Rajindra Campbell Explains Why He Switched Allegiance from Jamaica to Turkiye
Shot putter Rajindra Campbell explained why he switched his sporting allegiance to Turkiye during an interview following the bombshell report that he and three other Jamaican athletes will represent the country in sports internationally.
Speaking on the Coach’s Desk TV YouTube channel on Monday, Campbell addressed the backlash he received after news of the switch began spreading last week. Campbell said that people fail to understand how he stayed loyal to Jamaica in the past despite experiencing difficulties.
According to the Olympic medallist, he was approached in 2023 and presented with the opportunity to represent another country. However, he declined the offer out of patriotism.
“In 2023 I had an offer to leave. I decide I was a patriot, and I stayed. Later that turn round and bite me big time. So is like it’s not a situation where I didn’t try. I tried,” Campbell said.
The athlete went on to highlight that field athletes have a more difficult time than sprinters, and he still does not have a sponsor. Campbell also criticised the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA).
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Last year, the JAAA renewed its contract with Puma, turning down a lucrative US$40 million ($6.4 billion) contract that was offered by Adidas. During his interview, Campbell shared his belief that the Adidas contract would have been far more beneficial for Jamaican athletes.
“The Adidas contract that the JAAA refused to sign would have made track and field Jamaica a hundred times better than where we are now. There were bonuses that would have benefited the athlete, not the federation. There were certain things they wouldn’t have control over because it would have been directed to the athlete, based on my understanding. And they went against that,” Campbell stated.
The shot putter also accused the JAAA of prioritising its long-standing relationship with Puma over Jamaica. As such, Campbell said that he made the decision to prioritise himself this year.
“So in my eyes, dem nuh care bout us so mi decide seh yow, I literally start the year with the mindset of yow, this year I am doing it for me. As a result, this is the decision I have to make. They more care about their loyalty to the sponsor and not their loyalty to the country. So in a sense, them meck the decision kinda easy,” Campbell said.
He added that more transparency is needed in how sports is managed in Jamaica. In addition to Campbell, discuss thrower Roje Stona, long jumper Wayne Pinnock, and triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert, are reportedly also in the process of finalising an agreement to switch their allegiances to Turkiye.
Listen to Campbell’s interview below.
