Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_16_10_2021

SATURDAY 16th October, 2021

No. 106516

Aspiring teacher tops this year’s NGSA

-NGSA English, Social Studies record highest passes since 2018; hinterland students excel

Nirvana Wimal, 524 marks

Shabaka Yisreal, 521 marks

Deja Datt, 523 marks

Khevin Sandy, 521 marks

Paris Timmerman, 523 marks

Aditi Joshi, 521 marks

SEE PAGES 3,7&11

Jada Persaud, 522 marks

Chelsea Persaud, 521 marks

J’kell Whyte, 521 marks

Joshua Mc Arthur, 521 marks

Vice-President Jagdeo in Ghana

Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo interacts with Vice-President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (3news.com photo)

Vice-President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, is currently in Ghana for a three-day working visit.

He arrived on Friday and was received by the Vice-President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

Dr Bawumia wrote on his Facebook page regarding the visit that “I received H.E. Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice-President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, who is on a three-day official visit to Ghana.

“Amongst other objec-

tives, Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo and his delegation are in Ghana to learn about the country’s experiences in the oil and gas sector, with particular reference to local content and participation, the legal framework, and general best practices in the exploration for hydrocarbons and the exploitation of hydrocarbon finds.

“I assured him of Ghana’s commitment to the exchange of practical development ideas between the two countries,” he said. (3news.com)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

Three schools to get CAPE level addition, others being considered Minister of Education Priya Manickchand

AS many as seven secondary schools from across the country could begin offering Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) subjects by next

year, in keeping with the Ministry of Education (MoE)’s development plans for secondary education.

Three of the secondary schools identified thus far

for the upgrade are the West Demerara Secondary in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Anna Regina Secondary on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), and JC Chandisingh Secondary in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

This was revealed by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Friday while answering questions following the announcement of the results of the 2021 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA). The NGSA is a secondary school placement exam.

Given the competitiveness of the NGSA, and the dejection some pupils feel when they do not attain a place at one of the top secondary schools in the country, Manickchand said more is being done to improve all secondary schools, so that learners get a top education, regardless of where they are placed.

The addition of a CAPE level to more secondary schools is among the changes the ministry will be making in its quest to create more top secondary schools, and change the image persons have of some secondary schools.

“We have not spoken enough about how the nontop schools do; and they do very well. So, the List A and

List B schools, when you look at the percentage of past students who matriculate is very very high, but because we promote the top schools, we have a stigma for schools that are not the top schools, and that does not reflect the reality,” Minister Manickchand explained.

CAPE is administered by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), and written after a student would have completed the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC). And while it is not compulsory, many students write CAPE to improve their chances of getting into university.

In addition to adding CAPE to more secondary schools, Minister Manickchand explained that the ministry is also focusing on eliminating “primary tops”, getting more trained teachers into schools, improving the physical infrastructure at many schools, and having a better monitoring system for schools as part of its overall plan to improve secondary education across the country.

“The changes would be many; they would be multifaceted; they would be individualised. There is vigorous efforts to ensure we can cater to all the various students in all of the regions; that would mean doing different things in different regions,” Manickchand explained.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

NGSA English, Social Studies record highest passes since 2018

By Rehana Ahamad

EVEN amid a global pandemic, the pupils who sat this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) have managed to do quite well. As a matter of fact, subject areas such as English Language and Social Studies have even recorded the highest pass rates since 2018.

This is according to Dr. Nicole Manning, the Operations Director at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), which was, for the first time ever, given the responsibility of administering the local assessment.

An official ceremony was hosted on Friday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, at Lilliendaal, Greater Georgetown to announce the country’s top students. There, it was reported that of the 14,380 pupils who registered for NGSA 2021, only 13,822 actually showed up to sit the examination, which encompassed a consolidated syllabus of four core subject areas: English Language, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science.

This means that 559 pupils who were eligible to take the secondary school placement tests did not do so. The examinations were written on August 4 and 5 at 503 centres across the country.

In her report, Dr. Manning said that English Language amassed the highest pass rate since 2018, followed by Social Studies, Science and Mathematics.

In relation to English, more than 65.71 per cent of the pupils passed the subject in 2021. This represents a notable jump from the 60.6 per cent passes recorded in 2018, the 57.45 per cent passes recorded in 2019, and the 61.22 per cent pass rate of 2020.

“We had a very significant increase of 142 candidates scoring full marks for English, and an increase in the number of candidates scoring zero; not a great increase, but an increase,” Dr. Manning said.

She explained that it was important for CXC to record the number of pupils who scored zero, since such key information could be used to inform the Ministry of Education’s work going forward.

Similarly, Social Studies recorded a pass rate of 56.3 per cent, which is significant improvement when com-

Minister Manickchand interacts with one of the NGSA ‘toppers pared to the 46.08 per cent pass rate recorded in 2018, the 37.22 per cent recorded in 2019, and the 52.51 per cent passes of 2020. Social studies also had the highest number of candidates scoring full marks, and lowest number of candidates scoring zero.

For Mathematics, Dr. Manning said that this year saw low performances, with the pass rate pegged at 36.5 per cent as compared to 39.43 per cent in 2020, 42.04 per cent in 2019, and 38.28 per cent in 2018. “We had one candidate scoring full marks for 2021, and we had 10 candidates scoring zero marks. While it was not the highest in the last four years, it is, indeed, I’m sure, something that the ministry will be managing,” Dr. Manning posited.

Science, according to Dr. Manning, also showed a decline, with passes being recorded among 40.12 per cent of the pupils who wrote the examinations.

The pass rate for science in 2020 stood at 44.09 per cent, followed by 42.45 per cent in 2019, and 46.84 per cent in 2018. Additionally, only one pupil managed to secure full marks for science, while nine scored zero, similar to the 2018 results.

GENDER DISTRIBUTION Meanwhile, Dr. Manning’s comprehensive report also outlined the gender distribution of the examinations, which indicated that the majority of the top performers were female. More specifically, the top performers accounted for seven females as against three males.

The figures, as presented

by Dr. Manning, indicated that 3,457 pupils showed an average performance

of below 75 per cent. Of those candidates, 2,281 were males, and 1,176 were females.

The reports indicated that 3,459 of the pupils performed below the 50 per cent average; that 1,664 of them were males and 1,795 females.

For those performing better than 50 per cent of the candidate population, 1,518 were males, while 1,938 were females. Notably also, were the 3,455 candidates who performed above the 75 per cent average; 1,547 of them were males, while 1,980 of them were females.

Nonetheless, reflecting on the results, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said that it is important to note that the examinations were written at a time when pupils, parents and teachers were all grappling with the trauma, loss and heartaches that have surrounded the coronavirus pandemic.

She reasoned that prior to the pandemic, “We didn’t know we would lose family members; we didn’t know we’d be in grief; we didn’t know that the basic things that we are accustomed to in this warm, sunny tropical Guyana – going outside playing with friends, having birthday parties… we didn’t realise that all of that would be so severely interrupted and that has had an impact on everybody.”

Minister Manickchand said that the 2021 NGSA candidates chose to write the examinations, even though they had been out of school for many months. She said that the Ministry of Education tried its best to ensure that all pupils were equipped with the necessary tools to take the exams.

Minister Manickchand

also called on all parents, teachers and pupils to congratulate themselves for manoeuvring many months of unprecedented challenges to be able to complete this year’s NGSA. WHY CXC ADMINISTERED NGSA Additionally, commenting on CXC’s involvement in administering the local examinations, Minister Manickchand indicated that this had been in conversation since 2013, and stemmed from the fact that during previous years, marks given to pupils were found to be inconsistent with NGSA’s grading criteria. “What we were seeing were results that didn’t match professional measurement and evaluation,” Minister Manickchand noted.

As a result, the minister said that an independent body as reputable, and as capable as CXC was needed

Dr. Nicole Manning, Operations Director at the Caribbean Examinations Council to run the examinations.

“We made special efforts to make sure CXC ran the entire programme of NGSA and managed it,” the Education Minister noted.

She pointed to the fact that CXC is a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) body that has expertly executed a number of regional examinations.

Nonetheless, Assistant Chief Education Officer, Ameer Ali, who also spoke at the ceremony, recognised the determination of the children, parents and teachers, who all braved the adverse conditions associated with COVID-19 to take, facilitate and support the examinations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

Contracts signed for major road upgrades

THE Ministry of Public Works on Friday signed eight contracts valued at $1.5 billion for major road upgrades in several parts of Guyana.

The signing was done in the presence of Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, and Minister within the Ministry Deodat Indar.

Speaking with contractors, Minister Edghill noted that the roads are very important, as residents have been lobbying for them for a long time.

Among the major road works to be completed is the construction of the Moleson Creek to El Dorado Road in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), at a cost of $151,227,000.

The contract was awarded to Shaffeeullah Sawmill.

Minister Edghill noted that the road, which is currently a mud dam, will be upgraded to laterite, and

later to asphaltic concrete at a length of 2500 meters and 7.2 meters wide.

“You’re putting on this first phase, and then you will have to bring it to an asphaltic road, because, ultimately, when you have the bridge, it’s containerised traffic and everything that is going to be passing there, so, in that whole scheme of things, you will have to eventually get up to asphaltic concrete road,” Minister Edghill said, noting that the road will have several benefits.

