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TUESDAY 2nd AUGUST, 2022 See inside

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No. 106802

Government is robustly delivering on its manifesto promises

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Selfless was their struggle

- the sacrifices of our African ancestors must never be minimised, says President Ali

President, Dr Irfaan Ali, on Monday participated in the Emancipation Day celebrations in New Amsterdam and the National Park (Adrian Narine and Office of the President photos)

Norton plays possum on handshake, again SEE PAGE

Amputee for 50 years, Rahim never gave up

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Norton plays possum on handshake, again

President, Dr Irfaan Ali “DISGUSTING and disturbing” were the words used by President, Dr Irfaan Ail in reference to Leader of the Opposition (LoO), Aubrey Norton’s stubborn immaturity of refusing to shake his hands. According to the President, Norton is setting a bad precedent for the country’s younger generation, who

may think that it okay not to shake hands, show good sportsmanship and camaraderie. “I have a little son and I never ever want us to live in a country in which my little son must grow up and your little children must grow up, ashamed and afraid to shake each other’s hands. That is disgusting and disrespect-

ful and must never ever get seed to grow in this country. I speak to you with great humility and honour,” the President said. He was at the time delivering remarks at the Emancipation Day Cultural Diversity Festival held at Stelling Road, New Amsterdam, Region Six, on Monday. Both the President and

Norton were invited to speak at the event. On his arrival at the event, President Ali was greeted by several of the invitees with a handshake. However, while most persons returned the gesture as is respectfully acceptable, the LoO and other members of his delegation refused to shake the President’s outstretched hand. They instead chose to bow their heads. Back in June of this year, the LoO had accused the President of bullying him into a handshake at an event held by the British High Commission. Earlier this year, VicePresident, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had said candidly that Norton is not ready for the big league. Notwithstanding Norton’s ‘hand-hiding’ strategy, the President continues to display honourable behaviour towards Norton and other members of the opposition camp. Holding up his hands, the President said: “This hand that God has created equally like all the other hands of this country is ready to shake your hands,

to embrace you, to hug you, to lead you, to work with you and together this hand that I am blessed with is in the service of you,” the President said. He added: “I will continue to put my hands out in friendship to every single Guyanese whether they want to shake my hands or not. That I will leave the door open for anyone who wants to join in this mission of bringing us together. The door is wide open. But I will not stand by the door and wait for those who do not want to come.” The President made it clear that while Norton may have issues with his presence, he does not have any qualms with the presence or remarks made by Norton. “I can sit in any room and listen to any message. Whether the message is in positively or negatively, I will listen because I believe that we can only succeed if we work together, if we are One Guyana, if we support each other, if we walk with each other, if we talk with each other, if we embrace

each other,” the President said. “That is why I’m so comfortable walking in here and embracing you and feeling your love and dancing with you. If we can’t dance with each other, if we can’t hug each other, if we can [sic] shake each other’s hand, then how can we uplift each other?” he asked. On his arrival at the event, the President received a warm welcome and was flocked by residents of New Amsterdam as he made his way to the venue. The President also called out Norton for leaving the venue immediately after speaking and not waiting for anyone else to speak. “Working together, respecting each other we cannot have a conversation when one partner in a conversation rushes out of a room after making statements. That is not a conversation, that is a misguided pathway of a narrative that is not based on finding the truth and finding solutions,” the President said.

Hundreds turn out for Berbice Emancipation celebration champagne glasses made from recycled plastic bottles. It is her effort to keep her environment clean. At Alva’s Knotral Enterprise, the traditional sweetmeats such as ‘mithai,’ tamarind balls, and flavoured fudge were on sale. Beauty products, for hair and skin, were also on display. Melba La Gadoue,

known for her coconut floral arrangements, kitchen sauces and fruit beverages, also had her produce on display alongside the large group of business owners. Mitford Ward, known as ‘Wardy,’ displayed various flours, ranging from corn to barley and plantain, among other items. The villages of Sand-

voort, Fyrish, Kildonan, and Light Town were the most prominent villages in attendance. Ms Aileen Hinds showcased her floral arrangements and champagne glasses made from recycled plastic bottles. For her, it is an effort to keep the environment clean. TURN TO PAGE 3

RAPAC group members display dance techniques By Jeune Van Keric HUNDREDS of persons, families included, were ‘decked out’ in brightly coloured African prints, with matching head wraps and turbans, as they converged at the cul-de-sac Stelling Road, New Amsterdam, Berbice, where a cultural presentation was held under the theme: “Celebrating our Emancipation and Cultural Diversity.’

The event, held on Monday, Emancipation Day, commemorated the 184th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the British colonies. The celebrants did not allow the effects of the COVID-19 virus to keep them indoors, as it did over the last two years. The cultural expressions of songs, poetry, dance and music followed a grand parade, led by the Council of Friends

of New Amsterdam (COFONA) marching band. The parade went through the main thoroughfare before arriving at its destination where craft booths and food stalls lined both sides of the roadway. All through the way, first-time small business entrepreneurs displayed their goods and services. Ms Aileen Hinds, a remigrant, showcased her floral arrangements and

The COFONA marching band as it led the march through New Amsterdam’s main thoroughfare

Selfless was their struggle

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 2, 2022

- the sacrifices of our African ancestors must never be minimised, says President Ali

THE sacrifices made by our African ancestors in their fight for the abolition of slavery must forever be given the honour and respect they deserve, and must never be diminished. These sentiments were expressed by President, Dr Irfaan Ali on Monday as he delivered the feature address at the Emancipation Day Cultural Diversity Festival held at Stelling Road, New Amsterdam, Region Six, in celebration of Emancipation Day. The celebration was observed under the theme, “Celebrating Our Emancipation and Cultural Diversity.” “I am humbled that I benefit from the sacrifice of our African ancestors who laid their lives. I am humbled by the many African brothers and sisters who shaped my life, who helped in shaping who I am today. Humbled and honoured by the sacrifice that they made, sacrifices that must not be minimised,” the President said. He added: “Never minimise the sacrifice. Never minimise the service. From the day we minimise their contribution we are doing an injustice to our ancestors and we’re doing an injustice

to those persons who serve every day.” The President said all must honour that sacrifice and uphold the freedom. The struggles faced by Africans to attain emancipation, he said, was more than just the ending of slavery, noting that it set the stage for all of humanity to be accepted as one. “This struggle was not only for Afro Guyanese and African brothers and sisters in the world. This was the struggle that led to the Civil Rights movement. This was the struggle that unlocked the potential of every single human being in the family of humanity. Our ancestors struggled not selfishly but selflessly for all the people that enjoyed being characterised in the family of humanity. Let us not minimise this struggle,” he said. The President told the gathering that he is proud to be in a country in which many African Guyanese serve in prominent positions. They must be respected and honoured for their service to Guyana, he said. The President pointed to the health-care, education and joint services sectors as some of the areas where Afro-Guyanese have given

dedicated service, all made possible because of the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom. “They are here because of the sacrifices of their ancestors. Let us applaud them today, let us celebrate them, let us make them understand that we are appreciative of

them,” he said. Accompanying the President at the New Amsterdam celebrations were Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd and Minister of Tourism, Com-

FROM PAGE 2 The traditional dishes such as cook-up, ‘fat top,’ ‘conkie,’ cassava pone, and ‘metemgee’

were found at most stalls. Attendees, however, requested other dishes such as ‘foo-foo’ and “coo-coo’, which

seem to have lost their way from the traditional menu here. That aside, the municipalities of Corriv-

erton, Rose Hall and New Amsterdam were represented by their respective mayors, Mr Winston Roberts, Mr. Dave Budhu, and Ms. Winifred Heywood, respectively. Roberts and Budhu brought congratulatory messages, while Heywood welcomed the distinguished guests among whom were President, Dr Irfaan Ali, who gave the keynote address and was accompanied by Cabinet members Dr Ashni Singh, Mr Hugh Todd, and Ms Oneidge Walrond. Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Chairman David Armogan, and Vice-Chairman Zamal Hussain were also present. The event was organized by overseasbased Guyanese Ms Carol Trim- Bagot, Ms Marva Gordon, and team.

President, Dr Irfaan Ali being greeted on his arrival at the Emancipation Day Cultural Diversity Festival held at Stelling Road, New Amsterdam, Region Six

merce and Industry, Oneidge Walrond. Also in attendance were Regional Chairman, David Armogan; Mayor of New Amsterdam, Winifred Heywood; Mayor of Rose Hall Town, Dave Budhu; and Mayor of Corriverton, Winston Roberts.

Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, was also present and made remarks at the event. During his remarks, he called on Afro-Guyanese to embrace entrepreneurship and enterprises that will generate wealth for future generations.

Hundreds turn out for Berbice Emancipation...

Sheon Chisolm displays her honey products on the roadside in New Amsterdam

Re-migrant Aileen Hinds showcases her floral arrangements and wine glasses made from recycled plastic

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Al-Qaeda leader killed in US drone strike

The US has killed the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a drone strike in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden has confirmed. He was killed in a counter-terrorism operation carried out by the CIA in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Sunday. Biden said Zawahiri had “carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens”. “Now justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,” he added. Officials said Zawahiri was on the balcony of a safe house when the drone fired two missiles at him. Other family members were present, but they were unharmed and only Zawahiri was killed, they added.

