Rojé Stona, Rajindra Campbell, Jaydon Hibbert, Wayne Pinnock, and Favour Ofili, besides being world-class track and field athletes, what do they all have in common? They’ve all switched their athletic allegiance to Turkey.

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In an effort to become more competitive on the world stage, particularly at global events like the World Championships and the Olympics, Turkey has been actively recruiting elite athletes from other nations. The incentives are hard to ignore: reports mention a $500,000 signing bonus along with a monthly stipend. For athletes like Rajindra Campbell, who remains unsigned despite winning an Olympic bronze medal, such offers can be life-changing.

With a relatively modest presence in track and field historically, Turkey’s recruitment of top-tier athletes could elevate its global standing. For Jamaican athletes like Stona, Campbell, Hibbert, and Pinnock, it also presents an opportunity to be more recognized and supported — something they may feel was lacking at home.

Rajindra Campbell recently addressed this issue on the Coach’s Desk TV podcast. He revealed that in 2023, he received an offer to switch allegiance but declined out of loyalty to Jamaica. He criticized the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) for rejecting a potentially beneficial offer from Adidas in favor of extending their long-standing partnership with Puma, claiming the decision did not prioritize the athletes’ best interests. He summed up his current mindset by saying, “This year I’m doing it for me.”

Favour Ofili’s situation is more clear-cut. The Athletics Federation of Nigeria's (AFN) mistakes have greatly impacted Ofili’s career. She has missed the opportunity to compete in two consecutive Olympic Games (Tokyo and Paris) despite qualifying. In Tokyo, a last-minute ruling disqualified her due to improper drug-testing protocols, with the decision coming just three days before her event. In Paris, the AFN simply failed to enter her into the 100m race. Fortunately, she was able to compete in the 200m and ultimately placed 6th in the final.

This growing trend raises serious questions. Which other athletes might Turkey be targeting? Will the IAAF continue to allow this level of recruitment if it begins to alter the natural competitive balance in track and field? And how will national federations respond, knowing that switching allegiance is now a very real, and very attractive, option for frustrated athletes?

Don't Miss A Second Of The 2025 Diamond League

This year, the Diamond League is streaming live on FloTrack and the FloSports app, and FloTrack is giving fans more Diamond League access than ever before. For the first time ever, the Diamond League is streaming to fans all the feeds, not just the traditional world feed.

Fans will have uninterrupted coverage for every throw, leap and run during the meets as well as the traditional broadcast.

Where To Watch Diamond League?

The Wanda Diamond League will be broadcast on FloTrack and the FloSports app starting with the 2025 season. 

FloTrack Is The Streaming Home For Many Track And Field Meets Each Year

Don’t miss all the track and field season action streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events.

FloTrack Archived Footage

Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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