“It is two-fold: Number one, getting us to the abutment to facilitate the alignment, and, secondly, it’s a dam that is already used for farmers, and people live in that area,” he said.

Guyanese Chief Transport Planning Officer, Patrick Thompson said consultations are still ongoing for the final design of the bridge.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill and Minister within the Ministry Deodat Indar with the contract awardees He said the project will unlock a host of economic possibilities between Guyana and neighbouring Suriname.

Other contracts signed Friday included the rehabilitation/construction of Cane Grove Phase Three (from the market) awarded to Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal for

$117,447,275, and the construction of the No.58 Village Road, awarded to The GuyAmerica Construction for $ 640,713,500.

The contract for the construction of the No.52 Village road was awarded to Associated Construction Services for $239,732,000, Lots 96 and 97 (maintenance) of the Mara access

road were awarded to Shaffeeullah Sawmill and Kascon Engineering Services for $27,919,000 and $34,840,890 respectively.

Two contracts were also signed for projects in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni). They include the rehabilitation of the Itaballi to Puruni road, awarded to Rim Construction Inc. for $176,615,040, and the rehabilitation of the Bartica-Potaro Road (Mile 6 to 19), awarded to Adamantium Holdings for $77,311,641.

Minister Edghill noted that the projects are important to the people of Guyana.

The Number 58 Road, for example, will lead to the Canje Creek, and open up new lands for farming, and foster the development of the agriculture sector.

He noted, too, that the unpriced bills must be handed over, immediately, to the NDCs in the areas, so there will be no controversy or bad community relations.

He urged the contractors to work diligently to complete the works on time.

“The government that is being led by President Irfaan Ali, we are delivering services to these people; you are a partner in helping us get what we committed to the people.

Ultimately, the people are the beneficiaries,” Minister Edghill said.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar also urged the contractors to use local labour and services to foster economic activity in the communities.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

Land titling process for No.46 Village residents moving apace RESIDENTS of Number 46 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, will soon be granted titles for the lands they have occupied for decades.

This assurance was given

by Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, S.C., on Thursday.

The Attorney-General informed residents that the process to ensure they have ownership is moving apace.

Most of the land residents have been occupying for decades are being claimed by others. The minister noted that over the years, they have been paying a nominal rent for the land.

Minister Nandlall said when the issue was first raised, government moved to begin the process of granting ownership to the residents.

Petitioning the Land Court was one of the methods used, but that did not prove to be fruitful.

The minister pointed out that having the matter resolved first required a survey of the community to be recorded on a single plan. He said that survey has already been completed.

“This single plan here shows every single lot of land in this village; shows the dimension, all the streets, shows the size of the lot, who is occupying, those who are adjacent, and it also shows which of these plots are owned by certificate of title and who own them,” he stated.

“This singular plan will be used to get descriptions for all of you for the land you occupy, and, eventually, when titles come after the process is concluded, the description of your land that will be on your title will be derived from this plan,” the Attorney-General continued.

The Attorney-General informed residents whose cases are before the court that they must be amended to include

the new survey. He said it is the only way they would be able to acquire a title for the land.

“The clear-cut cases where nobody is asserting title, and the land is clearly demarcated, you will get

your title, obviously. The second set we will deal with is those that are opposed.

We will have to sit down with the people who are opposing you, and work out a compensation or some form of resolution whereby they

will relinquish their interest in the land. The government will take care of that; that is our promise and commitment to you,” he said.

Residents were urged not to alter the boundaries of their lands, as doing so would

result in their not receiving the titles they have been awaiting.

“The major part of the work is concluded, which was to get a proper comprehensive accurate plan. And please, none of you do not change your boundaries, because it will cause problems. Any movement of any boundaries here will cause great disaster in this process, because, from the time you move, you are shifting to another boundary, or you are shifting to a place that is different from which is demarcated on the plan,” the Attorney-General urged.

Only recently, the Attorney-General and Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues assisted scores of residents of Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara to receive land titles after years of waiting. They received their titles on October 7, 2021. (DPI)

THE Palms Geriatric Home, on Friday, hosted its annual church service in commemoration of ‘month of the elderly’ under the theme “Digital equity for all ages”.

Month of the elderly is celebrated in October each year to honour the many contributions made by the elderly.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Vindhya Persaud, told residents that their contributions are celebrated.

“We celebrate your contributions; we celebrate life and we celebrate everything that you continue to do to inspire us and inspire our world…. We’re incredibly,

incredibly proud of what you would have done for our country, for our home, for our family, for communities,” the minister said.

The minister reiterated that it is the job of the ministry and the Palms Geriatric Home to ensure residents are comfortable and in good health, and are able to enjoy the amenities made available to them.

With the pandemic causing so much havoc in the world, the minister proposed having electronic tablets available for the residents.

“Maybe it would be a good activity to have tablets here at the Palms, to get you trained on how to use the tablets so that you can connect to

the rest of the world…. So, I want to propose this, I want to challenge the director to let us have someone come into the Palms and teach you how to use those tablets, so that you can travel to various parts of the world virtually. You can connect with whoever it is you want to connect but you can move with the technology of the time and enjoy everything that life has to offer you,” the minister said.

She presented tokens of appreciation to 106-yearold Zhorie Dematos and 105-year-old January; the two oldest residents of the facility.

Meanwhile, retired probation and social services officer, Aggrey Azore stated that the facility caters to the

overall development of the residents.

“We are catering for their total development, their physical development, which also includes their medical care, their nutrition, so we can en-

hance their well-being, their mental, emotional and social well-being and of course I would hasten to say that we are offering them psychological support,” he stated.

The institution ush-

ered in the Month of the Elderly in style as the church service featured prayer, songs, poems and dance. Some items were performed by residents of the Palms.

Attorney-General Anil Nandlall displaying the survey of the lands which was conducted (DPI photo)

Human Services Minister hails contributions of the elderly

Minister Vindhya Persaud presenting one of the tokens of appreciation to Zhorie Demattos

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

A Significant Turnaround

GUYANA has again topped the Caribbean in terms of attainment levels at both the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). This was disclosed by the Director of Operations of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Dr. Nicole Manning, even though full details of the results are still to be officially released.

The fact that Guyana was able to do so well at the regional examinations despite the COVID-19 pandemic speaks well of the management of the education sector, given the fact that the delivery of face-to-face, school-based education was severely disrupted.

However, the Ministry of Education has put in place a number of compensatory measures to make up for the loss of valuable opportunity time. Among these were the use of social media and other forms of online teaching which, along with limited face-to-face interaction between teachers and students, have paid handsome dividends.

The education system and our teachers in particular must be commended for rising to the challenges and ensuring that the examinations syllabi were fully covered. Credit must be given to parents and guardians for rendering the necessary support to their children during this difficult time; and no less deserving of commen-

dation are the nation’s students who have not let their teachers and their parents down by putting out an overall performance level that is second to none in the entire Caribbean.

According to Dr. Manning, Guyana recorded an 88 per cent pass rate as compared to a regional average of 87 per cent. And even though that may appear to be a marginal lead, it is the extent to which the country underperformed during the period when the PNC was in power that makes for a better appreciation of our recent success. It is a known fact that Guyana was at one time at the bottom of the performance ladder in the entire Caribbean. The World Bank in its 1993 Country

Report highlighted the fact that secondary school examination results showed clearly that studentlearning had declined sharply due largely to underfinancing of the sector, even though our Guyanese students were known to perform well during the early 1960s when the PPP was in office. Under the PPP/C, not only were our Guyanese students doing better at examinations, but the cohort of students sitting the CSEC also increased significantly.

Interestingly, despite the pandemic which saw a slight decline in the number of students who sat the examinations at the regional level, the lowest cohort for the past four years, Guyanese students not only were able to sit the exams

in their full numbers but they also outperformed their regional counterparts in terms of attainment levels in most of the subject areas including the overall best.

It took the return of the PPP/C administration on October 5, 1992, before the decline in student performance was halted and Guyanese students once again took their rightful place as competitors who are second to none in the Caribbean and beyond. The PPP/C administration must be commended for placing the education sector as a national priority. Congratulations are in order for our Guyanese students who have done their parents, teachers, schools and their country, Guyana, proud.

