“We have to come together and decide on what to do. We may involve the IOC if the NOC and AFN continue to handle the matter with levity.”
By Uzor Odigbo
After winning Silver Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games, Nigeria’s 4×100 meters women’s relay team has called on the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to intervene for the release of the medals won at the games for over fifteen years now.
Franca Idoko, Halimat Ismaila, Gloria Kemasonde, Oludamola Osayomi, and Agnes Osazuwa won bronze medal 43.04 seconds behind Russia and Belgium.
The international Olympics Committee (IOC) in 2016 upgraded the bronze to silver media after the revelation of widespread government-sponsored doping malpractice by Russian athletes.
In a chat, a member of the team, Ismaila, fumed at the manner the NOC and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) have handled the medal issue since the medal was upgraded six years ago.
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Ismaila stated: “We have sent messages to the AFN times without number, no response. The likes of Pat Itanyi, Fatimah Yusuf and others have also tried to help us recover our medals, but did not succeed. Other countries have received their replacement medals, and they’ve forgotten about it. Why are ours different?
“My son, after searching on Google has been asking me when my silver medal will arrive. We have to come together and decide on what to do. We may involve the IOC if the NOC and AFN continue to handle the matter with levity.”
Ismaila, who also graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso, said that many of her former schoolmates who took part in the 2008 Olympics in China were surprised that she and her colleagues were not rewarded financially, adding that she’s yet to receive any congratulatory message from the AFN.
Reacting to Ismaila’s claims, NOC’s public relation officer, Tony Nezianya, disclosed that the Olympic Committee would investigate the matter immediately, adding that a letter would be written to the IOC to inform them about the situation.
“NOC is in a position to request their medals from the IOC. We will do everything to secure the medals and present them to the athletes as soon as we receive them,” he added.
Recall that Enefiok Udo-Obong, Clement Chukwu, John Monye, Sunday Bada, Fidelis Gadzama, and Nduka Awazie won silver in the 4×400 relay event at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The medal was later upgraded to gold by the IOC and Sent to the NOC. They were rewarded financially by the Federal Government in Abuja