The Fiji Times have been given a commemorative medal for their coverage of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games ©Fiji Times

Cathy Wong, the Chef de Mission of the Fiji Rio 2016 Olympic Games team, has presented a commemorative medal and signed Fiji rugby sevens team jersey to the Fiji Times.

Wong claimed that the publication "brought the Rio Olympics to the doorstep of every Fijian" when she presented the award for their coverage of the Games.

She was accompanied by Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) chief executive Lorraine Mar at the presentation.

"This was my way of saying thank you to Fiji Times and to the team that went with us to Rio for the wonderful work that they did, for bringing the Olympic Games right down to the doorsteps of the people of Fiji," Wong said.

"On a personal note I would really like to thank the team that went to Rio, it was not an easy Games.

"It had its challenges but for the media team they put those challenges aside and they delivered on their tasks."

Fiji's rugby sevens team won the country's first gold medal at a Games in Rio ©Getty Images
Fiji's rugby sevens team won the country's first gold medal at a Games in Rio ©Getty Images

The Fiji Times team to Rio included deputy-editor Elenoa Baselala, online editor Timoci Vula and senior sports reporter Maciu Malo.

Receiving the medal and jersey on behalf of the newspaper was Fiji Times publisher Hank Arts.

Fiji sent the nation's largest ever delegation to the Games, due to the attendance of the men's football and men's and women's rugby sevens teams.

A total of 54 athletes, 37 men and 17 women, and 35 officials, were registered to the Fijian squad across 10 different sports.

They won a historic first Olympic medal of any colour in the Brazilian city as the men's rugby sevens team topped the podium.