Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 22-02-2022

TUESDAY 22nd FEBRUARY, 2022

No. 106642

110 persons get roofs over their heads as Republic Anniversary gift

SEE PAGE

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More doors of opportunity open SEE PAGE

- Minister Bharrat hails energy conference as more than just about oil and gas 3 - foreign delegations expressed interest in agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing and other sectors

(Photo credit: Vanita Willie facebook page)

Multi-agency BoI to probe boating 2 mishap SEE PAGE

- Minister Mustapha meets relatives of missing fishermen

Vanita Willie is new Chutney Monarch

‘Lieman’, ‘Go to Front’ get life sentences for Black Bush triple murder SEE PAGE

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Guyanese, Martin Cheong, to head SBM Offshore Guyana 11 SEE PAGE

Multi-agency BoI, Noble House to probe boating mishap 2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

- no record of distress signal, MARAD says

By Jared Liddell AS the search continues for three fishermen who are feared drowned, a seven-member multi-agency Board of Inquiry (BoI) will investigate the circumstances that led to their boat sinking in the Atlantic Ocean and how their employer responded upon hearing of the incident.

This announcement was made during a joint media briefing held by Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar.

The members of BoI are Yulander Hughes of the Transport and Harbours Department, Captain John Flores the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), Ronald Charles from the Ministry of Public Works, Lt. Rawle Williams from the Coast Guard, Senior Superintendent Ewart Wray from the Guyana Police Force-Marine Unit, Dwayne Vhypius from the Ministry of Labour and Denzil Roberts, who is the Head of the Fisheries Department at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Minister Indar noted that given the grave nature of the incident, the government has set up the BoI to investigate the manner in which the incident was dealt with by Noble House Seafoods Limited.

He stated that the board members are expected to give a full report, which should include several pieces of information such as findings and any potential sanctions that could legally be imposed on the company if it is found to be liable.

Missing are captain of the vessel, Harold Anthony Damon, 45, crew member

Winston Sam Ronald Burton, 78 and Winston Sam, 46. Damon, a father of three and Burton, a father of 10 are residents of Agricola, East Bank Demerara.

According to the information provided by Vincent Dazzell who survived the ordeal and was rescued by a passing vessel, the seabob trawler capsized and sank some 18 miles off the Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara coast in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday morning.

The men, who are feared dead, according to reports, are trapped underneath the overturned vessel.

Dazzell had related to the relatives of the missing men and the police that they noticed that the vessel was taking in water in the engine room and in another section.

He said the captain made contact with Noble House Seafoods to relate what had happened. However, the radio transmission became distorted and the captain was searching for his cellphone when the vessel capsized. This resulted in everyone leaping overboard.

Dazzell further related that the captain and others

Ronald Burton began shouting for help and it was a nearby fishing vessel that heard their calls and rushed to help. However, he was the only one found.

In a statement released last evening, Noble House said it was deeply saddened by the incident involving the four-man crew and motor vessel WorldFriends 307. It added that it is concerned about the disappearance of the three crew members.

It was explained that upon learning of the incident, management met with relatives and will continue to inform them of all developments.

“Noble House Seafoods Limited wishes to assure the families of the crew members that they will continue

Harold Damon to support all and every effort to locate the crew members. Noble House Seafoods Limited has launched an internal investigation into the cause of this incident,” the release said.

Assurances were given that the company stands ready to co-operate with any other potential investigation into this incident.

NO DISTRESS SIGNAL Meanwhile, Minister Benn told the media that no report was made by the company that the vessel was in distress. He said that the first report was made 24 hours after the vessel sank.

“Our understanding is that there was no information passed on to the lighthouse or MARAD of the accident.

So, it was approximately 24 hours before there was any official knowledge of the incident,” he said Minister Benn noted that the first indication of the incident was made at the Mahaica Police Station after the lone survivor was rescued and related news of the incident to ranks on duty.

Further, MARAD Director-General Stephen Thomas, explained to the media that difficulties at sea are expected to be made known to the agency by those on the vessel though a distress signal on an emergency channel.

He noted that several of MARAD’s sub agencies operate on a 24-hour basis in the event that an emergency comes up. These agencies include the coast guard and the boat house which will activate emergency response in cases of distress. He noted that this was never done in this incident.

“All vessels are required to have a card with the distress procedure, so should there be an emergency they would call all stations. Any vessel within the vicinity would hear them and come to their assistance. We have

so far no record of calls being made from the vessel on the emergency channel,” Thomas said.

It was disclosed that a search-and-rescue team inclusive of a vessel from MARAD and two divers, alongside an aerial search team were on Sunday deployed to the area to look for the missing men. There have been no reports of success in the search.

HOPEFUL Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha met with relatives of the missing fishermen at his Regent Street office on Monday. He told them that he remains hopeful that the men were able to activate their skills as experienced fishermen and are alive.

He also told the family that the incident has attracted the attention of His Excellency, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. He reassured the families that the government will work with them to ensure they have full disclosure of the findings of the multi-agency probe and that they can rest assured that they have the government’s full support.

From right: Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; and Director-General of MARAD, Stephen Thomas during Monday’s media briefing (Adrian Narine photo)

110 persons get roofs over their heads as Republic anniversary gift

FOOD For the Poor Guyana Inc. has constructed 22 homes in Regions Two and Five, thereby improving the lives of 110 persons ahead of the country’s 52nd Anniversary as a Republic.

Public Relations Officer Jonelle De Viera, said the charitable organisation had made the commitment to the families to ensure that they move into their new homes for Guyana’s Republic celebrations.

The houses were built with rain-harvesting component so as to enable the families to access safe water for consumption and domestic purposes.

Each house that was handed over to the beneficiaries was partially furnished with beds, a table and chairs, along with a two-burner gas stove.

De Viera noted that ‘Food For the Poor’ has constructed 120 homes in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Four

One of the beneficiaries from Region Two

(Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

One of the beneficiaries from Region Two, Shervin Amsterdam, expressed gratitude to Food For the Poor, pointing out that he could not afford to construct his own home, since he was not getting regular work.

Camilla Fordyce, a singlemother of West Coast Berbice was overjoyed at having re-

ceived a new house for Mashramani. Fordyce related that she was living in an abusive relationship, and had had to return to her parents’ home, where she had to sleep with her children on the verandah.

Fordyce, a midwife attached to the Fort Wellington Hospital, said, “Words cannot express how happy I am to have my own home; my children and I can now sleep in peace.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

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More doors of opportunity open - Minister Bharrat hails energy conference as more than just about oil and gas - foreign delegations expressed interest in agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing and other sectors

By Tamica Garnett THE International Energy Conference and Expo (IECE) which concluded on Friday has opened opportunities in multiple sectors, outside of just oil and gas, and the government is pleased with the manner in which the event was conducted.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle shortly after the four-day event ended, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, said that though the conference was about energy, it placed sufficient emphasis on several of Guyana’s other sectors.

“We saw numerous opportunities that were mentioned by several speakers about what exists in the other sectors: agriculture, mining, tourism, logging, manufacturing and others,” Bharrat noted, pointing out that “We saw interest from many of the foreign delegations that were here for those sectors. Mining for example, the Ghana delegation is very interested in… so they are looking for collaborations.”

The government has been continuously pushing the importance of diversification of the economy to ensure Guyana does not fall prey to the “Dutch disease” as it continues to develop the country’s young oil and gas sector.

Held under the theme “Charting a sustainable energy future”, the conference capitalised on the international attention that Guyana has been receiving as the

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat ‘biggest thing’ in the global oil and gas industry for some time now, but looked at a wider picture than just the petroleum sector.

The IECE was privately organised and funded by the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC); however, it received the backing and support of the government for its hosting.

Bharrat conveyed the government’s satisfaction with what played out.

The event saw the attendance of four heads of state and featured some 47 speakers.

“As a government we are very pleased; we are very happy with the way in which it was organized.

The Organising Committee must be commended for it and I wish to thank all the foreign delegations, our local private sector, and all the

Guyanese who participated in some way or the other.

We express our appreciation to everyone for making it a success,” Bharrat said.

PRIMARY GOALS ACHIEVED Communications Director for the event, Alex Graham shared that the conference achieved all of the primary goals that had been set out, with the first goal being to bring everybody into a single conversation around the future for energy.

“We wanted to bring policymakers, practitioners, professionals and professors. We are satisfied that we did that and that we did that effectively and that’s the biggest thing for us,” Graham said.

He went on to note that the conference also set out to create an environment where businesses can come

Prime Minister arrives in NY for Guyana’s Republic celebrations

Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips has arrived in New York for Guyana’s 52nd Republic Anniversary celebrations on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister will be joined by Minister of Local Government and Regional Develop-

ment, Nigel Dharamlall, Minister of the Public Service, Sonia Parag and Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud.

Guyana’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Samuel Hinds is also in New York for the event.

The Prime Min ister and delegation will also participate in diaspora-engagement activity as part of a commitment of the PPP/C Government to aggressively include the diaspora in national development.

together and can find each other and to “just to give a great experience”.

“We wanted to show that we can bring major players in the oil and gas industry to Georgetown, and open up the opportunities for small businesses in Georgetown to connect with serious players and that they could learn they could set up partnerships and support opportunities, and I think we achieved that as well,” Graham said.

Minister Bharrat also commended the massive opportunities and linkages that the event would have facilitated, not just the ones that were officially signed on to during the event but the potential for future agreements and collaboration.

“I believe it presented a lot of opportunities for our local private sector to collaborate and to work with

Director of Communications, Alex Graham international partners. That is important, especially in the oil and gas industry because our local businesses do not have the experience in the oil and gas sector. It is new to all of us. There are audit challenges and access to capital,” Minister Bharrat said.

PARTNERSHIPS ESTABLISHED Across the four days of the conference several partnerships between local and international companies were signed or agreed upon, and unveiled. GuySons Engineering from Guyana had teamed up with US-based K&B Industries to construct a US$35 million manufacturing facility at Enmore, East Coast Demerara, paving the way for the creation of over 500 jobs.

GAICO Construction boosted its capacity to bid

for major projects in the oil and gas industry and other sectors, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with USbased end-to-end commissioning services company, Rev1 Energy.

