Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_23_04_2022

saturday 23rd april, 2022

No.106701

No imminent plan for US Secretary of State to visit Guyana

Big boost for local content

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–– Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase signs $300M pact with Exxon Mobil

–– to provide shore-base services to the oil company over the next 20 years

Standing from left, are: Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase Inc. Director Azruddin Mohammed; Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase Inc. Director, Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer, while seated from left are: Exxon Mobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge and Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase Company Secretary, Andron Alphonso at the signing on friday (Adrian Narine photo)

Paved road between Health Ministry reinstates 2023 Int’l Energy Conference and Guyana, Brazil 11 dismissed Linden closer to fruition healthcare workers 16 Expo launched 04 PAGE

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‘This is the Year of Opportunity’

guyana CHRONICLE saturday, april 23, 2022

–– President urges business community to invest now GUYANA is on a transformational path with major development unfolding, and according to President, Dr Irfaan Ali, the time to invest in the country is now.

The President made this pitch at the launch of International Building Expo 2022 on Wednesday. He said the journey ahead for the country is a very exciting one and requires everyone to play their part.

“The time is now, the moment was yesterday, so we have already missed the

moment. To those international investors, I would tell you quite frankly, if you don’t invest in Guyana in the next year, it will be too expensive for you after that,” said President Ali. He added: “This is the year of opportunity; this is the year of catalysing your opportunities and making use of the development paradigm.”

The Head of State also told the audience that the government has seen a shift in the banking sector with the government receiving letters

from banking institutions to finance projects and infrastructure works at good rates.

This, he said, underscored the shift in thinking, even as he reiterated that the level of thinking in the country needs to change to reflect the scale of operations currently taking place and will take place.

The President Ali also related that while visiting his home village not too long ago, he saw drastic changes with a new mall being constructed, a new hospital nearing completion and even

recreational parks underway.

“This is the story all across Guyana. The hub and spoke development effect is starting to take shape, where you have centres -- development centres occurring naturally and that is when you know that something is going on right.”

These projects, he said open doors for major investments and gave the example of the recent opening of the Mandela to Eccles four-lane highway.

The President noted that since its opening, in less

President, Dr Irfaan Ali than a week, there has been an influx of requests and proposals from a number of businesses and even individuals for lands there.

“That is the effect of transformative infrastructure; transformative infrastructure is something that

is alive, it gives life to other things,” President Ali said.

He went on to say that there is lots of thought behind these projects as he added that when thousands of acres of land are opened, thousands of persons will gain employment.

Chief-of-Staff attending Conference of American Armies CHIEF-OF-STAFF of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Godfrey Bess, over the past week has been engaged in bilateral and multilateral meetings at the Conference of American Armies currently underway in Brasilia, Brazil.

The Conference of

American Armies (CAA) is an International Military Organisation consisting of and commanded by Armies from the American Continents. It is currently in its 34th cycle.

According to the GDF, the conference entails a continuous input of knowledge by each army in the

different matters and topics defined as being of common interest that are shared and then analysed in subsequent specialised meetings.

Those interests, the GDF noted, are then studied in the scope of the different modes of interaction, exercises and projects

developed by the delegates of the member armies.

The 35th cycle of the Conference of American Armies over the next two years will dedicate its proactive and creative minds to establishing a process of transformation and preparation of the “Army of the Future” for the expan-

sion of cooperation and integration in facing the challenges and threats that may affect the security and stability of the American continent.

Plans are already in place for the Guyana Defence Force to host a specialised planning meeting in February 2023 in col-

Brigadier Godfrey Bess is standing first from the right with other military officials at the conference in Brazil

laboration with the United States military.

“The GDF, and by extension, Guyana, remains dedicated to establishing and maintaining long-lasting bilateral and multilateral ties with friendly nations in all aspects of development,” GDF noted.

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Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase signs $300M pact with Exxon Mobil –– to provide shorebased services to the oil company over the next 20 years

By Tamica Garnett VREED-EN-HOOP Shorebase Inc, an 85 per cent Guyanese-owned company on Friday inked a US$300 million agreement with Exxon Mobil Guyana to provide shorebased services to the oil company, over the next 20 years, on the development of its Yellowtail well and future projects.

The signing took place at the Roraima Duke Lodge and in attendance were Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; President of the Region Three Chamber of Commerce, Halim Khan and Regional Chairman, Inshan Ayube, among others.

Signing the agreement on behalf of Exxon Mobil Guyana was its President Alistair Routledge, while signing on behalf of Vreed En Hoop Shorebase was the Company Secretary Andron Alphonso. Company Directors, Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer and Azruddin Mohammed were also present for the signing.

Deygoo-Boyer delivered the opening remarks at Friday’s ceremony, where he noted that the project is meant to be a kickstart for bigger development for the country.

“What drove us through this process was a responsibility. We considered it a privilege that we had to do this for the country.

Because the country needs a development that will help to increase local content, reduce commercial shipping cost, provide land for service companies, and provide land that is not impacting on existing operations,” Deygoo-Boyer said.

The Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase is a sub-project of a larger port facility that includes the oil-and-gas

President of Exxon Mobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge (left) and Company Secretary of Vreed En Hoop Shorebase, Andron Alphonso sign the agreement (Adrian Narine photo) shore base section as well as a commercial port, for shipping containers, fuel tank firm and an industrial facility, for companies which want to lease space to do business close to the port. When completed, the facility will not only service the oil-and-gas industry, but will also cater to all sectors that require a port facility.

Vreed-En-Hoop Shorebase Inc, which is 15 per cent owned by Belgium company Jan De Nul, is part of NRG Holdings Inc, which is a 100 per cent Guyanese-owned company. NRG was birthed out of a consortium between Boyer from National Hardware Guyana Limited, Alphonso from ZRN and Mohamed of Hadi’s World.

EMPLOYMENT Located at Vreeden-Hoop, Region Three,

the project is slated to occupy some 400 hectares of coastal land. It is expected to provide employment for some 200 persons during its construction phases and 50-100 persons for the basic operation and maintenance of the base-port facilities.

The facility will also see services previously provided out of Trinidad now being carried out in Guyana, with the local economy benefitting from employment, duties and taxes, ancillary goods and services and capacity-building.

Making remarks, Routledge called the project transformational, and noted that the pace and dynamics of the project is in keeping with the direction in which Guyana is headed.

“The pace with which we are developing in a country with very limit-

ed industrial and major infrastructure is truly impressive. This project very much fits into that,” he noted.

He commended the investors in the project for taking the great risk that they did and noted that with this project, the oil company will now be able to bring the supply chain for drilling operations and production operations to Guyana.

Routledge said the project is a springboard to increase local content in the sector and more so, is also playing a part in decentralising the industries in the sector from all being located in Region Four.

EXCITING “What is exciting to me, when you think about the local content and the benefits to Guyana and the people, is that we are

really starting to expand beyond Region Four.

This is going to bring huge opportunities for Region Three,” he said.

The project will include, among other things, an offshore terminal, a dry dock facility, a fabrication yard, offshore components, umbilical preparation and spooling yard, administrative buildings to house offices and modernised logistics centres, warehousing, area for a helipad, a wharf, berths, and a dry dock.

Also making remarks, Minister Bharrat commended the investors for taking up the mantle to do such a capital-intensive project, and noted his joy that the contract is being given to a largely Guyanese-owned company in keeping with the government’s push for local content.

“When I saw the vi-

sion of this project and the individuals involved I felt good. I felt a sense of patriotism. I felt good that we have three young Guyanese businessmen who want to establish a name for themselves, a legacy for themselves.

We need to commend them for taking this big initiative and this big step,” Minister Bharrat noted.

He added: “I am particularly pleased because they are young and ambitious. When you are young the sky is the limit and that is the kind of thinking we need to develop the country. They are being motivated by the President. You can see the drive by President [Irfaan] Ali to push our country and not only in the oil-and-gas sector, but every single sector, because oil doesn’t last forever.”

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2023 Int’l Energy Conference and Expo launched

THE International Energy Conference and Expo Guyana (IECE) 2023 was officially launched on Friday evening at a cocktail reception at the Marriott Hotel, where the event was touted to be a much-anticipated one on the 2023 calendar.

The evening saw the feature address being delivered

by Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, while there were also remarks from Exxon Mobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge; Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat; and IECE Chief Executive Officer Angenie Abel; and Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Paul Cheong, among others.

Also in attendance at the

event were US Ambassador Sarah Ann-Lynch; Indian High Commissioner Dr. K. J. Srinivasa; and Mayor of Georgetown Ubraj Narine.

The Conference is slated for February 14 - 17, 2023, and is being celebrated under the theme, “Harnessing Energy for Development”.

During his remarks, Prime Minister Phillips conveyed the government’s continued support for the event, and for the prudent management of Guyana’s oil-and-gas sector.

The PM commended the organisers behind the event for what they were able to put forward in the first hosting of the event, and noted how anticipated an annual feature it has already become, notwithstanding that it’s just the

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Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips (left) presents ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge with his appreciation plaque (DPI Photo)

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second hosting.

“What they did under the leadership of Mr. Anthony Whyte is, in the shortest possible time, deliver an internationally-accepted Energy Conference that made all of Guyana proud. This has now become an annual feature for us in Guyana, and every year we will look forward to it being better than the previous year,” the Prime Minister noted.

“What was created was an opportunity for direct and indirect stakeholders in the oil-and-gas and energy sector in Guyana to have an opportunity for discourse, and opportunity to distill ideas so things can be done better next time around.

We all look forward to

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2023, and we all expect a better conference in 2023.

IECE 2022 The IECE 2022 was held at the Marriott Hotel from February 15 - 18, where the focus was on putting Guyana at the centre of the global discourse on energy, oil and gas, and sustainable development.

Speaking at Friday’s launch, Abel noted that the goal for 2023 will be to facilitate conversations between energy professionals and policymakers, with a key focus on including discussions on agriculture, mining, housing, forestry and tourism, and how we see page 7

22/04/22- 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 17

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$91M in machinery commissioned at MMA

THE Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agriculture Development Authority (MMA/ ADA) commissioned two long-reach excavators and one heavy-duty high-powered tractor totalling some $91 million on Friday.

According to a release, the pieces of equipment were procured as part of the authority’s 2022 capital expenditure and will be added to the fleet of machinery used to service the scheme’s agricultural activities.

Speaking at the commissioning exercise, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha said that the investments being made to purchase these pieces of machinery are part of the government’s overall goal of developing the sector and ensuring food security.

“The government is very committed to investing in the agriculture sector and we are now beginning to see a lot of attention being given to the sector in terms of investments. This is a result of the government’s commitment to increasing production because this sector has to give us food security and continue to bring wealth to the country. This scheme has the potential to increase production, not only in rice and other crops but in livestock as well. When the President commissioned the Black Belly Sheep Project here, he said that he wants to make this region the livestock capital of the Caribbean. I think we can also make it the capital for rice and other crops. This region has the potential to not only feed the country but also this part of the Caribbean and to make a very

impactful contribution to agriculture production,” the minister said.

