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Police officer found guilty, fined Page 9

– for verbally assaulting, threatening to kill subordinate

No. 105082

TUESDAY OCTOBER 31, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

Future looks sweet for GuySuCo – sugar production to remain part of economic mix, jobs to be protected

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GTU calls off strike after meeting with President – agrees to accept interim salary increases

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President David Granger and Education Minister, Ms Nicolette Henry (fifth and sixth left respectively) with GTU representatives following their meeting at State House on Monday

Guyana, Venezuela reaffirm commitment to Good Offices process Page 8

Body of male in Health ministry Rockstone tragedy launches investigation found Page 13

– organisers send their condolences

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– into toddler’s death allegedly after drinking filaria pill

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Unnatural, expensive and hazardous â€“ experts warn against improper use of pesticides By Navendra Seoraj OVER the years farmers have been leaning towards the use of chemical pesticides to rid their pest problems, but the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) believes that some are causes for skin cancer and abrasions. Though there are little or no official report to show

the linkage, Senior PTCCB Inspector Suresh Amichand contend that farmers, particularly those in the Black Bush, Berbice area, get skin abrasions and skin cancer from chemical pesticides. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), pesticides are potentially toxic to humans and can have both acute and chronic health effects, depending on the

quantity and ways in which a person is exposed. The WHO explained that the toxicity of a pesticide depends on its function and

inhaling, or direct contact with the skin). None of the pesticides that are reportedly authorised for use on food in international trade today are genotoxic (damaging to DNA, which can cause mutations or can-

ferent properties and toxicological effects. Whether Guyanese are facing those health effects is still a mystery to some extent because there is no supporting data to back those claims but every day farmers

Nadira Deonarine, a fourth-year medical student at the Rajiv Gandhi University of Science and Technology

PTCCB Senior Inspector Suresh Amichand sorting out some of the illegal pesticides that were seized by the PTCCB (Adrian Narine photo)

other factors. For example, insecticides tend to be more toxic to humans than herbicides. The same chemical can have different effects at different doses (how much of the chemical a person is exposed to). It can also depend on the route by which the exposure occurs (such as swallowing,

cer). The WHO however explained that adverse effects such as cancer from those pesticides occur only above a certain safe level of exposure. There are more than 1000 pesticides used around the world to ensure food is not damaged or destroyed by pests. Each pesticide has dif-

are reportedly going to poison centres and hospitals to treat incidents such as burning of the skin that occur after using pesticides. BURNING OF SKIN Dhaniram Ramchand, a 38-year-old farmer of Region Five, told Guyana Chronicle he has experienced some of

the health effects of chemical pesticides, particularly the burning of the skin and abrasions. He said many of his colleagues also had similar experiences but since then they have taken precautionary measures to ensure that the health effects of chemical pesticides do not escalate. Black Bush Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairman Thakur Persaud, who is also a rice farmer, said although he did not experience the health effects of chemical pesticides, he confirmed that other farmers in the area have felt the negative effects of the plant drugs. Stressing the reality that pesticides are indeed toxic to the health of not just farmers but their families and surroundings was Nadira Deonarine, a fourth year medical student of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Science and Technology. Deonarine said the main Turn to page 5 â–ş

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Future looks sweet for GuySuCo – sugar production to remain part of economic mix, jobs to be protected HEAD of the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) under the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Colvin Heath-London announced Monday that the selected tender for International Financial Services Provider had closed. According to a release from the company, selected tenders were invited from PriceWaterHouse Cooopers, Ernst & Young, Delliote, and KPMG to provide services to the SPU as International Financial Services Provider (ISP). The selected ISP will be conducting the valuation of all assets under the control of GuySuCo, in addition to

providing other advisory and financial services. When the tender closed on Monday, the SPU had received submissions from all four of the invited companies. An award should be made within two weeks. It is expected that the valuation of the assets and the preparation of a prospectus would be completed by the end of January 2018. Speaking about the approach being taken by the SPU, Heath-London explained that he believed that “there is a future for sugar in Guyana, and that sugar production must be protected and remain part of the economic mix in the economy.” He hastened to add, “How

sugar is protected depends on a combination of options for the existing assets involved in sugar production.” In the mix of options being contemplated are privatisation and diversification. The SPU is interested in companies, both local and international, that could integrate the production of sugar into their existing operations and product mix. According to Heath-London, “Companies that are in rum production, other beverage manufacturing, and food processing, for example, would be ideal as potential operators of some of the current GuySuCo assets.” The position being taken by the SPU is that all of what

are considered GuySuCo’s assets are really national assets vested in the control of GuySuCo. As such, while factories could be sold to potential operators and investors, lands will not be sold, but could be leased so that they remain the property of the State. Many persons are looking for the survival of sugar because of the fears of job loss in the sugar producing parts of the country, and some are romantic about our history with sugar. The approach being taken by the SPU seeks to tackle the economic problems of GuySuCo, while finding ways to defend the jobs in sugar, and to ensure that the culture and history of sugar in

Guyana would be protected. It should be noted that sugar lands and sugar factories are not the only assets under GuySuCo’s control. For decades, GuySuCo was tasked with providing and/ or managing a wide range of other assets including community centres, sports ground and other recreational facilities, primary health care facilities, drainage and irrigation networks, and water conservancies. These, for example, made GuySuCo critical to national drainage and irrigation activities and for agriculture and for flood control. All of these are important social, economic, and infrastructure obligations that were

provided by GuySuCo, often at the expense of profitability. As an example, the fortunes of GuySuCo had an impact on cricket, horse racing, swimming, athletics and cycling. The effects were felt by entire communities and not just sugar workers’ families. Notwithstanding the critical value of these other services, continuing to depend on GuySuCo to provide them is a bankrupt model that must be changed. Many of these other properties will be either privatised, divested or otherwise placed under different management arrangements. Advertisements have been placed for Expressions of Interest (EOI) in the sugar factories and estates. The deadline for the EOI has been extended from November 3 to November 24.

ExxonMobil ready, able to respond to oil spill – company also commits to safe operations, respect for environment US oil giant ExxonMobil is well prepared to respond within hours, should there be an oil spill here, says company country manager, Rod Henson. Henson told the Department of Public Information (DPI) recently that his company is “absolutely prepared”, and sought the oppotunity to discredit what he considers to be “misinformation” about ExxonMobil’s preparedness to respond in the event of an oil spill.

“I know that there are some questions out there because there is some misinformation about readiness,” Henson said, adding: “I heard the statement that ‘Because the chance of a spill is remote, ExxonMobil doesn’t see the need to be ready,’ and that is just utter nonsense. “Our response is multitiered, and we have trained individuals and equipment on the drilling rig today; on the vessels that support the drilling rig today. And

have had for years. “And we’ll have equipment and trained people on the Liza Destiny when we start production in 2020, so we can respond in a matter of hours.” Exxon and its partners are currently developing the Liza field, located in the Stabroek Block, for oil production by 2020. Henson, noted, however that while the preservation of the environment is a “sensitive topic” for Guyana, his company is “putting in a tremendous

ExxonMobil Country Manager, Rod Henson (DPI photo)

amount of effort to ensure this (an oil spill) never happens.” In addition to this, Henson said that the company has existing contracts with globally recognised experts that can respond quickly. Exxon is also part of the National Oil Spill Committee working with the Guyana Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and other stakeholders to develop a new National Oil Spill Plan. “When that new plan comes in place, we’ll

bridge to that new plan to ensure that we work smoothly together,” Henson said. Moreover, Exxon has been building the capacity of public government agencies, NGOs and the private sector which have benefited from training opportunities since 2015. In 2017, ExxonMobil facilitated two sets of oil spill response training, the most recent being University Spill Management. “ExxonMobil is committed to operations that are safe and respect the environment,” Henson said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday October 31, 2017

Businessman in $4M landswindling case to return to court November 22 A 53-year-old Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, businessman who allegedly swindled $4M from another man under the pretext that he was authorised to sell over several acres of riceland located at Leguan, is to return to Court on November 22. The accused, Mohan Jabadeen, appeared last

Wednesday before Magistrate Faboyo Azore in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, charged with obtaining money by false pretense and denied the allegation. According to court facts, Jabadeen on on July 2, 2017 at Herstelling, with intent to defraud, he obtained the sum of $4M from Roopchan Maraj under the pretense that he was authorised to sell 11.5 acres of riceland at Leguan, (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara). The report further added that Jabadeen sold Maraj the riceland for the sum of $5M, but that the victim handed over $4M to the accused as down payment. It was, however, later discovered that Jabadeen after selling the land sub-

Two ex-Trump aides charged in Russia probe, third pleads guilty

Mohan Jabadeen

sequently transferred the title for the grounds to his sister.

WASHINGTON (Reu ters) - Federal investigators probing Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election charged President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide, Rick Gates, with money laundering on Monday. A third former Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty in early October to lying to the FBI, it was announced on Monday. It was a sharp escalation of U.S. Justice Department Special Counsel, Robert Mueller’s fivemonth-old investigation into alleged Russian efforts to tilt the election in Trump’s favour, and into potential collusion by Trump aides. Manafort, 68, a long-

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Paul Manafort, Ex-Chairman of Trump Campaign (Reuters photo)

time Republican operative, and Gates were arraigned at a Federal courthouse in Washington. Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges against them in a 12-count indictment, ranging from money laundering to acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine’s former pro-Russian government. The judge ordered house arrest for both men and set a $10 million unsecured bond for Manafort and an unsecured bond for Gates at $5 million. With unsecured bonds, they are released without having to pay but will owe money if they fail to appear in court. There will be another hear-

ing on Thursday. Mueller’s investigation and others by congressional committees into alleged Russian efforts to influence the election, have cast a shadow over the Republican president’s first nine months in office. Neither Trump nor his campaign was mentioned in the indictment against the pair. The charges, some going back more than a decade, center on Manafort’s work for Ukraine. A White House spokeswoman said the indictment had nothing to do with Trump or his campaign and showed no evidence of collusion between the campaign and Russia.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Unnatural, expensive... purpose of pesticides is basically to kill and it can kill whatever it comes into makes contact with. Pesticides destroy cells, so any living thing it gets itself on, it kills. The medical student explained that those chemicals are very good at their jobs likewise those who use pesticides should make protecting their health a main priority. “The effects of chemical pesticides are lethal and even a small amount can cause significant damage to our health and eventually even lead to death,” Deonarine told Guyana Chronicle. Farmers are the main users of pesticides in Guyana, and in some cases, many farmers when they purchase pesticides are not properly informed of the dangers associated with its use. Symptoms farmers may experience after using chemical pesticides on their crops include eye and skin irritation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, weakness, cough or sore throat, said the medical student. Other signs and symptoms that are connected to the use of pesticides were identified as memory loss, altered or uncontrollable moods, reduced motor skills, reduced visual ability, allergies and hypersensitivity reactions. Deonarine also said some farmers development asthma and cancer because the chemicals affect human hormones and can manifest as decreased fertility; complications in pregnancy; and even neurological disorders in brain development. The medical student who

is on clinical rotations at the St Joseph’s Mercy Hospital and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), said she had interactions with farmers who used chemical pesticides incorrectly and saw the effects of its cause. BE AWARE Although persons might not be affected directly like farmers, they have to be aware of what they consume. According to Deonarine, low doses of pesticides can be found in inorganic foods and as such urges consumers to buy organic foods. “We should be aware that over time these chemicals can still remain in our bodies and by continuously being exposed to the toxins we can develop serious illnesses,” the medical student warned. She advice farmers to invest in alternative methods of protecting their crops and buy chemicals with proper labelling and are stored correctly. The PTCCB has over the years taken up the mantle of training farmers about how to safely use chemical pesticides. PTCCB Registrar Trecia David told Guyana Chronicle a number of training exercises have been conducted in the agricultural regions. During those exercises farmers were taught how to use correct protective clothing such as gloves and respirators; management of empty pesticide containers and how to use the regulated chemical fertilisers. Some of those training exercises were reportedly done in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Public

