Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_11_04_2019

MONDAY 4th November, 2019

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Now or Never!

No.105811

– GECOM, political parties urge citizens to get registered

–– as claims exercise wraps up

SEE STORY ON PAGE 03

More than one hundred men, women, and children called on Guyanese to stand up against Domestic Violence when United Bridge Builders Mission (UBBM) hosted its ‘Purple Angel Walk and Rally’ on Sunday. (See story on page 17)

LEN raises the ceiling --making more money available for borrowers 'to grow' their business 02 PAGE

Guyana’s first women’s chamber to 03 be launched soon PAGE

Think about effectiveness, not pill burden --says filaria MDA supervisor

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LEN raises the ceiling

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

--making more money available for borrowers 'to grow' their business

WHEREAS in the past, residents of Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice) could have only accessed up to G$1M as a business loan, these days they can borrow even more funds, based on

a case-by-case evaluation.

This was confirmed by Linden Enterprise Network's (LEN's) Chairman Orrin Gordon, who said that there was need to raise the ceiling and this is now being done based

on the proposal submitted by the client, such as their business plan or evidence of their cash flow.

There was also need to raise the ceiling, he said, since LEN would have ex-

panded its horizon into the various industries. LEN, he said, is placing a lot of emphasis on agriculture and food security, and seeing tangible transformation in this and other sectors, such as construction and the hospitality industry, by giving entrepreneurs more financing space.

As Gordon explained, the ceiling is no longer at a fixed amount, and is determined by what is presented to the credit committee. If a client wants to borrow $10M, this does not mean that they will access that amount.

A WELCOME INITIATIVE Victor Fernandes, President of the Linden Chamber of Commerce (LCC), a partnering entity with which LEN works closely, said that the raising of the ceiling is something that the Chamber and the entire business community of Linden welcomes, since $1M was kind of restrictive. "It gives people an opportunity to really build their capacity. Now they can really do something that is tangible, and clients will be able to see transformation, since they can actually do something to finance their situation.� Fernandes said that the LCC also applauds LEN for listening to the people and stakeholders, and that he is optimistic that this move will not only be benefit to the business sector, but help turn around the fortunes of Linden as well.

LEN's Chairman Orrin Gordon

Chairman of the Economic Development Committee Lawrence Simon also welcomes the decision taken by LEN, and is now calling on Lindeners to take advantage of the opportunity, as persons from the various sectors can tap into the service and venture into bigger and even more profitable business projects. “Lindeners should take advantage of this and boost their businesses in terms of quantity and quality, so that they can be able to compete on the free market, where we have persons coming from other areas to trade their products in the township,�

Simon said.

GO MORE PUBLIC He is also calling on LEN to make the change more public, so that more persons can be informed about how they can benefit from the service, and to lower some of the requirements to access these loans.

LEN, he said, should

also engage in more training programmes as it relates to business development for small entrepreneurs, and involve stakeholders such as the Linden Mayor and Town Council and the Regional Democratic Council in the process.

Since the launch of its five-year strategic development plan, LEN has been targeting every sector where diversification is possible, such as agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and hospitality. It has also targeted several of the outlying communities in Region Ten to sensitise residents on the kinds of services they offer, and how they, too, can tap into them.

LEN's interest rate is still eight per cent acrossthe-board, and the age requirement is still 18 to 65 years old. LEN also accepts communal and group applications. For 2019, the Government of Guyana would have made $200M available to LEN.

Now or Never!

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

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–GECOM, political parties urge citizens to get registered

- as claims exercise wraps up TODAY is the final day for citizens across Guyana to lay claims to be included on the Official List of Electors (OLEs) for the coming general and regional elections;leaders within political parties as well as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have been urging citizens not to miss their last chance.

“That responsibility is on you. Don’t take it lightly. Elections are serious business,” Director of Sport Christopher Jones said over the weekend.

“The responsibility is on the people to ensure that you go to the registration centres; to ensure that your names are on the list; to ensure that names are correctly spelt; the information in terms of your address is correct, so that you are eligible to vote.”

Jones stated that he placed importance on spreading the word because history has taught him that when the

elections campaign period begins, most Guyanese get very excited but some only realise then that they missed the critical registration period.

He stated: “You might be looking at March 2, 2020 as months away and you got time and ‘all I gon do is go and vote’ but, unless you do what is absolutely necessary now –you have up to Monday--to ensure that you register, to ensure that you go to the GECOM offices and search for your names [you will be left out].”

To determine whether they are on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLEs), citizens can check for their names at the link presented on GECOM’s website or manually by visiting GECOM’s permanent and temporary offices countrywide.

Today these offices will be open from 08:00hrs to 12:00hrs and 13:00hrs to

19:00hrs.

Persons have reported that the transaction takes between six to 10 minutes, thanks to numerous staff present at the location to assist and their use of the computer to speed-up the process.

Also encouraging persons to get registered were representatives of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Nigel Dharamlall stated that its party has mobilised resources to enable persons within certain villages to get to the various GECOM offices to get registered.

“We would like to encourage all and sundry across Regions Five and Six especially --- as we’re in Berbice --- and for you also to take the message to your families and friends and colleagues across this country…let us go out and get registered. We cannot be apathetic, we can-

Director of Sport Christopher Jones

not be complacent, we need to get on the voters list to cast our votes on elections day,” he said on the programme, In Perspective.

Meanwhile, Jones has also encouraged persons to look out for their friends and families by checking for their names on the list and, if not seen, encouraging them to utilise the last day.

The benefits of getting registered go beyond voting in the coming elections as, with the eventual issuance of new Identification (ID) cards, persons will be able to obtain

old age pensions; secure a driver’s licence or a loan; apply for a passport; obtain police clearance; transact business at the bank or post office; collect national insurance benefits and more.

The Claims and Objections (C&O) exercise began on October 1, 2019. As of Sunday, October 29, 2019, over 17,000 transactions had been conducted thus far.

There have been over 3,900 new registrations, more than 9,500 transfers, over 1,600 changes or corrections, over 1,600 replacements and 32

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) Nigel Dharamlall

objections.

The commission has stated that GECOM officials are not visiting homes and citizens who come into contact with persons offering to conduct transactions as a part of the C&O exercise should not provide any personal information and should report same.

Meanwhile, citizens have until November 11, 2019 to make objections about the removal of names.

Guyana’s first women’s chamber to be launched soon GUYANA’S first Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCIG), which was established last July, will be officially launched at the Pegasus Hotel on November 21.

WCCIG co-founder and President, Kerensa Gravesande-Bart, said the chamber was birthed out of a need for a collective movement to assist women to achieve success and economic independence through business ownership and self-employment.

WCCIG intends to create equal and fair business opportunities by fostering an environment that nurtures the growth of women-owned businesses in Guyana.

Added to that, it will assist women business owners (members) to meet international standards and become certified to benefit equitably from procurement opportunities from major purchasing entities and certified minority and women suppliers. All members will include women

The Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana (WCCIG), Board of Directors

that reflect diversity in ethnicity, industry and business stages.

Gravesande-Bart, who formed WCCIG along with Lyndell Danzie-Black, said the chamber is a dynamic organisation dedicated to empowering women.

“Our priority is to har-

ness our members’ economic power in the country and improve the lives of women while stimulating their socio-economic growth. Our number one goal is to work together in harmony to advance the agenda of women empowerment economically and socially,” the WCCIG

President said.

It is her belief that real empowerment of women would be possible only through education, encouragement of economic self-dependence, easy access to growth capital and provision of opportunities.

“It is time for all of us to

unite our efforts to spread WCCIG’s wings and embrace our diversity and richness across the country in collaboration with all our partners,” Gravesande-Bart said while encouraging businesswomen to join the chamber.

“Share in our journey

as we strive to attain our vision of being the voice that inspires integrity, empowerment, collaboration, and leadership,” she said, iterating that the chamber will be the voice of women in the world of business.

WCCIG has seven Board of Directors, they are: Kerensa Gravesande-Bart – Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Recruitment Solutions Inc; Lyndell Danzie-Black – Managing Director, Cerulean Inc; Renata Exeter - Chief Executive Officer, GUYOIL; Anije Lambert – Managing Director/ Researcher, Professional Development Consultants; Sherry Ann Dixon – International Motivational Speaker/Journalist; Tamara Khan – Attorney-at-Law; and Jennifer Cipriani – Managing Director, ACME Marketing Consultancy.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

India air pollution at 'unbearable levels' – Delhi Minister

Air pollution in the north of India has "reached unbearable levels," the capital Delhi's Chief Minister Arvid Kejriwal says.

In many areas of Delhi air quality deteriorated into the "hazardous" category on Sunday with the potential to cause respiratory illnesses.

Authorities have urged people to stay inside to protect themselves.

Mr Kejriwal called on the central government to provide relief and tackle the toxic pollution. Schools have been closed, more than 30 flights diverted and construction work halted as the city sits in a thick blanket of smog. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain advised the city's residents to "avoid outdoor physical activities, especially during morning and late evening hours".

The advisory also said people should wear anti-pollution masks, avoid polluted areas and keep doors and windows closed.

HOW BAD IS THE SMOG? Levels of dangerous particles in the air - known as PM2.5 - are far higher than recommended and about seven times higher than in the Chinese capital Beijing.

An Indian health ministry official said the city's pollution monitors did not have enough digits to accurately record pollution levels, which he called a "disaster".

Five million masks were handed out in schools on Friday as officials declared a public health emergency and Mr Kejriwal likened the city to a "gas chamber".

The World Health Organization (WHO) says a third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to air pollution. "This is having an equivalent effect to that of smoking tobacco," the WHO says on its website.

Mr Kejriwal's most recent comments are unlikely to please government officials, reports the BBC's

South Asia regional editor Jill McGivering. She said Indian politicians were blaming each other for the conditions. On Sunday young people in Delhi came out to protest and demand action.

"You can obviously see how terrible it is and it's actually scary you can't see things in front of you," said Jaivipra. She said she wanted long-term and sustainable anti-pollution measures put in place. "We are concerned about our futures and about our health but we are also fighting this on behalf of the children and the elderly who bear the biggest brunt of the problem here," she said.

Some ministers have sparked controversy on social media by suggesting light-hearted measures to stay healthy. Harsh Vardhan,

Angry protesters compared the pollution to India's sluggish economy (AFP)

the union minister for health and family welfare, urged people to eat carrots to protect against "night blindness" and "other pollution-related harm to health".

Meanwhile, Prakash Javadekar, the minister of the environment, suggested that you should "start your day

with music", adding a link to a "scintillating thematic composition".

"Is that the reason you have turned deaf ears to our plight on pollution?" one Twitter user responded.

"Seems you are too busy hearing music that you are not able to hear us!"

WHAT'S CAUSED THE POLLUTION? A major factor behind the high pollution levels at this time of year is farmers in neighbouring states burning crop stubble to clear their fields. This creates a lethal cocktail of particulate matter, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide - all worsened by fireworks set off during the Hindu festival Diwali a week ago. Vehicle fumes, construction and industrial emissions have also contributed to the smog. Indians are hoping that scattered rainfall over the coming week will wash away the pollutants but this is not due until Thursday. (BBC)

Thousands gather on Beirut's streets for anti-government protest Tens of thousands of Lebanese protested on Sunday to keep up a nationwide street movement that has brought down the government, hours after a smaller rally of thousands was held to support the embattled president.

Unprecedented cross-sectarian demonstrations have gripped Lebanon since October 17, demanding a complete overhaul of a political system deemed inefficient and corrupt.

On Sunday evening, thousands of protesters streamed into the main square carrying Lebanese flags and a flurry of inventive slogans on cardboard, an

AFP correspondent said.

"Revolution," they cried to the rhythm of electronic beats in Martyrs' Square. "All of them means all of them," they chanted, calling for political leaders from all sectarian stripes to step down. They also called for a general strike on Monday to pressure political leaders.

The protest, the biggest since Tuesday when supporters of the powerful Hezbollah movement broke up the protest camp, followed a rally earlier in the day by supporters of Lebanon's president, held to counter anti-government protests that have paralysed the country

for more than two weeks.

President Michel Aoun has been among the main targets of mass protests that aim to sweep from power Lebanon's entire sectarian and political elite.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned last week, meeting a key demand of the protesters, but will stay on in the role of caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. However, Hezbollah and its allies, who dominate the government, have held their ground without offering any concrete proposals to meet the protesters' demands.

Abir Murad, 37, had come especially from the northern city of Tripoli to take part in Sunday's protests. "We are all united against the leaders‌ who haven't changed anything in this country," she said. "We came to say that change is now in the hands of the people."

Draped in white sheets, three demonstrators staged a mock execution of the grievances that pushed them down into the street. Nooses around their limp necks, they bore signs referring to corruption, sectarianism, and the 1975-90 civil war.

