Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 11-01-2021

MONDAY 11th January, 2021

' No.106239

Assistant Secretary (ag) for the US Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak

US restates support for Guyana in border controversy SEE STORY ON PAGE 03

–– denounces Maduro’s latest decree as aggressive, says ICJ is the legal and peaceful way forward

BK receives over $80M for incomplete sea-defence work

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–– project only 15% complete after one year Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, enquiring about an aspect of the incomplete sea-defence work at Andrews, Essequibo Coast (Adrian Narine photo)

Task Force shuts down Hard Rock Café for 03 breaching COVID guidelines PAGE

U.S. Admiral in 17 Guyana from today PAGE

- signing of agreement, joint press conference with GDF set for Tuesday

The IT expert who lost 120 pounds in a year

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

BK receives over $80M for incomplete sea defence work –– project only 15% complete after one year

By Richard Bhainie MORE than one year since being awarded a contract for the construction of rip rap sea defences at Andrews, Essequibo Coast, contractor, BK International, despite receiving more than $80 million, has completed only 15 per cent of this project.

This was discovered by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, during a visit to the site in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), on Sunday.

Based on documents seen by the Guyana Chronicle, the contract was awarded in the sum of $124.8 million under the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration. And, of this amount, some 70 per cent has already been paid over to the contractor. The project was slated to commence officially on January 21, 2020, with a duration period of seven months, concluding on August 21, 2020.

Minister Indar was, however, informed by the engineer for Region Two, district one, Saeed Mohamed, that

the said contract was further extended to December 31, 2020. Even with the initial and extended deadline passing, Indar was also informed by the district one engineer that of the 1,000 feet of sea defence work contracted to be executed, a mere 160 feet of the work has been completed thus far.

A representative from BK International, who was present at the site, explained that the delay was consequent to the contractor diverting equipment to another site located in Mahaicony, on the East Coast of Demerara, due to the urgency of works there. The representative also lamented the difficulties in sourcing materials because of restrictions implemented to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Indar responded to this by saying that when contractors bid for and are awarded contracts, they are doing so based on their inventory of equipment available to execute the works within the contractually agreed upon time. Therefore, in this case, adequate equipment should have been available to com-

plete the works at Andrews.

The minister denounced the contractor’s lackadaisical attitude towards the execution of the crucial and urgently-needed works, expounding that it is to the detriment of residents, who are left to suffer. Considering this and other delayed projects being undertaken by BK, the minister elucidated that he intends to take stern action against this contractor.

It was reported recently that the government terminated the multimillion-dollar contracts for the construction of the Yarrowkabra Secondary School and the reconstruction of the St. Roses’ High School.

In two separate letters, Attorney-General Anil Nandlall notified both contractors, BK International Inc. and Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd., about the termination of their contracts.

In BK’s case, the former APNU+AFC government had entered into a contract with the company through the Ministry of Education, for the construction of the Yarrowkabra Secondary School, just off the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. The

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, and other officials of the ministry navigating the near-impassable access dam (Adrian Narine photos)

A section of the incomplete rip rap sea defence

contract was fixed at $826.5 million, and the scheduled date for completion of the work is March 12, 2021.

“Thus far, your company has only completed five per cent of the schedule of work.

As a consequence, your company has committed a fundamental breach of the terms of the contract, and as a result thereof, the Government of Guyana hereby exercises its right to terminate the contract

with immediate effect,” said the Attorney-General in a letter to the company.

The grounds for termination were cited as the failure to comply with the schedule of work, and the inordinate delay in the completion of work on the project. The government, according to Nandlall, will activate the provisions in the contract regarding the enforcement of 10 per cent of the contract

sum as liquidated damages, and the surrendering of the performance security as a result of the company’s fundamental breach of the contract.

Similarly, the government enforced the same provisions on Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd, as the company has only completed nine per cent of the scheduled work on the reconstruction of the St. Roses’ High School.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

US restates support for Guyana in border controversy -- denounces Maduro’s latest decree as aggressive, says ICJ is the legal and peaceful way forward

By Navendra Seoraj VIOLATIONS of international law will not be tolerated by the international community, renowned Guyana-born diplomat, Sir Ronald Sanders has said in response to Venezuela’s recent claims to the seas and seabed adjacent to the coast west of the Essequibo River, which belong to Guyana.

“The international community has to be brought on board soon, because the Maduro Government and Opposition have to understand that the international community will not tolerate violations of international law,” Sir Ronald said during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday.

President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro on January 7, 2021 issued a decree claiming Venezuela’s sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights in the waters and seabed adjacent to Guyana’s coast, west of the Essequibo River.

While this decree is yet to be gazetted or elaborated on, Sir Ronald said: “What they put out informally is quite troubling, and it points to violations of international law. But, one has to wait to see how far they are going before you make a strong statement on this.”

President Irfaan Ali has since affirmed that Venezuela’s attempt to claim for itself the seas and seabed adjacent to the coast west of the Essequibo River will receive no legal regard from any other State in the world, and moreso Guyana.

Regrettably, by decreeing

that the seas adjacent to this territory belong to Venezuela, at least two fundamental

lity, which cannot, and will not be respected by any other State in the world, including

President Dr. Irfaan Ali

principles of international law have been violated, President Ali said during an address to the nation on Saturday.

The first violation, as outlined by Guyana’s President, he said, is that no State can unilaterally determine its international boundaries, whether land or maritime.

President Ali contended that the fixing of an international boundary under international law can only result from an agreement between neighbouring States, or a binding determination by an international court or arbitral tribunal.

LEGAL NULLITY “Therefore, this attempt

by Venezuela to attempt, unilaterally, to fix both its land and maritime boundaries with Guyana is a legal nul-

Guyana,” the Head of State affirmed.

The second violation of fundamental international law referenced by President Ali, is based on the fact that under well-established rules of international law, there is a fundamental principle that says, “the land dominates the sea”.

This means that sovereignty, and sovereign rights in the sea and seabed emanate from title to the land that forms the coast to which those seas and seabed are adjacent. Since Guyana has sovereign rights over the coast west of the Essequibo River, as far as Punta Playa, it follows, consequently, that only this country can enjoy sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights over the adjacent sea and seabed.

Sir Ronald said that Presi-

dent Ali was right in pointing out the violations of international law, but noted that the decree has not yet been gazetted, so the full extent of what Venezuela is suggesting is not yet known.

However, Guyana has since shown that it is taking

Guyanese-born Diplomat, Sir Ronald Sanders

no chances, with President Ali informing the nation that he is alerting the international community, including sister states in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) of the recent illegal actions by Venezuela.

“Well, I think the President has taken all the right steps; he is informing the international community of this act, which is already a violation of international law… Whatever the extent of the violation of international law, it is a violation, and it is important that the international community be alerted,” Sir Ronald reasoned.

He reiterated that it is also important for Guyana to inform the Commonwealth and European Union so as to make sure they understand that this is a troubling devel-

opment, upon which everyone has to keep a close eye.

The “troubling development” at reference comes on the heels of the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that it has jurisdiction to hear the Guyana, Venezuela border controversy case.

CONFIDENT Guyana is confident that the international court will resolve the issue in its favour, and that this will also settle the issue of maritime rights in the adjacent sea and seabed.

“I remind that sovereignty over this coast, and the land territory to which it is attached, were awarded to Guyana (then British Guiana) in the 1899 Arbitral Award, whose validity and legally binding character Guyana is confident the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will uphold unequivocally,” President Ali affirmed.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary (ag) for the US Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, has said that the U.S. supports the ICJ's ruling that it has jurisdiction in the Guyana, Venezuela territorial border issue, which is the legal and peaceful way forward.

“Maduro’s aggressive claims don't change this; they only show the world his disregard for his neighbours and international law,” Kozak asserted in a post on his official Twitter page.

Additionally, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch also reiterated the North American country's call for a legal, peaceful resolution to the border contro-

versy.

Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon in a statement on Sunday urged Venezuela to utilise the ICJ as the forum to present its case, and to cease and desist from issuing these arbitrary decrees.

“This decree is mischievous, illegal, and can only serve to foment tensions on an issue that is being peaceably resolved in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Venezuela, as a Member State of the United Nations, is bound by the jurisdiction and rulings of the ICJ,” Harmon said in the statement.

The A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition, he avowed, stands resolute, and in solidarity with any reasonable action that the people of Guyana are likely to embark on to safeguard Guyana's sovereignty.

The Citizenship Initiative also joined President Ali in rejecting Maduro’s ‘provocative’ decree, claiming sovereignty over Essequibo.

“We fully support the government’s position and look forward to the international court decision. We expect it to be in favour of Guyana and recognition and validity of long standing ownership of the land and maritime space will be affirmed,” the political party said in post on its Facebook page on Saturday.

Encouragement, they said, is given to all Guyanese to stand united in protecting the nation’s territory and national sovereignty.

Task Force shuts down Hard Rock Café for breaching COVID guidelines

By Vishani Ragobeer THE Hard Rock Café, located at the Movietowne Mall at Turkeyen, on the lower East Coast Demerara, was shut down by the National COVD-19 Task Force (NCTF) on Sunday afternoon as customers were dining at the restaurant.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the restaurant on Sunday evening, all of the employees were seen heading home. One employee related that officers from the security forces paid the facility a visit

that afternoon, while customers were dining both inside and outside, and asked them to vacate the premises in three minutes.

The employee affirmed that even though the restaurant was offering indoor dining, the tables were all spaced more than six feet apart. According to Section (6) of the existing COVID-19 guidelines, however, indoor dining is not prohibited.

Restaurants are only permitted to offer outdoor dining, drive-thru and takeaway services, curb-side pickup

and delivery. Outdoor dining is only permitted during the hours of 04:00 and 21:30; all tables must be spaced six feet apart from each other, and no more than four persons should be seated at one table.

Paragraph (3)(b) specifically states: “Indoor and buffet dining is prohibited.” Bars, rum shops, cinemas (except drive-thru cinemas) and other such entertainment businesses are strictly prohibited.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the customers who were dining at Hard Rock on Sunday left without

completing their meals, and without paying their bills. The officers remained until each person left, and informed the manager and other employees that the business would be closed indefinitely for breaching the COVID-19 guidelines.

When the Guyana Chronicle attempted to confirm the clall osure of this restaurant with the relevant authorities, a reliable source said was, “A few places were told to close, because they were in breach of the measures.”

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LIGHTS OUT! The Hard Rock Café was shut down on Sunday for breaching COVID-19 guidelines (Vishani Ragobeer photo)

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‘Cheesecake in a jar’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

–– 17-year-old’s ‘sweet spot’ dessert business takes flight

By Mesha Sealey OF course, it’s not what you’d traditionally expect when picturing the rich dessert. In fact, while many find the idea quite peculiar, a 17-year-old from Farm, East Bank Demerara (EBD) has committed to making this sweet treat a business venture.

2020 saw a series of small businesses and services blossoming in an attempt by persons to stay afloat during the pandemic. One of these is ‘The Sweet Spot’, a dessert business owned and managed

by Kayleen Smith.

“Growing up in Guyana I observed that gourmet desserts are usually only found at hotels and fine dining restaurants, and for some, only when they travelled. So my aim was to make these desserts available for all to indulge, in the comfort of their own homes at a reasonable price,” Smith said.

One of her peers who had tasted Smith’s creation said:

“I must say I find it to be a wonderful venture, especially on Kayleen’s behalf. Reason being, I’ve known her since High School, and since then she’s had this passion for baking.”

“Overall, she’s great at what she does,” the customer added.

Baking and pastry making has always been a passion of Smith’s, from the time she was thirteen years old.

“I’ve always dreamt of opening a business to share my creations with others, but pre-COVID, I was unable to find the time since I’m a student of the University of Guyana studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Health,” Smith explained.