From page 2

Health Ministry and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Although they work in specific areas where pesticides are frequently used, they have started to look at areas that are often overlooked. Davis said the PTCCB has recently taken a community-based approach to sensitising persons in order to include the families of farmers who use chemical pesticides. “When we engage children in schools they would be able to advise their parents on what to and not to do… housewives are also sensitised because when the farmers finish spraying they might throw their clothes to wash and she might wash the clothes without gloves and become affected by the pesticide,” said Davis. ILLEGAL PESTICIDES By doing those sensitisation programmes the pesticides board help in mitigating the health effects of pesticides in farming communities but they are still faced with many challenges because although they have managed to reduce the registration and distribution of highly hazardous pesticides, persons still smuggle unregulated pesticides into the country. Over the past year, over 15 tonnes of unregulated chemical pesticides have been seized and the PTCCB’s seizure exercise is still ongoing. “The illegality is the fact that you do not know what are in these products- that puts people’s lives at risk because we do not know what the ingredients are, we have never screened them, we do

PTCCB Registrar Trecia David and Senior Inspector Suresh Amichand speaking with Guyana Chronicle (Adrian Narine photo)

not know the potential impact for human health and the environment and that is where our concern starts from, not from it being smuggled,” said David. Though most of the pesticides that were seized are agro-based, the majority were household pesticides such as rat baits and coils. “This is serious for us especially with how we use household pesticides in Guyana, we sit in the room, we spray bagon we breathe in, it smells good but it is a pesticide… most Guyanese do not regard pesticides as poisons,” she lamented, pointing out that the rat baits placed in the homes are class one pesticides,” the PTCCB registrar explained. It is a worrying issue because the way they would look at toxicity of pesticide is its ability to kill rats and because they are successful, they are highly toxic but peo-

ple still hold them in their hands without gloves, which is not advisable. David explained that it can be more detrimental to children because their organs are developing so they can easily contract an ailment. Studies done in numerous counties revealed that children in areas with high pesticide use are usually slow developmentally and educationally. LACK OF STUDIES As explained earlier, similar studies have never been conducted in Guyana so over the years the pesticides board has been unaware of what level of impacts use of pesticide has in communities and areas where pesticides are frequently used. “We have been talking about that at the level of the board to try to work with international organisations to do these kinds of research

here… one of our struggles with training farmers for instance in the field is you can show them all the research data from other countries but they will say it is not Guyana so they are not at risk,” David lamented. In his message to the public at the beginning of Pesticide Awareness Week 2017 last week, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder advised farmers to adopt suitable agronomic practices like crop rotation and the use of resistant varieties as key preventive measures. In addition, considering the negative factors of chemical pesticides, he said farmers need to be sensitised of the various means to effectively manage pests, diseases and weeds. Bio-control, the use of botanical extracts and other organic farming methods offer promising options and need to be strengthened.

Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday October 31, 2017

‘Together we can make a difference’ CANCER, as a disease, has been a perennial challenge for most developing countries, because of the almost zero medical technology to especially treat this dreaded ailment that in effect becomes terminal, when in an advanced stage. In Guyana, the battle against this scourge has seen increased efforts from the health authorities within recent years, in the form of public awareness programmes, television discussions, documentaries, and medical outreaches that seek to educate Guyanese about the disease, its possible causes, but with emphasis on its early detection. This takes the form of being aware of any biological changes within the physical body, which, once observed, should be brought to the attention of a medical doctor. It explains why women have been taught self-examination of the breast as a means of detecting any abnormalities. Now a procedure known worldwide by most women, it has been instrumental, along with the mammogram, in the early detection, diagnosis

and treatment of breast cancer. Pinktober, as the local brand by a corporate entity for the observance of World Breast Cancer Month, is about to bring to a close activities that have served to once again highlight the presence of breast cancer and other cancers in the lives of both men and women. Themed “Together we can make a difference”, the many countrywide activities served once again as a reminder, not only to women, but also to men as to the seriousness of this disease, and the need to be more aware of its prevalence as a very serious health factor. The walk, by an estimated 3,000 persons who participated in both the 5km and 10km category almost two weeks ago, can only be hailed as very satisfactory, for the simple fact that it signalled increased awareness among the general public about the threat of breast cancer and other types of cancers. The presence of large numbers of males will add to the understanding of what this disease can do to the wife/ companion, mother and grandmother

in any home. Even children were a part of this city exercise, as well as it should, for an early understanding of how serious a disease is breast, and other forms of cancers are. Based on medical research and statistics, it is recorded that the majority of breast cancer diagnoses and deaths do occur in developing countries. That such numbers are higher in the developed countries has to do with the larger population numbers there. But there has also been an increase in non-developed nations in recent decades. Breast cancer is now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the world’s developing regions. But the number of cases per 100,000 is still lower in developing countries than in Western societies. As a further indication of the spread of this serious threat to the female wellbeing, it is projected that 40610 women and 460 men in the United States would have died from breast cancer for 2017. In Guyana, based on the most recent Ministry of Public Health Data,

Body of male in Rockstone tragedy found --organisers send their condolences

THE body of 50-year-old Gavin Moses, who met his demise trying to save his 13-year-old niece, Kineanda Prince, at the Rockstone Fish Festival on Sunday was retrieved on Monday around 14:00 hrs. According to ‘E’ Division Commander, Fazil Karimbaksh, the body was seen floating in the vicinity of Rock Stone, some one mile from Golden Beach where the incident occurred. Reports are that Moses and Prince died during a family trip by chartered private boat to the much-talkedabout Golden Beach. The beach is located approximately one mile away from Rockstone, in the Essequibo River. Word is that Prince, of Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara had gone for a dip in the inviting waters off the beach, when she was

Dead: Gavin Moses

observed encountering some difficulties. Her uncle, on noticing this, dived into the water in an effort to save the teen who was celebrating her 13th birthday that day. Moses was reportedly in a celebratory mood as well, as he, too, had recently celebrated his 50th birthday. The Rockstone Tourism Association (RTA), which had organised the Festival, has since expressed its sin-

Dead: Kineanda Prince

cerest condolences to the family of the deceased. “The Rockstone Tourism Association expresses its sincerest condolences to the family of Kineanda Prince and Gavin Moses who lost their lives as a result of drowning at this year’s Fish Festival,” the organisation said in a statement on Monday. Still in a state of shock, the association said in its statement: “Such a tragedy

should never be allowed to repeat itself, putting a taint on what has been for 12 years an incident-free event.” The Rockstone Tourism Association has said that even though “commendable efforts” were made to stress precaution and safety, it will work with the Guyana Tourism Authority and other agencies to ensure that visible demarcation, barriers, signs and efficient training in first response and first aid is done with all staff in preparation for other events. Recognising the magnitude and the economic significance to the Rockstone Village, the association said it will be engaging stakeholders both locally and internationally as it commences a full review and eventual preparation for Rockstone Fish Festival slated for October 27 and 28, 2018.

there have been more than 300 new cases of breast cancer diagnoses since 2010. And this has been because of better awareness among people that has led to access to early screening as a means of detection. With all cancers, Guyana is rated with a very high incidence of cancer-related mortality in comparison to the rest of the Caribbean. At an incidence rate, it is 46.9%, with a mortality rate of 21 per 100,000. For example, cervical cancer accounts for an estimated 100 female deaths every year. This is alarming by any measure, as it threatens the longevity of the nation’s vital female quantum. Cancer is indeed a threat

to the general health of the nation, as clearly illustrated in the Dr. Morris Edwards’ study and analysis of cases for the period 2000-2012, as released in 2015. It is a challenge that has to be confronted by more dollar investment in specialized and up-dated training for all health professionals who are expected to tend to those persons who may be stricken with the ailment. As a very critical health concern, it ought to be on the academic curriculum of every school, since among its causes, lifestyles have been identified. Cancer is a complex group of diseases that must be tackled on multiple fronts, by multiple partners.

Diamond residents capture bandits

TWO men were nabbed at Sixth Street, Diamond, East Bank Demerara Monday night after they attempted to rob a taxi driver of his car. According to eyewitnesses, the robbery attempt occurred around 21:00 hrs and persons nearby, on seeing what was unfolding before them, raised an alarm. The alarm caused residents to rush to the scene and the bandits were cornered and handed over to the police. A gun was recovered from the men.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday October 31, 2017

A waste of the court’s time

--says judge of Bisram’s lawyers request to withdraw application for dismissal By Alexis Rodney JUSTICE Gino Persaud on Monday came out strongly against lawyers representing US-based murder accused, Marcus Bisram, of wasting his and the court’s time, with the sudden move to withdraw an application in the high court to have the matter dismissed. On Monday, instead of making his final ruling in the matter which was filed on September 25, and on which he has been working tirelessly to see completed, Justice Persaud had to chide attorney Sanjeev Datadin who was absent at the time and Siand Dhurjon for wasting valuable court time and State resources. The judge said he found it rather troubling that the Bisram team would move in that direction on the very day he was expected to make a ruling. He said, too, that it was even more disappointing to see the application for withdrawal on his desk the very morning, when he had only on Friday directed Datadin to email him arguments of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) which allowed the defence to withdraw its application at that stage. According to Justice Persaud, the information was never sent to him, which suggests that the attorney

had the murder been committed in the US. The judge also made reference to the extradition treaty which exists between Guyana and the US. It is alleged that on the night of the murder, Bisram was hosting an after party for a community policing group during which he reportedly made sexual advances to Narinedatt, who was present at the party, but was spurned. After a savage beating, allegedly at the hands of US-based murder accused, Marcus Bisram

had had no intention of doing so in the first place. He also suggested that Datadin had that very Friday made the application. Solicitor-General Kim Kyte John said she stands as the representative of all respondents in the matter, including the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), the Chief Magistrate and the Commissioner of Police. According to her, the information she received showed that the withdrawal was only against the DPP, with no mention of the others. Kyte-John asked the court for substantial loss to be awarded to the respondents if it went through with the withdrawal. The prosecution’s contention throughout the matter

is that it has substantial evidence that the witness never changed his story, and clearly identified Bisram as the mastermind of the murder. Meanwhile, the matter has been adjourned for today at 13:30hrs, and Justice Persaud said that Datadin needed to be in court. The 27-year-old Bisram, who was ordered extradited by a US court judge earlier this month, is wanted here for the murder of Berbice carpenter, Faiyaz Narinedatt, whose lifeless body was found on the Number 70 Public Road on November 1, 2016. Reports from New York are that Judge Peggy Kuo ruled that the evidence presented to her was sufficient for the accused to face trial,

