Grenada and China on Thursday signed a contract agreement for the construction of the national stadium which will host the ICC Cricket World Cup matches in 2007. An advance team of about 70 Chinese engineers and technicians are expected here next week to begin construction that is expected to be completed by October next year. Claris Modeste-Curwen, Grenada's Communications and Works Minister, and Jin Mei Kang, deputy general engineer of Chinese construction company, Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Ltd, signed for the respective governments. China's Ambassador to Grenada, Qian Hongshan said that the stadium would be completed in time for the 2007 World Cup and built according to ICC CWC requirements. "Of course we have a big challenge. We don't have much time to do the job but I can promise you that the national stadium will be completed by 2007," he said. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Grenada and China earlier this year, the rebuilding and expansion of the national stadium is one of the projects which the Chinese promised to provide to Grenada. Chairman of the Grenada Local Organising Committee (LOC), Henry Joseph, said there would now be a greater sense of urgency in planning. "Now we are absolutely concerned that 2007 will be a reality. I believe we can now go forward with hope and confidence and continue our planning as we were doing but now we can do it with greater urgency," Joseph said. Reprinted