Meet the referee from Palakkad who was at Lionel Messi's debut as Argentina Captain
When football fans in Kerala learned that legendary player Lionel Messi and the Argentine national team would be playing in Kerala next year, many dream of watching them live. Palakkad native Rowan Arumughan, once had a similar dream, who, instead of watching Messi play, found himself refereeing the match.
In September 2011, Rowan had the honor of refereeing a friendly match between Argentina and Venezuela at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The match was special not just because Messi was playing, but because it marked Messi’s debut as the captain of Argentina, a moment etched in football history.
Rowan recalls his experience with mixed emotions, admitting he was somewhat disappointed with the outcome of the match. As a referee in the middle of the field, he says it was hard to resist watching Messi’s brilliance up close, especially when Messi advanced with the ball.
Rowan recalls his experience
“I was working in the Chennai Air Force at the time. When I heard that the Argentine team was coming to India, I decided I would attend the match. While preparing for it, I received a notification from the Asian Football Confederation that I would be refereeing the game. I was a bit surprised when I got the news. Back then, there was no technical facility like today, and both teams were from South America. The only way to learn about the teams was through videos. While there were many videos of Argentine players, Venezuela was an unfamiliar team. It was hard to get footage from their leagues.
I reached Kolkata two days before the match, and as it drew closer, my anxiety grew. I couldn’t express the tense I felt though. It was a surreal experience when Messi stood close to me for a photo right before kickoff. But when the whistle blew for the start of the game, my focus shifted completely to my work. I had to block everything else out. In the end, Argentina won the match with a goal from Nicolás Otamendi.”
The first assistant referee for that match was Dinesh Nair, a native of Thrissur. Rowan, who hails from Mankara in Palakkad, has also officiated in World Cup qualifiers. He retired from the Air Force in 2018. Rowan now works as a referee instructor for the All India Football Association. His wife is Binuja and they have two children, Taniha and Ishiha.