Issuu

TUESDAY 28th September, 2021

No. 106498

GPL commissions US$6M voltage regulator at Canefield substation SEE PAGE

Guyana’s next oil Soya bean, corn project to be replicated lift could rake in on larger scale almost US$80M 12 SEE PAGE

SEE PAGE

Region 10 to become manufacturing hub

SEE PAGE

$205.8M Japanese grant to support Guyana’s COVID-19 fight SEE PAGE

President Dr. Irfaan Ali, accompanied by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha (left), on Monday visited the $45M soya bean and corn trial farm located along the Berbice River (Office of the President photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

Tourism sector important to world’s economic recovery _President Ali says _amid local efforts to rebuild the sector which suffered losses amounting to over $33.6B in 2020

ALTHOUGH being severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector is expected to play a major role in the world’s economic recovery, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali. “Tourism will be important to the world’s economic recovery. The sector has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. But I am confident that when we exit this pandemic, the tourism sector will rebound and will continue to contribute to national, regional and global economic development,” President Ali said in this message on World Tourism Day 2021. World Tourism Day is a global observance, fostering awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value and the contribution that the sector can make towards reaching the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, designated World Tourism Day 2021 as a day to focus on ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth.’ The theme of this

President Dr. Irfaan Ali year ’s observance, according to President Ali, recognises the important role which tourism could play in bringing people together, fostering greater understanding, bridging cultural, ethnic and religious differences and promoting unity and peace within and between countries. “The desire to see new places, enjoy enriching experiences and learn about different peoples and cultures is inscribed in the human heart. Tourism helps to fulfil these wishes and to provide sources of entertainment, enjoyment, relaxation, learning and recreation,” President Ali said. Speaking about the local sector’s potential, the

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond

Head of State related that Guyana is set to become a major tourism destination. To this end, he said: “Despite the challenges affecting travel, Guyana is preparing to boost its tourism product which includes adventure, eco, heritage, sport and familybased tourism. Guyana is blessed with wonderful natural attractions, varied ecosystems, rich biodiversity, diverse cultures and warm and friendly people. “We must, therefore, use this period to prepare a stronger and more vibrant tourism sector. My government stands ready to support and work with the stakeholders to ensure that local tourism is revitalised and becomes a pillar of inclusive growth.”

Efforts to rebuild the sector are already underway, given that it suffered losses amounting to $33.6 billion in 2020, due to the various measures implemented to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Recovery efforts have started taking shape, especially because vaccines are available and there is some level of adherence to safety protocols. Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, in her World Tourism Day 2021 message, said that the observance of this day comes at an important juncture when Guyana’s tourism sector is poised for recovery after suffering tremendous losses in 2020.

The government, she said, has been working closely with stakeholders to implement “a stronger, yet integrated and coordinated recovery process that has yielded positive results.” TOURISM POLICY U n d e r t h i s y e a r ’s theme, the minister said that Guyana’s tourism policy now more than ever will reflect a renewed commitment towards economic development through sustainable tourism that will create jobs in all regions of the country and promote local culture and products to travellers. “Our commitment to inclusive growth is our commitment to the principle that everyone can and must benefit as we begin to reopen,” Walrond said, adding that through the implementation of various initiatives, businesses have been able to reopen conditionally. She added: “[There has been] the provision of training and capacitybuilding opportunities, and technical review of standard operating procedures to ensure the recommended Hygiene and Sanitation Protocols have been implemented. Onsite inspections and the supply of sanitation products and signage have also been effected.” Minister Walrond said that to date, 41 tourism

businesses representing 63 per cent of the interior lodges and resorts, and 43 per cent of tour operators have been granted their conditional approvals for reopening. She highlighted that the government takes the recovery of the tourism sector seriously because of the social and economic benefits and positive impact which recovery of the sector will have for the country. For this reason, Minister Walrond said that vaccination efforts have helped to regain some semblance of normality in day-to-day operations, and health, hygiene and sanitation must continue to be given due attention. “The tourism sector will benefit immensely from these measures and I therefore encourage all Guyanese, including those in the tourism sector to be vaccinated. Vaccination, along with strict adherence to safety protocols, will provide a conducive environment for safer travel and full reopening,” she said. The Tourism Minister said that Guyana remains under regulated conditions, open to anyone and committed that the government is doing all that is necessary to ensure that travel to and within the country remains safe.

GUYANA CHRONICLE,

Tuesday September 28, 2021

GPL commissions US6M voltage regulator system at Canefield substation By Jared Liddell TO improve access to reliable and sustainable electricity in Region Six, government through the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), on Monday commissioned a Reactive Power Compensation System valued at 741 million yen, at the company’s Canefield Power Plant. The installation of two 5-megavar compensators allows for the adding or injecting of positive and/or negative reactive power to the power system to essentially attain voltage control. Government received funding for the initiative from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Japan’s Government through the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) in 2018, following regular complaints of fluctuating electricity. There were reports of both high and low voltage. Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, called the initiative “groundbreaking” and highlighted that the reactive compensation system at the Canefield location is a first for the region. He noted that the newly installed system will fundamentally change the way residents and the business community receive electricity. “This upgrade will provide reliable, stable and efficient power in our system and is a first in many steps towards my government’s commitment of enhancing the capacity of GPL with regard to sustainable power generation to our citizens,” the Prime Minister stated. It was disclosed that similar reactive compensation systems are slated to be commissioned at GPL’s Good Hope, So-

Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips (third from left) and Japan’s Ambassador to Guyana Tatsuo Hirayama cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially commission the new power system at Canefield in Region Six (Delano Williams photo)

phia, and Edinburg locations. PM Phillips in noting that power generation is arguably the most demanded necessity of the 21st century, reiterated government’s commitment to working strategically with GPL to address the various challenges that the agency has been facing with regard to its capacity to supply its over 200,000 customer base. Additionally, he highlighted government’s unwavering pledge to providing affordable, sustainable, and reliable energy through what he described as an “energy mix” that includes utilising fossil fuels, the gasto-shore project, hydropower, solar, and wind. “If you have constant power outages, economic development, all aspects of development in a country will suffer. Therefore, administrations must prioritize the maintenance and capacity

building of institutions such as GPL to contribute to sustainable power supplies due to the long-term national benefits,” said the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, who has responsibility for electricity, explained that the new power system will benefit all residents in the region, improving not just their personal lives but also their business ventures. He recalled receiving numerous complaints from residents and business persons about the devastating effects of low and high-voltage surges. He explained that the new system is controlled electronically, allowing GPL the opportunity to track and rectify issues of surges in the system in a more efficient manner. “What this project will do is to bring up the reliability of the quality of electricity that businesses and residents receive.

So, they have transformers, they have capacitor banks, and so on. Everything is here as you can see behind me, and then you have a control system that monitors that electronically, so they can raise the voltage level if the power that is coming from Georgetown drops. They can raise the voltage level so it goes to the customer in the way that they need it in a more reliable form, so this is a groundbreaking thing for us at Canefield,” Minister Indar added. Minister Indar noted the importance of stable power to the residents. He disclosed that the Guyana Water Inc. systems are also impacted by the surges and declines in electricity. He noted that in many instances it has been highlighted that once the power “goes down” so does the water, which puts a halt to the daily activities of many families.

One of the two newly installed 5-megavar compensators (Delano Williams photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

Guyana’s next oil lift could rake in almost US$80M --as crude prices rise again

AS oil prices continue to rise globally, Guyana’s petroleum revenues will remain on an upward trajectory, with the country’s eighth oil lift positioned to rake in close to US$80 million. More specifically, the price for brent crude was pegged at approximately $79.24 on Monday morning. This could rise even further, but if oil prices remain the same when Guyana’s eighth oil consignment is lifted, then the country could stand to earn at least US$79,240,000, or G$16.5 billion from its latest sale, making it the most lucrative yet. According to a Reuters article, the price for brent crude is now at its highest since October 2018 and gradually approaching $80 per barrel, having risen for “a fifth straight week last week.” The article said, too, that, based on projections, brent crude could reach $90 per barrel by the end of the year, largely owing to the coronavirus pandemic. If this happens, Guyana’s year-end oil lifts could reach US$90 million, or G$18.8 billion. It was only in August that Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, announced that Guyana had received payments for its seventh oil lift, to the tune of US$79,617,561.87, the largest single oil payment the country has received to date. In a statement issued then, Bharrat said that the aforementioned payment was for 1,047,820 barrels of oil, which was extracted from the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel on July 3, 2021. The seventh oil lift brought the country’s oil extractions to a grand total of 7,056,262 barrels, and earnings to US$436 million Guyana sold its first one million barrels of crude on

February 19, 2020, raking in nearly US$55 million. In its second million-barrel sale, the country received US$35 million, and another US$46 million as proceeds from the sale of its third million-barrel of crude, and US$49.3 million from its fourth oil lift. In early March, Guyana also received US$61,090,968 (approximately G$13 billion) from the sale of the nation’s fifth oil lift. Further, it earned in excess of US$60 million from the sale of its sixth oil lift, and received US$13.9 million in royalties during the first quarter of this year. It was reported, in May, that the country’s total revenue is expected to increase by 17 per cent, with earnings in the petroleum sector alone reaching well over US$500 million by the end of this year. With oil prices on a continuous rise, that figure could further skyrocket. LARGEST EXPLORATION CAMPAIGN Additionally, with ExxonMobil Guyana and its partners preparing to embark on its largest exploration campaign within the Guyana basin, Guyana’s oil finds could more than double by 2025. According to a publication by OilNow, ExxonMobil, via its local affiliate Esso Exploration and Pro-

