Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 15-06-2022

wednesday 15th june, 2022

No.106754

‘Restructuring, strengthening GuySuCo is no joke’ 03 PAGE

–– President Ali tells corporation’s officials, highlights need for sweeping changes in order to return sugar industry to viability

Next oil lift could earn Guyana over US$120M 04 PAGE

Berbicians 05 ‘sign up’ for support to build their homes PAGE

– as Home Construction Assistance Facility rolls out in Region Six

Education Minister hints at 08 increased education cash grant PAGE

Major quarry operation in the pipeline for Sakarara Point

PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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guyana CHRONICLE wednesday, june 15, 2022

‘Restructuring, strengthening GuySuCo is no joke’ –– President Ali tells corporation’s officials, highlights need for sweeping changes in order to return sugar industry to viability

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has engaged the leadership of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) on the company’s strategic direction with the intention of improving its efficiency and effectiveness.

The President met with 180 senior officials and managers of the sugar corporation at State House in Georgetown, on Tuesday.

There, the Head of State recommended on-the-spot solutions aimed at improving communication, management

phasised that it cannot be “business as usual anymore” and there must be sweeping changes.

IMPROVING EFFICIENCY The President was informed that there is a high turnover rate for field workers; this hinders efficiency.

But although this is a challenge, Dr. Ali said it is also an opportunity to look towards mechanisation.

Both estate managers of

THINKING AND ACTION President Ali also tasked the senior officials to have a weekly management meeting to improve communication and management.

He noted that the corporation will not advance if persons have different visions.

“People depend on us, and I depend on you. At the end of the day, the buck stops at my office. The same exercise conducted this morning at the senior level I want to

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali (Office of the President photo)

President Dr. Irfaan Ali; Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Madanlall Ramraj; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Delma Nedd and Director of Projects at the Office of the President, Mrs. Marcia Nadir-Sharma engaged 180 senior officials and managers of GuySuCo at State House in Georgetown, on Tuesday (Office of the President photo) and direction of the corporation.

“We are not investing all of these resources in GuySuCo for failure. The restructuring and strengthening of GuySuCo is not a joke. When we said we want to make this industry viable, it is not a mystery,” Dr. Ali said.

The President underscored that the corporation does not belong to any individual or group, but to the country.

He said: “Success does not start with money, success starts with the right attitude, success starts with teams, success starts with people and if we can’t get this fundamentally right, then we have no hope of being successful—absolutely no hope of being successful.”

President Ali also em-

Albion and Blairmont indicated plans to improve their mechanisation to 60 per cent by 2026, through the increased usage of specialised tractors.

President Ali, however, noted that the time span for the completion of their target could be reduced by two years and could be achieved by 2024.

To this end, he tasked the Board of Directors and senior managers of the corporation to organise a sub-committee to do an analysis with the objective of implementation as soon as possible.

“I know the problem, I understand the problem and that is why we have to accelerate this mechanisation,” Dr. Ali said.

COLLECTIVE

be conducted at the estate level and junior staff level,” the Head of State said.

The President also implored the senior officials to visit all of the estates and speak to all of the employees.

“I want all personality issues in this organisation to be stripped today.” He also challenged the managers to be humble in the execution of their duties. An organisation requires collective thinking and action,” President Ali said.

Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Madanlall Ramraj; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Delma Nedd and Director of Projects at the Office of the President, Mrs. Marcia Nadir-Sharma, were also at the meeting.

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guyana CHRONICLE wednesday, june 15, 2022

Next oil lift could earn Guyana over US$120M

THE sale of Guyana’s next share of oil from the operations of ExxonMobil could earn the country a significant amount of revenue if prices remain constant or fluctuates marginally.

At end of Tuesday, the cost for Brent – the benchmark Guyana uses to sell its crude – stood at approximately US$120 per barrel. Should this remain the case when the country sells its next one-million-barrels of oil in a

matter of days, the country would rake in as much as US$120 million.

In the coming years, Guyana is looking to position itself as a key producer with the capacity to cushion some of the supply shortfalls on the global market.

Oil and gas revenues are being generated from the ExxonMobil operations, offshore Guyana.

As it is now, the company has four sanctioned projects offshore Guyana.

june 8, 2022

G 11 12 13 15 16 23 09 june 11, 2022

A 03 06 09 24 26 27 01

Of those, Liza Phase One is producing approximately 130,000 barrels per day, using the Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, while the Liza Phase Two, which started production in February, is steadily ramping up to its capacity of 220,000 barrels per day, using the Liza Unity FPSO vessel.

The third project, Payara, is expected to produce 220,000 barrels per day; construction of its

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production vessel, the Prosperity FPSO, is running approximately five months ahead of schedule, with start-up likely before year-end 2023. The fourth project, Yellowtail, is expected to produce 250,000 barrels per day when the One Guyana FPSO comes on stream in 2025.

ExxonMobil is also moving ahead with plans for its fifth development project in the Stabroek Block, Uaru, which is expected to produce up to

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250,000 barrels of oil per day.

“These projects will bring huge benefits to Guyana,” President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, said during a brief interview released by ExxonMobil.

It was reported that returns from the sector are expected to catapult Guyana to the ranks of wealthiest countries in the Western Hemisphere, thereby increasing the government’s fiscal space to invest in initiatives geared at expanding the economy, and improving the overall welfare of citizens.

In order to solidify the foundation of Guyana’s economy and enhance the overall well-being and welfare of every Guyanese, the government is crafting a framework for development that will be sustained through prudent and effective investment of oil funds into education, health, infrastructure and

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the non-oil sectors.

Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, had said that the intention of the incumbent is to craft a framework for the future which will see more proceeds from the petroleum industry going toward Guyanese. “… we have to spend the money to build the future, that is why we have made it clear in our manifesto, when we campaigned between 2015 and 2020, that money will be spent on education, healthcare, infrastructure and assistance to non-oil industries,” the Vice-President told residents of Region Six during a recent Cabinet outreach.

Those are the four areas that will attract the ‘bulk of the resources’ and are part of a broader plan to ensure that Guyana’s economy continues to thrive long after oil resources would have been exhausted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Berbicians ‘sign up’ for support to build their homes

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— as Home Construction Assistance Facility rolls out in Region Six Region Six residents made use of services offered through the Central Housing and Planning Authority that will enable them to get closer to homeownership when the Home Construction Assistance Facility was launched at the Regional Democratic Council Tarmac and at the Classic Hotel on Tuesday.

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal, said the programme is geared at helping those in need.

“From the onset, this initiative was crafted by his Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali to help you to reduce some of the financial challenges that you may face.

Financial challenges in the sense of unable to access loans for one reason or the other. Financial challenges because on a global level we have seen increased costs etc. but here in Berbice I also know you have had challenges of constructing homes and so this programme now is intended to help you to access those finances for you to build, whether it’s a house lot that was allocated by government or whether you have your own private land or a land you inherited,” he said.

Residents engaging personnel of the Housing and Water Ministry on Tuesday

Minister Croal noted that the government’s partnership with the banks is to make the process less tedious and allow for on the spot pre-qualification, providing the requisite documents are provided.

More importantly, he stressed that unlike previous instances where persons were experiencing difficulties in securing the initial equity of

10 per cent, that was later reduced to five per cent and translates to large sums of monies upfront, the land is now being used as equity. “… finding that initial $500,000 or $1,000,000 was a big challenge in the past as equity but the major difference here is that while you have to also satisfy that you have ownership of the land, the land can be used as

equity so in essence the land will be used by the bank as their safety net, the Ministry of Housing and Central Planning will suffice as the guarantor and that initial sum that you had to find upfront can be put towards the full loan. So what immediately it means is that once you have your documents to show ownership of the land you can start very shortly.”

In a message to all Guyanese, the Housing Minister clarified that the programme is open to everyone and persons can visit the ministry’s website for details or visit any of the housing offices.

The government, he said is committed to achieving its goal of providing 50,000 houses on or before 2025.

“This facility is open to as many persons as possible and

it is continuous even if you didn’t come here today it’s ongoing because we want to encourage homeownership, we want to encourage construction, so this is another opportunity that we are providing as a government to be a facilitator and an enabler for you to have your own house.”

The programme seeks to target three categories of houses that potential homeowners can qualify for: they are $7M, $9M or $12M based on their incomes. Currently, there are some 6,000 pending applications for house lots in Region Six and the ministry is actively pursuing new lands to satisfy.

As part of this housing drive, some $1.1B in projects are being executed in Region Six. Projects are being executed in Ordinance Fortlands.

There 30 of 100 houses completed were handed over on Tuesday. Williamsburg, Hampshire, Number 75 and 79 villages are the other locations where projects are ongoing.

At both locations, following the registration, a number of persons were given on the spot pre-qualification.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Walter Rodney

JUNE 13, 2022 marks the 42nd anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney, a world renowned historian and revolutionary whose life was snuffed out at the prime of his political and academic life. He was in his late 30s at the time of his assassination which is a sad blow to the political and intellectual development of the country having regard to the fact that his life was cut short at such a relatively young age.

Given his strong leftist leanings and his struggle against dictatorial rule, Dr. Rodney found an ally and friend in Dr. Cheddi Jagan and the PPP, and even though not being a member of the PPP for tactical reasons, the bonds of friendship and camaraderie lasted until his passing. His confrontation against the Burnham dictatorship is

now legendary. Burnham’s ‘steel is sharper’ approach to perceived political opponents culminated in the eventual assassination of Dr. Rodney at the prime of his political and academic life.

Yet his contributions to academia and to the struggle for democracy in Guyana was nothing short of extraordinary. His legacy which was subdued and distorted under the PNC and subsequently APNU+AFC regime was finally restored and put in its proper historical perspective by the PPP/C administration which on August 9, 2021 successfully tabled a motion in the National Assembly to implement the findings of ‘The Commission of Inquiry Appointed to Enquire and Report on the Circumstances Surrounding the Death in An Explosion of

the late Dr. Water Rodney on Thirteenth Day of June, One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty at Georgetown.’

Accordingly, and having regard to the findings of the Commission of Enquiry set up on February 8, 2014 by the then Donald Ramotar presidency, the PPP/C administration announced a raft of measures to honour the late Dr. Rodney and to set the record straight regarding his death. In a speech to the National Assembly, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs said as follows: “Today, the privilege is mine to announce that His Excellency, the President and the Government of Guyana have acceded to the request as part of the historic step of bringing a level of closure to the Rodney family with respect to the death

of Dr. Walter Rodney. This is a momentous occasion for many reasons and it is also a personal privilege for me and indeed all of us to be part of a process of the rectification of the historical record.”

The PPP/C administration must be commended not only for restoring the legacy of Dr. Rodney but for also setting the records straight regarding his life and death. It will be recalled that an earlier Inquest set up by the then Forbes Burnham regime found that Dr. Rodney’s death was the result of ‘misadventure’ which was found by the 2014 Commission of Inquiry to be incredibly flawed and dubious.

