A contingent from the University of Technology (UTech) heads to Birmingham and London in the United Kingdom on Friday as part of the institution’s year-long Road to Olympic Glory London 2012 campaign.

The group includes Director of Sports Anthony Davis, head of the Caribbean School of Sports Sciences Dr Neville Graham and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Sport, Dr Colin Gyles.

While in the Birmingham, the group will hold discussions with key players at the Warwickshire Cricket Ground to help the university develop its cricket programme and advance skills exchange in pitch management as well as try firm up the University’s branding ahead of the IAAF Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace in London in August.

Davis told the Sunday Observer that the University needs US$10 million to achieve all it hopes to over the next 12 months leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London next July.

“It’s really in an effort to expand our entire sports programme,” Davis said. “We need to improve the facilities, our ability to offer scholarships, and our ability to improve our nutrition (and) medical programme because athletes do get hurt.”

UTech is the home training ground of the MVP Track and Field Club and Davis said the training facilities, which consist of a grass/dirt track and gym, need to be upgraded.

“We have very basic facilities and we need to improve it in every way. Not just for competitive sports, but for student life generally,” he stated.

Eight of Jamaica’s medallists from the last Olympics in Beijing, China, including 400m hurdles champion Melaine Walker; 100m winner and silver medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sherone Simpson; 400m silver medallist Shericka Williams; sprint relay gold medallists Asafa Powell, Michael Frater, and Nesta Carter, as well as British high jump silver medallist Germaine Mason train at UTech.

Davis said while the immediate plans are for the next Olympics, the need for funds would continue beyond that.

“(Because) once you build the facilities you need to maintain (them). Scholarships are something that continue and just to keep funds going,” he explained.

“We have the calibre athletes that we think we can market and we are optimistic that we can achieve those goals,” he added.