It is projected that the cost of brent crude could reach $90.00 by year end duction Guyana Limited (EEPGL), has already submitted a document outlining its plans to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the expansion of drilling. In the submission, the company said that Guyana’s oil reserves could more than double its confirmed nine billion plus barrels of oil equivalent, once drilling commences in the Stabroek and Canje blocks. These heightened exploration efforts are expected to run until December 2025, with the drilling of some 37 wells at the Stabroek block alone. With regard to drilling capacity, Exxon said that it will continue use of its six drill ships, namely the Stena Carron, the Stena DrillMAX, the Noble Bob Douglas, the Noble Tom Madden, the Noble Don Taylor and the Noble Sam Croft, all of which continue to operate offshore Guyana. As it is, those vessels have been executing a series

of exploration, appraisal and development drilling campaigns with the Stena Carron being the only rig equipped to perform well tests. OilNow related that while the proposed drill programme, outlined in the document submitted to the EPA, focuses heavily on the development of the Stabroek and Canje Blocks, there was no mention of Kaieteur block which has since seen a noncommercial discovery at Tanager. In August, however, it was announced that the date for elective nomination of the second drill target on the Kaieteur block would be extended by seven months to March 22, 2022. As it relates to drilling in the Corentyne block, CGX Energy has already commenced drilling for oil at its Kawa-1 well, presumably one of the “most exciting” exploration wells in the world, according to its operators. The Kawa-1 well is located in the north-east quadrant of the Corentyne Block, approximately 200km offshore Georgetown. The water depth is approximately 355 metres (1,174 ft), and the expected total depth of the Kawa-1 well is 6,575 metres (21,700 ft). It was reported recently that the estimated cost for the Kawa-1 project is close to US$85 million. The well is expected to reach total depth in the first half of December 2021. Since 2015, Guyana has had 22 oil discoveries, and with the country poised to gain far more within the coming years, Minister Bharrat related that his government’s approach is to “bring benefits from the sector to our people.” Meanwhile, speaking last month at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) hosted in the United States, Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo, had recognised that because of the climate change imperative to decarbonise the world, it was also

important that Guyana pursues an aggressive mission of “getting as much oil out of the ground as quickly as possible.” The former President reasoned that Guyana has to maximise the benefit from the industry and use those benefits to change lives of every Guyanese. “We don’t know how swiftly we’ll get to a decarbonised world, but we have to make use of this period when there is still demand to get as much as possible out of the ground and that is why we support the rapid pace of the industry, but it must be done safely,” he related. On a local radio programme called, “Guyana’s oil and you,” Jagdeo had said, pointedly, that even with the environmental concerns relating to oil production, Guyana does not have the option of leaving the oil in the ground. To this end, he said: “There are many people saying now that we should not be producing oil. We don’t have that option in Guyana. Our people badly need development and we have to make sure that we produce the oil and get as much development out of it for our people to invest long term in other sectors so that they can get wealthier and have a decent life.” The former Head of State, who has been globally recognised for his efforts to fight against climate change, indicated the government’s intention to rely on the advice of experts to ensure that its decision to continue oil production was sound. “We can’t shut down the industry as some people have been calling for. We are going to be driven by the technical expertise. The oil and gas industry will be vital to our future and we have to do it well,” he said. “We have made it clear that we are going to try, as far as possible, to ensure that Guyanese benefit from these resources,” he reiterated. The Dr. Irfaan Ali-led government has repeatedly pledged to utilise Guyana’s petroleum earnings to transform and modernise a number of non-oil sectors; more importantly, agriculture. The President has also said, on multiple occasions, that all measures are being put in place to ensure that Guyana does not fall prey to the dreaded ‘Dutch Disease,’ which has brought doom and gloom to many other countries that have been relying solely on their oil revenues.

GUYANA CHRONICLE,

Tuesday September 28, 2021

Ex-cops found guilty of raping ‘Ex-con’ accused of woman at police station knifepoint robberies granted bail

Leon Ashby and Delon Chapman with their attorney Ravindra Mohabir

A 12-member mixed j u r y, o n M o n d a y, found two former police constables guilty of raping a woman in 2018, when she went to report a matter at the Turkeyen Police Station. Delon Chapman and Leon Ashby, were on trial before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow in the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court. The jury, after deliberating for two hours, returned with a unani-

mous guilty verdict. The case against the men was that, on January 1, 2018, in the County of Demerara, they engaged in sexual penetration with the woman. Sentencing was deferred until October 14, pending the presentation of a probation report. The state was represented by Prosecutor Nafeeza Baig while attorney-at-law Ravindra Mohabir represented the duo. According to reports,

on the day in question, the victim went to the police station to file a report. While there, she made a request to use the washroom and was later taken there by Chapman. While using the washroom she was attacked by Chapman and Ashby, who took her into a room with a mattress and raped her. The matter was reported to the police and the two men were later arrested and charged.

SHAMAR Davis who allegedly robbed an off-duty policeman and another man at knifepoint, was on Monday granted $300,000 bail by Magistrate Dylon Bess. Davis of Guyhoc Squatting Area, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to two counts of armed robbery when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. It is alleged that on September 24, 2021, at Water Street, Georgetown, while being armed with a knife, he robbed police officer Rohan Persaud of a haversack valued at $8,000, and two phones valued at $62,000. Further, on May 10, 2021, at Croal Street, Georgetown, while being armed with a knife, he allegedly robbed Stephan Muniram of a cellphone valued at $125,000. Police Prosecutor Delon Sullivan told the court that Davis is no stranger to the police and has similar cases pending before the court. The prosecutor also disclosed that Davis was convicted in 2016 for similar crimes. Nevertheless, Magistrate Bess granted him on a total of $300,000 bail and adjourned the case until October 4. The Guyana Chronicle had previously reported that the policeman was attacked and robbed by a knife-toting bandit.

According to reports, Persaud was walking along the eastern side of Water Street when Davis, who was wielding a knife, allegedly approached him fron behind. The two men ended up in a scuffle, during which the victim fell onto the pavement. While on the ground, Davis took his knife and slashed the officer’s haversack straps before escaping on foor. He was apprehended shortly after by the police. The incident was caught on CCTV cameras from nearby businesses.

Shamar Davis

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

Clean, Affordable and Reliable Energy

GUYANA is committed to net zero emissions by 2050. This is according to Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat, who recently addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Number Seven, which speaks to ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. According to the minister, Guyana is fully supportive of net zero emissions by 2050 which, it must be said, is a bold and ambitious target hav-

ing regard to the fact that Guyana has only recently become an oil-producing nation and is well poised to benefit from a number of new oil wells in the near future. We are, however, moving in the direction of a decarbonised world and Guyana must fall in line. Already, several measures have been put in place by the current PPP/C administration aimed at transforming the energy sector along a low-carbon trajectory. The energy sector is now being re-engineered as an engine of economic

growth by way of ensuring greater energy security, universal access to energy, diversification of the energy mix and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of sustainable energy projects. The minister in his address made reference to the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy which will allow the country to continue being a net carbon sink. This, he said, will generate forestry climate services, while keeping its economy on a low-carbon path, ensuring the pro-

tection of the country’s bio-diversity and marine resources, as well as the prudent management of the country’s abundant water resources. In such a scenario, the whole of Guyana will benefit. Both households and the business community stand to benefit from cheaper, cleaner and more reliable power. Regrettably, the Amaila Falls hydro-electric power project set in motion by the previous PPP/C administration, but which was aborted by the APNU+AFC when it took power on May

2015, did not come on stream. That project by now would have accommodated a significant amount of our energy load at lower unit cost. All of that is however, water under the bridge. The current PPP/C administration has signalled its interest in re-activating the project, which is expected to deliver another 160 MW of new power by 2025. Solar energy is projected to yield another 30MW and will together give a big boost to the power needs of the country. President Dr. Mo-

hamed Irfaan Ali has indicated his full confidence that by 2024 an additional 500 MG of energy will be added to the electricity grid. In addition, the highly anticipated gas-to- shore project will see roughly 250 MW of additional power generation. This project is expected to come on stream by 2024 and with a projected lifespan of 25 years. The next five years promises to be an exciting period from the standpoint of clean, affordable and reliable power.

The PPP leadership is not shy about engaging the media in the Guyanese diaspora Dear Editor, I WRITE to thank the President and Vice-President for hosting a press (media) conference (last Friday) regarding their visit to New York. The press conference was not limited to proceedings related to the New York visit, but also of happenings in Guyana as well. The open press conference of the PPP-led government contrasts sharply with, in fact, was diametrically opposite to the visit by the leadership of the preceding government. I am not aware of any media and public interaction by the leadership or ministers of the previous government during their stints in NY. I have been reporting on visits by leading Guyanese political figures to New

York going back to the late 1970s whenever they made appearances at public events. Because I had access to the media and was known to write for them as a reporter or columnist, I was often invited or at a least informed of the public engagements of political leaders from Guyana and other countries with the expectation of organisers that I would attend and would provide media coverage. That I did voluntarily, reporting on countless events, not only of Guyanese, but also visits by political leaders of other countries such as India, Trinidad, Antigua, Jamaica, St Vincent and Singapore, among others. On Guyanese officials visiting New York, I reported for the media on public events of Ptolemy Reid, Desmond Hoyte, Hamilton

