Pacific athletes have won a total of 13 medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, split among six nations.

Samoa won the region’s only gold, through weightlifter Don Opolenge and the nation’s lifters also won three silver medals.

They also gained a silver in boxing.

• READ MORE: Other Pacific Commonwealth Games reports

Fiji won four medals overall, two of them in the rugby sevens, but there will be some disappointment that neither team could win their respective finals.

Weightlifting brought the only medals for Papua New Guinea and Nauru.

Vanuatu gained a bronze from beach volleyball, and Niue gained its first-ever Games medal since being able to compete since 2002, with a boxing bronze.

Full list of Pacific medals:

Fiji (4)
Silver: Fiji men’s rugby sevens team

Silver: Fiji women’s rugby sevens team

Bronze: Taniela Rainibogi, weightlifting men’s 96 kg

Bronze: Naibili Vatunisolo, women’s discus throw F44/64

Nauru (1)
Bronze: Maximina Uepa, weightlifting women’s 76 kg

Niue (1)
Bronze: Duken Tutakitoa-Williams, boxing men’s heavyweight

PNG (1)
Silver: Morea Baru, weightlifting men’s 61 kg

Samoa (5)
Gold:Don Opeloge, weightlifting men’s 96 kg

Silver: Vaipava Ioane, weightlifting men’s 67 kg

Silver: Jack Opeloge, weightlifting men’s 109 kg

Silver: Feagaiga Stowers, weightlifting women’s +87 kg

Silver: Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali, boxing heavyweight

Vanuatu (1)
Bronze: Miller Pata/Sherysyn, Toko Beach volleyball women’s

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Fiji Olympic rugby sevens captain Seremaia “Jerry” Tuwai’s parents couldn’t hold back their tears and kept thanking God for the blessings they have received.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday announced on his Twitter page that the government was planning a $1 million (NZ$690,000) reward package for the national team.

A special package only for captain and two-time Olympian Jerry Tuwai includes a house.

• READ MORE: Other Tokyo Olympic reports

His parents were emotional and hugged each other when they were asked how did they feel about these plans from the prime minister.

“Our prayers have been answered,” Vunisa said

“We always pray for our family and for Jerry’s life. The hard work, the pain the struggle has finally been answered.

“I told my wife before the team played in Tokyo that whoever walks in Gods sight will be blessed and God has indeed blessed my family.”

Duty to his country
Vunisa said that he had encouraged Tuwai to take up an overseas contract and he always replied that he had a duty to his country.

His mum, Serewaia Vualiku, said for the family to be away from each for five months was really hard.

“It wasn’t like this before, even in 2016,and we both knew that within that period he wanted to see his children. He is close to his family, especially his kids.

Rugby doesn’t just let us forget our troubles –– it inspires us to overcome them.

The victories of our men’s 7s and Fijiana have inspired us all. To give back, we’re announcing a million-dollar reward package for these heroes.

Yes, that includes a house for Capt. Jerry. pic.twitter.com/Itjj1ZILkl

— Frank Bainimarama (@FijiPM) August 6, 2021

“But we kept encouraging him never to give up, the road hasn’t ended yet. It’s his dream and he should focus on his dream.

“For us as parents we know he is chosen for this. This is his destiny and God gave him this and we are grateful for his everlasting love on my family.

“For his children they are all counting the days when they will finally get to see their father.

“As we welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement, we also give thanks to the Almighty that without him we will never achieve this.”

Grateful for support
The family is indeed grateful to the support from their families, friends, their neighbours and everyone who has been supporting the national team and Tuwai.

As they wait for his arrival from quarantine, the family plan to hold a small family celebration.

“With the what we are going through now unfortunately we cannot hold a big celebration compared with what was done in 2016 but we will celebrate his achievement as a family.”

The pledged package covers both the men’s sevens, which won gold at Tokyo, and the women’s team Fijiana, which won bronze.

Paulini Curuqara is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.