GAICO also signed a MoU between itself and the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and overseas-based businesses, Hargrove and Myers Companies, for the international certified training of Guyanese in the areas of welding and fabrication.

“The local content legislation has been working very well to facilitate those kinds of partnership and joint ventures. It’s about bringing opportunities to Guyana, of course; these investments, they create jobs, for example the one in Enmore,” Bharrat shared.

Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d), Mark Phillips joins in a prayer at the Shri Surya Narayan Mandir in Queens, New York

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Vanita Willie is new Chutney Monarch WITH a total of 184 points, Vanita Willie was able to outperform nine other competitors and walk away with the 2022 Chutney Monarch title on Sunday night.

Bunty Singh and Vicadi Singh tied for second place with 170 points, while Sonia Singh was named the Best New Comer.

This year’s competition was one with a difference, as it was the first time since the pandemic that patrons were able to physically attend the event, and cheer on their favourite performer. The competition was held at the Guyana National Stadium, at Providence, on the East Bank Demerara.

Defending champion Kevin Satrohan Singh took to the stage first, followed by Bunty Singh, Vanita Willie, Tony Cuttz, Wazir Haniff, Sonia Singh, Chavez Sital, Nawaz Khan, Vicadi Singh and Young Bill Rogers.

Before the competition began, Feel the Beat tassa group took to the stage to warm up crowd.

Satrohan delivered a high-energy performance of his composition, “Dance in Love”. Patrons cheered him and his danc-

The extravagant set designed for Vicadi Singh’s piece, “Tek Another”

ers, as it seemed to be the perfect opener for the competition.

His performance was followed by three-time Chutney Monarch Bunty Singh, who kept the energy of the previous performer going with his track, “Rising On”, which spoke of surviving against the odds despite the naysayers. His performance included several dancers and large ‘props’ on the stage to set the scene.

Throughout the night, the competitors made the stage their own. Vicadi Singh, the second-to-last performer of the night, was a crowd pleaser and a clear favourite to win.

A large ‘prop’ helped tell the story of his song, “Tek another”. His performance began with a mini drama piece that summarised his song, which was about his lover leaving him and taking his house, land and his brother. The crowd was in an uproar, as they laughed and sang along.

At the end of the night, the judges announced Vanita Willie, who is popularly known for her song, “Poowah”, as the winner of the competition.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

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Tomb robbers remanded, alleged conspirator charged conspiring with the others. It is alleged that she told the duo that she saw when the deceased youth’s father placed valuables into the coffin. She informed the two and they hatched

Roopchand Thomas T W O m e n w e re re manded to prison on a charge of simple larceny and damage to property.

The accused allegedly broke into the tomb of Vishnu Samaroo, 19, and stole a cellphone and jewellery.

Roopchand Thomas called “Lil Shawn”, 19, and Leon Scott, 25, labourers of Hampshire Squatting Area, Corentyne, Berbice, appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Albion Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

They were not required to plead to the charges which alleged that between February 15 and 16 they broke into the property of Amerally Samaroo, resulting in damage to the value of $130,000.

Meanwhile, Shantee Budhram, 27, of Hampshire Village was also charged along with with duo. She is accused of

Two wanted in Mahdia murder investigations

ey. However, they stole only a cellphone and the rings, and denied they stole money, claiming that there was none in the coffin. They also admitted that after realising the rings were artificial, they threw them away.

Vishnu Samaroo was diagnosed with stage four cancer in 2021 and lost the battle with the disease in January 2022.

WANTED: Alanzo Ralph

Leon Scott the plot to break into the tomb. She was subsequently placed on $50,000 bail.

The trio will make their next court appearance on March 8. On We d n e s d a y l a s t , t h e teen’s father, Amerally “Awad” Samaroo made the discovery when he visited the gravesite to complete tiling the tomb. The body of his son was also pulled from the coffin. He described the incident as a “heartless act.”

The two suspects reportedly confessed to committing the act. They told detectives that they learnt that the youth was buried with a lot of mon-

Shantee Budram

ALONZO Ralph, called “Rhino” or “Poh”, and Deon Jonas are wanted by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for questioning in relation to the murder of Troy Albert on February 15, 2022 at Mahdia, in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Albert, 48, a handyman of Linden, was working along with three other men on a land dredge at Princeville Village, Potaro, when it is alleged that he made an inappropriate advance on one

WANTED: Deon Jonas

of the intoxicated suspects.

Police said the suspect armed himself with a knife and dealt Albert two stabs in the back, after which he told the two other suspects what transpired.

They, in turn, confronted Albert in the yard and, allegedly, dealt him several stab wounds about the body.

The two then made good their escape, while the other man, who’d alleged that Albert had made advances on him, was found in a state of intoxication by the police

when they arrived at the scene.

The body, police said, was examined and observed to have multiple stab wounds to the back, chest, abdomen, neck and hands.

The police is asking anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Alonzo Ralph and Deon Jonas to contact them at the CID on telephone numbers: 225-3650; 225-3061; 226-1326; 226-9914; 2269977; 225-8196; and 911, or the nearest police station.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Farmers’ Market

THE Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) recently launched a Farmer’s Market at the Lusignan Market tarmac on the East Coast of Demerara.

This is the first such market in Region Four, which brings together under a single roof farmers and consumers.

From all indications, it was a successful encounter and provided an opportunity for both farmers and consumers to benefit from better prices. The Farmers’ Market, according to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, will be replicated in the other regions to facilitate greater interaction between consumers and farmers.

This is indeed a commendable initiative on the part of the Ministry of Agriculture coming at a time of rising food prices, due in part to the COVID-19

pandemic and the adverse impact of climate change on agricultural production.

Only last year, the country recorded one of its highest rainfalls which resulted in severe floods and untold damage to crops and livestock. One consequence of that situation was a steep increase in the prices of agricultural produce.

And, as if that were not enough, disruptions in the global food supply chain as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic only served to make matters worse, with higher than normal cost for imported food items.

Guyana is not unique to such developments.

Indeed, all countries including those in the developed North have been experiencing, within recent times, substantial increases in the cost of food.

The government, fully

cognisant of the impact of rising prices on the cost of living, has put in place a number of interventions to cushion the impact of such increases on the Guyanese people, especially those in the lower income brackets and the more vulnerable in our society.

The Farmers’ Market is a timely and necessary intervention to reduce the price for agricultural produce on the market, while at the same time optimising the financial returns to farmers. What the Farmers’ Market is doing in effect is to do away with the financial returns of the ‘middle man,’ who buys the produce directly from farmers at source and then sells the produce to retailers at significantly higher markups, thereby adding to the cost of the commodity on the market.

It is not uncommon for

the middleman to enjoy a much higher margin of profits than the actual producers, especially during periods of market gluts when farmers would get reduced prices for their produce, sometimes below production costs. Interestingly, these depressed prices paid to farmers are not reflected -- at least not proportionately -- in market prices, resulting in a situation in which both farmers and consumers receive, as it were, the raw end of the stick.

As noted by the Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, the Farmers’ Market is a win-win situation for both the farmers and consumers. Farmers can get the best prices for their produce that the market can offer, while at the same time consumers can benefit from fresh agricultural produce at much

cheaper prices. These are not exactly the best of times and as the saying goes, ‘a penny saved is a penny gained.’

The Farmers’ Market is important in other ways as well. It serves to showcase our agricultural potential as the breadbasket of the Caribbean, especially at a time when Guyana has a lead role in Caribbean agriculture and when there is heightened focus on the country as a significant player in the global market place.

Guyana currently holds lead responsibility for agriculture, agricultural diversification and food security in CARICOM and is playing a key role in the quest to reduce its US$5B food-import bill.

This development, apart from foreign-exchange savings, could potentially put more money into the

hands of our farmers.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has made it abundantly clear that even as oil is now an important contributor to the national economy, it will not be done at the expense of the other sectors, especially the agricultural sector.

Indeed, Guyana is now an important contributor to regional food security at a time of growing food shortages and escalating food prices.

The PPP/C administration must be given credit for putting our farmers at the centre of our national development efforts and for raising the profile of agriculture as the cornerstone of the economy. This is one sure way to avoid the dreaded ‘Dutch Disease,’ which has afflicted several oil-producing nations.

No amount of lipstick put on a pig can change the fact that it’s still a pig

Dear Editor, I REFER to my previous letter on this matter dated January 15, 2019, and published by the Stabroek News (https:// w w w. s t a b r o e k n e w s . com/2019/01/15/opinion/ letters/who-exactly-iskian-jabour/).

ANUG swiftly responded by way of Facebook post on January 26,

2019, cryptically describing supposed achievements of this individual including, among others, that he “attended primary school,” “went on to secondary school” and “relocated to Canada to attend college.” No mention was made of specifics and whether or not he graduated from any of these unnamed institutions, but

I suppose those minor details were deliberately omitted.

Also prominently highlighted by ANUG is the fact that he is the father of a daughter who “has decided to take a stand and collaborate with individuals who have political experience and similar ideas to help shape the future for our

children.”

I have patiently waited for three years to respond.

The Guyana Chronicle of Feb 19, 2022, reported, “ANUG General-Secretary charged for allegedly assaulting woman.”

However, the publication stated that they were unable to get the particulars of the charge and the facts of the case. I do not

wish to prejudice an ongoing police investigation with [a] statement of my knowledge of this aspiring politician.

I have since read that the ANUG GeneralSecretary, acting on the advice of his party, has “exiled himself” from political life. I do not hate to say to the leadership of ANUG but three years

ago – I told you so. No amount of lipstick put on a pig can change the fact that it’s still a pig.

I am advised by learned counsel that the truth is a complete defence to a defamation claim.

Yours faithfully, George Bulkan

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

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Pride and dignity have been restored to this dear land

Dear Editor,

AS the bells toll and the clock strikes midnight on Tuesday, 22nd February, 2022, this beautiful land called Guyana, will celebrate her 52nd year as the Co-operative Republic.

