‘NOBODY STONES GREEN MANGOES’
JAAA hits back at detractors over allegiance-switching Jamaicans
Published:Tuesday | June 24, 2025 | 12:11 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
JUST DAYS after deriding the news of key Jamaican athletes making the switch to Türkiye as simply “allegations”, Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) president Garth Gayle has officially acknowledged the matter but says that Jamaica will continue to produce top talents in spite of losing athletes to more resourceful nations.
Gayle was speaking yesterday at the press launch of the National Junior and Senior Championships at the JAAA head office in Kingston.
His comments came after reports from TVJ Sports confirmed that World Athletics had received applications from four Jamaican athletes to switch their allegiance to Türkiye.
These athletes include Olympic men’s discus gold medallist and record holder Roje Stona, Olympic men’s long jump silver medallist Wayne Pinnock, Olympic men’s shot put bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell, and World U20 triple jump record holder Jaydon Hibbert.
While initially stating last week that the JAAA would treat the news as allegations due to a lack of documents to support the claims, Gayle has since addressed the issue publicly.
He admitted that it was a cause for concern but believed that it could open the door for other emerging talents to stake their claim on the world stage.
“In recent days, we have all been impacted with the news of four offers for our field events athletes to switch allegiance to Türkiye ahead of our National Championships and subsequently, the World Championships in Türkiye,” Gayle acknowledged.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
“Although this phenomenon is not unique to Jamaica, nor is it to the JAAA, it is of concern to all Jamaica. Nevertheless, the challenge it offers will create new opportunities for other athletes to gain selection and to represent the country.”
Gayle said the success Jamaica has seen at the junior level is proof that the national track and field programme would continue to succeed despite the departures.
He pointed to Kamari Kennedy’s performance at this year’s Carifta Games as an indicator that Jamaica would continue to grow in the field events.
Kennedy broke records in the boys’ shot put and discus throw events on his way to being awarded the Austin Sealy award for the most outstanding athlete at the regional meet.
“Jamaica continues to lead the global athletics stage as we punch above our weight. And while we observe the new development of field events, this was not something that is new or is surprising to us at the JAAA.
“Our junior athletes continue to outdo and outperform their competitors at the regional level. I speak of the Carifta Games. At the staging in Trinidad and Tobago, the young athlete was crowned the champion athlete and was given the top award, and rightfully so.”
The JAAA also explained that they are not surprised by the targeted recruitment by Türkiye as they believe that this has become a growing practice for nations that are able to provide better resources for athletes.
Ian Forbes, first vice-president of the JAAA, described the situation as “mango season”, with Türkiye targeting Jamaica’s ripe mangoes
“We’re in mango season,” Forbes quipped. “There’s that saying, ‘Nobody’s stoning green mangoes’. They want the ripe mango, and it’s not surprising that they have gone for four of our athletes.”
LUCRATIVE OFFERS
Ludlow Watts, JAAA treasurer, said that while the association has supported its various athletes, it would never be able to match the more lucrative offers of several other countries.
“What we are able to say is that what this administration has been able to do is to build a programme, and that is what Türkiye and the others want. If we didn’t have a good programme, then they would not be coming to take away our athletes,” Watts said.
“This is something that has been happening, and I don’t think it will ever stop.”
He continued: “There is no way we could ever match those type of benefits they offer. We do not have those resources, but we will have to build the resources that we have to get the best results.”
Gayle said despite the high-profile losses, the JAAA is still committed to its goal of developing the sport of track and field in Jamaica and maintaining Jamaica’s standard as a global powerhouse.
“It is a future-deciding moment for quite a number of our athletes. The JAAA mission remains committed to the development of the sport in Jamaica. Indeed, we are equal to the challenge as our athletes continue to perform way above the level of many of the developed world that we meet in competition.”