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic which brought with it a host of adversities, gave Smith the free time she needed to get herself on her feet.

“The most important thing for me during the startup phase was perfecting my cheesecake recipes. So I dedicated a lot of

time into trying various combinations and techniques until I got the recipe that was just right. Next was to work on the brand image, so I had to consult a designer for my labels, fliers and also get the package that would complement each individual dessert,” Smith related, in a recent interview with the Chronicle.

“During this time, I took the opportunity to see what my competitors were offering, because I wanted to be unique— even if it was the exact desserts. It was important that the items on my menu stand out from others, so this is why I came up with four different styles of cheesecake, including one of our customer favorites, ‘Cheesecake Jars’.

The final step was to start putting my fliers and logos on all my social media platforms to let everyone know that something big was coming.”

And coming it was. When ‘The Sweet Spot’ launched its online service on August 2,, 2020, the orders poured in, according to Smith.

“It continued like that for the week, and then it slowed down. Of course, we had high points and low points, but business was going good,” she said.

When asked to leave a comment for those now starting their own business ventures, Smith said this: “For those who have already started, just realise you have completed the most important task, that’s pushing down the

most important barriers which are fear and intimidation. The next step is to focus on your ’why’. For those who are now planning to get into a business, I can tell you that being your own boss and being able to control your daily activities is a very satisfying feeling and the goal of financial freedom should be everyone’s dream.

Being your own boss will take you closer to that,” Smith advises.

Kayleen is described as a somewhat outgoing introvert, with a warm, fun personality.

“She’s understanding, patient and hardworking,” says Asheriea Isaacs, a former schoolmate of the young entrepreneur. “When around her, you can rest assured that a laugh or two, or even more is nearby,” Isaacs added.

“To all my customers, I’d like to say thank you for trusting and encouraging a 17-year-old’s dream,” Smith said before adding: “My growth and development at ‘the Sweet Spot’ has been largely because of you.”

‘The Sweet Spot’ also serves cookies, brownies, cupcakes and decorated cakes for all occasions. They are available for delivery or pickup, once orders have been placed beforehand.

They can be found on Facebook and Instagram at @ thesweetspot.gy, or contacted can be made through WhatsApp at +592-6979993.

Kayleen Smith

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

$327M farm-to-market road for Onverwagt

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha (centre), Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh (left) and the contractor, Romell Jagroop (right), turn the sod for construction of the farm-to-market road at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice

Rice and cattle farmer, Ashiek Motilall

By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur THE sod has officially been turned for the construction of a five- kilometre asphaltic farm-to- market road at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice, which is expected to benefit hundreds of farmers.

With the construction of the $327 million road, it is also expected that over 30,000 acres of rice will be cultivated, while 60 cattle farmers with a total of 23,000 heads of cattle, and about 1,000 heads of small ruminants will also benefit directly. Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha and Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, were present to turn the sod in the presence of farmers and regional officials to officially launch the project on Saturday.

The contract was awarded to West Berbice contractor Romell Jagroop Con-

A section of the gathering at the sod-turning ceremony

struction Company, and is scheduled to be completed in eight months. Once the road is completed, farmers will be able to access their farmlands throughout the year, and can expect reduced costs of production; reduced maintenance costs for machinery; better crop management in a timely manner and increased production, yields and profits.

Minister Mustapha in his address, stated that the road is a realisation of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic’s (PPP/C) manifesto promise to restore budgetary support for adequate provision and maintenance of drainage and irrigation systems, and farm-to-market roads. He revealed that six similar roads will be built across the country; three of which will be in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

Stressing the importance of agriculture, the minister highlighted that it is one of the most important sectors in the country and when devel-

oped properly, it will create jobs and wealth, but more importantly, food security.

“We believe investment in infrastructure is required to make the agriculture sector viable and sustainable.

Without key investments in infrastructure service, service delivery will not be able to take place. If you want to improve production and productivity, then as a government we have to put the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure that we complement the farmers so that they can produce, expand [and] their output in the agriculture sector. We have been focusing primarily to expand and strengthen the drainage and irrigation system,” the Agriculture Minister said.

According to him, since taking office in August 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture has reversed land rental and drainage and irrigation fees for Mahaica, Mahaicony Abary (MMA) farmers; land rental fees were reduced to $3,500 from $15,000 and

some 245 canals have been de-silted and dams were graded.

Additionally, $98M was allocated to MMA-ADA to conduct urgent repairs to drainage, infrastructure and dams, benefitting 96,000 acres of farmlands and over 2,300 farmers and their families within the Abary Berbice and the Mahaica-Mahaicony block, while emergency works were done at the MMA-ADA, including the cleaning of several canals at a cost of $28.9M. Meanwhile, Dr. Singh in his remarks stated that Guyana is at an incredibly exciting time in its history with oil production. Dr. Singh noted that the government intends to use the revenue derived from oil to boost other sectors, especially the agriculture sector, which has been the backbone of the economy.

“Oil will be important, but I would like to say to you definitively that the President’s agenda and the mandate that he has given to the ministers is that we must ensure that every other productive sector of the economy realises a dramatic and rapid transformation, so that we see a booming in our economy.

Our intention is that Guyana must take its rightful place as an agriculture powerhouse in this Region. We must not

only be famous for oil and gas, we must also be wellknown for the fact that we are finally realising our potential that has been spoken [of] for generations; we are finally realising our potential to be the breadbasket of the Caribbean and the major supply of food products throughout the hemisphere.”

GAS-TO-SHORE PROJECT Meanwhile, Minister Singh reiterated that the government is assiduously pursuing the gas-to- shore project, since it is key in the reduction of energy costs, which will ultimately bring down costs of production and open new avenues for investment and wealth for Guyanese, especially farmers.

He explained that for a long time, Guyana has been an exporter of primary agricultural produce, bulk sugar, rice, harvested fruits, vegetables and non-traditional crops, but one of the main impediments that prevented Guyana from moving to value-added agro-processing, has been the cost of energy; the gas-to-shore project will facilitate this. “…so while you read about gas to shore, gas to power and you read about the reduction in cost of energy, you might be tempted to make the mistake [that] this

is not relevant to agriculture, but it is very relevant to agriculture because when the cost of energy comes down, immediately, our capacity to process refined products, to package products to develop value-added and to promote agro-processing…immediately our capacity to do so, and to do so in a competitive way, is readily transformed.

“So we have an integrated plan that starts literally from making acreage available, opening up lands. This road alone will improve access to 12,000 acres.”

Meanwhile, farmers were in high praise for the ministers and the government for heeding their call, noting that they had requested the road years ago.

Rice and cattle farmer, Ashiek Motilall, told the Guyana Chronicle that he utilises the Onverwagt road to access his farmland and during the rainy season, it is very challenging and expensive to do so.

“The rehabilitation of the road will be very good to me and many farmers, because we can reach faster to work. I no longer will have to use two tractors to go with one vehicle and then branch off. Right now, the dam is so bad, we cannot go with a trailer with load, because we get stuck.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

Understanding mental health MENTAL health is generally not understood. It is not well funded, could be managed, and is dealt with more from a reactionary standpoint. Compounding this situation is the inadequate allocation of resources for the treatment of mental illnesses.

The importance attached to this condition is often seen and felt only by those who are personally affected. Those with mental-health concerns or issues are usually seen as a “crazy” group that needs to be locked away, ignored or forgotten, and not as functioning or valued members of society.

A general premise is that persons with mental-health issues do not initially seek treatment, because when they start talking about their symptoms/feelings, they are seen as weak; trying to get attention; demon-possessed; or depending on the culture, the family had some affliction, or had committed some evil act that was now coming back to haunt them.

The stigma attached to mental illness results in loved ones of persons with mental-health issues

overcompensating and attempting to conceal symptoms, because it is more acceptable to pretend those issues do not exist. This is generally done in an effort to blend into society, or be seen as “normal.” In some instances, persons with mental-health issues are viewed as “the crazy uncle” who the family feels needs protection from the world; and they behave this way not only because of the stigma attached to the sufferer’s condition, but also to preserve their place in society, or their family’s standing in society.

The result of these variables is that often when these symptoms are finally confronted, the person’s condition is too advanced to obtain treatment that would enable them to regain their status as a functioning member of society. This situation is often due to the lack of understanding of the issue, or the intolerance of some members of the treating community, or personal biases which affect the ability to identify and treat symptoms early.

A contributing factor to mental-health decompensation is overuse of alcohol. Alcohol is a de-

pressant; it leads to an increase in depressed mood. If someone who is depressed consumes alcohol, it makes that person more depressed.

This, in itself, can increase the risk of that person cultivating suicidal behaviours, including attempting or actually committing suicide.

Another prevalent factor in the society is that of intolerance to societal change, where some lack the understanding or receptiveness to persons who are getting into serious relationships at an earlier age. Compounding these factors are relationships with persons from different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, and the lack of adequate coping skills to navigate complex emotional situations.

Some solutions to addressing mental stability outside of the clinical setting can be achieved with familial support, as in educating our youth on the importance of self-worth, life, and empowering this demographic to understand that even beyond their current struggle, life is worth living. Another important factor is support for various age groups, such as teen/peer support,

which allows for avenues to voice thoughts, feelings and struggles, and gain support from each other on how to deal with relationship issues, and parents/family responses to those issues.

In dealing with mental-health factors that are affected by alcohol use, it helps to recognise that one must first understand that the risk of addiction is increased by access to alcohol, and inability to differentiate casual use from dependency.

Users of this substance often have a false sense of security, in that they think that because it is so easily accessible and is legal to use, the risk of dependency is less. Since it is culturally acceptable to consume alcohol to the point of being intoxicated, the assumption is that the person has a choice to continue this lifestyle.

First, it needs to be recognised that alcohol is a drug, and because it has the ability to cross the blood/ brain barrier, it alters perception, judgement and mood. Usually, the alcoholic does not recognise that there is a problem until it is often too late.

Support systems such as Alcoholics Anonymous (for the user), Alanon (spousal support) and Alateen (support for the children) are necessary to improve one’s ability to understand, cope with, and obtain sobriety to improve the overall family dynamic, coping mechanisms, and re-integration into society.

Mental health is a societal issue; its management requires education, acceptance, willingness to support, and receptiveness to including the individuals afflicted with these symptoms, to ensure that they are not ostracised. In the absence of the foregoing, it widens the base, and increases inability to identify and effectively treat individuals with mental-health symptoms.

Medication ought not to be seen as the only treatment option: equally important is the society’s interaction with, and support for, individuals with complex and life-changing situations. Mental health for one is mental health for all.

The last thing we need now in sports is everyone looking out for themselves Dear Editor, WE are in a new normal, a circumstance that calls for a different kind of leadership and cooperation. While there has always been some indifference in our sports, this is not the time to continue along that path. What is needed now is leadership at every level, that could bring people together not only with a national plan, but a way to galvanise all of our people and inspire the best possible outcome.

With the suspension of sports in Guyana and globally since March of 2020, and now almost 10 months later, it is still unclear how we are going to recover and sustain sports in Guyana.

We have seen how major international sporting bodies and associations have been cooperating and innovating under these new

restrictive conditions to restart their respective businesses, while meeting the needs of their communities.

Right here at home, we have seen cricket, cycling, athletics 10k, lawn tennis, bodybuilding, badminton, golf, and the K&S/GFF/MCYS football receiving approval from the Ministry of Health/COVID-19 task force, and from what has been reported in the press, they have all had successful events.

But what about the grassroots school and team sports that account for mass participation among our youth, across the regions of Guyana.

