McKay

Jason McKay's recent announcement that he was stepping aside as captain of Jamaica's combined martial arts team at the end of 2013, has set off a firestorm of queries as far as Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

The combined team captain was in Holland at the weekend in charge of a three-member team at the Dutch Open, where he was swamped by the European press in Holland, who noted that he had travelled as the team's coach.

"I know this is the information age but news travels so fast it's amazing. Reporters were all over me asking why I have decided to retire. I have not retired at all," he said.

McKay announced last week that he was making way for Nicholas Dussard to assume captaincy of the highly successful combined team at the end of the season.

"I had to make it clear that I am not retiring, nor do I have any intention of leaving the team," he declared.

"Even a new sponsor called me from another European country, saying the company was surprised. The misunderstanding is having implications to sponsorship negotiations about to close with a major European shoe company to take over rebranding of the combined team," he pointed out.

"I had to reassure them that I am retaining my role as competitor, manager and coach of the female team."

The combined team captain said he has signed on to compete in the 2013 and 2014 seasons but has not committed beyond.

The 40-odd-year-old fighter is one of Jamaica's most senior competing martial artists, earning world silver and bronze medals last year, won at the International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) World Champs and ISKA United States Open, respectively.

In addition, the veteran earned silver at the International Taekwondo Federation Can-Am Taekwondo Champs and a bronze at the Philadelphia Taekwondo Open.