Guyana broke away from its colonial masters on 26th May, 1966, when it gained Independence from Great Britain and became free of all British sovereignty when she declared herself a republic on 23rd February, 1970. Arthur Chung was sworn in as its first President but was viewed as merely a “rubber stamp.” Mia Mottley’s Barbados, has recently relinquished British sovereignty and declared herself a Republican state in November, 2021, joining Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica. Jamaica still has the Queen of England as its Head of State. Although a public holiday, the usual pomp and glory will be missing and the parades and masquerading in the streets will be a lost sight. This is

no accident but a design to help reduce a pandemic to an epidemic. COVID-19 is still with us and all necessary protocols are in place and need to be observed. “Mashramani 2022” has been reduced from its delightful opulence to a lesser stage of chagrined paucity. But this does not diminish the theme of “One Guyana” and the numerous cultural events will quietly explode in many corners to express the rich diverseness of a struggling young nation, coping to jump the many hurdles blocking the smooth progress of transition from a less developed country to a developed country. Guyana has boasted 10 different Heads of State with Dr Bharrat Jagdeo serving its longest presidency (12 Years) and with Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, being the current President, both being from the PPP/C. The PPP/C has provided six of the 10 presidents. Guyana remains a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and is an integral part of CARICOM. She has survived the

angst of dictatorship from the dreaded days of Burnham’s terror: the failed nationalisation of many of the industries, the banning of essential food items, the creation of controlled state machinery for propaganda and for the sole purposes of the party and members, the party’s paramountcy, the boosting, boasting and bragging of racial indulgence, preferential treatment for party members, the convenience of employing one sect over others, the brain drain, the mass exodus of people, the many unsolved killings, the reign of terror and fear in different forms and the many shapes designed to perpetrate discriminative practices. Those infamous days were quickly followed by crucial threats of a reformed Desmond Hoyte, who also stained his conscience with many of Burnham’s qualities but to a lesser degree.

The silence of a skulduggery David Grainger, allowed gross misappropriations to advance in mass proportions and Guyana witnessed

a bare-faced management in economic chaos. Guyana has seen the demise of financial progression and the salvaging of poverty to richness only under the PPP/C. Twice, the PNC has driven the country to bankruptcy and it was the PPP/C that brought the people out of this shame and disgrace.

Guyana has indulged in communism, socialism, cooperativism and capitalism and now relies on the enthusiasm of democracy as practised, preached and propagated by the People Progressive /Civic Party’s governance.

Under the various leaderships of PNC, PNCR, APNU+AFC and other associated parties, the PPP/C has had to continue a struggle to fight electoral fraud at all times.

The rigging of elections is well documented and adumbrated by acknowledged world leaders who have all recently had the justifiable reason of brandishing the APNU+AFC party as liars and cheaters when they brazenly attempted to rig the last general election in 2022.

In front of the eyes of the world, observers watched in dismay as the APNU+AFC tried to corroborate with some GECOM personnel to deliberately mislead a nation into believing that they were the winners of the election. Being branded with the word “Sanctimonious,” the APNU+AFC can never wash this dinged stain from their mantra and this characteristic will forever be featured as a royal and loyal quality.

The dawning of a new era is in the making under the astute leadership of Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and his PPP/C Government. The party’s manifesto has quickly unfolded a path of economic recovery and has translated into progression as slated by the passing of the biggest budget in the history of Guyana. Last week’s Energy Conference and Expo is being hailed as a success from all corners and companies throughout the world are bidding for Guyana’s resources. The richness of the country was exposed to many interested bidders and Guy-

ana’s developmental future is guaranteed a place in the world to compete with the more established financial magnates. As all eyes focus on the early establishment of business entities, the interest of Guyanese remains of paramount importance to the government and this entails protection via its local content policies. No wonder many Guyanese living abroad are eager to return home and participate in this stage of Guyana’s progression as encouraged by the government. The dark days of gloom by a failed administration lead by a sleeping David Granger are a thing of the past. Pride and dignity have been restored by the civility of a sobered PPP/C party’s administration and Guyana can look forward to happier days as the country celebrates her Republic Day with a breath of fresh air from the might of the Atlantic Ocean. Happy Republic Day Guyana.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board responds to Lincoln Lewis Dear Editor, THE Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board (TUR&CB) notes with serious concern the expression of Mr Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary of GB&GWU, in his letter titled, “Veils of deception emerging in the labour movement” that was published in the Stabroek News of Friday, February 18, 2022.

Following a dispute between the GB&GWU and Cyril’s Taxi Service regarding a Certificate of Recognition that was issued to the union on the 25th day of February, 2020, the TUR&CB decided on the 13th day of August 2021 that the GB&GWU should reapply for recognition, describing clearly the proposed bargaining unit for which the certification is sought.

The said dispute arose after the GB&GWU on the 9th day of Septemb e r, 2 0 1 9 , a p p l i e d t o the then TUR&CB to be

treated as the recognised majority union for ALL drivers attached to the ExxonMobil Project and the Certificate of Recognition, issued on the 25th day of February 2020, inadvertently certified the union for Drivers employed by the Cyril’s Taxi Service.

Importantly, the membership survey that was conducted to determine the extent of support that the GB&GWU enjoyed at the date of the application was with respect to ALL drivers attached to the ExxonMobil Project. The said survey was in keeping with GB&GWU’s application and therefore, did not consider all Drivers employed

by Cyril’s Taxi Service.

It is worthwhile to mention that Mr Lincoln Lewis was a member of the TUR&CB that issued the certificate of recognition dated the 25th day of February 2020 to his union, the GB&GWU. Subsequently, a new TUR&CB came into being

on the 1st day of November, 2020. The TUR&CB, thereafter, considered all the facts and circumstances of the issue and decided that the GB&GWU should re-apply to the TUR&CB for a certificate of recognition, describing clearly the proposed bargaining unit for which the certification is sought. The TUR&CB recognised that there was a clear distinction between the bargaining unit applied for, that is ALL drivers attached to the ExxonMobil Project, and the bargaining unit, Drivers, inadvertently placed on the Certificate of Recognition dated 25th day of February, 2020.

The TUR&CB steadfastly believes that it has acted lawfully, justly and within its jurisdiction and if the GB&GWU is aggrieved by its decision, they are free to pursue this matter in the court.

Moreover, the composition of the TUR&CB is provided for by Section 5 of the Trade Union

Recognition Act. Section 5 clearly stipulates that three members shall be appointed by the Minister on the nomination of the most representative organisation of workers. Again, Mr Lewis is free to challenge the legality of the composition of the TUR&CB, if he knows that the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) is not the most representative organisation of workers in Guyana. We hasten to remind him that this issue was already adjudicated by the High Court.

The TUR&CB has and will continue to carry out its mandate and responsibilities professionally and in keeping with the laws for the improvement and promotion of good industrial relations in Guyana.

Yours faithfully, D. Deonarine Secretary Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

‘COVID’ opens new doors for better Caribbean Carnivals

By Earl Bousquet

WITH no ‘jump-up’, ‘playing mas’ and costume displays along crowded streets since 2020, Carnival enthusiasts across the Caribbean, like in Europe, North and South America are determined not to spend a third successive year staying at home when festival time

comes around in 2022.

Several Caribbean nations will also host Carnival in February, in keeping with the traditional pre-Lenten season, starting with similar low-key observances in the Mecca of Caribbean Carnival, Trinidad & Tobago, where Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley announced last November that Carnival

2022 would be from January 28 to March 1, 2022, but with no Parade of the Bands.

February celebrations would normally also take place this month in Aruba, Curaçao and Dominica, and Guyana will host its ‘Mashramani’ (coinciding with its Republic Day) on February 23, but, officially, only Online.

St. Vincent & The Grenadines long ago planned to be the first Caribbean country to host a ‘Carnival in the Metaverse’, described as “The merging of virtual, augmented and physical reality in an alternate reality, where users can interact in a computer-generated environment with others, facilitated by headsets that support both virtual and augmented reality in the completely immersive 3D world.”

‘Vincy Mas 2022’ will be from June 24 to July 5, but much of its shape will depend on the health authorities’ ultimate advice.

Haiti and Virgin Gorda normally observe Carnival in March; Jamaica, Sint Maarten, and the Cayman Islands normally play in April; with May jump-ups in St. Thomas and the Bahamas.

June also sets Bermuda afire.

But July is the most celebrated Carnival month, after February, with revelry in Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Barbados, The (US and British) Virgin Islands and Saint Lucia.

August sees Spice Mas in Grenada, while the September revelry is in Nevis and Belize.

Then, in October and November, the Caribbean Carnival Spirit gives way to preparation for the biggest global Christian festival, Christmas and the New Year, after which the annual cycle resumes in January and February of the next year.

But those Normal (preCOVID) times have now been replaced, since 2020, by the New Normal the world is still trying to adjust to after two short years of everything, from millions of deaths caused by the multiple variants of COVID-19 to the ongoing food price increases caused by today’s Supply Chain blues.

As governments chipand-skip between protecting the nation against any worsening of the virus’ effects and the yearnings of COVID-fatigued Carnival revelers, some are opting for middle-of-the-road positions by flexing protocols to (try to) allow the most-partyingpossible within ‘safe’ zones

and virtually taking the festivities to homes.

But while COVID has closed many Carnival doors worldwide, it’s also opened many, including new opportunities to take the annual creative event to another even better stage that will tap and tax the creativity of many more, and reach-out-andtouch more people in many more places, including those safely at home.

The doors closed by the Supply Chain problems have also opened new ones for a combination of more local creativity and use of more local resources instead of bands in the business of investing in quick and juicy returns from the celebrations only importing container-loads of costumes and supportive materials.

Before costumes ‘Made in Trinidad & Tobago’ became a sizeable profitable annual export, each Carnival Band had creative ‘Mas Camps’ where costume designs for King and Queen of the Band, Band of the Year, Ole Mas and other performing categories were quietly but quickly shaped (usually by night) into final elaborate frames produced from local products, or created through local artistic and creative input.

Back then, bands and members were more interested in winning prizes than earning profits; Calypso Tents prepared their singers for the King, Queen and Monarch components, including songs paced for Road March consideration; and a Steel Band accompanied each carnival band for the two days of parades.