Although the MMA/ ADA is the largest agriculture scheme in the country, Minister Mustapha told the gathering that the scheme has the potential to produce more and that the government is working to bring more lands into operation for agricultural purposes.

“For this year, almost 76,000 acres (of rice) were cultivated, and to date, a total of 1,473,131 bags of paddy were harvested in the MMA Scheme alone. That is only 59 per cent of the crop so imagine, when harvesting is completed we will have close to two million bags. We are looking to increase the acreage in this scheme because I was told that the scheme has the capacity to plant almost 108,000 acres. We’ve been working assiduously to put the necessary systems in place so that this can become a reality. We’ve moved the production of seed paddy in Region Five from 3,000 bags when we took over about 18 months ago to 30,000 bags last year.

This year we’ll be expending another $55 million to upgrade and rehabilitate the seed paddy facility and increase production to approximately 60,000 bags,” he added.

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES In addition to the machinery, Minister Mustapha also disclosed that the government was working to modernise the operations in the scheme.

Minister Mustapha, along with other MMA and regional officials at the cutting of the ceremonial ribbon during the commissioning exercise on Friday (Ministry of Agriculture photo) “We’ve already purchased a drone to do surveying and mapping of areas in the scheme using GIS so that we can identify lands and know what is happening in areas that are not so easily accessible.”

Minister Mustapha also told the gathering that in addition to rice production, the government was also addressing livestock and cash crop issues.

“We are also looking to develop cattle pastures.

I know you have almost 98,000 acres of land that

can be developed into pastures. If we want to develop the livestock industry then we have to ensure we have proper pastures. The scheme also has 3,000 acres of cash crops under cultivation. I am mentioning these amounts of land for you to get an idea, as residents and farmers, of

what you have right here,” he noted.

Since taking office in August 2020, the MMA/ ADA has already procured six excavators to service the scheme and assist farmers with their agricultural activities. The machines are also used to rehabili-

tate access dams and clear drainage and irrigation channels, the release concluded.

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DIALOGUE PRESIDENT, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has signalled his intention to meet with the new APNU+AFC Coalition Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton.

This is indeed a magnanimous gesture, especially when seen against the background of the refusal of the APNU+AFC to recognise the legitimacy of the PPP/C administration which was elected to office in free and fair elections.

Governance is serious business and the political opposition has to demonstrate to the nation that it is prepared to rise to the task of being a responsible opposition. It cannot continue to hide under the fig leaf of being cheated out of office, when the entire world knows

otherwise. This is counterproductive and will not in any way enhance the process of national dialogue.

The new leader of the PNC and for that matter the parliamentary opposition is no stranger to politics. He had, at varying periods, been at the receiving end of the political stick in his own party and is aware of the internal dynamics of his party.

Now he has an opportunity to reset that dynamic and change the image of the PNC as a responsible party.

For one thing, he has to come to terms with the reality that the PPP/C is the legitimate government, having won a mandate in free, fair and certified elections. In any political contest, there will always be claims and counter-claims

regarding the fairness or otherwise of the poll, but a responsible political party must be in a position to draw the line between victory and defeat and concede defeat graciously, especially when the elections are manifestly free and fair as in the case of the March 2, 2020 elections.

Mr Norton as Leader of the PNC and the parliamentary opposition has a unique opportunity to change the narrative and recognise the legitimacy of the PPP/C administration. Such references as ‘installed regime’ are unhelpful in terms of improving the current political climate so necessary to advance the governance process. In any functioning democracy, the political opposition has an important role to play in terms of

keeping the government in check and ensuring that constitutional functions are executed.

President Ali has indicated that he will meet with the Leader of the Opposition to discuss constitutional matters and the meeting is expected to be held within the next two weeks. For his part, the Opposition Leader has also indicated his willingness to fulfil his constitutional obligations, but would prefer consultations beyond the appointment of Commissioners and Judges.

One can only hope that good sense will prevail and the Opposition Leader will not allow that opportunity to have meaningful discussions with the President to get bogged down with extraneous and irrelevant matters.

Caribbean Reparations advocates say ‘Royal Expressions of Sorrow and Regret’ are insufficient and reaffirm CARICOM’s call on UK and Europe for: A Full and Formal Apology for Slavery and Native Genocide!

By Earl Bousquet REPARATIONS advocates in Commonwealth Caribbean states being visited by members of the Royal Family to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee continue to make their voices heard during the Royals’ second stage of the latest regional charm offensive.

The first round that saw Prince Charles and Prince William express words of sorrow and regret about Slavery ended with the royal couple on the first round of visits to The Bahamas, Belize and Jamaica, instead of welcoming pleasantries regarding Queen Elizabeth II’s historic achievement of 70 years on the throne, heard and saw more reminders about governments’ plans to proceed to republicanism, CARICOM’s eight-yearold call for Reparations and calls for the royal family and British government to apologise.

The current second phase of the royal Caribbean visits involving the Queen’s youngest son Edward and his wife Sophie (Earl and Countess of Wessex) started in Saint Lucia

on Friday (April 22), where the royal couple will be based for the week-long engagement.

But because of and despite tailoring the second leg to avoid direct exposure to protests and to ensure all engagements fit the main purpose of celebrating the monarch’s jubilee, the current royal tour started with serious hiccups, leading to cancellation of the Grenada leg by postponement, on the advice of the multi-island state’s Governor General and Government.

The Grenada leg was clipped after it emerged that the government-appointed Grenada National Reparations Commission (GNRC) had a week earlier requested of Governor General Dame Cecile La Grenade, as the Queen’s representative, an invitation for an audience with the visiting royals.

The GRSC, headed by Grenada’s Ambassador to CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Senator Arley Gill, had indicated they wanted to question the royals on why Buckingham Palace and the UK Government continued to refuse to offer genuine full and formal

apologies for slavery and native genocide, to remind them of CARICOM governments’ calls for reparations first made in 2013 and to provide them copies of two seminal books on reparations for their edification, if needed.

The books are ‘Britain’s Black debt’ and ‘How Britain Underdeveloped the Caribbean’

by Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, who is also Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (The UWI).

The GNRC had also planned demonstrations around Grenada’s support – as one of the 14 CARICOM member-states – for the regional governments’ outstanding reparations demands, especially following recent exposure that the Bank of England benefitted from ownership of over 500 enslaved Africans on two Grenada estates at the height of the TransAtlanic Slave Trade.

The royal household, unwilling to risk awkward images recalling traditional colonial royal visits to the British West Indies before independence, opted to cancel the Grenada leg before the royal couple left London.

The Earl and Countess arrived in Saint Lucia on Friday without any of the traditional colonial fanfare of students lining streets waving the Union Jack and was also devoid of the people-to-people contacts that opened them up to awkward video moments and access to protesters.

The handlers of the trip also ensured that meetings were held with Governors-General in every host country to ensure that the programme reduced any likelihoods of facing or seeing protests.

They sought -- and most likely got -assurances the final programmes included meetings with women and youth, business and civil society, Commonwealth Youth leaders and teams preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

The Royal Couple’s first engagement – the weekend visit to neighbouring St. Vincent starting Saturday – also started with another unforeseen and unplanned snag: the absence of Prime Minister Dr ralph Gonsalves, who left the mainland see page 7

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2023 Int’l Energy Conference and Expo...

from page 4

can utilise and invest in our resources for a greener Guyana, and, ultimately, a greener world.

“Our success in February 2022 has catapulted our effort in a greater direction, as we now plan to host the International Energy Conference 2023. One of our goals for the next edition is to deepen the discourse, extending our reach into areas of new energy research, and ensuring that there is growth and diversity in nationality of persons that come here to participate,” she noted.

PSC’s Chairman Cheong, in his remarks, highlighted the extensive opportunities created by the hosting of the IECE, and noted the private sector’s continued support of the event.

“Forums like these,” he said, “expose us to new

opportunities for growth; participation in the last conference provided space for major networking and partnerships. The upcoming conference will be another occasion to build on those opportunities made; it will provide an opportunity for us to get to understand the industry, and not only oil, but the ‘renewables’ as well. We are living in a rapidly changing energy and landscape, and conferences like these help to keep us up-to-date with newer and more efficient technology.”

Cheong shared that following the last Conference, the private sector in Guyana has seen renewed interest from foreign businesses and organisations that wish to partner with Guyanese companies.

“The Commission is very optimistic about Guy-

Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat ana’s future,” he noted.

In making brief remarks, Routledge noted how happy ExxonMobil Guyana is to be a part of the event as a platinum sponsor.

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) is also a platinum sponsor of the event, and a pre-recorded video message by Company CEO Damian Blackburn was

IECE’s Angenie Abel (DPI Photo) also delivered during the launch. During the launch, several of the event’s sponsors were presented with plaques in appreciation of their support.

Minister Bharrat, in

his remarks, called the event “a conference with a difference”, and noted that the event is in line with the development picture that the government has for the country.

Caribbean Reparations advocates say ‘Royal Expressions of Sorrow and Regret’ are insufficient and reaffirm CARICOM’s call on UK and Europe ... from page 6 Sunday, April 17, to seek medical attention abroad following complaining of feeling ill on Thursday, April 14.

Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Camilo Gonsalves, son of 75-year-old Dr Gonsalves -- who is also CARICOM’s longest-serving elected government leader – was due to welcome the royal couple to St. Vincent and The Grenadines.

But just like with the first leg of the royal Caribbean visits that started with Prince Charles in Barbados last November and continues with Prince William and Kate Middleton’s visits to The Bahamas, Belize and Jamaica, there was no getting away from the Reparations Message and calls for a Full and Formal Apology from both Buckingham Palace and the British Government.

The Saint Lucia National Reparations Committee (SLNRC) issued a statement on Thursday, April 21 (coinciding with the Queen’s 96th birthday) “welcoming the public interest generated over the visits” and “the opportunity to continue our Reparations advocacy, during and after the visit...”

The NRC said it “will explain why the Royal family and the British Government owe Apologies and Reparations to Caribbean descendants of enslaved Africans” and “the intrinsic historical relationship between the Royal Family and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.”

The CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC), established by regional governments in 2013 and of which the BNRC and SLNRC are members with similar committees in the other 12 member-states, holds that the Royal Family and Britain owe every former West Indian colony “A Full and Formal Apology” for their roles in slavery.

Never mind Princes Charles and William’s expressions of Royal sorrow and regret, CARICOM’s leaders insist such words don’t represent the equal will to repair that comes with an apology.

“A Full and Formal Apology” is indeed Number 1 in the CRC’s 10-point Plan for Reparatory Justice outlining objectives expressed when they first called on the UK and the European Union (EU), 180 years after supposed Abolition in Britain, for which plantation owners were compensated for loss of land and human property, with 20 million pounds (Sterling), but not-a-cent for the enslaved, who also ‘legally’ provided six years of free labour through ‘Apprenticeship’.