Interestingly, despite Dr. Rodney’s academic accomplishments, scholarship and activism, his death certificate described

him as ‘unemployed’. The PNC-dominated University of Guyana Council had denied him employment at the University of Guyana despite the fact that Dr. Rodney lectured at several reputable universities across the world.

That historical wrong has now been corrected and his death certificate has been modified to read ‘Professor’ instead of ‘unemployed’ and the cause of death now stated as ‘death by assassination’ rather ‘misadventure’. In addition, Rodney’s gravesite and memorial are now declared national monuments and are currently being managed collaboratively between the Rodney Family and the National Trust.

Dr. Rodney was also known for his writings which included ‘A History of the Guyanese People’;

‘Guyanese Sugar Plantations in the late 19th Century’ and ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’ in addition to several children’s books which have now become part of the national syllabus for use at primary and secondary schools in the country. In addition, the Walter Rodney Chair at the University of Guyana has been re-established and the Walter Rodney National Archives restored after the previous APNU+AFC administration had dropped his name.

These are indeed fitting tributes to an outstanding son of the soil whose life, death and contributions have not only been restored by the PPP/C administration but whose legacy will live on down the corridors of time.

City Hall is an example of how a City should not be managed Dear Editor, I OBSERVED in the press recently that the Prime Minister Brig (r ’td) Mark Phillips met with the Mayor and a delegation from the Georgetown Municipality, once more to attempt to alleviate the suffering of residents across the city, who are once again plagued by flooding caused in no small measure by the mismanagement of the City’s drainage and other infra-

structure.

It is no accident that in spite of the enormous assistance, financial, material and other, provided by the Central Government that the City is in such a decrepit condition. The Georgetown Municipality is in a vegetative, paralysed and nugatory state.

Nepotism, cronyism and favoritism are of the highest order at City Hall.

No other local government agency across the world could have so many friends and family members working together, all

square pegs in round holes.

It seems as though the criteria for getting a job there was knowing someone or being related to someone there.

Just imagine that councillors sat and squabbled for decades over trivial matters whilst City Hall crumbled into its current ruinous state. The Central Government had to rush in and rebuild it. They needed an administrative building and the government had to finance it. A grant was given to them to repair the Stabroek Market Clock,

they never fixed it and the grant was forfeited.

The market itself had the rehabilitation works done under an IDB-funded project and not its own money.

The City Police Training Centre is in a ramshackle state despite the Council claiming to have spent $47 million rehabilitating it, the abattoir which got damaged as a result of an accident, got repaired by a private entity but is still basically non-functional.

The Le Repentir Cemetery is a jungle, the Kitty Market another financial

black hole is yet to be completed, the Promenade Gardens, a public park is closed to the public, and the Day care centres are all shuttered.

The Council no longer builds or maintains roads or bridges in the City, the City Police Bicycle Patrol is dead, stray animals are no longer rounded up, public health inspection of yards is no longer done, so what does the City Council use all of the hundreds of millions of dollars it collects each month from property rates, stall rentals,

licences, container and other fees for?

It spends it on itself, doling out fat cat salaries that amount to well over a hundred million dollars a month, paying for needless public relations services, paying a whopping amount to contractors whilst Georgetown remains in a deplorable state. Why is the Local Government Commission allowing this?

Yours faithfully, Magagula Jackson

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Sugar workers must not allow themselves to be misled again

Dear Editor,

I AM a firm believer in presenting facts in my letters and my conclusions are based on facts rather than fiction and Quixotic rantings. I have seen how easy it is for a person to write a letter to the press on happenings which never existed at events, malign peoples’ characters and expect people who were not present to believe their deliberate lies, since only a few present will know the truth.

I am writing in response to another letter captioned, ‘Aren’t sugar workers allowed to provide political support as they see fit’? in the Kaieteur News dated 11th June, 2022. Yes, every citizen is entitled to support whichever political party they so choose, but they must not be misled or deceived into doing so.

On 3rd June, 2022, the Vice-President met with residents of Hampshire, the meeting was held in the Hampshire South Area and was fairly well attended.

The residents raised issues of garbage, drains, street lights and flood relief, but at no point in time did anyone raise any issues relating to conditions at GuySuCo, more specifically, wages and salaries.

I visited the area and met with some of the residents who attended that meeting and were totally shocked when I showed them a letter written by one Surendra Drepaul; but not only did they refute the accusations he casted upon the Vice-President

Dr Jagdeo, but they do not know any former employee and GAWU member by that name. One showed me a video of the said meeting and was shocked by the claims the letter writer made. I even spoke to the GAWU’S Field Secretary at Albion Estate and he cannot recall any person by that name. This man is a phantom it appears and what he wrote about is sheer fantasy and a figment of his warped imagination. The media was there and surely the journalists present would have reported such issues. But the pertinent question is: why did ‘Surendra Drepaul’ not engage the Vice-President there and then and probably made a video as evidence?

This is the cellphone age. In addition, his letter is devoid of any specific question posed by sugar workers and which is not compatible when someone is reporting what he witnessed or was part of. He could not have done so because the incidents he mentioned never happened. Undoubtedly, it is apparent that the few AFC mischief makers are beginning to wriggle out of the woodwork.

‘Drepaul’ could not resist using the usual modus operandi of the AFC and the APNU of attacking the Vice- President, since they cannot match his sharp intellect and par excellence statesmanship. The VP is definitely a threat to their existence and has effectively disrupted their bid to rig the 2020 Elections.

Imagine this phantom accused the Vice-Presi-

dent of spreading ‘lies’ and ‘stooping to such lows’.

I did not respond to this in my previous letter because I knew that Dr Jagdeo will never make such statements, for he is above that and that was the reason why I dealt with what the PPP/C Government has done to keep sugar from the guillotine as I did not see any mention of this in the phantom’s letter. I am reiterating that sugar workers must not be misled again as they did in 2015 when the Coalition promised 20 per cent wages increase and not to close any sugar estate.

It is my sacred and patriotic duty as the son of a cane-cutter and a former cane-cutter myself to advise my colleagues against forgetting what the PPP has done for them and the country as a whole. From 2020 to now the government has pumped $15.5 billion into GuySuCo to ensure not only that it survives, but that it becomes viable once again. In my letter I simply focused on the statement he made that ‘losing the support of sugar workers may be permanent next time.’ I am sure that parents of this writer would have taught him not only to ‘never curse the bridge,’ but also to speak the truth at all times. Let me advise him that, that bridge is the PPP and some ill-informed sugar workers must never curse it.

‘Drepaul’ tried a low blow to attack me personally, but he should have followed all the letters I have written and TV programmes which I hosted

and he would have realised that since the AFC colluded with the PNC to make this country ungovernable and to stymie socio-economic develop-

ment after the 2011 General Elections, I have relentlessly fought the AFC and I am gratified that I have won my war against them and will continue to

do so to ensure that the AFC stays as ‘dead meat.’

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Education Minister hints at increased education cash grant

THE “Because We Care” education cash grant has been a welcomed relief for many families and Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, on Monday night, hinted that the grant could increase beyond the $50,000 sum that had been promised.

“We had said very clearly that when we did this in 2014, it was the beginning. Each year it would raise until it is $50,000,” Manickchand said while speaking about the grant during a virtual programme organised by GlobeSpan.

She continued: “Before the end of our term, it will be- and I’m saying this with a big hint here- at least $50,000. It could

very well be more.”

For context, this cash grant was an initiative launched in 2014 by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government that governed the country from 2011 to 2015. Then, each child received $10,000.

The grant was, however, discontinued by the APNU+AFC administration from 2015 to 2020. In 2021, however, after the new PPP/C administration was elected to office, the Dr. Irfaan Ali-led administration made good on its campaign promise to reintroduce this children’s cash grant.

In that year, a $15,000 grant was distributed to each child, alongside a $4,000 uniform grant.

In 2021, some $3.2 billion

was allocated for the distribution of the grants to the more than 175,000 learners attending public schools. An additional $320 million was used to distribute the grants to children in private schools.

The government promised to incrementally increase the amount offered each year until the amount totalled $50,000 for each child. Thereafter, the $50,000 sum would be distributed each year.

That appears to be changing now. Manickchand mentioned that the $50,000 earmarked sum was decided on before Guyana had discovered oil.

With the discovery of oil and prolific reserves offshore Guy-

ana, the country’s is expected to undergo rapid transformation- including efforts at providing greater relief to people and improving their standard of living.

Meanwhile, when the distribution of this year’s cash grant commences later this year, Manickchand said that each child will get $25,000 while the uniform voucher will also increase to $5,000 per child.

The education grant is given as cash instead of a voucher that can only be used in specified places or to purchase specific items. And the Education Minister believes that parents will be able to purchase items or spend on initiatives that will ultimately benefit children.

Esther Rawlins was a great teacher and educator

Dear Editor,

I JUST learnt of the sad passing of Ms Esther Rawlins and ask that you publish this short recollection and tribute to a dedicated teacher. I am disappointed at not being able to attend her funeral because I was not aware that she had died. I trust that my Alma Mater will organise a special assembly to commemorate her life and immense contribution to the Languages Department.

I entered Queens College in 1973 and in September of that year, prior to the advent of co-education, commenced Espanol classes by none other than Esther Rawlins. She wore

a “small” Afro hair style which was very much in vogue in those years among young persons of African descent and my first impression when she spoke was that she must have studied in the United States of America.

I give her full credit for bringing the Spanish language alive with her style of teaching; we were never bored and I am convinced that whatever little Spanish I absorbed is largely due to her gentle but firm persuasion that it would be important for us to be able at least to converse in Spanish.

Today with the advent of thousands of Venezuelan refugees, her admonition has come to pass.

One of the most memorable things for me about

Ms Rawlins though had nothing to do with the teaching of Spanish, but the fact that she had an appreciation for the importance of sport and one day she abruptly announced that it would be desirable to have inter-class cricket matches arranged.

I was nominated Captain of 1C and we were to play cricket games against the other first-form classes she taught 1B and 1 D. As I recall, these matches were played on the middle pitch of the three pitches at the QC ground.

Our class was victorious against both of these classes, but what was important and interesting is that Ms Rawlins watched both of these encounters with great intent and

participated in cheering good batting, bowling and fielding as appropriate.

After these two victories she promptly advised me that it would be a good idea for us to play against her second-form students. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing Under-16 and Wight Cup Cricket fixtures on the ground, these matches never materialised.

Editor , I thank Ms

Rawlins (hope she reads this wherever she maybe) on behalf of myself and fellow team members for facilitating us to use our energies constructively in sporting endeavours where we learned to handle rivalries, success and failures, accordingly.

These simple matches ignited a strong interest in cricket and I would subsequently go on to represent Queens College in the

Under-16 competitions, as well as to play for our Wight Cup team.

May her good name and work be remembered for a long time to come and serve as an inspiration for all.

Bravo Senorita!

Hasta Luego Yours sincerely, Christopher Persaud Class of 73

Minister Edghill tours ‘IndianOil’ in New Delhi

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

MINISTER of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, who is leading a delegation to India, was given a guided tour of a section of the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IndianOil) located

in New Delhi, India.

