Waisea Nacuqu (left) and Sevuloni Mocenacagi

A player that truly deserves to be in Paris for the Olympic Games with Team Fiji is Men’s 7s forward Sevuloni Mocenacagi who has been trying for quite some time.

The Navosa man has been trying to make it to the Olympics for almost nine years.

His best chance was the Tokyo Games but unfortunately, he was banned in 2021 and his Olympic dreams were shattered.

It followed the termination of his contract by the Fiji Rugby Union for throwing the ball at the referee while playing for Yamacia in the first leg of the FRU 7s Series at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.

Some would have given up along the way but not Mocenacagi.

He says if he quit back then, he wouldn’t be in France this year.

“I’m just thankful to God for everything that’s happened because it was all in his plan and I’m living according to what God has already planned for me, I am in Paris because of God, even though I missed the Olympics twice…I made it this time”.

At some stage this year, Mocenacagi thought he wouldn’t make it because there were some good forwards.

The 34-year-old says some of the players who didn’t make the last Olympics like Kaminieli Rasaku and Joseva Talacolo have made it as well.

The national side will have a rest day tomorrow before the captain’s run on Wednesday.

They’ll play Uruguay at 3:30 am on Thursday followed by USA at 6:30 am then France at 1:30 am on Friday.