Green, other PNC ministers, Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, Sam Hinds, Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar, and other public figures. I was repeatedly invited to press conferences and public engagements of Cheddi and Janet Jagan and proudly attended and reported on them. I was not formally invited for events of other Guyanese public figures, but received notifications or public notices and made my appearances to cover the events for varied media publications. I did not report on any during the Coalition’s tenure for obvious reasons; certain media people are excluded from those events. By the way, although I wrote many reviews of airline flights for several carriers, I was never approached to report on or review inaugural flights to Guyana during the Coali-

tion’s tenure. President Granger addressed the UN in September 2015. I do not know if he held a press conference in New York during that or subsequent visits. I was in Delhi when the President visited for the Solar Conference in 2018. As best as I knew, there was no press conference or media engagement in Delhi. In contrast, I reported on President Jagdeo’s visit to Delhi in January 2004 and all of his official appearances in New York from 1999 and thereafter. Although I have been writing for several media houses for over 40 years and was warmly welcomed by political leaders, I was not invited to any of the Coalition government’s events in New York, not by the consulate or anyone else, if indeed

these were open to the press. I am not aware of any other media or reporters from the Queens area being invited to report on the NY events of the Coalition Government. This is one major difference in media engagements and accessibility by the PPP and APNU administrations. The PPP leadership is not shy about engaging the media in the Guyanese diaspora. In this regard, I wish to compliment the present government, in particular President Ali and Vice-President Jagdeo, for making themselves accessible to the media. The two government leaders are also applauded for engaging business persons, spiritual leaders, and the diaspora. Because of COVID protocols, the public engagements were limited in size and time. The

gatherings and the reporters were very diverse and reflective of the population of Guyana unlike events held in Brooklyn. One complaint by attendees at diaspora engagements was limited time to interact with the leaders as they would have liked. There were several sessions in a packed schedule, making more personalised and longer interactions impractical. But it was noted that the limited engagements with the diaspora were much more than what occurred during the Coalition. I compliment the consulate for organising this outreach with the media and the diaspora and the two leaders for making time for the diaspora. Yours sincerely, Vishnu Bisram

GUYANA CHRONICLE,

Tuesday September 28, 2021

Perspective…

Mahatma Gandhi: ‘My Life is My Message’ By Chaitram Aklu

MOHANDAS Karamchand Gandhi was on a train in a station in Bengal where a British journalist asked from the platform: “Do you have a message I can take back to my people?” Gandhi scribbled a note that read, “My life is my message” and passed it to him. Gandhi is revered by people of conscience in all walks of life around the world. He is hailed as the “Father of the Nation,” crusader for human rights and liberty, thinker, writer, reformer, apostle of truth and nonviolence. Gandhi’s life was indeed his message. Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, a sea coast town in Bombay (Mumbai) to a wealthy family, he received a quality education and was sent to England where he earned a law degree. On his return to India and being unable to find suitable work, he entered into a contract and went to Durban, Natal State, South Africa. It was there that Gandhi’s life direction changed forever. He witnessed and experienced the racial discrimination that was part of the daily lives of the Indian population already there. It was immediate. He was not allowed to wear his turban in court and was mocked and humiliated in the local press. But the transformation came suddenly on June 7, 1893. When travelling by train to Pretoria, and in possession of a valid first-class ticket, he was kicked out of first class and off the train. He adopted the civil disobedience path to fight colour prejudice and injustice. Gandhi returned to India in 1914 and intensified his struggle for human rights and the end to British rule. In doing so, he succeeded in uniting millions of people of all faiths across India in his mass movement of civil disobedience. He renounced all worldly possessions, devoting his life to work for the dignity and upliftment of the downtrodden. He engaged in peaceful but effective protests (Satyagraha). He led the

historic 240-mile, 23-day Salt March to the Arabian Sea in 1930 to protest the British increase in the salt tax. He was inspired by the writings of great writers such as Ruskin, Henry David Thoreau and Tolstoy and in turn influenced international leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Martin Luther King jr., Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Lech Walesa, Vaclav Havel, and Aung San Suu Kyl among others, through his life and message. Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian poet and philosopher and the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, proclaimed Gandhi a Mahatma (Great Soul). And on Gandhi’s 70th birthday, Albert Einstein wrote “Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.” And Martin Luther King Jr., who visited India and Gandhi’s grave in 1959 said in his “Pilgrimage to Nonviolence” speech on April 13, 1960: “So the nonviolent approach does not immediately change the heart of the oppressor. It first does something to the hearts and souls of those who committed to it. It gives them new selfrespect; it calls up resources that they did not know they had. Finally, it reaches the opponent and stirs his conscience that reconciliation becomes reality.” Gandhi could not keep India whole, mainly because Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Muslim leader decided that Muslims must have their own country and would accept no compromise. Gandhi himself had pleaded with the Hindu leaders and especially Jawaharlal Nehru to let Jinnah lead the country to avoid partition. The British relented and literally drew boundary lines on a map to demarcate India and the new state of Pakistan and East Pakistan and set August 14, 1947 as Independence Day. East Pakistan later seceded and became Bangladesh. Jinnah died just one year and one

month after the breakup of India, on September 11, 1948. Later, Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy to India would reveal that had they known that Jinnah had early-stage lung cancer, they would have waited him out. British rule in India ended August 15, 1947, Independence Day. Approximately two million people lost their lives in the HinduMuslim violence following partition. Although Gandhi is hailed as the “Father of the Nation,” he refused to be a part of the political leadership and wanted to work to keep India and Pakistan in unity and to inculcate proper health and sanitation practices in the nation, as he had done in his commune in South Africa. He fought to end the caste system, calling the

lowest or untouchables, Harijans or the Children of God. To date, this has not been accomplished. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in 2017 embarked on a Swachh Bharat - Clean India Mission, which would have made the entire country open-defecation free by October 2, 2019 (Gandhi’s birthday) by constructing millions of toilets at no cost to residents. According to a National Geographic article, the Harijans refused to use the toilets for the intended purpose. They were strictly forbidden by their caste to clean their own toilets. They used the structures for storage or other purposes. The mission failed. In 2019, a handwritten letter unearthed in the National Library of Israel, dated September 1, 1939, revealed that Gandhi was concerned by the persecu-

tion of Jews in Germany. The letter states, “My sympathies are with the Jews” and “If there ever could be a justiable war, in the name of and for humanity, war against Germany to prevent the wanton persecution of a whole race would be completely justified. But I do not believe in war.” He also wrote a letter to Hitler referring to him as a ‘friend’ and that he did not think Hitler was a ‘monster’ as he was being made out to be. He was wrong in his assessment. World War 11 began in 1939 and by the time it ended in 1945, six million German Jews were exterminated. Before he was himself assassinated on January 30, 1948 at age 78, he referred to the holocaust as “The greatest crime against humanity.” Some have opined that he should

have been more forceful. Gandhi was shot to death on January 30, 1948 by a Hindu extremist named Nathuram Godse. He was angered by Gandhi’s efforts to keep Hindus and Muslims united. But people who believe in Godse’s Hindu nationalist ideas also celebrate him annually and have continued to fight for the establishment of temples to honour the assassin. Nearly 100 countries have now committed to ending violence in all its forms and use peaceful means to solve conflicts. A few years ago I was walking along Massachusetts Ave. in Washington DC when I came upon the life size public bronze statue of Gandhi clothed in his ascetic wear, depicting the 1930 salt tax march. On the pedestal the message read: Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948. “My life is my message.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

Over 4,000 Timehri residents to benefit from improved water supply --as GWI moves to resuscitate old community well

GWI’s CEO, Shaik Baksh, and team inspect infrastructure at the Timehri number five well OVER 4,000 residents of Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), are set to benefit from an improved water supply, as the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has taken steps to resuscitate

a derelict well in the community. Residents of Timehri are being served by the Timehri number four well, which is not producing enough water to adequately serve the community.

So, with a clear demand for more water in the community, GWI will be resuscitating the number five well. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GWI, Shaik Baksh, and a technical team, on Friday, September 24, 2021, visited the site of the number five well, with a view to determining the works needed to bring the well back into operation in order to better service the community. After the visit and inspection, it was decided that those works will commence in about two weeks. Baksh said that the well has been unutilised for over four years because it was not producing due to blockages in the casings and screens, resulting in the well pulsating. The resuscitation of the well is being done because of the current issue of low level of service in sections of Timehri, especially at Hyde Park. Baksh said that Timehri has a unique topography which poses a challenge for water supply.

GUYANA CHRONICLE,

Tuesday September 28, 2021

Region 10 to become manufacturing hub

WITH several investors eyeing the local agriculture and lumber industries in Region 10, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Go-Invest, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, said that the Upper DemeraraBerbice region was on its way to becoming a manufacturing hub. Dr. Ramsaroop, in a recent invited comment, told the Guyana Chronicle that several memoranda of understanding (MOUs) have already been inked with investors for block-making and construction projects in the region.

