President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), Garth Gayle, said he has no confirmation of the information circulating that at least four Jamaican athletes have switched allegiance to Turkey.
Jamaica’s 2024 Olympic discus champion Roja Stona, shot put bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell, long jump silver medallist Wayne Pinnock, and triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert are said to have switched allegiance from Jamaica to Turkey.
“I await documents to confirm this,” Gayle said, in a terse response to questions regarding the athletes.
Three of these athletes, Pinnock, Campbell and Hibbert, attended Kingston College while Stona represented St Jago High.
Athletes wishing to switch allegiance will have to sit out for at least three years from global competitions. But if the JAAA doesn’t object to the request, this would reduce the mandatory three-year waiting period to just 12 months.
However, there are strong allegations that these athletes have started the process by which they could earn US$1.5m (J$239m) with monthly stipends and performance bonuses from Turkey.
But this would not be the first time athletes have made the switch to represent other countries.
In 2002, the legendary Merlene Ottey at age 42 represented Slovenia and high jump sensation, Germaine Mason at 32, switched to Great Britain in 2006 and won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Also in 2006, former Munro College and Ardenne High School quarter-miler Brandon Simpson, made the switch to Bahrain along with Andrew Fisher and Kamarley Brown. Jacques Harvey, 26 at the time, who changed his name to Jak Ali Harvey and represented Turkey and in 2015, Winston Barnes, also made the switch to Turkey and changed his name to Emre Zafer Barnes.
Last year, Campbell lamented in an interview the lack of effort and appreciation shown to the athletes compared to other countries. “Jamaica has such a rich history in track and field that we are not appreciated,” he pointed out.
Former JAAA’s president, Dr Warren Blake, at the time said he would not stand in the way of athletes wanting to switch.
“We have doctors who leave Jamaica and go to work, and other professionals go elsewhere to ply their trade. So, I will not stand in their way, and I don’t think the federation should,” Dr Blake pointed out.