Ayman al-Zawahiri (AFA/BBC photo) Biden said he had given the final approval for the “precision strike” on the 71-year-old al-Qaeda leader after months of planning. Zawahiri took over al-Qaeda after the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011. He and Bin Laden plotted the 9/11 attacks together and he was one of the US’s “most wanted terrorists”. His killing will bring closure to families of the victims of the 2001 attacks, Biden said. “No matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out,” said Biden, adding that “we shall never waver from defending our nation and its people”. Biden said Zawahiri had also masterminded other acts of violence, including the suicide bombing of the USS Cole naval destroyer in Aden in October 2000 which killed 17 US sailors. A Taliban spokesman described the US operation as a clear violation of

international principles. “Such actions are a repetition of the failed experiences of the past 20 years and are against the interests of the United States of America, Afghanistan and the region,” the spokesman added. However, US officials maintained that the operation had a legal basis. The killing of Zawahiri comes nearly a year after US troops completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan on the orders of Biden, bringing an end to a 20-year military presence there. Under a 2020 peace deal with the US, the Taliban agreed not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in areas under their control. However, the Taliban and al-Qaeda are longtime allies and US officials said the Taliban were aware of Zawahiri’s presence in Kabul. Biden insisted that Afghanistan would never again become a safe haven for terrorists. (BBC)

GUYANA CHRONICLE TuesdAY, August 2, 2022

Diabetic Centre at Lusignan completed

THE building housing the one-stop diabetes centre at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, is completed and being furnished with suitable medical equipment. The facility is expected to be opened before year end, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, said last Saturday during a community outreach in Melanie, East Coast Demerara. The one-stop diabetes centre would have all the services required to test or treat for diabetes under one building. In Budget 2022, the government had announced that

some $35 million was allocated for the establishment of the centre. In recognising some of the challenges faced with health centres, Government has allocated $100 million for every region to fund their improvement. “In many of our health centres and so forth, we have already started and in some cases completed the infrastructure improvement,” the Health Minister stated. While acknowledging that persons often complain about health centres not having medicines, the minister noted that the Government

has been working steadfastly to resolve this issue and is supplying about 85 to 90 per cent of the medicines on their essential list. He also expressed interest in working closely with residents on the East Coast of Demerara to improve the health sector and have started training of health care workers. “So, later on maybe we’ll be talking to some of you who have interest or know somebody who has an interest in doing nursing or becoming a community health worker… we have about 20 different training pro-

grammes in the Ministry of Health and we want and need people,” Minister Anthony related. Meanwhile, he related to the residents in attendance that regional hospitals will be built from Skeldon, Region Six, all the way across the coast to Anna Regina, Region Two. One of those will be in Enmore. The one at Enmore, he stated, will have at least 75 in-patient beds, a modern accident and emergency section, modern laboratories and a modern imagining suite which would not just consist of x-rays and ultrasounds but

Suspect reportedly confessed to killing businessman

THE prime suspect in the murder of businessman Vickram Seubarran, 53, of Lot 135 Number Two Village, Region Six, whose body was discovered in a pool of blood next to a dining table in his kitchen early Monday morning, has reportedly admitted his involvement in the crime. Commander of B Division, Boodnarine Persaud, has confirmed the arrest of the main suspect along with two other persons. Seubarran was the owner of Universal DVD and Stationery Solutions located at Main and Trinity Streets, New Amsterdam. His body was found around 06:00hrs while a section of a bedroom situated in the lower flat appeared ransacked. Drawers were left opened and a wardrobe mirror was shattered. Family members could not ascertain if anything

Vickram Seubarran valuable was taken from the home. The perpetrator reportedly gained access to the house via a back kitchen door that was opened. The blade of the murder weapon was allegedly lodged in the victim’s back. According to a brother of the deceased, Dean Seubarran, the discovery was made by a female

relative who works at the home. He explained that he would usually visit and check in with his brother regularly and Monday was no exception. He said as he was making his way into the yard, he saw his cousin crying. “I was going there when I saw a cousin that usually goes there to clean up was running out crying that Vick fall and in the kitchen and there was blood on the floor. When I come in two neighbours come with me and I shake him and he was cold, so the neighbour said don’t touch him so we called the police,” Dean related. Dean said he last saw his brother on Sunday when he visited. “I was here yesterday [Sunday] and after cricket started, I say I going home and watch so I left him watching and he didn’t go anywhere, cause the same clothes I left him with

yesterday he was wearing when we found him.” As news spread of the gruesome discovery, several neighbours, family members and friends rushed to the scene. A “next-door” neighbour told reporters that she also saw Vickram on Sunday afternoon, but learnt of his death on Monday morning when she heard loud crying. Seubarran was described as a quiet, compassionate, friendly and helpful individual. He was also a sports enthusiast and a former President of the Port Mourant Sports Club. According to a source, the prime suspect who is said to be in his early 20s, is well known to Seubarran. The two others in custody were detained for questioning. The police are continuing their investigation into the matter.

Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony a modern computed tomography (CT) scan, free of cost. “No longer will you have to leave here to go to Georgetown and then pay maybe between 30 to 70,000

dollars for a CT scan. We will be able to offer it here, free of cost so that people can get the best imaging technology,” Minister Anthony said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE TuesdAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

The Twitter Deal or No Deal

TECHNOLOGY mogul Elon Musk’s bid to buy the social media platform, Twitter, for just about US$44 billion appears to be falling apart. At least, that’s what he hopes, by all indications. But the company’s leadership isn’t allowing him to ease out of the arrangement without a fight. Musk had put a number of conditions on the purchase, some of which he tweeted himself. Earlier in May, the billionaire owner of Tesla and SpaceX had said: “If Twitter acquisition completes, company will be super focused on hardcore software engineering, design, infosec & server hardware.” But before that, Business Insider speculated about some of the changes Musk would make to the

platform. Not much of it was speculation, as Musk himself had made pronouncements continuously throughout the period from the announcement of his potential acquisition of Twitter to now. “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated… I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans,” Business Insider quoted Musk as saying in April. On the platform itself, some believed that Musk would pave the way for the return of former US President Donald Trump

to Twitter after Trump’s account was “permanently suspended” by the platform following the January 6 Capitol Hill riot, for which a special committee of the United States Congress is still hearing testimonies now. Musk had also come out against the platform for what he felt were a large number of “bots” or fake accounts which were controlled by computer programmes aimed at stirring up trouble on the platform. The success of Musk’s buyout of Twitter, for him, hinged on the company’s ability to prove him wrong. The cost, however, was big. A request was made for Twitter to hand over large amounts of data generated from its more than 290 million users. As Clare Duffy of CNN Business put it in a June

opinion piece: “Twitter apparently plans to provide Musk with its “firehose” of data about tweets on the platform, according to recent reports from the Washington Post and the New York Times. “The Twitter firehose is the real-time stream of the millions of public tweets posted on the platform daily and information on the accounts behind them, although it does not contain private information such as the IP address from which the tweet was posted. Duffy’s analysis went a bit deeper, as any dataconscious and privacyconscious person would, noting: “The seemingly unprecedented nature of sharing such data with Musk — an individual who doesn’t work for the company, isn’t a researcher and doesn’t belong to

the handful of companies who pay to access the data — could create a number of unknowns, from competitive risks to privacy concerns, some industry watchers note. And that’s not to mention Musk’s history of inflammatory and sometimes erratic behaviour online and offline.” Now that Musk wants out, citing the bots issue as grounds, Twitter could possibly activate a clause of the initial agreement with Musk which could force him to pay US$1 Billion for terminating the deal, a clause that is bound on both parties. As it stands now, the matter is before a special court in Delaware—the Delaware Court of Chancery, a court of equity that deals largely with determining disputes of corporations in that state.

Twitter was incorporated in Delaware in 2007 before making it big. The court has opted to hear the matter expeditiously. While Musk had asked for a two-week trial in February 2023, the court has instead ruled to have a five-day trial in October. There’s speculation that Musk just thinks the US$44 billion price tag for buying Twitter is overpriced, but considering the level of cooperation given by Twitter’s board already, to ensure the deal goes through, it wouldn’t be so easy to back out now. A number of the company’s senior executives are resigning amidst the confusion, and legal and tech experts are keeping a close eye on this case because it feels very much like uncharted territory.

Two years on, Guyana’s medium-to-long-term development looks good Dear Editor, AUGUST 2 marks two years since the PPP/C was elected to office in the March 2 General and Regional Elections. For the first time in our electoral history did the results of an election took such a long time to be officially declared due to all manner of unfounded allegations of voting ‘irregularities’ by the APNU+AFC Coalition. Be that as it may, the country under the leadership of President, Dr

Mohamed Irfaan Ali has been making great strides and Guyana is today an important player on the regional and international stage. Indeed, Guyana is now regarded as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, thanks to oil and gas and prudent economic and fiscal management of the economy. The prospects for Guyana’s medium-to-longterm development looks good, as the PPP/C administration is investing heavily on infrastructural

development, while at the same time placing much emphasis on the development of its human and social capital. This convergence of social and physical capital at such an accelerated pace has the potential to transform Guyana’s economy to one of the strongest in the region. The biggest challenge facing us as a society is to find ways to get the main opposition party to come on board and play its role within the framework of the Constitution and the

norms of democracy and responsible conduct. Regrettably, the APNU+AFC continue to peddle a false narrative of being ‘cheated’ out of office and unashamedly refer to the PPP/C as an ‘installed’ regime, despite the fact that the results of the elections were verified as free, fair and transparent by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and local and international observers. Such a stance is not only misleading but also counter-productive from

the standpoint of our image as a democratic and rules-based society. President Ali recently had cause to correct a number of false perceptions regarding governance in Guyana by some misguided persons in the United States. It is sad that some individuals are basing their conclusions on false and unsubstantiated premises and apparently do not take the time and effort to make statements and utterances on the basis of facts and objective reality.

