Guyana Chronicle E-paper 08-20-2018

MONDAY 20th August, 2018

No.105372

It’s Volda –– Volda Lawrence elected PNCR chairman 03 PAGE

–– Dr.George Norton and Annette Ferguson elected vice-chairs

Vulda McGregor 09 endured her struggle PAGE

–– for her son to excel at CSEC

Ryan Waldron

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

August 29 deadline to submit LGE symbols

By Lisa Hamilton

THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)

is reminding all parties, groups and individuals contesting Local Government Elections (LGEs)

2018 to submit their symbols for approval before Nomination Day on September 21, 2018.

In a newspaper advertisement, GECOM said contestants in outlying Local Authority Areas (LAAs) can submit their symbols to GECOM’s registration office in their area.

“All political parties, voluntary groups and individuals who are desirous of contesting local government elections to be held on 12th November, 2018, are required to submit a symbol for approval by the Guyana Elections Commission before Nomination Day,” the advertisement stated.

Meanwhile, applications for symbols, which must include both printed and electronic versions of the respective symbols, must be submitted to GECOM no later than August 29, 2018.

Any list of candidates submitted by any political party, voluntary group or individual candidate on Nomination Day without the pre-approved symbol will be deemed defective and the defaulting political party, voluntary group or individual candidate will be deemed ineligible to contest the Local Government Elections,” GECOM warned.

The elections commission ahead of election day also provided information on requirements for the submission of the list of candidates.

It outlined that political parties or groups must contest all seats for the Proportional Representation component and must submit a list of candidates with 10 additional names apart from the total number of council-

and occupation of each candidate and the names of candidates should be one below the other with surnames in alphabetical order.

Meanwhile, the signature mark of each nominator must be stated together with the name and the ID card number and each list of candidates must be accompanied by a declaration, on the prescribed form, from

lors for the Municipality or Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

In addition, only the names of candidates qualified to be councillors equal to the number of constituency seats which it intends to contest in LGEs must be submitted, while the name of an independent candidate can only be submitted for the seat he or she is contesting.

GECOM outlined, too, that each list of candidate must be submitted on the prescribed form indicating name, address, ID number

each candidate contesting the election.

The commission is asking those participating to note that a candidate’s name can only appear on one Proportional Representation list and on only one constituency list for only one voluntary group or political party.

Also, a candidate’s name cannot appear for more than one voluntary group or political party on a Proportional Representation list or constituency list.

If a candidate is elected on a Proportional Represen-

tation list and the constituency list of a political party or voluntary group, he or she can only be appointed to one seat as a Council Member of the Municipality or NDC. Finally, each candidate for a Proportional Representation list must be a registered voter and a resident in the specific local authority area.

GECOM intends to continue its sensitisation measures leading up to Election Day by addressing nominators for lists of candidates in the following week.

This year’s LGEs will see eight new NDCs being formed as well as a new town with the participating order already in the process of being gazetted, according to Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan.

These will ensure that central government can provide support to townships and local government organs as these collectively work towards national development.

The ministry is also doing its part in sensitising the public through the launch of a public awareness and stakeholder education project, aimed at ensuring that more participate in the Local Government Elections this year.

It’s Volda

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

–– Volda Lawrence elected PNCR chair

–– Dr George Norton and Annette Ferguson are vice-chairs

By Ariana Gordon AFTER more than 15 hours of voting and tallying, Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence was declared the first female chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), even as President David Granger was returned unopposed as leader of the party.

Lawrence, who competed against former chairman Basil Williams, SC and Minister of State Joseph Harmon, secured 346 votes, while Harmon and Williams secured 287 and 183 votes respectively.

Williams served as the party’s chairman for three consecutive terms.

Ronald Bulkan, Minister of Communities, was the lone nomination for treasurer, while the vice-chairman positions were won by junior Public Infrastructure Minister An-

nette Ferguson and Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton with 260 and 242 votes respectively.

Among those who vied for the vice-chairman posts were former general-secretary of the PNCR Aubrey Norton; Director of Sport, Christopher Jones; Thandi McAllister; Lawrence; Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira; Genevieve Allen; and Cosbert Robert.

Aubrey Norton secured 236 votes, while Jones secured 226; Robert 16; Allen 11; Figueira 22; McAlister 84; and Volda Lawrence 244 votes, respectively. The votes for members of the Central Executive Committee will be counted today, said Returning Officer Hewley Griffith, who described his role as “rough at times”.

He was assisted by a team which included attorneys Patrice Henry and Cassandra Alves.

As Griffith declared

Lawrence’s victory, screams of “Volda! Volda! Unity! Unity!” spread across Congress Place, Sophia, as the curtains came down on the PNCR’s 20th Biennial Delegates Congress.

In her acceptance speech, Lawrence pledged to ensure that there is unity within her party and across the country.

“I do not bring gold or silver, but what I bring is a heart for the people of Guyana. I pledge to walk the walk and to talk the talk to ensure that we remain in government for the next five years. I also pledge to work with our leader and leaders to ensure that we address the needs of our people and that we all work together in unity,” she said much to the pleasure of her party members.

She thanked her party comrades who competed for the said position,

People’s National Congress Reform executive and contestant for chairmanship of the party, Joseph Harmon, gestures during the 20th biennial congress (Samuel Maughn photo)

Long-serving People’s National Congress Reform stalwart Volda Lawrence is greeted by supporters on the announcement of her election as chairperson of the party at Congress Place, Sophia, on Sunday (Samuel Maughn photo) noting that “we played a met with supporters in the was made, that Lawrence’s good relay”, adding that Rupununi, including rep- election as the party’s their competitiveness and resentatives from the town chairman represents “a support demonstrate what of Lethem and several vil- new dimension to our polcan be done collectively, lages including Karasabai, itics.” He said that without not only for the party, but Katoonarib and Sawarinau. campaigning he secured for the people of Guyana.

In July, Lawrence received 183 votes, which he felt In thanking her sup- several youths whom she made a difference in Lawporters, Lawrence said, noted “refuelled” her by rence winning the elec“Let us walk with purpose placing their faith, hope tions. and dignity and show the and trust in her.

“It is the time for womGuyanese people that this Lawrence is an accoun- en, the party has spoken, is the party to be a member tant by profession. She the woman has won and I of.” has a degree in accounting will support the woman. It T h e n e w l y e l e c t e d from the University of is a great win and we will chairman also pledged to Guyana and a master’s move forward together,” walk side by side President degree from Gloucester Williams declared, as he David Granger.

University, England and is cheered for Lawrence.

“I will bring the wom- a Certified Chartered AcSimilarly, Harmon, en with me and we will countant (ACCA Level II). the country’s minister of carry you and this party Meanwhile, both Har- state said the election of onwards,” she declared. mon and Williams con- a new chairperson and Lawrence had taken ceded to Lawrence and other senior office-bearers her campaign across the congratulated her on her illustrates the will of the country to venues on the success. They both vowed party’s members. coastland, as well as sev- to work collaboratively to “The party has won! I eral hinterland locations achieve their party’s goals. think that this is a historincluding Regions Eight, Williams told reporters ic moment in our party Nine and 10. at approximately 01:10hrs See page 8 Earlier this month, she just after the declaration

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani: Truth isn’t truth (BBC) President Donald Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has raised eyebrows by claiming that “truth isn’t truth” during a television interview.

Mr Giuliani was arguing that Mr Trump should not testify to the Russia probe, as he might be “trapped into perjury”.

“Truth is truth”, NBC host Chuck Todd countered.

Mr Giuliani denied this was the case, and said two rival versions of events were in contention.

His reply seemed to echo controversial claims from Trump aides about facts.

In January last year Kel-

lyanne Conway said told Todd’s programme, Meet the Press, that the White House was entitled to present “alternative facts” - to which Todd retorted: “Alternative facts are not facts.

They’re falsehoods.”

The exchange on Meet the Press on Sunday began with Mr Todd asking Mr Giuliani whether the Trump team was stalling about a possible testimony at the inquiry led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged meddling by Russia in the 2016 US election.

Mr Giuliani said: “I’m not going to be rushed into having him testify so can he can be trapped into perjury.”

He added: “When you tell me that he should testify because he’s going to tell the truth and he shouldn’t worry, well that’s so silly because it’s somebody’s version of the truth. Not the truth.”

Todd responded: “Truth is truth.” Mr Giuliani said: “Truth isn’t truth.”

The interviewer put his hand on his forehead and said: “This is going to become a bad meme!”

Mr Giuliani then made his main point - that accusations of obstruction of justice against the president hinge on a conversation he had with then FBI director

James Comey in February 2017, and that Mr Trump’s account of that conversation differs radically from Mr Comey’s.

“If you’re just a genius, tell me what the truth is!”

Mr Giuliani tells Todd.

“We have a credibility gap between the two of them. You’ve got to select between the two of them.”

DISBELIEF Trumps critics were prompt to seize on the exchange. Preet Bharara, a Democrat who was fired as federal prosecutor by the Trump administration, suggested “truth isn’t

truth” would not sound convincing in a trial.

This is not the first time that Mr Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, has spoken of irreconcilable accounts of the same event.

He told the Washington Post in May that Mr Mueller and his team “may have a different version of the truth than we do.”

In the interview, Mr Giuliani characterised the Russia inquiry as “wild, crazy, unorthodox”.

The president denies any collusion, and has repeatedly called the Mueller probe “a witch hunt”.

Russia also denies

Rudy Giuliani claims it interfered in the polls two years ago, which saw Donald Trump defeat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

British woman rescued 10 hours after falling off cruise ship in Croatia (BBC) A British woman has survived after falling from a cruise ship off the coast of Croatia, the country’s coastguard has said.

Officials said she was

rescued 10 hours after falling into the Adriatic Sea - 60 miles offshore - around midnight on Saturday.

The 46-year-old, who had been on the Norwegian

Star cruise ship, was taken to hospital in the town of Pula.

She told reporters she fell off the back and was “very lucky to be alive”.

Speaking to Croatian news channel HRT after stepping off the coastguard patrol boat the Cavtat, she added: “I was in the water for 10 hours, so these wonderful guys rescued me.”

She was then taken to hospital in an ambulance.

The rescue vessel’s captain, Lovro Oreskovic, said she was found on Sunday “exhausted”, adding: “We were extremely happy for

The 46-year-old British woman says she fell off the back of the Norwegian Star saving a human life.”

A statement from Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that a guest had gone overboard while the ship was on its way from Vargarola to Venice.

It said: “We are pleased to advise that the guest was found alive, is currently in stable condition, and has been taken ashore in Croatia for further treatment.

“We are very happy that

the individual, who is a UK resident, is now safe and will soon be reunited with friends and family.”

The Foreign Office confirmed it had been notified of the incident

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Venezuela crisis: Brazil deploys troops after migrant attacks (BBC) Brazil is sending troops and extra police to the border town of Pacaraima where Venezuelan migrant camps were attacked and set ablaze.

President Michel Temer held an emergency meeting on Sunday as regional tensions rose over the numbers fleeing crisis-hit Venezuela.

Venezuela has asked its neighbour to ensure the safety of its citizens.

In Ecuador, desperate Venezuelans were reported to be crossing the border in defiance of new entry requirements.

Hundreds were stranded on Saturday when Ecuador brought in new rules requiring Venezuelans crossing from Colombia to have valid passports rather than just identity cards.

Most of the migrants are heading south to join family members in Peru and Chile.

They are seeking a better life amid a worsening political and economic crisis in Venezuela that has led to soaring inflation and chronic shortages of food and medicines.

What happened on the Brazilian border?

In Pacaraima on Saturday, several migrant encampments were attacked by angry residents following reports that a local restaurant owner had been badly beaten by Venezuelans.

