Kamaishi rugby players to train in New Zealand [1]
Saturday, March 26, 2011 - 19:30. Updated on Sunday, April 27, 2014 - 18:42.
TONGAN rugby players Lata Taniela Lui and Piei Mafile'o who survived the tsunami that devastated Kamaishi, Japan on March 11, will go to New Zealand next week to continue their training.
A heroic effort by the pair to rescue a Japanese child caught in the tsunami was related by Takai Palei, the secretary of the Tongan community in Japan, this week.
"We are fine," reassured Lata, speaking from Kamaishi, Japan when Matangi Tonga Online, finally got him on the phone this afternoon, March 26.
He said that following their lucky escape from Kamaishi and the rescuing of a child by Piei on March 11, Piei had moved down to Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Lata and his young daughter, Sisifa Lui are staying on at Kamaishi.
Lata said he had been doing a lot of voluntary work, but life is very difficult now, particularly with the winter weather, "It is very, very cold."
He said that the foreign rugby players for the Kamaishi Rugby Club, would leave for New Zealand next week, to do their training in preparation for the beginning of the Rugby Season on May 2. They were supposed to have already started training, but they had not been able to. "New Zealand is the best option for us, then we will return to Japan for the beginning of the season on May 2."
Commenting on their narrow escape and their rescue effort after the tsunami caught up with them in Kamaishi, Lata said, "if you have seen the movie 'The Day After Tomorrow', it was very similar to what took place, things were moving!"