According to the SLNRC, “Britain, the Royal Family and the European nations that built empires from off the backs of enslaved Africans are avoiding making full and formal apologies because they don’t still want to plead guilty, despite the United Nations declaring Slavery a Crime Against Humanity in 2001 and because they are simply not committed to Atonement and Repair.”

The SLNRC said, “CARICOM leaders must now press Buckingham Palace to lead the way -- with The Queen making the first apology for the Royal family’s role in the TransAtlantic Slave Trade -- and then urging the British Government to follow suit…”

It also welcomed “the ongoing discussion on republicanism sparked by the Royal Visit” and the opportunity to “better explain the differences between Independence and Republicanism, within The Commonwealth.”

Same with Antigua and Barbuda, to be visited on Monday (April 25).

Ahead of their arrival, the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission (ABRSC) called in a public statement on

Wednesday, April 20 for the Royal Couple to avoid repeating expressions of sorrow and regret, calling on the Royal Household to atone for slavery and for Britain to engage ex-colonies impacted by slavery, neocolonialism and existing global inequalities.

The ABRSC recalled that Prince Charles and Prince William had on recent Caribbean visits to Barbados and Jamaica, respectively, lamented that slavery was “an appalling atrocity” that was also “abhorrent” and “should not have happened”.

However, the commission appealed to the royal couple “not to repeat such a mantra,” but to instead tell Antiguans and Barbudans “Why is it so hard for you to sincerely apologise for your nation’s role in slavery, like decent human beings do when they offend…”

Noting that “acknowledging and accounting for wrongs is deeply enshrined within both British law and society,” the ABRSC asked: “Why then, is it, that you cannot apologise for your nation’s demonstrated historical wrong?”

It called on “Britain and other enslaving countries of Europe” to engage in a “partnership in a constructive strategy… to meet the social and economic gaps in the region…”

The ABRSC identified the gaps as “those imposed through slavery and colonialism and those that are perpetuated through the incredibly unjust existing neocolonial international order, which Europe and the United States champions[sic].”

In Antigua and Barbuda, the royal couple will participate in several activities, meeting women and youth, business and civic leaders, local teams preparing for the Commonwealth Games, and legendary Antiguan cricketers, many knighted by The Queen.

The final leg of the visit will be in Saint

Lucia on April 27 and 28, where the SLNRC has indicated it will, before the Royal Visit ends, publish a ‘100-Day Action Plan’ to continue its public education programme through to August celebrations of Emancipation Day (August 1) and Marcus Garvey’s Birthday (August 17), ahead of the 2nd African Union-CARICOM Summit on September 7.

The NRCs in all islands to be visited are expected to elaborate on the CRC’s 10-Point Plan that’s also CARICOM’s Blueprint for the economic and developmental aspects of Reparations, penned by Sir Arthur Lewis in his seminal 1939 book, ‘Labor in the West Indies’ and adopted as the template for ensuring Reparations reach all CARICOM citizens.

Meanwhile, the fading of colonial royal charm in the remaining Commonwealth member-states being visited to celebrate the British monarch’s record as the longest-serving head of state and who’s still Queen (and head of state) of the over-50 former British colonies in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions, as well as Australia and New Zealand, Canada and the United States, is also being keenly observed in the states not being visited.

Barbados, Guyana and Dominica are Republics with their own Presidents, but the Federation of St Christopher and Nevis (independent St. Kitts and Nevis) is also not included.

All four nations, however, are signatories to CARICOM’s 2013 call on the UK and EU member-states that designed, implemented, benefitted from and built empires from TransAtlantic Slavery to deliver on outstanding Reparations for Slavery and Native Genocide.

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Invesments, collective action needed to safeguard environment –– says President in message to mark World Earth Day 2022

AS Guyana joined the international community in celebrating World Earth Day 2022, on Friday, President, Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali has said that investments and collective action are needed to safeguard and further boost environmental protection.

In keeping with the theme “Invest in Our Planet”, the country’s Head-ofState, in a brief message

stated that Earth Day is celebrated to demonstrate support for environmental protection.

“It allows us to educate, reflect and take actions to address environmental issues. It reminds us that the environment we live in requires our protection,” the President said.

He further stated that the environment, is life support and a natural capital, from which a stronger

and cleaner furture can be forged.

“The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. In recent decades environmental problems have increased as a result of human activities. We are at risk from climate change, pollution, flooding, and drought,” said the President.

He added: “Investing in the restoration and protec-

tion of nature is critically important in helping to combat climate change, stem biodiversity loss, and slow the depletion of essential resources such as freshwater and soil.”

The President further explained that in examining economic approach, investments should be made thrugh innovative solutions, new technologies and new markets.

He added that it is also essential to invest in smarter regulation and innovative business models to help support a low-carbon trajectory, one that not only has a reduced impact on the climate and our natural resources, but also works with the environment and harnesses its natural capital as a source of sustainable, inclusive growth.

“Urgent action is needed to safeguard our planet, our ecosystems, our soils, forests and waterways. Guyana has the second-highest percentage of forest cover on earth and is working with partners to sustain 99.5 per cent of it while building the foundation for a new low-carbon, ecosystem economy.”

The President reiteriated that the government is committed to

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali supporting environmental protection and delivering global and national environmental commitments for a transformative and sustainable economy through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

“Guyana’s LCDS sets out a vision for inclusive and sustainable development while simultaneously maintaining the country’s forests to help meet some of the most urgent challenges the world faces through the creation of incentives for a low-car-

bon economy; protection against climate change and biodiversity loss and stimulate future growth for clean energy and low carbon development,” the President said.

“This Earth Day, let us act, innovate and implement by reducing pollution, reducing climate change impacts and conserving and restoring ecosystems.

We need to invest in our planet and build a prosperous and equitable future,” he further urged.

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guyana CHRONICLE saturday, april 23, 2022

Essequibo amputee gets free house lot

VENTLE Jainarine, a wheelchair-bound amputee of Charity, Essequibo Coast, is on his way to becoming a homeowner, after he received a house lot free of cost, during an outreach in Anna Regina, Region Two by the Central Hous-

own home.

Jainarine, who resides at Sparta Check Dam, Charity, said his life took a tragic turn in 2018 after losing one of his legs during a boat accident. He was working as a captain of the boat at the time.

Minister Within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues interacting with Ventle Jainarine after he received his house lot (DPI photo) ing and Planning Authority (CHPA) on Friday.

The cost for the land was waived following an intervention by Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, after learning about the young father’s plight to own his

“I got a wife and daughter and we survive on public assistance because I can’t work and we are renting a house. Sometimes when we can’t pay the rent, we get put out…

“I feel happy to finally get through with my land.

I was surprised when the minister said I will get it for free. This is a big help, so I would like to thank the government,” Jainarine said.

He was among several residents who had their issues resolved during the outreach held at the Anna Regina Town Council compound.

Minister Rodrigues said the activity is a ‘one stop shop’ where persons are able to go through the process of applying for land, update their information, process their land titles and agreement of sale for a land allocated to them, among other issues.

“We are here for two days, and we are not just receiving matters and taking notes, we have already done that. Today we are going to address those matters and we have all the capable officers here that will deal with all the matters here in Essequibo,” she told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The minister explained that one of the most common issues is fraudulent transactions where persons were issued bogus receipts for lands for which they paid.

The government has made a decision to honour those recipients which will see those persons receiving their allocation letters during the two-day event.

In order to ensure these issues do not repeat themselves, the ministry has revamped its regional housing office which is now operating under a new management.

“We have equipped the offices with competent staff who will be able to deal with a number of the issues that come up…. But what

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues assisting a pensioner during the outreach on Friday (DPI photo) we are doing here is trying to reduce the backlog so the office does not become overwhelmed,” Minister Rodrigues asserted.

The activity is a follow-up to Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s outreach to

the region last month.

Last year, over 700 persons received house lots in Charity and Onderneeming.

The ministry also plans to invest $1 billion in infrastructural development within several new and existing

housing schemes in the region.

Works to be done include the construction of roads and bridges, installation of street lights and the acquisition of lands for house lots allocation. (DPI)

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guyana CHRONICLE saturday, april 23, 2022

Man gets eight years’ jail for chopping woman

WARREN Dennis, a 42-year-old cane-cutter, was on Friday sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for brutally attacking a woman with a cutlass in 2017.

Dennis, formerly of Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was sentenced by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Demerara High Court.

On March 17 of this year, Dennis admitted that on April 23, 2017, in the County of Demerara, he wounded the woman with intent to commit murder.

According to reports, the couple had once shared a relationship, but on the day in question, they reportedly had a misunderstanding and the victim walked away.

Dennis would subsequently arm himself with a cutlass and ambush the woman through an alleyway, dealing her

several chops, according to the prosecutor’s facts.

He then chased her into a nearby trench and dealt her several more chops about her body, causing her to lose her left hand.

On Friday last, based on a probation report compiled by a social worker, the court heard that while Dennis was “a responsible and hardworking man”, his home and family circumstances left much to be desired, as, according to his neighbours and other acquaintances, he was very abusive to the victim.

In her impact statement, the victim asked that Dennis be given the maximum penalty so that he can no longer be free to abuse other women.

“Because of this incident, I have low self-esteem, and I don’t socialise

anymore,” the survivor told the court, adding: “This incident has taken a toll on me. Every day, I cry because of what this man has done to me; I would like the Court to impose the maximum penalty on Warren Dennis for everything he has put me through.”

Attorney-at-Law Madan Kissoon, during his plea of mitigation for Dennis, said his client is remorseful for his actions, and wishes to apologise for the hurt he’s caused the victim.

According to State Prosecutor Cicelia Corbin, Dennis’ actions towards the victim were “pre-planned and unprovoked,” and as such she asked the judge to impose a sentence that will serve as a deterrent to him and other like-minded offenders.

Justice Morris-Ramlall, in her sen-

CONVICTED: Warren Dennis tencing remarks, told Dennis that violence is inexcusable, and that she found no mitigating factors in his favour.

After considering the nature of the case and the prevalence of the crime, the Judge sentenced Dennis to eight years’ imprisonment.

She, however, ordered that the prison authorities deduct from the sentence the time he’s already spent on remand since 2017.

$300,000 bail each for duo in alleged break-in TWO men were on Friday released on $300,000 bail each for allegedly breaking into E-Zone Online Shopping Company, here

in the city.

After the pair was granted bail, the matter was adjourned until May 27, on condition that they

lodge their passports at the court, and report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) every Monday.

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guyana CHRONICLE saturday, april 23, 2022

Paved road between Guyana, Brazil closer to fruition –– modalities for movement of goods, passengers being finalised by both countries, says Ambassador July

By Navendra Seoraj

GREATER opportunities are in the pipeline for Guyanese and Brazilians, as authorities move closer to finalising further arrangements for the paving of the road from Linden to Lethem, which serves as a conduit for travel between the two South American nations.

“Linden-Lethem corridor will be a game-changer for Guyana and Brazil,” Director of the Department of International Co-operation at Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Ambassador Forbes July, said during his address at the joint launch of World Vaccination Week in Bonfim, on Wednesday.

