Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 21-03-2023

‘No form of discrimination will ever be condoned’

PRIME Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, reiterated that the Government of Guyana is committed to implementing policies and programmes that promote equality and justice.

“Your government is committed to implementing policies and programmes that promote equality and justice, including increasing access to education, healthcare, and employment opportuni-

Construction of new drainage network, empoldering of lands ongoing at Baracara

ties, ensuring that all Guyanese are a part of the national development agenda,” he said.

Prime Minister Phillips related that on this day, Guyanese gather to reflect on their progress in the fight against racial discrimination, and to recommit themselves to their ongoing dedication to achieving equality, tolerance, and unity.

He said that Guyana has a rich history that comprises people from different

ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and has contributed significantly to the country’s diversity and multicultural society.

In accordance with the richness of the country’s heritage and history, the government remains committed to ensuring that all people, regardless of race, can access and benefit from every aspect of development in Guyana.

In fulfilment of a promise made by President, Dr Irfaan Ali during a recent visit to Baracara, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), construction has started on a new drainage network as well as the empoldering of lands in the community (Office of the President photo)

–– equality, justice critical components of govt’s policies, programmes, Prime Minister Phillips says

‘No form of discrimination will ever be condoned’

— equality, justice critical components of govt’s policies, programmes, Prime Minister Phillips says

PRIME Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, reiterated that the Government of Guyana is committed to implementing policies and programmes that promote equality and justice.

“Your government is committed to implementing policies and programmes that promote equality and justice, including increasing access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities, ensuring that all Guyanese are a part of the national development agenda,” he said.

Prime Minister Phillips related that on this day, Guyanese gather to reflect on their progress in the fight against racial discrimination, and to recommit themselves to their ongoing dedication to achieving equality, tolerance, and unity.

He said that Guyana has a rich history that comprises people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and has contributed sig -

nificantly to the country’s diversity and multicultural society.

In accordance with the richness of the country’s heritage and history, the government remains committed to ensuring that all people, regardless of race, can access and benefit from every aspect of development in Guyana.

“We will not condone any form of discrimination, be it in the workplace, in the access to education, health, security and all other areas. However, like many other nations, our history depicts instances of racial conflict that have left deep scars on our people,” Prime Minister Phillips said.

He reasoned that while

confronting this reality and acknowledging the painful episodes of the past, Guyanese must continue to forge forward to create a future free of inequality.

“As leaders, we are responsible for creating a peaceful, productive and prosperous environment where every citizen is valued, respected, and feels

Construction of new drainage network,

at

IN fulfillment of a promise made by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali during a recent visit to Baracara, Region Six (East Corentyne/Berbice), construction has started on a new drainage network, as well as the empoldering of lands in the community.

This investment will now make hundreds of acres of new land available for agricultural purposes, according to a post on the President’s official Facebook page.

At a recent meeting with farmers in the community, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, said once the works were completed, the Agriculture Ministry will work along with the community to craft two strategic plans for livestock and cash-crop production.

These strategic plans, Mustapha said, will adopt sustainable practices in food produc-

tion, as well as in agro-processing.

“We have to change that kind of mechanism and that kind of thinking that we are just doing cash-crop farming, and as soon as we reap it from the farm, we take it to the market.

“What we have been doing; we have been building these agro-processing facilities so that we can add value to our produce,” Mustapha said.

He added: “Rather than take the produce to the market, we will package it and send it overseas; we will have for consumption here, but we will also get more money for you.”

In order for this to happen, the community must first decide which crops could be produced on a large scale.

The community is known for its production of citrus, plantains, potatoes, eddoes and corn.

a sense of belonging, regardless of ethnicity, race, or religion. Therefore, it is critical that we lead by example, not just in words but through our actions in guiding our people, which show what we stand for,” the Prime Minister related.

He added: “At the same time, we must also recognise the importance of dialogue and engagement among different ethnic groups. We must work to build bridges of understanding and promote cultural exchange, fostering a sense of community and shared identity.”

He called for the Guyanese to renew their commitment to equality, justice, and non-discrimination and for them to stand together as One Guyana, to work towards a future where every person is valued and respected.

“I want us all to be reminded that the struggle against racial discrimination is ongoing and requires every citizen’s collective effort. With determination and commitment, let us continue to work together

towards a brighter future for all Guyanese built on unity and mutual respect,” he said.

This occasion is being commemorated as Guyanese continue to condemn the recent incendiary and racist remarks by Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Executive Member, Tacuma Ogunseye

Ogunseye, during a gathering at Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), said: “I don’t understand how people complain that they are oppressed, and they are holding guns in their hands. They are the majority in the army, in the police, and they say they are oppressed. And they still say our problem is our own making. Anytime we turn those guns in the right direction it is over.”

He also made incendiary remarks about Guyana’s Indo-Guyanese. Since the utterance of those statements, numerous persons have called out and condemned the remarks as racist and inciting.

This March marks the 105th birth anniversary and 26th death anniversary of the late former President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Dr Cheddi Jagan

Here a popular quote from Dr Jagan in the 1970s:

“It behoves us all,

whether Christian or non-Christian, whether theist or atheist, to work for world peace; to recognize representative institutions, the free expression of the people’s will, and the principles of non-intervention, sovereignty and national self-determination, in the conduct of international relations. Only by the observance of these principles can there be progress on a foundation of lasting peace.”

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips

empoldering of lands ongoing

Baracara

Ongoing construction of a new drainage network and empoldering of lands in Baracara, Canje Creek, East Corentyne/ Berbice (Office of the President photos)

Works progressing on North Ruimveldt Secondary School

EDUCATION Minister

Priya

Manickchand on Monday visited the construction site of the North Ruimveldt Secondary School where a new three-storey building is being erected to house hundreds of students who were displaced by an electrical fire in 2021.

In August 2022, the Ministry of Education signed a $566.9 million contract for reconstruction of the school.

The new building is being constructed by Kares Engineering. Once completed, the building will be equipped with science and information technology laboratories and modern classrooms to house 450-500 students.

Prior to the fire

in 2021, more than 150 students would usually enrol at the North Ruimveldt Secondary School, but due to the destruction caused by the fire, only 50 students were placed at the school.

The North Ruimveldt Secondary School was destroyed by a fire in June 2021. The cause of the fire was electrical in origin and started from a faulty duplex electrical point that had a circuit strip (power strip) attached to it in a classroom on the third floor of the building.

The Education Minister had pledged at the time of the fire that the government will rebuild the institution which housed 512 students.

Works are progressing on the North Ruimveldt Secondary School (Ministry of Education photo) Education Minister Priya Manickchand interacting with contractors at the building site on Monday (Ministry of Education photo)

12 teachers complete Post Graduate Diploma in Distance Education

SOME 12 teachers from schools across the coast comprise the first batch of persons who have completed their Post Graduate Diploma in Distance Education offered by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).

The course, which ran for one year and concluded in June, 2022, saw the educators being trained in key components of distance education delivery such as television, radio and smart classrooms.

On Monday, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand met with the teachers in the ministry’s boardroom, where she congratulated them on completing the programme, and noted that distance education can transform education delivery across the country.

Sharing their experiences,

the teachers said that they found the programme informative and relevant, as it has enhanced the way in which lessons are delivered to their students. They also expressed their gratitude for being given the opportunity to further qualify themselves.

Present at the meeting were Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain, and GOAL Director, Professor Jacob Opadeyi.

The teachers who completed the programme are: Nandani Deonarine, Carleen Wendella Small, Devta Ramroop, Abbigale Onica Munroe Samuels, Chyanne Abigail Fredericks, Jenelle Anika Richards Percival, Belinda Onica Wilson, Taramattie Dhatpaul, Charissa Anthea Frank, Bibi Shameeza Hoosein, Maleeni Dudhnath, and Sashara Kimbely Dey. (Ministry of Education)

One dead, 13 homeless after fire razes houses at Agricola

A 45-year-old man is now dead and 13 persons are homeless due to a fire that destroyed two houses on Third Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara.

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has confirmed that Kevin Trotman, who was an occupant of the top flat of one of the two-storey buildings, perished in the blaze on Sunday.

The building is owned by one Narine, who rents the top flat to 42-year-old Marcia Cato and her family of seven.

“The fire was caused by a child playing with matches, which ignited a foam mattress and spread to the entire building,” the GFS said.

Another two-storey building located on the southern side of the building of origin, was also affected by the blaze.

“Due to radiated heat from the building of origin, that building and its contents were also destroyed. The building was owned by 45-year-old Sonia Hope; she occupied it along with her family of four,” the Firre Service said in a release.

Two more buildings were also affected by the

heat, resulting in some home appliances, construction tools, and walls being damaged.

As a result, the GPF

is advising citizens to exercise caution, and follow safety measures to avoid home fires.

Some 12 teachers from schools across the coast comprise the first batch of persons who have completed their Post Graduate Diploma in Distance Education offered by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning

What remains of one of the houses destroyed by the fire

A Guyana For All

THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration has been putting into practice strategies and measures that encourage and support the advancement of every citizen, regardless of their racial background, religious beliefs, political leanings, or other preferences or characteristics. Inclusion is the principle on which this is being carried out.

The Dr Irfaan Ali-led administration’s objective has been to satisfy both short-term and long-term needs of each individual by developing an inclusive system and agenda, all under the banner of “One

Guyana,” as demonstrated throughout the preceding two years.