Hi-Fi music blasted through deafening giant speakers mounted on flatbed trucks eventually virtually drowned-out the steel-band accompaniment at band parades, and the profit-motive that followed turning carnival from a popular event to a private sector business led to bands competing more for numbers of revelers than almost anything else.

As with all major sports, commercialisation of carnival came at a cost price of putting profits before people, and everything else, with costume costs increasing by

(Part 29)… the year, and bands offering different price rates for jump-up membership packages ranging from ‘Regular’ to ‘All-Inclusive’ and ‘VeryVIP’.

But COVID stepped in, and forced an entire review of all aspects of how best to ensure Carnival and Cultural Mass Crowd Events were presented in the new COVID-sensitive environment.

Barbados was one of the first countries to invest in collective video productions by several artistes performing one song in diverse locations for sharing Online with home-based audiences and the world.

Designers across the region have also shown, since 2020, they can adapt their creations to suit the new audience delivery realities, and produce products that aren’t simply advertised Online, but intended to take their artistic talents to more people more easily, and more permanently, in more spaces than the usual limited crowds lining sidewalks once a year.

Calypsonians and Soca artistes, regionally, have also demonstrated their ability to adjust and innovate with Online versions of Extempo and Calypso Tent performances.

And, people everywhere continue to show that if the production is good, they will appreciate it as well, Online as on-the-street.

Thanks to COVID, Caribbean Carnivals can therefore ‘Go-Back’ and ‘Move-Ahead’ to ‘BuildBack-Better’, each variant of every national festival also open to the likes of a threeyear-plan (as in the case of St. Vincent) allowing for advance planning rather than continuing the outdated tradition of awaiting a review of every year’s carnival to plan the next.

Yes, COVID dampened the Caribbean’s carnival spirit in 2020 and 2021, but it has also opened up opportunities to breathe new sunlight into the region’s primary annual cultural festival in the Age of COVID and The New Global Norm.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

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Girl, 16, raped by Man wanted in son-in-law’s murder arrested at Ogle Airport Facebook acquaintance

A MAN who allegedly killed his son-in-law Friday last was caught at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport on Sunday while awaiting a flight to Barbados with connections to the United States.

He was identified as 44-year-old Shurwayne Brandt. Reports indicate that Brandt who has U.S. residency checked in for his flight to Barbados on Sunday and as he was being processed through Immigration, the computer system flagged him was as being wanted by the police.

Reports indicate that Brandt allegedly disguised as a woman when he shot and killed 25-year-old Leon Gittens at his daughter’s East La Penitence residence Friday last in the wee hours of the morning.

Gittens, 25, of Lot 118 Cowan Street, Kingston, Georgetown, was a former inmate of the Lusignan Prison, who, in 2019, made a video with two others within the prison brandishing weapons.

According to a police report, the shooting occurred at Lot 211 Freeman Street and investigations revealed that on the fatal night, Gittens went to the La Penitence location to pick up his girlfriend.

“She told police she observed her father dressed in a blue dress with a wig on his head and armed with a black handgun entered the yard and, as she ran for cover, she heard three loud explosions similar to that of gunshots, after which the suspect ran from the yard and made good his escape,” police said.

Upon checking, she saw Gittens lying motionless in front of a bedroom and an alarm was raised.

The injured Gittens was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, Gittens in 2017 was also charged with two others for rob-

A R E L AT I O N S H I P that developed between a 16-year-old over social media platform, Facebook, resulted in her being raped at home when the suspect visited, police said.

The police in Regional Division Three are currently investigating the report of the alleged rape.

The alleged rape, the police said, occurred on February 20, 2022 around 20:00hrs at the victim’s home.

Arrested: Shurwayne Brandt bing Asif Mohammed of a quantity of cash, electronics and personal items worth $2.2M, while making use of personal violence.

That same year, Gittens was also charged for robbing another per-

Dead: Leon Gittens son of a cellphone, and local and foreign currency totalling $115,200 at America and Longden Streets, Georgetown.

Police said he was also a suspect in several robbery investigations.

“Enquiries disclosed that the suspect and the

victim are known to each other via the social media platform, Facebook,” police said.

The suspect, police said, reportedly showed up at the victim’s home, and as soon as she opened the door, he pushed her inside and forcefully committed the act.

The teenage victim was home alone at the time. Police are currently looking for the suspect as an investigation continues.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

‘Lieman’, ‘Go to Front’ get life sentences for Black Bush triple murder

Rakesh Karamchand, called “Go to Front”, and Carlton Chetram, called “Lieman” TWO men, who had confessed to the brutal killing of three persons at Black Bush Polder in July 2016, were on Monday given three life sentences without the possibility of parole.

The sentencing was handed down by Justice Sandil Kissoon, who was presiding over the matter at the Berbice High Court.

Earlier this month, Carlton Chetram, called “Lie-

man”, and his employee, Rakesh Karamchand, called “Go to Front”, who were charged for the capital offence of murder, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Carlton and Karamchand admitted that on July 21, 2016 at Mibicuri Creek Savannah, Black Bush Polder, they unlawfully killed Pawan Chandradeo, 37, called “Suresh” and “Jug

Up”; his son Jaikarran Chandradeo, 16, called “Kevin”, and his brother-in-law Naresh Rooplall, 35, called “Teeka Bai” and “Mice.”

While reflecting on the factual circumstances of the case during the sentencing hearing on Monday, Justice Kissoon said that the crime was one of “calculated slaughter” of three innocent people.

He also said that the men

showed callous disregard for human life, and the circumstances of the case were exceptionally serious and demanded a rigid punishment.

After considering the havoc, damage and destruction which arose due to the consequences of the crime, the judge imposed three life sentences on each accused, and said there will be no possibility of parole.

Less than two weeks ago, Carlton’s son, Jairam Chetram, called “Ryan”, who was also charged in connection with the crime, was sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment. He had pleaded guilty to three counts of murder.

Meanwhile, co-accused Ta m e s h w a r J a g m o h a n , called “Guana”, was handed three death sentences after the 12-member jury found him guilty of the capital of-

fence.

After listening to the testimonies of the State witnesses, Carlton and Karamchand opted to plead guilty to manslaughter.

The Guyana Chronicle had previously reported that on the day in question, the three victims had gone on a fishing trip in the Black Bush Polder backlands in an area called Cookrite Savannah, some three miles from Mibicuri, where they were shot dead.

The men, each with a single gunshot wound, were found lying in a rice field belonging to Sudama Jagmohan, who made the gruesome discovery.

The youngest victim, who was found next to his father, had a gaping hole in the back of his head, and a ‘salt bag’ with fish and a fishing net strung around his neck.

Rooplall’s body had a hole in the neck, and the fishing net was strung over his shoulder, while the older Charandradeo had his fishing net in his hand.

It is alleged that the men, while on their fishing trip, stumbled upon “Lieman” and his crew, who were allegedly stealing diesel fuel in the said field.

It was reported that Jairam, who was armed with his father’s firearm, fired two shots in the air, and the fishermen ran towards the dam and fell. Jairam then shot the victims to their heads at point blank range.

When arrested, Jairam told the police that he killed the men to get rid of the evidence. “Meh nah been want leff no evidence so I shoot dem,” Jairam had said in his caution statement.

Chinese man accused of trafficking 8.8 kg cocaine remanded

Wang Xiu Feng

WANG Xiu Feng, a national of China, on Monday pleaded not guilty to trafficking in narcotics and was remanded to prison.

The accused appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

It is alleged that, on February 11, 2022, at DHL Express, Alberttown, Georgetown, he had 8.8 kilograms (19.4lbs) of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

He was remanded to prison until March 17, 2022.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Guyanese, Martin Cheong, to head SBM Offshore Guyana

GUYANESE business and finance specialist Martin Cheong will be appointed to the post of General Manager of SBM Offshore Guyana, effective March 1, 2022, a release from the company said.

Cheong, whose current role is Project Support Manager with SBM Offshore, had been based in the Netherlands and Brazil over the last year. Prior to joining SBM Offshore, he served as the Human Resource Manager at the GTM Group of Insurance Companies.

Cheong, the release noted, has vast experience in

finance and business support, having held senior positions in these fields for 19 years at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and the Bank of Nova Scotia.

Cheong is a certified Corporate Financial Planning and Services Professional, and the holder of a Master Degree in Business Administration from the University of the West Indies.

“As a Guyanese, I am pleased to be given the opportunity to play a key role in a company that is integrally involved in the production of a resource that is expected to be transformative for

my country. SBM Offshore is committed to utilising and developing the skills of Guyanese — a drive that I am committed to supporting in my new capacity,” Cheong stated.

The company noted that Guyanese hold senior positions at SBM Offshore Guyana and are an integral part of the company’s operations, pointing out that its Human Resource and Finance Department are both headed and completely staffed by Guyanese.

The company has also been recruiting and training technical personnel for its

offshore operations.

“The current General Manager, Mr. Francesco Prazzo, said that Mr Cheong was being prepared for his new role for some time. “This is not something that was decided at the last moment because Martin was hired more than one year ago. We put him on an international journey, moving into different roles within SBM Offshore. We want to continue to be the employer of choice and social-value creators in Guyana,” he stated.

AS Guyana’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign continues, the uptake of booster or third doses in Regions One, Seven, Eight and 10 is lagging, according to Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony.

During Monday’s edition of the COVID-19 update, he stated that the ministry is currently working to increase the uptake of booster doses. He added

that some 48,669 booster doses have been distributed countrywide thus far.

Giving a breakdown by region, Dr. Anthony stated that 977 doses were administered in Region One (Barima-Waini); 2,342 in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); 6,842 in Region Three (West DemeraraEssequibo Islands); 23,344 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); 3,018 in Region

Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 8,028 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); 481 in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni); 399 in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); 1,755 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); and 483 doses in Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

“So, from the doses that have been administered, you can see that in Regions One,

Seven, Eight and Ten, they are below a thousand doses that have been given. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement in these regions,” the Health Minister said.

In the circumstances, he stated that these regions can certainly get past one thousand booster doses, but more must be done to encourage persons to come forward and receive them.