Let us envelop the love for our fellow mankind and sanctify our hearts with purity and peace

Dear Editor,

Skanda and the second right hand is in Abhaymudra. She rides on a lion and is SHARADA Navratri is a nine-day/ worshipped for wisdom and purity of the night period, dedicated to the worship- heart on the fifth day. 6. Katyayani: Godping of the Universal Mother, Mata dess Katyayani is depicted sitting on a Durga. She is the embodiment and lion and was born to attack Mahishasura, consolidated form of Mother Parvati, and came to be known as Katyayani. She Lakshmi and Saraswati and as such, is worshipped for the desire of a righteous she is the invincible fortress that repre- partner for marriage on the sixth day. sents Shakti (power) and whose bless- 7. Kalratri: The Goddess of Fierceness ings are sought for protection against manifested to destroy the demon Raktanegativity and evil. Each night is dedi- bija. As the name suggests, she is depicted cated to one form of her manifestations in a very ferocious form. This form of the as listed here: 1.Shailputri: Goddess Goddess is worshipped for the removal Shailputri (Goddess of Nature) is of ignorance and darkness on the seventh depicted with a beautiful face, having day. 8. Mahagouri: Goddess Mahagouri a crescent moon on her forehead. She is depicted sitting on a bull. This form destroyed the demoness Tarika and is of the Goddess is worshipped for the worshipped for the realisation of the self removal of suffering and the enlightenwithin, on the first day. 2. Brahmacharini: ment of spiritual seeker on the eighth Goddess Brahmacharini is depicted bare day of Navratri. 9. Siddidhatri : Goddess feet and carrying a Jaapmala in the right Siddhidhatri is the moola roopa of godhand and a Kamandalu in the left. She is dess Parvati. When at the beginning of worshipped for ascetic qualities on the the universe, Lord Shiva worshipped the second day. 3. Chandraghanta: Goddess unmanifested form of Shakti, she had no Chandraghanta is depicted with 10 hands. form. Therefore, she was depicted as the She rides on a tigress and is worshipped left half of Shiva. The devotee seeks her for peace and serenity on the third day. blessings for the realisation of the Divine 4. Kushmanda: Goddess Kushmanda or Brahman as she completes the munrides on a lioness, shines as the Sun, and dane world on the ninth day of Navratri. is specifically known for her prowess.

As the warrior-form of Goddess ParShe is worshipped for health, wealth and vati, she was transformed into Durga by strength on the fourth day. 5. Skandmata: combining the power and divine energies She is shown with four hands, in two of all the Gods. These divine powers and of which she carries lotus flowers, in energies of all the Gods are represented the second left hand, she carries baby by the different weapons held by God-

dess Durga. Not only the weapons, but each and everything related to Goddess Durga symbolises some or the other divine things as noted below.

1. Lion: Symbolises courage and the uncontrolled materialistic desires and tendencies such as greed, jealousy, selfishness, arrogance, etc. Goddess Durga sitting on a lion symbolizes that we need to control our materialistic desires, needs and emotions and face our problems with courage.

2. Red Saree: The red saree symbolises passion. It also represents her way of protecting mankind against evil and bad.

3. Conch: The conch represents happiness and dedication for fulfilling our responsibility happily. It gives us a lesson that one must perform his/her duties with contentment and not with resentment.

4. Sword: The sword signifies the importance of distinguishing and eradicating our negative and evil qualities, be ready to quit his/her bad habits and embrace good habits and also, one should raise one’s voice against unjust and mean actions.

5. Chakra: The chakra symbolises duty and righteousness. It shows the importance of acknowledging our duties and responsibilities and fulfilling them to achieve our goals in life.

6. Lotus Flower: The lotus flower symbolises austerity, purity, and detachment from the materialistic world. It gives us a lesson that despite staying in the mud water, the lotus water remains pure,

lively and full of colours. Similarly, we humans too should try to reflect the good in bad, be a humble soul even during the toughest of times, never being impudent.

7. Trident: The trident symbolises courage and bravery. It tells us that no matter how grave the situation, we should never lose our hope. Instead of running away from the problems in our lives, we should stand strong and face our problems with full courage, hope and determination.

8. Forgiveness: The right hand (the forgiving mudra (positions)) symbolises the need for forgiving others. There’s no good in holding on to the grudges. We should always forgive others and seek forgiveness from those whom we have hurt. In addition to this, we must not say rude things to others or hurt others for our pleasure and selfish needs.

9. Club: The club symbolises devotion and bravery. We must accept whatever the Almighty sends to us. Whether it is happiness or sorrow, we must accept whatever comes in our way and face it with bravery.

10. Bow and Arrow: The bow and arrow symbolise perseverance. No matter what problems come in our lives, we need to persevere and always stick to the truth.

We must not lose our character or make wrong decisions.

11. Snake: The snake represents the beauty and truth of destructive times.

Those who are living on this earth will have to die and their souls will take a new

form in the next life. It also symbolises goodness in the darkest times.

Guyanese revere the auspiciousness of this significant period and hope that COVID-19 can dissipate and a healing process can materialise from the eradication of evil, suffering and unhappiness.

Let us pray that all leaders will overcome any ignorance and allow wisdom to prevail so that light will replace darkness. As we prostrate ourselves for the protection from any form of negativity, let us envelop the love for our fellow mankind in our bosoms and sanctify our hearts with purity and peace.

As we successfully conclude another celebration for Sharad Navaratri, may the weapons of Shakti Ma, represented by the power to withdraw, discern, decide, tolerate, accommodate, let go, face and cooperate, be used to destroy any lust, ego, anger, greed, jealousy, attachment, pride or malice that may surface; let the darkness be removed and be replaced with purity and love, so that our intellect may remain clear, positive and powerful.

The advent of Vijay Dashmi heralds the culmination of Sharad Navatri. May the grace of Durga Ma’s Divinity continue to evolve around your well-being, providing you with the energy to prosper with enlightenment.

Shubh Navratri.

Yours respectfully, Jai Lall

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

Aspiring teacher tops this year’s NGSA

ASPIRING teacher, Nirvana Wimal of Success Elementary School, attained 524 out of the maximum 527 marks at the 2021 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) to prevail as the best performing pupil.

This announcement was made during a ceremony held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Friday.

Wimal is followed by Parris Timmerman of Chateau Margot Primary and Deja Datt of New Guyana School, who both attained 523 marks to share the second spot. Jada Persaud of Success Elementary secured the fourth position with 522 marks.

With 521 marks each in the fifth position are Aditi Joshi of Mae’s Under 12, Joshua Mc Arthur of Vryheid’s Lust Primary, Shabaka Yisrael and J’Kell Whyte of Success Elementary, Khevin Sandy of Lowe’s Academy and Chelsea Persaud of Dharmic Rama Krishana.

Briefly speaking with the media after the announcem e n t c e r e m o n y, y o u n g Wimal shared her joy of having earned such a prestigious position. She also recalled the hard work she has done to get to where she is.

“I feel very happy and glad that my hard work paid off. I had many sleepless nights. After school I would have lessons and homework.

Sometimes I would go to bed around 12 to sleep and wake up to start again. I would also take extra lessons on Saturdays,” she noted.

Meanwhile, for Datt, placing among the country’s top 10 performers is a dream come true and a testament that with hard work, anyone can achieve their goals.

“I started working from since last year because it has always been my dream to be in the top 10, whether it be for the region or for the entire nation. So just to experience this today and realise how far I’ve come has really been a stepping stone in my life and I couldn’t be any happier,” Datt shared.

Aside from her own hard work, she credited her extensive support network that was behind her every step of the way.

“I would like to thank everyone who has cheered me on, without them I wouldn’t be standing here today feeling as proud of myself as I am,” she said.

Expressing surprise at her fourth place position, Persaud said she is glad that her hard work has paid off.

“I was not expecting this.

But I worked so hard. We had school online and there were days we had to be in front of the computer for hours, and that was hard, but I knew then that if I continued doing it, it could have a reward, so I continued and I stayed strong and I’m happy how it turned out to be,” Persaud shared.

The NGSA results were announced by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, who congratulated all the pupils on their performance this year. She noted that notwithstanding it being a hard year due to COVID-19 pandemic, the students rose to the occasion and collectively did better than many of the cohorts from previous years.

“This has been a hard, hard year for education all over the world. It was a hard year for parents, worrying year for teachers, an anxiety inducing year for children.

This is the year we had to innovate in education. [But] the year we had the worst year is the year we produced the most,” Manickchand commented while delivering the feature address.

A total of 13,822 pupils wrote the NGSA this year.

They were tested in the areas of Mathematics, English, Social Studies and Science, to assess them for placement in a secondary school.

Those in the top 10 have all attained a placement at the country’s premier secondary school, Queen’s College (QC). A total of 167 pupils secured a place at QC. The cut-off score for a place there is 510.

The cut-off scores for the remaining public sixth form schools are the Bishops’ High School, 505; St Stanislaus College, 501; St Rose’s High, 498; St Joseph High, 494 and President’s College, 484.

The top performers for each of the education districts were also announced on Friday, with at least one pupil from each district attaining a place at one of the public sixth form schools.

For Region One, Troy Roberts of Port Kaituma Primary gained a place at the Bishop’s High after earning 508 marks to top that district. CV Nunes Primary’s Shreya Ramnarine topped Region Two with 517 marks, while Giselle Nicholson of Lenora Primary topped Region Three with 520 marks.

Wimal was the top pupil for Region Four (East Bank Demerara and East Coast Demerara).

Rosignol Primary’s Tiana Hughes was best performer for Region Five with 511

(back row from left): CXC Registrar and CEO, Dr. Wayne Wesley; Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and CXC Director of Operations, Dr. Nicole Manning with nine of the top 10 performers at the 2021 NGSA, and mother of J’kell Whyte (right) (Elvin Croker photo)

Nivrvana Wimal

Deja Datt

Paris Timmerman

Jada Persaud

Chelsea Persaud and five other pupils Shabaka Yisreal Khevin Sandy Aditi Joshi share fifth spot The best performer marks, while just across the with 495 marks. With 504 river in Region Six, Raphael marks, Mahdia Primary’s in Region 10 is WaOmarao of Skeldon Primary Ishmaiah La Cruz was the tooka Day Primary’s topped with 518 marks. best performer for Region Akiera Campbell who Potaro Primary’s Sabas- Eight, while Aisha De Freitas got 518 marks. Datt tian Khan topped Region of Arapaima Primary gained is the top performer Seven and earned himself a 517 marks to top Region for Region 11 which is Georgetown. spot at the St Joseph’s High Nine.

