As Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz step up the preparations for 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the government has upped its contribution to the Jamaica Football Federation to $150 million dollars.

The announcement was made recently by Minster of Information, Culture Youth and Sports (MICYS), The Honourable Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange at a press conference which saw the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the JFF and the University of the West Indies. The two entities are to establish a National Football The money is to be paid through the Sports Development Foundation (SDF).

The Sports Minister said that she expects that the academy that will emerge from the partnership between the JFF and the UWI will help to raise the standard of football and develop viable programmes for the youth, male and female, to enable Jamaica to become perennial qualifier from CONCACAF for all tournaments.

“I look forward to the Academy becoming fully operational within a reasonable time frame and I know that we can depend on the ‘Captain’ for that kind of commitment and leadership. Let me also thank the administration of the University led by Professor Gordon Shirley for having the foresight to realize the importance of a partnership such as this.”

For their part, the JFF President and the University Principal spoke of the profound impact that the partnership will have on the development of football in Jamaica. Captain Burrell said that a better thing could not have happened for football in Jamaica at this time while for Professor Shirley, “the collaboration between the Mona Campus and the Jamaica Football Federation signals to Jamaica and the Caribbean, this university’s commitment to developing the athletic talent, replete in Jamaica in order to promote our nation’s international competitiveness. ”The football academy will be part of a complex to be known as the Mona Bowl Centre for Sporting Excellence which will provide training in additional sporting disciplines.

There will be a Mondo running track in a multi-purpose sports field; a multi-purpose  sports complex including a gymnasium; a hockey field; a walking trail; beach volley ball courts in addition to the existing basketball courts, expansion of the swimming pool and an institute of sports medicine. The expected time of completion is by the middle of 2011.