Bisram’s co-conspirators, Narinedatt’s body was placed on the public road and ran over by a car to make his death appear to be as a result of an accident. Soon after, seven persons were arrested with two allegedly fingering Bisram as the mastermind behind the act. Five other men: Orlando Dickie, said to be Bisram’s bodyguard, Niran Yacoob, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt and Harri Paul Parsram were this year arraigned in connection with the death of the

carpenter. Sharmilla Inderjali, Bisram’s mother, and another woman, Maryann Lionel are currently before the courts for allegedly attempting to bribe a police officer in connection with the case. Reports indicate that after the killing, Bisram returned to the US where he lives in Arverne, and where he created the Marcus Brian Bisram Foundation, which is focused on “making better, brighter futures”.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Guyana, Venezuela reaffirm commitment to Good Offices process – Agree to meet again on the border controversy FOLLOWING a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Guyana and Venezuela in New York over the weekend to discuss the border controversy, the two have reaffirmed their commitment to the Good

Offices process, and agreed to meet again. “The parties agreed to meet again to continue discussions within this framework, and to explore options for the resolution of the border controversy,” a note from

the United Nations Media Centre said Monday. During the two-day meeting, the Foreign Ministers and their delegations exchanged views on issues related to the controversy, with the aim of exploring

options for a full agreement for its solution. The meeting was facilitated by Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Dag Nylander, and organised within the framework of the Good Offices mandate entrusted to the Secretary-General under the Geneva Agreement of 1966. The two parties also reiterated that their governments will remain actively engaged with the Personal Representative. In 2015, the Government of Guyana lobbied the then United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to take steps toward a resolution of the controversy, using an option from the menu as stated in the 1966 Geneva Agreement. Article IV of the 1966 Geneva Agreement says if the controversy is not resolved following the selection of one of the means of peaceful settlement, then “the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall choose another of the means stipulated in Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations and so on until the controversy has been resolved, or until

all the means of peaceful settlement there contemplated have been exhausted.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted that in 2016, as a consequence of a stalemate on the matter, outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon agreed with his successor, António Guterres, to continue to use the Good Offices Process until the end of 2017 as a means of arriving at a settlement. According to the mandate of the Personal Representative, “If, by the end of 2017, the secretary-general concludes that no significant progress has been made toward arriving at a full agreement for the solution of the controversy, he will choose the International Court of Justice as the next means of settlement, unless the Governments of Guyana and Venezuela jointly request that he refrain from doing so.” Since the appointment of Nylander on February 27, he has visited Guyana four times, holding talks with President David Granger and Foreign Minister Greenidge, among other Guyanese officials. Additionally, in September, the Guyana delegation

to the General Debate of 72nd Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly met with the secretary-general as well as Nylander. Informal discussions were also held with the Venezuelan counterparts. In his address to the UN General Assembly this year, President Granger said Venezuela is increasingly becoming “more militaristic.” “Four UN Secretaries-General have been seized of the Venezuelan claims. The choice has become one between just and peaceful settlement, in accordance with international law, and a Venezuelan posture of attrition that is increasingly more blustering and militaristic. “In this matter, protraction is the enemy of resolution, and the ally of sustained conflict,” he told the world leaders. The present Good Offices Process has been conducted since 1990. Venezuela is contending that the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899 demarcating the border between Guyana (British Guiana at the time) and Venezuela is null and void. Consequently, it continues to lay claim to two-thirds of Guyana’s territory.

M&CC 2018 budget to reflect such as squatting, community needs drainage, street lights –

THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has said that their 2018 budget will be fashioned against the needs of citizens in various communities. The last community meeting will be held today in Sophia, Greater Georgetown. Public Relations Officer, Ms. Debra Lewis told the Guyana Chronicle that based on such consultations, it was found that residents in East Ruimveldt are in need of proper recreational facilities, while those in Festival City are calling for a health centre. Residents in West Ruimveldt are complaining of the presence of squatters in their community, a situation they

say is helping to contribute to the drainage problems that are being experienced there. Because these squatters occupy the dams, Lewis said accumulated water takes a long time to recede. The residents here are also calling for more street lights. According to Lewis, those who are living in Agricola want more street lights due to the prevalence of heavy criminal activities in the community. Furthermore, abandoned places at this location also have to be looked at as these make it easier for criminals. Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen told the Guyana Chronicle last week that the

Council is on track with preparations for its budget. She said departmental heads have started to meet, and are putting together their budget. Chase-Green said she was hoping that the budget can be completed and presented at the Council’s next statutory meeting. “The focus is for a modern city; we have to look at our drainage,” she said, adding: “There are too many things happening in and around our city; we are looking at our infrastructure, trying to do so much with so little. But we have a vision, and so we’ll work with that vision.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Police officer found guilty, fined – for verbally assaulting, threatening to kill subordinate ASSISTANT Superintendent of Police (ASP), Frank Thompson, who is accused of verbally assaulting Police Constable, LeAndre Gillis, was on Monday found guilty of the offence and fined $15,000, or seven days imprisonment, by Magistrate Fabayo Azore. Thompson was fined for using Gillis with abusive language on February 22 at Broad Street, Georgetown. The trial into the matter commenced in August with the victim taking the witness stand. Gillis explained that he felt “abused and threatened” when he was verbally assaulted by his superior, when he was led in his evidence in court by Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Bess. The witness further disclosed that he was threatened

hai approaching him, started hurling a series of expletives at him, and threatened to kill him and the other occupants in the vehicle. It was further related that after Constable Gillis cautioned Thompson of the allegation made against him, he then asked the junior rank, “What the (expletive) you gon’ do about it?” The Police reports stated

by ASP Thompson with an iron bar at the compound of the Brickdam Police Station. According to reports, on the day in question, Constable Gillis was on patrol duties at Broad Street, Charlestown when he was approached by one Hemchand Budhai, who

reported to him that ASP Thompson’s vehicle had crashed into his, which at the time had occupants. Constable Gillis then accompanied Budhai to the scene of the accident. The court heard that ASP Thompson, upon seeing Bud-

that when the ASP was being questioned by the junior rank with regard to the accident, the senior rank apparently became abusive toward Budhai and the constable. And when the ASP was subsequently requested by the junior rank to drive to the nearest police station, he turned to the junior rank, who then found himself at the end of the ASP’s verbal onslaught. “You know me, eh? Find out ‘bout me. If me had it me way, you won’t be a (expletive) re-

cruit… Find out ‘bout me; call ‘A’ Division. I would murder you (expletive) on the ground hey,” he allegedly exclaimed. In a video of the episode that was circulated on social media, the junior rank was heard pleading with the senior rank to desist from such actions. He, however, continued. Thompson was also charged with making use of threatening language towards Hemchand Budhai, but that matter was recently dismissed.

M&CC has change of heart 10

– says Merriman Mall vendors can stay ALTHOUGH adamant that the barbers and cosmetologists ought to relocate from the Merriman Mall in Georgetown due to public health issues, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has said that it

now wants to improve the environment for such practitioners. At last week’s statutory meeting at City Hall, Town Clerk, Mr Royston King informed councillors that the municipality is working

to “reshape” the aesthetics and general environment of the portion of Merriman Mall used by the beauticians. M&CC Public Relations Officer, Ms. Debra Lewis told the Guyana Chronicle on Monday that although the

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

deadline for such persons to remove was July 31, a number of them visited City Hall to ask for an extension. According to Lewis, it was subsequently decided that new stalls would be built for them at the very location, in partnership with a contractor. Lewis said this new initiative will not come on stream for this year, which means that in the meantime, the practitioners will be allowed to continue there. She, however, said that they are

being monitored by environmental health officers. The Engineer’s Department has since designed an artist’s impression of what the new stalls will look like. Meanwhile, although the barbers and cosmetologists of the Merriman Mall are very vocal whenever the M&CC talks of removing them, only 13 out of 35 of them were actually found working there when Mayor Patricia Chase-Green paid a visit earlier this year. Chase-Green had com-

plained that the practitioners were being helped by some councillors and constabulary officers to ply their trade on the streets, which is against the laws. She had promised to deal with the chief constable and anyone found guilty of relocating the practitioners to the streets. Chase-Green had often said in the past that the City Council has a ‘no-tolerance’ approach to barbers and cosmetologists operating in open spaces, such as the Merriman Mall.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Two convocation ceremonies for UG – as 2000 graduate in November SOME 2000 students are to graduate from the University of Guyana come next month, as the University’s administration has implemented several new features for the ceremonies. In a news bulletin Monday, UG said its 51st Convocation at the Turkeyen Campus will be held on November 11, where the accomplishments of about 1,800 students will be celebrated. “For the first time in the history of the university, the certificates, diplomas and degrees will be awarded at two ceremonies,” the bulletin said. The first ceremony will be held for the Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Technology, and will be held at the National Cultural Center (NCC) from 10:00hrs. The second ceremony will be held at the Turkeyen Campus for the Faculties of Education and Humanities, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences. That ceremony will begin at 16:30hrs.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Griffith explained the change in convocation ceremony. “Our graduating classes have grown tremendously over the years, and having one ceremony has meant having extremely long ceremonies, with some graduates and guests leaving before the ceremonies conclude.” He added, “Creating two ceremonies allows us to maintain the tradition of having every graduand cross the stage and shake the hand of the Chancellor, and maintain the solemnity of the occasion, while reducing the length of the ceremony.” Additionally, unlike previous years, all students graduating with diplomas will be invited to don academic robes, along with those graduating with Bachelors and Masters Degrees. Another new feature at this year’s Convocations will be the use of ceremonial gonfalons, which are banners, often shield-shaped, that hang from crosspieces on top of poles.

