The
International Olympic Committee has sent the gold medal won by
Nigeria’s 4×400 metres relay quartet at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games
following the disqualification for doping violation of Team USA squad,
the original winners.
The IOC letter covering the dispatch of
the medal and signed by the IOC President Dr. Jacques Rogge was
addressed to the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
It reads, “I am pleased to send you this
Olympic Gold for Mr Enefiok Udo-Obong, who was part of your men’s
4x400m now placed first in the athletics men’s 4×400 metres relay event
at the Games of the XXV11 Olympiad, Sydney 2000.
A copy of letter, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, was silent on the medals for the other members of the team.
It is believed that the IOC might have
acted in the manner it did because they had yet to receive the silver
medals from the other members of the team.
The NOC Manager Mr. Emman Nweri said
that Nigeria forwarded only the silver medal that was returned to it by
Udo-Obong in line with the IOC directive.
He said that the others — late Sunday Bada, Jude Monye and Clement Chukwu — had failed to return theirs.
The USA-based Chukwu confirmed in a
telephone interview that he and the other USA-based member of the team
had yet to return their medals because they did not receive any official
correspondence to that effect.
However, Udo-Obong expressed delight at
the prospect of finally receiving the gold medal. He said that he had
been informed by the NOC that his medal had arrived from the IOC.
“I feel very happy; I am elated by this
development. It shows that destiny can only be delayed but cannot be
denied. Ever since the information about the decision of the IOC came, I
made efforts to confirm the authenticity of the news and I thank God it
is true,” he said.
NAN
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