Guyana is linked directly to Brazil through Lethem, which lies just on the edge of the border between the two countries. And, as it is now, the journey from Lethem to Georgetown takes as many as 13 hours depending on the state of the road. The unpaved 450-kilometre road from Linden to Lethem is often impassable in the rainy season, due to flooding along low-lying sections of the trail.

Although air travel to Lethem is also possible, anec-

dotal information shows that the cost factor often discourages the average Guyanese from choosing this mode of transportation.

Once paved, the road which was referred to as a game-changer by Ambassador July, will eradicate many bottlenecks to travel by reducing ground transportation time to approximately five hours.

This piece of infrastructure will not just improve transportation, but it will also augment trade and tourism, increase land value, among other things.

In providing an update on the status of this initiative, Ambassador July said: “… the two sides are in consultation to finalise the modalities for the movement of passengers and goods between Guyana and Brazil.”

While talks on this project are progressing, he said Guyana remains committed to building and expanding its relationship with the people of Brazil and integrating the two nations through infrastructural and other initiatives, which would be beneficial to both sides.

Guyana and Brazil established diplomatic relations on August 26, 1968, and the two nations have since been co-operating on areas such

An aerial view of Lethem

as trade, health, agriculture, transport and security matters. And with the potential paving of the road, there will be even greater opportunities for co-operation between the two countries.

It was reported that a large part of Guyana’s economic potential remains untapped and would be revealed only after the construction of the road linking Linden to Lethem and, by extension, Brazil, is completed.

President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr. Hyginus ‘Gene’ Leon, in describing the massive project which will be done in phases, said: “Almost one half of Guyana’s potential will be linked one way or the other to just opening that corridor… we are using Linden to Lethem, but I am referring here from the deep-sea port in Georgetown all the way to connectivity to Brazil.”

The CDB is no stranger to this initiative, since it has provided direct funding of US$112 million for the upgrading of 121 kilometers of road from Linden to Mabura Hill. The project is a joint undertaking of Guyana, the United Kingdom and the CDB. It was reported by the Stabroek News, in February, that negotiations were

expected to commence between authorities and the most responsive bidder for the US$190 million Linden to Mabura Hill upgrade project, Construtora Queiroz Galvao S.A. from Brazil.

The upgrading of this corridor will provide yearround connectivity between Linden and Mabura Hill, improving conditions for local and long-haul transport.

And although the intended aim of this specific project is to improve connectivity between Guyana’s hinterland and the coastal areas, it is just the first phase of the wider plan to develop the transportation corridor from Georgetown to Lethem on the southwest border, there-

by connecting the port in Georgetown with northern Brazil.

Dr. Leon believes that while this augurs well for Guyana’s internal advancement, the project will essentially create a hemispheric corridor, linking South America to the Atlantic and, similarly, granting the Caribbean access to South America “That sort of project is transformational… every effort should be focused on getting that to its completion point, as soon as is feasible within the border lines of cross finances, construction and taking it to completion,” the CDB’s President advised.

Director of the Department of International Co-operation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Ambassador Forbes July

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Employees’ health and wellness a priority –– Agriculture Minister tells health fair

AGRICULTURE Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has underscored the value of a healthy workforce when the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Health hosted a health fair on Friday to mark Occupational Health and Safety Month 2022, at its Regent Street compound.

Subject Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, who took part in the event, said the activity was held to promote good health practices among staffers of the ministry and its sub-agencies.

“From the Ministry of Agriculture’s perspective, this is important for us; health and wellness are very important for our employees. I think we should organise this quarterly so we can have all of our employees checked and in healthy positions because the Ministry of Agriculture is a very rigorous ministry where we go in different terrains and different situations.”

The minister added that given the success of the fair, he will be engaging

the ministry’s permanent secretary to have a quarterly health fair held for the staffers and their families.

“The Ministry of Agriculture is a large ministry that comprises of [sic] almost 12 agencies and we have thousands of workers; and so I will ask the permanent secretary in the next time to extend the fair to the members of the public and also to the families of employees of the ministry, so they can come here and have their basic health checks.”

The minister further

noted that the government is cognisant of the importance of having a healthy nation and workforce; hence, the hosting of events such as health fairs.

“Occupational Health and Safety are very important for our country’s population, especially for our work force and as a government, you know for a fact that we are spending a lot of budgetary allocations on health and wellness in our country, because we recognise the importance of the population’s health and we want to ensure that we spend these allocations effectively, so that our people can be healthy.”

Staff and members of the public were able to benefit from a range of medical services such as blood-pressure testing, dental check-ups and eye examinations, among others.

Persons were also able to speak with a physician and obtain prescriptions for medications, some of which were available at the fair free of cost.

guyana CHRONICLE saturday, april 23, 2022

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha having his height measured at the health fair on Friday (Delano Williams photo)

Minister Mustapha interacting with a health official

Staff of the ministry receiving blood-pressure testing

guyana CHRONICLE saturday, april 23, 2022

Gov’t collaborates with IMPACT Justice on arbitration bill

THE government will be partnering with Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean Project (IMPACT Justice) in a number of initiatives designed to build national capacity and to train persons in arbitration with emphasis on the new-model arbitration bill.

This was solidified when Professor Velma Newton, Project Director IMPACT Justice met with Attorney- General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall and team to discuss several areas of

was to highlight the relevance of including arbitration clauses in contracts and to provide participants with an introduction to the drafting of enforceable arbitration clauses.

In May, in collaboration with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, IMPACT Justice will host a virtual workshop on the Model Arbitration Bill entitled, “Roadmap to Implementation of a New Arbitration Law.” According to the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the objective of this workshop is to enable participants to understand the pur-

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall (centre) at the meeting in the company of Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Charles Fung-aFatt; Solicitor General, Nigel Hawke; Deputy Solicitor General, Deborah Kumar; Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Joann Bond; Law Revision Officer, Diane Woolford and Principal Assistant Law Revision Officer, Renee King-Sandiford collaboration between IMPACT Justice and the Government of Guyana on Thursday.

According to a press release from the chambers of the Attorney-General, capacity building and training are essential prerequisites to achieve the government’s objective of making Guyana a modern arbitration hub.

For several years, IMPACT Justice has provided invaluable support to the Government of Guyana in the area of access to justice.

IMPACT Justice is a multi-country regional justice sector reform project funded by the Government of Canada and implemented from the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, Barbados.

This model bill was produced by IMPACT Justice for the Caribbean region. It is one of the most modern expressions of arbitration law in this part of the world and Guyana is among the first territories pursuing its implementation.

Recently, young Attorneys-at-Law in Guyana benefited from a virtual skills-training workshop on the “Drafting of Arbitration Clauses: Practical Considerations” sponsored by IMPACT Justice and the Chartered Institute of Arbitration, Caribbean Branch.

This workshop was held on April 5 and 7, 2022. The objective of this workshop

pose of arbitration and to familiarise them with the intended legal framework.

Participants of the workshop will receive training from internationally renowned arbitrators, namely Barry Leon and Professor Anthony Daimsis, both of whom are Canadian arbitrators; Calvin Hamilton, a Guyanese arbitrator based in Europe and Myles Weekes, the President of Chartered Institute of Arbitration, Caribbean Branch.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers further noted that participants will include members of the legal profession, the Judiciary, State Counsel, the private sector and civil society.

“To facilitate a consultative approach to the preparation of the domestic law, the Model Arbitration Bill was circulated to relevant stakeholders in Guyana including the Bar Association of Guyana, the Berbice Bar Association, the Private Sector Commission and the American Chamber of Commerce of Guyana. Additionally, later in the year, the Chartered Institute of Arbitration, Caribbean Branch, will host two training courses on arbitration. One will be held in September and the other in December.

These courses will pave the way for interested Guyanese to become certified arbitrators,” the Attorney-General Chambers noted.

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guyana CHRONICLE saturday, april 23, 2022

Prison escapees surrender

No imminent plan for US Secretary of State to visit Guyana

THERE is no imminent plan for US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken to visit Guyana, the US Embassy in Georgetown said in a release on Friday.

The release from the US Embassy was in response to an article published by Stabroek News on April

20, 2022, under the caption “U.S. Secretary of State Blinken to visit in June.”

“The US Embassy wishes to advise that there is no such visit planned at this time. In the event of such a high-level visit, the US Embassy would inform and coordinate with the

Government of Guyana.

“The US-Guyana relationship is important, and the United States continues to share a strong bilateral partnership with Guyana.

The US Embassy is proud to continue furthering our productive partnership,” the release concluded.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken

TWO inmates who escaped while being transported to the Lusignan Prison, East Coast Demerara on Thursday, have surrendered to police.

The prisoners are Kevin Valladares, who surrendered at the Brickdam Police Station the same day and the other, Keanon Harry, turned himself over to the Leonora Police Station on Friday.

Valladares, 26, a shoe-maker of Lot 370 Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden,

Kevin Valladares was on Friday charged with escaping lawful custody, contrary to Section 340 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01.

The accused appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court Three before Principal Magistrate Ms Sherdell Issacs-Marcus where the charge was read to him.

He pleaded guilty and was

Keanon Harry at the CID office, Leonora Police Station remanded to prison. Sentencing will be on May, 4, 2022.

Meanwhile, Keanon Harry, 40, is also expected to be charged soon for his escape from lawful custody.

Police said that the men escaped sometime between 16:00hrs and 16:10hrs on Thursday in the vicinity of Sparendaam, ECD, while they were being transported from Linden, Region 10.

Harry of Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River, escaped after he was sentenced to one year imprisonment for drug trafficking on Thursday.

13 years’ jail for attempted murder of opponent in card game ALFRED Braithwaite was on Friday sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment for attempting to murder a man, allegedly over a gambling game.

The sentence was imposed by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Demerara High Court.

Last month, a 12-member jury found Braithwaite guilty of the offence, which read that on January 27, 2017, in the County of Demerara, he attempted to murder Chefton Haymer.

He had pleaded not guilty at the time, and was represented by Attorney-at-Law Teriq Mohammed.

According to reports, on the day in question, Braithwaite and Haymer were reportedly gamAlfred Braithwaite bling with cards.

It is alleged that the two had a disagreement over the sequence of the cards; it was Haymer who raised this issue, demanding the return of his money.

Braithwaite, however, refused and left the game, but later returned with another man, who was reportedly armed with a cutlass.

Together, they attacked Haymer.

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guyana CHRONICLE saturday, april 23, 2022

Vreed-en-Hoop shore base a hallmark of local content policy – R3PSInc. Head THE Region Three Private Sector Inc. (R3PSInc.) has described the signing of the US$300 million contract to construct a shore base at Vreeden-Hoop, West Coast Demerara as a hallmark of Guyana’s local- content policy.

Head of R3PSInc. Halim Khan said as a result of the local-content legislation, Guyanese nationals and Guyanese companies are guaranteed participation in the petroleum sector.

