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Acid attack victim appeals for help Page 10

Lavern Newton

No. 105071

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

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Justice James Patterson is new GECOM chair Pages 3&8

â€“â€“ Opposition to halt all cooperation with gov't

Guyana cops 11 CXC awards Notorious escapee back in police custody

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Rickford La Fleur

Retired Justice James Patterson receives his instrument of appointment from President David Granger at his swearing-in as chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) at State House on Thursday (Adrian Narine photo)

14,000 public servants to receive salary increase

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Firecrackers leave Diamond family homeless Page 13

14,000 public servants to receive salary increase

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

–– minimum wage for public servants increased to $60, 000 By Svetlana Marshall

FOURTEEN thousand public servants are in line to benefit from a $3.5B payout for 2017 as the government moves to increase their wages and salaries, while increasing the minimum wage to $60,000. Minister of State Joseph Harmon made the announcement while addressing reporters at the Ministry of the Presidency on Thursday.

Backed by Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service, Reginald Brotherson, the minister of state explained that based on the need to include the increases in the 2018 National Budget, a final offer for wages and salaries for public servants was made to the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU). In addition to the new minimum wage, which has been set at 60,000 moving

up from 55,555, Minister Harmon disclosed that public servants earning between $55,555 and $99,999 would receive an increase of eight per cent, while a six per cent increase has been approved for persons earning $100,000 to $299,999. Public servants who earn between $300,000 and $499,999 will receive a five per cent increase while those earning $500,000 to $699,999 are in line to re-

Representatives of the government and GPSU in discussion on Monday

ceive a four per cent increase. Those making $700,000 to $799,999 will receive a two per cent increase. For those earning $800,000 to $1M, a 0.5 per cent increase has been offered. Public servants working for more than $1M will not receive an increase. Brotherson disclosed that the increases for 2017 will total $3.5B and would be paid retroactive to public servants from January 2017-December 2017. According to the permanent secretary, the economists at the Ministry of Finance proposed the increases after taking into account the state of the country’s economy and its ability to sustain any increases for public servants. He said during the course of the negotiation, the GPSU was of the opinion that 2016 negotiation for 2016 was incomplete although government has long made it clear that a final offer was given in 2016.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon “We have put this offer on the table and that is government’s final offer with respect to 2017 for wages and salaries,” he added while making reference to the 2017 increases for wages and salaries. Thursday’s announcement, Brotherson noted should benefit over 14,000 public servants. It noted too that since entering office, the

A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government has transitioned just about 4,000 contract employees into the Public Service. According to Brotherson, negotiations for the 2017 increases commenced under a month, and for government, the time allotted was sufficient for the negotiations.

Guyana cops 11 CXC awards –– QC student Michael Bhopaul tops the region

By Vishani Ragobeer Guyana copped 11 regional awards at the 2017 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) written in May / June. Guyana’s top CSEC performer, Michael Bhopaul, who wrote 25 subjects, won the Best Regional Performer, Best Business Studies, Best Science and Best Technical/ Vocational awards. When Bhopaul received his scores, he saw 24 grade ones and one grade two, but cognisant of his performance, he reviewed his grades and

discovered he in fact scored 25 grade ones. Speaking to Guyana Chronicle, a shocked, yet elated Bhopaul related that when he decided to write this many subjects, he “thought about” scoring these regional prizes, but ruled out scoring this many. He is currently attending Sixth Form classes at Queen’s College, pursuing studies in the natural sciences, mathematics and modern languages (Spanish and French) subjects and has set his eyes on performing exceptional again. Two other Queen’s College students copped awards at the CSEC examinations. Rawletta Barrow, who

Michael Bhopaul

Shannon Woodroffe

Shawn Shewram

is also currently a QC Sixth Former, copped the Best Humanities prize while Aatiqua Roshandin copped a new award given by the examinations council -- the ACCA

Accounting Award. A student of the St. Stanislaus College won the Best Short Story prize. At CAPE, Shannon Woodroffe, a former CSEC

top science performer, raked in the best performances in natural sciences and mathematics. “Well, I’d never say I expected to top the Caribbean

in both my areas of study, but I was pretty comfortable after my examinations,” Woodroffe said. The former QC student who is studying at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, said she was in a state of disbelief when she was informed of her achievements. Meanwhile, local top CAPE performer this year with grade one passes in eight units, Shawn Shewram of the St. Roses High School, earned the Best Business Studies and the ACCA Accounting awards. Shewram is currently studying Law at the University of Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Justice James Patterson is new GECOM chair By Alva Solomon

RETIRED High Court Judge, Justice James Patterson, 84, was on Thursday evening appointed chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), not the first judge to hold that post. President David Granger made the appointment following a meeting with the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, earlier in the evening when the head-of-state informed the latter of his disapproval of a third list of nominees which was submitted to him.

resort to the proviso in the Constitution under Article 161: 2 which permits him to act independently and appoint a person of the judicial category to be chairman of the elections body. “That is the person who is presumptively fit and proper,” he said as he noted Justice Patterson’s appointment. He expressed confidence in the new chair. He urged all Guyanese to support the Constitution of a fully-appointed commission in the undertaking of future elections. The President spoke of Justice Patter-

Justice (rtd) James Patterson taking the oath of office before President David Granger on Thursday At a simple ceremony at State House, Main Street, Georgetown, the President noted that he found the third list of nominees, which he received from the Opposition Leader on August 25, to be unacceptable within the meaning of the Constitution. He said he also paid careful attention to the ruling of Chief Justice Roxanne George in the case Marcel Gaskin vs the Attorney General. The President said that being desirous of fulfilling the requirements of the Constitution and given the need of appointing the chair of GECOM and in light of the failure of Jagdeo to present him with a list that is not unacceptable, he decided that it would be in the public interest to

son’s ability, noting his judicial experience, including as a former chief justice in the island of Grenada. “I do believe he brings to the position years of experience, in addition to which we are looking for persons of integrity, impartiality and independence,” the President said of his nominee. The President noted that he could not discuss his reasons for rejecting the third list of nominees, noting that on the whole it was unacceptable. As regards Jagdeo’s pronouncements earlier at a press briefing on Thursday night when he said the Opposition will withdraw all forms of participation with the government, President Granger said that posture would not be in the best in-

terest of the public. He said Jagdeo would have to account to his supporters, noting that he will be judged by history. ACTED CONSTITUTIONALLY “I cannot agree with him, I acted constitutionally and I think he must accept that decision, I have not broken the Constitution in any way,” the President said. The head-of-state noted too that he never approached Patterson prior to the reception of the third list, adding that he

did not “drag on” the process, an accusation levelled against him by Jagdeo. “I am not going to go down in the gutter, I did not come from that political culture,” the President said in response to Jagdeo. Justice Patterson had been serving in an advisory capacity to Attorney General Basil Williams, and according to the President, the retired judge was not serving in a political capacity. He said Justice Patterson is not known to belong to any political party See page 7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Top aide defends Trump over widow’ remarks \THE White House chief of staff has launched an impassioned attack on a “selfish” congresswoman who said President Trump made a war widow cry.

General John Kelly said he was “broken-hearted” by the Democrat’s criticism of the lawmaker’s condolence call to Sgt. La David Johnson’s wife. Sgt Johnson was one

of four killed in Niger by Islamist militants this month. Gen. Kelly also said he did not receive a call from President Barack Obama when his son died in Afghanistan in 2010. The chief of staff,

a former Marine Corp general, said in the White House briefing room that Representative Frederica Wilson was “an empty barrel”. The Florida Democrat said on Wednesday that she had overheard Mr Trump tell bereaved

Myeshia Johnson of her slain husband: “He knew what he was signing up for, but I guess it hurts anyway.” Ms. Wilson said the president’s alleged remarks, shortly before Sgt Johnson’s coffin arrived by aircraft in h i s h o m e c i t y o f M iami, made Ms. Johnson break down in tears. President Trump said the congresswoman had “totally fabricated” the comments. On Thursday, Gen Kelly said he was so “stunned” by Ms Wilson’s attack that he spent more than an hour walking among soldiers’ graves at Arlington National Cemetery, just outside Wash-

ington. The chief of staff said he had advised the president not to call the loved ones of the four American servicemen killed in Niger, telling him: “There’s nothing you can do to lighten the burden on these families.” Gen. Kelly described such a task as “the most difficult thing you can imagine”. “There is no perfect way to make that phone call,” he added. He also discussed the death of his own son, Robert Kelly, a 29-year-old Marine first lieutenant who died when he stepped on an Afghan landmine.