There has been growing animosity towards the numbers of Venezuelan migrants entering Roraima state in recent months.

Gangs of men carrying stones and sticks set fire to tents and other items belonging to the Venezuelans, and more than 1,000 migrants were said to have fled back across the border.

On the Venezuelan side, there were reports that Brazilian cars had been attacked.

Pacaraima was reported to be quiet on Sunday. Brazil’s public security ministry said it was sending a contingent of 60 troops to support police in the area. They are due to arrive on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan foreign ministry called on Brazil to give “guarantees to Venezuelan nationals and take measures to safeguard and secure their families and belongings”.

What’s happened in Ecuador?

Correspondents said many desperate Venezuelan migrants were defying new rules on Sunday and crossing the border from Colombia into Ecuador.

At the Rumichaca checkpoint near the western town of Ipiales, dozens who had been stopped from crossing on Saturday simply walked across the loosely guarded border, Reuters news agency reported.

“We have no money, we need to move on now and get our lives back,” said primary school teacher Mayerly Isaguirre.

Many others were huddled in makeshift camps trying to stay warm in the mountainous climate.

“We are from the Caribbean, we can’t handle this cold,” said Jorge Luis Torrealba, who had travelled from Venezuela with a group of friends and family members.

Charity workers warned that those crossing illegally were liable to hit by fines when they reached the border with Peru.

“And these people don’t have money,” said Gustavo Salvador of the Red Cross.

Until Saturday, thousands of Venezuelans had been able to cross into Ecuador from Colombia using only identity cards. The new rules took many by surprise.

Ecuador said on Sunday that children and adolescents could still cross without passports if travelling with their parents.

What have Venezuela’s other neighbours said?

With the flow of Venezuelan migrants causing regional tensions, Peru’s government has announced that passport requirements for Venezuelans will begin on 25 August.

In February, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos also announced a tightening of border controls, resulting in thousands of Venezuelans rushing to crossing points.

Why are people fleeing Venezuela?

Venezuela is suffering from the highest inflation in the world, with severe shortages of basic food items and medicines.

Many people there report going hungry as they struggle to feed themselves, and have decided to leave the

Residents of Pacaraima barricaded roads near the camps and burned migrants’ belongings Nicolás Maduro from office, country in search of better gling but oil-rich economy. economic conditions.

Last year scores of pro- he was re-elected in May’s The country is also in the testers were killed in clashes poll. An apparent assassinamidst of a political crisis, with during months of anti-gov- tion attempt on Mr Maduro earlier this month has raised Venezuela’s opposition blam- ernment protests. ing the policies of the ruling Despite opposition ef- tensions in the country even Socialist Party on the strug- forts to remove President further.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Conservation begins at home

THERE has been much emphasis by the APNU+AFC government on conservation efforts.

In fact, even before assuming office, the coalition had expressed a philosophy of environmental conservation, prudent fiscal management, and self-sustainability.

More recently, government has iterated that commitment in reference to responsible management of the Natural Resources Fund (NRF), so that future generations may benefit from our resources.

Many would agree that such a policy direction is logically sound and rational.

That having been said, no democratic government can succeed in any venture without the cooperation, support, and active participation of the general population.

While we may applaud the administration’s efforts, we too as citizens, have a vital part to play because, the fact is, conservation begins at home.

The opposite and enemy of conservation is wastage. Every time we throw away

a banana because it has a little bruise, we are wasting food. Every time we needlessly leave the lights on throughout the day, we are wasting electricity. And, each time we brush our teeth while leaving the water running down the drain, we are wasting precious water. Wastage has costs, and it is we, the consumers, who ultimately pay those costs.

According to a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, 33 percent of food produced globally is wasted. Guyanese, the FAO says, waste 30 percent of our food.

The FAO cited specific examples: 34 percent of tomatoes, and 30 percent of fruits and vegetables are not consumed. Those are some of the highest rates of wastage in the Caribbean. That level of wastage, says the FAO, translates to wastage of 30 percent of land, and 25 percent of water dedicated to food production. The global cost of food wastage is US$ 26 trillion. If we consider that figure in the context of

the fact that worldwide, 815 million people are malnourished, it leaves one speechless.

As was mentioned, we waste water in our homes too. Guyana Water Inc (GWI) estimates that 60 to 70 percent of pumped-water is lost from the system without being directly paid for. They call this non-revenue water (NRW). Of course, GWI needs to keep operating, so, somebody has to pay for that water. And whether it is paid for directly by customers through increased tariffs, or indirectly through government subsidies – which must be replenished by taxes – it is the consumer who pays.

The wastage of electricity is another problem which we, as consumers, have the power to fix. As is the case with water, if our neighbour is stealing electricity, even as we pay our bills, guess who is paying for the neighbour’s current?

The problem of wastage, obviously cuts across almost all areas of life. To solve it, we must develop a collective and individ-

ual culture of conservation. We must be conscientious about how we behave. We need to think about how much food we purchase at a time, how we store it, and how we use it. We must develop habits such as turning off lights, fans and other appliances when not in use, and why not turn off the shower while we apply soap?

And, we should teach our children to do the same, both in words, and by example.

The fact is, government can pass legislation to support a culture of conservation – France passed laws that prohibit supermarkets from discarding usable food; they have to donate it to charity or food banks – but it is always up to citizens to make a difference. Conservation puts money into our pockets; our grocery, electricity, and water bills can be lower, and national revenues can be used for development instead of subsidies.

We can take action to benefit ourselves, we only need to remember that conservation begins at home.

No soft, energy drinks in schools

Dear Editor,

I STRONGLY condemn vendors for selling poison to Guyanese schoolchildren in the form of soft drinks and energy drinks.

This should be banned immediately.

With this in mind, I commend government Member of Parliament (MP) John Adams for presenting a motion on behalf of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services, that schools should be “discouraged” from selling soft drinks in their canteens. I am going further to say it should be prohibited.

But that motion is too soft, because it is not enough to discourage this practice. It must be outlawed completely.

In his presentation to the National Assembly as chairperson of the committee, Adams disclosed that the Ministries of Education and Public Health were selling aerated drinks in schools. He said it was his committee’s hope that the Education Ministry would be able to do something to “restrict” canteens from selling such beverages.

While I support the committee’s position on this issue, I respectfully disagree with Adams’ choice of the words “hope” and “restrict,” while making his presentation in Parliament. I believe the slow poisoning of our

children in schools is far too important to be dealt with by merely hoping for a restriction.

It is time to get out of dreamland. The Ministry of Education has to ban this evil now.

Adams’ committee also recommended to Parliament that schools promote the sale of “healthy, wholesome and nutritious foods” to encourage healthy eating habits, and also recommended that physical education be mandatory in schools. That is good, but our children’s good health depends on how quickly the nation can move on from making recommendations to actually implementing them.

In this age of information technology, people literally have at their hand-reach, countless sources of information about the poisonous effects of soft drinks and energy drinks on consumers’ waistlines and teeth.

These beverages are packed with sugar and harmful chemicals and regular consumption causes multiple health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma and obesity, including flare-ups in temper due to the excess in sugar content and other poisons.

Many are sold in cans that are coated with the chemical endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA), which is linked to heart disease, obesity and reproductive problems. The artificial

brown colouring in soft drinks is made using chemicals, which in U.S. government-conducted studies caused lung, liver, or thyroid cancer or leukemia in laboratory mice and rats.

The average can of these poisonous beverages has 17 teaspoons of sugar and a huge number of useless calories. Drinking them greatly increases the obesity risk in children and constantly erodes their dental enamel.

Those with artificial sweeteners are worse; artificial sugars are linked to numerous illnesses and diseases, including cancer.

Consuming these poisons can cause an addictive adrenaline rush, followed by a sharp downward mood swing because the intake of harmful chemicals saps the human body of energy. The addictive highs, followed by energy-depleting lows can take consumers of these beverages on a roller-coaster ride that eats away their mental well-being, especially children. They also reinforce bad eating habits.

These beverages are poison, pure and simple. With all the information available today from credible sources about the serious harm these drinks can do to a human body-especially the body and brains of a growing child-- it is obvious that Guyana has to ban the

sale of these drinks to children in the schools.

What more do we need? What is the problem?

In my opinion, no one should be permitted to drink these beverages, but just as in the case alcohol and cigarettes, a multitude of foolish people will insist that they have a right to consume them although these persons know beyond a shadow of doubt that, by doing so, they are poisoning themselves. Let the adults poison themselves with them if they want to, but leave our children alone.

The House of Assembly should ratify the motion raised by MP Adams and his committee and move to implement the recommendations without undue delay. I commend PPP/C MPs Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo and Alistair Charlie who made contributions on the motion.

I urge both sides of the House to ensure that Adams’ committee’s recommendations are implemented swiftly. I also call on them to move on to even stronger action by implementing an outright ban on these poisonous beverages in schools and hospitals.

Once again, compliments to MP Adams’ committee for being behind the presentation of this motion in Parliament.

Regards Roshan Khan Snr

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Here is a chance to really make the small man a real man in Guyana Dear Editor, I HAVE a good friend who works as a public servant.

She is married and has one child. She is a member of the Joint Services, but finds it challenging to support her family on a salary which pales in commensuration with the position she holds. She told me recently that she is confused by the debate over oil revenues and how it will impact her and her family’s livelihood. She isn’t a usual pessimist, but she doesn’t seem very excited, either about the prospect of benefitting significantly from recent oil discoveries.

I am afraid that more than 50 per cent of the Guyanese population are in similar semi-confused states of mind as my friend.

I am also suspicious that this is where some politicians are able to bamboozle the populace.

Ignorance and poverty are constrictors of ordinary citizens’ development. We know that something is happening, but are often unsure of what it is or how it will impact us. Most are often too busy, trying to put food on their tables or otherwise inhibited. They may avoid, or are incapable of, dialogue because of their limited understanding of important matters. This is compounded by the fear of exposing obvious ignorance. Ignorance is not bad when it is the catalyst that propels one to pursue learning and the acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge is power. Intrinsically, some persons capitalise on the ignorance of others and have no obvious interest in delivering them by improving their knowledge through

education.

My interest in Guyana’s new found wealth has been heightened by current affairs and activities relevant to petroleum, because this country will soon be producing that highly valued mineral. Given the projected revenue gains, every Guyanese citizen who experienced Guyana’s evolution and post-independence economic struggles should feel a strong entitlement to benefit from the inevitable yields. The distribution of oil revenues has now become a major focal point, with growing anxiety over its efficacy.

Having an equitable distribution of oil wealth should be a major consideration by any sincere and caring government. Guyana’s is not exempt. Inequity in some countries has created domestic instability with debilitating effects. In other countries, brutal civil wars have been the consequence of perceived inequity and unfairness.

Locally renowned and internationally respected economist Professor Clive Thomas’ recent proposition is one that seeks to create equitable distribution of the anticipated oil revenues. Based on Guyana’s small population size, Professor Thomas posited that direct, annual cash payouts of US$5,000 per family would be a practical and meaningful poverty alleviation mechanism. Once properly implemented, life for individual Guyanese should improve considerably, unless they deliberately impoverish themselves.

Subsequent concerns have been raised that significant annual cash payouts may cause inflationary effects or spending indiscipline.

Given these probabilities,

government can undertake to provide guidance and education on how citizens could prioritize spending, and also implement macro-economic measures to manage inflation.

Professor Thomas’ proposition has not escaped some resistance and critique. Even some of his party’s coalition partners seem to believe that the idea is over our heads.

Others have sought to completely dismiss the proposition as fantasizing and politicking. Signals from the Alliance For Change (AFC) in support of Professor Thomas’ proposition is a good one.

Such support adds greater value to this indigenous idea.

The AFC has consistently declared and positioned itself as the fulcrum for balancing political power in Guyana.

