I thought I was never going to make the Fiji 7’s team as the training was hard – Wainiqolo

Olympic gold medalist, Jiuta Wainiqolo says he thought he was never going to make the Fiji 7’s team for the Olympics as the training was hard.

Wainiqolo says he overcame the challenges after switching from 15’s to 7’s and their main aim heading to the Olympic Games was to put smiles on the faces of all Fijians.

Speaking from quarantine, Wainiqolo says the struggles and hardships faced by Fijians at home was their motivation in all the games and he is thankful they have a coach and a captain who are always pushing them to achieve what they were aiming for.

He says the road to the Olympics for him was a huge struggle and most of the time he wanted to give up because of the training.

Wainiqolo says his aspiration of becoming an Olympian started in 2016 when Fiji won gold in the Rio Olympics and from then on he promised his father that he will be part of the Fiji 7s team to the Tokyo Olympics.

Wainiqolo grew up in Navua where he spent most of his childhood.

He has paternal links to Namara Village in Vuda and has maternal links to Vatulele in Nadroga. He is the youngest of six siblings.

He began his rugby career at Ratu Kadavulevu School before joining the Nabua Rugby Club in the Escott Shield Competition. Wainiqolo then joined Suva Rugby in 2019 from where he was chosen to join the Fijian Drua after impressing coach Senirusi Seruvakula during the Skipper Cup competition.

Fiji 7s coach Gareth Baber saw his talents and recruited him in the Fiji Men’s 7s extended squad.