“This is in line with President Irfaan Ali’s vision, and the local-content policy will provide for training and capacity building, and allow the authorities to assess the level of preparedness of local companies and their capabilities, particularly over the next year,” Khan noted.

To deliver on its legislative target, Khan said that the Bill puts in place regulatory mechanisms to implement, investigate, supervise, co-ordinate, monitor, and evaluate participa-

From right are: Head of R3PSInc. Halim Khan; Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer of National Hardware Guyana Ltd; local gold miner Andron Alphonso of ZRN Investment Inc; Azruddin Mohamed of Hadi’s World Incorporated; Region Three Chairman Ishan Ayube; and Vreed-en-Hoop (NDC) Chairman Omesh Balram tion in local content in Guyana. It also includes hefty fines for non-compliance.

Khan explained that not only would a compa-

ny have to have a Guyanese national owning 51 per cent of its shares to be considered a “local entity”, but the company’s management team

also has to comprise 70 per cent Guyanese, while its overall staff complement has to also be 90 per cent Guyanese.

He also noted that

he submitted a list of Region Three contractors that are capable of supplying services and supplies for the Vreeden-Hoop shore base con-

struction.

A consortium of local businesses, in collaboration with Jan De Nul, an international maritime infrastructure company, has landed a contract to support future construction activities of ExxonMobil.

The consortium comprises three local entrepreneurs: Gold miner Andron Alphonso of ZRN Investment Inc; Azruddin Mohamed of HADI’S World Incorporated, and Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer of National Hardware Guyana Limited.

Together with Jan De Nul, the businesspeople will design and build an 85 per cent Guyanese-owned Vreed-enHoop Shorebase Incorporated (VESHI) on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) at a cost of some US$300 million (G$62.7 billion).

Through the new contract, ExxonMobil-Guyana will use this shore base to do more of its needed fabrication works in Guyana.

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Health Ministry overturns termination letters for Linden healthcare workers

THE Ministry of Health, on Friday, quickly rescinded termination letters for some 27 workers at the Linden Hospital Complex, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

This is according to Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony. Dr Anthony said it came to his attention that the hospital’s administration sent out the letters on Thursday.

He said the terminated

persons were mostly ward maids.

The action by the hospital administration and the public outcry led health ministry officials to quickly engage Chief Executive Officer

guyana CHRONICLE saturday, april 23, 2022

(CEO) of the hospital, Rudy Small.

“When the ministry learnt about it, we reached out to the CEO and asked him to rescind the letters. So, as of last night, those letters should Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony have been rescinded… nobody is going home,” the Health Minister said.

To this end, he continued, it is expected that the contracts for all those persons will be renewed for the usual

duration of one or two years.

Like other contract workers, Dr Anthony related, their performances will be evaluated, and as they continue to perform well, their jobs will be secure.

Suspect arrested in connection with teen’s murder

NIGEL Abraham, 30, who was wanted for the murder of his foster son, Daniel Wilson, 17, was arrested in Region One on Friday, the police have confirmed.

According to the police, the incident occurred on April 17 at Lower Black Water, Barima River, North West District.

The victim’s cousin, Ron Moonsammy, 19, was also stabbed to the chest during the incident and is currently receiving medical attention.

Police said the three men were drinking alcohol when an argument ensued Nigel Abraham among them, which led to the stabbing of the teen with a knife.

Moonsammy intervened and tried to save his cousin, but the suspect stabbed him to the chest.

He was rushed to the Mabaruma Public Hospital in a critical condition and was medevacked to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation shortly after for further treatment.

Bus conductor on remand for attempted murder IMMANUEL Narques, a 21-year-old bus conductor of ‘B’ Field, Sophia, Georgetown, was on Friday remanded to prison for attempting to murder Jamal Haywood.

Narques appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer to the charge which alleged that on Saturday last, on Croal Street, Stabroek, he allegedly wounded Haywood with intent to kill; he is scheduled to return to court on May 9.

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Dharry, Penalba square off tonight for WBC super flyweight title MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, ahead of tonight’s Road to Redemption boxing championship fight, welcomed the Panamanian boxers Orlando Penalba and Gilberto Pedrozas to the country, as they prepare to battle against Guyana’s best.

“It is my pleasure to have you all here and my country welcomes you but remember that only two winners will emerge from this magnificent event .and, of course, our entire country will be out there supporting Elton Dharry and Dexter Marques,” said Minister Ramson during the meet-and-greet session with the overseas pugilists Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, explained that it was important for the public to know that the fighters were in the country and ready to fight. “There will be no excuses or cancellation of this double WBC International Title.

They are here and ready to go to battle.”

Speaking with confidence, the undefeated Orlando Penalba stared down Elton Dharry and boldly predicted victory over Dharry when they square off for the WBC International super flyweight title and that he would return to Panama with the belt. “I am a sergeant in our military and when I fight, I fight to win”.

Meanwhile, Dharry quietly predicted that this would be a tough fight but one that his experience and strength would make him emerge victorious. “I’m not going to disappoint my thousands of fans and fellow Guyanese tonight at the Stadium.”

Pedroza will take on Dexter `De Kid’ Marques in the co-main event for the WBC flyweight silver belt.

Promoter Aleem Hussain “with the extraordinary assistance being provided by the minister and the various departments under his control, we are now in a position to provide the greatest show in recent boxing history.

This is the first time that we have experienced such cooperation and the minister has led by example in ensuring that every aspect of the promotion is covered.”

The fight will be broadcast locally and internationally according to the head of NCN Neaz Subhan. “We have done several events with the Guyana Boxing Board and are confident that Devon and our team will deliver excellent quality and companies can advertise with us at extremely competitive rates on the 23rd.”

In addition to the packed action in the ring, there will be a half-time show put on by HJ Entertainment, featuring top local artistes and dancers to showcase Guyanese talent to the world.

Many major sponsors and new companies in Guyana such as Demerara Mutual Life Insurance, Comfort Sleep, Samtronix, Morgan’s Investment, Hand-in-Hand Insurance, Unique Electrical, Caribbean Motor Spares, HRTN Consulting, Darthan Investments, Turbo Energy Drink, SuperBet, Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), along with dozens of overseas-based Guyanese companies, are supporting the event.

Tickets, priced as low as $1 000 for this amazing event are on sale at Giftland, MovieTowne, Amazonia Malls, all Assuria General Insurance offices nationwide, The Locals Restaurant in Vreed-en-Hoop and Fagoo’s General Store in Parika.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, April 23, 2022

Sir Andy, Butcher commence packed tour of Berbice

FORMER West Indies fast bowler Sir Andy Roberts and the first black cricketer to play for England, Roland Butcher of Barbados, on Thursday began their packed tour of Berbice by paying visits to the Rose Hall Canje and Cotton Tree Cricket Grounds.

The two legends delivered inspirational speeches to youth players in both areas with special emphasis being placed on self-discipline, desire for hard work and the need for the players to work hard on their own personal game.

The duo took questions from the youngsters during the sessions and the visit to the Canje Ground was emotional for Sir Andy as he noted that the ground has a special place in his heart.

He stated that Canje was the venue that caused him to become a Test player after he took four wickets there in 1974.

Butcher spoke on the need for players to be the master of their own destiny and to be proactive on decisions that would lead them to success.

Berbice Cricket Board president Hilbert Foster was present at both venues and urged the players to always strive for excellence. The visit continued yesterday with the start of the fast bowling and batting clinics at the Albion ground.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, April 23, 2022

Stokes heaps praise on outgoing Root

BEN Stokes has been heavily linked with the vacant England Test captain position and has spoken about the role as well his friend and teammate Joe Root’s decision to step down.

Writing in his column for British newspaper the Daily Mirror, Stokes revealed how he found out about Root’s decision to stand down as England captain last week.

“When my phone started ringing and I saw Joe’s name flash up, I didn’t know what to expect. But when he said: ‘Mate, I just wanted to let you know before it becomes official…’ I knew what was coming.

“As you can imagine it was quite an emotional conversation, but it wasn’t a long chat,

England all-rounder Ben Stokes

there will be time for that in the future,” Stokes said. “This was an emotional few minutes and in return there was nothing but love, respect and support from me because that is what Joe

Former England captain Joe Root

Root has shown me throughout his time as England Test captain.

“When I took my break from the game in 2021, Joe was brilliant. The cricket came second, his concern was for my

well-being.

“And going back a few years now to the Bristol incident, that was where my captain really went to bat for me. That is where my total loyalty towards Joe comes from, and he will always have it because he has never been anything but a good man towards me and the rest of his players.”

Root captained England more than any other player in Test history, winning more matches as captain (27) but also losing more (26) than any of his predecessors.

And having stepped down as skipper, Root can now look to continue his stunning form with the bat, form that saw him score more runs in 2021 than any English men’s batter had

in any previous calendar year, earning him the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year award.

“Now that he has stood down, I fully expect him to continue his brilliance with a bat in hand and show why he is the greatest batsman we’ve ever produced,” Stokes said.

“We are lucky to have him and he’s still got so much to offer English cricket.”

Stokes has been tipped by many, including England’s white-ball captain Eoin Morgan, to take over from Root. But, for now, the all-rounder isn’t publicly touting for the job.

“I know there will be lots of speculation around who will take over, and clearly as vice-captain and someone who has stood in on a few occasions

my name will be strongly talked about,” Stokes said.

“But all I will say is that it is a huge honour to captain England and whoever does it will get to enjoy that responsibility of trying to take the team forward.

“The decision will be down to Rob Key as the new managing director of men’s cricket and I’m sure we’ll talk soon enough, as he will with other players and support staff.

“It is an exciting time for us all, at the start of a new era for the Test team. I’m back in the nets now and training ahead of my first game for Durham in the next couple of weeks and I can’t wait.” (ICC Media)

England duo lead Surrey fightback against Somerset ENGLAND pair Ben Foakes and Ollie Pope led Surrey’s fightback after a career-best 150 not out by Tom Abell for Somerset on day two at The Oval.

The visitors added 54 to their overnight 283-6 before skipper Abell finally ran out of partners.

Surrey lost early wickets, but Foakes and Pope put on 80 before the latter fell for 47 to a quite brilliant boundary catch

by Tom Banton.

Foakes followed for 63 as Surrey reached stumps on 2045, 133 behind.

Having failed to earn any batting points in their first two matches, Somerset claimed a third when they passed 300 for the loss of Josh Davey, who was caught at third slip off Jordan Clark (3-66) after adding 59 with Abell.

Ben Foakes’ half-century followed scores of 132 not out and 45 in his two previous innings.

But their last three wickets went down for 12 runs with Abell, who made his previous best of 135 six years ago, facing 298 balls in his unbeaten innings, hitting 22 fours.

Surrey were 48-3 in reply, with Rory Burns among the batsmen dismissed, caught behind for 12 from a fine delivery by Craig Overton, who took 13 wickets in Somerset’s defeat by Essex last week.

But Pope again looked in good touch before Overton picked up his second wicket when Banton dived full length on the boundary to take a one-handed catch from a top edge.

