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Olympic Champion in the Discus Throw, Roje Stona leads a growing list of Jamaica's top talents that have applied for nationality switch to Turkey. This bags the question has Asafa Powell been vindicated?
Back in April, Jamaican sprint legend Asafa Powell released an emotional video expressing regret over not switching nationality earlier in his career.
The former world record holder unapologetically revealed the poor support system for athletes in Jamaica and why he should have taken the opportunity to run for another country. Categorically, he stated none of his children would don the green, gold, and black colours of the nation if things didn't change.
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"I remember back in 2006, I was offered millions of USD to run for another country, and at the time I turned it down because I didn't know what the future holds. If I knew what I know now, I would have taken up that opportunity," said Powell.
"If anything don't change, none of them (his kids) is running for free. I ran for free my entire life, I ran for Jamaica, just country pride and all that stuff to win a medal and I've never gotten anything from the country.
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19:37 - 06.03.2025
Tia Clayton: Jamaica's next big star opens up to Asafa Powell over Paris Olympics nervousness
In an interview with Jamaica's track legend Asafa Powell, rising star Tia Clayton opened up on the nervousness of competing at the Paris Olympic Games.
"Honestly guys, if the support system don’t change, my kids not running for Jamaica. Sorry to say that it's just facts - you know what I mean? My wife is Canadian and Ghanaian so there are options,” stated the two-time Olympic gold and five-time world championships medallist.
Powell's statements received mixed reactions; as some supported while others questioned his loyalty and the potential impact on current and future generations of Jamaican athletes.
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16:12 - 18.06.2025
How Sha'Carri Richardson is learning to stay 'patient' slowing down in a fast-paced environment
Sha'Carri Richardson is learning to take in the realities of slowing down in her career despite being in a fast-paced environment.
Two months have passed, and the Jamaican authorities have yet to implement any noticeable changes. As a result, the country is now experiencing a significant outflow of its top talents to European countries, a situation that could be referred to as the "Turkey Drain."
The mass exodus of Jamaica's Olympic medallists and brightest talents to Turkey
Powell was the latest in a long list of star athletes to have complained about the poor treatment by Jamaican authorities, with notable names in Yohan Blake and the legendary Usain Bolt.
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15:37 - 20.04.2025
From Asafa Powell to Usain Bolt, & Yohan Blake: How Jamaicans and its sports authority have let down their legends
Following the recent outburst from Asafa Powell on Jamaican sports authorities, this article details how Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake have also openly called out on the same issue about being let down.
The concern arises that if Jamaica doesn't take care of the exceptional talent within its borders, another country may step in, nurture them, enhance their skills, and provide them with new identities that truly reflect their brand, culture, and religion.
No surprise when news broke out on Thursday afternoon, June 19, as reports indicated that several top athletes had switched their nationality to Turkey, with more expected to follow.
Top on the list is 26-year-old Roje Stona, who broke the Olympic record to win the men's Discus Throw gold medal at the Paris 2024 Games, thus becoming Jamaica's first Olympic Champion in a throwing event.
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Also on the list is Rajindra Campbell - Paris Olympics bronze medallist in the men's Shot Put event, as well as Wayne Pinnock - world silver medallist in the men's long jump.
And finally in the process is World U20 triple jump record holder Jaydon Hibbert, who finished fourth in Paris and has a Personal Best (PB) of 17.87m, which he jumped as an 18-year-old.
According to reports, the "Turkey Drain" is an effort to bolster its Olympic medal chances through naturalization, with several top Jamaican athletes being approached quietly in recent weeks.
In addition, athletes who accept the switch are set to receive an upfront payment of at least $500,000, with promises of substantial monthly stipends and performance bonuses.
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19:20 - 19.06.2025
Usain Bolt finally receives long-awaited recognition eight years after retirement
Sprint legend Usain Bolt can finally be called a Guinness World Record ICON, becoming the first track athlete in history to receive such honour.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of Turkey's drain of Jamaica’s athletic talent pool in the field event is that they haven’t even needed to mine the very best young Jamaican sprinters. After all, Jamaica is known as the world's sprint factory nation.
The painful common thread that can be seen with most of these athletes is that they never thought or planned to run for another country, but the circumstances in Jamaica with no solid support for field eventers gave them little or no choice but to leave for Turkey.
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If it were one athlete, one could dismiss his case as an isolated incident. However, with up to four and more to follow, it is high time that the Jamaican authorities awoke to the issue at hand.
For context, Stona was Jamaica's only Olympic champion from Paris and the field event athletes won the most medals for the country. This signifies that they have made significant progress in recent years, shifting the world's perception of Jamaica from merely a sprint nation to one that has a strong presence in various track and field events.
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This concerning trend of athletes leaving will persist without urgent, drastic intervention in Jamaican athletics. After all, some athletes who have switched allegiance to Turkey in the past include Emre Zafer Barnes and Jak Ali Harvey.
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