This poignant photo by Max Vosailagi captures Fiji’s fixation with rugby sevens, with winning a second Olympic Gold last night by beating New Zealand 27-12 in the men’s final.

Two young boys, glued to what is apparently a TV screen through a neighbourhood front door during the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers, oblivious to their surroundings.

Covid restrictions could have prevented the boys from getting closer to the action.

• READ MORE: Fiji dedicates Olympic sevens win to struggling people back home
• Other Tokyo Olympics Pacific stories

Some quick Fiji reflections:

• The sevens addiction starts young;
• It’s inescapable — during game time every house with a TV will be tuned in;
• If your house doesn’t have a TV, not a problem — the neighbour’s house probably has one;
• Sevens is escapism from the country’s myriad problems, from politics to poverty.
• It is more than escapism — it’s a career and income for players, not to mention the strongest uniting force in a country beset by ethnic tensions; and
• Every young Fijian dreams of donning the national white team jersey one day.

Due to Covid restrictions, some of us had to watch from afar.

For the love of Rugby #teamFiji #Olympics #Rugby pic.twitter.com/hiKmrA0COE

— Max Vosailagi (@realVosailagi) July 28, 2021

Fiji is also playing in the women’s rugby sevens Olympic competition which begins today and ends with the gold medal match on Saturday.

Dr Shailendra Singh is associate professor and coordinator of the journalism programme at the University of the South Pacific. This comment is from Dr Singh’s social media posts and is republished by Asia Pacific Report with permission.

Fiji has dedicated its Olympic rugby sevens win to the people back home who are struggling amidst the country’s covid-19 health crisis.

Fiji defeated New Zealand 27-12 in the men’s sevens final in Tokyo to defend the title they won in Rio five years ago.

Captain Jerry Tuwai said the win is very special for the team and all of Fiji.

• READ MORE: Covid-19: Fiji death toll continues to rise as 1057 new cases confirmed
• Other Tokyo Olympics Pacific stories
• LISTEN TO RNZ: ‘Having a Fiji-New Zealand final is probably one of the best finals” – Former All Black Dallas Seymour (duration 4′:56″)

“Everything that’s been going on in Fiji and all the expectation – as the coach and myself know is that all Fijians want only the win,” he said.

“So I think winning this gold medal will be a very very good day for Fiji today.”

Tuwai was also a part of Fiji’s gold medal winning team in 2016 but said this win holds extra meaning.

“I think it’s more special because we’ve been away from our family for about five to six months so I think this one is special.”

Only the athletes receive Olympic medals and Fiji coach Gareth Baber revealed his captain actually tried to give him his newest prize.

“Jerry was trying to give me his medal,” Baber laughed.

“I said ‘I’m not going to be taking that off you’ and he said, ‘no, no I won one, you have this one’…because that’s the man that he is. He would never take the credit for what he has done and he has achieved.

“It’s a phenomenal feat to have done what he’s done.”

Congrats to our only DUAL gold medalist.
The captain JERRY TUWAI #HowWeSevens #TokyoOlympics #TosoViti #Olympics #rugby pic.twitter.com/tCRYqEmf4G

— Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) July 28, 2021

Baber said it had been a difficult year for the Fiji team and the country.

“We were locked down in Fiji, then we went to Australia where we were quarantined for a period of time and I’ve got to pay a special mention to the players and staff who have done this,” he said.

“They came into a training camp on Easter Monday thinking they were going back on on Friday. On the Tuesday they were told they couldn’t go back and they haven’t seen their family since.

“I think what you saw out there over the last three days has been the resilience of the group dealing with whatever’s been thrown our way.”

Congratulations

OUR CHAMPIONS #HowWeSevens #TokyoOlympics #rugby #Olympics #TosoViti pic.twitter.com/m3GSN5pLYk

— Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) July 28, 2021

Baber also paid tribute to the impact of newcomers Jiuta Wainiqolo, Sireli Maqala and Iosefo Masi, who only made their international debuts last month.