Foakes had been dropped on two by Banton off Davey and made the most of his escape by reaching a half-century from 113 balls.

He departed when he edged Peter Siddle - playing his 200th first-class game - to second slip, but Sam Curran was 44 not out at the close.

(BBC Sport).

NBA play-offs: Warriors beat Denver Nuggets to lead 3-0 THE Golden State Warriors won 118-113 at Denver Nuggets to take a 3-0 lead in the first round of the NBA Western Conference play-offs.

Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole each scored 27 points for Warriors, who are aiming for their first championship in four years.

They will seal the series with another win at the Ball Arena tomorrow.

Nikola Jokic had 37 points for Denver, who have lost seven consecutive play-off games dating back to last season.

Dallas Mavericks survived a fightback by Utah Jazz to win 126-118 in Salt Lake City and take a 2-1 lead in their series.

Jalen Brunson with 31 points

Stephen Curry is a three-time NBA champion and was the league’s most valuable player in 2015 and 2016

led seven different Dallas players to reach double digits, which compensated for the absence of Slovenian Luka Doncic, who has yet to play in the series because of a calf strain.

Also in the Western Conference on Thursday, Desmond

Bane scored 26 points to lift Memphis Grizzlies to a 104-95 win at Minnesota Timberwolves.

Bane sank seven three-pointers as second-seeded Grizzlies overcame a 26-point deficit in Minneapolis to lead the series 2-1. (BBC Sport)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, April 23, 2022

ICC to allow combined bid for TV, digital rights

CLOSE on the heels of the auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) broadcast rights, which is scheduled for June, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is preparing for its own rollout.

Cricbuzz has learnt that a couple of top executives of the ICC were in Mumbai for three days earlier this week trying to elicit the interest of the Indian broadcasters, who will eventually be the principal bankrollers of world cricket for the eight years starting 2023. The sale is expected to be completed in about a month from the IPL rights auction, slated for June 12.

Chief Commercial Officer Anurag Dahia

Cricbuzz can confirm that Sunil Manoharan, vice-president, broadcast rights of the ICC, and Anurag Dahia, the chief commercial officer at the

Dubai office of the world body, gave presentations to the current and potential future clients.

The two ICC officials have elicited the views of the executives of Disney Hotstar, Sony Pictures Network, Network 18, which recently launched its sports channel Sports 18, and FanCode among others.

The ICC officials are learnt to have discussed the option of selling the rights for four years although the world body is known to offer the rights for the full period of eight years normally. “They seem to be more interested in four-year deals but the bidders will be given

Manchester United name Erik ten Hag as new permanent manager

(REUTERS) - Manchester United have named Ajax Amsterdam coach Erik ten Hag as their new manager to succeed interim boss Ralf Rangnick from the end of this season, the Premier League club said yesterday.

“Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Erik ten Hag as the men’s first team manager, subject to work visa requirements, from the end of this season until June 2025, with the option to extend for a further year,” United said in a statement. ten Hag is the fifth permanent manager to be appointed by United since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 following David Moyes, Luis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Rangnick took over as

Erik ten Hag has been appointed as Manchester United’s new manager. (File Photo Credit: Reuters)

interim manager in November following the sacking of Solskjaer with an agreement to continue as a consultant for two years.

The 52-year-old ten Hag was appointed by Ajax during the 2017-18 campaign and led them to the Dutch league title in 2019 and 2021, as well as the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.

The Dutchman, who previously worked with the reserve team of Bayern Munich, had long been linked with a move to United.

“It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead,” he said in the club statement.

“I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve,” he added.

“It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these incredible years, and I can assure our fans of my complete commitment and focus on bringing this season to a successful conclusion before I move to Manchester United.”

Linden ‘Guinness In De Streets’ football kicks off tonight

THE Linden Town Week ‘Guinness In De Streets’ football competition kicks off this evening (with four matches at the Christianburg Hard Court starting at 19.00hrs.

Following the launching of the tournament last night at the Golden Taste Seafood and Guinness Bar in Half Mile, Wismar, it was disclosed that Swag Entertainment and Midas will be featured in the opening game to be followed at 19.30hrs when Bullets Face Trendsetters and the game to follow brings together Coomacka and Darkside The final game at

20.30hrs will be between Goodfellas and Germans.

Shawn Grant, Sales and Outdoor Manager of Banks DIH Linden Branch, said that after two years the beverage company is pleased to be associated in bringing football entertainment back to the town, especially at this time of the year when the town will be celebrating its 52nd anniversary..

The winning team will cart off $100 000 with second-placers $200 000, third-placers $100 000 and fourth-placers $70 000.

The tournament, which will see 16 teams

vie for supremacy is being coordinated by Kellon Josiah, who said that the players are excited to bring a high level of football to the fans across Linden. He thanked the beverage giants for sponsoring this competition coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the launching where representatives of the teams attended the knockout tournament.

The next playing date is next Thursday at the Silvercity Hard Court where another four games will be played from 19:00hrs. (Joe Chapman)

the choice to opt for eight years too. They have their processes on how to calculate the appreciation for eight years,” said an Industry executive, who was part of the meetings with the ICC officials.

As the ICC has announced already, it will be selling the India package -- both television and digital - initially and unlike the BCCI, it will be giving the parties the option to bag both TV and digital rights with one bid. The BCCI has segregated the two packages and there have, mandatorily, to be two separate bids to buy TV and digital rights of the IPL.

Another big decision the ICC seems to have taken recently is that the ultimate winner will have to show the matches on the TV, a clause which it initially wanted to do away with.

The ICC contemplated giving the winning party the choice of showing the matches only in OTT platforms if it wanted.

The current ICC rights value is about USD 1.9 billion for eight years but given that there will be a global competition every year, the overall value is expected to double up.

It is learnt that concerns were expressed by the Indian broadcasters over the timing of

matches of the 2024 Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies and the US where the time zone is different from India’s. The ICC has told the Indian parties that all India games will be in Indian prime time.

The other worry is the Champions Trophy in 2025 in Pakistan where the Indian participation is not assured because of the diplomatic tensions between the countries.

The ICC officials are believed to have allayed those fears as well. The process, starting from the announcement of tender, should be complete by July-end. (Cricbuzz).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, April 23, 2022

‘For me staying healthy is important’ – Mustafizur Rahman

BANGLADESH pacer Mustafizur Rahman has stated that he is willing to explain his stance on Test cricket to the Bangladesh Cricket Board and will adopt a pick-and-choose policy to prolong his international career.

Mustafizur last played a Test match for the Tigers in

February 2021 in a home series against South Africa. He then opted out of a red-ball contract after the BCB decided to introduce format-wise contracts. Subsequently, he has missed the one-off Test against Zimbabwe and twomatch series against Pakistan, New Zealand and South Afri-

ca and is unlikely to play the longest format again.

Mustafizur has now claimed that he is willing to speak to the board in order to explain his stance on opting out of Test cricket. Speaking to Bengali daily Ajker Patrika, Mustafizur stated, “I will clear my position regarding

playing Test cricket to Bangladesh Cricket Board if they want to know about it.

“What I see is that my seniors spoke with the BCB president (regarding playing and not playing certain formats) and I will also talk with the board president... although he is well aware about the whole situation.

BCB never forced me in this regard (playing Test cricket) and I don’t have a red-ball contract.”

Mustafizur further explained why he has adopted a pick-and-choose policy, stating that it will help him extend his international career. “For me staying healthy is important. If I want to give my services to the Bangladesh team for a long time, then staying fit is important and to remain fit I feel the best way is to pick and choose between three formats.

“I chose my format taking my success into consideration and according to records my success in T20s and ODIs is more and that is the reason I am focusing on these two formats. In the world, a lot of

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman

cricketers are choosing formats to prolong their careers.

A team cannot be formed depending on one specific player.”

Mustafizur also believes that his availability will not bolster the Bangladesh bowling unit in Test cricket and the management should focus on building separate units for white-ball and red-ball cricket in order to manage the workload.

Mustafizur added, “Instead of thinking that my availability will bolster the

strength of the pace unit, if we think that we need separate pace bowling units for the red and white ball formats, I feel in that case the workload can be managed as it will be balanced and pace bowlers will do well consistently.”

In his international career, Mustafizur has played 14 Test matches and scalped 30 wickets. He has also played 74 ODIs and 63 T20Is, picking up 131 and 87 wickets respectively.

(ICC Media)

ICC appoints Wasim Khan as General Manager of Cricket

FORMER Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Wasim Khan, has been appointed as the ICC General Manager – Cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed the announcement yesterday.

Khan takes over as general manager from Geoff Allardice, who had served in the position for eight years before his recent promotion to ICC’s Chief Executing Officer.

Khan has previously served as Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Leicestershire County Cricket Club and Chance to Shine, and will take over the duties of general manager from next month.

On his appointment as general manager, he said, “I am honoured to be joining the ICC, I can’t wait to get started and work in part-

Wasim Khan takes over as ICC General Manager from Geoff Allardice

nership with our members to strengthen and grow our sport. I’m particularly excited by the ICC’s commitment to the growth of the women’s game.”

“We were lucky enough to host a number of ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup matches at Leicestershire in 2017 which was such a significant moment in the history of the game. I look forward to playing my part in really accelerating that growth over

the next decade.”

Allardice said, “I am delighted to welcome Wasim to the ICC. He brings an in-depth knowledge of our sport and its stakeholders and his firsthand experience of the international cricket landscape will be of enormous benefit as we implement the ICC global growth strategy and move forward into a new events cycle.” (ICC Media)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, April 23, 2022

Abid Ali ‘fully set for comeback’ four months after angioplasty PAKISTANopening batter Abid Ali has been cleared to resume his international career four months after undergoing angioplasty.

He was diagnosed with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in December last year after he complained of chest pain while batting in a Quaid-eAzam Trophy match and had to undergo angioplasty a day later.

Abid had been on conservative cardiac rehabilitation since December last year and was allowed to play a local T20 tournament in Faisalabad recently.

He started with walking on treadmills and was gradually allowed to run at a certain pace in the field. He started hitting the nets last month at the High Performance Centre in Lahore and he was cleared to play competitive cricket by the PCB after undergoing several tests.

“I am really excited to be back with the prospect of playing for Pakistan again,” Abid told ESPNcricinfo. “Doctors cleared me to go back in the field and I can finally return to live a normal life.

I will be on medicines for some time because of the stents implanted but overall, physi-

Pakistan’s next Test series is in Sri Lanka in July-August and it’s too early to say if the selectors will consider Abid for that • (AFP/Getty Images)

cally, I am feeling great. I am diving, running, jogging, batting and it’s really great to be normal again. There were doubts if I could play again with a heart condition but I didn’t lose hope.

I stopped thinking about cricket for some time and focused on regaining a healthy life first. It was tough but the recovery has been great with all the extensive rehabilitation.”

In Abid’s absence, Pakistan had to rejig the opening combination in Tests by promoting Imam-ul-Haq to partner Abdullah Shafiq, with Shan Masood as third opening option.