Protesters in the capital

shouted in support of Shia-majority areas such as Tyre, stronghold of the Hezbollah movement, which has urged its backers not to protest. "Tyre, Tyre, Tyre. We're rising up for you," they chanted.

Despite Hezbollah's warnings, protests were also staged in the southern city itself, the National News Agency reported. People also took to the street in Sunni-majority Sidon and the northern city of Tripoli. Lebanon had come to a standstill for around two weeks until the cabinet resigned on Tuesday, after which protest roadblocks were lifted and banks re-opened.

Protests temporarily petered out as rain hit the capital, but activists vowed to fight on until the rest of their demands were met. Protesters have called for an end to Aoun's tenure, as well as drastic change to a political system dominated by the same figures and families since the end of the civil war.

Earlier in Beirut, hundreds of men and women took part in a feminist march from the national museum towards the main square. (AL JAZEERA)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

BERMUDA-COURT: Retired Jamaican judge to head inquiry over historic land grabs HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – Jamaican-born retired puisne judge Norma Wade-Miller is to head an investigation into alleged historic land grabs in Bermuda.

Premier David Burt announced the members of the commission of inquiry in the House of Assembly on Friday in a motion to set up an inquiry that was tabled by late Progressive Labour Party (PLP) legislator Wal-

ton Brown in 2014 when the One Bermuda Alliance was in power.

Wade-Miller, the island’s first female Acting Chief Justice and once married to late Opposition Leader Frederick Wade, served as a puisne judge for 25 years. She was also the first woman in Bermuda to be appointed a substantive magistrate, and then a high court judge.

Other members of the inqui-

ry will be lawyers Lynda Milligan-Whyte and Maxine Binns, business manager Frederica Forth, former PLP legislator Wayne Perinchief, environmentalist Jonathan Starling and land surveyor Quinton Stovell.

“This now forms part of the legacy of the late Honourable Member Walton Brown, who was its champion,” said Burt.

The premier earlier said the commission’s scope would include the investigation of “historic losses of citizens’ property in Bermuda through theft of property, dispossession of property, adverse possession claims, and/or such other unlawful or irregular means by which land was lost in Bermuda”.

Brown’s motion to ask the Governor to set up a commission of in-

quiry into all known claims of property loss or dispossession was passed by parliament in July 2014. George Fergusson, the former Governor, rejected the request, which sparked a march on Government House.

The controversy led to a change in the law that gave the premier power to appoint a commission of inquiry without the Governor’s approval.

Regional Maritime Security Strategy Coming Maritime security must expand its scope beyond the traditional threats of illicit drugs and arms trafficking to include economic enablers that contribute to the blue economy.

This was one of the points highlighted as the Regional Security System (RSS) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) launched the development of a Maritime Security Strategy for the RSS project at the Radisson Aquatica Resort Barbados recently.

Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit, Dr Leo Brewster, said the marine space had great potential to boost Caribbean economies, through the facilitation of trade, exploration of oil and gas and the harvesting of living resources.

“Given the significant importance of the marine areas in economic development, and the diverse nature in which this domain can be leveraged for the attainment of national security, there is a need to achieve greater coherence and coordination across the myriad stakeholders and competing interests within the social, economic and environmental pillars in nation-states, and by extension the Caribbean region,” he said.

Dr Brewster suggested that this could be done through the adoption of an ocean governance framework and maritime security strategies to properly chart the way to manage maritime resources and delineate a path for improving coordination of maritime security cooperation.

Executive Director of the RSS, Captain Errington Shurland, also stressed that development and security go “hand-in-hand”, as there could be no sustainable development without security, sustainability and peace.

“Our maritime space is a source for economic development that needs to be secured for the benefit of generations to come. It is notable that maritime security is not simply about law enforcement and governance of a territorial sea or exclusive economic zone. It is about unlocking the growth potential of the blue economy,” he said.

He added that the oceans had tremendous potential for boosting economic growth, employment and innovation as the blue economy encompasses ocean-based industries such as shipping, fisheries, renewable energies, maritime transportation, sea ports, tourism and marine biotechnology as well as its natural assets, such as carbon dioxide absorption.

“Thus, an expanded blue economy will create greater demand for maritime security capabilities,” he said, noting that maritime security was viewed as the enabler of the blue economy through safeguarding navigation routes and protecting rights over valuable marine resources and activities within claimed zones of maritime jurisdiction.

The Executive Director also pointed out that the national and regional maritime security strategies would complement the work being done by states as they sought

to develop the blue economy.

Meanwhile, Director of Projects at the CDB, Daniel Best, said the regional strategy, which was financed by the CDB to the tune of US$338,000, would include a capacity building and training plan for the region to align assistance and programming from national, regional and international partners.

He added that the national and regional strategies would also assist with better coordination between the various organizations and actors responsible for the

seas and oceans.

“For us in this sub-region, maritime security is an important regional public good, since our vast maritime domain and overlapping exclusive economic zones render it impossible for us to effectively protect and manage our marine space individually,” he said, noting that the common maritime space facilitated over 90 per cent of the movement of goods within the sub-region. (Barbados Today)

Monday, November 4, 2019 - 09:30 hrs

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

Working together THOUGH drawn from different backgrounds, cultures and diversities of people, members of a team constitute a family. Every one works towards achieving the team’s specific goal and each person has to play a specific role if the team is to function cohesively. A team cannot function disparately; everyone has to be accountable for his/her part.

When this happens, it creates an environment conducive to personal and group/team success.

Teamwork gives an imbued sense of confidence and accomplishment, and has no substitute when it comes to achievement.

Using athletics as an analogy, an individual runner, though having a coach or mentor, has no esprit de corps or even a way to recognise leadership, since he/ she is singly involved. Being a member of a team teaches the individual how to work in a united environment for a cause/common good. Another advantage of team membership is that it teaches one to identify or recognise potential

leaders and the role they can play in developing themselves and their community. And where there is a team-oriented leader, she/he leads through competition rather than suppression, which promotes the generation of ideas and unleashing of potential. A team environment teaches resourcefulness, and training also takes place in preparing individuals for unforeseen events that could potentially prevent accomplishment of the mission.

For a team to develop, it has to assume its own identity, and this is influenced by the personality or characteristics of its leader(s). It is the strength of the leadership that influences the cohesion of various/ diverse parts/individuals to complement the strength of the team.

These factors/characteristics are critical for a functioning or practical unit, because the team becomes more goal-oriented and ultimately realises its successes.

Teamwork is about accomplishment. The participants want to get things done; behind this backdrop, there is a likelihood of

having progress, given that they are in an arena where they compete for a collective good. In sports, the best leader is not necessarily those who are the best athletes, but the ones who bring out the best in their teammates and create an environment for success.

Extrapolate this concept to a country which can be considered a team or family. It takes leadership of someone that has a sense of teamwork and family cohesiveness to develop the society, given that in such an environment it is not about self; it is about the importance of everyone working together in order to succeed.

History has shown that society cannot function effectively and efficiently when everyone is fighting for self, or representing self.

In such an environment, chaos is created due to the absence of a collective vision/ goal/mission and accountability; these are necessary for loyalty, respect and mutual understanding. Seeing ourselves as one, regardless of our diversity, gives us a common identity and

creates opportunities for creation of common principles and realisation of goals that would move citizens and country forward.

Even though there may not be all the accolades or individual recognition, together each one achieves more. And this can be achieved through accountability, where each is helping another to be better and to do more, which in turn will create an environment for progress.

A team also creates the environment wherein someone can be comfortable attaining their full or true potential, in an atmosphere where it is done for the better of all, not one.

As one increases his/her abilities and/or skills, everyone on the team moves forward. This eliminates or decreases sluggish performance, because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and the parts cannot succeed without the whole.

The spirit and intent underpinning our motto -– One People, One Nation, One Destiny -- is to weld the diverse peoples and cultures as a united unit/country, pursuing a

common destiny. Our motto means that we are each accountable to the other, and ought to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We are a team; we are a unit.

One People, One Nation, One Destiny means that we should be here for each other’s well-being, betterment, and development.

What has been absent over a number of years however, is the defining of a common message that can rally the society around a common purpose and common achievement.

It needs to be said that if one Guyanese fails, Guyana, as a country, fails. In the environment of teamwork, none is allowed to fail, because our mission will not be accomplished. This is the only way any society develops – through common identity, something to strive for, to fight for, and to represent; something which creates lasting identity and unity. In addition to unity keeping us together as a group, it also gives us a reason--not just to fight for the mission and country-- but for each other.

Time for GAWU to remove PPP/C yoke from its neck

Dear Editor

IT is not that the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers' Union (GAWU) and, by extension, the National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) are not aware as to the proper protocols that guide engagements, such as the one that had been scheduled with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), on October 29. For if there is any trade union in this republic that is fully au fait with the rules of trade unionism, particularly those that govern the principle of collective bargaining, it is GAWU. Further, no proper negotiation/discussion that should be carried out within the understanding of goodwill and mutual respect can ever claim such a procedural high ground, if done against the background of a mounted

protest, particularly as the one carried out within the centre of discussions by GAWU, or even it were any other type of organisation, in relation to whatever issue.

Of course, such an action can only be construed as one deliberately designed to scuttle/ torpedo any positive outcome, thus laying the ground for a protracted situation, as one suspects; especially when given the background of the current acts of destabilisation being carried out by this union’s political handler, the PPP/C. Call it the classic ‘spoiler.’

At the least, it was disrespectful on the part of the two sugar unions to bring the wellknown PPP/C bullying to the negotiating table; it was definitely duress, as described by GuySuCo. But one must understand this kind of asinine conduct by both unions, especially GAWU. Editor, GAWU is still in the political

spoilt brat mode of behaviour, a culture that it had been allowed and wantonly abused, being aware of its political support value to the then PPP/C regime. In fact, it was this reckless and irresponsible mindset that has caused it to support its members to strike incessantly, go slow, work to rule, and making unreasonable demands through the years, even when unjustified. Further, it was this perception of its political strength to the PPP/C that drove it along its unconscionable route, and which added significantly to the core cause of the collapse of once mighty sugar in Guyana.

Both of these unions should be aware that actions, as recently displayed, brings nothing to the table of employer/union discussions, as solutions/answers to industrial issues; neither does it lend to an environment of future trust and camaraderie, key ingredients that must form the basis for dialogue between employer

and union.

Emphatically, it must be told to both GAWU and NAACIE, that their collective actions are entirely dishonest, and deceptively illustrated to put GuySuCo, and by extension the government, at odds with sugar workers.

It is the same dirty and vile trick used by the PPP/C in consort with these two unions, to shamelessly blame the coalition for the debacle of GuySuCo, which have been solely the fault of GAWU and the PPP/C. It is time that GAWU carries out its mandate as a responsible union, while representing the genuine interests of sugar workers that it still pretends to represent. Also, it is time that it removes the PPP/C yoke from around its neck and think for itself.

Regards Earl Hamilton

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

President Granger’s vision is to develop Guyana through education Dear Editor IT is the serious undertaking of the David Granger-led administration in leading this country towards becoming an "education nation."

Most people who have the conciousness knows, that in order for a country to develop, regardless of how rich it may be in its possession of natural resources, it must invest in the education of its people -- its most valuable resource.

For a country and its people to achieve its developmental apex and truly become self-sufficient, looking towards the future with confidence, investment in education is most pivotal.

Mr Editor, it is of utmost importance that our people be made aware or be reminded, that the state of our country's education sector before 2014 was very bleak.

The PPP/C administration committed an assault on Guyana’s education system from their embryonic state in government. From 1994, they violated the constitution--our supreme law--and denied Guyanese the right of free education from nursery to university, which is guaranteed by the constitution. The PPP clearly did not make education a priority; they underpaid teachers, did shabby works on school buildings and spent 10-15 billion Guyana dollars less on education than the current APNU+AFC coalition government. Additionally, they even took away

the law subsidy from the law students at the University of Guyana in the early 2000s.

Mr Editor, the Bureau of Statistics conducted its first Labour Force Survey in the latter half of 2017.

Its findings revealed that 48.3 per cent of the working population has only primary education, while 9.9% never attended school. It was found that about a quarter of the working-age population has upper secondary education, but only 2.8%, excluding the PPP/C'S presidential candidate, has a Bachelor’s degree or above. The unemployment rate for persons aged 15 and above was 12 per cent.

Youth unemployment rates were higher than the average unemployment rates for both men and women. The youth unemployment rate for men was 17.3 percent, while that for women was 28 percent. (https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2018/09/10/ more-than-half-of-guyanaswork-force-has-only-primary-education/) .

The link between education and crime has been documented by scholars for decades. Clearly, the benefits of education are not only for our students but also for the development of society.

