Leading from the front - Fiji 7s captain, Suliano Volivolituevei, scores the first try for his team against Samoa in the final at the 2023 Pacific Games. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Koroi Hawkins
It was raining gold medals at the Pacific Games on Saturday for Fiji and French Polynesia in rugby sevens, basketball and volleyball team events.
Playing in wet and steamy conditions Fiji took out double gold in the men's and women's 7s while Tahiti accomplished the same feat in volleyball.
In the men's sevens, Fiji beat rivals Samoa 19-5 and the Fiji women defeated Papua New Guinea 17-7.
Fiji men's captain Suliano Volivolituevei led from the front scoring the teams first try.
He said he told his team to stay calm going into the match.
"I told the boys when we arrived here in Solomon Islands, 'we came here we mean business, we came here to defend the gold medal'. I told the boys,'never panic, never lose hope, we are going to win this tournament tonight'," Volivotuevei said.
A Papua New Guinea women’s 7s player tries to make a break with the Fijian defence closing in during their Pacific Games finals match in Solomon Islands. Fulltime score Fiji 17 – 7 Papua New Guinea. 25 November 2023 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Koroi Hawkins
Fiji women's captain Mereula Torooti thanked fans back home and around the world in vosa vaka viti.
Fiji women's coach Jim Volavola was beaming with pride and saluted his players.
"It means a lot to these young, beautiful ladies, it means a lot," Volavola said.
"I take my hat off to them. They were fighting till the end. I take my hat off to these young girls."
It didn't seem to be all about winning though as silver medallists PNG and bronze medalists Wallis and Futuna huddled together for a group photo.
Wallis and Futuna's Teani Feleu said it was a challenge just getting a team together so finishing on the podium was extra special.
"It means everything it's the first time we out a team together to play in the Pacific Games for the sevens tournament, so it just means everything," Feleu siad.
"We did it for our island, our small island, no one knew us so yeah its just a perfect night."
Fiji women's captain, Mereula Torooti, is carried aloft sporting her Pacific Games gold medal. Honiara 25 November 2023 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Koroi Hawkins
Basketball upset
But the big upset was in basketball where the Fiji men dethroned two-time Pacific champions Guam by 51 points to 47.
Guam captain and veteran basketballer Tai Wesley said this was a tough one to take but had this message for the fans.
"You know we get knocked down in life, in basketball it doesn't always go your way. But we will get back up, we will get better, we will come back," Wesley said.
For a good chunk of the fourth quarter Fiji was able to defend a three-point lead and even extend it by one just before the buzzer.
Guam coach EJ Calvo said his men missed some crucial shots but he hopes they use the loss as fuel for future competitions.
"On a night like this where its one game for it all if you don't make shots in the fourth quarter its going to be tough to expect a gold medal," Calvo said.
"If anything I know the team will never forget this moment and will work even harder to get back here once again and next time secure the gold."
Fiji's captain Marques Whippy was emotional after the match and dedicated the win to his late uncle Michael.
"First time I put on the jersey, I was 15-years-old and he was the coach and I played today this was for him," Whippy said.
"You know all of us have our reasons for Fiji and Fiji is a rugby country but hopefully this win will put basketball up there with rugby somehow," he said.
Mirroring Fiji's exploits French Polynesia bagged the double gold in Volleyball with the men defeating Papua New Guinea in straight sets and the women beating Cook Islands by three sets to one.
In the women's basketball finals it was again Tahiti and the Cook Islands squaring off with the French Polynesians coming away with the win 53-46 to complete their triple gold.
Fans packed into Friendship Hall for the Pacific Games men's basketball final in Honiara between Fiji (dark kit) and Guam.25 November 2023 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Koroi Hawkins
New Caledonia dominating medal tally
Fiji and Tahiti's achievements on Saturday push the hosts Solomon Islands out of the top five in the medal standings.
Dominating the medal tally still are defending champions New Caledonia with 55 gold, they are followed by Australia who have 28 then come Tahiti with 22, Samoa with 21 and Fiji with 10.
The hosts Solomon Islands and New Zealand are tied for gold with seven each but Solomon Islands has more medals overall at 29 to Aoteroa's 22.
Competitions resumes on Monday in Honiara with football entering the knockout stages and the much-anticipated boxing and athletics tournaments getting underway.
Medal tally at the end of competition on Saturday, 25 November 2023. Photo: RNZ Pacific