Guyana chronicle 01 12 13 by Chronicle

SUNDAY SUNDAY DECEMBER 1, 2013

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

GUYANAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

PRICE: $120

NO DEAL! No. 103667

INCLUDING VAT

Page 3

- as NEW GPC rethinks investing in state-of-the-art sports facility

Police investigating rape, double murder at Moblissa Page 6

Civilians, police to share common IT facility - in novel approach to fostering better understanding

Page 8

Anna Regina businessman falls to his death from balcony Page 12

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still early days yet , but police maintained a tight presence yesterday despite the inclement weather around the Stabroek Market area as the Christmas spirit slowly gains momentum (Photo by Cullen Bess-Nelson)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

NO DEAL!

- as NEW GPC rethinks investing in state-of-the-art sports facility The following is a statement issued yesterday by the New GPC, which no doubt took the wind out of the sails of the sporting community, with the announcement that it was no longer interested in investing in the proposed world-class stadium, with all the trimmings, and citing among other deterrents ‘misrepresentation’ and the question of ‘confidentiality’. The principals of the Limacol Brand, sponsors of the Limacol T-20 Caribbean Premier League (LCPL) and owners of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, would like to clear up some misconceptions created by a story in the Kaieteur News of November 30, concerning a proposal made by Limacol to the Boards of the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) and the Georgetown Football Club (GFC). 1) It was the members of the Board of GCC, who initiated the discussions with representatives of the Limacol brand to have a number of LCPL games scheduled at Bourda.

2) During subsequent discussions, it was pointed out that as far back as the scheduling of the International Cricket Council (ICC) T-20 World Cup cricket tournament of 2007, the facilities at Bourda could not satisfy the criteria for international cricket at the highest level. It was conceded that subsequently, the facilities had continued to decline in an exponential fashion. 3) The principals of the Limacol brand reiterated their concern over the impact of this decline on the city of Georgetown in general and on its cricket and football heritage in particular, from economic, social and sport development standpoints. 4) The Limacol brand then submitted a proposal that addressed these issues: a) The world class stadium, with all its amenities, would have returned international cricket and football to Georgetown along with an economic resurgence; b) The financial structure of the endeavour would have ensured

Critics find Misir’s recent work on HIV/AIDS ‘timely and relevant’ By Michelle Gonsalves DESCRIBED by its distinguished reviewers as timely and relevant, ‘HIV & AIDS: Knowledge and Stigma in Guyana’, authored by University of Guyana Pro-Chancellor Dr. Prem Misir, was launched last Thursday at the New Building Society Limited (NBS) at Avenue of the Republic and North Road, Georgetown. Misir is the author of eight books and numerous journal articles. He said this book was grounded in the behavioural sciences. A description of the work says the cross sectional study used a purposive sample of 179 high school students from 15 urban and rural high schools in Guyana, and assessed their HIV and AIDS knowledge and stigma-related attitudes and the relationship among gender, age, religion and race ethnicity and HIV and AIDS knowledge. Dr Misir noted that his book was centred on adolescents for multiple reasons, including that many STIs are contracted in this age group, and that their attitudes are still being shaped, so interventions have a higher success rate. Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran said HIV/AIDS is more than a health issue, it’s a developmental issue. “HIV threatens the able-bodied work force. It hits at our future. Any tool that helps us to analyse the impact on our development is welcome”. He remarked that the nature of HIV has changed, and the disease is now a ‘chronic disease’. He said the book comes at a time when the disease is a burden on our economy, and we need any resource that can help. Reiterating this point, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds called the book timely. He warned that we have to guard against falling into complacency against HIV/AIDS. “HIV/AIDS is no respecter of persons, and is something we should address as a common challenge”, he said. University of Guyana Librarian Ms Gweneth George said HIV/ AIDS has a human face, and thus comes with stigma. She noted that many of us have been afraid to say that “we have been touched by the disease, or have it”. She encouraged persons to purchase the work, or access it through the library.

Most of the high school students in the study displayed an overall moderate knowledge level of HIV and AIDS. The students understood the modes of HIV transmission, they recognized the symptoms of HIV and AIDS, nearly half of them believed that a blood donor was at risk of contracting HIV, and about one-fifth of them embraced myths and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS. There was no significant difference in the scores between male and female students, but knowledge scores differed between the 13-15 and 16-18 age groups, and among the religious and ethnic groups. Stigma-related scores did not differ much for gender or age, but differed significantly for religion and ethnicity among students. The studies showed fissures in HIV and AIDS, and substantial stigma-related attitudes. Limited understanding of the myths and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS demands a new focus on how HIV is not transmitted through moving beyond conventional strategies towards a social constructivist approach. The book is essential reading for medical professionals, educators and policymakers throughout the Caribbean region. Dr Prem Misir is Pro Chancellor of the University of Guyana. His many publications include ‘Cultural Identity and Creolization in National Unity’, ‘The Multi-ethnic Caribbean and Leader Behaviour’, and the ‘Compliance Structure in Education: A Sociological Study of Ideology and Social Change in Guyana’.

3 that GCC and GFC share in the profits generated which would have enabled these clubs to return to their glory years. c) The principals of Limacol are particularly proud of their proposed cricket and football academy. The youths of Georgetown, as with any city in the world, need positive outlets for their energy. The academy could have been one of the institutions that would have provided the support and guidance to the many who are talented in the sports. The overall countrywide development of cricket and football would also have been facilitated. 5) The question of financing for the proposed stadium has been raised. The Limacol brand is proud that it put its money where its mouth was on the idea of professional T-20 Cricket in the Caribbean. There were many who doubted the venture would be successful. We demonstrated that the private sector could deliver a world class tournament second to none. Based on this demonstrated success, the financial community and CPL OPCO Guyana Inc have indicated that they stand ready to back the Limacol proposal. 6) In the light of the misrepresentation of the proposal, the principals of Limacol have decided that they will not proceed further with its offer on the Bourda project. In the world of business, into which cricket had ventured in the present millennium, the issue of confidentiality is crucial and it is evident that this requirement will pose a problem for any joint venture between the Limacol brand and the GCC and GFC. 7) Finally, the principals of the Limacol brand would caution those that would continually deride those from the business community that seek to develop their companies and in so doing benefit the country. The Limacol Bourda Stadium and Sports Academy is an opportunity lost to all Georgetown, Guyana and to the country’s youths who are inclined toward sports.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Unclear yet if crucial overhaul of Obamacare website a success By Mike Segar

(REUTERS) - Americans got their first look yesterday at an overhaul of the troubled enrollment website at the heart of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, but it was unclear yet if the White House had made good on its pledge to fix the glitches. The Obama administration promised five weeks ago that by this weekend it would fix HealthCare.gov, the site designed to help people sign up for medical coverage but which has been plagued by errors,

Barack Obama

outages, and slow speeds since a disastrous October 1 launch. Account creation and login functions appeared to work smoothly on the site on Saturday, but it was uncertain whether it could handle target traffic loads of 50,000 users at once. HealthCare.gov is a key portal for Obama’s signature domestic achievement, the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which aims to extend coverage to millions of people and reduce healthcare costs. Making Obamacare work has enormous political stakes for the administration and its Democratic allies who are heading into congressional elections next year. The administration said on Saturday that 90 percent of website users can now create an account on the system. “We’re on target to meet our stated goal for the site to work for the vast majority of users,” said Aaron Albright, a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency responsible for the website. But some information technology experts said the metric cited by the agency was misleading, noting that a claim of anything below 100 percent success was impossible to verify. “It prevents anyone from the outside from contradicting them,” said Jonathan Wu, co-founder of the consumer financial website ValuePenguin. He said only those working on the website know whether the 90-percent figure is accurate. And there is little insight

DATE: 30/11/2013 M 02 08 09 17 22 28 18

2013/11/30

on how well the website works beyond the first step, where users choose a password and enter an email address. Far more difficult to gauge, Wu said, is whether the website is better at verifying identities and calculating government subsidies for those whose income falls below 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Navigator groups - those tasked with helping people sign up for new medical benefits - had not planned for a busy weekend following the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. Several groups contacted by Reuters said they would not be open, while others described a trickle of would-be applicants on Saturday. In McAllen, Texas, the group MHP (Migrant Health Promotion) found that the website - while improved - still has glitches, particularly at the later stages of the process where subsidies are calculated, according to Rachel Udow, who oversees the program. “That was a barrier to paying the first month’s premium,” she said, explaining that insurance carriers could not determine how much to charge the customer’s credit card. “The problem came right at the point of paying.” LOOMING DEADLINES The Obama administration hopes eventually to enroll about 7 million uninsured and under-insured people in 2014 under the new law, with many of those consumers expected to qualify for subsidies. To work, the program must draw millions of young, healthy consumers whose participation

2013/11/30

in the new insurance exchanges is key to keeping costs in check. If the website does not work for the “vast majority” of visitors this weekend as the administration has promised, uninsured Americans could face problems getting coverage by an initial December 23 deadline. It also could create ripples that extend to the 2014 elections when control of the U.S. House of Representatives, now dominated by Republicans, and the Senate, where Democrats have a majority, will be up for grabs. Congressional Democrats facing re-election already have shown signs of distancing themselves from the president and his healthcare program. If the website does not show significant improvement soon, some Democrats might call for extending Obamacare’s final March 31 enrollment deadline for 2014. That would delay the fines that are mandated by the law for those who do not have insurance by that date, a scenario that insurers say would destabilize the market. It also would fuel Republicans’ arguments that Obamacare is fatally flawed and should be scrapped. With Republican lawmakers busy in their districts on the holiday weekend, political reaction on Saturday was muted. Obama’s approval ratings have plunged with the site’s problems and after his admission that he overreached in promising that everyone who liked their healthcare plan

