Immediately after their gold-medal victory at the Tokyo Olympics on July 28th, the Fiji men's rugby team assembled to sing a gospel song titled, "E Da Sa Qaqa," which, when translated, means "We Are Winners Because Of This World."
"...That song says that our God is a loving God," team captain Jerry Tuwai explained as per LifeSite News. "And that while we always tend to go stray from what He expects from us, He still loves us, and gives us good things."
LifeSite also noted the English equivalent, which reads as follows:
"We have overcome
We have overcome
By the Blood of the Lamb
In the Word of the Lord
We have overcome"
The song, according to CBN News, was also a homage to their nation.
The passion in the men's voices echoing through the stadium as they stood in a circle, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders and eyes closed while singing, was unmistakable.
From an onlooker's perspective, it seems like a bittersweet triumph for the athletes, who had spent months away from their families while preparing for the Olympics. Fiji has reportedly been struggling against the COVID-19 outbreak, delaying players from going home in order to minimize infection risk.
The touching tribute was met with hundreds of likes, retweets, and comments from those who were touched by their gesture and their song's words.
Sing it loud and proud, Fiji rugby! What great voices! #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/QdG3lT6MsW
"” #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 29, 2021
Before coach Gareth Baber persuaded him to stick through, team captain Jerry Tuwai contemplated going home to be with his children. After defeating New Zealand 27-12, they claimed the gold medal.
Tuwai reportedly took off his gold medal and put it around team coach Gareth Baber's neck. Baber, who is not a Fijian native but a Welsh ex-player, has played a key role in their rise to Olympic fame.
Asaeli Tuivuaka, a member of the team, also reportedly burst into tears during an interview with the UK Express, recalling how he was unable to kiss his father farewell when he died last year.
The backstory of their five-month seclusion
According to Premier Christianity, what began as a five-day training session evolved into a five-month training camp when their country was suddenly put under lockdown.
Stuck in their hostels, the athletes reportedly set up a makeshift gym and put in long hours of work. They relied on one another as much as on God. While there were attempts to escape, reminders of their larger mission as a group hast kept them focused.
The players' song on the balconies of their Australian hotel went viral, as did a video of them performing it. Even their trip to Tokyo, which took place on a freight aircraft among boxes of frozen fish, was a challenge.
The tumultuous journey has brought them closer together, and it has obviously paid off. They, on the other hand, give God the praise.
"I don't know if every player in that Fijian squad is a Christian. Perhaps for some of them, that song and prayer is just ingrained in the culture. But it's a welcome reminder for me, not only that Christians are there in all walks of life, but also that public declarations of faith are to be celebrated, at all levels," wrote British comedian and broadcaster Paul Kerensa.
"They are not to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, and they're not confined to church. The global reach of this act of worship was immense."