The question regarding the safe and timely return of school and youth sports has to be addressed in a thoughtful, caring, and serious way.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put all of sports in a proverbial “straitjacket of the century,” giving us a new challenge to manoeuvre; and while we don’t know what will

happen in the future, at the end of the day, we are all in the same boat where everyone is affected. So we can no longer play this game of looking out for our own or undermining the other or criticising or being more separate than we are; it is a good time for us to come together. It’s an opportunity for us to try to harness the best ideas and share resources so that all sports can benefit.

Here is where I believe coordinated, cohesive leadership could make the difference.

Ideally, the National Sports Commission could be leading this effort ,working as an intermediary facilitator between sports partners and the Ministry of Health/ COVID-19 Task Force, and other national and regional stakeholders in providing guidance and support to aid in the safe and timely return of sports. This would allow for a

more uniform, data-guided, and principle-based approach for sports to function safely during and postCOVID-19.

The last thing we need now is everyone looking out for themselves, too much is at stake.

Editor, we know that long before this pandemic, there were some major deficiencies and inequities in our sports governance; disparities between city sports and regional, male and female, youth and senior, mainstream and smaller disciplines, access to facilities, sponsorship, and media. The challenge now is much greater and further compounded by the social, mental, and economic effects of the last 10 months, and unless we can have a whole-ofsport cohesive approach to this new challenge, we will not be able to adequately address the real needs and recover as a fraternity.

In my humble view, the prior-

ity at this time should be trying to figure out how to give all sports, regardless of their status or connection, the opportunity and support they need to overcome this unprecedented challenge.

It’s going to take some creativity, which will be a challenge in scheming against this unpredictable pandemic.

But it is the right thing to do— even if it means for the year 2021, that the government has to play a greater role in subsidising sports across the board, in the long term, I believe this would be a good investment for the health and well-being of the grassroots.

We need leadership now more than ever!

Sincerely, Chris Bowman

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

Over 2,800 households affected by flooding for the year SOME households across 17 communities in three regions have thus far for the year, been severely affected by flooding, with Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) the most severely affected region, and Nabacalis in Region Four seeing the most affected homes, with some 1,000 homes flooded.

Some 1,590 households across five communities were affected in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), while

1,200 households across 12 communities were affected in Region Two and 15 households in Silver City in Region 10 (Upper-Demerara-Upper-Berbice) were affected.

This is a according to a report released by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), and is based on assessments done from 1 – 9 January, 2021. The report was compiled by the CDC Preparedness and Response Manager (ag), Salim October.

The report noted that

“Guyana experienced above-normal high tides from January 1 - 4, combined with excessive rainfall across northern Guyana. It must be noted that this period follows intense rainfall and above-normal high tides experienced throughout the month of December, 2020.”

The CDC has since distributed 2,705 cleaning hampers, bottled water, and continues to monitor the situation through collaboration with a number of agencies

including the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA); Ministry of Agriculture (MoA); Regional Democratic Council (RDC); and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).

“The assessments revealed that several areas have remained inundated even when the tide is at its lowest. It was found that lands could not drain efficiently, since many were within basins which were already waterlogged during the December period

Free and fair elections must be free and fair

Dear Editor,

PLEASE permit me the space to emphasise that the meaning of free and fair elections must be crystal clear and unconditional in a democratic society.

The Guyana Constitution is grounded in this framework. The indifference to this establishment, therefore, has undermined the acceptable, revered principles on which our nation is built and with whom we share relationships.

Following the successful December 2018, no-confidence motion, the PNC along with operatives at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) did everything to avoid going to the polls.

It was indeed a herculean task to get the APNU+AFC Government to dissolve the Parliament and announce the elections date. After the elections on March 02, 2020, the nation had to endure five months of frustrations as the PNC and the GECOM riggers tried desperately to avoid the inevitable, in an obvious move to stifle the democratic right of our nation, realising a situation of total international rejection.

Without a doubt, the recent troubling attacks on democracy at home and in several places around the world dictate the need for strengthening policies and actions to deter all undesirable threats. We watched in awe at the eruption of some of the most atrocious and abominable challenges to democratic electoral principles, which recently took place in the United States of America. The strongest condemnation is warranted from

the outlook of things, and it is therefore welcome to witness the strong words of principle emanating from our Attorney General, given Guyana’s experience at home.

As a global leader after which many countries have patterned their political standards and foundation, one must be flabbergasted to observe domestic terrorism of this nature. An attempted ‘coup” in America has not occurred in over 200 years and there is some measure of certainty that the swiftest and condign actions will be taken against those involved to ensure that it never happens again. Observably, the American internal verification system stands strongly against the insurgent behaviour, unlike the drawn-out, attenuated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), which must now face an almost total overhaul.

Against the backdrop of decades of underhand business by officials involved at GECOM, this time, it took among others the sacrifice of many freedom fighters willing to face injury and death in their watchful protection of the nations’ cast ballots. Those in control at the GECOM Secretariat level, openly showed that they had no problems throwing away the decency and transparency which ought to have been the central pillar of the constitutional institution.

Rather, they openly displayed a status quo which ensured that Guyana maintained the terrible undesirable stigma of ‘Rigged Elections,’ which the Guyanese people are fully aware is the hallmark of PNC architecture and planning. We

can no longer go forward in this setting of pretence and trumped-up false security.

In 2015, mysteriously, a fake spreadsheet instead of following the legally instructive method of using the Statements of Poll was introduced in the verification process. Possibly, an unsuspecting PPP/C was caught napping and in search of recounts that were denied by the sudden unavailability of GECOM staff. Worst of all is the fact that the Chief Executive Officer of the GECOM Secretariat, Mr. Keith Lowenfield then told the commission that there were ‘Fake Statements of Poll’ and he would not be able to declare the elections results.

Also of note, the former Chairman of GECOM Dr. Steve Surujbally said that the ‘Fake Statements of polls were not used’ in the tabulation of the marginal victory handed to the PNCled APNU+AFC contesting party. The obvious question is where did those fake Statements of Poll originate from?

There was no declaration from GECOM regarding the divisions affected by these fake Statements of Poll and the CEO did not think that it was relevant for voters to want to know if and why their votes were not counted? The introduction of the spreadsheet instead of the Statements of Poll caused a big furore, following which Returning Officer Melanie Marshall halted the counting process with the promise that she will continue shortly after persistent objections.

The continuation of the verification process never saw the light of day as

GECOM suddenly declared that there were enough votes in favour of the opposition to announce a result. This of course could never be considered Free nor Fair with the possibility of the election petition turning out to be one of non-materialistic value. It never saw the light of day.

Guyanese are now asking if they were ever any fake Statements of Poll and these matters must be cleared.

The officials at GECOM are shrouded in overwhelming uncertainty, which does not augur well for the administration of processes representing the nation. What we have is a conundrum whereby persons in the GECOM system have been allowed to circumvent their expected responsibilities and then were allowed space and latitude to clean up the evidence against their dirty work.

The foregoing is neither acceptable nor fair and the commission needs to take the strongest action in eradicating the filth. Citizens are of the view that the PNC is fully aware of the fact that they can never win free and fair elections in Guyana and they were hell-bent on derailing all elections. There must be no further accommodation of the tainted measures and myopic lens from the PNC to visualise these important matters.

We demand the implementation of systems now that will realise Free, Fair, and Acceptable Elections Results.

Yours sincerely, Neil Kumar

A flooded yard in Region Two

and could no longer absorb excess. Due to poor drainage in some areas this was exacerbated,” the report said.

Notwithstanding the situation, the report noted that in some areas the flooding was not as severe as it could

have been due to the “maintenance and upgrade works to drainage infrastructure in many areas across the coast, which resulted in observable reduction of flood impacts.”

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All Guyana must vehemently condemn and reject this reckless action by Venezuela Dear Editor, I HAVE read with grave concern, news reports of the issuance of a decree by the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, with the support of Venezuela’s National Assembly, which seeks to reinforce Venezuela’s baseless claim to Guyana’s Essequibo region and its attendant maritime space. All Guyana must vehemently condemn and reject this reckless action on the part of Venezuela.

The Government and people of Venezuela must act responsibly, as well as respect international law and international agreements.

Venezuela’s contention that the Arbitral Award of 1899 which established the legal boundaries between the two countries is not valid, is currently engaging the attention of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), having been referred to that Court by the United Nations Secretary-General in keeping with the provisions of the 1966 Geneva Agreement.

Article IV (2) of the Geneva Agreement empowers the Secretary-General to choose any of the means articulated in Article 33 of the UN Charter to resolve the controversy peacefully.

Both parties must let the ICJ process take its course. Venezuela must respect the ICJ process and desist from any statements and action that can serve to heighten tensions between our two countries.

I am sure that as has been the position of successive

governments, Guyana remains committed to mutually respectful cordial relations with Venezuela and open to bilateral and multilateral discussions with its western neighbour that would serve to strengthen relations, except for the issue of the controversy which is now before a competent court of law.

With global attention focused on current events in Washington DC, it should not be lost on anyone that Maduro has conveniently chosen his timing to issue his decree. But this strategy will not succeed.

Guyanese must be united on this issue and it is time for the opposition in Guyana to end its non-recognition of the government and begin serious and meaningful engagement. That would be a responsible and nationalistic move on its part at this time.

It is hoped that the Biden administration will seek to have the PPP/C government removed from office is wishful and naive thinking. That will not happen. The opposition can however continue to robustly pursue its election petitions now before the court.

We have a country to defend and build. Guyana must also mount a unified effort to bolster international support for the maintenance of its territorial integrity, including military support should Venezuela be emboldened to exercise the military option.

Yours sincerely, Wesley Kirton

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

Lusignan teacher pens book for nursery pupils during pandemic

By Naomi Parris THERE is a heightened level of anxiety in the atmosphere as the world continues to watch the COVID-19 virus sweep across countries, killing almost two million people globally and crumbling economies.

While there has been a mental strain on adults and young people, the pandemic also has its effects on young children as they are still trying to comprehend what a pandemic really is. As such, Tazena Joseph-Phyll, a teacher of the Lusignan Nursery School on the East Coast of Demerara, has penned a story book - ‘David Back to School Day’ - to help her pupils comprehend the basics of the pandemic and to somewhat comfort them during these unprecedented times.

According to the teacher, who is currently in her final year at the University of Guyana (UG), the concept of writing a story book came along when she was given an assignment in one of her classes.

Wanting to do something

that will help benefit her children at home and pupils of the school, Joseph – Phyll came up with the idea of writing a story book that will teach young children about the pandemic and guide them through the transitioning period of learning to adapt to the ‘new normal’.

“We were doing this subject - children literature and storytelling - where we are looking at various children books and the importance of it and so on. After looking at these books, our lecturer

Tazena Joseph-Phyll

A glimpse of the book titled ‘David Back to School Day’

asked us to do various assignments, one of which we had to create a story book of our own,” she said, adding: “The idea came to me, I thought of my school-aged children at home. I know they miss their friends and they are not working the way that they are used to. So the inspiration came from them and then thinking too about the children in my class,” the teacher told the Guyana Chronicle during an interview.

Joseph-Phyll explained that during this time when classes have to be administered online or in a virtual space, nursery school children especially have a hard time staying focused.

“Parents would complain about the children, they don’t want to do their work, they want teacher to teach them. So, I understand how difficult it is for the children.”

Joseph-Phyll stated that the story of the book is centred on a young boy returning to school during the pandemic and learning the importance of following the COVID-19 guidelines to protect himself and friends.

The book, she hopes, will be a guideline for children at the nursery level to prepare them for when it is time to return to their usual classroom setting.

“Another thing I do realise is the fact that they will have to go out back; yes, they will be excited to see a lot of their friends but they will have to make a lot of adjustments.”

The book has not yet been published as Joseph-Phyll is awaiting word from her lecturer.

She aims to publish and distribute it to nursery schools across the country.