The PPP/C administration, meanwhile, continues to press ahead with its people-centred development agenda based on the ‘One Guyana’ vision as articulated by President Ali. The achievements of the government are there for all to see and much more is expected as the modernisation programme picks up momentum in the years ahead. Yours sincerely, Hydar Ally

GUYANA CHRONICLE TuesdAY, August 2, 2022

Perspective: Guyana Then and Now OP-ED: Two Years: August 2020 & August 2022 By Ron Cheong WHAT a difference between August 2020 and August 2022. It’s like night and day. In 2020 democracy was gravely threatened, the country was near bankrupt, the COVID-19 response was a mess and the country’s reputation was in tatters. Plus, it seemed that we didn’t know to count. But throughout the challenge, diplomatic missions, CARICOM, the Commonwealth, International Observers, Guyanese at large and others held firm and resolute in the face of the blatant attempt to intimidate, subvert our democracy, and illegally cling to power. It took no small effort, to ‘facedown’ the obstinate and insidious threat. But the champions of democracy prevailed. The closely scrutinised election results were finally verified, the winner was declared and a new energetic cabinet with a balance of experience and youth was sworn in. The new government hit the ground running. It set a blistering pace to heal the nation and bring about change. It prepared a national budget, which normally takes over 150 days, in just 21 days. The COVID – 19 response took off immediately and efforts to stabilize the country began. Two years later, Guyana continues to make rapid social and economic progress with the underlying driver of all policies and programmes being the philosophy of One Guyana – a social contract of inclusion that seeks the equitable distribution of assets, goods and services to the people, including equal access to education, employment, health services and justice. Since taking office, the government has distributed over 12,000 house lots across the country on the way to its goal of distributing 50,000 lots in its first five years. The just completed International Building Expo 2022 had to be extended by two days because of high demand. Thousands of people visited the expo, which brought together aspiring homeowners, builders, lenders, suppliers and government entities. The country is firing on all cylinders; the economy

is projected to almost double this year with GDP reaching $9.5 billion. What a difference. Stronger Bonds Closer Cooperation And in the final week before the two-year mark of his Inauguration, President Ali headed a high level delegation to Washington, meeting with top members of the Biden administration, senators, congressional members and other officials in a packed agenda including speaking engagements and meetings with distinguished policy groups. Present at many of those sessions was Sarah-Ann Lynch the US Ambassador to Guyana since 2019. It is ironic that the attempt to overturn democracy in Guyana actually resulted in stronger bonds being forged with our CARICOM neighbours, the ABC and EU countries and others. In the country’s hour of need the diplomatic missions and international community stood firmly and unflinching by our side. They surely deserve our gratitude and thanks. Now just two short years later, Guyana is so transformed we can reciprocate with our friendship, cooperation and help. While we would not want to forget old friends, there is surely room to enhance and deepen other relations to mutual benefit. Guyana has much to offer, but can also benefit from assistance from more highly advanced partners to get our development train fully back on track. One sign that things are headed in that direction is the inking of a US$2 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Guyana and the US Export Import (EXIM) Bank while the delegation was in Washington. Sectors eligible for financing using US knowhow include roads and bridges, energy, telecommunications, water treatment and sanitation and agriculture. Among the top US Administration officials that President Ali and the delegation had meetings with over the week were Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Commenting on teleconference with the US Vice President, President Ali was very frank and

open, very respectful and he was able to outline his vision and continue the dialogue they had started earlier at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. And in his feedback, the US Secretary of State said that Guyana has been a very strong partner for the United States, and is in many ways a global leader. He added that the two countries would continue to advance discussions and collaboration in areas of cooperation. Blinken further emphasised that the US is very eager to continue to deepen and strengthen the partnership. President Ali and his delegation also had a series of meetings with US policy makers at Capitol Hill. They met and had discussions with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Senators Tim Kaine, Marco Rubio and Cory Booker among other influential lawmakers. Senator Booker commended President Ali on his leadership and developmental plans for Guyana, and he made a commitment to advance issues of mutual interest on the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on which he sits. By all measures the entire visit by the delegation went extremely well and was very productive. Congresswoman Jackson Lee presented the President with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition and called his election victory a triumph of democracy. Guyana also comes away with much needed financing for its development programme and the indication that the US is eager to continue strengthening ties with Guyana and CARICOM. Guyana Not Empty Handed But Guyana did not go to the table empty handed. The Russia Ukraine war has shown the vulnerabilities of the global supply chain and the devastating impact it can have on countries far removed from the disruption. Guyana has large potential capacity to narrow vulnerability gaps or meet needs in a number of important areas. Two key concerns of the US are regional energy security and regional food security, and both of those TURN TO PAGE 8

GUYANA CHRONICLE TuesdAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

Part 2: An Updated Outlook of Guyana’s Take from Liza 1, 2, Payara and Yellowtail Rystad Energy Updated Report on Guyana’s Upstream Industry

Rystad Energy, an international energy consulting and analytics firm recently published their updated report on Guyana’s upstream sector which was carried widely in the local press. Director of Corporate Finance | SPHEREX Analytics, Joel Bhagwandin also participated in a panel discussion with the author of the Rystad Report which was hosted and moderated by Dr. Terrence Blackman of the Guyana Business Journal and Magazine. The Rystad report, based on their financial model showed that Guyana will earn approximately $7.5B by 2035 on the back of a forecasted daily production rate of 1.5 million boe/d by 2035, amounting to a cumulative $157B by 2040. However, SPHEREX Analytics observed a few notable shortcomings surrounding the financial model assumptions with the Rystad updated forecast which arguably rendered Rystad’s forecast to be somewhat inflated. Hereunder mentioned are the referenced observations: a) The analysis focused on the entire Stabroek Block,

thus, considering all of the other projects that are currently being developed but not yet in production stage or even granted approval by the authorities. Currently, there are four approved projects in Guyana, namely: Liza 1, 2, Payara and Yellowtail. The analysis conducted herein by SPHEREX Analytics considers the project economics of the four approved projects only: two of the approved projects are already producing (Liza 1 and 2) while Payara is scheduled to commence production by 2024 and Yellowtail by 2025. As such, when all four projects are producing simultaneously by 2025, production will peak at approximately 810,000 boe/d versus 1.5 million boe/d which was used in the Rystad analysis. b) There is a lack of clarity on the methodology employed to determine how many new projects that Rystad’s financial forecast model assumes will be approved by or before 2035, the reserves, development cost, revenue, operating expenditure, etc., for the anticipated additional projects for that timeline.

c) Rystad’s financial forecast model included corporate tax for the oil companies as part of the revenue stream for the Government’s Take. However, in the current PSA framework the oil companies are exempted from paying corporate taxes under the regular national tax regime. In this respect, where it states in the PSA that the oil companies’ corporate taxes are to be paid from the Government’s share of profit oil, it should be understood that this ought to be treated as a nominal tax. Therefore, it would be incorrect to include same in the revenue stream. Consequently, Rystad’s forecast for the Government’s Take is effectively inflated by these amounts. Notwithstanding the explanation at (c) above, Government’s Take in the form of profit oil at a rate of 50 per cent can be considered from a technical standpoint as a form of tax which translates to 12.5 per cent of revenue plus the two per cent royalty during the cost recovery period; and potentially a high of 35 per cent of revenue during the post capital cost recovery period plus royalty.

Corporate Income Taxes are typically applied to the operating profit made by corporations at various rates in Guyana. Thus, in principle, the Government’s Take in profit oil at a rate of 50 per cent is no different from this basic fundamental in terms of the application of corporate taxes. The Corporate Tax rate applied to telephone companies in Guyana is 45 per cent on chargeable profits; 40 per cent on chargeable profits of a commercial company other than a telephone company; and 25 per cent on the chargeable profits of any other company. Against this background, the oil companies are effectively subject to a higher tax rate than any other local and foreign company operating in Guyana under the regular national tax regime. DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS: BASE CASE SCENARIO Across the four approved projects, the estimated reserves to be recovered is approximately 2.64 billion barrels of crude of which Liza 1 accounts for an estimated 438 million reserves, Liza 2 an estimated 600 million reserves, Payara an estimated 600 million reserves and Yellowtail an estimated 1 billion reserves. The total estimated capital investment across the four proj-

ects amounts to $29.3B. Liza 1 has an estimated productive lifecycle of 10 years; Liza 2, eight years; Payara eight years and Yellowtail 11 years. The estimated gross revenue is approximately $177.3B; the total Government’s Take is an estimated $49B or 28 per cent while the Oil Companies’ Take is an estimated $42B or 24 per

cent. Notably, Government’s Take will peak at approximately $4.8B annually during the period 2025 – 2029 when the four projects will be producing concurrently. The four projects altogether have an estimated NPV of $35.4B; an average IRR of 22 per cent and average ROI of 332 per cent.

With its abundant fresh water and large-scale arable land, Guyana is the focal point of the initiative and well positioned to be the foodbasket of CARICOM. Furthermore, the President noted that 87% of Guyana, an area about the size of England, is covered by forests that store 19.5 gigatons of carbon representing a value of over US$500 billion. These forests have a value to the world, and the world should understand the monetary value that is foregone to maintain this value in its form. Guyana is a Net Zero country, the global goal set for carbon emissions by 2050. At a 0.05% deforestation rate, Guyana is among the lowest in the world. And Guyana is now moving towards a LCDS 2030 strategy which will expand beyond the forests to include the territorial oceanic waters. Then there is transport and logistics, a shorter land route north from Brazil to the Atlantic would greatly reduce the sea voyage and facilitate trade with Brazil which has a population of over 200 mil-

lion. The President said the easiest fix for this is developing a free zone deep-water port in Guyana, which would allow Guyana to become to the region in essence what Panama is in terms of transport and logistics. These are some of the reasons that Guyana is commanding the attention of the US, causing them to refocus their attention and allocate more policy space to Guyana and more widely CARICOM, in which we are assuming a larger and growing leadership role. The country and people of Guyana lost valuable time, but we’re now on the road again. The government has achieved a tremendous amount in record time. The US renewed interest in Guyana not only brings real cash but also large-scale institutional knowledge and advance technology that Guyana can benefit from in its development plans. Stronger US ties and attention also add to the country’s security outlook. The country has come quite a ways in two years.

TURN TO PAGE 10

Perspective: Guyana Then and... FROM PAGE 7

intersect directly with two of Guyana own priorities and areas of focus. Also, Guyana has long been a world leader with its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), and this aligns well with the Biden Administration’s commitment to climate control. On the energy front, President Ali touched on the country’s barely tapped 11 billion and counting barrel reserves of high quality oil in remarks at a stop-off at the Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS). In addition, he noted that the country’s natural gas also provides an opportunity for Guyana and Suriname to combine to be the energy capital of the Guyana shield, developing an energy corridor of natural gas along with northern Brazil. Guyana is also important to regional food security, co-chairing the U.S. - Caribbean joint committee on food security. The country is also playing a leading role in CARICOM’s plan to reduce its high food import bill by 25% by 2025 with the 25 by 25 initiative.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Government is robustly delivering on its manifesto promises THE official swearingin of the newly elected Government of Guyana on August 2, 2020, led by His Excellency, Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali, was without question a watershed moment for the preservation of the democratic credentials of Guyana. The PPP/C Administration is already two years into the economic and social transformation of Guyana which will see the empowerment of every citizen in every part of the country. The government has been keeping true to the elections manifesto of the ruling party to build a multi-dimensional economy that is robust for national transformation and resilient to global shocks. The housing transformation programme which commenced prior to 2015 has been expanded and intensified to meet the needs of a considerable number of Guyanese seeking to become homeowners. Land allocation, affordable turn-key housing, more accessible mortgage facilities with lower interest rates, construction material assistance and a government home construction assistance facility are among the initiatives already available across the country. This government-led drive is being augmented by significant private sector developments in gated communities and villages, condominiums, and high-rise residential complexes. Diversification of the traditional agriculture sector has been prioritised for transition to more largescale and scientific approaches to crop production and animal husbandry, while the value-added aspects of the industry rooted in agro-processing have already begun blossoming in several areas, including fresh milk production. The expanded and integrated tourism sector across the areas of hospitality, wellness, sports, and ecological tourism are undergoing rapid transformation.