Firstly, education increases one’s likelihood of gaining legitimate employment.It can be seen from the Bureau of Statistics survey done in 2017, that many of these students did not attend high school and thus there was a high percentage of unemployment. Youths, who are

deprived of legitimate means to achieve their goals, often turn to illegitimate means (crime).

In a disturbing similarity, the latest figures published by the Prison Reform Trust of the UK, revealed that more than half (51%) the number of people entering prison has the literacy skills of an 11-year-old. The report also stated that 42 per cent of prisoners has a history of being permanently excluded from school and one of five children in custody has learning difficulties. Statistics from Europe and the United States highlight the strong connection between the lack of education and crime. In 1997, 75 per cent of State and 59 per cent of federal prison inmates in the U.S. did not have a high school diploma (Harlow 2003). In 2001, more than 75 per cent of convicted persons in Italy had not completed high school (Buonanno and Leonida 2006), while incarceration rates among men aged 21-25 in the United Kingdom were more than eight times higher for those without an education qualification (Machin, Marie and Vujic 2011).

Under the PPP administration, Jagdeo was busy attending to his chosen few and simply left our children behind, just like the no-childleft-behind policy that encouraged the promotion of failure of our children. He was busy building the Marriott that we didn’t need; building a cricket stadium to later facilitate his friend Bobby

Baha’is celebrate 200th birth bicentenary of Bab ie Ali Mohamad Dear Editor REPORTS from around the world reflect a diverse range of activities for the 200th birth bicentenary of the Bab ie Ali Mohamad, prophet Herald of the Baha'i faith, including profound conversations, prayer and meditation, visits to the homes of friends and family, artistic expressions, the distribution of

booklets and special newsletters, service projects, large parades through city streets, celebrations in family homes and neighbourhood centres, national commemorations with dignitaries and societal leaders, and devotional gatherings at Baha’i Houses of Worship.

At the grassroots especially, activities have flourished beyond any expectation. Numerous reports

have come in about intimate celebrations in homes, where families share stories and pray together, recounting episodes from the life of the Bab. Similarly, larger community gatherings in neighbourhoods and localities, open to all, have occurred across the planet. Many celebrations have screened the film Dawn of the Light, and TURN TO PAGE

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Ramroop’s CPL; he was busy repairing the Sanata Textile property for US$5 million and selling it back to this said friend for US$3.4 million in a case of ‘voodoo ecomonics/ jumbie mathematics’ (https:// www.kaieteurnewsonline. com/2014/01/03/the-sanata-complex-giveaway/); he was busy selling land to private developers instead of to the 25,000 Guyanese citizens who had applied and were waiting in vain. He simply put the nation’s youth and education on the back burner.

Jagdeo cannot tell us one thing that he did for young people. Jagdeo’s legacy will always remain one of unsolved crimes, drugs, phanton killings, white elephant projects and a host of other alleged illegalities. During the PPP administration our youth saw no glimmer of hope and many of them whose minds were not enriched with knowledge, sadly embraced a life of crime and a get-rich-or die-trying philosophy.

In Guyana we see men in their late teens and early 20s committing numerous robberies. This is the generation that Jagdeo did not invest in;

this is the generation that the PPP failed to cater for.

Mr Editor, our problem with crime did not happen overnight, but is rooted in the neglect of the PPP/C government towards our young people and the education system.

The fact that not everyone is academically inclined, there were many community high schools, technical institutes, where children learned a trade. Due to the PPP’s lack of vision and understanding of the education system, they decommissioned those community high schools and provided limited resources to those technical institutes, and as a consequence children who were not academically inclined were simply left behind. With no CXC qualifications and no trade, many of them turned to a life of crime.

The PPP even discontinued the subsidy for law students of the University of Guyana…Why Jagdeo? Do you have an answer for this, or was it by design to leave the people ignorant, and others to remain as cane-cutters?

The APNU+AFC government has been serious about education from day one. the President's 6Bs

programme has been very successful and effective.

From 2015 we have been giving books, school bags, bicycles, boats, buses and most importantly , primary school students have been receiving breakfast in school every day; now several secondary schools provide lunch to students.

It must be reiterated that the APNU+AFC government has spent 10-15 billion more on education than the PPP. President Granger’s vision is to develop Guyana through education and he sees our nation's youth as a very important asset in nation building. His Excellency's commitment to restore free tertiary education, investment in the Kuru Kuru skills-training college, laptops to teachers, investment in STEM, robotics, sports, synthetic tracks, etc, is evidence of his vision for an education nation.

Regards Jermaine Figueira Member of Parliament Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

GECOM cannot legally exclude bona fide registrants from any voters list Dear Editor, ACCORDING to information available via the media, the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has decided in favour of excluding the particulars of registrants/electors from the Revised List of Electors (RLE), which will naturally follow the ongoing Claims and Objections exercise. This would mean that the concerned persons would also be excluded from the Official List of Electors (OLEs) to be produced for the imminent General and Regional Elections. As of now, I am treating this information as not being the official position of GECOM, since it has not come from the chairperson herself, nor from a GECOM media release. And even if it were the official stance of GECOM, it cannot be an established position that is beyond review, considering that (i) GECOM has no legal authority to exclude, from any ‘voters’ list,’ bona fide registrants who meet the criteria for inclusion and (ii) there is precedence of GECOM

having revisited and overturned previous decisions under the stewardship of former GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally, in the best interest of the free, fair and transparent conduct of registration and electoral projects.

The ongoing controversy that has been generated by the above-mentioned GECOM position necessitates that I make a contribution, albeit from the outside, with the hope and expectation that, by outlining indisputable facts, I would have provided valuable grounds for GECOM to revisit this matter towards ensuring that no eligible person is denied his/her constitutionally guaranteed right to vote to elect a government of his/her choice. It is in this regard that I note the following: 1. Article 42 of the Constitution provides the authority for persons entitled to be registered as citizens. Accordingly, Article 42(2) provides that “any application for registration under this article shall be made in such manner as may be prescribed.”

2. The National Registration Act, Chapter 19:08,

provides the prescriptions for the registration of citizens of Guyana as mandated by Article 42 of the Constitution.

3. Specifically, Section 6 of the National Registration Act provides the conditions for registration of persons as citizens of Guyana.

4. Section 9 of the National Registration Act mandates the Commissioner of Registration (the chief election officer is also the Commissioner of Registration) to “establish a Central Register” of Registrants which is the National Register of Registrants (NRR).

5. Section 8 of the National Registration Act provides that “without prejudice to the provisions of section 15(6), the registration of a person may (my emphasis) be cancelled or altered in accordance with any regulations made in that behalf.”

6. Section 14 of the National Registration Act, which deals with “Preparation of Preliminary Lists (PLEs), prescribes that “…the Commission shall direct the Commissioner (of registration) to prepare a preliminary list in which he shall enter the full name, the address, the occu-

pation and the serial number on every registration record of every (my emphasis) person registered for those purposes who is qualified for registration…” with reference to the qualifying date.

7. Section 15 of the National Registration Act, and the associated regulations delineated in the NATIONAL REGISTRATION (RESIDENTS) REGULATIONS, provides the prescriptions for the conduct of Claims and Objections.

8. Section 35 of the NATIONAL REGISTRATION (RESIDENTS) REGULATIONS provides that “the Commissioner (of Registration) shall revise the list (including that for each registration division) by way of the annexation thereto of supplementary lists in such form as determined by the Commissioner containing all such changes and additions to the list (including that for any registration division) as are necessary from time to time by virtue of the final determination of claims and objections or by virtue of the Commissioner being satisfied that at the time of the publication of the preliminary list, entries thereof were omitted and a supplementary list, together with the list or that for any division, shall constitute the revised list or that for the respective division, as the case may be, at the date of the latest of such supplementary list.”

In consideration of the above, it is crucial for the following deductions to be noted: a. Every registrant listed in the NRR met all of the criteria, including verification of their residency status, for registration before their applications were approved, culminating with their inclusion in the NRR. Hence, there can be no question about the legitimacy of persons listed in the NRR. In this regard, and since there is no proposal by or intention

of GECOM to cancel the registration of anyone listed in the NRR, I will not deal with the issue of cancellation of registration. b. It must be obvious to all concerned that the PLE, which is being used as the basis to conduct the ongoing Claims and Objections exercise, was properly prepared in accordance with the provisions of Section 14 of the National Registration Act resulting, specifically, in the capture of every person who met the criteria for inclusion therein. c. Careful examination of all of the above-referenced legislation will reveal that there is no provision for any elector listed the PLE to be omitted from the ensuing RLE and OLE because of his/her failure to collect his/her National Identification Card from GECOM. d. In fact, Regulation 35 of the NATIONAL REGISTRATION (RESIDENTS) REGULATIONS clearly stipulates the conditions associated with preparation of the RLE. Essentially, the RLE will always contain the data included in the PLE as amended by GECOM on the basis of registration transactions done during Claims and Objections and approved by GECOM. In view of the foregoing, it must be clear to all concerned that any exclusion of persons listed in the PLE from the RLE and OLE, because they are yet to collect their National Identification Cards from GECOM, would be without legal authority.

It is of crucial importance for all concerned to note that, universally, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) spare no effort to ensure that every elector is guaranteed his/her constitutional right to participate in elections and to vote for the election of a government of his/her choice. This is one of the pillars on which elections are democratically conducted in accordance with the rele-

vant statutory provisions and international best practices. In this regard, it would be very detrimental to GECOM, and by extension the Guyanese nation as a whole, should bona fide electors be excluded from the Official List of Electors because they have not collected their National Identification Cards.

I would be among the first to agree that among those persons who have not collected their ID Cards would be those who have died or migrated.

But what about those who are alive? What offence have they committed? Which legislation have they breached? Surely, they cannot be penalised by being denied their right to vote because they have not collected their ID Cards i.e., an act that carries no punitive measure.

It is my considered view that, instead of illegally excluding the concerned persons from participation in the elections, GECOM must put in place legal and administrative checks and balances to guard against any form of skulduggery at the elections, but in this case specifically, voting by impersonation. This does not require any re-invention of the wheel. Such safeguards already exist and have been applied successfully in General and Regional Elections since 2006.

In conclusion, I wish to note that the purpose of this letter is in no way, shape or form intended to undermine the integrity or work of GECOM or its staff, nor to demonstrate bias for or against any political party.

My singular objective is to add clarity to any further deliberations on this matter, which would result in no person who is eligible to vote at the upcoming elections being denied his/her constitutional right to so do.

Regards Vishnu Persaud

Baha’is celebrate 200th birth ... attendees have studied the October 2019 message of the Universal House of Justice (the supreme universal Institution) written for the occasion of the bicentenary.

In several instances, where communities faced natural disasters or acute social upheaval, Baha’i communities have responded by turning their energies toward alleviating in some way, the suffering of their fellow inhabitants and drawing on the

inspiring life of the Bab to bring hope.

The flourishing of activities witnessed over the past day reflects a growing capacity in recent years within the Baha’i community to build new patterns of community life, in which service, collective worship, collaboration, mutual respect and collective learning, have come to characterise interactions among families, neighbours, and friends.

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During this bicentenary period, people throughout the world are finding a source of inspiration and hope in remembrance of the figure of the Bab, Prophet Herald of the Baha'i faith, gentle and kind in His disposition, yet courageous and indomitable in the face of oppression and injustice.

Yours Rooplall Dudhnath

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

Can you help a vulnerable teenage girl?

VULNERABLE teenage girls come in every race and creed, and from every social background. They are older versions of girls who have either been neglected, or been denied guidance, protection, love and nurturing from trustworthy adults during the preceding years.

Vulnerable teenage girls rarely make sensible choices about their present or future situations; there is very little foresight or planning in their decision-making process, and, like most young people, they like to live for the moment. For them, being neither a child nor an adult is a precarious stage of existence.

They have yet to understand so many things about their emotions, desires, aspirations

and goals, and how to care for their bodies; it is easy for them to be side-tracked or beguiled by either an older predator or a male peer who is up to no good.

Some vulnerable teenage girls were raised in households where very little was done to repress sexual conversations and behaviour in their presence; they consequently learnt far too much, much too young, about the wrong things.

The onus will always be on parents to behave in an appropriate manner around children. Children are often exposed to situations over which they have no control.

When their conduct comes across as precocious, they are branded as ‘force ripe’ or ‘hot’. People rarely consider

the type of upbringing such children may have experienced.

By talking to teenage girls about making life choices, and by giving them good information and a sense of direction, adults can begin to instil some of the missing elements of their development.

It is never too late to help a vulnerable teenage girl, no matter how ‘hard ears’ she may initially seem to be.