2013/11/30 2013/11/15 2013/11/16 2013/11/18 2013/11/19

would be able to keep it under the new law. “It is a lot harder to reboot public trust than it is to reboot software,” said David Brailer, chief executive of the Health Evolution Partners private equity firm and a health official in former President George W. Bush’s administration. SUNDAY BRIEFING On Friday evening, ahead of the self-imposed Saturday deadline to get the insurance shopping website working for the “vast majority” of users, CMS announced it was taking it down for an unusually long 11-hour maintenance period. CMS is slated to take the site down again between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. EST (0600-1100 GMT) today to perform more upgrades, and Jeffrey Zients, the Obama aide tasked with leading the rescue mission, was set to brief reporters on the site’s progress at 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT) today.. Officials have been careful to say that the overhauled site won’t work for everyone and could still be overwhelmed by traffic at times. “There will be moments, most likely in the middle of the day, where demand will be greater than that capacity,” Zients told reporters earlier this week. His tech team created a new “queueing” feature that, in peak periods, will suggest a better time to return to the site. The administration has also directed users to visit it during off-peak hours in the morning, evening and weekend.

09 10 11 15 18 14 21

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Barbados celebrates 47th anniversary of independence BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) - Barbados marked its 47th anniversary of political independence from Britain with the traditional military parade, honouring its nationals and the politicians providing different insights into the island’s socio-economic progress over the years. “The strength of the national character has been tested

frequently over the years but we have always satisfied the requirements of those tests,” Prime Minister Freundel Stuart said in his Independence Message to the nation, recalling that just 10 months ago, the island demonstrated to the world its maturity by holding free and fair elections. “There are many nations older than ours in which democratic procedures are still trying

to find a comfortable place,” he said, acknowledging that the global economic crisis has had a severe impact on the island. “The world has not yet been able to recover from the effects of this stubborn downturn and Barbados, like most other countries, continues to be negatively affected,” Stuart said, noting that the economy, which depends primarily on tourism, international business and financial services and foreign direct investment for its sustenance, was still struggling. “It is foreign exchange and taxes earned from these sectors that enable Barbados to meet the needs of its citizens. As a result of the still continuing downturn, there has been a fall-off in demand for the services which we export.” But he said Barbadians have had to deal with such a situation before and was confident that the

country, as it had done in the past would emerge with the national character strengthened and intact. “We did not allow Barbados then to descend into destructive and suicidal disharmony. We came together as a people across partisan, racial, class, and every other kind of divide and stood up for Barbados as a nation. We prevailed. “The present challenges require a similar response from all of us. If we try to meet our challenges individually and separately, we are foredoomed to perish together. A united response is called for in our present circumstances. No other kind of response will meet the needs of this moment.” Prime Minister Stuart said despite the socio economic problems, the island still rated high on the United Nations Human Development Index and was still

one of the most stable democracies in the world. “We are still one of the most literate countries in the world. We are still viewed as a slice of paradise by the overwhelming majority of people who come to our shores whether to holiday or to invest. Our present challenges represent a moment in time. Worrisome though these challenges may be, let us not mistake what is a moment in time for eternity.” He told Barbadians that independence had never promised to be easy. “We always knew that we would have to face daunting challenges and make difficult choices. But we trusted our faith and our resilience to help us to answer the summons of history when it has called on

us to stand up for Barbados.” But opposition Leader Mia Mottley said there were many unanswered questions as the country moves towards the 50th anniversary of its political independence. “Are we happy about the way our island now works? Are our traditional values of thrift, hard work and neighbourliness still relevant, appreciated or practised? Are we satisfied with the type of service that we give to each other and to visitors to our shores? “As a people have we truly grasped the opportunities provided by free education? Are we giving our people the opportunity to take their ideas and bring them to fruition on merit without having to know someone to “call a shot for you”? Have we become complacent about our progress as a country?”

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Georgetown’s horrors under Mayor Green

N any normal, civilized nation, it would be difficult for what passes as an opposition-controlled City Council, with recurring alarming inconveniences and sickening contempt for the rights of citizens, to survive for any length of time. Not so in Georgetown, capital city of the Republic of Guyana, where sheer political skullduggery, notorious levels of incompetence, with a strong blend of political tribalism that thrives on race-based political disunity, combine to sustain a People’s National Congress-dominated Council under the “leadership” (sic) of Hamilton Green as Mayor. The disgraceful suffering citizens have had to endure just this past week, with floodwaters from clogged drains posing a health hazard amid torrential rain, was the latest example of why simple human decency and even minimal respect for the rights of the individual, irrespective of race or political affiliation, should have weighed heavily on Mr. Green that it is more than high time to demonstrate a modicum of remorse over his overbearing poor leadership and quit as Mayor of Georgetown. His legacy as a very poor Mayor, including controversial

fiscal management and declining levels of governance that the capital city deserves, seems to have NO precedent among countries of the Caribbean Community. Despite shortcomings, their management accountability and examples of projects to improve the welfare of the people, who maintain keen interest in local government affairs, contrast with the shocking attitudes of indifference, resulting from continuing lack of any meaningful response from the Mayor and his Party-dominated City Council. The norm is for administrative rot, based on contempt for the public. And Mayor Green and his political comrades have settled to live with sustained ineffective grumblings of taxpayers that are routinely ignored by their Party, the PNC, that had so greatly abused State power for almost a quarter-century. During that “dark time”, Hamilton Green himself was quite an active player before being tamed, for a period, by the late President Desmond Hoyte. What has remained constant, despite the many millions of dollars in subsidies and other forms of assistance provided by successive administrations of the PPPC into the operations of

GUYANA

EDITORIAL

the Georgetown Municipality, are noted incompetence, gross mismanagement, and political callousness by the PNC-controlled City Council, where Hamilton Green seems more emotionally obsessed in opposing the current Town Clerk than trying to behave as a Mayor of competence and integrity. Against the backdrop of last week’s flood-related horror experiences in Georgetown, change must soon come. And Hamilton Green seems destined to be among the leading political casualties. Stay tuned.

Police investigating rape, double murder at Moblissa By Joe Chapman

POLICE are investigating the allegation that an uncle raped his 13-year-old foster niece and killed his foster sister, 34-yearold Molly James, and her 18-year-old son, Aaron James, yesterday morning at a creek close to the Demerara River at Moblissa on the Linden Highway. Bloodstains were evident along the Linden Highway for approximately 100 metres away from Molly James’s house, suggest-

Ignatius James

ing that her son, Aaron, had tried to flee from his assailant after he had been attacked along with his mother. Sunday Chronicle visited the scene yesterday morning and was told by the dead woman’s father, Ignatius James: “This morning, when I was going to work, I heard me phone ring and a chap across the river called me as I was filing my cutlass. And when I answer the phone, he asked me, ‘Is this Saggy?’ And I said, yes. He said, ‘Man, I surprise to hear last night that something happened on the Highway.’ I said, boy, I ain’t known nothing. He said, ‘Yes, I believe Molly dead last night, and she son.’ So I said, boy, I ain’t know.” Ignatius James continued: “Anyhow, I tell him I coming up now, and when I come I reach the police was here. I reached here around eight O’clock this morning. I don’t know when they took the bodies away, because at 8:00h the bodies were already gone. “This is her residence, and her children include Lolita, Aaron, Sunita, Bonita, Michael, Eon and a baby.” Ignatius James could not say whether the woman’s other children were around when the murders took place, but at the time of this newspaper’s visit to the murder scene, the children were not

The house where Molly James and her children lived there because the police had taken them away to the Mackenzie Police Station, where their grandmother and a Child Protection Officer were also present. The police have instructed Ignatius James to put in place some form of security at his daughter’s former residence, as there were valuable items in the house, such as a television set, music set, freezer and diesel generator. Ignatius James said he lives one-and-a-half miles away from his daughter’s residence and that his daughter had been estranged from her husband. One of the late Molly James’s cousins from Adventure said he heard of the murders at around 7:00h while he was on the road, but he noted: “when I came I did not find anybody here; the police had already gone. She child-father gone to work at Issano side. He gone a long time, a couple months. Last month he would normally be here with them. Since he gone he did not come back. We live at Adventure.” Another man, who farms at Moblissa but lives at Amelia’s Ward in Linden, told this newspaper: “Molly lived here about two years now. I live about 1200 feet from here, and I didn’t hear anything at all. I wake up this morning making my little breakfast, and I see the police dem come here. The last time I saw her was

last week Tuesday, as I was helping them raise up that house with her father.” Molly James’s father-in-law, Lawrence Devirius, who lives about one mile from the scene, said: “Somebody rape Molly’s daughter. I met the girl that get rape around four O’clock going down the road.” He said the girl once went to school in Linden, and then in Georgetown.” According to him, “The boy’s name is Orin. He is her uncle, and he would stay with them at Molly’s home. This rape happened at the creek, where the man went and held her down and cut her on her hand in two places. I brought Molly from Region One, and I know her and her family.” The boyfriend of the late Molly James is James Simon, who had lived with her for the past two months. He said: “I used to live with she for a few months now, and Thursday morning was the last time I saw her when we were working over the Demerara River. I reach here around 6:30hrs this morning. I saw the vehicle with the police when I came. I did not speak to the police.” He said he could not recall anyone threatening Molly. He said Orin is not related to him, but Orin was Molly’s brother, and he did not live with them, but would occasionally come around and stay.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Things I’ve written about