Several internationally branded hotels are already under construction, while international grade eco resorts will begin taking shape shortly. These will generate jobs for Guyanese. Construction of a specialty paediatric and maternity hospital will commence shortly, and the facility will be furnished with European equipment and managed with Mount Sinai health systems and protocols while supported by a wider health sector complex featuring other specialty services and institutions of learning and research. The sports arena will see several new stadia and supporting facilities in Linden, Berbice and elsewhere. With regards to infrastructure, new interconnecting highways across the east coast and west coast, east and west banks, the Corentyne and the Linden-Soesdyke highway and the PanAmerican route to Brazil are all under some phase of development or construction. New bridges across the Demerara and the Corentyne rivers will fully connect the Guyana Shield and the new modern city earmarked for the Timehri-Soesdyke area. Meanwhile, new industrial estates are planned for the east and west coasts and Linden. Natural gas being piped to shore from the offshore oil and gas basin, along with wind, solar and hydroelectric power will comprise a sustainable energy mix to power the country’s economic transformation at lower costs. Since returning to office, the government has made interventions to remove more than one hundred burdensome taxes that were levied by the APNU-AFC Administration, while restoring many social benefits which the Coalition scrapped. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, cash grants were issued to all Guyanese, while farmers, entrepreneurs,

persons with permanent disabilities and those receiving dialysis treatment benefited from larger grants. Similarly, interventions have been undertaken to stabilise the cost of basic food items and fuel as Guyana and the rest of the world grapples with inflation driven by external factors of COVID-19 and the Ukraine war. The Government is committed to monitoring prices and is prepared to undertake more interventions to cushion the effects on citizens. Amerindian Community Service Officers were rehired, the land titling project for hinterland communities has recommenced and development programmes of villages will soon be re-incorporated into the economic model of the Expanded Low Carbon Development strategy 2030. The president’s ‘OneGuyana’ vision, intended to involve and include every citizen at home and abroad in the transformation process, has begun in earnest and is gaining momentum. Government is fully engaging with all Guyanese in communities across Guyana through Cabinet outreaches with feedback from these meetings helping to define policies, prioritise projects and shape a new approach on how Government responds to citizens. Today, as we mark two years since the ‘triumph of democracy’ in Guyana, let there be no mistake nor ambiguity about our resolve as a Government to prevent and address any actions or activities that would threaten the foundations and pillars of our democratic society. Those who are focused on drumming up racial hostilities at every opportunity in their unpatriotic quest to divide our country and torpedo our development agenda through incitement, instigation, and outright acts of terrorism, will not succeed and will be held accountable. The Government would not be distracted

President, Dr Irfaan Ali by those who have embraced obstructionism to the detriment of Guyanese achieving their full potential. When Dr. Ali was sworn in as Guyana’s nineth, democratically elected executive President, along with senior Cabinet appointees on August 2, 2020, it marked the ‘Triumph of democracy’. Scores of journalists, social media reporters and influencers with smart phones and ‘live stream’ access were present with the observers at every polling station across the

country and later converged at the commandand-control Centre of the Guyana Elections Commission to witness the results tabulation process. None of that mattered as when the APNU-AFC Coalition government realised it had lost, a plan was orchestrated to steal the elections which plunged the country into one of the darkest episodes in our history that would last five long months. Those who perpetrated the acts, meant to steal the elections, now face

prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. President Ali and the PPP/C Administration have worked tirelessly to commence the process of re-examining our institutional frameworks and constitutional architecture needed to safeguard the integrity of our electoral process and democracy itself. The Government is well advanced with electoral reforms and will transition to broader constitutional reforms in the coming months. Guyana’s transformation will succeed, while the ballot box and the revised provisions of the ‘Representation of the People Act’ will continue to be the basis of our democratic system for elections, and the integrity of the electoral process which produces a government that reflects the will of the people, will remain sacrosanctly protected. (GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA, Statement on the 2nd Anniversary of the ‘Triumph of Democracy’)

GUYANA CHRONICLE TuesdAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

Part 2: An Updated Outlook of Guyana’s Take from Liza 1, 2, Payara and...

FROM PAGE 8 LIZA 1 The Liza 1 project started production in December 2019 at 120,000 barrels per day. Liza 1 has four drill centres with

17 wells in total; eight oil producing wells, six water injection wells, and three gas reinjection wells. Based on the estimated reserve of Liza 1 and the daily production rate, the

project has a lifecycle of approximately 10 years. The forecasted revenue over the productive life of Liza 1 is approximately $27B; NPV of $4.3B, payback period

of five years, IRR of 21 per cent and ROI of 298 per cent. Of this, the forecast for Guyana’s Take in profit oil and royalty is approximately $3.9B and the Oil Companies’ Take is $2.8B. LIZA 2 The Liza 2 project started production in February 2022 at 220,000 barrels per day. Liza 2 involves a second floating, production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO). The development has six drill centres with 30 wells in total; 15 oil producing wells, nine water injection wells, and six gas reinjection wells. Based on the estimated reserve of Liza 2 and the daily production rate, the project has a productive lifecycle of approximately eight years. The forecasted revenue over the productive life of Liza 2 is approximately $42.76B; NPV of $5.3B, payback period of three years, IRR of 21 per cent and ROI of 410 per cent.

Of this, the forecast for Guyana’s Take in profit oil and royalty is approximately $6.2B while the Oil Companies’ Take is $4.5B. PAYARA The Payara development involves a third FPSO and is expected to start producing by 2024 at 220,000 barrels per day. The development has 10 drill centres which will have 41 wells in total; 20 oil producing wells, 21 water injection and gas wells. Based on the estimated reserves of Payara and the daily production rate, the project has a productive lifecycle of approximately eight years. The forecasted revenue over the productive life of the Payara development is approximately $42.76B; NPV of $2.9B, payback period of four years, IRR of 10 per cent and ROI of 250 per cent. Of this, the forecast for Guyana’s Take in profit oil and royalty is approx-

imately $14.8B while the Oil Companies’ Take is $13B. YELLOWTAIL The Yellowtail development involves a fourth FPSO and is expected to start producing by 2025 at 250,000 barrels per day. The development will have six drill centres with 51 wells in total; 26 oil producing wells, and 25 water injection and gas wells. Based on the estimated reserve of Yellowtail and the daily production rate, the project has a productive lifecycle of approximately 11 years. The forecasted revenue over the productive life of the Payara development is approximately $64.8B; NPV of $22.8B, payback period of four years, IRR of 37 per cent and ROI of 369 per cent. Of this, the forecast for Guyana’s Take in profit oil and royalty is approximately $23.9B while the Oil Companies’ Take is $21.4B.

Ta b l e 1 ( b ) a b o v e demonstrates the rate and timeline of capital recovery for the four approved projects. The analysis takes into account the general financing model employed for the development – that is, the current / producing projects will finance the future developments. This is an important aspect of the analysis to determine how long these projects will repay for itself plus the CAPEX of future developments within the Stabroek block by means of the 75 per cent cost recovery ceiling: where 30 per cent of cost oil represents the OPEX and the other 45 per cent allocated towards capital recovery. In so doing, the profit share for Guyana will potentially increase to about 35 per cent of gross revenue up from the 12.5

per cent of gross revenue during the cost recovery period. In view of this background, the findings of the analysis demonstrate that Liza 1 will recover its CAPEX in five years following which it will generate sufficient cash flow to finance about 77 per cent of the total estimated CAPEX for Liza 2, and Liza 2 will recover the remaining 23 per cent of the total estimated CAPEX. Liza 2 will then generate sufficient cash flow to finance 100 per cent of the estimated CAPEX for Payara and 89 per cent of the estimated CAPEX for Yellowtail. By the time Payara starts producing, it will only have to recover 11 per cent of the CAPEX for Yellowtail which will be covered from Payara’s first year’s production.

In other words, it can be safely deduced that of the four approved projects, Liza 1 and 2 plus a mere 1.8 per cent of the gross forecasted revenue for Payara would finance 100 per cent of the CAPEX for all four of the approved projects (those that are currently producing and the future developments). Consequently, about 98.2 per cent of Payara’s gross revenue and 100 per cent of Yellowtail’s gross revenue will be subject to a higher profit share for both the oil companies and the Government – where the operating profit could potentially increase from 25 per cent during cost recovery of CAPEX to 70 per cent post recovery of the capital cost. (To be continued)

GUYANA CHRONICLE TuesdAY, August 2, 2022

Emancipation Festival ‘in the Park’ returns By Cassandra Khan

Royston Peters

AFTER two years of virtual celebrations, scores of persons flooded the National Park on Monday, Emancipation Day, for the well-known African Cultural and Development Association’s (ACDA) annual Emancipation Festival. Persons were seen in cul-

A family dressed in African wear

tural African wear walking the paths of the park, checking out various booths which showcased food, jewellery, and other items befitting the occasion. For the performances, there were over 102 acts consisting of drumming, poetry, dancing, singing, parades and a performance by Capleton & Band. Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, Eric Phillips, Chairman of the Guyana Reparations Committee, said that for this 184th anniversary of Emancipation, it was special because after a two-year break due to COVID-19 and virtual celebrations during that time, they were able to celebrate in-person. Phillips explained that Emancipation started in 1834; however, with the apprenticeship system, full freedom was realised until 1838. “So, for those of us who are looking at real freedom, we count from 1838; this is why this year is the 184th anniversary,” he related. He stated that he expected to see about 20 to 30,000 people at the celebration, especially since there was the royal delegation present from South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho. The visiting royals include two kings, two queens, princesses, and three chiefs. There were also lots of competitions such as best-dressed family, best-dressed male and female, and best-dressed young

people. There were several educational booths set up displaying information about the featured African country for Emancipation this year, Zambia. “So apart from showing a lot of information about Zambia, we also have a Zambian in the Berbice area; so they’re highlighting that but the [festival] is about gathering… it is about community and about knowledge,” Phillips said. Additionally, a representative from Essequibo, Royston Peters, who is also from the Guyana Reparations Committee, explained that they chose the country Zambia since they are moving into the reparations process. He related that he didn’t see the hiatus of the in-person celebrations as an issue because the reason was understandable. He said what matters is how much information people grasp

Prime Minister Mark Phillips ‘checking out’ the booths at the Emancipation Festival on what Emancipation really means. “Being emancipated starts with an individual understand-

ing themselves; their identity, who they are, and then to understand the struggle faced by ancestors,” he said.

