Veteran sports journalist and a mentor to many sports journalists in the city T.N. Pillay passed away on Friday after a brief illness. He was 86. Mr. Pillay worked for Deccan Chronicle since 1957 and retired as its Sports Editor. He covered the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, the 1990 Asiad in Beijing and the cricket World Cup hosted by India in 1987. A good sports administrator, he also played a key role in the Women’s Cricket Association of India before it was merged with the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2006.
Mr. Pillay also served as vice-president of the Sports Journalists Federation of India and was a founding member of the Andhra Pradesh Sports Journalists Association, bodies in which he held various positions. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao expressed grief and offered condolences to his family members. He said Mr. Pillay was instrumental in encouraging many youngsters taking up career as sports journalists.
The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) also condoled the death. JU secretary-general Amar Devulapalli and Press Council of India member K. Amarnath said in the death of MR. Pillay the sports journalists in Hyderabad lost a sage adviser and a mentor.
