...Unfulfilled dreams

THE Nigerian quartermiler got the silver medal with the Nigerian relay team at Sydney 2000 Olympics but a member of the United States team which won the race's gold, Antonio Pettigrew, tested positive to banned drugs.The International Olympic Committee, (IOC)'s rule says the gold medal could only be withdrawn eight years after an offender might have tested positive to drugs.Pettigrew drugged at Sydney 2000 so Nigeria should have been elevated in 2008 but the Court of Arbitration in Sports, (CAS), insists that it is pure high-handedness of the IOC to visit the sins of Pettigrew on other relay members of the USA.Moreover, the eight-year rule, CAS argued, was made in 2005, five years after the race was run in Sydney.While Nigeria dreams that one day, Sydney 2000 4 by 400 metres gold will be re-allocated, the remains of Bada will be interred as an Olympic silver medallistBada, in his capacity as Performance and Technical Director of the AFN, also dreamt about a partnership with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympics Games (LOCOG), UK Sport, British Council and UNICEF on how to revive and propel athletics in the country in a 'Train The Trainers' Programme due to start early next year.
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