Food & Drug Dept. to embark on aggressive inspection exercise

By Tamica Garnett WITH much of its work for 2020 curtailed due to restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guyana Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) is looking to hit the ground running for 2021 when it begins its inspection and licensing of manufacturers across the country.

Falling under the purview of the Ministry of Health, the GAFDD is responsible for addressing safety and trade-related issues for food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices, ensuring that items are safe and pass quality checks to enter regional and international markets.

The department is responsible for overseeing such products that are manufactured in Guyana, as well as those that are imported into the country. The manufacturers and importers are required to be registered with the GA-FDD in order to be issued a licence to operate; they are required to renew the licence annually.

However, as with many organisations when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Guyana in March 2020, measures implemented to curb the spread of the virus, affected the ability of the department to carry out its functions.

“We were restricted last year because of limitations in movement, but now with the imminent arrival of the vaccine we started to plan our inspection activities.

It affected the inspection and training aspects of the FDD. We were unable to go out and do a lot of inspections, such as the certification of food-storage bonds or manufacturing entities.

So most of those licences from last year have been rolled over to this year,” explained Marlan Cole, the GA-FDD Director.

He added: “However, we would be embarking on an aggressive inspection and certification exercise to ensure that we complete our quota for the year, because some exporting countries are requesting updated documentation. If you can’t do physical

inspections, they are telling us that it can also be done virtually.”

Cole noted that notwithstanding the department’s restrictions brought on by COVID-19, the pandemic had brought with it a need for the department to be even more vigilant in some respects.

“Even though we were not frontline workers, we were doing work that was very key and critical and significant; we still had a lot to do relative to coronavirus.

The department, overall, was restricted in our work; however, we had to up the ante in terms of insulating consumers against substandard face masks and sanitisers, cleaning agents and illegal imports of rapid based testing kits,” Cole noted.

One of the measures advised to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus was the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers with alcohol content of 60 per cent or more, creating an immediate and massive demand for these products.

There was also a similar, massive demand for face masks, Lysol products and other antibacterial cleaning agents. Cole shared that the department had a vital role to play during the pandemic in ensuring that sanitisers and other products that were both imported and manufactured, met the standards that they advertised.

“Coronavirus has allowed the department to be responsive.

All the hand sanitisers and alcohol-based sanitising agents had to be certified, tested and approved by the department,” he explained.

“We had several coming out, Foam, a sanitiser from Sterling and Environ, an alcohol-based sanitiser from DDL that had to be approved by the department and all the imports coming in relative to sanitising and cleaning agents had to be subjected to the department’s oversight. In addition, there were the face masks, we had to determine and ensure that those labelled as N95 were actually N95, which would have been categorised as medical devices,” he further related.

Over 2,800 households ...

Nonetheless, some “residents engaged in agriculture suffered losses related to crop damage and some livestock mortality.”

With the 478 households affected, the Charity Urusara NDC was the worst- affected area in Region Two. The Charity Squatting Area and Kabakaburi followed with each area seeing 140 households affected. Other areas affected in this region included Charity Housing Scheme; Dredge Creek; Abrams Creek; Siriki; Jacklow; Cozier Canal; Grand Buxton; David James Scheme; and Jacklow, Pomeroon.

However the report noted

that residents living in the Pomeroon River are accustomed to annual occurrences of flooding and were more prepared and resilient to the situation. In several areas including Charity Housing Scheme, and the Charity Squatting Area, it was noted that the flooding was compounded by the fact that many of the waterways were clogged with vegetation and garbage, including builders waste from construction by the residents.

Low-lying or basin-like lots were also another reason behind the flooding of many of the households. In the Charity Squatting Area

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the entire area was deemed low-lying with only a few lots that are built up being spared floodwaters.

The report recommended the cleaning of the drains, and that residents be encouraged to build new, elevated houses based on the building code, since many are currently below the minimum elevation and must be encouraged to do so.

In Region Four, aside from Nabacalis, Victoria, Golden Grove, Ann’s Grove on the East Coast, Mocha-Arcadia on the East Bank, were the other affected areas.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

AG urges lawyers to be forthright with clients

–– says they must not ‘abuse and manipulate the law’

By Richard Bhainie THE law sets the foundation of and maintains the equilibrium within every society and, as such, legal practitioners must understand the imperative function they perform in keeping the gears of society grinding, according to Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. Minister Nandlall was, at the time, addressing a special Full Court sitting recently held to admit himself and four other newly appointed Senior Counsel to the Inner Bar. He also used the occasion to emphasise to all members of the bar to understand their role and to conduct themselves accordingly.

In expanding on his comments, he said attorneys-at-law occupy a sacred position within society as they must act as the guardians of all persons, institutions, and entities. It is

for this reason they should not misuse their position to fuel baleful agendas.

“Lawyers have a duty not to use, abuse and manipulate the law in pursuit of sinister agendas and design,” he said.

He encouraged lawyers to act wary when advising clients and that they must “be strong and firm enough” in informing their clients when a solid case exists and when there is not enough evidence to establish such.

“Lawyers must eschew bringing cases to the Court that they know, or ought to know, is destined to fail. Judicial time and resources are too precious, the profession is too noble and honorable, and the law is too majestic to be abused and misused,” Nandlall said.

The Attorney General elucidated that the legal profession is of exemplary standard and the virtuous component of such must be restored in Guyana.

He urged that a collective effort by all stakeholders be implemented to restore public trust and confidence in the legal system. In this regard, judges must contribute as equally as lawyers.

“They [judges] must be ready, able and willing to express their displeasure and disquiet when such dishonourable cases raise their ugly heads and must express that displeasure, condignly, by making appropriate Orders in respect to costs, both against clients and against lawyers, where appropriate,” he said.

He added: “Judges must be prepared to rule in accordance with the law and do so swiftly.

Judges must be equally ready, able and willing to enforce their own decisions. Nothing saps public confidence from a Judiciary quicker than its inability to enforce its own Orders.”

Nandlall said that Court Orders must be held with

Another COVID-19 death, 33 new cases recorded GUYANA now has a total of 169 deaths caused by the virus, COVID-19, following the death of a 39-yearold man from Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

The Ministry of Health also confirmed the death of People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) stalwart, 59-yearold Majeed Hussain, who died on Saturday morning from COVID-19 complications. Both men died while receiving care at a medical facility. There have been five COVID-19 deaths recorded for the year thus far.

Additionally, Guyana recorded 33 new cases of persons infected with this virus, according to the Health Ministry’s COVID-19 Dashboard for Sunday. These new cases take the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana since March 2020, when the first case was recorded, to 6,574.

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the highest of respect and treated accordingly. He expounded that in many cases, even though clear and cogent evidence of a flagrant breach of a Court Order exists, it is difficult to successfully prosecute a Contempt of Court proceeding.

“The result is the Order of Court loses its majesty and litigants continue to ignore and violate them with impunity.

This simply cannot be allowed to continue,” Nandlall said.

The Attorney General also spoke of the projected developments the legal sector is about to undertake. He mentioned the comprehensive legislative framework Guyana will establish and urged that the legal profession prepares itself to adapt.

The Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

Negatively Affected TODAY on 4 minutes 4 change, Sharia tells her story, sharing aspects of her childhood. She recalls….

I remember the feeling well; the scene went like this.

I am about to have a snack when I hear my father's key enter the frontdoor lock. My stomach feels full straight away; he's home early, which means an even longer time in his presence -- time which my mother, my siblings and I would be happy to spend without him.

When he is home, we never know what to expect; would he become angry over the slightest thing and take it out on my mother or one of us children? Whatever triggered his aggression was irrelevant; his presence always changed the mood of our home. That's because my father is a 'beat' man.

He likes to knock people.

Not the people at his workplace, nr his drinking buddies though, just my mother and us children.

We are his family, and he should care for us and want to protect us the most, but we are not that lucky. Instead of love, we receive the brunt of his negative emotions. We are the ones who endure his alcoholic mood swings, and his ignorance to the fact that he is ill-treating us; and we are negatively affected.

One of my earliest memories is of me sitting playing with a toy while my parents were talking nearby; I must have been about four-yearsold. The dialogue between them got heated, and my father slapped my mother into the corner of the room.

Over the years I witnessed many such incidents.

Mum shielded herself from the blows and begged him

to stop, but he only stopped when he was ready. My sibling and I got our fair share of slaps and beating too, but at the time I failed to link this behaviour to violence.

I knew I didn't like it when it happened, but maybe, all fathers hit their wives and kids, I thought. In my innocent mind, I believed that all children feared their fathers.

When I was about eightyears- old, I spent two days at my friend's house. There was no fear or tension when her father came home, and her father seemed happy to be around his wife and children. I noticed a twinkle in the parents' eyes and natural ease between them and their children. They interacted with a bond of love and caring and it was heart-warming to be among them. I had never noticed any twinkling eyes or felt ease among my

family members, and I began to question the way we lived.

The fear I felt for my father turned into resentment over the following years. It was beyond me, why a man would choose a wife and have children only to ill-treat them, and make their lives a misery? It didn't make sense. Another factor was my mother and her tolerance of his conduct. Year after year of abuse from a husband who is a bully; why she put up with this treatment, I could not understand. It is demeaning to be slapped and punched, pushed around and belittled by the person who is supposed to love and cherish you -- the husband who should protect and respect you, and yet that is what she suffered.

I am reasonably confident and level-headed about this situation now that I'm a teenager; I can talk about it without becoming anxious

or getting a heavy feeling in my stomach. But it took me some time to reach here. I consider myself one of the lucky ones because I was proactive enough to make enquiries about my situation, which led me to a place where I could talk about it to someone who would listen.

All problems can be solved when you take the time and patience to put them in perspective. To work out where my family problems stemmed from, took time, but it was worth the effort. You see, my parents were raised in an environment where alcoholism and the random beating of wives and children are tolerated. Both my grandfathers drank rum and mistreated their families, which meant my parents, the victims and witnesses of their behaviour, were negatively affected.

Successive generations in some families repeat the

same unhealthy, damaging actions that were part of their childhood. But I've broken that cycle in my family, by first seeking help from a counsellor-- and by speaking out to my siblings, my mother and you. I wanted a family like my friend has; a family where I know, without a doubt, that I am loved and appreciated. Although that could not happen, at least now, my family members are working towards understanding our past, present, and what we need to do for a better, more positive future.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY

Man accused of stealing car found dead in prison cell

A 44-year-old man, who was remanded to the Lusignan Prison, on the East Coast of Demerara, on January 8, 2021, was found dead on his bed early Sunday by the prison officer on duty.

Dead is Roger Samuels of Lot 2606 Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara; he was remanded to the prison for stealing a motorcar. Director of Prisons (ag), Nicklon Elliot, noted in a press release that the duty officer was in the process of unlocking the prisoners to shower about 06:00hrs, when he observed Samuels lying on the bed motionless.

Dead: Roger Samuels

“Immediately, Doctor Britton and the Police Commander were informed of the situation. On January 10, 2021 at about 07:00hrs, Dr. Britton

conducted an examination on prisoner Samuels and pronounced him dead. He was housed in unit # 1, along with seven other prisoners,” the Prison Director noted.

The police are currently investigating the matter.

The Prison Director made it known that Samuels was admitted to the prison with several injuries to his body, which were inflicted by members of the public as a result of the alleged offence he committed.

The body is at the Lyken Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Another COVID-19 death...

These new cases were recorded from 17 men and 16 women. The new cases were also distributed across Regions One (Barima-Waini) one; Two (Pomeroon- Supenaam) two; Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) four; Four (Demerara-Mahaica) 17; Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) two; Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) one; Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) one; and Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice) five. These cases were recorded from 547 tests.

There are currently 402 active cases, these being the five persons in the COVID Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 50 in institutional isolation, 33 in institutional quarantine, and 314 in home isolation.

