Jamaican Track & Field Stars’ Turkey Switch Faces Major Pushback Amid Growing Tensions

Jamaican Track & Field Stars’ Turkey Switch Faces Major Pushback Amid Growing Tensions

What began as a quiet shift in athlete representation has now become a matter of national significance for Jamaica. With four of its most promising field athletes migrating to Turkey in rapid succession, the Jamaican track and field authorities are preparing to issue a formal protest to World Athletics. Citing both ethical and structural concerns, the Jamaican Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has announced it will bring the matter bef…

ANALYSIS | Turkey's collecting of unhappy foreign athletics stars shows it knows money matters

Last week Turkey’s athletics federation undertook a seismic spending spree, rattling international track and field right down to its foundations. A Nigerian and four Jamaican athletes all agreed to become, for the purposes of international competition, Turkish, for a reported $500K US signing bonus.

Top Jamaican athletes switch to Turkey - The Caribbean Camera

President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), Garth Gayle, says he has received no official confirmation regarding reports that four of Jamaica’s standout athletes have switched national allegiance to Turkey. Roja Stona Olympic discus gold medallist Roja Stona, shot put bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell, long jump silver medallist Wayne Pinnock, and triple jump sensation Jaydon Hibbert are reportedly in the process of tr…