CANU arrests broker – in cocaine-in-rice bust aboard vessel bound for Belgium A BROKER whose responsibility it was oversee the shipment of a quantity of rice to Belgium, has been detained following the discovery of in excess of 67 kilogrammes of what is suspected to be cocaine randomly concealed among the grains. The suspected narcotics were uncovered by Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and CCP (Container Control Programme) operatives, from within the sealed bags of rice each weighing 45kg that was being exported to SF Trading BV, Nederland, by Golden Grains Investments Limited of Barr Street, Kitty. The Guyana Chronicle has learnt that the shipment, which was examined and sealed at Perseverance, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, was destined to leave for Belgium aboard a ship from the John Fernandes wharf at approximately midnight on Friday.

One of the packets of ‘coke’ that were found hidden in bags of rice destined for Belgium

But, following reports that there may have been a breach of the shipment before it arrived at the wharf for loading, the search was activated. The exercise entailed the unloading and searching of the bags of white rice from five-20 foot containers. It began on Friday, but it was not until the search resumed on Saturday that ‘11 bricks’ were found distributed within nine bags.

These banners are usually carried at the head of the Convocation procession and identify the different Faculties within the university from which students are graduating. According to Vice-Chancellor Professor Griffith, “adoption of this feature, which is found at mature universities across the world, will enhance the elegance and pomp of the ceremonies.” Moreover, beginning this year and as part of strengthening the University’s engagement with alumni and inspiring graduating and continuing students, the University will spotlight distin-

guished alumni at the various Convocations. Dr Dhanpaul Narine, Bachelor of Art in History, Class of 1975, will deliver the address at the first ceremony on November 11 at the NCC. He is a distinguished educator and journalist based in New York, and is a former lecturer at City University of New York and the London School of Economics from which he secured his doctoral degree. Ambassador Rudolph Michael Ten-Pow, who studied Modern Languages, will give the keynote at the ceremony on the Turkeyen campus. He is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Guyana to the United Nations.

While at the Berbice campus Convocation, where more than 200 students will graduate on November 18 on the University Square at Tain, the Convocation Address will be delivered by Ms Patricia Bacchus, Class of 2004, Bachelor of Law. Ms Bacchus, who hails from the Ancient County, is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairperson of the Board of Caribbean Container Inc. (formerly SAPIL). She also serves as the Chairperson of the Board of GOInvest. “Since 1968, when the University held its first graduation, it has become a leading provider of tertiary education in the country, graduating every year professionals

with the knowledge and skills that are needed by the local, regional and global job markets,” the bulletin stated. UG graduates can be found in senior positions in major public and private sector agencies both locally and around the world. Meanwhile, the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education, the extra-mural arm of the university, is scheduled to hold its graduation ceremonies for its four centers as follows: Georgetown Center on November 25; Linden Center on November 26; Anna Regina Center on December 2 and the New Amsterdam Center on December 9, 2017.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Health ministry launches investigation – into toddler’s death allegedly after drinking filaria pill THE Public Health Ministry has launched an investigation into the death of a six-year-old Sophia girl, who allegedly died days after drinking a tablet developed to prevent filaria. Dead is Princess Kissoon of ‘E’ Field, Sophia, and a pupil of the Sophia Nursery School. Kissoon’s relatives are alleging that shortly after drinking half of an albendazole tablet, she fell ill and days later died in the hands of her father. Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on the death of his only daughter, Ray Kissoon said he was on the road when he was approached by health workers carrying out the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) aimed at eliminating lymphatic filariasis. He said that upon learning that his family had not taken the filaria pills, the health workers reportedly gave him two types of tablets for himself, his daughter and his foster son. Kissoon said that on Wednesday last, after eating lunch with his family, he decided to drink the tablet, and administer same to his children. “We cook and eat. I give her half of the long, big tablet, and I use one, and I give her brother one. We didn’t drink the smaller ones,” Kissoon recalled. After drinking the tablet, he said, Princess appeared normal for the remainder of the day on Wednesday, but by Thursday morning, she was crying out for pain

The post mortem was conducted on Monday, but according to Kissoon, after waiting for hours, he was told that the cause of death was inconclusive, and that the family should proceed with their funeral arrangements. The child’s aunt, Ms Jenny Samaroo said that her niece had never before had any health issues. “She was a healthy, healthy child!

Dead: Six-year-old Princess Jonique Kissoon

about her body. “She was crying saying she foot, hand and all over hurting,” her dad said. “Me and she brother rub she up with oil, and the pain ease,” he further detailed. However, by Friday, she’d reportedly developed a high temperature, and begun to vomit. “Friday I left to go on the road and when I come back, she brother tell me how she stop eating,” Mr Kissoon said, adding: “She ain’t eating nothing; she ain’t talking. She had roasting fever, and then de vomiting start.” On seeing that, he said, he decided to rush his Princess to the hospital, but by then it was too late. She was pronounced Dead Before Arrival (DBA) at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC). “It hurt me; it hurt me so bad. Is that tablet kill meh only child, and now dem lying,” Kissoon said as he broke down in tears.

Male sex workers remanded to prison

– on robbery with violence charges TWO male sex workers were on Monday remanded to prison by City Magistrate, Judy Latchman, for robbery with violence. Kevin Forester, 21, of East Coast Demerara and Godfrey Cox, 17, of Charlestown, Georgetown, both denied the joint charge. Particulars of the offence state that the two on October 24 at Croal Street, while being in the company of each other, allegedly robbed Victor Bess of G$84,000

and US$370 under threat of violence. Police Prosecutor, Shawn Gonsalves strongly opposed to the defendants being released on bail, based on the nature and seriousness of the charge. The prosecutor further pointed out that the defendants are known to the court, and have other charges of a similar nature against them. As such, the magistrate remanded them to prison until November 20.

Before she drink that tablet, she was healthy; and soon after, she get sick! Man something wrong!” Samaroo said between tears. She, too, said she has her suspicions about the outcome of the post mortem. When the Guyana Chronicle visited the GPHC, it was told that when the child’s father took her to the hospital at around 16;30hrs, she had no clinical signs of

life, meaning that she was already dead. It was also pointed out that the child was sick two days before she was taken to the hospital. When the Public Health Ministry was contacted, this newspaper was told that the incident had been brought to their attention and an investigation has already been launched. The Public Health Ministry, through its Vector Control Services Unit, is

currently carrying out a Mass Drug Administration aimed at eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis. During the campaign, two sets of tablets are given to persons as a single dose; one is albendazole, and three are Diethylcarbamazine (DEC). These tablets reduce the presence of micro-filariae in the blood, the parasites that cause Lymphatic Filariasis, commonly called “Big Foot” or “Filaria”.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday October 31, 2017

Overcoming the ‘inner demon’ -- battling depression can be an uphill task

By Nafeeza Yahya DEPRESSION is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects the way a person feels, thinks and acts. According to the American Psychiatric Association, symptoms of depression include feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, despair, sadness, social withdrawal, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and insomnia, among others. Some of these have been experienced by Tina (not real name) 18, who recently finished high and is currently a student at the University of Guyana. She opens up to Guyana Chronicle but requested anonymity. The young lady related that for the past five years, life has been devastating for her, having to deal with her “inner demons”. Her worries started when she was 13; the pressures of high school took a toll on her and even got worst after her parents saw her speaking with a male classmate. The young lady told this publication that she was abused and called the most derogatory names. And being poor, she would also at times be subjected to bulling by her peers. “I didn’t want to go to school anymore, I did not want to be at home and did not have real friends, and I saw no purpose to live. I had no motivation to anything,” said the young student who turned to alcohol and attempted suicide. I just wanted a way out of my problems and feel good about myself, I felt worthless and disgraceful to my parents,” Tina said as she still battles to take control of herself. Her story is not uncommon, and in fact, more than 300 million people worldwide are affected by depression which makes it a very common mental health disorder which at its worst can lead to suicide, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. Suicide is among the leading cause of death in Guyana. According to Dr. Mayda Grajales, a psychiatrist stationed in Berbice, Black Bush Polder and Port Mourant are two areas most affected by suicide in East Berbice, Corentyne and depression is a common cause. She said the symptoms varies and in most cases, families and friends have no idea that their loved ones are depressed since in the presence of others, teenagers do not often display sad faces or have obvious tell-tale signs until its usually too late. MUCH TOUGHER She noted that teens face a much tougher time than adults in coping with depression which is why many often attempt to commit suicide. “Most of the times teenagers have a restless behaviour or they isolate themselves from their peers; it is very difficult for teenagers to open up about it ,as oppose to elderly people in the late years, in most cases the signs in older people manifest themselves.” The good news though is if people are aware that they are suffering from a mental illness, such as depression, they can receive

treatment, said Dr. Mayda. One of those lucky persons is Mohabir Persaud, now a philanthropist. As he sat down with this publication and recalled the

recovery since he was diagnosed with Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He is urging persons who are going through trying circumstances to speak up

Tina telling her story to the Guyana Chronicle

dreadful memories, he broke down as the wounds were re-opened. He is of different sexual orientation and growing up was no easy experience, having to deal with the traditional forces of society. Despite embracing who he is, society shunned him, his family disowned him and he was looked upon with scorn and rejected at every corner. According to Persaud, his break in life came after he migrated to the US and got professional help, but it was not an easy

since this is the only way they can get help. STIGMA Depression and other mental health issues, especially in Berbice, are still viewed as a stigma. According to Dr. Mayda, from the moment someone is referred to a psychiatrist, people automatically start to think the person is “crazy” because they visit the “mad people

(Photo courtesy of WHO)

doctors”. Because of this stigma, WHO reports that seven out of 10 people in the Americas do not get the treatment needed. This, according to the WHO, which calculated treatment costs and health outcomes in 36 low-, middle- and high-income countries for 15 years, low levels of recognition and access to care for depression and another common mental disorder, anxiety, result in a global economic loss of a trillion US dollars every year. The study showed that losses are incurred by households, employers and governments. Households lose out financially when people cannot work. Employers suffer when employees become less productive and are unable to work. The Mental Health Unit of the New Amsterdam Hospital has been working closely with patients and social workers attached to the hospitals are being trained to detect symptoms, since it was recognised that many person would not directly want to consult a psychiatrist. Because of education, Dr. Mayda said more and more people recognise depression and other mental health issues as a medical condition and not teenagers simply acting out. LOOK FOR THE SIGNS To this end, she is calling on everyone to play their roles to help those in need get treatment, especially parents. “Look at your children, see the signs, the changes, if you see they withdraw suddenly from family and friends it means they are suffering silently, they feel it’s a way of finding relief from anxiety and the pain that they are going through, eating habits change. Today I feel family is little fragile, parents are into their work making the money, technology has taken over, everyone is occupied with their gadgets forgetting about the outside world, sometimes children want to talk to their parents and vice versa but they can’t because of their obsession with their phones and social media. I encourage you parents put it away, focus on your children – find the time to sit down and pay attention, show you care and listen, it’s the only way to we can bring together the family because we cannot expect the teacher or neighbour to recognise the problems of your kids”. Jevaughn Stephens, director of Regional Health Services, Region Six, said his office will continue to raise awareness on every level about depression. “Only recently a Mental Health Unit was launched dealing with depression, suicide, self-harm and abuse because we do believe and understand this is getting out of hand and everyone needs to get involve, not only persons in health, we need the churches, schools, community leaders.” The unit, he said will be working closely with the Department of Education, non-governmental organisations, civil society and health-care providers to raise awareness of depression and how to deal with it throughout Berbice.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