“We just signed a cement batching plant in linden; local investors brought that in. It’s quite a significant investment, so the next phase is the block-making,” he said. He noted that the construction industry was currently buzzing and many investors were looking to expand into valued-added products of lumber and Region 10 was a hotspot for the industry. “Investors are looking in the area to do ‘prefab’ houses, the construction industry was booming and so with the lumber in the region, most of them

were looking to move to value-added products.” Additionally, he said many investors had also been showing interest in the region’s agriculture sector. He noted that as Guyana was looking to expand its dairy production several farming communities along the riverine areas of the region had recently become a highlight. “There are significant opportunities. There is large scale farming in the Berbice River in Region 10; you have areas like Kwakwani…we have a lot of investment oppor-

$205.8M Japanese grant to support Guyana’s COVID-19 fight

--four new ambulances to be purchased

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony GUYANA’S ability to fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will be enhanced with a $205.8 million (US$1,029,000) grant from the Government of Japan. This was according to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, during Monday’s edition of the COVID-19 update. Over the last six months, the Ministry of Health has been working on securing the grant which will be used to purchase much-needed equipment for the health sector, which will assist in the COVID-19 fight. “Some of the things that we’ll be getting through that grant include imaging

equipment… ultrasound, which we can use to help with the diagnosis of COVID. We are getting at least four different ultrasound machines; we are also getting some sterilisers and ECG machines. We’ll get some pulse oximeters,” Dr. Anthony said. The equipment is expected to arrive in Guyana in November, and, in addition, four new ambulances will be purchased. Since assuming office in August 2020, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government has been working to boost the health sector’s ability to combat COVID-19. The country has so far received generous donations

of personal protective equipment (PPE), medical equipment such as ventilators, funding and COVID-19 vaccines from several countries, nongovernmental organisations and international partners. In addition to the sensitisation campaigns to educate the public on COVID-19, the government has also instituted a number of measures to control the spread of the deadly disease. These include a national curfew and limitations on the operations of businesses. Much effort has also been placed into procuring enough vaccines to inoculate the population. (DPI)

Go-Invest CEO, Peter Ramsaroop

tunities in large scale farming for cattle and dairy.” Dr. Ramsaroop reiterated that the region was on its way to becoming a powerhouse and hotspot for manufacturing and future investments. “We see this region taking off in so many areas and as you bring

cheaper energy, region ten, over the next few years, will become a manufacturing hub and so folks have to be ready to get into those markets.” During a recent cabinet outreach in the region, President Irfaan Ali had announced the development of an investment zone for the region.

The Head of State had said that an investment zone was one of the potential conduits of opportunities that will identify and develop a joint relationship with the region’s private sector body and the government. This, the President believes, will bolster economic growth, and increase opportunities in the region, and ensure private sector involvement in the process. A d d i t i o n a l l y, President Ali, said that the government plans on working with farmers to develop a master plan which would guide development and stimulate an increase in the productivity of the region. This master plan will also encompass other sectors of the economy.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

Circuitville to get electricity as soon as community is regularised --says Minister Indar

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar engaging one of the residents of the community

THE community of Circuitville, located along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, is set to soon benefit from electricity for the first time. Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, made the commitment on Sunday, when he joined villagers in their annual heritage month celebration at the community’s ground. Minister Indar noted that the community, which is managed by a Community Development Council (CDC), has been lobbying for electricity over the years. However, he explained that the village could not be connected to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) system, since it has not yet been regularised. “Persons do not have a legal document for the land they occupy and so GPL normally requires that so that they can put in the infrastructure…so the first thing we have to do

is engage the Ministry of Housing and get them to regularise the area. Once the area is regularised then we can come and set that up,” Minister Indar said. He said the community could benefit from the government’s electrification project, which will see approximately 30,000 households benefitting from 165 watts of solar power systems. Approval was granted for the US$10 million line of credit that will see the rolling out of the programme in riverine and hinterland communities. “We just have to sign the agreement and start the procurement of those homes systems…once that is in the country I will surely come back here and distribute those,” Minister Indar told the residents. Additionally, Minister Indar has committed to assist the community with upgrading their community ground. The commu-

CDC Chair, Melisa Mundo

nity has an active sports club which comprises male and female football teams. The village also requested the construction of a community centre which will be used as a computer and training facility for the youths in the village. The minister promised that it will be included in the 2022 National Budget. He will also be engaging the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport on additional assistance in the area of training, sports and culture. Meanwhile, CDC Chair, Melisa Mundo, was pleased with the response she received from the government after lobbying for years on her community’s behalf. She is optimistic that her community will now move forward with its development. Minister Indar also donated a quantity of sports gear to the village’s sports club. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE,

Tuesday September 28, 2021

New call centre a lifeline for Linden youths Jamacia Gittens

LAUDING the opening of the Midas Incorporated call centre at Kara Kara, Linden, several youths of the Region 10 community and surrounding areas have disclosed that they will be taking full advantage of the job opportunity. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle after a registration exercise held on Friday, Jamacia Gittens related that due to the pandemic she has been unable to gain employment. The young woman stated that the opening of the establishment will provide many young Lindeners with a source of income, especially those who have

recently completed their secondary education. “Because of COVID, some people would have been laid off and can’t find job and most of the people here just finish school and are trying to find jobs,” she said. Sharing similar sentiments was another young woman who gave her name as “Miss Dodson.” She shared that she has been job hunting for the past three years since completing her Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and has been unable to find meaningful employment. The young woman, who was at the front of

the line waiting to submit her relevant documents and job application, said that the establishment of a call centre could not have come at a more opportune time since it’s been harder to find a job during the pandemic. Also speaking to this publication was Denzil Rawle, who wrote his CSEC examinations in July. He related that he will be using the job opportunity as a new learning experience and a stepping stone to carve an outline for his future endeavours. “To be honest, this call centre, for one is going to help a lot of youngsters like myself to seek employment during this pandemic. Two, it’s going to give myself and a lot of youths the experience to go into other fields because you know call centres are like sales and marketing.” Meanwhile, Judy Aaron, who escorted her two adult daughters to the exercise, said that both of her children have been out of a job for quite some time. The woman noted that she has been working tirelessly to support her-

self and daughters. “I think it would be great for young people, because a lot of young people have been out of a job. I have two daughters; one is 20 years old and the other is 23 years old, and they both have been home for a long period of time. So, when I heard that the

call centre will soon be opened, I was happy to learn because it’s a job for them,” the woman said. Last Friday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Midas Incorporated, Malcolm Sobers, and the CEO of Go-Invest, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop inked a Memorandum of Under-

standing (MOU) for the official opening of the call centre. According to Sobers, the company is looking to employ 50-75 persons by October 15. However, by July next year the company is aiming to employ just over 200 young people.

Persons being registered for job openings at the newly opened call centre at Kara Kara (Delano Williams photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

Soya bean, corn project to be replicated on larger scale

GIVEN the success of the ongoing soya bean and corn project at Ebini, along the Berbice River, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said that the initiative must be replicated on a larger scale. The Head of State and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha took an on-the-ground tour of the 115-acre soya bean, and fiveacre corn pilot projects in Ebini, on the Upper Berbice River, where they were able to closely inspect the crops and evaluate their growth. During the tour, President Ali and the agriculture minister were given a progress report on the project, and the plans for its expansion by David Fernandes of Bounty Farm; Alex Mendez of Dubulay Ranch, and Shameer Mohammed from Royal Chicken. The Head of State said that the existential crisis of climate change makes it more important for the agriculture sector to be resilient, and to be guided by scientific and technical standards. The president said that after having a tour of the project, and being able to do a handson inspection, he is “very confident that this project will be a success”. He said he wanted to thank the members of the group, among them Guyana Stock Feed Limited, Royal Chicken, Edun’s Poultry Farms and Hatchery, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, Bounty Farm Limited and a Brazilian investor, for the labour, capital and effort they have personally put into the ini-

_following successful trial

President Dr. Irfaan Ali was able inspect the crops, and interact with the private sector investors, who are likely to move into commercial production very soon

tial phase of the project. The Head of State related: “From all the plans that I’ve heard, and the work that I have seen, I am confident that they are on a journey to ensure that we are self-sufficient, and that we can have import substitution for both the soya and the corn to meet our local livestock feed requirements.” The president also commended the group for their commitment and dedication, and challenged them to aim higher. “What I have seen today is most pleasing; it is most remarkable. I want to commend the guys, but this is just the start. We have to now replicate this ten-fold in the next crop, and then, of course, after that we move to increase, incrementally, until we get up to the full production,” President Ali said.

He related that sustainable food and agriculture is the country’s future, and that the government will fully support the soya bean and corn project at Ebini, which will help produce much-needed feed for the poultry industry. “As I have said before, this is our future; agriculture, food security and our ability to service the regional market is our sustainable future, and all of our efforts will be to ensure we transfer enough resources to this sector to make it viable and resilient,” President Ali said. CONSOLIDATION OF LAND Owing to the results of the pilot project, the president said that part of replicating it on a larger scale will entail consolidating and making lands available. The Head of State pointed out that over

the years, many leases would have been given out across the country for agricultural purposes that are not being used efficiently, or at all, up to this day. As a result, he said, an assessment of those leases will be done. “We have to get up to 75,000 acres for us to move to full production locally in this area. So, in the coming weeks, we will be looking at how we can find that land that meets the soil requirements and the scientific requirements to achieve the target,” President Ali said. He also pointed out that the project will give the government a chance to further diversify the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). To this end, he said: “We are already discussing how we can expand this partnership, and one of the things

that we have always talked about in GuySuCo is to have diversification. And we are now discussing with the group how we can use one field in the next phase of the trial to do the same thing that we have done here; replicate the same thing, and then to see the cost efficiency; the operation efficiency and the profitability, because this is not done for the love of it alone. It has to be profitable; it has to make financial and economic sense.” The President said that lands in the various estates will be examined and tested to see which could be viable to replicate the project and further diversify the sugar company. UNPRECEDENTED GOVERNMENT SUPPORT Spokesperson for the group, and one of its main contributors,

Fernandes, also heaped praise on President Ali for coming up with the idea, and the government for its continuous support. Fernandes related that in his years in the private sector, he has never experienced such consistent government support in a project. “It’s for the first time in the private sector I found that we have actually had the government actually initiate something that we are part of, in terms of agriculture; where they are actually pushing us along the road of developing this, and we hope not only to provide for the local market, but in the very near future our sister CARICOM territories, which I don’t think is too difficult for us to do,” Fernandes said. He added that the group would not have thought of the idea, especially for the poultry sector, if it wasn’t for the push from President Ali. Fernandes also said that the results, so far, from the trial have the group “quite excited”. “We are not very far away from reaping; we could probably start reaping this in about three weeks, and then we will know exactly what the productivity looks like,” Fernandes said, adding: “We already know what the costs are up to this point, so it is interesting. And I think that with the push the government has given us, we will go on to the next stage of doing 2,500 acres, and then beyond that; it will be a level of acceleration that will probably be interesting to see.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE,

Tuesday September 28, 2021

99 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths are unvaccinated persons _ says Dr. Ramsammy

EVEN though Guyana continues to record high numbers of coronavirus cases and related deaths, data has shown that at least 99 per cent of all those who have died were unvaccinated. As unfortunate as the figures may be, it also points to the fact that the vaccines being administered locally are working, and have been efficient in safeguarding the majority of vaccinated persons from hospitalisation and death. Appearing on a recent edition of ‘Let’s Talk Politics’, hosted by Michael Gordon, Health Adviser, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy related that even though large numbers of persons have already been vaccinated, these figures are not large enough. “We have administered more than 600,000 doses of vaccine; we have administered more than 360,000 first doses, and over 170,000 second doses,” Dr. Ramsammy related.