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Jamaica tourism earns US$2 billion KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has disclosed that the country earned a record US$2 billion during the first eight months of this calendar year from 2.8 million visitors. The figure represents an increase of 8.3 percent in gross foreign exchange earnings than the US$1.83 billion earned last year over the same period. In addition, cruise passenger arrivals were up 5.1 percent for the same period. “My mission is to enhance the retention of the dollar from this US$2 billion. In fact, the latest report from the World Travel & Tourism Council indicates that the retention of the dollar, from the consumption side has risen to 70 per cent. The Tourism Linkages Council is going to drive that value added that is needed to take the retention levels in Jamaica from 30 cents to at least 50 cents, for the total dollar that is spent,” Bartlett said. He also highlighted that direct contribution from tourism to the GDP at the moment is 8.4 per cent but the induced and indirect contribution is now 27.2 per cent. So, tourism remains one of the few labour-intensive sectors and directly employs 106,000 Jamaicans while generating indirect jobs for one in four persons, linked to sectors such as agriculture, creative and cultural industries, manufacturing, and

construction. The tourism minister was speaking at the press briefing to report on the year-old TEF/EXIM Bank Small Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTE) Loan Facility, at the ministry’s New Kingston offices on Wednesday. According to reports received from the EXIM Bank, as at August 29, 2017, they have received 28 completed loan applications, totalling J$509.9 million, under the SMTE loan programme. “The excellent response of SMTEs to the loan facility is proof that it is welcomed and well needed. Operators of SMTEs, who access up to $25 million dollars at five percent interest, over five years, will now be able to better respond to the demands of our thriving tourism sector,” the minister said. Twenty-two applications totalling J$408.9 million have also been approved with disbursements to date (August 30, 2017) totalling J$311.16 million, exceeding the initial tranche of J$300 million received for disbursement. It is anticipated that the remaining approvals will be disbursed in short order. Six applications totalling J$101 million are being processed, which will bring total approvals in excess of J$500 million. These applications fall in the following approved

categories: attractions (J$84.50 million); small accommodations (J$105 million); gastronomy (J$25 million); linkages (J$32 million); shopping (J$30 million); manufacturing (J$47.5 million); services (J$48.4); spa and wellness (J$12.5 million); domestic tours and car rentals (J$125 million). “Over the last year this loan has enabled the continuation of the growth of tourism as a discreet sector. I am able to say to you to day, that the industry has expanded by 36 percent over the last ten years. That compares favourably to the overall economy itself that has expanded by only six percent over the same period. So, tourism has grown six times the rate of growth of the GDP,” the minister said. The loan facility was launched last September, with a commitment of $1 billion from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) to provide well-needed loans to small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) to boost the sustainable growth of the industry. TEF presented EXIM Bank with the first tranche of J$300 million last September and during today’s launch, which marks the second phase of the loan, TEF provided another tranche of J$350 million towards the further development of the programme. “The impact of building these underpinnings is

creating greater expenditures – that is, the tourist is spending more in the country because we have more to offer them. It is important to note that building the capacity to provide more of what the

tourists require when they get here is to build out the production and enable the consumption patterns of the tourist, to favour the retention of the dollar in our destination,” the minister said.

In closing, Bartlett urged financial institutions to do more to support small businesses so they can be better equipped to respond to the demands of the tourism sector.

Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Capturing mastermind behind Camp St. mayhem THE GUYANA Police Force was at its finest recently. In a society such as ours, where the tendency to attack and demean the Police, sometimes not without merit and justification, law enforcement is deserving of the highest praise. The recapturing of Mark Royden Durant, aka Royden Williams, called “Smallie” on a minibus, in a society where police hostility/brutality and primitive approaches have been accepted as norm, the flawless execution in removing him from a minibus without shots being fired, injury or loss of life, is an act that is associated with policing in more developed societies. Durant is reportedly identified as a leading mastermind behind the July 9 Camp Street Prison riot that left in its wake more than 1,000 prisoners displaced, the death of Prison Officer Odinga Wickham, buildings within the compound razed, records destroyed, and society wondering if this incident would have led to the four-year criminal mayhem that followed the February 23, 2002 jailbreak at this penitentiary. When acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, at a press conference co-hosted with Vice President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, outlined how well-oiled was the re-capturing plan, the refusal to seek foreign assistance, and wanting to seal the pride of the Force and Guyanese to execute such task, any patriotic citizen must have felt a deep sense of pride. What the acting Commissioner has not only said but also put into effect is the capacity and capability of Guyanese to achieve anything we set our minds to. Not to be ignored in this incident-free capture is the role

of citizens partnering with the police in crime-fighting. Were it not for the intelligence gathering, which could have only been possible and effective with the input from citizens in the community, the job of recapturing the escapees would have been harder, if not impossible. Throughout, it has been seen that society was unprepared to shelter and cuddle those who ran afoul of the law--allegedly or convicted--and also put the lives of others and society’s well-being at risk. At the same time it should not be forgotten that justice delayed constitutes justice denied. The state of the Justice System where persons are held on remand for undue period of time, case files misplaced, offences that are bailable denied, and conditions of incarceration less than acceptable according to international standards, cannot be ignored. These areas often overlooked, taken for granted, or deemed deserving for the incarcerated, modern thinking not only question them, but also would deem such the result of a society that has lost its moral compass and regard for human life. Former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Keith Massiah Senior Counsel, in his Minority Report on the 2005 Ronald Gajraj Commission of Inquiry said, “Killings, however reasonable and expedient in the opinion of many persons of goodwill, ought not to be countenanced. Even the alleged serial killer, the persistent rapist and the paedophile, detestable as those pariahs are, enjoy the fundamental right to a fair hearing and the full protection of due process. Persons who are thought to have committed crimes must be arrested, charged and

tried in a court of law. Nothing less can be accepted.” This remains the moral compass that guides modern society and it is way pass time Guyanese accept and respect same. In this regard, it would be reasonable to look forward in the instance where the escapees, who in the efforts by the police to recapture, died that the Coroner’s Act be activated and the appropriate inquests held. Undeniably, the Police Force has distinguished itself on this issue, the attendant fall-outs, and gave society a level of assurance/confidence that it was in charge; a feeling that has not been experienced during similar occurrences in 2002. Retaining and building on this positive image cannot ignore or allow to fall by the way side other aspects of good policing and law enforcement, all of which are necessary to bring about and ensure respect for the rule of law. Society may be inclined to question what may be responsible for the improvement in the Force’s performance. Definitely there are multiple factors at play here, some of which are less political intrusion into its day-today activities, greater responsiveness to critical public analyses, building better community/police relation, and the acquisition of modern techniques through training.

Sexual immorality goes beyond ethnicity Dear Sir Reference is hereby made to the above caption as it relates to the publication of a letter in (S.N 26.09.17) captioned, “What will political parties, the police, the CPA do differently now when faced with child abuse allegations”? Editor, while I respect the concise disclosures made by the letter writer, Vidyaratha Kissoon, in two specific instances, it would be remiss of me not to mention that on two separate occasions in the print media, by way of letters, I had reason and compellingly so, to denounce the appointments

that Kissoon had elaborated upon, which are as follows: i. “The appointment of Kwame McCoy to the rights of the Child Commission, during the governance of the previously led PPP/C government”. This was/is akin to putting a cat to watch milk, given McKoy’s alleged preference.” ii. “The sweeping under the carpet of Mr. Harding, M & C.C, a candidate of the APNU constituency in Region 4, Georgetown Sub-Division. This individual had incurred the wrath of WPA’s activists and other concerned groups with protests outside the CPA on Broad Street.

While the CPA remained mummified on the Harding issue on three instances of sexual allegations, additionally “party paramountcy” intervened to the extent that a subject minister’s comments indicated that “he’s a hard party worker and a family issue shouldn’t be made public”. Is Kissoon oblivious to the fact, which is public knowledge that an Islamic tutor of Indo-Guyanese ancestry, was placed before the Courts for allegations of sexual molestation (s)”? (Sic)! The victims were Afro-Guyanese. At the end of the day it’s still immoral in accordance

with the Holy Bible and the Koran. In an Islamic State, such an act would have resulted in the “death penalty, in the most dehumanising manner”. But our outdated judicial system, weak police investigations, incompetent and unprofessional prosecution and an inconsistent CPA, has allowed the Islamic tutor to be released on bail. Did the Director of Public Prosecutions, a Muslim of Indo-Guyanese ethnicity, recuse herself from the case, in the interest of impartiality? Was it a Muslim that posted bail? Did the state attempt to establish another route other than “a

tendered medical certificate” towards dispelling a certain motion, re: justice for a poor, penniless and downtrodden mother. Her anguished cries and unanswered pleas are overcome by the inability of judicial reform, a manifesto and campaign pledge. Would she have her day in court? My condolences go out to the family, relatives, friends, classmates, community and the region, upon the senseless and sadistic killing of the late Leonard Archibald. The issue on hand lies not in blaming the community, despite the fact “it

takes an entire village to raise a child”! But what of those that swore to an allegiance,” to serve and protect”? Does the present judicial system cater for profiling of known paedophiles, under scrutiny? Additionally, apart from periodic visits to the place of abode and reporting to the nearest police station/ outpost weekly, such a factor would significantly aid the law enforcement agency, in the event of a change in address or phone number (s), while alerting other divisions. Respectfully yours Lester Sealey

Justice James Patterson ...

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

From page 3

or display partisanship. The retired judge told reporters that the President does not think his age matters. FIGHT FOR UNITY His advice to politicians is to fight for the unity of the population. “I am apolitical, I have not been in politics, and I don’t think I will ever be, don’t have the stamina for that, politics,” the retired judge noted. He said that as a judge, one encounters more trying situations, as he spoke to the new post. “I was never approached prior to tonight,” the new chairman of GECOM said. Thursday night’s appointment comes after almost a year of meetings and back and forth discussions between the President and the Opposition Leader on the critical post. Two lists were previously submitted to the President, but both were rejected.

