Sunia Cama, former Fiji heavyweight boxing champion and one of the country's top trainers, died in Suva on Friday morning (Feb 19).
Cama died in his sleep at around 6am inside his car which was parked on the pavement outside his Toorak restaurant.
The 67-year-old first appeared onto the boxing scene when he won the Fiji light heavyweight title in 1969 and went on to become the Fiji heavyweight champion in the 1970s.
He fought the likes of Tongan's Fonomanu Sekona, Mani Vaka, the late Marika Naivalu, Vuniivi Nadumu, Samuela Vocea, Koli Vailea, Niko Degei, Johnny Gorkom, Den Compain and Australian Quentin Waters.
He was the only Fijian boxer to have beaten tough Samoan heavyweight Fossie Schmidt.
Cama was also known to have trained some of the best boxers in Fiji, including Anthony Naidu, Isimeli Lesi, Koroi Vodo, Atama Matauloki, Sunia Cama Junior, uprising Petero Qica Junior.
Well known for his rigid discipline programmes, most of his fighters went on to become champions.
Ardent Auckland boxing enthusiast Ahmed Khan, of Pakuranga, said Fiji had lost a huge boxing identity.
“He was a huge man inside the ring and also made his presence felt outside of boxing,” Khan told the Indian Weekender.
His cousin Petero Qica Senior, who was with Cama before he passed away, said the former champion died peacefully without any signs of pain.
"After we came back from training on Thurday night, he was at his usual behaivour, talking and joking with the boys," Qica told the Fiji Times.
Qica said Cama preferred to sleep in his car because of the humid weather while the rest of the boys were seated outside the restaurant.
"Around 3am he woke up to check the daily takings from the restaurtant before he went back to the car.
"After six in the morning, we heard he had a problem with his breathing."
Qica said Cama had collapsed during training at the YMCA on Tuesday.
"But after we attended to him, na qase told us he was all right.
Qica said Cama's untimely death brought the Toorak community together.
Wife Seini Makosoi said Indian neighours and friends all alike came into the shop enquiring about the news.
He is survived by his wife and 12 children.



Sunia Cama


Sunia Cama passes away
19 February 2010

Former heavyweight boxer and businessman of Fiji, Sunia Cama passed away this morning.

69 year old Cama was a great boxer of his time and did not only hold the heavyweight title but was also the champion in the Light Heavyweight division.

Cama also fought overseas.

His cousin Alipate Korovou who is also a former top boxer says Cama's death is a big loss to boxing in Fiji and he will be sorely missed by many boxing fans and boxers, as he was still taking interest in boxing and training the amateur boxers.

Cama was also the corner man for Joy Ali, when he fought Samoa's Faimasasa Tavui and Joseph Kwadjo.

During the early 1970s, he trained a group of amateur fighters who all later became champions and top boxers in the region, and this includes Sakaraia Ve, Jo Keresi, Timoci Belo and Inoke Cakautini.

Cama whose funeral details will be released later, is survived by his wife and 12 children.

Fiji's boxing legend dies

Friday, February 19, 2010

Former heavyweight champion and one of the country's top boxing trainers Sunia Cama has passed away at his Toorak home – early this morning.

Back in the mid 70s he was the heavyweight boxing champion of Fiji. Everybody who knew him and was dubbed the king of the ring in an era when Fiji dominated the South Pacific in boxing.

Cama was the drawcard when and wherever he fought because not only was the champion but his prowess and was a brute of a man , had no mercy for of his opponents.

Many people went to watch boxing then, to watch stylish and classy fighters like Leweni Waqa, Filimoni Naliva, Vuniivi Nadumu and Nemani Waka, to name a few.

Cama now 65, has contributed a lot to boxing.

Like many other sporting oldies, he lives a quiet place and runs a business in Suva Cama's Cafe. The place that defied any rules, decrees, laws, coups or whatever anyone could think of trying to enforce in Fiji!

 Sunia Cama's cafe NEVER closed, (although the front entrance was locked at night), --you could always drop by through the back entrance for a late night curry and a beer, then pick up a carton fiji bitter on the way to after-parties..! around Suva :-)

Cama hails from the village of Nasau,from the island of Moce in Lau and maternal blood links from Yadrana the village where boxing was their only sport and dominates known boxers like undefeated former heavyweight champion - Atama Matauloki.

To him boxing became a career and even though it did not pay well, he was earning money from the ring.

He fought many known boxers and he fought about 70 fights but has lost count of the year.

Cama hung his gloves in 1983 after his last fight against Niko Degei.

He survived by his wife Seini and 12 children.