The funeral of 20-year-old Cypriot soldier Giorgos Hadjionna took place on Tuesday morning at the Ayia Sofia church in Strovolos.

At the funeral, his brother Charalambos made a speech in which he thanked God for giving us such a man. “Thank God we met and loved him”.

Hadjionna was a student at the Evelpidon Military School in Greece and, according to a statement from the military, lost consciousness during a training exercise in Rentina last Friday.

Graduates of the school at the funeral wore their distinctive white uniforms to pay respects to Hadjionna at the church.

Hundreds of mourners packed the church for the funeral, which was also attended by President Nikos Christodoulides, Defence Minister Michalis Giorgallas, National Guard Chief Dimokritos Zervakis and other dignitaries.

Christodoulides also laid a wreath.

The body was flown from Thessaloniki to Larnaca on Monday evening, and while the autopsy has been completed, an official cause of death has not yet been disclosed.