Commissioner Bibi Shadick, Attorneys Timothy Jonas and Kashir Khan and environmentalist Annette Arjoon-Martins. In March this year, the President had pointed out that Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana states that “Subject to the provisions of paragraph (4), the Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth, or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person….” Businessman Marcel Gaskin had however approached the High Court to interpret the article, which resulted in the Acting Chief Justice confirming that the President acting on his own deliberate judgment must determine whether a person is ‘fit and proper’.

Newly-appointed Chairman of GECOM, Justice James Patterson stands alongside President David Granger and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, following the former’s appointment (Adrian Narine photo) The first list included business executive Ramesh Dookhoo, Lawrence Latchmansingh, Major General (Rtd) Norman McLean , accountant Christopher Ram, Professor James Rose and Rhyaan Shaw. The second list included Retired Justices Claudette Singh and B.S. Roy, PPP Member of Parliament and GECOM

Justice George-Wiltshire, in her ruling, advised that there is no legal requirement for the President to state reasons for rejecting a list, though it is her belief that in the furtherance of democracy and good governance, he should, since Article 161 (2) speaks to the need for dialogue and compromise.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Opposition to take a non-cooperative approach –– in light of naming of GECOM chair

By Svetlana Marshall

OPPOSITION Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has warned that the Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP) and all of its supporters at the regional and local levels will take a non-cooperative approach towards the government in wake of President David Granger’s decision to name retired Justice James Patterson as the new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The Opposition will also be soliciting international support even as it seeks legal recourse. After submitting three lists with a total of 18 nominees for the chairmanship of GECOM, Jagdeo on Thursday evening was informed by the President that his third list, like the first two, was unacceptable. It was during that meeting at State House that President Granger informed the Opposition Leader that he has taken a decision to appoint Justice Patterson, Chairman of GECOM. “I am duty bound to say to you and to the nation that today is one of the darkest days of our fledgling democracy. On a night when we should be celebrating Diwali…the triumph of light over darkness, we have witnessed with this unilateral undemocratic decision of the President, a dark shadow over our country,” the Opposition Leader told reporters during a late night press conference at his Church Street Office as he bemoaned Government’s decision. Upon being informed of the decision to appoint Justice Patterson, Jagdeo said he expressed his dissatisfaction. “I said to him, it is my view that one, Mr. President that you are acting

illegally, two, I do not share your interpretation of the Constitution… and three I believe that you are acting in bad faith,” Jagdeo said. He recalled that on June 12, 2017, the Government and the Opposition had agreed that a high-level team would be assembled with rep-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo resentatives from both sides to resolve the issue surrounding the naming of the chairman in the event that the third list was rejected. The Opposition Leader is of the belief that President’s requests for him to submit nominees for the chairmanship of GECOM were all part of a “smoke screen”. “This was their intention right from the beginning. The charade to have three sets of names go before him, 18 names and he has rejected all 18 names was an attempt to frustrate me so that I would have at some stage lose faith and say I am not submitting another list, then he would have triggered this proviso to say that the Opposition has refused to submit additional names,” Jagdeo opined. He further opined that the President has handpicked someone that is working for the Government. “Justice Patterson,

I saw his CV here, he is on the Advisory Group to the Attorney General…. He is a person who is not so independent, he is working for the attorney general and he was head of the Commission of the Inquiry into the Guyana Prison Jail Break… so the President has handpicked this person to do two things before.” He warned that if the President’s decision is allowed to go unchallenged the country would face serious consequences in the future. “We have no choice, I will be meeting with the members of my party, I will be going across the country talking to people but right now we will be engaging the international community on this matter, two, we are going to say to our entire support base that they must not cooperate with this government on any issue, thirdly, we would hope that the civil society in Guyana will see this for what it is, an attempt to take our country back to the past,” the Opposition Leader said. He made it known that the Opposition will no longer be sitting on a Border Committee as part of its decision to withdraw all support for any government driven initiative. He further opined that this move is an attempt by government to rig the 2020 Elections but the Opposition will challenge this matter in the Court. The Opposition is hoping to move to the Court as early as next week, stating that it will also move to the Caribbean Court of Justice if needs be. GECOM has been operating without a chairman since February 2017 following the retirement of Dr. Steve Surujbally, who had been at the helm of the Commission for the past 15 years.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Relocate Mahdia Park to Linden

–– mining town residents, officials urge By Vanessa Braithwaite RESIDENTS of Linden as well as regional officials are calling on the relevant authorities to relocate the Mahdia Bus Park which is presently located on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, to Linden. This, they say, will bring tremendous economic and social benefits to the mining town, which is lacking. According to Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland, there is a wealth of bene-

fits attached to the park’s relocation and the regional authorities are just awaiting word from Central Government to have the asphalt plant transported to Linden so as to pave the spot earmarked for the park. This, he revealed as being on Burnham Drive, opposite the Wismar Municipal Market. “We are hoping that before 2017 comes to an end, we can get that park set… some of the Mahdia buses are already using the Mackenzie

shore as the launch pad for the interior, so we are hoping that we can use the Wismar shore to bring some more traffic to Wismar and the Wismar Market area, so we are hoping to get that done before 2017,” Holland said. He revealed that a promise was made to have the park paved since the last administration and efforts were made to remind the Ministry of Communities through Permanent Secretary Emil McGarrell to push the initiatives.

La Jalousie fire leaves four homeless FIRE gutted a concrete building at Lot 12 La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD) Public Road on Thursday, leaving a family of four homeless. Police said the fire occurred about 06:15 hours and it appeared to be electrical in origin. It has left Hazar Udeh, his wife Nazeema Hamid and their children Harfiena, seven, and Scarfiena, two, homeless. Two fire tenders arrived at 06: 30 hrs and extinguished the flames, but not before the Lot 12 house was reduced to ashes. The adjacent building was also scorched, but no one was seriously injured.

The aftermath of the fire

“The park will bring great benefits, the buses plying the interior route will be here, persons will come out, they will be able to shop, they will be stopping in Linden, several industries can benefit, we believe that if the park is now at Wismar, that we will see great benefits coming to the people of Linden.” Holland also highlighted that he discussed the issue

with Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase Green, during which he cited the issue of the congestion at the current park in Georgetown. Residents had expressed interest in the park being relocated to Linden during an outreach with Minister of Finance Winston Jordon earlier in the year. They explained that Linden is starved of benefits, being the gateway to the interior and the relocation of the park will open avenues for such benefits. A driver at Mahdia told

Guyana Chronicle that many of his colleagues are from Linden and the move will not only be beneficial to the town, but will bring convenience to them, being closer to home. The driver added that passengers plying the route are residing all over Guyana, but 50 per cent are persons from Linden. If the park is relocated, he explained that many persons in the town will benefit such as the vendors, taxi drivers, also hotels, restaurants and gas stations, among others.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Acid attack victim appeals for help

A 44-YEAR-OLD woman is seeking justice from the police and the relevant authorities after a 25-year marriage left her with bodily scars that will be a badge of her testimony of abuse at the hand of a man who promised to one day kill her. Lavern Newton, a food

vendor of “D” Field Sophia, Georgetown, wants to end the abuse at the hands of her ex-lover, David Sardinha, who she said is refusing to let her go in peace. The mother of four children, her youngest age six and eldest 22, recalled that in the early 1990s, the abuse began and continued for

several years. “Back then, he use to beat me with cutlass and threaten me when I was selling, and he also use to lock me up in my house for days.” This behaviour, she said, culminated recently with an acid attack that damaged both of her legs which are

now bandaged. Recalling what occurred, she explained that recently after selling for the day and walking home, her ex-reputed husband appeared with the corrosive substance and threw it on her. “I see this person coming with allover black and when

I look good, I saw the person opening this bottle, so I start to run away and he came running behind me, and he started to throw this liquid on me. I ran down the road and started to holler out for help. People came out and he ran away from the scene. But I was already badly burnt to both of my legs,” she said, adding that “The police gave him the name ‘Flash Gordon’ because they could never locate him.” Newton said after the acid attack, it was the last time she saw her abuser; instead he now calls her phone and issues death threats. “I am tired and I need help,” she said, relating that “This man has beaten me, he has raped me, he has cut my face and now he has burnt me with acid. The result of an acid attack I’ve had enough and after years of abuse

Lavern Newton the police or someone needs to help me, because the next thing people will hear is that I am dead.” Lavern makes pastries and other food items to earn a living. “When someone gave me a bicycle to help me to get around to sell, he destroyed the bike, break up the stove, the cooking things and even cuss out my customers. I need help and I can’t take this anymore,” she cried. When contacted, police confirmed that there are reports at the Turkeyen Police Station and they are searching for the suspect.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Counselling for remanded teens on murder charge

TWO teens charged with the killing of 55-year-old, Fazal Shaheed, during a robbery at Freeman Street, East La Penitence, were on Thursday placed under the supervision of a probation officer and ordered to undergo counselling while on remand. This order was made by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan when Shawn DaSantos, 19, and Stephen Howard, 18, both residents of Freeman Street, made their second court appearance. On Thursday, police prosecutor Inspector Neville Jeffers, told the court that over 27 witnesses are expected to testify during the preliminary inquiry. Jeffers further stressed that an additional statement from the police crime lab is still outstanding and requested a week’s adjournment. In light of the prosecution’s request, the chief magMurdered: Fazal istrate adjourned the matter Shaheed until October 25 for report and fixtures. The teens are on remand for the charge which alleged that on September 24, at Lot 194 Freeman Street, they murdered Shaheed, a Berbice businessman, during the course of a robbery. On Sunday, September 24, at Lot 194 East La Penitence, Georgetown, gunmen stormed the Shaheed family home as