An additional 17 persons have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 6,036.

The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force from January 1, 2021,

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until January 31, 2021. All persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes. Physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are also important.

The current curfew time is 22:30 to 04:00h.

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

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

GBTI distributes flood-relief supplies to Charity residents FIFTY residents of floodhit Charity, in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), last Thursday, received food hampers and cleaning supplies from the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Limited (GBTI).

Acting Chief Executive Officer, James Foster, headed the distribution team which included Public Relations and Marketing Manager, Pamela Binda, as well as Tage Ahlam and Romario Persaud, who are attached to the bank’s Anna Regina branch.

Foster remarked that after reading about the flooding in the media, he felt compelled to help. He said having walked through the streets of Charity, he has noticed that the need is greater than anticipated.

He informed that GBTI will continue to follow the situation in anticipation of providing more assistance.

A Charity resident collects her food hamper and cleaning supplies from GBTI’s Public Relations and Marketing Manager, Pamela Binda Public Relations and Marketing Manager, Pamela Binda, hands over a food hamper to a Charity resident

Meanwhile, Binda expressed similar views. She said given that it has a branch in the region, the bank saw it fitting to assist. She noted that the bank has always given

back to various communities, especially those in need. This, she said, is all part of exemplifying the bank’s tagline - “We see Guyana through your eyes.”

Several of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the bank for the kind gesture.

Monique Edwards, a mother of seven who lives in the squatting area, said

Task Force shuts down Hard Rock Café...

The source did not name any of the establishments closed by the task force, but sought to remind this publication that the task force has been issuing warning letters to businesses breaching the national COVID-19 guidelines for more than two

months now.

Back in December, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony told the Guyana Chronicle that businesses found breaching the COVID-19 guidelines would be issued two warning letters by the NCTF, and that

the body would also try to engage these businesses to dissuade from acting in contravention of the law. But if, after the second warning letter, these businesses continued to breach the guidelines, Dr. Anthony emphasised that the Task Force would shut

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down their operations.

Dr. Anthony had also revealed that the National COVID-19 task force (NCTF) had so far written to more than 60 businesses, pertaining to a breach of these guidelines.

she was happy to receive the hamper as it has come at a time when her family is in dire circumstances.

Her land has been under floodwater for many days and her husband is currently unemployed.

Another beneficiary, Gloria Persaud, who also lives in the squatting area, expressed similar sentiments, saying that the groceries will go a long way for her family.

The squatting area has been most affected as it is a

low-lying area. Households in the front area also benefited from the distribution exercise.

Before Foster and his team commenced the distribution, they met with regional officials and several areas of interest were discussed.

Foster spoke with Regional Chairperson, Vilma De Silva; Regional Vice Chairman, Humace Odit; and Regional Executive Officer (REO) Devanand Ramdatt, on ways in which the bank could partner with the region.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

No health threats found in Pomeroon River by visiting medical team

THE medical team that recently visited several areas in the Pomeroon River, which have been hit by severe flooding, has not found any health threats.

Last Thursday, the team comprising the Regional Health Officer, Environmental Health Officers, Surveillance Officers and a Rapid Response Doctor visited communities in the Lower and Upper Pomeroon.

Following the flooding which inundated acres of farmlands, houses and yards, Pomeroon residents had expressed health concerns and requested a visit by medical officials.

During the team’s visit, they interacted with residents and, according to Regional Health Officer, Dr. Ranjeev Singh, no health threats were observed.

However, he said a team will have to return in the coming week to educate persons on how to treat their

Dr. Ranjeev Singh listening to the concerns of residents

Dr. Ranjeev Singh (left) interacting with residents during the recent visit to Pomeroon communities

A Pomeroon River resident interacting with Regional Health Officer, Dr. Ranjeev Singh

water and take a foot bath with bleach before entering their homes.

Dr. Singh said once this is correctly done, diseases such as gastroenteritis and typhoid can be avoided.

He also explained that there was a prevalence of mosquitoes in the area and residents have to be careful of dengue. He also mentioned that medication and drugs are at the Health Post

for residents to utilise.

The team will continue to monitor the flood situation in the Pomeroon River and also on the Essequibo Coast.

Speeding taxi driver dies after crashing into parked truck

Dead: Lester Williams

AN accident on the Soesdyke Public Road on the East Bank of Demerara in the wee hours of Sunday resulted in the death of 47-year-old Lester Williams of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Police Headquarters in a statement noted that Williams was driving his car (HC 8750) at a fast rate of

The scene of the accident

speed heading north when he lost control and crashed into motor lorry GNN 5308, which was parked on the western side of the road, facing south.

The fatal collision occurred around 02:00hrs.

Williams, a taxi driver, was

rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by police and public-spirited citizens, where he was pronounced dead.

The police said both vehicles were damaged extensively.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

Police destroy over $100M worth of ‘ganja’ POLICE ranks stationed in Berbice, under the command of two officers of the narcotics branch, destroyed an estimated $101 million worth of cannabis on Saturday at De Veldt Savannah, Upper Berbice River.

The destruction exercise occurred between 05:00hrs and 18:30hrs. Police Headquarters in a statement noted that the ranks discovered three suspected cannabis farms, which measured about 15 acres and contained roughly six 600,000 cannabis plants, ranging from six inches to five feet in height along with six make-shift camps.

The camps were occupied by three men, who ran in some bushes and escaped upon seeing the ranks; the area was searched and one 12-gauge single-barrel shotgun, along with two live 12-gauge cartridges, and one

The 12-gauge single-barrel shotgun found by the police

One of the camps discovered by the police on the marijuana farm

12-gauge empty shell were

suspected to be cannabis; this

plants were destroyed by

found, along with a quantity

weighed 40 pounds.

fire. No arrests were made

of seeds, leaves and stems

The camps and cannabis

and a probe is underway.

A section of one of the marijuana farms found by the police

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

Special investigation likely into new asphalt plant

By Rehana Ahamad AMID controversy, Senior Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill has indicated that the new asphalt plant at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara will require a special investigation to determine how it was procured, among other things. “…if it was the best deal we got; why it is not functioning; what needs to be done to make sure it functions, and how we could start using it to get greater efficiency and to get value for money in Guyana,” Edghill said on Friday.

The new asphalt plant is located aback the old facility which was recently subjected to a probe. The new plant is yet to be commissioned, due to a series of alleged deficiencies.

During an impromptu visit to the new plant, Minister Edghill said that he will also be working towards assembling a team of “technical people” to carry out a comprehensive inspection of the new facility.

“I’m arranging for that;

for them to be able to tell me exactly what needs to be done, because it is taxpayers’ monies that were spent to purchase this,” Edghill noted.

The minister maintained that the plant was nothing short of being a white elephant, owing to some of its non-functioning components.

“The systems which are currently not functioning are the burner system, the bitumen weighing scale, and the

granulate system,” he said, adding that “the burner is presently not working, due to a software controller, which has to be configured for the use of diesel fuel.”

He explained that these inefficiencies were detected following several tests done on a plant in December 2020.

He indicated, too, that two load cells of the bitumen weighing scale were made inoperable due to moisture.

Minister Edghill engaging Manager of the Asphalt Plant, Troy Halley (right) along with another employee

This, Edghill said, has resulted in a series of other complications.

“We have a very robust developmental agenda; this plant and its capacity to put out asphalt on a daily basis is required and needed. But up

until now, it can’t be operational or functional; I don’t know if it will ever be, and at what cost,” Edghill lamented.

INSTALLATION WORKS Installation works on

he added.

The minister noted, however, that because the structure is already here in Guyana, efforts are being made to ensure that it is brought to a state of functionality, so that it can be of support to the

The newly installed asphalt plant located at Garden of Eden, EBD

the new asphalt plant commenced on January 7, 2020, and was being undertaken by a 25-member team comprising of 23 local employees of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) and two German technicians.

The Public Works Minister had asserted in a statement to the press that challenges being experienced by the plant were reported to the factory, and that the Germans have committed to financing the expenses of the damaged components, in light of the fact that the facility is yet to be commissioned. It was explained that on January 4 last, a factory engineer was sent overseas to spearhead efforts to remedy the deficiencies of the plant.

It had been previously reported that once fully operational, the new asphalt plant would have the capacity to produce 160 tonnes of material per hour, utilising plastic bags and bottles, as well as used tyres.

But so far, Edghill is insisting that “the plant has never turned a tonne of asphalt.”

“It cannot; everything that needs to be there to make it functional is not,”

government’s developmental programmes.

“The roads that need to be done; there are paving that needs to be done, and got to be done. We have a small plant that is functioning; but the old one, we need this,” Edghill emphasised.

Meanwhile, David Patterson, former Minister of Public Infrastructure under the previous administration, said in a Facebook post that the minister’s claims of the plant being inoperable are untrue, and that he had been reliably informed that the plant is currently fully functional.

Contacted for further clarity, Patterson declined to comment, indicating his intention to respond via social media.

Nonetheless, Edghill told reporters that the impromptu visit to the plant was to “ascertain” for himself that the asphalt plant was not functioning.

“The plant that Mr. David Patterson told the whole nation is functional and operational has not mixed not even one tonne of asphalt since it is in the country from 2019 February. We are in 2021 January,” Edghill said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

Major revamp for NDCs, says Minister Dharamlall

By Richard Bhainie AS the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is currently making preparations for the 2021 budget, peculiar concentration is being directed towards the training of human personnel, the enhancement of relationships with communities and the strengthening of local organs to execute the ministry’s mandate.

This was disclosed by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, on Thursday, whilst elaborating on some of his ministry’s plans for the year 2021.

The minister revealed that the implementation of the emergency budget in 2020 was just the tip of the iceberg, and the significant progress that resulted from the said budget was an indication of how the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government will be moving forward.

“I believe that in 2021, we will intensify that relationship that we have with our citizens and they can expect greater investments in community,” Dharamlall said.

He noted that major plans are underway for infrastructure: roads, bridges, physical amenities within villages and street lighting. The ministry will also be expending heavily in terms of drainage and irrigation works.

Dharamlall disclosed that one of the areas his ministry is working assiduously to strengthen and develop is the management of solid waste in the country; plans are currently underway to develop new landfill sites and improve existing ones.

“We intend to expand our strength and effort in solid waste management; we are looking in Region Two to have another area for a landfill; in Region Three and Four does not have one, so in 2021 we plan, as far as possible, to get landfills facilities in those regions,” the minister explained.

He added: “Also in 2021,

cers are on board with what is happening,” Dharamlall said.

Citizens can also expect the revamping of neighbourhood democratic councils (NDC) and municipalities.

Dharamlall explained that efforts are being made to modernise services offered by

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall

cell two of the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill Facility will start receiving solid waste.”

Markets are also slated to see major upgrades. The minister indicated that requests have already been made for significant infrastructural work to major markets such as Parika, Charity and Mon Repos.

HUMAN AND SOCIAL CAPITAL “We will also be investing heavily in human and social capital within the regions. In addition to us doing community infrastructure, we also have to uplift lives -- that is a significant area of our responsibility at the ministry,” the minister noted while explaining that extensive resources will be directed to the development of youth and vulnerable groups.

The focus of the ministry’s investment in the human resource will extend beyond just citizens within the communities; major training and development will be conducted with staff within the ministry and its various organs to ensure efficient and effective implementation of its policies.

“Right now we are building internal capacity in the ministry and in the regions to ensure project implementation becomes much more efficient, we will be visiting all 10 regions in the course of the next few weeks to make sure all of the technical offi-

the NDCs and municipalities and to ensure persons benefit from those services. In these regards ‘councils will be held to a higher standard and they will have a more prevalent role in the communities in terms of addressing issues.