The PPP/C has invested in programmes such as the education cash grant, the GOAL scholarship programme, and the creation of part-time jobs, among many other things, that target the entire Guyanese people and not just one section of the society, demonstrating that its efforts to promote unity in society have gone beyond rhetoric. This contrasts with the ineffective efforts made to promote “social cohesion” by the preceding A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC)

administration.

In reality, the “One-Guyana” initiative’s key goals, according to President Ali, are to promote social equality, ensure that everyone has the chance to live full lives, and lessen disparities in access to the legal system, work prospects, healthcare, and educational opportunities.

The “One-Guyana vision,” according to the Head of State, is to give every citizen a good life with appropriate regard for their rights and equality under the law.

The development in front of us and the aims of the administration are evi-

dently very different from the depiction and lies that some social groups are disseminating in an effort to polarize Guyana’s society and destabilize the country.

President Ali has frequently stated that his administration takes a stakeholder-engagement approach to decision-making, which may help to realize the “One-Guyana” vision.

“Together, we are going to embark on the journey of prosperity with all of you; the achievement of peace and prosperity; this is a golden opportunity to attain that objective. We will succeed and make proud all those whose struggles were important

in achieving our independence.

“The future belongs to us. The naysayers wish to break our stride, but the evidence is overwhelmingly clear that Guyana is surely… on a fast track to peace and prosperity. Let us keep it that way under the umbrella of One-Guyana,” the Head of State said.

The government has already removed the VAT from water, energy, and data in addition to allocating billions of dollars in the form of various grants to ease the economic conditions caused by COVID-19 and other economic factors.

The government has also conducted outreaches in various communities to meet Guyanese directly in order to determine what problems exist and how they could be properly addressed in the event that the existing programmes do not directly address the requirements of citizens. To date, the government has travelled to every region and held discussions with residents in places such as Buxton and Linden, which are well-known APNU+AFC strongholds, and has no plan of deviating from its thrust to create opportunities for all Guyanese.

Regional economist’s assessment is deeply flawed, disturbing

MY attention was drawn to an article published in the Jamaica Observer on March 17, 2023, citing a regional economist, Damien King.

The economist argued that Guyana could fall victim to the so-called ‘resource curse’ as it moves deeper in developing its oil-and-gas finds because it lacks strong institutions to prevent corruption (see link here for ease of reference: https:// www.jamaicaobserver.com/ business/mark-my-words-2/).

The economist went on to make some other outlandish and callous remarks wherein he argued that “Guyana is going to go nowhere,” political parties will soon start to squabble over the spoils to the detriment of the country and that unless there are strong institutions, corruption and violence will ensue, et al.

Generally, there are two fundamental issues I have with the economist’s contentions.

First and foremost, his assertion that “it is worth killing people for power,” though this is indeed a risk and a reality

that occurred historically with other countries where oil is concerned, should be outrightly rejected. Guyana’s political economy is still fragile wherein even without oil, the country endured a long history of political crimes.

Notwithstanding the aforementioned, today, Guyana is in a much better position compared to where it came from three decades ago, and is in a different era when the political crimes of the past would be difficult to perpetuate.

Of recent, for example, there were persistent (failed attempts) by the political opposition to stimulate the environment for a repeat of the past political crimes.

This is another demonstration of the fact that the political crimes of the past would be difficult to engineer in a modern civilisation, natural-resource rich, an increasingly smarter population, and economically stable Guyana.

The second fundamental issue I have with the viewpoints from outsiders, in par-

ticular, is the tendency to be overly academic and theoretical, referencing case studies of other countries and packaging the narrative as lessons?thus effectively ignoring appropriate context and/or lacking a proper contextual analysis.

While this may be partially acceptable in academia, the reality of the political and economic situations of countries are oftentimes vastly different, and, therefore, the appropriate contextual analysis is of great importance. In this regard, this critical element is lacking in the economist’s analysis on the Guyana situation.

The economist contended that Guyana has weaker institutions compared to Jamaica?yet, Jamaica scored only three points higher than Guyana in the 2022 corruption perception index (CPI).

Moreover, it is a pathetic and unsubstantiated argument coming from a political economist that weak institutions necessitate corruption, and ultimately the resource-curse syndrome as the only variable

or primary causation for such an outcome.

Conversely, the reality is such that the perception of corruption and the reality and evidence of corruption are different issues altogether?and it is also true that there is no country in the world that is free of corruption?even in countries with the strongest institutions, rampant corruption prevails, and there are countries that did not fall victim to the “resource curse.”

Additionally, he based his argument and conclusions solely on the case studies of other countries that suffered the consequences he is predicting that Guyana will be a victim of, but ignored completely, the contexts altogether of the countries cited, such as Venezuela and Nigeria as mentioned earlier.

It is noteworthy that avoiding the dreaded resource curse has less to do with the perception of corruption and more to do with prudent economic management of the resources in a manner that effectively

and efficiently elevates the level of prosperity for the country and its people.

With the foregoing in mind, I strongly oppose the views of the economist on Guyana in respect of the “resource curse” syndrome?albeit it is true that historically, Guyana endured politically motivated crimes and violence as previously mentioned.

It is worth noting that historically, despite these challenges, the government at the time which is none other than the current government, managed to successfully lift Guyana out of a state of bankruptcy to economic stability in just over two decades. This is indicative of the resilient nature of the country, the people, the private sector, and the incumbent party.

The government has demonstrated, drawing from its successful track record of good economic management, that it is pursuing the right type of economic policies and undertaking the much-needed investment in the econo-

my?specifically in addressing the country’s infrastructural deficit, human resource constraints, education and health care, energy and food security at the regional level, and ICT, just to name a few, that will enable the economic transformation to take place from a primary-producing economy to a tertiary-producing economy.

Finally, I end by inviting King to study the Guyanese economic context, conduct his own public policy analysis; examine the national budgets of 2020 through 2023 for example, and analyse the economic outcome of these policies and allocation of financial resources in the economy, which will then aid him in deriving a more informed conclusion. Following this, we can then move the debate to another level, if he so wishes.

Yours respectfully,

Joel Bhagwandin Financial Analyst

IDB, Caribbean Shipping Association, accelerate decarbonisation of the shipping industry

THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) have agreed to collaborate to help decarbonise the shipping industry.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by IDB Vice President for Countries, Richard Martínez, CSA President, Lindsay Marc Sampson and CSA General Manager, Milaika Capella Ras, during the IDB and IDB Invest’s annual meeting.

The agreement aims to expedite the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, while simultaneously enhanc-

ing the economic and social development of the region.

Additionally, the framework strives to improve the efficiency and efficacy of maritime transport activities and services, as well as optimise the operations of seaports, harbours and their associated hinterland

activities.

Over the course of this three-year arrangement, both institutions will collaborate on different activities, including studies focused on decarbonising maritime transport and improving the operations of seaports and harbours in the Caribbean.

They will also work on technical and operational matters related to reducing the use of fossil fuels in seaport activities, such as operation and maintenance.

Additionally, the partners will conduct joint capacity-building activities to advance shipping and trade policies and regulations on decarbonisation, the circular economy, labour affairs, gender inclusion, SMEs, and institutional strengthening.

Moreover, the IDB is collaborating with the CSA to develop an analytical framework for the key building blocks necessary for decar-

bonising shipping and port services. The partnership will also include the creation of new alliances and the analysis of existing policies and regulations to support the shift towards decarbonisation of shipping and port services in an enabling environment.

“This partnership is an essential step in our mission to support the region’s economic development. As we know, the Caribbean relies heavily on maritime transport for trade. This partnership will create opportunities to enhance trade, which is critical for economic growth,” said Vice President Richard

Martínez during the meeting. The President of the Caribbean Shipping Association, Lindsay Marc Sampson, said: “The enactment of our partnership today will help to bolster our efforts to protect the region’s environment and hasten our progress to adopting better technologies, procedures, and energy alternatives. This agreement is not only necessary for the environment but also for economic growth and international co-operation.” (IDB)

Technical support, funding initiative launched for local agro-processors

LOCAL agro-processors, caterers and restaurateurs can now access needed technical support, funding and distribution channels, as “!nnovate Guyana,” a subsidiary of the Guyana Economic Development Trust, has launched its third edition of the Economic Development Accelerator (EDA) programme.

According to a press release from “!nnovate Guyana,” this year’s programme is offering a comprehensive solution for growing micro-businesses in food production and agro-processing.

The release stated that through funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Eastern and Southern Caribbean Mission and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Lab, programme participants can access training, coaching, technical support and, importantly, zero- interest, non-collateralised, recoverable grants of US$5,000 designated for micro-businesses’ working capital needs.

“As a bonus, through part-

nerships with Guyana’s largest indigenous food retailer, Bounty Supermarkets, participating agro-processors’ products will now have extraordinary local

exposure,” the release said.

Further, as it relates to distribution of local products, the EDA programme and Bounty Supermarkets will be launching the

“Buy Local at Bounty” initiative, which will provide agro-processors who complete the EDA programme the opportunity for their products to be carried on the shelves of Bounty Supermarkets.

In essence, the participants will access all the building blocks necessary to enhance their products’ quality and presentation, enhance their business acumen, including marketing, financial and technological skills; receive access to low-cost capital, and be provided with avenues to distribute products locally and, eventually, internationally.

Regional Representative,

USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean, Sara Walter, expressed her excitement for the programme, noting: “We at USAID are pleased to work with the Guyana Economic Development Trust / Economic Development Fund Inc. on this very important project. Food security is a high priority for us and we remain committed to investing in programmes which will address lasting food security, address rising inequality, and promote equitable economic growth and inclusive development.”

