Guyana-Chronicle_Epaper_12_09_2021

12th September, 2021

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See Inside No.106482

$1.2B secured for water 03 treatment plant at Charity PAGE

–– facility will afford residents access to fully-treated water

On Saturday, at the culmination of a two-day Cabinet outreach to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Ministers of the Government affirmed that most of the concerns raised by residents will be addressed within weeks, while others will be resolved before the end of this year (Office of the President photos)

Education Ministry: 16 Hundreds of Reg. 24 Teachers who did not strike 2 farmers benefit from should not fear GTU backlash flood-relief cash grant PAGE

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Cabinet outreach to inform Budget 2022 04 PAGE

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

Concerns raised by Reg. 2 residents will be_ addressed, President Ali

PRESIDENT Irfaan Ali has reassured residents of Charity on Saturday that a large number of concerns raised during his two-day visit to Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two) will be addressed within weeks, while most will be resolved by the end of the year.

He said that the objective is to address the issues raised during the outreach in the shortest possible time. The President made the remarks at a community meeting at the Charity Secondary School on the final day of his two-day Cabinet outreach to the region.

He said that all action taken on issues covered over the two days will be available in documentary format at all the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) building.

“So, you will see in a transparent and open way what will be done with your issues.”

IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS In addressing the concerns of the Region Two residents, the President and his team have already resolved several matters. He said that after a meeting on Friday evening with the private sector of the region, they have agreed to purchase 12 new police vehicles to bolster the lawmen’s effort to fight crime within the region.

He also stated that the government has approved the purchase of 30, 000 household solar units for residents in the Pomeroon. Add-

private sector will purchase 12 new vehicles for police

President Irfaan Ali (centre) with Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh (left) and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall meeting with residents of Charity on Saturday (Office of the President photo)

ing to this, the government will also procure a chemical analyzer to improve the services offered at the public lab in the region.

The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has also agreed to lower plant prices and to distribute several free plants to residents; while the cost for the construction of a shed at the Charity Secondary School will also be included in the 2022 budget.

At the request of residents, over a dozen sports clubs in the region also received cricket gear.

PRIORITIES OF THE REGION The President said that the outreach is geared at enhancing the lives of Region Two residents. He said that among the priority of

the residents are security; rehabilitation of dams and drainage canals; empoldering of the Pomeroon River; opening up of new lands for farmers to increase production; increasing the ferry service between Supenaam and Parika; enhancing the education sector of the region and improving health services.

The Head of State noted that measures will also be put in place to train persons from the region in the field of education, health, and law enforcement. On Friday, the President announced that the government has requested 35 students who meet the criteria, to be trained immediately to become nurses and midwives due to a shortage of medical professionals in the region.

He also made arrangements for the re-

gion to be bolstered with five additional doctors.

“So, we are responding as fast as we can.

And we’re trying to integrate the system as quickly as we can.”

President Ali used the opportunity to thank the teachers and frontline workers from the region for their “invaluable services,” which he said Guyanese are “thankful and grateful for.”

The President also implored residents to get inoculated against the deadly COVID-19 virus.

“We have to all get vaccinated. We have to work together to get vaccinated and support the communities we are from.”

MINISTERIAL UPDATES Meanwhile, several Cabinet Ministers also

addressed the audience. Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill said that the government has awarded four contracts to the tune of almost $70M for sectional repairs of the main thoroughfare.

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, emphasised that Cabinet outreaches are reflective of the People’s Progressive Party’s approach to governance and has become a distinctive characteristic of the President Aliled administration.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, also spoke about the government’s plans to improve tourism in the area, while Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, used the op-

portunity to update the residents on the Guyana-Venezuela border case that is currently at the International Court of Justice.

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd; Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Godfrey Bess; Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr Nigel Hoppie; National Security Adviser, Captain Gerry Gouveia; and Member of Parliament, Attorney Sanjeev Datadin were also at the meeting. (Office of the President)

$1.2B secured for water treatment plant at Charity

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 12, 2021

–– facility will afford residents access to fully-treated water

RESIDENTS across the Essequibo Coast could expect improved water quality with the construction of a new water treatment plant at Charity, and the injection of $1.7 billion by the Ministry of Housing and Water for the continuous enhancement of water supply systems.

Addressing residents during day two of a Cabinet outreach in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam Region), Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, said that the region has only one water treatment plant which is located at Lima; this provides 41 per cent coverage.

“The only way to address the quality of your

water that you get in your taps, in your community, is to have more treatment plants…we have secured funding, and that’s a commitment by your government. Starting next year, from Charity, we’re investing US$6 million [$1.2 billion] for a treatment plant that will first service from Charity to Walton Hall,” Minister Croal said.

Already, some $1.7 billion was also allocated for continuous works to improve water quality in the region.

Minister Croal said that once the programme is completed, the region will have access to 100 per cent treated water. This, he said, is a demonstration

Resident, Mahadai Persaud

of the government’s commitment to improving the lives of citizens.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) spoke with several residents and many of them were thankful for this initiative.

One resident, Mahadai Persaud, said this initiative is a big “relief” for persons in the region.

“Right now, I am feeling very, very happy. I’m feeling great. The minister is doing his work and that is important to the people…It is a big relief to us since we are having water from GWI, and that is the quality of water we have been receiving all the time.

So, to have this matter resolved early next year, we the residents are very grateful,” she said.

Meanwhile, another resident, Micheal Persaud, commended the government for the work they have done so far.

“A lot of people as we know were waiting on the rainfall water and sometimes we get a long period of drought and we gotta utilise the tap water which is rusty. So, that will make persons lives way better,” Persaud said.

It was reported in June that more than 18,000 residents will soon be able to

access potable water after the National Assembly approved $683.5 million for water service.

Minister Croal was reported as saying residents in 35 communities in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and 10 are set to benefit.

“At Yarowkabra and Grand Sand, 2,000; La Parfaite Harmonie, Nismes, Sea View and Belle West, 2,000; Vryheid’s Lust, Success, Montrose, Felicity, Bachelor’s Adventure, 2,000; Alness, Crabwood Creek, Number 65, Number 59, another 2,000. Swan, Dora, Kuru Kuru, Kairuni, Long Creek, Loo Creek, Moblissa, another 18,000,” Minister Croal said.

Some 2,000 residents of Big Baiabu, Huntley, Good Faith, Number one, Number Three, Number Four, Number Eight, Number 11, Number 28, Number 29 and Number 30 villages will also access potable water when the mains are installed.

Another 6,000 residents in Moraikobai will also benefit from first-time access to clean water as the sums sought for this investment was also approved. Minister Croal said major works must be executed to effectively

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal serve the targeted commu- in Region Six at Alness, nities.

Crabwood Creek, Number He said there will also 65, Number 59. be the installation of a The ministry would four-inch distribution also be drilling wells and main at Yarowkabra and building distribution netGrand Sand at Soesdyke; works with photovoltaic extension of distribution systems at Swan, Dora, networks at La Parfaite Kuru Kuru, Kairuni, Long Harmonie, Nismes, Sea Creek, Loo Creek and View and Belle West.

Moblissa.

There are also plans to The distribution netinstall four-inch and six- work at St Cuthbert’s inch distribution mains at Mission will also be exVryheid’s Lust, Success, panded with the installaMontrose, Felicity and tion of new distribution Bachelor’s Adventure, mains to better serve while four-inch distribu- persons in Regions Five tion mains will be installed and Six.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 12, 2021

Region Two outreach to inform Budget 2022 –– Ministers Edghill and Bharrat tell residents

OVER the weekend, almost the entire People’s Progressive Party/Civic Cabinet has been conducting various outreaches throughout the communities of Region Two, Pomeroon-Supenaam.

These forums centre specifically on receiving feedback from residents, especially in relation to outstanding issues and concerns that they may have. According to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, the matters raised will help to inform the contents of the national 2022 budget – the third to be presented since August 2020.

During an outreach to Bethany village in the Supenaam River on Friday, Minister Edghill committed to remedying several issues affecting residents. These include the provision of a bigger school boat and en-

gine to transport in excess of 60 secondary school students to and from school on the Essequibo coast; the acceleration of the community’s electrification programme; and increased access to more lands for logging and other commercial activities.

Added to that, Minister Edghill also tasked one of the community support officers with compiling a list of persons who are in need of employment, so that they can be considered for various vacancies that exist within the region.

Edghill also visited the teachers at the Good Hope Nursery School Annex, also located along the Supenaam River. There, he committed to assisting electrification of the school building.

Later on Saturday, Minister Bharrat visited Aurora village where he encouraged residents to air their con-

cerns, since these will all be documented and considered as the government prepares the national 2022 budget.

Minister Bharrat during the engagement also made commitments to rectifying several issues affecting some of the residents, most particularly, a female logger within the community.

He also pleaded with the residents to get vaccinated so that Guyana can soon return to some level of normalcy.

Today, the government will bring the curtain down on its outreach and after a brief period of finalisation, a number of new initiatives to bring relief to the residents of Region Two.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill engages residents of Bethany village along the Supenaam River

Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat engages residents of Essequibo

Sunday, 12 September 09:30hrs - 10:30hrs

A resident shares her concern as a technical officer takes notes

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 12, 2021

Affiance, Columbia residents encouraged to join CPGs to enhance security

RESIDENTS of Affiance and Columbia, in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), were encouraged to volunteer with Community Policing Groups (CPGs) to enhance neighbourhood security.

This charge was made by Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, and Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud.

Both Ministers spearheaded discussions in the communities as part of a Cabinet outreach to the region led

by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. “There is a role for citizens to share the responsibility of being vigilant at the community level and to

forming CPGs. “That is something that you all should form […]and if the businessmen can come together and purchase a pickup, we can offer you duty free for that purpose,” Minister Persaud added.

Speaking on the sidelines of both meetings, residents commended the outreach, noting that they are proud of the works executed in their communities this year.

Ms. Nareefa Alliman told DPI she is particularly grateful for drainage works that have yielded much success. She said, “I had some flooding.

Since the excavators came and so we don’t have that problem no more. So, we are having good service.”

Another resident, Mr. Boodam Singh, echoed similar sentiments. He said, “before

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy and Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud engage residents at Affiance

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy and Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud walk through Affiance to inspect public infrastructure be able to help in curbing and minimising crime and criminal activity and that has always been traditionally the approach. All across the world we have Community Policing Groups [CPGs],” Minister McCoy stated.

Minister Persaud said the administration is willing to support those interested in

time, you used to get flooding because this [community] ground does normally flood.

This ground had about 6–7inch water, but since the work has been finished, good. Don’t have no problem, no complaint about the road, or about the drainage system because all the drainage intact.”

Both Ministers inspected

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community infrastructure identified by residents following the meetings.

The ministers pledged to

consult with their Cabinet colleagues on other matters outside of their portfolios.

(DPI)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

Twenty years later SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 will go down as one of the darkest and most bizarre moments in the history of the United States. A total of 2, 996 lives were lost in the attacks on the World Trade Centre located in Manhattan, New York. Among those who perished were 25 Guyanese.

The attacks were believed to be the work of Islamist terrorists, al-Qaeda, masterminded by Osama bin Laden. That action triggered a series of attacks against those believed to be involved.

The Taliban, in control of Afghanistan at the time, were accused of harbouring Osama bin Laden and his group of “terrorists”.

One direct consequence of the September 11 attacks was the decision taken by the George Bush administration to invade the country and

effect a regime change. What followed was nearly 20 years of military occupation, during which over 2,325 American military lives were lost. It is unclear as to exactly how many civilian lives were lost, but the damage done in terms of human and infrastructural resources was substantial.

After 20 years of military occupation and billions of dollars in financial and other forms of support, the Taliban is back in power. The United States has withdrawn from the country and has now formally ended all engagements at the political, diplomatic and military levels. What this means for the people of Afghanistan remains to be seen, but there are concerns about a return to extremist forms of rule, especially in terms of women and girls.

The jury is still out as to whether the so-called ‘war

on terrorism’ has achieved its intended objectives. Opinion in the United States and elsewhere is divided as to whether or not the world today is a safer place. There are some who are of the view that the terrorist network, globally, has been significantly de-mobilised, and that the world is now a much better place. Others are of the view that there is not much to show for the billions of dollars spent, and that the money could have been better spent on programmes to benefit the poor and the marginalised.

That debate will no doubt continue for some time.

The war on terrorism, it must be noted, was not confined to Afghanistan, but touched several other parts of the world which included Iraq, Libya and some parts of Africa. It precipitated the so-called ‘Arab Spring’,

which saw in its wake regime changes in several Arab states, including Tunisia, Libya and Iraq.

Within recent years, there has been a shift in United States foreign policy orientation to reflect greater ideological tolerance, human rights, environmental concerns, free trade and democratic consolidation. The support received by the United States in terms of the preservation and consolidation of democracy in the recent General and Regional elections in Guyana is indicative of that shift in policy orientation.

