The courage and will to win
An unquenchable quest for excellence took him to the capitals of the world
FOR aficionados of karate, in which the protagonists bow to each other before landing a welter of chops, kicks and blows, Sonny Pillay is a household name. After all, he has 50 years under the belt in this profession.
Colourful, controversial and flamboyant are words that spring to mind when describing the man. For his part, Pillay said he prefers to focus on other attributes: “Courage, determination, tenacity and the will to win.”
When he first walked into a Carlisle Street studio in Durban at the age of 17, the idea that he might excel at karate never crossed his mind. In those days golf was what put the “swing” into his life. “I was extremely passionate and committed to golf,” Pillay recalls, mentioning that at one stage he had been one of the three top amateur golfers on South Africa’s nonwhite circuit.
He was to learn in time, though, that the more he practised karate, the more intrigued he would become by its depth and the challenges it would present. Although he turned 66 only one week ago, he insists he is still learning, still practising like a beginner.
He needs the steely focus that the sport has honed in him. As president of Karate South Africa; vice-president of the Commonwealth Karate Federation; and numerous other bodies, there are endless calls on his time and expertise.
Being a member of the technical commission of the World Karate Federation (WKF) – a first for South Africa and one of only 13 people around the globe – has catapulted Pillay onto the world karate scene.
“This might have been the best thing to happen for us, as it gives South African karate athletes a voice on the world platform,” said Pillay. “But even more importantly, I have been invited to address the WKF’S World Congress in Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain.”
At the congress he will give insight into the background to four separate court cases brought, and successfully won, by Karate South Africa (KSA) against the powerful South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).
As some 198 countries and 150 Presidents of the WKF will be present in Tenerife, Pillay will be at pains to stress not so much the win by Karate South Africa, but the fact that the sporting body’s relationship with Sascoc remains cordial.
He will focus on the fact that the WKF brand in South Africa is strong and survives. “We have been able to restore our dignity and integrity, despite the turbulent period we have gone through.
“I will also present to them the huge technical differences between the developing countries and the First World ones such as Japan and Europe; and appeal to the world structure for financial and technical support to bring us into line with them - especially as karate is now an Olympic sport.
But who is the real man behind the public persona? Nobody could ever say Pillay’s life has been dull and humdrum.
As a child growing up on a fruit farm In his day, Sonny was ranked among the top amateur golfers, with an outstanding swing.