Pakistan’s next Test series is

in Sri Lanka in July-August and it’s too early to say if the selectors will consider Abid for that.

Pakistan currently have an off-season going on with the domestic season set to start in September, and there is hardly any competitive cricket coming up for Abid to prove his form.

But the batter is upbeat about using this time to get fitter.

“I am not sure what is the status of my national selection right now but I am fully set for my comeback,” Abid said. “PCB has been of great help throughout, taking very good care of me.

I am thankful for their support and guidance. For now, I start-

Yorkshire building big lead against Northants YORKSHIRE took control against Northants as they bowled their hosts out for 204 before closing their second innings on 85-1, leading by 177.

Jordan Thompson took 4-54 and Matt Revis 3-43, including the key wicket of New Zealand opener Will Young for 33.

Only Emilio Gay’s 65 offered anything significant for Northants as they conceded a first-innings lead of 92.

Openers Adam Lyth and Dimuth Karunaratne then went steaming along as the visitors’ lead quickly grew.

Northants resumed day two on 26-2 replying to Yorkshire’s 296 in their first innings and Gay and Young shared 55 for the fourth wicket.

But Young had his off stump knocked out by Thompson and the hosts failed to get any other significant partnership together.

Gay eventually fell trying to work Dom Bess’s off-spin to leg but he overbalanced and flicked a catch via his pad to leg slip.

With a big first-innings lead, Karunaratne and Lyth took 57 from the first 11 overs of their second innings before the Sri Lankan was bowled by Luke Procter for 36.

But with Lyth unbeaten

Jordan Thompson (right) went into the match with a first-class bowling average of 20.77

on 41, Yorkshire are perfectly placed to take the game out of Northants’ reach on day three.

Northamptonshire coach John Sadler: “We weren’t quite at our best and against world-class players you get punished. The frustrating thing was we got hit both sides of the wicket and, when that happens, you can’t control the scoreboard.

“Yorkshire bowled brilliantly, they bowled straight and they didn’t give our batters much chance to get on top. The batters who batted for a while had to really graft. Emilio, Proccy and Will did really well but they didn’t get a chance to hit and get on top.

“We think very highly of Emilio. He’s a fine player and he’s just going to keep getting better. I thought he played beau-

tifully today - he handled the pace well, he was very calm and composed.”

Yorkshire all-rounder Matt Revis: “We’ve got a really big lead which we can hopefully build on. We’ve got plenty of lads in the tent, and we’re in a good position. We kept our discipline, especially people like Bessy who bowled for the whole second session. Everyone chipped in.

“After the first innings, we maybe thought we were 50 or 100 light. But the way we bowled showed we can take 10 wickets and that will hopefully play into our hands in the fourth innings.

“Lythy and DK played really well to grind them down when they probably weren’t up to their best. After them being bowled out, we were able to capitalise.”(BBC Sport)

ed with the shorter format by playing three-four games in the Ramzan tournament in Faisalabad and it went well.

“These two games have given me confidence to revive my cricketing career. This is just the start and I am working hard on my fitness to stay in contention for selection. I had a good last series scoring good runs (against Bangladesh) and was in good nick when I fell in Karachi (with chest pain). I need to work very hard to catch up on the lost time and I am quite hopeful that I will be able to achieve that. I still have a lot of cricket left in me and I don’t want to sit back.

Cricket has been my life.”

Abid last played completive

cricket in December when he returned to his domestic side, Central Punjab, following the Bangladesh tour, where he was Player of the Series for the Tests after scoring 263 runs at 87.66.

He was playing his sixth first-class game of the season and had scored 766 runs at an average of 51.89 with three hundreds.

On the last day of the game against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi, he had crossed a half-century when he complained of discomfort around his shoulder and chest area before he was rushed to the hospital. Since his angioplasty, he was under the care of a consultant cardiologist

who is liaising with the PCB medical team for his treatment.

Abid, 34, was the highest run-scorer in Tests for Pakistan until December since his debut in 2019, and in 2021 he was sixth in the world with 695 runs in nine Tests at 49.64, including a double-hundred against Zimbabwe in Harare.

He made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi in 2019 after spending 12 years in domestic cricket for 7116 runs in 106 firstclass games. He began his Test career at the age of 31 with a century, and also became the only player in history to reach three figures on both Test and ODI debuts.(Cricinfo).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, April 23, 2022

Fury promises ‘war’ in WBC heavyweight title defence against Dillian Whyte

TYSON Fury promised a ‘war’ when he defends his WBC heavyweight title against Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium tonight despite more light-hearted exchanges between the pair on the eve of their showdown.

While the duo have been critical towards each other on social media for years, fight week has been remarkably cordial and restrained, and the bonhomie continued at yesterday’s weighin at BOXPARK Wembley.

After Fury scaled 18st 12lb 13oz – 12lb lighter than when he defeated Deontay Wilder in their epic trilogy contest six months ago – he and Whyte were in playful spirits at the final stare down. The 6ft 9in Fury emphasised his five-inch height advantage by standing on tiptoes while Whyte, who came in at 18st 1lb and 4oz, played along by crouching down before they shook hands and traded caps.

They briefly danced on stage alongside one another - as the music blared - having turned to face the assembled crowd, although a fired-up Fury insisted matters would be more serious

Tyson Fury (right) and Dillian Whyte were in playful mood at yesterday’s weigh-in (Nick Potts/PA)

when they next meet.

“I’m so happy to be back here (in the UK) fighting at Wembley Stadium,” said Fury, who was afforded a hero’s welcome on his entrance although Londoner Whyte was initially booed on to the stage.

“Respect to Dillian Whyte and his team, proper professional men, and we’re going to give you a real fight.

“Don’t doubt us, we’re going to put a show on like no

other before.

“It’s going to be a war, don’t worry about that.”

Fury – who has suggested on more than one occasion in the build-up that he will retire after tonight, irrespective of the outcome – is fighting on UK soil for the first time since August 2018.

The 33-year-old (31-0-1, 22KOs) has had five successive bouts in the United States since then, including three against Wilder, winning twice and

drawing once, to become world champion again.

In his last two bouts against Wilder, Fury weighed well in excess of 19st as he showcased his devastating power, particularly last October when he stopped the American in the 11th round.

But by coming in almost a stone lighter 24 hours before facing Whyte in front of an estimated 94 000 crowd – a post-war British record – Fury might look to outbox rather than overpower Whyte.

Fury has already hinted he could switch to a southpaw stance – as he did earlier in his career against Martin Rogan in 2012 and in his rematch versus Derek Chisora two years later – in a bid to counteract the power of Whyte, who has won 28 of his 30 professional contests, 19 inside the distance.

“I have been practising as a southpaw in camp,” added Fury.

“I might switch. I think Dillian Whyte is very susceptible to a southpaw. He hasn’t fought many. It takes away his left hook. That is his number one punch.”

Rawle Toney 3X3 ready to ignite Linden tonight

... MVP Sports on board

RAWLE Toney’s 3X3 Basketball tournament is expected to make a grand entrance into his hometown of Linden when it is hosted for the first time in that area today.

Following a successful hosting in February at the Burnham Basketball Court in Georgetown, a decision was made to take the one-of-a-kind event to Region Ten. In an interview on Thursday, he revealed he had to put a cap on the number of teams given the overwhelming response

which now pits it as a Linden v Georgetown battle.

The tournament will be held tonight at the residence of Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Kashif Muhammad, in Richmond Hill.

According to Toney, since the tournament is FIBA-endorsed, it will aid players to get much-needed rating points, and from a wider scale, it can kickstart the development needed for the sport locally.

A concept of 3X3 is the fusion of basketball and enter-

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday April 23, 2022)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Deccan Chargers (2) RCB

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Who was declared Man of the Match in the 2009 IPL final?

(2) Who was declared Man of the Tournament in IPL 2009?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Organiser Rawle Toney (R) receiving support from MVP Sports representative

tainment, and will feature Barbados recording artiste, ‘Mole de Chief’, who he said will be visiting Guyana for the first time to perform.

There will be four teams from Linden, three from Georgetown, and one from West Demerara.

The prize structure for the top three teams is $100 000,

$75 000, and $50 000, and each of the eight teams will receive a participation fee of $25 000.

VSH Guyana Limited, Team Mohamed’s, FireSide Grill, MVP Sports, Bushman Money Lending and Pawnshop Services and Hennessy are some of the main sponsors of the event.

Lakers’ NBA season was worst in the team’s history - Magic Johnson

EARVIN ‘Magic’ Johnson has described this season’s performance by the Los Angeles Lakers as “disappointing” and “the worst we’ve probably ever had in Laker history”.

Led by LeBron James, the current squad were expected to win their division and challenge for the 2022 NBA title, having won the championship in 2020.

However, they lost 49 of their 82 games and failed to make the playoffs.

Johnson told BBC Sport the Lakers’ final league position was unacceptable.

“We’re very disappointed here in Los Angeles. All Laker fans around the world are disappointed,” said Johnson, who won five NBA titles at the Lakers in the 1980s.

“This is the worst season we probably ever had in Laker history.

“When you have four Hall of Famers, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook [there] is no way you should miss the play-offs. So it’s a disappointing season.”

‘We need to play winning basketball’

Magic Johnson played 13 seasons for the LA Lakers and won five NBA championships

Following a below-par season the Lakers sacked Frank Vogel as their head coach. The 48-year-old had spent three years in charge of the franchise and had led them to a title in 2020.

The Lakers are the joint-most successful team in NBA history, having won 17 championships. A record they share with the Boston Celtics.

And Johnson says whoever takes over needs to quickly try to re-establish that winning mentality.

“We need to get back [to] being focused on winning, to play winning basketball. So hopefully next season, they’ll bounce back and head in the right direction,” the 62-year old said.

Although LeBron James - playing his 19th year in the league - had his best season in terms of scoring, averaging 30.3 points per game, the team around him failed to deliver on early season expectations.

James, now aged 37, missed 26 games through injury. The teams’ second best player, Anthony Davis, also faced lengthy periods on the sidelines.

Acquired in the summer from the Washington Wizards, Russell Westbrook failed to have the impact many expected the former league Most Valuable Player (MVP) would have.

They Call Me Magic Considered by many to be one of basketball’s greatest players, Johnson was speaking as he launched his new Apple TV documentary series, They Call Me Magic.

The four-part series focuses on his rise from high-school talent to college champion and NBA superstar. It features appearances from basketball great Michael Jordan, former Lakers coach Pat Riley and former US president Barack Obama.

Johnson explained he felt the timing was right to tell his story to a whole new generation.

“After Michael Jordan The Last Dance [TV documentary], people started calling me and saying, ‘We want to see your doc, we want to see the story about your life’.

“And so that’s how it happened. We wanted to capture those great moments, high, high moments of my life, but also the low moments as well,” Johnson said.

There is a statue of Johnson outside the Los Angeles Lakers home stadium. An icon of the city, his career was cut short after he was diagnosed with HIV in 1991.