Twenty years after that fateful day, the United States’ administration continues to honour and pay tribute to all the brave men and women who defied the odds and went to the rescue of those trapped in the September 11 inferno. The memory of

those who perished has been inscribed in stone, and will forever remain in the collective memory of the American people.

The alleged mastermind behind the attacks, Osama bin Laden, had been captured and killed by the US Navy, but the memory of that attack will continue to linger for decades to come.

Meanwhile, relations between Guyana and the United States have never been as good. In his message of congratulation to the Guyanese people on the 51st Republic Anniversary, President Joe Biden spoke of the strong ties the two countries enjoyed. “Guyana,” he said, “is a strong democracy, and I look forward to strengthening our bilateral relationship, based on shared principles of good governance, prosperity and security.”

On his part, Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali described the relationship between the two countries as strong and valuable. At a function held to celebrate the 245th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, President Ali said that the two countries share “a strong, healthy, respectful, and valuable relationship”.

The foundation is laid for closer and more productive relations between Guyana and the United States, especially in the economic sphere. The discovery of oil in large commercial quantities, and the convergence of thinking in critical areas such as democracy, good governance, free trade and climate change have set the stage for a fruitful and mutually beneficial relationship between the two nations.

The world is moving towards mandatory vaccination Dear Editor:

CONSIDERING U.S. President Biden’s orders that all federal workers must be vaccinated and him encouraging private employers to require the same, the PNC unions -- GTU, GPSU, and TUC --must be feeling very foolish right now. History will record that at a time when the world faces an international health crisis, and the number of infections in Guyana is at an all-time high with more young children becoming infected by new strains of the deadly virus, that some Guyanese teachers and nurses have refused to be vaccinated

and their unions have sued the government for regulations introduced by the former PNC government. Why did these unions not sue the PNC and are now suing the PPP government?

Never mind that over five and a half billion people in 186 countries around the world have taken the vaccine. Guyana has some teachers and nurses who are “smarter” than people all over the world, and are refusing to take the vaccine and want the government to pay for their weekly tests. This is delusional thinking. They want to hold illegal strikes and expect the government to still pay them for not

working. I say good luck with that! No work, no pay. You chose that.

M r. B h a g w a n d i n makes the point that there is nothing else we can say to the unvaccinated to change their minds.

The words of Dr. Dimitri Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Hospital apply to Guyana: “People in this country have no appreciation of how fortunate we are and how easily we could return to some level of normalcy if everybody would just do their part, and I think it is unfortunately going to take sticks because we’re all out of carrots,”

Christakis said. U.S. Surgeon-General Dr. Vivek Murthy said, in order for the COVID-19 pandemic to end, “pre-emptive vaccination remains the key.”

In West Virginia, Governor, Jim Justice said hospitals in the state are still overwhelmingly inundated with cases of people that are not vaccinated.

“We just need to use good sense, and get ourselves vaccinated, and then we’ll stop this,” he said.

Guyana’s Catholic Bishop Alleyne said, “The severe threat of the pandemic and the increasing numbers of infections and deaths warrants [sic] strong measures and this asks of us, not only that we comply with reliable

scientific guidance but out of our Christian conviction, to go beyond the call and act in favour of the common good to the extent that it is necessary and involves sacrifice. ‘If anyone requires you to go one mile, go two miles with him’ (Matt. 5:41).” Bishop Alleyne said, “The term ‘Herd Immunity” has been presented to us. It means that when a high percentage of the population (80 per cent) has been vaccinated it becomes extremely difficult for the virus to spread. The science is sound on this and worthy of our trust. The official teaching of the Church is that we would all access

a vaccine and remain vigilant. I therefore give the strongest encouragement to our brothers and sisters who have still not been vaccinated to please reconsider your decision. I am calling on you to act in the interest of the common good and to do your part in safeguarding the well-being of all.” No similar calls came from the Guyana Evangelical Fellowship, the Georgetown Ministers Fellowship, the East Berbice-Corentyne Ministers Association, the Guyana Council of Churches, nor the Zadok Ministries.

Yours sincerely, Dr. Jerry Jailall

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

The evolution of an education system in 19th Century colonial British Guiana

BASED on available evidence, it is quite reasonable to conclude that very little was done during the long years of Dutch settlement and colonisation towards educating the enslaved population in their former colonies of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice. Such a situation was not entirely surprising as these earliest colonisers focused almost exclusively on trading and agricultural development.

Dutch planters were more obviously interested in the acquisition of large scale unskilled labour force for their estates, and, hence, they saw nothing advantageous to themselves and their associates in attaching any semblance to education. Whatever little opportunity availed itself to the enslaved came from the Church, and in particular the Dutch Reform Church, in the mode of evangelisation and with the emphasis on qualities of spiritual and moral goodness.

The immediate post cession years of British rule witnessed a general reluctance and even discouragement on the part of planters to educate the enslaved.

Indeed, education was far from being a governmental policy and planters were highly suspicious of missionary activities. Planters were, to a great extent, fearful that missionary work would go beyond the stage of proselytising and that their teaching might eventually incite the enslaved to rebel. With such an attitude around, the work of early missionaries was considerably hindered or even stymied from time to time.

For example, John Hawkshaw, a Meth-

odist clergyman, was promptly expelled in 1805 when he attempted to provide religious instruction to the enslaved. In 1823 Reverend John Smith , a prominent member of the London Missionary Society (LMS) was blamed and made to suffer for the East Coast Slave Insurrection. In the first place planters were concerned with their personal safety and also the economic stability and viability of their plantations. Coupled with this was their obvious fear and concern that “the notions of freedom and equality inherent in Christianity would lead to a disruption of slavery.

Despite tremendous odds the London Missionary Society, in particular, did reach out to some of the enslaved during the early stages of British rule. It was obvious that from the 1820s onwards some missionaries were making an impact in their efforts to educate the enslaved population.

It was the Anglican Church which established the St George’s Free School in 1824 and five years later this body followed up with the opening of the All Saints School in New Amsterdam. All the same one ought to concede that the overall situation was such that there was the existence of a “mere embryonic structure of elementary or primary education” in the immediate pre-emancipation era. It was only after 1834 that a formal system of elementary education emerged in the colony of British Guiana.

Following emancipation and under the apprenticeship system, all children of ex-slaves under the age of six years were regarded as free persons and this in

Historian, Tota Mangar

itself had serious implications. It led to the establishment of infant schools with the overall objective of providing day-care for children of the labouring class.

Furthermore, the British Government endorsed a plan for state subsidised religious and moral education. Towards this end it allotted the annual sum of twentyfive thousand pounds Parliamentary Grant for Negro Education in the British West Indies.

Of this figure the then British Guiana received a mere one thousand four hundred and thirty pounds. In any event the underlying motive for providing education to children at this particular juncture was seemingly to groom them to become good servants and not so much as making them fit to live in society.

The immediate impact of the Education Grant was a marked increase in the number of schools by various religious bodies. Most of these schools which emerged had their classes in church buildings and of significance was the fact that teachers were either clergymen or they were closely associated with the Church.

At this early stage the quality of education provided was grossly unsatisfactory due largely to inadequate numbers of qualified teachers.

As a result the monitorial system dominated

as monitors were used to teach the less academically gifted under the supervision of the schoolmaster. Moreover, there was a high degree of absenteeism by children. In any case, education, instead of affording the masses the opportunity of improving their lot, was subtly geared “towards the production of a servile, neo-citizenry who could remain a permanent labour force for the plantation system.”

It was not entirely surprising that from around 1845 several of the denominational schools ended in closures. Adequate finance was a major problem.

In this regard, a serious blow was dealt by the Colonial Office itself when it implemented a phased withdrawal of the annual Education Grant. Consequently, the onus was left on the local legislatures to shoulder the responsibility of financing education. This task was made even more difficult since various state-aided immigration schemes were given preference during this crucial stage of ‘crisis, change and experimentation’ and colonial British Guiana was no exception.

The Court of Policy, the colony’s highest decision- making body at the time, was prepared to offer only a pittance in terms of budgetary allocation towards education. Besides, the quality of education provided must have had a rebounding effect. It contributed to an attitude of nonchalance on the part of both parents and children towards the whole business of education.

Of added significance was the fact that the exslaves were moving off the plantations. With a mobile population resulting from both exo-

dus and immigration, it was rather unsettling for parents and children to view education seriously.

The depressing situation was further exacerbated by the Civil List crisis of 1848-1849.

The consequential stoppage of supplies led to a withdrawal of service of several headmasters because of the uncertainty of receiving salaries and education grants. School attendance was badly affected. Attendance fell from an average of 3,026 in 1848 to that of 1,686 the following year.

In 1848 Queen’s College was established and initially this development was primarily intended to provide for those whites who could ill-afford to send their children to Europe for a classical education. As a matter of fact non-whites had to be “extra-ordinarily gifted “ to find themselves at this institution and in 1848 only two Negro boys were attending the school in addition to white students.

Mr John Mc Swiney was appointed the first Inspector of Schools in 1849 and the following year a Board of Education was formed. Following his assumption of duty, Mc Swiney visited schools countrywide and he forwarded a detailed report for the general improvement of the education system. Among his recommendations were local governmental control of education, compulsory attendance at schools, better record keeping and more qualified teachers. Despite the calls there was very little encouragement from the highly influential and powerful plantocracy and the Inspector of Schools proposals never really got off the ground.

In 1850 a Commission was appointed by the then Governor, Henry Barkly, to outline plans for the introduction of popular education in the colony. It proposed among other things, the creation of local district boards, religious instruction to be made optional, the continued usage of Church facilities and expertise and the cost of education to be partially financed by an assessment tax on parents of recipients and partly by a colonial grant. These recommendations met with strong protest from religious bodies. Added to this were the government’s financial considerations and the intensification of various immigration schemes by the mid-19th century.

In the end, the plan was shelved and nothing tangible was done in terms of restructuring and education reforms.

Renewed efforts in that direction were to come under Governor Wodehouse’s Education Bill of 1855 which placed executive control over education.

Among its main aspects were a formal system of dual control of schools, by Church and State, a specified period for religious instruction, the remuneration of teachers on merit and the payment of school fees as sine qua non for the entitlement to government grants.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge that the month of September is designated Education Month with its theme “Education for All: Innovative Teaching and Learning in a Global Pandemic”. It also coincides with Amerindian Heritage Month.

A rewarding Education and Amerindian Heritage Month to one and all.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

The APNU+AFC has been trapped in its own boiler IN any normal circumstances, whenever a political party loses power, even in a fragile democracy, the pattern is, first, to acknowledge the will of the people, and, second, to have a deep introspective look using the following W’s: where, when, why and what went wrong. This approach does not mean that the losing party would return to power but it would certainly

prepare that party to be in a better position to win the next election, especially if the margin of defeat in the previous election was small. This is political science 101.

There have been a number of political parties around the world that have used the above approach to bounce back to power such as the Democratic Party in the United States and the St. Lucian Labour Party.

In Guyana, the PPP/C exhibited what it took to return to power by using its time in the opposition to regroup and eventually, capture the government in 2020. To wit, after being pushed into a minority government in 2011 and “lost” the 2015 general elections, PPP/C regrouped and launched an effective programme to return to power by connecting closely with the Guyanese community as well as taking

the then APNU+AFC coalition government to task for not living up to the sound and fair governance promised by its beleaguered politicians.

The outcome was that the PPP/C was able to regain much support it had lost in 2015 while the coalition buckled under consistent pressure from the likes of Bharat Jagdeo and Anil Nandlall.

One would expect the APNU+AFC opposition to catch on to some strategies the PPP/C used while in opposition, because, frankly speaking, the political landscape, the expectations of voters as well as the fate and face of Guyana share more similarities than differences. Whatever works for one political party to bring it to power might very well work for another political party. What is different is the journey to successful leadership.

The borrowing of ideas from each other is not a regular thinking of our dear politicians in dear Guyana. They rather, as seen in the case of the opposition, even when succor is needed, prefer to navigate the strictures of their own unbridled political domain commonly known as “jungle” politics.

So we ask, you the opposition, what is your plan for Guyana? If you are governed by whims and caprices who prefer ethnic bigotry and partisan disposition celebrated by undeserved backwardness and mediocrity, we still need to know. This is the conclusion through careful

deductive assessment.

We suggest further that if there are some tinderbox impulses at the nerve centre of opposition that prevent it from functioning, this is the time to walk and talk.

Instead of playing up to the political gallery of concealing schisms, the opposition needs to re-route its thinking by leveling with its supporters, in particular, and Guyanese in general. The nation is ready, as so declared in the dailies, to settle on even a half-baked mutually agreed sort of plan from the opposition. Any deviation from the above reality check is a ticket to remain in the opposition for a long time to come. Commonsense would lead to declaring that whatever the opposition was doing, despite how great, while in government, would not work when out of government. So we know what the opposition’s plan was when in government but we do not know its plan now as an opposition.