The EDA programme was launched in 2021, designed to

support commercially viable, existing agro-processors by preparing them for the export market. Each year, the EDA identifies new ways to help participants scale. And each year, notable success stories emerge, some of which have been covered in Guyana’s local press.

Persons who are interested in being a part of the programme are encouraged to apply today to access these benefits at visit www.innovateguyana.org/grow to apply. Applications close on May 31, 2023.

Gov’t to commence public consultation on Silica City development

THE Ministry of Housing and Water will conduct a public consultation to gather feedback on the development of the new Silica City on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

The activity is set to take place on Tuesday, March 21 at the Kuru Kururu Youth Choice Centre, according to the Housing Ministry.

The consultation will be led by Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, and Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), Sherwyn Greaves.

Silica City is poised to be the country’s premier destination for modern, eco-friendly living, and represents a major step forward in Guyana’s transformative agenda, towards a more sustainable and climate-smart future.

The cutting-edge development will feature state-of-the-art infrastructure, including smart homes equipped with the latest in energy-saving

technology, as well as green spaces, and other amenities.

Approximately 3,800 acres of land has been designated for the project, and infrastructure development is already underway. Last month, contracts worth $2.11 billion were signed to accelerate these efforts.

In January, during an outreach in the Soesdyke area, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali revealed that construction of the first 100 homes at Silica City would begin soon. The establishment of the urban centre is a result of a vision that President Ali had while serving as the housing minister in 2013. (DPI)

ERC: Embrace International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

See full statement:

THE Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), embraces today’s observance of the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The Commission remains firm on its mandate to “promote harmony and good relations” in our multi-ethnic society and to build peace and understanding.

This observance is a pertinent and well-intentioned desire by the UN to promote racial and ethnic harmony everywhere.

The ERC is resolute that the UN observance worldwide will further promote the much-needed awareness to stop and prevent occurrences of prejudice based on an individual’s racial or ethnic background.

Moreover, the ERC recognises that the elimination of those prejudices along with ignorance is paramount for the preservation of peace

and brotherhood. The Commission is therefore committed to Guyanese of all ethnicities for the sake of a stable society and upholding the rule of law.

The multi-ethnic Guyanese society faces many challenges among its diverse peoples whose foreparents experienced varying levels of discrimination at varying periods. Today, many years later, the internationally recognised observance annually seeks to spur continued interest and awareness to rid societies of a destructive practice.

The ERC, in its monumental task, seeks the co-operation of everyone to achieve national harmony in the society.

An aerial view of the area earmarked for the development of Silica City

Over 200 persons complete community advocates training

AFTER a series of training through the Sexual Offences and Domestic Policy Unit of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Securi-

ty (MHSSS), over 200 persons have joined the Community Advocates Network (CAN).

The two-day training saw over 150 persons

trained from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Five (Mahaica-Berbice) across two batches at Duke Lodge,

Kingston, and the Police Officers’ training centre as well as 58 volunteers from Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo).

According to a press release, the programme ensured participants’ indepth knowledge of the roles of CAN in combating gender-based violence, which was presented by Dr. Cona Husbands, the Head of the unit.

A representative of the unit, Kimberly Alberts, related that the CAN initiative has trained numerous individuals countrywide who have signed, sworn, and committed themselves to join the fight against domestic violence.

She said that they are now equipped with the knowledge and skills to assist the MHSSS in eliminating violence from a grassroots level.

“They will return to their respective communities and function as the eyes and ears while acting as the voice of the vulnerable who are experiencing any type of violence. This initiative is another way of letting victims and survivors of violence who are afraid to speak up, know that there is help available to live a violence-free life,” Alberts said.

The participants received training on the services of the Childcare and Protection Agency and Counter-Trafficking in Persons Unit as well as on conflict resolution and the Sexual Offences Act.

The supervisor of the 914 toll-free hotlines, Rishma Taylor, educated the volunteers on the functions of the hotline as well as the Imatter mobile application.

Allizen Welch-Critchlow, who manages the legal pro bono initiative, gave a detailed presentation on the project that renders legal assistance to 500 victims yearly while Kester Harding presented on the Domestic Violence Act.

National powerlifter, Britny Mack, said that she was taught about domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, and more.

She additionally learned how to bring about awareness in her community and implement what she learned from the programme.

“You know in Guyana there are always programmes where they do a lot of talking but no action being done afterwards? With this programme I can see the effort being placed into

what they are doing; I can see they are moving forward and making changes we need in the country and I think more persons should come on board… we as a community must work together,” Mack related.

Dr. Aawab Hamid said that he joined the CAN training because he wanted to impact society positively.

He noted that he was surprised at the number of doors the training opened in his mind for him.

“There were things I thought I knew, but it opened different perspectives and allowed me to see how subtle things are and how sometimes we think we know certain things but this showed me how to identify things on a much broader level, empathize more and empower me with the resources to help people and who to reach out to,” Dr. Hamid said.

He added: “I think after this training is done, I am more empowered to help society and imply things that vulnerable people may need so overall this is something I wish I had done earlier; it’s incredible and I applaud the Ministry for conducting this training.”

After a series of training through the Sexual Offences and Domestic Policy Unit of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, over 200 persons have joined the Community Advocates Network

British cargo firm adds Guyana, Aruba to its travel network

THE cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), IAG Cargo, has announced the opening of two new destinations.

According to a press release, the company will be operating a new route to Aruba (Oranjestad) via Antigua from March 26 and Guyana (Georgetown) via St Lucia on March 27.

Both services will op-

erate twice a week on a British Airways Boeing 777-200 wide-body aircraft. Perishables, local produce and oil equipment are some of the exports that this capacity will serve.

Rodrigo Casal, Regional Commercial Manager for Latin America at IAG Cargo, said:

“We’re delighted to be able to provide more capacity to the Americas,

enabling our customers to reach further destinations through our key hubs.

“The movement of cargo between Europe [the] Americas represents an important trade route, and with our specialist products such as Critical and Constant Climate we’re able to offer a speedy service and ensure that goods stay in perfect condition every step of the journey.”

“IAG Cargo continues to expand its Americas capacity with over 250 weekly services between European and Latin American airports, with IAG Cargo now offering a direct three-times-weekly service between London and Trinidad from the March 26, which was previously reached via St Lucia,” the company said.

FIU launches website to eliminate ‘myths,’ ‘mysteries’ about its operations

national) relating to the work of FIU Guyana and all our partners, as we

together strive to protect Guyana’s financial systems from money laun-

dering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing,” the unit said.

THE Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Guyana has relaunched its website with the aim of eliminating any myths and mysteries about its operations.

According to a press release from the FIU, while the address of the website remains https:// fiu.gov.gy, the look is different.

The new site was developed by experienced local Website Design and Development Company GxMedia, headed by Girendra Persaud.

“The purpose of offering this new website is to give our local and international stakeholders and the public at large, a dynamic, professional, holistic and modern option and experience when trying to access information about the FIU and the work of the unit,” the FIU said.

The unit added: “The website is easy to navigate

and provides convenient access to a wide cross-section of information and documents relating to the combatting of money laundering, terrorism financing and the financing of proliferation, and other related threats, activities and initiatives being conducted by FIU Guyana and its many local and international stakeholders.”

This includes key pieces of legislation, FIU annual reports, guidelines, typologies, publications, news, among other things. There is also a direct connection to the caseKonnect platform which is used by most of the reporting entities to submit information to the FIU in a safe and secure manner.

Some of the additional features and benefits of the new website include the following: Introductory video outlining the role and purpose of FIU Guyana and FIUs around

the world; mobile optimisation – access over all available operating systems and via desktop computers, tablets, notebooks, laptops, iPads, smart phones, and provides a medium to offer electronic feedback to the FIU and subscribe to receive new publications and other updates being uploaded to the website on an ongoing basis.

It also has convenient links to key related local, regional and international partner agencies including Guyana Revenue Authority, Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), Regional Security System (RSS), Egmont Group of FIUs and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

“The FIU is committed to ensuring that the website remains a reliable source of up-todate information for the public (local and inter-

The cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), IAG Cargo, has announced the opening of two new routes

Six homeless after Cotton Field fire

A CHILD allegedly playing with a box of matches has left six people homeless after he lit a mattress that set their entire house ablaze at Cotton Field on the Essequibo Coast.

The fire occurred Monday midday at Cotton Field High-Level Dam, displacing four adults, a five-year-old, and a one-month-old

baby. The incident happened around 13:30 hours on Monday.

According to Tracy Devellier, she was with her neighbours at the time of the fire, and her daughter-in-law informed her that their house was on fire.

When she rushed over, she saw the entire house on fire. Devellier said that her daughter-inlaw ran into the house to save the one-month-old baby after she saw it on fire.

Noting that her husband was not home at the time of the fire, she estimated that the family lost over $10M in valuables and is now clueless about what will happen next.

“We lost everything, our bed, clothes, pots, motorbike, generator, everything. This is really shocking to be honest. This is the second time my five-year-old is doing this” the mother related. Devellier said that she is still shocked at what happened.

The firefighters from the Anna Regina fire station were called, but the entire house was engulfed by the time they arrived.

The family is hoping that they can rebuild their house and continue with their livelihood. Anyone willing to help the family can contact them at 693-6619.

‘Gregory’ freed of America Street money-changer murder

GEORGE Hope called “Gregory,” who was on trial for the 2018 murder of America Street ‘money-changer’, Shawn Nurse, known as “Fabulous,” was, on Monday, acquitted of the crime by a jury.

