Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_17_10_2021

17th October, 2021

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See Inside No.106517

President Ali off to Dubai

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$8B already invested in roads and bridges PAGE

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Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo visited the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, where he took part in a wreath-laying and tree-planting exercise. The Vice-President is currently in Ghana on a three-day working visit

US group proposes US$250M ‘Gifted’ Grade Five 14 healthcare investment 02 girl excels at NGSA PAGE

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Lethem Hospital recommissioned as a ‘SMART’ facility

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

US group proposes US$250M healthcare investment –– President Ali says Guyana poised to be world-class medical destination

By Rehana Ahamad AS Guyana continues to field multiple investment interests across various sectors, healthcare is not being left behind. Presi-

dent Dr. Irfaan Ali said on Friday that a group from the United States is among several others that are interested in developing a world-class private healthcare system here.

More specifically, he noted that the US-based group has proposed to plug some US$250 million (more than G$51.9 billion) into the tertiary healthcare sector.

In his remarks at the recommissioning ceremony for the ‘SMART’ Lethem hospital, President Ali said that while his government remains committed to the continued development of

Dr. Irfaan Ali (Office of the President photo) the public healthcare system, it will also support private institutions in their bid to flourish, thereby enhancing the country’s economy. “Healthcare is an investment arm,” Dr. Ali emphasised.

He said that currently, two local healthcare providers are engaging their global partners on the possibility of merging resources to develop new, stateof-the art medical facilities that will offer all types of healthcare services.

The president also spoke of an interest from both the British and Austrian Governments in relation to building hospitals that specialise in paediatric and maternal care. A similar project is also being formalised by the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) and its partners.

Added to that, Dr. Ali said that there are at least six other proposals from the business community to develop private healthcare facilities that are fit enough to propel Guyana as a world-class private healthcare destination.

“We want to build a healthcare system that is part of our economy; that is, it will be part of health tourism, and it will be part of an international structure that will provide health services globally,” the President said.

He noted, too, that in an effort to encourage investments in that direction, private healthcare providers will receive a number of incentives within the next four years. The Head of State went further to recognise that with the incoming investments, coupled with his government’s bid to expand and enhance public healthcare at all levels,

there will be a strain on the country’s human resource capacity. “We already have shortages,” Dr. Ali noted.

To address these personnel needs, a comprehensive training strategy is being developed. This, according to the president, will see young people being recruited and trained to fulfil the needs of not only the health sector, but education as well. “We are starting with those two [sectors],” Dr. Ali noted.

“You can start planning your career, because we are going to make the investment to ensure that your career, and that the path that you’re taking is fulfilling,” Dr. Ali assured.

Further, with Guyana poised for massive transformation and modernisation across all sectors, the President said that country will have to “train more [professionals] than we need.”

He added, “Remember, we have to deal with primary healthcare and secondary healthcare, and then we will do an evaluation as to where the gaps are.”

Importantly, Dr. Ali said that a specially designed programme will come on stream for skilled persons to become formally trained, so that they, too, can play a key role in developing the health sector and the services offered locally.

“We are also aware that the healthcare system is not only about healthcare; it is [also] about your welfare,” Dr. Ali said.

He acknowledged that more has to be done to ensure that nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals are treated better, and that their needs are met.

“That is another part of the programme that we are focusing on,” the president assured.

$8B already invested in roads and bridges

SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

By Rehana Ahamad

WITH dozens of major infrastructural projects simultaneously taking shape nationwide, the government has already expended some $8 billion to improve the state of the country’s roads and bridges.

This represents just a fraction of the $25.6 billion that has been set aside for such improvements. More specifically, $6.8 billion has been spent on road works, while $1.2 billion has gone into constructing and rehabilitating bridges.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, told the Sunday Chronicle on Saturday that the ministry has been push-

ing aggressively to complete projects that are of proper quality.

Already, $1 billion has been spent on the Sheriff Street – Mandela Road Network and Expansion Project, which included the asphaltic paving of Sheriff Street from the Rupert Craig Highway to Durey Lane; the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Sheriff and David Streets and the Railway Embankment; the widening and construction of drains on both sides of Sheriff Street and Mandela Avenue; the placing of a median which commenced at the intersection of Mandela Avenue and Homestretch Avenue, as well as preparatory works for the overlaying of asphaltic con-

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crete on Sheriff Street and Mandela Avenue.

Meanwhile, works are moving apace on the East Coast to East Bank Demerara bypass road, which runs parallel with the East Bank Demerara Public Road, connecting Mandela Avenue to Diamond Housing Scheme.

Already, the section between Diamond and Mocha has been completed, while the section between Eccles and Mandela Avenue commenced during the first half of this year.

Additionally, the Ministry of Housing and Water has moved ahead to issue bids for another section of the road project, which will See page 4

$6.8 billion has already been spent on road works (Office of the President photo)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

$8B already invested ...

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link the East Bank Demerara communities of Eccles and Diamond.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had indicated that the persistent May/June rains, which resulted in massive floods throughout the country, has affected the deadline for multiple projects, including the Sheriff-Mandela expansion, which was scheduled to be completed by month’s end.

Another significant project is rehabilitation of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, which, according to a mid-year financial report released by the Ministry of Finance, has benefitted from works totalling $90 million, while another $60 million is to be expended on completing the project during the second half of 2021.

Further, a number of dilapidated and damaged community roads were

rehabilitated to the tune of $4.1 billion, which saw upgrades being done to approximately 53.2 km of roads during the first half of the year.

Separate from this, some $783 million was spent on constructing and repairing hinterland roads in regions One, Seven and Nine, the report said.

It was explained too that due to the unprecedented floods, there were notable delays in the commencement of most of the government’s “transformational road projects.”

Notwithstanding the challenges, the report said that preparatory works have begun for the Schoonord, West Bank Demerara to Parika, East Bank Essequibo four-lane highway, as well as the Parika to Goshen route.

Minister Indar clarified that the funds spent on the aforementioned projects

Sunday, 17 October 13:30hrs - 15:00hrs

As at July, some $1.2 billion has gone into constructing and rehabilitating bridges across the country (Delano Williams photo) are part of the 2021 annual budget, and not the $10 billion supplementary funds, which were approved to respond to the devastating floods.

The minister indicated that of the $10 billion, significant sums were also spent on repairing important structures which were damaged by the floods.

Following an assessment done in June, Minister Edghill had estimated the cost to repair flood-damaged infrastructure as being within the

billion-dollar range. He had said then that while the supplementary budget would not cover all the “rehab works” that needed to be done, the projects will be executed on a needs-basis.

Going forward, Edghill said that the floods highlighted the fragility of timber bridges and the need for more climate-resilient structures, especially to guard against flooding, Guyana’s most pronounced natural disaster.

More specifically, Edghill said that the government will be working to replace all of its wooden bridges and culverts with sturdy concrete structures. “We have to make up our minds. It is going to cost a lot, but we got to start building them in concrete,” Edghill said.

This was reaffirmed by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, during an event in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) on Friday.

The government’s mid-year report also pointed to the fact that reconstruction, and maintenance of bridges across the regions have since commenced,

though hampered by delays due to higher-than-expected levels of rainfall. “Notwithstanding, these works are expected to be completed by the end of the year,” the report said.

It indicated too that the procurement process is ongoing for a new Demerara River Bridge crossing, with nine firms shortlisted and invited to tender.

Further, the report said that the governments of Guyana and Suriname continue to forge ahead with their commitments to bridge the Corentyne River, with preparatory works already commencing for the project.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, October 17, 2021

Russia’s daily COVID deaths hit 1,000 landmark

(BBC) - Russia on Saturday recorded 1,000 Covid-related deaths in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began.

The figure had been rising all week, with the Kremlin blaming the Russian people for not taking up vaccination.

Only about a third of the population has had a jab, amid wide distrust of the vaccines. Russia’s figure of 222,000 Covid deaths is the highest in Europe, with another 33,000 infections reported on Saturday.

The government has avoided bringing in strict restrictions because it says it needs to keep the economy working. The Kremlin has instead focused on public apathy on vaccination. This week, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “In a situation where infections are growing, it is necessary to contin-

ue to explain to people that they must get vaccinated.

“It is really irresponsible not to get vaccinated.

It kills,” he said. The government insists the health system has not been overwhelmed and can cope with

the rising number of patients.

However, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko urged doctors who had left prac-

tices because of Covid fears to get vaccinated and come back to work. The number of active cases of infected people in Russia is around 750,000 - also the highest it has been since records started in February 2020.

Overall infections since the outbreak began are now closing in on 8 million. The figures for the percentage of Russians who have had single and full vaccination are surprisingly close together - both just short of a third of the population.

This suggests a large number of people do not want to be vaccinated at all.

Recent opinion polls suggested that figure could be more than 50%. Russia has not been slow in developing vaccines. Its Sputnik V was rolled out quickly last year and it has approved three others.

But it appears to have

failed to convince many at home they are either necessary or reliable. It has had more success selling Sputnik V around the world. But although the vaccine was made available for other countries quickly, it also ran into delivery issues, with some nations unable to get their doses on time.

About 70 nations have authorised the use of Sputnik V but, like Russia’s other vaccines, it has yet to be approved by the World Health Organization. This, along with the lack of international vaccines inside Russia, has led some Russians to take advantage of vaccination tour packages.

Serbia - which Russians can enter without a visa - is one nation where visitors can get a jab of a vaccine such as Pfizer, and open up the possibility of travelling around the world.

Venezuelan gov’t suspends negotiations with opposition CARACAS/PRAIA, (Reuters) - Venezuela on Saturday said it would suspend negotiations with the opposition that were set to resume this weekend, after Cape Verde extradited Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a Venezuelan envoy, to the United States on money laundering charges.

The announcement was made by Socialist party legislator Jorge Rodriguez, who heads the government’s negotiating team.

Rodriguez said the Venezuelan government would not attend the talks set to begin on Sunday.

The Venezuelan government in September named Saab - who was arrested in June 2020 when his plane stopped in Cape Verde to refuel - as a member of its negotiating team in talks with the opposition in Mexico, where the two sides are looking to solve their political crisis.

Rodriguez, reading from a statement, called the decision to suspend negotiations “an expression of our deepest protest against the brutal aggression against the person and the investiture of our delegate Alex Saab Moran.”

Opposition leader Juan Guaido condemned the decision.

“With this irresponsible

suspension of their assistance in Mexico, they evade once again urgent attention for the country, which currently suffers from extreme poverty of 76.6%,” he said on Twitter. Guaido said he would continue to insist on finding a solution to the country’s crisis.

Venezuela, in a Twitter post by the Ministry of Communications, denounced the extradition as a “kidnapping.”

Hours after Saab’s extradition, Venezuela revoked the house arrest of six former executives of refiner Citgo, a U.S. subsidiary of state oil company PDVSA, two sources with knowledge of the situation and a family member told Reuters.

The U.S. Justice Department charged Saab in 2019 in connection with a bribery scheme to take advantage of Venezuela’s state-controlled exchange rate. The U.S. also sanctioned him for allegedly orchestrating a corruption network that allowed Saab and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to profit from a state-run food subsidy program.

Saab’s lawyers have called the U.S. charges “politically motivated.”

Cape Verde national radio reported the extradition on Saturday. The govern-

be used as a bargaining chip,” said Cristina Vadell, daughter of former executive Tomeu Vadell. “I’m worried for his health, even more given the country’s coronavirus cases.”

The Ministry of Communications and the Attorney General’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

ment of Cape Verde was not immediately available to comment.

The U.S. Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a Twitter post, Colombian President Ivan Duque called Saab’s extradition “a triumph in the fight against drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption by the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro.”

The former Citgo executives, who were arrested in November 2017 after being

summoned to a meeting at PDVSA headquarters in Caracas, were taken from their homes to one of the headquarters of the intelligence police, two sources said on Saturday.

The six former executives had been released from jail and put on house arrest in April. The group is made up of five naturalized U.S. citizens and one permanent resident. The U.S. government has repeatedly demanded their release.

“My father cannot

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

Social Capital

THE results of the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) have been officially released.

Also released were the results of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), all of which showed some positive and encouraging trends in terms of the delivery of quality education in the country.

