Emails received by RJR Sports have contradicted Romelda Aiken's account of why she did not represent Jamaica in September's test series against New Zealand and the World Fast5 Netball Series in Australia at the weekend.
Aiken told RJR Sports last week that she missed the three match series in November because of injury and the Fast5 campaign because she was not selected to go.
But an email thread entitled ‘Aiken's Request’ between Netball Jamaica president Dr Paula-Daley Morris and a representative of Aiken, Richard McInnes in August, tells a different story.
Netball Jamaica had been asked to pay Aiken US $700 per week plus US $80 per diem for every-day the 27 year old was with the national program.
However Netball Jamaica said it could not afford to do so over long tours and suggested hat Aiken play just the fast5 series.
But her representative said that at this stage of her career she was not interested in playing Fast5. He said what was being requested was fair given the quality of Aiken.
He also pointed out that the requested amount was less than half of what Aiken earns for playing in Australia, but was simply enough to cover her rent which she would need to continue to pay while away from Australia, and her loss of work income from her coaching job.
The Netball Jamaica president later agreed to pay the US $700 for the two weeks Aiken would be engaged for the New Zealand tour.
However, Aiken's representative said after the initial rejection, she declined the offer and said she did not feel she wanted to represent Jamaica this year.
To that Daley-Morris replied she was sorry Aiken viewed the association's financial realities as rejection. Aiken and fellow star shooter Jhanielle Fowler-Reid missed both tours and the Sunshine Girls were thrashed 3-0 by New Zealand and then ended up fifth, worst ever finish at the Fast5 World Series.
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