The minister was accompanied by a delegation from Guyana’s High Commission in India.

IndianOil, known as the energy of India, is a diversi-

fied, integrated energy major with presence in almost all the streams of oil, gas, petrochemicals and alternative energy sources.

The company, according to its website, has highly

trained staff, state-of-the-art equipment and operates with cutting-edge technologies.

It also operates in line with world best practices, quality consciousness and transparency.

Prior to the tour, Minis-

ter Edghill met with India’s Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy, Shri R.K. Singh.

India has committed to giving Guyana support as the country ventures into the area of natural gas, power genera-

tion and renewable energy.

Minister Edghill is currently on an official visit to India for the launch ceremony of the new ferry vessel for the Northwest District.

That event takes place today in Kolkata, India.

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill and representatives of Guyana’s High Commission to India tour IndianOil in New Delhi (DPI photo)

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Man dies in mining pit mishap at Micobie Backdam

A 64-year-old miner of Subryanville, Georgetown, has succumbed to the injuries he sustained when a mining pit collapsed at the Micobie Backdam, Region Eight, on Friday.

According to information from the Guyana Police Force, the miner, Donald Gouveia, and three other persons were working in a sandy soil mining pit at around 12:00 hours, when the pit, which measures about 60 feet in diameter

and 70 feet in depth, caved in and covered 15 feet of the depth.

“At the time, Donald was jetting when the western pit wall collapsed and caved in, and in the process covered him.

His co-workers were partly covered, namely: Keith James (above his waist), Frencivaldo Santos (above his chest area) and Junior Daniels (just above his knees). They were assisted by other workers, including Mark Gouveia,”

Dead: Donald Gouveia Police Headquarters noted in a statement on Tuesday.

Police said James, San-

guyana CHRONICLE wednesday, june 15, 2022 tos, and Daniels managed to free themselves without any injury. However, Donald, who was extracted from the pit in an unconscious state, was rushed to the Micobie Health Centre and immedi-

ately referred to the Mahdia District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Gouveia’s body was subsequently escorted via aircraft from the Mah-

dia Airstrip to Ogle Airport, then to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.

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guyana CHRONICLE wednesday, june 15, 2022

Local health workers overseas for training on monkeypox

AS local health authorities continue to monitor the country for possible cases of the monkeypox, health workers have travelled overseas for training to diagnose the disease.

This was according to Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Narine Singh, during a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday.

He said that since the initial advisory was issued last month to health officials and surveillance units, there have been no reported or suspected cases of the monkeypox here.

Dr. Singh went on to say that some healthcare professionals who are cur-

rently overseas, are undergoing training as it relates to the diagnosis of monkeypox.

This, he related, is part of the Ministry of Health’s plan to equip the country with the capacity to deal with a suspected or proba-

ble case of monkeypox.

Dr. Singh affirmed that even as this process continues, there is continued monitoring at all health facilities across the country.

As it is now, there is no screening at airports since it would be difficult to as-

certain whether someone has the monkeypox unless they have symptoms of the disease.

“We’re not screening at port health for anything.

A person can come in and just look normal and you wouldn’t even know anything, it is until they present with symptoms… so, that’s why we asked all medical facilities to be on the lookout,” Dr. Singh said.

He added: “Once you present with symptoms

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Narine Singh

at any health facility, our medical practitioners both in the public and private are prepared, but once that person fits the definition then we will activate the system.”

The CMO told this news agency that healthcare professionals are aware of what they should be on the lookout for.

Additionally, Dr. Singh said that if there is any suspected or probable case, samples will be sent overseas for testing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Area of ‘Special Education Needs’ to be improved comprehensively

MINISTER of Education, Priya Manickchand, led a team from the Ministry of Education, on Tuesday, to engage teachers who teach at Special Education Needs (SEN) schools across the country.

According to the Education Ministry, in a release on Tuesday, the consultation was to hear from teachers within this area about what they believe the Ministry can do to improve the SEN sector in terms of education delivery and the needs of students and teachers.

Minister Manickchand said that SEN cannot be ignored and that it is an area that the Ministry of Education, as well as the Government of Guyana, feels strongly about.

“This is something that we feel strongly about. We have to address it comprehensively,” the Education Minister noted.

Teachers on Tuesday, the Education Ministry noted raised several points about how the system for SEN students and teachers can be improved at the various

— Education Minister says

institutions and nationally.

Minister Manickchand told the educators that the Ministry was genuine about moving the sector forward and that such cannot be done without their contribution.

She said that special education needs children have more specialised needs than children who do not have special needs. As such, a different and much more effective approach has to be taken to make their experience in school more fulfilling and

rewarding.

Further, she said that she believes that the Ministry was on a solid platform to move the sector forward for SEN so that the system can produce citizens who can be self-sufficient when they leave school, thereby fulfilling the purpose of benefitting from a good education.

Further, Minister Man-

ickchand said that a special pathway programme would commence in September at the Cyril Potter College of Education to train interested persons to become Special Education Needs teachers.

Minister Manickchand was joined Tuesday by the Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson; Deputy Chief Education Officer (Development), Ms. Volika Jaikishun; Deputy

Chief Education Officer (AHED), Mr. Marti DeSouza; Education Specialist, Dr. Olato Sam; Principal of CPCE, Ms. Noella Joseph; Vice-Principal (Curriculum and Instruction), Ms. Kevaun Sears and Coordinator of the Regional Special Education Needs/ Disability Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Mr. Keon Cheong.

Caption: Minister of Education Priya Manickchand (at podium) engages teachers who teach at Special Education Needs (SEN) schools across the country (Education Ministry photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Guyanese in New York celebrate Arrival Day

By Vishnu Bisram

HUNDREDS turned out for the annual Indian Arrival Day (IAD) celebration at Smokey Park Oval on Sunday afternoon, June 12.

What began as a gloomy day with heavy rainfall from 08:00 hours until 13:00 hours eventually gave way to bright sun.

IAD is the most celebrated of Indian Guyanese entertainment events. The programme featured a cultural variety show and a pageant. The celebration was organised by the Indo-Caribbean Federation led by Ralph Tamesh. Several accomplished singers and dancers from the Indo-Caribbean Community entertained the huge crowd.

Live band music accompanying the singers was supplied by Anoop Dhanpat and the Sansaar Sangeet Orchestra. There was also karaoke singing. There were fabulous performances by all of the artistes. There was a pageant involving modelling and talent (dancing and singing) as well as answering a random question to choose an Indo-Caribbean Federation Queen. The queen reigns for two years. Well known personality Ms. Lolita Singh and Roshan Shivcharran coordinated the pageant.

It was an entertainment-packed and funfilled cultural variety concert. There was an assortment of performances featuring diverse music and dance showcasing talent in the Guyanese, ‘Trini’, and Surinamese communities – Bollywood and local styles.

The audience danced and clapped to the beat of Bol-

lywood and local Indo-Caribbean songs and music.

Several Punjabis and non-Indians were among the crowd drawn to the five hours of fantastic entertainment. They also clapped and cheered the participants.

This year’s celebration commemorated the 184th anniversary since the migration of the first batch of Indians set foot (May 5, 1838) in the Caribbean (Guyana) to work as indentured labourers. Indians were also indentured to several other territories in the Caribbean. From Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean, they migrated to North America and UK and elsewhere.

The Indo-Caribbean Federation planned, organised, and executed the commemoration of this historic celebration. It was the first outdoor cultural programme in the community since 2019.

The IAD celebration was shut down in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. It has been pretty depressing to be shut down. Tamesh said the IAD programme brought joy and energy to the community and to greater Richmond Hill.

Hundreds patronised the event with many of the congregants dressed in traditional Indian attire (Shalwar Kameez, lahenga, choli, kurtha sets, Nehru suits).

Several businesses sponsored prizes, provided refreshments, and helped to underwrite the costs associated with the programme.

Some individuals also volunteered their time. Booths displayed their products.

There was also henna arts and crafts and a line-up of other booths distributing a

variety of goodies including face masks, hand sanitisers, COVID self-test kits. Drinks were also available gratis.

The emcees were Sunita Sukhram and Patricia Ragunandan and along with Imran Ahmed, Latchmee Singh and Pageant Coordinator, Lolita Singh, did a fantastic job. The new ICF Queen 2022 Miss Alisa Ramanarias was crowned; Miss Haley Persaud was the 1st Runner up and Karishma Boodram was the second Runner up. Prizes and flower bouquets were doled out also to the other winners.

The organisers of the concert also put out a special publication, Indo-Caribbean Magazine, highlighting aspects of life of the community and its activities. The President of the Federation, Ralph Tamesh a thirty-threeyear veteran of ICF spoke briefly about the work of the ICF – propagating culture and sports in New York and assisting less fortunate emigres.

Tamesh praised the hard work of executive members in making the celebration a wonderful success. He applauded the artistes and pageant contestants for their participation. He also saluted the work of the pioneers. He thanked the audience for coming out to offer encouragement to the performers and to celebrate the Indian heritage. He also heaped praises on those who assisted in the commemorative activities and provided various forms of assistance. He thanked the various sponsors and donors including Sybil, Singh’s Roti Shop and Bakewell.

A section of the gathering at Smokey Park Oval last Sunday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

FAO Council gathers to review plans and progress

DIRECTOR-GENERAL of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, has thanked staff, members and partners for their contributions to the extraordinary efforts and extraordinary achievements of the organi-

sation so far in 2022.

“We have been walking the talk,” he said in remarks opening the 170th Session of the FAO Council, being held in hybrid form in Rome this week.

He mentioned the series of successful regional conferences held amid many logisti-

cal constraints due to ongoing lockdown measures, and noted that he had managed to make official visits to 16 countries, meet 13 heads of state or government and more than 130 ministers or vice ministers, as well as participate in person in important international fora

Opening of the 170th session of the FAO Council (FAO photo)

such as the XV World Forestry Congress in Seoul, the International Conference on Digital Agriculture in Baku, and the 11th World Potato Congress in Dublin.

“This really helps us understand the situation and challenges faced by all five regions,” Dongyu said, adding that that was part of broader efforts to intensify partnerships to support the FAO’s strategic framework and speed up the transformation of agri-food systems at national and regional levels.

The Director-General also informed the council of his participation in several G7 ministerial meetings during which he briefed the group on the new global food security scenario and the consequences of the war in Ukraine on food prices and supply chains.

He also addressed the G20 Ministers of Finance and Central Bankers meeting, as well as the UN Security Council meeting on Food Security in May, affirming the crucial role of FAO and other Rome-based UN agencies in reversing rising levels of acute hunger.

“I stressed that conflict and now war remains the single greatest driver of hunger, and that agriculture is one of the keys to lasting peace and security,” the Director-General said.

He called for strengthening the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and identifying the root causes of food insecurity, including conflict and climate change.

“We are neighbours on this small planet village – what happens to one affects us all,” Dongyu added.

