Samoa weightlifter Ele Opeloge

The Samoa government is facing pressure to provide a monetary reward for Ele Opeloge, who was awarded the silver medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics after two competitors were disqualified for drugs.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said the government's policy was to only offer monetary awards for gold medal winners.

Ele and Niusila Opeloge and Faavae Faauliuli all won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi seven years ago.

The President of the Samoa Weightlifting Federation, Tuaopepe Asiata Jerry Wallwork, was their coach.

RNZ reports Opeloge initially finished in fourth place in the women's over 75kg division, one kilogram shy of the bronze medal winner.

But a re-analysis of samples from eight years ago have found the silver medallist, Olha Korobka from Ukraine, and bronze medallist, Mariya Grabovetskaya from Kazakhstan, tested positive for banned substances.

They are among 15 weightlifters to be provisionally suspended for failing the International Olympic Committee tests and have the option of taking their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.