BY DANIA BOGLE

Observer staff reporter

A dispute appears to be brewing between the two top track and field clubs in Jamaica — Racers and MVP — over whether athletes are being offered financial enticement to become part of the former outfit which boasts reigning 100m world champion Yohan Blake and 200m champion Usain Bolt.

In the last few weeks, several athletes, the latest being World Championships 400m hurdles semi-finalist Ristananna Tracey — have jumped ship from the University of Technology (UTech)-based MVP to the University of the West Indies (UWI)-based Racers.

It is understood that athletes who are part of the Racer’s Club are provided with accommodation and a stipend.

Last week MVP, through its president Bruce James, issued a statement in which he said that while the club in association with UTech does provide its athletes with tuition, on-campus accommodation, meals, training facilities, coaching, transportation, training and competition gear, medical support, international travel, among numerous other wants and needs of an up-and-coming student/athlete, it does not pay them.

“Unlike another track club in Jamaica, MVP does not pay our developmental athletes cash… for the track clubs that choose to pay monthly cash to their developmental athletes that is their way,” the statement read.

“Some of our former athletes have advised us that the other track club pays them cash monthly in addition to providing them with accommodation in apartments off campus among other enticements,” he added.

However, not so, said Racers in a press statement released last Thursday evening.

“(Racers) wishes to refute any insinuation of unfair practices in recruiting our athlete members. In particular, the allegation (sic) that we have used money to entice athletes to transfer from MVP Club to Racers is totally false,” it said.

“All the athletes mentioned approached Racers in their own initiative seeking membership. There was, therefore, no need for enticement.”

It continued: “Do we seek to support our athletes financially? The answer is unequivocally yes. We do try to assist out athlete members to keep body and soul together in the hard times before they become celebrities and before they excite the attention of potential sponsors.”

The release added that none of the athletes who switched expressed a major concern for money, but rather a desire to get an opportunity to train in a supportive, communicative and participatory environment.

“Racers is a professional athletic club. Athletes come to us with a desire to be molded into professional athletes. To be a professional athlete is to be someone who makes a living from athletics.”

“In the meantime that athlete needs to live. Almost without exception Jamaica’s aspiring professional athletes are not financially self-sufficient. In many countries the government would recognise the need for investment in these young athletes and step in to offer the necessary financial support. Although Racers is not able to fill this role, we do try and help where we can.”

“In those cases where we provide some financial support, that support seeks to take care of basic living necessities, nutrition, accommodation, and medical care.”

Several of the athletes who have joined the Racers remain enrolled students of the University of Technology despite being members of the rival institution’s track club.