He stressed the importance of keeping the global agri-food trade system open, ensuring that agri-food exports are not

restricted or taxed, and outlined the four major pathways for cooperative action: more investment in countries severely affected by the current increase in food prices: reduction of food loss and waste; better and more efficient use of natural resources, especially water and fertiliser, and a focus on technological and social innovations that can significantly reduce market failures in agriculture.

“If we don’t act within two years, we will have one billion people living in hunger,” Independent Chairperson of the FAO Council, Hans Hoogeveen, said while introducing the session.

PROGRESS BEING MADE Council members convoked to comment on and approve various budget reports. The Director-General also appealed to them to endorse two new thematic strategies, one on Climate Change and the other on Science and Innovation, both of which have been discussed at numerous informal consultations with Members at the regional and global level.

“Following this very inclusive process, it is now time to endorse the Strategies, and to allow countries to decide how best to implement them based on their national priorities and pathways,” Qu said, adding that members have emphasised that the two strategies go hand in hand and should be implemented coherently and with their strong support, and emphasising that he fully agreed with that approach.

The strategies will guide FAO in helping members achieve their ambitions to address climate change in agrifood systems and the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and will benefit billions

of small-scale producers who urgently need the best available science, technologies and innovation to play their part in transforming the world’s agrifood systems, he said.

T h e D i r e c t o r- G e n e r a l also updated Members on the successful implementation of various FAO flagship initiatives. The Hand-In-Hand Initiative now counts 52 participating countries, while the Green Cities Initiative has supported 61 countries since its launch in September 2020, with 19 projects in implementation or advanced design phase.

FAO has started use of a pilot tool to accelerate the rollout of the 1,000 Digital Villages Initiative and strengthen FAO’s e-agriculture strategy, is taking nominations to serve on the operating mechanism of the International Platform for Digital Food and Agriculture, and a wide group of stakeholders is participating in the newly-launched One Country One Priority Product Initiative.

Other achievements include the dynamic approach taken through the FAO Strategy for Private Sector Engagement and a mentorship programme for women-led SME businesses in Africa.

Dongyu said his 34 months in office have been marked by “dynamics, humanity, family value, professionalism, innovation, inclusiveness, efficiency, effectiveness, solidarity and above all, the extraordinary efforts with extraordinary results of all FAO employees and of Members during pressing times” and urged continuing cooperation and strong partnerships as FAO moves towards a “next normal” phase in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

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guyana CHRONICLE wednesday, june 15, 2022

Turning your ‘side hustle’ into a full business (Jamaica Observer) FOR many entrepreneurs, starting a business could seem like a daunting task at first, but for those who are brave enough to take the plunge, the rewards are usually worthwhile.

Senior Corporate Manager of JMMB Group’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Resource Centre Shani Duncan-Falconer explains that it is even easier to establish a business when you’ve been providing products and services as your side hustle.

Although you won’t have to start from scratch, she explains that there are a few tips to ensure you transform your side hustle into a business effectively.

Firstly, JMMB stressed that it’s important to set realistic goals.

“The first thing is that they are working already with their side hustle. What they were using it for is for extra income, but if you are going to transition into using your side hustle as your main business you need to make sure that you set financial goals and make sure they are realistic,” said Duncan-Falconer.

Similarly, those who are ready to make the transition should equip themselves with proper money management.

“You’re going to have to use your main income as your side hustle. So you need to make sure that whatever you were making before can sustain your lifestyle. You’ll also need to cut back because most businesses start small and they will take a while to build up to where they want it to be,” she continued.

In the same vein, Duncan-Falconer cautions against mixing personal funds with business funds.

She said: “Make sure you open a business bank account. I tell people to start doing this before they transition into their full-time business. We need to make sure that you’re separating personal funds from your business funds so that you can see how much your business is really bringing in and see if that income is sustainable to actually pay yourself from your side hustle while you still have your business expenses.”

As for those who are operating informal businesses, Duncan-Falconer suggests becoming formal by registering the business.

“You have to register your business. Make sure that you go to the companies’ office and register your

business and with registering your business you also have to be tax compliant. So you’d want to make sure that you go to TAJ. It doesn’t mean that you come the first year and you’ll be paying a lot of tax; it simply means you are compliant. So, even if you don’t make money in your first year, that is what you’re going to report; report what your earnings are, even if it’s a flat zero,” she advised.

In the meantime, she explained that there are many benefits attached to operating your own business.

“It’s definitely more satisfying, in terms of job achievement and goals, knowing that you are putting yourself into what you are doing and it is totally your business. In terms of emotional satisfaction, longrun financial satisfaction and in terms of leaving a legacy for your family and knowing that if you do have kids, that is something they can look forward to,” she related.

At the same time, the corporate manager urged first time entrepreneurs not to go the road alone. She said finding a mentor will help smoothen the transition.

“Seek out a network of partners or people who are in the industry and who understand the industry so that they can really give you proper advice. It is always good to get a business mentor or business coach.

“So, look at where you want to be, look at the industry you want to be in, and seek people out who are in that industry who can give you the real deal on if this is something to go into and also the encouragement in terms of going into it,” Duncan-Falconer said.

She said that creating a team is also important because the owner may not have all the expertise he/she needs to operate the business alone.

“You have your advisor but then you have to create a team because you have to realise that you’re not going to know everything, so you need to bring in persons who are strong in different areas and build your team.

By doing so you will be able to build your business,” she added.

Duncan-Falconer added that she has realised a reluctance to transition side hustles into full businesses since the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, noting that entrepreneurs are managing their risks. However, she admitted that will change soon as things start to normalise.

“I see a lot of entrepreneurs who are still working and have their side hustle, but their side hustle is thriving and if they wanted

to they could easily move over to their side hustle. So I would say that many entrepreneurs are still in the phase of moving out and especially

because of the coronavirus pandemic.

People don’t really want to give up their income right now to go fully

into the side hustle, and I think as we come out of it people are going to start moving to that more,” she said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Guyana, India eye enhanced co-operation on energy, power generation

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill and other high level officials from Guyana engage India’s Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, Shri R.K. Singh and his team (DPI photo)

SENIOR representatives of Guyana and India have committed, on behalf of their respective countries, to enhance cooperation in the areas of energy and power generation.

Guyana’s Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, who is on an official visit to India, met with the Asian nation’s Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, Shri R.K. Singh, on Monday.

The aim of the engagement between the two high-level ministers was to further strengthen bilateral relations in critical areas of development.

Discussions surrounded Guyana’s push towards affordable, renewable energy and the avenues the government is taking for this, which include the Gas-to-Energy Project, the Local Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, the Amaila

Falls Hydropower project, and solar and wind farms.

Minister Singh shared India’s experiences in renewable energy and power generation and was keen on enhancing knowledge sharing and capacity building between Guyana and India.

Minister Edghill is in India for the launch of the new ferry vessel for the Northwest District, which takes place in Kolkata, India, on Wednesday.

The team led by Minister Edghill comprises Guyana’s High Commissioner to India, Charrandass Persaud; Chairperson of the Transport and Harbours Department, Rosalinda Rasul; Chief Transport Planning Officer, Patrick Thompson and First Secretary at Guyana’s High Commission to India, Ronalda Edwards Horatio.

‘Hot Skull’ admits to killing Better Hope pensioner

SHERWIN Clarke, called ‘Hot Skull’, who was on trial for the 2016 murder of 76-year-old David Ramkissoon, on Tuesday, pleaded

will be presented before the sentence is handed down.

Clarke was represented by attorney-at-law Damien DaSilva, while the state was

CONFESSED KILLER: Sherwin ‘Hot Skull’ Clarke

DEAD: David Ramkissoon

guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

When he appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court for the continuation of his trial, he threw himself at the mercy of the court and opted to admit to manslaughter.

The charge was re-read to him and he confessed to unlawfully killing Ramkissoon on August 21, 2016, at his Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) house.

Justice Kissoon then directed the 12-member jury to return a formal guilty verdict against Clarke for manslaughter.

The case will be called again on June 30, when a probation report on Clarke

represented by prosecutor Muntaz Ali. According to the prosecution’s case, on the day in question, the victim was at home when Clarke along with others invaded the building and robbed him.

During the robbery, his throat was slit.

The matter was reported to the police after relatives returned from the creek and discovered Ramkissoon’s body.

In April, Clarke’s co-accused, Godfrey Gill called ‘Chucky’, was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment

by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

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guyana CHRONICLE wednesday, june 15, 2022

Major quarry operation in the pipeline for Sakarara Point

A MULTIMILLION-dollar quarry operation with an estimated mineable reserve of 1,500,000 tonnes is on the cards for Sakarara Point, West Bank Essequibo.

The project, which will occupy 807 acres of land, is expected to produce 353,000 tonnes of aggregate, with a high possibility of an extension in depth.

The specifics of the project were outlined by the operator, Agatash Quarry, which is owned by Atlantic Engineering Guyana Inc., a large diversified Guyanese company involved in the supply and placement of construction and building materials, timber and a variety of other industries.

“The Agatash Quarry project is intended to provide a long-term supply of high quality construction materials and boulders for sea defence in Guyana, region-

al and local markets,” the company said, adding: “The rocks quarried at Agatash Quarry are strongly foliated amphibolite intruded by minor biotite granite which contains exnoliths of ampibolite with heavy joining and foliation.”

This is not the first phase of mining in the project area, as there have been previous quarrying operations there.

Agatash Quarry, however, plans to establish a processing plant that will comprise a three-stage crushing and screening system.

Other aspects of the project include a port loading and offloading facility, a truck loading facility and access road, workshop and an office, among other things.

Speaking about the potential for advancement in the local quarrying industry, President, Dr Irfaan Ali, had said: “Guyana has a huge

quarry potential that has been greatly underdeveloped. Our accelerated housing programme, massive highways, and community roads to be developed will increase our demand three-fold over the next five years.”

Not only will such operations address possible market shortages, they will also create direct and indirect employment opportunities

for hundreds or even thousands of Guyanese.

Agatash Quarry for instance is expected to employ 28 persons, but there will be additional auxiliary staff contracted to complete medical and environmental tasks, and for security purposes.

In addition to supporting the operations to which they are attached, persons employed in the quarry in-

dustry will be contributing to the overall development of Guyana’s infrastructural landscape.

Addressing the plans for infrastructural advancement this year, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had said that the intention is to have innovative and modern public infrastructure.

The government has allocated the largest portion of its milestone $552.9 billion Budget 2022 to the Ministry of Public Works.

A total of $96.1 billion has been allocated to the ministry, which is responsible for the country’s infrastructure.

Further, the government has allocated some $76.7 billion for roads and bridges to the Ministry of Public Works in the 2022 budget.

Another component of public infrastructure is the construction of houses and

the accompanying facilities to make the environment conducive to living. To this end, the government has allocated $12.4 billion for further development within the housing sector.

“With the construction boom underway, particularly pertaining to the rapid expansion in housing and road projects, the development and expansion of the other mining and quarrying sub-sector is crucial,” Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, had said.

