Pillay awarded in India
Sonny Pillay was awarded in India for his involvement in karate for the past 47 years.
THE president of Karate South Africa (KSA), Hanshi Sonny Pillay, was recently honoured by the Karate Association of India (KAI), the national federation, for his outstanding contribution to karate around the globe.
The South African legend of the sport was bestowed a Commendation Award for being the first Karate master of Indian origin and the only South African to be awarded the prestigious 8th Degree black belt rank from the World Karate Federation (WKF).
President of the Karate Association of India (KAI), Ragupathy Thiagarajan, paid glowing tribute to Hanshi Pillay at the awards ceremony attended by 32 states held during the recent senior national championships in New Delhi.
The 64-year-old karate maestro said he was overwhelmed by the warm hospitality and honour that was afforded to him in India.
“It is certainly gratifying to know my achievements are globally recognised. This rare accolade bestowed on me by the Indian karate hierarchy led by Messrs Thiagarajan and secretary general Bharat Sharma must certainly be one of the highlights of my 47-year karate journey ,“ he said.