Joshua Mc Arthur

J’kell Whyte was unable to attend Friday’s ceremony and was represented by his mother

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

1,000 moderate, middle-income houselots allocated in Golden Grove, Great Diamond -$21.5 billion to develop housing areas on East Bank of Demerara

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal

By Rabindra Rooplall ONE thousand moderate and middle income houselots were allocated to persons who applied prior to 2015 for lots in Block Five Plantation Great Diamond and Block Nine Plantation Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Friday.

This was announced by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, at the sixth Dream Realised Housing drive held at the National Stadium.

The event aimed to provide much-needed subsidised housing to citizens of Guyana.

Minister Croal said Region Four has the largest backlog of applicants for house lots, and it is well known that these

applicants have been waiting for years for their allocation.

This exercise will bring some further relief to them.

In fact, he said, Prospect, EBD is earmarked for 100 low income houses, of which 50 are already in progress and Little and Great Diamond, EBD, some 522 similar houses.

“Mobilisation of 140 houses for young professionals has begun in Prospect; 200 in Providence of which 100 are in progress and 500 in Little/ Great Diamond will begin in the first quarter of 2022,” he said.

Even as this is happening, he said the ministry through its agencies is implementing a number of critical interventions to strengthen access to water,

expand the road network, improve housing conditions by way of cash grants and promote employment through community-based projects.

“All that we have achieved so far for the housing and water sector is really down to the support from President Dr. Irfan Ali and Cabinet for the Ministry of Housing and Water, CH&PA and GWI. The staff of these agencies has gone above and beyond to ensure that targets are met; managers have led from the front; these achievements are not the result of any one person but an entire team and for that I wish to publicly thank them,” Minister Croal said.

He continued: “Let me also use this opportunity to inform you that payments for house lots are only done at the CH&PA, either at the office or at events like these where official receipts are given.

Payments are not done through third parties at street corners or at anyone’s home. We are aware that unscrupulous persons may want to trick you out of your hard earned money, so

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Merna Richards, who lost her personal belongings and property during a fire on Friday, selected her plot number while flanked by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal and Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues at the Guyana National Stadium be warned.”

The minister explained that the allocation of house lots and the simultaneous infrastructural development that are taking place will ensure that government’s promise of a fully developed housing scheme is kept.

JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG Underscoring that the demand for housing is just the tip of the iceberg, Minister Croal said other demands arise too; for better roads, bridges, drainage and access to water, among others.

“We have completed the access bridge at Mocha which will be commissioned soon, and as we speak close to $7 billion is being spent on first phase infrastructure for the upgrading of existing access roads, access bridges, unsurfaced roads, pipe networks, drains and culverts,” he noted.

Similar infrastructural works, he said, which are expected to come on stream later in the year in Plantation Golden Grove, and the Little and Great Diamond areas,

should see close to $21.5 billion to develop housing areas on the East Bank of Demerara, inclusive of the new four lane concrete highway from Eccles to Great Diamond.

“In short, 2021 and 2022 should see us expend $28 billion,” he added.

NEW WELL Noting that drilling of a new well began two days ago in Providence, he said another is expected to be drilled in Diamond before the end of the year and the water networks in several other areas are being upgraded.

When completed, he said some communities on the East Bank will be receiving potable water for the very first time and others, improved service delivery.

“We are upgrading water treatment plants in Eccles, Covent Garden and Grove to increase the treated water coverage and improve levels of services in and around the surrounding areas because we want you to be comfortable in your homes when you build them,” he explained.

In this regard, he advised applicants to get the best financial advice they can as they begin to plan for the construction of their houses since recently there have been an upsurge in fires.

Fires can lead to loss of life and assets, and as such, insurance is critical.

The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Housing and Water, has set itself the ambitious target of providing 50,000 house lots by 2025 and “everything is on track to achieve that,” Minister Croal noted.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, said the Great Diamond and Golden Gove areas will be the envy of all housing schemes since it is strategically located along the East Coast/East Bank Bypass Highway.

The Diamond/Grove area is located within the existing Sections A, B and C Great Diamond and Section A and C Golden Grove Housing Schemes, EBD.

A section of the gathering at the sixth Dream Realised Housing Drive held at the National Stadium

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

Guyanese assured Miami International Airport safe -efficient for passengers and cargo

GUYANESE can rest assured that using the Miami International Airport (MIA) is safe and efficient for both passengers and cargo. The assurance was conveyed to Prime Minister Mark Phillips on October 8 when his visiting delegation was given a detailed presentation on the operations of the facility by its top management.

The visit to the international airport was organised by the Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GACC), which has identified the airport as a key facility for passengers and cargo bound to and from Guyana, a release said.

And the figures support that conclusion, with US$115,383,166 worth of cargo passing through the facility last year, the pandemic notwithstanding.

In his presentation to the visiting delegation, which included Guyana’s Tourism, Industry and Trade Minister Oneidge Walrond, and Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal, Chief of Aviation Marketing, Jim Nares disclosed that Guyana is Number 30 on the list of countries with the most cargo utilising the facility, with 3,384 tonnes recorded for 2020. According to the release, the airport is listed as Number One in the US for handling perishable cargo.

The top five exports, by weight, from Guyana that were processed at MIA last year, according to Nares, were fish, pet/show animals, minerals, raw grains, and cooking oil/fats, while the top exports to Guyana were industrial machinery, telecoms equipment, computers and computer accessories, scientific instruments, and aviation parts.

In terms of dollar value, the top imports into the US from Guyana utilising the airport last year were gold jewellery and gems.

While no data was available for the number of passengers, passenger

traffic to and from Guyana is not insignificant among the 49.5 million people who travelled via MIA in 2019, down to 19 million in 2020 due to the pandemic.

In offering the assurance of passenger safety, Nares said MIA was one of the first airports in the US to install state-of-the art 3D CT scanners. There are 53 passenger and 41 cargo airlines operating out of MIA. BEST SUITED GATEWAY “MIA is the largest and best suited gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, and we are embarked on a five billion dollar capital modernisation programme over the next five to 15 years,” Nunes told his audience, which included Guyana’s Honorary Consul in Florida, Ramzan Roshanali, executives of the GACC, and Executive Chairman of Demerara Distilleries Limited (DDL), Komal Samaroo.

In welcoming the Prime Minister and other participants at the briefing, the airport’s Director of Protocol and International Affairs, Desmond Alufohai pointed to the strategic importance of MIA to Guyana, as its economy continues to expand rapidly, and the private sectors in both countries heighten their trade relations.

In his opening remarks, President of the GACC, Wesley Kirton said that the Chamber requested the briefing for the visiting delegation, so that the Guyana government could get an on-the-spot indication of the operations of the airport, which is most critical to Guyana’s trade relationship with the US. Prime Minister Phillips, in his address to participants pointed to Guyana’s heightened development activities in several sectors, including oil and gas, and emphasised the importance of efficient and cost-effective logistics. He said the timeliness of the delivery of supplies is key to ensuring projects

Guyanese can rest assured that using the MIA is safe and efficient for both passengers and cargo (Travel Pulse image) are completed on schedule, and within budget.

He also underscored the importance of perishables exported from Guyana being handled in keeping with the requirements, so as to avoid spoilage and financial losses to farmers in Guyana.

The Prime Minister said he was pleased to learn of all the mechanisms in place, such as the joint command systems for emergency response, the facilities required for the proper handling and security of vaccines, especially as Guyana and the rest of CARICOM seek to effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the state-of-the-art scanners which would prevent any terrorist activity utilising the aviation sector.

He expressed confidence that with such measures in place, Guyanese passengers and the business community in both countries enjoy a satisfying level of comfort in utilising the airport.

The briefing also heard presentations from Mark Hatfield, Assistant Aviation Director, Public Safety and Security; Captain Patrick Lewis, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Airport Operations; and Humberto Perez, Miami-Dade Police Department.

The visitors were the honoured guests at a reception hosted by MIA, in the Consular Lounge at the airport.

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TWO months after being charged, former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant, Keyon King, on Friday, pleaded guilty to the multimillion-dollar gold and money heist which occurred at Wallison Enterprise, on Gordon Street, Kitty.

King, 32, of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, and two of Wallison’s security officers, Delroy Jackson, called “Bug”, 36, of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara; and Peon Lee, called “Nino Brown”, 35, of Mocha, East Bank Demerara, were, on August 10, remanded to prison on four counts of robbery.

During his first court appearance before Principal Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, King had pleaded guilty to the robbery charges, but later returned to court and changed his plea.

King, who was unrepre-

August 4, but because the owner’s family was there, it was done the following day instead.

At the time of the robbery, DaSilva, a 45-year-old goldsmith, and Carmicheal, a 20-year-old cashier, were at work at Wallison Enterprise when the bandits entered at 10:05 hours.