The longer the opposition takes to come off its cozy chamber to declaring a plan to Guyanese, the harder it would become to sell its plan to the nation. It does not get any more simplistic than this.

The main hiccup, I reckon, within the opposition is the sandstorm of resistance to accepting that it lost the March 2, 2020, general election, and in so doing, has brought unnecessary heat onto itself. The opposition has been trapped in its own boiler, gravi-

tating towards anomie. What the resistance has validated is that the opposition is willing to accept only victory at the polls even if that means attempts to rig the general elections all over again in front of thousands watching in person and on social media. What should be worrisome to any normal individual is that rigging of elections is a cardinal sin that is really a continuum for the riggers. To these pro-riggers, elections and the voters’ right to declare their feelings at the polls are simply a decorative decorum of democracy. It is their duty to rig. The question is, what can we do as a nation to forestall future attempts to rig elections in Guyana? I know the PPP/C, in conjunction with regional and international partners, is working hard to have the right mechanisms in place to ensure free and fair elections in Guyana. This is a step in the right direction, but the million-dollar question is, would the people who are entrusted to carrying out their duties impartially and morally, do so?

We can only know the answer to this question when the day arrives. Meanwhile, we are waiting patiently for any plans from the APNU+AFC opposition to move Guyana forward. (lomarsh. roopnarine@jsums. edu).

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 12, 2021

Youth volunteer, Christopher Belfield goes to law school – seeks help to fund journey

By Richard Bhainie

THE life of 24-year-old Christopher Belfield was not an easy one. Like many others, he struggled to make ends meet while studying for his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and juggling multiple jobs.

But he still found time to volunteer and poured himself into community development and now, his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer is almost a reality as he has been accepted to study at the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS).

During an interview with the Sunday Chronicle, Belfield detailed his journey, outlining the challenges he faced in order to get to the point of being accepted to read for his Legal Education Certificate (LEC) at HWLS, as well as those which can possibly hinder him completing his legal studies, namely, his tuition fees.

“In Primary School, my goal was to become a lawyer, despite not knowing exactly what that was. I just knew that I had a passion for ensuring that the persons around me weren’t taken advantage of, and that I positioned myself to represent them to avoid such,” Belfield said.

But despite working a full-time job at a law firm, while at the same time doing a part-time evening job at a call centre and also working as an events co-ordinator on the weekends, Belfield is still unable to reach the G$3,285,996 to pay for only his first year, with his second year rapidly approaching.

“I stem from humble beginnings. For a significant fragment of my childhood life I grew up with my mom, Christine Belfield, who didn’t enjoy the best of health in a room with at least one wall bordered by cartoon boxes which I often spent time reading the print off of, in a house of at least 15 people at any given time with no electricity,” the aspiring lawyer told the Sunday Chronicle.

Despite his circumstances and environment, at no point did he feel as though he was lacking resources and his mother was determined to ensure that he achieves his full potential which kept the flame of his childhood dream burning.

Belfield left the St. Gabriel’s Primary School, Georgetown, and made his way to Queens College (QC) in 2009 where he completed his Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) studies in 2014 and Caribbean Advanced

Christopher Belfield Proficiency Examination (CAPE) studies in 2016.

“After successfully securing 14 CSEC subjects, I sought employment and decided I’d enrol in UG a year prior and one of my teachers Ms. Stewart was the one who called me back, paid for my registration and said I should continue QC and do CAPE,” he said.

He added, “I obtained seven units at CAPE; my next goal was to secure an LLB. My parents separated during that period after almost 30 years of marriage, so that posed its own challenges,” he added.

In 2016, Belfield enrolled with the University of London (UoL) to read for his LLB and he commenced his studies with a local teaching institution; however, he had to opt to teach himself to be able to effectively manage his studies.

When he commenced his legal studies, he started teaching at a secondary education institution; however, that was short-lived and he quickly sought to secure employment in the legal arena to develop his requisite skills; he then joined the Ibis Law Chambers as a paralegal.

“I fished for a job by calling most of the city firms and enquiring about vacancy [sic] since the process of applications was a waste of time and money. Mr. Leslie Sobers, attorney-at-law, hired me and has been an exceptional guide,” Belfield said.

Starting off with a salary of $50,000, Belfield said he accepted it gracefully because, for him, being in the legal profession was much more than the financial gain despite the heavy financial obligations of studies and the other aspects of life.

“Working became more than a job, it’s a lifestyle; the hours are long and the demands are endless. There’s never a time when my phone

isn’t going off with messages or calls either from a client, staff, friend or a stranger.

“What’s a file for me is life for a client and that’s how I have had to approach my career in law; understanding that people just don’t walk in our doors for legal help, but for therapy and solving life issues beyond my vision.

That’s the reason I’ve been so passionate and so committed,” the young legal student contended.

His stint as a paralegal lasted for five years until he was recently accepted to finish his studies and qualify as an attorney-at-law.

“I funded the majority of my studies through supplemental employment at nights at a call centre (Qualfon) and on the weekends do [sic] multiple gigs and also through bank loans. My two brothers, father and mom would support me when I made rare requests.

“It was frustrating and definitely tiring because of how much I had to manage, but I knew It was a necessary undertaking in realising my goal,” he added.

During his academic journey, Belfield also remained committed to serving those around him. He was responsible for forming the Leo Club of Bel Air in November, 2017 and is currently the President of that club.

He is also a member of Policy Forum Guyana, the ASPIRE Youth Network and he formed part of a Commonwealth Conference which dealt with Advancing Towards the Future with Emerging Technologies and Artificial Intelligence in 2021.

“I was also one of the awardees of the Caribbean Community Aspire Youth Empowerment Programme in 2020 which sought to train selected youth across the Caribbean in financial literacy, leadership, business planning, sales, marketing & networking, prototype and modelling,” Belfield noted.

Most recently, he was elected to serve as the Public Relations Officer of the Queen’s College Old Students’ Association and has taken up the post of President of the Heart to Art Foundation, which is focused on youth empowerment, education and social development.

In 2019 he was accepted to attend the Nottingham Trent University to read for the Legal Practitioners Programme to qualify as a solicitor in the United Kingdom and also to do a Master Degree; however, COVID-19 did not allow that.

“I felt it was the universe’s way of giving me

a break and [a] time to focus on my mental and emotional self [sic] which was pertinent, since I come from a family that suffers heavily from mental illness.

I lost an extremely brilliant cousin in 2018 to suicide,” he said.

Now that he has been offered a place at the HWLS, Belfield is committed to using the legal fraternity to foster a better environment and society through just, equitable opportunities for every Guyanese.

“I understand that before I’m able to effect the change in society that I envision myself doing, I first need to work on acquiring the necessary tools, not just academically, but spiritually, mentally and emotionally, that’s my aim right now.

“I’ve seen so many persons try to conquer the world without first understanding its needs, without understanding how to successfully navigate it and most importantly, failing to realise how they fit into the grand puzzle,” he added.

Belfield expressed appreciation to all those who helped with his journey, and while he has gathered substantive knowledge in law and legal procedures, he said he is entering HWLS with an open mind, hungry to grasp every single concept and committing to remaining disciplined and humble.

Persons desirous of assisting Belfield to realise his dream can contact him on telephone number 657-0584 or email christopher_timeka@yahoo.com.

Christopher Belfield assisting with a feeding programme through the Leo Club of Bel Air

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

Concerns registered, authorities commit to fulfilling promises AT the culmination of a two-day Cabinet outreach to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Ministers of Government affirmed that most of the concerns raised by residents will be addressed within weeks, while others will be resolved before the end of this year.

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Are the COVID-19 vaccines safe and effctive? ...The Delta Variant and what we need to know

Dr. Shivani Samlall.

MBBS, Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology with a sub-specialty in Gynecology Oncology, with over 10 years of practice. She also holds a Post graduate diploma in Clinical Trials and Research. Dr Samlall can be contacted at drshivanisamlall26@gmail. com I HAVE noticed many concerns on social media, the majority of which have questioned the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines and, more so, the effectiveness of the vaccines against the COVID-19 Delta variant. My column this week therefore aims to address some of these issues, with the hope that I can assist my readers to make informed decisions with regards to the vaccines.

While it is understandable that we question the science with regards to the vaccines, and are hesitant to take same, we must remember that we are in a pandemic, one which, in over a year, has affected more than 222 million people worldwide and has caused over 4.59 million deaths. And in Guyana, as of September 9th, over 27,300 persons have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and over 659 persons have died from it. Importantly, these numbers will continue to increase unless we take the necessary steps in curbing the spread of this disease.

Thus far, the science has been clear on how we can go about achieving this: vaccines, face masks, social distancing, hand washing/ sanitising.

SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VACCINES First, some argue that only the Pfizer has been given FDA approval and therefore the other vaccines are not safe nor effective against COVID-19.

But, for all the vaccines to have been given an emergency approval for usage in the general population, rigorous testing had to be done to ensure that they are safe and effective against the virus. Which meant that, like any new drug, all the vaccines had to be subjected to various phases of clinical trials before that could have happened.

HOW SAFE ARE THE COVID-19 VACCINES? Most persons are fearful of the side effects of the vaccines. But before I discuss this, let’s have some perspective. So far, over 5.64 billion doses of these vaccines have been given worldwide, with over 2.32 billion persons having been fully vaccinated. How many reports of serious complications have you seen or heard?

While some might argue that the side effects are not being reported by the vaccine companies, let me clarify this. It is not the vaccine companies but an Advisory Committee of Immunisation Practices (ACIP) which is responsible to report “ALL” side effects that are related to these vaccines.

The ideal scenario would be a vaccine without any side effects. However, the reality is that vaccines like any medication, all have side effects.

Have you noticed all the side effects of Panadol, Ibuprofen and Vitamin

supplements? Or even the herbal medication that we take or are advocating for use against COVID-19?

If you haven’t, I encourage you to research them.

Yet, most of us, take these medications daily without any hesitancy.

The fact is, for any medication or vaccine to be given approval for usage, the question that health organisations must ask is: “Do the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks of possible side effects?” In the case of the COVID-19 vaccines, the answer is undeniably a “Yes”! These vaccines prevent us from getting severe disease, being hospitalised and dying.

While most of the side effects of these vaccines are similar to any childhood vaccine (swelling, pain and redness to the injection site, fever, etc,) there have been reports of blood clots, myocarditis (swelling to the heart muscle), etc. However, these are rare and are treatable.

Importantly, blood clots occur more often in pregnant women and with birth control pills than in persons who received their COVID-19 vaccines.

With regards to swelling of the heart muscle, a CDC MMMR report found that Myocarditis occurs more frequently among COVID-19 patients (150 per 100,000 cases as compared to nine per 100,000 cases) in persons who took the vaccines, which means that a person is 16 times more likely to have myocarditis with COVID-19 than if they take the vaccine!

Additionally, some ar-

gue, of the uncertainty of the long-term side effects of the vaccines. What I would like to highlight on that is, “If” we survive COVID-19, are we aware of the long-term complications that we would have to live with? While some of these complications are still unknown, studies have found that the patients who have recovered from the disease are having chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pains, chest pain, fast or pounding heartbeat, constant shortness of breath, to name a few, most of which occur as a result of permanent damage to the heart, lungs and brain amongst other organs. There are also reports of infertility after COVID-19. The next big question is...

HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE COVID-19 VACCINES? To begin with, I must make mention that no vaccine is 100 per cent effective in preventing a disease. Additionally, clinical trials and realworld data have shown and continue to show that all the COVID-19 vaccines are very effective in preventing symptomatic disease, hospitalisation and death. Granted all the vaccines do not have the same efficacy profile, with some being more effective than some, the bottom line is, you are at a lesser risk being vaccinated than being unvaccinated. In the US, before the Delta variant of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus was identified, there was a steady decline since January 2021 in the number of COVID-19 cases, of hospitalisations and deaths after the introduc-

tion of the vaccines.

Iceland, a country that had a high incidence of COVID-19 cases, has been able to reduce its numbers and had no COVID-19 death since May of this year, all due to widespread vaccination. Besides these countries, studies after studies are demonstrating that vaccinated persons are less likely to suffer severe disease, be hospitalised and die from COVID-19. Look at us in Guyana, for the months of July and August, 54 out of 56 persons and 87 out of 92 respectively, admitted in ICU were unvaccinated.

Additionally, the number of persons who have died from COVID-19 that have been vaccinated are few, and their death according to the Minister of Health was as a result of multiple underlying comorbidities.

This brings me to the final big concern of many persons…

ARE THE VACCINES EFFECTIVE AGAINST THE DELTA VARIANT? To date, several variants of the original virus have been identified. The most concerning of these is the Delta variant. This variant was first detected in India in December 2020 and by May 19, 2021 (in five months!) had been detected in 43 countries. This explains how extremely contagious this variant is!

