A funeral service for the Papua New Guinea rugby league player Kato Ottio has been held in Port Moresby.
Kato Ottio represented PNG in Rugby League and Volleyball Photo: RNZ Pacific / Melvin Levongo
Mr Ottio died on Tuesday after collapsing while training alongside the PNG Hunters in the capital on Sunday.
He was 23.
Mr Ottio played six times for the PNG national team, most recently in last year's world cup.
He spent the last two seasons as a member of the Canberra Raiders and signed a two year deal with the English club Widnes Vikings in December.
Both clubs are fundraising to support Mr Ottio's family.
A post mortem has been conducted to determine the cause of death but intitial reports said he collapsed due to heat-stroke.
Meanwhile, the rugby league community in PNG is also mourning the loss of the former Kumul player David Tinemau.
The three Test, former chairman of selectors for the Kumuls died on Monday at his home in Mount Hagen after a long illness.
He was 63.
