JOA boss defends athletes’ right to chase financial security

WESTERN BUREAU:

President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) Christopher Samuda has thrown his support behind Jamaican Olympic medallists who have made the difficult decision to pursue their sporting careers and financial futures outside the island.

“It is very unfortunate, but that is the reality of sport in Jamaica,” Samuda told The Gleaner during a visit to Montego Bay over the weekend. “I am very disappointed that our gold and bronze medallists could not get the financial support they deserve. We cannot deny them the right to make decisions based on their circumstances. They have daily responsibilities, families, and the sporting life is short. We must understand their choice.”

Samuda’s remarks highlight a painful truth. Despite their world-class achievements, many of Jamaica’s top athletes are often left without the financial backing needed to sustain their careers or secure long-term stability at home.

While the JOA provides consistent, though limited support, Samuda points to a deeper structural issue within the national sports framework. He called for a complete overhaul of the National Sports Council (NSC), the body responsible for policymaking, funding, and infrastructure development in Jamaican sport.

“The National Sports Council needs to be reorganised,” Samuda insisted. “It is the policymaking and administrative arm that should implement investments and initiatives to benefit our athletes.”

He criticised the NSC’s ineffectiveness over the past eight years, arguing that athletes continue to fall through the cracks of a system that praises them on podiums but fails them in practice.

“The NSC has been idle while our athletes, who wear the black, green, and gold with pride, are left to fend for themselves,” he said. “For many, seeking new national colours is not about disloyalty — it’s about survival.”

RECRUITING ELITE TALENT

His comments come amid growing controversy over the defection of several top Jamaican athletes to Turkey, a nation actively recruiting elite talent in field events.

World record holder for the under-20 triple jump, Jaydon Hibbert, recently became the third decorated Jamaican athlete who is making a switch to Turkey. He joins Olympic gold medallist Roje Stona, who made history as Jamaica’s first-ever Olympic champion in a throwing event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Rajindra Campbell, a bronze medallist in the men’s shot put at the same Games.

Stona and Campbell have reportedly signed lucrative contracts that include a US$500,000 signing bonus, monthly stipends, and six-figure performance bonuses for podium finishes at World and Olympic Games.

Another Jamaican standout, long jumper Wayne Pinnock, an Olympic and World Championship silver medallist, is also reportedly being courted by Turkish athletics officials.

The news of four elite male field athletes potentially turning their backs on Jamaica has sent shock waves through the national track and field fraternity.

According to World Athletics regulations, athletes who change their national allegiance are typically subject to a mandatory three-year waiting period. However, this can be waived if both national federations and the International Olympic Committee approve the transfer.

Meanwhile the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), in a release last Friday, said it has neither been notified nor received a request for the transfer of allegiance of any Jamaican athlete, whether those mentioned in referenced media reports or any other.

The JAAA said it will continue to be guided by the World Athletics transfer of allegiance regulations and will work in line with the requisite processes.