Nevertheless, Professor Thomas’ proposition is not abstract if one considers the Alaskan success. The state of Alaska offers a kind of Global Resource Dividend (GRD) to its citizens on an annual basis. It is similar to the thesis of Philosopher Thomas Pogge, who posited that such dividends can help to negate economic inequality. The Alaska Permanent Fund has been providing dividends of US$300 - $2,000 annually for citizens. In 2016, each Alaskan received $1,022 for his or her share in that State’s mineral wealth.

In Guyana, in spite of our huge vast mineral wealth and massive extractions of Gold, Timber, Manganese and other high yielding minerals, the masses have seldom enjoyed, even fractional, benefits derived from those resources.

Revenues derived from mineral resources invariably go directly from extracting com-

Guyana Peace Council needs a compass Dear Editor TO say that I’m puzzled about the purpose of the Guyana Peace Council’s August 20 panel discussion on VS Naipaul, is to put it mildly.

The very name of the entity explicitly demarcates its role to work towards peace in Guyana. So how does a panel discussion on Naipaul contribute to peace in Guyana? How about panel discussions and other endeavours relating to robbery with violence, road rage and accidents, suicide, various forms of abuse, murder suicide/femicide, alcoholism, increasing drug use, lack of employment opportunities (which is violence against the unemployed), flooding which has become regular and extensive (and which is violence against the citizenry, especially farmers)

and myriad other issues that affect peace in Guyana.

I challenge the Guyana Peace Council to ground with Guyanese from all walks of life across Guyana by partnering in vigils, helping to organise vigils nationwide and using the opportunity to let the nation know how they plan to address the various manifestations of violence that directly impact people’s lives on a daily basis and thereby bring about peace.

The response to this challenge would clearly indicate whether they are really about peace or the Guyana Peace Council is a misnomer and a cover for something totally unrelated to peace, as exemplified by the panel discussion on Naipaul.

Regards Annan Boodram

panies to the government coffers, never passing through the hands of the citizens whose patrimony they are.

Although national budgets are presented, the obscurity of their construction invariably excludes citizens from comprehensibly scrutinizing actual revenues, expenditures and taxes.

A GRD approach would require greater accountability of successive governments. It

is felt that there is need for an urgent, wider discussion on how we could use our oil revenues for collective and individual benefits. This would obviously require proper structuring, and inclusiveness of the various sectors, civil society and communities.

We cannot just leave it up to politicians and the usual triad of celebrated foreign functionaries to set the pace for the people of this country.

They may be familiar, but do not experience the toughness of life for the majority of working-class people. If individual cash payments are good for Alaska then it can be good for this country too.

Here is a chance for those who govern to really make the small man a real man in Guyana!

Regards Orette Cutting

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It’s Volda ...

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

From page 3

when we have an opportunity to work together to build our party. I don’t see a defeat here. I see that we have all won out of this.”

He told reporters that all stakeholders will work in greater unity to build the party and expand upon many of their campaign promises. “… It has mobilised our base, so you can feel

plauding the maturity in which the campaigns were conducted.

Harmon believes that the PNCR has “set a standard for the rest of this country” to follow.

Meanwhile, President David Granger in his induction and charge to the new chairman and vicechairpersons, declared, “What a party! What a Congress!”

leader.

He noted that the returning officer and team worked all day in very stressful conditions, but “at the end of the day they were able to earn the confidence of the membership of this party.”

He added: “The process might have been slow and difficult, but it was clean and complete.”

The leader said the

clear that since taking office he has been a strong advocate for women. He is the first president to appoint female senior counsel.

“For the first time this year, there have been more women national awardees than men; I can’t overrule democracy. I try to ensure women are well represented at all levels of the party,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, during his induction, the head-ofstate said despite speculations that there was deep and intense rivalry, his party has demonstrated that there is democracy within.

“The party is 61 years old and it is a robust party; robust democracy,” President Granger said, noting that “The people understand what I need and want; I am very satisfied now that I have a female chairman and a female vice-chairman.”

He called on members to put their faith in the collective wisdom of the party’s membership, while pointing to the effective functioning of the party’s institutions, inclusive of the constitution, General Newly elected People’s National Congress Reform Vice-Chair Annette Council, Central Executive Ferguson, congratulates Volda Lawrence on her election to the chair- Committee and members.

“This morning, the conmanship of the party (Samuel Maughn photo) test is over. The local government campaign starts,” the energy in here. I want “We came on Friday election of Lawrence as the Granger said, while adding to congratulate Ms. Volda evening and we are leaving chairperson of the PNCR, that political office is not a Lawrence on her victory on Monday morning. This which was founded by the glamorous affair. and I want to congratulate has been a demonstration late Linden Forbes Samp“At the end of the day all the other members; the of democracy — it is my son Burnham, illustrates we are one party and our vice-chairmen… two of honour and pride to lead party unity and solidarity. party is very important, not the persons who scored a party such as the PNCR Granger, who has al- only to us but to the counvery high were on my cam- and to lead a congress such ways pushed for women’s try. The persons who have paign team,” he said, ap- as this,” said the Guyanese empowerment, made it been elected understand this duty. They have been

People’s National Congress Reform outgoing chairman Basil Williams has pledged to work closely with Lawrence for the growth and development of the party and improvement of the lives of all Guyanese (Samuel Maughn photo)

President David Granger, who is leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, addressing the gathering at Congress Place, Sophia, on Sunday (Samuel Maughn photo) long-standing members. racy and transparency...

And each elected mem- we are going to the future ber is a member of my with eyes wide open,” the Cabinet,” said the PNCR President added. leader.

President Granger He noted that while made it clear that while oil those who contested may is on the horizon, it is the have been rivals in the efforts of people that will campaign “they are col- lead Guyana into an era of leagues and they will all greater social equality and be at Cabinet on Tuesday inclusionary democracy. morning.”

He said his leadership, He assured congress which comprises the new that the members of the electives will lead Guyana PNCR are cognisant of into an era where the leadwho they are and are fully ership is prepared to meet aware of what needs to be with civil society. done.

“I ask you the members “We know where we of the public to keep faith are going. We have a team with us just as you kept and under my guidance faith with us [during the will work together. These congress]… over the next are not strangers. I have two years and beyond and worked with them as shad- we will lead you to that ow ministers, and in Cabi- promised land. There are net. We have a mission and no victors and victims. what occurred over the last We are all working few days is an indication for a common destinaof our commitment. The tion,” the President conpeople have seen democ- cluded.

A section of the gathering at Congress Place, Sophia, on Sunday (Samuel Maughn photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Close to $2B disbursed to GuySuCo –– but corporation needs to complete procurement process for additional funds, says NICIL/SPU

THE National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited/Special Purpose Unit (NICIL/SPU) said almost $2 billion has been disbursed to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for operational expenses of the Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt estates.

In a release, NICIL/SPU noted that disbursement of the funds is in keeping with plans of the coalition government to make the industry viable and to safeguard the future of the 11,000-plus workers.

NICIL earlier this year was mandated to seek fi-

nancing for the smaller-sized corporation targeting retooling, diversification and improved agriculture.

This was being pursued even as work was being done to privatise and divest the Skeldon, Rose Hall, Enmore and Wales estates.

Through local financing, arranged by Republic Bank Limited, the NICIL managed to successfully negotiate a Bond Facility for GYD $30B, with significant input from the Ministry of Finance.

A full G$30B has been secured, but the NICIL requested GYD $17B in the first tranche.

“We will receive the remainder on request. It was structured in this manner for us not to incur unnecessary costs. It must be noted that half of the bond amount would be provided for in local currency, while the remainder would be disbursed in USD. This bond facility is the largest ever for the country and is clear evidence of the capacity of our local state agency and financial institutions, with the negotiations very complex in nature,” NICIL/SPU said.

Under the arrangements, GuySuCo must submit its applications that have been vetted to make sure it meets

the approved criteria of the bondholders with two disbursements made so far: one for $880M and another for just over $1.1B. The release said NICIL has also taken note of an article appearing in Stabroek News, Sunday, under the headline: “Plans for revamping GuySuCo awaiting funding, new CEO says… company still to receive proceeds from initial $17B secured from bond facility.”

“It is clear, therefore with the aforementioned facts that GuySuCo has drawn down on the proceeds. The article therefore is disingenuous as GuySuCo’s Chief Executive

Officer, Dr. Harold Davis, Jr, may have been misinformed of the disbursements.

The monies from the bond facility will be used to purchase equipment for plantation white and co-generation plants, operational expenses, including the purchase of nine tractors. The monies obtained from the bond facility were not obtained to facilitate the payment of debt as was ventilated time and again by the Minister of Finance and stakeholders. GuySuCo is yet to complete its procurement process for the mentioned capital items. Therefore, GuySuCo is not in a position to draw down on additional secured funds,”

Vulda McGregor endured –– for her son to her struggle excel at CSEC

By Vanessa Braithwaite SHE wakes up during the wee morning hours to prepare various homemade snacks to vend on the streets of Mackenzie. Most times, she is sleepy-eyed, tired and exhausted from the six-day a week routine.

Sometimes she feels like giving up, but every time she thinks of her son, her little Ryan, and how necessary it is for him to get an education, which can potentially be their salvation out of a hard life, her zest is renewed and her hands are ready to face that fire, to prepare her snacks and to hit the road to sell them.

This is the daily life of Vulda McGregor, mother of Ryan Waldron, a student of Queen’s College who sat this year’s Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) and was very successful. He sat 13 subjects and gained two Grade Ones, seven Grade Twos and four Grade Threes.

Knowing that his mother was his major supporter, since she is a single parent, Ryan summed it up in three

Ryan Waldron words, “I did it for my mother.”

“When I was writing, all that I kept thinking about was my mother, I wanted to make her proud and I said to myself that the only thing I can do, is to make her smile.

I wasn’t doing all of that good at school especially with Maths, my grades were not where it should be, espe-

cially Maths and I knew she was getting nervous, so all I wanted to do was to make her proud,” the overjoyed Ryan said.

That is indeed a touching phrase that would melt any mother’s heart. Vulda said that she is extremely satisfied with his results and she is very proud of her son. “My heart is satisfied,” she said.

What is more noteworthy of Ryan’s situation is that he travelled every day from Linden to Georgetown to attend Queen’s College for five years. Imagine having to wake up 04:00 hrs every morning to hit the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, knowing that you will be home after dark and still have to do it again the next day.

With the limited time in the evenings and even with a sapped will, Ryan still had to complete assignments and homework and study.

“I had to wake up around 04:00 hrs every morning and most nights I came home around 18:00 hrs. I still had the extra work to push in so I didn’t really get enough rest, I didn’t get to attend any lessons either because of the limited time or with Maths, I would have needed lessons to help with the practice, if I had lessons I knew I would have done better,” Ryan related.

His mother had to face the financial strain of upkeeping him at Guyana’s top ranking high school. The bus fare per month alone was $20,

000. In addition to that, Ryan had to get a snack every day, money for assignments and other necessities. To make it work, Vulda faced the broiling sun every day, vending her homemade snacks on the streets of Mackenzie to make it happen for her son.

She said, “I am satisfied with his results because travelling for five years, for five days a week, it’s difficult, it’s a challenge. I also thank God for the support from the church people and the little business I have, I could have sent him, God made a way and I know he will continue to make a way, I will continue to support him. I know God will make the way to continue to support him because he will be going to Sixth Form and then university after.”

Ryan will be doing CAPE at Queen’s College and he hopes to become an electrical engineer one day. He expressed thanks to God for his success and everyone who would have supported his mother, including the church family and other relatives and friends.

NICIL/SPU said.

It said the sugar industry is critical to Guyana and GuySuCo has received over $30B in cash transfers over the first two years of the coalition government to that end.