He noted that the low up-

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Business and finance specialist Martin Cheong

Less than 1000 COVID-19 booster shots administered in four regions take can be attributed to vaccine hesitance in some communities, among other things.

The minister went on to emphasise that although persons might have received their primary doses (first and second dose) of a vaccine, it is important for them to get their booster dose, since the Omicron variant is currently circulating.

Dr. Anthony added

that taking the booster shot is critical, as immunity begins to wane at about five months after receiving a first and second dose. He further indicated that older persons should come forward to receive their booster doses, as health authorities are now seeing more older persons, especially those with comorbidities, coming to the hospitals.

Supreme Court launches electronic notice boards

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

By Clestine Juan

THE Supreme Court of Judicature on Monday launched its Electronic Notice Boards at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to facilitate easier access to justice and to help propel the digital transformation of the judicial system.

The initiative which was launched virtually on the Supreme Court’s Facebook page, is supported by the Canadian Government and the Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening (JURIST) Project.

Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards; Chief Justice (ag), Madam Justice Roxane George; Canada”s High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman and Director of the JURIST Project, Gloria Richards-Johnson delivered remarks.

Among those who attended were Attorney-General Anil Nandlall, magistrates, judges, other senior judicial officers and members of the legal profession.

According to the Chief Justice, the boards will keep court users informed and decrease their waiting time in the environs of the court.

She said that the latter is particularly important given the COVID-19 situation which necessitates the courts keeping crowding at a minimum.

The four digital boards were placed at strategic points at the city court and will soon be rolled out at other courts across Guyana.

“It marks another tangible demonstration of the new trajectory of the judiciary of

From left : Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Canada’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman and Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards Guyana. It signals our continued embrace of the necessity to accelerate the digital transformation of our court system,” Justice George said while delivering her remarks at the historical launch.

While chronicling the judiciary’s digital transformation throughout the years, the Chief Justice said that its genesis started sometime in 2010, when the court commenced Skype court hearings which later set the foundation for recording systems, live streams and social media platforms among other things. These in the long run allowed for speedier trials, she added.

The public education campaign was launched in 2020 and is designed to build public trust and

confidence in the judiciary and the judicial system. She also spoke about the recent launch of the court website (https://supremecourt. gy) which provides general information and an online filing mechanism.

She explained to attendees that the judiciary’s continued collaboration with the JURIST project has given the court system the impunity to “think outside of the box.”

In what she deemed a “transformative period” for the court system, the Chief Justice said that soon a “case management system pilot project” will be rolled out in the Magistrates’ Court.

This project is a collaboration involving the National Centre for State Courts of

the United States and a number of local and international judiciaries.

“Access to justice takes many forms. These digital boards are another mechanism for ensuring access to justice,” she said.

LAGGING BEHIND Meanwhile, Canada’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman, explained that courts have somewhat lagged behind when it comes to modern technology.

“Judicial system has traditionally been hesitant to embrace the constantly evolving technological advances we see in other sectors. But recently the legal profession, including the judiciary has begun to leverage technology to enhance

the delivery of services,” he said.

On Monday, the Canadian High Commissioner handed over 15 laptops to the court, which he said will help boost its capacity to help administer justice. “ We are all aware that now more than ever there is an urgent need for I.T (Information Technology) infrastructure to facilitate virtual hearing, to ensure that persons attend court and have their cases and complaints dealt with in a timely manner,” Berman added.

The Chancellor in her remarks said that this new initiative would assure the citizenry that the wheels of justice are turning despite the COVID-19 crisis.

She explained that the

digital boards will assist court users with knowing the status of their cases and help them navigate their way around the court’s precinct. “ We were moving slowly, perhaps on a turtle back on the technological road.

Many of our courts were without recording units. The handwriting of the note of evidence was the order of the day; witnesses were asked to slow down as they give their testimonies or even to repeat aspects of their testimonies to afford accurate notetaking of the evidence by the judicial officer..,” she said.

She added: “Today JURIST has allowed us to boast that all of our courts are now equipped with facilities for recording of evidence which allows us to spend less time in writing of the evidence.”

The Chancellor explained that the judiciary’s “endgame” has always been to safely keep its doors open to meet the legal need of society.

She explained that court users can now see their matters via the user-friendly digital notice which will ultimately reduce the time spent in ascertaining which court a particular matter is in or which magistrate is presiding over the matter and the status of the case.

“We are open for business. We are expanding, new courts will be constructed this year, especially in the unserved areas. New courts will be built and opened next year.

Already, the Attorney General has identified land in the Parfaite Harmonie area for us,” she disclosed.

GAICO Construction increases capabilities with US$7.5M dredge

GAICO Construction & General Services Inc is increasing its dredging capabilities by adding another trailing suction dredge to its current fleet of vehicles.

The company in a release said that the trailing suction dredge set sail last week from the RAK Port in Dubai for Guyana.

“This is an additional US$7.5M investment which will increase the dredging capabilities in Guyana and the region, ultimately creating more jobs for Guyanese,” the com-

pany said.

The dredge will complement the company’s current fleet of vessels, which includes a Hopper Dredge, Cutter Head Dredge, Hydraulic Cutter Head Dredge and Backhoe Dredge.

“This is a momentous occasion for GAICO as it will enable increased capacity and provide us with another opportunity to build local capacity within our team. As we strive to meet the emerging demands of the private sector in Guyana, we remain steadfast to our values and principles of putting people

and safety first,” said GAICO Construction Chief Executive Officer, Komal Singh.

GAICO is also building a wharf and dry dock facility at Nismes, West Bank Demerara.

The completion of the first phase will see a laydown yard, a one-finger pier and the wharf front at the Nismes foreshore area.

“This facility will allow materials and equipment to be offloaded from vessels and stored until they are ready for further transport. GAICO believes since new infrastruc-

tural work in Region Three will increase, there will be an increased demand for construction materials produced outside of the region. By allowing ships to moor at the facility, supplies headed to Region Three could be discharged straightaway – reducing transportation costs.

Beyond this, however, this facility is strategically positioned to support the oil and gas sector directly – particularly, the forthcoming gasto-energy project in nearby Wales,” the release noted.

GTT donates free Internet to School of Brilliant Beginnings

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

WITH efforts to support the use of technology and online learning, GTT Business Solutions has recently donated free Biz Fibre Internet service to the School of Brilliant Beginnings at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, a release from the company said.

The company noted that the School of Brilliant Beginnings is a learning institution that aims to use technology to bridge the home and school gap by showing children that technology is more than entertainment.

Chief Operations Officer of Business Solutions, Orson Ferguson, recently visited the school to witness the positive impact the contribution may have on learners within

the school.

“GTT is big on giving back to the community as we fulfill our promise of strengthening the community. We are also big on the use of technology and learning through technology. So, we are happy that we enforce the use of technology through this donation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Director of the School, Readonna Howell expressed gratitude to the Business Solutions team for its timely donation.

“School of Brilliant Beginnings is heading in the direction of teaching children in nursery and primary using technology as a teaching/learning tool. The sponsored Internet service provided by GTT will allow us to be

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one step closer to achieving that goal,” Howell said.

According to a release, she noted that currently, every Thursday each learner can use his/her device to complete activities in various subject areas.

“This makes learning more interactive, fun and relatable for them. The teachers are allowed to just be facilitators, while the children learn through trial and error, which we believe builds their confidence and independence,” Howell stated.

She explained that the school stands on individualism, small classes and readiness and caters to preschool, nursery and primary age learners.

Director of School of Brilliant Beginnings, Readonna Howell, facilitating an online learning course with primary-aged pupils (GTT photograph)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

UG ‘delivers’ 13 new dental surgeons for Guyana GUYANA’S healthcare system has been boosted with the addition of 13 dental surgeons who recently graduated from the University of Guyana’s School of Medical Sciences with their Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery.

The School of Medicine, Dentistry Department, recently hosted a White Coat and Awards Ceremony at the Regency Suites Banquet Hall where the newly-minted Dental Surgeons were officially presented with their ceremonial White Coats.

The Annual White Coat and Awards Ceremony signifies a transition from the pre-clinical year to the clinical years of a dental surgeon, a release said.

University of Guyana’s Vice-Chancellor, XI, Professor Paloma MohamedMartin, congratulated the graduates, their lecturers, family, and support network, acknowledging that they were the best of the best, a small percentage chosen from a large pool of eligible applicants. She indicated that that always worried her and that the University’s PACE Unit, through support from the partnership among ExxonMobil, Hess, CNOOC, and Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) was able to secure funding for 10 dental chairs which will soon be commissioned.

“This will critically change the programme in several ways. (1) It will allow the dental programme to triple its current small

University of Guyana Dental Surgeon Class of 2021 (UG photo) intake thereby increasing the number of dental surgeons in the country. (2) It will ensure broader regional impact of the programme through community-based internships in especially hard to reach areas,” the release said.

Professor MohamedMartin noted that the programme established 15 years ago by Professor Cummings, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, and Dr. Ali, had already given the country close to 100 dental surgeons.

LARGEST BATCH This year’s graduating class is the largest in its his-

tory since the university has been expanding the numbers within the context of its capacity over the last few years. She lauded the students who received awards for accomplishments and the faculty, now headed by Dr. Cecil Boston and Dr. Carlos Varona, for the advancement and enhancement of the Dentistry Department at UG. The Vice-Chancellor further encouraged the graduates to aspire to be the best at what they do as opportunities and blessings follow diligent and excellent work, the release noted.

University of Guyana’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Engagement), Professor Emanuel Cummings, who delivered the keynote address on behalf of Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, highlighted six key characteristics the Dental Surgeons must have in order to be excellent healthcare professionals.

According to Professor Cummings, it is expected that healthcare workers should practise effective communication skills, have emotional stability, empathy, attention to detail, problem-

solving skills, and respect for every human being.

“It is important to communicate well with your patients, supervisors and colleagues; and adding to that, as a doctor, you need to put yourself in the position of your patient and treat each patient in like manner as if he or she were a family or friend,” Professor Cummings said.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor, who was the founding Dean of the Dental School, added: “As doctors, you need to ensure that you read and gain additional knowledge

as there is much to learn since science is continuously evolving. More so, you need to be innovative and think outside the box but within the regulations of dentistry.”