“This is their first international tournament they’ve ever played in, apart from an Oceania tournament we played some three weeks back in Townsville,” he said.

“To think that we’ve done that behind the closed doors of Fiji and it pays testament really to the quality of rugby that is played in Fiji, particulary the quality of sevens rugby… that’s where the expectation comes from, because we know we’ve got super talent in Fiji.”

They’ve done it again!

A big congratulations to the #FIJ team on their second #gold in a row in the men’s #rugby sevens! #StrongerTogether | #Tokyo2020 | @WorldRugby | @fijirugby pic.twitter.com/t6HA8eIvEn

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 28, 2021

Fiji Rugby chief executive John O’Connor said they were extremely proud of the players, who have sacrificed a lot on their Olympic journey.

“The boys have been together for the last several months from April, away from their families, and there is so much commitment they have given to this journey,” he said.

“That made us confident and I know all of them proudly represented their families and the struggles of Covid-19 that we’re going through and they were playing for their families and for Fiji.”

Fiji recorded 1057 new cases of covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8am Wednesday.

There are now more than 19,168 active cases in isolation, with 218 deaths – 216 of them from this latest outbreak that began in April.

The Fiji team had to separate from their families when the outbreak began and O’Connor said the plight of everyone back home had motivated the team in Tokyo.

“We had to get special permission for them to train in a bubble and I think they all understand the struggles that every Fijian is going through,” he said.

“In their message this afternoon they said they were going to play for all the families who have lost loved ones and all the people who are going through covid-19 – all the frontliners and every Fijian who has been through challenges during this time.”

With covid-19 restrictions in force, Fijians were unable to gather together to watch the gold medal match but it didn’t stop the locals from celebrating.

O’Connor watched the game at home in Suva and said he could hear drums and fireworks throughout the capital after the full-time whistle.

Five years ago thousands of fans lined the streets to welcome the Fiji team home from Rio, but O’Connor said things would have to be different this time around.

“I think the players understand that it’s tough times,” he said.

“We will see them come home and in the meantine we will have discussions with all the stakeholders and see how we can celebrate their victory.”

The Fiji squad departs Tokyo on Thursday and will arrive home on Friday morning, before spending 14 days in quarantine.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Fiji have proved too strong for the New Zealand men’s sevens team at the Olympics, denying New Zealand its best chance yet of a gold medal.

They prevailed 27-12 tonight, to win back-to-back Olympic titles. Fiji led 19-12 at half-time.

Argentina claimed the bronze with a 17-12 victory over Britain, sparking wild scenes of celebration, and plenty of tears, at the final whistle.

• READ MORE: RNZ’s Olympic live blog updates

But it was Fiji’s day as they ran in four tries to cap an excellent tournament. They put pressure on the All Black Sevens from the start with a deep kick and were rewarded when the tall Meli Derenalagi dived over in the corner.

Fiji were in again when Andrew Knewstubb failed to gather a kick into New Zealand’s in-goal area and the impressive Sireli Maqala dotted down the loose ball.

All Blacks captain Scott Curry then crossed for an unconverted try, but Fiji had fire in their bellies and Jiuta Wainiqolo, who was in tears at the anthems, beat two defenders with a rampaging run down the right wing side to score.

The All Blacks’ Sione Molia showed great leg-drive to power over the line after the halftime hooter, but Fiji dominated possession in the second period and Asaeli Tuivuaka crossed for the try that sealed the win.

In the bronze medal match, Ben Harris put Britain in front with an early score, but Argentina roared back as Lautaro Bazan Velez and the electric Marcos Moneta, one of the players of the tournament, ran in tries to give them a 12-5 lead at the break.

Ollie Lindsay-Hague levelled for Britain, though that joy was short-lived as Ignacio Mendy was put into acres of space for what proved the winning score with two minutes remaining.

The women’s sevens competition starts tomorrow at the same venue and will conclude with the gold medal match on Saturday.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.