This expansion, he related, has the potential of lowering construction costs, since the abundance of local, readily available resources could ease the impact of imported inflationary pressure on the cost of key construction materials.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Pork-knocker remanded for allegedly murdering cook

A 25-year-old pork-knocker was, on Tuesday, remanded to prison for the murder of Miriam Edwards, whose lifeless body was recently found in the Puruni River, Region Seven.

Keron Hope of Middle Street, Buxton, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert, at the Bartica Magistrate’s

Court, where the charge was read to him.

Hope was not required to plead to the capital offence which alleged that, between June 8 and June 9, 2022, at the Kumung Komungo Backdam, Puruni River, he murdered the woman.

He was remanded to prison until June 30, 2022.

On June 8, the lifeless

body of the 25-year-old woman was found in the Puruni River, a short distance from the mining camp where she worked as a cook.

According to reports, Edwards was attacked and robbed

by Hope. Her living quarters were ransacked and a quantity of gold was reportedly stolen.

Hope was subsequently arrested by police ranks in the

Division and allegedly admitted to murdering the woman.

Edwards’ body was recovered after Hope took police ranks to area where he had allegedly dumped her body.

An autopsy conducted on Monday, on the woman’s remains, found that she died as a result of asphyxiation due to manual strangulation.

DEAD: Miriam Edwards

MURDER ACCUSED: Keron Hope

NAREI donates 100 coconut plants to Prison Service THE National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), last Friday, donated 100 18-month coconut plants to the Guyana Prison Service (GPS).

The plants were presented to Tiffany Trim, one of the officers attached to the agriculture department of GPS, by NAREI’s Daniel Chand at the Plant Nursery located at # 63 Village Corentyne, Berbice.

According to Trim, the plants will be cultivated by inmates under the supervision of officers at the various prison farms. The

inmates usually tend to the various farms operated by the GPS. This offers them practical knowledge of farming. They are also exposed to theoretical lessons. Trim expressed gratitude to NAREI for the donation.

“We have developed a relationship with NAREI over a number of years…

We knew that NAREI was the place to get quality coconut plants,” she said.

Chand said that the donation was part of NAREI’s social responsibility, and urged the Prison Service to make full use of the plants.

NAREI’s Daniel Chand (right) hands over one of the coconut plants to Tiffany Trim

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Warrant Officers, Police Inspectors, Chief Prison Officer complete leadership course

T W E N T Y- S E V E N Warrant Officers, two Guyana Police Force Inspectors, and the Chief Prison Officer recently graduated from the Inaugural Warrant Officers’ Leadership Course.

According to the Guyana Defence Force

of the Training Corps, Lieutenant Colonel Lorraine Foster, who delivered the feature address at the simple closing ceremony, congratulated the students for successfully completing the training.

She underscored the level of responsibility entrusted to Warrant Offi-

A section of the officers that recently graduated from the Inaugural Warrant Officers’ Leadership Course (GDF photo)

(GDF), the course was conducted in collaboration with the Universal Defence and Security Solutions Limited (UDSS), based in the United Kingdom, and lasted 11 days.

The aim of the course was to prepare Warrant Officers with command, leadership, and management skills, which will enable them to effectively engage and support their Commanding Officers in the daily operations of their respective services.

The GDF noted that the training covered a wide range of subject areas, including Command Leadership and Management, Planning Exercises, Problem Solving and Decision Making, Military Law, Report Writing, Career Management of Soldiers, Presentation Skills, and Mental Resilience and Welfare.

Second in Command

cers and emphasised that the training had equipped them with the necessary skills to effectively aid in the operations and development of the Force.

“To us in the military, you the Warrant Officers represent the strength of the military’s backbone, and much is expected of you now that the training has ended. Whether you are in the Guyana Defence Force or any of the sister services, it is expected that, hereafter, you will demonstrate better accountability of your command,” Lieutenant Colonel Foster posited.

“You can no longer delink yourselves from issues of command, because not only have you been further exposed to command relationships, but you have been given an opportunity to have a better understanding of your functions and greater exposure to the human

resource management as well. I expect, therefore, that you will seek to improve the quality of life of your subordinates and be intricately involved in

their welfare,” she urged.

Lead Instructor, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Martin Traverse of the British Army, expressed his satisfaction with the

diligence and commitment of participants.

Universal Defence and Security Solutions Ltd (UDSS) is a global defence consultancy

providing specialist defence and wider security advice, assistance and solutions to Governments and businesses.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Yarakita residents laud Gov’t initiatives RESIDENTS of Yarakita, Barima-Waini (Region One) are satisfied with the work of

the government, as it continuously addresses issues facing residents of that region.

The PPP/C Administration has been fulfilling its commitment to bringing significant

development to the Indigenous People living in the hinterland and riverine communities.

Community Support Officer, Judith Allen

Community Support Officer, Ulanda Romaldo

These villages lack opportunities comparable to those available on the Coast.

One of the major initiatives the Arawaks, one of nine Amerindian tribes of Guyana, are most appreciative of is the return of the Community Support Officers (CSO) programme. This was one of the initiatives that was dissolved in 2015, despite it bringing physical development to the aesthetics of villages and increasing the circulation of money in the hinterland.

Deputy Toshao of Yarakita, Delon Emanuel, lauded the programme. “The CSO is beneficial because most of the youths are employed and they [CSOs] are upgraded in education and in health. So, I see it as a lot beneficial towards the youths of Yarakita.”

A village resident, Wendell Abraham, is also pleased with the opportunities government provides for hinterland youths.

“A very important thing is jobs. We need to have our youths employed with jobs that you can really get money, so that money can circulate in our community because it is very important,” Meanwhile, Judith Allen, one of the 10 CSOs in the Arawak community, said, “I basically clean and sweep and wipe the walls [of the school]. When I finish, I would sit down and watch how the teacher teaching. You learn new things every day. At least we learn how we could teach the children because we didn’t go far, me go up to grade nine, but we’re glad because every day we learn something new in this programme.”

Another CSO, Ulanda Romaldo, highlighted that it is a blessing to be offered a job that allows her to contribute to the development of her village.

“The government has done a good thing because they help we … and when the three month up, we get money and we can buy something and to me is a good thing. The government is a really good government and he [His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali] doing good.”

Government, since August 2020, has brought about significant development to those living in the hinterland

and riverine communities, such as the rapid Information Communications Technology (ICT) programme, that seeks to equip all hinterland, poor and remote communities to have access to online tech-

Resident of Yarakita, Region One, Wendell Abraham

nology and information by constructing, rehabilitating and equipping ICT Hubs in the 220 villages.

Another major project is the agriculture sustainability programme which saw, in the first phase, the distribution of 112 tractors, trailers and chippers to villages.

Provisions are being made to purchase more tractors, ensuring all 220 villages benefit.

This project is being executed as government recognises the vulnerabilities of hinterland communities at a time when climate change, which results in unpredictable weather patterns, is affecting Guyana and the world.

It also concretises the commitment of the government of revolutionising the agriculture sector and preserving food security.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, who visited the community on Friday last, said, “We have been fulfilling our commitment and working in the best interest of the people of Guyana…we have to catch up the hinterland with the coastal areas.”

Yarakita is one of the many villages that benefitted from the return of the Presidential Grant.

Government also distributed some $10 million to the community as an economic recovery grant, as it was hard hit by the COVID-19 Pandemic. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 15, 2022

Slingerz FC... (From back page) players and part-time players.”

Meanwhile, the founder and president of the club was adamant that “Slingerz FC is not only about football.”

“We’re also about youth development, providing them with opportunities, schooling and we’re in talks with Chase Academy for some of our young players to make sure that they get that quality education, some will have a part-time job, in terms of helping them to start a smart business where necessary,” Ali noted.

Meanwhile, Trevor Williams, president of the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA), where Slingerz will compete, said Slingerz’ return is “a huge step in the development of local football. I like the fact that

the word investment is being used at the forum, and that development can’t happen without investment.”

Williams was more upbeat about the investment being made within his Association while praising the businessman for returning to the game.

Former National player, Vurlon Mills, who also once suited up for Slingerz FC, will lead the team in battle as their Head Coach.

He noted that the club’s success in the past was purely on their collective approach to the game through hard work and preparation. This time around, under his tenure at the helm, things will be no different.

Former Den Amstel Head Coach, O’Neil Heywood, will serve as Mills’ assistant,

along with his former Golden Jaguars teammate, Dwain Jacobs.

Shawn Adonis, Prince Forde, Kevin Dundas (captain), Quincy Adams, Jerome Harrigon, Shakem Welcome, Simeon Moore, Clive Nobrega, Vincent Childera, Kvist Paul, Ricardo Halley, Dexroy Adams, Matrim Martin, Samuel Garnett, Neron Barrow, Delon Lanferman and Deon Alfred are the players on the squad.

Apart from capturing the first edition of the GFF Elite League, Slingerz FC won the Bank Cup (20132014), West Side Mashramani Knockout tournament (2013 & 2014), WDFA League (2013 & 2014), Mayor’s Cup (2015) and the Kashif and Shanghai tournament (2015).

Jamaica surge to massive win over...

(From back page)

McLean with a 53-ball 83 (9x4s; 3x6s) and 51-ball 56 (5x4s) from Stafanie Taylor as the two added 145 runs in 16 overs.

Amanda Edwards (2-11) and Saneldo Willett (2-31) made the inroads for the Leeward side, whose batters folded under the pressure of the big chase, as they reached 46-3 when their 20 overs expired.

Shawnisha Hector topscored with 17 from 31 balls while Willett made 16 from

40 balls, as Jamaica cantered to a 124-run victory.

Summarised scores of Barbados v Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago108-7 from 20 overs (Rachel Vincent 22*, Britney Cooper 22, Anisa Mohammed 20; Hayley Matthews 2-25, Shakera Selman 2-30) beat Barbados 89-7 from 20 overs (Aaliyah Alleyne 26, Kyshona Knight 23; Mohammed 3-11, Kamara Ragoobar 2-16) by 19 runs

Meanwhile, Guyana women recorded their first win of the tournament on Momday night when they crushed winless Leewards by 75 runs, after gathering 122 for four from their 20 overs, thanks to the West Indies pair of Shemaine Campbelle (36) and Shakibi Gajbabi (32 not out).

Left-arm spinner Kaysia Schultz then grabbed three for 14 to help rout Leewards for 47 in the 15th overs.

Haiti tramples Guyana...

Emery Welshman, Neil Danns, Jalen Jones and Nathan Moriah-Welsh were the only starters from the Guyana leg.

Based on the early ex-

changes, those adjustments seemed right, until the 39th minute when Haiti got the first of the game.

Christian scored on the rebound after a free-kick taken by Columbus Crew’s Derrick Etienne Jr. Garrett, who was making his first start in the Nations League, was called for a rough challenge on Carnejy Antoine, resulting in the free-kick.

The Guyanese players were appealing for an offside infraction, but the officials upheld the goal.

Guyana would return to the dressing room at halftime only conceding one goal.

But things took a turn for the Golden Jaguars when they went down to 10 men after Benjamin picked up his second yellow card just three minutes into the second half for an unnecessary elbow to the neck of

(From back page)

one of the Haitian players.