As it is, Guyana remains one of the very few countries that have managed to secure enough vaccines for its entire adult and adolescent population. As a matter of fact, Guyana is also among the very few and fortunate developing countries that have commenced the vaccination of its adolescents. “More than one-third of our adolescents are vaccinated,” Dr. Ramsammy said. Delving further into the local COVID-19 statistics, the former Health Minister said that over 95 per cent of all positive COVID-19 cases are persons who have not been vaccinated. Even further, Ramsammy said that data shows that 98 per cent of the people who end up being hospitalised, whether in wards or within the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), are persons that are unvaccinated. “Ninety-nine per cent of the people who die are unvaccinated,” Dr. Ramsammy reaffirmed.

Health Adviser Dr. Leslie Ramsammy To this end, he implored “my body, my choice” argupolitical leaders, particu- ment, and assist by informing larly those within the A Part- “antivaxxers” about the need nership for National Uni- to be vaccinated, and for ty + Alliance for Change vaccination, and the role vac(APNU+AFC), to join in cines play in ensuring that the the fight against the novel world is able to safely exit coronavirus (COVID-19) the ongoing pandemic. and encourage members of “When political leaders their constituencies to get support the “your body, your vaccinated. choice”, that is reckless, irreDr. Ramsammy said sponsible and double-speak; that while he is happy we must not double speak,” that the leadership of the Dr. Ramsammy posited, addAPNU+AFC have taken their ing: “We all must do the right vaccines, he wants them to thing; political leaders must desist from encouraging the not play games.”

It was Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon who had called for a suspension of the administering of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine, claiming it to be fake. This has since proven to be false. Other APNU+AFC members such as Coretta McDonald have also initiated protests against the public health measures which require public servants and persons conducting business at public places to be vaccinated, or produce weekly PCR tests that confirm that they are COVID-19 negative. In touching on the protest actions, Dr. Ramsammy reminded Guyanese that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government has not made vaccination compulsory, but merely instituted requirements that seek to safeguard the country from further COVID-19-related devastation. Similar requirements are also being instituted in various parts of the world, including the United States. “We have a government that recognises that we can’t put our lives on hold forever; you can go to work, market

and grocery stores, but there are measures,” Dr. Ramsammy insisted. In his plea for political leaders to do better, the Health Adviser pointed to the fact that recently, a team of public health workers from Georgetown travelled from 05:00hrs to provide support to their colleagues in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) who have been struggling in their efforts to get residents of some communities vaccinated. “…between Belladrum and Hopetown, they stayed there until 2-3 in the afternoon. They walked every street; they did three vaccinations,” Ramsammy related. He said that even though the effort might seem like “a waste of time,” it has still resulted in three more persons receiving the first dose of the vaccine, bringing them one step closer to being protected against the deadly virus, which continues to mutate to deadlier variants, including the Delta. Even amid the push back, Dr. Ramsammy said that his team will continue to walk the communities and encourage persons to get vaccinated.

Ten more COVID-19 deaths, 88 new cases recorded

TEN more persons have died after contracting COVID-19, taking Guyana’s overall death toll to 772, the Ministry of Health has reported. The latest fatalities include seven males: a 36-year-old from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); a 75-year-old and a 65-year-old from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and a 49-year-old male from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) who were all unvaccinated; a 79-year-old from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) whose vaccination status is unknown; a 48-yearold also from Region Three who was partially vaccinated, and a fully vaccinated 56-year-old from that same region. The females who died are a 55-year-old from Region Four, a 56-yearold from Region Six

(East Berbice- Corentyne) and a 65-year-old from Region Three, who were all said to be unvaccinated. Region Four accounted for 48 of the new cases; Region Two recorded two; Region Three 17; Region Six five and three new cases each were recorded in Regions Seven and 10. Even as new cases were recorded, 287 persons were reported to have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to date to 26,557. The country has now recorded a total of 31,236 confirmed cases since the first COVID-19 case was reported in March 2020. Of the active cases, 30 persons are at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital, Liliendaal; 134

are in institutional isolation; 3,643 are in home isolation, and six are in institutional quarantine. The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force until September 30, 2021. They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic. As per the current measures, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes, and physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are recommended. The current curfew is 22:30hrs to 04:00hrs. Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

COVID-19: Contingency plan in place to bolster healthcare workers --says Dr. Carpen

IT has been 18 months since the COVID-19 virus hit these shores and since then, healthcare workers have been working around the clock and Guyana is now battling a third wave of the deadly disease.

The pandemic has put a strain on healthcare facilities all across the world and Guyana is no different; as a matter of fact, doctors and nurses have even complained of being overworked. As such, the government has several contingency

plans in place, including “importing” medical personnel, to bolster the work of our healthcare “heroes.” This is according to the Head of Medical Services and Cardiology at the Georgetown Public Hospital, Dr. Mahendra Carpen, who was at the time speaking during a recent interview with the

News Room. Dr. Carpen reminded citizens that while major focus has been placed on the COVID-19 virus, medical professionals are still tasked with catering to patients with wideranging medical needs. “We have to look at things like burnout, fatigue, etc. among the healthcare workers. But

again, this is planning ahead, and being able to put things in place. If we don’t have the resources locally, we’ll import the resources to be able to look at this and I can probably hazard a guess that that mechanism is already being examined and looked at. “We have not reached that stage and hopefully, we never get to a stage where we overwhelm our physical infrastructure. We still have, you know a lot of elasticity in the system, what our main challenge may be, is the human resource component,” said Dr. Carpen. As it relates to the management of COVID-19, Dr. Carpen said that the local health sector is “satisfactorily positioned” with consumables such as bed spaces and other medical equipment to cater to the growing demand in the sector. Just recently, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, disclosed that the ministry has explored the possibility of having sections of the various hospitals across the country repurposed to focus on COVID-19 patients and their needs. The Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal in Georgetown can only accommodate 200 persons and has an ICU capacity for 40 patients. Dr. Anthony had previously noted that the government is working to expand the capacity at this hospital and will also utilize the field hospital which was donated by

Qatar to boost Guyana’s response to COVID-19. Echoing similar sentiments, Dr. Carpen reiterated his confidence in the preparedness of the health sector to deal with the current influx of COVID-19 patients. He reminded the public that while the focus has been placed on COVID-19 treatment and care at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital, the ministry has not been leaving the regions unattended, but has “armed” them with the tools to transfer the vulnerable patients as soon as they can to the facility. M e a n w h i l e , D r. Carpen said that while COVID-19 has taken the forefront in the health sector’s radar, the ministry is committed to tackling and providing relief to the many medical needs of the country’s citizens. “COVID has brought with it a paradigm shift in how we address health care. It’s taken up pretty much all of our attention for the last two years, but the other things still remain, they don’t disappear. The uncontrolled diabetic, the HIV, the lupus patient, the cancer patients, they don’t just disappear. Those diseases don’t disappear. And I’m quite certain that our physician colleagues outside of the COVID scenario continue to see patients, continue to offer care, and our nurses continue to turn up to work.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE,

Tuesday September 28, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE,

Tuesday September 28, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

Visa issues prevent Petterson-Grifith competing at World Powerlifting Championships CARLOS ‘The Showstopper’ Petterson-Grifith, will not attend this year’s World Powerlifting Championships in Sweden due to issues acquiring a visa. The World Sub-Junior, Junior, Master & Open Classic Powerlifting Championships are being held from September 23 – October 3. On Monday he got the dreaded news : he will not be able to attend. “This is due to a visa issue; Guyana is the only participating country that requires a European Schengen Visa to travel to Sweden”, he expressed in a statement to the media. “I along with the federation had exhausted all our options in trying to

obtain this visa within the said period needed but to no avail. The only response we had gotten for the closest date for the interview, given the pandemic protocols would be after the competition, which would defeat the entire purpose of this trip.” According to the powerlifter, it is the second successive occasion he is missing the event after being fully prepared. The 27-year-old whose primary goal is to become the best in the world for the 93kg category, was eying this event to make significant moves in the rankings. He is currently seventh in the world with a total of 790.0 points. “I know in my heart that I would have placed within the top tier of the

TTFA financials to undergo review after... FROM BACK PAGE

ed Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2019 in detail, understand the implications to the TTFA, and table all additional questions to the external auditors Madan Ramnarine and Co. “If we really wish to rebuild football in this country, then we must embrace the debt crisis as the entire membership’s problem. It is an unprecedented problem, but it is a problem that we all share,” the Committee’s chairman Robert Hadad said. “The issues have been aired, improvements in governance outlined, the need for fundraising and debt repayment stated – let us work together to restore this fractured association.” The Normalisation Committee was appointed in March 2020 after a FIFA/ CONCACAF fact-finding mission found that extremely low overall financial management methods, combined with massive debt, had resulted in the TTFA facing a very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity. During the AGM, the TTFA membership attempted to expel the Coaches Associations from the membership, based on inactivity/ dormancy. However, this motion was not properly executed as per the TTFA Constitution, the Normalisation Committee said.