There is extra pressure on teenage girls nowadays, more than ever, to keep up with their peers; sometimes on a global footing. Following social media trends only adds to their anxieties and feelings of inadequacy in cases where they already feel socially and emotionally isolated. The Internet can be a useful in-

Bushy Park farmer chopped to death during drinking spree A BUSHY PARK, Mahaicony farmer was hacked to death Saturday night during a drinking spree – allegedly by a 20-year-old man.

Dead is David Micah. The suspect, who has since been arrested, has been identified as 20-year-old Jordan Walters.

According to police sources, Walters, Micah and several other persons were imbibing at Goat Bar in Cottage, Mahaicony, when the song ‘Pick Up Something’ came on.

Walters reportedly picked up the bicycle of one of the patrons, who was at the bar, and that angered the man who reportedly dealt him several slaps to the face. The 20-year-old then reportedly left the area and went home where he armed himself with a cutlass before returning to the shop.

Up to press time, there were conflicting reports as to how the farmer became involved since it was not his bicycle that Walters had picked up.

However, a resident told Guyana Chronicle that Walters was approaching the female shop owner with the cutlass when Micah, who was armed with a knife, intervened. It was then, according to the resident, that Walters chopped Micah about his body including his hands, neck and head.

The farmer reportedly fell to the ground and was picked up and rushed to the hospital in the area where he was pronounced dead.

Dead: David Micah

Police sources related that the suspect is presently in custody assisting with the murder investigation.

formation tool, but it is also a place where teenage girls can be lured into illicit behaviour, or stalked by predators.

Vulnerable teenage girls may like the attention they receive from admirers when they post suggestive pictures of themselves and receive an array of comments and likes, but the pictures are then available in the worldwide domain for a very long time to come. As they grow and mature, the pictures they posted for fun could become a source of embarrassment and shame; they are too immature to realise it now, but that is why adults must teach them how best to conduct themselves, and how to create a positive rather than a negative footprint.

The disconnection is exasperating when parents are more addicted to social media than their children; many fail to monitor their children or feel that it’s their responsibility to know what their

teenagers are doing Online.

Teenage girls need to belong; they need to ‘fit in’ and find their identities, but most of all, they need reliable adults, family members and/or parents to guide them through this turbulent period of their development. They needn’t remain vulnerable if adults care enough to intervene or take the time to have a word when they see the need.

When interacting with teenage girls, grown-ups must be respectful, and use choice words and an even tone. Using cuss words, cursing and calling them names are never an effective way to impart useful information to teenagers.

Even though adults may keep an eye on their teen by asking relevant questions, and by making sure that necessary provisions are in place, many adults fail to connect with their teenage children.

Connecting with a teen means taking a vested interest in everything that she is doing, feeling and experiencing: It means finding and spending quality time with the teenage girl; talking with and listening to her, and steering her in the right direction where necessary.

Teenage girls who have at least one trustworthy adult in their lives with whom they can talk openly and receive sound advice are less likely to end up in the ‘vulnerable’ category; they tend to have a good sense of well-being; a sense of direction and purpose, and are not easily misled.

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

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

Train workers first, Hughes urges gov’t at oil and gas seminar WHILE many experts featured in the media are fixated on mandated forms of local content in Guyana, the country’s leaders should focus first on the training of workers to meet the percentage of local content it intends to bargain for.

This is according to prominent attorney Nigel Hughes, of law firm Hughes, Fields & Stoby. Hughes was addressing a gathering at an Oil and Gas Seminar on Sunday.

The event was hosted by Youth Challenge Guyana in collaboration with the Guyana Oil and Gas Association and the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) at the GuyOil Boardroom in Kitty, Georgetown.

“When you start to have a discussion about local content, it’s no point saying ‘we

want 50 per cent of jobs to be given to Guyanese’ if you don’t have the Guyanese who are qualified in the area,” the told the audience.

“What we should be doing as a country is saying that for the next 25 to 30 years this oil is going to be extracted and therefore what are the various areas in which we can start training our people to be qualified, so that when we look at the rig, a substantial amount of those people are Guyanese.”

The policy framework is meant to outline the guidelines by which local content will be understood, developed, measured, secured and implemented in Guyana’s petroleum. It takes into consideration the urgent need for optimisation of revenues received from oil to benefit Guyana’s economy and citizens, present and future.

Local bodies such as the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) have submitted for inclusion in the final draft of Guyana’s Local Content Policy that it be mandated for all international companies operating locally to have 70 per cent of their workers be Guyanese.

However, Hughes explained that the oil and gas industry is so particular and so much is at stake, that one has to be well-qualified and certified before one can function efficiently in the field.

He stated that the difficulty would come if a law for a fixed percentage for local content law passed prior to training and citizens miss out either way, because they are underqualified and the country suffers as a result.

He advised: “You have to look at it in context. Are we

Members of the audience at the Oil and Gas Seminar on Sunday (Samuel Maughn photo)

qualified? Do we have a programme to become qualified and what’s the cost? How are we going to benefit and are we training people for the future industries?”

Another topic the attorney-at-law discussed was the 1986 Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act which he lamented had not been updated in almost 40 years.

He also noted that greater changes in legislation and regulation could have occurred in 2019, but both sides of the political divide have been caught up with the no-confidence vote and the journey towards elections.

Hughes said that without the right regulations in place, Guyana would have not have any say over how quickly its oil is extracted. Additionally, it would be hindered from planning for strategic extraction based on changes around the world.

He underscored that the resource Guyana has is globally important and the country must be smart enough to know how to navigate itself in the international arena.

“We might have a different agenda to the oil companies. We might not want to take all the oil out now, because if we know that there are some oil prices coming up next year...[where] we may get a higher price, so we may want to stagger it so that we take the oil out at a time when it’s strategic,” he said.

“It is important that we

Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes (Samuel Maughn photo)

get the framework right, upto-date and not only up-to for today; we have to anticipate what [will happen] in the oil industries for the next 10 years.”

Hughes also told the gathering of the benefits which could come from the use of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) in Guyana. He said, “We have found not only unbelievable amounts of oil, but we’ve found fantastic amounts of gas [also]…we, the people of Guyana, have to decide what we want to do with it.”

He encouraged that Guyana utilise its gas, convert it to LNG, which would significantly reduce the cost for electricity.

Hughes said that this also means that industrial estates in Guyana can benefit from these cheaper electricity prices when compared to other countries; this can attract

investment and boost local manufacturing.

Positing that being ‘rich’ has little to do with the amount of money one has, but how one manages it, he touched on Guyana’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).

He also advised that Guyana establish institutions managed by non-political experts which transcend political cycles and develop a national infrastructural plan which is long-term (up to 20 years).

In fielding multiple questions from the audience on the topics, Hughes also advised the youths present that some of the areas in which they should direct their energies should they hope to benefit from oil, are finance, waste management, food supply and production and maritime transport.

PPP/C must trust Madame Claudette Singh the way they trusted Surujbally, Doodnauth Singh Dear Editor, WHILE awaiting the official results for the 2006 Regional and General Elections, in a bid to ensure that peace and security prevailed in Guyana, "security forces have been deployed strategically in order to suppress any rumours and attempts to create doubts of uncertainty in the minds of the people." This was according to People’s Progressive Party/Civic General Secretary Donald Ramotar at a press conference held at Freedom House, the party’s headquarters, back in 2006.

Mr Ramotar told media operatives that while the PPP/C has had its compi-

lations of the results based on statement of polls, it will continue to rely on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to be the only formal source of the results.

As such, Ramotar urged the public on behalf of the PPP/C to ignore rumours which could have an adverse effect on the society as a whole. He notes that Guyana has been able to have elections that have been described as one of very high standards by all observer groups.

Mr Ramotar was keen to implore the public to rely on GECOM as the only official source of information and to feel reassured by the presence of observers, local and international, about the quality of the process.

The general secretary said that during the campaign, political parties presented themselves as only interested in the welfare of the people and now have an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to Guyanese and Guyana. He added that political parties have participated under the same rules and Guyana placed its faith in the independent work of GECOM. It would be great if Mr Ramotar and his party can adhere to the admonishments of 2006.

Those glowing sentiments about GECOM's independence ceased after the 2011 Regional and General Elections, when the PPP/C lost its majority in the National Assembly. Thanks

to Commissioner Vincent Alexander's vigilance over the then Chief Elections Officer Gocool Boodoo, who was using the now known shenanigans to arrive at the final results. The ignominious basking of GECOM officials continued after the 2015 Regional and General Elections, now the opposition leader is questioning the decisions of the learned retired Justice Madame Claudette Singh.

Before 2011, the PPP/C with Gocool Boodoo as CEO and Doodnauth Singh and Dr Steve Surujbally as chairmen, were never critical of GECOM and its secretariat.

One wonders what is responsible for the change of heart and this seeming lack of faith in the institution in which

they they had so much confidence. The public could be very assured that Madame retired Justice Claudette Singh will never allow the commission she presently leads to run off elections, unless the highest possible standards are adhered to in the conduct of the polls.. The PPP/C accepted the 2006 Regional and General Elections results, although the late Dr Haslyn Parris resigned before those results were announced and the only opposition commissioners were the late Robert Williams and the late Lloyd Joseph.

Could the electorate take anything light from the former chairman Dr Steve Surjubally? He was at the helm of those 2006 elections. The

orchestrated campaign by Jagdeo, Ramotar and the PPP/C to descredit retired Justice Singh and the attacks on CEO Keith Lowenfield for failing to accept UNDP donor help must be seen as part of the PPP/C’s ploy of misinformation. For the record, the CEO arrived at the commissioner in 2000 as the logistics manager and is cognisant of the role Arnold Depoo of the famous Depoo brothers played as a consultant acquired by the UNDP. It is important that we learn from our mistakes of the past. Lowenfield knows why he must be cautious.

Yours faithfully, George Williams

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

12th Annual Medical Research Conference held

IN its pursuit to promote the culture and practice of qualitative research in Guyana, the Institute of Health Science Education (IHSE) held its 12th Annual Medical Research Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC)

on Sunday.

The forum brought together renowned medical practitioners and other health officials for the express purpose of promoting quality research in the local environment.

Minister of Public Health,

Volda Lawrence, who declared the session open, said the 2019 theme ‘Promoting research for safe patient care,’ mirrors the mandate of her ministry, which seeks to cater for the needs of Guyana’s populace, as it strives conscientiously to advance

Director of the IHSE, Dr. Alexander Harvey

A section of the gathering, at the 12th Annual Medical Research Conference, on Sunday.

healthcare delivery services.

“I do concur that the significance of research cannot be underestimated, and so it is the remit of the ministry to do its utmost to encourage and invest in medical research,” Minister Lawrence added.

Director of the IHSE, Dr. Alexander Harvey, told the room of medical specialists that this year’s conference was the largest of its kind in Guyana.

Dr. Harvey stated that during the upcoming year, IHSE will be developing a comprehensive ‘train the trainers workshop’ for the

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence

teaching faculty and a research module for its residents in training — providing an opportunity for them to hone the research skills and tools needed to help solve local health challenges.

“The IHSE Research committee continues to offer its services to those who seek assistance in their research endeavours and we continue to encourage such interaction,” Dr. Harvey stated.

Among the research papers presented and discussed were emergency readiness in primary healthcare; an assessment on the incidence of depression among patients at-

tending the Chronic Disease Clinic at the Campbellville Health Centre; and the implementation of a handwashing campaign at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

These presentations were facilitated by Doctors Tariq Jagnarine, Sahodra Rambharose and Nurse Gangapattie Dani respectively.

Dr. Keith Cummings provided an update in hypertension management (pros and cons) during his feature address. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

Young entrepreneur launches dynamic leadership company

By Wendella Davidson “CHANGE starts with you, take massive action,” Brianca Marshall said as she launched ‘Grown2Lead’, a new dynamic leadership company which seeks to arouse the leadership skills within individuals and add

Chief Executive Officer of Grown2Lead, Brianca Marshall (Photos by Carl Croker)

greater value to high achievers, chief executive officers

audience, said it was her personal life experiences that motivated her to create the training institute to help others who may be fighting to discover themselves.

As Marshall retraced her steps from then to what she has become now, she urged participants to stop living in the shadow of other people.

“You need to first recognise there is need for a change in the way you operate presently; why there is need for a change and be willing to make a choice and let go of some habits,” she told those present.

Consistency and commitment are also critical to the process, she added.

Premendra Parsan, Certified Business Coach and Action Coach; Athalyah Yisrael, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Outliers Zone; and Keon Smith, a certified business and action coach were among the other presenters during the launching cere-

Presenters at the leadership symposium and launch are, from left Bianca Marshall, certified speaker, coach and trainer; Mr. Premendra Parsan, Certified Business Coach and Action Coach; Athalyah Yiseral, CEO Outliers Zone; and Keon Smith, Certified business Coach and Action Coach

had experiences with money before creating the business in February 2018. She used a piggy bank to illustrate to the audience when they earn money how much they should spend, save, donate and invest.

