Avia Collinder, Business Reporter

The University of Technology (UTech) has opened a faculty of sports and science, cementing a new thrust started in 2008, which is aimed at heightening the application of scientific principles to sportsmanship and the development of sports locally.

Head of the new faculty is Dr Colin Gyles.

Details of the offerings of the new faculty will be made available in late September, said UTech communications manager Michelle Beckford.

In the meantime, the university has not denied that it will be a big player in the operations of the mega sports complex planned by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) for the Caymanas Estate lands in St Catherine.

The UTech has also expressed interest in the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium, an application for which is still before Government for consideration.

Sports programmes

Sports programmes already offered by the university include a bachelor of science in the art and science of coaching, as well as a master of science in physical education and sports, offered in collaboration with G.C. Foster College.

The UTech is also home of MVP track and field club headed by coach Steven Francis, which has produced several gold-medal-winning athletes and Olympians.

The proposed UTech facilities in Caymanas, to occupy a total 29 hectares or 79 acres, will include buildings for a faculty of sports featuring four large lecture rooms with capacity for 50 persons, a lecture theatre with capacity for 300 persons, office space for 20 administrative staff and 18 coaches, and a boarding facility with rooms for 200.

Lecture and boarding facilities will adjoin a multi-purpose sports complex including swimming and diving pools, tennis courts, football fields, running tracks, cricket fields, hockey fields, indoor squash courts, netball courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and a multi-purpose building for indoor sports, which will facilitate all indoor sports and include six badminton courts, table tennis, martial arts, two boxing rings and seating for 1,500 persons.

Tennis courts will include two practice courts, two game courts, and four designated for competitions, with seating for 500 persons.

The football fields will include one match field and two practice fields, with seating for 2,000 persons.

Four hundred metres of running tracks in the mega sports complex will feature an all-weather track, two grass tracks and seating for 1,000 persons.

Cricket fields will also have seating for 1,000, hockey for 500 spectators, and two indoor courts.

The indoor squash courts are planned to include two practice courts, two competition courts and two courts for doubles. Seating will be provided for 500.

Netball courts should feature two practice courts, three basketball courts and four indoor-competition courts.

The mega sports complex is also planned to include a medical facility offering physiotherapy, dental, orthopaedic and optical care.

General facilities for the mega complex will include changing rooms, storage security and a maintenance workshop for electrical, mechanical, carpentry, welding, changing rooms, rollers for the cricket pitch and rooms for administrative staff, plus parking for 2,000 vehicles.

The complex will serve for training, sports events and use by the Caymanas community.

According to Joy Douglas, general manager of the UDC, construction of the facility is scheduled in two to three years and currently, no indicative costs for construction were available.

"The reason is this is a highly specialised facility and the first of its kind in Jamaica," said Douglas.

"We have, therefore, had to seek foreign technical assistance with the design and feasibility analysis."

The technical assistance requested is expected to be made available this fiscal year, Douglas said.

Financing the project

As for financing of the project, "There will be several options explored for the financing of the project that will include private investment, as well as possible bilateral funding," she said.

"The UDC will be coordinating this aspect."

The UDC plan indicates that the mega sports facility is intended to tie together all recreational sporting elements within the near 11,000-acre Caymanas development, which will include the Caymanas Golf and Country Club and expanded Kingston Polo club.

avia.collinder@gleanerjm.com