INSTRUMENT OF CHANGE Professor Cummings further encouraged the graduates to be instruments of change. “Respect every human being in your environment, your peers, the security guards, the cleaners, and everyone because everyone has a role to play,” he urged.

Director of the School of Dentistry, Dr. Carlos Varona, congratulated the graduates and extended best wishes to them as they embark on their careers. “Now is the time to put into practice the knowledge and skills acquired during the past four years, so that you can become honourable professionals to gain the trust of each of your patients and colleagues and to give the best to our society.”

Principal Dental Surgeon, Dr. Kester Sullivan noted: “Having achieved success at this level is only the beginning because as you begin to work you will have to exhibit patience, tolerance and most of all, a lot of compassion.”

He added: “In the healthcare system we try to avoid all kinds of mistakes. Mistakes are not really allowed; you can have challenges; you have to put your best effort in whatever you do to make your profession successful.”

Dean of the College of TURN TO PAGE 15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

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Man admits to killing Regent Multiplex owner

Dead: Businessman Ganesh Ramlall SIX years after the owner of Regent Multiplex Mall, Ganesh ‘Boyo’ Ramlall, was shot dead during a robbery at his La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara home, the alleged getaway driver has admitted to the gruesome crime.

On Monday, Fazeel ‘Javed’ Bacchus was arraigned for murder before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Demerara High Court.

However, he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

The 27-year-old admitted that, on July 5, 2015, he unlawfully

killed Ramlall, during the course of a robbery.

Justice Morris-Ram-

lall deferred sentencing until Thursday, February 24, 2022.

The State is represented by special prosecutors, attorneys-at-law Konyo Sandiford and Narissa Leander, while attorneyat-law Mark Conway is on record for the accused.

Bacchus’ co-accused Lennox ‘Soldier Man’ Roberts and Kurt ‘Banana’ Erskine are on remand awaiting the commencement of their High court trial.

According to reports, the businessman had just returned home and was going to use the outside bathroom when he was confronted by four men

Fazeel ‘Javed’ Bacchus

UG ‘delivers’ 13 new...

FROM PAGE 14 Medical Sciences, Dr. Cecil Boston, encouraged the dental surgeons to use compassion as that was the cornerstone of their profession.

President of the University of Guyana Dental School Association, Petra Langevine, also echoed similar sentiments.

LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE “I urge you to live your best life as graduation is not the end, but only the beginning,” she said.

The valedictorian of the dentistry class of 2021, Dr. Tressyia Ketwaroo, thanked her peers, lecturers, and friends for making her journey one that was filled with lots of successes and laughter. “To the class of 2021, we are triumphant today, we worked hard and smart and today is only possible be-

cause we worked as a team,” Dr. Ketwaroo told her fellow graduates.

According to the release, the graduating class comprised of Dr. David Adams, Dr. Chiquita Forrester, Dr. Christine King Smith, Dr. Ackeem Marques, Dr. Oral Mc Allister, Dr. Danesh Persaud, Dr. Keisha Brazh, Dr. Tressyia Ketwaroo, Dr. Jewel La Fleur, Dr. Neranjan Manoo, Dr. Ghansham Samaroo, Dr. Sadeke Sandy, and Dr. Daryl Watson.

The Dr. Cheddi Jagan Award for the Best Graduating Student was presented to Dr. Tressyia Ketwaroo.

The Dr. Giri Award for the second best Graduating Student was awarded to Dr. Ghansham Samaroo.

Dr. Keisha Brazh, Dr. Tressyia Ketwaroo, Dr. Ghansham Samaroo, and Dr. Sadeke Sandy were pre-

sented with an award for the Best Research Project.

Dr. Christine King Smith was named the Best Overall Clinical Student while Dr. Ghansham Samaroo was named the Second Best Overall Clinical Student.

Awards for Outstanding performance in the rotation of adults, prosthodontics and pediatrics were received by Dr. Tressyia Ketwaroo, Dr. Christine King Smith, and Dr. Ghansham Samaroo respectively.

The University of Guyana Dental Students Association Medal of Service was awarded to Dr. David Adams, Dr. Ackeem Marques, Dr. Ghansham Samaroo, Dr. Chiquita Forrester, Dr. Tressyia Ketwaroo, Dr. Sadeke Sandy and Dr. Daryl Watson, the release concluded.

who shot him about his body and took away his licensed firearm, jewellery and wallet.

It was reported that, upon seeing the gunmen, he raised an alarm

and called out to his relatives to secure the house.

After the bandits escaped Ramlall was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospi-

tal where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Days later, police arrested Bacchus and he confessed to being the getaway driver.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 22, 2022

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday February 22, 2022

GMR&SC Endurance Race round one…

Team Wreckers dedicate victory to the late Anil Persaud THE season-opening Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) endurance race meet got off to a flying start on Sunday with Team Wreckers winning the overall trophy.

Returning to a three-hour format for the first time in many years, the event was sponsored by Secure Innovations and Concepts Inc. Thirty-five cars lined up on the grid for the 14:00hrs start and when the dust settled, it was the Team Wreckers squad of Anand Ramchand and Adrian Fernandes that emerged champions, completing a total of 116

laps; one more than the team of Sean Bacchus.

Both cars were part of the 1501-1600CC class.

Speaking after the event, Fernandes said, “I am dedicating this win to the late Anil Persaud. Despite him being from another team, he always helped where he could have before and even on race day. To his family and friends, we dedicate this win.”

The Team Wreckers’ car, which is also under the sponsorship of AJM and Vitality Inc., had a tense battle with Shan Seejatan and Nyron Maraj, all three completing

108 laps with 10 minutes remaining.

However, both Seejatan and Maraj suffered mechanical issues which caused them to pit and eventually fall behind, both men still completing the three-hour event.

In the 0-1500CC class of things, Narendra Mangar took the top spot after completing 112 laps ahead of Naresh Alves (109 laps) and Troy Muir (101) in that order, while Mohamed Roshandin (103) laps finished behind Fernandes and Bacchus in the 1501-1600 class.

In the 1601 – 2000cc class, Richard Hamid of

Team First class completed 114 laps ahead of Ryan Rahman (107 laps) and Bishram Rajaram (28) laps.

Zafeer Khan finished third in the unlimited class with 93 laps behind Seejattan (second with 111 laps) and Maraj (first with 114 laps).

Seejattan with a 1:22.480 was the fastest lap of the day.

GMR&SC President Rameez Mohamed commended the participants for ensuring that all the COVID-19 protocols were adhered to.

“I also want to thank all the marshals and volunteers for today’s [Sunday’s] event.

We could not have pulled it off without you and moving ahead with our 2022 plan, it is integral that we have your support,” He said.

“Our next proposed event is a circuit race planned for March, but that is subject to the approval of the National [sic] Board of Health and COVID Task force; but I feel we have done a good job today in adhering to the no-spectator and other rules set out by the task force were followed.”

He added that the club will return to the task force to seek permission for that event.

Britain's four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah to return at London 10,000m FOUR-time Olympic champion Mo Farah will make his return to competition at the Vitality London 10,000 in May. The 38-year-old, Britain's most decorated track and field athlete, has not raced since suffering a fractured foot in June last year.

He fell short of the 10,000m selection time for last year's Tokyo Olympics at the British Championships.

Farah, the 5,000m and 10,000m champion at both the London and Rio Games, is a seven-time winner of the London 10,000.

The race, won by Farah in five consecutive years between 2009 and 2013, and again in 2018 and its most recent edition in 2019, will take place on Monday 2 May. "I've been working hard to get back into shape following my injury last summer and I've got a few more months of hard training ahead

was determined to recover from the injury and finish

Mo Farah missed the 10,000m selection time for Tokyo 2020 by 19 seconds

of me," said Farah.

"I have great memories of the event. I have won it seven times and racing in central London is something you can never get bored of.

The atmosphere among the thousands of participants is always fantastic and I can't

wait to be part of it again."

Farah said he would consider his future after failing to qualify for Tokyo, saying: "If I can't compete with the best why bother?"

He later told the BBC he had "been struggling for quite a while" but added he

Bermuda seeks wins to... (From page 23) against Barbados.

Honduras will be at home in the friendly confines of San Pedro Sula when they face British Virgin Islands in Group E. The Catrachas lost 6-0 to Haiti in their opener, while BVI suffered a 14-0 defeat to Cuba. No doubt that both

sides will look to make great strides in Tuesday’s affair.

Rounding out the action is Nicaragua hosting Turks and Caicos Islands in Managua in Group F play. Nicaragua were involved in one of the most exciting matches of W

Qualifying thus far, narrowly falling 2-1 to Trinidad and Tobago. Yessenia Flores scored for the Pinoleras and will no doubt want more against a Turks and Caicos Islands side that will try to improve upon their opening 7-0 defeat to Guyana.

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his career on his own terms.

(BBC Sport) Taunton 09:20 hrs Honestlyntrufully 09:55 hrs Lady Adare 10:30 hrs Jeremy The Jinn 11:05 hrs Larkbarrow Lad 11:40 hrs Langer Dan 12:15 hrs Doyannie 12:50 hrs White Heart Lady Southwell 13:00 hrs bBrandy Station 14:00 hrs Zarzyni 14:30 hrs Batocchi 15:00 hrs Griffin Park 15:30 hrs Lady Lou 16:00 hrs Kiritimati Irish Racing Tips Navan 09:10 hrs Hemlock 09:45 hrs Brampton Belle 10:20 hrs Longhouse Poet 10:55 hrs Nathaniel’s Dream 11:30 hrs Nicole’s Milan 12:05 hrs Farouk D’alene 12:40 hrs All Class 13:15 hrs Madmansgame

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday February 22, 2022

NBA All-Star Game:

Curry sets record as Team LeBron win 163-160 against Team Durant STEPHEN Curry scored 50 points and set an AllStar Game record as Team LeBron claimed a 163-160 win over Team Durant.

Curry, 33, finished with 16 three-pointers, setting a record for the most in an All-Star quarter (six), half (eight) and game (16) in the process.

The previous record in an All-Star game was nine, set by Paul George in 2016.

