…One of the greatest sprinters in history Asafa Powell called out the Jamaican authorities for poor treatment, stating his regret to have ran for the country
Legendary Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell candidly spoke about the poor treatment he received from Jamaican athletics authorities during his active years, expressing regret over not switching nationality earlier in his career.
Making a social media post following the viral video of his son effortlessly winning his race during his sports day, the former world record holder unapologetically revealed the poor support system for athletes in Jamaica and why he should have taken the opportunity to run for another country.
“I remember back in 2006, I was offered millions of USD to run for another country, and at the time I turned it down because I didn’t know what the future holds. If I knew what I know now, I would have taken up that opportunity,” said Powell.
Further stating the extent of his hurt for Jamaican authorities, the sub-10s king said he has never gotten anything from his country.
“No athlete wants to retire and go work 9-5 or sit down struggling and wondering what’s next. We all want to have a good life afterward, money should work for us when we retire,” he added.
“If anything don’t change, none of them (his kids) is running for free. I ran for free my entire life, I ran for Jamaica, just country pride and all that stuff to win a medal and I’ve never gotten anything from the country.”
Backing up his statement, Powell revealed the same fate will not befall his children, so they won’t run for Jamaica except the system changes.
“Honestly guys, if the support system don’t change, my kids not running for Jamaica. Sorry to say that it’s just facts, you know what I mean? My wife is Canadian and Ghanaian so there are options,” stated the two-time Olympic gold and five-time world championships medallist.
“So if all that don’t change, these kids are not running for Jamaica,” he concluded.
Powell is highly regarded as one of the greatest sprinters in Jamaican and world history. He was nicknamed the ‘Sub-10s King’ during his active years, having run below the 10s mark over ninety times – the highest by a sprinter in history.
Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell helped usher in the new generation of Jamaican male sprinters
Record-wise, he broke the 100m world record on multiple occasions before his 9.74s was eventually smashed by Bolt with 9.69s at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. However, his personal best of 9.72s remains the fourth-fastest on the all-time list.
He is the latest on the long list of star athletes to have complained about poor treatment by Jamaican athletics authorities.
Pulse Sports
