Fiji’s men’s rugby sevens head coach Osea Kolinisau is quickly initiating preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games set to take place in Los Angeles, USA. With an extended squad of 26 players currently in training, Kolinisau expects to finalize his 13-member team for the upcoming Dubai and Cape Town sevens tournaments by November 14.
Kolinisau, a veteran of the sport who won a gold medal in 2016, highlighted that many young talents are competing for a place in the lineup. He stated, “We are starting a new season and a new four-year buildup towards the next Olympic.” The focus is on players around the ages of 21 and 22, with ambitions to integrate these newcomers into the team’s environment to observe their performance in training.
Included in this group of emerging players are Iosefo Namoce, a winger from the Suva 15s side, and centre George Bose from Lavidi Brothers. According to Kolinisau, both players are acclimating to the camp’s standards, although they experienced some initial challenges regarding off-field expectations.
In notable news, former sevens captain Seremaia Tuwai is part of the training camp but was absent from a recent gym session due to an eye injury. Kolinisau mentioned that the team just completed a six-week training cycle and is now entering the second week, with an emphasis on familiarizing all players with the game pattern and approaches.
As Kolinisau prepares to announce the final squad, he is aware of the pressures associated with team selection. “It’s always tough selecting the squad; there’s a lot of new faces, a lot of old faces, but we have a standard we want to maintain and strict fitness tests,” he explained. He expressed excitement about the potential contributions of the younger players this season.
The upcoming Dubai 7s will take place from November 30 to December 1, followed by the Cape Town tournament on December 7-8.
This proactive training approach not only aims to strengthen the team for upcoming tournaments but also sets a solid foundation for the long-term goal of excelling in the 2028 Olympics. With a blend of seasoned players and fresh talent, Fiji may just be on the cusp of creating a formidable team that could return to the Olympic podium.
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