Emerging gingerly from their homes in a nation under curfew, Fijians cheered, sang hymns and danced in the streets on Wednesday night to celebrate their men's rugby sevens victory at the Tokyo Olympics.
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Fiji is battling a severe COVID-19 outbreak, with more than 25,000 cases and 200 deaths among a population of just over 900,000. With its health system under strain, officials have imposed a 6pm to 4am curfew in a attempt to curb the rapid spread of the virus.
Fiji's second consecutive gold medal in rugby sevens, following their success in the sport's inaugural Olympic tournament in Rio five years ago, provoked a spontaneous outpouring of joy in the nation's cities and villages. Fireworks flashed in the night sky and daring revelers in the capital Suva flew flags from car windows as they circled among cheering crowds.
Fiji issued a commemorative seven-dollar coin after their 2016 win and Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama toyed with the idea of a $14 note, to mark Fiji's back-to-back sevens wins.
"The win is worth more than a gold to Fijians everywhere," Bainimarama told Radio New Zealand.
"Fijians love this game.
"It has always united us. (It) shows that we can achieve greatness no matter what the world may throw our way, even with COVID."
Bainimarama noted that Fiji's gold medal success had led to widespread breaches of the curfew but said "no-one seems to mind."
"Everyone is happy in Fiji to watch the boys win the gold," he said.
When England-born coach Ben Ryan guided Fiji to their first gold medal in Rio, he was rewarded with a chiefly title and a grant of land. Fiji's current coach, Wales-born Gareth Baber, is likely to be similarly rewarded when the team returns to Fiji, probably on Saturday if flights are available.
Australian Associated Press
