Fiji Men’s National 7s team gold medal winning captain Jerry Tuwai says being away from loved ones while preparing for the Tokyo Olympics was really difficult and admits they were very close to leaving camp one day.
He says being away from home was difficult for everyone and not just the ones who are married because we all have our own struggles.
Tuwai says the only reason he stopped was because of the younger players in the team.
Tuwai says he had a discussion with coach Gareth Baber who got the side together and put them in a place where they were mentally ready.
The training camp for the Olympics was very different from previous tournaments as players had to stay in a bubble and could not move around.
It is now almost 4 months since the players and the management have met their families.
Tuwai says when they first went into camp in April, they had no idea that they would be away from their families for so long.
He adds Baber gave them an option to either stay or leave.
He says the players decided to stay and make the sacrifice not just for their families but for the country as a whole because they understand how important rugby is to the people of Fiji.
Tuwai and the rest of the team are currently in quarantine.
They will be reunited with their family at the end of the week.