Dharamlall explained that it is the ministry’s intention

to ensure persons from within the communities benefit significantly from projects implemented in their communities, and, as such, these individuals will spearhead many projects.

“We will also be doing what has not really been done before and that is to

involve as many persons within the communities themselves to be a part of the execution of works, which will create a lot of jobs within the communities. We began that late last year and we will intensify it this year,” Dharamlall noted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

The IT expert who lost 120 pounds in a year …Mark Amin chronicles his journey and outlines tips in new book

By Rehana Ahamad FOR as long as I can remember, I have had a constant battle with my weight; from intermittent fasting, to haphazard diets and admittedly, irregular workouts that have made me even heavier, instead.

Suffice it to say, I have repeatedly failed at mission weight-loss.

January, as most of us can imagine, is widely regarded as the month of resolutions and research shows that weight loss or getting in shape continues to top the list of New Year resolutions, globally, and as we cautiously continue along the path of 2021, I too am joining the “resolution makers” to be fitter.

I have made peace with the fact that I won’t be able to do it myself, so in addition to securing a ‘gym buddy,’ I will also be soliciting the advice of Mark Amin, an Information Technology expert who has successfully lost 120 pounds in just one year. I recently heard of Amin’s transformation from his wife Ashme Singh, who was the subject of an article I did a few weeks ago. When she showed me before-and-after pictures, I was astonished; it was an image out of TV’s ‘Biggest Loser.’ I instantly thought of the great advice I could get from Amin, and as it turned out, he has lots to give.

Consequently, Amin has

embarked on writing a book, which not only chronicles his weight-loss journey, but also provides tips for

new lifestyle, he weighed 180 pounds – a number that he has managed to maintain over the years.

2016,” Amin told the Guyana Chronicle during an interview. He attributes his weight gain to the gradual development of an unhealthy

After a year of diet and exercise, Mark Amin weighed 180 pounds

Before his lifestyle changes Mark Amin weighed 300 pounds

persons such as myself, who have failed to bring happiness to our scales.

Amin, a 37-year-old resident of Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, weighed 300 pounds in 2016, and after a year of adopting a

“I was not always obese.

As far as I can remember, I was average weight throughout my tertiary education; however, I gradually started gaining weight in 2013 which escalated to me gaining 300 pounds in

prehend what these results meant and how unhealthy my lifestyle was,” Amin said.

These results inspired

lifestyle.

THE WAKE-UP CALL Amin got a wake-up call in 2016 when he underwent a medical check-up. “I was astonished,” he said. The results showed that an obese Amin was suffering from both high cholesterol and high glucose levels.

“This was alarming and extremely worrying for me and my wife. After this, I did my research to further com-

Amin to make “an immediate and conscious decision” to switch to a completely vegan diet. “Also, I abruptly stopped consuming alcohol and started walking every day. For 134 days, I did this every day and lost 30 pounds,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

Amin was ecstatic, and perhaps a little too cocky of his weight-loss success; he unfortunately suffered a relapse, which caused him to

regain all the weight.

“So I went back to my normal eating and I gained back my 30 pounds. I was at my heaviest in 2017,” he recalled.

Turning point number two for Amin, was in 2018 when his wife returned from her vacation in Florida where she purchased three very handsome-looking shirts for him, but none could fit.

“Right there and then I made another promise out loud to myself and this time, my wife, that I will wear these three shirts and in a few months,” Amin related.

“My wife took me to the gym and signed me up for a month's membership and within a month, I was able to fit into one of the shirts, and two months after, I was able to wear all three,” a smiling Amin reminisced.

This was the breakthrough that the IT expert needed. “Thereafter, it was simply a continuous process of self-improvement where I religiously went to the gym every day and did a rigorous workout,” Amin said.

CULTURAL EATING AND A DIET In Guyana, we have been somewhat conditioned to see rice, roti or chowmein as major components of any “good meal”; this cultural eating habit makes it even more difficult for many of us to embrace substitutes and adopt healthier lifestyles.

“I completely stopped consuming rice and sugar and had absolutely no alcohol. I consistently did this for two years to date,” a now fit Amin posited.

TURN TO PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

US Admiral in Guyana from today –– signing of agreement, joint press conference with GDF set for Tuesday

COMMANDER of the United States (US) Southern Command, Navy Admiral, Craig Faller, will be in Guyana on a three-day visit, starting today, as joint security efforts between Guyana and the US are being bolstered.

According to a press release from the US Embassy in Georgetown, the Admiral will meet with government and defence leaders and discuss the bilateral security partnership between the US and Guyana. He will meet with both President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Chiefof-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier

Godfrey Bess.

On Tuesday, Admiral Faller will sign an Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement with Brigadier Bess at State House. There will be a brief, joint press conference following that signing ceremony. This agreement between the two countries’ militaries paves the way for the exchange of goods and services of equal value to support future bilateral defence cooperation. The US Southern Command falls under the purview of the US Department of Defense.

The Command works to strengthen partnerships in several areas including secu-

US Navy Admiral, Craig Faller

rity, humanitarian assistance, foreign disaster relief, human

The IT expert who lost ...

FROM PAGE

He advised persons to research alternatives for the every-day rice and rotis, which can be substituted with quinoa, beans, channa, and certain soups. Although he is reaping the benefits and trimness now, Amin said it was no easy task. He particularly struggled with “cutting away bad habits, whether that was eating too often, snacking in between meals or drinking.”

Amin particularly struggled with the pressure from friends to indulge in drinks and those unhealthy ‘cutters.’

“Sometimes I would respond by saying I was either on antibiotics or other medications to evade any pressure to consume or indulge in alcohol,” Amin recalled. This, coupled with his own silent temptations and cravings, were difficult to manoeuvre and required much dedication.

“I would sometimes have sudden impulses or desire to have rice or sweets, whether that be chocolate, cake or icecream,” he noted.

“I am elated to say though that since August 2018 when I joined the gym, I did not succumb to any unhealthy temptations or suffer any relapses. I managed to set a realistic routine surrounding food, sleep and exercise and constantly practised same, day in and day out,” a content Amin told this newspaper.

TRANSFORMATION AND ACCUSATIONS OF INFIDELITY Amin’s journey not only resulted in him shedding 120 pounds and adopting a healthier lifestyle, but it also transformed him into a more dashing, more fit, and younger looking man. For those who had not seen him during the year of his intense

workout and diet, he was unrecognizable; so much so, that his wife was often accused of infidelity and being openly promiscuous with another man.

“Some people even thought that we had separated and that I had gotten remarried to another man,” Amin’s wife candidly related to this publication.

Amin sees his transformation as being a testament to the fact that humans can achieve a great magnitude of things, as long as “you put your body, heart and soul into something you fervently desire to have.”

TIPS TO ACCELERATE THOSE NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS Asked about his basic advice to persons wanting to lose weight, Amin stressed the need for persons to make peace with the fact that weight loss is a process and not an event.

“It wouldn’t happen overnight; changes become recognisable over a period of time,” he asserted.

Amin also emphasised the need for persons to inculcate “a slow, transitional process to weight loss, not a big-bang approach. A bigbang approach to weight loss may prove to be incredibly unrealistic, overwhelming and more than likely to lead to a relapse.”

As victim of the dreaded relapse, Amin recommends gradual approaches and the importance of establishing a healthy routine surrounding sleeping, eating and exercising.

“Approach exercise as a fun activity, not as a burden,” he said, advising persons to organise a playlist that would provide motivation for even

16

more time on the treadmill.

“Take time to get to know yourself, your likes and dislikes. For example, I am a morning person, so I would wake up early in the morning to exercise, while my wife, Ashme, is not necessarily a morning person because of her tendency to stay up late at nights and do work; she would therefore work out in the evenings,” Amin explained.

THE BOOK Amin’s book, ‘Five Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle’, contains five chapters, all of which contain an insight to his journey, as well as tips and advice for those wanting to follow in his footsteps.

“Chapter One deals with ‘Understanding your body and body-type’; Chapter Two is ‘Learning to love yourself’; Chapter Three is ‘Rewiring your brain’; Chapter Four pertains to ‘Changing your thought process’; and Chapter Five is ‘Accepting and maintaining the new version of yourself’.”

Amin insists that the publication is not a theoretical conceptualisation of an idea, but rather, a full documentation containing step-by-step approaches to techniques that were meticulously studied and implemented in a strategic manner. He is hoping that once the book is released in May, it will serve both as a practical guide and a source of inspiration for persons suffering from obesity and chronic weight problems.

“What I am today and what people see is the finished product of a routine,” Amin maintained.

As many of us embark on our individual journeys to be healthier, I hope that we all will be as successful as Mark Amin.

rights, and public-private cooperation. Additionally, the body focuses on countering threats such as narcotics operations, transnational criminal organisations, among others.

And the Southern Command’s area of responsibility covers the land mass of Latin America south of Mexico, the waters adjacent to Central and South America and the Caribbean Sea. This area encompasses 31 countries and 16 dependencies, and Guyana is one of those countries.

The body has representation from the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and several other federal agencies and has security cooperation with defence and public-security forces in the region.

“The United States and Guyana have a longstanding history of security cooperation. The defense partnership between the two countries includes collaboration against regional threats and challenges, capacity-building engagements, bilateral training,

expertise exchanges, exercises, and participation in military education programs,” the US embassy noted.

In September, US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, visited Guyana and the two countries signed a Shiprider agreement which allows for maritime cooperation between the two countries. Joint exercises between the GDF Coast Guard and their US counterparts began recently, operationalising this agreement.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

Fudadin's return to Jaguars mix adds experience, support to franchise –– Additional veteran presence crucial to development of youngsters

By Clifton Ross FORMER West Indies batsman Assad Fudadin returns to the Guyana Jaguars mix after a few successful seasons with Jamaica Scorpions, adding some additional veteran presence amidst the developing Academy and its future stars.

Fudadin, one of the few players to represent the West Indies at the A and Test levels, was named in the Jaguars practice match squad which bowls off in the latter part of January.

With the Jaguars looking to reclaim their 4-Day title this year, Fudadin being back in the mix whether selected or not in the long run, is ideally what the Jags younger crop of batsmen need.

A qualified youth cricketer having tasted intentional competition with the West Indies Under-15 in England, the left-hander represented both Guyana and the West Indies at the U19 levels, also appearing in the 2004 Windies U19 World Cup team.

The aguars boasts a star-studded youth group of players, especially batsmen some of which could use an extra Windies pro among their training sessions and to play the additional dressing room leader role.

Fudadin also remains the only player in the setup to

Fudadin gears up for training have last tasted a Regional cricket of his career.

50-Over title win, having During the 2019/2020 been apart of the Shivnarine edition, the Berbician endChanderpaul led team during ed the Super50 tournament the 2005/6 KFC Cup. with a whopping 345 runs With Chanderpaul retir- from 8 games played. His ing and currently serving as average clipped over 43 and the Jags batting coach, the his two half-centuries was only other persons still ac- complimented by a classy tive currently are head coach 107, making him one of the Esuan Crandon and Assis- leading run-getters then. tant coach/Manager Rayon Also, with the Jaguars Griffith. front office looking to conThis makes Fudadin’s stantly develop its next crop return to the Jaguars system of players and those who are important as players could currently in the West Indies learn additionally from the team, having a familiar face 35 year-old who has been back in the dressing room playing the best limited overs adds good support to the likes

of Skipper Leon Johnson and company.

Also, with a few young Berbicians currently in the Windies team like, Shimron Hetmyer and Romario Shepherd along with Veersammy Permaul who just earned a recall after years, being reunited with their fellow Berbician in Fudadin is good for the advice and off-field developmental aspects of the franchise.

