'Totally false' - Racers refutes MVP suggestions that it's using money to entice athletes
Published:Saturday | October 1, 2011 | 12:00 AM
André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter
The Racers Track Club has rubbished claims made by MVP Track Club president, Bruce James, who suggested in a release earlier this week that athletes were leaving his club and moving to Racers because they were being enticed by monetary gain.
Several developing athletes, such as national 400m hurdles junior record holder Ristananna Tracey, have already made the switch from the University of Technology-based MVP and are now under the guidance of the coaching staff at the University of the West Indies-based Racers.
"Unlike another track club in Jamaica, MVP does not pay our developmental athletes cash. Some of our former athletes have advised us that the other club pays them cash monthly, in addition to providing them with accommodation in apartments off campus, among other enticements," James had said in a statement to the media.
However, Racers Track Club, through a release of their own, which had president and head coach Glen Mills as the contact person, quelled any suggestion around its recruitment practices, stating clearly that while they in fact do not attract athletes with money they do their best to offer full support to their membership - monetary and otherwise.
Support, not recruitment
"Racers Track Club wishes to refute any insinuation of unfair practices in recruiting our athlete members. In particular ... that we have used money to entice athletes to transfer from MVP club to Racers is totally false," the release read.
"A clear distinction must be made between athlete recruitment and athlete support. Racers Track Club maintains a restrained policy of recruitment and an active policy of support," the release continued.
"Do we use the offer of money to attract athletes to join our club? The answer is, categorically, no. The names of several athletes were cited in the articles in support of the allegations made. In fact, all of the athletes mentioned approached Racers on their own initiative seeking membership ... . None of these athletes expressed a major concern with money. They all expressed a desire to get an opportunity to train in a supportive, communicative and participatory environment.
"Do we seek to support our athletes financially? The answer is, unequivocally, yes. We do try to assist our athlete members to keep body and soul together in the hard times before they become celebrities and before they excite the attention of potential sponsors," the release continued.
The release went on to defend the club's athlete-support policy and outlined the nature of the support provided.
"We make absolutely no apology for this. Racers is a professional athletic club. This fact is generally known," read the release. "In those cases where we provide some financial support, that support seeks to take care of basic living
"Racers Track Club remains committed to the development of athletes who can achieve their personal goals at the same time that they are a credit to the club, and help to strengthen the proud legacy of Jamaica's world-beating athletic achievements," it closed.