metres relay quartet at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games following the disqualification for doping violation of the U.S. squad, the original winners.
The IOC letter covering the dispatch of the medal and signed by Dr Jacques Rogge, the IOC President, was addressed to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).
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 4x400 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 (NAN) in Lagos, was silent on the medals for the other members of the team.
NAN gathered 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.
Mr Emman Nweri, the Manager of NOC, told NAN that Nigeria forwarded only the silver medal that was returned to it by Udo-Obong in line with the IOC’s directive.
The others - late Sunday Bada, Jude Monye and Clement Chukwu - had failed to return theirs, he said.
The U.S.-based Chukwu confirmed in a telephone interview with NAN that he and other U.S.-based members 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 told NAN 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 was true,” he said.
