Powell warns his children ‘will not run for Jamaica’ if conditions don’t improve
Olympian suggests he should have taken opportunity to switch allegiance
Former world record holder Asafa Powell has declared that his children will not run for Jamaica if certain support systems are not put in place.
He also suggested that if he had to do it again, he would not have competed for Jamaica.
Powell made the remarks in a social media post after a previous video of his son winning a race at a school sports day had Jamaicans suggesting that the boy will be a future track star for the island.
He had a word for Jamaicans who he said are saying, “Yow, our future looks good and all that stuff”.
“Honestly guys, if the support system don’t change, my kids not running for Jamaica,” the former 100m world record holder said.
“I’m sorry to say that …but it’s just facts. My wife is Canadian and Ghanian so there are options,” he added.
Powell also stated that in 2006 he was offered millions of US dollars to run for another country. He said it was still early in his career, remarking that “I didn’t know what the future holds [but] if I knew [then] what I knew now, I would have taken up that opportunity”.
Despite being among the most decorated in the world, Jamaican athletes have long complained about lack of support from the country’s authorities.