Hope was on trial before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Demerara High Court.

After deliberating for almost two hours, the 12-member jury found Hope not guilty.

He was represented by attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes and associates.

Last week, his co-accused Kerwin Dos Santos was freed after the judge upheld a no-case submission in his favour due to the lack

of evidence.

The pair had denied the indictment which read that they killed Nurse on February 4, 2018, at America Street, in Georgetown, during the course of a robbery.

According to reports, Nurse, 47, was shot in the head after he refused to comply with robbers’ demand that he turned over whatever cash he had on him.

Reports stated that after Nurse was shot to his face, the robbers made good their escape.

Attorneys-at-Law

Marisa Edwards, Tanesha Saigon, Abiola Lowe, and Delon Fraser presented the State’s case.

George Hope DEAD: Shawn Nurse called ‘Fabulous’

Tracy Devellier and her family at the site where their house stood at Cotton Field on the Essequibo Coast

Formal investigations into BOSAI accident to begin next Monday — following the appointment of investigators

MINISTER of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, has directed a “formal investigation” into the fatal accident involving Neptrid Hercules, a former employee of BOSAI Minerals Group.

According to a release from the Labour Ministry, the formal investigation will commence next Monday, March 27, 2023, and will last for six weeks. This action is in keeping with Section 72 (1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Chapter 99:06 Laws of Guyana.

“The Act gives the minister the power to direct formal investigations into any accident arising out of, and in the course of, employment of any worker where he considers it expedient to so do,” the Ministry of Labour said.

The persons appointed are referred to as “the court” and “shall hold the investigation in open court in such

a manner and under such conditions as the court may think most effectual for ascertaining the causes and circumstances of the accident.”

According to a statement from the ministry: “Competent persons have been appointed to serve on the investigating team, whose main purpose will be to determine the cause(s) of the accident and make recommendations for the prevention of accidents generally and more in particular the recurrence of similar accidents.”

Hercules went missing in the early hours of the morning of March 11, 2023, along with a CAT D9T Dozer which he was operating at the time.

This was as a result of a failure experienced by the overburden dump in the East Montgomery Mine, causing Hercules to be covered by the overburden material.

The body of Hercules was found several days later after an extensive and painful search.

“The minister is deeply concerned about this matter. He holds the view that this accident should never have happened and he owes it to the family, co-workers and the community to ensure that that there are no recurrences. Hence the appointment of this formal investigation to provide answers to the numerous questions that abound and recommendations for implementation,” the Ministry of Labor said.

The persons appointed to serve on this formal investigation team are Charles Ceres, the Chairman; Emilia Maslen; Victor Fernandes, National Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH); Jimmy Reece, Guyana Geolo -

gy and Mines Commission (GGMC); Michael A Howard, GGMC; Krishna Ramdas, GGMC; Neza King and Darwin Bourne, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)

Department of the Ministry

of Labour; Alyea Williams, Attorney-at-Law/Legal Officer attached to the Labour Department of the Ministry of Labour, and Colis Primo, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Minister Hamilton met with the team on Monday morning and briefed them on the terms of reference and the ministry’s expectation for the investigation’s conduct.

the incident occurred

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, has directed a “formal investigation” into the fatal accident involving Neptrid Hercules, a former employee of BOSAI Minerals Group

Man found with ‘ganja’ in backpack remanded

A 27-year-old Zeelugt Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo man was, on Monday, remanded to prison for allegedly trafficking five pounds of cannabis.

Akeem Archer, a father of four, appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Particulars of the charge alleged that, on March 16, at Lombard Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Archer had 2.33 kilograms of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The unrepresented man told the court that

he is the sole breadwinner for his family and his wife is currently pregnant. Archer also told the court that, in 2018, he was sentenced to serve two years in prison for firearm possession.

Given the seriousness and prevalence of the crime, the Magistrate remanded Archer to prison until April 24.

According to a release from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), Archer was nabbed by ranks during an operation in the vicinity of Lombard Street.

He was seen acting in a suspicious manner while carrying a backpack. A subsequent search of the bag led to the discovery of a parcel containing what looked like cannabis.

Archer was arrested and escorted to CANU Headquarters, along with the suspected narcotic, which tested positive for cannabis, and weighed approximately five pounds (2.33 kg), with a street value of approximately $400,000.

Akeem Archer

US, OAS officials discuss cyber security solutions with local authorities

DEPUTY Assistant Attorney General of the US Department of Justice, Richard Downing, accompanied by Cybersecurity Programme Manager from the Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism, Organization of American States (OAS), Kerry-Ann Barrett, and a team of Department of Justice (DoJ) cyber experts visited Guyana to discuss cyber security solutions with representatives of the Government of Guyana.

According to a press statement from the US Embassy in Guyana, Downing and Barrett, on Monday, met with Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, representatives from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, representatives from the Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Attorney General’s

Chambers, representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Guyana Police Force.

Downing and Barrett encouraged Guyana’s accession to the Budapest Convention, or the Convention on Cybercrime, which would offer additional resources to strengthen domestic capacity for law-enforcement responses when combatting cybercrime.

This crucial step will help Guyana combat cyber threats as it undergoes a

major economic transformation. Additionally, the DoJ cyber team, in conjunction with the OAS, offered technical support towards the development of national cyber security frameworks to combat cybercrimes, especially in the security and energy sectors. The team proposed similar support to CARICOM countries.

In addition to the visit by the DoJ, the U.S. South-

Inquest into Essequibo accident victim’s death begins on Wednesday

A CORONER’S inquest into the death of 36-yearold motorcyclist, Navindra Naraiyan, who died in an accident in 2013 on the La Belle Alliance Public Road, Essequibo Coast, is expected to commence on Wednesday.

An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions and is held to determine the cause of a person’s death. In Guyana, a sitting magistrate, who acts as the coroner, empanels a jury, after which the inquest is conducted.

Magistrate Esther Sam will preside over the inquest at the Ann Regina Magistrates’ Court, with a five-member jury to determine whether anyone is criminally responsible for

Navindra Naraiyan

Sanichar’s death.

A total of nine witnesses are expected to be called.

According to a report, Naraiyan, a carpenter of Bamboo Dam, Sparta Village, died on Christmas Eve Day, on the La Belle Alliance Public Road after the 1000cc CBR he was riding collided with

ern Command and Florida National Guard will send a cyber defence assessment team to Guyana this week, with the goal of sharing best practices with the

Guyana Defence Force to protect military networks from cyber attacks.

Those visits by the DoJ and USSOUTHCOM highlight the United

States’ concerted efforts to assist Guyana in establishing and developing a strong cyber security defence to support future development.

a speeding car that was turning into a street.

The motorcyclist, who was the father of a oneyear-old child, was heading to Anna Regina when the collision occurred.

Eyewitness reports said Naraiyan was riding very close behind the motor vehicle and tried to overtake it but crashed after the driver made a sudden right turn onto a sand and loam bridge.

The CBR folded on impact and plunged with the car into a nearby trench. The badly injured Naraiyan was hurled into the air and landed on the parapet with blood spurting from his mouth, ears and head. He died before receiving medical attention.

US Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the US Department of Justice, Richard Downing

Cybersecurity Programme Manager from the Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism, Organization of American States (OAS), Kerry-Ann Barrett

International Day of the Forests is celebrated on March 21; Guyana joins the rest of the world in celebrating International Day of Forests 2023. The theme of the International Day of Forest 2023 is “Forests and Health”.

Forests provide a range of goods and services. Forests sustain and support all aspects of Human Health from clean water for drinking and domestic consumption, clean air, food security, forest foods for animals, and plants used for pharmaceutical medicines and support a huge proportion of Earth’s biodiversity among others. In Guyana, plants used for pharmaceutical medicines is one of the important aspects of the untapped potential of the forest.

Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 elaborates in greater detail on the wide benefits and value of our Forests. 87% of Guyana’s land mass is covered with rich tropical natural forests of which 42% have been allocated for harvesting. Sustainable management of forests and innovative utilization of their resources are key to combating climate change and contributing to the prosperity and well-being of current and future generations. Around 1.6 billion people depend directly on forests for food, shelter, energy, medicines and income. The world is, however, losing 10 million hectares of forest each year – about the size of Iceland. So in spite of all these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits; global deforestation continues at an alarming rate.

In Guyana, the Government through the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guyana Forestry Commission has taken active steps in Forest Conservation and Sustainable Management of this important natural and national asset. Guyana has been harvesting its forest resources for more than a century. However, we have done so in a regulated manner which ensures that the forest resources are sustainably harvested in accordance with internationally accepted guidelines, adapted to the

Guyana-specific country situation. The Forest Sector is important to our economy and despite Guyana being an Oil producing country, forestry remains one of the important non-oil sectors. It provides employment to over 22, 000 people including our Indigenous Peoples’, many of whom live in or in close proximity to the forest. It is also an important foreign exchange earner with an export value of approximately US$ 40M annually. Production has been increasing steadily recording a value of 441,300 cubic meters in 2022. The focus for 2023 has been to increase production and export, advancing our value-added sector. This is directly related to the Low Carbon Development Strategy and our vision to have less impact on the forest.

LCDS 2030 has already delivered significant benefits to the Guyana economy. As further testimony of our good forest stewardship and our low rate of deforestation, Guyana through the ART TREES Standard has 33.5 million carbon credits units certified at the end of 2022- representing credits earned for the period 20162020. Going beyond this, Guyana was able to add value to this by concretising an agreement with HESS Corporation earlier this year to the value to a minimum of US$ 750M for the sale of carbon. This represents the sale of 30% of Guyana’s certified carbon credits

for the period 2016-2030.

