Waisea Nacuqu Fiji’s rugby-sevens star Waisea Nacuqu attended a Mass of thanksgiving in his hometown, to thank God for his Olympic gold medal.
The Mass was celebrated by Irish Columban Fr Pat Colgan, who said Mr Nacuqu’s successful use of his talents will “inspire others to use their gifts more courageously and consistently”.
Fr Colgan also referenced Mr Nacuqu’s habit of making the sign of the cross whenever he scores.
The Fiji international had to sacrifice much to achieve his dream of playing for his country. He dropped out of school at class six with this aim in mind, and Fr Colgan said “This was a dream he kept close to his heart as he worked on sugarcane fields and caught fish to provide for his family”.
Mr Nacuqu missed out on the Rio 2016 Olympics, and he said that to play in the Tokyo Olympics was a blessing.