By Keith Burrowes CONTRARY to title, I want to begin this week with something that I have in fact never written on: John F. Kennedy and the effect that this political figure has had on me. Like most of my readers, I wasn’t even born when Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, so it is strange to explain the impact stories about his life, and his untimely death have on me. Indeed, the only other political figure that has that level of impact upon me is Nelson Mandela, understandably so, since I grew into maturity when apartheid was still very much a contentious issue on the global stage, as opposed to the increasingly distant memory it is now. In contrast, I find myself moved on occasion to the point of tears when looking at a Kennedy documentary or in-depth news story, even with little familiarity with his life and times. Indeed, the past week marking the 50th anniversary of his death has been particularly hard on me, and this profound emotional impact is something I intend to explore in future columns. For now, however, I want to get to the real subject of this column: The things I’ve written on in the past. Going through the archives of the past four years, certain topics stand out for me: Issues that have moved me so deeply, I am compelled to write about them. In no particular order, I’ll attempt to recap the basics of some of them below, in what will be the first of several similar columns from now until the end of the year. And, depending on the feedback I get, I stand ready to republish some of those articles in full. Expired goods: I know we live in a society that doesn’t focus too deeply on such things, but I truly believe it is time we start. The prevalence of expired goods is not merely a consumer rights issue; it is also quite possibly a public health issue, one that I don’t believe gets the sort of attention it deserves. Pensioners’ Privileges: Several times, I’ve written about the steps we can take to make life as comfortable as possible for our seniors. I believe all my recommendations can be encapsulated in my suggestion to establish one-stop shops for senior citizens services; a single place they can go to for a batch of necessary services, expedited specifically for their convenience. Veteran Integration: Related, though not fully, to the above is how we provide space in this society for our Disciplined Services people, particularly considering that the average member leaves the services at a relatively young age. The Guyana Defence Force, for example, is a career organization, and while it is one that passes on invaluable and specific personal qualities, like discipline and loyalty, to its membership, very often the degree of specificity works against preparing them for life outside of the Force. Special attention should be given to the fact that, frankly speaking, it cannot be good to have people highly trained in armed combat being unable to find adequate legitimate employment. Managing Social Networking: I’ve written several articles in the past on the dangers of social networking. In one in-depth series, I outlined some of the challenges faced by parents in this digital age, where the generational gap is increasingly becoming more of a chasm. I made the suggestion in that series that it was parents’ responsibility to learn how to inhabit and navigate the cyberspace that their children are born into, instead of trying to influence it from the outside. Another series of articles on social networking was targeted at

young people, with particular focus on the potential consequences of their social networking indiscretions, not only on their personal lives but on their employment prospects as well. Engaging the Diaspora: I’ve written extensively on how the Diaspora should be encouraged to be more integrally involved in the execution of national policy, and I am happy to say that there are specific governmental programmes currently underway towards this end. Public Private Partnerships: Another subject I’ve written extensively on is developing a mechanism for public private partnerships. PPPs have seen rapid development in emerging economies around the world, Asia in particular, and can be a viable component of our developmental agenda. My view is that instead of engaging in such partnerships on an ad hoc basis, PPPs should be taken as part of advanced planning and developed along a set framework that in which they are strategically engaged. Next week, I am going to continue with about four or five more issues that I’ve previously written on, summarizing the core points or suggestions I’ve made on them. In closing, I’d like to take the opportunity to officially welcome you to the month of December, and express the hope that over the next few weeks, the true spirit of Christmas is going to prevail in this country.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

George Lamming: Iconic Caribbean Champion

- as a Barbadian National Hero? Analysis by Rickey Singh

The award is a project associated with the creative imagination of the late President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, and Cuba’s legend-

THIS weekend of final celebrations marking Barbados’ 47th

ary leader and now retired President, Fidel Castro. It was inaugurated

birthday anniversary as a sovereign independent nation, I wish

in December 2004 by ALBA -- the Bolivarian Alternative Movement

to take the opportunity to focus on a most outstanding, interna-

for integral economic, social, political and cultural integration of the

tionally-renowned Barbadian,

peoples of Latin America and the

recognised for his very inspiring

Caribbean.

intellectual contributions and

It’s of interest to note here that

passionate love for our Caribbe-

the choice of Lamming as the first

an region, Dr George Lamming,

West Indian writer to have received

quite well known and admired

the ALBA award for literature

by the Jamaican people as well.

came within the first year of the

My inspiration to salute Lam-

publication of what’s regarded as a

ming on this independence anni-

monumental collection of his writ-

versary occasion -- a most difficult

ten works and “conversations” on

economic phase for Barbados

fundamental issues of our Carib-

-- followed, in part, from last No-

bean life.

vember 14 ceremonial presentation at the University of the West Indies

George Lamming

Sir Garfield Sobers

Edited by the well known Jamaican scholar, Anthony Bogues,

Cave Hill campus of the ‘ALBA Award of Letters’ to this West Indian

for the series on “Caribbean Rea-

patriot and formidable intellectual champion of Caribbean unity who

sonings” and offered as ‘The George Lamming Reader” (The Aes-

continues to dwell, with dignity, among us.

thetics of Decolonisation), it is a publication of the well known Ian

Long before he reached his 86th birthday last July, this Barba-

Randle publishing enterprise in Kingston.

dos-born Caribbean Man of Letters, iconic novelist and an endearing

This 452-page offering is a must-read for any citizen of the Ca-

cultural personality, had evolved as a virtual household name across

ribbean Community, the Greater Caribbean and beyond with some

the Caribbean region.

interest in learning about this fascinating region that’s a microcosm

He is known to have had special relations varyingly with Errol

of the ethnically and culturally diverse peoples of the world.

Barrow—‘Father of Barbados’ Independence; the Manley family

Consequently, on this 47th Independence Anniversary of Bar-

of Jamaica; Trinidad and Tobago’s Eric Williams, and, to a lesser

bados, which he treats as a patch in his Caribbean homeland, I take

extent, Guyana’s Cheddi Jagan. He has made revealing assessments

this opportunity to humbly offer a suggestion to the powers-that-be

of them all.

of this CARICOM state to give serious thought to elevating George

As the judges of the ALBA Award for “literature” have

Lamming, recipient of various national/regional honours, to the

recognised, his attributes are known among the region’s people

status that has for too long been overlooked: A National Hero of

-- of all nationalities, ethnicities and social status -- who have an

Barbados.

interest in Caribbean identity, and the capacity to help foster a

It may perhaps seem impertinent to some for this Guya-

more humane environment amid constant social, economic and

nese-born journalist of our Caribbean region to offer such a sug-

political challenges.

gestion. Nevertheless, I do so as one whose journalism profession

and Caribbean perspectives have been significantly informed by the written and oral contributions of George Lamming. ADMIRABLE ACQUAINTANCES It is my good fortune to have known him as intimately as I did, as, thankfully, he had also been personally acquainted with my work as a journalist with the now late William Demas of Trinidad and Tobago; Jamaica’s Rex Nettleford and Guyana’s Martin Carter, all celebrated icons of our Caribbean. I harbour the feeling that diverse citizens of the Caribbean -- and not just the CARICOM region -- may welcome George Lamming, a people’s novelist and creative voice for change, to join the internationally-renowned cricket icon, Sir Garfield Sobers, in being elevated as the second living National Hero of this island state, which, like Jamaica, is among the world’s most famous tourist destinations. When the Fourth Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts (CARIFESTA) took place in Barbados, George Lamming was the choice to deliver the coveted address for the special occasion to honour six of the famous artists from the Greater Caribbean, encompassing all the language areas. The distinguished honorees were: Trinidad and Tobago’s Beryl McBurnie, dancer and theatre organizer; Jamaica’s Edna Manley, sculptor; Cuba’s poet Nicolás Guillén; Martinque’s poet, Aimé Césaire’; the Grenada-born calypsonian of Trinidad and Tobago, The Mighty Sparrow; and Frank Collymore, writer and artist of Barbados. Sharing the concerns of others of why we have this inclination to often engage in research to choose National Heroes posthumously, rather than when such sons and daughters dwell among us, I conclude this column with the hope that George Lamming could yet be chosen to join the Barbados-born West Indian cricket legend, Sir Garfield Sobers, as the second living National Hero of his native patch of the Caribbean region of which he is such a towering intellectual and cultural personality. Will it happen?

Civilians, police to share common IT facility

- in novel approach to fostering better understanding

By Leroy Smith

Commissioner Leroy Brumell, whose brainchild the initiative is.

RANKS of the Guyana Police Force and members of the public

alike, is the third of its kind, and was made possible through a two-

ZARA has been offering support to various arms of the GPF and

in Georgetown and its environs now have at their disposal a

year-old partnership between the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and

several communities, something Commissioner Brumell commended

computer centre which was commissioned yesterday by Police

a Guyanese group in the United States of America going by the

them for.