“It is the mandate of the NICIL/SPU to ensure that the sugar industry returns to profitability with the industry to reach the levels of sustainability.

NICIL/SPU will continue to engage all the stakeholders involved to make this a reality, even as other options for investments are being pursued,” the release concluded.

Two arrested in ammo find TWO men have been arrested after ranks stationed at the Providence Police Station, received reports on Sunday of persons discharging firearms indiscriminately at Farm Squatting Area, EBD. According to a police release, on responding to the reports, they found two motor cars which were parked at the location in question and conducted a search on both the cars and the drivers.

“In one vehicle, the ranks found a live 9mm round while in the other another live 9mm round was also found therein.

The lawmen also found two spent shells of the same calibre of rounds found, next to one of the vehicles. No firearms were found.

The men, 30 and 21 years, unemployed and of Herstelling Housing Scheme and Farm Squatting Area respectively, who are not licensed firearms holders, have been arrested and are assisting with the investigation,” the release concluded.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Water the flowers and watch them grow

IN order for children to benefit from the simple basics of life, it is imperative for parents to instil positive traits in them from very young.

When children are around 18 months to two years old, they are very open and they like to take part in most things that are going on around them. This is a good time for parents to encourage them to help with keeping themselves, their home and their environment clean. It is never too early to learn and at this age, they are usually eager participants.

If they drop garbage, they should be told to pick it up and put it in the bin, if they spill something on their clothes, they should be given a tissue or rag and encouraged to do their best at cleaning it off and if an adult, or family member is cleaning, dusting and/or sweeping, the child should be given a cloth or small broom and encouraged to work alongside their family members.

Of course, the young child may not do a good job to begin with, but in time they will get better. They will also grow with the idea that they need to contribute

to their own well-being and the work that needs to be done in the household. They will realise, if they do not do the work, then someone else will have to do it; therefore it is as much their responsibility to: e.g. wash the wares, sweep the yard, pick up clothes, turn off a light and empty the garbage, etc., as it is the adults in the household. This sense of responsibility begins with the way that the adults in the home connect with and nurture the child or children in their midst.

Some parents have the habit of doing most things for their children when they are very young and simply continue in the role as the child grows older. But children who are disallowed the opportunity to learn housework or how to clean up after themselves, can come across all types of problems later on in life. When the child reaches pre-adolescence, the parents or caregivers will find it very hard to get the child to do anything remotely connected to housework, even keeping their own space or room tidy might be a constant battle or problem.

It is very difficult to instil this sense of

responsibility when the child is older (11 -13 years old). By this time, some children may have developed an attitude of resentment towards being asked to do anything.

They might ‘long out their mouths’ or get upset when asked: even if it is something in their best interest, or they might not do a good job and the parent might still have to finish the work his/herself. Because of this ‘disconnect’ between adult and child, some parents don’t bother to ask: they’d rather do whatever needs to be done, than deal with their child’s attitude towards housework. Of course, some children know this and play upon the fact that the more ‘attitude’ they display, the less they will be asked.

When things get to this stage, any voluntary assistance from the child may be seen by them as a type of ‘favour,’ rather than a wholesome, willing contribution to their family’s livelihood or well-being.

It is harder for children with this type of mindset to share accommodation with their peers, unless they are given strict ground rules, to which they make an effort to adhere. Although it shouldn’t have

to be an effort, it should be something that comes naturally, but this can only be natural, if it is instilled, displayed, adopted and/or nurtured from a young age.

Young people who grow in households where they are taught to clear up after themselves, help with the chores and keep their homes and environment tidy, tend to collaborate with their co-workers better when they are older and enter the world of work. They usually have the ability to complete tasks in a timely manner and ensure that they pull their weight in a productive and constructive way. It is strange to believe that by giving a young child a small responsibility at the age of two, that you could actually contribute to their projected successful outcome in an area of his/her life, but this is a small example of the type of influence parents have over their children’s future.

Children are like flowers, tend to them well and watch them flourish.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the Childcare and Protection Agency’s Hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Aspiring bio-chemist hopes for scholarship … Region Six number two performer, Yugeeta Kumar, makes grandparents proud

DEFYING the odds stacked against her since birth, Yugeeta Kumar, of Grant 1651 Crabwood Creek has emerged as the Region Six, number two, top performer and the 17th overall in the country with 14 Grade Ones and two Grade Twos at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC).

The Line Path Secondary School student was eagerly awaiting her results because she was confident she did well, and wanted to make

sure she was the first to break the news to her grandparents who have been caring for her since she was an infant.

After her parents separated while she was a newborn, and her mother left two weeks after giving birth to her, she was left in the care of her grandparents.

Her father helped a little financially while she was in primary school, but her grandparents used their pensions and whatever little savings along with the help of an uncle, to ensure she received

an education.

Being brought up by a former police officer she was very disciplined and humble and recognised the struggles being made for her, so she did everything possible not to disappoint them.

The hard work she put in has paid off, and her success is much sweeter since grandma and grandpa are all smiles and cannot keep from telling the world how proud they are of their `daughter’s’ success.

“I know she would have done well… she is a very

brilliant child from since she was little. We are very proud of her,” Madan Kumar, her grandfather, age 72, said with tears of joy streaming down his face as his voice started to break.

The aspiring bio-chemist now has another hurdle to overcome and it is seeking the public’s help in acquiring a scholarship to pursue her dreams, since she knows her grandparents cannot afford to send her to the university on their pensions.

Given the circumstance in her life, she wants to make

a lasting impact in whatever she sets out to do and sees bio-chemists as being able to do just that.

“Bio-chemists have made tremendous impact throughout the world and have been responsible for huge numbers of scientific breakthroughs in the areas of medicine, agriculture, veterinary science and biotechnology to name a few, this is what drives me to know how much you can offer to the world. Hence the reason why I want to follow this path… it does not limit

Yugeeta Kumar you to one area of study but to find out so much more.”

Her advice to students preparing to take the examinations next year is to try to be prepared ahead of time, remain focused on their goals and find a balance between work and leisure.

Bartica girl secures 15 subjects at CSEC

By Alva Solomon

WHEN the results of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) were released last week, 16-year-old Runique Belle was eagerly awaiting information on her performance and when the news of her results reached her home, her performance was beyond her parents’ expectations.

Belle, a former student of Three Miles Secondary, is the top performer of Region Seven at the 2018 examination.

According to her, “I kind of expected the results.”

She obtained passes in English ‘A’, English ‘B’, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Human and Social Biology, Principles of Business, Electronic Document and Management Separation, Agriculture Science, Integrated Science and Food and Nutrition.

In all, she scored Grade One passes in nine of the 15 subjects, which according to reports, is a record for the region.

According to the young woman, most of her preparations centred on burning the midnight oil. She said that her school offered only nine subjects at the examinations and according to her, she decided to pursue the additional subjects with the help of her mother, Chrystal Belle, who is a teacher at the Three Miles Secondary.

“I attended lessons a lot and my mother assisted with the core subjects,” she said.

Belle said she attended extra lessons almost daily as she prepared for the examinations.

Her mother told the Guyana Chronicle that she is “extremely proud, I had confidence in her to do well.”

The woman was, however, surprised that her daughter was adjudged the region’s top student. Both of Belle’s parents were overjoyed over the weekend as the family celebrated her achievement.

The young lady plans to pursue studies in the field of medicine at the University of Guyana and according to her, she hopes to become a obstetrician-gynaecologist, a doctor who specialises in

Three Miles Secondary School student Runique Belle women’s health. She said she likes the particular field of the sciences. “It’s a passion of mine,” she said.

The young scholar is not only about academics. Her father, Rundy Belle, is a popular boat racer who in the past captured many titles at the annual Bartica Regatta. As such, Belle said she has a liking for the adrenaline rush which comes with the sport. She drives the boats, something she enjoys in her spare time.

She is also an ardent sport fan and plays cricket and football in her spare time and plans to become more involved in basketball.

Her word of advice to others sitting the CSEC examinations in future is to always focus on the task at hand, study hard and burn the midnight oil.

“They should also start studying for a while before the exams and don’t wait [until the] last minute, because there is so much more they can learn in that longer period than just cramming everything in one night.”

Belle was high in praise of the efforts of everyone involved in her achievement including her parents, siblings and teachers Ron Ghanie, Nadira Ferreira and others at the Three Miles Secondary.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Nagamootoo talks up US congressmen’s visit

By Lisa Hamilton AS Guyana prepares to welcome a 25-member team of US congressmen and senior military personnel to its shores for a familiarisation tour, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo believes that this can mean well for the country.

He also discredited the notion of some, who labelled the visitation as “a blood-sucking empire descending on Guyana”, by providing an overview of some of the positives and negatives of Guyana-US relations.

Writing in his weekly column ‘My Turn’, the prime minister said the visit coincides with the prospects of first-oil by American giant, ExxonMobil.

“The huge vested interests have not only attracted high-profile, albeit controversial, coverage from the New York Times, but has also raised an enhanced security profile of Guyana, and presented a new geopolitical and strategic reality in the western hemisphere.

“The Government of the United States of America was quick to connect with this reality on the occasion of the 52nd Independence Anniversary of Guyana.

Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo reinforced ‘strong connections’ with Guyana, and committed the United States to the advancement of our prosperity, by helping Guyana to develop her emerging oil sector ‘in partnership with U.S. business’, ”Nagamootoo stated.

When the visitation was announced last Thursday

by Minister of State Joseph Harmon, he too, said that the visit is testimony of the growing confidence in Guyana on the international scene and the strengthening of US-Guyana relations.

Nagamootoo adds that it will be the single largest congressional delegation ever to Guyana.

However, he noted that some of the mistrust afloat can be attributed to several instances in the past whereby Guyana was disadvantaged by the North American nation.

“There have been previous episodic decades that could give justification for this negative nationalism, going back to the late 1950s when the then British colony became a pawn in the Cold War. She was subsequently converted into a laboratory for every conceivable ideological stratagem of American imperialism, which has since been well documented.

“The role of an American company in voter registration for the 1968 elections had spawned a legacy of electoral malpractices, once described by Lord Avesbury, head of a UK Observers’ Mission, as ‘Something to Remember’,” the prime minister said.

He also highlighted the 1978 ‘Jonestown’ mass murder-suicide on Guyana’s soil of 1,000 American citizens by fanatical American Reverend Jim Jones.

WIND OF CHANGE However, these “episodic decades” gave way to the “wind of change”, Nagamootoo continued, with the involvement of the US nation in facilitating positive change and investment in a number of areas.

“Five American senators petitioned their Government to embrace electoral democracy. Ambassador Fleming Jones and former President Jimmy Carter played key roles in promoting bipartisan cooperation ahead of electoral reforms. Not widely known, is the role of then President George Bush Snr. in supporting ‘free, fair and credible elections’, which assurance was conveyed to me at the State Department by then Assistant Secretary of State, Sally Cowal,” he recounted.

The prime minister also listed Beal Aerospace Technologies Inc’s agreement with Guyana in 1999, for the installation of a US$50 million rocket launch site in the Waini River area and the granting of an oil exploratory concession to ExxonMobil, now proven to be worthwhile.

He also highlighted the support of America in the Guyana-Venezuela border

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo controversy, stating: “With the expected oil bonanza, came renewed but overt diplomatic support for Guyana’s territorial sovereignty against a spurious claim by Venezuela.

“The U.S. Government declared recognition for the entire ‘Land of Many Waters’ from ‘the Corentyne to the Pakaraimas, from the Takutu to the Amakura…’”

OTHER POSITIVES Apart from these, are the some 500,000 Guyanese who live and work in the US, accounting for US$264.6M in remittances in 2016 and the launch in Guyana of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) with startup members including ExxonMobil and Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Co Limited (GT&T).