After publicly announcing he had the virus, he became a spokesperson for it, helping to raise awareness and combat misconceptions about how it can be contracted. “[It was a] tough time when I announced I had HIV,” he said. “And here I am living 30 years later, which I thought would never happen when we first announced it.”

Johnson made a return to basketball twice after his diagnosis. But the tenures with the Lakers were short-lived because of stigma surrounding HIV at the time and the reaction from players in the league.

“I mean, these are, they were tough moments, and emotional moments.

And then when you start thinking about them again, you get emotional, right?

“But it’s a part of life, and my journey.”

Johnson rekindled his love affair with the Lakers when he joined their management team in 2017. Although he vacated his role as Lakers’ president of basketball operations in April 2019.

Now a successful businessman and entrepreneur, he says he wants his legacy to be remembered for the work he did on and off the court.

(BBC Sport)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, April 23, 2022

Hodge headlines new CARIFTA stars born in Kingston

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – On the eve of the just concluded 49th CARIFTA Games, president of the North American Central American and Caribbean athletics federation Mike Sands hit the nail on the proverbial head.

“New stars are always born and all of our stars from yesteryear have come through the system and we would expect that we would see more of the same over these CARIFTA Games,” Sands predicted.

He was right. Striding into Caribbean athletics consciousness was Adaejah Hodge, the winner of three gold medals.

Jamaica dominated as usual, gathering a record tally of 92 medals with 47 golden ones on the top of the pile. However, even with Jamaica’s World Under-20 100 metres champion, Tina Clayton, keying a world record in the 4x100m relay, Hodge was the participant who made tongues wag the most.

Born in Puerto Rico but raised in the British Virgin Islands, the powerfully built 16-year-old showed poise and speed in equal parts to a small but appreciative National Stadium audience.

Her win in the Under-17 100 metres final challenged a record held by no less than current Olympic relay gold medal winner Brianna Williams. She fell 0.02 short with her personal best 11.29 seconds.

Her maturity came to the fore when a schedule clash left

BVI ‘s Adaejah Hodge celebrates her gold in the 200 metres on Monday’s final day of the recent CARIFTA games

her with a tough choice – run the 200 metres semi-final or long jump for the gold medal.

After a quick consultation with the officials, she leapt to victory and breezed into the 200 final, which she won the next day.

The sprint-loving Kingston fans welcomed her with open arms.

“It makes me feel amazing, knowing that I won over the crowd,” Hodge said. “Knowing that they had their own sprinters in there and they still cheered for me was amazing.”

Clayton was not far out of the spotlight. She beat her twin sister Tia, 11.22 to 11.30 seconds, in the Under-20 100 metres on day one of the Games and on day two, she streaked down the backstretch to help Jamaica lower their own World Under-20 record from 42.94 seconds to 42.58 seconds.

The first change, from long jump champion Serena Cole to Tina, was cautious. Faster times are possible.

Bahamian giant Keyshawn Strachan also shone. In Kingston, he broke the Under-20 javelin record set by reigning senior World champion Anderson Peters with a world leading toss of 79.89 metres. Seventh at the last World Under-20 meet, Strachan has his eyes on two prizes.

“I want to get the gold for Worlds. My goal is to try to get to 85 metres,” he declared with a voice barely louder than a whisper.

That is no random number. An 85-metre throw would qualify him for the senior World Championships this July in Eugene, Oregon where Anderson will try to defend his title.

Jamaica, The Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados are CARIFTA’s ‘Big Four’

but in Kingston, the British Virgin Islands and Guyana stepped into the fast lane.

The Bahamas and the BVI both won four gold medals and Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and the US Virgin Islands took home two gold medals each.

Michelle Smith won both of those gold for the US Virgin Islands, with wins in the Under-17 800 and 400 hurdles. She took second place in the 100-metre hurdles as well.

Barbados, represented by a smallish team of just 18 athletes, won one gold medal.

Different rates of recovery from COVID-19 lockdowns may have held some countries back and may well have boosted Jamaica, who resumed its high school athletics programme early in 2021.

Nevertheless, the old order was preserved by the count of total medals: Jamaica 92, Trinidad and Tobago 23, The Bahamas 17 and Barbados, 11.

Nevertheless, there’s no denying that new teams have reached the CARIFTA top tier and, in particular, Hodge has now placed herself on everyone’s radar.

It now seems that, in his premeet interview with CMC Sport, Sands was indeed looking into a crystal ball.

“I’m very, very excited about what the future holds for our sport,” he said before the starter fired a single shot from his pistol last Saturday.

Buttler smashes third hundred of IPL as RR move atop table

JOS Buttler cracked a second-straight IPL hundred, and a third of the 2022 tournament, as he smashed 116 off 65 balls for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their win over the Delhi Capitals that takes them to the top of the table.

Buttler blasted a massive nine sixes and as many fours in his stunning knock as Rajasthan posted an imposing score of 222-2 after being put in to bat first.

Delhi looked in contention for long periods of their chase, none more so than when their swashbuckling skipper Rish- Jos Butler smashed 116 off abh Pant was at the crease, firing 65 balls 44 from 24 balls, while David Warner also smacked 28 from 14 at the top of the order.

Just as the game began to slip away from the Capitals, West Indies’ Rovman Powell (36 off 15 balls) came in and smashed five sixes, including three in a row to start the final over which briefly gave Capitals hope to successfully hit the six sixes (and 36 runs) required for victory.

But it was not to be as his international team-mate Obed McCoy bowled a dot ball fourth up and claimed Powell’s wicket to finish and clinch a 15-run victory for Rajasthan.

Earlier, Devdutt Padikkal also tonked 54 off 35 balls for Royals, sharing in a 155-run opening stand with Buttler, while skipper Sanju Samson fired an unbeaten 46 off 19 deliveries.

Samson should, however, have been dismissed on 28 when top-edging an attempted pull off Khaleel Ahmed, only for the bowler to drop an absolute sitter.

But it was Buttler’s heroics with the bat that once again stole the show, with the England star the leading run-scorer in the 2022 IPL, with 491 runs.

Buttler’s tally is 226 more than KL Rahul in second spot, with three hundreds and two fifties scored across his seven innings - at an average of 81.83 and a massive 161.51 strike rate.

Rajasthan’s victory sees them leapfrog Gujarat Titans at the top of the table, albeit having played a game more.

Delhi sit sixth, suffering a fourth defeat from their opening seven games. (Sky Sports)

Badree, Furlonge says ‘bio bubbles’ may have impacted Pollard decision PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Champion former leg-spinner Samuel Badree and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force head coach, David Furlonge, believe the pressure of playing cricket amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could have played a role in Kieron Pollard’s decision to quit international cricket.

T h e 3 4 - y e a r- o l d o n Wednesday announced he was calling time on his West Indies career after featuring in 123 One-Day Internationals and 101 Twenty20 Internationals. “(It will) be all speculation from me, not having any intimate knowledge, but certainly his injury with his knee, certainly with

COVID-19 and bubble life, (and) the pressures that come with captaincy,” Badree, who featured on the same side as Pollard that won the 2012 T20 World Cup, told the NewsDay here. “(The West Indies) performances in white-ball cricket, particularly the recent World Cup, have not been the best. Taking all those things into consideration, I think he came up with his decision.”

Furlonge, who said he had known Pollard since the player’s early teens, echoed similar sentiments.

“It’s a feeling I’ve had since the beginning of this IPL (Indian Premier League), not during this IPL. He has given his all for West Indies,” Furlonge said.

Kieron Pollard … has played in COVID-19 ‘bubbles’ since the start of the pandemic.

“I think he’s probably reached a point, especially in the past couple of years with the COVID-19 and the bubbles, and he’s an extremely strong family man. That could’ve taken a toll over the past couple of years.”

Since the onset of COVID-19 two years ago, tournaments have been conducted within bio-secure bubbles, with players being forced to have minimum contact with the public.

Testing, quarantine pe-

riods and travel restrictions have also significantly impacted player wellbeing.

Pollard’s retirement came as a shock especially with West Indies gearing up for the Twenty20 World Cup later this year in Australia.

The Trinidadian, who has led West Indies in the white-ball format since 2019, oversaw West Indies’ wretched performance in last year’s T20 World Cup in United Arab Emirates when the twotime champions managed a single win in five first-round games.

West Indies are set to tour the Netherlands at the end of next month and then travel to Pakistan for another series shortly afterwards, and Badree believes Nicholas

Pooran will be front-runner to replace Pollard as captain.

“He has been the vice-captain of the T20 team and, with the experience he has now, in franchise cricket around the world, and the fact that the West Indies selectors have given him the vice-captaincy in terms of succession planning, he’ll come to mind from the T20 standpoint,” said Badree, now a respected media pundit and coach.

“I know Shai Hope was the vice-captain of the ODI team. So, if you’re looking at separate captains, you have those two but if you’re looking at a singular captain, maybe Nicholas Pooran can be the captain of both teams.”

36

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, April 23, 2022

Dharry, Penalba square off tonight for WBC super flyweight title Story on page 28

Minister of Sport Charles Ramson Jr, Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle along with promoter Aleem Hussain, Guyana Boxing Board boss Peter Abdool, with the fighters ahead of tonight’s showdown at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence

Groups drawn for final qualifiers Sir Andy, Butcher commence for FIFA Women’s World Cup packed tour of Berbice

Story on page 29

MIAMI, Florida (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago have been drawn to play alongside the CONCACAF region’s second-ranked team Canada, while Jamaica and Haiti are in a group with the top-ranked United States in the final round of qualifying for the next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup (FWWC).

In Tuesday night’s draw, the number five ranked Jamaica and Haiti, rated 7th, were drawn in Group A with the US and hosts Mexico (3rd).

Trinidad and Tobago (8th) are in Group B with Canada, fourth-ranked Costa Rica and sixth-ranked Panama.

The eight teams will compete in the CONCA-

CAF Women’s Championship, scheduled for July 4-18 in Monterrey, Mexico, and which qualifies CONCACAF region teams for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (FWWC) which will be held from July 20 to August 20 next year in Australia and New Zealand.

The summer competition will kick off with round-robin group stage play, after which the top two teams in each group will move on to the semi-finals and, in doing so, qualify directly to the 2023 FWWC. The third-placed teams in each group will qualify for a 2023 FWWC Intercontinental Playoff.

The semi-finals, final and third-place match

will be played in a single elimination format, with the champions qualifying for both the 2024 Paris Olympics and the inaugural CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, to be held in 2024. The runner-up and third-place teams will also square off in a CONCACAF Olympic play-in series, scheduled for September 2023. The winner of that play-in series will also qualify for the Paris Olympics and the 2024 Gold Cup. According to the schedule unveiled by CONCACAF on Wednesday, Haiti will take on the United States and Jamaica will go up against Mexico on the opening day of play.

Seated from left: BCB president Hilbert Foster, Sir Andy Roberts and Roland Butcher with youngsters and others at one of the sessions on Thursday

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