One infected person can transmit the virus to nine persons compared to the original virus whereby one person can transmit the virus to about two persons.

It is also responsible for the surge in cases, in ICU admissions and in deaths

as seen in many countries, including Guyana. Look at our stats, we have had a threefold increase in COVID-19 cases in May and in the last 10 days ? 44 persons have died!

This variant is one of the main reasons why Israel, despite having vaccinated over 50 per cent of its population, has not been able to experience a decline in its COVID-19 numbers.

However, the good news is, all the studies, including those from Israel have shown that all the vaccines are effective against the Delta variant.

WHAT MUST WE LEARN FROM THE DELTA VARIANT! This variant if anything, has demonstrated the urgency in which we need to vaccinate to achieve herd immunity.

Without herd immunity, we open the doors for more aggressive variants to emerge - variants which the current vaccines might not be effective against.

We must also learn from other countries such as Israel that unless we achieve herd immunity, we cannot and should not relax our COVID-19 guidelines.

In Conclusion: The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, even against the Delta variant.

We need to achieve herd immunity if we are to, once and for all, end this pandemic. For that to occur, we must all play our part. The science shows that vaccination, along with other prevention strategies such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, handwashing/sanitising is our safest bet in surviving and ending this pandemic.

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Recognise depression and advocate treatment

THE local COVID-19 victims, in excess of 660 persons to date, have left behind their bereaved family members to face life’s challenges without them. Apart from the number of persons associated with the death toll, over 27,000 persons who were infected would have gone through some period of stress not fully confident of their recovery; “a second chance” for which they ought to be extremely grateful.

In the US, during the pandemic, elevated levels of poor

mental health were reported such as substance abuse, suicidal ideation, anxiety and depressive disorders. Such disorderly outbursts were seen in the 4,184 cases reported by the Federal Aviation Administration where “strange” behaviours were displayed by passengers which caused fights, abuse and drama.

Although stats were not published in Guyana on mental health for the corresponding period, you can conclude that these challenging times determine who sink or swim to shore. The synergistic crip-

pling effect of the pandemic and climate change on the economy has impacted negatively on the individuals’ earning capacity fuelling depression. Further, working under stressful conditions, especially the front line workers who make daily sacrificial choices to help others, contribute to mental breakdown.

Depression is a chronic medical condition which occurs when the brain reacts to the stressors (those situations which trigger stress) thereby creating a chemical imbalance. The brain is wired like

a circuit to transmit information via neurotransmitters known as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. In a depressed patient’s brain there is a serotonin deficiency.

RECOGNISING DEPRESSION Emotional symptoms include sadness (not just a temporary mood), uncontrollable crying, loss of interest in the things you once liked doing, feeling guilty or unworthy, restlessness, cannot concentrate and make decisions.

Physical symptoms are fatigue, lack of energy, changes in weight due to changes in eating patterns (some overeat while some lose their appetite). Additional symptoms may include irritability, anxiety and thoughts of death and suicide. Note that these are not signs of personal weakness.

In a different era, some of the most intelligent, talented and famous persons suffered from depression. We were either inspired, charmed or entertained by these wellknown persons shown in the photos below, without an inkling that they struggled with depression at some point in their lives. Two of the four highlighted have passed on.

Therefore let’s reach out to those suffering in our midst by recognising this chronic illness.

Just to understand what a depressed person go through, take a peek into the low moments of these phenomenal and talented souls.

Princess Dianna Jim Carrey Asley Judd Michael Jackson PRINCESS DIANNA In a 1995 interview conducted by the BBC, Diana revealed that she had suffered from post-partum depression after her first son, Prince William was born.

She admitted to self-injuring due to the pressure she felt trying to adapt to her role as Princess of Wales, but said it backfired since rather than getting her the help she needed, it made people believe she was attention-

seeking and unstable. She also confessed to secret binging and purging of food to help her deal with her marital problems.

JIM CARREY In the 60 Minutes interview he explained, “There are peaks, there are valleys. But they’re all kind of carved and smoothed out, and it feels like a low level of despair you live in. Where you’re not getting any answers, but you’re living OK. And you can smile at the office. You know? But it’s a low level of despair.

ASHLEY JUDD Spoke about her problems with food addiction which was spotted by her sister’s counsellor. For the first time someone was validating the emotional pain that Ashley felt. She quoted in Glamour “I was unhappy and now I’m happy. Now, even when I’m having a rough day, it’s better than my best day before treatment.”

The lyrics of Michael Jackson songs speak for itself.

Some red alert quotes you will hear from a depressed person: “I feel sad all the time and just don’t feel like myself.”

“I don’t enjoy being with my friends and doing any of the things I usually love to do.”

“I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately.”

“Sometimes I feel like my life is not worth living anymore.”

“I feel like I don’t have any energy.”

“I’m not really interested in eating.”

“Even after a long day I still feel restless.”

“I feel so indecisive and that I can’t make any decisions.”

So how do you help? By showing a little more compassionate and less judgement, giving unconditional love (love without any conditions or requirements which we impose or expect as a parent, spouse or partner), encouraging exercise, meditation and prayers, giving positive counsel and engaging in discussion especially if suicidal

thoughts are mentioned and most importantly, suggesting that the depressed person visit a doctor. Medications may be required in moderate or severe cases. If the patient is put on medication he /she must be monitored since it has been established that some of these antidepressants have induced suicidal ideation.

Anti-depressants are POMs (prescription only medications) and follow up for patient monitoring is advisable since it may take 2-3 weeks before the optimum effect is reached. This explains why you need this same time lapse before switching any treatment regime. There are three prevalent categories of anti-depressants today namely SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), SNRI (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) and NDRI (norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors). In the earlier days MAOI (monoamine-oxidase inhibitors) were prescribed but to a lesser degree than the tricyclics due to their side effects and drug interactions with other medications and certain foods.

Some popular SSRI are fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine whilst the popular SNRI are Cymbalta and Effexor XR. However in Guyana the tricyclics are most commonly prescribed such as amitriptyline and imipramine. Wellbutrin marketed by GlaxoSmithKline is a NDRI which is not only indicated for depression but also cessation of smoking.

The most common side effects of antidepressants are headache, dry mouth, dizziness, diarrhea / constipation and insomnia or drowsiness.

For further advice consult the pharmacist at Medicine Express PHARMACY located at 223 Camp Street, between Lamaha and New Market Streets. If you have any queries, comments or further information on the above topic kindly forward them to medicine.express@gmail.com or send them to 223 Camp Street, N/burg. Tel #225-5142.

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Guyana set to benefit from advances in oil spill response

ALTHOUGH exceedingly rare, oil spills are one of the most talked about risks to oil and gas development.

Beginning in part with the historic 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska when the true impacts of oil spills were realised, billions have

been spent on research and the development of new techniques to ensure that spill risks are significantly minimised and cleanup is more efficient and effective.

From new monitoring technologies to physical removal developments to the

introduction of dispersants, oil spills are becoming less of a development risk, especially since the Deepwater Horizon incident in 2010, which led to a flood of new technologies and practices to minimise future damage. Furthermore, robust international standards

have been created to help guide development in the industry and ensure that all countries, including Guyana, have the capabilities to minimise environmental harm.

While oil spills are a serious matter, it is important to understand the extensive

Guyana needs

responsible Opposition leadership SINCE Guyana entered the 2000s, there has been no effective leadership in the opposition political camp except from 2015 to 2020 when Dr Bharrat Jagdeo led the People’s Progressive Party Civic.

All of the opposition leaders appeared to be lacking the energy, commitment, political zeal, vision, strategy, and tactics for the job.

They do not read and think beyond the surface. These leaders go with the wave or ride the tide set by their political party. After all, their supporters could be unreasonable and adopt the wrong position. These leaders do not try to guide them to the light or even tell them they are wrong. Finally, they failed in their bids to be responsible, honest and some lacked the integrity in politics for the job.

Sadly, they are not very enterprising, clever, and politically savvy to understand how the minds of Guyanese think and work. They do not understand the mood of the people at elections time and the period that follows.

The opposition is not short on talent, expertise, qualifications, or personal attributes to get the job done.

The most militant and re-

sponsible Opposition Leader of the 2000s would be Mr. Desmond Hoyte. He had all of the qualities referred to above but could not understand the mood of the people. He was good at holding his support but could not contain the extremism and racially insensitive views.

This fact, coupled with the internal fight he was facing in the PNC did not allow him to be very successful.

After giving his best to the job, he died in 2003.

Soon after, Robert Corbin slid his way into the top office. Many in the PNC thought some more intelligent statesman-like politicians could have done the job better. But Mr. Corbin came in a time where he could have shaped the opposition political arena in 2003. The others did not understand the mood of the people specifically, the black PNC supporters and underprivileged. Mr. Corbin took Jagdeo and PPP to task in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2011. But soon, the extremism in the party and similar movement would start to die, giving way to the politics of development, responsibility, and shared governance. It was time for a new approach, and Mr.

Corbin had already suffered defeat at the hands of Jagdeo and PPP twice.

Despondent and tired, he had one last thing to do before bowing out. He could not trust anyone within the party leadership to lead. If he did, the PNC/R would descend into chaos, so he plotted Mr. David Granger’s entrance into the political arena.

Granger cleverly figured out how to form the opposition coalition APNU. The PNC took a back seat and ushered in the talk of shared governance, national unity, and reconciliation and healing. Soon the Working People Alliance and the Alliance For Change opposition parties were wowed into joining this Coalition and together, they managed to wrestle power from the PPP. In steps Jagdeo went to the front of the then opposition PPP. He managed to unite the party regardless of the internal criticisms.

Jagdeo went about it most quietly and uncharacteristically. He locked himself with a few close persons and used the strategy and people-centred politics to get back the government.

As Opposition Leader, Jagdeo used intellect, vi-

sion, zeal, and integrity to unseat the Granger Government. But he did not barter the opportunity to be responsible and honest when there was the need to be. It took long, but he met every challenge as Opposition Leader.

And finally, we have come to the worse Opposition Leader since 2000.

Joseph Harmon has shown no leadership traits. He does not strike as having the appetite for politics and good governance. Harmon has done well in the realm of politics of opportunism because it appears that the members of the opposition APNU+AFC are jumping on every single opportunity foolishly. He allows the irresponsible and racist agenda to run wild in his camp. Harmon is no strategist. He is tone-deaf to the mood of the people. He has no support that matters in the PNC. Arguably, honesty and integrity appear to be distant. Truths and facts are hardly ever-present. Having a good understanding of politics and the mood of people is a foreign concept to the opposition.

Guyana needs an effective Opposition Leader.

planning and preparedness processes that are put in place to avoid spills and improve cleanup efforts even in the extremely unlikely event of a spill. These standards and best practices are paramount all over the world, and, in Guyana, as operators continue to invest in, and develop, the country’s growing oil and gas sector.

When an area is slated for oil and gas development, contingency plans, or formal response plans, with the proper resources and systems available to act quickly in the event of an oil spill, are put in place.

These plans generally include a national governing body of the home government to provide uniform response no matter where a spill may occur, with the ability to tailor response based on the specific situation. In the United States, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. National Coast Guard are jointly responsible for all oil spills on land or in water.

However, in the event of a spill all parties involved – operators, producers, transport, and governments – work together in the cleanup.

Again, today, due to investment and technological improvements, oil spills are far less common than they were 50 years ago, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

In addition to fewer spills, the spills that do occur are significantly smaller. This is thanks to modern technologies, like the sensitive systems that monitor oil and gas infrastructure for any changes and can alert operators to possible problems before they result in larger issues. This helps prevent a large number of spills.

To further increase safety and reduce risks in the event of a spill, many operators also have standing contracts with specialised private spill response companies to supplement in-house capabilities to ensure the fastest and most comprehensive response possible.

In addition to preventative innovations, containment and recovery techniques have also improved. In the event of an oil spill, the primary response strategy required by most nations is mechanical

recovery. As oil spreads on the water surface, floating barriers called booms are used to assist in containing the further spread of oil and to collect the oil for disposal.

Once these barriers are set up, recovery can begin.

There are three different types of equipment that can physically remove oil from water: booms, skimmers, and sorbents. Booms allow oil to be funnelled into a small location where it can then be pumped back into tanks onboard ships.

Skimmers move along the water’s surface to collect and store oil which can then be transferred to larger holding tanks. Sorbents are materials that absorb oil but are water resistant and are best used for small spills or in hardto-reach areas. Each of these methods has benefits and drawbacks depending on the type and size of spill.

Today, technologies have become even more advanced than simply collecting oil into a smaller area. Dispersants, which are chemical agents, help break down oil into smaller droplets which are more easily diluted by water. While dispersants do not remove the oil from the water, the smaller oil particles break down more easily and have minimal impacts on the environment when used offshore.

