Good moral moments
Samuela Kailawadoko
Nadi
There were some good moral moments in the Olympics – Fiji’s game against Japan when one of my favourite players Lomano Lemeki hugged Oscar and bowed for a moment together after their loss.
The Right reverend W.J Carey, one of the earliest English Barbarians said; “Rugby is a game for gentlemen in all classes,but for no bad sportsmen in any class.”
An elder remarked when he saw and heard them singing ‘we have overcome’ eda sa qaqa – he had been watching sevens when Fiji played, never before heard a hymn being sung to captivated viewers.
The medal presentation; our boys kneeling to receive their medals and “obo”.
This were some very captivating moments that had important connections to us in Fiji and the Pacific.
To me this was a magnificent emblem, symbolising the worldwide fellowship of the Fijian men’s 7s team. Who else could have a team song such as this ;
‘Eda sa qaqa
Ena vuku ni dra
Ki na nona vosa
Eda sa qaqa
We have overcome
By the blood of the lamb
And the word of the lord
We have overcome ‘
Welcome home Fiji 7s team , Welcome home.
Golden path
Dhirendra Prasad
Lautoka
The Olympic Gold medal is a symbol of unity and an insignia of hard work with a positive attitude.
This should become the habitual pathway of the citizens of this small and beloved country.
With the smallness, which is normally considered a factor of impediment of progress, has been negated by our determined team of rugby 7s.
They have proven that nothing is impossible if there is perseverance and determination.
The team has in fact shown the nation that now is the time to take care of the environment and the upkeep of the country.
The heights they have taken our beloved nation needs to be maintained in terms of cleanliness, road usage with common sense, personal health and all the other ills of our society.
Our team was fast and furious on the field which teaches us to be time conscious with patience and attack to defend our identity through the guidance of the respected leaders.
The team has also sent a message for our leaders to be focussed with a plan for progress and not to be swayed by influential factors in decision making.
Stick to the plan no matter the challenges that may come during the course of preparation.
This win should be enough to increase greater awareness in all Fijians to have a sense of pride for our nation not only for the purpose of showing pride, but a genuine desire to make our beloved nation a real heaven on earth.
We already have golden beaches, golden relationships with the outside world, golden diversity and golden opportunities for all.
Keep your distance from opportunists and people full of vengeance.
God bless our beloved nation and may we prosper with a golden heart.
Remember that the path to gold is and has never been easy and one needs to be focussed and courageous along the path.
Try Canada
Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa
Delta, BC, Canada
It is disheartening to read in the media that the seasonal workers scheme with Australia has been stagnated, after 200 jobs that were supposed to come our way was given to another Pacific nation.
Last year 133 Fijians took part in the programme but so far this year, only 26 have worked in the scheme.
It is suspected that because of the negative media reports by some Fijians who were part of the seasonal work programme last year, that we are paying its consequence this year.
My advice is to try Canada if Australia plays hard to get.
Last week, when our Fiji 7s team won gold in Rio, I and over 1000 workers were picking blueberries on the biggest Blueberry farm in BC, Canada called Golden Eagle.
It is amazing to see the different contractors with their bus load of pickers totalling 1040 workers come to pick just one small portion of this huge farm.
I believe that if Canada allows Fiji to be part of its seasonal work, Fijians will come out here in big numbers as we have both seasonal agricultural and seasonal fish processing, among others.
We prayed for Fiji’s first ever gold medal in the history of the Olympic Games and it was answered in style.
Individually, seasonal work is very important to some Fijian households and if we unite in prayer, God will remove the Australian stagnation and will open Canada and other nations to us.