From left to right: Stephen Howard and Shawn DaSantos relatives were making final preparations for the patriarch’s one-year memorial service. Fazal Shaheed was reportedly in the yard, around 00:40hrs, when the men invaded the house in which his two brothers, sisters and mother were present at the time. The dead man’s brothers, Talim, 50, of Toronto, Canada, and Shalim, 53, of the United States, were both shot about their bodies. A police source close to the investigation had told Guyana Chronicle that it was Fazal, during his last moments, who told a relative who his killers were, since they lived a mere few houses away. And, it was that critical information which led to the arrest of the two suspects less than 24 hours after the incident occurred. The 18-year-old suspect has been identified as the little brother of a high-profile prisoner, Jason Howard, who is before the court for murder and a series of armed robberies. The suspects reportedly told the police that the gun that was used in the commission of the crime was borrowed from a friend. The source said, too, that the men further confessed that after seeing “strange faces” in the street, and having learnt that the persons were foreigners, they planned the robbery. However, things did not go as planned as Fazal and his two brothers resisted and as they fought with their attackers, the gunmen discharged several rounds at them and Fazal Shaheed was shot four times about the body.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Firecrackers leave Diamond family homeless

CHILDREN playing with squibs caused an entire family to be homeless Wednesday night after their Lot 1892, 20th Street, Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home was completely destroyed. The one-flat wooden house was occupied by a single mother, her four children and their grandmother. One neighbour said the children were throwing the squibs around and inside the house before the fire erupted. Their mother Camita Singh said she was working at a beer garden located

near First Bridge, Diamond, East Bank Demerara when she received a call informing her of the fire. In tears, she said her daughter is preparing to write Common Entrance and they have lost all their valuables. Singh said she is willing to accept any assistance and would be seeking help from the authorities to recover their source documents. Fire Chief Marlon Gentle confirmed that the cause of the fire was as a result of children playing with firecrackers.

The remains of the Lot 1892, 20th Street, Diamond, East Bank Demerara home (Adrian Narine photo)

Murderer put away for 35 years STANLEY Barrow was on Thursday sentenced to 45 years in prison by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter in the 2015 rape and murder of 68-year-old Megan Jones. The sentence was handed down in the Georgetown High Court during the afternoon session.

Barrow will be eligible for parole after serving 25 years behind bars. Ten years in total was deducted from his 45-year sentence. Eight years was deducted for his early plea and two years for the time he spent in jail. As such, the convicted man will serve only 35 years behind bars. Barrow, called “Cuffy”, 46, was represented by

Attorney Maxwell McKay, while the State prosecutors were Seeta Bishundial, Narissa Leander and Abigail Gibbs. Justice Morris-Ramlall handed down her sentence after a probation report was read in court which described Barrow as being devoid of remorse. It was reported that Stanley Barrow allegedly

raped 68-year-old Megan Jones of Lot 14 Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara and cut out her tongue, between July 22 and July 25, 2015. Jones was found lying on the access road to the Vreed-en-Hoop jetty area on July 22, 2015. She succumbed three days later to the injuries inflicted on her. A post-mortem re-

vealed that the woman sustained multiple injuries, including blunt trauma to the head and suffered a broken jaw. It is alleged that the accused confessed that he had sex with the victim and when she started to complain of pain, he dealt her several blows and cut out her tongue.

Convicted: Stanley Barrow

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Notorious escapee back in police custody

After escaping from the New Amsterdam Prison on June 11, 2011 and was recaptured by Surinamese authorities in 2016, Rickford La Fleur is finally back in the New Amsterdam Prison. La Fleur, who escaped twice from the prison, was wanted for two counts of murder and possession of narcotics by the Guyana Police Force. He had fled to the neighbouring country but was captured by authorities there after committing an armed robbery. For that offence, he served a four-year sentence which ended recently.

La Fleur was Thursday escorted across the Corentyne River and handed over to the Guyana Police Force. He was subsequently taken to the New Amsterdam Prison where he remains under close watch by authorities. La Fleur was first held by authorities in November 2010 after he was accused of killing Cleveland Hetemyer called “Water Dog” of Agony’s avenue. It is alleged that Hetemyer was shot at Silverbali Gutter, some 90 miles up the Canje Creek, on November 4th, 2010 after a confrontation with La Fleur and another person.

He was placed under arrest but subsequently escaped from prison. Some five months later, he was nabbed at the Backtrack Crossing at Number 78 Village in March 2011, when he was found with two kilograms of cocaine and 600 grams of cannabis in his possession. While on remand awaiting trial for the murder, escaping and narcotics charges, La Fleur was slapped with another murder charge after it was alleged that between April 27th and May 4th, 2011, he along with others killed a fellow inmate, Sebastian Cleto, 24, called

By Svetlana Marshall

randum by Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, approved the appointment of eight persons to serve on the Local Government Commission (LGC). He said the approval was made in accordance with the requirements of Section (1) (a), (b), (c) and (d) of the Local Government Commission Act, Number 18 of 2013. Mortimer Mingo, Clem-

ent Corlette, Marlon Williams, Joan Ann Ramascindo, Andrew Garnett, Carol Sooba, Norman Whittaker and Clinton Collymore were named as the appointees. According to the minister of state, appointed commissioners will be sworn in soon by President David Granger. Arrangements in relation to office, staff and other facil-

Rickford La Fleur

“Short Man” and “Cleto” while armed with wood and other improvised weapons.

During that incident, police had reported that Cleto was rendered unconscious and taken to the New Amsterdam hospital before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. In June 2011, a mere month after that incident, La Fleur again escaped from prison, this time with three others, namely: Vindoo “mango” Gopaul, who was jailed for killing his father; notorious pirate Kevin “long Hair” Narine and Vijay Seenarine. It was reported that the men used a piece of canvas from a cement sling to climb

down from their cells before ripping a hole in the fence and making good their escape at around 02:30 hrs. Gopaul and Seenarine were recaptured by local authorities while Narine and La Fleur were captured in Suriname and were imprisoned there. La Fleur, who once sported dreadlocks that had earned him the alias “Rastaman” had a low cut when he was handed over to local police on Thursday. He is charged with two counts of murder and possession of narcotics and is expected to face charges for escaping lawful custody.

through the Ministry of Communities, is mandated to oversee, monitor, investigate and examine the actions of the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and the municipalities. The approval of the appointees comes approximately a month after the Alliance For Change (AFC), a major player in the coalition Government, called for

the operationalisation of the Commission. Party Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan had told reporters that the process in naming the persons to sit on the commission “has gone a far way.” Ramjattan had reiterated that the AFC supports the establishment of the Commission. Local Government Elections (LGE) are slated for 2018.

Local government commissioners appointed THE long-awaited Local Government Commission is expected to be sworn in soon with Government approving the appointment of the local government commissioners. On Thursday, Minister of State Joseph Harmon disclosed that Cabinet, following the submission of memo-

ities to be used by the commissioners are to be finalised. “I am advised by the Ministry of Communities that work had already started in that regard and therefore… once they are sworn in, they should hit the ground running,” the Minister Harmon told reporters at the Ministry of the Presidency. The Commission,

GTU warns of industrial action By Alexis Rodney

THE Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) could call out the more than 7,000 public school teachers it represents as early as next week for industrial action, if government numerous issues facing educators are not addressed. At least that is the plan as laid out by Union President Mark Lyte, who said on Thursday, that the body has exhausted every other option. The plan is in place, although Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, said that he had that very day informed GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald, that the Ministry of Education will soon meet with the union to iron out the issues. But McDonald, at a press conference at the organisation’s Woolford Avenue office, said that the union and teachers have for far too long been disrespected and taken for granted by government. In fact, she said many of the proposals and plans presented to government have been sitting on the sidelines for years. “This is against the backdrop that the regular submis-

sion of issues to government continues to fall on deaf ears. We are referring to the debunching payments, outstanding since 2006, the $40 million housing project where nothing has happened since 2006, and more recently, the salary proposal presented to the Ministry of Education,” McDonald told reporters. “These issues are of concern to us. We have been talking with our counterparts, but it seems as if some of those have gone on deaf ears,” she said. Union President Mark Lyte was resolute that the union will not sit back and allow “this kind of behaviour to prevail and have our teachers affected by not increasing their salaries”. He claimed that information circulating that government will be offering public servants increases in salary, has not reached the GTU. “We are saying that this is not good for collective bargaining. The GTU has decided that we have had enough, we have given the administration enough time, we have had enough discussions and we see no progress

GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald and president Mark Lyte, along with GTU first Vice President, Leslyn Collins (left) and Executive member, Lancelot Baptiste at Thursday’s press briefing

when it comes to an agreement between the union and the Ministry of Education.” To this end, he said the GTU demands a swift response, failing which it will call teachers out of the classroom. ENOUGH “We feel we have no other alternative and we feel as though we have been taken for granted. We will be calling our teachers out to protest,” he informed. Lyte said although government has been vocal about the importance of collective

bargaining, the GTU has not seen anything of the sorts being manifested over the last two years. And even as the year draws closer to an end, teachers have not yet received an increase in salary. He claimed that there is a deliberate effort on the part of Government not to address the proposal which was presented to the Ministry of Education since December 2015. “Another budget will be presented and we are not able as yet to come to an agreement for a proposal for

the teachers of this nation. We believe that this is very disrespectful and is in direct contravention of the labour agreement that we should have between the government and the union for teachers. It is clear that government has no intention of remunerating teachers.” Minister of State Joseph Harmon said the issue is an ongoing exercise. According to him, the last agreement teachers had with government was a multi-year agreement. “Several issues that have to be streamlined are under

that agreement. It is a good approach to salary and wages…. But those negotiations take a little longer than usual,” Harmon said, promising that there is no sidelining of the teachers or the GTU. Lyte also addressed a recent memorandum sent out by the Chief Education Officer (CEO) Marcel Hutson; directing that teachers supervise students during their respective lunch breaks. Lyte said because the instruction is incorporated in a memo, schools are now asking teachers to supervise students through a rostar system. He said this new request is in contravention of the labour laws which requires that all workers must have breaks, whether it is coffee, tea or lunch in particular. The GTU president said the breaks are there to allow teachers to be rejuvenated and make way for them to resume teaching. “We have found that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) declaration specifically talks about three principle rights of all categories of workers,” he said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Golden Om, De Willem score big

-- at massive Dharmic Sabha Diwali Motorcade By Vishani Ragobeer As thousands of Guyanese came out to witness the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s (GHDS) grand motorcade held on Wednesday, the Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation and the De Willem Hindu Temple were adjudged the best floats. The youth organisation which hailed from East Berbice, won the first place prize in the large category and the best overall creative design,

while the De Willem Hindu temple scored in the small category. The De Willem’s float uniquely featured a depiction of Lord Vishnu atop his humanoid vehicle Garuda protruding from the front of the truck. The East Berbice float was sponsored by Digicel and presented skillfully crafted and colourful float. Copping second and third, respectively, in the small category was the Bath Settlement Hindu Temple Camille’s institute. The

A section of the well-decorated Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation float that won first place in the large category

Representatives of the Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation collect their first place prize from President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS), Dr. Vindhya Persaud

Golden Fleece and Better Hope mandirs copped the second and third places, respectively, in the large category. There were 24 participating motorcades in the large and small categories of the grand procession which made its way from the Shri Krishna Mandir, Campbellville to the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Community Centre Ground

where patrons then enjoyed a packed cultural show. This show featured the talented young dancers from the Dharmic Nritya Sangh, alongside top Guyanese singers. Ben Parag of the singing competition Dil Hai Hindustani was the feature performer and he wowed the crowd with his contemporary and classical Indian musical

renditions. President of the GHDS, Dr. Vindhya Persaud expressed Diwali greetings to all Guyanese, despite whichever day they were observing the festival. She ascertained that the holiday, as seen through the support for the motorcade, serves as an agent of fostering unity and social cohesion.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Memorial service for Guyanese NYPD officer OVERSEAS-BASED Guyanese and New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers are in Guyana to observe the second memorial service of Randolph Holder, the 33-year-old NYPD officer who was killed in the line of duty. Holder was killed on October 20, 2015 after being shot in the head in East Harlem.

He and his partner had been chasing a man after responding to a call of shots fired and a bicycle stolen at gunpoint. Authorities alleged that the suspect hopped off the stolen bicycle and shot Holder in the head. The memorial will be held on October 21, 2017 at the Le Repentir Cemetery from 10:00hrs. Also attending will be Caribbean American Law enforcement officials, Guyana Ex-police Association of America Inc. and the Association of former members of the Guyana Police Force. Described as a hero, family members said Holder always wanted to be a policeman, following

Dead: Randolph Holder in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who served as officers in Guyana. Holder joined the NYPD in 2010 and was assigned to a unit that patrolled the city’s public housing complexes. He leaves behind his fiancée, Maryiane Muhammad, father and stepmother, two brothers, a sister and many extended family members. Holder sought to be a role model to his own family and embraced the opportunity to be a leader for the city’s youth. He wanted to take on that responsibility.

'Short Man' freed of murder charge A QUIET and calm Ewarth Cobis called “Short Man”, 24, on Thursday afternoon walked out of the Georgetown High Court a free man after a 12-member jury found him not guilty of two counts of murder and to the lesser count of manslaughter after hours of deliberation. Cobis after the verdict was announced by the foreman, stood very still when Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall told him that he was free to go and after he was unshackled and un-cuffed, he walked calmly away from the High Court. The verdict was unanimous on both counts which was declared by the foreman on Thursday afternoon shortly after 15:00hrs. Cobis was represented by Mark Conway in association with Keoma Griffith, while the State Freed: Ewarth Cobis called Short Man was represented by Seeta Bishundial, Narissa Leander and Abigail Gibbs. It is alleged that on December 18, 2012, the accused Ewarth Cobis murdered Ronaldo Joseph Richards called “Long Hair” in the county of Essequibo at Monasee Back Dam. It was reported that the deceased and the accused were imbibing at a shop on the day in question when the deceased asked the accused for his memory card. It is alleged that the deceased lashed the accused three times with a cutlass about his body and the accused ‘juk’ the deceased in his neck. The State had called five witnesses to take the stand during the trial.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Guyana born Roberts wrecks Guyana as Canada wins By Stephan Sookram

GUYANA’s comeback against Canada in yesterday’s Pan American Indoor Men’s Cup was wrecked by Guyana born Canadian, Johnathan Roberts. Guyana went down 5-8 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with Roberts scoring six of the eight Canadian goals. The locals took a while to get going and when they finally found their stride, there was too much to do with too little time remaining. Canada opened the scoring in the 13th minute through Roberts’ penalty corner before he returned to

score the second and third through field goals in the 19th and 20th. With that the Canadians had assumed the lead commandingly or that’s what they felt as they returned from the break with the same dominance. This time it was Micah Teixeira who slammed in the fourth through a penalty corner in the 22nd. After four unanswered goals, Guyana finally found their footing to score their first, through a Jamarj Assanah field goal. The Canadians were unbothered and answered right back through a Roberts field goal and then penalty corner, both in the 28th. Assanah tried the

comeback for Guyana again by working the keeper off a penalty corner in the 32nd but Roberts answered right back in the 33rd with a field goal of his own. Assanah was determined and scored his and Guyana’s third of the night through a field goal in the 34th before Canada’s Devohn Noronha Teixeira scored the country’s 8th in the 37. With time running out, the locals seemed desperate to at least make the scoreline decent and with a penalty corner from Aroydy Bradford and a field goal from Marvin Dannett, the game ended 5-8. Trinidad and Tobago leads the way with an un-

Simmons, Dwayne Smith ... Anand Sanasie, said while the Prohibited and Restricted Items list will be enforced for the game, he is envisaging a party-like atmosphere in the stands, as the on-field action is expected to be riveting. He is encouraging Guyanese to contribute to a worthy cause, just like natives of Trinidad and Tobago did in a similar initiative a week ago. Nigel Worrell of Ansa McAl Trading said the entity is always willing to partner in meaningful activities and this is another avenue through which the beverage company can fulfil its corporate/social responsibility. Referring to the establishment’s 25th year of existence in Guyana this year, Worrell said being aligned to the cricket match is another means for them to give back to a humanitarian cause. Popular radio personal-

ity Feliz Robertson, representing the Keem’s Foundation, said cricket was a natural fit in this relief effort as the sport has the potential of bringing people together. She is urging Guyanese not only to come out and witness a good game of cricket, but also to embrace their Caribbean brothers and sisters by making a donation towards their rebuilding efforts. Tickets cost $1500 for the Party Stand where local artistes Tameka Marshall, Natural Black and Jumo ‘Rubber Waist’ Primo are among those who will perform live. The Carib Beer tent will also be located in

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defeated streak of four wins from four games and they are on 12 points with Canada in second on 9 Points up to press time. Argentina, who are currently third, would need to beat Barbados by more than a-five goal margin if they are to move into that second spot. Up to press time, the game was 2-0 in favour of the South American side. Guyana remain fourth on the table with Barbados fifth and Mexico sixth. In today’s fixtures, Canada play Trinidad and Tobago in the first Men’s game at 15:45hrs with Barbados playing Mexico at 17:00hrs and Guyana tackling Argentina at 18:15hrs. Continued from back page

that area of the ground, while cheerleaders for the two teams will add to the excitement. Admission to the Red, Green and Orange Stands is $2 000, while volunteers will be in each stand collecting donations from persons desirous of contributing to the relief effort. Tickets will be on sale from today at Poonai’s Pharmacy in Rose Hall Town, Little Rock Hotel in New Amsterdam, M&Ms on the East Bank Demerara, Saro Boy Groceries in Buxton, Nimbus Water in Vreed-en-Hoop, Big Yard Auto Sales in Tuschen and Dan’s Snackette in Parika. Guyana Jaguars: Leon

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

North Essequibo congratulates GCB Franchise League champions

The victorious Essequibo team celebrate after winning the second edition of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Franchise League three-day tournament last Sunday.