The results showed, in essence, that our children are becoming smarter and are adapting much better to changing education technologies.

In the case of the CSEC and the CAPE examinations, not only did our Guyanese students outperform their regional counterparts in most of the subject areas, but they have done so in an environment of the current COVID-19 pandemic which have had, and continues to have, an unsettling and disruptive effect on learning outcomes.

This is indeed commendable and augurs well for the growth potential of the country.

It is an established fact that there is a positive correlation between human resources development and economic growth. Many countries that have leap-frogged into higher levels of growth and development have attributed much of that to the enhancement

of their human capital. A study done by UNESCO in collaboration with the OECD found that investing in education, especially secondary and tertiary education, pays rich dividends for emerging economies such as ours.

This fact has been fully recognised by the PPP/C administration which must be credited for reversing the decline in education under the previous PNC administration to a point where Guyana is now among the top performers in regional examinations.

This is no mean achievement and speaks to the high priority that the current administration has placed on development of our human capital, so necessary for accelerated development. Guyana is on the cusp of transformational and exciting changes and one of the main drivers of this new dispensation is our young people.

Education is certainly one of the most powerful instruments for reducing poverty and inequality and it lays the foundation for sustained economic growth and development. Economists have generally agreed that human capital is a fundamental determinant of a country’s growth rate. This is especially so in what is now regarded as the ‘knowledge economy,’ which makes it increasingly imperative for an increasing

share of the population to have the right mix of knowledge, skills and attitudes to drive the development process.

The recent results pointed to some interesting and encouraging trends from the standpoint of accessibility and equity of education in Guyana. The results showed that top performers come from both public and private schools, which is indicative of an overall improvement in terms of efficiency levels. It also showed that students from all across the country, including rural and hinterland schools, have done exceptionally well, which is indicative of an overall improvement in the delivery of quality education.

Of course, it is not possible in a matter of a few years to close the performance gap between coastal and hinterland schools, but at the very least the attainment levels have shown a marked improvement across the board, which speaks well of the efforts of the PPP/C administration to raise standards of education in the country as a whole. One significant development has been the democratisation of education access, especially as it relates to public schools and the gradual dismantling of ‘elite’ schools that had characterised a bygone era. Parents now have the choice of sending their children to public or

private schools, which has certainly made the system of education delivery much more competitive.

Of course, not all students who wrote the NGSA examinations will be able to make it to top secondary schools. The number of places at our senior secondary schools is limited to those who are more competitive at the NGSA, but that is by no means indicative of any form of education deficiency on the part of those who may not have done as well. The education system is designed to cater for every student with ability to advance up the education ladder to the full limit of their potential and full advantage should be taken of this facility, especially given the fact that all children may not all be academically inclined, but may have aptitudes in other skill areas.

Regardless of how well our students perform at an individual level, there is a clear indication that the country is getting better in terms of an overall improvement of our human resources potential.

This augurs well for us at this stage of our development when the country is poised for transformational changes.

Congratulations are in order for all of our students, particularly those who have excelled at this year’s regional and national examinations.

UFO reality now taken seriously

Dear Editor,

A SUBJECT that has been ridiculed and made fun off for decades is now being taken seriously: the UFO reality.

We are closer to official acceptance and disclosure than we have ever been.

The phenomenon goes back centuries.

There are religious paintings that clearly show what can only be alien craft. Interest in the modern era was sparked by the alleged crash of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.

The U.S. army initially announced that it had retrieved a “flying disc” and the news was carried on the front page of a local newspaper.

The story was quickly changed -- it is claimed under orders from ‘above’ -- to “recovery of a high-altitude balloon”. Colonel Philip Corso’s book, “The day after Roswell” provides an interesting take on the incident, including the claim that alien bodies were also recovered.

For those new to this subject, the ‘Bible’ of ufology, “Above Top Secret” by Timothy Good is a good place to start. The very popular radio and Internet talk show “Coast to Coast AM” also covers the UFO subject.

There are numerous videos on the topic on

Youtube, featuring big names in the field; nuclear physicist Stanton Friedman, Richard Dolan, Dr. Steven Greer and others. Dr. Greer is the founder of “The Disclosure Project”, which organised an event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC in May 2001.

Numerous important witnesses gave testimony. The video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DrcG7VGgQU President Jimmy Carter saw a UFO and reported it. President Reagan also saw a UFO. Years later, he spoke at the UN, hinting at “an alien presence.” President Trump created a Space Force. Why? In May this year, on “The Late Late Show” with James Corden on CBS, President Obama said, “What is true, and I’m actually being serious here, is that there’s footage and records of objects in the skies, that we don’t know exactly what they are. We can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory. They did not have an easily explainable pattern. And so, you know, I think that people still take seriously trying to investigate and figure out what that is.”

The phenomenon is worldwide. UFOs have been sighted (some while landed!) in

Russia, Iran, China, Zimbabwe, India and other countries. Today, the terminology used in U.S. government and military circles is UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon).

In South America, UFOs are called OVNI (Objecto Voladar No Identificado). There have been numerous sightings, particularly in Peru. In Brazil, there was the famous Villas Boas case in 1957 that reportedly involved a civilian’s interaction with the occupants of a landed craft.

The 2004 “Tic Tac” UFO incident, involving fighter jets from the U.S. aircraft carrier “USS Nimitz,” was recently extensively covered in the mainstream media, including the “60 minutes” documentary show. The Nimitz incident set off a chain of events that culminated in a congressional investigation and report in June this year. Essentially, the report states that (1) The phenomenon is real (2) UAPs are not American technology and (3) There is no competing world power known to have such technology. It stops short of stating that the phenomenon is extraterrestrial, but what else can one conclude? Inter dimensional? Paranormal?

In the Quran, in sura Al-Shura (42:30) we

find this astonishing verse: “And of his signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and what he has spread forth in both of them of living beings. And he is All-powerful to gather them together, when he will.”

The Vatican has also signalled that it accepts that intelligent life may exist in the universe. As Jodie Foster’s character said in the movie “Contact”, “If we are alone, it would be an awful waste of space.”

The late great Paul Hellyer, former deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Canada, the man who unified the Canadian armed forces, is one of my heroes. He famously said, “UFO’s are as real as the airplanes flying overhead.” I treasure my autographed copies of his books “Light at the end of the tunnel” and “The money mafia.” His autobiography “Hope restored” is most edifying, and shows what a fine human being he was.

If a letter can be ‘dedicated’, then I dedicate this one to the memory of The Honourable Paul Hellyer.

Yours faithfully, Sieyf Shahabuddeen

SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

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Scenes from Vice-President Jagdeo’s visit to Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum

VICE President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, visited the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum where he took part in a wreath-laying and tree-planting exercise. The Vice-President is currently in Ghana on a three-day working visit.

He was accompanied during Saturday’s exercise by Floyd Haynes, a member of the Advisory Panel on Local Content in Guyana; Gopnauth Bobby Gossai Jr of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and Hamley Case.

They are all part of the Vice-President’s delegation.

Paul Slowe should be charged for resisting arrest Dear Editor, ‘COMPLY and then Complain’ was the mantra/policy advocated by Paul Slowe when he was an Assistant Commissioner in the Guyana Police Force (GPF), but when faced with arrest, Mr. Slowe chose to resist and invent reasons he could not be arrested.

This is the very behaviour Slowe (and others) have spoken and acted against. To their grave discredit, the GPF failed to execute a simple arrest order and have helped Mr. Slowe to set a terrible example for others in the country.

There have been countless injuries and deaths as a result of failure to comply with police orders (in Guyana and the world) and

in my opinion, much of the work of protest movements such as Black Lives Matter, etc. should be focused on educating people on how to interact with law enforcement for best outcomes. Suspected criminals must comply and then (if they feel unfairly treated) complain. There is an established process for complaints with which Slowe is well acquainted. Paul Slowe did himself and his

country a grave disservice and Commissioner Hoppie should/must arrest citizen Paul Slowe and charge him for resisting arrest.

Law and order cannot come with privilege for some and brutality for others; let us level the playing field.

Yours sincerely, Robin Singh

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

Decoding Cancer

THE third Friday of October, breast cancer awareness month, was designated National Mammography Day. More women than men (100 to 1) are affected by breast cancer and hence all women from ages 45 to 55 are encouraged to do annual noninvasive screenings with a low dose of radiation.

A mammogram shows calcification and or mass.

Early detection, diagnosis and treatment if the mass is malignant will yield a better prognosis.

However, there is a plethora of cancers affecting both genders. The most lethal cancers are pancreatic, liver/intrahepatic, lung/ bronchus, esophagus and stomach with a record ranging from six to 29 per cent survival in five years. A December 2020 PAHO/ WHO publication showed that tracheal/lung/bronchus cancer was the sixth leading cause of death worldwide in 2019, with an increasing

trend over previous years.

According to WHO, prostate cancer in men and cervical and breast cancers in women were among the leading causes of death in Guyana for 2018. But there were many other fatal cancers for the same period. In descending order of occurrence locally were uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer and oral cancer. Some other types of prevalent cancers which may not be prominent here in Guyana are melanoma (skin), leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and colorectal cancer.

From observational studies in cancer prevalence, trends have been established with respect to gender, race and socioeconomics. Generally, more men die from cancer than women (189.5 versus 135.7 per 100,000).

With respect to race, more African American than Asian (227.3 versus 85.6

per 100,000) have been affected. The incidents of cancers are greater in first world countries where there is a higher income, better educational opportunities, higher standard of living and increased life expectancy.

The good news is that in 2019 there were 16.9 million cancer survivors and there is a projected 22.2 million by 2030. Vaccines are in the pipeline at the clinical trial stage for some types of cancers. Additionally, new breakthrough treatments which are more tolerable and individualised with far fewer side effects are being tested. Ongoing game-changing research, especially in immunotherapy and gene therapy, may make the difference even in some advanced stage of cancer in the years to come.

Immunotherapy is empowering the body’s natural strength to fight back cancer cells by binding to the antigen hence marking

the specific sites for attack and destruction. Soldiers in the army of immunity such as B cells, CD4+, CD8+ and helper T cells then attempt to kill or destroy harmful cells. Cytokines are released which communicates the coordinated combat followed with the dissolution by dendritic cells. The proteins of cancer cells, which are the life-giving nutrient of this monster, is rendered powerless by the macrophages of the immune system which scavenges and engulfs all invading antigens.

Currently in Guyana immunotherapy is not a trending option. The treatment choices available are surgery, radiation and chemotherapy (oral and intravenous) which is yoked with the burden of side effects along with the advancement of the disease itself.

Cancer is staged one to five depending on the disease progression. Staging is coded medical language.

It directs treatment options based on the extent of the invasion signalling number and size of tumors and nodes and the location of metastasis in the body.

Hence staging is important since it determines the prognosis by extrapolation of the characteristic response to radiation, chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Some of the required pre-staging routines are physical examination, imaging tests (Xray, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI and PET scan), biopsy and sometimes endoscopy.

Early stage or stage 1 indicates a better survival rating and may only require surgery to remove the targeted mass.

After surgical removal of the primary tumor and subsequently the repeated non detection of cancer cells, some persons refer to the status as “cancer-free”. These cells may no longer be detected via scans or in the case of leukemia in the blood. Cancers like leukemia present in the blood has already reached the entire body and cannot be staged unlike a tumor.

The lingo TNM staging where T refers to tumor, N refers to node and M refers to metastasis can be further simplified. The number following the letters T, N and M indicates the size of the tumor, nodes and organs or tissues to which it has metastasised where one is the smallest and four is the largest. Staging can be done at different points of the treatment to measure the success of the treatment outcomes.

There is another factor, the grading system, either low or high and coded G1 to G4. It differentiates the characteristic of the cancer with respect to the aggressive nature or speed of anticipated growth and

spread. So a “well-differentiated” description in the lab report means that the cancer cells look normal, which is categorised as low grade with a slow rate of spread. The higher the grade, for example G4, will be described as high grade or “poorly-differentiated” which implies a more aggressive nature.

In end stage cancer palliative care makes the patient more comfortable by alleviating pain from the cancer disease and also side effects from the treatment.

