One of Fiji’s cricket greats, Joe Rika, was laid to rest today at the Nasinu cemetery.

One of Fiji’s cricket greats, Joe Rika, was laid to rest today at the Nasinu cemetery.

Rika passed away on Monday after suffering an asthma attack.

Friends, colleagues and family members packed the Salvation Army Church in Suva for the funeral service.

Rika made his international debut in 2006 and spent a decade playing for Fiji country at the top level.

He also took a big interest in the next generation of players and had stints coaching national age-grade and senior teams, working as a development officer and, most recently, as the national high-performance manager.

Former national rep and current Cricket Fiji Senior Development Officer, Joeli Mateyawa says he remembers watching a young Joe Rika at Albert Park in Suva but he never thought that same young man would turn a new page in the sport in Fiji.

“Joe started cricket development with Seci Sekanini, Seci passed away two weeks ago and now Joe has left us a few days ago they started the development of cricket a few years ago they implemented some things we are following at the moment”.

Rika first represented the Fiji under 19 men’s team when he was only 13-years-old and famously plundered 257 runs off 145 balls in a win over Japan at the 2007 East Asia Pacific Under-19 Trophy. He was 32 years old.