The prime minister ranks the latter as one of the biggest successes of US Ambassador Perry Halloway in bridging American-Guyanese business cooperation.

Nagamootoo also pointed out that on the US State Department’s Guyana Page, a Fact Sheet outlines the shifts in political-ideological and trade relations between the two countries.

“Beginning in the late 1980s, Guyana sought to improve relations with the United States as part of a decision to shift toward political nonalignment, moving from state socialism and one-party control to a market economy and greater freedom of the press and assembly.

This shift, recent free and fair democratic elections, closer security cooperation, and expanding trade and investment have helped place US-Guyanese relations on excellent footing,” the State Department said.

In concluding his rationale for the welcoming of the high-level congressmen and senior military personnel to Guyana, Nagamootoo stated: “The Americans, this time around, have every justification to be back, as friends, as partners. Yes! The Americans are coming!”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Annual yacht rally cancelled

By Lisa Hamilton

THE sixth annual International Nereid’s Rally, scheduled for Guyana in September has been cancelled due to fears of piracy attacks, which have been attributed to sensational media reportage on the matter.

Some 15 yachts with international guests were expected to visit the country from September 13, to explore Guyana’s natural and cultural beauty and participate in a list of other tourism-related activities.

They were scheduled to be welcomed by Business Minister Dominic Gaskin at the Hurakabra River Resort on the Essequibo River.

However, a recent press release from the resort states that due to the “sudden, short-notice withdrawal of 11 yachts”, the rally has been cancelled.

The cancellation was attributed to international and local media headlines of the recent attack on Guyanese fishermen off the coast of Suriname, which helped to spread fear among the yachtsmen, many of whom live aboard their vessels.

“These headlines have found their way into the international media, on to the specialist websites upon which cruising yachts rely for their information and, most recently, less than a week ago, into a major Washington Post story reporting on attacks at sea on Trinidad & Tobago boats [not yachts] from Venezuela offshore Trinidad,” the release stated.

It went on to add: “Sadly for Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, whose offshore seas are traversed by the International Nereid’s Rally, have been etched into the minds of yachtsmen as a place where piracy occurs and where they do not belong.”

Joint owner of Hurakabra River Resort and wellknown Public Relations Consultant Kit Nascimento, for the past 20 years has

been intimately involved in the planning and development of identifying Bartica and the Essequibo River as a Caribbean yachting destination.

Nascimento, who also represents the organisers of the International rally according to the release, expressed “his huge disappointment and frustration at this setback to the progress we have made in making Guyana and the Essequibo River a place where yachts are welcomed and can safely sail to enjoy themselves and, at the same time, enjoy Guyana. One yacht, for instance, had already requested a booking for its crew and friends to visit Kaieteur Falls.”

He added that it is regrettable that news reports had sensationalised the attack, stating: “It is particularly frustrating because what he calls ‘criminal attacks on small fishing boats’ offshore Suriname and Guyana have been blown into ‘piracy on the high seas,’ which is entirely untrue and a misrepresentation of the reality.”

Some of the local headlines identified in the release included: ‘Fallout from deadly high seas attack’ which appeared in Kaieteur News and ‘Suriname arrests 13 Guyanese suspects in piracy attack’ on Demerara Waves.

Nonetheless, Nascimento has indicated his willingness to work closely with the Ministry of Tourism and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) to “address this challenge with which a vital tourism event for Guyana is now unfairly confronted.”

The International Nereid’s Rally was initiated when Italian sailor David Matelicani met Nascimento in 2011 whilst sailing up the Essequibo River.

In September 2013, with the support of the Ministry of Tourism in Guyana and the Mayor of Saint Laurent in French Guiana, Matelicani launched the first rally sailing from Trinidad &

Tobago.

Since then, the rally has been a major tourism activity growing over the years to become a much anticipated feature on Guyana’s tourism calendar.

Two of the biggest yachts to grace the rally in 2014

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Five cops promoted –– after winning on the spot debating competition THE Police ‘A’ Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) debating team defeated the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters in the force’s Debating Competition 2018 for the Justice Horace Mitchell Trophy in the final held Friday at the Police Officers’ Mess

Annexe, Eve Leary.

The competition had over a dozen judges with several rounds of vigorous competition. The judges were happy with the quality and level of preparations.

The moot for the debate was: “There is a direct correlation between domestic violence and culture.”

Constable David Prince, who was later promoted to lance corporal, was adjudged the best speaker.

In attendance were senior officers of the force including Commissioner of Police (ag) David Ramnarine and special invitees.

Ramnarine, who was also a debater and was best

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Commissioner of Police (ag) David Ramnarine presenting a trophy to Lance Corporal David Prince in the presence of the winning ‘A’ Division team members. Corporal Prince was adjudged the best speaker speaker on multiple occasions, told the gathering that he was impressed with the presentations.

The Top Cop was so impressed that he made five promotions on the spot. Constable Timothy Roberts.

Constable Quincy Lacon, Constable Desmond Nicolson, Constable David Prince, and Constable Bruce Charles were all promoted to lance corporal.

In consultation with other senior officers, the commissioner of police (ag) also moved up the first-place cash prize to $35,000, the runner up to $25,000 and best speaker to $20,000.

Public Relations Officer Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan in an invited comment said in the Guyana Police Force, debates provide for investigation and intensive analysis of significant contemporary problems.

He explained that al-

though debate topics are multi-faceted and cut across several disciplines, they allow debaters to gain knowledge from unique disciplines outside their normal routines.

“Debates in the force develop the ability of ranks to make prompt, analytical responses, while cross-examination demands quick and decisive responses to questions about argumentation made before, as such debaters develop excellent listening skills while developing note-taking, and analysing information as they hear it,” Superintendent Ramlakhan explained.

He said debaters learn the value of suspending judgment until both sides are scrutinised and noted that the debater not only requires work in knowing speech material, but in the presentation of the material.

Armed bandits rob, tie up Mahaica family FIVE armed, masked bandits robbed a Belmont, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara family Saturday night, carting off cash, jewellery and electronic items.

Enquiries disclosed that the victims reside in a two-storey wooden and concrete building and on Saturday night, the bandits gained access to the house after entering the yard and holding one of the occupants at gunpoint.

The armed men then entered the home and tied the hands and feet of the 56-year-old fruit vendor, while demanding cash from her husband who was assaulted and gun- butted to the head.

The robbers then raided the home which had four occupants and made good their escape in an unknown direction, leaving all the victims tied up in the house.

The victims managed to untie themselves and contact was made with the police. An investigation is in progress.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Zoe Sills secures 10 Grade Ones

–– and is happy to help restore good name of Mackenzie High

By Vanessa Braithwaite

MACKENZIE High School’s (MHS) top performer Zoe Sills has achieved her goal in returning glory to her school, which has been seeing a decline in Grade Ones and overall passes at the Caribbean Secondary Education Council (CSEC) examinations in recent years.

This year, however, Mackenzie High had five students listed in the country’s top 233 performers and Zoe Sills, its top performer, gained 12 Grades Ones and One Grade two.

Sills’ performance is not surprising to many as she is well known as a top performer as well as for her eloquent

Zoe Sills public-speaking and debating skills.

She described the journey as being very rough, as she had to sacrifice a lot of what she loved to achieve excellence. She believes, however, that strategising her work played an integral role in her success.

“Someone told me to try and finish my SBAs first and then put in the studying; I was getting nervous, because all of my friends were studying and the SBAs felt like a long process since you had to keep doing back things over and over again, but in the end it worked out and I was still able to be successful,” the overjoyed Sills said.

While her personal achievement warrants celebration, Sills is more ecstatic that she has dusted the negative rhetoric off of her school by putting it back in the position it once held, and that is as Linden’s premier high school.

“Honestly, that was my intention, everyone was putting down the school and I didn’t like that at all. I even encouraged my batch mates to work hard to lift the school up because last year, the top student got five Grade Ones and I knew that MHS was better than that, so I really encouraged them to do better for the sake of the school,” she told the Guyana Chronicle.

The young lady related that History was her most challenging subject. She thanked God, her parents, her friends and all those who pushed her to do well.

She is hoping to pursue the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) at the Bishop’s High School, but will be giving back to the Mackenzie High School in any way possible.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

England tormentor Johnson retires from all cricket

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Former Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson, who terrified England during the 2013/14 Ashes series and captured 313 test wickets through a roller-coaster career, has retired from all cricket, the bowler said on Sunday.

Left-armer Johnson retired from internationals in 2015 but remained a useful bowler in Twenty20 competitions, including for Perth Scorchers in the Australian ‘Big Bash’ tournament.

He struggled with a back injury while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in this year’s Indian Premier League, however, and said in a column on Sunday that he felt his body was starting to give way.

“It’s over. I’ve bowled my final ball. Taken my final wicket. Today I announce my retirement from all forms of cricket,” Johnson said on the Perth Now website (perthnow. com.au).

Mitchell Johnson “I had hoped to continue playing in various Twenty20 competitions around the world until perhaps the middle of next year. But the fact is my body is starting to shut down.”

An express pace bowler capable of conjuring menacing bounce and swing, Johnson struggled for consistency through much of his career but was a human wrecking ball in the 2013/14 whitewash of England, capturing 37 wickets in a legacy-defining series.

He also amassed 239 wickets in one-day internationals and was more than a handy tail-end slogger, scoring a century and 11 fifties in his 73 tests.

Johnson said he hoped to remain involved in the game and would look to take up coaching roles.

“My competitive urge hasn’t left me and hopefully that’s something I can use to channel into a coaching or mentoring role in the future,” he said.

“I’m a believer in sticking to your strengths and cricket is my strength.”

AMERICAN RACING TIPS DELWARE PARK Race 1 Whimsical Delight Race 2 Flamingo Chick Race 3 Troopingthecolor Race 4 Gnarly Race 5 Brushed By Fire Race 6 So Kitten Race 7 Amma May Our Queen Race 8 So Big Boy SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS FLAMINGO PARK 08:25 hrs House Hunter 09:00 hrs Timeofthevikings 09:30 hrs Top Salute 10:00 hrs All About The Bass 10:30 hrs Deago Deluxe ENGLISH RACING TIPS THIRSK 09:05 hrs King Of Tonga 09:35 hrs Fuente 10:05 hrs Bedouin’s Story 10:35 hrs Eastern Racer 11:05 hrs Champagne Rules

11:35 hrs Star Shield 12:05 hrs Mon Beau Visage 12:35 hrs Sir Derrick LEICESTER 09:20 hrs Happy Odyssey 09:50 hrs Gravina 10:20 hrs Presidential 10:50 hrs Over The Guns 11:20 hrs Five Helmets 11:50 hrs Rux Ruxx WINDSOR 12:30 hrs Dreaming Of Paris 13:00 hrs Luxor 13:30 hrs Wilbury Twist 14:00 hrs Cowboy Soldier 14:30 hrs Tylery Wonder 15:00 hrs Anchises IRISH RACING TIPS ROSCOMMON 11:45 hrs Vocatus 12:20 hrs Dadoozdart 12:50 hrs Savitar 13:20 hrs Simiyna 13:50 hrs Tough Spirit 14:20 hrs Crecerelle 14:50 hrs Try Again 15:20 hrs Ana Lichious

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

‘Brown Boy’, Drakes clutch goals clinch ...

From back page

Deon Charter netted twice and Donovan Francis’ lone strike was enough to see the tournament favourites walking away with the competition’s $600,000 first place prize.

With tears flowing down their cheeks, the young Germans side received their second place $250,000, after goals by Andre Myers (2), Orlanzo Thurman (2), Tyrese McAlister (1), Ryan Noel (1) and goalkeeper Tevin Crawford (1) were not enough to see them winning after their brilliant run in the tournament.