According to her, a basic question one needs to ask themselves is whether the purpose for their earning money is for financial purposes, for assets, liability, retirement or to become a millionaire. Of the latter, she explained the meaning of each in one’s life, for example retirement means financial freedom.

Parsan, who is also the proprietor of Oriental Furniture Store located in the city, based his topic on ‘Self Leadership’. He recalled working in the family business right after leaving school, but according to him, one cannot lead oneself if one is not in charge.

He identified denial, change of environment and identity as the core areas of focus. Parsan further urged participants to use as their mantra to succeed, the quote “I will prioritise what I value most over what I value now.”

For Smith, he used the acronym `PILOT’ to illustrate his ideas of becoming the pilot of one life. “For this to be derived one needs to inculcate potential: getting rid of the self- inflicting beliefs like I can’t and use instead I will;

CEO of Grown2Lead Brianca Marshall addressing participants at the leadership symposium and launch of her company

and potential leaders.

‘Grown2Lead’, which was founded by Marshall, was launched recently at the Herdmanston Lodge on Peter Rose Street, Queenstown.

Marshall, who is the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer, said it was her personal experiences that propelled her to begin to unlock her true potential, thereby transforming her life for the better.

Marshall, a certified speaker and coach, during what can be termed an interactive discourse with her

mony.

Yisrael, whose company aims to help employees end the ‘pay-cheque-to-pay cheque’ cycle and build a generational legacy of wealth, told the audience that change can only come in one’s life when the individual knows who they are, and to whom they belong. Outliers Zone is the only personal financial training institute in Guyana that teaches individuals how to break their financial identity, she added.

Yisrael disclosed that she

implementation – noting that motivation is what get one started but it is the habit that keep you going,” Smith said.

On this note, he remarked that it takes 21 days to build a lifestyle but 90 days to build a habit.

During the event, an emotional Marshall presented tokens of appreciation to four individuals - her husband, mom, father and step-mom, whom she described as the pillars on which she stood tall to launch her company.

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Police nab two suspected bandits in Essequibo

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

- residents praise ‘G’ Division cops for diligent work

TWO suspected bandits, who are allegedly responsible for a series of robberies on the Essequibo Coast, have been caught, thanks to the diligent efforts of Lance

Corporal Clain Dhanraj and Sergeant Elton Benjamin.

Dhanraj and Benjamin, both of whom operate within ‘G’ Division, spared no effort in apprehending the suspected

criminals, and residents in Region Two are now singing praises unto them.

Dhanraj was recently presented with the ‘Best Cop Award’ for ‘G’ Division for

The gas station that was robbed last Friday

Clain Dhanraj one of the cops that arrested the suspects

his outstanding performance in the Guyana Police Force.

According to reports, the suspected criminals are assisting with an investigation that spans several robberies that occurred along the Essequibo Coast, including one that occurred last Friday.

It is alleged that, last Friday, the youngsters attacked a well-known gas station at Lima at around 20:30hrs.

Armed with cutlasses, the bandits entered the gas station and demanded cash from a female pump attendant. The surveillance footage retrieved from a camera on the site captured the men in the act.

Hardat Sham Narine, owner of the gas station, said a sum of $222,360 was stolen. After the robbery, the police were immediately contacted and Corporal Dhanraj and Sergeant Benjamin responded. The police caught the two men approximately one hour after at a popular liming spot. One of the suspects had a sum of $10,000 on him while the other one had $23,700 in his possession.

They were then taken to the Anna Regina Police Station where the pump attendant positively identified one of the suspects that choked her.

One of the suspects is currently before the court for a multi-million dollar robbery. He was granted bail. The duo is suspected to have robbed several other businesses in Anna Regina including Shawn Mini Mart, Bacchus Supermarket, G and P Jaigobin and Antonio Cellphone Store.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

NGO holds rally for child victims of domestic violence A GROUP of approximately 100 men, women and children, garbed in purple, marched through several streets across central Georgetown on Sunday in the “Purple Angel Walk and Rally” held by the Untied Bridge Builders Mission (UBBM), in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The rally, which saw Minister of State Dawn Hastings-Williams delivering the feature address, sought to put heightened focus on the effects of gender-based violence not only on men and women in society, but also on how children have been suffering as well.

“The Purple Angel Walk and Rally is an opportunity for orphans, survivors and families of domestic violence to experience more support in a fun-filled environment. The rally will sensitise citizens on the negative impact of domestic violence , murder and suicide. This event highlights

(DV).

“In Guyana domestic violence is widespread, found throughout all the regions of Guyana. Widespread not only along ethnicity and religion, but along socio-economic lines as well. Domestic violence does not respect anyone. If you allow DV in your communities and counties it can cause negative impact.

It is a pleasure for me to not only to be present, but to be a participant of this occasion; it means a lot to me personally and on behalf of the Government of Guyana, we do care,” Hastings-Williams said.

She too highlighted the need for the effects of domestic violence on children to be given greater focus.

“If our children live in a home full of love you will see the difference, you will see what these children can grow up to be. Thanks to UBBM and other NGOs who partner with us to send out this message. We must stop gender violence; our children have

tion, Bonita Montague, gave a passionate speech when she took to the stage at the end of the rally last Sunday.

“I am concerned about

Social activist and Founder of UBBM, Bonita Montague (Elvin Croker photo)

Minister of State Dawn Hastings-Williams (right) interacting with the little ones at a ceremony after participating in the Purple Angels Walk and Rally on Sunday (Elvin Croker photo)

A section of the rally on Sunday (Elvin Croker photo

the impact of such social ills which include the growing number of traumatised and vulnerable orphans and children,” a statement from the mission said.

Domestic violence and gender-based violence are major problems in Guyana, with incidents of violence against women having increased by some 14.2 per cent over the last six years.

The walk began outside Demico House on Brickdam and ended at the Square of the Revolution, where a small ceremony was held.

During the ceremony presentations were made not only on domestic violence awareness and prevention, but also touched on issues of child abuse with particular emphasis on sexual and physical abuse of children.

Minister Hastings-Williams, during her address, added her voice to the call for an end to domestic violence

rights and our children have voices too,” she said.

Domestic violence is a persistent and major problem throughout the world and its effects are known. According to the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA), “Domestic violence damages the prospects for economic and social development of every country, not just the lives of the victims.”

UBBM is a non-governmental organisation with a mandate to make a difference by providing high-quality programmes on domestic violence prevention, crisis response and therapeutic support, as well as such programmes on anti-bullying, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, women empowerment classes, youth empowerment programmes, and remedial programmes as a youth-diversion component.

Founder of the organisa-

implored.

Herself a former victim of domestic violence, Montague called on other victims to speak out and get out of

the impact of gender-based violence, but most times it’s about the man or the woman, people hardly ever focus on the children. Many children suffer in the aftermath. Let’s walk, let’s talk, let’s sing, let’s dance, let’s send the message,” Montague urged.

She appealed to others to get involved, even as she shared that the work of an NGO is not pretty, and there will be challenges along the way. Nonetheless, she urged the need for persons to persevere if the issue is to be addressed.

“It’s not an easy task, lots of time all kinds of challenges you face. But it’s not for favour, it’s for impact.

We do it because we care.

Because this is our lives. We do it because we know every one of you can make a difference. You don’t have to do anything big, you just have to make a step and be willing to do something,” Montague

situations that are fraught with domestic violence.

“I understand what it is to be abused as a woman. I said at that time that enough was enough. Enough is enough, you must know your worth.

Many of these children do not have a mother because of domestic violence. Many

of them their fathers committed suicide. That cannot be allowed to continue. Guyana we’re better than that, we must make it stop,” she said.

She also sent a message to the abusers to seek help and better options to deal with their issues.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

Think about effectiveness, not pill burden --says filaria MDA supervisor

By Vishani Ragobeer

NINE pills. That’s the highest number of pills one would have to take as part of this year’s round of Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis as a public health issue.

For the past two years, the country has recorded significant coverage for this MDA, which seeks to remove Guyana as one of the four countries in the Caribbean which still has filaria as a public health issue. In fact, the coverage was recorded at 86 per cent in 2017, when the campaign was restarted, and 85 per cent last year when the campaign was in its second of five successive rounds. In order for the MDA to be successful, each round must record at least 65 per cent coverage.

“In previous years, we know that persons have become accustomed to the DEC [Diethylcarbamazine citrate] and the ALB [Albendazole] where you have the DEC killing the adult worms that causes filaria,” explained Dr. Annastacia Sampson, the National Supervisor for the MDA campaign for the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis.”

These tablets, however, work in conjunction over a period of five to six years to kill the parasitic worms, called nematodes, transmitted by the Culex mosquito in Guyana, which cause the disease. It is for this reason that the MDA requires five successive successful rounds.

RESOURCE-DEMANDING According to Dr. Sampson, implementing five rounds can be “tedious”, since each round is resource-demanding and, expectedly, quite costly. Thus, the Ministry of Public Health, in addition to its partner, the Pan American Health Organisation- World Health Organisation (PAHO-WHO), has introduced a third drug to the regimen. This is Ivermectin, and it is distributed with the DEC and ALB as part of the new IDA drug regimen.

“With the use of Ivermectin, what will happen is that it will cut down the years that is needed for you to stop transmission, since the Ivermectin is known to kill and sterilise the adult worms that cause LF,” Dr. Sampson told the Guyana Chronicle.

Introducing the Ivermectin means that only two successive rounds of the IDA MDA are needed instead of the total five rounds required by the double-drug MDA. And as such, if the IDA MDA is successful this year, Guyanese will only have to take their ‘filaria pills’ once more, next year.

Before the MDA ends, however, three sets of pills must be taken. And there is a very specific dosing schedule that determines how many pills persons are required to take.

All persons will be measured by trained pill distributors using a ‘dosing pole’ which measures from 90cm to 160cm. This dosing schedule is summarised in the table below:

According to the WHO, Lymphatic Filariasis is a neglected infectious vector-borne disease that may be asymptomatic, acute or chronic. It may take several years, however, before the asymptomatic conditions develop into a chronic condition, which results in external manifestations of lymphoedema (tissue swelling), elephantiasis (skin/tissue thickening) of the limbs and hydrocele (scrotal swelling). Importantly, Dr. Sampson stressed that these external manifestations are irreversible, and that there is no cure for the infection, which may take up to some 20 years before it manifests.

This is exactly what happened to Evelyn (not her real name) a few years ago. She was bitten by a dog, but noticed that two particular sores were not getting better, even when the rest had healed. After doing a plethora of medical tests, she was eventually advised to test for Lymphatic Filariasis.

“I went for three nights to do the test, and there it is when I got the results, it was Filaria,” Evelyn recounted recently. “I couldn't believe it, because I was the one that was always careful; I Dr. Annastacia Sampson used to use netting, I spray (mosquito repellant), mosquito coil, and what’s not,” she explained.

Since there is no cure for Lymphatic Filariasis, she enrolled in the Filaria Clinic at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where she receives continuous treatment and even counselling.

The dosing pole used to measure height as a requisite for the distribution of the filaria pills

The dosing schedule used by pill distributors during the 2019 round of the IDA MDA

This dosing schedule rigidly guides the distribution of the pills, and numerous studies done in other countries show the effectiveness of Ivermectin. “I understand persons may be worried about the pill burden, but even though they are worried about that, they shouldn’t be, because the pill burden is only high, based on the dosing schedule,” Dr. Sampson said, adding: “Yes, we understand the pill burden, but we need to look at the bigger picture. Would I just want to look at the pill burden but not think about my health, if I am, in fact, infected with the worm that causes Lymphatic Filariasis?”

THE CARE REGIME On her own, she has adopted the ‘CARE’ regime which is used in tandem with the treatment she receives from the clinic. This regime involves: Cleaning the affected area, applying treatment, raising the affected area when sitting, and above the level of the head when lying down, and exercising.

In addition to being affected by filaria, Evelyn is also a vocal supporter of the MDA, because she believes that it was her failure to take the pills distributed previously that cost her. She disclosed that she was reluctant to take the filaria pills, despite encouraging her husband and children

to take them.

“That was my neglect,” she said remorsefully, adding that some days the itching is unbearable while on other days, it is the pain that constrains her.

“Every time they (the pill distributors) come around, I will take what it is that they are giving us because I am telling you, it is not easy. I wouldn’t like nobody at all to get this thing because it is very painful,” Evelyn said.

This year’s MDA was launched at the end of October, and pills will be distributed to persons in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice) at various locations, including schools. Furthermore, as a result of the remapping exercise done in 2018-2019, the remaining six regions have been surveyed to ascertain their level of endemicity.

