Already they have created an indelible mark hard to equal or surpass.

Astonishingly, they are raw, local products but are equally world stars for their sporting excellence on the field.

While sevens rugby wizard like Waisale Serevi and former world No.1 golfer Vijay Singh always draw the biggest of superlatives for their extraordinary talent, our sportspeople don’t have to look far and wide.

Our very own Seremaia ‘Jerry’Tuwai and Roy Krishna are the best local players we’ve ever produced.

Since they are Fijians, like the rest of us, we seem to belittle their achievements abroad.

Both in their early 30s from Vanua Levu, they continue to dazzle in rugby sevens and football.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and president of the Fiji Rugby Union was spot on when he described Tuwai as the greatest player to have touched a rugby ball.

This was after Tuwai led Team Fiji men’s rugby sevens team to defend the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last month.

It’s the pinnacle of any athletes to win gold at the Olympics.

But Tuwai is not only the first Fijian but the first in the world to win gold twice in rugby sevens at Olympics.

The last three years has been amazing for the Buca, Natewa, Cakaudrove native since making his debut at the 2014 Gold Coast Sevens in Australia.

In 2019 he was named World Rugby 7s Player of the Year, World Rugby Player of the Decade in 2020 and Olympic gold medalist last month.

Krishna continued where he left last year. Being the first Fijian to play in the Indian Soccer League, he scored 22 goals in 23 matches for ATK Mohun Bagan and won the Golden Ball Award.

And yesterday, he already has two to his name in round two of the AFC Cup competition in the Maldives.

After scoring in the opening round last week, he again was on target in the 3-1 win over the Maziya.

Krishna made the most out of his career in New Zealand and his big break came in 2008, when he signed with Waitakere United of the New Zealand Football League.

And that set-in motion upward and onwards.

His transition with the Auckland City of the ABS Premiership in 2013 and in January 2014, he signed with the A-League’s Wellington Phoenix until the end of the 2013–14 season.

Given everything Krishna has achieved in football, it would be a challenge for any player to emulate what he has achieved.

Tuwai and Krishna could be used by the Fiji Rugby Union and Fiji Football Association to grow the game.

In the prime of their careers, Serevi and the late Jonah Lomu were used to good effect by the World Rugby to convince International Olympic Committee meeting in Singapore to included rugby 7s as an Olympic sport.

As good ambassadors, Tuwai and Krishna are the best minds to set up an academies whereby they could identify, train, and develop Fijians for overseas consideration.

They can share their experiences, triumphs, and turbulences to those who desire to make it big.

They manifest humility, obedience and simplicity.

Those are the traits that a lot of youths can look up to.

Feedback: oseab@fijisun.com.fj