Professor Gordon Shirley (left), principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, exchange documents with Glen Mills (right), president of Racers Track Club, during the official launch of the UWI Athletics Initiative and 2009/10 Seminar Series at the UWI Mona Visitors' Lodge yesterday. - Ian Allen/Photographer

A 20-year deal with the Racers Track Club and an agreement with the IAAF High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) are just a few of the steps being taken by officials at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, as they move to pair sporting excellence with science and position the institution as the premier facilitator of sports development in the region.

It has been one year since the announcement of another major sporting initiative - the establishment of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) academy being adopted by the University - and things are beginning to take shape as plans include a massive expansion of the UWI Bowl.

Mini stadium

Plans includes the construction of a mini stadium - to be built around the eight-lane synthetic 400m track given as a gift to Usain Bolt from German-based track specialist BSW-Regupol.

The track will be utilised by athletes from the UWI, Racers and HPTC, which recently moved their base from the neighbouring University of Technology for logistical reasons.

Plans also include the creation of an international standard indoor multi-purpose facility, beach volleyball courts, football fields, a sports science institute and pool expansion, along with the work being undertaken by the JFF for the establishment of their academy on the grounds.

Principal of the UWI, Mona, Professor Gordon Shirley, underlined the importance of the new direction and highlighted the importance to the development of the country's sporting directives.

Said Shirley: "What we are trying to do is to build a capacity for the development of athletes across the spectrum, from football to track and field and beyond, and we believe that in order to do that we need to have the right facilities, the right science behind it, the right medical facilities and the right management.

"There are other institutions in Jamaica that are doing an extremely good job and I'm proud to see what our colleagues at the University of Technology are doing and we, for our part, have excellent science facilities and some world-class doctors and we, want to put all of that together to create an environment where the athletes will have the kind of support needed to do well," he continued.

Glen Mills, president and head coach of the Racers, which has been utilising the UWI facilities since 2003, welcomed the initiative and believes that the partnership augurs well for Jamaica's track and field.

"We are happy to be a member of the UWI family, we are very grateful that they have taken us under their wings and have been taking care of us and making their facilities available," said Mills. "This is indeed a momentous occasion and a watershed moment in the life of Racers, in that we will now be able to have our own facilities to train on a synthetic track of world-class standards.

"We are very happy that we can contribute to the development of track and field in Jamaica," he continued.

Great step

Sprint sensation and Racers top draw, triple Olympic and World gold medallist and world record holder Usain Bolt, was also on hand to endorse thedevelopments.

"It's a great step for Jamaica on a whole to have one more track because of the overwork of the tracks at the Stadium," said Bolt. "It's a gift not just for the athletes and Racers Track Club, who will get full use of the track, but for other athletes who will definitely get to use these facilities," he said.