Cape Town - Veteran sports journalist and legend of local soccer reporting, Joseph “Joe” Pillay, has died.
Pillay, 64, was described by colleagues, friends and those in the sports fraternity as an icon, someone with a bubbly personality and a walking encyclopedia on local sport whose presence will be missed at sports events. He leaves his wife Carol.
In statement, the MEC for Sport and Cultural Affairs, Anroux Marais, said she had learnt with great sadness of Pillay’s death.
“Joseph Pillay, better known as Joe, was an iconic sports writer who had been covering sport from the early 1970s. Honoured by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport as a Provincial Sport Legend in 2017, Joe served our communities through his pen and inspired many sportspeople with confidence and pride in their local heritage and actively promoted a vision of a socially inclusive, creative, active and connected Western Cape.
“Until his last days, Joe was active in covering sport and remained a popular figure among the soccer and softball fraternity. Since he moved to Cape Town in 1981, Joe has written articles about local sport – from school’s soccer to football and softball associations.
“In 1993, he received the National Premier Soccer League (PSL) Coca-Cola Cup Award and the Golden Pen Award in 2000 at the World Men’s Championships hosted by Softball South Africa.
“Joe captured the hearts of the communities with his writing skills, be it in the English or Afrikaans press. During difficult circumstances, he managed to keep readers up to date with events such as South African Football Association (Safa) Cape Town competitions, the league or knock-out competitions of the Local Football Association, the annual under-13 tournaments of Strandfontein AFC, ‘By The Sea’, as well as the under-23 Kenpark United tournaments.
“We will surely miss the presence of the ever-popular writer who has helped in encouraging the growth of sport across the province and the country at large.
“We express our heartfelt condolences to Joe’s friends, family, loved ones and all he inspired through his iconic work and selfless efforts to promote local sports participation and achievements. May his soul rest in peace, while his legacy lives on,” she said.