It entails appropriate medication and dosing intervals, nutritional changes, relaxation, emotional and spiritual support from family and friends. In Guyana there is a giant gap in palliative care and most times only family members are left to care and provide for such persons by which time all resources would have been exhausted on medical expenses. Faith based organisations can make a huge positive impact not only for the mental state of the patient but also for the caregivers.

In conclusion, you must hold onto to hope and faith, even though tiny as a “mustard seed” because it gives comfort to know that in your weakness lies His strength. As the 2021 World Cancer Day theme suggests, “I am and I will”.

For further advice consult the pharmacist at Medicine Express PHARMACY located at 223 Camp Street, between Lamaha and New Market Streets. If you have any queries, comments or further information on the above topic kindly forward them to medicine.express@gmail.com or send them to 223 Camp Street, N/burg. Tel #2255142.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

Understanding Energy

Local content legislation is key, so is understanding its limits

ALTHOUGH Guyana has been producing oil for less than two years, the private sector has made significant local content progress. The government is pursuing local content legislation to further support long-term benefits of energy development.

Local content policies, which are used by most oil producing countries, create incentives for local businesses, services, and workers from the home country to be included in the development process of a specific sector or broader economy. While these policies ensure inclusion of locals, they also seek to create opportunities for international expertise and transfer of skills and technology to the local market.

Such legislation balances inclusion of the domestic population with the reality of the country’s current capacity. In a small market like Guyana, there are few workers or companies with the highly specific skills needed for some roles in the oil and gas sector. If not done correctly, local content policies could create unequal access for companies that are better positioned financially, without actually encouraging capacity building. Businesses themselves need support, not just in training

workers, but in other key areas where Guyana has long fallen behind its neighbours, like access to financing and ease of doing business. This is a crucial issue in industries that may not require rare skills but do require significant initial investments.

Making it easier to start and finance new businesses could alleviate many of the concerns that local content policies can create around prices and lack of competition by bringing more local companies to the market.

Even for services that do not require specific technical expertise, overly strict local content policies can cause supply chain disruptions and increased costs for other industries in the country. Take civil works for example. The draft local content bill requires the oil and gas sector to only use Guyanese companies in this regard.

While this may seem like a purely good idea in that it will increase demand for Guyanese offering related services, this approach is a perfect example both of the opportunities and risks that the government is working to balance. Creating heightened demand for a service that is already highly utilised by other industries could result in higher costs

and a cascading effect of shortages in other sectors. The impact on pricing can also add up for the oil industry—increasing the costs to produce will ultimately reduce Guyana’s revenues.

Well thought-out policies can help avoid market disruptions like these and keep Guyanese from losing access to basic goods and services.

The purpose of local content legislation is open spaces for Guyanese companies to win business without holding back oil development or damaging other sectors of the economy. Facilitating the transfer of skills and technology that can benefit the country long-term is also a crucial concern with parts of the industry that require technical expertise.

Guyana also faces certain fundamental constraints around the size of the labour market and the economy. According to a recent article, Guyana has the potential to supply about 63,000 workers for the oil and gas industry. However, analysts estimate that the country could need as many as 160,000.

To remedy this, Guyana does have options. By encouraging international com-

panies and workers to come to Guyana and work in the sector, the country can import skills and help meet demand.

There is also a real opportunity to rely on the diaspora to help fill the gap. There are over half a million Guyanese living around the world that are highly skilled in many industries including the oil and gas sector. By engaging with these groups, the government can increase local content while also reversing the brain drain that has long plagued the country.

Demand for services and workers in Guyana’s oil and gas sector are only expected to rise over the next decade, especially as Stabroek Block operator ExxonMobil sees the potential for up to 10 floating production storage and offloading vessels offshore within the next 10 years. This is why tradeoffs must be considered when local content policies are implemented. A careful process of cost-benefit analysis is vital to avoiding negative unintended consequences.

Legitimate consultations and open dialogue every step of the way is critical to balancing trade-offs in the local content process and benefitting the country.

IN a masterful political move, AttorneyGeneral and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, gave the APNU+AFC Coalition a warning that the Irfaan Ali Government is still investigating the questionable deals negotiated for land and property from May 2015 to August 2020.

According to Nandlall, the police and its related agencies will be called in to probe the matters.

He said that questions would be asked of former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, relating to his handling of the infamous US$18M Signing Bonus and questionable disposal of State assets.

Nandlall justified the length of time that the government has taken to ensure it probes the irregularities and matters before handing them over to the police. He was adamant that the police would investigate these alleged crimes against the State.

Well, Jordan responded quickly, declaring his innocence and saying the allegations are false and baseless. He said he benefitted from legal advice and would be boldly plying a certain course.

Firstly, this move was a timely one by the Ali Administration. Hopefully, it will serve to remind the APNU+AFC politicians

that the government is still actively probing every single transaction of the APNU+AFC Administration, particularly those which occurred from 2018 right up to August 2020.

Added to this, the PPP’s base was becoming worried that the PPP/C would fall into the same trap that partially cost the APNU+AFC regime its power. Arguably, this is a very justifiable view when one considers all the things that the government has been involved with as it tries to set Guyana on a developmental trajectory. So, the announcement serves to tell the very concerned supporters and party members that the PPP/C Government has not forgotten its promise.

Secondly, the PPP/C government wants a proper probe that can withstand the scrutiny of the Judiciary that is integral in securing higher conviction rates as a result of successful prosecutions. Remember, the failures of former President, David Granger when the then Attorney-General, Basil Williams, could not make a single charge stick on the PPP/C politicians and ministers who were charged with speed after they demit office.

After all, it was the APNU+AFC that promised to jail several high-profile political figures for alleged years of corruption

and inappropriate spending of State funds, among other things but could not in the end.

Additionally, no State assets of any considerable value were recovered by officials in the APNU+AFC. So, Nandlall and others have been keeping constant meetings with staff and businessmen. They are seeking to unravel the trail of secrecy, inappropriate dealings, and other criminal transactions allegedly involving Jordan and the boys, which are known. In the coming weeks and months, it would appear as though the public will hear more details about these cases.

Thirdly, Jordan must not be seen to panic by Nandlall’s announcement. By him releasing a statement that said nothing and failed to adequately deal with each accusation forthrightly, he is showing his slip and fear. He would be better served to stay silent and pursue the course of action that his lawyers advised. It makes no sense at this point, getting excited and calling up people trying to see what will happen next.

Finally, the probe that Nandlall has announced will have far-reaching consequences for the PNC/APNU+AFC. More than likely, one can only assume that the topical questions of which other officials

are to be targeted will dominate the PNC Congress and the secretive discussions held on the sidelines.

Additionally, some of the businessmen, who are major financiers of the opposition party, are panicking and fumbling over the probe because they know they are on the investigative list. Others, this weekend, they have already gone to their lawyers seeking legal advice about their questionable transactions and murky dealings with the previous PNC/APNU+AFC Administration.

Similarly, it was predicted, here in the column, that the AFC would put off its conference until next year. It is playing politics, and its leaders will have more time to focus on what Nandlall said. He could even be referring to the alleged wrongdoings of Khemraj Ramjattan, Moses Nagamootoo, David Patterson, Catherine Hughes and other persons if their names are on the investigative list.

After all, it promised to look into not only the elections fiasco but every deal, sale, procurement irregularity, and wrongdoing of the previous government.

One thing that can be said about the PPP/C, it rarely forgets its promise made to the people of Guyana.

Investigations, political panicking

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President Ali off to Dubai

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali left Guyana on Saturday for the United Arab Emirates to be a part of Guyana’s National Day celebrations at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Guyana’s national day will be observed on Tuesday, October 19. The Head of State is expected to deliver remarks at the event, while the country’s culture and customs will be on full display.

The event, which was initially scheduled for last year, but postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has attracted most countries in the world.

Although Expo2020 officially started on October 1, a team from Guyana has been in Dubai since early September preparing Guyana’s booth, which is showcasing both the opportunities that exist in Guyana and the country’s natural beauty.

The Expo will run until March 31, 2022.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips, will perform the duties of the President.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

Gov’t pushing for Mandela/ Sherriff Road construction to meet Oct. 31 deadline

President Dr Irfaan Ali An overhead view of a section of the Mandela Road MINISTER of Public Works, Juan Edghill, has assured that all efforts are being made to complete the Sherriff/ Mandela Road before its October 31 deadline.

He said sufficient effort must be made on the part of the contractor before he budges on his position of October 31.

“We expect that both bridges which is both the Lamaha Bridge and the Arapaima Bridge to be fully completed, as you can see paving is accelerating, we have moved paving apace, because apart from the contractor supplying asphalt through his own arrangement, he has engaged the ministry and our asphalt plant is also supplying asphalt to the road,” Minister Edghill told reporters on Friday.

The Public Works Minister said the second and the third lift paving is being done on the Sheriff Street portion heading towards the Lamaha Bridge, and first lift paving is ongoing between DSL

on Mandela heading to back to Sheriff Street.

“We have some delays with the shipping of the traffic lights and the poles for the traffic signals, the traffic signs; we anticipate practical completion of all the heavy work, we’re pushing for October 31. I have said to them, day or night work, let’s get there,” Minister Edghill said.

He said the only thing that will be left outstanding would be the installation of the traffic lights and safety signs. The importation of these items has been delayed due to ongoing international shipping issues. The Minister noted that he will engage the Inter-American Development Bank to determine whether it is possible for the work to go two weeks beyond October 31.

The Mandela Sherriff expansion project commenced in 2017 and has experienced several setbacks. (DPI)

Works are ongoing on the Sherriff/Mandela Road

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, October 17, 2021

Indian High Commission celebrates Dussehra

THE High Commission of India and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in Georgetown celebrated Dussehra, which marks the end of Navratri and the triumph of good over evil by organising an event on the SVCC lawns last Friday.

According to a release, the event started with lighting of the ceremonial lamp by High Commissioner of India, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa; Chief Guest, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs; Dr. Vindhya V. Persaud, Minister of Human Services and Social Security and Vikram Bharrat, Minister of Natural

These dancers mesmerise the gathering last Friday (Elvin Croker photo)

Last Friday’s event started with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by High Commissioner of India, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa; Chief Guest, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs; and Dr. Vindhya V. Persaud, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, as others look on Resources.

The guests were welcomed in the traditional style by the Tassa Group Band and the event comprised cultural performances including Lakshmi Vandana, Devi stuthi by the kathak teacher of SVCC, dance and music performances by the tabla teacher of SVCC, students of SVCC and family members of the High

Commission.

The name Dussehra comes from the Sanskrit language “Dash” and “Hara.” It is said that it was on this day that Goddess Durga defeated Mahishasura (demon) after a fierce battle lasting for more than nine days.

In many parts of the country, it is celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Rama over the 10-headed demon king of Lanka, Ravana.

Dussehra is celebrated in India in different states in different manner. In Karnataka, the people worship Goddess Chamundeshwari and a grand traditional Dussehra procession is held in Mysore.

Vijayadashami is celebrated in Kerala also as Vidyarambham (Vidya means knowledge, arambham means beginning), and on Vijaya-

with great fervour, not just in India, but also in Nepal, and Bangladesh. It is the national holiday of Malaysia.

This festival is also important to farmers as it marks the harvest of Kharif crops and sowing of rabi crops. While Dussehra signals the end of the nine-day long festival of Navratri, it also means beginning preparations for Diwali, which is celebrated 20 days after Vijayadashami, the day when Lord Rama reached Ayodhya with Sita,” the release said.

During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Chair of

Indian High Commissioner Dr. K J Srinivasa and Dr. Paloma Mohamed, Vice-Chancellor of UG display copies of the signed agreement dashami day introduces young children into the world of knowledge, letters, and the process of learning. In Tamil Nadu, this festival is called Golu. This day, Bengalis celebrate Bijoya Dashami which marks the 10th day of Durga puja. In other parts of India, Dussehra is celebrated with much fanfare and Ram Lila, an enactment of Lord Rama’s story, is organised on all nine

days of Navratri culminating with the killing of Ravana and burning of his life-size effigy on the day of Dussehra or Vijayadashami, along with those of Meghnad and Kumbhakaran, which signifies the end of evil.

