Former minister of sports, Mr. Damishi Sango has made a passionate appeal to the federal government to extend reward to the two female athletes who won silver medals for Nigeria at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Sango made the call yesterday after the presentation of the 4x400 meters Sydney 2000 Olympic relay gold medal to the Federal Executive Council which followed with naira rain for the victorious athletes and their officials.

It will be recalled that the quartet of late Sunday Bada, Jude Monye, Enefiok Udo-Obong and Clement Chukwu, actually finished in second position at the games, but it was upgraded to first after a member of the USA team that won the race, confessed to doping.

Sango who was the minister during the Olympics expressed happiness that although it took a long time, the gold medal was finally released to Nigeria by the IOC.

He said with the gold and two silver medals which were already in the kitty, the performance of the 2000 Olympic team is now second best in the history of Nigeria's participation at the Olympics.

The former minister also commended the Federal Executive Council led by President Goodluck Jonathan for rewarding the gold medallists as he said it will encourage greater performance in future.

He noted that during the 2000 Olympics, President Jonathan then the deputy governor of Bayelsa State was in Sydney for the games.

The former minister therefore said the honour goes to the sports loving president and other Nigerians.

"The gold medal which IOC released to Nigeria sometime ago was today (yesterday) presented to the Federal Executive Council. As the minister in charge of sports during the 2000 Olympics, I was also invited to witness the presentation.

"Although it took long, as it is said, it is better late than never. With this medal, the team to the Sydney Olympics is now Nigeria's second best Olympics team. It's performance is next to the 1996 team.

"I want to thank Mr. President for rewarding the athletes. However, I wish to recommend that similar reward should be extended to the two athletes who won silver medals at the same games".

Gloria Alozie won silver in the women's 100m hurdles while Ruth Ogbeifo clinched the other silver in weightlifting women's 75 kg.