South Africa’s karate legend Sonny Pillay made history after being elected for a second term as the President of the Commonwealth Karate Nations of the World, the first African to achieve such a feat.
The karate grandmaster who resides in Durban was first elected president of the Commonwealth Karate in 2018, at the elective congress hosted at Durban’s Olive Convention centre. He was then reelected into the same position once again during the 10th edition of the Commonwealth Karate Nations Championships.
Pillay ran the race unopposed and was voted in by delegates from 22 countries. Pillay, who has served as the president of the National Federation (KSA) for the past 10 years, said: “It is gratifying to note the huge confidence placed in my leadership skills by the commonwealth karate fraternity given that I was elected unopposed for the second time, consecutively. My mandate as president-elect for the term 2022/2026, with the support of the commonwealth karate executive committee, to make karate a commonwealth games sport in Victoria 2026.”
Aside from Pillay’s re-election, team South Africa scooped multiple bragging rights when Protea fighting machine, Morgan Moss, was crowned seven-time commonwealth karate champion, raising the bar for other aspiring champions. KSA Protea head coach, Nico Banyane, was over the moon with the outstanding performance of the karate Proteas in Birmingham, having won 15 medals, including four gold victories, in various categories.
The next bi-annual commonwealth karate nations championships has been awarded to Bangladesh, Dhaka City 2024.
