Jamaica’s field stars blocked from Turkey switch

KINGSTON, Jamaica – In a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves through the athletics world, four of Jamaica’s top field athletes, including reigning Olympic men’s discus champion Roje Stona, have had their requests to switch allegiance to Turkey rejected by the World Athletics Nationality Review Panel.

The decision, announced on Thursday, also blocks Jamaican shot putter Rajindra Campbell, triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert, and long jumper Wayne Pinnock from representing Turkey.

The ruling affects a total of 13 athletes across several nations, including Nigeria’s Favour Ofili, Russia’s Sophia Yakushina, and a host of Kenyan stars such as Brigid Kosgei and Ronald Kwemoi.

The panel’s verdict was damning as it found that the applications were not isolated decisions but part of a “coordinated recruitment effort by the Turkish government, operating through a state-funded club.”

According to the ruling, the Turkish body offered lucrative contracts specifically to lure foreign athletes to compete for Turkey at major events, including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Approving the requests, the panel stated, would “undermine the intent” of World Athletics’ eligibility and transfer-of-allegiance rules.

Given the common features across the applications, the panel reviewed them collectively, concluding the approach conflicted with the sport’s core principles.

“These principles are designed to safeguard the credibility of international competition, encourage member federations to invest in the development of domestic talent, and maintain confidence that national teams are not primarily assembled through external recruitment,” the panel said in a statement.

As a result, the athletes are ineligible to represent Turkey in national representative competitions or international events.

However, World Athletics clarified that the ruling does not prevent them from competing in one-day meetings or road races in a personal or club capacity, nor from living and training in Turkey.

The move is widely viewed as a significant blow to Jamaica’s athletics programme, particularly as the quartet were seen as the rising faces of the nation’s improving field event programme.

Reports suggest the Jamaicans had already completed documentation to become Turkish citizens, enticed by substantial financial gains in 2025.

In the wake of the decision, the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has indicated it will raise the issue with the sport’s global governing body.

With the panel’s ruling now final, the stars who sought new colours must now decide their next move, whether to return to representing Jamaica or focus solely on club competition.

CMC