Foota Hype Says, “Mi ready fi pack mi tings and guh Türkiye right now!”: If There is an Offer for Music Selectors
The recent decision by multiple prominent Jamaican athletes to switch allegiance to Türkiye has sparked widespread reaction across the island and on social media, resulting in a wave of public commentary and heated debates.
One such person who had a mouthful to say on the matter is Dancehall selector Oneil ‘Foota Hype’ Thomas. Known for his outspoken personality, the selector started off by calling out Minister of Culture, Entertainment and Sport (Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange) along with Prime Minister ( Most Hon Andrew Holness) respectively.
Foota said “Hear the problem now Andrew Holness and Aunty Babsy, this is not a political issue. Mi a bring this to unnu attention so unnu can fix it.”
He proceeded to state the issue, “Türkiye has been negotiating with Jamaican athletes behind closed doors and a buy dem out.”
The athletes mentioned include Olympic gold medalist Rojé Stona Campbell, silver medalist Wayne Pinnock, bronze medalist Raijindra Campbell, and Olympic triple jump finalist Jaydon Hibbert.
Foota Hype also added that the athletes should be without blame and all blame should be directed towards the government and sporting bodies in Jamaica for not sufficiently compensating the athletes for their efforts and historical feats, especially following the latest Olympic Games in Paris.
The selector said “I can’t even blame the athletes for making the decision, because Jamaica nah treat them right.”
Foota went on to list the reported details of what the Türkish government are offering the athletes to switch allegiances. The most prevalent offer being a lucrative 500,000 USD upfront signing bonus (about 80 million JMD) along with guaranteed monthly stipends and added performance bonuses.
Foota hype went as far as to say that if the same offer was presented to him, he would leave without a second thought.
He expressed, “In all honesty, if the Türkish government seh dem want a selecting team fi next Olympics and dem offer me half million USD plus a monthly stipend, mi gone. Mi ready fi pack mi tings and guh Türkiye right now.”
Foota Hype is not the first to criticize the sporting bodies in Jamaica regarding the treatment of athletes. Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt have been on record blasting the powers that be over the years with Asafa seemingly saying that if he had known back then what he knows now, he would’ve switched allegiance.
Further placing emphasis on the matter and expressing his concern, Foota Hype remarked “The country already messed up because of our good workers migrating enuh, we can’t afford for the same thing to happen in our athletics. Andrew, Babsy mi a beg unu please fix this quickly.”
Brain drain has been prominent for years as many skilled and essential workers have left the country seeking a better life for themselves and their families. A potentially similar instance of this is now manifesting itself among Jamaican athletes, particularly in track and field.
Over the years, there have been many stories of Jamaican athletes taking on part-time jobs to support their careers and families and their compensation has not been enough, causing them to look elsewhere to be properly compensated and ultimately prioritized.
