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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday November 21, 2018
Construction work commences on LBI Community Centre main pavilion
Major construction of the LBI Community Centre ground’s main pavilion and fence are ongoing.
By Rajiv Bisnauth THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has commenced major rehabilitation works on the LBI Community Centre ground. The upgrading of the facility became a reality after the
GCB secured the lease from the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GUYSUCO), in January of this year which has paved the way for the board to invest approximately $600M in the next few years towards the general upgrading of the facility to benefit the cricketing community.
British sprinter Levine gets four-year doping ban (REUTERS) - Britain’s Olympic sprinter Nigel Levine has been banned from the sport for four years after failing a drugs test. Levine was provisionally suspended in February and yesterday UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) confirmed the 29-year-old’s ban.
Britain’s Nigel Levine competes at Olympic Stadium - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 19th August, 2016. (REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File photo)
UKAD said Levine “tested positive for the presence of the prohibited substance clenbuterol, an Anabolic Agent, following an Out-of-Competition test on November 24, 2017.” Levine, who specialises in the 400 metres, competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics and was part of the British squad that won 400m relay gold at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich.
UKAD Chief Executive Nicole Sapstead said: “All athletes must adhere to the principle of strict liability, and are solely responsible for any substances found in their system. “Mr Levine is an elite athlete, who has competed at the Olympic Games, European and World Championships, and has received significant anti-doping education throughout his career. “It is up to role models such as Mr Levine to uphold the highest standards when it comes to anti-doping, ensuring they check all supplements thoroughly and are 100 percent certain they know that what they are consuming is not prohibited.” UKAD said in their reasoning for the decision that Levine has “accepted that clenbuterol was present in his sample but suggested that its presence was due to his use of supplements that must have been contaminated with clenbuterol.” The sprinter was not able to demonstrate that his supplement had been contaminated with the drug however, UKAD said. Levine has not competed since breaking his pelvis last year January in a motorbike crash that also involved fellow sprinter James Ellington.
A visit by Chronicle Sport, Monday afternoon, revealed that major construction of the main pavilion is ongoing. Works to the southern side of the fence are also underway while landfilling was evident. The GCB had already in-
The GCB has also commenced landfilling.
vested close to $75M a few years ago to construct the existing hostel, the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence at that location, and over the years the Board has saved a lot of accommodation expenses with the use of this hostel to house its players.
In addition to the facilities for the accommodation of teams preparing for local and regional tournaments, the Centre comprises indoor nets, a gym and a lecture room, all designed to turn out more rounded players, who are prepared to meet the challenges of
the modern game. The multi-million dollar structure was officially opened in 2010. It is expected that the bulk of the funding will come from the board through the funds from the franchise league.
UG beat GNIC in two-day cricket THE University of Guyana (UG) defeated GNIC by five wickets in their Noble House Seafoods Second-Division two-day cricket clash over the weekend at the DCC ground. UG had established a healthy 140-run lead after Saturday, with three wickets in hand from their first innings. They bowled out GNIC for 200 with Ershaad Ali spinning his way to five wickets. David Dick (75) and Ovid Richardson (52) had led the batting side. In reply, UG had raced to 340-7 with Godfrey Thakurdin hitting an even 100. On Sunday, Elroy Fernanda, who was unbeaten on 47, pushed his score to 62
(8x4, 2x6). His team, however, declared when he lost his wicket at 360-9 in 54.1 overs. GNIC batsmen were then tasked with erasing a 160-run deficit before putting some runs of their own on the
board. Premchand Sookdeo answered. The top order batsman struck 14 fours and two sixes in a score of 115. For the third-wicket partnership, Sookdeo and Dick tallied 122 runs. Dick scored 39
Godfrey Thakurdin (at left) and Keirre Henry were instrumental for the University team.
runs (3x4). After the partnership ended, only Clairmont Duesbury with 20 (3x4) and H. Singh with an unbeaten 19 (3x4) showed resistance as Keirre Henry and Omesh Danram cleaned up the lower order to restrict GNIC to 245 in 49.4 overs. Henry, with his off-spin, grabbed 4-37 from 12 overs, while Danram and skipper Dennis Heywood supported with two wickets each. Needing 86 for victory, UG had a solid start with Thakurdin (39) and Ali (16) carrying the score to 60 before S. Brown grabbed two wickets in his second over. Three other wickets fell before UG reached their target.
Pakistan’s claim for damages from BCCI dismissed - ICC MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - The Pakistan Cricket Board’s claim for substantial damages from their Indian counterpart for their refusal to play bilateral cricket has been dismissed, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said yesterday. The PCB had sought damages from BCCI for not honouring an agreement the two boards had signed in 2014 to play six bilateral series over eight years between 2015 and 2023. According to media re-
ports, the PCB demanded damages of $70 million from the cash-rich BCCI for India’s refusal to play. The BCCI officials maintained that the decision to play Pakistan depends on the Indian Prime Minister’s office. “Following a three-day hearing and having considered detailed oral and written submissions, the Dispute Panel has dismissed the PCB’s claim against the BCCI,” the world governing body said in a statement. Cricket between the bitter South Asian neighbours
has been limited because of their longstanding political problems. They last played a bilateral series in 2012-13, when Pakistan toured India for two Twenty20 games and three one-day internationals. It was their first series since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, when Pakistani militants went on a killing spree that left 166 people dead in India’s financial capital. India has since refused to play Pakistan outside of ICC events like the World Cup and Champions Tro-
phy. “In relation to the proceedings brought by PCB against BCCI, the PCB notes with regret the decision of the Disputes Panel of the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee,” PCB said in a statement. “Following a lengthy disputes resolution process, the announcement of the decision today has come as a disappointment for PCB. “PCB will determine its future course of action in this regard after detailed deliberations and consultations with its stakeholders.”