Young Waisake Tewa is aspiring to represent Fiji in a different sport at the 2028 Olympic Games. Tewa was the sole athlete representing Fiji in athletics during the recent Olympic Games in Paris, where he competed alongside some of the fastest runners globally. He clocked a time of 10.73 seconds in his heat, but instead of returning to athletics, Tewa has set his sights on joining the Fiji 7s rugby team in the next four years.
The 21-year-old Lomaiviti sprinter, who has ties to Saqani on Vanua Levu, shared his vision, stating, “I had certain goals set out, one was to take part in the Olympics in athletics and then move on to rugby. I’ve always played rugby before moving to athletics, so my plan is to wear the white jersey in the next four years and represent the Fiji 7s team.”
While in Paris, Tewa attended every match played by the Fiji 7s team. He reflected on his experience, saying, “At that moment, I saw myself in their shoes, I imagined myself running there and winning gold for Fiji 7s. I watched all their games until the final. It wasn’t easy for me seeing them lose in the final, but a silver is still something to celebrate.”
He has received support from his favorite rugby team, South Africa. Tewa mentioned, “My favorite rugby 7s team is South Africa because they’re a very disciplined team. I met them at the Games Village, took pictures with them, and they also gave me some rugby kits including a boot and a jersey. They thought I was part of the Fiji 7s team, but I told them that I was part of athletics but planning to go over to rugby in the next Olympics.”
After careful consideration and advice from legends like Jerry Tuwai, Tewa is committed to working hard to earn a place in the Fiji 7s team and aims to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.