“Dusshera also signifies getting rid of sins or bad qualities as each head of the Ravana symbolises one bad quality. Dussehra is a festival celebrated

Indian Studies at the University of Guyana was signed between ICCR and UG. High Commissioner Dr. K J Srinivasa signed the MoU on behalf of the ICCR and Dr. Paloma Mohamed, Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of UG. The event was attended by Indian nationals, Indian diaspora members, friends and

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

‘We can replant now’ –– Reg. 3 farmers grateful for flood relief grant

By Richard Bhainie

THOUSANDS of farmers from Region Three (Essequibo Islands – West Demerara) turned out on Saturday morning at various sites across the region to receive their flood-relief cash grant, which is intended to provide financial assistance to people who suffered losses due to the recent unprecedented floods.

The Sunday Chronicle visited some of these locations where persons were eager to receive their grant, and after doing so, they expressed their intention of investing the money back into their farmlands to resuscitate their means of sustenance, and, in some cases, rebuild their lives.

Among these persons was 64-year-old Brihaspatte Ram of Good Hope, Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara, a single parent who relies on public assistance, as well as her cash crops for her living. When the floods hit, in addition to her crops, her house was completely ravaged.

“I had a house, and it fall down when the water flood,” she told the Sunday Chronicle while expressing how happy she is to receive the grant. In addition to using the funds to revive her Brihaspatte Ram displaying her flood farmlands, she will also now be able to re-build relief cheque her house.

Jasoda Chand, age 78, also of Good Hope, Saturday.

Canal Number One, a widow who depends on She told the Sunday Chronicle that it is diffiher cash crops, fruit trees, and pension for her cult for her to estimate the exact number of losses livelihood was also among the beneficiaries on she suffered as a result of the floods, and even

Persons lined up at the L’Aventure Secondary School, West Bank Demerara on Saturday to verify whether their names are on the list to receive the flood relief grant

Jasoda Chand receiving her flood relief cheque from Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall at the McGillivray Primary School on Saturday though the cheque she received will not be able to cover those losses in its entirety, she is satisfied because it will help her to farm again.

“I am happy for it; I am very thankful and grateful for it. I am satisfised for anything; is still something. I will see to buy back some more plants; you always got to keep on the go,” she told the Sunday Chronicle.

Further, 70-year-old Vishnu Lilkhan, a resident of Canal Number One who plants pineapples and citrus for a living, was also grateful for the flood relief grant.

“It [the flood] caused a lot of damage, because the water was there for weeks, and it wilted the plants. This [money] will come in handy for manure; I will use it to set up back the place, and buy some more plant,” Lilkhan told the Sunday Chronicle.

While the flood relief grant will not compensate him for all of his losses, he posited that “Anything will work; you got to be thankful for anything.”

Meanwhile, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., was one of the ministers who travelled to various locations across the region to kickstart the distribution of the flood relief grant on Saturday. This newspaper understands that a total of $500M was distributed in the region.

He told the thousands of residents who gathered at Belle West Primary, Endeavour Secondary, L’Aventure Secondary, and McGillivray Primary Schools that while the flood relief grant is only a small measure to offer compensation,

it is to ensure farmers can return to their lands.

Many residents complained to the AttorneyGeneral that while they have suffered terrible losses, their names were not on the list to receive the cash grant; a wrong he vowed to ensure is corrected.

The money allocated to each beneficiary is calculated based on the losses they suffered. A list with names was prepared for the money to be distributed, and those who are not on the list will receive their grants within two weeks, once clarifications are made.

Nandlall explained that unlike the school system, where there is a register of names of students which is used to distribute the school cash grant, there is no register of farmers, and some persons will be missed during the registration process. He urged them to make contact with the personnel responsible for the distribution of the grants and register their names, so that they will be able to

Vishnu Lilkhan receiving his flood relief grant from Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall at the McGillivray Primary School on Saturday (Delano Williams photos) receive the grants.

“We have to also guard against persons who are dishonestly pretending that they suffer losses… While we want the system to be fair, we want every person to fairly, equitably and legitimately benefit; we will not allow the system to be abused. So, all the smart men who think they can con the system; it won’t happen,” Nandlall said.

The distribution of the cash grant was announced by President Dr. Irfaan Ali on August 1, 2021, who highlighted that approximately 52,000 households across 300 communities had been affected by the unprecedented level of floodwaters.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

Lethem Hospital recommissioned as a ‘SMART’ facility

By Rehana Ahamad

THE Lethem Regional Hospital, on Friday, became the second public healthcare facility to be converted into a ‘SMART’, climate resilient operation, following the Diamond Diagnostic Centre which was upgraded and reopened in April of this year.

The Region Nine, (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) hospital was recommissioned

by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who explained that the conversions are merely a component of the government’s drive to develop and modernise the country’s health

can find with good accommodation for patients. All this will happen in [the] next five years,” Dr. Ali assured.

To further support the upgraded operations of the Lethem Hospital, the government is also looking to have a “specialised outfitted vehicle” assigned to and stationed in the region, at least by 2022. “…that [the vehicle] would travel monthly from community to community, offering optimal health services,” a statement from the Office of the President indicated.

The statement also indicated that this provision will allow the health system to

government’s information department as saying the government’s thrust is “to make sure that in this region, we work hard to improve the quality of services that we are offering…. all of which would create a better ambiance for healing.

In a previous interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Minister Anthony said that the conversion of all five hospitals is projected to wrap up by the end of the year.

This means that within the next few months, Guyana will boast of hospitals that are climate-resilient and energy efficient.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali greets the medical staff of the upgraded Lethem Hospital sector.

“When we speak about this transition, it also requires a smart approach to work and this is where the human factor comes in. We have to develop a new culture in a way we administer health services,” President Ali said.

The ‘SMART Hospital’ concept refers to a facility that is both safe and ‘green’.

The initiative to convert five local hospitals comes under an $835M (US$4.175 million) project being funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).

Dr. Ali was quoted by the government’s Department of Public Information as saying that the conversions go “beyond the physical asset [and] the nice building; it talks about a system of administering a service that is different from (what it) was prior.”

It was explained that the upgrades being done to key hospitals across the country are also part of the administration’s efforts to ensure equitable access to important services; more specifically, to ensure that effective and efficient healthcare can be accessed countrywide, and not just by persons living along the coastland.

“This Lethem Hospital would have a further conversion,” President Ali noted. He said that efforts will continue to ensure that residents of Region Nine have access to optimum healthcare. “We are going to build a modern facility here in Lethem, with the best surgical wings you

implement a tracking mechanism called the ‘Patient Management Information System’ that can be used by healthcare professionals to act on a person’s specific medical issues, even before they get worse.

The President cautioned, however, that for these investments to bear fruit, there will have to be a cultural change, which would not only be applicable to doctors, nurses, and other medical staff, but to all of the hospital’s workers.

“So, it is the integrated flow from the time you get to the hospital to when you are administered service. And I want to urge the management of the hospital to ensure that that flow and level of service is there,” President Ali said.

He noted, too, that in addition to upgrading and retrofitting hospitals across the country, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government is focused on upgrading all levels of healthcare in Guyana.

This, Dr. Ali explained, will be done from the sub-regional level, the regional level and the national level.

Even though the ‘SMART’ conversion project started with five local hospitals, the Guyana Chronicle was informed that a needs assessment has commenced on 89 other health facilities.

Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, who also spoke at Friday’s recommissioning exercise, said that following the upgrades, operations at the Lethem Regional Hospital have improved tremendously. He was quoted by the

The recommissioned Lethem Regional Hospital will now function in a manner that is ‘SMART’ and climate resilient rainwater for its day-to-day food production, all due to She explained that three out functions. the projected rise in sea levels. of every four new infectious The upgraded will also As a matter of fact, the diseases in people come from mitigate the need for persons IPCC predicts that “global animals. to rely on the Georgetown warming will worsen human “More specifically, from Public Hospital Corporation health conditions, especial- our wildlife and from the for key services such as sur- ly in tropical regions.” In livestock we keep in ever-ingeries and x-rays, etc. countries such as Guyana, an creasing numbers… if an Dr. Anthony had said that increase in temperature indi- area becomes too hot or too the conversions of these local cates an increase in mosquito cold for certain wildlife, they hospitals are directly linked populations, thereby escalat- will migrate to new places, to the government’s fight ing the risk of a variety of where they interact with other against climate change, hav- insect-borne infections. animals that they have never ing recognised the detrimental “… and those mosqui- encountered before,” Dr. Kaimpact that poor environmen- tos would bring with them a lamandeen told the Guyana tal practices have on human number of different types of Chronicle. health. diseases such as dengue and She reasoned that this In explaining the impor- malaria, and chikungunya, usually results in humans tance of the SMART hospital and so forth,” Dr. Anthony increasingly sharing the same project, Dr. Anthony, in a previously said in an invited spaces and vying for the same previous interview with the comment. food as various species of

President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the team gets an inside look of the refurbished hospital (Office of the President photo) The next such facility slated for completion and full reopening is the Leonora Hospital, West Coast Demerara, which is being upgraded by Correia and Correia Limited.

Once this Region Three, (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) project is completed, the Mabaruma Hospital in Region One (Barima-Waini) is next on the agenda to be recommissioned, followed by the Paramakatoi Health Centre in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

The SMART hospitals are intended to boast the requisite infrastructure to guard against flooding, reduce reliance on the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Corporation by resorting to renewable energy, as well as enabling the use of

Guyana Chronicle, made specific reference to reports released by the United Nations’ Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), particularly as it relates to the notable rise in global temperatures.

“For the last hundred years, the earth’s temperature has increased by 0.75 degrees Celsius and every decade since 1850, we are living in warmer climate,” the minister said, pointing to the consequences of Guyana’s infamous 2005 floods.

In a series of articles published in January, the Guyana Chronicle also examined a number of adverse effects that climate change is likely to have on local sectors, including sea defence, health and

In addition to vector-borne and water-borne diseases, global warming also paves the way for increased heat waves, which would result in prolonged periods of abnormally high temperatures that can have serious health effects on vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and the sick.

“This was already seen during the 2003 heat wave in Europe, which claimed approximately 35,000 lives,” a recent UN Climate Change report indicated.

Reflecting on the many environmental tragedies that occurred in 2020, Guyanese Scientist, Dr. Michelle Kalamandeen, had opined that climate change has inevitably created the deadly monster that is the novel coronavirus.

organisms, thereby increasing the risk of transmission of diseases from animals to humans.

To further address the climate change phenomenon, minister Anthony said that his ministry has commenced the drafting of a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan which seeks to examine a myriad of ways that the ministry can respond to climate change. The ‘SMART hospital’ project also ties into that response.

Nonetheless, also attending the Lethem hospital’s recommissioning were the British High Commissioner to Guyana, H.E Jane Miller, and Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) Representative in Guyana, Dr Luis Felipe Codina.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

‘Gifted’ Grade Five girl excels at NGSA

By Jared Liddell

THE National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) is the gateway into the secondary education system; it is a time when children ages 1112 pour the knowledge they have gathered over their five years in primary school to be placed in schools that would better allow them to develop and pursue their education interests.

This year, 11-year-old Nitya Narine of Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne) decided to try an unorthodox method and sat the 2021 exams, instead of waiting until next year – albeit while schools were closed as the country battled the COVID-19 pandemic.

But why would anyone want to write an exam a year before they are scheduled to? The answer was simple; Nitya was always an overachiever and has consistently excelled at all her exams.

As a matter of fact, her parents – both teachers at the Tagore Memorial Secondary with 31 years of experience under their belts – say she was always gifted.

Her father Vishal told this newspaper that Nitya represented the Babylon Nursery school at a science fair and secured the second-place title; similarly in 2018, in Grade Two, she represented the New Market Primary at the Regional and National Science Fairs and walked away the first-place winner.

So, having her write the NGSA this year was a no-brainer; they knew she would excel – and excel she did.

Nitya told the Sunday Chronicle that while she had her sights set on Queen’s College, she is extremely happy to have secured a place at the Bishops’ High school after gaining 509 marks at the 2021 exams.

She is still to decide on a career in the legal or medical field, noting that this new journey will allow her to make an exact decision on her future.

EXAM PREPARATION Speaking about preparation for the examinations, Nitya said she had to develop a structure utilising

the resources provided by the Ministry of Education (MoE), coupled with resources made available by her parents to ensure her success.

