesting is that, he said i will do well and the next day i got the 2 biggest wickets of my life which was Ryan burl and Jonathan Campbell who have been playing for Zimbabwe and are well known for their level and skill. It just showed me how great that man is and how he could just feel and tell and i always say that i was the closest to him he was like a father to me and i will forever be grateful for the role he played in my life. My forever hero Coach ARJUN MENON.

Since Arjun's passing, I have found myself replaying so many moments, and every single one reminds me why he became more than a colleague or even a friend — he truly was my brother. It has taken me sometime to write this, have struggled to find the words.
Arjun and I first met on the field in 2011. He was head coach of Botswana and I was coaching Malawi. Malawi won that match, and years later, after he had joined us, Arjun would always laugh and say, “If you can’t beat them, join them!” That joke became our running line, but it also marked the beginning of a friendship that never stopped growing. We stayed in constant touch. Even when he was coaching Singapore and taking them to a top-20 world ranking, he would message me about our results, our players, our dreams for Malawi cricket. He followed our journey like it was his own.
In 2019, when we advertised for Head of Cricket Operations, Arjun jumped at the chance. During his interview I half-jokingly asked him, “Are you sure you want this job? It’s a step or two down from Singapore.” With that infectious chuckle of his he replied, “I’d love to come back to Africa and coach — you have a great program.” He later told everyone he had never been asked that question in an interview before, and it always made him laugh. That moment captured who Arjun was: someone who chose heart over status, Africa over rankings, and us over comfort.
From the day he arrived in 2020, Arjun became the heartbeat of Cricket Malawi. He didn’t just coach — he inspired, he built, he believed. Under his leadership our men’s team reached the runner-up spot in the 2024 T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, and our Under-19 women’s team climbed to Division 1. He poured himself into The Cricket Academy, nurturing every player with patience and genuine care. He fought for every single one of them, always saying, “The talent we have — keep working hard.” Three Malawi Sport Awards stand as quiet proof of the transformation he led.
But Arjun’s biggest legacy was never measured in trophies. He had a heart of gold and a gentle giant’s presence that made everyone feel seen. He judged no one and befriended everyone. He raised funds for Maoni Orphanage so children would have beds and mosquito nets. My own daughters grew close to him and started calling him “Uncle Arjun” — a title he wore with the biggest smile. To me he was simply my brother. His laughter was a comfort on tough days; his wisdom was the steady voice that kept us going.
One of my favorite memories is something he posted on Facebook that perfectly summed up the way he lived: “This is what life is worth living for — celebrate our differences and reinforce our similarities.” He believed in our program with all his heart, and he constantly told me, “We would not be where we are without you.” The truth is, we would not be where we are without him.
Arjun carried dreams from Saint Patrick’s School in Singapore all the way to pitches across four continents, and he left a piece of himself in every person he touched. He is not a statistic, not a headline — he is our brother, and he will be missed every single day.
Please know that the entire Cricket Malawi family — players, staff, academy kids, and everyone whose life he touched — stands with you and your family.
With deepest sympathy and endless gratitude for the gift of knowing Arjun.

Arjun was not just a man with a passion for cricket, but also a mentor to many. I have known him since 2020 through cricket. He played a big role in shaping who I am today, both in cricket and in other areas of my life.

I will forever respect his work ethic and his dedication to cricket, especially in Malawi and even beyond. He was an inspiration to many of us.

May his soul continue to rest in peace. We will forever be grateful for the sacrifices he made for us.

Where can I start this man was an absolute gentle Giant when AJ started at cricket he called my office for fumigation I went to meet him at saint Andrews high school the minute we met we clicked we went from strangers to brothers, the following day we went for a drink I introduced him to my wife he started coming home for a drink now and then we kept in touch with each other then my daughter was born they had a shy relationship but liked each other a lot she became his favorite coach everyday she would ask where is coach when are we goin to see him I mean the man was a legend I was never a cricket guy but the man got me to start playing cricket and now I love playing the game all in all the man had a beautiful soul keep resting in peace brother until we meet again I think of you everyday I miss our fishing trips buying each other vapes I still don’t believe your gone part of me thinks your still around and am still waiting for that Saturday to go fishing we had our day all planned out.

We used to talk about everything, and each time it was about learning something new. Arjun loved his music, geography, history, world politics, general knowledge, sports, African culture and folklore, he had always been fascinated by that. I will always remember his laugh, we used to laugh so much, even when we were down. Our jokes and laughter was our strength, always. Keep smiling Arj =)

Arjun and I truly bonded during our trips with the national cricket team. On one such trip, after a particularly long day, we sat down at a bar to have a nice cold beer. The only catch? I was in the middle of my “no alcohol, lose weight” doomed-to-fail experiment.

Arjun looked at me with a smilwe and said, “What’s the point of losing weight if you don’t enjoy life’s moments such as this?” It was classic Arjun: wise, witty, and persuasive.