With a more aggressive, fruitful approach to ODI cricket after years of being labeled as a ‘Test’ batsman due to a sterling first-class and brief yet successful Test career with the Windies which spanned 3 matches but yielded a half-century; it could be a be a homecoming this season for the Ex-Guyana opener.

Also, should Fudadin manage to perform exceptionally well in the upcoming three practice games, he could possibly find himself back on the Jags’ selectors radar; if not for the 50 overs, definitely as an extra senior option for the 4-Dayers.

Regardless of the outcome, having a tried and tested internationally recognized batsman in the peak of his career, back in the fold could work out great for either the current team or in helping to finetune the next crop of future Guyana/West Indies star batsmen.

‘I am not convinced CWI is doing enough, says Radford

By Rajiv Bisnauth THERE is no doubt that West Indies cricket is on the verge of sinking to its lowest ebb, and to this end, former batting coach of the regional side, Toby Radford, is not convinced that the governing body is doing enough to improve the standard of the game in the Caribbean.

Radford made the comment during an interview on the Mason and Guest Radio Show, last week.

“There is a lot of things that could be done because this is not about just winning now, this is about getting the legacy back. So, the next ten years and beyond, everyone will look forward to see West Indies get back to where they have been,” he said.

Radford added “I would like to see a document; I

would like to see a real blue print; I would like to see a five-year plan; a five-year plan of investment with some good practice facilities for the players, some better pitches for the players, some equipment to work with. I would also like to see a really good plan on how they plan to grow the game in schools again”.

Further, the Welshman, who spent several years as part of the West Indies coaching staff, feels the reintroduction of the High Performance Centre (HPC), remains one of the most critical aspects as it relates to the development of the Caribbean players.

“I would like to see the HPC come back. The best part of my coaching career was the few years I did with the HPC, but that was Sagicor money, and the minute they took the money away,

the HPC pretty much fell apart,” Radford reckoned.

He went on to explain “I think the governing body should be driving a HPC, I think if you look at High Performance Centres all around the world, be it England, New Zealand or Australia, they not waiting for sponsors to come and fund it; the governing body puts the money in and I think it’s really important.

We know the players that came through at the back of the HPC, how they talk about it, so the regional body need to get that properly up and running. I know the raw materials are there. I am not convinced they, the governing body, is doing everything that is supposed to be done”.

The HPC, previously housed at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, was

closed, effectively, in January 2017, after Cricket West Indies Board of Directors agreed to a write-off of the sponsorship income of US $1,081,405 emanating from the sponsorship of the HPC. That amount had been utilized by CWI in the improvement of the physical cricket facilities of the HPC. The sponsorship of the HPC ran for five years and was the subject of a tripartite agreement between the three parties, the sponsor, UWI and CWI. Meanwhile, back in March 2019, Cricket West Indies president, Ricky Skerrit, had said the reactivation of the HPC is top of the list, and is within touching distance of getting the production train rolling in that regard, but nothing has yet been done by his administration.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

West Indies arrive in Bangladesh

(BBC) - The 38-member West Indies contingent arrived in Dhaka on Sunday morning to become the first international side to arrive in Bangladesh since the Covid-19 outbreak.

The pandemic has already had a direct effect on the tour after fast bowler Romario Shepherd, who was part of the tourists’ ODI squad, returned a positive result in Guyana prior to their departure.

Keon Harding, the 24-year-old Barbados fast bowler has been named as Shepherd’s replacement, making it nine uncapped players in the 15-man ODI squad. Owing to the pandemic, a number of senior West Indies cricketers have opted out of the tour for both the ODIs and Tests.

Those who have arrived on Sunday will undergo Covid-19 tests, after which they will isolate themselves in their hotel

rooms for the first three days before being tested again; if they test negative on both tests, they will be allowed to train from the fourth day.

West Indies will play a warm-up one-dayer at the BKSP ground in Savar on January 18, some 40km from Dhaka, before the first ODI on January 20.

A third round of testing will take place after day seven of the tour and also once before the start of the ODI series.

The Bangladesh board will reportedly also provide local net bowlers who will be kept in a “mirror bubble” alongside other service providers and ground staff, in accommodation facilities inside the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Both sides will also be tested upon arrival in Chattogram for the third ODI on January 23, and there will be more testing before and

during the Test series, which is scheduled for next month.

The BCB’s media committee chairman Jalal Yunus said that they have taken into account every contingency when planning the bio-secure bubble for the tour. He said that the BCB President’s Cup and Bangabandhu T20 Cup in October and November gave them a clear idea about what to expect.

“We are really happy to return to international cricket after a long time,” Yunus said. “It is definitely a challenge to host a series during a pandemic. We are very much confident that we can complete this series without any hindrance. We are prepared to handle any form of crisis in both venues. We have gained experience of a bio-bubble having already held two domestic tournaments. Hopefully, it will be a very smooth tour.

“They [West Indies] have agreed to be compliant. The agreement includes all the dos and don’ts. We will be strict about the entire tour. The biggest thing is that there will be a number of tests. All the floor attendants at the hotel and catering staff have been tested, and the same applies for any service provider including net bowlers and the board’s photographer.”

This upcoming ODI series will be Bangladesh’s first international assignment since Zimbabwe toured the country in February and March last year, when the T20I series had limited entrance with Bangladesh not yet feeling the full force of Covid-19.

Since then, Bangladesh have had tours to Ireland, England (for the Ireland ODIs), Sri Lanka and New Zealand postponed, apart from home tours against Australia and New Zealand.

Ashwin says ‘nasty’ Plans at initial stage for Regional comments not a first for SCG Four-Day C/ship, says Grave

By Rajiv Bisnauth CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Johnny Grave says plans to host the Regional Four-Day championship is in initial stages, since talks among various governments and territorial boards are still ongoing.

The CEO confirmed during an interview on a Barbados Radio programme last week that CWI was looking to host the first two matches in Barbados in April before moving to Trinidad and Tobago.

“The intention is to play as I said the West Indies Championship after Easter in Barbados and then onto Trinidad and again as soon as we’ve made a bit more progress with BCA (Barbados Cricket Association), the Barbados Government, the TTCB (Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Bard) and Trinidad Government we will be in a better position to announce the fixtures,” Grave stated.

He added, “We hope and pray the situation in Barbados improves but at the same time what we are creating with cricket now is a bio-secure bubble so in a sense it doesn’t really matter where you because you are not really coming into contact with any of the communities in which you are playing cricket because you are confined in the main to the hotel and accommodation and the cricket grounds you’re playing at and training at”.

Further, Grave pointed out that cricket has taken a new dimension, and with the mandatory bio-secure environment play is virtually in any country.

Meanwhile, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was forced to conclude last year after eight rounds with Barbados Pride dethroning the Jaguars.

The Guyana Jaguars have undoubtedly been the most consistent side since the double round robin formatted tournament began with the 2014/2015 season, winning five consecutive titles.

ASHWIN has come down hard on the Australian crowds, especially the ones in Sydney, who according to him have dished out “nasty” abuse even on his previous visits to the country.

During the ongoing Test, Ashwin said, they crossed a line and hurled racial abuse at Mohammed Siraj.

India lodged an official complaint with the match officials on the third evening, but there was an incident on the fourth day too, which led to a group of spectators being evicted from the stadium.

“This is my fourth tour to Australia and in Sydney, especially, we have had a few experiences even in the past.

I think one or two times even the players have reacted and got into trouble in the past, and that’s not because of the player, it is actually because of the way the crowd has been speaking, especially the people close to the boundary edge.”

Ashwin was probably referring an incident on India’s 2011-12 tour of Australia, when Virat Kohli was photographed gesturing inappropriately to the crowd at the SCG and was pulled up for it.

Ashwin said such behaviour from spectators needed to be dealt with harshly.

“They have been quite nasty, they have been hurling abuses as well, but this is the time they have gone one step ahead and used racial abuse,” Ashwin said. “There was an

Security personnel in the stands at the Sydney Cricket Ground Getty Images official complaint lodged yesterday, and the umpires also mentioned it to us that we must bring it to their notice as soon as it happens, on the field, and then they will be able to take action.

“It is definitely not acceptable in this day and age.

We have seen a lot, right?

We have evolved as a society. This must be definitely dealt with an iron fist. And we must make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”

Ashwin said he was disappointed no one in the stands called out bad behaviour of fellow spectators.

“Personally I think Adelaide and Melbourne weren’t as bad,” he said. “But this has been a continuous thing at Sydney. I have experienced it as well. They do tend to get nasty. I don’t know why and for what reason.

“Unless and until it is dealt with, people don’t find the reason to look at it in a different way. In fact I was quite surprised that some sections of the crowd continuously did it and they were no mates around them to pull them up for it. It definitely had to be dealt with. Disappointing is a very, very mild word, I must say.”

As a young play on his first tour to Australia back in 2011-12, Ashwin said it was shocking for him that a cricketer might have to deal with such crowd abuse.

He said it was good that the current younger lot - such as Siraj - were much more aware of what is fine and what is not.

“If I go back to the first tour in 2011-12, I had no clue what racial abuse is or how you can be made to feel

small in front of so many people,” Ashwin said. “And people actually laugh at you when you get abused. There is another set of people just enjoying it. I had no idea what this was at all. Whenever you stood at the boundary line, you wanted to run in 10 yards to avoid these things.

“As things have strode on, and we have learned more and more on tours, this is definitely not acceptable.

Even yesterday when Siraj brought it up, Ajinkya, myself and Rohit got together and went to the umpire and did report it. Nowadays the boys are better equipped and aware.

Even Siraj, who is new, does know that this is the line you cannot cross. It is a wonderful thing. It must be met with the way it was met.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

Aussies tighten stranglehold over India (ESPNCRICINFO) - After a promising opening stand of 71 by India, Australia’s relentless pace attack got rid of both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill within half an hour to remind the visitors that they were still facing an uphill task of not just needing another 309 runs but also surviving 97 overs on the last day.

With India 98 for 2, and Ravindra Jadeja dealing with a fractured thumb which may not let him bat, Australia could be only three wickets away from opening the tail and storming their way towards a 2-1 series lead.

Australia propelled themselves into a dominant position with half-centuries from Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith and Cameron Green, who put on a display of belligerent hitting after crossing 50 with the help of four sixes that enabled them to score at 5.65 in the second session. Once Australia declared with a massive lead of 406 at tea, Sharma and Gill gave India a glimmer of

hope by stitching a partnership of 71, but Gill fell to Josh Hazlewood’s stifling line outside off and Sharma pulled a short ball straight to fine leg to leave India 92 for 2.

Paine sanctioned for dissent Australia’s Test captain was fined 15% of his match fees for showing dissent at an umpiring decision.

Paine expressed displeasure through an expletive-laden outburst after an unsuccessful lbw review against Cheteshwar Pujara in the final session on Sunday. He was handed one demerit point to his offence, his first in 24 months.

Sharma wasn’t unafraid to pull from the very first ball of the innings and the shot even fetched him a six off Green soon after he had unleashed two exquisite cover drives off Mitchell Starc in the previous over. Gill, too, exhibited elegant back-foot punches on the way to his 31 as the new ball barely moved around. India’s 34 overs also saw as many as four reviews taken, all off

Hazlewood’s bowling.

The first two came within a space of three balls in the eighth over when Hazlewood thought he had Sharma lbw with a delivery that jagged back in. Replays, however, showed the ball was going over the stumps. Two balls later, after Sharma nearly chopped on in between for a single, Tim Paine reviewed when they thought Gill edged one behind but the ball had only flicked the pad.

The second set of reviews occurred in the 23rd over and this time Hazlewood tasted success by getting a thick edge off Gill’s bat. Gill somehow thought of reviewing that and lost his team a review. Three balls later, Paul Wilson adjudged Cheteshwar Pujara lbw on a duck but the batsman reviewed immediately after being hit on the thigh pad and was saved by ball-tracking’s projection of the ball going over the stumps.