The Government of Guyana has also recognized the good stewardship of our forest resources by our Indigenous Peoples’ and its value to them. Accordingly, the Government has allocated 15% of the revenue earned to Indigenous communities.

Guyana has also made significant progress in the area of Forest Governance. At the Conference of Parties (COP 27) in Egypt, I on behalf of the Government signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Forest Partnership Agreement with the European Union to the value of EU 5 million. Just recently this agreement was operationalized by the signing of a Sustainable Livelihood Agreement for EU 5 million between His Excellency President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the visiting EU Deputy Secretary General for External Action Service. Significantly, also at COP 15 in Montreal Canada in December 2022, I on behalf of the Government signed the Voluntary Partnership Agreement commonly referred to as the VPA. Guyana is now the only country in the world to have signed both the VPA and Forest Partnership Agreement.

Our country is presently developing a National Standard for Endorsement by PEFC (Programme for Forest Certification). This will further enhance Guyana’s sustainable forest management

credentials.

Advancements are also being done at the forest sector production level. In 2022 the Government announced a $ 900M Forestry Revolving Fund at a concessional rate of 4% interest. This facility is aimed at helping producers and value-added operators to enhance production and thus contribute to the development of the sector. The launching of this fund will coincide with the celebration of International Day of the Forest on March 21, 2023.

The Government of Guyana through the LCDS 2030 is also exploring the restoration of 200,000 hectares of degraded lands. Through the MRVS and collaboration among Agencies, potential areas for restoration have already been identified.

The government is also finalizing a National Forest Inventory which will inform on the best possible land use options. Further, our Community Development Program where over 65 communities have direct access to prime forest lands (1.2 M ha) is considered a global model for community livelihood improvement and empowerment.

The opportunities within the sector for goods and services are enormous and it is the Government’s vision to embrace these opportunities for the benefit of our people and in support of the wider goal of being a solution to climate change. We will continue to explore this resource for the health and well-being of all Guyanese, and the global community.

I take this opportunity to thank our valued local and international partners for the excellent partnerships they have forged with us in the forestry sector and commit to working with you to accelerate even more, the improvement of Guyana’s Forest sector.

Thank you and Happy International Day of the Forests 2023.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat

Mission accomplished!

By Frederick Halley

WHEN the Regal Legends team departed Guyana on Monday, March 13 for Orlando, Florida, they set out on a mission to cart off the championship honours in the only tournament that have eluded them since joining the softball ranks.

They had successes at home in Guyana, New York and Fort Lauderdale but Orlando, where they played in the 2018 tournament and lost to the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) in the Masters Over-45 category, was still missing from their bulging collection.

On Sunday , March 19, that mission was accomplished when the Campbellville/ Guyana-based team stormed to an emphatic 45-run victory over the hosts, Orlando Cricket Super League (OCSL) at Barnett Park in Orlando. Scorers in the 20-over affair were: Regal Legends 206 for three, OSCL 161 for nine.

The victory was also sweet revenge for Regal Legends who had earlier lost a close encounter to the same opponents in the opening round of the tournament on Friday, prompting owner and long-standing skipper Mahendra Hardyal, who stood out the game, to quip that his team had never lost twice to the same side in an international tournament.

Pumped up, after claiming the scalp of stand-in captain Mahendra Arjune in the first over, after opting to field, the Orlando players and partisan supporters were brought back to earth with a pulsating second-wicket partnership of 163

by opener Uniss Yusuf (80) and the ever-green Ramesh Deonarine (81). The left-hand/ right hand combination sent the spectators into deafening silence, pulverizing the bowling attack with skipper and former Guyana national player, Bhim George finding no answers as the runs flowed

When the partnership ended with the dismissal of Deonarine in the 17th over with the score on 167, the home team was already staring a challenging total although Yusuf departed nine runs later after smashing seven fours and four sixes in his 80. Deonarine’s brilliant knock was laced with two fours and seven sixes. Towards the end, Rudolph “Gussy” Baker hit a breezy undefeated 21 (three fours and a six). Debo Sankar was Orlando’s best bowler with two for 24 while Dean Boodan took the other wicket while conceding 37 runs.

Despite losing a wicket, via a brilliant run out, initiated by Yusuf in the second over, Orlando started at a brisk rate with opener Shauza Saran (35) and George (24) finding the boundary at regular intervals. Two telling blows by Khemraj Sumair in the 12th over, which saw him disturbing the stumps of Saran and Boodan for a golden duck, completely changed the complexion of the game.

Former Guyana Under-19 player Shan Veerasammy, in an all-out attack, which saw him bludgeoning a four and five sixes, gave the homesters some hope but once he was outfoxed by the wily David Harper and lost his stumps for 36, it was al over bar the shouting. Sumair ended with three for 18, Harper two for 21 and Parsram Persaud

two for 43.

It was the Rudolph “Gussy” Baker show in the semi-final on Saturday, which ended in controversy and the game being awarded to Regal Legends after Trophy Stall Lions refused to continue the match when it was moved to an adjoining ground since another body had access to the venue where the game started,

In a brutal display of power-hitting, Baker blasted four fours and 14 sixes in an undefeated 117 off a mere 41 balls as Regal Legends reached 219 for three in their allotted 20 overs.

Trophy Stall Lions were 85 for three after nine overs when the umpires pulled the bails, informing the players that the time was up and the venue was needed for another event. This however didn ’t sit well with the Trophy Stall Lions players. Kash Lutchman hit three four and three sixes in his 41 before he was unfortunately run out.

Earlier in the day , Regal Legends made light work of South Florida, who could only muster 95 for five in their 20 overs, replying to the massive 293 for five made by their opponents . Deonarine with 76 (four fours and seven sixes), Arjune 72 (nine fours and two sixes) and Baker a quick-fire 43 (one four and five sixes) had no respite for the South Florida attack.

Apart from the winning trophy, Regal Legends took home $3000 (US) while all the players were recipients of medals. Deonarine was adjudged the man-of-the-match in the final while Baker carted off the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the Over-50 category.

Kiwis sweep series after breaking Sri Lanka resistance

(REUTERS)-New Zealand have completed an innings and 58-run victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test in blustery Wellington to sweep the series 2-0 as the tourists’ resistance finally broke late on day four. Having been asked to follow-on, Sri Lanka needed 416 runs to make the hosts bat again but were bowled out for 358 in their second innings at the Basin Reserve.

New Zealand completed their third Test win in succession after claiming the thrilling series-opener by two wickets on the last ball in Christchurch and beating England by one run in another cliffhanger in Wellington

Sri Lanka’s hopes of a first win

in the country since 2006 all but ended when their batters managed only 164 in reply to New Zealand’s declared first innings total of 580 for four.

Those hopes were extinguished in the second innings as five of their top seven batters gave up their wickets trying to attack the short ball on a day blighted by severe gusts of wind.

Though victory appeared beyond Sri Lanka when they resumed on 2-113 in the morning, there was some hope they might bat out the day and even save the match with the help of heavy rain forecast on day five.

Four batters made half-centuries and No.6 Dhananjaya de Silva ploughed on to the cusp of a

century by tea

However, a wicket before and after the tea break, including De Silva’s dismissal for 98 with a botched scoop off Michael Bracewell, put the game back in New Zealand’s hands as Sri Lanka fell to 318 for seven.

Tailenders Prabath Jayasuriya and Kasun Rajitha did well to soak up an hour before Jayasuriya top-edged a pull-shot off the spin of Bracewell to be out for two off 45 balls.

Lahiru Kumara joined Rajitha in the blocking mission and New Zealand grew frustrated as the pair resisted for nearly 16 overs

The hosts blew two of their three referrals trying to have Rajitha caught behind off paceman-captain Tim Southee.

‘Bowl full, hit the stumps’: Starc’s Powerplay plan

Mitchell Starc has reinforced just how crucial he will be to Australia’s ODI World Cup plans in October after a devastating display with the new ball against India in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

The left-arm quick ran through the home side’s top order with the first four wickets of the match before finishing with 5-53, his ninth five-wicket haul in ODIs.

Only all-time greats Waqar Younis (13) and Muthiah Muralitharan (10) have claimed more five-wicket hauls in the format.

Starc’s impeccable record in the opening overs of the innings will be of most value to Australia when the World Cup begins in India in a little over six months’ time, with few bowlers around the globe able to strike with such consistency

Since the 2019 ODI World Cup in England, only three bowlers have taken more than 13 wickets in

the Powerplay overs (the first 10 of the innings).

India’s Mohammed Siraj sits top with 26 wickets, Starc is second with 25 and his teammate Josh Hazlewood is third with 18

However, Starc’s wickets have come at the superior strike rate of a wicket every 20.16 balls, compared to Siraj’s 22.8.

And striking in the Powerplay is imperative for World Cup success

Looking at the most recent editions of the men’s tournaments in 2015 and 2019, in both instances the two finalists dominated in terms of Powerplay wickets

In 2019 New Zealand topped that category with 15 wickets, with England one behind on 14.

And four years earlier the Kiwis led the way once again with 19 wickets with Australia sitting in third with 15.

Starc, who boasts a phenomenal World Cup record of 49 wickets

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at an average of 14.81, admitted that tactically his approach has changed very little.

