If everything should go according to plan the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) could have its own stadium within the next five to six years.

That's the long-term objective of ISSA made public by its president Dr Walton Small yesterday.

Caymanas Estate in St Catherine is the location being looked at to site this new multi-purpose stadium, consisting of a football field, an eight-lane athletic Mundo track, along with a number of courts for basketball, tennis, netball and volleyball.

The Sports Ministry is in receipt of a written request for an estimated 20 acres of land situated off the Mandela Highway, said Small. The stadium will be built for a capacity of not more than 13,000 patrons.

The ISSA president told the Observer that he's "very positive" that the proposed plan will receive the backing of the Minister of Sport, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, and the government.
"I can tell you that I had spoken to her (Minister Grange) at the stadium informally and she was very excited and asked us to put in a proposal," said Small.

Small, speaking after the official launch of the 2008 ISSA/Pepsi/ Digicel Schoolboy Football competition at Terra Nova Hotel yesterday, said the initiative will significantly reduce the overhead expense of the association.

He said during the hosting of ISSA-run events like the Boys' and Girls' Champs "it cost over $1 million per day to use the facilities at the National Stadium. For a game of football at the stadium, it is running us over $250,000. So it is extremely expensive. And if we can get this facility in place we can cut down on some of our expenses and put more into what the schools would get.

"We are not going to burden the government for money to build the stadium. All we are asking for is the land and we will go from there," he added.

Within the last year, ISSA, primarily through athletics and football, has attracted several corporate entities to its annual events.

And with this view in mind, Dr Small is confident that Corporate Jamaica will support them in realising this goal.
"Without a doubt," he beamed, adding: "Look at most of the stadia around the world. I have no doubt that our sponsors...will jump at the chance to do it.

"My aim right now is that at the end of my tenure, we acquire the land and have an artistic impression of what the stadium will be like. If I'm re-elected... I hope to have it completed... within five, six years...or if not ready, under construction," he added.

The vision has found favour with a few corporate entities.
"I think it is a very positive initiative taken by ISSA to create such a complex, I think we need it. Such a venture I would strongly support... I can't tell that we'll be on board right now, but it's definitely something KFC will consider," said Tina Matalon, marketing manager, Restaurant of Jamaica.

Added David Hobson, brand manager of Pepsi: "It is something that we will definitely look into because we do support schoolboy football and Champs and something like this... we'll be very interested. To what level and extent, I'm not sure, but it is something worth looking into."