Naturally occurring bacteria that already decompose crude oil particulates also help this decomposition process. Dispersants have relatively few environmental impacts when used properly and are more effective than collecting and skimming oil off the water’s surface. Despite public concerns about broad use, dispersants are just one tool among many that can be a vital part of the response to large spills, if used safely.

Although the chance of an oil spill is extremely low, these technological and chemical developments can help further reduce any impacts in the event that a spill does occur. As the oil and gas sector continues to develop, these approaches play an important role in ensuring that Guyana is as prepared as it possibly can be.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

Teachers who did not strike should _ not fear GTU backlash MoE says

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand

THE Ministry of Education is advising teachers who have not taken part in the recent Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) strike action not to be fearful of any threats of backlash being peddled by the GTU. The Education Ministry noted in a press release on Saturday that since the strike actions began earlier this week, several recipients of GTU-facilitated Government of Guyana scholarships have complained

that they are being told their scholarship would be in jeopardy if they do not participate in the strike. The ministry seized the opportunity to remind everyone that the GTU cannot revoke scholarships granted to any teacher.

“The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Service, wishes to make explicitly clear that scholarships are not granted based on any-

one’s political affiliation, nor whether they support strike action or not, and would not be taken away because of the same,” the Ministry of Education said.

The ministry further highlighted that the GTU does not have jurisdiction to revoke “any scholarship” that was granted to a teacher by the Government of Guyana, even if said scholarship came from the arrangement between the Government and the Union.

The release further noted that the Ministry of Education is aware that the promise of duty-free concessions and the power to withhold said concessions are being used in these circumstances to gain participation in the strike.

“We reject all attempts by politicallymotivated forces within the GTU to threaten those teachers who have chosen not to participate in the present strike action, and ask that good

sense prevail as we work in earnest to move the education system forward, and meaningfully engage our children academically at this time of international crisis.

The Ministry of Education is making it clear to teachers who do not want to participate in strike action that they cannot, and will not be punished, and that the Ministry will guarantee their protection,” the ministry stated in its release.

Speeding GDF rank in stable -after crashing into condition Russian Embassy A FORTY-TWO-year-old Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Corporal is in a stable condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital after he crashed his car PYY991 into the Russian Embassy on the Rupert Craig Highway in the wee hours of Saturday.

Police Headquarters reported that Dwayne Samuels, who is stationed at Camp Ayanganna and resides at

Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara, was speeding west along the highway at around 01:12 hours when he lost control while navigating the turn at the Russian Embassy.

Police said the GDF rank collided into a billboard situated on the western parapet; the car toppled further in a western direction and then

collided into a concrete block before it flipped over the concrete fence and then came to a halt in the compound of the Russian Embassy.

Members of the Guyana Fire Service were summoned and later removed the driver who was in a semi-conscious state. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital by the EMTs.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

Revamped extension services underway

–Agri. Minister tells Reg. 2 farmers

By Rehana Ahmad IN an effort to strengthen the support given to farmers at the regional level, the Ministry of Agriculture has embarked on a comprehensive effort to revamp its extension services, according to subject minister, Zulfikar Mustapha.

He assured the farmers of Aurora village, Essequibo that extension officers would have to either be willing to provide improved services or step down from their posts.

Minister Mustapha made quick to make specific reference to the flood relief grants, and the fact that he has received reports of misconduct by some extension officers, who were allegedly unethical in their compilation of the list of potential grants recipients.

“I told the officers this morning [Saturday] that I heard they are putting in their friends and family on the list,” Minister Mustapha related.

With similar complaints surfacing in many other regions, including Regions Five, the Agriculture Minister had previously informed that a widespread investigation was underway to determine whether the allegations were true.

Mustapha said that if these are found to be factual, the errant extension officers will be penalised accordingly.

“We don’t want anybody who is not entitled to be on the list,” Mustapha stressed, as he encouraged residents to be the government’s eyes and ears on the ground.

“We depend on the locals; we depend on people like you,” he noted. According to Mustapha, in an effort to ensure that the flood relief grants are disbursed in a fair and transparent manner, the Audit Office was called in to overlook the process, to ensure that it is being executed in accordance with best practices. “It’s taxpayers’ money and we have to be accountable for it,” Mustapha stressed.

It was on August 1, 2021, that President Ali announced his government’s intention to provide financial assistance to various categories of persons who had been affected by the ongoing floods, which started more than three months ago.

President Ali had said then that the assistance will cover various categories of households and farmers, and that it will not exceed a ceiling of $10 million per individual.

“In these categories, farmers within the context of a homestead would receive $100,000 each; those with kitchen gardens will receive $50,000 each, and households excluding homestead and kitchen garden will receive 50,000 each,” the Head of State said.

He noted that approximately 52,000 households across 300 communities had been affected by the unprecedented levels of floodwaters.

“The combined assistance to homestead farmers, kitchen gardens and households for these categories will be in excess of $3.5 billion,” the President related.

He recognised, too, that the rains had a significant impact on the rice sector, with approximately 50,000 acres and 2,000 farmers being directly affected. As a result, support will be given to rice farmers on a categorised basis.

“For rice that was ready to harvest but lost in the floods, $80,000 per acre would be given to those farmers. For rice sown and lost in the autumn crop, these farmers will receive $65,000 per acre. For land that was completely prepared but was not sown, $45,000 per acre would be given to these farmers,” President Ali specified.

In addition to this, he said that 60,000 bags of seed paddy would also be made available for rice farmers.

“The combined assistance in these four categories would be in excess of $3.2 billion,” Dr. Ali noted.

He said that support for the livestock industry will also be given, based on categories of subsistence farmers, small farmers, medium farmers, and large-scale farmers. So far, in excess of 2,000 livestock farmers have been affected.

“In total, these four categories will benefit from in excess of $600 million direct transfers,” President Ali added. In reminding Essequibians of the various categories of flood relief, Minister Mustapha said that the monies are not compensation for losses, but rather,

a grant for farmers to “get back on the their feet.”

BRIGHT FUTURE Once flood-affected farmers recover, Minister Mustapha said that Guyana’s agriculture sector is poised for exponential growth and transformation.

To begin with, the minister said that Guyana has already reassumed its position as the leading agriculture nation within the Caribbean.

For the sector to develop even further, Mustapha emphasised the need for farmers to pursue resilient farming, using alternatives such as shade houses, and investing in agro-processing initiatives.

In advocating for the latter, the minister gave an example of a sweet potato farmer who just sells his produce at the market, while another farmer invests in peeling, chipping, and packaging the same produce and selling it at increased prices both locally and internationally.

As a means of building the regions’ processing capabilities, Mustapha said that the Pomeroon-Supenaam region will soon benefit from the establishment of a stateof-the-art agro-processing plant at Anna Regina.

The project is being executed at a cost of $60 million and will be located in a separate building adjacent to the Guyana School of Agriculture’s (GSA) Region Two campus.

ISSUES SOLVED Aside from outlining the ministry’s plans and programmes, Minister Mustapha opened the forum for residents to outline whatever issues are bothering them.

This aspect of the forum was particularly welcomed by the residents, especially farmers, who raised issues mainly relating to the need for improved drainage and better farming roads.

Minister Mustapha, accompanied by his technical staff, noted the complaint and contact details of the residents, and promised to have all the issues resolved.

The minister explained that of the issues raised, those that can be remedied immediately will be done, while those that require significant funds will be considered as part of government’s compilation of the national 2022 budget.

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha taking notes of a resident’s concern

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

‘PanJazz’ to become tourism attraction _scholarship fund to be launched, concert set for Oct. 3

GUYANA’S premier and only music concert, which fuses the traditional sounds of jazz with the Caribbean flavourful rhythm of vibrant steel-pan to craft an exuberant experience, PanJazz, is taking aim to one day become a reason why tourists flock to the South American nation.

The vision of metamorphizing this local music concert into one of Guyana’s

most enthralling music festivals is being executed by the founder and creative director of PanJazz Concerts, 24-year-old Reon Miller, who shared a synopsis of the blueprint and his journey thus far, during an interview with the Sunday Chronicle.

In anticipation of attending the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS), Miller started the PanJazz Concerts in 2018 while pursuing his

Bachelor of Law (LLB) at the University of Guyana with the intention of paying his school fees; accordingly, he is desirous of launching the PanJazz Scholarship Fund to help others in need.

He started playing pan with the band at the First Assembly of God Church just a few weeks before he commenced his secondary education studies at The Bishops’ High School in 2009. His

love for ‘pan’ only grew stronger after he entered school, which also enabled him to hone his skills.

He eventually joined the Park Side Steel Orchestra in 2012 to further develop his skills, and one year later, he copped first place in the junior solo steel pan category at the Panorama Steel Band competition and he has been playing ‘pan’ ever since.

The first PanJazz music

Reon Miller, founder and creative director of PanJazz Concerts concert was held at Herdmanston Lodge, Georgetown and featured talented steelpan and jazz musicians, as well as an art exhibition.

There were over 100 people in attendance, including Guyana’s well-known musician, Eddy Grant.

One year later, in 2019, the event grew much larger with over 275 people attending at the Umana Yana, Georgetown. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was not held in 2020, however, all is set to resuscitate the enticing PanJazz music concert in 2021.

This year, the radiant sounds of steel-pan topped with instruments such as saxophone, piano and trumpet is expected to bring alive the Courtyard of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara on Sunday, October 3 at 18:00 hours.

Miller promises an “all encompassing” event, as the sounds of steel-pan is capable of adapting to any melody, and can replicate any genre or song. He was hesitant to name a few tracks fans can expect, but the Sunday Chronicle observed him practicing a popular chutney titled ‘Headshot’ by Ravi B. The concert is set to feature Miller himself, Sean Bhola, Roy Stewart (saxophonist), veteran steelpannist Micheal Smith Snr, Kunjaz Steel Ensemble, Tennecia Defreitas, Hanani Ben Lewi, Detroy Dey and many others.

The concert, which started out as a venture to fund Miller’s studies, is now being poised to become one of Guyana’s tourism attractions, as it is his intention to transform the music concert into a music festival of high-

quality entertainment and one which can showcase the talents of Guyana.

“The intention is for this event to grow into a festival which primarily showcases steel-pan and jazz music in the country and for this event to be added to the tourism calendar. I can envisage many persons coming to Guyana to attend the Guyana PanJazz Festival as no such annual event exists anywhere else in the Caribbean,” he said.

Miller envisages a threeday music weekend music festival with two nights of concerts featuring local and international jazz musicians, and one night for an international PanJazz Steel-pan competition. He is optimistic that the festival can also be added as a Guyana Carnival event.

While the young aspiring attorney-at-law hopes to transform the event into something larger than what it started as, he did not forget the motive behind it.

“This concert was started to pay my law school tuition fees and from next year I plan to announce the PanJazz Law Scholarship Fund which will see one student from the LLB programme at the University of Guyana benefitting from a grant towards their Hugh Wooding Law School Tuition from the proceeds of the concert,” he said.

This year’s all-inclusive wine and cheese event is open only to the vaccinated population and is being sponsored by Barefoot Wines, Bacardi, the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, Ministry of Tourism, Steel Pro Guyana, Canje Media, Sach Soaps, Au Moyeu and Lumiere Candles.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 12, 2021

Five more COVID-19 deaths, 263 new cases reported

FIVE more persons have died after contracting COVID-19, taking Guyana’s overall death toll to 674, the Ministry of Health has reported.

The latest fatalities are four females and one male: a 37-year-old woman from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supernaam); a 35-year-old woman from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); a 78-yearold woman from Region Five (Mahaica- Berbice); a 57-year-old woman from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); and a 60-year-old man from Region Two (Pomer-

oon-Supenaam); they all died on September 10, 2021.

According to the ministry, those persons died while receiving treatment at a Ministry of Health facility.

Additionally, there are currently 2,969 active COVID-19 cases in Guyana, following the addition of 263 new cases on September 11, 2021, from 1,890 tests.

The newly confirmed cases were recorded in all of the 10 administrative regions across Guyana.

Region Four accounted for 129 of the new cases; Regions One and 10 recorded

five new cases each; Region Two, 22; Region Three, 40; Regions Five and Eight recorded seven new cases each; Region Six, 28. Region Seven recorded 35 new cases while Regions Eight and Nine recorded seven and three new cases, respectively.

Even as new cases were recorded, 103 persons were reported to have recovered from the virus, bringing the

total number of recoveries to date to 24,156. The country has now recorded a total of 27,782 confirmed cases since the first COVID-19 case was reported in March 2020.

Of the active cases, 32 persons are at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital, Liliendaal; 148 are in institutional iso-

lation; 2,772 are in home isolation, and 17 are in institutional quarantine.