She noted that several MoE initiatives such as “QuizMe, and the Guyana Learning Channel” came in handy to prepare her for the exams.

“I made a study timetable and every day I worked with it. I worked on QuizMe and I watched a few of the Learning Channel videos, but I didn’t get to watch all of them.

“I think I would have done better if I [had] looked at the other videos. But I’d advise students writing the exams next year to also have a study timetable, work the quizzes, work all the worksheets, and watch all the videos, so that they can also do good,” Nitya said.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the way education is accessed across the globe and in Guyana, teachers were forced to conduct classes online Nitya stated that she did not face many challenges

Nitya Narine and her parents Vishal and Fareza Narine along with her brother and Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand at the NGSA announcement ceremony on Friday (Ministry of Education photo) with virtual learning as it at the NGSA. He described likes the virtual learning; gave her many opportuni- his daughter’s performance she likes the computer learnties that were not present in as a “major accomplishment,” ing, YouTube learning and face-to-face learning, the noting that she has always things like that, but one of most notable being the abil- been disciplined and dedicat- the things we managed to do as parents is, we have been ity to attend classes for both ed to academic excellence.

Grades Five and Six. Narine stated that Nitya providing her with all the necessary resource materials, textbooks and any other thing that she would need.”

The talented and gifted Nitya Narine poses with several pieces of her artwork This, she stated, gave her an advantage as she was able to get the preparatory classes in Grade Five and get added learning resources from the Grade Six sessions.

SUPPORT SYSTEM The top performer told the Sunday Chronicle that she had immense support from her parents Vishal and Fareza, which allowed her the confidence to face the examinations while being in only Grade Five.

Vishal beamed with pride at his daughter’s performance

was the one who alerted them of her eagerness to sit the NGSA while still in Grade Five, after which he reached out to the Ministry of Education and requested permission for her to sit the exams. According to Narine, Nitya scored a 90 percent average at the mock exams, which further signalled her readiness for the NGSA. Narine stated that he, along with his wife, took turns working with Nitya to ensure that she had the best opportunity to achieve her goal.

“She’s a child that really

TALENTED Narine described his daughter as “talented,” noting that while she has expressed interest in becoming a lawyer or a doctor, she has also shown great promise and interest in being involved in the arts.

As a family, they have always allowed Nitya to embrace her creative side as much as her academic side, as he believes it will help her develop into a more rounded individual.

The proud father said he intends to continue supporting the growth of her abilities both in academia and in creativity, as he understands the major impact one will have on the other as she continues to grow and navigate life.

“She is a very gifted artist; she does some amazing paintings, but she is also very intelligent. When we got the results yesterday, we were very proud of her.

“We mentioned to her even before the results came out that no matter what school she got, we were proud of her.

She’s a very disciplined child. Most of the time she learns by herself, it’s not as if we have to be there with her all of the time. She’s very disciplined that she could sit with her books and work along by herself.”

SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

Family of slain youth calls for resuscitation of community policing group

RELATIVES of 20-yearold Ganesh ‘Chris’ Persaud of Strathspey, East Coast Demerara, who was stabbed to death by a bandit during a robbery on Friday, are calling for the resuscitation of the local Community Policing Group (CPG), to aid with crime fighting.

During a visit to the family’s Strathspey house on Saturday by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., relatives aired their dissatisfaction that the once effective CPG was abolished under the previous administration.

There was a consensus among relatives, neighbours and other persons stopping by to offer condolences to the aggrieved Persaud family that while functioning, the CPG played a crucial role in assisting with crime fighting in the locality as thieves were cognizant of its existence, and as a result, were hesitant to commit crimes.

The slain youth’s father, Radesh Persaud and his uncle, Sasenarine Sookram, were all members of the local CPG which was dismantled over two years ago. As part of the CPG, they were armed, and conducted regular patrols throughout the villages.

Sookram said there were a number of incidents which saw the intervention of the CPG, where arrests were made.

He highlighted there were even instances where the CPG assisted the Guyana Police Force in responding to alarms which, in turn, caused members of the community to have confidence in the policing group.

A tearful Radesh Persaud bawled: “why did they kill my son?” as he reminisced on the person his son was. He described him as “really good” and “quiet” – sentiments which were shared by several members of the community.

Chris was stabbed to the neck while in the family’s store - Deals on Electronics – by the suspect who wanted his gold chain.

The alleged murderer was identified as 24-year-

licing Groups (CPG), Rishi Das, had told the Guyana Chronicle that as part of resuscitation efforts from January to June, 139 CPG groups were formed, taking the total so far to 225 CPGs, with some 2,215 additional members taking the total membership to 4,225.

Dead: Ganesh ‘Chris’ Persaud old Kapildeo Jangadin of Annandale, ECD; he was captured shortly after the incident and the police found the gold chain in his possession.

Chris died at the Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital in Georgetown while receiving medical attention.

He would have celebrated his 21st birthday on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Nandlall, who visited the relatives of the slain youth on Saturday to offer condolences, explained that the resuscitation and modernisation of the CPG is a manifesto promise of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), and the government is desirous of the CPG working alongside the GPF. “This was a unit that helped with the crime situation right across the country, unfortunately it was dismantled by the previous administration and you are seeing the impact of its non-existence right here in this community,” Nandlall said.

“Perhaps this may not have happened if persons knew that there was a vibrant, active policing group in this area that had access to firearms. I’m not saying that it could have been prevented, but it would have been a deterrent,” Nandlall added.

Nandlall said that the government must now hurry to resuscitate the community policing groups across the country, and equip it with the requisite resources so that it may offer some type of protection to the citizenry of the country.

Administrator of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Community Po-

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Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. consoling a tearful Radesh Persaud, the father of now deceased, Chris Persaud, who was stabbed to death on Friday by a lone bandit

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GRDB commissions $10M drying floor at Riverstown

THE Ministry of Agriculture through the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) on Friday commissioned a GY $10,071,000 drying floor at Riverstown, Essequibo Coast.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, who officiated at the commissioning by spreading paddy on to the asphaltic structure,

urged farmers from the area to make full use of the facility. He said the facility was constructed following requests made by farmers during a visit to the region earlier in the year.

According to Minister Mustapha, once farmers make requests for those facilities to be constructed, the government through the Ministry of Agricul-

SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

ture will work to facilitate those requests. He also said over the next four years, the government will be opening more lands for agricultural development and making more facilities such as the drying floor available to farmers.

“As a government, we recognise that the rice industry has and will continue to earn a lot of revenue for Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha officiated at the commissioning by spreading paddy on to the asphaltic structure

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha the country. Therefore, we have been making the necessary investments in the sector. If we are to achieve our target of doubling paddy production within the next four years, we have to open up more lands and make the necessary facilities available to you, the farmers.

When we took government a little over a year ago, a number of agriculture inputs were taxable. We’ve since removed those taxes and farmers have more money in their pockets,” Minister Mustapha said.

He noted that the GRDB has been working to develop new varieties of paddy with higher yields per acre.

“Our scientists have been working to create new varieties to increase your yields per acre. Only last year we launched the GRDB16. That variety, with good farming practices, has the potential to increase the national average from an average of 40 to 45 bags per acre to about 55 to 60 bags per acre. We are also working to develop another type of rice through the GRDB and IICA. It is a biofortified rice variety enriched with zinc.

“It is healthier and could

also attract preferential prices on the international markets. We are working to have that developed into a candidate variety and I’m optimistic that by May of next year, farmers can have that as a candidate variety for their fields. We are exporting rice to about 30 countries around the world, so just imagine how many new markets we will benefit from if we have a variety that is enriched with zinc.”

Minister Mustapha also told farmers that the government is working through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs to retrieve money owed Guyanese millers for rice supplied to Panama under the previous administration. He reminded farmers that the former government referred to rice as private business and that it wasn’t until the PPP government took office last August that Panamanian officials were engaged on the matter. Farmers who were present at the commissioning expressed thanks to the ministry for acting on the request made by farmers to construct the drying floor.

The drying floor was constructed by A. Bacchus Contracting and Trucking Services.

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Teacher who offered ride to stranger robbed of motorcycle A GRACIOUS teacher, who offered a ride to a 30-year-old man, was later robbed by the same man on Friday of his white and black XR 150 motorcycle (CH 4728) in St. Ignatius Village Central Rupununi, Region Nine.

According to the police, the 36-year-old teacher of Region Nine was flagged down by the alleged suspect who is unknown to him.

The white and black XR150 motorcycle that was recovered by the police The teacher was at the time proceeding north on Parikwarunau Village Access Road heading home when the suspect asked him for a lift to St. Ignatius Village and he obliged.

Police said as they reached St. Ignatius Access Road, the perpetrator asked the victim to stop for him to urinate and so, he did. The robber then placed a knife to the teacher’s neck and ordered him to get off of his motorcycle and he complied.

The suspect then rode away with the victim’s motorcycle. The area was combed for the robber and he was contacted about 21:00 hours, in his neighbour’s yard.

He was told of the allegation and cautioned and he replied, “Sir dah man pull a knife on me so I tek away he bike and hide it”.

He then took the police to a bushy area in Kumu Village and the motorcycle was found in some bushes.

The suspect is in custody pending further investigation.

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School may begin in January for Grade Seven students WITH the results of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) released only last Friday, the Ministry of Education (MoE) is considering reopening schools until January 2022 for the students now going into Grade Seven.

Though public schools were reopened in September, the Grade Seven students were awaiting the release of the NGSA results, which is used to determine which secondary school they will be placed at.

Speaking with the media after the announcement of the results on Friday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand explained that the ministry has not yet settled on when school will reopen for the students. However, she noted that different schools may have individualised plans, and there may not be a fixed reopening for all schools.

“They [the students] are now knowing which schools they are getting. Different schools are going to put different things in place; I suspect Online, I suspect maybe worksheets. It might be that we don’t start Grade Seven until we cut a term out of Grade Seven for this year, and we start it in January. We will tell you that as soon as we know,” Manickchand said.

This year, the NGSA results were re-

leased this month, given the fact that the examinations were only written on August 4 and 5, due to changes that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manickchand noted that there is no need for the school year to be extended for the students.

“No, it won’t be extended; what we might do is truncate. What we have done for Grade Seven is that we have a consolidated curriculum; we’ve already cut the curriculum from 40 weeks to 20 weeks.

So, what we have to do is make sure we cover that, as well as work they would have missed in Grade Six,” the Education Minister explained.

Schools in Guyana were closed to faceto-face learning for more than a year, with students finally returning to the classroom in September, using individualised plans at respective schools.

However, though all grade levels were reopened for the nursery and primary schools, at the secondary schools, clearance has only been given for the return to school for Grades 10, 11 and 12 students.

The Education Minister reminded that clearance for the return to school for any level is dependent on advice from the Ministry of Health (MoH), given the COVID-19 situation.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE October 17, 2021

GDF engineers constructing bridges at Mahaicony, Longsdale

MEMBERS of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Four Engineers Battalion are currently working assiduously to complete two critical bridges, which will play pivotal roles in returning the agriculture potential to several adjoining communities.

The soldiers are constructing two heavyweight timber bridges at Fellowship Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara and Longsdale/ Brothers, East Bank Berbice.

Government of Guyana Project Engineer, Brigadier (ret’d) Gary Beaton, is overseeing the projects and recently visited the sites.

At Fellowship, the bridge, which is near completion, measures 92 feet and links Tappin Dam to the Bellamy Canal Dam. It, therefore, serves as an access point for residents of neighbouring communities.

Residents recalled that in the early 1980s, the vast open land was used for extensive coconut farming and cattle rearing as well as cash crop production. However, the bridge became impassible and residents were forced to abandon their livelihoods as the next heavy-duty bridge is some three villages away.

Site Supervisor, Staff Sergeant Kwamina Whyte, noted that when the soldiers arrived to commence work, they were faced with the challenge of clearing the area which was overtaken with bushes and made it difficult to transport material.

“It wasn’t easy for us to get started. We had to clear the area and also fill the approach to access the bridge, so it took us some time before we started doing the real work, but we are almost fin-

ished here. We are grateful to be able to do this for these communities,” he said.

Rudyard Tappin, one of the residents on hand during a recent visit to the site, said he was elated about the construction of the bridge.