In Regions Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), there is less than one per cent of endemicity, thus the MDA exercise is not required. For Region One (Barima-Waini), which was previously the only region that was endemic, the Moruca sub-region alone will be targeted, as will the entire Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) except for Bethany and Dredge Creek. In Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), only the town of Bartica will be targetted, while all of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will be targetted, except for Orealla and Sipuruta.

Dr. Sampson explained that once all of the regions have received and completed their treatment through the MDA, the country will then be able to start the process of being validated by the WHO, and subsequently direct focus to other public health issues.

“The impact and success of the IDA/MDA depends on the coverage; that is the total proportion of the population taking their pills. And that goes to say that the success of this campaign depends on you and me,” Dr. Sampson said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

More to life than just oil and gas --Sharma Solomon says, calls on Lindeners to set sight on spin-off industries instead

WITH all the hype associated with the coming oil-andgas industry, Lindeners are no doubt hopeful that this industry will change the economic landscape of the town for the better.

It’s a mindset that former Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon is hoping they would change, by looking beyond just positioning themselves to giving direct service to this very lucrative industry at the expense of the plethora of opportunities available in the spin-off industries.

He was at the time speaking on the Guyana Chronicle's Vantage Point, and posited that Lindeners are blessed with a certain type of skill he deems fundamental to mining. “We are blessed with a certain type of skill, and I believe fundamental to that as we look towards

first oil, and important to its development, is how do we start to train and educate our people,” he said, adding: “I think that it is fundamental to start to ensure Linden and Region Ten appreciate what first oil has to offer.”

Solomon said the reality is that not everyone will be able to work directly in the oil industry, and that oil and gas should not be the only focus of the youths in particular. He spoke of the equally lucrative opportunities that are available in such other sectors as agriculture, tourism and logging, saying that produce from these sectors can be processed to meet the demands of the oil-and-gas sector. “I believe that with the potential in other sectors that are there,” he said, “we don't have to necessarily only focus on oil and gas being

directly linked to our development; we can see other areas that we can span from oil and gas…”

But for Lindeners to profit from the spin-offs of which he speaks, Solomon says there needs to be human development and training needs to become available for youths. Maybe an arm of the University of Guyana focusing on oil and gas studies, or the availability of equal courses at tertiary institutions such as the Linden Technical Institute will be a big boost to human development, not only in Linden, but in Region Ten, since a dormitory to house students residing in far-flung areas is presently being constructed.

“It is not only how you position yourself, but how you see what you can take advantage of that is on the

horizon," Solomon reasoned, while remaining confident that Lindeners will be able to do so, as history has shown that residents had positioned themselves in the past for other forms of mining other than bauxite mining, and are now providing skill set to several expatriate mining companies in Guyana.

Over the last two years, scores of Linden youths have availed themselves for training in Information

Communication Technology (ICT), agro-processing, and other hard and soft skills that were made available through entities such as the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and the Ministry of Social Protection. Many of these youths would have started their own businesses, using those skills they acquired, or would have gained employment. ExxonMobil would have also sponsored

oil and gas-related training at the Linden Technical Institute from which many of the township’s youths would have benefited. The Christianburg Wismar Secondary School has also commenced a Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination Vocational programme, with the specific aim of positioning graduates for the oil and gas industry.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 4, 2019

GWI launches countrywide disconnection campaign

THE Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) will com-

mence a mass disconnection campaign this month,

and has cautioned citizens to “settle all outstanding

balances” to avoid the inconvenience.

In a notice on Sunday, the water company listed scores of communities in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Region Six (East Berbice–Corentyne) and Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) which would be tackled.

The company has stated in the past that disconnections and service removals are its last resorts, after numerous attempts to reach out to customers proved futile.

“GWI was owed in excess of $5 billion at the end of December 2007 by customers, some of whom have not paid their bills for several years. Added to this are the bills that are now due. This situation cannot be allowed to continue because the Company is unable to pay its main supplier, Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL),” GWI said in a statement. Illegal connection is also a major issue for the water company.

During the first quarter of this year, GWI was forced to disconnect water supply to several schools in Berbice due to the fact that some $61M had not been paid for the service provided.

The company also disconnected water supply from three of the city’s municipal markets, due to outstanding monies owed.

In a GWI 2018 survey it was reported that approximately 60 per cent of a sample population of 700 Georgetown customers had illegally reconnected their water service.

Customers are given 28 days after their bills are due to clear the balance or the option to take advantage of

the utility’s wallet-friendly payment plans.

If they fail to do so, their services are disconnected and they are given an additional 28 days to pay their reconnection fee before there is a complete removal.

The cost for reconnection for residential persons is $7,500 and $16,000 for commercial customers, whereas the replacement fee for both categories is $20,000.

To be reconnected, the company states: “You must pay your bill at your local GWI office. You will also have to pay a reconnection fee. If you can't pay the whole amount you may be allowed to pay in installments with a payment arrangement contract. If you have paid your bill at any other location other than the GWI office you must walk with your receipt as proof of payment.”

Meanwhile, the company reminded that to keep their water flowing, metered and unmetered customers must take note of the due dates of their September and October bills.

Some customers are overdue with their payments

while others, especially those metered, still have a few days left to make their payments.

The due dates for unmetered customers to pay their October bills are: Region Two - October 29; Region Three – October 31; Georgetown – November 5; East Bank of Demerara (EBD) – October 30; East Coast of Demerara (ECD) – November 6; Region Five – October 29; Region Six – November 4; Region Seven – November 8; Region 10 – November 8.

For metered customers, the due dates to pay their September bills are: Region Two – November 11; Region Three – November 14; Georgetown – November 19; East Bank of Demerara (EBD) – November 13; East Coast of Demerara (ECD) – November 21; Region Five – November 12; Region Six – November 15; Region Seven – November 27; Lethem – November 27 and Region 10 – November 26.

Rape suspect found dead in station lockup POLICE detectives, in Region Six, were summoned to a jail cell at the Whim Police Station, where a prisoner was found hanging on Sunday at around 6:00hrs.

Dead is 37-year-old Courtney Persaud, who was arrested last Saturday for allegedly raping one of his close relatives.

Persaud, initially, fled law enforcement officers in Region Four but on Saturday, police investigators got word of his location and moved in on him. He was arrested in Manchester Village, East Berbice-Corentyne during the operation.

Persaud was accused of sexually molesting one of

Dead: Courtney Persaud

his female family members.

He had first committed the act when the victim was 11 years old, and has since impregnated her.

A report was made to the police but before he could have been arrested, Persaud fled to Berbice. There, he reportedly sexually molested another teenage girl while living with her mother.

Commander of Region Six, Senior Superintendent Calvin Brutus, confirmed the incident to Guyana Chronicle on Sunday. He said a probe has already been launched.

He also confirmed that Persaud was not alone in the cell at the time of the incident. As such, the other prisoners are expected to be questioned.

Persaud was slated to be escorted to Georgetown, on Sunday afternoon, when he would have been handed over to police detectives in Region Four. The Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) was also involved in the investigation after the matter was brought to its attention.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 4, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 4, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 4, 2019

Hamilton seals his sixth F1 title at U.S. Grand Prix

By Steve Keating AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton secured his sixth Formula One world championship on Sunday in a U.S. Grand Prix won by Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas.

The 34-year-old Briton finished second at the Circuit of the Americas to become only the second driver after retired Ferrari great and seven-times champion Michael Schumacher to win six titles.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took third place in the race while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth and took an extra point for fastest lap.

A sellout crowd, that included both of Hamilton’s parents, arrived early at a sun-kissed circuit outside Austin expecting to see a coronation and were not disappointed as the Briton battled Bottas to the death.

Much of the drama in the championship chase had already been removed with Hamilton in position to clinch the title without even scoring a point.

But the 34-year-old showed why he is one of most competitive and greatest racers of all-time as he tried to crown his championship with a seventh U.S. Grand Prix victory.

He fell just short of crossing the finishing line first but nothing could stop Hamilton from sealing another driver’s title.

“It’s just overwhelming if I’m really honest.

It was such a tough race today,” Hamilton told reporters.

“Valtteri did a fantastic job so huge congratulations to him.

“Today I just really wanted to deliver the one-two for the team. I didn’t think the one-stop was going to be possible but I worked as hard as I could.”

The math was as simple as it was daunting for Bottas,

Hamilton would secure the title by finishing eighth or better but would not need any points on Sunday to retain the championship if the Finn did not win the race.

Any thoughts that Hamilton might approach the race with some caution were quickly removed as he went on the attack right from the start, shooting from fifth to third before the first lap was completed.

Bottas got away from pole position cleanly with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Hamilton in hot pursuit.

With Hamilton on a onestop strategy and Bottas and Verstappen on two, the Brit-

on took over the lead after his two challengers made their second pit-stops. ictory now depended on whichever driver could make their tyres last.

With four laps to go and Hamilton grimly hanging on, there was nothing he could do to stop Bottas sweeping past him to take the win.

“My dad told me when I was six or seven years old never to give up and that’s kind of the family motto,” said Hamilton.

“I was pushing as hard as I could, I was hopeful that I might be able to win today but didn’t have it in the tyres unfortunately.”

Kenyans win Guyana leg of South...

From back page leg) and GDF’s Tyshon Bentinck attempted to stay with the Kenyan in front early but soon the leading pack was trimmed.

Guyanese Nathaniel Giddings then took the lead with Ekesa, while several runners stayed just behind, including Missinger, who was comfortable in the middle of the first pack with Jonathan Fagundes (third in the first leg), Trinidadians Matthew Hagley and Shirvan Baboolal and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Junior Ashton.

By the turn at the UG’s

junction, the runners were separated and the battle between Ekesa and Missinger began. Giddings attempted to stay with the pack and for some time, he was third, but then the Trinidadian pair caught him.

Baboolal, who fell at the junction, was able to recover well and soon it was the Trinidadians who were battling for third. Although Hagley attempted to reach the leaders, Ekesa and Missinger were too fast.

Missinger, who later said that he was looking

to keep up with the Kenyan until the final 800M so that he could sprint to the finish line, was able to partially execute his plan.

The visiting runner was too strong and just before the 8K mark, he broke free of the Guyanese.

Missinger’s finishing pace was obvious in the end, but he could not catch the Kenyan. According to the official timings, Ekesa finished in 32 minutes and 43 seconds, while second place Missinger finished in 32 minutes and 57 seconds.

Trinidadians Hagley

and Baboolal crossed the line third and fourth respectively, while Ashton finished fifth.

Jepkosgei, who finished 13th overall, beat off the other females in the race.

She finished ahead of St Vincent’s Linda Mc Dowall and Guyanese Abidemi Charles.

Since Ekesa did not take part in the first leg of the 10K, Missinger is still in the lead of the three-leg competition.

He is hoping to take part in the final leg, which is slated for Panama.

Pollard says Windies bracing..

From back page

what we have to offer.”

Khan, 21, is Afghanistan’s captain in all three formats, and has emerged as one of the most penetrative leg-spinners in international cricket, with 131 wickets in 68 One-Day Internationals and 81 scalps in 42 T20 Internationals.

His best figures in ODIs of seven for 18 came in Afghanistan’s shock win over the Windies two years ago in St Lucia.

Nabi has, meanwhile, taken 128 wickets from 121 ODIs and 69 wickets from 72 T20Is, while Mujeeb, an 18-year-old off-spinner, has already picked up

58 ODI wickets from 37 matches.

Pollard, appointed captain of the white-ball sides in an attempt to halt a disastrous run in both formats, said the Windies would be looking to make big strides in the series.

“It is an important series as the coach has men-

tioned. All cricket for us is important,” he stressed.

“As a team, we have made some changes and are looking forward to doing well in the series.”

West Indies will take on Afghanistan in three ODIs following the T20 series, before facing the hosts in a one-off Test beginning November 27.

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 4, 2019

Kenyans Kamworor, Jepkosgei claim New York Marathon titles

By Amy Tennery NEW YORK (Reuters) Kenyan half marathon world record holders Geoffrey Kamworor and Joyciline Jepkosgei powered to victories in the New York City Marathon on Sunday.

Kamworor reclaimed the New York title he won in 2017 in two hours eight minutes and 13 seconds and Jepkosgei surprised four-time champion Mary Keitany, winning her marathon debut in 2:22:38.

Kamworor, training partner of world fastest marathoner Eliud Kipchoge, took command in the final two miles for the victory over compatriot Albert Korir

New York, United States - Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor celebrates winning the elite men’s race REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

(2:08:36) and Ethiopian Girma Bekele Gebre (2:08:38).

Defending champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia dropped out of the race about the seventh mile.

Desisa had been attempting the difficult task

of trying to win again just four weeks after claiming the world championship title in the extreme heat of Doha.

Jepkosgei separated herself from Keitany, the defending champion, with five

kilometres to go.