The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force until September 30, 2021. They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic.

As per the current mea-

sures, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes, and physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are recommended. The current curfew is 22:30 hours to 04:00 hours.

Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

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Pomeroon farmers benefit from flood-relief cash grant

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 12, 2021

–– additional planting material, seeds, seedlings to be distributed as part of flood-relief efforts AS the government continues with its flood- relief rollout to those farmers across the country who lost their crops during the recent flooding, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday spearheaded distributions in villages along the Upper Pomeroon River in Region

Two. Approximately $110 million was distributed to 1,460 farmers and households from villages along the Pomeroon River. Hundreds of farmers who were affected by the floods, and are eager to return to farming as they know it, turned up at the St. Monica Com-

munity Centre, and the Kabakaburi and Siriki Primary Schools to receive their cash grants.

While receiving their grants, farmers recounted their experiences during the flood, and thanked the government for stepping in to offer much-needed assistance.

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha handing over one of the cash grants to a Kabakaburi resident on Saturday James Smith, a farmer from Siriki Village, said he was grateful for the assistance after losing most of what he had planted prior to the floods.

“When the rainfall come, my dam was below the water. I had 600 pear trees planted. After the flood, I only had 21 left. I am thankful for this relief that I am getting today; I want to thank the President and the entire government for this, and for what they are doing in the country,” Mr. Smith said.

Thomas Charles, a farmer who resides in Kabakaburi, said that in addition to the money, farmers would also need planting material and other inputs to quickly return to the land.

“I am happy about this grant; it will help me out a lot. But in addition to this, I would like to know if the Ministry, through NAREI, can assist us with some seeds, fertiliser, and things like that,” Mr. Charles said.

While responding to farmers, Minister Mustapha said the government made a commitment, and his being there in the region was to fulfill that commitment. He also said that every farmer who was affected will receive assistance from the government.

“We are here today to deliver; we made a lot of promises when we campaigned for the 2020 General Elections, and when you look back at those commitments, most of those promises or commitments have already been fulfilled,” Minister Mustapha said, adding: “We are not hiding from the promises that we made; today, we are here to distribute the flood-relief grants to affected farmers and households. I want to assure you, every farming household that was affected will be given assistance to return to the land. Not so long ago, when areas were underwater, I accompanied His Excellency, President Dr. Irfaan Ali to those areas, and he said when the flood

water receded, we’d try as much as possible to help the farmers to get back to the land as quickly as possible.

That is our objective with this grant.”

Minister Mustapha also assured farmers that a team from the ministry will be returning to the region in two weeks to continue the distribution exercise. He assured villagers, too, that the government remains committed to working with each farmer to develop agriculture in the country.

“As minister, I will work with the villagers to advance agriculture. Whatever it takes to develop agriculture, the government will work to make the necessary resources available, so that you, the farmers, can produce, because our President is very passionate about agriculture,” Minister Mustapha said. “In addition to the cash grant, we will also work to make seedlings, seeds, and other planting materials available to help you return to the land,” he added.

In addition to the distribution, Minister Mustapha invited villagers to use the opportunity to make requests, as the government is currently preparing for Budget 2022.

Villagers made requests for additional block drainage, kokers, solar systems, Internet service, land titles, and tanks for storing water during the dry period.

Minister Mustapha told residents that his Ministry will work with their regional and village officials to have more block drainages and kokers set up in the villages.

He also told villagers that he will forward those requests that were made but are not the direct responsibility of his ministry to the relevant Cabinet Ministers.

President Ali and his entire Cabinet are currently in the region for a two-day outreach, to engage villagers on what they would like to see done in their region in the coming year.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

Pooran and Smith give Warriors’ semi-final hopes a huge lift GUYANA Amazon Warriors have one foot in the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) semi-finals following a 46run victory last night over the Jamaica Tallawahs.

The Amazon Warriors won the toss and elected to bat first and captain Nicholas Pooran led the way with

a brutal 75 not out to set the Tallawahs 170 to win.

In reply the Tallawahs succumbed to a heavy defeat as Odean Smith and Gudakesh Motie combined to bowl the Amazon Warriors to victory.

Guyana got their innings off to a steady start amassing 46 runs in the PowerPlay but they had to contend with the loss of Brandon King and Chandrapaul Hemraj in doing s Despite Shimron Hetmyer then running himself out, Nicholas Pooran and Shoaib Malik put together a partnership of 54 runs from 33 balls to place Guyana in a strong position with six overs to go.

Pooran then took on the responsibility of getting his side into a good position and his pyrotechnics at the back end of the innings ensured Guyana Amazon Warriors posted a very competitive 169/6.

The Tallawahs were able to keep pace with the required run rate in the ear-

ly stages of their reply as Haider Ali and Kirk Mckenzie overcame the loss of Kennar Lewis to put on a 41-run partnership.

Odean Smith’s entry into the attack proved pivotal as his two wickets in two balls swung the pendulum back in Guyana’s favour and he wasn’t done there as he also got rid of Andre Russell in a wonderful wicket maiden over.

Alongside Smith, Gudakesh Motie spun a web as his three wickets helped ensure there was no chance of an unlikely win for the Tallawahs.

The victory for the Amazon Warriors means the Tallawahs will now have to win the return game today to make the semi-finals.

(Scores): Guyana Amazon Warriors 169/6 (Pooran 75*, Hetmyer 23; Russell 2/35, Green 1/17) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 123 all out (Mckenzie 28, Brooks 21; Smith 3/21, Motie 3/25) by 46 runs, (CPL T20)

Britain’s Emma Raducanu storms to... (From back page) British sporting history - and captured the imagination of the fans at home and in New York.

Nerves? What nerves?

A full Arthur Ashe Stadium - which holds almost 24,000 people - is one of the most intimidating sights in tennis, but neither player looked fazed as they walked out on to the biggest stage of their career.

Fernandez had more of the crowd support, given that she has ousted the second, third and fifth seed in New York, but there was still good support for Raducanu.

The first three games lasted for 23 minutes, both players showing a devastating array of cross-court punches and fiery returns of serve, and they traded breaks as they found their footing.

As she has done throughout the tournament, Raducanu dug herself out from 0-30 down several times, stepping forward, playing more aggressively and finding her first serves.

That gave her the confidence to attack Fernandez's second serve and put herself on top. She closed out the first set with a forehand down the line, turning and pumping her fist towards her box before letting out a yell of "come on!" to the crowd

as they rose to applaud.

Fernandez has shown tenacity throughout the tournament and she did so here, saving three break points in her first service game to stop Raducanu taking a 2-0 lead in the second.

She then found the break, adjusting to hit Raducanu's serves better, and it looked as though the momentum had swung the way of the young Canadian.

However, there is a reason Raducanu has not dropped a set in New York.

At the changeover she sat quietly, eyes closed, before again increasing her tempo and creating the break opportunity.

She broke with the shot of the match - a stunning forehand pass, made from almost off the court, that left Fernandez stranded at the net.

Two championship points came and went on the Fernandez serve, saved once again by brave hitting, but Raducanu did not falter despite taking a nasty cut to the leg as she slid behind the baseline.

It was an odd interlude in what was an entertaining final that proved that the future of women's tennis is bright.

(BBC Sport)

Bethell all-round fireworks take...

He counted 11 fours and two sixes while starring in a 117-run, opening stand with George Thomas whose unbeaten 59 came from 61 deliveries, and included four fours and three sixes.

Sent in earlier, the Rising Stars suffered a batting implosion, collapsing for a meagre 135 in the 41st over with Rivaldo Clarke hitting 37 off 42 deliveries, Giovonte Depeiza getting 32, Sion Hackett, 28.

Seamers Thomas Aspinwall (3-28) Sonny Baker (3-37) grabbed three wickets apiece to blow away the visitors’ top order, the innings slumping to 29 for four in the 11th over following their burst.

Clarke, who struck seven fours, added 29 for the fifth with Depeiza, who counted two fours in a 52-ball knock, as they attempted to revive the innings.

However, Aspinwall removed Clarke to a catch at the wicket in the 17th over before left-arm spinner

Bethell (2-36) knocked over Nathan Edward (7) cheaply to leave West Indies Under-19s on 69 for six in the 20th over.

Depeiza then came to his side’s rescue, staging a 38-run, seventh wicket stand with Hackett, to help them past the 100-run mark.

In reply, Bethell took

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(From page 34)

charge of the run chase, blasting seamer Johann Layne for three successive boundaries in the second over, smashing left-arm pacer Edward for another two in the third before twice clearing the ropes with leg-spinner Vasant Singh, as he raced to his half-century off just 31 balls.

Bethell’s fireworks ended

in the 15th over with 17 runs required for victory, when he was bowled by Vasant Singh.

Thomas, who played the supporting role, reached his half-century off 53 deliveries before seeing England U19s over the line.

The fifth match is scheduled for Tuesday at the same venue.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

Djokovic hoping ‘never-say-die’ spirit will aid calendar Grand Slam bid NOVAK Djokovic is hoping his “never-say-die” spirit will help him complete a calendar Grand Slam as he prepares for his US Open final showdown with Daniil Medvedev.

The 34-year-old Serb will become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four majors in the same year if he beats his Russian opponent at Flushing Meadows today, and significantly move one clear of great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with a 21st slam title.

Asked about the pressure on his shoulders as he approaches the twin landmarks, world number one Djokovic told a press conference: “Probably all these big matches that I won, big titles over the years, have

Novak Djokovic, pictured, meets world number two, Daniil Medvedev, in Sunday’s US Open final (Elise Amendola/AP/PA)

built that kind of aura around me that players know there’s a never-die-spirit with me,

especially when I play grand slams.

“They know that until

the last shot, things can turn around, which was the case in several occasions throughout my career, so I’m glad that my opponents think of me that way.

“I want them to feel that they are under extreme pressure when I’m facing them on a big stage in grand slams.”

Djokovic finds himself in a similar position to American Serena Williams in 2015 as she approached the latter stages of the US Open having won in Australia, France and at Wimbledon, only to lose her semi-final against Italian Roberta Vinci.

An emotional Williams was unable to articulate her acute disappointment in the immediate aftermath, and Djokovic admits he can understand that.

He said: “I understand why she wanted to avoid all the questions about it because at the end of the day, you have to go out on the court and deliver.

“You’re expected to always win. For a great legend that she is, she always has that expectations from everyone, including herself.

It’s no different with me.”

World number two Medvedev will head into his third major final as a firm underdog, but knowing victory would likely earn him a place in tennis’ history books for denying Djokovic the calendar Grand Slam.

He said: “If I can make this, I’m probably going to be in the history books a little bit somewhere for not letting him do this. But I don’t really care about it.

“I think it’s more about him, that it affects him. From one side, for sure he’s going to feel the pressure a little bit about it. From the other side, that’s what is going to make him be even better in tough moments.”

The 25-year-old will embark upon his latest grand slam final having lost to Djokovic in Australia earlier this year and Nadal at the US Open in 2019, and admitting those disappointments have made him even hungrier.

He said: “It’s not a must, but I want to do it even more. That’s normal. The more you lose something, the more you want to win it, the more you want to gain it and take it.

“I lost two finals. I want to win the third one.” (PA Sport)

Yorkshire accused of ‘lack of genuine contrition’

by MPs over Azeem Rafiq racism YORKSHIRE are facing possible sanctions from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and have been accused of a “lack of genuine contrition” by MPs after accepting Azeem Rafiq experienced racial harassment and bullying at the club.

While Yorkshire and Rafiq remain at loggerheads over whether there is an institutional problem within the club, the county conceded for the first time on Friday that their former off-spinner had been subjected to racial abuse.

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee chair Julian Knight demanded to know “what action will be taken” against unnamed former players and an ex-coach found to have used racist language by an investigative panel.

An independent inquiry was commissioned by Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC), 12 months ago after Rafiq alleged institutional racism in his stints at the club, where he had two professional spells between 2008 and 2018, left him feeling suicidal.

The panel returned its findings together with a set of recommendations last month but while Yorkshire say legal reasons prevent them from publishing the full report thought to be in excess of

100 pages, they released a summary.

In it they say Rafiq made 43 allegations, seven of which were upheld by the panel.

While the rest were not, some of those were because of a lack of evidence, including the central claim of institutional racism.

Yorkshire chair Roger Hutton said in a statement: “There is no question that Azeem Rafiq, during his first spell as a player at YCCC, was the victim of racial harassment.

“He was also subsequently the victim of bullying. On behalf of all at YCCC, I wish to extend my sincere, profound and unreserved apologies to Azeem and to his family.”

Former England captain Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports “something needs to be done” after Yorkshire’s admission and the ECB has opened the door to disciplinary action after revealing it is considering its next step on the issue.

ECB chair Ian Watmore said: “It is very concerning that the independent panel has upheld a number of allegations and concluded that historically Azeem Rafiq was the victim of racial harassment and of bullying.

