Ponipate Loganimasi’s father Joeli Kalougata drove for half an hour in the wee hours of yesterday morning just to watch his son on the big screen representing Fiji at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Kalougata, who resides in Nabua village, Cakaudrove didn’t let the technical issues he encountered with their television set at home to deter him from watching his son and the Fiji 7s team.
He woke up at 1am braving the cold winds from the Natewa Bay to travel 45 kilometers to Savusavu.
“We had some issues with our television at home, so I decided that I was going to drive down to Savusavu to watch the game. I slept early, woke up at 1am, called one of his uncles to accompany me to Savusavu,” he shared.
Upon reaching the destination, Kalougata said he struggled to maintain composure as he saw his lanky son run out in front of a record crowd of 69,000 at Stade de France Stadium in Paris.
“His uncle and I shook hands when we saw his name on the starting lineup. I was sitting there just feeling emotional, giving the glory back to God for his plans.
“I had the apps on my phone on which I could watch the game but, it wouldn’t be the same to see him on the big screen. My son chose to stay with me in Fiji for this reason and seeing that dream fulfilled, I couldn’t be prouder as a father,” Kalougata added.
His early morning trip was made even sweeter when Loganimasi scored his first Olympic try in Fiji’s 40-12 win over Uruguay.
Loganimasi comes from a family of six siblings, hailing from Ono-i-Lau in the Lau Group with maternal links to Nabua, Cakaudrove in Vanua Levu.