“I am happy about this development. I grew up in this community and my family was always engaged in farming, but after the area became flooded, we and other farmers had many losses.

Then, after the bridge collapsed, we were forced to abandon completely. Having this bridge here now will most definitely see re-cultivation as persons have already indicated that they will come back. Some persons have started to bring back their cattle,” he said.

At Longsdale/Brothers, the bridge lies on the border of the two communities and connects residences to farmlands. The soldiers completed over 160 feet of revetment work and are currently working to complete a 60 feet heavy duty timber bridge. This project has had some delays, but work has since been restarted. Sergeant Montel Gilead is the site supervisor.

Jainarine Ramoo, who has been resident in the community for the last 10 years, says he is particularly anxious to see the bridge completed as it will be easier for the children to go to and from school.

“We are happy with the work the soldiers are doing and at least when this is finished, we could do more farming and poultry rearing as well,” he said.

Nareefa Samwaru said she was also pleased that the bridge will assist parents

who are forced to walk longer routes to take children to school.

“Before, they used to patch it here and there so we could still use it but after a while, it became very bad, and so we were forced to stop using it. Now that vehicles could go down, we would be able to start back farming like we used to do before, and so this would be good for us,” she said.

The opportunity to work on these projects help soldiers to improve their capacity while, at the same time, build capacity in the Engineers Battalion. Lance Corporal Travis July said he has learnt a lot since working on the projects and is grateful for the opportunity to improve his skills.

“I am happy that as a soldier I could come back to one of my neighbouring communities and assist in this way with my skills,” said Lance Corporal Menan David, one of the soldiers working on the project and also a resident of Lighttown village.

Regional Executive Officer of Region Five (Mahaica/ Berbice), Genevieve Blackman, said that she is grateful for the work being done by the Force in the region. She believes that the region is realising more of its infrastructural goals through its collaboration with the GDF. “This collaboration is not unique to this region and it helps the GDF to build its capacity. So, we both benefit.

We appreciate the assistance of the GDF which result in more returns from the investments made,” she said.

The teams working on the projects are exclusively members of the GDF and

Revetment works ongoing at Longsdale/ Brothers, East Bank Berbice

(Third from left) Brigadier (ret’d) Gary Beaton and Staff Officer One- Plans and Supervision, LT Col Kennard Liverpool during the inspection of the Tappin Dam Bridge are skilled personnel who are qualified in the field and have completed several engineering projects both within the Force and in several parts of the country.

The construction of the bridges forms part of the

heightened role of the GDF in the country’s national development and infrastructure transformation and keeping with Commander in Chief, President Dr Irfaan Ali’s vision for a more community-oriented military.

The President is adamant in this vision as he seeks to sensitise communities of the developmental role that the military could play as well as insisting on the reinforcement of confidence in the armed forces.

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‘I will not let a single child drop out of school’–– Manickchand

By Tamica Garnett

MINISTER of Education, Priya Manaickchand, has pledged that the Ministry of Education (MoE) will be assiduously investigating the reasons why 559 Grade Six pupils did not write their National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

Speaking with the media on the sidelines of the announcement of NGSA results on Friday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Manickchand said that those pupils will not be allowed to become dropouts.

“I am certain that I will not let one single child drop out [at] Grade Six. We have to go and find them. We have to find them and it might not be to put them in First Form [Grade Seven] to do Maths and English, because they haven’t been in school for two years, but they have to become people who are independent earners so we have

to find pathways for them,” Manickchand established.

At Friday’s event it was revealed that 14,380 pupils were scheduled to write the examinations, but only 13,821 eventually turned up to write it.

Guyana has a high dropout rate at the primary school level, with the repercussions showing up in the workforce.

According to statistics from the Bureau of Statistics, as of 2020, over 55 per cent of the country’s workforce has primary-school level education or less. The country has maintained this high percentage since 2017.

As Guyana develops as an oil-and-gas nation, the education deficit poses a challenge and impediment to lobbying for local content policies, as there are not many qualified Guyanese to fill many roles in the industry.

Manickchand emphasised that the issue of failing learn-

ers at the primary-school level has to be given just as much attention as the high-achievement pupils are receiving.

According to Manickchand, the ministry will also need to do more to come up with alternative pathways for those Grade Six pupils who scored zero in one or more of the NGSA examinations, since placing such pupils into secondary schools may not be the best option.

“You can’t take a child who can’t put a single word on a paper to get marks and throw them into a high school and expect them to function.

We have to find individualised pathways for that child, or else you are failing them even before they begin,” Manickchand said.

She noted that further investigation is needed to determine whether education delivery at the school inadequate, or whether it has to do with deeper socio-economic

issues in the child’s home.

She explained that the ministry currently does not have access to the NGSA examination papers, as they are being handled by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), but it will be handed over to the ministry once a review period is over.

“What is going on in our system that allows a child to have been in school for six to eight years and can’t write something on the exam paper that would give them even one single mark? Manickchand asked.

“We will go into those boxes to find out at which schools [the pupils come from], what is happening in those schools. Let’s hear from the teachers why this hasn’t worked. It may very well be the teacher says, ‘no you can’t tell me we had this child for six years, he doesn’t come to school’.

So, then is it a parental problem.”

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Elderly woman perishes in Bartica fire A PENSIONER identified as Iris Baron, 81, died in a fire Friday night which also destroyed her house in Bartica, Region Seven, after a candle fell onto flammable materials.

According to the Guyana Fire Service, at 22:23 hours Friday they responded to a report of a house on fire at Lot 203 Mongrippa Hill, Bartica.

However, despite the firefighters’ efforts, the pensioner’s one-storey wooden and concrete house was completely destroyed with her inside.

The fire also caused damage to a nearby two-storey wooden and concrete building.

The top floor of that building was occupied by a family of four while the bottom flat was occupied by a family of five.

A scene from the roadway of the blaze at One Mile in Bartica, Region Seven (Photo source: G News Bartica)

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Four more die from COVID-19, 122 new cases

FOUR more persons have died after contracting COVID-19, taking Guyana’s overall death toll to 866, the Ministry of Health has reported.

The ministry said that the latest fatalities include a 45-year-old woman from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) who died on October 15 and her vaccination status is unknown; a 65-year-old unvaccinated woman from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and a 68-year-old partially vaccinated woman from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) who both died on October 16.

The remaining fatality is a fully vaccinated 59-yearold-man from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) who also died on October 15. The latest fatalities take October’s death toll to 67.

Additionally, there are currently 3,777 active

COVID-19 cases in Guyana, following the addition of 122 new cases on October 16, 2021, from 865 tests. The 122 newly confirmed cases were recorded in Regions Two, Three, Four, Six, Seven, Nine and 10.

Region Four accounted for 45 of the new cases; Region Two recorded five cases; Region Three recorded 23 cases; Regions Five and 10 recorded seven new cases each; Region Six recorded 27 cases; Regions Seven and Nine recorded four new cases each.

The country has now recorded a total of 34,362 confirmed cases since the first COVID-19 case was reported in March 2020. Of the active cases, 28 persons are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital, Liliendaal; 125 are in institutional isolation; 3,624 are in

home isolation, and four are in institutional quarantine.

Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic, that is, they are not exhibiting symptoms.

The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force until October 31, 2021.

They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic.

As per the current measures, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes, and physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are recommended. The current curfew is 22:30 hours to 04:00 hours.

Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

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More pupils now able to get into top secondary schools

MANY of the top secondary schools in the country will have an increase in the number of entrants this year, creating a ripple effect that has resulted in 1,600 “primary top” pupils now being able to attend a secondary school.

Queen’s College (QC),

Bishops’ High, St Stanislaus College, and St Joseph High along with the Berbice High and New Amsterdam Multilateral High are among the schools that will see increases this year in the number of students awarded places after writing the National Grade Six Assess-

ment (NGSA).

This was revealed by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand on Friday, as she announced results of the 2021 NGSA. Pupils are placed into secondary schools based on their performances at the NGSA, and can be placed at one

of the schools located in the city, if they meet the cut-off score each school is assigned, or they are placed at schools in their regions.

At QC, where the school would previously have had an intake of 120 students, this year 167 children were awarded places at the coun-

try’s premier secondary school.

“We have 175 seats at QC, because we started a whole new classroom there, but you will see only 167 students placed there because when we cut off at 510 [marks], 167 children reached that place. When we go to 509, it is 29 children more, so the child who did not get QC didn’t get QC because we couldn’t fit 29 more children in there,” Manickchand explained, as she made the announcement.

At Bishops’ High, which follows QC, that school will cater to 145 new pupils this year, up from the 100 students usually placed at this school.

St Stanislaus College, which also usually accommodates 100 students, will be taking in 120 students in the 2021 cohort. At St Joseph, the intake has been increased by 50 to now accommodate 150 students there. Outside of the city, at Berbice High, the intake has been increased by 45 students, while at the New Amsterdam Multilateral intake has increased by 100.

St Rose’s High was unable to see any increased capacity due to the school currently being under construction.

The intake increases at schools across the country is part of the MoE’s wider plans to achieve universal secondary education and improve secondary education all across the country. One of the ministry’s main goals in this plan is to ensure that every child leaving primary school gets into a secondary school as opposed to some being placed at a “primary top.”

A primary-top school is where children are placed when they did not meet the cut-off scores for placement at a secondary school, and there is no more space at any of the secondary schools. The primary-top schools at times are overcrowded, lack resources and the students are underprivileged.

Moreover, whereas secondary schools usually go up to Grade 11, primary tops go up to only Grade Nine; after that level, the students must try to gain a spot in a secondary school or have other alternatives, and many become school

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand dropouts.

“We are trying very hard to make space; we walked school to school and we tried to find as many spaces as possible in the schools so that we can remove children from what we know as primary tops.

Because of that we were able to move 1600 children out of primary tops. This year we are giving 1600 students a better chance,” Manickchand remarked.

Manickchand emphasised that the ministry is working along with the secondary schools to ensure that they have all the resources they need to appropriately accommodate the increased intake.

“We are not just throwing the children in and say, ‘here take them.’ We are making sure they have furniture, textbooks and teachers and everything they need to accommodate those larger numbers of children,” she explained.

Manickchand also noted that the ministry is working assiduously to also improve the integrity of all secondary schools across the country, and remove the stigma in Guyana where a student is thought not to be smart enough if they are not able to attain a place at a top secondary school.

“This year we are beginning, and I commit to you personally that you will be able to have an enriching, fulfilling solid education at any secondary school you go to. Because that will be our efforts; we are dedicating that to you.

We are beginning it now and you will see changes in secondary education that will mean you are not a failure if you did not get into one of these top secondary schools,” Manickchand said.

She also called on parents to ensure that they speak with their children to not put down their peers who did not do as well as they did simply because they did not make it into a particular school.

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Bangladesh face tough challenge in Group B

Cup Logo

THE Group B of the qualifying round of the 20 World Cup 2021 will see Bangladesh take on Scotland, Oman, and Papua New Guinea. Given their inconsistency in the shortest format, Bangladesh will have a tough challenge against the three teams who are coming into this tournament on the back of strongly fought matches.

In this piece, we will talk

about the objectives of these three teams and their key outlook heading into this world event.

SCOTLAND The Scottish team have been on the rise in Europe, in terms of ability, experience, and expertise. Some may feel that with the talent they have, they should have finished higher than fifth in the T20 World Cup qualifiers in 2019.

But, the fact they have qualified is what should matter to them. But, what that has done now is presented them with a slightly better chance of qualifying for the main round.

In Group B, they have Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, and Oman, and given the talent in their squad, they should fancy themselves finishing at least second.

Players like George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer, Calum Macleod, Richie Berrington, and Matt Cross make up a good unit that have had enough games of T20 in the past few years to understand the ins and outs. The only challenge they might face is the conditions, which may be quite different than what they are used to.

Probable finish: 2nd in Group B, qualification to the main round but not further.

OMAN 2021 will be remembered as a historic moment in Oman cricket’s books. It marks their first chance at hosting an ICC event. The fact that they are playing on their home turf might bring out the best in them. This team which Oman possesses understand the conditions well and might use

them to their advantage but they will be up against two teams that are invariably better on paper and preparations from them.