The centre, to be used to provide training to residents and ranks

tioning units and the necessary items to make the departments complete.

acronym ZARA. The lab is named after this group, and Berbice and

Other speakers at the event were Deputy Commissioner of Police

Essequibo also have labs, which were respectively commissioned

Seelall Persaud and members of the ZARA grouping. While Persaud

in 2012 and earlier this year. The entire programme has racked up a

noted that the group’s input was timely and would serve to help the

costing figure of close to G$60M.

GPF connect and better its relationship with the youths of today, he

Yesterday’s commissioning saw in attendance several rep-

also pointed out that the next generation of criminals would come

resentatives of the group, and senior officials and other ranks

from the youths who are isolated and neglected. The computer centre

of the GPF.

is a way of keeping those children occupied, and giving them a better

In addition to the lab, there is a library, and both facilities are housed in the upper flat of the Police Training College on Camp Road. The rooms have been furnished and fitted with air condi-

perspective about life. The ZARA group promised to continue its assistance to the Guyana Police Force.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

World AIDS Day 2013…

New focus on adolescents

TODAY is World AIDS Day 2013. The usual outpouring of dreary and mundane messages today from the HIV and AIDS czars worldwide has become the in-thing. Since yesterday, this lacklustre and humdrum surge of World AIDS Day 2013 messages began to hit the airwaves and the print media. World AIDS Day is a day when all the emperors of HIV and AIDS show their wares, to justify their means of livelihood. And when the day ceases to be December 1, the return to the grind and making routine pedestrian responses to HIV and AIDS become commonplace for another year. A lot has not changed since 2001, when UNESCO’s Gudmund Hermes noted thusly: “The virus was ahead of the disease, the disease was ahead of the response, the response was a disaster, and management BY DR. PREM MISIR of the disaster was underfunded.” Today, we can shout out on the rooftops that we have more funding to combat this chronic disease. But skill incapacity and bureaucratic constraints guarantee that the response remains pmperspectives@aol.com; sluggish. themisirpost.wordpress.com In 2011 and 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted several surveys, and found that adolescents in many countries did not have adequate access to HIV testing, counselling, and treatment. Undoubtedly, school-based HIV prevention inBetween 2005 and 2012, there was a 30% reduction globally in HIV-related deaths. ‘A lot has not changed since 2001, when UNES- tervention programmes are critical in HIV prevention However, in the same time period, HIV-related deaths among adolescents rose to 50%. As a response to this sordid state of affairs among adolescents and happening for CO’s Gudmund Hermes noted thusly: “The virus in Guyana. With about half of Guyana’s population the first time, the WHO in November 2013 released guidelines on “HIV and adoles- was ahead of the disease, the disease was ahead under age 24 (50.9%), and about 70% under age cents: Guidance for HIV testing and counselling and care for adolescents living with of the response, the response was a disaster, and 14 (Population and Housing Census 2002), schools would have an in-built infrastructure with extensive HIV”. These guidelines are urging governments to assess their policies on consent management of the disaster was underfunded’ reach during a crucial developmental period in adoto services to facilitate adolescents to have HIV testing without parental consent; lescence (Yazdi et al. 2006). and to upgrade the quality of care and social support for adolescents living with HIV Adolescents also are appropriate targets for school-based interventions because their attitudes and (ALWH). behaviours are still being developed (NIH 1997; UNAIDS/WHO 2004). In addition, interventions have These WHO guidelines on ‘If we are to preserve a healthy and productive a higher success rate when introduced before adolescents begin experimentation with risk behaviors adolescents have come out at a labour force for the future, World AIDS Day 2013 (Grunseit 1997). when the University of the requires all governments and interested stake- time There could hardly be any dispute about the damage HIV and AIDS are inflicting on the global West Indies Press has recently sector over the last three decades. Indeed, the harm from HIV and AIDS remains phenomenal for poor holders to vigilantly focus on adolescents, in order published my book manuscript, countries where entire economies experience devastation. to rapidly accept and implement the new WHO HIV & AIDS Knowledge and If we are to preserve a healthy and productive labour force for the future, World AIDS Day 2013 Stigma in Guyana, with a focus guidelines on adolescents’ requires all governments and interested stakeholders to vigilantly focus on adolescents, in order to on adolescents (high school sturapidly accept and implement the new WHO guidelines on adolescents. dents). And governments have a moral obligation to remove the monstrosity of bureaucratic conThis book arose out of my concerns over the probability of an increasing trend in high-risk sexual straints and skill incapacity, thus constructing a new environment to fight HIV and AIDS. Let this behaviours among adolescents in Guyana. These concerns relate to the perception that many adults World AIDS Day 2013 be the threshold for the new active focus on adolescents in this enduring in Guyana and elsewhere were graduating from HIV to an AIDS status in their twenties. Therefore, battle against HIV and AIDS. it was possible to conclude that many persons with HIV in Guyana and elsewhere contracted the HIV infection in their adolescence.

Perspectives

Guyana Lotto Company spreads Christmas cheer at GPHC

…lights up the traditional Christmas Tree By Shirley Thomas D E S P I T E T h u r s d a y ’s i n c l e m e n t w e a t h e r, t h e

Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) hosted a special Christmas Tree Lighting Up for patients

of the Paediatric and Maternity wards by means of a towering Christmas Tree erected on the lawns of the

Ms. Tracy Lewis, General Manager of the Guyana Lotto Company, is flanked by employees of her company. In foreground is Mr. Vic Insanally

Maternity Ward, compliments of the Guyana Lotto Company (GLC). Joining in the excitement was Ms Tracy Lewis, General Manager of the Guyana Lotto Company, who briefly addressed the gathering to extend Christmas Greetings to everyone, before switching on the lights of the Christmas Tree. She also mingled with expectant mothers and children whilst joining the nurses in sharing Christmas goodies among them. Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Mr. Michael Khan; Mr. Navindradatt Liliah of the GPHC Human Resources Dept; and GPHC Public Relations Consultant, Mr. Vic Insanally, also extended Christmas greetings to the patients. Musical entertainment was provided by t h e S t . J o h n ’s B o s c o Steel Band of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara.

The Christmas Tree stands tall in the compound of the Maternity Ward of the GPHC

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Medical fraternity hail recent confab a watershed moment By Shirley Thomas THE Sixth Guyana Medical Scientific Conference convened at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara last Sunday brought together more than 200 medical doctors, professors and medical students with the specific objective of advancing the research ethic and agenda of the local health science community. Under the theme: “Inter-Professional Health Service Education and Practice”, the conference indeed created a watershed moment when the large gathering of doctors and medical students converged at the Conference Centre for the caucus, a key part of which was the presentation of research papers and feature lectures. Eighteen of those gathered were ‘visiting faculty’, including Guyana’s very own Dr. Narendra Singh and four ‘visiting residents’. At the forum, the findings of several research papers prepared by medical practitioners, medical students and university faculty members were received by the conference. Feature lectures were also presented by both local doctors and visiting faculty, and a high premium was placed on research for post-graduate studies. The forum, a joint initiative between the Institute of Health

Science Education, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Guyana, was hosted as part of the Silver Jubilee anniversary activities of the University of Guyana (UG), which has been in operation for the past 50 years. Chairperson for the morning session was Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, Med, MPPM, FACOG, Professor/ Director of Global Health Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Mc Donald Women’s Hospital, Case Medical Center; and the afternoon session was chaired by Dr. Mahendra Carpen, MBBS, DM, Medical Director and Consultant Cardiologist at the Caribbean Heart Institute. In his opening remarks to the gathering, Director of Health Science Education, Dr. Madan Rambaran, outlined that the conference was introduced to complement the development in health science education, especially the establishment of post-graduate clinical Dr. Madan Rambaran addressing the 6th Guyana Medical Scientific Conference at the Guyana Int’l Conference Centre education. Dr. Rambaran said that in addition to the Diploma in Surgery, Orthopedics and Trauma, Anaesthesia and Critical Care, the Institute also now has Masters programmes in Emergency Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. To this end, he declared: “I believe that the conference has been meeting its stated objective of advancing the research ethic and agenda of the local science community.” He said there is emerging a body of research literature that is defining the local health profile and pointing the way for policy and practice adjustments. And Dr. Narendra Singh, Chief of Paediatrics at Humber Regional Hospital and Mac Master University, commented that the development of post-graduate programmes and the concomitant fostering of research have been growing by leaps and bounds since their inception. “This unique model of providing specialized training for physicians can be used as a ‘cookie cutter’ approach in other such countries, to make transformational and sustainable changes,” See page 15

Dr. Zulfikar Bux receiving his certificate

Dr. Sherelyn Stanton presenting a research paper at the opening session

A participant making a point at the conference

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

‘Big Foot’ wanted for questioning in hotelier’s murder

By Alex Wayne

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) is seeking to contact 19-year-old Brian Leitch, also known as “Big Foot”, of Lot 2118 Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, for questioning in connection with the recent murder of South Central Hotel proprietor, 59-year-old Joseph Alexander Jagdeo. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Leitch is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-6941, 225-8196, 226-7065, 227-1149, 911, or the nearest police station. The GPF assures that “all information will be treated with strict confidence.” An employee had found Jagdeo’s trussed up body under a bed in Room 10 of the hotel he operated, and Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh found that Jagdeo had died of asphyxiation due to manual strangulation. His wife said his hands, mouth and nose had been tied with cloth. The keys to the room had been found on the bed, prompting a theory that the perpetrators had locked the door and had thrown the keys over the wall.