It is alleged that they’d come with a white car, which they parked on the northern side of the building, and entered the compound through the main gate. They were reportedly granted access into the building by a security guard, on the pretext that they were there to sell gold.

Once in the establishment’s waiting area, they reportedly told the cashier that the small package they were carrying contained the gold they’d come to sell, and after they would have gained her confidence, they whipped out their firearms from their

Ex-soldier pleads guilty to $58M gold and money heist sented at the time, told the Magistrate that he was confused as to what to say when the charges were formally read to him. The Magistrate accepted his “not guilty” plea, though not necessarily his claim that he had no prior knowledge of the robbery.

However, on Friday, during another appearance before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, King opted to plead guilty to the charges.

King admitted that on August 5, while being armed with guns, and in the company of others, he robbed Wallison Enterprise of $38 million in local currency, and $20 million worth of raw gold, property of Francis Santos Lumes.

He also confessed to three other charges, for allegedly relieving, at gunpoint, Fernanda Carmichael of a cell-phone worth $350,000; Francis Santos Lumes of gold jewellery and cash

Former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant, Keyon King amounting to $224,000; and William Batista DaSilva of a cell-phone valued $60,000.

His attorney, Latoya Roberts, asked the court for a probation report to be prepared for her client before sentencing.

The Magistrate granted the attorney’s request and deferred sentencing until November 11.

Meanwhile, King along with his co-accused will remain on remand.

Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum, had told reporters that the police are searching for others who it is suspected were involved in the robbery.

He explained that the plan was hatched by Lee, who at the time was the company’s Chief of Security.

Jackson, a security officer on duty at the time it was executed, reportedly confessed that it should have gone down on Wednesday,

pants waist, and, at gunpoint, ushered her into an inner office where the goldsmith and another man were conducting some business.

Holding both men at gunpoint, the bandits reportedly ordered the goldsmith to open the two metal safes in the office, before handcuffing them, and, confiscating their cell-phones. They later made good their escape with the $38 million in cash and 60 ounces of raw gold valued at $20 million.

By the time the cashier raised the alarm, and the security guard on duty realised what had transpired, the bandits were long gone. The entire incident was caught on CCTV cameras located inside the business premises.

Police made a major breakthrough in the investigation with the recovery of a total of $18M found buried at King’s residence.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

Hinterland pupils excel at NGSA

Aisha De Freitas, the top performer for the hinterland and resident of Region Nine

Region One’s top NGSA performer, Troy Roberts

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand with the hinterland top NGSA performers, from left: Kellon Jordon, Leandro Marcello, Aisha De Freitas, Troy Roberts, and Sabastian Khan at the announcement ceremony (Elvin Croker Photos) Region Seven’s top performer, Sabastian Khan

Leandro Marcello, who secured the Number Three spot for Region Nine THE excitement could not be contained as pupils from across the country listened to the Ministry of Education’s announcement of the results of this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

The results were televised, live, from the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Friday.

Even through the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted face-to-face learning, pupils on the coastland, and those in the hinterland communities worked tirelessly to secure top marks at the secondary school placement exam.

Based on this year’s results, hinterland pupils continue to show their commitment to excellence, copping places at several top schools, including Queen’s College, The Bishops’ High School, St. Stanislaus College, St. Rose’s High School, and St. Joseph’s High.

During the NGSA announcement ceremony, it was disclosed that Region Nine (Upper Takutu – Upper Essequibo) resident, Aisha

Kellon Jordon, who copped the Number Two spot for Region Nine De Freitas, who attained 517 marks, got the top score for the hinterland.

De Freitas, of the Arapaima Primary School, was awarded a place at Queen’s College. She expressed excitement at the announcement, noting that she was “ecstatic” not just to have gotten a place at one of the top public secondary schools in the country, but because she excelled despite several challenges.

According to her older sister, De Freitas changed schools at the end of the Grade Five school year, in an effort to access trained teachers, and better her chances at excelling at the exam, which is written annually.

De Freitas told the Guyana Chronicle that while the move was really hard, since she was away from her parents and friends, the support from her sister allowed her to settle in comfortably into her new surroundings.

She stated that she quickly became focused on the goal, which was to get “a town school” to give her a better chance at getting a quality education.

She stated that her results have shown that the hard work and sacrifice has paid off. She noted that she hopes it will be an inspiration to other hinterland children that they can achieve anything they set out to do.

Keeping up the trend of hinterland excellence was Troy Roberts, who is the top performer for Region One (Barima-Waini). Roberts, who attended Port Kaituma

Primary School, attained a total score of 508 marks, and was awarded a place at The Bishop’s High School.

He described his performance as “a big achievement” for his entire family.

Roberts noted that while he did make sacrifices, he, like many of his peers, struggled with committing to consistent studying.

“For me, I had late nights and early mornings. Sometimes I used to get ‘vex’ but then I realised it’s something good, and I just keep doing it. And I’d advise other students that are writing the exam next year to put away all the games, and focus a bit on school for the time. Also, if they feel like giving up, just think that it’s a few more days, and this won’t last forever,” said Roberts.

He further noted that his parents played a significant part in his success, adding that his family made significant sacrifices to ensure that he was prepared for the exam, since he was unable to have access to face-to-face learning because of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni)’s top performer, Sabastian Khan, who secured a place at the St. Joseph’s High School with 495 marks, told the Guyana Chronicle that the key to his success was “finding a balance.”

He explained that he did not want to burn out himself by focusing too much on studying, but at the same time, he did not want to waste too much time slacking off.

This is where he and his parents designed a system so that he could do both, he said.

“For me, I didn’t do deep studying; I studied piece by Turn to page 15

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

Wanted man ‘Ratty’ surrenders to police with lawyer

Seon Caesar, 25, called “Ratty”

SEON Caesar, 25, called “Ratty”, who was wanted by police for questioning in relation to the murder of Nelson Thomas, also known as “Rambo” on September 9, 2021 at Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, on Friday, surrendered to police in the company of his lawyer.

On October 12, a wanted bulletin was issued for Caesar, who is suspected to have

murdered Thomas.

Nelson Thomas, 36, of Fourth Field, Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, was stabbed to death during a suspected robbery on September 9, just hours after registering his newborn.

Reports are that Thomas and his wife had travelled to Region Four to register their newborn after working for quite some time in an interior

region.

At around 19:00 hours, while at home, Thomas reportedly told his mother that he was going to visit his uncle at Second Street, Kaneville.

It is unclear what happened immediately after Thomas left his house, but a resident of Kaneville told police that after being alerted at around 21:30 hours, he left, looked out and saw the miner lying motionless under a shed attached to the eastern side of his house.

The resident subsequently called the police

Dead: Nelson Thomas and reported the matter at the Grove Police Station.

In his report, he said: “It appears that the deceased was returning home when the suspect(s) attempted to rob him and stabbed him in the process.”

Thomas was escorted to the Diamond Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

‘Uncle Shameer’ appeals rape conviction, 25-year sentence

MINIBUS driver Inteaz Mohamed, called “Uncle Shameer”, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for raping a 15-year-old schoolgirl, has moved to the Appeal Court to have his conviction and sentence overturned.

In July, Mohamed, 44, was sentenced by Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court after a jury found him guilty on two counts of engaging in sexual penetration with the victim during September 2014 and January 2015.

The judge had sentenced Mohamed to 25 years on each count, which will run concurrently.

In his appeal documents, the convict claimed that the trial judge erred in law, and is contending that the sentencing was excessive, and too severe.

As such, he is asking the court to reserve and/or set aside his conviction and sentence.

Mohamed, in his defence, had contended that he is unable to perform sexual activities due to a surgery he did in April 2014 for hernia. He stated that he is being framed, since the victim’s story was fabricated by her brother.

Mohamed further claimed that he would only transport primary school pupils to school, and not students from secondary school like the victim.

According to reports, Mohamed operated a minibus, and would transport the victim along with other children to school. He would also pick

Inteaz Mohamed, called ‘Uncle Shameer’ them up in the evening from lessons. Mohamed is said to be known to the victim and her family.

The case against the convict was that during September 2014, he picked up the teen in his motorcar, and while taking her home, he took her through a bushy area at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara and raped her.

Before dropping her home, he threatened to kill her if she reported the matter to the police. The victim became afraid, and did not report the matter to the police.

In January 2015, Mohamed raped her again. After this incident, the victim was picked up after lessons by her brother.

During this time, Mohamed managed to acquire the teen’s cellphone number and would harass her.

During February 2018, it was said that Mohamed visited the victim’s home, and handed her several letters. Before leaving, he told her not to tell anyone what was written in the letters, or else he would shoot her.

The victim, however, confided in her brother about being raped by Mohamed, and showed him the letters as evidence. The matter was reported to the police, and Mohamed was arrested.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

Paul Slowe arraigned on charges of sexual assault, conspiracy to defraud

PRINCIPAL Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, on Friday, released the suspended Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Paul Slowe, on a combined total of $325,000 bail for sexual assault and conspiracy to defraud the Guyana Police Force (GPF) of over $10 million.

The retired Assistant Commissioner of Police was arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court following the issuance of a summons for him to appear.

