There’s growing turmoil in Jamaican track and field. Four of the country’s top athletes have officially switched allegiance from Jamaica to Turkey—a move that has stunned fans and raised serious questions. Roje Stona and Rajindra Campbell were the first to start this process, followed by Olympic silver medalist Wayne Pinnock and NCAA Triple Jump Champion Jaydon Hibbert. But as much as this might be a decision to advance in their careers, for many Jamaicans, this development feels like a betrayal. In the midst of the backlash, one of them finally broke the silence. Hear it from himself…
“Yeah, so there’s a lot of misinformation out there. A lot of it,” said Rajindra Campbell as he appeared on a call with Coach’s Desk TV on June 23, “I believe that someone mentioned that there should be a transfer fee for athletes. I disagree with it because at the end of the day, the money doesn’t go back to the athletes.” A report by Reuters claimed that The Trinidad & Tobago Guardian stated both athletes (Rajindra Campbell and Roje Stona) would receive a $500,000 signing bonus to make the switch, as well as monthly financial support. The man further clarified that every time they won a medal, the money went to the organization.
Further into the call, the former Jamaican athlete addressed people’s outrage over this. Traitors – this is the kind of language the track and field community has reacted to, referring to athletes who are shifting their allegiance. He clarified, “They fail to understand that in 2023, I had an offer to leave. I decided I was a Patriot, and I stayed. Later turned around and bit me big time. So it’s like, it’s not a situation where I didn’t try. I tried.”
At the very end of the call, the man did say, “So I understand there’s a lot of Jamaicans that is hurt by it. And I must apologize. But at the same time. You have to think about you. If they are benefit from it, why shouldn’t I?”
This report is developing…
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