THE North Essequibo Cricket Committee (NECC), which is a constituent member of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB), in a released statement, expressed congratulations to the management, coaches and members of the Essequibo senior cricket team upon winning the GCB Franchise League tournament 2017, for the first time. The Committee stated its pride and joy on behalf of the cricket fraternity of Essequibo, adding that the collective tremendous achievement of the team is a reflection of

resilience, strength and the unified manner exhibited on every occasion. According to the release, winning the title and displaying fine qualities of sportsmanship will inspire young cricketers from the county to achieve similar success. The statement further recognised the outstanding performances of captain Anthony Adams who was voted Most Valuable Player, as well as Ricardo Adams and former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, for their individual brilliance. Mention was also made of the coaching staff includ-

ing Michael Franco Hyles and Ryan Hercules who the release stated had combined to bring the best out of the players. The NECC added that while cricket remains quite dormant in the county especially in the longer format, with the rare achievement of the senior team, it is the hope that it will provide impetus for the sport to progress administratively, gaining more competitions and exposing the players to further coaching and developmental programmes. (Elroy Stephney)

GCA Carib Beer T20 semifinals start today

SEMI-FINAL action in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)-sponsored Carib Beer T20 first division cricket will be played over the next two days. For today’s fixture, hosts Demerara Cricket Club will battle Everest Cricket Club, while hosts Georgetown Cricket Club will play Police Sports Club. Both games are scheduled to start at 13:00hrs. Meanwhile, two matches will be played in the Noble House Seafoods two-day second division competition. GNIC will host Malteenoes Sports Club, while GYO will host Diplomats. Starting-time on both days is 10:30hrs. Five other games are schedulled for this weekend in the NBS 40-over second division competition. On Saturday UG and Everest will clash at Eve Leary while Transport Sports Club and GDF challenge each other at Malteenoes. On Sunday, Police and Transport meet at Eve Leary, DCC host GCC and MYO face GDF at GCC.

Brazil court orders release of former Olympic committee chief RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - A Brazilian court ordered the release from jail of former head of the national Olympics committee Carlos Arthur Nuzman yesterday, according to the court’s press office. Nuzman was arrested on October 5. Brazilian prosecutors charged him and five other persons on Wednesday

Carlos Arthur Nuzman

with corruption, based on an investigation of alleged bribery to have Rio de Janeiro host the 2016 Games. The court considered Nuzman’s arrest disproportionate to the charges, the press office said. The decision to release him, taken by judges at the STJ (Superior Tribunal de Justiça), was provisional.

Rose Hall to take part in BCB’s T20 THE Rose Hall Community Centre Cricket Club have been included in the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) T20 competition, set for October 22 at the Chesney Cricket Club ground. The one-day affair will be played among four of the BCB’s second division teams, with Whim, Chesney and Mt Sinai being the other teams. So far two teams have confirmed their squads. Ameer Rahaman will captain the Rose Hall Community Centre Cricket Club, with Kristoff Bahadur, Balram Samaroo, Adrian Haralsingh, Sasenarine Sukhu, Sanjay Khan, Ameer Rahaman, Mark

Sampson, Andrew Williams, Compton Hope, Kishan Ramsarran, Latchman Ramotar, Shafik Khan and Isia Thorne as the other members. Whim squad reads: Mahendra Charan, Deraj Venkiah, Arnold Deosaran, Tameshwar Harinarine, Navindra Deonarine, Kindal Deonarine, Yougindra Sooknannan, Umarnauth Sookshine, Venod Samaroo, Joshua Persaud, Hardat Bhual, Darmendra Balkarran, Kumar Motain, Lomas Appadu ans Surendra Budhu. The one-day tournament will start at 09:00hrs, with the preliminary games set for 15 overs-a-side.

The final will be a 20-over affair. In the first semifinal game, Mt Sinai will take on Whim, while Chesney do battle with Rose Hall Community Centre in the second semifinal. The winners of the preliminary matches will contest the final. All teams are asked to report to the Chesney Cricket Club ground for 08:00hrs. President of the Berbice Cricket Board, Dhieranidranauth Somwaru is appealing to members of the public to come out and show support for cricket in Berbice, with the aim of taking the game to the next level in the Ancient County.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Zaman leads Sans Souci Jaguars to V Net T20 title

Members of the victorious Jaguars team pose with Christopher Jones, Safraz Sheriffudeen and officials of the Wakenaam Community Centre ground

ZAMEER Zaman produced an excellent all-round effort which eventually led Sans Souci Jaguars to a 37-run win over G Square Cavaliers in last Sunday’s final of the V Net T20 Blast, played at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground. Zaman shared in two crucial partnerships in his 72 before claiming 2-29. Batting first, Sans Souci Jaguars posted 181-4. They were off to an excellent start, with Zaman and Safraz Mohamed adding 50 for the first wicket before Mohamed was removed by spinner Kamal Khan for 16. Nokta Moses was then dismissed by Jaggernauth Manbodh for 17, but Zaman and Beesham Moses put on 78 to give their innings much impetus.

Zaman smashed nine fours and four sixes. Moses struck four fours and two sixes before he was out for 38 while skipper Siddiq Mohamed chipped in with an unbeaten 19. Khan claimed 2-21 while Manbodh and Dr. Dayawant Shiwnandan had one wicket each. G Square Cavaliers were quickly reduced to 17-3 before Khan tried to keep his team in the hunt, with an unbeaten 75. However, they eventually reached 144-6 when the overs expired. Nokta Moses supported Zaman with 2-19; Siddiq Mohamed and Derwin Daniels had one wicket each. Zaman was named manof-the-match while Nokta Moses scored 173 runs including a century in the preliminary round and snarled 15 wickets. He pocketed the

prizes for being the best batsman and bowler in the tournament. Cavaliers received a trophy and $50 000 and Jaguars a trophy and $100 000. Meanwhile, Director of Sport Christopher Jones commended the Wakenaam Cricket Committee and V Net Communications for the initiative. He also pledged his support towards sports on the island. “I am very impressed with the facility and the passion for the game by the people here; in fact I have re-discovered El Dorado in Wakenaam,” he posited. Chief Executive Officer of V Net Communications Safraz Sheriffudeen, congratulated both teams for a wonderful performance. He pledged his continued support for the game.

Top softball action for West Berbice this Sunday

THE Cotton Tree Diehard cricket ground will be buzzing with activities this Sunday, with a one-day softball tournament, involving four of the country’s top softball teams. Participating teams will be Albion Masters, Floodlight Masters, Mike’s Pharmacy Wellman Masters and West Coast Masters. The event is scheduled to

commence at 10:00hrs, with packed entertainment all day. Admission will be absolutely free and the public is encouraged to come out and support. There will be trampoline and bouncy castle for the children and lots of entertainment for the entire family. Sponsors so far on board include: Trophy Stall, Raymond and Ashraf Mustapha

Woodworking, Permaul’s Trading of Albion, A and A General Store of Rosignol, Imran Saccoor, Leah’s Online Shopping, Tage Singh Import and Export, Romell Jagroop Construction Service and Rosignol Shopping Mall. The one-day event is part of the teams’ preparations for Guyana Softball Cup 7, which is billed for November 3-5.

STAG Premier League continues tonight with double-header at GFC

THE Georgetown Football Association’s (GFA) STAG $2M Premier League will continue this evening at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, Bourda with a double-header starting at 18:00hrs. The feature game which begins at 20:00hrs will bring together Camptown and Northern Rangers, while the curtain-raiser will see Police tackle Flamingo. When the tournament kicked off last Sunday, Beacon registered a 4-1 win against Black Pearl through braces from Deron Bowen and Quacy McAulay.

Black Pearl’s lone goal was scored by Jason Clarke. On the same day, Police also registered a 4-1 win against Riddim Squad. Keston Dundas, Dwayne Jacobs, Shemar Fraser and Travis Jones scored for the lawmen, while Amos Ramsay scored for Riddim Squad. It is uncertain if Flamingo will make an appearance for their match against Police, since they failed to show up for their fixture last Monday against GFC, who secured points for the walkover victory. Camptown, in their

round one game on Sunday, edged Pele 2-1 through a double off the boot of Richie Richards. Lloyd Anderson scored Pele’s lone goal. The tournament which has at stake $1M for the winning team, $500 000 for the runners-up and $300 000 and $200 000 respectively for third and fourth places, will continue with a triple-header at the GFC ground. Hosts GFC will take on Black Pearl from 16:00hrs, Riddim Squad face Beacon from 18:00hrs and Pele tackle Santos from 20:00hrs.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

newest first-class venue

Brian Lara Stadium ready to stage first class matches for the first time.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – The Brian Lara Stadium will become the region’s newest first class venue when it hosts three of Trinidad and Tobago Red Force’s home matches in the Regional first class campaign which bowls off next week. C r i c k e t We s t I n d i e s (CWI) said yesterday it had approved the change for the

second-, fourth- and seventh-round matches, which had previously been scheduled for the historic Queen’s Park Oval, to be now played at the spanking new south Trinidad facility. “This change means that we can now return the game to the south of Trinidad, which again has a venue to stage first-class matches,” said CWI cricket operations

manager, Roland Holder. Red Force will now take on Jamaica Scorpions from November 2 to 5 in a fixture that will crown the Tarouba venue as a first class venue. The hosts will also meet three-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars in the fourth round from November 16 to 19 before clashing in the seventh round with perennial arch-rivals Barbados

Pride from December 14 to 17. Since the Brian Lara Stadium was opened in May this year, it has hosted several high-profile matches, including the playoff and final of the Caribbean Premier League and last week’s opening matches of the ICC Women’s Championship between West Indies and Sri Lanka.