That matter as well as the approval of the audited financial statements and admission for membership from the Unified Football Coaches of T&T will be tabled at an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held in two weeks.

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best 5 lifters, and it is a disappointing feeling knowing that it was out of my control, having everything in place to travel aside from the visa.” Petterson-Grifith said while it is a significant setback, he is fixed on attending next year’s World Championships in South Africa, but now he will place focus on competing at the South American Championships in Ecuador from December 8 -12. The National Sports Commission had sponsored his trip in its entirety and he thanked them for the support, along with Fitness Express, MVP Sports, GuyBisco, and DeSinco Trading along with others.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday September 28, 2021)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)Krishmar Santokie-4/21 (Bridgetown, 2014) (2) Chris Jordan-4/6 (St. Kitts, 2019) Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI wicketkeeper has effected most dismissals against ENG in T20 Int’l cricket? (2) WI ENG wicketkeeper has effected most dismissals against the WI in T20 Internationals? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

Toronto Blizzards cart off OMSCC Over-50 title AFTER playing unbeaten throughout the 2021 season, Toronto Blizzards kept their record intact, capturing the Over-50 title when the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs (OMSCC) organised tournaments climaxed at the Ashtonbee Reservoir, Scarborough, Canada over the last weekend. Led from the front by a responsible knock of 70 from former Guyana player Shivnauth Seeram, who was also celebrating another milestone on Saturday, Toronto Blizzards reached a challenging 182 for seven off their allotted 20 overs. When the rains halted proceedings, opponents Cosmos were 45 for three after 10 overs, thereby losing on run rate as Toronto Blizzards defended their title admirably. The ever-green Seeram, who struck two fours and five sixes,

MVP Shivnauth Seeram

added 95 for the first wicket with another former Guyana player in Sunil Dhaniram, whose 42 included three fours and two sixes. Jaimini Singh chipped in with 20 (one four and two sixes). Daron Mahase was Cosmos best bowler with two for 12 from his two overs. The semi-finals, played the previous weekend, saw Toronto Blizzards winning from Pegasus Storm while Cosmos defeated Ramblers Rampage. The Consolation final, featuring Dirty Dozen and Friendship, was dominated by Most Valuable Player (MVP) Ganesh Ramraj who plundered 83 as Dirty Dozen won handsomely from their opponents. At the presentation ceremony, which followed, Toronto Blizzards collected both the regular season and championship trophies while Seeram received

the MVP award for the final. Cosmos took home the runners-up prize while players from both teams were also recipient of medallions. Among the other awardees were former Guyana Under-19 player Troy Gobin (Pegasus Storm) who was honoured for scoring the most runs (207) and also for being the Player of the Year, Dhaniram (108), Rabindra Jesh Parasnauth (109) and Mohan Harihar (104) for recording centuries for Toronto Blizzards and Ramraj (128) for Dirty Dozen. Dhaniram also collected prizes for scoring 200, the highest individual score ever in the history of the league and for sharing the highest partnership (324) with Jesh Parasnauth who was also recipient of a trophy. (Frederick Halley)

Sunrisers end Bayliss mum on Warner's future losing streak at Sunrisers Hyderabad …Warner watched Monday's win over the Royals from the despite hotel after being dropped Samson’s 82

SUNRISERS Hyderabad put an end to a five-match losing streak in the Indian Premier League, recording an emphatic seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals on Monday. Captain Sanju Samson made 82 for the Royals, yet their total of 164-5 was no problem for a Sunrisers team out who saw Jason Roy star at the top of the order. The England batsman – selected ahead of the out-of-sorts David Warner – made 60 from 42 deliveries on his debut for the franchise, in the process giving their run chase a solid start. Kane Williamson made sure there were few alarms with an unbeaten half-century, the Sunrisers captain helping reach the victory target with nine balls to spare. Abhishek Sharma ended up on 21 not out as the Royals missed out on doing the double over their opponents for the first time in the round-robin stage of an IPL season. Sunrisers avoid unwanted record Despite the impressive triumph, Hyderabad remain bottom of the table. Still, they at least avoided losing six in a row for the first time ever in the competition's history. Roy certainly made the most of his opportunity, hitting a solitary six and eight fours. While both he and Priyam Garg, out for a first-ball duck, fell in quick succession, Williamson's unbeaten 51 saw the Sunrisers coast home. Samson strong again as he reaches milestone Samson sure likes playing the Sunrisers. His 57-ball knock saw him become the highest scorer against them, while he also moved past 3,000 IPL runs in his career. Yashasvi Jaiswal made 36 and Mahipal Lomror contributed an unbeaten 29 with the bat for Rajasthan, though a second successive defeat damages their hopes of making the play-offs.(Sportsmax)

DAVID Warner is a name synonymous with Sunrisers Hyderabad. He captained them to the 2016 IPL title, he has scored 4014 runs for them at a healthy strike-rate of 142.59, and he has struck a chord with the people of Hyderabad with his frequent social-media posts around Telugu pop culture. This hasn't been his year, though. He started the season as captain, lost the band, then lost his place in the first half, and now in the second half he was left to cheering on from the hotel room as Sunrisers pulled off only their second win of the tournament this year. On Instagram, Warner applauded the effort of his replacement Jason Roy, and then went on to suggest he might be done for the season already and might not even be making the trips to the ground. That's something the Sunrisers coach Trevor Bayliss more or less confirmed, but also provided a reason for Warner's staying back at the hotel. "We can't make the final so have made a decision that we want the young players to experience not just the matches but time at the ground, around the set-up, and for this match we made the decision," Bayliss said. "He was not the only experienced player we left back at the hotel [Kedar Jadhav and Shahbaz Nadeem were the others] "We have a number of young players that haven't been to the ground. Even as reserves. We wanted to give them an op-

David Warner captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to the 2016 IPL title, and has scored 4014 runs for them at a healthy strike-rate of 142.59.

portunity to come along and experience that. That may continue for a few more games yet. We don't know. "We have got to sit down in a day or two and pick a team and pick a squad of 18. That's just the way it is. Dave is obviously watching the game back in the hotel and giving the guys support. It is the same as everyone else. We are all in this together." That Sunrisers have dropped Warner twice in a season, and that he is not part of the leadership group strategising at the ground, has raised speculation this might be the beginning of the end for Warner at the franchise. Bayliss said that was a decision to be made in the future.

"Look that certainly has not been discussed," Bayliss said. "It is something that… this is the last year before a major auction. Those decisions will be made further down the line. He has been a great contributor to Hyderabad Sunrisers for a number for a number of years now. He is very well respected with the amount of runs he has scored. I am sure he has got a lot more runs in him yet in the IPL." These are decisions that can only be thought of when the terms of the auction are clear: mainly around how many players can be retained and how many RTM cards teams have. (Cricinfo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

FORMER WBA, IBF, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua sounded upbeat when he spoke to reporters after losing his work titles to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night in London. “Well done to the winner. We’ll be back again. Get back into training. Great twelve rounds, great experience in the ring, and then we progress from this point on once again so we’ll be doing it all again soon. “I couldn’t see in the ninth round. I couldn’t see anything really. But it was a good experience because in adversity you just gotta learn to control yourself. Stay on top of things. “When I couldn’t see anything, it’s the first time it’s happened in a fight. I was thinking ‘all right, cool… this is the first time my eye’s closed up in a fight. I can’t see anything and I’m looking out of one eye.’ But it got better as

Former WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

the rounds went on. “We’ll be back 100 (percent). I’m ready to get back to training. Because of the twelve rounds, my lungs and everything, it was a good twelve-rounder so I’ll be in a good place when I get back into training to pick up where

we left off. “He’s got good pace but he still gets hit, you know? He gets hit a lot and in the rematch, we’ll just learn how to hit him more and be more concussive with our punch selection. “I never tend to look at the opponent. I just tend to look at myself and realize where I went wrong. So it’s not so much what he did, it’s the opportunities I gave him. So it’s not so much him, I’m just going to go back and look at myself and correct my wrongs. “The road to undisputed and all that stuff is good. As I said, I’ll fight Tyson Fury, Wilder whatnot, without the belts. The belts are fun, it’s great, it’s legacy, but with or without the belts I’ll fight whoever. The road to undisputed is a nice title to chase, but would you still watch it without the belts?”

Brighton’s Neal Maupay stuns Crystal Palace with stoppage-time equaliser HOW Brighton supporters must wish they had never heard the name Wilfried Zaha. Crystal Palace’s talisman has made a habit of saving his best for their bitter rivals and it was his penalty - a fifth goal in his last five matches against these opponents here - that denied Graham Potter’s side the opportunity to scale the Premier League’s summit. Yet, for once, it didn’t end up being Zaha’s night after all. A late strike from Neal Maupay after Palace thought they had the points sealed ensured it was Brighton’s players who ended the evening with smiles on their faces. While Brighton were aiming to go top of the table for the first time in their history, it was almost exactly 42 years to the day since Palace achieved the same feat under Terry Venables. The clashes between sides led by the former England manager and his Brighton counterpart Alan Mullery in the late 1970s and early 1980s have given this unlikely derby a feisty edge ever since, and the police presence in the streets around Selhurst Park gave an indication of the antipathy that still lingers strongly. The absence of Brighton’s influential midfielder Yves Bissouma due to a knee injury forced Potter into a switch of formation from the victory over Leicester last week, with Pascal Gross taking his place and defender Tariq Lamptey on the bench having made his long-awaited comeback in midweek against Swansea. Vieira handed Odsonne Édouard his first start in place of Christian Benteke after the new striker’s heroics here against Tottenham earlier this month, while captain Luka Milivojevic was recalled.

