VARADARAJU may not instantly ring a bell but his death on Thursday made a lot of heads turn as he was the role-model father of V. Sundramoorthy, one of Asean’s iconic professional footballers.
Popularly known as “Gondol” in the Sembawang ‘kampong’, he was someone who “lived, dreamed, breathed football…and very well respected by thousands of Naval Base folks”.
He passed on, aged 80, in the early hours of Thursday and leaves behind wife, three daughters and Sundram. His body is resting at Block 136, Marsiling Road with funeral scheduled for Saturday evening.
If there was one endearing football trademark, it was “discipline and total commitment”, recalls former Singapore footballer Bernard Nobert. He adds: “He never tolerated shirkers, if you play for his team, it’s more than 100 per cent in the field of play and he demanded such high-ended commitment.”
He was the “guiding light” for Junior Athletic Association (JAA), one of the most respected Sembawang-based teams in the 1960s, which played in FAS (Football Association of Singapore) Division One. He started his playing days at the Deptford Ground, the traditional home ground to the British naval servicemen at Sembawang HMS Dockyard.
Nobert, who also played for JAA and later coached Tampines Rovers, says: “He picked up the football skills from the ‘orang putehs’ and matched them shoulder to shoulder, kick for kick, header for header, knock for knock and even for off-the-ball physical tricks. He gives and takes the same way, he believes in hard football and he was very well respected by players and opponents.”
“He may not have attended any high-end coaching courses but his vision for football was extraordinary as he could educate and inspire the younger generation, just by showing his God-send ball-skills. In a nutshell, he was a no-nonsense footballer, committed to give off the best over 90 minutes, and he expected that same trademarks from every player he coached.”
“Gondol” played in the glorious 1960s era of Rahim Omar, Majid Ariff, Quah Kim Swee, Lee Wah Chin and Wilfred Skinner but it was his younger brother, Munusamy, who hogged the limelight as a prolific striker, and was spotted by Bulgarian coach (Kovochov) to play for Singapore.
FOOTBALL TRADEMARKS
“What you see in Sundram, the double-legged shooting, acrobatic bicycle-kicks, prolific dribbling skills and pinpoint accurate passing, these were hallmarks of Munusamy. Sundram closely worshipped (uncle) Munusamy but was blessed with the committed football trademarks from his father,” adds Nobert.
Journalist P.N. Balji, formerly chief editor of Today, as well as an editor at The New Paper, who grew up in Naval Base, describes “Gondol” as a “sportsman who lived, dreamed, breathed football…and very well respected by thousands of Naval Base folks”.
He adds: “For him, everything was football. It is befitting that his only son, Sundramoorthy, went on in 1988 to be Singapore’s second professional footballer in Europe (after Fandi Ahmad) with FC Basel in Switzerland. He was rightly nicknamed ‘The Dazzler’ at the height of his prowess and ‘King Cobra’ when he was the player-coach of Jurong FC.”
Jita Singh, the award-winning SNOC 1981 ‘Coach of the Year’, recalls how “Gondol” was “extremely proud” when Sundram made it as a teenager to the 1983 SEA Games squad. He adds: “He told me to guide his 17-year-old son, who was very talented but temperamental in some ways. ‘Gondol’ told me that this was the biggest international break for his son and he wanted me to make sure Sundram excelled to his best potential.”
True to form, Sundram made his father hold his head the highest as he earned 50 “A” caps between 1983 and 1987 with 45 goals to match.
Jita recalls: “In his first season in the Malaysia Cup, he finished top scorer in the tournament and he never turned back as he formed an extraordinary striker-combination with Fandi Ahmad.”
He played for FC Basel in Switzerland in 1988 and later did professional stints in Kedah (1990), Pahang (1992) and Kelantan (1994). He returned to be the first player-coach in the S-League for Jurong FC (1999-2003). His major honours included the Malaysia Cup with Kedah (1990) and he coached LionsXII to the MSL (Malaysian Super League) title in 2013.
BALD-HEADED TRIBUTE
If you’re wondering where the “Gondol” nickname inherited, close family friends say it was from his teenager days at HMS Dockyard in Naval Base as Varadaraju relished the “botak” (bald-headed) look. “That name stuck with him for a very long time and he enjoyed ‘Gondol’,” says family friend D. Manikaraji.
Manikaraji hails “Gondol” as a perfectionist as with any aspect of football or sports for that matter, perfect practice makes perfect. He adds: “Passing the ball the perfect accurate way is one of the lead skills every player must master. He believes good passing leads to increased possession and a greater chance of victory in a match because how can you expect to score a goal if you don’t have the ball?”
Sundramoorthy recalls growing up in Sembawang, playing football after school almost every day, with the regular guidance of his father and uncle. He says: “My dad evoked a lot of passion in me as he was a neighbourhood hero and he would always take me to watch his games and it was from those games that my dreams of becoming a professional soccer player was cemented.
“Yes, both my dad and uncle were role models as they were brave, smart, strong, kind, thoughtful and fun. Not that every role model is perfect. Unless it is someone out of a storybook, role models are people who might be outstanding in only one or two areas. Or maybe it is someone who is far less than perfect, but is working to improve himself or herself.
“I’m glad my football made him proud as he was a thoroughbred footballer who, as many people say lived, dreamed, breathed football…and very well respected by thousands of Naval Base folks”.
RIP “Gondol”, a Sembawang & Naval Base football hero whose legacy will continue to make a lot of heads turn as he will be etched in history as the role-model father of Sundramoorthy, one of Asean’s iconic footballers. – BY SURESH NAIR.
- Suresh Nair is a Singapore-based journalist who wishes Asean can produce a lot more “Gondols”, who’re truly passionate about the genuine values of football.