British High Commissioner, Jane Miller, at the Emancipation Festival

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Scenes from Emanci

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 2, 2022

ipation celebrations

Adrian Narine and Office of the President photos

GUYANA CHRONICLE TuesdAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

Amputee for 50 years, ‘Baby’ never gave up

By Cassandra Khan

BABY Shaw Rahim, who got the name ‘Baby’ because her father wanted her to be his baby forever, was born in 1940 at Aberdeen on the Essequibo Coast. Her parents were both indentured servants, Mangree and Willy Shaw. Baby spent her formative years planting rice with her mother and attending wildlife for her father who was a wild-

life salesperson. Baby was married at age 16 to Shamsudin Mohamed Rahim and went to her matrimonial home at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara. Their union of 63 years produced 10 children, eight of whom are still alive. Rahim died in 2019. By the age of 32, Baby was already a mother of 10 children and was attending to duties such as fishing, cattle rearing, poultry rearing and vegetable farming as well as sharing the

work of her husband who was a jeweller. In 1972, an incident occurred. Both her mom and son were hospitalised. Her son had a broken leg and was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital and her mom was at a hospital on West Coast Demerara. Baby’s husband, Rahim, had stayed with his son in Georgetown until the family decided that Baby would visit her mom at the hospital at West

Coast Demerara, then head over to Georgetown so that her husband could go back to Essequibo to work as he was the main breadwinner of the family. Just five minutes away from her home she met with an automobile accident. Due to this, Baby lost her right leg. She was denied access to a nurse in Georgetown so she decided to sign her documents to have her leg removed six inches above the knee.

Baby Shaw Rahim at her 80th birthday party Baby returned home after spending about three to four months in the hospital where she learned to cope with her new disability. A year later, Rahim sourced a prosthetic limb for his wife at the Ptolemy Reid Centre to help her move around unaided. HEAL After securing the prosthetic limb, Baby underwent surgery to even out the amputated area as it was not facilitating the fitting of the limb. She took a year to heal and recover fully from the surgery. Though the limb was fitted, a few years later it brought her immense pain in her back due to the strapping across her waist, which was not comfortable for her when she sat. But it was her only means to move around and do what she had to get done. Over the years, she continued helping her husband with his jewellery business. Having less mobility did not stop her to find ways of keeping herself busy. She would often indulge in art, making mats out of scrap material, making polythene bags, crochet chair backs and more. Eventually, this led to her starting a class in her community through the Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP), in which she taught the younger housewives and ladies how to knit and do needlecraft and make bags and dolls, among other creative works. “The programme came to an end but she continued helping her husband, my grandfather, in the workshop and her craft which granddad help to market while plying his trade. This gained her some financial independence too,” her granddaughter, Angel Rahim related. She added: “Grandma said she used her prosthetic for approximately seven years before calling it quits, with numerous falls and hurting herself. This was due to her weight and the locking device on the knee so when she moves the leg to walk, it folds under instead of automatically locking for the movement; she became fearful of more serious damage to her body, hence her switch to using

the clutches.” ALWAYS INDEPENDENT This made Baby’s daily tasks easier. Due to her bearing 10 children, her weight gain was fast but this did not stop her from being independent. She would travel on her own to visit her children in the United States. Baby’s granddaughter related that her husband, Rahim, would ensure that Baby visited places in Guyana which were accessible to her. “However, grandma said she stopped the use of the clutches 14 years ago because she was having pains under her armpits with the damaging of the nerves and her weight did not help the situation; her only mobility was the use of the wheelchair,” her granddaughter stated. Baby is now 82-years-old and it has been 50 years of not having her right leg. She related that in Georgetown where she spent almost two years, she would ride her mobile chair into the med taxi for her doctor’s visit. “She has had some bad experience getting on to the x-ray table and going to Georgetown to see the doctor; the long lineup at the Stelling,” her granddaughter said. She added: “When I ask what she enjoys most she reflects on chatting with persons advising based on her life experiences. A good laugh and a good gyaff, she loves to get dressed up too.” Angel related that for all her life, she knows her grandmother to be a strong, hardworking and independent and even though life has thrown major obstacles in her path, she has found a way to overcome it all. She has lived the best life she could and continues to be an amazing person. Baby thanks President, Dr Irfaan Ali for his active role in recognising the differently abled and for putting programmes in place to facilitate their needs. Her message to others with differently abled conditions is to stay strong, focused and to challenge themselves.

GUYANA CHRONICLE TuesdAY, August 2, 2022

Vanessa Glasgow is Queen of Gardening

By Naomi Parris WINNERS of the Region 10 Agriculture Committee Queen of Gardening competition were recently awarded with their cash prizes. Additionally, the winners and other participants of the competition were awarded with seedlings and other agriculture inputs to continue planting. The eight-week competition saw participation from at least 40 single mothers. They were given cash crops seedlings and other agriculture inputs and were tasked with planting and nurturing their own kitchen garden. At the end of the competition, they were awarded a slot at the Linden’s Market Day to sell their produce. Vanessa Glasgow, who copped first place and cash prize of $50,000, told the

Meanwhile, head of the region’s agriculture committee, Mark Goring said that, given the success of the initiative, the committee decided to provide the women with more support. “We decided that the best thing we can do is seek support to give them an opportunity where they can continue what they would have learnt and how they can make money from it,” Goring said. The women were each given a tray of peppers to continue the farming initiative. Additionally, a contract was provided to the women to supply a local agro-processor. “We decided to give them one tray of pepper and we negotiated with a buyer to get a company-based market. We have an agro-processor, Pleasurable Flavour, who would have negotiated with them so

Head of Region 10 Agriculture Committee, Mark Goring, along with first prize winner, Vanessa Glasgow Guyana Chronicle that she is excited to embark on this new journey as a farmer. “It felt good being a participant and a winner,” said Glasgow. The 40-year-old mother of eight added: “I’m glad at my age that I was able to shed light and help other people know that farming is not an old people thing, farming is essential. It is essential to every family.” Glasgow hopes to share the knowledge she would have gained during the course of the competition with other women and youths in her community, to highlight the importance of agriculture and producing one’s own food. “I just don’t want this project to be the end. There were 40 participants and if each participant could be a hub in her respective community, this agriculture thing would be really big.”

they could buy all the pepper that is being produced from their farm.” Goring continued: “Regardless of how much they produce, they are sure to have a market… they have a fixed market price.” The aim of the project he said was to provide the women with the technical support needed to become entrepreneurs in the region’s growing sector. “They can now see the business of planting, because they would have learnt so much over the competition in the past week and they want to put what they experience into production and we would have provided that opportunity.” Recently, the regional agriculture committee organised a monthly farmers’ market in a bid to provide farmers and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector with a safe place to sell their goods.

According to Goring, the gardening initiative builds on the region’s push for agriculture to be its main incomeearning activity. Wismar Market Square is the site of the farmers’ market which will be held later this year. The event is expected to attract cash crop and livestock farmers, agro-processors and other entrepreneurs.

The participants of the Queen of the Gardening Competition

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 2, 2022

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday August 2, 2022

McCoy, King help... (From back page) six, struck 27 from 30 balls while Rishabh Pant chipped in with a 12-ball 24 but no one else passed 20 as India’s batsmen struggled uncharacteristically. McCoy struck with the first ball of the game – twice delayed from its scheduled 10:30 am start due to the late arrival of luggage into the country – removing captain Rohit Sharma to a catch at short third man off a lifting delivery. And with the first delivery of his next over with the score on 17, McCoy had Suryakumar Yadav (11) nicking behind – the first of three catches for Thomas, in his first match in almost a month. When Shreyas Iyer also edged behind for ten in the fifth over, slashing at a pacy delivery from fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and Pant perished to a catch at mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, India were stumbling on 61 for four in the seventh over. Pandya counted a four and two sixes and Jadeja notched a single six, the pair posting 43 for the fifth wicket – the best stand of the innings. Once Pandya

holed out in the 14th over off pacer Jason Holder, McCoy snatched four of the last five wickets to fall as the innings collapsed. “It’s a great feeling. I’ve been working really hard and to be able to perform against a top side like India, is a great, great feeling,” said the 25-year-old McCoy. “I think when you’re bowling you’ve got to have a clear mind, you go with your plans and you assess the conditions – the ground, the wind, everything – and you just bowl accordingly.” King, who missed the opener in Trinidad last Friday, led West Indies’ response, striking eight fours and a couple of sixes as he dominated a 46-run, opening stand with Kyle Mayers (8). The Jamaican added a further 25 for the second wicket with Pooran who made 14 before holing out in the deep off off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, sparking a slide which saw four wickets tumble for 53 runs. King, who reached his fourth T20I fifty off 39 balls at the end of the 12th over, was bowled in the 16th over backing away to Avesh but Thomas held his nerve and delivered.