“My plan hasn’t changed for 13 years: bowl full, hit the stumps, try and swing it,” Starc said after Australia’s 10-wicket win in Vizag.

“That ’s been my role for a long time, to try and get wickets up front in the Powerplay.

“At times that means I’m probably more expensive, but I’m trying to bring in all modes of dismissal.

“So it’s certainly not a new game plan these last two games.

“When you’ve got a powerhouse batting unit that India do have, if you can take wickets in the Powerplay it means we sort of control the game in some respects, which is what we did today.”

Although the upcoming World Cup won’t commence until October, Australia have only nine more ODIs before the showpiece event: the final match of this series in Chennai, a five-match series in South Africa in late-August and September, and a three-match series in India again as a lead-in to the tournament.

And with the World Cup set to be held in India, Starc said the experience and knowledge the Australians have gathered from this tour has been invaluable, though the focus is still very much on Wednesday’s finale.

“We now move on to Chennai, where we’ve got a chance (in) the decider … once we get past that game and then it’s probably more of a focus on the World Cup,” Starc said

“There’s parts of this series where the World Cup will be in the back of your mind, but I think predominantly for this group, we’ve still got a chance to win a one-day series in India, which is pretty special.”

New Zealand celebrate taking the final wicket in Wellington // Getty

Southee finally yielded the breakthrough when Kumara made to leave a ball but instead edged to Bracewell in the slips to be out for seven.

New Zealand were granted extra overs to capture the final wicket but it was more a race against failing light than

trying to beat the clock.

To the hosts’ relief, Rajitha soon nibbled at a Southee (3-51) delivery and sent an edge to the slips where Kane Williamson ended the batsman’s 110-ball vigil for 20 to wrap up the match.

Plunkett and Finch sign up for new US T20 league

ENGLAND World Cup winner Liam Plunkett and former Australia captain Aaron Finch are among the players to sign up for a new United States T20 tournament.

They will play for the San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket in July.

Batter Finch, 36, is one of six overseas players along with former South Africa skipper Quinton de Kock.

Pace bowler Plunkett, 37, is eligible as a domestic player because his wife is American.

He made the last of his 89 one-day appearances for England in the 2019 World Cup final triumph against New Zealand at Lord’s.

Plunkett signed up for the tournament - the first US professional T20 league - in 2021 after leaving Surrey, but the proposed start date of 2022 was pushed back by a year.

He has played for the Philadelphians in the Eastern Division of Minor League Cricket and also expressed an interest in playing for the US.

Each of the six teams picked nine US-based players in Sunday’s domestic player draft alongside six overseas signings, with more set to be announced in the next few weeks.

Finch, who retired from international cricket last month, will captain the Unicorns alongside Plunkett and Australia all-rounder Marcus

Second ODI rained off after hosts set record total

THE second one-day international between Bangladesh and Ireland has been abandoned because of persistent rain.

The hosts broke their two-day-old highest score, set in their 183-run win on Saturday with 394-6, but Ireland were

Mushfiqur, 35, hit 14 fours and two sixes in his innings of 100, with nine of those boundaries coming in 11 balls either side of his 50.

His innings was backed up by 73 from Najmul Hossain Shanto, with Litton Das

unable to bat as rain arrived during the interval and never relented.

Mushfiqur Rahim scored his eighth ODI century off the final delivery and his country’s fastest off 60 balls.

Bangladesh’s total was 11 runs more than they made in Saturday’s opener.

contributing 70.

Graham Hume was again pick of the Irish bowlers with 3-58.

The sides will meet again in their final ODI encounter on Thursday, before contesting a three-match Twenty20 series(BBC Sport)

Stoinis.

Wicketkeeper De Kock will play for Seattle Orcas along with another Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, while DC Freedom signed Sri Lanka spin bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga and South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje.

The tournament takes place between 13 and 30 July in Dallas, Texas.

USA Cricket became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2019 and hopes to become a full member by 2030.

The ICC is also bidding to have cricket included in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. (BBC Sport)

Rashford, Mount and Pope withdraw from England squad

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford, Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount and Newcastle keeper Nick Pope have withdrawn from the England squad for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers.

Rashford picked up a knock during his side’s FA Cup quarter-final win against Fulham on Sunday.

Pope, who has 10 caps, suffered an injury in Newcastle’s 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest on Friday.

Mount is also recovering from an injury and will stay with Chelsea.

England manager Gareth Southgate had included him in the initial 25-man squad but Chelsea boss Graham Potter said afterwards that the 24-year-old would not be joining up with the international team.

Mount has not featured for Chelsea since February because of a pubic bone injury and missed Saturday’s Premier League draw against Everton.

Rashford has been in fine form for Manchester United this season, scoring 27 goals in total including 19 since returning from the Qatar World Cup, where

he found the net three times in five games for England.

Tottenham keeper Fraser Forster, 35, has been called up to replace Pope.

Forster won the last of his six England caps in 2016 though he was included in the squad for two friendly games last season.

“No further replacements are planned and 23 players arrived at St. George’ s Park on Monday,” said an England statement.

Southgate’s side travel to Italy on 23 March before hosting Ukraine at Wembley on 26 March`

Former England player Liam Plunkett(left) and former Aussie captain Aaron Finch

Mushfiqur Rahim top-scored for Bangladesh with an unbeaten century.

Nick Pope (centre) has been replaced by Fraser Forster

New record holder’s aim is to keep winning titles for Guyana

By Sean Devers in Trinidad

WHEN Albion’s emerging left-arm spinner Veersammy

Permaul was selected to go to Grenada to make his FirstClass debut against the Windwards in 2007 as a 17 year-old to replace Neil McGarrel, a new era of spin bowling in Guyana had begun replacing Nagamootoo/McGarrel period.

Bowling in tandem with leggie Davendra Bishoo (one of four Guyanese with 100 Tests wickets) until Bishoo played his last game in the aborted 2020 season, Permaul is now the leading wicket-taker in Regional First-Class Cricket.

“Devon smith was my first, First-Class wicket” said the 33-year-old Permaul after breaking fellow left-arm spinner Nakita Miller’s record

The Jamaican took 511 wickets and when Permaul took 3-56 in the first innings of the Guyana Harpy Eagles/ T&T’s Red Force game which ended on Saturday last, the Berbican eclipsed Miller’s haul.

Back in 2006 Permaul had 4-83 on debut including Smith, who was caught behind by Derwin Christian for 34.

Permaul (before T&T’s 2nd innings) has played 132 FirstClass matches and 582 wickets (512 for Guyana, 31 for West Indies in Tests, the other 39 wickets have come for West Indies A, Presidents 1X, Board X1 & West Indies Select X1).

Permaul, who has taken five or more wickets in an innings 31 times (best 8-18 in 2020) and seven 10-wicket match hauls, including a best of 15-77, told Guyana Chronicle how he felt on breaking the record.

“First I want thank God. I am very happy to achieve this milestone.” said Permaul, who in the 2015 Regional First-Class

Matthews struggles as Mumbai lose second straight

season took a record 67 wickets to help Guyana win the first of their five consecutive titles

“I had many memorable moments leading up to this (record) but what stands out for me was helping Guyana to win five Regional titles” added Permaul, who reached 50 wickets in a season on two more occasions.

In 2018 he took 50 from 10 games while 2020 he captured 50 wickets from eight games and was aiming to break his own record when the tournament was called off with two round remaining due the Covid-19 pandemic. “I would say my biggest challenge when I first started to play for Guyana senior team as

17-year-old was that I had some bad and good time trying to understand what is required at this level. It was a process I had to go through to gain the experience that I have now” continued Permaul, who before the start of Red force’s second innings, had 14 wickets from three games this season

Permaul, who has 31 five-wicket and seven 10-wicket hauls, says his goal is to “continue do what I have being doing over the years for my country, hopefully we can keep winning titles and help younger players coming through”

up when Guyana play against Jamaica at home” stated Permaul Miller is the assistant coach of the Jamaica Scorpions.

On November 2012 against Bangladesh in Dhaka when West Indies won by 77 runs. Many would remember Chanderpaul’s unbeaten double century but Permaul, on debut, played a part in that victory with four wickets in the game.

Bowling in tandem with Sunil Narine, his first of 31 Test scalps so far was Mushfiqur Rahim, caught and bowled.

In his nine Test matches, his best is 5-35 while his best match figures is 8-141, but has not played a Test since March last year against England in Barbados.

Permaul has also played seven ODIs since making his debut in 2012 but has played ODI cricket since April 2018 in Karachi when Pakistan beat West Indies by six wickets

Permaul’s 52-year-old mother’s body was found in a shallow grave last year April. She was killed by his father.

“I miss both of my parents but God knows best” said Permaul who was born in Belvedere Corentyne Berbice on August 11, 1989.

Permaul thanked his fans for their support over years.

“I really appreciate it, I looking forward for continuing support. I want to thank to Jesus Christ, my parent, my team mates, coaches, Mr Vemen Walters, my siblings and all who have playeda part in my journey this far” concluded Permaul

MUMBAI, India, (CMC) – West Indies captain Hayley Matthews had little impact with bat or ball as Mumbai Indians slumped to their second loss in three days, to surrender top spot in the Women’s Premier League.

Sent in at the DY Patil Sports Academy here Monday, Mumbai mustered only 109 for eight from their 20 overs and then watched as Delhi Capitals easily overhauled the target with 11 overs to spare, to win by nine wickets.

The 24-year-old Matthews failed with five at the top of the order and picked up the only wicket to fall in Capitals’ innings, her two overs of off-spin leaking 27 runs.