Everything went downhill thereafter for the Golden Jaguars.

Haiti completely dominated the game in every third on the pitch, getting off 16 shots on goal while holding on to the ball 68% of the time.

Defensively, Haiti was more sound, only allowing the Guyanese to get off five shots on goal during their 90 minutes of play.

Guyana will travel to Hamilton on March 25, 2023, to face Bermuda.

The Golden Jaguars will close their participation in the second edition of the Nations League with a home game against Montserrat on March 28, 2023.

According to CONCACAF, the Nations League will serve as the q ualifier for the 2023 Gold Cup.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 15, 2022

Costa Rica qualify for 2022 World Cup in Qatar COSTA Rica became the last team to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a 1-0 victory over New Zealand.

In the intercontinental play-off, Costa Rica took a third-minute lead when ex-Arsenal player Joel Campbell shot low into the bottom corner.

New Zealand ended the match with 10 men as substitute Kosta Barbarouses was sent off for fouling Francisco Calvo.

The World Cup begins on 21 November with Costa Rica playing 2010 champions Spain in their opener on 23 November.

Ranked 31st in the world, Luis Fernando Suarez's side go into Group E, which also contains four-time winners Germany and a Japan side who have advanced beyond the group phase in three of the past five tournaments.

Costa Rica have now qualified for the World Cup six times and this will be their third successive appearance.

Their best performance came in 2014 when they reached the quarter-finals, finishing top of a group that included Uruguay, Italy and England, before beating Greece on penalties in

the last 16 and losing in a shootout to the Netherlands.

After finishing fourth in CONCACAF qualifying, Costa Rica faced Oceania winners New Zealand with the one-leg match taking place at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.

New Zealand, ranked 101st in the world, had a good spell just after conceding the goal, but Alex Greive, Matthew Garbett and Newcastle striker Chris Wood all failed to convert chances from inside the penalty area.

Wood thought he had scored late in the first half when he shot past Paris St-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas.

However, the referee ruled out the goal after checking the incident on a pitchside monitor following a video assistant referee check - and judged Garbett had fouled Oscar Duarte before crossing for Wood to finish.

A VAR check also led to Barbarouses' dismissal as the referee changed his original decision from a yellow card to red after seeing the challenge had caught Calvo on the ankle. The 10 men of New Zealand fought until the end, but could not find an equaliser. (BBC Sport)

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - final groups A - Qatar | Ecuador | Senegal | Netherlands B - England | Iran | USA | Wales C - Argentina | Saudi Arabia | Mexico | Poland D - France | Australia | Denmark | Tunisia E - Spain | Costa Rica | Germany | Japan F - Belgium | Canada | Morocco | Croatia G - Brazil | Serbia | Switzerland | Cameroon H - Portugal | Ghana | Uruguay | South Korea 12:00 hrs Legend Of Dubai 12:35 hrs Chateau 13:10 hrs White Moonlight American Racing Tips Delware Race 1 Shoot Themessenger Race 2 Titan’s Will Race 3 Macestria Race 4 Istria Race 5 Celtic Treasure Race 6 Life Is A Banquet Race 7 Aioli Race 8 Chief Charlie South Africa Racing Tips Kenilworth 08:30 hrs Green Falcon 09:05 hrs Demelza 09:40 hrs Aus Bob 10:15 hrs Captaine Maurice 10:50 hrs Academic Gold English Racing Tips Ascot 09:30 hrs Love Reigns 10:05 hrs Eldar Eldaroy 10:40 hrs Bay Bridge 11:20 hrs Mother Earth

Uttoxeter 08:35 hrs Isle Of Oir 09:10 hrs Lady Malarkey 09:45 hrs Mahanakhon 10:20 hrs Rock Legend 11:00 hrs Daranova 11:33 hrs Gold Lender Ripon 12:26 hrs City Escape 13:00 hrs Boom Boom Pow 13:40 hrs Mokaman 14:10 hrs Reel Rosie 14:30 hrs Azure Blue 15:10 hrs Where’s Jeff 15:40 hrs Burgoo Beauty Irish Racing Tips Wexford 12:20 hrs Rebel Rose 12:50 hrs Shantou Lucky 13:25 hrs Faron 14:00 hrs Effernock Fizz 14:30 mhrs Call Me Lyreen 15:00 hrs Mica Malpic 15:30 hrs Silver Breeze

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Wiggins stars as Warriors beat Celtics 104-94 to close in on NBA title THE Golden State Warriors are one win away from a seventh NBA title after Andrew Wiggins inspired his team to a 10494 win over the Boston Celtics.

The Warriors lead the series 3-2 and can claim a fourth title in eight years with victory in game six of the best-of-seven contest in Boston on Thursday.

Wiggins led Golden State with 26 points while Klay Thompson added a further 21.

But Stephen Curry, who starred with 43 points in game four, missed all nine of his three-point attempts on Tuesday.

Curry had never before gone without a three-pointer in 133 career play-off games, but Warriors head coach

Andrew Wiggins led Golden State Warriors with 26 points while Klay Thompson added a further 21

Steve Kerr said the player was "probably due a game like this".

Wiggins' performance

comes 36 years after his father, Mitchell, came off the bench to lead the Houston Rockets to victory against the same opponents in game five of the 1986 NBA Finals.

"It's an opportunity of a lifetime," Wiggins said.

"It's something I've worked hard for, something the team has worked hard for, so I'm excited. I can't wait."

He added: "We're here and we're hungry. The team that wants it the most is going to get it, and we want it."

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 27 points for the Celtics, who had led the series 2-1.

But, as was the case in their Eastern semi-final against the Milwaukee Bucks, they now require back-to-back wins to triumph. (BBC Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 15, 2022

Serena Williams given Wimbledon singles wildcard Serena Williams will make her return to Grand Slam tennis at Wimbledon this month after being given a wildcard entry to the singles.

The 40-year-old American, who is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, has not played since injuring herself in the first round at SW19 last year.

She will make her return to tennis playing doubles at Eastbourne alongside Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in the week before Wimbledon then compete at the All England Club, where she is a seven-time singles champion.

Williams' elder sister Venus, who has won the singles at Wimbledon five times and the doubles six times alongside Serena, was not in the initial batch of singles wildcards announced on Tuesday.

However, the 41-yearold, who has not played on the WTA Tour since August, could still be given one of the remaining two spots for the tournament, which begins on 27 June.

Serena - who earlier on Tuesday had posted an image of her trainers on grass, captioning it: "SW and SW19.

Serena Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion

It's a date" - is currently ranked 1,208 because of her prolonged inactivity.

She won the last of her Wimbledon titles in 2016, but reached the final in 2018 and 2019 after returning from maternity leave. She last won a Grand Slam singles title at the 2017 Australian Open.

The younger Williams first played in the singles event at Wimbledon as a 16-year-old in 1998 and has only missed the tournament three times since, including when pregnant with daughter Olympia in 2017.

She reached the 2018

final, where she lost to Angelique Kerber, in just her fourth tournament back after giving birth.

However, her most recent attempt to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles ended in heartbreak on Centre Court last year, when she was forced to retire injured against Aliaksandra Sasnovich after slipping.

The injury kept her out of the US Open and Australian Open that followed and there were doubts that she would return to the WTA Tour at all. (BBC Sport)

Maxwell’s blinder helps Aussies scale tough chase in first ODI GLENN Maxwell's pyrotechnics (80 not out) helped Australia down Sri Lanka in a hard-fought contest by two wickets in the first ODI in Pallekele.

The visitors chased down a rain-revised target of 282 in the 43rd over.

When the aggressive middle order batter came out to bat, the tourists were in a spot of bother at 189 for 5. However, Maxwell played with bravado and stitched crucial stands with Alex Carey, Ashton Agar and Jhye Richardson to steer the side past the target.

Maxwell's game-breaking innings can be further encapsulated by the fact that he scored 80 of the 93 runs since he came at the fall of Marcus Stoinis' wicket.

He made his intentions clear in the 32nd over when he pulled Wanindu Hasaranga for a six. In the very next over, he was adjudged LBW off Chamika Karunaratne but he got the decision re-

versed via the review.

He then once again decided to take on Sri Lanka's spearhead Hasaranga by cracking a four and a six.

The leg-spinner, though, gave the hosts some hope by dismissing Carey and Cummins in a single over.

Meanwhile, Maxwell continued to deal in big shots as he thwacked Maheesh Theekshana for two boundaries and a six. Once Agar was dismissed in the 40th over, he decided to farm strike and finished the game in style by tonking Dusmantha Chameera a couple of times into the stands. The platform for Australia's victory was setup by Aaron Finch (44) and Steve Smith (53). For the home side, Hasaranga turned out to be the chief wicket-taker, ending up with a four-for.

Earlier, Kusal Mendis had composed an undefeated 86 to pilot Sri Lanka to a formidable score of 300.

Pathum Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka also played their parts, with the duo stitching a stand of 115.

The pair started on a steady note before Nissanka smacked Pat Cummins for two boundaries and a six in the 10th over. The duo then took a heavy toll off Agar and Jhye Richardson to keep the scorecard ticking over.

Eventually, the stand was broken on the back of a run out. Agar then dented Sri Lanka further by taking the scalps of Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva. At that juncture, Mendis steadied Sri Lanka's innings. He also got an able ally in Charith Asalanka with the pair sharing an alliance of 77.

Lower down the order, Hasaranga showcased his hitting prowess by tonking five boundaries in a single over off Jhye Richardson. Unfortunately for the hosts, the total didn't prove to be enough. (Cricbuzz)

29

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 15, 2022

Kaiteur record back-to-back wins in BEDCL …Dindial, Matthew Nandu among the runs

From left: Matthew Nandu, Miguel Nandu and Marvendra Dindial

KAITEUR recorded their second victory in as many weekends when the Brampton-Etobicoke & District Cricket League (BEDCL) 2022 season continued last Saturday.

Playing at the Laurel Creek Park on Saturday, Kaiteur defeated Ontario Cricket Academy (OCA) by 38 runs in the Premier League Conference A fixture.

Led by a fine 91 from former Guyana Under-19 player Marvendra Dindial; 69 from Guyana and West Indies Under-19 batsman Matthew Nandu and 32 from Canadian Under-19 play-

er Arjuna Sukhu, Kaiteur reached a challenging 239 all out in 48 overs.

Dindial, whose 91 came off 93 balls, struck six fours and a six while Nandu’s knock included four fours off 99 balls. Sukhu hit three fours in his 32. Gary Greval claimed three for 44 from nine overs while Harrison Ragulan supported with two for 34 from six.

OCA, in reply, were dismissed for 201 in 45 overs with the principal scorers being Jakshu Hora (37) and Nikhil Chawla (30).

Miguel Nandu was the best bowler with four for 25 from eight overs while Din-

dial returned to claim two for 32 from five and Marcel Nandu two for 45.

Set 150 for victory in the opening game, played on Saturday, June 4 at the same venue, Kaiteur got to the target in 39.5 overs after limiting Phoenix B to 149 all out in 39.1 overs.