Heliconia Restaurant supports U-15... (From page 22) expressed their eagerness to support him from such a young age, noting they have seen his desire and passion for the sport as a hallmark to success. According to a release, they wished Prince well and challenged him to be one of the standout play-

ers in the tournament and continue to work hard at improving his skills. The young man thanked Heliconia for their support and promised he will heed their words of advice, and accepted the challenge, noting, “I want to help my country win titles.” The Regional Under-15 tournament will be played in Grenada from August 18 – 28. Guyana’s Under-15 squad: Dave Mohabir (captain), Romario Ramdehol (vice-captain), Adrian Hetmyer, Shane Prince, Zandon Rose, Durwin La Rose, Dhanesh Persaud, Arun Gainda, Navin Boodwah, Arif Khan, Razam Koobir, Nicholas Lovell, Sohail Mohamed, and Jonathan Mentore. The standbys are Omrion Smith, Mikle Sharma, Nicholas Hall, Thierry Henry, Elis Ramdat, and Enrique Mickle. The manager is Elroy Stephney and the coach is Latchman Yadram.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday August 2, 2022

Billam-Smith retains titles in gruelling win over Chamberlain CHRIS Billam-Smith retained his European and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles with a gruelling points victory over Isaac Chamberlain in Bournemouth. Billam-Smith, 31, took the unanimous decision in the all-English fight, with each judge scoring the fight 117-111. After the fight he thanked his wife Mia and newborn son Frank for inspiring him. "What an incredible night," Billam Smith. "I've got learning to do but I will learn." Billam-Smith could now get an IBF cruiserweight world title shot against the recently crowned champion Jai Opetaia, whose manager

between both fighters. Chamberlain was bleeding heavily from a cut above his left eye late on. "It wasn't my night," he said. "This was my first ever 12-rounder. I'll be back."

Billam-Smith won his previous fight in April by flooring opponent Tommy McCarthy in the eighth round

was ringside. The headline fight at the Bournemouth International Centre was the first big bout for Billam-Smith in his home

town. He dominated in the early stages but Brixton's Chamberlain came back into a bout that saw momentum swing

Ganguly, Morgan, Muralitaran, Misbah, Johnson among 53 players in Legends League Cricket

...The second season will be played from September 17 to October 8 across five cities in India BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly is set to return to the cricket field nearly seven years after his last competitive game, when he plays in the second season of Legends League Cricket (LLC). Ganguly said in a post on Instagram that he was playing a "one-off charity fund-raising game" to mark 75 years of Indian independence. LLC has confirmed a total of 53 players so far, including Eoin Morgan, Viren-

der Sehwag, Muthiah Muralitaran, Misbah-ul-Haq, Jonty Rhodes, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Shane Watson, Ross Taylor and Dale Steyn. The tournament will be played from September 17 to October 8 across five cities in India, which are likely to be Kolkata, Lucknow, Delhi, Jodhpur and one of Cuttack and Rajkot. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Pakistan players will be available once they get the required government approvals. (Cricinfo)

Flash 11:45 hrs Golden Gal South Africa Racing Tips Kenilworth 08:10 hrs Teatro 08:45 hrs Senhora Victoria 09:20 hrs Somerset Maugham 09:55 hrs Zippy Over 10:35 hrs All About Al 11:10 hrs Pacific Green English Racing Tips Catterick 09:10 hrs Tango Man 09:45 hrs Sovereign Moon 10:15 hrs Haven Lady 10:45 hrs Wade’s Magic 11:15 hrs Thunder

Chelmsford City 12:40 hrs Hurricane Kiko 13:10 hrs Signora Camacho 13:40 hrs Fifty Cent 14:10 hrs Compose 14:40 hrs Pontius 15:10 hrs Gossamer Silk Kempton 12:50 hrs Princess Naomi 13:20 hrs Ferrari Queen 13:50 hrs Coco Jamboo 14:30 hrs Sanks A Million 14:50 hrs Prop Forward

Former England white ball captain Eoin Morgan

15:20 hrs Beauen Arrows 15:50 hrs Tulane Irish Racing Tips Roscommon 12:25 hrs Homme D’un Soir 12:55 hrs Miss Us O 13:25 hrs Krujers Girl 14:00 hrs Manisanda 14:40 hrs Rioga Choice 15:00 hrs Lucailem 15:30 hrs Cash The Cheque American Racing Tips Colonial Downs Race 1 Rambert Race 2 Scoober Race 3 Matta Race 4 Small Field Race 5 Osa Race 6 Waywardness Race 7 Princess Cora

On the undercard, light-heavyweight Ben Whittaker - who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics - made an impressive start to his professional career with a second-round knockout win

over Greg O'Neill. There were also stoppage wins for Olympians Caroline Dubois and Frazer Clarke, and a points victory for Hassan Azim. (BBC Sport)

India join Games party with huge win over Pakistan REVELLING in the party atmosphere created by a healthy crowd at Edgbaston, India crushed rivals Pakistan to get their Commonwealth Games T20 campaign back on track. Taking advantage of the rare opportunity to go up against their neighbours, India opener Smriti Mandhana put on a show with a dazzling unbeaten 63 off 42 balls, as they chased down Pakistan's meagre total of 99 inside 12 overs for the loss of two wickets. But the festive nature of the match also highlighted the unfortunate nature of the strained sporting relationship between the two nations, which doesn't seem to extend to the players or the fans as they happily mingled together. It takes an event like the Commonwealth Games to bring the two rivals together on a cricket field, with the teams having never engaged in a bilateral women's series. Even the men's teams now only clash when they meet in tournament play. Sunday's game between the two women's sides was just the second time they

Smriti Mandhana was in sublime touch smashing an unbeaten 63 off 42 balls (Getty)

have met in any format since 2018, following their clash at the one-day World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year. "Whenever we get that opportunity to play against Pakistan we always want to do well and I'm really happy with the way we performed today," Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur said. "Whenever we get a crowd like this we always

get very motivated, getting that kind of crowd is always our dream and now the last couple of years we are getting that support from the crowd." While there was good smattering of Pakistani fans, they were outnumbered by the vocal Indians, who had plenty to cheer abo "Whenever we play we have good support, definitely India-Pakistan matches, the numbers are even more," Mandhana said. "Whenever we play we feel at home so definitely I was expecting them to come out in huge numbers." After early drizzle reduced the match to an 18over affair, Pakistan's total of 99 looked light on, with opener Muneeba Ali the only one to offer any real resistance with 32 off 30 balls. And so it proved as India powered to a vital eight-wicket win following their first-up loss to Australia. Mandhana launched the second of her three sixes well over the rope to bring up her half century off 31 balls, her onslaught finishing with a pull to the boundary. (AAP)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday August 2, 2022

Sunshine Girls sink winless Barbados BIRMINGHAM, England, (CMC) – Caribbean powerhouses Jamaica annihilated winless Barbados to march to their third straight win of the Commonwealth Games. Playing at NEC Arena in Pool A on Monday, the star-studded Sunshine Girls sealed a crushing 103-24 win, condemning the Barbadians to their third defeat of the campaign. Goalshooter Shimona Nelson dominated, pouring in 58 goals from 60 attempts while star shooter Jhaniele Fowler arrived only in the fourth quarter to sink 24 goals from 27 attempts in a 15-minute cameo. Not to be left out, Shanice Beckford chipped in with 12 goals from 13 attempts playing at goal attack while Rebekah Robinson was a perfect ninefrom-nine in her second half outing. There was little good news for Barbados, Faye Agard leading with ten from 12 attempts and Shonica Wharton getting ten from 15 attempts. Nelson and Beckford combined to spur Jamai-

Shimona Nelson led Jamaica’s assault

ca to a 23-5 first quarter lead before sustaining their deadly partnership in the second quarter as Jamaica put the result beyond doubt with a 51-9 half-time advantage. With Beckford hooked at the start of the second half, Robinson then partnered with Nelson to keep Jamaica on course for a tally in excess of 100 with a 73-13 lead at the end of the third quarter. Veteran Fowler entered at the start of the final stanza, teaming up with

Robinson after Nelson was benched, to continue Jamaica’s assault as they outscored Barbados 30-7 down the stretch. On Sunday, Barbados also tasted defeat, going down to South Africa 81-36 while Trinidad and Tobago also remained winless in Pool B with a 62-28 loss to Uganda. Jamaica will hope to extend their unbeaten record when they face Scotland today while Trinidad and Tobago clash with New Zealand.

Commonwealth Games

King spins out Barbados as Aussies book semi-final spot AUSTRALIA have secured their spot in the Commonwealth Games T20 semi-finals in emphatic fashion, thrashing Barbados by nine wickets at Edgbaston. Alana King was denied a hat-trick and her first international five-wicket haul when skipper Meg Lanning put down a simple chance at slip, but the leg-spinner still led the way with 4-8 from her four overs as Barbados were bowled out for 64. "That's cricket right – noone means to drop it or anything," King said of the missed chance. "It's just the way the game goes, I'm happy that I can contribute in the way I can." Beth Mooney was stumped

for two in the second over of the Australian chase, and Alyssa Healy was sluggish early, crawling to four from her first 14 balls faced. But Lanning (36no off 21) was in no mood to muck around, belting four fours and two sixes, including 25 runs from Deandra Dottin's first over "I was just keen to contribute really," Lanning said. "That over from Dottin I got a few loose balls to put away and I got a little bit of rhythm which was nice." Healy (23no off 24) then joined in the fun with back-toback boundaries, as the experienced pair saw Australia home in 8.1 overs. Sent in by Australia captain

Alana King picked up 4 for 8 in four overs (Getty Images)

Lanning, Barbados' hopes largely rested on the shoulders of star openers Hayley Matthews and Dottin. Matthews (18 off 13) started

brightly, smacking four boundaries off Darcie Brown, but the teenage quick had the last laugh, getting the better of the Barbados captain with a short ball that

was miscued high and safely into the hands of Grace Harris. Dottin struggled to get going, finding the boundary just once before she was trapped on the pads by King, out for a 22-ball eight. No other Barbados batter reached double figures as Australia made regular inroads, King leading the way as she bowled Aaliyah Alleyne (8) in the 13th over, then found herself on a hat-trick in the 15th when she removed Shakera Selman (0) and Shamilia Connell (0) with consecutive deliveries. The Australian fielders crowded around the bat and King drew a thick edge off the bat of Keila Elliott, only for Lanning to fumble what should

have been a straightforward catch. "I'll have nightmares" Lanning said of the dropped chance, which went slightly to her right chest-high. "I wanted to dig a hole and jump in as quick as I could. "I don't know - I tried my best and I dropped it. "I was just disappointed for Kingy. She was bowling so well and to let her down like that was not ideal." It mattered little to the Australian's cause, however, as Barbados were bowled out on the final ball of the innings for 64. Tahlia McGrath (3-13) and Ashleigh Gardner (2-6) were the other multiple wicket takers. (Cricket.com.au)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday August 2, 2022

New era beckons for Lionesses after momentous Euro glory By Manasi Pathak (REUTERS) - All eyes were on England like never before as the Lionesses completed their fairytale run at the Women's European Championship by beating the dominant Germans 2-1 in Sunday's final at a sold-out Wembley Stadium. A record 87,192 crowd went into a frenzy when substitute Chloe Kelly scored in extra time to seal England's victory and a first major trophy for the Lionesses, who roared throughout the tournament. The win marked a monumental day for English football -- it comes 56 years after England's men beat West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, the only previous major trophy won by a men's or women's England senior team. But above all, it highlighted the huge strides made in the women's game in the country, where the

Football Association (FA) banned women's football for nearly 50 years in 1921. Having twice fallen at the final hurdle, it proved to be third time lucky for England as the class of 2022's memorable run throughout the tournament lifted spirits all around the country. "The Championships and your performance in them have rightly won praise," Britain's Queen Elizabeth said in a letter to the Lionesses. "However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned. "You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations." Sarina Wiegman's team have been unstoppable as they scored a record 22 times during the tournament, including an impressive 4-0 thumping of second-ranked Sweden in the semi-finals.