However, they have been one of the Asian teams on the rise. This is the second T20 World Cup in which they would be appearing after making an appearance in the 2016 edition. They had surprised Ireland by beating them in one of the games during that edition, which should be enough to make the Omani fans more optimistic.

In addition to this, if they manage to qualify, it would be a huge boost for the cricket in their country, given it would be done on home soil. So far, they have lost one and won one in the warm-up matches.

Probable finish: 3rd in

Group B, but don’t be surprised if they beat Scotland and make it through.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA Also known as PNG, the side, under the leadership of Assad Vala, are one of the teams to watch out for, mainly because there is a sort of mystery around their team. They played out of their skin to end up in the final of the T20 World Cup qualifiers which was played in 2019. In the same tournament, they topped their group which consisted of Scotland, Netherlands, and Namibia.

Without a doubt, they have the most exotic jersey among the teams in this tournament and fans would be overjoyed to watch them field as a unit - something which they did pretty well

Scotland’s George Munsey during the Qualifiers.

One may be naive to not recognise their talent, but it is hard to see how they could make it to the round. Nevertheless, the fact that they have made it thus far, would give the sport a great boost back home.

Probable finish: 4th in Group B; might go home with a win. (CricTracker)

Kevin O’Brien desperate to put Ireland on T20 map DUBLIN, Ireland (AFP) Kevin O’Brien, the architect of one of one-day cricket’s greatest upsets, is hoping to inspire Ireland as they seek finally to make their mark at a Twenty20 World Cup. Ireland have shown they can mix it with the big boys in the longer format of white-ball cricket, with scalps including England, Pakistan and West Indies in the 50-over World Cup. But their record in the 20over game is less impressive - they boast just three wins in 15 matches over the past five tournaments.

Their most notable victory was against Bangladesh at the 2009 competition in England, a result that helped propel them into the second stage.

But they have crashed out at the first hurdle in every

tournament since then, despite wins against Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates in 2014.

O’Brien is desperate to put matters right in Ireland’s first appearance on the global stage in limited-overs cricket since 2016.

Irish cricket’s most recognisable face and its only Test centurion retired from OneDay Internationals in June to focus on T20 cricket and the five-day game.

We’ve had a lot more success and our big victories have been in the 50-over tournament,” the 37-year-old told the Irish Examiner.

“But you look back at when we beat Bangladesh in 2009 at Trent Bridge you have still had victories at T20, but lately the ones that stand out are the results we have been on

Kevin O’Brien is desperate to put matters right for Ireland. the wrong side of.

“We haven’t played in a World Cup since 2016 so it’s been a long time for us to rectify that.”

O’Brien shot to fame in 2011 when he scored the fastest World Cup century in the 50-over format to inspire

Ireland to a sensational win against England in India.

Reduced to 111-5 in pursuit of 328, Ireland appeared destined for defeat before O’Brien’s scintillating 50ball hundred turned the match on its head.

O’Brien and Ireland

want to make their mark in the T20 format and avoid low points such as the defeats at hands of the Netherlands in 2014 and 2016, and a chastening loss against debutants Oman in 2016.

At this year’s World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman, things could be different.

Andrew Balbirnie’s men, ranked 12th in the T20 format, only need to finish in the top two of Group A to end their World Cup hoodoo and reach the Super 12 stage.

Their fixtures look winnable - with Namibia, the Netherlands and Sri Lanka lying in wait.

Openers O’Brien and Paul Stirling, who have played nearly 200 T20 internationals

between them, are Ireland’s all-time leading run-scorers in the format and will spearhead a squad lacking experience on the biggest stages.

O’Brien appears to be in good form leading into the tournament, with a clutch of useful scores in warm-up matches against Zimbabwe and UAE. Captain Balbirnie is in no doubt as to the importance of the veteran batsman, even though he is in his twilight years.

“The experience we get from Kevin and the runs are so valuable to this team,” the skipper told the Belfast Telegraph.

“We are all in the runs business and he has enough in the bank to know how important he is to this team.”

Qatar since August on the evacuation of the group, and will continue to work closely on the safe evacuation of further members of the sporting family in the future,” it added.

Cycling’s world governing body UCI said last Monday it helped in the evacuation of 165 refugees from Afghanistan which included female cyclists, journalists and human rights campaigners.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)

president Thomas Bach said last month that the organisation had helped around 100 members of the “Olympic community” in Afghanistan to leave the country on humanitarian visas.

Australia evacuated more than 50 female Afghan athletes and their dependents in August, while several players from Afghanistan’s national female youth soccer squad were granted asylum in Portugal last month.

FIFA helps to evacuate 100 players, family members from Afghanistan

Players of Afghanistan’s national women’s football team stand near the Belem Tower in Lisbon. (Photograph: Reuters)

(REUTERS) - World soccer’s governing body FIFA said on Friday it had worked with the Qatari government to evacuate almost 100 football players and their families from Afghanistan.

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on August 15 and announced a new government last month after US-led foreign forces withdrew and the Western-backed government collapsed.

Qatar’s assistant foreign

minister Lolwah Alkhater had said the players and their families were among the passengers to arrive on a flight from Kabul on Thursday.

FIFA in a statement said the evacuation of refugees from Afghanistan included female players, who were deemed to have been “at the highest risk”. It thanked Qatar for its support and for “ensuring the safe passage” of the players and families.

“The FIFA leadership has been closely coordinating with the government of

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India, England out to foil Windies in T20 World Cup (REUTERS) - West Indies will again rely on a hardened bunch of Twenty20 specialists as they bid to retain their World Cup title, but are set for a stern test from India, out to secure a first global trophy under Virat Kohli, and an England team bidding to become champions in two formats.

The seventh edition of the showpiece Twenty20 World Cup was set to take place in India, but a COVID-19 surge in the country forced it to relocate.

The tournament will begin today with co-hosts Oman playing debutants Papua New Guinea in a preliminary Group B match in Muscat.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the Super12 stage and the knockout matches across three venues --

Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi -- with 70% fan capacity.

The 16-team tournament is the biggest global cricket event since the COVID-19 pandemic struck and the event had to be shifted even though the Indian board retains its host status.

Kohli will step down as India’s Twenty20 captain after the tournament and his team mates will hope to give him, and outgoing head coach Ravi Shastri, a fitting farewell.

Each member of the team has played the UAE leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and are familiar with local conditions.

Kohli will be able to tap into the experience of team mentor Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who led India to the inaugural title in 2007.

England will be out to become world champions

in both white-ball formats two years after winning their maiden 50-overs World Cup under Eoin Morgan.

Morgan has endured a lean IPL, and they will be without explosive all-rounder Ben Stokes, who is addressing mental health issues, as well as injured fast bowler Jofra

THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) last Friday donated a number of cricket kits to the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) for use in its coaching programmes throughout the Ancient County.

On hand to receive the coaching kits was the BCB president Mr Hilbert Foster, who is also a vice-president of the GCB. Foster had earlier made a request to GCB

for a donation of coaching kits in order for the Berbice coaches to be equipped to carry out their assignments.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to severely affect the tournaments and programmes of the GCB but, as stated in an earlier press release, the GCB will be compliant with the National COVID-19 Task Force’s instruction.

GCB president Bissoondyal Singh, noted

that coaching is a critical component of the development plans of the GCB. The donation of these kits to the BCB is the first in what will be a series of donations throughout the country as an ongoing exercise of the GCB. Singh added that all cricket activities, including coaching, will re s t a r t i m m e d i a t e ly as the green light is given by the National COVID-19 Task Force.

WATFORD, England (Reuters) - Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp hailed Mohamed Salah as the best player in the world after his side’s 5-0 rout of Watford yesterday, with the Egyptian’s wonder goal and superb assist in the game just the latest examples of his outstanding talent.

Salah picked out Sadio Mane with a brilliant pass to open the scoring and then added a brilliant solo goal to make it 4-0 as Klopp’s team handed new Watford boss Claudio Ranieri a resounding defeat in his first game in charge.

“Come on, who is better than he? We don’t have to talk about what Messi and Ronaldo have done

for world football and their dominance, but right now, he is the best,” a delighted Klopp told BT Sport.

“His (Salah’s) performance was massive today.

The pass for the first goal was great, and the second goal was special. He is top.

We all see it,” he added.

M a n y i n K l o p p ’s star-studded squad were away on international duty, but they slotted back into their club side quickly as they set about demolishing Watford.

“After the international break it is hard to find the rhythm after playing different systems, but the boys were so good despite only having one session before today,” Klopp explained.

“I think Watford had

ideas, but we didn’t let them play. The goals were really brilliant; there was great attitude, energy and character.”

Former Chelsea and Leicester City boss Ranieri endured a tough afternoon on his return to English football as his side were completely outplayed in the first half, and they only began to string some passes together when they were 4-0 down.

“I think that we conceded too many chances to them. Of course Liverpool is a very fantastic team.

When I came I knew I would have to work very, very hard ... but I’m sure we can improve. We have to improve,” (Ranieri told BT Sport)

West Indies white ball captain Kieron Pollard Archer.

Bowling all-rounder Chris Jordan believes they still have the “talent and chemistry” to win a second world 20-overs title.

“Having been together for so long, the chemistry is there, the talent is there - all the ingredients are there for

us to make a decent run in this campaign,” said Jordan.

“The squad is very, very strong and I am pretty optimistic.”

T20 MERCENARIES West Indies, the only team to have won the tournament twice, will once again bank on their awe-inspiring bunch of Twenty20 mercenaries, cricketing guns-for-hire who ply their trade in the world’s lucrative T20 competitions, to accomplish a treble.

Captain Kieron Pollard and fellow all-rounders Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo are the three pillars of a side teeming with match-winners.

New Zealand have reached the final in three of the last four global tournaments and the reigning world Test champions under Kane Williamson are once again strong title contenders.

Aaron Finch’s Australia will be hunting for the one major trophy that has eluded them but their recent form does not inspire confidence.

They head into the tournament having lost their last five Twenty20 series, including a 4-1 thumping of their depleted team in Bangladesh.

Former champions Pakistan will enter the tournament slightly undercooked but motivation will be high.

Babar Azam and his team mates were outraged when New Zealand and England pulled out of their Pakistan tour over security concerns, and plan to channel their anger to improve their performance on the field.

Afghanistan had an even more tumultuous buildup since the Taliban swept to power in August.

GCB donates kits for use in BCB coaching programme

From left: TDO/Admin Assistant Kavita Yadram, BCB president Hilbert Foster (centre) and GCB Administrator Savitri Persaud.

Klopp hails Salah as world’s best after Liverpool smash Watford

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp with Mohamed Salah after the match (Action Images via Reuters/David Klein)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, October 17, 2021

Biennial World Cup plan a threat to other sports - IOC THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) believes FIFA’s plans to hold a men’s World Cup every two years pose a threat to other sports and gender equality.

Biennial World Cups could cause a clash between the football showpiece and the Olympic Games - a major event in the women’s football calendar.

An IOC statement said conflicts with other events “would undermine the diversity and development” of sports.

It added more men’s events would create “challenges” for women’s football.

Earlier in October, a joint statement from UEFA and 10 European women’s leagues said the plans could be “profoundly detrimental”.

In September men’s leagues confirmed their opposition to world governing body FIFA’s idea, which would mean the women’s World Cup taking place in the same summer as a major men’s tournament.

The IOC said it “shares concerns” raised by other sporting bodies, including around player welfare, stating dou-

bling the frequency of the World Cup “would create a further massive strain on the physical and mental health of the players”.

The Olympic governing body said it supports calls for a wider consultation with athletes’ representatives adding that this “has obviously not taken place. (BBC Sport)

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Long-serving president Azim Bassarath faces a challenge for the top post of the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) from current secretary, Surujdath Mahabir at this year’s annual general meeting on October 30.

Bassarath, a director of Cricket West Indies (CWI), the sport’s regional governing body, is seeking his fifth term as TTCB president, but Mahabir, a former T&T off-spinner and outgoing president of the Secondary Schools’

Cricket League, made clear his intention when he filed his papers on the final day of nomination on Friday.

The newly elected president will serve for a term of four years, rather than three, after changes to the constitution of the TTCB were pushed through during the last week.

