The Fiji Times: A DEJECTED looking Josevata Bole was sitting at the Nadi International airport yesterday, more than an hour after his colleagues had checked in for Air New Zealand's 4.55pm flight to Auckland.

His Digicel Fiji 7's team-mates had already entered the departure concourse in preparation for their flight out to New Zealand for the IRB tournament this coming weekend in Wellington.

The speedster was surrounded by family and friends. Pre-flight jitters?

Not so, said his cousin Jo Vosanibola, a former sevens rep.

"We are not sure whether he is going on this flight because his ticket has Nasoni Roko's name on it," said Vosanibola.

"I can't understand how this could have happened when the team was named after the Suva Sevens."

Another female relative said she was concerned about the muck-up as it had affected the new star's spirits. All the players had checked in at 2.30pm and the clock was now closing in to 4pm.

"This is his first time in the national side. And this is his first overseas trip. I really feel sorry for him since he was really looking forward to the trip and the game," she said.

Vosanibola explained that relatives had turned up in numbers because Bole, 25, was the third from their village of Bureta, Ovalau, to represent Fiji in the abbreviated code.

"He is the youngest of six. His father passed away a long time ago and his mother is in Navuloa, Ovalau. We are very proud of him because he came to Suva three years ago when Naitasiri recruited him after seeing him play for Ovalau.

"Then Police snatched him and now we have him in the national team. We are just praying he does not miss the flight."

Bole, in the meantime, was saying very little - his eyes trained on the check-in counter where team manager Alifereti Malo was attempting to get things in order.

Finally at 4pm Malo called out to him he was told that the airline had issued a ticket for him. There were quick hugs and kisses from his family before he ran off - not once looking back

01 February, 2010