England’s women footballers celebrate their Euro victory in front of 87, 192 crowd at Wembley

Prior to the final, skipper Williamson hoped that

regardless of the result, the tournament would prove

transformational for not just the women's game but

gender equality at large. She emphasised the team's impact after lifting the trophy: "The legacy of this tournament and this team is a change in society; we've brought everyone together," the 25-year-old said. Former England and Arsenal defender Alex Scott described Sunday's win as "the moment" for women's football in England, saying that it was a dream come true. "So many people have been involved to get women's football to this point, to see this trophy. This is what we've all been dreaming of," Scott, a member of the 2009 line-up that finished runner-up to Germany, said in her role as a BBC pundit. "This moment reminds me of the 1999 Women's World Cup when USA won that. It changed the face of soccer in America forever. "I feel this is a moment in England. This is the moment."

England's summer slump leaves T20 World Cup planning in a mess ...Issues with batting and bowling exposed by string of defeats to India and South Africa By Matt Roller BY the time Jonny Bairstow top-edged his sweep off Keshav Maharaj out to David Miller at deep midwicket, confirming England's joint-worst T20I defeat of all-time, the stands at the Ageas Bowl were half-empty. Supporters had given up on England's hopes long before, preferring to beat the traffic and get home for the second half of the Euro 2022 final than watching a grim conclusion to a one-sided game. It was a moment that summed up England's white-ball summer. Everything Bairstow has touched turned to gold this year but even he could not rescue them in the series decider, scrapping his way to an unusually scratchy 27 off 29 balls with only two boundaries, as wickets tumbled at the other end; he has scored

at a higher strike rate in half of his Test innings this summer. There were even some boos during England's run chase. "That's the first time I've heard that for a very long time," Jos Buttler said. "We've entertained crowds for a while - of course it's disappointing to not put on a great show for them today. It was a bit of a reality check." The biggest cheer of the evening came from the concourses, when Ella Toone put England 1-0 up at Wembley. Since Eoin Morgan stepped down as captain, England have won only four games and lost nine across ODI and T20I cricket; for the first time since 2013, they failed to win a home limited-overs series. They will not play another T20 international before selecting their squad for the T20 World Cup in mid-September and it is increasingly

hard to see them lifting that trophy in Australia. England are not used to losing T20Is. Between June 2018 and July 2021, they won 10 of their 13 bilateral series and lost only two, but since the World Cup last year it has become a habit. They have lost all three of their T20I series and since beating Sri Lanka in Sharjah at last year's World Cup, they have won four and lost nine. It is easy to blame England's batters after a series of defeats, and several key players have struggled badly this summer. Most obviously, Jason Roy has been completely bereft of form or rhythm, but neither Buttler nor Liam Livingstone managed even 100 runs across the summer; only Moeen Ali, Bairstow and Dawid Malan hit half-centuries. Roy's aggregate of 76 off 98 balls from six in-

Jason Roy wonders what would have been after another low score (AFP/Getty Images)

nings leaves him looking increasingly vulnerable, and he desperately needs a strong season in the Hundred to prove he is still worth his place in the side. His latest in a succession of slow trudges off came at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday after an innings of 17 off 18, four of which came through overthrows, and Phil Salt is waiting in the wings for an

opportunity We never imposed ourselves," Buttler said. "We never managed to put pressure back on the opposition and that timidness is the thing I'm frustrated with the most. As a team, we want to be renowned for being brave and taking risks. We haven't performed as we'd have liked with the bat through the summer, so maybe the confidence takes a bit of a dent in those situations." But England's real issue has been their bowling: remarkably, South Africa's total of 191 for 5 was the second-lowest total that England have conceded in their six T20Is this summer. Clearly, their batters have struggled, but they have regularly been chasing enormous targets which have demanded attacking shots from the outset. At various points over the last two years, England have struggled to take wickets with the new ball and to contain at the death, but this

summer they have been uncharacteristically impotent in the middle overs, taking only 14 wickets while leaking 10.2 runs an over between the start of the 7th over and the end of the 16th. Their spinners have conceded 11.5 runs per over across their six games, and their seamers' plans have often been overly defensive: when Sam Curran was bowling cutters into the pitch from around the wicket, his only job seemed to be controlling the rate against a South Africa side who were happy to consolidate before launching at the back end. "We haven't managed to take wickets as much as we would have liked in those phases," Buttler admitted. "Breaking partnerships is a big part of controlling the rate in white-ball cricket. That's where as a captain, you reflect on what you could have done better." (Cricinfo)

Dottin blames ‘team environment’ in shock retirement BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Marquee West Indies Women all-rounder Deandra Dottin has abruptly quit international cricket citing concerns with the “current climate and team environment”. In an announcement made via social networking service, Twitter, the 31-year-old alluded to her “fire [burning] out” and said the West Indies team environment “has been [non-conducive] to my ability to thrive and reignite my passion.” “This announcement has come with much contemplation as cricket has always been a passion of mine,” Dottin said in a statement. “However, when the fire burns out, one has to take time to reassess their commitment. “There have been many obstacles during my cricket career that I have had to overcome[.] [H]owever, the current climate and team environment has been non-conducive to my ability to thrive and reignite my passion. “I am appreciative of the opportunities afforded to me and I have ruminated on

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday August 2, 2022

CWSS, North Ruimveldt to clash for Milo football honours LINDEN’s Christianburg/ Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) and North Ruimveldt Multilateral School (NRMS) moved onto the finals of the Milo Schools Football tournament in contrasting fashion when the semi- finals took place on Sunday. At the Ministry of Education ground, CWSS were unopposed as they ran a welloiled machine to overcome Golden Grove 3-0 A brace from Kemar Mc Lauren (61st and 69th minutes) ensured that the unit were ahead in the second

half while Jamal Peters’ 89th minute strike sealed the deal. In the other semi-final, North Ruimveldt was made to work for their spot by tournament favourites, Dolphin Secondary School (DSS). An own-goal in the 30th min. by Gerry Burnette gifted ‘North’ the lead before Cadwell Peters found the net two minutes later for Dolphin, levelling the score. Nicholas Tappin put Dolphin in the lead for the first time in the game in the 36th who then looked like they were heading to the finals. Tappin’s second goal in

the 50th minute meant a 3-1 margin in favour of Dolphin and the deal looked almost sealed. However, a fantastic turnaround performance from North Ruimveldt, thanks to Akeem Perreira (60th), Cassidy Carter (61st) and Orlando Dickie (70) saw NRMS take the lead, the score line ending 4-3 Sunday’s third-place play-off will be between Golden Grove and Dolphin at 16:00hrs, with the Final between Christianburg and North Ruimveldt set for 18:00.hrs.

DCC congratulates Van Lange, Campbell and Mentore on National selection West Indies Women All-rounder Deandra Dottin

my decision over a period of time.” She continued: “Playing for the West Indies and representing the region has been an honour. During my 14 years of playing, I have trained at my best and grown as a player physically, mentally and emotionally. “It is the combination of this growth that has assisted me in reflecting on what is truly important to me. “With much sadness but without regret, I realize that I am no longer able to adhere to team culture and team environment as it has

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday August 2, 2022) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) 213 players (2) 46 ODI matches Today’s Quiz: (1) What was the result of the first T20 International of the current WI/IND series? (2) Who was declared Man of the Match? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

undermined my ability to perform excellently.” Dottin said she would continue to play domestic cricket “around the world”. Since her debut as a 17-year-old, Barbadian Dottin has gone on to become one of the most dominant batsmen in women’s internationals. She has struck three hundreds and 22 half-centuries in 143 One-Day Internationals which has garnered her 3 727 runs at an average of 30.54, and hit two centuries and 12 fifties in 126 Twenty20 Internationals in scoring 2 697 runs. Only this year, she lashed a career best unbeaten 150 against South Africa in an ODI in Johannesburg and late last year smashed 132 against Pakistan in Karachi in the same format. An outstanding fielder, Dottin has been a livewire for the Caribbean side and has also proven important with the ball, taking 72 ODI wickets and 62 T20I scalps. Dottin is currently representing Barbados at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and is thereafter expected to feature in the Hundred in England and the inaugural women’s Caribbean Premier League.

Jonathan Van Lange

Jadon Campbell

Jonathan Mentore

THE Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), via a press release, has extended congratulations to Jonathan Van Lange, Jadon Campbell, and Jonathan Mentore on their recent selection for national duties. Van Lange and Campbell were selected for the Under-17 team which competed in Trinidad and Tobago, while DCC’s Garvin

Nedd was the head coach. Mentore was selected on the National Under-15 squad for the Regional tournament in Grenada from August 18 -28. Additionally, the DCC noted the significance of the selection of Van Lange to the national men’s Table Tennis team for the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

“Van Lange is one of our brightest prospects and a well-rounded individual with exemplary exploits in academics as well,” the release noted . T h e Q u e e n stown-based club, established in 1912, is known for producing some of the most prominent names in Guyana and West Indies cricket.

