Rihanna pays tribute to Sir Garfield Sobers at state funeral

Rihanna was among those who attended the service alongside Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, President Jeffery Bostic, Chief Justice Leslie Haynes, Saint Lucia Prime Minister Phillip J. Pierre and Cricket West Indies President Dr. Kishore Shallow. West Indies cricket legends Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Wes Hall and Brian Lara were also present.

During the funeral ceremony, Rihanna also laid a wreath at Sir Sobers’ final resting place. Notably, the singer is now the only remaining living National Hero of Barbados, after the death of Sobers. She was named as the National Heroine in 2021 when Barbados became a republic.

She also paid tribute to Sobers after his death through social media and said that he inspired her as a child. She had also expressed gratitude for meeting Sobers after being introduced to him by PM Mottley.

The state funeral began at 10:00 a.m. at Kensington Oval. The venue was chosen because of its connection to Sobers and his cricket career. The funeral procession travelled through Bridgetown before reaching Oval, where thousands of people gathered to honour the former West Indies captain.

Sobers died at his home in Barbados on July 17, 2026 at 89, eleven days before his 90th birthday. The Government of Barbados declared the day of his death and the day of his funeral as days of national mourning.

Former West Indies captain Sir Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara delivered tributes during the funeral. They remembered him as a mentor and friend and spoke about his influence on people.

Wreaths were laid by Mottley, Bostic, Minister of Sports Charles Griffith, Rihanna, Shallow and Pierre, at Coral Ridge Memorial Gardens. A 19-gun salute was also held as part of the final ceremony.

PM Mottley wrote about the farewell in a social media post, saying, “The world called you the greatest. We were blessed to call you ours.”

Among his major achievements, Sobers scored 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958, a Test record which stood for 36 years. In 1968, he also became the first batter to hit six sixes in one over in first-class cricket while playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamoorgan. 

Sobers was made a National Hero of Barbados in 1998 and was knighted in 1975 for the his contribution to cricket.