GTU calls off strike after meeting with President – agrees to accept interim salary increases AN hour-long meeting between President David Granger and executives of the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) on Monday has ended on a positive note. The good news is that the meeting ended with the union being persuaded to call off the twoday industrial action it had planned for later this week. Following their meeting at State House with the President, the GTU announced that the exchange had borne fruit and will see results as soon as Wednesday, in the establishment of a high-level task force. Also involved in the parley was Minister of Education, Ms Nicolette Henry. Executives have also agreed to accept salary increases between six and eight per cent until further negotiations are made at the level of the task force. GTU General Secretary, Ms Coretta McDonald told the Guyana Chronicle on Monday that the meeting with the president has brought some semblance of assurance to the negotiation between the government and the union. The Task Force will hold its first meeting to establish timelines for its meetings and the completion of its work. The Union has agreed to provide a complete dossier of its financial and non-financial submissions by this Wednesday. The president has proposed that the discussions take a holistic view of the improvements that have been made in the education sector, while the

Task Force will also take into account the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Education Sector in Guyana and other matters relating to the wellbeing of teachers and students. In the meantime, teachers will enjoy an interim salary increase ranging from six to eight per cent, retroactive to January 1, 2017. In a joint press statement on Monday, the Ministry of the Presidency confirmed that the President did meet with the GTU to discuss the way forward with regard to their negotiations, and that during the meeting, the two sides agreed to the establishment of a High-Level Task Force, comprising of representatives from the Ministries of Education, Finance, Communities, Public Service and Presidency and representatives from the Union. According to the release, Minister Henry has consented to taking the issue of the composition of the Task Force to Cabinet today. Last Friday, President Granger stepped in after a furor by the GTU about its unfruitful meeting with Education Minister and her team last Thursday. Minister of State Joseph Harmon had met with the union’s executive and had expressed that the president was concerned about the state of affairs regarding the negotiations between the union and the government. He had said that the meeting between the GTU and Minister of Education Nicolette Henry on Thursday was never

intended to be the final position of the admin-

istration but an interim arrangement. Minister Harmon in response alluded to his most recent pronounce-

ment on the matter at his post Cabinet press briefing where he indicated that the issues regarding increased salaries for

teachers were being considered by Government in the form of a MultiYear Proposal submitted by the GTU.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Damaged harbour bridge winch may affect marine traffic THE scheduled opening of the Demerara Harbour Bridge to allow marine traffic to transit may be affected today as a result of a fault that was discovered with the north-eastern, 12- ton hydraulic winch. This was disclosed by General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC), Rawlston Adams, during a press conference he held on Monday. The Corporation had over the weekend successfully completed some critical

maintenance works which entailed the changing of pontoons. However, it was upon completion, that the fault was discovered. According to Adams, on Sunday when the winches were being reinstalled it was discovered that one of the four winches was not holding the pressure under the load. “We suspected that it was the motor and we changed it since we have those spares in stock, we changed the motor and tested it… but later realized that it was the gears in the

gearbox that may have gone bad,” he said. He explained that the motors spin at a very high speed and the bridge has to turn slowly and gearboxes attached to the system are used to synchronize the correct speed. “This is not something we usually expect, we usually keep in stock motors since this is serviced annually,” he said. Underscoring that this will affect marine traffic, the general manager said the motor was taken down and sent to Industrial Steel Fabricators (InFab),

The north-eastern 12 tonne hydraulic winch being removed from the DHB (Rabindra Rooplall photo)

the team that had installed the hydraulics system when the bridge was refurbished 19 years ago. “They have a similar winch and we spoke to E C Vieira and they have a similar one, so the intention is to take this one down and use those two and open up the gearbox and hopefully once we identify the problem, we will be able to

use one of the gears as replacement for the winch,” Adams explained. Noting that if all goes well the retraction will proceed as usual, Adams said the extent of the damages within the winch is unknown and a diagnosis on how much it will be the cost to fix or replace cannot be made. He added that that there will be a meeting with the

shipping agents to inform the stakeholders on the position of the marine traffic at the bridge. ( Rabindra Rooplall) The General Manager said that the vessels carrying fuel, oil, bauxite and sand amongst other commodities will be affected. He said the DHBC usually confine the marine crossing to four vessels per day.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 31, 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday October 31, 2017

Prime Minister’s T20... was definitely good for the game. Softball has definitely created that atmosphere in bringing people together, it has also created togetherness and sportsmanship; so yes, it was definitely a huge success,” John told Chronicle Sport during an exclusive interview. After three days of competitive cricket, Regal Masters and Speedboat teams were the deserving winners. Watched by a huge crowd that included Prime Minister and First Vice-President, Moses Nagamootoo, his wife Seeta; Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sports, Dr George Norton; Regal Masters whipped the visiting New York Hustlers by 24 runs in the Masters final while Speedboat eased past Regal All Stars by 55 runs in the Open division.

The Regal Masters’ victory was first set-up by an attacking 68 from opener, Mahase Chunilall and a fluent half century from Eric Thomas. Chunilall and Mahendra Hardyal (28) added 96 for the first-wicket which laid a solid platform for Thomas, who hit one four and six sixes in his 53. After Hardyal’s dismissal, Chunilall and Thomas continued the assault, and together took the score to 172 before Chunilall, who struck one four and four maximums, was dismissed by Troy Gobin. Thomas and Eon Abel (13) ensured the eventual winners reached a challenging 199-4. In reply the visiting New York Hustlers reached 175-8 when the allotted overs expired. Chob Richmond (44 not out), Shameer Sadloo (36), D. Chumney (19), Gobin

(23), and Roy Matura (24), were the batsmen who produced innings of substance in a losing effort. Thomas was the pick of the bowlers with 3-23 for the City side. Meanwhile, Speedboat made a competitive 1829 after they were asked to bat first. Anand Bharat and Lennox Marks put on 24 for the opening stand before Marks was bowled by Amir Nizamudin for 15. Vikash Dhaniram (09), and Greg Singh (15) were then bowled by Fazal Rafiek and Nizamudin, respectively, to leave the score at 98-4. Speedboat then lost Wazir Hussain (02), bowled by Esau, but Ricky Sargeant and Shazim Hussain propped up the total before Hussain was run out for 27. Sargeant made 21. Esau claimed 3-38, Rafiek 2-40 and Nizamudin 2-42. In the run chase, the City-

Bishoo reaches 100 Test wickets, Brathwaite falls late on day two WEST Indies suffered the loss of Kraigg Brathwaite late on day two to reach stumps at 78-1, trailing Zimbabwe by 248 runs in the second Test in Bulawayo. Brathwaite (32) was forced back by a flat Graeme Cremer (1-31) delivery and pushed at the ball, directing an outside edge to Hamilton Masakadza, who took a good

low catch at slip. The tourists will resume with Kieran Powell (43 not out) and Devendra Bishoo (0 not out) at the crease on day three. Having won the first Test by 117 runs last week, another victory or a draw will be enough for the Windies to come out on top in the twomatch series. Zimbabwe resumed on 169-4, with Masakadza not out on 101. The centurion was the first man to fall on Monday, reaching 147 before finally being dislodged by Bishoo (2-82). A flighted ball outside off tempted the opener into a sweep that he top-edged behind to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich for Bishoo’s 100th scalp in Test cricket. Malcolm Waller followed for a golden duck in the next over, his attempt to drive Brathwaite (1-23) ending with the ball clattering into middle and leg. Regis Chakabva managed

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to add just 10 before he was bowled by Bishoo, attempting to sweep the spinner but missing entirely. Sikandar Raza, though, made an important contribution for the hosts, weighing in with a half-century of 80 from 147 deliveries. Raza entertained the spectators with six boundaries and a maximum, Shannon Gabriel (2-64) eventually removing him by eliciting an edge that was taken by Kyle Hope at second slip. Zimbabwe’s tail failed to wag after that, with skipper Cremer (11) run out by a direct hit from counterpart Jason Holder at the non-striker’s end. And the home team’s innings came to a close when Tendai Chisoro (nine) followed an over later, trapped lbw by a slower, full delivery from Kemar Roach, who led the Windies attack with figures of 3-44. (Omnisport)

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based side were reduced to 39-5, and never recovered from that position, despite Navin Singh (15) and Sewchand Budhu (25), adding 33 as Regal All stars were bowled out for127 in 17.4 overs. Kishore Smith had 3-20.At the conclusion of the tournament, Azaad Azeez, Ralph Layne, Shawn Lall and Sewchand Budhu, were rewarded for taking five-wicket hauls while Vijay Surujpaul, Brian Mangar, Safraz Esau, Sachin Singh and Safraz Karim received awards for scoring centuries. Kishore Smith was named man-of-the-match in the final, while Esau (162 runs and 12 wkts) received one Hero motorcycle for being voted MVP in the All Stars category. Brian Mangar’s (201), highest individual score; Esau, highest wicket taker; Kawson Joseph, best wicket-keeper; and Delroy Perreira, best fielder; also received awards.

SCOREBOARD ZIMBABWE 1st innings (overnight 169 for four) H Masakadza c wkp Dowrich b Bishoo 147 S Mire c wkp Dowrich b Roach 4 C Ervine b Gabriel 0 B Taylor b Roach 1 P Moor b Chase 52 Sikandar Raza c K Hope b Gabriel 80 M Waller b Brathwaite 0 +R Chakabva b Bishoo 10 *A Cremer run out 11 T Chisoro lbw b Roach 9 C Mpofu not out 4 Extras (lb6, nb2) 8 TOTAL (all out, 109.1 overs) 326 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-11, 3-14, 4-156, 5-246, 6-248, 7-267, 8-310, 9-31, 10326. Bowling: Gabriel 22-4-64-2, Roach 18.1-5-44-3, Blackwood 4-1-8-0, Holder 16-2-49-0, Bishoo 25-2-82-2, Chase 14-1-50-1, Brathwaite 10-0-23-1. WEST INDIES 1st Innings K Brathwaite c Masakadza b Cremer 32 K Powell not out 43 D Bishoo not out 0 Extras (b1, lb1) 3 TOTAL (1 wkt, 49 overs) 78 To bat: K Hope, S Hope, R Chase, J Blackwood, +SO Dowrich, *J Holder, K Roach, S Gabriel Fall of wickets: 1-76. Bowling: Mpofu 11-5-17-0, Mire 4-22-0, Cremer 12-2-31-1, Sikander Raza 13-6-10-0, Chisoro 9-4-15-0. Position: West Indies trail by 248 runs with nine wickets remaining.