Heliconia Restaurant supports U-15 cricketer Shane Prince HELICONIA Restaurant and Bar has thrown its support behind promising fast-bowler, Shane Prince, who was selected for the Guyana Under-15 cricket team for the upcoming Regional tournament in Grenada. In a simple presentation ceremony at their Robb and Camp Street location, the management of the entity (Turn to page 18)

Kennard Thomas (left) of Heliconia hands over the sponsorship to talented fast-bowler Shane Prince

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday August 2, 2022

Guyana ready to showcase at 'hot-ticket' Track & Field By Rawle Toney in Birmingham, England WITH the hottest ticket at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Track and Field will begin today as some of the Commonwealth’s brightest stars are all ready to shine bright at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Among them will be 10 athletes from Guyana, most of whom are making their debut at the games which started in 1930. On the opening day of competition, Emanuel Archibald, along with Noelex Holder and Akeem Stewart, will line up in the Men’s 100 metres Heats, while Jasmine Abrams is down to compete in the women’s 100m. Holder will run in Heat 5, alongside Ferdinand Omanyala, the Kenyan and African Champion. Omanyala also has the 9th-fastest time in the history of the 100m, when he posted 9.77s last year. Stewart, with a personal best of 10.29s, will race in Heat 9; Archibald is in Heat 10. He will also take to the 'pit' tomorrow in the Men's Long Jump. Joanna Archer is set for the women’s 800m in Heat 2; same with Jamaica's Natoya Goule who was a

Arinze Chance working on his start during Guyana's 400M specialist, Aliyah Abrams training during training

Emanuel Archibald and Akeem Stewart bursting out the blocks during training

bronze medallist at the 2018 Games in Australia. Coaches Julian Edmonds and Johnny Gravesande are tasked with overlooking the team. According to Edmonds, the athletes, with the exception of the Abrams siblings, Jasmine and Aliyah, and Archibald, are not used to the bright lights at this level, but their performances this season brings hope. The team, Edmonds said, is inexperienced at this level, adding "it's important for us to keep them calm and let them focus on things they have control over." Archibald and the

but she didn't have a good (world) championship. But talking to her, at these games, she's ready and raring to go. Her main goal is sub-11, which 11.07s is not that far off. So once she puts that together, she's going to go far. Myself and Coach Johnny, we've been talking to her about her race, especially in her first 30 metres." With an emphasis on being part of more relays, Holder, Stewart, and Archibald, will have 400m specialist Arinze Chance as their teammates for the 4X100m relay; something Edmonds said should be constant for Guyana at major

Abrams' sisters, particularly Jasmine, are entering the games on the backdrop of running personal best in their events this year. Archibald clocked 10.18 seconds, which made him the second-fastest Guyanese over the 100m distance, only behind Adam Harris (10.12s). Jasmine, at the Trinidad and Tobago senior championships, ran 11.07s, which became Guyana's National record in the women's 100m, breaking Branessa Thompson's 11.14 seconds. The Abrams sisters and Archibald, over the last year, have represented Guyana at

the Olympic Games, as well as both the World Indoor and Outdoor championships. Apart from Aliyah Abrams, who had finished fifth in the Women's 400m at the World Indoor Championships, none of the other aforementioned athletes have ever competed in a finals of a major event. "Now, we're winding down preparation, so it's really doing the basic things right; take each race as it comes, do not overthink, and execute what you've been taught all-year round," Edmonds said. He added, "Jasmine has broken our national record,

games, taking into consideration that the country won bronze at the Senior South American championships in Ecuador, in June. Guyana’s last three medals at the Commonwealth Games came from Track and Field. Aliann Pompey won gold for Guyana at the 2002 games in Manchester, and then returned to grab Silver in 2010 in Delhi. In 2018, at the Gold Coast Games, Troy Doris won Guyana’s fourth gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, when he took the Men’s triple-jump title.

Fung-A-Fat cruise into Plate Semi-finals Da Silva to lead as West Indies "A" at Commonwealth Games Team squads for Bangladesh series MARY Fung-AFat cruised into the Women's Singles Plate semi-finals with a straight-sets win over Kenya's Khaaliqa Sadruddin Nimji, when the Squash competition continued at the University of Birmingham's squash courts. Fung-A-Fat won 11-3, 11-4, 11-7 to take the win, which also saw her advancing to face Pakistan's Amna Fayyaz today. Ashley Khalil's run in the singles competition at the Commonwealth Games came to an end after she went down in the quarter-finals of the Plate title. After trailing by two sets (11-9, 13-11),

Mary Fung-A-Fat

Pakistan's Faiza Zafar bounced back to take the others 7-11, 4-11, 2-11 for the 3-2 win over Ash-

ley Khalil. Meanwhile, Paul Mahaica swam 58.96 seconds in the Men's 100M Butterfly to finish second. Though setting a new personal best, he did not advance to the next round. O l y m p i a n A l eka Persaud was fourth in the women's 100M freestyle with a time of one minute, 1.03s, which was not good enough to see her qualify for the next round. Patrice Mahaica, also competing in the women's 100 freestyle, record ed a time of one minute, 4.60s. She finished 7th in her heat. (Rawle Toney - Team Guyana Press Attache`)

THE Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men’s selection panel yesterday announced the squads for the West Indies “A” Team series against Bangladesh “A” Team to be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia from 4 to 20 August. The two teams will play two four-day first-class matches followed by three 50-over matches. Joshua Da Silva, the wicket-keeper/batsman, will lead the team in both formats, with Andre Coley as the Head Coach. The squads feature several players with international experience, as well as others who have graduated from the CWI Rising Stars U19 and CWI Emerging Players teams. Speaking ahead of the series, Lead Selector the Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “We stated from very early that we would look to give the opportunities to players

and broaden the pool. The ‘A Team’ programme is a very good thing for West Indies cricket and CWI must be complimented for ensuring that we have these matches back up and running and arranging these games in Saint Lucia.” Haynes added: “The squad is selected for us to have a closer look at the players in the longer format and also 50over format as we have a lot of international cricket around the corner. We want to give the players exposure and the chance to play ‘A Team’ cricket and President’s XI matches as we had earlier this year as it is vital and much needed. “Joshua has done quite well so far in his Test career, and we believe he will be a good leader for both formats. We also have a few others in the squads who have played at the international level and performed reasonably well, so we want to see them grow even more and this series

against the visitors from Bangladesh will present that golden opportunity.” The four-day matches will start at 10am (9am Jamaica Time) and the limited-overs matches will start at 9:30am (8:30am Jamaica Time). LIVE ball-by-ball scoring of each game will be available through the www. windiescricket.com match centre while CWI will be LIVE streaming via the Windies Cricket YouTube channel. FULL SQUADS Four-day “Tests”: Joshua Da Silva (Captain), Colin Archibald, Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Bryan Charles, Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach,Shermon Lewis Jeremiah Louis,Marquino Mindley, Anderson Phillip, Jeremy Solozano

Keevin Allicock (centre) and Coaches Terrence Poole and Sebert Blake following his Round-of-16 victory at the Commonwealth Games

By Rawle Toney in Birmingham KEEVIN ALLICOCK was smooth, elegant and cruised his way to a Unanimous Decision victory over Sri Lanka's Jeewantha Nisshanka in his Men's Featherweight Round-of-16 bout yesterday at the Commonwealth Games. Allicock's victory puts him into tomorrow's quarter-finals against Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh of Canada. The former Youth Commonwealth Games silver medallist had

an impressive start to his second Commonwealth Games when he opened with a unanimous decision win against Okoth Okongo of Kenya. "I really wasn't 100 percent in my first fight," Allicock said in an exclusive interview after receiving a standing ovation from the almost capacity-filled Boxing Hall at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Allicock was right. Against Nisshanka, Allicock looked laser-focused. He didn't show any emotions, only react-

Allicock 'cruise' into quarter-finals at Commonwealth Games ing to the directions given by his coach, Sebert Blake. It was as if the Guyanese pugilist was programmed and his only mission was to get rid of Nisshanka. The Forgotten Youth Foundation Gym boxer had an almost perfect score in his bout, only for Trinidadian Judge, James Beckles, to give Nisshanka the nod (9-10) in the second round. Thanking God for his victory, Allicock said "I really don't have a plan; God is my plan. So I went in with confidence knowing that I

was going to be victorious." "In my first fight, I wasn't comfortable, but I was happy with the unanimous victory. In this fight though, God has given me more strength and I'm grateful for the victory. I picked my shots and controlled the fight," Allicock said. A tearful Allicock pointed to the hard work done with Coach Blake, and even that of his own at Space 2.0, but he insisted, "It's not just the work that got me here, it's the prayers." Allicock and Desmond Am-

sterdam are one win away from securing Guyana's first boxing medal at the Commonwealth Games in 32 years. Asked about replicating or bettering Wesley Christmas' performance in 1990, Allicock said "We're trusting God to give us the strength to press forward and make Guyana proud always. Amsterdam, making his Commonwealth Games debut, will step into the ring tomorrow against Australia's Callum Peters in the quarter-finals of the Men's Middleweight Division.

McCoy, King help Windies level T20I series BASSETERRE, St Kitts, (CMC) – Obed McCoy produced the best-ever figures by a West Indies bowler in Twenty20 Internationals before the Caribbean side held their nerve in the final over to beat India for the first time in nearly three years and level the five-match series at 1-1. Left-arm seamer McCoy snatched six for 17 from a brilliant four-over spell as India, sent in at Warner Park here Monday, crumbled for 138 all out off 19.4 overs Opener Brandon King then lashed a top score of 68 from 52 deliveries to inspire a successful West Indies run chase, Devon Thomas arriving at the back end to punch a crucial 19-ball unbeaten 31 to hand the home side a five-wicket win with four balls to spare. With West Indies requiring ten runs from

the last over, Thomas cleared the ropes at extra cover with the first legitimate delivery of the over from seamer Avesh Khan before slashing the next ball to the backward point boundary. The victory was the hosts’ first win in six outings against India and only their second in their last 14 dating back to 2018. Obed McCoy (right) celebrates a “I can finally breathe wicket with Brandon King during his record six-wicket haul on Monday. now,” captain Nicholas (Photo courtesy CWI Media) Pooran said afterwards. “It’s been a tough summer “We made a mess of this total today but in for us. We know we have lost saying that, India did bowl well in phases but a couple of games, a couple close games as I’m really happy we crossed the line today.” well.

Hardik Pandya top-scored with a run-aball 31, Ravindra Jadeja, batting at number TURN TO PAGE 18 ►

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022