Germans sent their supporters into a frenzy when they raced to a two-goal cushion, thanks to Noel and Myers, even minutes into the contest, but Waldron, more popularly known as ‘Brown Boy’ showed why he’s the most skilful player in Linden in this format of the game, in helping to rally his team to a come-back.

Charter pulled one back for the Green Jaguars, but McAllister scored to keep the pressure on the eventual winners, and maintained the Germans’ two-goal lead (3 – 1) at half time.

The resumption of the game in the second half saw both sides going at each other, but the conundrum for the Germans really started when they couldn’t contain the Green Jaguars when they decided to press forward, and Drakes and Waldron leading the attack.

Drakes, the eventual MVP, along with Waldron and Francis, scored to bring the Champions back into the game. However, Thurman scored back-to-back goals for the Germans who were leading 6 – 7, with a little under a minute remaining.

The Germans supporters had already begun to celebrate, but Waldron would silence the crowd when he crafted and scored the equalizer.

The Equalizer! John ‘Brown Boy’ Waldron about to fire home the goal that levelled the score (7 – 7) for Figgy Green Jaguars against Germans in Linden.

(Rawle Toney photo) It was game-on from then, and Waldron once again put his team on his shoulder, this time creating the winning goal for Drakes, whose goal was scored just as the time expired.

Wild celebrations erupted while the team, sponsored by Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira and their fans rushed to the court; but in a corner protesting in tears were the Germans.

The losing finalist and their fans believed that Drakes goal was scored after the time had expired, and despite their protest, the referees held on to the notion that the winning goal was scored prior to the clock’s expiration.

Meanwhile, in the third place playoff, it was a goal fest, with Goodfellas winning 11 – 10 over Quiet Storm, to go home with $100,000. The losers, Quiet Storm, settled for the $50,000 fourth-place prize.

The tournament was sponsored by Mohamed’s Enterprise, ExxonMobil, Bakewell, Cell Smart, Power Producers & Distributors Incorporated (PPDI), Stag Beer, Dragon Stout, Sankar’s Auto Works and Bumper to Bumper Services, among a number of other businesses from within Linden.

Hetmyer’s superb ton sends Tallawahs tumbling to first defeat

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, (CMC) – Left-hander Shimron Hetmyer struck a flamboyant hundred as Guyana Amazon Warriors handed Jamaica Tallawahs their first loss of the Caribbean Premier League season, with a resounding 71-run defeat here Saturday night.

Amazon Warriors piled up 209 for seven off their 20 overs after choosing to bat first in the opening game at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, with Man-of-the-Match Hetmyer hitting exactly 100 from 49 deliveries.

Captain Shoaib Malik struck 50 but the next highest score was 13 not out from Jason Mohammed as Amazon Warriors declined from 162 for two in the 15th over, losing five wickets for 34 runs at the back end.

In reply Tallawahs cruised to 102 for two at the half-way point behind opener Glenn Phillips’s 43 and Ross Taylor’s 30 but suffered a sudden collapse to lose their last eight wickets for 36 runs.

The victory put Amazon Warriors top of the table on six points, only ahead of second placed Tallawahs on net run rate.

Amazon Warriors enjoyed a less than steady start when Chadwick Walton fell lbw for nine to leg-spinner Samuel Badree in the second over with 13 runs on the board.

However, Hetmyer arrived to rally the innings with a knock which included 11 fours and sixes, posting 43 for the second wicket with Luke Rochi (8) and further 108 for the third wicket with Shoaib.

The 21-year-old Hetmyer raced to his half-century off 25 balls, lifting captain Andre Russell (2-31) over square leg for six in the eighth over to bring up the landmark.

In contrast, he reached three figures off another 22 balls but quietly, clipping left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie (2-35) to mid-wicket for a single in the 14th over.

He was next to perish, however, lasting only another two balls before holing out to long off in the next over from pacer Oshane Thomas (2-32).

Shoaib, meanwhile, crunched a four and four sixes off 33 balls but was dismissed in the 18th over as part of the slide, punching Santokie to extra cover.

Having chased well in the tournament, Tallawahs looked on course to continue that trend even though Kennar Lewis departed for 14 to the last ball of the opening over, picking out Shoaib at long on with seamer Keemo Paul.

Phillips and Taylor then took command, however, posting 66 in an enterprising second wicket stand which revived the innings.

The 21-year-old Phillips pummeled two fours and four sixes in a 29-ball knock while veteran Taylor faced 20 balls and struck a four and a six.

South African off-spinner Chris Green (2-19) claimed Taylor caught at the wicket, top-edging a paddle sweep in the eighth over and with 20 runs added, South African David Miller was run out for 11 in the 11th over.

Off the very next ball, Phillips played on to an Imran Tahir (2-26) googly leaving Tallawahs in tatters on 102 for four and Russell’s cheap dismissal, caught in the deep off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo for one, proved a key blow to the innings.

SCOREBOARD

C Walton lbw b Badree 9 L Ronchi c Miller b Russell 8 S Hetmyer c Powell b Thomas 100 S Malik c Wasim b Santokie 50 S Rutherford b Thomas 5 J Mohammed not out 13 C Green c Wasim b Russell 6 K Paul c Zampa b Santokie 23 R Emrit not out 7 Extras (lb4, w4, nb1) 9 TOTAL (7 wkts, 20 overs) 209 Did not bat: D Bishoo, Imran Tahir Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-54, 3-162, 4-177, 5-186, 6-193, 7-196.

Bowling: Santokie 4-0-35-2, Badree 3-0-37-2, Imad Wasim 3-035-0, Russell 3-0-31-2, Thomas 4-0-32-2, Zampa 3-0-35-0.

TALLAWAHS K Lewis c Malik b Paul 14 G Phillips b Tahir 43 R Taylor c Ronchi b Green 30 D Miller run out 11 R Powell b Green 13 A Russell c Hetmyer b Bishoo 1 Imad Wasim c Green b Tahir 14 K Santokie c Shoaib Malik b Emrit 0 A Zampa run out 3 S Badree run out 2 O Thomas not out 2 Extras (lb3, w2) 5 TOTAL (all out, 16.2 overs) 138 Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-82, 3-102, 4-102, 5-103, 6-129, 7-130, 8-133, 9-134, 10-138.

Bowling: Paul 2-0-19-0, Green 4-0-19-2, Bishoo 3-0-34-1, Imran Tahir 4-0-26-2, Emrit 3-0-35-1, Shoaib Malik 0.2-0-2-0.

Manchester gap widens as City score six and United lose

By Neil Robinson LONDON, (Reuters) - Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 6-1 rout of Huddersfield Town on Sunday before the champions’ neighbours Manchester United suffered a limp 3-2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion that left Paul Pogba questioning his team’s attitude.

Where Pep Guardiola’s City again dazzled against the only side to stop them scoring at the Etihad Stadium in the league last season, United produced a tepid, defensively inept display that offered little hope that they will challenge this season.

Sunday’s other game saw Watford beat Burnley 3-1 to leave the Hornets as one of five

sides unbeaten on six points at the top of the table.

United manager Jose Mourinho admitted his side were punished for “big mistakes”, with centre halves Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof particularly guilty as Brighton scored three firsthalf goals — more than United conceded in any Premier League match last season.

Glenn Murray and Shane Duffy scored twice in two minutes and, after Romelu Lukaku hit back, Bailly condeded a needless penalty which Pascal Gross converted via David de Gea’s legs.

Pogba’s injury-time penalty, after Marouane Fellaini was brought down, came too late to matter.

United’s captain was quick to admit that United have

problems. “They had more hunger than us. My attitude wasn’t right,” said Pogba, adding that his team mates also approached the game wrong.

“We made mistakes we shouldn’t make. We tried to push and push, we kept trying, but it was a bit too late. It is a big lesson for us. I kept trying but I lost a lot of balls.”

The contrast with City’s performance hours earlier could not have been starker.

Once Aguero broke the deadlock on 25 minutes there was no way back for Huddersfield, and the Argentine followed up with further strikes on 35 and 75 minutes as City made light of the absence of the injured Kevin De Bruyne.

“I never saw him like this since I was here,” said manager Pep Guardiola, praising

Aguero after pairing him with Gabriel Jesus up front.

“Sergio is in an incredible condition with the ball and without the ball. Last season, Huddersfield played five at the back. We decided today we would play with two strikers.”

Jesus and David Silva also scored with a late Terence Kongolo own goal meaning Huddersfield have now shipped nine goals in two games.

So complete was City’s domination that it would have been no surprise if they had emulated the 10-1 scoreline they managed against the same opponents in 1987.

Particularly impressive was the range of attacking options open to Guardiola with almost every player providing a threat on goal.

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Third Test at Trent Bridge ...

Pandya tears through feeble England to put India in control

HARDIK Pandya claimed his maiden five-wicket Test haul as India skittled brittle England in the afternoon session to take a firm grip of the third Test on a frenetic day two at Trent Bridge.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson took two wickets apiece to dismiss the tourists for 329 after they had resumed on 307-6 under grey skies in Nottingham on Sunday.

England were going along nicely on 54 without loss just after lunch, only to collapse to 161 all out a week after they had torn through India for a second time at Lord’s to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

The India bowlers gave England a taste of their own medicine in ideal conditions for swing bowling, all-rounder Pandya striking with his first ball to remove Joe Root somewhat contentiously as he claimed outstanding figures of 5-28 from a devastating six-over burst.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant took five catches on debut, while Jasprit Bumrah (2-37) and Ishant Sharma (2-32) were rewarded for probing spells before

Hardik Pandya was unstoppable: he claimed five wickets in 29 balls to dismiss England for 161 ©Getty Images India closed on 124-2, meaning they lead by 292 runs.

Broad (3-72) got an early breakthrough after the start was delayed by 30 minutes due to a wet outfield, Pant chopping on for 24, and the paceman also removed Ravichandran Ashwin’s middle

stump with a magnificent inswinger after Ollie Pope had dropped a sharp chance.

The excellent Broad also bowled Bumrah before ending the innings just 7.5 overs into the day’s play, holding on to a catch when Mohammed Shami tried to launch Anderson out of the ground.

Alastair Cook (29) and Keaton Jennings (20) looked comfortable for the remainder of the morning session, scoring freely in a promising stand, but England fell to pieces after both openers were removed from successive deliveries.

Cook edged Ishant behind two balls after he was put down by Cheteshwar Pujara at first slip and Jennings fell in the same manner wafting at a tempter from Bumrah at the start of the next over.

Pope was strangled down the leg side off Ishant - who curiously did not bowl before lunch - and Pandya made his presence felt immediately, claiming the big wicket of Root, who shook his head as he trudged off for 16 after KL Rahul was adjudged to have got his fingers under the ball to take a low catch at second slip.

Ashwin spent a lengthy spell off the field due to a hip injury, but the spinner would not have been needed in any case as the seamers continued to reap the rewards of pitching the ball up, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow also edging to the safe hands of Rahul.

Pant reacted superbly to cling on to a one-handed catch when Chris Woakes feathered behind trying to hook Pandya, who raised the ball aloft after trapping Broad bang in front to pick up his fifth wicket of the innings.

Jos Buttler went on the offensive with Anderson for company, striking two sixes in a rapid 39 from only 32 balls before he was taken in the deep attempting to clear the ropes for a third time.

Stokes ended a brisk, assured opening stand of 60 by cleaning up Rahul (36), while Shikhar Dhawan (44) was stumped after failing to read an Adil Rashid googly after he was dropped by Cook.

A watchful Pujara was unbeaten on 33 at stumps and Virat Kohli came through a barrage of short stuff from Stokes with the sun out and India in complete control.(Yahoo Sport)

Bolt vows to put ‘best foot forward’ for Central Coast trial

RETIRED track superstar Usain Bolt has vowed to put his best foot forward as he prepares to begin a career in professional football with A-League team Central Coast Mariners.