Brian “Big Foot” Leitch

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Poor food, deplorable conditions incite protest at CPCE By Alex Wayne

TEACHERS in training at the Cyril Potter College of Education recently staged a protest allegedly because they were being given food of poor quality and were having to endure deplorable conditions at the facility. The students refused to eat breakfast, which they alleged consisted of “hard boiled channa and one cup of tea” and in-

stead vented, their concerns by writing slogans on a chalkboard in a classroom. They complained about the small amounts of food they were being given, which was expected to last them for several hours. Although members of the media were prevented from seeing the students during their protest, students reportedly sat in the dining room and refused to eat the small portions being served until they received a

proper meal. Another student reported that they were given “some broken up biscuits and some channa that were not even properly pressurized.” Others complained that chicken prepared by cooks at the institution had not been prepared properly, and had been ‘rank’ on many occasions. The students also expressed concern about the stagnant and smelly water in the compound, including that from a faulty

sewage pipe at the college. On November 27, the East Coast Demerara had experienced flooding caused by incessant heavy rainfall. An overflowing sewage mechanism was also seen in the compound, and students said the sewage system was malfunctioning under the dormitory. The students were forced to walk on a makeshift bridge made of benches and chairs to enter and leave the dormitory. Chief Education Officer Olato Sam has since disagreed that the protest was the best recourse available to the students, although he assured that steps were being taken to alleviate the concerns of the more than 200 live-in students.

A leaking sewage system in the CPCE compound

A blackboard records what the CPCE students were protesting about

Anna Regina businessman falls to his death from balcony By Rajendra Prabhulall THE body of 32-year-old businessman, Timur Rambarran, called ‘Timi’, was found early Friday morning in a pool of blood on the concreted yard of his parents’ home at Anna Regina Old Market Road on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two. It is surmised that the former cricketer of the Richmond Ravens Sports Club and father of two had been sitting on the front rail of the balcony when he accidentally fell 10 feet to the concrete floor below. A pack of cigarettes was also discovered in the balcony on Friday morning. Rambarran had reportedly been living with his wife -- now approximately eight months pregnant -and two children at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, where his parents operate a large family business. He was reportedly in the habit of occasionally travelling from Parika to Anna Regina to look after his parents’ home at Anna Regina Market Road. A Chinese restaurant is located in the bottom flat of that building. Police officers who visited the scene removed Rambarran’s lifeless body to the Suddie mortuary, where a post-morten examination is expected to be performed to determine the cause of his death. Police investigations are continuing.

The house with the concrete balcony at Old Market Road, Anna Regina, from which Rambarran is believed to have fallen

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Culture Ministry spearheads activities to mark International Volunteer Day

By Chriseana Ramrekha INTERNATIONAL Volunteer Day (IVD) will be observed on December 5, 2013; and the Volunteerism Support Platform (VSP) of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has partnered with several organizations to plan a calendar of activities to celebrate this day. This was disclosed by Volunteerism and Youth Development Specialist at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms. Lesley Abraham, in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle. Habitat for Humanity yesterday held an activity which saw volunteers participating in that

ribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) and Pick It Up Guyana (PIUG) would lead an activity wherein volunteers would conduct environmental sensitisation and training activities for youths within the Georgetown area. On IVD, December 5, the Ministry of Health would facilitate an activity which will see volunteers participating in the ministry’s cleanup campaign at the Square of the Revolution in Georgetown as part of the ministry’s Health and Wellness Campaign On that day also, a public ceremony will be held from 11:00 hours to 12:00 hours at the Guyana National Service (GNS)

organisation’s “Build Day” to build houses and other constructions in Georgetown and on the West Bank of Demerara. On December 4, the Ca-

Sports Complex on Carifesta Avenue. It will be hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and CUSO International; and 2014 volunteerism calendars

will be distributed and a video to promote and recognise the work of volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations will be shown. On Sunday, December 8, the National Commission (NCD) will engage volunteers in a process to register persons with disabilities in the Rose Hall/ Corentyne area. International Volunteer Day was established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 17th December 1985, and is observed to celebrate and recognise the contributions and achievements of volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations across the world, for their contributions to peace and development in their communities and at any other level. Since establishment of this day, Governments, the UN system and civil society organisations have successfully joined volunteers around the world to celebrate this day. Volunteering is an essential part of citizenship and community, and gives individuals and organisations the opportunity to proactively make change and voice their approaches to address societal challenges and issues. Volunteering also makes a significant contribution to strengthening the capacities of all sectors to promote the development agenda, while also providing benefits to both volunteers and organisations. The VSP aims to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of volunteerism within Guyana through partnership with Government, private sector and civil society. For more information, and to participate as a volunteer in any of these activities, persons can make contact with the VSP at 227-7575 or nvspguyana@ gmail.com.

QC’s Jamal Thomas does it again! - takes GAPSO Bursary Award a second year running

THE Guyana Association of Private Security Organizations (GAPSO) recently made its second bursary presentation to 13-year-old Queen’s College student Jamal Thomas, the first recipient of this award in 2012, following his outstanding academic achievements over the past year, which won him the right to earn the second bursary this year. Jamal is the son of Bank of Guyana’s Security Officer, Milton Thomas. This award was named in 2012 after Gregory Gaskin, late Chairman of COPS (Guyana) Limited, now known as Sentinel Security Services, a founding organisation of GAPSO, and is intended for the children of security officers employed with member organisations of GAPSO. President of GAPSO and Chief Security Officer of Banks DIH Limited, Colonel (retd.) Randy Storm, made the presentation on behalf of GAPSO. He said the organisation was extremely proud of Thomas’s work over the past year, and that Gaskin would also have been pleased to hear of his performances if he were alive. In accepting the award, Jamal Thomas thanked GAPSO for recognizing his efforts academically, and vowed to continue vindicating GAPSO’s trust in him by continuing the hard work he has been putting in. Prior to his death last June following an accident at the South Dakota circuit, Gaskin not only served the security sector -- where he formed GAPSO along with several other security companies, such as Professional Guard Services (PGS) and Guyana Employment Bureau (GEB) -- but was also a practising attorney-at-law within the legal fraternity. (Calvin Roberts)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

For Sunday December 1, 2013- 14:30hrs

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Medical fraternity hail... From page 10 he proposed. Partnerships Dr. Singh posited that such progress could not be realized without the development of partnerships with institutions in North America. “The generous donation of time, skills and resources has been a catalyst to the proliferation of these programmes,” he said. He added it is critical to understand that there is mutual benefit to these partnerships. He mentioned other measurable benefits to the work that is done in Guyana. “As evidenced by the number of research paper partnerships at this conference, individuals meet much of their research requirements in Guyana,” he concluded. And in her message, Professor Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew said that the University Hospital’s Case Western Medical Center is proud to be associated with the GPHC and the Institute of Health Science Education. She said that, through their collaborations, the Masters in Obstetrics and Gynaecology programme has seen tremendous success in both didactic and clinical competences. Further, there is already tangible evidence of improvements in the health of women in Guyana, and the many successes of the other graduate programmes. “It is through these efforts that I wish to congratulate the Institute of Health Science Education for convening the 6th Guyana Medical Scientific Conference,” Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew remarked. She said much of the evidence-based research holds the platform at these conferences, and highlights the commitment of ‘our’ medical team in improving health care in Guyana. “This conference continues to be the best and most informative research initiative that contributes a wealth of information, leadership and guidance to our young scientists,” she concluded. Honours There were kudos for outstanding performances and Dr Rambaran congratulated the first graduates of the Institute of Health Science Education Masters in Pediatrics: Dr. Clive Bowman and Dr. Seepersaud Chatterdeo; and Masters in Emergency Medicine: Dr. Zulfikar Bux. And University of Guyana Medical Student Aidan Smith was awarded the Dean Sharma Award for Best Research Paper. The Paper, titled “Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarctions admitted to GPHC over the period January 2011 to June 2012”, examined the mortality and complications that arose during the time. Also honoured was Dr. Seepersaud Chatterdeo, who received the Chetram Singh Award for best research presentation. The research looked at whether there was need for standardized management of febrile seizures at the GPHC: A Retrospective review. Areas of Research Other areas of research included “Poisonous Ingestions in Children at the GPHC: Can we decrease the Incidence and Number of Admissions?” presented by Dr. Sherelyn Stanton, GPHC; “Multi-drug Resistant Pseudomonas aeuruginosa and Acinetobacter sp. at GPHC”, by Ms. Ede Tyrell of the University of Guyana; “Assessing the Inter-Professional learning needs of the trauma team at GPHC,” by Dr Navindaranauth Rambaran, GPHC. Among the lecture features were: “The High incidence of Chronic Kidney Disease among Medical Clinic Patients at Linden Hospital,” by Dr. Angelina Dhani of the Linden Hospital Complex; and “The Number of Paediatric Patients with Acute Asthma Exacerbations seen at the Emergency Department, GPHC during April to June 2012 – Is there need for a Protocol?” by Dr. Radha Luknauth.