Brighton's Neal Maupay cups his ears to the fans after scoring a 95-minute equaliser at Crystal Palace. Photograph: John Walton/PA

After a huge reception from the home fans for Zaha on his 400th appearance for the club, Palace began with the intention of maintaining their momentum from the 3-0 victory against Spurs. Yet despite the Ivory Coast forward’s best efforts, they found Brighton’s five-man defence difficult to break down and only had a blocked effort from Conor Gallagher to show for their dominance during the opening 15 minutes. An Édouard effort that was easily gathered by Robert Sánchez at least registered a shot on target. Palace’s star winger had made 14 of his appearances against Brighton, and Vieira had urged Zaha to use his experience of this intense occasion to help guide his younger teammates. CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Moeen Ali quits Test cricket after failing to ‘get in the zone’ against India ENGLAND all-rounder Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from Test cricket after being unable to “get in the zone” during this summer’s series against India. Moeen, who amassed five hundreds in compiling 2,914 runs and took 195 wickets with his off-spin in 64 Tests since making his debut against Sri Lanka in the summer of 2014, now intends to concentrate on his white-ball career. The 34-year-old has had a rollercoaster journey in the longest format over the last couple of years but he was named vice-captain for what would prove the final Test of his career, having been recalled for the previous match. But Moeen, a 2015 Ashes winner who famously took a hat-trick against South Africa in 2017, found himself struggling to focus fully against India despite repeated efforts to do so and knew then his time at Test-level was at an end. In an interview with the Guardian and ESPNCricinfo, Moeen said: “It’s been a good journey but during the India series I felt like I was done, to be honest. “I felt good, the atmosphere felt good, the dressing room, etc, but cricketing-wise, I found it a struggle to get in the zone bowling and batting and in the field. And the more I tried, I just couldn’t do it. “I was thinking about the Ashes (this winter) and how I would love to have gone back and done well there. “But it’s such a long trip if I’m not ‘in it’ and I think it’d be very, very difficult. And if I felt like I did against India when I was out there, then I would probably retire after one match. So it’s done.” Moeen was first drafted into the team as a number six batter who could turn his arm over, months after Graeme Swann’s retirement, and he underlined his promise with an unbeaten 108 in his second Test. But he was shunted up and down the order with abandon once Ben Stokes took the number six role in 2015, with Moeen batting more than one innings in every spot from one to nine over his career. He added: “Stokesy turned out to be an amazing player but I sometimes feel, maybe, that could have been me if I was given a bit more of a run (at number six). But it’s fine. I didn’t always have the temperament or the technique.” While he struggled during the 2017/18 Ashes Down Under, he was the leading Test wicket-taker in the world in the 12 months leading up to the 2019 series against Australia but was dropped after a poor outing in the Edgbaston opener. After requesting a short break from Test cricket he lost his central contract, which he said “did break me a little bit”, and was not recalled until this year’s tour of Sri Lanka in January, only to test positive for Covid-19. After missing that series, his return came the following month in the second Test against India, where he took eight wickets before missing the final two matches as part of England’s rest and rotation policy. He was back this summer for the third and

Moeen Ali took the third most Test wickets by a spinner for England

fourth Tests against India at Headingley and the Kia Oval respectively and had plans to call time on his career in England whites after the series decider at Emirates Old Trafford, which was called off a couple of hours before the toss because of coronavirus concerns among the touring camp. Moeen, who averaged 28.29 with the bat and 36.66 with the ball, sits 16th on the list of England’s all-time leading Test wicket-takers while Derek Underwood, with 297 and Swann, on 255, are the only spinners with more scalps. He said in a statement: “Test cricket is amazing. When you’re having a good day it’s better than any other format by far, it’s more rewarding and you feel like you’ve really earned it. “I’ve enjoyed Test cricket but that intensity can be too much sometimes and I feel like I’ve done enough of it. I’m 34 now and I want to play for as long as I can and I just want to enjoy my cricket.” Moeen has been a poster boy for the British Asian and Muslim communities since bursting on to the scene and he hopes he has blazed a trail for others to follow. “It always takes somebody to inspire you or takes somebody to think, if he can do it, I can, and I hope there are a few people out there who are thinking that,” added Moeen, a 2019 50-over World Cup winner who is in the squad for its T20 counterpart which starts in the United Arab Emirates and Oman next month. “I know he wasn’t English but someone like (former South Africa captain) Hashim Amla, when I first saw him, I thought if he can do it I can do it, it does take that little spark. “I’d love one day in 8-10 years’ time to say Moeen made it easier for me. There have been guys before me who made it easier, so you hope to open the door for someone else.”(PA Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

Nandu spurs Kaieteur International to SCA First Division final WEST Indies Under-19 all-rounder Matthew Nandu continued to his rich vein of form with a brilliant allround performance to spur Kaieteur International B into the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) First Division final. Arriving in Canada mere hours before last Saturday’s semi-final encounter versus Palace Panthers, the left-handed Nandu smashed five fours and two sixes off 76 balls in an unbeaten knock of 54 as Kaieteur made light work of their opponents at the Ashtonbee Number Two ground, Scarborough, Canada in their 50-over affair. Asked to take first strike on an overcast day, Palace Panthers were routed for a paltry 94 in 28.2 overs as only Chirag Rothad showed any resistance to Kaieteur’s spin-oriented attack. Former Canadian Under-19 left-arm spinner Raqib Shamsudeen, who opened the bowling, was the chief wrecker with four for 28 in 9.2 overs while Nandu supported with three for 24 with his off-spin. Arjuna Sukhu was also among the wickets with two for 24 from seven overs. Palace Panthers made an early inroad, getting rid of opener Navindra Nauth (two)

Russell hurts hamstring in KKR-CSK match; extent of injury uncertain

Andre Russell got injured while saving a boundary in the deep..

Matthew Nandu (left) receives monetary support from ardent supporter Eon Gunraj.

but a second-wicket partnership of 65 between Nandu and Ravindra Nauth (20) dented any hopes they had of securing victory and a place in Saturday’s final. Kaieteur will oppose United Titans in the final following the latter’s victory over defending champions Toronto Rhinos in their replayed fixture at the Ashtonbee Number Three ground on Sunday. This followed the abandonment from Saturday after the playing area was ruled unsuitable following a heavy downpour. At that stage, Toronto Rhinos were 27 for three after seven overs, pursuing a victory target of 196.

Nandu recently returned to Guyana from England after leading West Indies to victory in the sixth and final ODI against England Under-19s, scoring a defiant 80 which also followed closely on the heels of another half-century in the previous game. He arrived in Canada on Friday. Secretary of the SCA, Eon Gunraj, who is also an ardent fan of Nandu said he has been following Nandu’s exploits and wished him well in his future endeavours. He also handed over an undisclosed sum to the left-hander after witnessing his all-round effort on Saturday. (Frederick Halley) FROM PAGE 21

Brighton’s Neal Maupay stuns... However, a lapse from Tyrick Mitchell almost allowed Leandro Trossard to open the scoring just after the half-hour mark before Danny Welbeck wasted a great chance after being played in by Sánchez’s punt forward. Replays suggested Welbeck may have been impeded as he attempted to lift the ball over Vicente Guaita but no penalty was given. Palace’s endeavour eventually paid off on the stroke of half time after a period of concerted pressure. Trossard’s foul on Gallagher left referee Andre Marriner with no choice but to point to the spot and Zaha slammed the penalty past Sánchez before cupping his ears as he celebrated in front of the Brighton supporters in the away end. Potter responded by introducing Steven Alzate and switching to a back four in an attempt to stem Palace’s superiority in midfield. It seemed to have an immediate effect

as Lewis Dunk forced Guaita into a save from a Marc Cucurella free-kick and Adam Lallana then had a shot blocked. Driven on by the endless energy of Gallagher and the evergreen James McArthur, who at 33 and in the final year of his contract looks as good as ever, Palace also continued to pose a threat in an entertaining contest. Sánchez had to be alert to punch away Joachim Andersen’s header before Alzate was replaced due to an ankle injury. The arrival of Benteke with 20 minutes left was a sure sign that Vieira sensed an opportunity to pile pressure of Brighton’s defence as they went looking for an equaliser. The chance duly came with 14 minutes to play when Gallagher’s interception allowed Benteke to set up Jordan Ayew, only for him to drag his effort wide. It proved costly when Maupay pounced in the last minute of injury time to deny Vieira a famous victorty.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, (CMC) – Jamaican and West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell’s availability for Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) match against Delhi Capitals on Tuesday and the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is in doubt, after he apparently sustained a hamstring injury on Sunday. Russell, 33, was injured while saving a boundary in the deep during Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) run chase in the 17th over. Immediately after, he hobbled off the field. KKR mentor David Hussey said it was too early to tell how serious the injury is or whether Russell will be ruled out of action. “He said he felt something pop in his leg, his hamstring. We’ve got the best medical staff in the business so they’ll tend to him and hopefully, it’s nothing too serious, because he’s a key part of our team,” Hussey explained in an after-match virtual

press conference. “He’s been playing very very nicely with the bat, the ball, and in the field. So, hopefully, [it is] nothing too serious and he can come back and light the competition up like we know Andre Russell can do.” In addition to being a key player for KKR, Russell has been named in the West Indies squad for the ICC T20 World Cup set for next month. After sustaining the injury on Sunday, he was unable to bowl the all-important penultimate over with CSK needing 26 runs in 12 balls to win. The over was bowled by Prasidh Krishna who gave away 22 runs as Ravindra Jadeja hit him for 2 sixes and 2 fours. Sunil Narine picked two wickets in the last over while defending 4 runs, but KKR eventually lost the match by two wickets.