He was first expected to appear in court back in May but did not. Given the belief that he was out of the jurisdiction at the time, he was charged in absentia.

Slowe, along with several retired and serving members of the Guyana Police Force, were charged with conspiracy to defraud following a Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) investigation.

The others who were charged are retired Assistant Commissioners, Clinton Conway and Claude Whittaker; retired Senior Superintendent, Michael Sutton; current Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor; retired Sen-

ior Superintendent, George Fraser; retired Superintendent, Mark Gilbert; Assistant Superintendent, Marlon Kellman, and Woman Senior Superintendent, Marcelene Washington.

The particulars of the charge allege that Slowe, together with Conway, Whittaker, Fraser, Gilbert, Andries-Junor, Washington, Sutton, and Kellman, between March 1, 2019, and July 7, 2020, at the GPF Headquarters, conspired to defraud the Force of $10,056,000 by paying Slowe, Conway, Whittaker, Fraser and Gilbert, the said sum, without complying with the proper procedures.

Slowe was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge and was released on $100,000 bail. This matter will be called again on November 26.

SOCU’s investigation allegedly revealed that former Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, unilaterally hired Conway, Whittaker, Gilbert and Fraser, all former GPF officers, to conduct a complete revision of the force’s Standing Orders in March 2019.

SOCU is alleging that

Alleged drug mule, recruiters remanded

A DRUG mule and her alleged recruiters, were, on Friday, remanded to prison for drug trafficking following the discovery of cocaine concealed in two bowls of frozen curry and pepperpot.

Mallika Lambert, a 33-yearold hairdresser, was jointly arraigned along with Devon James, 26, and Rachiel Moore, 23, at the Grove/Diamond Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Judy Latchman.

The trio denied that on October 12, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, they had 6.232 kilograms of cocaine in their possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Magistrate Latchman remanded the trio to prison until

November 11.

According to reports, on the day in question, ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), intercepted Lambert, who was an outgoing passenger on Copa Airlines destined to Panama with onward connections to John F. Kennedy Airport.

A search was conducted on one of the checked-in luggage and ranks discovered 6.232 kilograms of suspected cocaine concealed in a bowl of frozen curry and a bowl of frozen pepperpot.

Lambert was arrested, and under caution admitted to receiving the narcotics from James and Moore to smuggle overseas.

James made no contractual agreements, with specifications, of what was to be revised, and the terms of payments, and also that he did not prepare a budget for the service that was being rendered.

Further, SOCU posits that seeing that the payment was in excess of $10M, it should have been budgeted for, and sent to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for approval; however, James never sought nor received approval from the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Security nor the NPTAB. SOCU is contending that the same Standing Orders James hired the ex-officers to revise had already been revised “by highly qualified and competent policy analysts” of the Strategic

Planning Unit of the GPF. It was also discovered during the said SOCU investigation that while the enormous sum of money was paid to the former police officers, they are yet to provide the force with a completed revised Standing Order.

The probe found that from March 2019, payment accounts were prepared upon the instruction of the then-Head of the Strategic Planning Unit (SPU), Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor, and when he was transferred to the force’s Public Relations Department in November 2019, he allegedly instructed his successor to continue making the payments, which was done until February 2020.

Meanwhile. during his court appearance on Friday, three counts of sexual assault were also read to Slowe. It is

Suspended Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe alleged that between March 26 and April 2, 2019, at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, he allegedly touched a female rank in a sexual way by rubbing her left leg and foot without her consent.

He was not required to

plead to the charges and was released on a total of $225,000. Slowe was represented by attorneys-at-law Selwyn Pieters and Patrice Henry.

Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus adjourned the case until November 26.

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Young Strathspey businessman killed in robbery, perpetrator arrested A 21-year-old businessman was on Friday killed during a robbery at Lot 98, Strathspey, East Coast Demerara, but quick work by the police has resulted in the capture of the perpetrator.

The perpetrator has been identified as Kapel Deo Gangadin, 24, of Annandale, East Coast Demerara.

Reports indicate that Persaud was inside his family’s Hardware Store when he was confronted by the suspect, who attempted to rob him.

In the process, the perpetrator dealt Persaud a stab

to the neck, causing him to bleed profusely. The suspect then relieved the victim of his gold jewellery and a quantity of cash, and made good his escape.

Persaud, however, managed to exit the business place where he was assisted by several persons and taken to the Balwant Singh Hospital, where he died while receiving medical attention.

However, police on mobile patrol later arrested the suspect with the stolen jewellery. He was taken into police custody, where he admitted committing the offence.

The gold chain recovered by police

Hinterland pupils...

From page 11 piece to grasp more of everything, and I knew what time worked for me. So I didn’t study in the morning, because I’m not a morning person, but I’d study in the night and late in the afternoon. For me, studying was not the only thing I did. Sometimes I played; I relaxed. We used to play cricket and go to the beach, so I had that balance between studying and leisure,” said Khan.

He noted that even though he was a student from a hinterland region, he did not allow that to stop him from achieving the goals he previously set, which, according to him, was to do his “very best”.

Region Nine’s second and third best performers, Kellon Jordon and Leandro Marcello, also spoke to the Guyana Chronicle.

They noted that while they are happy with their performance, they are already thinking about their future as secondary school students.

Jordan secured 507 marks, while Marcello got 505, and they were both awarded a spot at The Bishops’ High School.

Both boys are planning to attend the city school, and are already anticipating what the change will be like.

DEAD: Ganesh Persaud

ARRESTED: Kapel Deo Gangadin

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Chennai win IPL 2021

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made good on their promise to erase last season's aberration, as one comeback story trumped another in the IPL 2021 final. MS Dhoni and his team put an end to Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) rollicking second half of the season as they picked up their fourth IPL title.

No team, barring Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2016, won the title after finishing outside the top two since the playoffs system was introduced in the IPL, and KKR didn't come close to turning that around.

Having elected to bowl, they endured one of their worst evenings in the field since the tournament moved to the UAE, with Super Kings' top order not letting their spinners settle down, while taking plenty off their fast bowlers.

Faf du Plessis led the charge, making 86 as he anchored half-century stands for each of the three wickets that fell during the course of Super Kings' 192.

Robin Uthappa and Moeen Ali played their parts with the bat before Shardul Thakur ended Venkatesh Iyer's innings - and a dangerous opening stand - to cut KKR's middle order open and consign them to their first defeat in an IPL final. du Plessis shows up again for Super Kings The previous two times that is, 2018 and 2019 - when Super Kings reached the IPL playoffs, du Plessis managed to get a half-century in one of those big games.

He did it again in IPL 2021, this time with a free-flowing 86 in the biggest game of the lot. His innings tonight ended off the last ball of the innings, and meant the tournament finished with the top two run-getters being from Super Kings, his opening partner Ruturaj Gaikwad being the other.

Tonight, the pair put Super Kings into top gear as soon as the final began. Gaikwad's method usually leans towards safety-first early in the innings, but he flipped the script when KKR brought on a favourable match-up: Shakib Al Hasan bowled two overs in the powerplay and Gaikwad, who has never got

out to a left-arm spinner in the IPL and has scored at over ten an over against these bowlers, decided he wouldn't miss out.

He got two boundaries and a six against him in those overs, even as it became apparent this pitch had nothing close to the traits of Sharjah's.

But KKR managed to keep him in check towards the end of the powerplay, and his 32 off 27 when he fell to Sunil Narine in the ninth over, would look unflattering by the end.

Then, du Plessis and Robin Uthappa - who got 63 in Super Kings' last game - took the attack on through the middle overs. Once again, it was through Shakib that the shackles broke, his third over fetching a six each for du Plessis and Uthappa. That 63run partnership off 5.2 overs involved a six in every over but one, not counting the over in which the pair was united. du Plessis also tucked into Lockie Ferguson's back-ofa-length deliveries for picturesque boundaries, the highlight a back-foot punch over extra cover. A tiring du Plessis managed only 34 off his last 24 balls, but the sixes never would stop for Super Kings.

Moeen Ali, back at No. 4 after a short-lived Shardul Thakur experiment in their last match, hit three of them.

By the end of the innings, it was ten sixes, three consecutive half-century stands and a score of 192 after being put in to bat in a final. The only thing Super Kings would have worried about at that stage was how good the pitch still was, and the prospect of dew.

Knight Riders' off-day in the field Knight Riders' path to the final after qualifying had one thing in common - they bowled first, strangled two teams, and chased when batting got easier. The first part of that went alright in the final, Morgan won the toss and elected to bowl. But the parallel ended there.

Shakib was able to be economical bowling early in the innings in Sharjah but was taken down by Gaikwad in the powerplay. Dinesh Karthik missed a stumping of du Plessis early on and their go-to fast bowler, Ferguson, went for 56, his most expensive IPL spell.

Morgan himself misfielded twice in what became Knight Riders’ worst bowling innings of the UAE leg.

Dhoni drops Iyer, Gill saved by wire Venkatesh Iyer was reprieved off the second ball of his innings, MS Dhoni putting down a routine catch going

reverse-cup to his left after Josh Hazlewood had induced an edge. Iyer went on to make his fourth fifty of the season, managing especially to pick the gaps in an off-side ring that at one point had six fielders.

He also showed off what has become a trademark swing to the leg side the ball immediately after he was dropped.

