ST JAMES, Jamaica— Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League club Montego Bay United (MBU) say they will spend $10 million a year for at least the next three years on a youth academy.

MBU chairman Yoni Epstein made the announcement Tuesday at a media launch held at the boardroom of iTel in the Montego Bay Freeport, fulfilling a promise he made when he took over the club in October last year.

Sulaiman Nunes, who was born in England of Guyanese heritage and is married to a Jamaican, was introduced as the head coach of the youth academy and was signed for an initial three years, Epstein told the press conference.

The academy began last weekend with 30 children and Epstein explained that he is hoping to expand to 150 children from ages five to 17. He added that 60 per cent of the 150 students, who are from the Montego Bay area and other parts of Western Jamaica, would be offered scholarships.

Epstein said the idea was not just to develop players for the transfer market but “you know, the future of the Montego Bay United Football Club, and what players could matriculate into the senior premier side. But it’s the general development of the youth here in St James. We know the benefits of football, we know the benefits of community engagement and as a Premier League club and one of the, no pun intended, premier teams in the league.”

-Paul A Reid