FORMER national footballer T. Gopinath Naidu, who was part of Malaysia’s football scene in the 1990s, died yesterday at the age of 50.
The sad news was shared by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) through a post on its official Facebook page.
“Condolences. FAM extends its deepest sympathies to the family of the late T. Gopinath Naidu. He was a member of the national squad in the 1990s and had also played for Kuala Lumpur (1992–1994) and Perak (1996),” the post read.
Fondly known as the ‘Kuala Lumpur Wonder Boy’, Gopinath played a key role in helping ‘The City Boys’ secure back-to-back FA Cup titles in 1993 and 1994.
His outstanding performance earned him opportunities to train and play internationally, including with English club Aston Villa and German side Bayern Leverkusen.
However, recurring knee injuries forced him into early retirement at the age of 25 in 1999.
During his time with the national team, Gopinath represented Malaysia at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan, and the qualifying rounds for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