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Regal All Stars received the Prime Minister’s trophy and $100,000, while Speedboat pocketed a trophy and $600,000. In the Masters division, Mohamed Rafeek (highest individual scorer); Laurie Singh (highest wicket taker); Chunilall (MVP); R. Neil (best wicket-keeper) and Troy Gobin (best fielder), were outstanding performers. Thomas was named man-of-the-match in the final while Chunilall received the MVP prize. NY Hustlers took a trophy and $100,000, while Regal Masters grabbed the Prime Minister’s trophy and $500,000. Zaheer Mohamed of Kaieteur News received the reporter of the tournament prize. Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Prime Minister Nagamootoo congratulated the teams on their achievements and lauded the GSCL Inc on a well-organised tournament. From back page

‘Emotional’ Gayle wins Fairfax was motivated by malice. The media group had defended the articles on the basis the allegations were substantially true and in the public interest. “At the end of the day I’m very, very happy,” Gayle said after the verdict adding that coming to court had been “very emotional”. “I’m a good man. I’m not guilty.” The publication of the stories followed an uproar after Gayle attempted to flirt with an Australian presenter on live TV, asking her out for a drink and telling her: “Don’t blush, baby.” During the week-long hearing, a tearful Russell stood by the allegations, saying she had gone to the room looking for a towel and came across Gayle. She alleged he lowered the towel he was wearing and asked: “Are you looking for this?” Gayle’s close friend Donovan Miller told the hearing that since the allegations the Jamaican had become “scared, especially (around) females and he always feels someone is out to get him”. A hearing on damages will be held at a later date.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday October 31, 2017

SCOREBOARD RED FORCE 1st Innings 300 Pride 1st Innings 310 for nine declared Red Force 2nd Innings (overnight 31 without loss) +A Jangoo c wkpr Rampersaud b Williams 63 J Solozano c wkpr Rampersaud b Stoute 34 I Rajah b Nurse 25 E Nicholson c (sub) Walsh b Warrican 55 T Webster c Warrican b Nurse 0 *D Ramdin not out 56 R Primus not out 13 Extras (b4, lb6, nb1) 11 TOTAL (5 wkts declâ€™d, 74 overs) 257 Fall of wickets: 1-99, 2-99, 3-156, 4-156, 5-206 Bowling: Greaves 10-1-38-0; Clarke 7-2-20-0; Stoute 13-2-49-1 (nb1); Nurse 14-0-55-2; Williams 13-3-26-1; Warrican 17-2-59-1 PRIDE 2nd Innings (target: 247) A Alleyne c wkpr Jangoo b Primus 3 S Moseley c Richards b Primus 3 M Rampersaud lbw b Richards 0 A Jones not out 52 J Carter b Charles 46 *K Stoute not out 9 Extras (lb1, nb3) 4 TOTAL (4 wkts, 28 overs) 117 Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-6, 3-15, 4-102 Bowling: Richards 5-2-16-1; Primus 1-0-92 (nb1); Webster 3-0-17-0 (nb2); St. Clair 2-0-6-0; Khan 9-1-35-0; Charles 8-0-33-1 Result: Match drawn Points: Pride 10.4, Red Force 10.2

Jones, Carter help give Pride draw in run-fest against Red Force century to his 101 in the first innings to make for a good outing with the bat. Bearing in mind the time left in the game, the total was formidable but the Pride would try to push for a win, but settle for a draw if things got dicey, and they did. The openers tried to push the pace early, with Anthony Alleyne, who had scored 84

Jonathan Carter

IN a Windies Professional Cricket League game where 987 runs were scored, it took a half-century from Barbados Prideâ€™s Aaron Jones, to ensure his side earned a draw against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Kensington Oval on Sunday. Sent into bat, the Red Force posted a testing 300, but watched as the Pride rebounded to overhaul the total, scoring 310-9 in their first innings. Batting a second time, the Red Force, who were given a chance to put pressure on the Pride by a sporting declaration, were bolstered by half-centuries from Amir Jangoo, 63, Ewart Nicholson, 55, and Denesh Ramdin, 56 not out, to score 257-5, a lead of 247. Ramdin added his unbeaten half

Kohli tops rankings with highest ODI rating for India batsman

Virat kohli VIRAT Kohli has returned to the top of the ICC rankings for one-day international batsmen with the highest rating achieved by an India batsman. India skipper Kohli reached 889 points after helping his country to a 2-1 ODI series victory over New Zealand, surpassing the mark set by the iconic Sachin Tendulkar (887) in November 1998. The 28-year-old scored two centuries in a total of 263 runs against the Black Caps. The first hundred was his 31st in the 50-over

format, meaning Tendulkar (49) is now the only man with more, while his second made him the fastest man in history to reach 9,000 ODI runs. Kohli regained top spot from South Africa superstar AB de Villiers, who had displaced him just 10 days prior. He can become just the 12th player to reach the 900 point barrier in ODI cricket if he maintains his impressive form against Sri Lanka, though it has been suggested he could be rested for the series.(Omnisport).

in the first innings, but the plan failed miserably, after Alleyne went for just three, the same as his opening partner, Shayne Moseley. When Mario Rampersaud made a duck at number three, the Pride changed modes, and went for the more likely draw. Jones still scored at a good clip though, getting to

52 from just 82 deliveries, while his partner Jonathan Carter, who had scored 85 in the first innings, offered good support with 46. Carter got out not long before the close of play and Kevin Stoute ensured there were no further problems, scoring an unbeaten nine to bring the game to its most likely conclusion.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday October 31, 2017

Hamilton favourite for 2018 title and knighthood By Alan Baldwin MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton has been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite for next year’s Formula One championship, with the Mercedes driver also a 4/1 shot to be knighted in Britain’s New Year’s honours list. Hamilton became Britain’s most successful Formula One driver after clinching his fourth title in Mexico on Sunday. Bookmakers William Hill have Hamilton as 15/8 favourite for the 2018 drivers championship, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel at 3/1 and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen

at 10/3. Verstappen won Sunday’s race, the third triumph of the 20-year-old’s career. Formula One has driver knights in Stirling Moss, generally regarded as the greatest never to win a championship, and triple world champion Jackie Stewart. Team principal Frank Williams and co-founder Patrick Head also have the honour. Hamilton has the MBE, a lower rung of the multi-tiered British awards system, and went to Buckingham Palace to receive it from the Queen. When asked about the chances of a knighthood, the 32-year-old winner of 62 races said he had always wanted

to go back to the palace. That would be the greatest honour, to firstly be invited back,” he said. “I try to represent England in the best

way I can. If that at some stage is recognised by the Queen then I’d be incredibly honoured.” Hamilton wrapped the

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the World Championship REUTERS/Henry Romero

British flag around him as he celebrated on Sunday and has made much of his journey against the odds from an under-privileged background in the commuter town of Stevenage, north of London. His paternal grandfather was an immigrant from the Caribbean island of Grenada. “I wonder what the people who were at my school are thinking. There’s a couple of teachers who said you’re never going to amount to anything so I wonder what they’re thinking now,” he had mused on Sunday. “I wonder if they’re thinking ‘I helped that young lad’. Or are they thinking ‘you know what, I regret

what I said. And I’ve grown from it’? I hope that’s really the case.” Olympic athletics gold medallist Mo Farah and Wimbledon winner Andy Murray are also sporting Sirs but the Scot has emphasised he still wants to be called by his first name. Hamilton joked he would be the opposite, if such a situation ever happened. “I would enforce it. To everyone. To friends, everyone. I think it’s such an honour,” he laughed. “I’ve got friends who are Sirs and I call them Sir. When I get a text, I‘m like ‘Yes Sir.’ It’s unique and why not live it in all its beauty?.”

Dant steal spotlight at OSCL’s 22nd glittering presentation tion winners were EC Bannas who trounced Rebels in the final, while Betterhope won the DTE Industries 10-over consolation title with victory over Caribbean Sensation. Ramblers were the B Division consolation champions with Bacchus Cricket Club (BCC) being the runners-up. Not to be outdone, Wakenaam were crowned Norman Sue Bakery B Division 15over champs following their victory over GTA Storm B, while Ramblers carted off the

ence A playoff final; Fazil Rasool (Restoration Warriors) and Mohamed Zakeer Yusuf (Enmore) in the Conference B playoff final; Hemnarine Chattergoon (Dant), Azam Haniff (Sunshine), Andy Persaud (EC Bannas), Troy Gobin (Rebels), Kemraj Dhanpaul (GTA Storm B), Sharaz Hamid (Wakenaam), Moin Khan (Good Success) and Mark Chablall in the Norman Sue-sponsored 15over tournament. The DTE Industries

(Caribbean Sensation), Hardat Chablall (Ramblers) and Bisnauth Singh (BCC). Betterhope’s Avinash Singh, with 270 runs, led Conference A with the most runs while Surujpaul Deosarran (Rems) and Riaz Kadir (Dant) were second and third respectively, with 229 and 202 respectively. In the B Division, Bharrat Latchman (Carr Tec) led the way with 348 runs and he was followed by Suresh Persaud (Carr Tec) and

OSCL vice-president Terry Mathura (left) hands over the B Division Conference winners trophy to Enmore skipper, Shiv Persaud.

By Frederick Halley TORONTO, Canada – Dant took the lion’s share of the Division A titles when the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) held its glittering 22nd annual Presentation Dinner and Dance at the Estate Banquet Hall, Scarborough, recently. Dant were crowned Division A regular season (20 overs) conference winners, Division A playoff champions and T10 tournament winners; but had to settle for the runner-up spot in the 15-over competition, going down to archrivals Sunshine in the final. In the process, they copped the Twilight Family Restaurant, Remax All

Stars Realty, DTE Industries and the Norman Sue Bakery trophies; the latter for being runners-up. It was also a fantastic year for Restoration Warriors and Enmore; the former capturing the B Division playoff crown, while Enmore were regular season conference winners, victors in the T10 tournament and runners-up in the regular season playoffs. For their efforts, Restoration Warriors walked away with the Fundex Investment Inc trophy while Enmore took away the I Saw That on TV and DTE Industries trophies and the Starlite and Cabana restaurants trophies for being runners-up in the playoffs championships. The 15-over Norman Sue Bakery A Division Consola-

Dant players and supporters display part of their winnings.