Keitany, who had won in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018, finished in 2:23:32 with Ethiopian Ruti Aga third in 2:25:51.

Swiss Manuela Schar routed the field in the women’s wheelchair competition, winning her third consecutive title in 1:44.20 for a four-minute victory over American Tatyana McFadden.

American Daniel Romanchuk repeated as men’s wheelchair champion, clocking 1:37:24 to defeat Swiss Marcel Hug by a second. Britain’s David Weir took third.

More than 52,000 runners competed in the race in near perfect marathon conditions.

Barty ends stellar season with WTA Finals win over Svitolina SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - Ashleigh Barty finished the season in style by beating defending champion Elina Svitolina 6-4 6-3 to add the WTA Finals title to her end-of-year world number one ranking on Sunday.

Barty, who became the first Australian to top the WTA rankings at the end of the year since they were introduced in 1975, capped a stellar season in Shenzhen having also won the French Open at Roland Garros in June.

Barty became the first Australian to win the WTA Finals since Evonne Goolagong Cawley claimed her second title in 1976.

“It’s been the most incredible year for me,” said Barty, who pocketed a record $4.42 million for her victory in Shenzhen, where the tournament was being held for the first time as part of a 10-year residency.

“It’s been an incredible new era in women’s tennis and to play in front of this spectacular crowd has been amazing.”

There was little between the pair until the penultimate game of the first set when Barty fended off a break point before putting Svitolina’s serve under pressure in the following game.

The Australian took the opener when she converted a

break point at the third time of asking, punishing Svitolina’s second serve with a firm forehand.

The tension increased in the second set as neither player was able to hold serve consistently.

Svitolina broke early to give herself a lifeline, only for Barty to win the next three games — including two breaks of serve.

Yet another slip-up on her own serve allowed Svitolina back into the set.

Barty broke yet again, however, claiming the eighth game of the set when she converted her third break point as Svitolina pulled a shot wide and secured her fourth title of the season with 09:55 hrs Cutting Edge 10:35 hrs Takatul English Racing Tips Plumpton

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a hold to love in the next game.

Hungary’s Timea Babos won the doubles title for the third year in a row, partnering with Kristina Mladenovic from France to see off Barbora Strycova and Hsieh Su-wei 6-1 6-3 in the final.

“We played some great tennis,” said Babos. “There was no-one out there on this tournament who could beat us. That’s really amazing.

“Of course, to share it with Kiki, to play on the biggest stage with her, to get the title together, it’s an incredible story.

“I’m just really, really happy to lift that trophy again.”

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Australia frustrated as rain ruins T20 series opener in Sydney SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia looked on course to chase down a small target in their first T20 International against Pakistan before the game was called off due to rain on Sunday.

Put into bat, Pakistan were 88 for three wickets in the 13th over when rain interrupted play.

The match was subsequently reduced to 15-overs-a-side when the players returned and skipper Babar Azam made 59 not out to help Pakistan to a below-par 107-5.

Counterpart Aaron Finch gave Australia a flying start with 37 runs from 16 balls as the hosts cruised

to 41 for no loss in 3.1 overs.

It was at that moment that rain returned to the Sydney Cricket Ground(SCG) to dash Australia’s hopes of going 1-0 up in the three-match series.

“It’s frustrating,” Finch said afterwards.

“To restrict them to 107 off 15 overs was a great effort and then to be on track to get them was nice.”

“It was nice to get a few out of the middle.

Like I said, a bit unfortunate the rain played such a part.”

Canberra hosts the second match tomorrow..

Mushfiqur fifty helps Bangladesh end India T20 jinx

By Amlan Chakraborty

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bangladesh ended their 20-overs jinx against India after Mushfiqur Rahim’s unbeaten half-cen-

tury helped secure their seven-wicket victory in the first Twenty20 International on Sunday.

Their bowlers laid the platform for a memorable victory against their mighty neighbours by restricting India to 148-6 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

Mushfiqur, dropped in the deep on 38, made 60 not out and featured in a crucial partnership with Soumya Sarkar as Bangladesh finally humbled India in this format at the ninth attempt.

Rajkot hosts the second Twenty20 of the three-match series on Thursday.

Earlier, touring captain Mahmudullah elected to field after winning the toss ending speculation about the match being scrapped because of Delhi’s notorious smog.

Air pollution in New Delhi and surrounding towns reached the worst levels so far this year on Sunday, with authorities having already declared a public health emergency and ordered the closure of schools.

Home captain Rohit Sharma hit a couple of boundaries

Mushfiqur Rahim before falling in the first over from Shafiul Islam.

Frontline batsmen KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer both looked comfortable but could not convert the starts they got.

A subdued Shikhar Dhawan (41) hit his first six in the 15th over but was run out just when his team wanted him to accelerate.

Rishabh Pant made 27 and India milked 30 runs from the last two overs but they still settled for a sub-150 total against Bangladesh’s eight-bowler attack.

Bangladesh lost Liton Das in the first over but Mohammad Naim and Soumya kept them on course with a 46-run stand.

Yuzvendra Chahal removed Naim but Soumya (39) and Mushfiqur effectively killed off the contest with their 60-run stand.

Skipper Mahmudullah pulled debutant Shivam Dube for a six to seal a memorable victory for his team.

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 4, 2019

Briton John cops A. Ally and Sons 50-mile cycle road race By: Colin Bynoe Jr. CYCLING action resumed in the ancient county of Berbice with a scintillating 50-mile cycle road race yesterday, organised by Randolph Roberts and sponsored

by A. Ally and Sons General Store in remembrance of the late owner who passed away earlier this year.

The race pedalled off outside of A. Ally and Sons Mega store, Main and New Street, New Amsterdam and advanced to the Number 35 Village, before turning back to its place of origin.

Briton John showcased his cycling skills throughout the race with many tactical moves as he stopped

Briton John receives his cash prize and trophy from a representative of A. Ally and Sons while staff, race coordinators and other cyclists shared a photo moment.

the clock with a winning time of two hour, 12 minutes and 36 seconds (2:12:36), ahead of race

supporters’ favourite Andre ‘Padlock’ Green who had to settle for a close second.

The final 50 metres of the race was eye catching as the three wheelsmen-Briton John, Walter

Grant Stuart and Andre ‘Padlock’ Green powered their way to the line.

John narrowly fended off Green to take top stop while Walter Grant Stuart put the pedal to the metal claiming third.

Meanwhile, Kenrick Moses finished fourth, Marcus Keiler fifth, season riders Andrew Hicks, Ajay Gopilall, Ralph Seenarine, Balram Narine and Mario Washington rounded off the top 10.

Eight prime prizes were up for the taking with Marcus Keiler taking three, Deeraj Garbaran two, Balram Narine one while Green and Junior Nile took one each.

In the novices category, Ralph Seenarine rode to victory ahead of Mario Washington, Jason Samp-

son and Donovan Fraser.

The 12-14 categories saw young Aron Rajnarine taking first spot; second was Shazim Yakub while Ravikant Mootoo took third place. Special recognition was given to 69-year-old Daniel Rigby who participated in the race.

The presentation of prizes took place immediately after the event.

Managing Director of A. Ally and Sons, Fizal Ally, stated that he was very pleased with the way the race was conducted.

“We will continue to give back to the community, and plan to make this activity an every year thing” And hope to raise the bar in terms of the prizes and the standards of cycling in Berbice.

Santner helps NZ level series despite Jordan brilliance WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Chris Jordan’s all-around brilliance could not prevent New Zealand from securing a series-levelling 21-run victory against England in the second Twenty20 International of the five-match series on Sunday.

Jordan claimed 3-23 to help restrict the hosts to a modest 176-8 at the Wel-

lington Regional Stadium after England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to field.

Jordan then returned to blast 36 off 19 balls, but England could not recover from a top order collapse and were all out for 155 with one ball remaining in their innings.

Put in to bat, New Zea-

land lost Colin Munro in the third over but opener Martin Guptill made 41 and Colin de Grandhomme and Ross Taylor contributed 28 each to steady the innings.

It was Jimmy Neesham’s 42 off 22 balls, however, that helped New Zealand past the 175-mark.

Home captain Tim

Southee rocked England early, dismissing Jonny Bairstow with the first ball of the innings.

Dawid Malan made 39 and Morgan chipped in with 32 but England struggled to keep their chase on track.

Jordan clobbered leg-spinner Ish Sodhi for three sixes, injecting

fresh life into the contest, but Mitchell Santner stopped the carnage by dismissing the batsman and effectively ending the contest.

“When the fielders are backing the bowlers up, it makes it that much easier,” Santner said of their improved fielding after being adjudged man-of-

the-match for his superb spell of 3-25.

“We just needed to improve a little bit in all three aspects (from Christchurch),” he added. “We needed to adapt our plans a little bit but we managed that.”

The teams now move to Nelson for the third match tomorrow.

Leicester back in third after 2-0 win at Palace LONDON (Reuters) Leicester City underlined their Premier League topfour credentials as goals by Caglar Soyuncu and Jamie Vardy sealed a clinical 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Soyuncu, who has replaced centre back Harry Maguire this season, broke the deadlock when he headed in James Maddison’s 57th-minute corner for his first Leicester goal.

Leicester never looked like relinquishing their lead and Vardy added some late gloss with his 10th goal of the season.

As impressive as last week’s 9-0 win at 10-man Southampton was, Sunday’s display was perhaps more meaningful in terms of Leicester’s ambitions

this season.

Palace could have gone fifth with a win but Leicester were in control throughout and thoroughly deserved a third successive league victory to put them back above Chelsea into third place on goal difference with 23 points from 11 games.

They are only two points behind champions Manchester City, who are in second place, and six above fifth-placed Arsenal.

While Leicester’s slick attack has made the headlines in the past week, they have conceded only eight goals in the league this season and keeper Kasper Schmeichel had a quiet day.

What is more, in terms of Premier League wins since Brendan Rodgers took over after the sack-

Leicester City’s Caglar Soyuncu celebrates scoring their first goal with Ayoze Perez against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, London, Britain, on Sunday. — (Reuters)

ing of Claude Puel eight months ago, only Liverpool and Man City have won more league games.

“The creativity and attacking talent we have is incredible,” Vardy, who leads the Premier League scoring charts, said. “We have so many options and it can only benefit us.”

After an even first half of few chances, Leicester looked the more likely side to score after the break, especially from the set piece deliveries of Maddison.

From one Maddison corner Jonny Evans forced a fine save by Vicente Guaita and from the next, the ball flashed across the area where Soyuncu stooped to score.

Leicester’s second in the 88th minute was a great team

effort that oozed class.

The outstanding Youri Tielemans found Vardy who then played a one-two with Demarai Gray before peeling off and slotting a left-foot shot past Guaita.

Leicester could have made it 3-0 in stoppage time when Ben Chilwell hit the post from a tight angle.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson said he had seen enough to suggest Leicester can sustain their challenge.

“They carry a very clear goal threat and that’s a major difference,” he said. “The service (Vardy) is getting now and the ability of the midfield to keep the ball is elevating them to a team in the top four.

“They are in the top four on merit. That’s how well they’re playing.”

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 4, 2019

GFA members elect former FIFA referee Otis James as new president

‘Ready to take GFA forward’ Former FIFA Referee Otis James has been elected President of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) following the hosting of an Extraordinary General Meeting held yesterday morning at the Pegasus Hotel.

Sunda y’s successful meeting was necessary as a result of the continued lack of activity and non-functional Executive Committee in the GFA over the past three years.

This lack of activity prompted the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to intervene as the parent body for the sport in Guyana to ensure that the administrative arm of the game in the city became functional again.

A GFF appointed IMC came into being in July of 2018 in accordance with the guidelines and provisions of Article 2 [d] and [e], Article

13 [a] of the GFF Constitution and Article 82, in addition to Article 8 (2) of the FIFA Statutes.

Following the work of the Trevor Williams-led IMC, which was even granted an extension, the GFA Clubs, in a letter dated 8th October, 2019, in accordance with Article 31 (2) of the Constitution of the (GFA), requested an Extraordinary General Meeting of the GFA and this was set for Saturday, November 2, 2019.

Members present at yesterday’s Extraordinary General Meeting were Georgetown Football Club, Beacon Football Club, Northern Rangers Football Club, Camptown Football Club, Black Pearl Club, Eastveldt United Football Club, Pele Football Club, GT Panthers Football Club, Riddim Squad Football Club, Wolves United Football Club and Order

and Discipline Football Club.

GT Panthers FC (new club) and Order and Discipline FC (list of delegates submitted after the legal deadline had expired) were not able to vote.