Dhoni was duly forced into bowling Dwayne Bravo over Ravindra Jadeja after a wicketless powerplay of 55 runs.

When Dhoni had no choice but to bring on Jadeja, Iyer managed two sixes over the leg side to hit him back out of the attack.

The other fifty, Shubman Gill's, might not have happened if Ambati Rayudu's catch running in from deep midwicket had stood. It didn't stand because the miscued slog touched the spidercam wire on its way down, rendering the ball dead immediately. Dhoni, at that point, was shaking his head in frustration.

Knight Riders' opening stand put up 91 in 10.4 overs.

Super Kings needed wickets, and Shardul Thakur was the man who delivered. Iyer looked to launch him on the up over extra cover and ended up slicing it high for Jadeja, who held on with his fingertips before wrapping his palms around it at sweeper cover.

The sense of relief for Super Kings was palpable at that point as they jogged towards Jadeja. A small opening had been made, but the required rate was hovering about ten and Knight Riders had nine wickets in hand.

But Thakur struck again in the same over. An injured Rahul Tripathi wasn't available to come in, and Nitish Rana came in at No. 3. Thakur's cross-seam delivery stuck in the pitch and Rana's drive on the up only meant a catch at mid-off for a first-ball duck.

Narine came in at No. 4, Dhoni went to his fastest bowler immediately, and Hazlewood ended that gambit in two balls.

At that point, 91 for 0 had turned to 97 for 3 in six legal balls, and that would turn to 120 for 6 by the end of the 15th over. Here's how: with the momentum swinging their way, Dhoni went back to Jadeja to try and tie Knight Riders down further, and he got Karthik and Shakib in one over, immediately after Deepak Chahar had ended Gill's laboured 51 off 43.

There would be no other double-digit score for KKR outside of the openers' until Ferguson and Shivam Mavi found some boundaries, but by then the match was well beyond Knight Riders' reach.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

CWIMA wishes Windies men success at upcoming ICC T20 World Cup CRICKET West Indies Masters Association (CWIMA) wishes to extend its best wishes to the Senior West Indies cricket team for a dominantly successful ICC T20 World Cup 2021 tournament in the UAE during the next few weeks.

“We are cognizant of the fact that the team is a blend of mature and experienced players in this format of the game which we have been found to be the most successful in our exploits.

"Most of our players would have had the benefit of playing recently in the CPL in the Caribbean a few weeks ago and would have had some quality time to

spend with their families and to recharge their batteries, whilst a few of them went on to ply their trade in the IPL at the same venues where the World Cup will be played; so they should all be matchready for T20 cricket."

"We are counting on the Windies team to make this their 3rd Championship Title at the ICC T20 World Cup and urge all fans and critics alike of West Indies cricket to rally around our guys on the eve of this most important tournament".

CWIMA is currently preparing its Masters team to tour Thailand in early January for 8 games over a 17-day period.

NSC pledges support for 2021 GABBFF Senior National Championships DIRECTOR of Sport Steve Ninvalle and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Kashif Muhammad have both indicated their support for the Guyana Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GABBFF) Senior National Championships, which is scheduled to be held on December 18 at the National Cultural Centre.

Earlier this week, the federation visited the two officials and according to the president of the GABBFF, Keavon Bess, they both indicated that the Commission “will be a strong financial contributor” to the event, which was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bess noted that although the exact extent of financial support has not been indicated, the GABBFF expects that “with its fundraising activities and support from

Chase looking to play ‘anchor’ role in T20 squad

the National Sports Commission and other sponsors such as Fitness Express, it will be able to make Seniors 2021 a grand spectacle”.

Along with presenting the federation’s budget for the event, Bess also introduced the members of the successful CAC 2021 team to the two officials. These included bronze medal winner in the Bikini category Rosanna Fung and silver medallist in the Male Physique category Emmerson Campbell.

Bess also discussed Guyana’s successful bid to host CAC 2024 with the officials, who both congratulated the federation.

Meanwhile, Ninvalle and Muhammad were informed that bodybuilders Darious Ramsammy and Nicholas Albert are expected to travel for the 2021 Dominican Republic IFBB Open scheduled for October 22-24.

Roston Chase hit 59 boundaries in CPL 2021, second most in the tournament. (Getty Images)

(ESPNCRICINFO) - West Indies have (almost) got their band back together. Dwayne Bravo came out of T20I retirement in 2019. Lendl Simmons and Ravi Rampaul have put themselves back in the side through strong performances in the CPL for Trinbago Knight Riders.

Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard are all bona fide T20 legends, but there's just one missing piece in West Indies' jigsaw: the anchor.

It was Marlon Samuels who stepped up as West Indies' anchorman in their world title victories in 2012 and in 2016.

West Indies have built so much T20 depth that they can pack their side with power-hitters, but in sluggish conditions, there is still a case for someone to play the role of an anchor. That someone could well be Roston Chase.

Chase made his maiden Test hundred in only his second Test, against India, including having Viv Richards getting up on his feet and screaming his name, and ultimately leading West Indies to an improbable draw.

More such back-to-the-wall innings in Test cricket saw him become West Indies ‘Crisis Man". Along the way, however, he was pigeonholed as a Test specialist, playing a grand total of five T20s between his debut in 2012 and 2018.

In 2020, Chase returned to the CPL as a replacement player for the St Lucia franchise. In CPL 2021, he not only became Kings' main player but also the tournament's main player. According to ESPNcricinfo's Smart Stats, which adds context to every performance, Chase was the MVP in the most recent CPL with a player rating of 66.75.

It was just too hard for the national selectors to ignore Chase's reinvention as a T20 player as he elbowed his way into West Indies' squad for the T20 World Cup. It had seemed unlikely two years back, when Chase didn't even get a CPL gig. He wasn't originally supposed to play CPL 2020 either, but the late withdrawal of Australia's Jonathan Wells provided him an opening at the Kings (then Zouks). Coach Andy Flower saw something in his T20 game that many others didn't.

"Very impressed (with Chase) but not that surprised actually because I've been involved in the CPL for two years now and we recruited him last year.

I was surprised that he was available when I came in quite late in the piece," Flower said at a virtual media interaction during CPL 2021.

"He's always looked like a quality all-rounder to me. He's a very clever off-spinner, he fields well and he can marshal the innings in the middle of a T20 innings."

Chase has grown so much as a T20 player over the last two years that he's now ready to slip into Samuels' shoes.

"I see myself playing a similar role (to Samuels:," Chase said, speaking from West Indies' base in Dubai. "It's the role that I play for the St Lucia franchise last two years where I just come in, most likely after the powerplay, and just knock it around. Pick up the ones and twos and get the occasional boundary when the ball is in my area to score.

“So, it's an easy role for me and I like that role and with the power-hitting guys we have in this team, my role should be just to really give them the

strike and let them do their thing. If the ball is in my area, I'd put it away."

Chase's steady presence in the middle order could potentially break up a sequence of left-handers, which includes Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, and deny the opposition favourable match-ups. And against teams packed with left-handed batters, Chase's own cagey off-spin could come in handy for West Indies. In his most recent T20 appearance, the CPL final, Chase took the new ball and took out St Kitts & Nevis Patriots' Chris Gayle for a duck in the first over of the chase.

Plus, Chase is no one-trick pony with the bat. He did show that he has another gear in CPL 2021, hitting 59 boundaries (35 fours and 24 sixes). Only Evin Lewis had struck more boundaries than Chase in this season.

"I think what we've seen in this CPL compared to the one a year ago, he's growing in confidence with his boundary-hitting," Flower said. "He's somewhere up near the top of the leaderboard on the sixes hit so far in this tournament and I'd imagine that's going to carry on."

The tracks in the UAE might not be a whole lot different from the ones in the Caribbean. They are tiring at the IPL and could keep low, as Chase noted.

"It's just to spend time on each wicket you plan on, as I said, but we've had three training sessions so far," Chase said. "Basically the pitches have been coming on pretty good, but the only issue I see with the pitches are they are keeping a bit low. You probably have to stay low when you're executing your shots and that should work. But the pitches are coming on a lot that reminds of what we get in the CPL, so should be a bit easier to get some runs."

Chase is also unfazed by the prospect of making his T20I debut at the World Cup against England, the pre-tournament favourites and holders of the 50over world title.

"I have no idea what the nerves will be like because I haven't reached that stage yet," Chase said. "The game hasn't come as yet, but usually in my Test debut or my one-day debut, I'm not really a big nervous person. I really get nervous when I walk out to bat. Once I walk out to bat, I call for my guard and I do my routine and when the first ball hits the bat, all the nerves are gone. Just play bat on ball from there and look to do my job as best as possible.

"So, I can't say that it's a big overwhelming feeling. I'm not a stranger to the international scene. I've been around the West Indies team for five-six years now.

“So, it's going to be like any other cricket game, but obviously it's a World Cup, little more special feeling behind it. But, as I say, once the first ball is bowled or whatever the case maybe, it's just a fight out there."

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

Hemraj, Barnwell, Yadram instrumental to cricket clubs in Atlanta Open … Shivnarine Chanderpaul, son team up

NATIONAL cricketers Chandrapaul Hemraj, Christopher Barnwell and Bhaskar Yadram were instrumental in winning their respective games yesterday in the 2021 Atlanta Open T20 League in Atlanta, Georgia.

