TOKYO – At dusk on Wednesday evening, Fiji’s sevens rugby team, having not seen their families for almost half a year, gathered at the south end of Tokyo Stadium.
As New Zealand’s men tried to pick themselves up after defeat, a dozen Fijian men stood together entwined in a circle and sung, having moments earlier defended their gold medal. The public announcer recognised the moment and turned off the music.
Then Fiji’s haunting hymns echoed throughout the near-empty stadium, as the few privileged people inside stood motionless, mesmerised by the beauty of grown men’s voices.
For a colourless Games, this was one of the moments of the Olympics.
Dean Boxall might have owned the pool deck and lit up social media, but Fiji’s choir…