The sprint double world record holder arrived in Sydney on Saturday, having agreed to an indefinite trial period with the A-League club, the ultimate aim being to secure a contract at the end of the period.

There continues to be mixed reaction to the 31-yearold athlete’s decision to attempt a late-stage foray into the sport. Many have branded the entire move a publicity stunt. Bolt has, however, continued to insist that the project is the fulfilling of a lifelong dream and remains confident of being successful.

“I’ve said it since my last season of track and field that I wanted to play football and I knew what I’m capable of,” Bolt said.

“I know what I can do. They (the Mariners) gave me a great opportunity and I’m ­really happy about it. I’m just going to come here and do my best as always. I always put my best foot forward and I’m just going to show the world I’m here. As you all know I love Australia, so I’m happy to call Australia home for now. I’m more excited than anything else.”(SportsMax).

Rishabh Pant, meanwhile, pouched five catches in his first innings keeping wicket in Test cricket ©Getty Images

SCOREBOARD

INDIA 1st innings (overnight 307 for 6) Shikhar Dhawan c Jos Buttler b Chris Woakes 35 Lokesh Rahul lbw Chris Woakes 23 Cheteshwar Pujara c Adil Rashid b Chris Woakes 14 Virat Kohli c Ben Stokes b Adil Rashid 97 Ajinkya Rahane c Alastair Cook b Stuart Broad 81 Hardik Pandya c Jos Buttler b James Anderson 18 Rishabh Pant b Stuart Broad 24 Ravichandran Ashwin b Stuart Broad 14 Ishant Sharma Not Out 1 Mohammed Shami c Stuart Broad b James Anderson 3 Jasprit Bumrah b James Anderson 0 Extras 12b 6lb 0nb 0pen 1w 19 Total (94.5 overs) 329 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-60 Dhawan, 2-65 Rahul, 3-82 Pujara, 4-241 Rahane, 5-279 Kohli, 6-307 Pandya, 7-323 Pant, 8-326 Ashwin, 9-329 Shami, 10-329 Bumrah Bowling: James Anderson 25.5 - 8 - 64 - 3, Stuart Broad 25 - 8 - 72 - 3, Ben Stokes 15 - 1 - 54 - 0 (1w), Chris Woakes 20 - 2 - 75 - 3, Adil Rashid 9 - 0 - 46 - 1. .............................................................

ENGLAND 1st innings Alastair Cook c Rishabh Pant b Ishant Sharma 29 Keaton Jennings c Rishabh Pant b Jasprit Bumrah 20 Joe Root c Lokesh Rahul b Hardik Pandya 16 Ollie Pope c Rishabh Pant b Ishant Sharma 10 Jonny Bairstow c Lokesh Rahul b Hardik Pandya 15 Ben Stokes c Lokesh Rahul b Mohammed Shami 10 Jos Buttler c (Sub) b Jasprit Bumrah 39 Chris Woakes c Rishabh Pant b Hardik Pandya 8 Adil Rashid c Rishabh Pant b Hardik Pandya 5 Stuart Broad lbw Hardik Pandya 0 James Anderson Not Out 1 Extras 4b 1lb 2nb 0pen 1w 8 Total (38.2 overs) 161 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-54 Cook, 2-54 Jennings, 3-75 Pope, 4-86 Root, 5-108 Stokes, 6-110 Bairstow, 7-118 Woakes, 8-128 Rashid, 9-128 Broad, 10-161 Buttler Bowling: Mohammed Shami 10 - 2 - 56 - 1, Jasprit Bumrah 12.2 - 2 - 37 - 2 (2nb) Ravichandran Ashwin 1 - 0 - 3 - 0, Ishant Sharma 9 - 2 - 32 - 2, Hardik Pandya 6 - 1 - 28 - 5 ( 1w) .........................................................

INDIA 2nd innings Shikhar Dhawan st Jonny Bairstow b Adil Rashid 44 Lokesh Rahul b Ben Stokes 36 Cheteshwar Pujara Not Out 33 Virat Kohli Not Out 8 Extras 0b 3lb 0nb 0pen 0w 3 Total (31.0 overs) 124-2 Fall of Wickets : 1-60 Rahul, 2-111 Dhawan To Bat : Rahane, Pant, Pandya, Ashwin, Sharma, Shami, Bumrah Bowling: James Anderson 7 - 2 - 24 - 0, Stuart Broad 40 – 25- 0, Chris Woakes 8 - 1 - 19 - 0 . Ben Stokes 7 1 30 1 4.29 Adil Rashid 5 - 0 - 23 - 1

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) 24 matches (2) 7 fours & five sixes (65 balls)

Today’s Quiz:

Usain Bolt in action

(1) Name the players that have captained the Barbados Tridents in CPL cricket to date?

(2) Who is the first player to record a ‘golden duck’ in Hero CPL 2018?

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Russell unhappy with pro-Guyana crowd at Tallawahs’ home game

By Peter Della Penna in Florida JAMAICA Tallawahs captain Andre Russell voiced his displeasure with the decision to shift more home games away from Sabina Park, after his side’s first loss of the season to Guyana Amazon Warriors in Florida.

The noisy and at times hostile atmosphere of about 4000 fans were overwhelmingly in favour of the visiting Warriors during a 71-run win over the designated home team.

“Honestly, I’m very unhappy at the moment,” Russell said after the game. “The guys fought tonight ... but based on tonight’s game, it wasn’t like a home game. It didn’t feel that way.

“Every boundary, every wicket it was going Guyana’s way. [Shimron] Hetmyer came out, he played some good shots and just the crowd being in his back, it kind of gave him that pump and it shouldn’t be like that.

I think we should have that home advantage

Sparta Boss, Uprising, Plaisance, North East La Penitence secure berth to K’O round SPARTA Boss, Uprising, Plaisance and North East La Penitence each clinched a spot in the Round-of-16 of this year’s Guinness Cage street football championship, having earned entertaining wins on Saturday

bagging a significant brace in the fourth and ninth minutes.

Meanwhile, crowd favourite, Uprising, dismantled Beterverwagting [BV]-B 3-1.

It was a clinical performance from the youthful outfit, as

trick in the fifth, eighth and 10th minutes. For the loser, Shemar McPherson scored in the third minute.

Meanwhile, Plaisance stunned Belfield Warriors 1-0 on penalty kicks, after normal time ended scoreless.

Guinness and Power Wine brands, Queensway Security Services, the Gaming Authority, Clark’s footwear giants Chetsons, E-Networks Inc., KSM Investments, Yhip’s Bakery, Brass Aluminum & Cast

Part of the action at the Haslington Market Tarmac in the Guinness Cage street football championship

Jamaica Tallawahs captain Andre Russell where a guy hits a boundary, he hears silence. Right?

If that’s how home advantage is supposed to be in these conditions, then you have to wonder. You hit a four, you hit a six, you’re not hearing nothing because a Guyana crowd is out here and they want to see Guyana do well.”

According to Russell, his fielders were under pressure almost from the start of the match. When Samuel Badree struck with the seventh ball of the night to trap Chadwick Walton lbw, a hush fell over the ground before it became lively once more in the next over as Hetmyer hit his first two boundaries off Imad Wasim on his way to becoming the youngest centurion in CPL history at age 21.

The Warriors eventually bested the previous CPLbest total at the venue to make 209 for 7.

“Honestly, these are little things that get me upset from the second over,” Russell said. “Guys saying stuff to you on the boundary. I don’t want to field on the boundary because guys are pressuring you. It shouldn’t be like that. When I go to Guyana, then I expect that.

“Guys were upset. I was upset. When I got off the field, I was throwing shoes, everything all around the changing room, things that fans don’t need to see but that’s how upsetting these things can be. You want to know that the crowd is behind you in your home game.

So if we go to Barbados and we see a sea of blue, then we expect that. But you’re playing a home game, you want to feel that home advantage. You get a wicket, you hear that loud cheer. It gives the bowler energy even if you’re tired.”

The Tallawahs have now lost four of five matches in Lauderhill since the CPL’s first matches in Florida in 2016. (ESPN Cricinfo)

at the Haslington Market Tarmac.

In what was virtually elimination matches witnessed by a rabid and partisan gathering, Sparta Boss resisted the taunts to defeat home side, Haslington Hypers, 2-0 in a bruising and exciting affair.

Once again, Jermin Junior was the main threat for the Georgetown giant,

David Wilson led the charge with a brace in the third and 12th minutes.

He was assisted by a Phillip Williams-conversion in the sixth minute. For the loser, Edun Fraser recorded a consolation goal in the seventh minute.

Similarly, North East La Penitence dismissed Victoria Church Yard 3-1.

Keifer Brandt tallied a hat-

It was a cagey affair, which played into the hands of the Plaisance unit.

The results for the other matches are displayed below. The round of 16 and quarterfinal round will kick-off on Saturday 25th at the same venue.

Among the entities which pledged their support to the event are: Banks DIH under its

Bale scores as Real Madrid win opening La Liga match GARETH Bale scored as Real Madrid started La Liga life without Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane with a comfortable win over Getafe.

Dani Carvajal headed in Real’s opening league goal under Julen Lopetegui after Bale’s cross was punched to him by goalkeeper David Soria.

Bale hit the bar with a

diving header before turning home Marco Asensio’s cross to wrap up the win.

Asensio hit the post in the second half as Real cruised without adding a third.

Getafe’s only shot on target came in injury time, when Angel’s volley was easily held by Keylor Navas. The Costa Rican started instead of Thibaut

Iron Foundry (BACIF), Ray’s Auto Sales, Y.K. Investments, the Trophy Stall, Express Shipping, Woodpecker Products, the National Sports Commission, ‘C’ Division of the Guyana Police Force, Jai Signs & Auto Designs, Give Another Chance Foundation, Julius Variety Store and C & C Prestigious Styles.

Gareth Bale

Courtois, with the summer signing from Chelsea an unused substitute.

Real lost 4-2 in extra time to Atletico Madrid in Wednesday’s Uefa Super Cup in Tallinn. That was their first competitive match since their all-time top scorer Ronaldo joined Juventus for £99m and boss Zidane left after winning a third consecutive Champi-

ons League.

But they started their La Liga campaign with a straightforward win in another Madrid derby.

With no replacement signed for Ronaldo, Asensio, Bale and Karim Benzema started up front and they could have scored more - despite having just three shots on target.(BBC Sport0

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

Mullin, Niles pilot Santos to win as Pele Alumni ‘Frank Watson’ Intra-Association U-15 Tournament kicks off

THE Georgetown leg of the Pele Alumni ‘Frank Watson’ Intra-Association U-15 Tournament got underway on Saturday at the Tucville ground, with three matches that saw victory for Santos FC and draws in the other two matches.

Santos FC looked strong and made easy work of Beacons FC in their 4 – 0 win in the first match of the day with two goals apiece from national U-15 players Kevin Mullin (9th and 24th minutes) and Derron Niles (12th and 30th minutes).

The Beacons’ strikers were relentless in their attempts to score but special mention must be made of Santos FC’s goalkeeper for a very good day at the office with some very memorable saves.

The second match – East Veldt vs Masters Academy – was competitive with some good plays from each side but ended on a two-all scoreline.

Santos’ Derron Niles about to score one of his two goals against Beacons FC Masters Academy was first to hit the back of the net with a goal from Michael Oie in the 24 min-

ute. This was countered in quick succession by East Veldt’s Rolan Apple and a follow-up of another in the

50th minute. Not to be outdone, Oie stuck again in the 55th minute to create a level score in a match played in

Pandya slams Holding’s ‘nowhere near Kapil Dev’ jibe after routing England NOTTINGHAM,,(United Kingdom) (AFP) - India’s Hardik Pandya routed England with his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket and then urged pundits such as Michael Holding to assess him on his own merits after the West Indies great said he was “nowhere near” becoming the “next Kapil Dev”.