Bowling for Kaiteur, Theron Ramlal took three for 34 in 8.1 overs, Miguel Nandu two for 16 and Matthew Nandu two for 18.

The consistent Matthew Nandu was again among the runs, hitting three fours in 51 off 63 deliveries. Gukerat Singh took two for 21.

IPL media rights sold in record-breaking deal THE streaming and TV rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL)l - the w o r l d ' s r i c h e s t c r i c ket competition - for the next five years have been sold for a record $6.02bn (£5.13bn).

Viacom18, backed by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, secured streaming rights until 2027 for $3.05bn (£2.53bn).

Disney-owned Star India retained the TV contract for $3.05bn (£2.53bn).

The two deals combined are more than double the $2.4bn Star paid for the previous five seasons

of the IPL. The figures put the IPL among the highest-ranked sport leagues alongside the NFL in the US and the English Premier League in cost-per-match terms.

The winning bid for the TV rights - a period that incorporates 410 IPL matches - were sold for about $7.36m (£6.1m) per game.

The digital streaming rights from 2023 for the annual two-month competition were sold for $6.4m (£5.3m) per match.

Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said the

revenue generated from the IPL helps grassroots cricket in the country by funding infrastructure improvements and facilities.

"Now, it's time for our state associations, IPL franchises to work together with the IPL to enhance the fan experience and ensure that our biggest stakeholder - the cricket fan - is well looked after," he added.

One of the world's most watched sport events, the IPL attracts many of the game's top cricketers who are attracted by lucrative contracts. (BBC Sport)

Gittens continues impressive showing with unbeaten ton CHIEN Gittens continued his impressive performance when the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) 2022 season continued over the last weekend.

After leading Canadian Legends to a win hours after arriving in Canada two Friday nights ago with an unbeaten 68 versus Bacchus Ruff Ryders, Gittens was again among the runs with an unbeaten 101 last Saturday in a fifth round encounter against Essequibo Coast at the Ashtonbee Reservoir ground in the 20-over affair The flambouyant Gittens, who also led Regal Over-40 team to victory in the Florida Cup in late March, struck five fours and 10 towering sixes as Canadian Legends reached an impressive 215 for two in their allotted 20 overs.

Essequibo Coast were shut out for a mere 89 in 18 overs, losing by the huge margin of 113 runs. Morrison Edwards supported with 34, while opener Mike Kadir made 29. Kenny Ramsawak claimed two for 25 from four overs.

In Essequibo Coast innings, skipper Nicolas Sanichara was the top scorer with 26.

Gittens completed a fine all-round performance, bagging two for four in three overs while former Guyana and Canada player, Shiv Seeram, ended with two for two in two overs.

In another fixture, played

Chien Gittens

at the Ellesmere ground, former Guyana Under-19 player, Eion Katchay, who also represented Canada at the national level, hit a swashbuckling unbeaten 73 as Carr Tec made light work of the hapless Bacchus Ruff Ryders attack, winning by eight wickets. Anil Veerasammy supported with 25.

Batting first, Bacchus Ryders were led to 128 for eight in their allotted 20 overs through a fine knock of 54 by current Canadian and former Guyana Youth player, Dillon Heyliger.

Meanwhile, the unbeaten Mercenary continued their winning ways, also at Ellesmere, making light work of Scarboro Angels in a oneside affair, winning by 10 wickets.

Scarborough Angles were shut out for a meagre 68 off

19.1 overs while Mercenary reached the target in 6.2 overs with former Guyana’s first-class captain, Damodar Daesrath, unbeaten on 39 when victory was achieved.

When Scarborough Angels batted, they were undone

by Rabindra Diaram who captured three for 10 while there were two wickets each for Daesrath, Bobby Parasnauth and Riaz Kadir.

In another game, played at Ellesmere, Enmore surprised the highly-touted Caribbean Sensation by six wickets.

Taking first strike, Caribbean Sensation were restricted to 127 for seven in their 20 overs with Enmore reaching the required target in the 19th over.

Steve Ramdass, who arrived in Canada on Thursday, celebrated his entry with a fine unbeaten 57, decorated with three fours and five sixes while Mahesh Ramroop supported with 32. There were two wickets each for Richard Driffield and Anand Balwant.

When Caribbean Sensation batted, Sheik Khan hit a top-score of 34 while skipper Reyaz Prahalad and Hemnarine Chattergoon chipped in with 25 and 20 respectively.

Yug Rao was Enmore’s best bowler with three wickets for 28 runs from his four overs while Zahir Mohamed ended with two for 22. (Frederick Halley)

Straight KO format as Milo Schools Football... (From page 31) more than happy to be back for another year.

Each team was given a special Milo-branded ball along with two other balls for training following Tuesday's briefing.

The tournament caters to players born on or after January 1st, 2004, and are part of secondary schools in Georgetown and outlying areas that are registered with the Ministry of Education.

Saturday’s opening fixtures are expected to see St. Stanislaus College and St.

John’s College battle from 12:30hrs, followed by three other fixtures.

Christianburg/Wismar Secondary are the defending champion after they defeated Lodge Secondary 1-0 in April 2019, while Annandale Secondary trounced President’s College 5-0 to finish third.

Participating schools: Annandale Secondary, Ann’s Grove Secondary, Bishops’ High, Canjie Secondary, Carmel Secondary, Charlestown Sec-

ondary, North Ruimveldt Secondary, Cummings Lodge Secondary, East Ruimveldt Secondary, Friendship Secondary, Golden Grove Secondary, Lodge Secondary, Marian Academy, New Central High, President’s College, Buxton Secondary, West Ruimveldt Secondary, St. John’s College, Bladen Hall Secondary, Dolphin Secondary, Tucville Secondary, Queen’s College, Christianburg/Wismar Secondary.

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 15, 2022

T&T take victory over St. Vincent and improve table-topping chances in Nations League PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago are now in a good position to contest the top of their group after a 4-1 victory over St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Group C of League B of the CONCACAF Nations League (CNL) on Monday night.

The loss for St. Vincent, meantime, leaves them at the bottom of the group on just one point but still with hopes of avoiding relegation.

Trinidad and Tobago collected their third consecutive victory at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

The home side took the opening goal within the encounter’s first 10 minutes.

Judah Garcia capitalized on a contested ball falling his way and drove into the box to slot it past goalkeeper Lemus Christopher in the ninth minute.

Noah Powder doubled the lead for the Soca Warriors just two minutes later. A service into the box by Duane Muckette found its way to Powder, with Christopher just missing the interception.

Cornelius Stewart cut the deficit to 2-1 for the visitors

Byron Bonilla of Nicaragua drives the ball during the match against The Bahamas (Photo: CONCACAF)

in the 26th minute. The goal came from a combination in which Azinho Solomon drove forward to set up the overlapping Jazzi Barnum-Bobb, the right back then curved it towards the penalty area and Stewart converted with a slick right-footed hit.

Powder secured a brace to restore a two-goal lead for the Soca Warriors in the 41st minute when Levi Garcia took on defenders in the box, giving himself a bit of space and the chance to set up the pass for Powder to arrive and

convert.

The visitors would not go quietly into the night and began to generate some of the better opportunities of the second half. Stewart was continually active to try and break through the defense and get his second of the night.

The home side finally broke through though with their fourth goal of the night in stoppage time. John Paul Rochford struck toward goal in the 90+1 minute to secure the three points.

Noah Powder and Levi Garcia celebrate Trinidad and Tobago’s 4-1 victory over St. Vincent and the Grenadines in League B, Group C action on Monday night (Photo: CONCACAF)

Trinidad and Tobago are now on nine points in the group, one behind leaders Nicaragua who demolished The Bahamas 4-0 at the National Football Stadium in Managua on Monday as well.

Juan Barrera opened the scoring for the home side in the 19th minute when the 33-year-old forward converted from the penalty spot to give Nicaragua the lead.

Jaime then Moreno extended the lead for Nicaragua

in the 34th minute with a goal from open play that brought the goalscorer level with teammate Byron Bonilla for two in this CNL edition.

Moreno took the position of top scorer in the tournament for his country with a conversion inside the box in the 45th minute of play. The play generated on the wing with Barrera feeding Brayan Lopez, who then drove into the box to serve Moreno’s brace.

The Nicaraguan offence continued their bombardment of the Bahamas defense with continued pressure in the second half. Josue Quijano stood out in attempts with four shots on goal in the second half.

Nicaragua were awarded another penalty when Kenaz Swain tried to deny Quijano almost 30 minutes into the second half. Ariagner Smith took the shot from the twelve steps and slotted it into the bottom left corner in the 74th minute.

Barrera nearly got the fifth for Nicaragua on service into the box but headed it wide in the 84th minute. A few minutes later, the historic goalscorer thought he had a brace but was just a few steps offside.

Nicaraguan goalkeeper Douglas Forvis collected his second consecutive clean sheet, while Bahamas goalkeeper Vance Wheaton registered 13 saves on the night.

The three points place Nicaragua back at the top of the group and in pole position for promotion with a 3-1-0 record. The Bahamas are third in the group with a 1-0-3 record.

49th annual Central and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championship 2022…

Laser-focused Campbell upping the tempo, with gold medal in sights ‒ Hints at possible at retirement from CAC following this year's competition

By Clifton Ross DECORATED Guyanese bodybuilder, Emmerson

Campbell said he wants gold and nothing less, hinting at possibly participating in his last Central America

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday June 14, 2022) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) PAK 3; WI 0 (2) Imam-ul-Haq (PAK) Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI player scored most runs in the recent ODI series against Pakistan?

(2) Which Pakistani player scored most runs?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championship (CAC), which is set to get underway from July 27-August 1, in Barbados.

During an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport on Tuesday, the national champion said this 6th year at competing in the CAC is crucial for numerous reasons but, more importantly, it will define his career going forward.

Touching on how the re-emergence of life, post COVID-19, has allowed athletes to further re-enter the world, moreover their training and utilization of public workout facilities, Campbell credited the newly opened Space Gym and its state-ofthe-art equipment, as a huge new boost ahead of the event.

"With the opening of the new state-of-the-art fitness facility, Space Gym 2.0, I think it has taken my training to another level. I definitely will be the best version of myself

Guyanese Bodybuilder Emmerson Campbell says it's gold or bust at this year's CAC

come Game Day in Barbados next month", said Campbell.

Given that ones dietary

habits play a pivotal role in the overall aspect of fitness, the bodybuilder somewhat resented the notion of tweaking his regular eating regiments, highlighting the importance of sticking to the routine which has been working.

"My diet is pretty much the same. They say ‘if it ain't broke don't fix it’. So I stick to my oatmeal, eggs, tuna, rice, sweet potatoes, cabbage and chicken breast diet, along with cardio to get into winning shape. Last year, I was disappointed with another silver medal outing, so this year, as usual, just the gold is on my radar". He explained.

While the pandemic ravaged all facets of life since it's emergence, sports in particular has suffered tremendously.

Now, with things a bit normal due to a number of measures and existing mandates, Campbell noted that it was great to once again be able to train properly, yet safely, following a tedious break.

