23 January 2021 – The South African Football Association has joined South African sport lovers to mourn the passing of National Futsal Team Coach Gregory Nair who passed on due Covid related complications.

This is very sad. It is a huge loss for everyone including his wife, Tanya his  family and the futsal and football family of SAFA.

Gregory death leaves a vacuum which will be difficult to fill.

At 50 years of age,  his  death is not only  untimely and shocking but a bitter pill to swallow.

He was one of the most successful young businessmen that I have met and I got to know him better because of his deep and insatiable commitment to the growth and development of Futsal in our country.

He had a passion for Futsal, he had a passion for our  National Futsal Team and a passion for his team Young Natalians, which he led with distinction from the inception of our league in 2000.

The  players , officials and management of Young Natalians  Sports  Club, other players and officials in the National Futsal league and the SAFA  National FutsalTeam will miss him, like we do in the Executive Committee of the South African Indoor Football Association.

He was a great ambassador  of Futsal both in our country and internationally. He not only played the game but he  also represented our country at international level iin Futsal.

Gregory and his wife Tanya were inseparable. His wife and children were always together,  at the Futsal grounds,  in his  business  and other family activities that they shared.

We extend our sincere condolences to  Tanya and the children and to the entire Nair family.

We pray that God gives them the strength to withstand the huge loss of a husband,  father, son , brother and our friend.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Credit: Poobie Govindasamy.