Curry, who was two points short of the scoring record set by Anthony Davis in 2017, won the Kobe Bryant Trophy as the AllStar Game's most valuable player.

The All-Star MVP Award was permanently

renamed in honour of LA Lakers legend Bryant, an 18time All-Star, after he and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in 2020.

LeBron James also played in his 18th All-Star Game to sit one short of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record.

The Los Angeles Lakers star made the game-winning shot on Sunday after his team had been set a target winning score of 163 in Cleveland.

The NBA introduced a new fourth-quarter format in 2020 to honour five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant That target was determined after Team Durant held a 139-138 lead heading

into the final quarter and, for a third consecutive year, 24 points were added to the leading total to reflect Kobe Bryant's jersey number.

Curry surpassed Ray Allen at the top of the the alltime list for threes made and was honoured as a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team at half-time.

James made 24 points for his side and Giannis Antetokounmpo, of the Milwaukee Bucks, added 30 points and 12 rebounds.

Team Durant were led by the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, who recorded 36 points and 10 rebounds, while Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns contributed 20 points.

Stephen Curry made five three-pointers in 128 seconds

Ireland one win away from T20 World Cup spot after beating Germany IRELAND will play Oman for a place in the T20 World Cup having advanced to the semi-finals of the Qualifier with a seven-wicket victory over Germany.

A disciplined bowling performance saw Ireland restrict Germany to 1077 from their 20 overs in Oman.

Paul Stirling (34) and Andrew Balbirnie (32) put Ireland in firm control, with Harry Tector

hitting the winning runs from the first ball of the 14th over.

The Irish will play their semi-final today.

Bahrain's two-run victory over the UAE means Ireland advance as group winners and will play the tournament hosts for a place in the World Cup in Australia later this year.

Having lost the opening game against the UAE, Ireland knew they had to win their remaining

group games against Bahrain and Germany in order to salvage their qualifying aspirations.

"We were really good.

There was a bit in it for the bowlers and they bowled really tightly," said captain Balbirnie after Monday's win.

"It was a really complete performance and we're slowly getting to where we want to at the right time of the tournament."(BBC Sport)

Haiti stuns SVG with... of Maria-Frances Serrant.

Meantime, Mexico also kept their unbeaten record intact in Group A after posting an 8-0 victory versus Antigua and Barbuda in the Dominican Republic.

Seven different players accounted for the goals, with 2021 CONCACAF Women’s Player of the Year Nominee Stephany Mayor bagging a brace (24’, 33’), and Rebeca Bernal (27’), Alicia Cervantes (43’), Katty Martinez

(61’), Maricarmen Reyes (64’), Carolina Jaramillo (76’) and Myra Delgadillo (90+6) all chipping in with scores.

Costa Rica have earned six points following their first two matches in Group B after a 6-0 win against the US Virgin Islands in St. Croix.

Raquel Rodriguez (17’, 44’) scored a pair of goals to go along with scores from Katherine Alvarado (5’), Carolina Venegas (24’), Me-

(From page 22)

lissa Herrera (65’) and Fabiola Villalobos (69’).

Lineth Cedeno notched a hat- trick to pace Panama to an 8-0 victory in Group D versus fellow Central American side Belize in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Cedeno struck in the 25’, 36’ and 86’, while Natalia Mills bagged a brace (16’, 71’) and Yomira Pinzon (11’), Yerenis De Leon (45’) and Yeisi Fuenes (52’) contributed goals.

21

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday February 22, 2022

Meg Lanning: How the domestic system allows Australia to thrive THERE’S no doubt that the 50-over World Cup has been on the radar for a little while, it comes around pretty rarely compared to T20 World Cups so we're looking forward to the opportunity to go and compete.

It's a pure World Cup in the sense that you play everybody throughout the tournament, and once you get to the end, if you can finish on top it's a pretty amazing effort. We're all really excited

about the chance to play in a one-day World Cup and obviously we're going there to win but it's going to be a pretty tough tournament to play.

A lot of our players were involved in that 2017 World Cup, which didn't quite end the way we would have liked and I think since then we've changed the way we approach and play our cricket and are a lot more positive and willing to take a few more risks and I think that suited our game style.

It is the trophy that we don't have our hands on at the moment and we're all very keen to try and change that. Being the No.1 ranked team, we go in there with a lot of confidence, but World

Cups are extremely difficult to win.

There's a lot of cricket to be played and then you need to play pretty consistently across a long period of time, which is a big challenge and there are a number of world class teams out there, who are playing really good cricket.

It's really exciting for the young players in the squad to only know life as full-time professional cricketers and it's great for them to have the opportunity to really try and get the best out of themselves.

We know the benefits of being full time and having access to great resources, great coaching, and being able to play a lot more crick-

Top Australian players likely to miss white ball leg of Pakistan tour AUSTRALIA might miss the services of few top players during their limited over series with Pakistan to be played next month.

Aussies will tour Pakistan to play a total of three Tests and equal number of ODIs apart from one T20I. It is expected that a few prominent Australian players will pull out of the white-ball series against the home side, as they can ensure a longer participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The home side will square-off against Australia in a three match Test series starting from March 4 till March 25. The limited over series will start from March 29 to April 5.

“None of the contracted players will be available for the IPL before April 6, whether they are playing in the white-ball series (vs Pakistan) or not,” a spokesman for the CA told Cricbuzz on Monday.

“There is a bit of optics involved here,” an official from a franchise, which has a top Australian cricketer in the squad, he added. “The CA would not permit their contracted players to participate in the IPL before April 5 but the players would come here

Australia women’s cricket captain Meg Lanning

et as well and hopefully, that continues to evolve over the next few years as well.

The Women’s Big Bash League in particular has provided a really nice platform for younger players to be exposed to different scenarios and pressure situations.

We've seen with our young kids coming in, Darcie Brown, Tahlia McGrath and others, they don't look overawed by the situation, which I think the WBBL has played a really big role

in that.

It is a strong domestic competition, and alongside the Women’s National Cricket League, it provides a great opportunity for players to get game time and learn the game, there's no doubt that that certainly helps our national team to be able to perform as we do.

We want to win every game that we play, and we were very proud to reach 26 ODIs unbeaten before losing to India, but it's probably

not realistic in these times with so many good teams out there to win absolutely every game but it's a good challenge for us.

It wasn't a surprise to us that India played so well because they're such a great team, if anything it reinforces the fact that we need to play our best cricket and we need to make sure we're trying to push the game forward to make sure we stay ahead.

(ICC Media)

SA batter Keegan Petersen signs for Durham Australia T20 opener Mitchell Marsh

and complete the required bio-security protocols meanwhile.

It is remains to be seen if Aussie players contracted in one of the biggest league in the world will leave an international series to ensure their participation straightaway from April 6.

Thirteen Australians are a part of the IPL in the coming season – Pat Cummins (Kolkata Knight Riders), Matthew Wade (Gujarat Titans), Nathan Coulter-Nile (Rajasthan Royals), Nathan Ellis (Pun-

jab Kings), Riley Meredith (Mumbai Indians), Sean Abbott (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Pat Cummins (Kolkata Knight Riders), Jason Behrendorff (Royals Challengers Bangalore), Daniel Sams (Mumbai Indians), Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Mitchell Marsh (Delhi Capitals), David Warner (Delhi Capitals), Glenn Maxwell (retained, Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Marcus Stoinis (retained, Lucknow Super Giants). (CricTracker)

DURHAM have signed South Africa batter Keegan Petersen for the first part of the 2022 County Championship season.

The right-hander, who will join the club in April, was the leading scorer in South Africa's recent Test series win over India with 276 runs.

Petersen has amassed over 6,500 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 40.93 with a highest score of 225.

The 28-year-old will be available for seven games before joining up with South Africa in June.

"It's exciting to join a county like Durham and I look forward to linking up with the squad and having a successful contribution during my time in the north east," Petersen told the club

Keegan Petersen has played five Test matches for South Africa

website.

Durham's director of cricket, Marcus North, added: "Keegan will add

further strength to the top of our batting line up. He is in a great place with his cricket."(BBC Sport)

22

Wasim Akram inducted into PCB Hall of Fame

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday February 22, 2022

Haiti stuns SVG with 11-nil win

Rosellor Borgella (right) of Haiti celebrates with her teammates after scoring four goals in a victory against St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Cuba on Sunday (Photo: CONCACAF)

West Indies great Sir Vivian Richards inducted Wasim Akram into the exclusive list by presenting him with a commemorative plaque and cap ahead of the start of the Pakistan Super League (PSLmatch between the Karachi Kings and the Quetta Gladiators on Sunday

WASIM Akram is one of the best fast bowlers to have played the game at the highest level. He has bowled many match-winning spells for Pakistan in his illustrious career that lasted for nearly two decades.

Akram was one of the pioneers of the reverse swing along with the ability to make the ball do the talking even on dead wickets. It has been 19 years since the pace legend bid adieu to international cricket but lately, he has received an honorable mention by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The ‘Sultan of Swing’

has been inducted into the PCB Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution to cricket. Wasim Akram was presented with a commemorative cap and plaque by the West Indies legend as well as an ICC Hall of Famer Sir Vivian Richards prior to the start of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022 league game between Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which also happens to be Akram’s home ground.

After PCB posted the video of the former Pakistan skipper’s Hall of Fame induction on their official Twitter handle, Akram

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday February 22, 2022)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Clive Lloyd & Viv Richards (28 matches each) (2) Sunil Gavaskar-27 matches Today’s Quiz: (1) What was the result of the recent WI/IND T20 International series?

(2) Who was voted Man of the Series?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

came forward said that is a blessing for him to have served his country and to be acknowledged for that.

“I feel privileged to have received this great honour from Sir Vivian Richards, one of the most iconic figures in cricket, and at a venue that remained my home ground during my playing career. I also want to compliment the Pakistan Cricket Board for launching this initiative to recognise and acknowledge the contributions of former cricketers,” was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

“It has been an honour to represent Pakistan over 18 years during which I played in 460 international matches. Every wicket and every run I scored in these matches was priceless. I can’t thank God Almighty enough for providing me the opportunity to serve this great country at the highest level.