Pace-bowling all-rounder Pandya, playing in just his 10th Test, made the most of the swing-friendly conditions on offer to take five for 28 as England collapsed to 161 all out at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

India then pressed home their advantage to be 124 for two at stumps in their second innings, a commanding lead of 292 runs on just the second day of the third Test.

“I have never wanted to be Kapil Dev,” Pandya told reporters.

“Let me be Hardik Pandya, I am good at being Hardik Pandya, I played 41 ODIS and 10 Tests being Hardik Pandya, not Kapil Dev.” Prior to this match, the 24-year-old Pandya was averaging 32 with the bat and 39 with the ball in Test cricket.

That led West Indies fast-bowling great Holding to suggest India needed to “find someone who can contribute a lot more to this team right now.”

Holding made his remarks during an

interview with the ESPNcricinfo website on Thursday -- two days before the third Test started -- in which he insisted Pandya was a long way from becoming a world-class all-rounder in the mould of India great Kapil.

The now 59-year-old Kapil scored 5,248 runs at 31.05, including eight hundreds, during a 131-Test career that yielded 434 wickets at 29.64 as well for the fast bowler.

Kapil was also India’s inspirational captain when they beat two-time defending champions West Indies, who had Holding in their XI, in the 1983 World Cup final at Lord’s -- one of cricket’s all-time stunning upset victories.

Before the second Test at Lord’s last week, which India lost by the huge margin of an innings and 159 runs to fall 2-0 behind in this five-match series, Pandya had gone four Tests without a wicket.

“I don’t think he does a lot with the ball,” said Holding. “He is not consistent.”

Holding, now a respected television commentator who is covering the England-India series for Sky Sports, insisted “I heard a mention, when I was working in South Africa: ‘he is the next Kapil Dev’. I ain’t going to tell anybody he’s

not going to be the next Kapil Dev, but he is nowhere near there yet.

“And they (India) need to find someone who can contribute a lot more to this team right now.”

- ‘Let me be Hardik Pandya’ But having made his mark at Trent Bridge, significantly as a fourth seamer in a rebalanced attack following the return of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah from injury, Pandya said he had no interest in being compared to great players of the past.

“They (the players of Holding’s generation) have created their era, let me be Hardik Pandya, let’s stop comparing me with anyone,” he said.

“My team is happy with me. Nothing else matters.”

England were bowled out in a session on Sunday despite an opening stand of 54.

Having gone nearly 80 years without losing all 10 wickets in a Test session from 1938 to October 2016, Sunday’s slump was the third time it had happened to them in 22 months.

They might have been made to follow-on before Jos Buttler top-scored with 39 to ensure India would have to bat again.

“It’s very disappointing...being 50 for none,” said Buttler. “We let that slip.”

Santos FC’s goal scorers Derron Niles (L) and Kevin Mullin bright sunshine. nament.

The final match of the He expressed his best day – Riddim Squad vs wishes to the teams and Black Pearl – ended in a urged them to be “ambasscoreless draw despite the sadors of fair play” as they best efforts of both teams to exhibit their skills and talent register a goal. in exciting football.”

Preceding the delayed Adams acknowledged start of the tournament, there the primary sponsors – Pele was a brief opening cere- Alumni – for collaborating mony, including a march with the GFF on this youth past featuring the five teams tournament. He also expresent and remarks by pressed appreciation to the Chairman of the Interim GFA-IMC for organizing the Management Committee of tournament and urged other the Georgetown Football sponsors to come on board.

Association–Interim ManThe tournament feaagement Committee (GFA- tures 10 clubs, including IMC), Trevor Williams and Masters FC, Santos FC, Second Vice President of the East Veldt FC, Tavel FounGuyana Football Federation dation FC, Fruta Conquer(GFF), Rawlston Adams. ors FC, Pele FC, Riddim In extending best wish- Squad FC, Black Pearl FC, es for the tournament to Beacons FC and Ordis FC. the participants, Williams The next set of matches said the GFA-IMC is hap- are scheduled for Tuesday py to commence the tour- at the same venue.

Djokovic makes history with Cincinnati Masters victory over Federer FORMER world number one Novak Djokovic became the first player to win all nine Masters 1,000 tournaments with victory over Roger Federer in Cincinnati.

The 31-year-old Serb, a five-time runner-up at the event, beat seven-time champion Federer 6-4 6-4.

Wimbledon champion Djokovic had lost the Cincinnati final to the Swiss on three previous occasions.

“It’s a very special moment,” he said. “It’s the first time I get to stand with a winning trophy in Cincinnati.”

Victory for world number two Federer would have brought him his 99th career trophy, as well as levelling the long-time rivals’ head-to-head record at 23-23.

Djokovic will now look to take his form into the US Open, which starts on 27 August, having previously won two titles at Flushing Meadows.

Federer was under pressure from the start, saving two break points before holding to win the first game.

World number 10 Djokovic eventually broke his opponent’s serve for 4-3 before holding to win the opening set.

But Federer started the second set the strongest, racing into a 2-0 lead before Djokovic fought back to level at 2-2.

He earned another decisive break at 4-3 before serving for victory on his first championship point in one hour and 24 minutes to complete a career ‘Golden Masters’.

Federer said: “Congratulations to Novak for your amazing effort not just this week, but throughout your whole career, it is an amazing achievement.

“It’s been a great week, tough on the players but we had a fun time.”

Earlier, Kiki Bertens held off a championship point to upset world number one Simona Halep in the WTA tournament.(BBC Sport).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 20, 2018

‘Golden Jaguars’ lose to Madureira Sports Club in Rio AS the historic Brazil Train and Play Camp in Rio de Janeiro continues, the Golden Jaguars played their second of four practice matches on Friday afternoon against the Madureira Sports Club and went down 0-3.

The team, which is still gelling together under new head coach Michael Johnson, conceded two goals in the first half and another in the second as, yet again, all the players on tour, except Trinidad and Tobago-based Sheldon Holder who joined the squad on Friday, played either half.

Coach Johnson, commenting on the match, said the host team moved the ball very well but also noted that the young Golden Jaguars have had a tough week so far but should be playing better than they did in this second match.

According to Jamaican Johnson, “to say that it was a tremendous performance, I would be lying but there are so many things that gave us opportunities to work on and that’s the way we look at it. It’s what can we

do now to help some of these younger players.

There may be four or five that we can actually pull into our squad, so we’ll go again tomorrow and work with them and really try to help them in their pattern of play, style of play, their decision making; but it has been a worthy exercise so far.”

A number of the players in Rio are U-20 and U-23 and are being groomed for the future as they rub shoulders with some of the more seasoned campaigners, with the Golden Jaguars coach noting “we guarantee that when they leave here they’ll be a lot better conditioned, in a lot better shape and have a stronger mentality, based on what we are giving them.”

“So, it’s been a real taxing couple of days and that’s what these camps are for; you want to come out of these camps fitter, stronger and with a little bit more knowledge. We’re not looking at the results as of yet because we know if it is about results, we wouldn’t have trained the players the way we did in the last few

Experience key as Persaud completes CKA weekend

By Stephan Sookram IT might not have been a podium-filled weekend but the experience gained by Rayden Persaud during the 2018 Canadian Karting Championship was invaluable.

The Guyanese, who had his inaugural race in a championship outside the Caribbean, fished at the rear of the pack but picked up something more important than trophies.

“Yeah, I learned a lot this weekend. I’ll definitely use that going forward and when I get back home,” he said.

He did not finish today’s final after damage to his chain mid-way but he did record his fastest time of the weekend, breaking the one-minute barrier with a 59.99 seconds time.

“I feel better than I did at the start of the weekend and

Rayden Persaud competing in the Canadian Karting Championship I got my personal goal. I made it into the 59’s,” he added.

In the morning warm up, he was able to post a 1:01.1 second time before getting down into the 59’s with a best time yesterday of 1:01.9.

Another positive of the weekend was the starts, which he had trouble with during the first few days but got better as the days progressed.

The Guyanese, who competes in the GT motorsports Georgetown Grand Prix, currently leads the Georgetown Grand Prix.

His team for this weekend included mechanics Stefan Jeffrey and Joe Laluni.

days,” Johnson said.

On Thursday, the team was involved in some circuit training as well as enjoyed some time in the warm pool and hot and cold saunas under the guidance of Dr. Mark Faghy, the Head of Sports Science on the team.

Guyana’s Kevin Layne is closely watched by this Madureira duo.

Hetmyer’s superb ton sends Tallawahs tumbling to first defeat

Shimron Hetmyer of Guyana Amazon Warriors celebrates his century during the Hero Caribbean Premier League match against Jamaica Tallawahs at the Central Broward Regional Park in Florida, United States on August 18, 2019. (PHOTO: CPL via Getty Images)

see story on page 23

Caribbean Schoolboys/girls boxing championships

Wright, Pompey stop opponents to secure gold medals for Guyana

Guyana’s Shaquel Wright (left) and St. Lucia’s Sherwin Christopher both connected with left jabs during their lightweight final at the National Gymnasium on Saturday night before the referee stopped the contest in Wright’s favour at two minutes 42 seconds of the second round (Delano Williams photo).

By Michael DaSilva GUYANA’s Shaquel Wright and Emanuel Pompey both caused the referee to stop their respective contests to claim gold medals in the third edition of the Caribbean Schoolboys/girls and Junior Championships which concluded last evening at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

Wright, fighting in the light welterweight category, caused the referee to stop his contest against St. Lucia’s lone boxer, Sherwin Christopher at two minutes 42 seconds of the second round, after pummeling the St. Lucian with several combinations to body and head and the visitor to Guyana had no answer.

In the welterweight final, Pompey made his intention known from the start of the first round as he weathered the storm that Jamaican Rhamone Chung created and responded in like manner, connecting to the head and body of the man from the land of ‘Wood and Water’ with some telling left hooks and jabs.

From the start of the second round, both Chung and Pompey came out looking to fin-

ish the contest early, but it was Pompey who prevailed, hammering Chung with a series of combination that caused the referee to call a halt to the contest at one minute 23 seconds of the second round.

Eight other finals were to be contested last evening and as it appears, Guyana is set to make a successful defence of the overall title which they won for two consecutive years, right here in Guyana.

In other results from Saturday evening, Joshua Thambarran secured a points-decision win over Colin Williams in the schoolboys 26-30kg weight division, while Trevor Sealey defeated Alex Adams on points in the 30-34kg class.

In the 36-40kg weight division, Dyayne Castello defeated Dextroy Brime on points and in the 40-44kg weight division, Garveld Hyman out classed Joel Anthony.

In the lone schoolgirls’ bout of the evening, Abiola Jackman forced the referee to stop her contest against her Guyanese counterpart Julicia Rodney at one minute 59 seconds of the second round.

‘Brown Boy’, Drakes clutch goals clinch New Era Futsal title for Figgy Green Jaguars

By Rawle Toney

CLUTCH goals from Captain John ‘Brown Boy’ Waldron and Colwyn Drakes brought the curtain down on one of the most entertaining display of Futsal, as they guided Figgy Green Jaguars to come-from-behind 8 – 7 win over Germans on Sunday to win the Mohamed’s Enterprise/ExxonMobil New Era Entertainment championship in Linden.

Played in front of a vociferous crowd at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, Drakes finished the night with a hat-trick including the winning goal, while Waldron along with

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Principals of New Era Entertainment making the presentation to the victorious Figgy Green Jaguars at the conclusion of the Mohamed’s Enterprise/ExxonMobil, New Era Entertainment final. (Rawle Toney photo)

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MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2018