So I caved. We ordered the beers, and what started as one drink turned into a marathon session aided by a good live rock band belting out hits to boot. By the end of the night, the only thing lighter was our wallet, not my waistline.

That moment has stayed with me, because it summed up Arjun perfectly: he knew how to remind you that joy, laughter, and friendship were worth more than any diet plan. And that’s exactly how I’ll always remember him.

I will never forget the time Arjun called me to be his groomsman. The phone call went something like this….
Arjun: Darren, hello. Would you do me the honor of being my groomsman at my wedding?
Me: me? Of wow? Are you sure? I didn’t even dream you would want to ask me to be groomsman.
Arjun: yes. Would you do it?
Me: this is literally incredible. I can’t believe it.
Arjun: (sigh)
Me: yes. Yes, of course. YES.
Arjun: great.
Me: are you 100% sure?
Arjun: of course I am.
Me: thank you for this Arjun, I really don’t know what to say.
Arjun: it’s okay
Me: what all you other friends?
Arjun: A lot of them aren’t coming. I need 10 groomsmen and Sami just pulled out. You’ll need to hit your own suit and learn some dances. Amit will be in touch for your measurements.
Line goes dead.

Bow is a photo of the night’s sky, on the night of Arjun and Patience’s wedding, outside the church they were married in

I met Arjun when a friend introduced me to his social football group. We immediately hit it off. He always made anyone and everyone feel welcome.

Over the next few years we met socially when time permitted over food and drinks. He always regaled us with passionate stories from Africa.

However, one on one, he was also just as amazing. I remember travelling to the Philippines and sitting in a bar alone, and I had texted him just to check in - he had just moved to Malawi at that time - and he video called me and we talked for hours. He asked me to join him when I could and I promised I would. I never did, which is one of my biggest regrets. Im glad I got to see him when he came back briefly a couple years ago.

He was an inspiration to me.

Even while he was in Africa, he never stopped caring for his friends in sg. He constantly checked in with me when Covid hits my family very badly..Missing his hearty laugh and his bubbliness...What a profound loss... 🙁

As a coach and mentor, Arjun had a full understanding of the capabilities of his team and players, and he was fully aware of how to get positive results from players and how to transform an ordinary player into a key player by making him perform. This was a great quality of his. He was a wonderful person.

A few of us were already playing tennis ball cricket in front of his block and then we saw Arjun carrying wickets around Neptune Court. . We called him over and as they say rest is history. That one encounter started a 30 year friendship. and Btw who can forget Arjun pranking us with fake blood in St Pats when he spooked us where we ran across the St pats football field thinking we saw ghosts.. We looked back and Iit was Arjun lauging his head off...

I had the honour of calling Arjun a friend for 30 years. We first crossed paths on the cricket field in Singapore as teenagers - Arjun playing for SCA and me for UWC - and that rivalry soon became a friendship that would endure for decades. Arjun's passion for the game of cricket and his love and warmth for his friends was unique, and he will always be deeply missed by communities of friends and cricket players in every corner of the world.

Its hard to pick a single story when it comes to Arjun. On the field or off the field, the laughter was constant. Rest in peace big man!

Arjun had something so special where the moment you met him it was impossible not to like him. He always put himself above others as he had a heart of Gold. He was a natural born leader as no one had to push him to lead and he had the initiative to lead whenever leadership was needed on the pitch, the classroom or anywhere in life.

Many happy memories of playing cricket with Arjun and the smiles he always brought with him. Great fun on buses and trains around Singapore as grungy teenagers, and many lovely ‘deep and meaningful’ chats around the swimming pool in my building (or at the end of a big night!).

Arjun was always there. He was there when I was still in diapers (his words not mine), hanging out under the block at Neptune Court. He was there every day after school playing football, sharing stories, playing board games under the block. He was there for the simple meals, he was there for Birthday celebrations, overseas trips, public holidays. He was there for my first alcoholic beverage, he was there for my first BGR heartbreak. He was there when i travelled to Africa, he was there every time i needed to talk to someone. He was there for my wedding and he was there for the birth of my children. He was there to guide me throughout my adolescent life. I will never forget you Arjun and I carry your memory everyday for the rest of my life because you are always here with me.

Arjun was the life of the party. People naturally gravitated towards him. He made friends easier and faster than anyone I know. His ability to make people feel comfortable, involved and appreciated was so special. And that laugh…I can still hear it so clearly. It would be infectious. Everyone immediately knew who it was and quite often many of us would then join in. Will raise a glass to my old friend once again on his birthday. Love you always bro! To paraphrase the team he adored, You’re Never Without Arjun

Arjun was the life of the party. People naturally gravitated towards him. He made friends easier and faster than anyone I know. His ability to make people feel comfortable, involved and appreciated was so special. And that laugh…I can still hear it so clearly. It would be infectious. Everyone immediately knew who it was and quite often many of us would then join in. Will raise a glass to my old friend once again on his birthday. Love you always bro! To paraphrase the team he adored, You’re Never Without Arjun