JAAA Unhappy with ‘4 Talented Athletes’ Switching to Turkiye, “That’s like brain drain… World Athletics needs to look at the situation”
The World Athletics body has confirmed that they are in receipt of four transfer of allegiances requests from Türkiye for four Jamaican athletes.
On Monday, June 23, 2025 the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) in a press conference voiced concerns about the impending requests, and their intention to bring a formal complaint to the World Athletics Congress being held in September of this year.
“It will be raised, we are putting it in black and white and we will be sending it to World athletics to be heard at the Congress, and I will be taking a written to the Congress in Tokyo Japan,” stated Garth Gayle, president of the (JAAA) in a TVJ video report.
“Jamaica’s voice will be heard… colleagues we’re not happy, we surely can’t be happy, four talented young athletes? That’s like a brain drain in teaching,” he further noted.
Ian Forbes, 1st vice president JAAA expressed that it was not surprising that other nations were seeking to nab our top athletes, “Nobody stone green mangoes, they want the ripe mangoes, it is not surprising that they have gone after four of our athletes.”
“World Athletics needs to look at the situation critically to see exactly what is happening and the fact that it can destroy the sport.”
He continued that the JAAA needs to keep pace with the changing and evolution of the sport. Outsiders are cherry-picking and using financial incentives, he also noted that these countries are going after our coaches to build their product.
While the World Athletics body has confirmed the request, there has been no confirmation to the JAAA from the four athletes Rojae Stona (Olympic discus gold medallist), Rajindra Campbell (shot put bronze medallist), Olympic long jump silver medallist Wayne Pinnock, triple jump finalist Jaydon Hibbert or the Turkish Federation.
