In a poignant turn of events, the Nadi community has been left mourning the loss of a promising young athlete, Petaia Cokanivalu, after a tragic drowning incident. The incident has reverberated deeply through the soccer community, with tributes pouring in for the late Nadi national youth soccer representative. A somber ceremony was held in his native village of Namotomoto in Nadi, where his teammates, who would have accompanied him to the World Youth Cup elimination rounds in Australia, bore the difficult duty of acting as pallbearers at his funeral.
On that fateful day, after a practice session against the ATS Club, Cokanivalu and some of his squad members took to the Nadi River for a swim. Unfortunately, while carrying a bundle of grass for a local woman from the river, Cokanivalu suffered cramps and tragically drowned. He was regarded as a potential star by his national youth coach, Billy Singh, who reminisced about Cokanivalu’s early promise when he captained the Nadi Primary Schools to victory in 1973 and later led the district youth team in 1984.
The emotional ceremony saw more than 1,500 people from diverse backgrounds unite to honor his memory. The impact of the tragedy was shared by his brother, Mosese Bose, who linked their family’s legacy to another fallen hero, the former national captain Jo Tubuna, who had also passed in an untimely road accident.
Cokanivalu’s final journey was marked by an FFA flag draped over his coffin, which was reverently carried by his teammates—Akuila Rova, Simon Peters, Semisi Tokailagi, Ravuama Madgi, Semi Vueti, and Maritino Nemani. Heartfelt tributes were offered by figures like Chetty, team director Hari Kewal, and his former school principal, Narayan Reddy. His burial took place at 4:45 pm, with promises from his club mates from Navakai to honor his memory with a tombstone after 100 days.
The deep sense of loss and camaraderie at the funeral was reminiscent of the national mourning seen during the funeral of former Fiji captain Josaia Tubuna in 1984, signifying the significant impact such losses have on both the personal and national levels. The community’s unity in paying their last respects highlighted the profound connection between sports and cultural identities in Fiji, as well as the collective grief shared in the face of such tragic events.