SAE’s medal stuff-up!

Four months after the end of the PanHellenic Games held in Melbourne in November last year, a significant number of winning athletes have yet to receive their medals.

It is estimated that about 34 athletes who competed in the Games are still waiting for either gold, silver or bronze medals.

One 15-year-old athlete from Queensland who won three gold medals in discus, shot putt and javelin respectively, two more athletes from Victoria and the rest from NSW have been put on hold.

However, some confusion still exists as to what is the exact number of people who will finally receive the long belated medals.

According to a spokesperson from SAE Oceania the medals fiasco was generated because some athletic events were scheduled last minute.

“There were younger athletes under 16 who wanted to compete in additional sports from what they were scheduled and we couldn’t refuse them that prerogative,” the SAE spokesperson said to Neos Kosmos.

It should be noted that this is the second consecutive Games after the one hel=d in Adelaide that the same problem of a shortage of medals has been experienced by the SAE organising committee.

When asked why SAE had not anticipated such issues, and in response ordered extra medals the SAE spokesman said that they had arranged for 40 extra medals.

He went on to defend SAE’s organisation, claiming that an added problem was created with the unanticipated number of team officials who were also awarded with a medal each.

He added that the members of the winning water polo team, who also have not received their medals, “were more than what originally reported” causing a further medals shortage.

When pressed by Neos Kosmos to say if SAE thought that an apology was due to the athletes who have yet to be awarded with their medals, he said “SAE is not denying them of what is theirs and the athletes will get their medals” so no apology was due.

The SAE spokesperson did say that “the Games were a cultural event so the medals were not the core objective per se.”

He did, however want to apologise for the “extended delay” now close to four months.
When asked why such a delay occurred he claimed “problems with the supplier”, arguing that SAE placed the order for the extra medals shortly after the Games.

He refused, however, to produce documents showing exactly when the order was placed.

The SAE spokesperson did commit that the medal situation will be resolved at the latest by the end of next week.