After reaching his half-century with a lofted swing for four off Nathan Lyon, Sharma departed when he pulled Pat Cummins straight to fine leg and walked back in disappointment.

Another promising sign for the hosts was the temperament with which Green batted after Smith’s dismissal and switched gears to extend the lead.

Three of his four sixes came against Mohammed Siraj after he saw through a tough spell from Jasprit Bumrah. Green looked at ease during his 132-ball stay.

SCOREBOARD

Cameron Green unwinds and unleashes Getty Images 15:15 hrs Blow Your Horn

ENGLISH RACING TIPS Doncaster 08:30 hrs First Assembly 09:05 hrs Royal Pretender 10:05 hrs Truckers Pass 10:40 hrs Big Nasty 11:10 hrs Getaweapon 11:40 hrs Flemenstide HERTEFORD 08:50 hrs Kingsplace 09:20 hrs Le vTueur

10:20 hrs Flagrant Delitiep 10:50 hrs The Mick Preston 11:20 hrs Rufio 11:50 hrs Ballybough Mary WOLVERHAMPTON 12:15 hrs Bold Decision 12:45 hrs Perfect Rose 13:15 hrs Aviary 13:45 hrs Night Narcissus 14:15 hrs Verne Castle

IRISH RACING TIPS Dundalk 10:30 hrs Kalanoura 11:00 hrs Leahman 11:30 hrs Nightly Wailing 12:00 hrs Belgoprince 12:30 hrs Glow Worm 13:00 hrs Visualisation 13:30 hrs Jackmel 14:00 hrs Red Ball Of Fire AMERICAN RACING TIPS Mahoning Valley Race 1 Sweet Lemon

Drop Race 2 No Treble Race 3 Power Banker Race 4 Dorothyfromdublin Race 5 Uyeda Race 6 Sole Factor Race 7 Classy Laurieann Race 78 Big Game Bob SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Fairview 08:10 hrs Cerelia 08:45 hrs Fly My Flag 09:25 hrs Thomas Tucker 10:00 hrs Travel In Style 10:30 hrs Time Stands Still

AUSTRALIA 1st innings 338 India 1st innings 244 Australia 2nd innings o/n 103-2 David Warner lbw Ravichandran Ashwin 13 Will Pucovski c (Sub) b Mohammed Siraj 10 Marnus Labuschagne c (Sub) b Navdeep Saini 73 Steven Smith lbw Ravichandran Ashwin 81 Matthew Wade c (Sub) b Navdeep Saini 4 Cameron Green c (Sub) b Jasprit Bumrah 84 Tim Paine Not Out 39 Extras 1b 4lb 3nb 0pen 0w 8 Total (87.0 overs) 312 decl Fall of Wickets : 1-16 Pucovski, 2-35 Warner, 3-138 Labuschagne, 4-148 Wade, 5-208 Smith, 6-312 Green Did Not Bat : Cummins, Starc, Lyon, Hazlewood Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 21 - 4- 68 - 1, Mohammed Siraj 25 - 5 - 90 - 1 (1nb), Navdeep Saini 16 - 2 - 54 - 2 (2nb), Ravichandran Ashwin 25 - 1 - 95 - 2. .......................................................

INDIA 2nd innings Rohit Sharma c Mitchell Starc b Pat Cummins 52 Shubman Gill c Tim Paine b Josh Hazlewood 31 Cheteshwar Pujara Not Out 9 Ajinkya Rahane Not Out 4 Extras 0b 1lb 1nb 0pen 0w 2 Total (34.0 overs) 98-2 Fall of Wickets : 1-71 Gill, 2-92 Sharma To Bat : Vihari, Pant, Jadeja, Ashwin, Bumrah, Siraj, Saini Bowling: Mitchell Starc 6 - 0 - 27 - 0, Josh Hazlewood 8 - 3 - 11 - 1, Pat Cummins 9 - 1 - 25 - 1 (1nb), Nathan Lyon 9 - 3 - 22 - 0, Cameron Green 2 - 0 - 12 - 0 .

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 11, 2021

Nexgen Global identifies three locations to Build Golf Courses –– To support CSEC School Program THE Guyana Golf Association (GGA) and the Nexgen Golf Academy will be aiming to expand their works in 2021 with hopes of constructing three new courses across the three counties.

Over the past week, the plans to implement Golf in secondary schools across the country under the auspices of the Unit of Allied Arts division of the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Golf Association, got off to a smashing start as the program was rolled out in Berbice, Georgetown, Linden and Essequibo.

This prompted the head of Nexgen Global Group of Companies Aleem Hussain to announce plans for the third of a series of golf courses his company plans to build this year as he continues to expand the game around the country.

“During the visit to the Anna Regina Secondary School to donate equipment and meet with Education officials, we identified the location on the Essequibo Coast and expect that with the revolutionary design and layout of the course, we can have the facility fully functional before the end of this year,” said Hussain.

“This is in addition to the two other golf facilities we plan to build in Linden and Berbice.”

The Guyana Golf Association’s goal to have as many as 6,000 new players in the coming years is realistic considering that Guyana has approximately 100,000 students in the school system (57,000 in secondary schools alone) and with parental involvement, the game has the potential to reach great heights, thereby creating the demand for more playing facilities and courses.

Hussain said that he plans to build at least 8 golf facilities since his unique design for the new golf courses require less than 15 acres of land, thereby allowing them to be built closer to densely populated areas. Maintenance and upkeep costs will be drastically reduced and as such, the game will be more affordable and accessible to anyone who has an interest in learning and playing golf.

Administrator of the Unit of Allied Arts, Ms. Lorraine Barker-King said she was tremendously excited about the fact that Guyana will make history when our kids will for the first time be able to utilize

Golf as a sport option in the Physical Education and Sport syllabi for CSEC and CAPE. “This opens up a world of opportunity for our children, especially in light of the impact COVID has had on sports and Mr. Fraser is showing excellent initiative in ensuring that we come up with viable alternatives for them in sports. This partnership with Mr. Hussain and the Guyana Golf Association is definitely one that will change the way our country looks at the sport and we will do everything possible to ensure its success.” said Ms. Barker-King.

The current pilot program will see six schools selected by the Ministry of Education, Anna Regina Secondary; Richard Ishmael Secondary; Queen’s College; President’s College; Berbice Educational Institute, and Wisburg Secondary, begin teaching Golf immediately and in August the remaining CSEC schools will roll out the program nationally to ensure that as many students as possible have the opportunity to learn the game.

The aim is to train the PE teachers of these schools to become master trainers

Golf officials pose with members of the Allied Arts division of golf instructors in all the championship scheduled So far, everyone ranging other schools. for 2021.” from the CEO of Education Nicholas Fraser, head Hussain, despite the per- to the Regional District of the Physical Education sonal challenges he faced Education Officers, Head Allied Arts Unit holds many years ago, has been Teachers, Physical Educaan MBA specializing in the driving force behind tion teachers and especially Sports Management and the development of golf in the students have reacted is no stranger to imple- Guyana and has proven that well to the inclusion of the menting new programs, adversity does bring out the sport in the schools as evhaving held many senior best in everyone, especially idenced by the smiles and positions including Assis- when one has the desire reactions from Wisburg tant Director of Sports at to succeed. The President Secondary School DHM. the National Sports Com- of the Guyana Golf Asso- Cordel Sealey; HM. Ms. mission amongst others, ciation and Nexgen Golf Micheal; Anna Regina said “golf has the potential Academy is also ranked as Secondary School HM. of becoming a dominant one of the top golf players Laljeet Ruplall and DHM. sport in the school program in the country. He has per- Raghunaught Doodnaught; based on the reaction from formed well in tournaments Region 2 Regional Eduboth teachers and students in Barbados, Trinidad, Su- cation Officer - Nichola so far and the fact that it is riname and Costa Rica and Matthews; and a covid-19 compliant sport. aims to use his skills and Region 2 District EduMany activities are planned determination to ensure that cation Officer (in charge for the school golf program a national team is created to of Secondary schools) with competitions for in- participate in international Deodat Singh when they ter-classroom, inter-school, events leading up to the met with Hussain and inter-region and national Olympics.

Fraser during the roll-out.

Despite restrictions, GCF sees the pandemic as a blessing in disguise – Farley THE Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) was forced to adapt after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 as a pandemic, in March of 2020. However, unlike a number of other local sporting bodies, it not only continues its programmes, but was also able to transform the sport via the online route.

President of the GCF, Frankie Farley, told Chronicle Sport that the “GCF see the pandemic as a blessing in disguise”.

“We were forced to seek virtual solutions to keep the sport alive and active, hence, the number of online initiatives.”

Among the initiatives was the appointment of the Indian International Master, Atanu Lahiri.

The former Common-

wealth chess champion, who had stints as head coach of Nepal (2005) and Bhutan (2014) before he took charge of the Indian Youth, Junior and Cadet teams, has been working with approximately 40 youngsters at the U-20 and U-16 (which include some strong U-12 players) levels weekly since early October.

Farley said that the young players have dramatically improved, which has prompted the federation to extend Lahiri’s sessions throughout 2021.

“Junior chess is in the embryo stages and we have the young players training under the International Master, the highest level of training they have ever received.”

The high-level training propelled Guyana to honours last December in the

FIDE Online World U10-18 Rapid Championships.

In that event, 11 of the 13 youngsters that represented Guyana registered victories.

Seventeen-year-old Angel Rahim led the charge after she won four of her seven games to finish seventh overall in the Girls’ U-18 division.

Arysh Raghunauth, Ethan Lee, Jaden Taylor and Anaya Lall had finished with two wins each, while Kyle Couchman, Ronan Lee, Joshua Khan, Harmony Dodson, Anasie Fredericks and Sasha Shariff ended with a win apiece.

A number of new faces were also introduced to the game during the lockdown and they have continued to develop through specific programmes implemented by the feder-

ation.

EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC The main hindrance caused by the global lockdown was the cancellation or postponement of several international and regional competitions and the inevitable suspension of over-the-board local competitions.

Farley noted that among the major issues was the cancellation of the 44th Chess Olympiad, which was scheduled to take place in Moscow, Russia last August. That event was rescheduled to mid-2021.

The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2020, held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, was also suspended at the mid-point of the tournament on March 26, while the 2020 CARIFTA Chess

Tournament, which was scheduled for last April in Guyana, was also postponed, and subsequently cancelled.

MOVING FORWARD Farley noted that moving forward, the federation would continue to develop the game at the junior level.

“The momentum of the Chess-in-School programme is definitely the catalyst to raise the level of play among our juniors.

We are seeing a higher level of play among our junior players.”

Farley added that the GCF would continue with aggressive programmes in all ten administrative regions this year and focus on youth, women in chess and the differently abled.

“We will be partnering with the private sector

GCF president, Frankie Farley, said that the federation would continue to focus on junior development in 2021. to create the GCF scholarship fund for primary and secondary school students in Guyana. The hope is for the scholarship programme to be a motivational factor to encourage our youths to play. In the coming years, we will extend the programme to the University of Guyana.”

West Indies arrive in Bangladesh See story on page 21

The West Indies contigenent get their belongings sanitised in Dhaka BCB / Raton Gomes

‘I am not convinced CWI is doing enough, says Radford Toby Radford

See story on page 20

Despite restrictions, GCF sees the pandemic as a blessing in disguise – Farley

Rickey Skerrit

former Guyana Jaguars batsman Assad Fudadin’s return to the local mix adds more experience to the side this season

See story on page 23

Fudadin's return to Jaguars mix adds experience, support See story to franchise on page 20 Junior chess was given a boost via the online route in 2020.

–– Additional veteran presence crucial to development of youngsters

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MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2021