Capitals are now level with Mumbai on 10 points but ahead in the standings courtesy of a superior net run rate.

Matthews was apart of a collapse which saw Mumbai slump to 21 for four in the seventh over, the right-hander third out in the fourth over, brilliantly taken at wide mid

Permaul, who played for the West Indies U-19s in 2008, said that has not yet gotten a call from Miller.

“But I know we would meet

As a spinner, if he remains fit, Permaul could play at this level for at least five more years and could extend the record to way beyond the reach of anyone else, especially with the reduced matches in the Regional First-Class season.

PSV Fan given 40-year stadium ban for attack on keeper

PSV Eindhoven have banned a supporter from their stadium for 40 years after he was found guilty of attacking Sevilla goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic during a Europa League match.

The 20-year-old man, who was already serving a national stadium ban and should not have been in the

ground, was given a threemonth prison sentence.

He was also banned from the area around PSV’s Philips Stadium for two years.

The Dutch club also said it will look to recover financial damages from him.

PSV can expect a heavy fine after UEFA opened a disciplinary case against

them following the incident.

The pitch invader, who PSV said entered the ground using a ticket bought by a friend, was already serving a national stadium ban until 2026 imposed by the Dutch football association.

He approached Serb Dmitrovic near the end of the play-off second leg at the end of February and punched

him in the face. The former Charlton goalkeeper wrestled the man to the ground and stewards led him away.

Dmitrovic was able to continue as Sevilla lost 2-0 on the night, but went through 3-2 on aggregate.

The Spanish six-time Europa League champions will play Manchester United in the quarter-finals.

on by a diving Jemimah Rodrigues off seamer Shikha Pandey (2-21).

Pooja Vastrakar (26) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (23) then stitched up the innings in a 37-run, fifth wicket stand before 20-year-old England rookie Issy Wong (23) and Amanjot Kaur (19) added a further 30 for the seventh to bolster the lower order.

The run chase proved uncomplicated, captain Meg Lanning hitting an unbeaten 32 off 22 deliveries in posting 56 for the first wicket with 19-year-old Indian sensation Shafali Verma (33) and 54 in an unbroken second wicket partnership with England’s Alice Capsey (38 not out), as Capitals coasted in reply.

Lanning struck four fours and a six while Verma blasted half-dozen fours and a six in a 15-ball cameo, before stepping out to Matthews, missing a swing and going stumped in the fifth over.

Capsey quickly banished any thoughts of a Mumbai comeback, belting a four and five sixes in a 17-ball stunner to carry Delhi home.

Mumbai Indians’ Hayley Matthews.

New Regional record-holder Veerasammy Permaul

…Permaul wants to help young players coming through

Formula one

Alonso’s podium reinstated after demotion overturned

Fernando Alonso has been reinstated to third place in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after stewards overturned their earlier decision to demote him.

The Aston Martin driver had been dropped to fourth after it was ruled his team had worked on the car while he was serving a five-second penalty.

But his team successfully argued there were previous examples of drivers not being penalised in such circumstances.

The stewards agreed and overturned their original verdict.

It was the end of a confusing set of events that Alonso had earlier labelled a “poor FIA show” when he believed he had been demoted from the podium to fourth behind Mercedes driver George Russell in a race won by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.

Alonso’s initial five-second penalty was for not placing his car correctly in its grid slot at the start of the race.

He served this at his pit stop on lap 18 but was penalised a further 10 seconds by stewards at the end of the race when they ruled the rear jack touching his car before the five seconds had elapsed constituted “working” on it.

Aston Martin presented minutes from a recent meeting of F1’s sporting advisory group (SAG), which discussed seven different instances of cars being touched by the jack in such a way without being penalised.

Aston Martin argued there had been an agreement between teams and the governing body that it was “incorrect” to rule that “an agreement between the FIA and the teams that touching the car in any way, including with a jack, would constitute ‘working’ on the car”.

The stewards accepted they had been mistaken.

An FIA spokesperson said there were “conflicting precedents, and this has been exposed by this specific circumstance”, and a clarification would be issued before the next race in Australia following a meeting of the SAG.

Alonso also complained that it took too long to be told of the second penalty – and had he been, he would have been able to drive faster to make up the required time deficit.

He had already done this to ensure he was five seconds ahead of Russell when it became apparent late in the race that he might receive a second

penalty, but on the assumption this would be five seconds, not 10.

“They told me I had a five-second penalty so I pushed a little bit harder and I opened seven seconds and I paid the penalty,” he said, before the punishment was reversed.

“In the second stint, there was no investigation, no information, nothing. If someone had told me, ‘You have 10 secs’, I’d have opened 11 secs.”

GCB Four-Day inter-county cricket Rain has final say as last two sessions washed out.

By Sean Devers

RAIN had the final say yesterday at the historic GCC Bourda as the second day’s in the GCB’s Senior Four-Day Inter-County final round match was officially called off at Tea, with two sessions of yesterday being washed.

When the day’s play was finally called off Essequibo, replying to Demerara’s 430-7 declared, Essequoibo reached 28-2 at Lunch.

Defending Champions Demerara began the second day on 394-6 with Akshaya Persaud on 110 and added 17 runs to his overnight score in overcast conditions before his stumps were scattered by Quieten Sampson at 418-7.

Ushardeva Balgobin (15) and Richie Looknauth (4) took the score to 430 before the declaration was made after 3.4 overs and 20 minutes in the day’s play.

Persaud batted for 260 min-

utes, faced 178 balls and hit nine fours and three sixes.

Left-arm spinner Ricardo Adams had 4-128 while off-spinner Malcome Hubbard took 2-83 for Essequibo lost Avinash Persaud (9) and Renaldo Renee (0) in the space of a run to Essequibo on 27-2.

There was a stoppage at 10:47 hrs which halted play for 25 minutes at 27-2 and when play resumed one run was scored before a second shower 10 minutes before the scheduled Lunch break caused an early Lunch to be taken with Essequibo on 28-2.

Kevin Boodie, who made a double century at DCC in the 50-over format in 2013 when Inter-County cricket was replaced by the Franchise League the next year, was on 15 with three fours and Hubbard on one

At 14:00hrs with rain no longer falling, the Umpires, in consultation with Match Referee

Alonso added: “Today is not good for the fans. When you take 35 laps to apply a penalty and to inform about the penalty and you inform after the podium, there’s something really wrong in the system. It is a bit sad for the FIA.”

Russell, whose final position has been put back to

fourth, said he believed both penalties were too harsh for the offences in question.

“I understand why these rules are there,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to stick within the guidelines. But I think a little bit of common sense needs to be shown.

“Ultimately, I think he

was a bit to the left [on the grid], was that right? He gained nothing from this. Perhaps a five-second [penalty] is too much.

“And then with regards to his pit stop again, I don’t know what happened and why he received the further penalty exactly. But a 10-second is too extreme in that case again.”

Alonso accepted he had made a mistake in positioning his car, but Russell and race-winner Perez agreed that a lack of visibility from the cockpit was a problem.

Perez said: “I just overdid it and I stopped too early, but you have no idea when you are in the car. You don’t know if you went too far or from behind or too far forward.

“We need better visibility to be able to come up with a better idea than we currently have it. It’s good that there is a rule in place, but at the same time, sometimes it’s like luck, to be honest, where you position yourself.” (BBC Sport)

LA Lakers beat Orlando Magic to rekindle play-off hopes

Austin Reaves scored a career high 35 points as the Los Angeles Lakers rekindled their play-off push with a 111-105 win over the Orlando Magic.

er in NBA history with a triple-double of more than 20 points with perfect shooting.

Colin

that an inspection would be made but as soon as the officials reached the bottom of steps, there was another downpour which continued well into the afternoonening.

Bourda is prone to flooding and if rain continues today and the match is washed out then Essequibo, with two wins and one point ahead of the home team at this stage, will win their first four-day title at this level.

Essequibo have beaten Demerara just once…in 1980 under the Captaincy of Bennie Sankar. However, they lost to Berbice inthe final which had First-Class status until 1990 when it was removed Essequibo are without Ronsford Beaton, Kemol Savory, Keemo Paul and Anthony Adams due to National duties while Demerara are without Leon Johnson, Matthew Nandu and Tevin Imlach

D’Angelo Russell scored 18 and Anthony Davis added 15 points to end the Lakers’ two-game losing streak.

Reaves, 24, was met with chants for ‘MVP’ (most valuable player) from the crowd at the Crypto.com Arena.

“I play with a sense of urgency, leave it all out on the floor, that’s how basketball should be played,” he said

Talking about the crowd chants, Reaves added: “For them to recognize what I doobviously not an MVP-caliber player, those guys are really good - but for them to do that for me is special, it means a lot to me.”

The Lakers are 10th in the Western Conference, taking the last spot in the playin tournament with 10 games of the regular season remaining.

Teams placed seventh to 10th in the Western and Eastern conferences will contest the play-in. with two teams taking the final two spots in the plays-offs.

Elsewhere, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 points and achieved 13 rebounds and 10 assists as Eastern Conference leaders the Milwaukee Bucks recorded a 118111 win over the play-off chasing Toronto Raptors.

He finished with a perfect shooting record with nine from nine field goals, and one three pointer, becoming the fourth play-

Nikola Jokic scored his 28th triple-double of the season in the Denver Nuggets’ 108-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The Nuggets lead the Western Conference by four games.(BBC Sport).