Conducting yesterday’s election was the Guyana Football Federation Electoral Committee’s Chairman, Charles Corbin and Rev. Raphael Jackman. Prior to the Electoral Committee taking over proceedings, the Extraordinary General Meeting was chaired by GFF Third Vice president, Thandi McAllister.

James, in his first speech as president, expressed thanks to the GFF and everyone who had worked hard towards ensuring that the Extraordinary Meeting came off which now sets the pathway for the association to get back to a state of normalcy

New GFA President Otis James (3rd left) with his executive, GFF 3rd VP Thandi McAllister (2nd right) and members of the GFF Electoral Committee.

after being dormant for about three years.

“This is the time, it is now or never.

Within the next three months we will see the work that the new GFA has to offer, so let us all put our heads together and work together for one cause, football.

Many times we have

football and a lot of people look around and say that that should be done and this should be done; gentlemen and ladies, it is time for us stop trying to be whatever we want to be and do the right things we are supposed to do.

It is time for us to put all our differences aside and work together as a team and

let football be the winner.”

The full executive: Otis James – President, Akram Sabree – Vice President, Clifton Adams – Vice President, Dirk Exeter – Vice President, Fizal Khan – Secretary, Lomel Johnson – Treasurer and Penny John – Assistant/Secretary Treasurer.

Escarraga lauds fruitful 14th edition of MACORP Golf Open LOCAL pro golfer and CEO of MACORP, Guillermo Escarraga, praised the Machinery giant’s 14th annual Golf Open, which was held on Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Course..

Some 58 of Guyana’s top and upcoming golfers were on show following last weekend’s Guyana Open tournament; most of them seemed to still be in good putting form.

Among those who emerged with the top awards included Avinda Kishore, who bagged the

awards for Best Gross and Longest Drive; Mahin Tewarim won Best Net for his Net 79 to go along with his Gross 65.

Lloyd Fung-A-Fat (Net of 94 and Gross 66), Shonnella London (Net 87 and Gross 72) and Patrick Prashad (Net 76 and Gross 67) dominated their respective flights, while Videsh Persaud captured the ‘Nearest to the pin’ award as Kishore further flexed his skills to snare the Longest Drive trophy.

MACORP’s CEO Guillermo Escarraga (in the background with yellow shirt) is flanked by the winners.

Anthony finishes fourth in U23 division at Caribbean Road Cycling Championships in Cuba

MICHAEL Anthony just missed the podium yesterday when Guyana competed in the 19th annual Caribbean Road Cycling Championships, which was held in Havana, Cuba.

A team of five cyclists represented Guyana—four of them battled in the U23 competition.

Seventy-eight of the best road riders in the region competed in the championships, but only 51 finished

Team Guyana at the race yesterday in Havana, Cuba.

the gruelling 112km race.

The Lindener finished fourth in the U23 division and 10th overall in the meet, which was won by

Cuban Felix Nodarse.

Although he missed the podium, Anthony was the first rider from the English speaking Caribbean to cross

the finish line.

Jamual John finished 10th in the U23 division and 28th overall, while Christopher Griffith placed 12th in the U23 and 33rd overall and Curtis Dey 13th in the U23rd and 36th overall.

Paul De Nobrega, who competed in the Elite division finished 31st overall.

Cyclists from over 20 countries in the region competed in the race.

The presentation ceremony, which was held after the tournament on Saturday evening, saw the golfers receive their spoils while the CEO warmly thanked all the participants for coming out and making the event another successful outing on behalf of the company.

MACORP has been the driving force behind the club’s ongoing restoration process, dating back to 2017 when the machine company lent the LGC equipment for

the purpose of developing, maintaining and improving the course.

Regarding the future between the LGC and MACORP, Escarraga, one of Guyana’s top golfers and member of the LGC, said that the two entities will continue their relationship going forward.

“It was a challenge (to run off the tournament) but in the end it was really successful and we look forward to many more years in this relationship with the Lusignan Golf Club”, He said.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday November 04, 2019) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) 7/51-Winston Davis (vs AUST, Leeds, 1983) (2) 7/18-Rashid Khan (vs WI, St. Lucia, 2017)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who is the first WI to record an ODI century?

(2) Who is the first Afghan player to register a ODI hundred?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 4, 2019

Gibson stuns Caribbean boxing champion Eastman with first round stoppage

By Faizool Deo A CRUSHING right-hook emerging from a barrage of shots by the Guyana Defence Force’s Clairmont Gibson dropped Caribbean Lightweight champion Jamal Eastman (Rose Hall Jammers) in the first round of the semi-finals in the lightweight division on Saturday night in the Terrence Alli, Elites, Youths and Females Open Championships.

Eastman, who had floored his Trinidadian opponent with a single blow in their regional championship battle last year, was the clear favourite for the national title again this year. It was, however, the experienced soldier who took the initiative early by pouncing on the defending champion.

When the referee stopped the bout, Gibson

and most of the patrons at the National Gymnasium erupted in celebrations.

Gibson, who was runner up to Caribbean Bantamweight Champion Keevin Allicock over the last few years in this competition, had moved up in weight (from 56kg to 60kg). After the fight, he stated that he was in immaculate shape and was ready to stop all challengers at the lightweight division.

Last night, on the final night of the championships, he was expected to meet fellow GDF boxer Delroy Fordyce, who had gotten past Shemar Halley of the Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) Gym. Halley, who had boxed his way to the Novice and Intermediate Best Boxer trophies this year, lost on points to Fordyce, who said he stuck to the fundamentals to gain the win.

Omar Sukhdeo caught Osbert Robertson with two solid shots to end their heavyweight clash.

fore the bantamweight boxers got into the ring.

GDF’s Julius Kesney stopped Raphael Sebastian (Rose Hall Jammers) in the first round of the first bantam semi-finals, while Asheer Al Azeem (FYF) got the win against Clinton Clarke (GDF) after three rounds.

The welterweight battle was another first-round finish as GDF’s Kevin McKenzie

Along with those two bouts, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) also claimed three other wins of the seven semi-final fights carded for night two. Their main rivals, FYF Gym had also made their mark on the penultimate night with two wins.

The night opened with an exhibition clash between GDF boxers Jermain Grant and Lincoln Murray, be-

Regal makes it two in two! …cart off PM T20 Softball Cup Legends and Masters titles

By Frederick Halley

IT was billed as a grudge match and the battle of the two top teams in the Over-45 category of this year’s Prime Minister T20 Softball Cup. In the end, it turned out to be a damp squib as defending champions Regal Masters made light work of Mike’s Wellman in yesterday’s final, played at the Everest Cricket Club ground, Camp Road, Georgetown.

Watched by hundreds of spectators on a brilliant day for cricket, Mike’s Wellman were skittled for a disappointing 83 in 19.5 overs. Regal Masters, through a fine 51 from the consistent Ramesh Deonarine, raced to the required target off 13.1 overs, winning their third consecutive title in the process. Yesterday’s victory followed a similar win over Wellman last year in a much closer final.

Regal Masters lost opener Yuniss Usuff for one in the second over with only eight runs on the board. However, any hopes Wellman had of defending a small total were dashed by Deonarine and Khemchandra

Regal Masters with acting Prime Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.

Dindial who added 74 for the second wicket before the former departed with just eight needed for victory.

The left-handed Deonarine’s knock included four fours and two sixes while Dindial was undefeated on 22 (two fours) when victory was achieved. Clyde Canterbury took one for 12 from three overs and Greg DeFranka one for 22 from four.

Asked to take first strike, Mike’s Wellman’s innings never got going as wickets fell at regular intervals while the run rate was also stagnant. Opener Lloyd Ruplall (23), Nandram Samlall 19) and skipper Wayne Jones (14) were the only players to reach double figures as Lawrie

Singh bowled brilliantly to finish with three for 11. He received great support from Bobby Parasnauth (three for 12) and Dindial three for 17.

Deonarine was adjudged man-of-the-match and also copped the Most Valuable Player award for the Over-45 category. His winnings included a 32inch television, a trophy and $10,000.

Regal Masters took home the grand prize of $500,000 and the winner’s trophy while runners-up Wellman received $100 000 and a trophy. Players from both teams were also recipients of medals.

In the Legends Over50 final, played earlier in the morning, an emphatic opening partnership of 126 by Veerapen Moonsammy (63) and Mahesh Chunlall (61 not out)

Regal Legends pose with acting Prime Minister Khemraj Ramjattan following their victory.

worked his way through the defence of Shemar Beaton (Ricola) just before the end of round one and caught him on his nose.

The heavyweight battles were also exciting.

FYF’s Omar Sukhdeo recorded his fifth win in seven fights when he caught GDF’s Osbert Robertson late in the first round with a right cross and a left hook combination,

enabled Regal Legends to register an emphatic nine-wicket victory over New York President’s XI to cart off the inaugural title.

Chasing the visitors 139 for six, Regal Legends achieved the required target with five overs to spare in the 20-over affair with left-handed man-ofthe-match Moonsammy slamming seven fours and a six before he was dismissed with just 14 needed for a commanding win.

The experienced Chunilall, who was accompanied by Lynden Lyght (five not out) at the end, struck three fours and a six as the President’s XI bowlers toiled in sunny conditions without success. The lone wicket went to Dharam “Wadekar” Persaud who’s lone over cost nine runs.

Earlier, President’s XI were given a positive start of 55 in eight overs by openers Dennis Mang-

which floored his opponent.

After both boxers dropped the other early, Robertson took control and a few combinations seemed to have hurt the FYF boxer, but Sukhdeo was able to deliver two excellent shots, which ended the fight in 1:44 seconds.

In another battle, a Super heavyweight bout, GDF’s Antonio Williams was able to wear down Stephen Chan to win on points.

Both fighters had their moments early in the clash, but Williams proved the aggressor in the second.

Chan, who seemed to be conserving his energy by defending a lot, was hit one-time too many, which eventually weakened his defence.

Last night, 11 finals were scheduled to be run off at the National Gymnasium.

roo (33) and Mohamed Rafeek (30) after being asked to take first strike.

The middle-order however failed to maintain the momentum with only Roger Mattar bolstering the innings with a well-played 50 with five fours and a six. In the end, the 139 proved inadequate. Eon “Rapper” Abel took two for 20 and Parsram Persaud one for 19. Two run outs also didn’t help their cause.

The win guaranteed Regal Legends $300,000 while New York President’s XI received $100,000 for their efforts.

Man-of-the-match Moonsammy collected $10,000 and a trophy while players from both teams were adorned with medals.

Up to press time, the main feature of the day’s exciting programme, the Open final, between Regal All Stars and SVC Grill Masters was in progress following a female’s exhibition game which saw Wonderwoman’s XI and Factory Price Divas battling for supremacy.

A win by Regal All Stars would guarantee them all three titles in the third edition of the Prime Minister T20 Softball Cup. Two-time defending champions Speedboat were eliminated yesterday after failing to reach the semifinals via net run rate.

Alex Ekesa won the Guyana leg of the South American 10K race.

Kenyans win Guyana leg of South American 10K Road Race -Missinger finishes second after gruelling battle

By Faizool Deo KENYAN runners Alex Ekesa and Veronica Jepkosgei were able to march through a large field of local and several international athletes in the scorching afternoon sun to win the male and female divisions of the Guyana leg in the South American 10K Road Race yesterday afternoon in Georgetown.

A battle between first-leg winner Winston Missinger (Guyana) and Ekesa highlighted the race, which moved off from the GTT Earth Station on Carifesta Avenue, proceeded east to the University of Guyana junction before the runners headed west back up the Rupert Craig Highway, into Vlissengen Road and turned into Thomas Road for a finish in the National Park.

Ekesa, who will celebrate his 40th birthday in the coming weeks, paced the race See story from start to finish. Cleveland Thomas (second in the first on page 23

Kenyan Veronica Jepkosgei was the first female across the line.

Pollard says Windies Hamilton seals his sixth bracing for trial by spin F1 title at U.S. Grand Prix LUCKNOW, India, (CMC) – Captain Kieron Pollard said Sunday he was under no illusions about the potent threat posed by Afghanistan’s spinners and says West Indies will have to adopt a strategic approach in order to negate their effectiveness.

The tourists open their limited overs tour today with a warm-up fixture here before clashing with Afghanistan in the first Twenty20 International of the three-match series on Wednesday.

“Rashid Khan is a world-class bowler. It was seen by all of us and all around the world,” Pollard told media here.

“Again there is no secret about it. (Mohammed) Nabi himself has been doing well, he is a classical off-spinner.

Mujeeb (ur-Rahman) has done well for himself.”

He continued: “We as a team, we have to plan how we are going

See story on page 23 West Indies captain Kieron Pollard.

to structure our 50 overs of batting and then our 50 overs of bowling. Each

and every one of us is a good player [in our] own right and we have to show See page 23

Austin, TX, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of Great Britain celebrates winning his sixth world championship at the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2019