NINE-YEAR-OLD Ionatana Sharma flew all the way from Portland, Oregon to watch Fiji compete at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series USA 7s in Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend.
Sharma was all smiles yesterday at the Kellogg Zaher Soccer Complex where he met the Vodafone national men’s sevens rugby team and his favourite player, Jerry Tuwai.
“My favourite player is Jerry Tuwai because he can step and he scores a lot of tries,” Sharma said.
He was accompanied by his father and former Samabula resident, Richard Sharma.
Sharma senior works for Nike and helped some of the players with their sports gear.
He was invited by captain Osea Kolinisau to the team’s final training session at the complex.
Former Fiji residents started arriving in Las Vegas yesterday for the tournament some coming in from as far as Hawaii.
One of Fiji’s strongest supporters Epeli Buliciri who has not missed a single world series tournament since 2007 was also at the Monte Carlo resort last night.
He was waiting for couple Alan and Denise Ricketts who have also followed Fiji in the world sevens series in the past decade. At the Parade of Nations last night, fans also turned up in numbers to cheer and support Fiji.