European Super League:

UEFA ends legal fight against Barcelona, Juventus & Real Madrid UEFA has ended its legal fight against Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid over their involvement in the proposed European Super League. The clubs were among the 12 "founding" members of the breakaway league, which later collapsed. The trio, who have refused to renounce the project, were being investigated for "a potential violation" of UEFA's legal framework. UEFA says it is now "as if the proceedings had never been opened". "The UEFA Appeals Body has declared today the proceedings null and void," a statement read. The moves comes after a court in Madrid ruled that UEFA should not punish the three remaining clubs. European football's governing body has also said it will not yet collect the goodwill payments agreed with the other nine Super League clubs - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham plus Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan. The English clubs had agreed a combined payment of £22m in June. Why has the legal fight stopped? Barca, Real and Juventus have the backing of a court in Madrid, which in April ruled

Uefa could not take any action against the Super League because it represented an infringement of European free trade laws. This has now been referred to the European Court of Justice for a ruling over whether Uefa do have that right. However, while that case continues, UEFA has responded to last week's demand by a Madrid judge to suspend its disciplinary proceedings against the three remaining clubs by deciding to end its legal pursuit of them. UEFA says it will not request any goodwill payments from clubs "as long as the Court proceedings in Madrid involving, among others, UEFA are pending". "UEFA maintains its view that it has always acted in accordance with not only its statutes and regulations, but also with EU law, the European Convention on Human Rights and Swiss law in connection with the socalled Super League project. UEFA remains confident in and will continue to defend its position in all the relevant jurisdictions," it said in a statement. "UEFA will continue to take all necessary steps, in strict accordance with national and EU law, in order to defend the interests of UEFA and of all football stakeholders."(BBC Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

DeNobrega, Levius stop Haiti to remain unbeaten at COTECC/ITF U-12 Tennis tournament

Nathan DeNobrega and Elwyn Levius at the COTECC/ ITF U-12 Tennis tournament in The Dominican Republic.

THE Guyanese pair of Nathan DeNobrega and Elwyn Levius were able to keep their unbeaten streak going at the COTECC/ITF U-12 Tennis tournament in The Dominican Republic, following their impressive win over Haiti yesterday. Both players won their

match in straight sets, with Levius defeating Marvens Bazanne 6-4, 6-2 and DeNobrega winning 6-2, 6-1 over Johnsley Bazanne. The two players are being guided by Coach Shelly-Daly and president of the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association Cristy Campbell

said with the long-serving tennis coach by their side, she’s optimistic of the pair's continued success in today’s matches against the U.S. Virgin Islands. “I am closely following the tournament from afar… Coach Shelly is constantly updating us on the matches and we are all rooting for them,” Campbell told Chronicle Sport. The GLTA president said she’s aware of the players’ potential and the results thus far are reflective. Guyana had opened their run for glory at the Central American and Caribbean Tennis Confederation (COTECC) tournament with an imposing victory over Barbados. The tournament, which concludes on October 2, is featuring some of the best U12 players in Latin America and the Caribbean.

PM Imran Khan tells Ramiz Raja to review Pakistan’s T20 WC squad - reports PAKISTAN announced a 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup earlier this month with several surprises. There was no place for swashbuckling batsman Fakhar Zaman while the veteran Shoaib Malik couldn’t make it to the reserves either. Hours after the squad was announced the head coach and bowling coach, Misbahul-Haq and Waqar Younis resigned from their positions. Several reports came out about Babar Azam not being happy with the team, however, all those rumours were refuted later. But a few former Pakistan cricketers criticised the selectors for the side picked for the mega event. And now if the reports are to be considered the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked the newly appointed PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja to review the squad again. According to the reports by Samaa News, places of a few players are in danger. The likes of Azam Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Nawaz are likely to be

Imran Khan and Ramiz Raja

dropped from the final T20 World Cup squad. Meanwhile, it is learnt that Fakhar Zaman, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir are being considered to replace them. Notably, the World Cup squads can be changed until October 10 according to ICC’s rules after which the teams will have to seek the cricketing body’s permission in case of any injuries. With the cancellation of New Zealand and England tours, all Pakistan players are currently busy playing in the domestic tournament, National T20 Cup. The performances in the compe-

tition could be taken into consideration. Mohammad Hasnain hasn’t performed to the expectations conceding runs at an economy of 10 in two matches while picking four wickets. At the same time, the other player in the same team who is in contention is Shahnawaz Dhani. He has also picked four wickets but at an economy rate of 7.87. He was also impressive in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) this season. The same way, the performances of other players could play a vital role in their selection and dropping from the World Cup squad. (CricTracker)

BCB fulfills commitment to sub-associations, umpires body

Treasurer Dr. Cecil Beharry hands over a financial grant to WBCA president David Black.

THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has fulfilled its commitment to three sub-associations and the umpires association in the county of Berbice. BCB president Hilbert Foster during recent outreach visits and meetings with the clubs in the Upper Corentyne and West Berbice areas, had committed the board to making a historic financial grant to the sub-associations. Foster had also made a similar commitment to the Imran Moakan- led Berbice Cricket Umpires Association. The Upper Corentyne Cricket Association led by Dennis Dandrade and the West Berbice Cricket Association, whose President is David Black, each received $100,000 (one hundred thousand dollars), while the Berbice River Cricket Association would shortly visit the board office to uplift a contribution of $50,000 (fifty thousand dollars). The BCUA also collected $100,000 (one hundred thousand dollars) which would be used for training of umpires as the BCB strives to uplift the standard of the game across the county. Foster encouraged the association to double its membership as the current number of umpires available is not enough for the large number of tournaments organised by the board. The BCB president stated

that his administration values the contributions of umpires and as such, would work along with the association to fulfil its mandate. The BCB is also expected to hand over caps and t-shirts to the umpires shortly with

administration of the game in the largest sub association in the county, between Black Bush Polder to Moleson Creek. A total of 28 teams make up the sub-association. They include Skeldon Titans, No 72 Cut and Load, 73 Young Warriors, Scottsburg, Dukestown, Rama Krishna, No 43 and Crabwood Creek. Teams in the area have received over $3,000,000 (three millions dollars) worth of items from the BCB over the last three years including balls, scorebooks, cricket gear, six grass cutters and catching cribs. The Berbice River Cricket Association (BRCA) is the smallest of the sub-associations in the county with four teams. The teams are Ebini, Sand Reef, Wiruni and Kimbia. Funds handed over would be used to provide balls for the clubs. WBCA President David Black expressed thanks to the BCB for the financial grant and

BCB Secretary Angela Haniff presents a financial grant to Ameer Rahaman of the Umpires Association

sponsorship provided by Minister of Agriculture Zulifar Mustapha. The WBCA would use the financial grant to purchase cricket balls for the nine clubs in the area. The clubs include Blairmont, Bath, Cotton Tree, Bush Lot United, Bush Lot Rising Stars, Cotton Tree, DEdward and Paradise. The UCCA will use its financial grant to assist in the

for interest in development of the game in the area. UCCA president Dennis Dandrade hailed the cooperation of the Foster-led BCB as unmatched as never before has his sub-association benefitted as it did over the last four years. Both Presidents committed their associations to working along with the BCB to develop the game even more in the future.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday September 28, 2021

WIPA not pressuring players to take COVID-19 vaccine … keeping eye on security concerns ahead of Pakistan tour KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) – The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) will neither be insisting on nor discouraging members from taking the COVID-19 vaccine, even as Cricket West Indies (CWI) continues to get the region’s youth, women’s and men’s players vaccinated. President and CEO Wavell Hinds said each member should make their individual decision on the matter. “Each human being is made up different. I don’t know if persons have comorbidities and other [things] that would affect them, so they would have to speak to the medical experts, their physicians and their personal general practi-

tioners and see where it goes and if it is healthy and good for them to take, I’m sure that they will speak to their doctor,” he told Television Jamaica. “But I’m not a medical doctor so I don’t think it is my duty to tell somebody what they should do or shouldn’t do.” Hinds also spoke about possible security concerns over the West Indies tour of Pakistan in December. New Zealand abandoned its tour to the south Asian country earlier this month, citing security concerns, and England withdrew last week from sending their men’s and women’s teams there for similar reasons. Hinds said WIPA is gathering information to help pro-

WIPA president and CEO Wavell Hinds

tect its members who have concerns. “What we have done so far is to reach out to our counterparts in New Zealand and in England – the New Zealand Cricket Association and the Professional Cricket Association in England – and I reached out as well to some of my colleagues that sit on the FICA Board with me,” he said, adding a security report from Pakistan will also be needed. Last week, CWI chief executive officer Johnny Grave said that CWI is planning to fulfil its tour commitments with all countries, including Pakistan. West Indies are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Pakistan.

TTFA financials to undergo Visa issues prevent Petterson-Grifith competing at World Powerlifting review after not being Championships approved at AGM

Normalisation Committee chairman Robert Hadad

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – The FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee was unable to secure approval for the 2019 audited financial statements of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday. A statement issued by the Committee after the meeting which was held via Zoom, disclosed that members have been tasked to review the Audit- TURN TO PAGE 19

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Carlos Petterson-Grifith

PM Imran Khan tells Ramiz Raja to review Pakistan’s T20 WC squad - reports Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021