“I want to thank all my fans who have been my greatest strengths. Their support has been invaluable. I also want to thank my family and friends who stood beside me during this incredible journey,” he added. (CricTracker)

HAVANA, Cuba, (CMC) – Haiti showed off their flair for scoring with an 11-nil victory over St Vincent and the Grenadines, while Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago also registered wins when the 2022 CONCACAF Women Qualifying continued on Sunday.

Haiti remained unbeaten in Group E after the victory in Cuba.

Roselord Borgella poured in four goals in the 20th, 51st, 76th and 90th, while Milan Pierre added a brace (44’, 65’) and were joined

by Sherly Jeudy (22’), Kethna Louis (34’), Maudeline Moryl (61’), Chelsea Surpris (80’) and Roseline Eloissaint (81’) on the scoresheet.

Jamaica emerged with another three points in Group C, but it was not easy against a tough Grenada side in a 6-1 final in Grenada.

The Reggae Girlz held a 3-0 lead on goals from Tiffany Cameron (28’), Jody Brown (42’) and Khadija Shaw (45+5’). However, Grenada made things very interesting with a goal in the 50’ from Roneisha Frank.

Jamaica kept their poise, however, as Brown added her second in the 55’, Alika Keene scored in the 73’ and Shaw tallied her second of the day in the 90’.

There was a tight affair between Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica, with the Soca Warriors taking a 2-0 final in Dominica to stay perfect in Group F. Trinidad and Tobago held a 1-0 halftime lead thanks to a goal from Asha James in the 31’ and then got an insurance score in the 58’ courtesy (Turn to page 20)

Lady Jags beat Turks and Caicos 7-0

Mariam El-Masri netted a hat-trick for the Lady Jags

GUYANA’s lady Jags have maintained their unbeaten record in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers after they defeated hosts Turks and Caicos on Saturday last in more Group F action.

Mariam El-Masri netted a hat-trick, scoring in the 48th, 61st and 84th minutes while there were two braces from

Cameo Hazlewood, who opened the scoring in the 10th minute then the 40th, while Hannah Baptiste struck twice as well, in the 30th and 72nd minutes.

It brings the second clean sheet in as many matches for the Lady Jags as they defeated Dominica at the National Track and Field Facility, Le-

onora, West Coast Demerara, in their opening match.

Guyana’s next game is against Nicaragua on April 8, and should they win, it potentially set up a winners take it all clash against Trinidad and Tobago, as only the top side from the group makes it to the next round.

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday February 22, 2022

No disgrace despite whitewash, says skipper Pollard KOLKATA, India, (CMC) – Kieron Pollard says there is no reason for West Indies to feel “disgraced” despite their 3-0 whitewash to India in the Twenty20 International series, and has also warned against burdening Nicholas Pooran with too much batting responsibility, despite his current form.

The Caribbean side went down by 17 runs on Sunday in the final T20I at Eden Gardens, marking the second whitewash in as many weeks after they also lost the preceding One-Day International phase, 3-0, in Ahmedabad.

However, captain Pollard said the T20 series was actually much closer than the results suggested, and several of the players had reason to be pleased with their performances.

“When you look at the games, it was definitely a close series but it just goes to show the fine lines in international cricket for winning and losing, and the margin for error when you’re play-

ing, when you’re bowling and when you’re fielding,” Pollard contended.

“I thought it was a good series. I thought the guys sort of put up their hands and gave a good account of themselves. I don’t think we should be disgraced by what has taken place.

“Yes, we’ve lost 3-0 and the scoreline will suggest that and we accept that yes we’ve lost but again, we’re in a results oriented business as well and it’s one where we’re looking for results and looking to see what the guys have to offer.

“There’s a fine line, we’re not happy with losing – let me put that on record.

It’s not a matter we’re just going out there and if we lose we lose – it’s not that at all. We’re trying to win cricket games as well but it’s a work in progress.

“I’m very happy with some of the performances of the guys and we crack on.

We have no international white-ball cricket over the next 3-½ months so we have

CORRECTION

IN the February 13 edition of the Guyana Chronicle, we carried a story titled, 'IGG Medalist Dexter Presser Joseph to be buried today. In the first paragraph, it was stated that Mr Joseph was the first to capture a gold medal for Guyana at the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG). We wish to correct this as it was Amanda Lee who received Guyana's first Gold Medal, handed to her by the then Minister responsible for Sport, Cde Shirley Field Ridley as seen below.

Stylish West Indies left-hander Nicholas Pooran

some time to think about what’s there for the future.”

One of the stand-out players in the T20 series was stylish Nicholas Pooran who unfurled a half-century in all three innings to end with 184 runs at an average of 61 and lead the run charts on either side.

The 26-year-old left-

hander was the only batsman to pass triple figures but Rovman Powell averaged 47 following a sensational half-century in the second game.

Off-spinning all-rounder Roston Chase emerged as unlikely leader of the attack, finishing with six wickets at 10 runs apiece and an econo-

my rate of five, to be the best bowler in the series.

“I thought Nicholas was outstanding. Three fifties in three games was fantastic for him – that’s the consistency we ask for,” Pollard said. “[Rovman] getting a score in the last game, Kyle (Mayers) getting us [off] to a couple [starts].

“Chase came into the team as a forced change in the first game – he wasn’t actually playing but Jason (Holder) got hit the day before – and he actually bowled well so well done to them.

“I thought (Sheldon) Cottrell as well in the first couple games, he bowled pretty decently barring one over. So all in all after different points in time, guys would have put up their hands. It’s a work in progress.”

Pooran’s form was an extension of last month’s series against England in Bridgetown when he averaged 41 but Pollard said it was critical the player be allowed to

continue to develop and not be saddled with too much pressure of scoring runs.

“I don’t want [to say that I want] him to take up the consistency and take the responsibility and make it sound like he has to do it [alone],” Pollard pointed out.

“At the end of the day, he’s a young player and talented in his own right and he’ll want to be consistent as an individual.

“Some of the things we’ve been asking for is that consistency and we’ve seen it [from him] in these three matches with three half-centuries and then you look back in the England series [where he scored] a couple of 20s and a 70-odd.

“So he’s getting there but you don’t actually want to put all the responsibility and all the pressure on Nicholas.

“He’s still learning his craft as well but he has what it takes to be a force to be reckoned with on the international scene, not only as a batsman but as a leader as well.”

Bermuda seeks wins to close Women’s Qualifying MIAMI, Florida, (CMC) – The February window of 2022 CONCACAF Women’s Qualifying closes today with the 12 teams in action all seeking their first victories of the campaign.

In Group A, Suriname will take on Anguilla in Paramaribo, Suriname in what each team hopes is a bounce-back performance.

Suriname fell 9-0 in their opener versus Mexico, while Anguilla went down 9-0 to Puerto Rico.

Both sides held their own in the opening halfhour of each game before succumbing to their opponent’s pressure. A chance to improve things will be there for the taking on Tuesday.

St. Kitts and Nevis will square off with Curacao in Group B, with the teams meeting in the Dominican Republic. In their opening matches, St. Kitts and Nevis were defeated 7-0 at Costa Rica, while Curacao

Bermuda (pictured) will play Cayman Islands in today’s encounter in Group C

suffered a 6-0 loss against Guatemala.

St. Kitts and Nevis did well to keep the Ticas in check for most of the first half, while a quick start for Guatemala hurt Curacao’s chances of a result.

The IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida will be the site of Tuesday’s en-

counter in Group C and it promises to be a good one between Bermuda and Cayman Islands. Both teams boast players who helped their respective Under-20 teams qualify for the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, including CWU20 Qualifying top scorer Molly Kehoe of Cay-

man Islands.

Bermuda played 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup side Jamaica to a 4-0 final in which the Reggae Girlz led only 2-0 entering the final 10 minutes, while Cayman Islands equally proved a tough foe for Dominican Republic in a 4-0 defeat.

Barbados and Aruba are set to meet in the Dominican Republic in Group D on the heels of their opening matches. Barbados kept Panama off the scoresheet for 40 minutes before eventually succumbing 5-0 to the Canaleras. Meanwhile, Aruba were one of the few losing sides in the first matches of W Qualifying to have scored a goal, as they found the back of the net in a 7-1 loss to El Salvador.

Kiomy Luperon Herasme scored in the 90th minute against the Cuscatlecas and now she and her Aruba teammates will be on the hunt for more goals (Turn to page 19)

Team Wreckers, sponsored by AJM and Vitality Inc., took the overall trophy as well as the 1501-1600cc class. (credit Jeremy Jagroop/Jeremy Jagroop Photography/GTC)

GMR&SC Endurance Race round one…

Team Wreckers dedicate victory to the late Anil Persaud 19 PAGE

Linden edge Royals to win Rawle Toney 3x3 Basketball title LINDEN came out the best of the 16 teams which competed in the second Rawle Toney 3x3 Basketball Classic over the weekend after they battled to an 8-7 victory over Royals at Burnham Court on Sunday evening.

With the fighting win, Linden won the Andrew Ifill Championship trophy, and for the quartet of Daniel Omondi, Stanton Rose, Harold Adams, and Most Valuable Player, Shelroy Thomas they also received branded championship gold rings compliments of Jacobs Jewellery and Pawnshop.

Royals whose team comprised Orlan Glasglow, Marlon Pollydore, Yonnick Tappin and Joel Webster won the second-place prize

of $100,000 compliments of E-Networks.

Meanwhile, Rose, who also captains the National team, said it was “sweet joy” to win after the hard work, and they were proud of the accomplishment given the sacrifices.

Rose, a college player in the United States, delayed returning to compete in the competition.

Many fans were happy to see the return of basketball and more so at the grassroot level while organiser, Rawle Toney indicated it was hard work in executing the event but it was most pleasing to see the support.

In the semi-finals, Royals had toppled 2019 Champions Pitbulls 7-5, while Linden got the better of Guardians 15-12.

Organiser Rawle Toney (far left) along with the winning Linden team and Dellon Caesar of Jacobs Jewellery and Pawnshop

No disgrace despite whitewash, says skipper Pollard Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022