"Jamaica needs to do better with their athletes"- Olympic silver medalist Wayne Pinnock breaks silence about allegiance switch to Turkey 

Olympic silver medalist Wayne Pinnock opened up about his allegiance switch from Jamaica to Turkey. The 24-year-old made an appearance at the London Diamond League and competed in the men's long jump.

Wayne Pinnock was one of the first four athletes who were reported to have switched their allegiance from Jamaica at the beginning of the 2025 outdoor season. Pinnock spoke about the reasons surrounding his decision in an interview at the London Diamond League and revealed that he made the tough choice after considering his family's future.

Moreover, Pinnock opened up about the hardships of being a track athlete. He expressed his gratitude for receiving the opportunity to switch his allegiance to Turkey and shared that he would have regretted it if he had turned down the opportunity.

"Honestly, for me personally, I'm doing this for my family. There is a life after track, and I feel like we don't really have a lot in the sport. So, you know, if we could make as much as possible. I mean, I love my country, I do love my country, but loyals don't pay bills as well all know. I'm just grateful that God gave me this opportunity, and I feel like if I had turned down this opportunity, I would have regretted it," he said.

Furthermore, Pinnock shared his thoughts on the support provided to Jamaican athletes by the association and expressed that he hoped that the situation would improve in the future.

"I think Jamaica needs to do better with their athletes. I'm being honest, if I decide to get hurt right now, I know Jamaica is not going to put me back on my feet for sure, and I do know that. I'm going to spend money out of my own pocket. If I could get an opportunity where someone will look out for me because I’ve been doing good for my country & never even got an email from no one saying congratulations before,” he added.

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Another Jamaican athlete weighs in on allegiance switch to Turkey

Rajindra Campbell at the Paris 2024 - Athletics - Source: Getty

Rajindra Campbell is another athlete who switched his allegiance to Turkey and expressed the reason behind his decision in an interview with Coach Desk TV. The Jamaican athlete shared that he was still unsponsored and opened up about the challenges faced by athletes who are not sprinters.

Campbell shed light on the importance of opportunities for all athletes to be able to sustain their careers as athletes.

“I don't believe that they really understand that it is challenging, one, for track and field. We are not sprinters. So obviously— and I can say I am still unsponsored. Yeah. Yeah. You know the Adidas contract that the J3 refused to sign? It would have made Track Jamaica 100 times better than where we are now," he said.

Moreover, Campbell shared his thoughts on the Jamaican Athletic Association and said:

“So, in my eyes, they don’t care about us. So [I decided], it’s time to start. I literally started the year with the mindset of, ‘Yo, this year I'm doing it for me.’ Yeah. As a result, this is the decision I had to make."

Athletes have reportedly received $500,000 as well as a monthly stipend from Turkey in order to make the switch.

Edited by Adityan Pillai