Consolation title with Good Success being the runners-up. Among the Most Valuable Players (MVP) recipients were Dant’s Damodar Daesrath and EC Bannas’ Elton Baker in the Confer-

sponsored 10-over MVPs were Chattergoon (Dant), Imtiaz Moursalien (Rebels), Steve Ramdas (Enmore), Krishna Arjune (Restoration Warriors), Avinash Singh (Betterhope), Imran Khan

Shiv Persaud (Enmore) with 334 and 331 respectively. The three top bowlers in Conference A were Raja Amit Pooran (EC Bannas), Davendra Ramkissoon (Betterhope) and Rabindra Di-

aram (Dant) with 20, 19, and 17 wickets, respectively. The B Conference saw Shiv Persaud (Enmore) topping the bowling with 30 wickets, six more than Surendra Persaud (Wakenaam) and Dinannauth Mangru (Cougars) who ended the season with 23. Centuries were recorded by Scarbo Angels’ Anil Girdharry (168) and Enmore’s Steve Ramdas (100), while there were five-wicket hauls for Ashok Ramhas (Carr Tec), Mangru (Cougars), Diaram (Dant), Naveed Ali (Good Success), Ameer Baksh (Wakenaam) and Surendra Beepat (Wakenaam). The annual Independence Cup, sponsored by Trophy Stall (Guyana), was won by Team Jaguars with Zakir Khan emerging as the MVP. Jaguars also carted off the All Stars trophy with the MVP being Aftab Shamshudeen for the winning team and Alvin Budhram taking the coveted prize for the losing Kaieteur side. Coordinator Vish Jadunauth was the manager for both winning teams. The Norman Sue Spirit Awards, given annually to worthy individuals who have played big roles, both on and off the field, were presented to members of Carr Tec team for their role in moulding Alisha Ramadhar, the one female player in the league. Ramadhar represented Ramblers.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday October 31, 2017

Bolt brand stays ahead of Messi, Ronaldo on world’s rich list ACCORDING to the latest list compiled by wealth magazine Forbes, Usain Bolt’s earnings of US$27m have shown an eight percent increase, which has put him ahead of the likes of Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Virat Kohli, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid star, who was recently named FIFA’s men’s Player of the Year, occupies the third place spot. His current brand value of US$21m also showed a 13.2% increase. Mickelson who was listed in third position ahead of Bolt last year at US$28m has seen a sharp 30 per cent decline in value, which leaves him fifth at

Usain Bolt’s earnings has shown an eight per cent increase.

US$19.6m. Holding firm ahead of the retired world’s fastest man are Cleveland Cavalier star LeBron James (US$33.4m) and tennis legend Roger Federer whose brand currently values a hefty US$37.2m. James who saw his Cavaliers defeated in last season’s NBA final by the Golden State Warriors has seen a 1.8 percent decrease in value. Federer who claimed two titles in 2017 has seen a 3.3% appreciation in his brand value. Messi the Barcelona and Argentina superstar has a value of US$13.5m, while Woods, who sits 6th on the list, has a current brand value of US$16.6m .

England’s senior core must star in Ashes – Vaughan

ENGLAND’s core of senior players must stand up if they are to win the Ashes in Australia, former captain Michael Vaughan said. Joe Root’s team face a huge test in Australia beginning in November, with England having lost six of the past seven Ashes series played Down Under. Vaughan said it would be up to the tourists’ more experienced players – Root, Alastair Cook, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes – to make the difference. “The likes of [Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Dawid Malan have great opportunities to go and establish themselves in the England team,” he told Omnisport. Gary Ballance is waiting

Former England captain Michael Vaughan urged his nation’s more experienced players like Alastair Cook and Joe Root to step up in Australia.

in the wings as well. You sense that for England to win in Australia, Alastair Cook, Joe Root are going to have to get a lot of runs. Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali as well]. “You feel that that senior core of the side in Anderson, Broad, Woakes; there are seven. “Those seven that I’ve

mentioned are going to have to have outstanding tours for England to win in Australia.” Vaughan feels England’s chances of avoiding a series defeat will be known as soon as the first Test in Brisbane beginning November 23. The Gabba has proven to be a happy venue for Australia, who were last beaten at

the ground in a Test in 1988. “It’s never easy going to Australia, the history tells you that over the last six or seven times that England have been there,” Vaughan said. “They won there in 20102011, lost 5-0 the last time, lost 5-0 in 2006-2007, lost 4-1 in 2002-2003. So I guess history’s not on Joe’s side but they’ve certainly got enough talent. “They’ve got enough in that team to put Australia under pressure. You just sense that first week in Brisbane will decide the series. “If England can get out of it with something, they’ll have a great chance. If Australia do what they generally do to many of the touring teams and blow them away in that first Test it’s going to be a very difficult winter for the England team.”(Omnisport)

GFA/Stag Premier League

Police, Riddim Squad register third raound victories ---Beacons and Northern Rangers play to stalemate

Rawle Haynes

POLICE and Riddim Squad both registered victories when action in the Georgetown Football Association (GFA)/Stag Premier League continued on Sunday last at the Georgetown Football Club, ground, Bourda, while beacons and Northern Rangers played to a stalemate. Police defeated Black Pearl by a 3-0 margin and Riddim Squad edged Pele 1-0, while Beacons and Northern Rangers played to a 1-0 draw in their round three fixtures. Rawle Haynes netted a brace for Police in the 24th and 48th minutes while Kester Dundas supported with a 79th minute goal. Haynes’ double is his second in the tournament, as he had bagged two goals in his team’s 4-1 win against Riddim Squad on the opening day of the tournament. Dundas now has two goals to his name. His first goal was against Riddim Squad. The lawmen has now reclaimed the lead in the points standing with nine points from three victories and has a goal difference of plus nine, having scored 10 goals in their three matches

while conceding just one. In the Beacons versus Northern Rangers match, Keon Douglas opened the scoring for Beacons with a 17th minute goal, but Nigel Denny replied for Northern Rangers with a 70th minute goal to level the score which remained unchanged to the final whistle. This means that both teams received two points each which takes Beacons to five points from three matches. They won one, drew one and lost one and scored five goals while conceding three. Northern Rangers on the other hand with Sunday’s two points, now moves to two points after three games. They lost their two previous matches. In the Pele versus Riddim Squad match, Wendell Joseph found his target in the 65th minute to give his team three points which takes the team to six points after three matches. They won two and lost one and scored three goals in the process, while conceding four. Pele on the other hand is yet to get off the mark in the points standing as they lost all three of their matches. The first was a 1-2 loss to Camptown followed by a 0-2 loss to santos. To date, Pele has scored one goal in their three matches and conceded five for a minus four goal difference. The tournament will continue on Friday with a double-header at the same venue. Black Pearl will oppose Riddim Squad and Beacons comes up against Police.

Manner of Kumble's exit 'very unfortunate' - Dravid

THE manner of Anil Kumble's exit as India coach and how the entire captain-coach saga played out in public view was both "unfortunate" and unfair to the former India captain, according to his former colleague Rahul Dravid. He also conceded that players were invariably more powerful than coaches, and any power-struggle inevitably resulted in the favour of the players. Kumble stepped down immediately after the Cham-

pions Trophy in June after his partnership with Kohli became "untenable." Ahead of that tournament, reports of Kohli telling BCCI about players being uncomfortable with Kumble's "overbearing" ways surfaced. "At the end of the day, I don't know the specifics of that particular issue, but it shouldn't have got played out in the way that it did," Dravid said at the Bangalore Literature Festival. "I think the whole thing got played out in the media which is very, very unfortunate for Anil and

not fair on him at all. "So, what's the reality of it and what happens behind closed doors is not something I'm privy to, so I can't comment directly. But it was definitely an unfortunate episode, especially to someone like Anil who has been an absolute legend of the game, someone who has done more to win Test matches for India than anybody I know. And he had a successful year as coach as well. But the fact is that it should never have played out the way that it did, publicly."

That the coaching job came with an inherent risk of a sack wasn't lost on Dravid. "See, coaches get sacked. The first thing you know when you stop playing and become a coach is that some day you are going to get sacked," he said. "That's the reality. "As an India A and Under-19 coach, I know that someday I'm going to get the boot. Some football managers get sacked after two games, so that's the reality. Players are more powerful than coaches. We know that because we were

more powerful than coaches when we played." When there was a suggestion that players had become too powerful, Dravid said players had little say in their journey to superstardom. "A lot of cricketers come from humble, middle-class backgrounds. At the core of all this, if you remove the hype and hoopla, they are just normal guys who grew up and became heroes," he said. "They became heroes thanks to people like you [anchors, journalists], television asking for inter-

views, writing books about them. It's the game that has made them heroes. "I read that the players have become too big, but who has made them too big? It's very easy to say that, and also a lot of other people have become rich by players becoming rich. It's reality now. It's the fact of the matter. At the end of the day, cricketers are simple people. But everything gets blown out of proportion for them. So they have to deal with things a certain way."(ESPN Cricinfo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday October 31, 2017

GBA/Lennox Blackmore National Intermediate championships

Soldiers march to yet another champion gym title ---GDF’s Kevin McKenzie is Best Elite Boxer, Keevin Allicock best Youth fighter

By Michael DaSilva AFTER winning the National Novices Champion Gym title in June this year, boxers from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) invaded the National Gymnasium on Sunday night and captured eight of nine Elite Class titles while ambushing an equal number of runners- up spots and was declared Champion Gym. On the same night, Kevin McKenzie (GDF) was adjudged Best Boxer in the Elite Class, while Forgotten Youth Foundation’s (FYF) Keevin Allicock was voted Best Boxer in the Youth Category. Of the eight Elite Class titles the GDF won, seven

of them were all GDF finals, while one of their boxers won against a member of debutant Gym, Savanah Boxing Gym (SBG) of Lethem. In the other bout they contested, they lost to a member of the Vergenoegen Boxing Gym, VBG). The Army’s junior welterweight Kevin McKenzie was awarded the Best Elite Class Boxer after his demolition of Rose Hall Jammers’ Omali Adams via a 50 seconds round one stoppage on the second night of the tournament, followed by a one minute 35-second stoppage of SBG’s James Anderson in the final. The soldiers started their assault from the first contest on the night’s card when

Part of the action on the final night of the GBA/Lennox Blackmore National championships

Hakim Bostwick had his junior flyweight fight against Akimo Watts stopped by the referee in the first round.

GDF’s Delroy Fordyce then secured a split decision win over his gymmate, Delon Garraway, in their light-

weight contest. In the bantamweight division, the referee stopped the bout between GDF’s Clinton Clarke and VBG’s Kelvin Moore at two minutes, 56 seconds of round two in favour of the latter. Then followed Mckenzie who caused the referee to stop his contest against SBG’s James Anderson at one minute 35 seconds of the first round. The other five bouts on the card were all GDF affairs and started with Emanuel Sancho abandoning his welterweight contest against Leon Semple, followed by Orlando Norton abandoning his middleweight fight against Okimey Bakker. Daniel McPherson then secured a walk-over win

from Renaldo Niles in a light heavyweight contest. Aubrey Headley then defeated Damieon Johnson in the heavyweight division and Antonio Williams defeated Emerson Farley in the super heavyweight contest. In other results, Allicock forced the corner men of the Rose Hall Jammers Gym to throw in the towel during the opening seconds of the first round of his bantamweight contest against Andre Bess while Christopher Moore of VBG recorded a victory over Trevor Motielal (Young Achievers) after the referee refused to allow Motielal to continue after the first round. No reason was given for the sudden stoppage.

