 Former footballer T. Shanmugam arrived at Salgaocar as coach in 1979, which turned to be a turning point in his career.Between 1981 and 1985, Salgaocar won the league four times, with Sankhwalkar reaching his peak during the time and also became a regular member in the national squad.The team also won the Bandodkar Gold Trophy in 1983, Nehru Gold Cup in 1984 and finished second at the Rovers Cup in 1985.