In 1985 Nadi national youth soccer rep Petaia Cokanivalu, a victim of a drowning incident, was laid to rest in his village of Namotomoto in Nadi.
An article published by The Fiji Times on January 1 that year, stated that six of his teammates, with whom he would have gone to play in the World Youth Cup elimination rounds in Australia, acted instead as pallbearers at his funeral.
The six, as well as most of the rest of the squad, were visibly affected by the occasion.
It was reported that after a practice game against the ATS Club earlier that week, some squad members went for a swim in the Nadi River.
Cokanivalu was carrying a bundle of grass across the river for a woman identified only as Kula when he suffered cramps and drowned. He was destined to become a star, according to national youth coach Billy Singh.
In 1973, he captained the Nadi Primary Schools team to victory in an inter-district tournament in Nausori and in 1984 captained the district youth team.
His body was taken to his sister Siteri’s residence at Namotomoto at 10am.
A multiracial gathering of more than 1500 people turned up to pay their final respects. His brother, Mosese Bose, said the family was related to former national captain Jo Tubuna, who died in a road accident.
At his wake, his coffin, draped with an FFA flag, was carried by his youth teammates.
Akuila Rova, Simon Peters, Semisi Tokailagi, Ravuama Madgi, Semi Vueti and Maritino Nemani carried his coffin to the church for the funeral service and then to the grave site.
Tributes to Cokanivalu were paid by Chetty, team director Hari Kewal and his former school principal, Narayan Reddy.
Cokanivalu was buried at 4.45pm that day, and his club mates from Navakai would put up his tombstone after 100 days.