“It is clear that the game owes Azeem an apology and

we are happy to offer that apology to him. There is simply no place for racism in cricket, and what Azeem experienced was unacceptable.

“The ECB has only seen the statement and summary report for the first time (on Friday), so we will now examine the contents in detail to decide what further action is required.”

Yorkshire say the panel upheld a claim that Rafiq, who represented the club from 2008 to 2014 then 2016 to 2018, was not provided with halal food when playing junior cricket, something the county say has now been rectified.

There were three instances of racist language being used by ex-players prior to 2010 which amounted to harassment on the grounds of race, while before 2012 a former coach “regularly used racist language”.

During his second spell, jokes around religion were made which left individuals feeling uncomfortable, the panel found, and also in that time frame, a reference was made to Rafiq’s weight and fitness which amounted to bullying.

The report also accepted that there was a failure by the club in August 2018 to follow up on allegations Rafiq made

at that time.

The final allegation to be upheld was that on a number of occasions prior to 2018 the club could have done more to make Muslims feel more welcome within their stadiums and should have dealt better with complaints of racism and anti-social behaviour within those stadiums.

MPs earlier this week implored Yorkshire to immediately publish the report it received, while Knight on Friday delivered a scathing assessment of their handling of the process and called into question their contrition.

He said: “It is concerning that YCCC was not initially willing to publish its findings and had to be pressed into doing so.

“Equally concerning is the lack of genuine contrition in YCCC’s statement.

We now know that among the allegations upheld was harassment on the grounds of race following incidents of racist language used by former players and it being ‘regularly used’ by a coach.

We need to know what action will be taken against those individuals involved.

“It is critical is that YCCC acts on recommendations made by its investigators and is seen to do so with the utmost transparency and speed.”

The report found that all decisions made concerning Rafiq’s selection and ultimate release from the club were entirely based on cricketing reasons while Hutton said “there was insufficient evidence to conclude that Yorkshire County Cricket Club is institutionally racist”.

Rafiq insisted otherwise and although he welcomed Yorkshire’s recognition of the racism and bullying he suffered – he accused the club of “fudging” the issue three weeks ago when they said he had been the victim of “inappropriate behaviour” – the 30-year-old demanded to see a full copy of the report.

A spokesperson for the former England Under-19 captain said: “We note that Yorkshire County Cricket Club has confirmed Azeem was the victim of racism and bullying during his two spells at Headingley.

“However, we must highlight the atrocious way this process continues to be handled. Azeem was not given any notice of the statement – he received a copy only a couple of minutes before the media.

“Azeem and his team are not in a position to properly understand the club’s conclusions and how they reached them, because Yorkshire has

not provided a copy of the report. This is clearly unacceptable and an abuse of process.

“What is clear is that Yorkshire County Cricket Club admits racism and bullying has taken place on many occasions, yet won’t accept the obvious – that this is an institutional problem.”

The Professional Cricketers’ Association praised Rafiq’s “great courage” in speaking out and chief executive Rob Lynch said: “As an organisation we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure no one has to experience the ordeal Azeem has endured in cricket.”

Hussain was scathing of the timing of Yorkshire’s release, which coincided with the announcement that the fifth and final LV= Insurance Test between England and India at Emirates Old Trafford had been cancelled, though it is understood Yorkshire had been preparing the release prior to the international news breaking.

Hussain told Sky Sports: “What’s the saying? A good day to hide bad news. It felt like that this morning. Rafiq, with all he’s been through emotionally and financially, to put himself out and the abuse he’s taken, and been the victim of, he deserved ‘this is your day’. (PA Sport)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

Bairstow, Woakes and Malan join Jos Buttler in …Markram replaces Malan, Rutherford replaces Bairstow as pulling out of IPL bubble fatigue, demanding winter prompt English withdrawals SEVERAL of England's all-format players have withdrawn from this year's IPL as a result of bubble fatigue and in anticipation of a long winter.

Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes and Dawid Malan have joined Jos Buttler in confirming their withdrawals.

Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes had pulled out previously.

Malan will be replaced at Punjab Kings for the rest of the season by Aiden Markram. Bairstow's spot in Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, has been taken up by Sherfane Rutherford.

Bairstow (Sunrisers), Woakes (Delhi Capitals), Malan and Buttler (Rajasthan Royals) have all been named In England's T20 World Cup squad and might expect to be named in England's Ashes tour party, too. As a result, they face the prospect of more than four months away from home including time in quarantine as they move from country to country. Buttler and Woakes are the fathers of

young children, with Buttler having just celebrated the arrival of his second child.

It has emerged in recent days that all players heading to the IPL (which resumes on September 19) would be required to undergo six days of quarantine. This may well have been a contributory factor in the abandonment of the Manchester Test.

Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, George Garton, Eoin Morgan, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy are the England players still expected to participate in the IPL. Some are expected to fly to the UAE today (Saturday) on a commercial flight. One or two others may not depart until after T20 Finals Day (on September 18). From that group of players, only Sam Curran and Moeen are expected to be named in the Ashes touring party, though it would be no surprise at all if Moeen, a father of two young children, withdrew from that.

Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler are among a number of England players to pull out of the IPL (Getty Images)

Indeed, the future of that tour looks more precarious than ever after the events at Emirates Old Trafford. A significant number of senior players remain deeply uncomfortable with the prospect of a two-week quarantine at the start of that tour and, even more so, at the prospect of

putting their families through the same. As a result, a number of high-profile withdrawals seem inevitable.

In relation to the Ashes tour, Tom Harrison, ECB chief executive, told Sky Sports on Friday: "Now that this Test series has come to an early conclusion, that

India should never forget what the England team did in 2008 …after 26/11 attack, they came back: Sunil Gavaskar LEGENDARY Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar has opined that cancellation of the 5th Test between England and India which was scheduled to begin on September 10 at Old Trafford, Manchester was the right thing to do.

Sunil Gavaskar stated that India should never forget the gesture of team England after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 when they came back to play.

“Yes, I think that (rescheduling the cancelled Test) would be the correct thing to do. Look, we, in India, should never forget what the England team did in 2008 after the horrific attack, the 26/11. They came back. They would have been perfectly entitled to say ‘we don’t feel safe. We are not coming back,” Sunil Gavaskar said.

Notably, the visiting team; England was participating in the One Day International game against team India in Cuttack on November 26 when terrorists attacked Mumbai, which led

Legendary India opener and captain Sunil Gavaskar

to the cancellation of the last two ODIs of the seven-match series.

Meanwhile, after that team, England was sent back home immediately. However, they later came back to play the two-match Test series to complete the tour.

Notably, India was able to earn a victory in the series by 1-0. Sunil Gavaskar pinpointed that Kevin Pietersen

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen

was the main man and if he decided not to come back, England wouldn’t have come to play.

Never forget that Kevin Pietersen led the team, and he was the main man. If KP had said, no I don’t want to go, that would have been the end of the matter. It was because KP was willing to go and he convinced the others, the team came and we had that fantastic Test match in

Chennai where India chased 380 to win on the last day,” Gavaskar said.

BCCI and England Cricket Board (ECB) officials later announced that the match will be rescheduled at a later date as a one-off game. Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar further termed the news of rescheduling of Test as fantastic news and opined that every cricket board should have healthy relations like ECB & BCCI. Don’t forget, the gesture of the ECB has to be remembered. “It’s absolutely apt that the BCCI now says, right next year, we are still coming to England. I think there will be a little lean period. I think the IPL will finish in early June. So there is enough time for them to go a few days early, depending on whether we still have Covid and all the restrictions and maybe play a Test match before or after,” Gavaskar said.

“This is fantastic news coming that the BCCI will make up for it. This is exactly what the relations between boards should be”.

becomes priority number one for us to work through with the players. It's a conversation which now takes the centre stage, because it's looming large on the horizon."

While the ECB are adamant the tour will go ahead, the prospect of a second-string England side competing in the Ashes is real.

Whether that is deemed to compromise the integrity of the events remains to be seen.

A crucial issue for the England players is the uncertainly surrounding travel to Australia at present. While there has been talk of allowing them to serve a relatively soft quarantine - perhaps in a resort hotel on the Gold Coast which would allow them access to golf courses - there are no guarantees.

Perhaps more importantly, there are no guarantees such privileges would be extended to traveling family members. There is also the prospect of further quarantine requirements as the tour party

moves between states.

"We should always have that ambition in mind to go to Australia with our best possible team," Harrison said. "It's an iconic Test series to play in, all England players want to be part of it.

"I totally understand the players' perspective on families being present and the conditions under which families are present. I also don't think there's anything unreasonable about the way that debate has been positioned.

"It's a conversation we're having in partnership with Cricket Australia and the Australian government, all trying to get to the right solution for everyone to feel comfortable about going."

What events at Emirates Old Trafford underline, however, is the power of modern players and their refusal to be cajoled into endless tournaments.

Not even the IPL or the Ashes are immune to such pressures. (Cricinfo)

BCCI directs six days mandatory quarantine for players coming from UK THE final Test between India and England got cancelled owing to some COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp.

To further avoid the spread of the virus, the Indian side didn’t take the field in Manchester and the match stood cancelled. It has to be noted that the second phase of IPL 2021 is just around the corner and franchises are eyeing how to take their players out of the UK. In the latest turn of development, it has been confirmed by a franchise official that BCCI has directed a mandatory quarantine of six days for players coming from the UK before they join the IPL bubble. It is very obvious that bubble to bubble transfer no longer stands valid as there are already few cases in the Indian camp.

“The BCCI has informed us that every player coming in from the UK to UAE will have to undergo six days of quarantine before they can join the team bubbles. Obviously, the bubble-to-bubble transfer from the UK to UAE no longer stands keeping in mind the current scenario,” a franchise official said as quoted by Latestly.

Talking about several franchises airlifting their players from the UK, RCB stated that they have arranged a charter flight for their skipper Virat Kohli and ace pacer Mohammed Siraj. They will move from the UK to Dubai on Saturday around 11.30 pm. The team source added that the safe transit of players stands at the utmost priority for them.

“Yes, we have arranged a charter flight for Virat and Siraj, both of them will be flying out at 11:30 PM UK time on Saturday and they will reach Dubai early Sunday morning.

The safe transit of players is the utmost priority for RCB. They will undergo 6-day quarantine there before joining the team bubble,” a team source added.

In the same line, CSK are also trying their best to get their players out of the UK as quickly as possible. CSK’s CEO confirmed that they will move Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shardul Thakur to Dubai on Saturday itself.

“Now that the Test match is off, we are looking to get the CSK boys into Dubai tomorrow,” said Kasi Vishwanathan on Friday. (CricTracker)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

Ronaldo scores twice against Newcastle in stunning Man Utd. return CRISTIANO Ronaldo scored twice on his return to Manchester United as the hosts eventually cruised to victory against Newcastle United and delighted a packed Old Trafford.

Cheered from the moment he left the team coach on its arrival at the ground, throughout the warm-up and then once the game had started, Ronaldo repaid the backing in the best possible manner.

Twelve years after he last scored for Manchester United in this stadium, Ronaldo broke the deadlock in first-half added time when he tapped in after visiting keeper Freddie Woodman spilled Mason Greenwood's shot.

Then, after Javier Manquillo had levelled with his first Newcastle goal, Ronaldo finished off a flowing move by racing on to Luke Shaw's through ball and drilling a low shot through Woodman's legs.

His international teammate Bruno Fernandes rifled in the goal of the game as he collected Paul Pogba's square pass and curled a shot into the top corner from the edge of the area before substitute

Jesse Lingard added a fourth in added time.

The margin of victory was harsh on Steve Bruce's men, who played well for long periods. But Newcastle's efforts were irrelevant to the ecstatic home fans, who had the added bonus of their side returning to the top of the Premier League.

Significant day at Old Trafford You only had to look in the directors' box to understand this was a special day for the hosts.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, who has not been seen since the Super League debacle, and co-chairman Avram Glazer, who was making his first Old Trafford visit in two years, were both present.

Glazer and Woodward both played central roles in Ronaldo's return to the club from Juventus.

However, Sir Alex Ferguson was arguably even more significant in the move, ringing the Portuguese to implore him to return to the club where he is still feted as a hero, rather than accept an offer from Manchester City.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored before and after half time for Manchester United.

Ronaldo proved he still has much to offer at the age of 36, and that the efforts to entice him back to the club were worthwhile.

His opener showed the value of anticipation, as he followed Greenwood's shot in when the Newcastle defenders hesitated.

The second emphasised that Ronaldo retains enough speed to cause problems for defences as he charged clear to take his overall Manchester United tally to 120.

Although he has never previously operated as a striker in the conventional sense, that is where he started - and largely he stayed there. He did drop deeper at times, but generally was the most advanced Manchester United player.