15 Doctors having dinner at the Pegasus Hotel at the conclusion of the conference

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Arsenal go seven clear as Ramsey sinks old club By Stephen Wood LONDON: (Reuters) - Aaron Ramsey indulged his new goalscoring habit on his return to his former club as Arsenal won 3-0 at Cardiff City to open up a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League yesterday. Welshman Ramsey, who spent eight years with the Bluebirds until his move to north London in 2008, notched his 12th and 13th strikes of the sesaon in all competitions and was applauded by the home fans in Arsenal’s 10th league win of the campaign. Everton’s Spanish teenager Gerard Deulofeu, on loan from Barcelona, scored one goal and inspired his team mates to a 4-0 victory over Stoke City that took them into the top four. Fulham manager Martin Jol was facing increased pressure after his relegation-threatened side went down 3-0 at fellow strugglers West Ham United, while Sunderland, second from bottom, drew 0-0 at mid-table Aston Villa. Tony Pulis’s first game in charge of basement club Crystal Palace ended in a 1-0 defeat at Norwich City. Arsenal have 31 points from 13 games, ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton, all on 24. Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City play today, when seventh-placed champions Manchester United visit faltering Tottenham Hotspur. Ramsey, born in the Cardiff commuter town of Caerphilly in 1990, was 16 years and 124 days old when he became the youngest player in the club’s history in 2007, eclipsing the record of former Wales and Liverpool striker John Toshack. He had returned to Cardiff once before as an Arsenal player, following his five million pounds ($8.19 million) move to the capital, for an FA Cup tie at Ninian Park in 2009 when he was substituted after 59 minutes of a goalless draw.

CARDIFF OVATION This occasion was more memorable for the 22-yearold. In the 29th minute he timed his arrival into the penalty area perfectly and glanced a fine header from Mesut Ozil’s cross beyond keeper David Marshall to

BBC. “We came here two or three years ago and he had a nightmare here in a cup game, which shows you how much improved he is as a player. “You are always torn between being happy to score and happy you can win the game but out of respect for the

Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey during their English Premier League soccer match at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, yesterday. give Arsene Wenger’s side the lead. Ramsey did not celebrate in front of his former supporters, and in turn they gave the midfielder an ovation of their own. In the final minute, following another slick Arsenal attack, Ramsey drilled home his side’s third and his eighth goal in the league this term. In between, Arsenal had dominated but it took until the 86th minute, when Mathieu Flamini made it 2-0 from Ozil’s pass, for the visitors to kill Cardiff’s hopes of a comeback. They were grateful, too, for a sharp save by Wojciech Szczesny from Fraizer Campbell with the game in the balance in the first half. “It shows you how much Aaron Ramsey has improved,” Wenger told the

club where he was educated he didn’t celebrate. “It was a very solid defensive performance that was needed against Cardiff. When you play first (before your rivals) you can only do your job and see what happens after. But if you do your job well you can relax.” At Goodison Park, Deulofeu, on a season-long loan from the Nou Camp, was a constant threat to Mark Hughes’s visitors. The 19-year-old gave Everton the lead on the stroke of halftime by exchanging passes with Steven Pienaar and Gareth Barry and firing in at the near post. Deulofeu then crossed for Seamus Coleman to make it 2-0 just after the break, before Bryan Oviedo scored from 20 metres for the third before the hour mark.

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea, claimed his eighth league goal in nine games after 79 minutes to complete Everton’s win. ‘FIGHTER’ JOL Everton manager Roberto Martinez said of. Deulofeu: “It was the most satisfying individual performance we had because he had to wait for so long to get his chance”. Fulham manager Jol admitted this week he would be “worrying” if he were the club’s owner, following a run of four straight league defeats that sent the Cottagers into the bottom three. However, his team never looked like arresting that slump against West Ham, and they did not even manage a shot on target at Upton Park. Instead, Sam Allardyce’s side went ahead with a deflected Mohamed Diame effort after 47 minutes, and made the game safe through substitutes Carlton Cole and Joe Cole in the last eight minutes. Afterwards Jol declared he was a “fighter” and added: “It’s part of my job to deal with pressure. It’s not that I’m not used to it but you have to keep your head cool, that’s for certain.” Former Stoke coach Pulis has never been relegated in 21 years of management but his record looks under threat with Palace. A t C a r ro w R o a d h i s side’s defensive weakness was exposed once again as Gary Hooper was allowed time to finish from close range after Wes Hoolahan’s cut-back on the half-hour mark. Palace, bottom with seven points, are six points from the safety zone after winning just twice since gaining promotion from the Championship in May. Sunderland moved one point ahead of Palace with their goalless draw at Villa Park, where Aston Villa supporter Prince William was in attendance.

Announcer stood down for mocking England players (REUTERS) - Cricket Australia has stood down a ground announcer for mocking England players during their twoday tour match against a Chairman’s XI in Alice Springs, local media reported yesterday. David Nixon was sanctioned after introducing England spinner Monty Panesar in an Indian accent, the Australian Associated Press said in a report. “Cricket Australia deemed the conduct of the PA announcer as inappropriate and as such he will take no further part in the match,” an unnamed CA spokesperson was quot-

ed as saying in the report. Left-arm spinner Panesar was born in Luton and is of Indian descent. Nixon was also cautioned by CA on Friday for a jibe aimed at England batsman Joe Root, the report added. Root was involved in a bar-room altercation with Australia batsman David Warner during this year’s Ashes series in England. “You can go and have another drink now, Joe,” Nixon commented when Root was dismissed.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Ladies take centre ... From back page

to pull off the come-from-behind victory by scoring the winner just two minutes from full time. Former top Trinidad international, Oire Trotman-Martin, was on fire for Malvern as she rattled home the double, leaving her team in contention for a spot in the final. The Toros returned later in the day to squash the Hikers ladies by a 7-0 margin in a one-sided duel eliminating the Hikers chance of progressing to the final. With a packed Friday schedule including three matches, the Queens Park Hockey Club from Trinidad firmly established themselves as the surprise of the tournament. Led by former Guyanese international, Jerazeno Bell, the Parkites outclassed local men’s side, Old Fort, 7-4 in their first duel of the day. After two quick opening goals by Nicholas Gonsalves and Sean Lee-Quay, Old Fort managed to keep their opponents silent for the rest of the half while pulling one back on the buzzer through Aderemi Simon. Queens Park however had the better hand in the second half, pouring in five more goals to Old Fort’s three leaving the score at 7-4. Queen’s Park came back later in the day to defeat the YMCA of Barbados by a 9-6 margin. Although the Bajans strung together some brilliant moments of hockey mainly through Rohan Thomas and Sean Harewood, Bell commanded his troops to a disciplined performance that was impossible to match. In their final outing of the day, Queens Park brushed aside local national champions, GCC, by 9-2 with a physical high pressure game that left the Bourda side short of answers. The Revamp hockey club of Toronto put on a clinical display of finishing as they upended the YMCA of Barbados by 6-4. YMCA put in a spirited performance but lacked the quality and depth of Revamp to trouble the Canadians. Jonathan Roberts exhibited a litany of skills in producing five of Revamp’s six goals with Tim Branco scoring the sixth. Ryan Cowie and Donovan Smith each scored one goal for YMCA in the first half but trailed Revamp throughout the match. Right back, Sean Harewood, made some effective overlapping runs and produced two goals for YMCA in the second half but fell short of catching the Canadians with a final score of 6-4. Fatima enjoyed good success in the Carib veterans division by defeating Old Old Fort by 7-3 and returning to bury Malvern by 6-2. Colin Young and Nicholas Wren were the top marksmen for Fatima, both with a six-goal haul in the two matches. The GCC vets advanced their unbeaten run by defeating Malvern of Trinidad 4-1. The evening was highlighted by the opening ceremony where the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport was on-hand to give a few words of welcome and encouragement to the teams. The finals will be played this afternoon beginning at 18:00 hrs.

ENGLISH Carlisle 08:20 hrs Moss Cloud 08:50 hrs Yesyoucan 09:20 hrs Meadowcroft Boy 09:55 hrs Tutchev 10:25 hrs Hartforth 11:00 hrs Amore Mio 11:30 hrs Momkinzain LEICESTER 09:00 hrs Zarzal 09:30 hrs Outrageous Request 10:05 hrs Spanish Optimist 10:35 hrs Who’s Jeff 11:10 hrs Lodgician 11:40 hrs Royal Regatta

SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Scottsville 08:10 hrs Housecarl 08:45 hrs Time Of Song 09:25 hrs Circle Of Speed 10:00 hrs Mighty Lion 10:35 hrs Raaees IRISH RACING TIPS Fairyhouse 08:10 hrs Analifet 08:40 hrs Alonso 09:10 hrs Carlingford Lough 09:45 hrs Glibin 10:15 hrs Dedigout 10:50 hrs Sword Fish 11:20 hrs Sizing Venezuela

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Philander shows one-day prowess in South Africa win (REUTERS) - Swing bowler Vernon Philander sent a strong message to the South African one-day international selectors about his prowess in the 50-over game with a superb performance as the Proteas defeated Pakistan by four wickets in the final match of the series in Centurion yesterday. Philander, largely overlooked for the one-day side despite his success in Test matches, bowled with excellent control to record figures of three for 26 in his 10 overs and help to restrict Pakistan to 179 all out after the visitors were sent into bat having lost the toss. South Africa never looked unduly troubled in their chase, reaching 181 for six with 68 balls to spare, captain AB de Villiers steering them home with a composed 48 not out. Pakistan had already won the three-match contest heading into the final encounter, their first victory over South Africa in a bilateral limited-overs series. Philander has taken 95 wickets in 18 Test matches and emerged as one of the world’s top bowlers in the longer format of the game since making his debut two years ago but this was just his 11th one-day appearance six years on from his first in 2007. He set the tone early in the game, picking up the centurion from the last game, Ahmed Shehzad, for a duck in the first over of the innings. He was the pick of a South African attack in which all the bowlers picked up wickets, Lonwabo Tsotsobe returning two for 38 in his 10 overs and Ryan McLaren two for 28 in eight. Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq ran out of partners to be left stranded on 79 not out as the visitors were bowled out in the 47th over. Hashim Amla (41) helped South Africa to get off to a fast

start and although they lost wickets at regular intervals, they easily passed Pakistan’s mediocre total on a good batting wicket.

