Protect Our Olympic Medal hopes! Change Our Flagbearers at the Opening Ceremony…

The next few days will be very critical to our Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 medal contenders. Our Team Fiji men’s and women’s rugby sevens team travel from their pre-training camp base in Oita to the Games Village in Tokyo, Japan.

The danger here is that any of our athletes or officials who test positive to COVID-19 could mean an abrupt end of their Olympic dream.

This is not only tough but very cruel, if we take into consideration the amount of work and sacrifices that were done behind the scene for them to reach this far.

But what can we do when we the world is faced with this killer virus.

Already, there are confirmed reports of athletes being tested positive to COVID-19 from the Games Village.

Even the Blitzboks’ head coach, Neil Powell, has tested positive to COVID-19 on Sunday and is now under isolation.

On whether, Powell can be with the South African 7s men’s team when the competition gets underway on July 26 is yet to be known.

It is now a matter of controlling what we can do. Our athletes and officials must strictly adhere to all health protocols and remain within their bubbles. These include all the travelling reserves.

Team managers of Jone Niurua and Divela Naucukidi are to play a leading role in ensuring these instructions are followed.

The Team Fiji medical officials must be involved too as our athletes and officials are to be tested regularly at the Games Village.

The men’s rugby sevens team are the defending Olympic Games gold medal champions while our women’s team are capable of winning a medal as well.

We cannot take any chances.

For that Team Fiji chef de mission, Patrick Bower, and his officials must now decide on changing our flagbearers at the opening ceremony on July 23.

We cannot take the risk of allowing our men’s rugby sevens team captain and World Rugby Sevens Player of the Decade Jerry Tuwai and women’s captain Rusila Nagasau, to take centre-stage, where they are exposed to the virus.

In due respect, we all know of Tuwai and Nagasau’s contribution to sports in the country and how they have become good role models.

But the fact is that we are not living in normal times.

We cannot afford to lose them or any of the players or officials at the final phase of this five-year journey.

Tuwai has turned down lucrative overseas offers to win his country’s second Olympic Games gold medal.

A decision has to be made immediately by Mr Bower & Co and this is a move to keep our medal contenders, ‘COVID-19 free’. LEONE CABENATABUA