file - Meadhaven's Keammar Daley

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the University of the West Indies (UWI) moved a step closer to starting construction on the proposed sports centre when a lease agreement was signed last week.

The lease is for 49 years and will allow the JFF to begin construction of its football academy at the university.

Both institutions launched the Mona Bowl for Sporting Excel-lence on June 26 and the football academy is one element of the sporting facility. The sports centre is expected to cost approximately US$14.5 million with the JFF forking out US$2.5 million to construct the football academy. Construction is expected to begin by January and last about two and a half years.

JFF general secretary, Horace Reid, said both parties combed through the lease agreement carefully before signing off.

"When you are doing legal arrangements for a property there is a process," he said.

"Based on the timeline, we are progressing smoothly."

"It is going very well," com-mented project manager Devon Smith. "The JFF and UWI are working very well together."

Reid said before construction can begin, the JFF must apply for a second goal project. Reid said when the grant is received (US$400,000) it will be used along with the sale of the land in Malvern to start construction at the UWI.

"We have to dispose of the property in St Elizabeth," he said. "We will be advertising it for sale."

Reid also said discussions are on going for a technical group to visit the Centre of Excellence in Trinidad and Tobago as well as Brazil.