Entries close for KMTC Boxing Day event two weeks from today

Vernon Philander picked up three wickets as South Africa beat Pakistan by four wickets in the third ODI in Centurion.

AS IS CUSTOMARY over the past 20 years and will be seen again this year, the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) located at Bush Lot, Corentyne, will be hosting their Boxing Day horserace meeting, which will see eight races being carded for the day on 26th of this month. The feature event will cover a distance of one mile and caters for horses classified ‘A’ and Lower, with the winner set to gallop off with a first placed prize of $1.5M, while the second, third and fourth placed finishers will pocket $750,000, $375,000 and $188,000 respectively. Entries close on Sunday 15th December, and persons desirous of having their horses compete, can do so by contacting the club’s Secretary, Nicketa Ross, on telephone number 662-4668, Roopnarine Matadial (325-3192), Dennis Deroop (325-3301/609-9143), Isabella Beaton (693-7812), Ivan Dipnarine (331-0316) or Cecil Kennard (623-7609, 225-4818 or 226-1399).

Ireland win in emphatic style I R E L A N D re c o r d e d t h e fourth-highest total in T20 international history as they defeated Afghanistan in the World T20 Qualifying final for the second year running. After winning the toss and batting first - as they have done in every match in the tournament - Ireland ran up a formidable 225 for seven off their 20 overs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. That proved to be too much for Afghanistan to chase down and, despite making a flying start to their reply, they were bowled out for 157 to suffer a 68-run defeat. Both teams, who were

Trent Johnston had a day to remember with bat and ball as Ireland stormed to victory over Afghanistan.

meeting in the final for the third successive time with one win apiece previously, had already secured their place in the first round of next year’s ICC World Twenty20 finals in Bangladesh but there was no sign of Ireland easing off as they ran amok with the bat. Opener Paul Stirling was man- of- the- match in last year’s final after scoring a 38ball 79 and he was in similarly destructive mood yesterday, top-scoring with 76 off 43 balls, including four sixes and eight fours. He shared in a 68-run stand for the first wicket with captain William Porterfield (27 off 14)

to set the tone for the innings. Trent Johnston also took a liking to the Afghan attack after being promoted up to number four, smashing 62 off 32 balls with four sixes and five fours to help power Ireland to 225. That left Afghanistan needing to produce something special to reclaim the title, although they looked capable of doing just that as they matched their opponents’ blistering start. They clubbed 14 runs off the first three balls of the innings, bowled by Max Sorensen, and were 36 without loss after three overs. Ireland spinner George

Dockrell stemmed the onslaught with wickets in both of his opening two overs, including that of the dangerous-looking Mohammad Shahzad for 38 off only 18 balls, but at the end of their six powerplay overs Afghanistan were still in a fantastic position on 76 for two. They could not keep that run-rate up once the field spread though, and they lost two more wickets in the seventh over, bowled by Alex Cusack, before being bowled out in the penultimate over. Man- of- the- match Johnston took three for 34 to cap a memorable all-round display from the retiring 39-year-old, while Cusack, Dockrell and Tim Murtagh each finished with two wickets apiece for the victors.(PA Sport)

Bell ‘willing’ to fill in for Trott at number three (REUTERS) - Ian Bell is “absolutely willing” to replace Jonathan Trott at the number three spot in England’s batting order when the second Ashes Test against Australia starts on Thursday. Trott, the regular number three, left the tour to deal with a stress-related problem a day after England’s comprehensive defeat in Brisbane. “We’ve spoken about it, and obviously I’ve said I’m absolutely willing to go to number three,” Bell, who bats at five, told reporters after the tourists drew their warm-up match against a Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI yesterday. “That decision is probably out of my control. We’ve got a number of options with the batting and the balance of the side but absolutely I’ll put my hand up. We’ll soon see.” Joe Root (one), another contender for Trott’s position, was the only second innings casualty in England’s score of 47 for one wicket when stumps were drawn in the two-day warm-up match. Gary Ballance, who struck a patient half-century in the first innings to stake claim for a test debut, was unbeaten on eight with Michael Carberry (37) at the crease.

Ian Bel “Gary Ballance has done really well, batting for a long period on a wicket that was not easy to score runs fluently,” Bell said.

“We want guys who are going to bat long periods of time in this series, so he showed some good character.” The home side earlier declared their first innings on 254 for eight as the English pace trio of Boyd Rankin, Steven Finn and Ben Stokes failed to impress. The ineffectiveness of the pacemen will surely open the path for Tim Bresnan to earn a spot if he can prove his fitness. Bresnan, hoping for a recall after recovering from a stress fracture in his back, took four wickets and made a half-century while playing for the England Performance squad this week. Graeme Swann picked up four wickets while left-arm spinner Monty Panesar scalped three in welcome signs for the England bowling attack ahead of Adelaide, where the pitch has historically aided the batsmen more. Panesar was England’s trump card during the series win in India last year but has been blighted by disciplinary issues during the English summer. “It’s not easy coming on tour when you’ve not played a lot of cricket,” Bell added. “I’m sure he’ll be a bit sore, but he bowled really well.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

Two win round trip tickets from Fly-Jamaica at Caribbean Motor Racing Championships

TAMESHWAR Ramcharan and Emma Vieira on Sunday last were elated at winning round trip tickets from Fly Jamaica. Ramcharan won a round trip ticket to New York while Vieira won a round ticket to Jamaica. The coupon numbers were announced by a Fly Jamaica representative, Wesley Tucker, at the recently concluded Caribbean Motor Racing Championship at the South Dakota Circuit. The announcement was made minutes after the last race took place at the circuit. Ramcharan and Vieira, who were both present at the championship which was partly sponsored by Fly Jamaica, participated in a promotion that was carried out by several representatives from the airline. Both Race drivers and spectators partic-

ipated in the promotion Since the commencement of service to Guyana Fly Jamaica has been on board with the Government and Private Sector in promoting destination Guyana. Fly Jamaica representatives, Wesley Tucker and Susan Razack, at the presentation ceremony echoed the airline’s commitments to continue to look at ways to meet the needs of their passengers. With the airline now serving the Guyana-New York route via Kingston and direct flights on Fridays, more Guyanese are being encouraged to seize the opportunity to bring themselves home to their family and loved ones for this Christmas season. For more information on booking or promotions persons can visit the airline’s Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/flyjamaicaltd.

Fly Jamaica representative, Wesley Tucker, presenting a Boarding Pass to the winner of a roundtrip ticket to New York, Mr. Tameshwar Ramcharan

Fly Jamaica representative, Ms. Susan Razack, presenting a Boarding Pass to Go-Kart driver, Ms. Emma Vieira, winner of a round trip ticket to Jamaica, at the recently concluded Caribbean Motor Racing Championship

Captains’ futures at stake in series Darren Sammy and Brendon McCullum have both had moments to savour as captains at international level but the pair begin this contest with major questions hanging over them By Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin Captains have plenty to think about before a Test series begins - media commitments, which XI to select and the decision at the toss among them - even before they get to their own performances. That combination of team and personal welfare has proved too much for many and that’s why a captain whose form remains unaffected by the strains of captaincy is such a lauded and prized asset. Brendon McCullum and Darren Sammy, the opposing leaders in the upcoming Test series which begins in Dunedin on Tuesday, have both had moments to savour as captains at international level but the pair begin this contest with major questions hanging over them. McCullum, a player full of boldness and bravado, is suffering from a long-term crippling back condition, which forced him home from Bangladesh and means his

future is likely to be a fitness, rather than form, issue. Sammy’s Test credentials, having already been removed as the ODI captain, were severely weakened during West Indies’ horrendous performances in India, with the defeat in Kolkata ending a run of six Test wins on the bounce Being turned over on the subcontinent is no disgrace, but it was the manner in which they folded with barely a whimper, after reducing India to 83 for 5 in Kolkata, that left an empty feeling. Sammy was at the forefront of the criticism for shots he played in the first innings of both Tests - caught in the deep off Pragyan Ojha in Kolkata and in a similarly reckless manner, second ball, in Mumbai off R Ashwin. ‘Natural game’ and ‘counter-attacking’ are vacuous defences for such shots when your team is in the mire. The problem for Sammy is that the second part of his game, the seam bowling, is not standing up to scrutiny at Test level, either. The overall average of 35.66 is not a write-off, but unless a surface is green or made for nagging medium-pace

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(the latter was the case when he bowled West Indies to victory against Pakistan in Guyana and may also be the case in New Zealand), he is not a Test-class third seamer. His average rises to 39.94 from his 27 matches as captain. Neither is he a Test-class No. 6 (or even, at the moment, a 7 or 8). Therefore he is a captain being carried. In his last three Tests he has bowled a grand total of 40 overs and taken one wicket. Sammy knows his recent returns are not enough. “I didn’t have a good tour in India,” he said. “I want to reassure myself as a Test captain and Test cricketer.” When he took over the role from Chris Gayle in 2010, he was not even a regular in the starting XI. West Indies needed someone to inspire and unite. Sammy, a man brim-full of passion, ticked those boxes. Six wins in six (and the World T20 title, albeit in a vastly different format where Sammy the allrounder is a more accommodated player) is not to be sniffed at; it is a more favourable return than New Zealand have enjoyed. But even in those Test matches, Sammy averaged 30 with the bat and, most tellingly, 55 with the ball.