SCHEDULE OF REGIONAL CRICKET MATCHES (Scheduled daily start time 10 am, except where indicated in brackets) Round 1 – October 26 to 29 Jaguars vs Scorpions – National Cricket Stadium, Guyana (9:30 am) Pride vs Red Force – Kensington Oval, Barbados (3 pm) Volcanoes vs Hurricanes – National Cricket Stadium, Grenada Round 2 – November 2 to 5 Red Force vs Scorpions – Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad Volcanoes vs Jaguars – Daren Sammy National Cricket Ground, St. Lucia Pride vs Hurricanes – Kensington Oval Round 3 – November 9 to 12 Scorpions vs Pride – Sabina Park, Jamaica (3 pm) Hurricanes vs Jaguars – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua Red Force vs Volcanoes – Queen’s Park Oval Round 4 – November 16 to 19 Hurricanes vs Scorpions – Warner Park, St. Kitts Red Force vs Jaguars – Brian Lara Cricket Academy (3 pm) Volcanoes vs Pride – Arnos Vale Sports Complex, St. Vincent ______________________________________________ Round 5 – November 30 to December 3 Scorpions vs Volcanoes – Sabina Park Hurricanes vs Red Force – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground Jaguars vs Pride – Guyana National Stadium (9:30 am) Round 6 – December 7 to 10 Scorpions vs Red Force – Sabina Park Hurricanes vs Pride – Warner Park Jaguars vs Volcanoes – Guyana National Stadium (9:30 am) Round 7 – December 14 to 17 Jaguars vs Hurricanes – Guyana National Stadium (3 pm) Red Force vs Pride – Brian Lara Cricket Academy Volcanoes vs Scorpions – Windsor Park, Dominica (3 pm) ______________________________________________ Round 8 – January 4 to 7 Red Force vs Hurricanes – Queen’s Park Oval Scorpions vs Jaguars – Sabina Park Pride vs Volcanoes – Kensington Oval Round 9 – January 11 to 14 Scorpions vs Hurricanes – Sabina Park Pride vs Jaguars – Kensington Oval Volcanoes vs Red Force – Windsor Park Round 10 – January 18 to 21 Pride vs Scorpions – Kensington Oval Jaguars vs Red Force – Guyana National Stadium (9:30 am) Hurricanes vs Volcanoes – Warner Park (3 pm)

Everton ‘dirtiest’ Premier League team in history, says study FIFA reaches agreement to help unpaid players By Brian Homewood ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) - FIFA has reached an agreement that will help players leave their clubs when they do not get paid on time.

agreement also involved the European Club Association (ECA), the world players’ union FIFPro and the World Leagues Forum, which represents major domestic soccer leagues. FIFA said that, in re-

Everton’s Leighton Baines is shown a yellow card by referee Jon Moss. (Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff)

(REUTERS) - Everton have been handed the dubious distinction of being the ‘dirtiest’ Premier League team after a study on the all-time cards and fouls by www.dirtyteams. co.uk. The website used a points system to rate clubs for transgressions on the pitch since the start of the Premier League in 1992. Teams collected 25 points for a red card, five for a yellow card and one for each foul. The Merseyside club have accumulated 21 211 points in 962 games to top the list while

Swindon Town are at the bottom with 486 points, although their tally is calculated after 42 games in the inaugural season which featured 22 teams. Everton are one of only six teams to have contested every season of the Premier League along with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. All six teams were in the top ten for total ‘dirty’ points. Derby County are the dirtiest team on average with nearly 26 points per game. They also have more yellow

cards (2.02) and fouls per game (14.28) than any other team. Blackburn Rovers’ 199899 season was the dirtiest in Premier League history as they racked up eight red cards and 80 yellow cards with 725 fouls while Coventry City had the cleanest campaign in 1993-94 with only 12 yellow cards. The study also revealed that the overall number of fouls have fallen since the league began and last season saw the fewest dismissals since 1993-94.

Head of FIFA’s stakeholders committee Victor Montagliani

“It was an issue that was stewing for a long, long time and they couldn’t come to an agreement, but because of our impetus they’ve reached one,” Victor Montagliani, head of FIFA’s stakeholders committee, told reporters yesterday. “We all like to get paid ... it’s an employment labour issue and to me that’s very important.” Montagliani said the

turn, FIFPro had agreed to withdraw a legal complaint it made at the European Commission against the transfer system two years ago. “We’ve had constructive talks with FIFA, but it’s premature to discuss what might happen next regarding our legal complaint against the transfer system, or any prospective deal until we are

satisfied with the proposals put forth,” FIFPro said in a statement. FIFPro says players can only make a complaint against their club after three months without being paid and can wait for up to two years for a decision from FIFA’s dispute resolution chamber. The new agreement would make it much easier for a player who has not been paid his wages to leave a club, FIFA said, although it could not give precise details until the agreement is finalised, which is likely by March. FIFPro’s complaint at the European Commission two years ago was based on the argument that the transfer system was uncompetitive and unjustified. The transfer system is governed by FIFA statutes and is based on an informal agreement between FIFA, UEFA and the EC in 2001. In a survey conducted last year among 14 000 players in 54 countries, FIFpro found that four in 10 had experienced late payment at some stage in the previous two years.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Milerock win UDFA/NAMILCO U-17 tournament

GFF president Wayne Forde presents the winning trophy to Milerock midfielder and captain Lorenzo Miller.

MILEROCK Football Club totalled 34 points to finish ahead of the other seven teams in the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA), to win this year’s National Milling Company-sponsored Thunderbolt

Flour Power U-17 league. Eagles United finished second and Botafago third. UDFA president Terrence Mitchell and the Guyana Football Federation president Wayne Forde presented medals and the championship tro-

phy at the Wisburg Secondary School ground in Linden. In brief comments after expressing his satisfaction with the UDFA for completing the tournament, Forde said, “It is an honour for you to be playing in a

Milerock FC after winning the UDFA/NAMILCO U17 League

tournament as prestigious as this. Your hard work and dedication brought you this far and it will take you further.” “This is not the end of the road, however; more challenges lie ahead. You must

see them as opportunities, not challenges. Recognise football for the vehicle it is, respect it and always try to improve,” Forde said while congratulating the winning team. Milerock midfielder and

captain, Lorenzo Miller, in expressing his satisfaction at the results stated, “My team and I deserve this. We trained hard and we played even harder. Coach is proud of us, I am proud of us and we plan to celebrate.”

Linden teams named for Futsal segment Police, Pele move into next round of Turbo KO Football IN what is anticipated to be an exciting showdown for bragging rights in the PNCR 60th Anniversary celebrations Day of Sports/Family Fun Day event set for October 29, the host community of Linden will be represented by a strong lineup of teams to contest the Futsal component of the day’s activities.

eight of the top teams from the community and they have all consented to be part of the activity. The eight teams invited are Silver Bullets, High Rollers, Swag Entertainment, Plantain & Cheese All Stars, Unknowns, Team 25, Blue Berry Hill and Amelia’s Ward Russians. Griffith, who is one of the

the best in Linden. They will be joined by those teams invited from Georgetown and West Demerara. He envisages a day of enthralling action as teams compete for the top prizes. It is anticipated that the matches will provide entertainment and fun throughout the day, at the Mackenzie Sports Club

Part of the action in the first match day of the Turbo KO football tournament

By Stephan Sookram

Action in a recent futsal match in Linden

Co-coordinator of the futsal segment Wayne Griffith, speaking with a member of the planning committee disclosed that invitations have been sent to

leading futsal referees and someone who has been involved in most of the tournaments in the format, said that the teams selected are among

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday October 20, 2017)

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) Courtney Walsh-519 wickets (2) Heath Streak-216 wickets Today’s Quiz: (1) What are the best bowling figures in a Test innings by a WI to date? (2) Which ZIM has taken the best bowling figures in a Test innings to date? ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

Hardcourt. Among the other top teams that will be travelling to Region 10 to participate in the day’s futsal tournament are Future Stars, West Front Road ‘Gold is Money’, Sparta Boss, Back Circle, Broad Street, New Market Street, Leopold Street and North Ruimveldt. Meanwhile, the other disciplines that will be contested are athletics, dominoes and basketball and they are expected to provide plenty of action for the anticipated large turnout. There will also be novelty events for the fans, while the feature attraction will be a race for members of the executive committee.

POLICE Football Club and Pele Football Club are the first two teams to advance to the next round of the Petra-organised Turbo knockout football tournament. Playing at the Ministry of Education ground which recently saw the installation of lights, the two teams had drastically differing paths to their spots in the next round. The Guyana Police Force were in no playful mood as they thumped the West Demerara’s Eagles FC by a 6-0 margin in the first game of the night. Rawle Haynes led the line with a hat-trick for the boys in blue with successful strikes in the 64th, 75th and 77th minutes.