"Well the pandemic not

only affected me but I'm sure it had a ripple effect on almost every athlete and everyone in the world. I've learned to cope with it and work around the restrictions. And now that most of the restrictions have lifted, its even better now to workout maskless and breathe in fresh air and train more comfortably".

A consistent performer in past CAC bodybuilding tournaments held regionally, the veteran, however still young and now entering his prime, has eluded to this year's competition possibly being his last regional tournament.

This year’s meet will see the Guyanese being a deadyeye with regard to achieving on the gold medal, the ultimate prize which has eluded him for some 5 years.

"This event is crucial for me. I see it as perhaps my last CAC event. I've been to five and medalled at three.

This will be my sixth and the last time the gold will evade me". He concluded.

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 15, 2022

Bairstow's astonishing 136 seals series win for England JONNY Bairstow's astonishing century led England to a stunning win in the second Test against New Zealand which sealed a series victory.

On a breathless final day at Trent Bridge, Bairstow made the second-fastest century by an England batter in Test cricket as the hosts strolled to what should have been a challenging target of 299 from 72 overs.

Bairstow's outrageous hitting in the spell after tea took him to three figures from 77 balls, only just missing the England record of 76 balls that has stood for 120 years.

He was eventually out for 136 from 92 balls, having clubbed 14 fours and seven sixes in front of a delirious full house.

It was left to captain Ben Stokes, who ended 75 not out, to complete the win with 22 overs to spare. England had scored at almost a run a ball.

It sealed a remarkable turnaround from New Zealand posting 553 in their first innings after being asked to bat. It is the highest total England have conceded in a Test which they have gone on to win since 1894.

They take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, vindicating the freewheeling approach of new captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.

The home side can complete a clean sweep in the

Jonny Bairstow celebrates after scoring a 77-ball hundred (AFP/Getty Images)

third and final Test at Headingley next week.

The 17,000 people who grabbed the free tickets on offer knew England had a chance of pulling off a special win, but no-one could have predicted the way New Zealand would be steamrollered in such spectacular fashion.

From 224-7 overnight, leading by 238, the Black Caps edged to 284 all out, leaving England the stiff task of scoring at more than four an over.

The home side had the benefit of a flat pitch and

New Zealand being without injured fast bowler Kyle Jamieson. Even then, the run-chase was truly staggering.

England had been adamant about their intent to pursue any target and this was an awesome demonstration of what they can be capable of under Stokes and McCullum.

It resulted in victory in one of the most entertaining matches of all time. The 224 fours and 24 sixes is a new record for the most boundaries hit in a single Test.

At the centre of it all was Bairstow, who played one of the great innings by an England batter.

Though he could not be there at the end, he was given a huge hug by Stokes, then left to a spine-tingling standing ovation.

Brilliant Bairstow batters New Zealand In terms of England's early progress in the Stokes-McCullum era, Bairstow has been one of the last to taste success. When he did, he produced arguably his finest moment in an England shirt.

He was joined by Stokes at 93-4, with 206 required from less than 47 overs and New Zealand favourites. England took tea at 139-4 with Bairstow 43 from 48 balls.

What followed bordered on the ridiculous. Bairstow began by hitting Trent Boult over his head for six, then hooked Matt Henry into the

stands. Wherever New Zealand bowled, he belted the ball to the boundary.

At one stage, Bairstow had taken 59 runs from 29 balls and was on course to beat Gilbert Jessop's 76-ball record for England's fastest ton. Three figures eventually came, one ball too late, by punching Tim Southee through the off side.

The carnage did not end there. Off-spinner Michael Bracewell was carted into the leg side, all while Stokes, struggling after jarring his knee, played second fiddle.

When Stokes' mobility

returned, he smashed the biggest hit of the lot by sending Bracewell into the top tier.

A stand of 179 in just 20 overs was ended when Bairstow tickled Boult behind.

Ben Foakes joined Stokes, who crashed the winning boundary.

Calm before the storm Given what was to unfold, it seems ludicrous to think New Zealand had the better of the first part of the day.

Daryl Mitchell trusted the tail, moving from his overnight 32 to 62 not out.

His last-wicket stand of 35 with Boult looked vital.

England, typically, began with positivity. Alex Lees hit the first two balls of the innings for four, only for Zak Crawley to edge Boult.

Every time England built momentum, they were pegged back. Ollie Pope was caught behind, Joe Root tapping a return catch to Boult was a huge blow and Lees poked at Southee to end his attractive 44.

Realistically, Bairstow and Stokes were England's last chance. What followed was simply magnificent.

SCOREBOARD NEW ZEALAND 1st innings 553 England 1st innings 539 New Zealand 2nd innings o/n 224-7 Tom Latham b James Anderson 4 Will Young Run Out Ollie Pope 56 Devon Conway c Jonny Bairstow b Jack Leach 52 Henry Nicholls c Alex Lees b Matthew Potts 3 Daryl Mitchell Not Out 62 Tom Blundell c Ben Stokes b Stuart Broad 24 Michael Bracewell c Stuart Broad b Matthew Potts 25 Tim Southee Run Out Zak Crawley 0 Matt Henry c Ben Foakes b Stuart Broad 18 Kyle Jamieson c Ben Foakes b Stuart Broad 1 Trent Boult c Ben Stokes b James Anderson 17 Extras 9b 5lb 6nb 0pen 2w 22 Total (84.4 overs) 284 all out Fall of Wickets: 1-4 Latham, 2-104 Conway, 3-115 Nicholls, 4-131 Young, 5-176 Blundell, 6-204 Bracewell, 7-213 Southee, 8-245 Henry, 9-249 Jamieson, 10-284

Boult Bowling: James Anderson 8.4 - 1 - 20 - 2, Stuart Broad 20 - 4 - 70 - 3, Matthew Potts 15 - 6 - 32 - 2 (1w), Jack Leach 24 - 5 -86 – 1, Ben Stokes 17 - 3 62 - 0 ( 1w 6nb) ENGLAND 2nd innings Alex Lees c Tom Blundell b Tim Southee 44 Zak Crawley c Tim Southee b Trent Boult 0 Ollie Pope c Tom Blundell b Matt Henry 18 Joe Root c&b Trent Boult 3 Jonny Bairstow c Tom Blundell b Trent Boult 136 Ben Stokes Not Out 75 Ben Foakes Not Out 12 Extras 5b 6lb 0nb 0pen 0w 11 Total (50.0 overs) 299-5 Fall of Wickets: 1-12 Crawley, 2-53 Pope, 3-56 Root, 4-93 Lees, 5-272 Bairstow Did Not Bat: Potts, Leach, Broad, Anderson Bowling: Tim Southee 11 - 0 - 67 - 1,Trent Boult 16 - 1 - 94 - 3, Matt Henry 15 - 3 - 67 - 1, Michael Bracewell 8 - 0 - 60 - 0

Straight KO format as Milo Schools Football tournament resumes THE 2022 edition of the Milo Schools Under-18 Boys football tournament will feature a straight knock out format, according to organisers, the Petra Organisation.

The tournament, which resumes on June 18 at the Ministry of Education ground, has historically featured a round robin phase before the knockout segment.

At a Tuesday afternoon team and media briefing, it was outlined that seeding is based on the point standings after the 2020 edition which was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic The tournament will still feature twenty-four teams and, according to co-di-

Officials from the Petra Organisation along with sponsors and participating schools at the team- briefing on Tuesday

rector Troy Mendonca, the organisers had committed to

continue the tournament.

He added that it is the

body’s belief that players are eager to return to the field.

Marketing Manager for Nestle (Guyana), Rajinda

Lall contended that they are (Turn to page 29)

Slingerz FC is back!

Team captain, Kevin Dundas and national youth player, Matrim Martin displaying the team’s alternative uniforms

‒ Former National Club Champion to make return to football

By Rawle Toney THE highly anticipated return of former National Club champion and winner of the inaugural Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League unfolded yesterday at the National Racquet Centre when Slingerz FC officially announced their re-emergence to football in Guyana.

Club president, Javid Ali, said “It feels good to be back in football and it’s a great pleasure to witness

the re-introduction of Slingerz FC to football in Guyana. I think together we share this exciting prospect of the continued development of football in Guyana.”

At the time of the club’s untimely departure from competitive football, they were the most talked about and decorated team in Guyana. However, a rift between the club and the GFF which resulted in the national championships taking to the High Court over the expansion of the Elite League, saw them

Club president, Javid Ali

walking away from the sport.

Ali believes the future of football in Guyana requires the GFF and each club to make a maximum contribution and this relaunch is a testimony to his club’s commitment to do their part.

The Slingerz FC president said he sees the “need for competition and the development of Guyana’s National (football) team, as it allows for professional players that are always ready for an international game.”

“Guyana’s football needs to reduce the dependents on the two professional teams, which are the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), to ensure that more players receive a monthly income, to dedicate their day-to-day activities to football,” Ali said.

He added that “this will increase the pool of fit and ready players for the National Team, and reduce the risk of an overreliance on internat i o n a l TURN TO PAGE 26 ►

Jamaica surge to massive Haiti tramples Guyana win over Leewards to 6 – 0 in Santo Domingo become title favourites

By Rawle Toney

IT was another disappointing day at the office for Coach Jamaal Shabazz as he stood on the sidelines witnessing his Golden Jaguars going down 6 – 0 to Haiti in their return fixture at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium in the Dominican Republic.

Carnejy Antoine (87’, 89’), Mondy Prunier (48’, 76’), Alex Junior Christian (39’) and Simonsen Jeppe Friborg (63’) were the players to find the net for the Haitians.

The result would put Haiti in firm command of Group B, in League B on ten points, while Guyana will remain in second place on six from four matches.

Haiti will remain in contention for qualifying directly to the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, while Guyana might have to battle it out against Montserrat, who is

in third place (three points) for a spot in the qualification tournament.

After the two sides played to a lopsided 6 – 2 result in favour of the Haitians at Leonora, Shabazz had promised a more spirited performance in Santo Domingo.

Shabazz made several changes to the starting line-up that played in Guyana last weekend, bringing in Akel Clarke in goal, Jeremey Garrett, Quincy Adams, Kelsey Benjamin, Stephen Duke-McKenna and Torell Ondaan.

Jalen Jones, TURN TO PAGE 26 ►

The victorious Jamaica team celebrates during their clash against the Leeward Islands (Photo: cricnation592/Brandon Corlette)

JAMAICA turned an improbable situation into reality when they pulled off a massive victory over the Leeward Islands to come from behind and win the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Women’s T20 Blaze tournament at the National Stadium, Providence, on Tuesday afternoon.Barbados, the former champions, had no losses prior to their clash with Trinidad and Tobago and held a superior net run

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rate but Jamaica had an outside chance if the Barbadians lost, and they hammered the Leeward Islands, and so they did, to get a superior net run rate than Barbados.

But up to press time last evening, Cricket West Indies (CWI) had not confirm the winners of the tournament Jamaica batted first and piled up 170-5 led by Natasha TURN TO PAGE 26 ► WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022