The trio were just a few of the seasoned cricketers in action. Among the big names were West Indies great, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who teamed up with his son Tagenarine Chanderpaul to lift the LA Titans in Group A. Hemraj’s dominance with the bat has spurred Samp Army to back-to-back wins in Group B, the same as Barnwell and Yadram’s team Param Veers.

ATTACK MODE After scoring 113 from 40 balls on Thursday, Hemraj was in attacking mode again yesterday.

He led Samp Army to a seven-wicket victory. Men in Blue won the toss and opted to bat, but they could not get on top of the bowling and struggled to reach 110 before they were bowled out in 16 overs.

Tilak Patel led the attack with 40 (5x4, 1x6) from 26 balls. Manoj Acharya led Samp Army with 3-18, while Hemraj supported with 1-7 from his two overs.

In their turn at the middle, Hemraj exploded with 58 from just 17 balls. He belted seven sixes and three fours for a strike rate of 341.18.

Although he lost his wicket, the 28-yearold’s dominance propelled the side to 116-3 in 7.3 overs.

YADRAM, BARNWELL DOMINATE Against Southeast United yesterday morning, the duo of Yadram and Barnwell did the damage. Param Veers won the toss and opted to bowl.

Former West Indies cricketer Dwayne Smith (1) was trapped lbw in the second over, and although the experienced Xavier Marshall (10) and Jonathan Carter (28) showed some

West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul has had a few starts so far.

Christopher Barnwell scored a 29-ball 61.

fight, United struggled.

Carter became the second victim of Yadram after he had bowled and caught fellow Guyanese cricketer Jonathan Foo for 10.

Yadram finished with 4-26, to lead the attack which restricted the side to 116.

Former WI U-19 cricketer Ashmead Nedd also bowled, but his two overs cost 12 runs.

In the chase, another West Indies cricketer, Johnson Charles, opened the batting and powered his way to 26 (3x4s, 2x6) from 17 balls, but it was an unbeaten half-century from Barnwell that carried the side home.

Barnwell struck three sixes and seven fours off 29 balls for his 61, which helped Param Veers to 117-3 in 13 overs.

THE CHANDERPAUL DUO

Chandrapaul Hemraj belted another half-century for Samp Army.

Meanwhile, LA Titans lost their opener on Thursday against Edison Cricket Club. In that game, it was Guyanese cricketer Trevon Griffith who led Edison CC with an even 50 (3x4, 4x6) from 34 balls.

Needing to scores 166 from 15 overs for victory, Tagenarine reached 28 (2x4, 2x6) from 16 balls, while his father added 26 (2x4, 1x6) from 19 balls, but the side fell short at 147-8.

Griffith took 2-20 and Krishmar Santokie 2-21.

In their second match on Thursday, Titans defeated ACF Falcons by four wickets.

Falcons were asked to take first strike and, led by Sujith Gowda with 71, had managed to reach 176 before they were bowled out in

19.5 overs.

Tagenarine had three catches in the innings. He could not do it with the bat as he finished with four runs. Shivnarine belted three sixes and a four in quick time batting at number five. His 23 runs came off just nine balls, which propelled the side to 180-6 in 16.1 overs.

In their match yesterday morning, Unity CC were inserted to take first strike. Led by a 98-run fourth-wicket partnership between Dhurvil Dagli (54) and Varun Pappuri (66) the side reached 167-5.

In reply, South African cricketer Andries Gous once again dominated with the bat. He and Tagenarine shared a 124 first-wicket partnership with the former scoring 87 (6x4, 8x6) from 38 balls. Tagenarine added 36 (2x4, 2x6) from 26 balls.

Neither Shivnarine Chanderpaul, nor captain Corey Anderson was needed since the Titans reached 169-2 in 14.2 overs.

Green Machine begins RAN title quest today

By Rawle Toney THE Green Machine will 'rev' into action today against newcomers Belize, at the Rugby Americas North Sevens championship in the Turks and Caicos.

Nine countries will be vying for the coveted title at the two-day tournament, set for the Meridian Fields in Providenciales.

Guyana are placed in Group C alongside Bermuda and Belize, while three-time winners Jamaica are in Group A with the British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos. Over in Group B, Mexico will come up against Barbados and Curacao.

The Green Machine, seven-time winners of the prestigious tournament, will be repre-

sented by a 12-man squad blended with both youth and experience.

Jamal Angus will lead coach Theodore Henry’s team of experienced players which includes Godfrey Broomes, Osei McKenzie, Rondel McArthur, Lancelot Adonis, Avery Corbin and Peabo Hamilton.

Phibian Joseph, Tyresse Prescod, Oniel Charles, Jonathan Garnett and Lionel Holder are the other players on the team who will seek to regain the RAN trophy to Guyana since Guyana surrendered the title to Jamaica in 2017.

The team’s head coach had told Chronicle Sport, that he’s accepting nothing short of a top-four finish, adding “given the situation of how we’re seeded, it is highly likely that we

can make the finals of the tournament. And in this tournament, getting into the finals of this tournament is anybody’s game”.

With Rugby, like many other sports in Guyana, not given the ‘okay’ by the local COVID-19 authorities to return to training, let-alone see any competitive action, Henry believes “this team has been thoroughly prepared in terms of fitness, but, match fitness is a totally different scenarios all together.’

“Like I’ve mentioned before, had we the opportunity to play some better opposition, we would have been in a better position in terms of match-fitness,” coach ‘Theo’ noted.

He added that “the fact that we’ve been doing this for quite a long time, this team has not experienced that as yet. I’m hopeful, that

the fact that I’ve been there and experienced a lot of those heartbreaks, a lot of my teaching is going to rub off on them and we don’t have to start from zero.”

Henry thinks everything “depends on the mind-set that they (the players) enter this tournament with - if they’re going to go there and bring out that big-game mentality or they’re going to fold under pressure. We’re hoping that they bring out this big-game mentality that people know Guyana are capable of doing.”

This year’s RAN tournament marks the return of international rugby to the Caribbean for the first time since the COVID-19 global pandemic began in 2020 and also acts as a qualifier for next year’s World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021

BCB continues house drive with commencement of third project

Digicom supports Wong ahead of Germany sojourn

Miguel Wong collects the support from Leslyn Cameron.

Works being carried out as the BCB’s house project continues.

THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) president and RHTYSC head Hilbert Foster earlier this year had committed the two organisations to assisting BCB Office Assistant Ruthel Henry to have her home built.

In keeping his promise, Foster worked hard to fulfil his commitment and we are delighted to inform the general public that construction has started on the home.

The 20ft by 28ft home is being built by contractor Sunil and it is located in the Glasgow Housing Scheme. The home is sponsored by our friends of Vitality Inc, located at Providence, East Bank Berbice.

Vitality Inc. is an official sponsor of both BCB and RHTYSC and Foster stated that Ms Henry has been a loyal employee of the BCB and that it was only fair that he should fulfil his promise to her.

He hailed the outstanding cooperation of

Mr Sureain Sawh, Abbas Hamid and Pandit Deodat in making sure the project got off the ground. If everything goes according to plan, Ms Henry would occupy her new home by Christmas.

The BCB president stated at the completion of the house, the board would be the first cricket board to be involved in the construction of a home for an employee.

A delighted Ruthel ex-

pressed thanks to her boss and the sponsors for making her dream become a reality. Foster, she stated, was a passionate leader who always fulfils his promises, treats everyone with respect and most importantly stands by his friends in their darkest moments.

Meanwhile, the two organisations would like to express thanks to Vitality Inc. for their cooperation.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday October 16, 2021)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Pakistan (2) Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) Today’s Quiz: (1) Which country lifted the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2010?

(2) Who was declared Man of the Tournament?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

NATIONAL table tennis player Miguel Wong has gotten more corporate support, this time from Digicom, as he leaves Guyana today for Germany where he will be part of a High-Performance programme.

In Germany, he will attend TopSpin Sport Tischtennis Centre until the Senior Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru from November 13 to 19 then onto Cali, Colombia, from November 25 to December 5 for the inaugural Junior Pan-Am Games.

The 21-year-old expressed thanks for the support of the tech company and stated that

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it goes a long way in assisting him on this important venture. He hopes he can do well as a way of repaying the support.

Leslyn Cameron, a representative of Digicom wished Wong a successful journey as he represents Guyana on the world stage.

Wong has gotten support from Taco Loco, Everest Cricket Club, Altitude Sport Drink, and Zoon Online Shopping.

The Junior Pan American Games will be the first of its kind and is a multi-sport event for athletes aged 17 to 22 in the Americas, organised by Panam Sports.

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32

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 16, 2021 Coach Theodore Henry with some members of Guyana’s 7s rugby team – the Green Machine

Green Machine begins RAN title quest today Chennai win IPL 2021

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NSC pledges support for 2021 GABBFF Senior National Championships PAGE

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28 The Chennai Super Kings players' kids join in the celebrations, vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2021 final, Dubai, yesterday. (BCCI)

GBBFF officials and competitors met the Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle (sixth from right) and Chairman of the NSC Kashif Muhammad (fifth from left).

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021