Goals were also scored by Junior Gordon (34th), Travis Jones (48th) and Kester Dundas (63rd) in the rout. In the other game, however, Pele eventually won 2-1 after a constant shift of momentum between them and opponents Northern Rangers. Sherwin Vincent scored for the Rangers to put them ahead in the first half (12th) and the side looked as though they might be heading for victory with some tidy defensive work. Pele’s Darrhan Persaud found the equaliser in the 35th as the half ended with the score deadlocked. On the resumption, both sides tried valiantly to break the deadlock but it was Akosi Jarvis who scored just two minutes into the additional

time (90+2). Matches will continue on Tuesday evening at the same venue with Georgetown Football Club taking on Silver Shattas followed by Riddim Squad against Pouderoyen. Group A now contains Pele, Santos, Riddim Squad, Silver Shattas, Uitvlugt and Winners Connection. Group B has Grove HiTech, Pouderoyen, Buxton Stars, Camptown FC, Mahaica Determinators, Kuru Kuru, Georgetown Football Club and Police. The remaining 14 teams are contesting for a first-place prize of $500 000 while the runnersup will receive $250 000, third-placers $125,000 and fourth-place finishers will pocket $75 000.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 20, 2017

Shanaka rescues Sri Lanka A with unbeaten ton after Joseph’s good spell FLORENCE HALL, Jamaica (CMC) – Dasun Shanaka stroked an aggressive, unbeaten hundred but fast bowler Keon Joseph led a focused bowling effort to help restrict Sri Lanka A on the opening day of the second four-day ‘Test’ here yesterday. The 26-year-old carved out 102 batting at number seven, an innings that led the tourists to 294 all out after they chose to bat first at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium. He smashed five fours and eight sixes off just 108 balls to lead a rally after Sri Lanka-A struggled in the second session. However, West Indies-A then lost the momentum they had built, crashing to 14 for two at the close in reply, still 280 runs adrift of first-innings lead heading into day two. Openers Montcin Hodge (2) and John Campbell (5) fell in the space of six deliveries in successive overs,

leaving captain Shamarh Brooks (three not out) and nightwatchman Damion Jacobs, yet to score, to see out the day.

visitors stumbled to 36 for two in the first session. However, captain Dhananjaya De Silva stroked 73, vice-captain Charith Asalan-

the third wicket with Asalanka who faced 104 deliveries in 1-1/2 hours at the crease and counted five fours. The pair took their side to lunch at 97 for two but perished inside the first hour following the resumption as three wickets crashed for 42 runs. But Sri Lanka A again found redemption courtesy of a 105-run, sixth-wicket stand between Shanaka and Silva,

as they reached tea at 225 without further loss. The right-handed Shanaka counter-attacked wonderfully, getting support from Silva who counted two fours in a 70-ball innings. Once pacer Oshane Thomas had Silva caught at the wicket to give Jahmar Hamilton his fourth catch of the innings, Sri Lanka fell away again, losing their last five wickets for 52 runs.

SCOREBOARD Right-armer Keon Joseph leads West Indies A attack with a three-wicket haul. (CWI Media/Athelstan Bellamy)

Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka plays a lofted drive during his unbeaten 102 on the first day of the second `Test’ at Trelawny

Right-armer Joseph had earlier rattled Sri Lanka A claiming three for 32 while leg-spinner Damion Jacobs (2-74) and off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall (2-85) claimed two wickets apiece. Joseph removed both openers Sandun Weerakkody (8) and Ron Chandragupta (9) cheaply as the

National Futsal Championship final

Kellman’s hat-trick lifts Future Stars over ‘Gold is Money’

ka gathered 41 and Roshen Silva, 30, to add to Shanaka’s fifth first class hundred, and repair the innings. De Silva, who hit a hundred in last week’s opening ‘Test’, again looked in good touch stroking six fours in an 89-ball knock that occupied 2-1/2 hours. Crucially, he added 92 for

SRI LANKA A 1st innings S. Weerakkody c wkp. Hamilton b Joseph 8 R. Chandragupta c wkp. Hamilton b Joseph 9 D. de Silva wkp. Hamilton b Joseph 73 C. Asalanka c Ambris b Cornwall 41 R. Silva c wkp. Hamilton b Thomas 30 S. Jayasuriya c Campbell b Cornwall 0 D. Shanaka not out 102 W. Hasaranga b Jacobs 4 M. Pushpakumara lbw b Jacobs 0 K. Rajitha lbw b Cottrell 1 A. Fernando run-out 4 Extras: (b-10, lb-7, nb-5) 22 Total: (all out, 73.3 overs) 294 Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-36, 3-128,

4-136, 5-137, 6-242, 7-247, 8-270, 9-277. Bowling: Cottrell 11-1-33-1, Joseph 11-1-32-3, Thomas 12-053-1, Cornwall 20-2-85-2, Jacobs 19.3-1-74-2. WEST INDIES A 1st innings M. Hodge b Pushpakumara 2 J. Campbell lbw b Jayasuriya 5 S. Brooks not out 3 D. Jacobs not out 0 Extras: (b-4) 4 Total: (2 wkts, 10 overs) 14 Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-13. Bowling: Fernando 3-2-1-0, Rajitha 1-0-4-1-0, Pushpakumara 4-1-5-1, Jayasuriya 2-2-0-1. Position: West Indies-A trail by 280 runs with eight wickets intact.

Guyana Women out of Pan American Indoor Hockey ‘medal round’

USA’s Sammy Popper makes a move against Guyana during their 7-1 win yesterday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

By Rawle Toney Future Stars captain Jeremy Garrett collects the winning purse of $700 000.

CURTEZ Kellman was the star that shone brightest on Wednesday evening, as he hammered home a hattrick of goals to help Future Stars ease past ‘Gold is Money’ 4-1, to win the country’s most lucrative Futsal tournament – the National Futsal Championship. Future Stars pocketed $700 000 with the win, while Gold is Money settled for the second place prize of $250

000. Sparta Boss thrashed Back Circle 7-0 to finish third and collected $150 000. Meanwhile, the crowd were entertained and were treated to the ‘Curtez Kellman’ show, much to the delight of the Future Stars supporters. Kellman scored in the 15th and 28th to lead Future Stars to a 2-0 lead at halftime. Michael Pedro, in the 35th minute scored and tried to revive the hapless-looking

Gold is Money team but Kellman scored again to keep Future Stars with the advantage. Akeemo Anthony scored the game’s final goal just at the end of regulation and wild celebration erupted, as Future Stars celebrated a much-deserved win. The Guyana Police Force, Windjammer International Hotel and Cuisine and 94.1 Boom FM were the tournament sponsors.

AFTER losing 6-3 to Trinidad and Tobago and going down 7-1 to title front-runners USA, Guyana Women will not feature in the ‘medal’ round of this year’s Pan American Indoor Hockey Championship, currently on at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Having won the lone game of the tournament over Barbados (5-1), Guyana were hoping to keep the momentum on day four of the event, but, luck, was not on their side. Trinidad and Tobago picked up their first win of the tournament, having outplayed Guyana

in the second half of the game. Arielle Williams and Krizia Layne had scored back-to-back for Trinidadians, but Guyana equalised through Nicole Eastman and Marzana Fiedtkou. Fiedtkou, two minutes after her first, scored her second of the game to push Guyana in the lead (3-2) at the stroke of halftime. However, in the second half Trinidad dominated possession and found the goal off the sticks of Layne, Blair Wynne (two goals) and Alanna Lewis. In their second game of the evening, which was also their final of the ‘pool’, Guyana were overwhelmed 7-1 by the Amer-

icans, who, with one game left to play, are primed to feature in tomorrow’s final. Ali Campbell slotted home four goals, while Mary Beth Barham had a double and Sammy Popper contributed the other goal for the USA Women. Fiedtkou scored Guyana’s only goal in the loss. The USA are the only undefeated team in the Women’s Pool of the tournament, and they also scored the most goals (31) with a +25 goal difference – the most among the seven teams. Today’s final pool games will determine tomorrow’s finalists.

Shanaka rescues Sri Lanka A with unbeaten ton after Joseph’s good spell See27Page

Guyana born Roberts wrecks Guyana as Canada wins

2017 PAHF Indoor Men’s Cup…

Jamarj Assanah scored three of Guyana’s five goals in their 5-8 loss to Canada (Samuel Maughn Photo)

See Page 22

Guyana born Johnathan Roberts slammed home six goals out of Canada’s eight goals on a night when he was heavily marked (Samuel Maughn photo )

`Cricket Cares’ T20

Simmons, Dwayne Smith to ignite Guyana National Stadium on Sunday LENDL Simmons and Dwayne Smith will be a part of star-studded Caribbean invasion of talent, expected in Guyana for Sunday’s Hurricane Relief ‘Charity’ T20 dubbed ‘Cricket Cares’. The regional stars will come up against the Guyana Jaguars from 17:00hrs at the Guyana National Stadium, in a match organised by Keem Foundation and the Guyana Cricket Board (GBC), with Ansa McAl, through their Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

Caribbean Beer brand, being the principal sponsor. Proceeds from the game will be forwarded to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) for distribution to those islands ravaged by the hurricanes. The game will feature several players who were part of the Hero Caribbean Premier League 2017, including Rayad Emrit, Fidel Edwards, Sulieman Benn, Ronsford Beaton, Jonathan Foo and Veerasammy Per-

maul. The Guyana Jaguars line-up will feature all the players, who recently competed in the Antigua Independence Tri-Nation T20 Series, finishing as runners-up to Jamaica. At a press briefing yesterday, stakeholders called on cricket fans to fill the stadium and demonstrate the benevolence of the nation. Secretary of the GCB,

Turn to page 22 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017