Former Golden Jaguars ‘skipper’ Nurse begins coaching career Named as Tooting & Mitcham United FC Assistant Coach

By Rawle Toney FORMER ‘Golden Jaguars’ skipper, Christopher Nurse, is now starting a new chapter in his illustrious football career and one he hopes that will lead him back to Guyana. The 33-year-old Nurse was last week named as an assistant coach at Tooting & Mitcham United Football Club in England’s semi-professional football ranks and speaking exclusively with Chronicle Sport recently, the defensive midfield player who featured 47 times for Guyana, called the move “very important for my development as a coach.” To his credit, Nurse holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Therapy from the University of Birmingham, a United States Soccer Federation National B Coaches License, BTEC National Diploma in Applied Sports Science - Kingston College, FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine, YMCA qualifications in Exercise Fitness Knowledge and Circuit Training, FA Level 1 in Talent Identification as well as Long Term Player Development FA Level 1 Psychology Award. “Football is a short career and especially at this stage of my career, opportunities to get involved in professional and semi-professional football are very hard to come by, so I am extremely grateful for

this opportunity” said Nurse. According to Nurse, his long term goal is to play a role in the development of football in the Caribbean region, since he believes “there is so much room for development and growth, there is so much talent, it is only a matter of time till the structures are in place for the game to fully flourish in the region.” In 2011, Nurse was named as Captain of Guyana’s senior men’s national football team, more popularly known as the Golden Jaguars. Guyana contested 28 World Cup qualifiers since 1976 and although the National Team won its inaugural World Cup match 2-1 against Suriname at GCC ground, Bourda, July 4, 1976 and defeated Grenada 5-2 also at Bourda, along with another 5-2 win over Grenada at Bourda, March 1980 and a 3-2 win in the return fixture in April in St. George’s, the next time Guyana tasted World Victory was 31 years later when Nurse led the Golden Jaguars to a 2-0 win over Barbados at the Guyana National Stadium in August, 2011. “Playing for Guyana allowed me to develop and flourish in my career and it is rightfully my responsibility to give back to the game in some capacity” Nurse noted, while adding “Be it externally from the federation or alongside the federation, without a doubt I will be back to pay

the North American Soccer League Humanitarian of the Year Award for his work with the Breast Cancer Associations in South Florida; showing his commitment to the game and issues that affect players both on and off the field. The former Puerto Rico FC player also encouraged other players to get into the realms of coaching, stating “play as long as you can, you have your whole life to be a coach, but once you commit there are an abundance of online resources to develop your skills, abilities and ex-

pand your mind as a coach.” “Travel outside of Guyana and expose yourself to coaching sessions of professional clubs, have conversations with people and expand your network. Do not be ignorant enough to believe playing experience automatically translates into coaching ability; 100% there is value to a coach with playing experience, but take your time, commit to the learning process as a coach, become a student of the game as a coach and I am sure you will find the right balance” Nurse said.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday October 31, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & FLASH BACK! Mexico’s Andre Guardardo is tackled by Guyana’s Captain Christopher Nurse during their clash at the Azteca in the CONCACAF 2014 World Cup Qualifier.

my dues in the development and progress of football in Guyana.” “Right now it is no secret that the federation view me as an adversarial character for my outspoken stance in relation to the handling of the game against Mexico and the monies still outstanding to the players. It is hard to see a resolution to the relationship until there is some closure to

this issue, but in all honesty, I’m sure the federation really want the relationship to be repaired or for the issue to be resolved. But my commitment to the game and to the development of football in Guyana remains as strong as ever” the Englishman stated. Having won several titles during his playing career, Nurse, in 2014, won

CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

WI won by 117 runs

(2)

Devendra Bishoo

Today’s Quiz: (1) Tests?

How many times the WI have defeated ZIM in

(2)

How many WI/ZIM Tests have been ‘drawn’? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday October 31, 2017

Four changes to Windies A squad for Sri Lanka A one-dayers KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) – Youth World Cup star Odean Smith has been named in a 13-member West Indies A squad to face Sri Lanka A, in the threematch one-day series which bowls off here Wednesday. The 20-year-old fast bowler was a member of the West Indies Under-19 side that won the Youth World Cup in Bangladesh last year January, and also featured extensively for his native Jamaica Tallawahs in this year’s Caribbean Premier

League. Smith has been joined by the trio of all-rounder Kyle Mayers, fast bowler Ronsford Beaton and batsman Andre McCarthy, as the new faces in the squad led by wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton. “The squad builds on our last President’s XI squad which played against England earlier this year with Jahmar Hamilton retained as captain,” chief selector, Courtney Browne said. “Players coming into the square are those to replace

the players that have moved up to the senior team or those that are not available at this time.” West Indies A are coming off a disappointing 2-1 defeat in the three-match four-day “Test” series, which wrapped up last weekend. They won the first “Test” by an innings at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium on the country’s north coast but lost the second match by 280 runs and the third by 10 wickets. When the two sides last

Odean Smith

met in a one-day series on the Caribbean side’s tour of Sri Lanka last October, Windies A swept the three-match series. Browne reminded that with the next year featuring a packed one-day programme, this series would be important for players in getting the attention of selectors. “ O u r ‘ A ’ t e a m p r ogramme is a stepping stone to our senior team and the panels want to encourage players to focus on consistent performances,” said the for-

mer Test wicketkeeper. “With a full year of Oneday International matches coming up next year, including the ICC World Cup qualifiers next March in Zimbabwe, this is another opportunity, along with the Regional Super50 Cup next January, for players to present themselves for any places available in the senior team.” The second match on Friday is also set for Sabina Park before the series wraps up in Trelawny next Sunday.

Guyana Curling Federation represented in Canada

THE Guyana Curling Federation (GCF) mixed-doubles curling team of Rayad and Farzana Hussain competed in the Oakville Curling Club Doubles Summer League and finished with a respectable record of five wins and two losses on their way to finishing second overall. Last weekend, in Palmerston, Ontario, Canada (Palmerston Curling Club), the duo finished second in their Round-Robin group with a 2-1 record before bowing out in the Quarter-Final. The next event for the pair will be a couple of exhibition games during the Brazilian Mixed-Doubles Championship to be played in Toronto at the Royal Canadian Curling Club from November 15 – 18. Curling is a team sport played by two teams of four players on a rectangular sheet of ice. Its nickname, “The Roaring Game”, originates from the rumbling sound the 44-pound (19.96kg) granite stones make when they travel across the ice.

Rayad Hussain, General Secretary of the recently-launched Federation, is a Canadian by birth, and had

Founded in 2016, the GCF has been established to not only govern and promote the Winter Olympic Sport

Farzana and Rayad Hussain

told Chronicle Sport that he saw the need for potentially growing a sport and “bring something to Guyana that’s predominantly European to South America and to my parents’ homeland.”

of Curling to Guyanese both within Guyana and abroad, but to also raise the profile of Winter Sport within the Caribbean region by working with other similar bodies and organizations.

Forde leads Guyana’s dominance at South American 10km first leg in Suriname Guyana to host second leg on November 5 CLEVELAND Forde, Guyana’s most dominant distance athlete, along with Cleveland Thomas and Winston Missigher made a clean sweep of the South American 10km ‘Suriname leg’ in Paramaribo on Sunday. Forde, the most decorated athlete at the South American 10km, clinched another Suriname win when he crossed the line ahead of the field with a time of 34 minutes, 5.08 seconds. Thomas was second, running 34 minutes, nine seconds while Missigher was third (34:21.3). Seventeen-year-old Rickie Williams’ time of 38:2.06 was good enough to see him finished eighth place overall and second in the junior category. Ashanti Scott (47:22.02) finished fourth in the female category which was won by the Netherland’s Lysanne Wilkens (39:1.19) while

Cleveland Forde Kenisha Pascal (40:40.08) of Grenada was second. Meanwhile, Forde, after missing last year’s second leg of the South American 10km in Guyana due to an injury last year, will be eager to reclaim his rightful place at the top of the podium, when he features on Sunday.

The Federation will also provide athletes both in and out of Guyana with opportunities to represent the country in international competitions as governed by the World Curling Federation. The Federation has received Conditional Membership status from the World

Curling Federation (56th Member Association) at its World Curling Congress in Stockholm, Sweden in September 2016, which will allow them to access development programmes to promote the sport to the Guyanese people. Following a one-year

period, the next step will be to apply for Provisional Membership status, which would allow their athletes to compete in international events, with the first being the 2018 World Mixed-Doubles Curling Championship, set for Östersund, Sweden, in 2018.

Four changes to Windies A squad for Sri Lanka A one-dayers

Prime Minister’s T20 Softball Cup deemed huge success

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The winning Regal Masters’ team with Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and his wife Seeta, after the presentation ceremony.

- Regal Masters and Speedboat the champion teams

By Rajiv Bisnauth AFTER three days of intense battle, Guyana’s top softball teams, Regal Masters and Speedboat ended the three-day tournament as the top two teams when the inaugural tournament ended on Sunday at the Everest Crick-

et Club ground. The tournament, which witnessed softball in a new dispensation, was deemed a huge success by president of the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Incorporated (GSCL), Ian John. “What we witnessed over the past three days Turn to page 22

Speedboat won the Open category.

‘Emotional’ Gayle wins Bishoo reaches 100 Test wickets, Brathwaite falls defamation case NSW Supreme Court jury rules in favour of veteran West Indian batsman in defamation case against Fairfax (AFP)-West Indies star Chris Gayle has won a defamation case against Fairfax Media after it claimed he exposed his genitals to a massage therapist during the 2015 World Cup in Australia. The lurid accusations were made by Fairfax newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times in a series of stories in January last year. They claimed Gayle exposed himself to team masseuse Leanne Russell in a dressing room at the 2015 World Cup in Sydney and “indecently propositioned” her. The 38-year-old denied the allegations, saying the journalists behind the story wanted to “destroy him”. His West Indies teammate Dwayne Smith, who was in the changing room at the time, also denied the incident took place. A NSW Supreme Court jury ruled in Gayle’s favour, finding Chris Gayle

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late on day two

Page 22

Devendra Bishoo removed Zimbabwe’s Hamilton Masakadza to claim his 100th Test scalp.He becomes the fourth Guyanese bowler to achieve such a feat.(Lance Gibbs 309), Colin Croft (125) and Carl Hooper (114).

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER, 31, 2017