“We are aware that the COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to affect the smooth operations of sporting organisations, including the TTCB,” Mahabir said in a statement following his nomination.

“However, we have identified that there has been stagnation and even a decline in many aspects of our cricket prior to this, especially in visionary proactive leadership, youth development, team performances, club structure and sustainability.

“To arrest this decline, post-COVID, and reignite interest among our young people and club cricketers will require a new vision, futuristic planning, participatory decision-making, enhanced internal relationships and effective networking with,

and among all stakeholders, supporters, and well-wishers of our beloved game.”

Mahabir said his belief that a change was required was Bassarath’s statement in a recent newspaper article that suggested there was “unfinished business”.

“This truly exemplifies our belief that a change of leadership is urgently needed,” he said. “One would have thought that a long list of achievements and easily identifiable markers of success in governance structures, policies, accountability, com-

GUYANA and West Indies middle-order batsman Shimron Hetmyer was the lone West Indian among the several individual awardees when the 2021 Indian Premiere League (IPL) ended on Friday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Enjoying his best season in his third year of participation, Hetmyer copped the Super Striker of the Season award, playing for Delhi Capitals who were eliminated by eventual winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

He ended with a strike rate of 168. Hetmyer has since joined the West Indies T20 World Cup squad, currently preparing for their defence of the title.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) outclassed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the summit clash by 27 runs and the grandmaster of the T20 format, MS Dhoni, has once again proved that tactically he is still the best in the business, even at the age of 40.

IPL 2021 has been one that has once again thrown up names to reckon with. Venkatesh Iyer has proved that he is a name to watch out for in the future, and Harshal Patel showcased that he is a potent weapon with the ball.

Ruturaj Gaikwad showed a lot of ‘spark’ in the 14th edition with the bat in hand as well.

Also, Glenn Maxwell justified his massive price tag of INR

14.25 crores by scoring 513 runs in the tournament at an average of 42.75, and a superb strike rate of 144.10 for the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) side.

So, yet another season comes to a close! Yet another IPL season has made us gape at the action that we witnessed, and in the end, it is MS Dhoni and his men who will smile their way to glory!

Here is the full list of awardees of IPL 2021 Winners: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Runners-Up: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Fairplay Award: Rajasthan

Royals (RR) Orange Cap: Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK) Purple Cap: Harshal Patel (RCB) Most Valuable Player: Harshal Patel (RCB) Emerging Player: Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK) Game Changer of the Season: Harshal Patel (RCB) Super Striker of the Season: Shimron Hetmyer (DC) Most Sixes in the Season: KL Rahul (PBKS) Powerplayer of the Season: Venkatesh Iyer (KKR) Perfect catch of the Season: Ravi Bishnoi (PBKS) (CricTracker)

France beat Croatia in the last World Cup final in 2018.

Former national spinner to challenge for TTCB presidency petitions, and youth development would have been proffered.

“After 12 years of ‘unfinished business’, it is time for new leadership and a new business plan if T&T and West Indies cricket are to once more rise to the top.

This type of status quo cannot be maintained.

“Our valuable resources and finances must be channelled and managed efficiently and effectively into the right areas for growth, development and success of our players, clubs, and na-

tional teams.”

Six executive positions – president, first vice-president, second vice-president, third vice-president, general secretary, and treasurer – are up for grabs when the elections are held.

Along with Bassarath and Mahabir, all the other incumbents – first v i c e - p re s i d e n t A r j o o n Ramlal, second vice-president Kerwin John, third vice-president Parasram Singh and treasurer Sukesh Maniam – are facing challenges.

Hetmyer cops ‘Super Striker of the Season’ award

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday October 17, 2021) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) England (2) Kevin Pietersen (ENG) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who were the winners of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2012?

(2) Who won the Man of the Tournament Award?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue …………………… ……………………………………………………… ………………………………………………

Delhi Capitals batter Shimron Hetmyer

Rahul Dravid in line to become India’s head coach

RAHUL Dravid is, by a distance, the frontrunner to be the next chief coach of the Indian men’s team, and is in line to take over once Ravi Shastri finishes up at the end of the upcoming T20 World Cup, ESPNcricinfo has learnt.

If things fall into place, he will head the backroom staff for the home series against New Zealand starting late November.

Dravid has always been BCCI’s favoured candidate to take over the job from Shastri, who is ineligible to reapply for the position when his term expires, owing to age-restriction norms currently in force.

The question was always about Dravid’s inclination and, according to BCCI sources, he has been persuaded to take the job. There will still be a formal process of inviting applications, but if Dravid chooses to apply, BCCI is unlikely to look beyond him, ESPNcricinfo understands.

It is understood that BCCI officials have been involved in discussions with Dravid for a few months now and there has been speculation about him succeeding Shastri ever since he stepped into the job in an interim capacity when India were forced to send a second-string team to Sri Lanka for a limited-overs

series last July, when many of the first-choice players were in England for the Test series.

Dravid has been director of BCCI’s national cricket academy, in his hometown of Bengaluru, since 2019 and, prior to that, was the coach of both the India Under-19 and A teams.

Along with the position of the head coach - for which the BCCI has not yet formally advertised - the BCCI will also be looking for applications for the posts of batting, bowling and fielding coaches as the stints of Vikram Rathour, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar, too, end after the World Cup.

ESPNcricinfo understands that Paras Mhambrey, Dravid’s long-term associate both at the NCA as well as the India A and Under-19 set-ups, is a favourite to take over as the Indian bowling coach.

In August 2019, Shastri was elected for a second two-year term as head coach by a cricket advisory committee (CAC), headed by former India captain Kapil Dev. Also part of the three-person CAC were former India batter Aunshuman Gaekwad and former India Woman captain, Shantha Rangaswamy. (Cricinfo)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, October 17, 2021

John confident of winning Urban Benjamin Memorial cycle road race the event, which is being held in memory of cycling enthusiast Benjamin, will cover approximately 74 miles.

Jamual John is hoping to become a back-toback winner of the event today.

DEFENDING champion of the Urban Benjamin Memorial Road Race, Jamaul John, is optimistic that he would ride away with another victory when the fourth edition of the race is held today in Essequibo.

The 24-year-old, who won last Sunday’s Kadir Mohamed Memorial (Ounce of Gold) cycle road race from Thirst Park to Dora on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and back, is ready to compete again.

“I’m confident of winning it this weekend.”

John, who won the last event in 2019, said that although he has been

in good form, he is aware of the rigours of his long season in the U.S. for Foundation Cycling.

“After Sunday’s event, I would not put in too much intense training anymore.”

John is expecting stiff competition from previous winners Paul DeNobrega and his Evolution teammate, Christopher Griffith among other challengers.

The event pedals off from Charity and will see seniors, juniors and U-50s journey to Supenaam before returning to the starting line for the finish.

Information from the organisers indicates that

English Racing Tips Kempton 08:30 hrs Light N Strike 09:40 hrs Goa Lil 10:50 hrs Mister Tickle 11:25 hrs Zafar Sedgefield 09:20 hrs Genuflex 09:55 hrs Bill And Barn 10:30 hrs Hewick 11:05 hrs Storm Lorenzo 11:40 hrs Gordon’s Jet 12:15 hrs A Different Kind Irish Racing Tips Naas 08:10 hrs Karkiyna 08:40 hrs Lucky San

Jore 09:15 hrs Corporal Violette 09:50 hrs Dodnadatta 10:25 hrs Evergreen And Red 11:00 hrs Admirald 11:35 hrs Not Now Zeb 12:05 hrs Zawara South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:20 hrs Extract 08:55 hrs Sea Sponge 09:30 hrs Aquae Sulis 10:05 hrs Native Tongue 10:40 hrs Northern Warrior

The Ladies and Over50s will turn back at Anna Regina (an approximate 34-mile race).

The first six senior

finishers and the top three in the other categories are expected to receive prizes.

Today’s fourth Ur-

ban Benjamin Memorial race is organised by the Evolution Cycle Club and is sponsored

by Conrad Gomes.

IT was a day of mixed fortunes for the country’s Sevens rugby team, the Green Machine, at this year’s Rugby America’s North (RAN) tournament in the Turks and Caicos.

Placed in Group C of the tournament, coach Theodore Henry’s men showed readiness to return to action for the first time since 2019, when they hammered newcomers Belize 36-5.

However, in their other match on the day they lost 7-15 against Bermuda at Meridian Fields.

Captain Jamal Angus

Mixed results for ‘Green Machine’ on day one of RAN 7s

Green Machine captain Jamal Angus (left) and Osie McKenzie

said he was “disappointed in the last game since we had several opportunities to put them away in the first half and we squandered them and they came back to bite us in the end.”

Meanwhile, heading into the final day of the tournament the top two teams from each of the three groups will advance to the Cup competition.

The top six teams will therefore be re-seeded into two pools of three and play against each of their pool opponents in their first two games.

After those two rounds, the top-seeded nation in each pool will advance to the Cup Final, while the two second-place teams will play for bronze and the two third-place teams will play in the 5th/6th place match.

The tournament acts as a qualifier for next year’s Wo r l d R u g b y S e v e n s Challenger Series, with the winning side gaining the opportunity to compete for the 16th and final spot on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens series.

ed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the NSC, a presentation was made on the structure of a Sports Academy for each of twelve identified core sports

by Minister Charles Ramson Jr. There was a commitment made by all stakeholders to collaborate with the NSC in developing the three pillars of the academy - Nursery, Tournaments and Elite Training Academy.

On Monday, NSC will meet with the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) and the Guyana Squash Association.

On Wednesday, NSC will engage the Guyana Ama-

teur Basketball Federation (GABF) and the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA).

On Thursday, meetings will be held with Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) and Guyana Volleyball Federation.

Friday’s meeting with the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) will mark the last engagement with the identified core sports in the first phase of planning.

The National Sports Academy is the brainchild of Minister Ramson in keeping with the PPP/C Government’s manifesto for Sports.

NSC meeting with ‘core sports’ to kick-start National Sports Academy IN a move aimed to kickstart the country’s first-ever National Sports Academy, the National Sports Commission (NSC) yesterday met with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) and Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA).

The meeting, held in the Boardroom of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, was attended by Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, Assistant Director Melissa Dow-Richardson, NSC Chairman Kashif Muhammed and Commissioner Cristy Campbell.

At the inaugural Guyana Sports Conference, host-

Members of the National Sports Commission and president of the AAG Aubrey Hutson

GOA finances Wong’s Pan-Am Games preparation in Germany

N AT I O N A L Ta b l e Tennis player, Miguel Wong will spend the three weeks to a month at the TopSpin Sport Tischtennis Centre in Germany preparing for the Senior Pan American Championships in Peru from November 13 to 19 and in particular the inaugural Junior Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia from November 25 to December 5.

This revelation was made yesterday by Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) president, Godfrey Munroe, at a press briefing held at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), Headquarters at Liliendaal.

According to Munroe, GOA has covered all the expenses for Wong to attend the high-performance camp and also to attend both events in South America, of which

From left: Guyana Table Tennis Association president Godfrey Munroe, Miguel Wong, and Guyana Olympic Association president K.A. Juman-Yassin

the approximate cost is US$8 000. He departed Guyana last evening.

Munroe noted that after Wong competes at the Senior Pan-Am Games, he will remain in Peru since he can only enter the Games’ Village in Colombia on November 27 as table tennis starts November 30.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e 21-year-old, who spent a year in Germany between 2019 and 2020 in a high-performance camp, said he knows what it will take to be successful based on previous experience.

He highlighted numerous athletes, who will be at the camp, will also be heading to both competitions in South America.

Wong, who, along with 14-year-old Jonathan Van Lange, will be the two table tennis players repre-

senting Guyana at Junior Pan-Am, has set himself a realistic goal of at least reaching the quarterfinals given the high quality of players he anticipates will compete.

According to GOA president, K.A Juman-Yassin, he has seen the determination in Wong and hopes he makes the most of the training stint to improve his game since “as time goes on his competency and confidence will improve.”

The Games is a forthcoming international multi-sport event for athletes born in the Americas and the objective is to promote new generations of athletes, as well as make new talents visible and support the development of sport in the junior categories through their participation in high-profile events.

India, England out to foil Windies in T20 World Cup Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2021