IN the wake of public uproar over four of Jamaica’s elite field events athletes switching allegiance to Türkiye, former national shot putter Kyle Mitchell has spoken out candidly about the deeper issues plaguing Jamaican athletics — highlighting a system he says has consistently failed its own.

Speaking exclusively to the Jamaica Observer following Thursday’s bombshell announcement, Mitchell didn’t hold back.

“Anyone outside of the sprints are left out of the ecosystem — and I think that this is a big part of the problem,” he highlighted. “There is no consistent pipeline of care, no structured network within the track and field, no strategy to keep our past and present connected to our future. We have just been relying heavily on national pride for far too long.”

One of the most striking revelations in Mitchell’s interview was his mention of fellow shot putter and friend Rajindra Campbell, one of the athletes who have reportedly switched nationalities to Türkiye, having to work part-time during training for last year’s Olympic tournament. Despite being Jamaica’s national shot put champion and record holder, Campbell admitted last year that he had to work at Domino’s Pizza just to make ends meet and support himself.

“It was very sad to hear the things that he had to be doing in order to make his dreams become a reality, especially at the level that he is at,” Mitchell added. “I remember one time he came on Instagram Live and he was actually delivering a pizza while on the live.

“He had to ask for support just to train, and he was actually staying with family at the time. Imagine if he didn’t have any family? There could have been a situation where we aren’t even talking about Rajindra right now.”

The other athletes making the move to Türkiye include promising triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert, Olympic and World silver medallist in the long jump Wayne Pinnock, and Olympic champion and record holder in the shot put Rojae Stona. Their decisions have ignited some backlash on social media and within local sporting circles, with many accusing them of being unpatriotic.

But Mitchell believes the criticism is misplaced.

“I think they did what was best for them. After college, it becomes a business. These guys are professional athletes. If the system in place offers no financial incentive, and you still have a family to feed and dreams to chase, how can anyone fault them for accepting a lucrative offer elsewhere?”

Mitchell’s comments echo a growing sentiment among Jamaican athletes: They love their country but feel abandoned by the very system designed to support them. He has called for a major overhaul in how athletes are funded, mentored, and managed — especially during the early, critical stages of their careers.

“You have athletes like Akeem Bloomfield, Odean Skeen, Jaheel Hyde — I don’t know their situation personally or why they decided to step away from the sport but I can almost guarantee that a lot of it had to do with a lack of support, stewardship, and cultivating a relationship with these athletes.”

As Jamaica’s track and field community processes the implications of this week’s developments, voices like Mitchell’s may finally spark overdue conversations, not just about loyalty, but about investment, structure, and what it truly takes to build and keep champions.