First ever Olympic Gold for Fiji – team gives glory to God

Rugby Sevens became an Olympic event this year for the first time and dedicated the medal to God. It is reported by the Christiantoday.

"First of all, I thank the Lord, he has been our source of strength... We reminded each other how God had taken us through the last two years and that the same God that we serve is here with us in Rio", replied one of the participants when answering about the reasons of this success.

The island nation of Fiji has won its first ever Olympic medal – a gold – but while fans were hailing one of the great Olympic achievements, the players gave the glory to God. The players dropped to their knees and prayed upon the outcome of the match. Many pointed to the sky before joining in wild celebrations.

Though Fiji are ranked number one in the world, the country had never won a medal at any event before so the pressure was on.

The team came through that pressure to win the tournament – defeating Great Britain 43-7 in the final – and dominating far bigger countries such as New Zealand.

Fijian coach John McKee told us the team's deep unity comes from their shared faith. "Every afternoon after our training session we pray as part of our training and preparation... The Christian faith is very strong in Fijian society," McKee explained.

"That reflects in the team environment. It is part of the players' way of life. Daily they all have a prayer session which can double up as a team meeting. It is an important devotion for the players."

Read also