'Loyalty don't pay bills' – Wayne Pinnock explains why he dumped Jamaica to jump on Turkey offer

Wayne Pinnock detailed his reasons for his nationality switch from Jamaica to Turkey, citing the poor treatment by the Jamaican sports authorities and the need to take care of his family.

Olympic silver medallist Wayne Pinnock has finally opened up on his reasons behind his switch of nationality from Jamaica to Turkey.

The talented long jumper who won silver medals at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games switched his allegiance to Turkey, making him one of the four confirmed Jamaican athletes.

Speaking on the motivation behind the decision, Pinnock revealed several factors, despite still loving his country.

“Honestly, for me personally, I’m doing this for my family. You know there’s a life after track, and I feel like we don’t really have a lot in the sport, so you know, if we could make as much as possible, I got to do it,” he said in an exclusive interview with @LillzTIL after winning the long jump event at the London Diamond League.

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“I love my country, I do love my country, but loyalty don’t pay bills as we all know, so I’m just grateful that God gave me this opportunity and I feel like if I had turned down this opportunity, I would have regretted it,” he added.

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Pinnock further expounded on the poor treatment he received from the Jamaican sports authorities, which was a determining consideration, and why they would need to do better.

“Honestly, I think Jamaica needs to do better, you know, with the athletes. I’m being honest. If I do decide to get hurt, I know Jamaica won’t put me back on my feet, and I do know that.

“I’m going to have to spend the whole money out of my own pocket. So if I do get the opportunity where someone will look out for me, you know, because I’ve been doing this for my country, and honestly, I never got an email from no one saying congrats.”

Pinnock, alongside Roje Stona, Rajindra Campbell, and Jaydon Hibbert, are part of the growing list of Jamaican athletes joining the European country ahead of Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

According to reports, the ‘Turkey Drain’ is an effort to bolster its Olympic medal chances through naturalization, with several top Jamaican athletes being approached quietly.

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In addition, athletes who accept the switch are allegedly set to receive an upfront payment of at least $500,000, with promises of substantial monthly stipends and performance bonuses.

Jamaica isn’t the only country affected by this ‘Turkey Drain’, as Nigeria is also on the list, with their star athlete Favour Ofili reportedly set to join and more to follow before the end of the year.