The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) says while it has no intentions of preventing any athlete who is seeking to transfer allegiances to another country, it is insisting that protocols and procedures as laid out by the global governing body of the sport, World Athletics, must be followed.

The Jamaican track and field fraternity was rocked on Thursday when news of the recruitment of four elite male field event athletes, including three Olympic Games medallists, was confirmed, with some in the process of receiving passports.

Olympic Games men’s discus throw record holder Roje Stona, men’s long jump silver medallist Wayne Pinnock, men’s shot put bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell and World Under-20 triple jump record holder Jaydon Hibbert have been identified as the athletes making the jump from Jamaica, ostensibly to cash in on attractive financial rewards being offered.

A release from the JAAA on Friday, however, called for restraint, saying World Athletics procedures were being ignored by the media. “The transfer of allegiance of athletes is a process that involves the requisite national federations and requires the approval of World Athletics.”

Asked later whether the JAAA would consider any moves against the athletes, president Garth Gayle said, “Barring an athlete is surely not the JAAA way.”

The JAAA boss also confirmed that dialogue had taken place with some of the athletes involved, noting that officials of the association had “spoken to those athletes who accepted to speak with them”.

The release also said: “The JAAA wishes to inform the public that, to date, it has neither been notified nor received a request for the transfer of allegiance of any of our Jamaican athletes, whether those mentioned in the referenced media reports or any others.”

The release added, “The JAAA will continue to be guided by the World Athletics Transfer of Allegiance Regulations and will engage with the requisite processes.”