Never giving up has been a cornerstone of Silika Qalo’s rugby career.
At just 23-years-old, she has earned a spot on the Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s team for the Dubai 7s, marking her return to the international stage after debuting in last year’s Dubai and Cape Town 7s.
For the Nadogo, Saqani, Cakaudrove native, the opportunity to represent her country once again is a true blessing.
Silika’s rugby journey began in 2023 when she joined the Nasinu rugby women’s team. From there, her talent and dedication propelled her into the High-Performance Unit (HPU) and eventually led to her selection for the sevens team last year.
“I used to play 15s rugby all along, and coming to play sevens was a challenge for me, the level of training is way higher for sevens, it took me two weeks in training where I thought to myself to quit,” said Qalo.
“It was hard for me, I was thankful for the older players and experience players in my team, for giving me the motivation, they told me, if I quit now there will be another one that will be stepping in to replace you.”
Their words of encouragement reminded her of the importance of perseverance and dedication in achieving her dreams.
Through her own sacrifices and unwavering commitment, Silika earned the opportunity to represent her country an achievement she had long dreamed of.
“If I got a chance to represent my country again this year, I will surely to my best and reach the target that our coaches set for us and do better.”
In expressing her gratitude, Silika acknowledges the unwavering support of her parents, family, coach, and teammates.
Fijiana 7s team is grouped in Pool A with New Zealand, United States and France, while the Fiji men’s team is pooled with Argentina, South Africa and France.
The Dubai 7s will be held from November 29-30.
