Just rewards for our Olympians
Saverio Baleikanacea, Lami
I would like to add my congratulations and vinaka vakalevu to our men’s national 7s gladiators and coach Ben Ryan for being the most successful Fijian Team ever.
First, in winning the 2015/2016 World Rugby Sevens Series culminating in winning the country’s first gold medal at the Rio Olympics – the pinnacle of any athlete and national sporting organisation. Now that is history.
What is now important is to decide and provide to our gladiators presents and gifts that is befitting, appropriate and which will fairly and justly reward them for their efforts and sacrifices in the past months culminating in their success at the Rio Olympics.
The actual celebrations planned including the public holiday will only be a brief, temporary and a short term benefit to our players. After the holidays on Monday, August 22, then what? Our Gladiators will revert to being normal ordinary Fijian citizens? They are not ordinary Fijian citizens! They are our first Olympic champions!
As such, they should be provided presents and gifts which will properly, fairly and justly recognise and reward them as Olympic champions.
The $30,000 proposed by the Government is totally insignificant, and therefore unfair, unjust and unacceptable based on the following reasons:
A precedent has already been set when the Government gifted Assistant Minister Iliesa Delana with a fully furnished home plus car when he won a gold medal in the 2012 Paralympics in London;
The $3 million spent by the Government for the one evening event involving the Super 15 Rugby match held in Suva on July 1,2016 between the Chiefs and the Crusaders;
The $10 million the Government spends annually since 2014 to fund the Fiji International Golf tournament at Natadola; and
The $13 million rebate paid by the Government to the producers and owners of the TV series called the Survivor.
Whilst Government is reviewing the $30,000 per player, I hope their sponsor, Vodafone and other major companies are doing the same.
The Fiji Rugby Union can also organise a house to house appeal throughout Fiji with the proceeds to be shared equally by the players.
Again, best wishes and vinaka vakalevu to all our players.
Olympic 7s rugby ball
Herleen Emily Kumar, Nadi
While the Fijian 7s team are making it big in Rio by winning their first Olympic gold medal, there’s a request to the FRU – to keep the 7s ball from Rio at the national museum. This is Fiji’s first gold medal therefore it would remain as a memory to our next generation, who did not get to witness this historic moment. I hope it would be kept as a heritage for life. Vinaka, boys.
Our Fiji
Arien Vikash Kumar, Nadi
A tiny nation, with limited resources, small budget, but our boys “Greatly Beaten” the “Great Britain” and others to claim gold.
Mai Fiji, my Fiji, our Fiji, God bless Fiji. Thanks for the gold from Rio. 2016, truly a year to remember, Winston, World Rugby Sevens Series back-to-back titles and gold from Rio.
Vinaka boys, coach, officials, not forgetting their families and their prayers.
Church, State and sports
Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa, Canada
Even though Fiji is considered to be governed by a secular State, no one can deny that our recent history in winning our first gold medal in the Olympic Games seems to present to the world that we are a very dedicated Christian nation.
The State has a big stake in sports and in the case of our victorious Vodafone Fijian Sevens Olympians. These sports people are all Christians who gave God all the praise for their magnificent 43-7 final performance against Great Britain.
Political correctness has swept the large nations by storm and other smaller nations like us are moving towards it, where it is not acceptable to be mentioning the name of Jesus Christ or God in public.
Reading the dailies in the past days, God has been mentioned or alluded to by all Fijians, who are on top of the world because of the achievement of coach Ben Ryan and the boys.
While we all accept the fact that the State and the Church are to remain separate, sports seems to be the unifying body in the middle.
I believe that Fiji as a nation prayed for our first Olympic Games gold medal win and coach Ryan and our 7s Olympians worked that faith during their preparations.
If God answered our prayers for a sporting achievement, imagine if we as a nation unite to pray for His mighty hand in solving all our current problems, including Non-Communicable Diseases.
Israel was the envy of all surrounding nations when God was their supreme ruler and I believe Fiji will be the way the world should be, if we Fijians as a nation, uphold Him and seek Him, just like our recent pleading to win our first Olympic Games gold medal.
7s rugby questions
Floyd Robinson, Nasinu
Given Fiji’s performance in the finals of the rugby 7s at the 2016 Rio Olympics, there are a number of questions arising.
Firstly, has this taken the standard or the class of 7s to another level? Obviously other national coaches will want to better this record come 2017.
Does this signify the alarm bells calling for a resignation of the New Zealand 7s coach? He’s won almost every tournament including World Cups and Commonwealth Games but to manage a New Zealand side which lost two pool games and the quarterfinals may not go down well with some Kiwi fans, especially after their national women’s rugby team won silver.
Has the performance of our national team had an impact on tourism in Fiji? Whatever one’s views the Uprising Resort has more reason to be proud of hosting the Olympic gold medallists.
How and what did it take Ben Ryan and his team to deliver perhaps the best ever performance to date of a Fijian 7s team?
Whatever one’s views, one can be sure that it’s still taking time for the nation to really believe in our national 7s team performance.
Fijian soccer
Neelz Singh, Lami
Fijian soccer can use the Sigatoka sand dunes for training as well if they want to achieve better results.
Our rugby stars are shining because they train and suffered the rugged condition of the sand dunes.
Soccer is the oldest establish sports in Fiji but they haven’t succeeded on the international level. So what’s the next step for Fiji FA? Hope to see them playing better in professional level.
Deans result
Amenatave Yaconisau, Suva
It was disappointment and heartbreak again for Marist against QVS in a show of champagne rugby that has vanished from Fiji for some time.
It was like deja-vu from last year but this time it’s another Tailevu giant QVS that was the nemesis.
Rugby is the winner definitely, but the kicker from Marist will not forget the mysterious forces that made him miss two penalties and three unconverted tries. That would have given them a comfortable lead. There were other things like poor ball handling and senseless kicks but no excuses.
What a letdown! God’s favour just wasn’t with us on that day despite our prayers. He simply didn’t want to give it.
On the other hand the QVS halfback will go down in the history of Deans Trophy rivalry as the guy who kicked his school to yet another victory. All credit to him for responding when needed. He will remember it for the rest of his life. Such lifting is good for QVS family after the devastation of Cyclone Winston. They did not have a great beginning typical of champions but boy the grit and persistence was there, and it paid in the end.
Next year is another year but let’s keep everlastingly at it. Let’s keep moving as Manoa Rasigatale says in his iTaukei programme “Na Toso” ke dredre sara vakacava na bula me toso tiko ga.
Let’s not only accept good only from God, but also trouble as Job 2(10) says.
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