Alfred decided

Fernando Alonso said a delay in informing him of his second penalty showed there was “something really wrong in the system”

Austin Reeves scored a careerhigh 35 points for the LA Lakers.

Linden All-Stars retain Rawle Toney

3x3 Classic title - Ballin4Peace edged out; USA team finished third

most perfect, and that’s all thanks to the players and officials,” Toney said.

Suriname FIBA-accredited referees Harold Meinzak and Mitchell Zeefuik according to Toney, raised the profile of officiating in the tournament.

“Over the couple years of the tournament, officiating was a sour point, so I invested to bring referees in. GBF president Michael Singh made contact with his Suriname counterparts and they identified two of their best officials to complement what we have in Guyana. The players hardly had any complaints and everything went smooth,” Toney said.

Toney thanked ENet, MVP

Dottin left ‘bewildered’ after being deemed unfit by Gujarat Giants

DEANDRA Dottin says she was fit to play in the Women’s Premier League despite Gujarat Giants announcing her withdrawal for “medical reasons”.

Dottin said she had been cleared fit to play from 14 February after suffering “minor abdominal pain”. But the former West Indies all-rounder said she was instructed by Gujarat to get scans completed before the WPL began on 4 March.

The scans were not done in the time requested and Dottin was deemed unfit.

TWO exciting days of basketball in the Rawle Toney 3x3 Classic at the Burnham Court culminated with Linden All-Stars retaining their title.

The March 18 – 19 event featured 16 teams, but when it came down to the final two standing, the Linden All-Stars team of Stanton Rose Jr , Shelroy Thomas, Shane Webster and Harold Adams brushed aside GT Ballers 21 – 13.

In 3x3 basketball, the first team to score 21 points in 10 minutes of play is adjudged the winner, or a winner is also determined with the team that scores the most points in 10 minutes.

Both teams played undefeated in the tournament’s preliminary round and topped their respective groups.

GT Ballers stormed past the impressive -looking Ballin4Peace USA team, who seemed poised to hoist the trophy after steamrolling through Group A.

However, Dominic Vincente, Oqaucey Shortt, Nikkoloi Smith and Ryan Stephney had other plans when they faced the USA team in the first semi-finals

Former ‘pro baller’ Haron Har-

grave was lighting the tournament up with his sniper-like aim along with Marcin Termena.

Birchell Glenn and Kelvin Fraser were the USA team’s muscle in the tournament, but the GT Ballers team wanted to ensure that the trophy and the $400,000 from Team Mohamed’s remained in the Land of Many Waters.

The Guyanese men battled to a 21 – 14 win over the Americans, while the tournament’s eventual winners, Linden All-Stars, made light work of Bullets in their semi-finals, winning 21-7 Ballin4Peace didn’t leave empty-handed; they finished third and pocketed $100,000, compliments of VSH Guyana Inc.

Century Tamara Logistics Services Inc’s Business Development Officer, Varshnie Rampersaud, was on hand to present Linden All-Stars with their Championship Rings. The oil and gas logistics company teamed up with Jacobs Jewellery for this year’s first-place incentive.

Stanton Rose Jr was named tournament MVP and pocketed $50,000 from Signature Moves Marketing Agency. The company is owned by

former National basketball player Steve Neils Jr and his wife, Ulex Smith-Neils.

Rose will also be riding back to Region 10 on a motorcycle, thanks to Rock Auto Trans and Spares

“I was more than pleased with the outcome and the success of this year’s tournament. I think it was al-

Sports, Cole’s Screen Printing, Star Party Rentals, HJ 94.1FM, Germans Restaurant, Slingerz Family Entertainment, Shi-Oil, Trophy Stall and Nel Global Security Company Inc for coming on board and helping to make the 2023 edition a success.

Police Falcons pick apart

GDF 48-12 in GRFU 12s

By Calvin Chapman

THE Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) had another exciting clash of rugby 12s last Sunday at the National Park’s rugby outfield. The clash saw the younger Police Falcons unit registering an emphatic 48-12 win over the veteran Guyana Defence Force (GDF) side

Lionel Holder continued his purple patch to be the standout player in the match with

a total of three tries and two conversions.

The Falcons took command of the game early on through Shawn David’s try which was converted well by former national player, now coach; Theodore Henry, who is proving that he still has a lot more power in the engine.

The second try of the game was touched by GDF’s Avery Corbin and it was converted by Kevin Wills to see the army men tie the score

and give their troops hope of a victory but Falcons Adrian Hall quickly quelled those ambitions with a try which was eventually became Holder’s first conversion of the clash.

Holder then quickly registered his first try to close off the first half of play 19-7 in favour of Police Falcons. On play’s resumption, Jonathan David contributed a try for the defence force to keep their hope alive of a comeback with the score

“I remain deeply disappointed by what can only, plausibly, be described as bewildering reasoning for my omission from the tournament,” Dottin said in a statement on social media.

In the statement, Dottin says she was told with one day’s notice to submit her first scan by Sunday 26 February.

She was then given a new date of 1 March, but that Gujarat were unable to assist her with booking the scan at a private hospital and that they were going to replace her in the squad.

Dottin, 31, was bought by Gujarat for approximately £60,000 in the WPL auction on 13 February, but was then replaced by Australian Kim Garth.

She said she was treated for the abdominal pain in December 2022 and was told to rest until mid-February by specialists, which was when she could resume training and playing.

“I experienced some soreness on the first day of my resumed training which was anticipated and reasonable,” Dottin said in the statement.

“I was transparent about this in correspondence with the Gujarat Giants physiotherapist, however this was misconstrued and later conveyed to members of the franchise’s management team as me ‘experiencing abdominal pain post-session’ which was not what I had indicated.”

This led to Gujarat’s requests of scans, to which Dottin said came as a “shock”.

On 5 March, Gujarat said in a statement that they were “unable to obtain medical clearance” for Dottin.

“To the best of my knowledge, other players had not been requested to partake in medical testing nor require medical clearance,” said Dottin.

BBC Sport has contacted Gujarat Giants for comment. (BBC Sport)

19-12.

However, in the final 10 minutes of the encounter, the youngsters of Police Falcons turned up the heat and registered an incredible 28 unanswered points.

During this period, Holder and Michael Barrow scored two tries each, while Tevin Garraway etched his name in the scoresheet with one. In terms of conversions, Holder made two while Henry did one.

Century Tamara Logistics Services Inc’s Business Development Officer, Varshnie Rampersaud joined by tournament models after presenting Championship Rings to Linden All-Stars

Stanton Rose Jr was named the Rawle Toney 3x3 Classic MVP and received one Motorcycle and $50,000

Police Falcons’ Lionel Holder in action against GDF on Sunday last.

…Regal Legends crowned Orlando Cup Over-50 champs Mission accomplished!

Coley urges intensity as WI eye historic series win

POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa, (CMC) – West Indies are buoyed by the prospect of their first series win over South Africa in three decades, and interim head coach Andre Coley has urged his side for continued intensity in the final One-Day International of the three-match series which bowls off here today.

The Caribbean side were excellent in the second ODI in East London last weekend, producing a strong all-round performance to take down the Proteas by 48 runs at Buffalo Park.

With the opener rained off last Thursday, the final game will serve as a series decider, with West Indies in touching distance of their first series win over South Africa since the inaugural 1992 series between the two teams in the Caribbean.

“Every game brings new possibilities. We’re in a very good space mentally and we’re happy with our preparation,” Coley told reporters on Monday.

“And we’re really just looking at making sure we’re ready for this game. The conditions, we’ll obviously have to work that out and work out what is the best approach, but we’ve been taking it on a match-bymatch basis.

“We’re in a good space, we’ve had good plans and everybody is just looking forward to playing this second ODI with the possibilities that

are in front of us.”

He added: “There are always going to be areas that you can point [to] for improvement but we’re just looking for a new start – a fresh start – and to be better all-round.”

While praising West Indies’ 335 for eight in East London, Coley urged his batsmen to build on their starts. Only Shai Hope, in his first game as captain, carried on with an unbeaten 128 – his 14th ODI hundred.

Rovman Powell (46), former captain Nicholas Pooran (39) and openers Kyle Mayers (36) and Brandon King (30) all got starts but failed to carry on.

“Obviously it was satisfying, firstly getting a total of 300-plus … obviously on the back of Shai’s hundred batting through the innings,” Coley pointed out.

“Obviously we had significant partnerships [but] it would still have been good to see more batters go on from the starts but [there were] very encouraging signs nonetheless.”

In pursuit of their highest ever target against West Indies, South Africa got away quickly to be 184 for two at the half-way stage of the innings, before fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein hauled their side back into the contest with three-wicket hauls.

But leg-spinner Yannic Cariah went at nine runs per over and fast bowler Odean Smith, eight runs per over, and Coley said the team

would be striving for an improved bowling effort overall.

“Obviously we were put under pressure quite early and I thought we responded quite well,” the Jamaican said.

“Kyle, for instance, [getting] that key wicket of Quinton (de Kock) and he was going really well for them and obviously that opened a door for us.

“As the innings progressed, we were able to respond and in the end we ended up with a comfortable win, I thought.”

The third ODI bowls off at 10 am (4 am Eastern Caribbean time),

SQUADS:

SOUTH AFRICA – Temba Bavuma (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams, Rassie van der Dussen

WEST INDIES – Shai Hope (captain), Rovman Powell, Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith

Regal Legends players show off their winnings

MVP Rudolph “Gussy” Baker is rewarded for his brilliant performances with the bat.