Paula Dranisinukula [left] and Gareth Baber

Many have been praised for the Fiji 7s success at the Tokyo Olympic Games and Head Coach Gareth Baber says former captain Paula Dranisinukula is one of them.

The Ra native played an important component in the team over the past four years.

Baber says hard choices had to be made after Dranisinukula chose to give up his captaincy role.

“I was gutted and I was losing my captain the guy I’d seen taking us to the Olympics and at that stage, Kali wasn’t back and Paula was leaving and Jerry was offered a lovely contract in America.”

Baber adds he let Draunisinikula know after the Olympics win that he is part of it as well.

“You know the Olympics was a step too far for Paula, his body was getting to a stage that he needed that to happen, he was part of that journey the team wouldn’t have won if he hadn’t done what he did at that part of the journey. I don’t believe it that it is a four and half five years and everybody who invested in that period was rewarded. I messaged Paula this is part of you as well mate.”

Meanwhile, the Fiji Rugby Union is expected to announce tomorrow whether the national side will feature at the Vancouver and Edmonton 7s in Canada this month.