At times, that did mean the hosts searched for wider crossing positions more often than a team with such gifted technical players would prefer. But the ends justified the means on this occasion.

There was, however, to be no repeat of the hat-trick he scored on his last appearance against Newcastle at Old Trafford in January 2008.

Nevertheless, with Fernandes delivering the kind of goal that has earned him hero status at the club and Lingard giving a reminder of the ability he showed on loan at West Ham, it was a victory that went beyond the contribution of a single individual - even if Ronaldo's name will dominate the aftermath.

Newcastle hope extinguished Ronaldo's momentous goal must have felt like a kick in the guts for former Old Trafford captain Bruce.

Newcastle's record at the ground is terrible and the build-up to this game pitched them in the role of spoilsports, trying to wreck a party that had been building up all week.

Through a combination of disciplined defending, what could be kindly described as 'time management' - which irritated the home fans immensely - and incisive counter-attacks, Newcastle were excellent.

Allan Saint-Maximin, Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock all got themselves in a position to threaten David de Gea's goal without managing to beat the home keeper.

Ronaldo's goal with the half time break beckoning ruined all that good work, and it was so preventable too.

Isaac Hayden was standing next to the Portuguese when Greenwood took aim but, unlike Ronaldo, he didn't gamble on the outcome and was not in position to challenge when Woodman made his mistake.

To their credit, Newcastle renewed their efforts after half-time and for a brief time after they had capitalised on a Harry Maguire error to convert a superb counter-attack which ended with Saint-Maximin prodding a ball through for Manquillo's second goal in English football - a second Old Trafford win since 1972 seemed possible.

That hope evaporated as Ronaldo returned to centre stage, leaving the visiting fans to renew their chants demanding change at the top of their club. (BBc Sport)

England players could opt to play in three out of five Ashes Tests ENGLAND’s players will learn the conditions they face on the Ashes tour by the end of the month, with a number still harbouring major reservations about going to Australia for this winter’s tour.

England plan to select their Ashes squad in the first week of October. A number of senior players have major concerns about a two-week quarantine period at the start

of the tour, which would also apply to their families, and the England & Wales Cricket Board have been liaising with Cricket Australia over the matter. Cricket Australia (CA) are in continual discussions with the Australian government about England’s tour.

Cricket Australia will give the ECB clarity on the situation by the end of the month. Players considered for selection will then be briefed

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday September 12, 2021)

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(2) How many players represented the Antigua Hawksbills?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

by the ECB, and asked to declare their availability for the series before England select their squad.

A number of players could withdraw from the tour if they are unhappy with arrangements for their families in Australia. Players who play in multiple formats - and so have experienced more bubbles - and who have young families are considered particularly likely to decide against touring.

In an unprecedented move, some players could also declare that they are only available for three of the five Tests, to minimise the time away from home.

England will select the largest ever party for a Test tour of Australia to give themselves the flexibility to cope with every eventuality. As Telegraph Sport revealed in March, England plan to send both a Test squad and an England Lions squad - made up of the second string players to Australia, a total of around 30 players

Warm-up matches for England will be exclusively against the England Lions partly because of fears over Covid-19, and partly because of frustrations over the poor quality of warm-ups on previous tours. While there will notionally be separate England and England Lions squads, any Lions player who performs strongly in the warm-up games is likely to win quick promotion to the main squad.

England intend to send their Test specialists to Aus-

tralia in early November, to give the players - especially their fast bowlers - ample time to acclimatise before the first Test on Dec 8. Players involved in the T20 World Cup, which concludes on Nov 14, will then travel direct from the UAE. In a further sign of players’ concerns about the schedule and the demands of living in biosecure conditions, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, David Malan and Jos Buttler withdrew from the rest of this year’s Indian Premier League,

which begins on Sept 19. The quartet are expected to be selected both in England’s T20 World Cup and Ashes squads.

Ten English players are still due to participate in the IPL this season - Moeen Ali, Sam and Tom Curran, George Garton, Eoin Morgan, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone, Sam Billings and Jason Roy. Some players left for the UAE, where the remainder of the competition is being played, on Saturday. (The Telegraph)

Bethell all-round fireworks take down Windies Under-19s CANTERBURY, England,Barbados-born Jacob Bethell returned to haunt West Indies Under-19s, hitting a whirlwind half-century and snatching two wickets to propel England Under-19s to emphatic nine-wicket victory in the

fourth Youth One-Day International here Friday.

Asked to chase a modest 137 for victory at Polo Farm Sports Club, the hosts endured little anxiety in overhauling their target in the 18th over, to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the six-

match series.

Bethell, a 17-year-old left-hander who turned out for Warwickshire in the T20 Blast earlier this year, punched a swift top score of 67 off 43 deliveries to underpin the run chase.

(Turn to page 31)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 12, 2021

Wiese, du Plessis condemn abject Barbados Royals to last place

David Wiese celebrates after sending Royals skipper Jason Holder on his way during Saturday’s match at Warner Park. (Photo courtesy CPL Media)

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, (CMC) – One devastating over from Man-of-theMatch David Wiese was all it took to derail Barbados Royals’ run chase and condemn them to a last-place finish in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a game to spare here Saturday.

In pursuit of a challenging 176, Royals raced to 72 for one at Warner Park, courtesy of a 64-run, second wicket stand between Shai Hope who struck an 18ball 31 and opener Johnson Charles’s 30 off 24 deliveries.

But South African seamer David Wiese, in only his second match of the campaign, snatched three wickets in the ninth over – his second of the innings – removing Charles, Glenn Phillips (0) and Hope in quick succession to set up St Lucia Kings’ 14-run victory under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.

Wiese finished with five for 25 from his four overs.

A near one-hour rain break at 118 for seven in the 16th over stalled the game leading to a revision in the target to 170 off 19 overs

but not even Hayden Walsh Jr’s 18-ball 30 could alter the inevitable.

“At the back end we probably didn’t execute as much as possible. In the middle I think we could’ve been a bit tighter [with the ball],” said a disappointed captain Jason Holder, who top-scored with 34 from 24 balls.

“Having said that, [the total] was still gettable on this wicket. Our batters set it up quite nicely but that over from Wiese where we lost three wickets kind of set us back.”

He added: “We’ve struggled for runs at crucial moments of the tournament and it’s just a case where batters didn’t put their hands up on the big stage.”

South African Faf du Plessis had earlier belted 84 off 54 deliveries to lay the platform for Kings’ 175 for six off their 20 overs after being sent in.

The captain struck five fours and four sixes, putting on 51 for the fourth wicket with Wiese (17) and 46 for the fifth wicket with Tim David whose 34 came from 23 balls and included four

fours and a six, to pull Kings around from 34 for three in the sixth over.

In reply, Royals lost Kyle Mayers in the third over for six before Hope and Charles revived the innings but once Wiese weaved his magic, Royals found themselves staring down the barrel at 79 for five in the 11th over.

Holder clobbered a four and three sixes but holed in the deep off the last ball before the rain break, and Walsh tried to win it with a four and three sixes on resumption but the order proved too tall.

“It’s a great win. We were [15 for two] so to get to 170 on a wicket like that was a very good score,” said du Plessis.

“They put up a nice fight at the beginning [of the run chase] but as soon as we broke the back with those three wickets in one over it was pretty much game done.”

The win pushed Kings up to second on ten points while Royals remained rooted to the bottom on four points following their seventh defeat in nine outings.

New national holiday honours golden girl Duffy HAMILTON, Bermuda, (CMC) – A new one-off national holiday to honour Bermuda’s first Olympic gold medal winner Flora Duffy, a three-time women’s world champion, was declared by the government on Friday.

The government named Monday, October 18 as Flora Duffy Day in recognition of the 33-year-old triathlete’s recent success in Tokyo.

The move came after social-media calls to mark Duffy’s magnificent achievement after she became Bermuda’s first Olympic gold medal winner on July 28, having failed to medal at earlier Games in Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro.

Only heavyweight boxer Clarence Hill had previously won an Olympic medal for Bermuda, taking bronze at the 1976 Games in Montreal, Canada.

Premier David Burt said: “It is a fitting tribute to have a day to recognise and honour Flora Duffy’s historic accomplishments.

“Her achievements propelled Bermuda onto the international stage, and we look forward to welcoming her home and celebrating with her and all her fans.”

Burt said Sports Minister Ernest Peets would unveil a timetable of events for the day that would “also allow us to connect the arc of Ber-

Reigning Olympic champion Flora Duffy.

muda’s Olympic history and also include Bermuda’s first Olympic medallist, bronze medal winner Clarence Hill”.

Members of the public have called for a street or the national sports centre to be named after Duffy and for her to be added to the list of national heroes.

The holiday will follow the World Triathlon Sprint & Relay Championships which Bermuda is hosting from October 15-17. Duffy is expected to be a competitor having won the World Triathlon Series race here in 2018 in spectacular fashion.

It was that year that Duffy won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Australia and also received

the OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to sport in Bermuda.

Last month, Duffy, who divides her time between Bermuda, South Africa – her husband Dan Hugo’s home country – and her training camp in Boulder, Colorado, was crowned women’s world champion in Canada for a record-equalling third time.

Duffy not only emulated the achievement of three-time title winner Emma Snowsill of Australia, but became the first triathlete in history to win Olympic gold and the World title in the same year.

Rutherford, Narine among players ineligible for Windies World Cup squad selection for failing fitness tests IN-form batsman Sherfane Rutherford and spinner Sunil Narine were among a few players not eligible for selection to the World Cup squad after failing fitness standards, chief of selectors Roger Harper has confirmed.

In the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Rutherford has been one of the most outstanding players so far, scoring 201 runs in 7 matches, with an average of 40.20 and a strike rate of 136.73. Speculation had linked the player with a late consideration for a space in the West Indies World Cup squad but, as it has for other

players in the recent past, it turns out his fitness level was an issue.

“As well as he has been performing he is one of a few players who did not meet our fitness criteria, so he was not eligible for selection,” Harper told members of the media, in explaining the player’s omission.

Narine, once the topranked spinner in the world, has recently shown versatility at the top of the order as a pinch-hitter and could have been a weapon for the team at the tournament.

“Sunil Narine is a great miss for a team like this in a tournament like this. Any

team would miss having a bowler of that quality in the team but as I mentioned with Rutherford and some of the others Sunil also did not make our fitness standards,” Harper said.

Based on standards implemented by Cricket West Indies (CWI), in 2019, players must achieve a mark of 40 in the Yo-Yo Endurance Test unless given a medical exemption by the CWI medical committee. Another player that has shown plenty of promise during the CPL campaign, but did also did not meet the fitness standards, was fast bowler Odean Smith. (Sportsmax)

Britain’s Emma Raducanu storms to US Open title

Flushing, NY, USA; Emma Raducanu of Great Britain celebrates with the championship trophy after her match against Leylah Fernandez of Canada (not pictured) in the women's singles final on day thirteen of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports.

EMMA Raducanu ended Britain's 44-year wait for a women's Grand Slam singles champion as she beat Leylah Fernandez to win the US Open in the most thrilling style.

The 18-year-old ended her scarcely believable run in New York with a 6-4 6-3 win over her 19-year-old Canadian opponent in a high-quality final.

Raducanu threw herself to the floor in disbelief as she fired down an ace to conclude what has been the most remarkable journey.

Raducanu served for the match at 5-3 but

cut her leg as she went break point down, leading to a medical time-out and a clearly irritated Fernandez expressing her frustration to the match official.

However, Raducanu shrugged off the delay, saving a further break point before closing out her third championship point.

The two shared a warm hug before Raducanu headed up the stairs at Arthur Ashe Stadium to celebrate with her support box.

Raducanu was cheered on by an emotional Virginia Wade, who was the last British woman to win a major trophy at Wimbledon

in 1977.

"It means so much to have Virginia Wade here and also Tim Henman," Raducanu said in her on-court speech.

"They are British icons and for me to follow in their footsteps gave me the belief I could do it."

With the victory, Raducanu becomes: • The first British female winner at Flushing Meadows since Virginia Wade in 1968 • The first qualifier in the Open era to win a Slam • The youngest women's Slam champion

since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004 • The youngest Briton to win a Grand Slam title • The first woman to win the US Open without dropping a set since Serena Williams in 2014 She will take home £1.8m in prize money, rise to 23 in the world rankings and will become the British number one on Monday.

Raducanu will also know that she has starred in one of the biggest moments in TURN TO PAGE 31 ►

Pooran and Smith give Warriors’ semi-final hopes a huge lift

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Skipper Nicholas Pooran made an unbeaten 75 (Photo by Randy Brooks – CPL T20/Getty Images)

Pacer Odean Smith took 3-21 in his four overs (Photo by Randy Brooks – CPL T20/Getty Images)

Wiese, du Plessis condemn abject Barbados Royals to last place 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

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2021