Speaking at yesterday's groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility, the Trelawny Multi-purpose Complex, which is to be constructed on 40 acres of land just outside Falmouth, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson said the north coast should take the lead in the initiative to develop sports tourism. He pointed to the many positive factors it has in its favour.

"The west has the most experience in tourism, it has the most hotel rooms in the island," Mr. Patterson said. "It has a major highway connecting the major resort towns of Negril, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, it is in close proximity to an international airport and a cruise ship pier."

Mr. Patterson said the groundbreaking was an opportunity to bring the tourism and sports industries together "so that you can leverage the Jamaica brand that our tourism product and our sportsmen and sportswomen have helped to make so powerful."

Chinese engineering company, COMPLANT, is constructing the stadium which is slated for completion by next November. Funding for the project was secured through a government-to-government loan between Jamaica and China.

"Today marks an important milestone in the relationship between Jamaica and China," said Chinese chargé d'affaires Xiao Jianguo, who spoke at the function. "We can promise you that the stadium will be completed on time and will be a world class facility."

The Prime Minister said it was another opportunity to show the world that the country is capable of staging first-class sporting events. He said it was also an avenue for promoting the tourism product.

"This is a welcome fillip to continue the strong growth we are already witnessing in the tourism sector," Mr. Patterson noted. "It provides us with the opportunity to showcase for a world audience the culture, lifestyle heritage, the beauty and other assets of the region."

Dr. Wayne Reid, chairman of Jamaica Cricket 2007 Limited, dispelled the notion that the stadium might become a white elephant after the World Cup. He said it would be a multifaceted facility with cricket being only one of many events staged there.

ICC President Ehsan Mani and Ken Gordon, West Indies Cricket Board president, who were among the list of top-flight cricket officials at the ceremony, both expressed the view that World Cup 2007, which will feature the largest number of teams in the annals of the tournament, will be a resounding success.