Nigeria gets Sydney Olympics gold
By Gowon Akpodonor
AFTER a long wait, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) and athletics world governing body, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) have confirmed Nigeria as winner of the gold medal in the 4x400m male event of the Sydney Olympic Games, held in Australia in 2000.
The confirmation came last week when the IOC and the IAAF wrote Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) in Lagos.
Technical Director of the AFN, Alhaji A.K. Amu, broke the cheering news while speaking with The Guardian at the weekend in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, during the final of this year's NNPC/Mobil Schools Athletics Championship.
Said Amu: "We have just received a letter from the international body confirming the disqualification of America in the 4x400m male event at the Sydney Olympic games. The letter also confirmed that Nigeria has won the gold medal. It is a cheering news to us," Amu stated.
According to the AFN technical director, the medal presentation will be done administratively soon.
It would be recalled that the 4x400m male relay quartet of Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, Sunday Bada and Enefiok Udo-Obong won a silver medal, after finishing second behind the United States of America at the Sydney Olympic games.
A major drug scandal which was later discovered in the USA 4x400m relay quartet led to their disqualification from the race, four years after the gold medal had been presented to the American athletes.
Meanwhile, one of the Nigerian 4x400m relay quartet in the Sydney Olympic games, Udo-Obong has described the delayed gold medal awarded to Nigeria as "the work of God."
"I feel so good getting the Sydney Olympics gold medal after many months of waiting. It is God's doing," Udo-Obong told The Guardian in an interview in Eket.
The athlete, who was at the Eket Stadium at the weekend to add some colours to the 4th Akwa Ibom/NNPC/Mobil Schools Athletics Championship, however, lamented the delay in awarding the gold medal to Nigeria after it was confirmed long ago that the American 4x400 male quartet was aided by the use of banned drugs.
"I would have felt even better getting it long before now or even before the Athens Olympic games. But now giving me the gold after returning from the Athens Olympic games, I will accept it just for the fun of it. At least, my name will now be written in the same groups of athletes, who have won gold medals at the Olympic games," he stated.
The Akwa Ibom State-born athlete, who also anchored the Nigeria's 4x400m relay quartet to capture a bronze medal in the Athens Olympic games, tongue-lashed the IOC and the IAAF for the long delay before confirming Nigeria as winner of the gold medal in the Sydney Olympic games.
"What is good for the goose is equally good for the gander. Look at the British team that participated in the World Athletics Championship. Because of Dwight Chambers' involvement in drug, they lost their medal and that was just last year. Why should we still be waiting for the gold medal of four years ago? Is it because Michael Johnson is involved?" Udo-Obong queried.
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