Rihanna attended the funeral of West Indies cricket legend and Barbados National Hero Sir Garfield Sobers on Wednesday. The singer, 38, paid her respects at the Kensington Oval cricket ground in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Sir Garfield Sobers, widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, died on July 17 at the age of 89, just 11 days before his 90th birthday. Rihanna described the sportsman as "a legend and an icon whose legacy will inspire generations to come."
"Sir Garry’s legacy will live on forever, a light and inspiration to us all. Barbados loves you eternally, Sir Garry," Rihanna stated. "Barbados, today we lost a legend and an icon, the Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers, the greatest cricketer this world has ever seen."
She recalled how Sobers inspired her childhood, stating, "He inspired all of us as kids, even me playing cricket in the cemetery trying to keep up with my brother and busting all my shins." Rihanna also expressed gratitude for having the honor of being introduced to him by Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
Sobers, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975 for his services to cricket, became a dual Barbadian-Australian citizen in 1980. He set a record at age 21 for the highest individual score in Test cricket with an unbeaten 365, a mark that stood for 36 years. He was born in Bridgetown with an extra finger on each hand and achieved a Test average of 57.78 with 26 Test centuries.
Kishore Shallow, president of Cricket West Indies, lauded Sobers as more than a sporting icon. "He became a symbol of Caribbean excellence, resilience, and possibility," Shallow said. "His achievements brought pride to Barbados, inspiration to the West Indies and admiration from every corner of the cricketing world."
Sobers played 93 Tests for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974. He was also known for being the first player to reach 8,000 runs in Test cricket and for hitting six sixes in one over in a first-class game in 1968. Wisden rated him among the five best cricketers of the 20th century.