McCullum’s Test record stands up to somewhat more scrutiny than Sammy’s - although his last century, 225 against India, came in 2010 which is a vast gap for such a batsman. Handed the captaincy controversially when Ross Taylor was sacked last year, being bowled out in a session in Cape Town was a rough start, and laid a low base for improvement, but for a while there were signs that McCullum’s way was working. New Zealand should have beaten England earlier this year which would have been their finest series victory since 2002 when they trounced India on homemade greentops, or arguably 1999 when they overcame England away. Although the hundred continued to prove elusive for McCullum, the way he batted set a tone of defiance and determination. He scored three half-centuries against England, but the return series - in tougher batting conditions - did not see him pass 20. The recent Tests in Bangladesh have again been lean with 54 runs from three innings. He has recently admitted his back was causing him more problems than he let on. Both McCullum and Sammy come across well when

(Sunday December 01, 2013) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL CO. LTD-83 Garnette Street, Campbellville (Tel: 225-6158; 223-6055) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: 72 wins CleophasPaynter and Compton Vyfhius Today’s Quiz: Which two made their Test debut in the same match? Elquemedo Willet; Bernard Julien; Andy Roberts; Gordon Greenidge; Ron Headley How many ODI games the West Indies played in the 1970s? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Darren Sammy

Brendon McCullum they talk. Sammy really does a view shared by all) despite a care, which may seem an odd failure to make to the most of thing to say about a sports his batting talent. Yet that fact, captain but it has not always alone, highlights the struggle for felt the way with some West world-class batsmen that Bruce Indian players, and McCulEdgar, the new national selector, lum freely admits he has to is trying to deal with. make the most of some meagre If there is debate about resources, which are made a current captain, then what even thinner when he doesn’t are the alternatives? From the contribute significant runs. New Zealand perspective there McCullum was particularly is a succession plan in place. impressive as a leader during Kane Williamson is the anointthe series against England and ed one, but there will be a rethe Champions Trophy, but deluctance to burden him just as spite references to “trending” in he is starting to settle into the the right direction their results demanding No. 3 role. His time remain much of a muchness. will come, though, and perhaps They had two Test wins in sooner rather than later. 2012, but one of those came The alternatives to Sammy against Zimbabwe at home, are even harder to pick out. and have yet to register one in For a moment it is tempting to 2013 although Auckland came suggest Dwayne Bravo, but he desperately close. hasn’t played a Test since 2010 The draws (two in 10 and his batting and bowling Tests last year and five in nine numbers are actually worse than in 2013) suggest a team beSammy’s. coming harder to beat, but the Denesh Ramdin has leadBangladesh series was hard ership experience but is conto evaluate. The West Indies tinually battling to retain series will define their year. his place and it’s doubtful McCullum remains one of Shivnarine Chanderpaul the best six batsmen in New wants it on his plate towards Zealand (although that is not the end of his career.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 1, 2013

T&T Invitational clinch Don Bradman Cup SYDNEY, Australia, (CMC) Trinidad and Tobago’s Invitational Under-16 cricketers defeated their Australian counterparts by 58 runs to clinch the Don Bradman Foundation 50-over Final here on Friday. The Caribbean boys, sent in to bat in a match reduced to 38 overs per side, piled on the runs quickly as openers Bryan Boodram (30) and Jordan Warner (100), posted a first wicket partnership of 60 before Boodram departed. Amir Jangoo joined Warner and the pair wreaked havoc on the hosts, adding a match winning 130 for the second wicket. Warner struck 14 fours and

three sixes in a pulsing innings of 100 in just 103 deliveries, his second of the tournament. Jangoo’s 64 came off 68 balls and helped push the T&T total to a respectable 238 for 8 in the allotted 38 overs. The T&T bowlers then stifled the Aussie batting and dismissed them for just 180 in 35-overs, thanks to impressive spealls from off-spinner Saiba Batoosingh (3-35) and Jonathan Bootan (2-30). Bryce Street notched a patient 46, but could not accelerate the scoring sufficiently to save the Aussies. Trinidad and Tobago copped the majority of tournament awards at the clos-

ing dinner. Amir Jangoo was named MVP for his consistency throughout. Bryan Boodram picked up an award as the only bowler in the tournament with a five-wicket haul. Jordan Warner was hailed for being the only batsman to hit a century, not one but two in the series, while coach Kenny Benjamin won the spirit of the games award. Team captain Kirstanm Kallicharan was named MVP in the T20 series played before the main event. Team Manager Camal Basdeo offered lush praise to the team for its display of high quality cricket and especially for the resolve they showed against a talented home team.

Crawford unanimously retained to head GCU&SA SHANNON Crawford was unanimously retained as President of the Georgetown Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association (GCU&SA) when the body held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) last Thursday evening at the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union in Quamina Street. International television umpire, Nigel Duguid, was returned unopposed as the Vice President while Arleigh Rutherford who was also unchallenged, will serve as Secretary for another term. Former ICC umpire, Eddie Nicholls, and Montgomery Chester were retained as Treasurer and Assistant Secretary Treasurer respectively, while Zaheer Mohamed was elected as the Public Relations Officer (PRO), with Heuvel Cunha, Ryan Banwarie, Javed Persaud and Nolan Hawke as the Committee Members. Speaking after being retained at the AGM for which Ronald Williams performed the duties of the returning officer and was ably assisted by Malcolm Peters, Crawford thanked the members for re-electing him and urged the young umpires to continue training for their remaining exams. PRO Mohamed urged his fellow executive members to work collectively towards the development of the game and to maintain a high level of umpiring.

Amir Jangoo

Coach Kenny Benjamin said for him the best part of the project was the team learning from earlier mistakes and for their keen observation of their opponents in the preliminary rounds. “It was clear they paid attention to every member of the Australian team and knew what was required in the final,” said Benjamin. The Trinidad and Tobago team leaves Sydney today for

a three-day visit to Adelaide and a friendly match against South Australia Under-17’s and a day at the Adeliade Oval as guests of the South Australia Cricket Association. SUMMARISED SCORES: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO- 238/8 in 38 Overs; (Warner 100, Jangoo 64, Boodram 30) AUSTRALIA- 180 in 35 Overs; (Street 46; Batoosingh 3-35, Bootan 2-3

Sport CHRONICLE

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

T&T Invitational clinch Don Bradman Cup Please see story on page 31

Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival

Please see story on page 31

Ladies take centre stage on day three

THE ladies took centre stage in the women’s competition with a riveting clash between the GCC Tigers and the Toronto Toros when the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival continued at the National gymnasium on Friday evening. The Toronto Toros went on the offensive from the outset of their clash with the GCC Tigers as Lauren Sudac smashed home a rebound shot five minutes into play. The Toros’ celebration was short-lived, however, as less than a minute later, GCC’s Marzana Fiedtkou woved her way past two defenders and slid her shot past the Canadian keeper to level the scores. As the game progressed, producing several exciting moments and fine goalkeeping at both ends, GCC earned a penalty stroke which was converted with aplomb by Trisha Revamp’s Canadian International Scott Sandison (at right with white top) on the attack. Woodroffe. Striker, Kerensa Fernandes, sent the Tigers up by two with a precision strike five minutes from the half to take the game into the break at 3-1 for GCC. The second half saw a resurgence from the Toros and although the game produced good hockey at both ends, Canadian national, Kaelan Watson, managed to get the better of the GCC defenders in a goal mouth scramble to her team back within one. A defence error in the dying moments saw GCC squander their lead, as Ally Evanyshyn pounced on a loose ball and leveled the score to end the game at three apiece. Meanwhile, Revamp Hockey Club of Toronto continued their unbeaten run with a victory over YMCA of Barbados while Queen’s Park buried GCC in convincing fashion to make them also strong contenders. GCC veterans and Hickers, both of Guyana, have qualified top of their pools for the semi-finals with Fatima of Trinidad and Old Old Fort poised for the challenge in the semi-finals. Although succumbing to an early goal by Mika Ella-Tang of Trinidad’s Magnolias, fellow islanders Malvern managed

Please see page 28

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013