Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 28-10-2022

Tourism hotspot!

THE National Geographic United Kingdom (UK) has named Guy ana as one of the top 35 tourism destinations to visit for 2023 and beyond in its “Traveller’s Best of the World list,” which was un veiled in an article published on Wednesday.

The list is spread across five cat egories, namely adventure, culture, nature, family and community, ac cording to the article that highlights some of the most exciting and ex ceptional experiences on the planet.

Guyana is number 13 on the list, under the nature category, along with the Scottish Highlands, Slovenia, Big Bend National Park in Texas, USA, Azores, Botswana, and Tanzania.

The article emphasises Guyana’s expected improved accessibility to the UK with the commencement of flights by British Airways, the UK’s flag carrier. British Airways is slated to begin flights to Guyana in the first quarter of 2023.

The article describes Guy ana as a destination with “thick rainforests, sprawling savannahs, magical mountain ranges and epic rivers.

Voting requirements outside of Constitution cannot be instituted

–– MP Datadin says

ADDITIONAL require ments for voting that are outside of what is stipulated by Guyana’s Constitution cannot

be instituted, Member of Parliament Sanjeev Datadin has said.

Datadin, during his weekly social media

broadcast programme, “The Thursday Agenda,” addressed the pertinent issue of ongoing consul tations on electoral laws.

Last Tuesday, the government continued its public consultations on the draft amendments to Guyana’s electoral laws, namely the Representation of the People Act (RoPA) and the National Registra tion (Amendment) (NRA).

Datadin related that notwithstanding the amendments to those piec es of legislation, whatever they outline cannot con flict with what is already established in Guyana’s supreme law, the Consti tution.

It is the stipulations in the Constitution that also address a pertinent issue regarding the removal of persons from the voters’ list; this is a point that has been continuously brought up by the Opposition de spite clarity on several

occasions.

“By the Constitution of Guyana, you only need two things to be registered to vote, you need to be a Guyanese citizen and you need to have been regis tered on the voters list. There is no other require ment. There is no provi sion in the Constitution that says you have to live here, there is no residency requirement. Now it is important that you under stand the Constitution,” Datadin related.

In 2019, the Chief Jus tice (ag), Roxane George ruled that the removal of the names of persons from the list of registrants, and who were not, or have not been, or are not registered in the current house-tohouse registration exer cise, would be unconsti

PPP/C MP Sanjeev Datadin

tutional.”

Hence, even if a house-to-house registra tion process is done by the Guyana Elections Com mission (GECOM), it is barred from removing the names of anyone from the National Register of Reg istrants, except in the case of death.

Though Norton fre quently complains about the need for a clean vot ers list, the coalition re fused to participate in the recent Claims and Objections period to sa nitise the list.

Tourism hotspot!

THE National Geo graphic United King dom (UK) has named Guyana as one of the top 35 tourism destinations to visit for 2023 and be yond in its “Traveller’s Best of the World list,” which was unveiled in an article published on Wednesday.

The list is spread across five categories, namely adventure, cul ture, nature, family and community, according to the article that highlights some of the most exciting and exceptional experi ences on the planet.

Guyana is number 13 on the list, under the nature category, along with the Scottish High lands, Slovenia, Big Bend National Park in Texas, USA, Azores, Botswana, and Tanzania.

The article emphasises Guyana’s expected im proved accessibility to the UK with the commence ment of flights by British Airways, the UK’s flag carrier. British Airways is slated to begin flights to Guyana in the first quarter of 2023.

The article describes Guyana as a destination with “ thick rainforests, sprawling savannahs, magical mountain ranges and epic rivers.

“ Guyana may be one of South America’s smaller nations, but it packs a big punch for

nature-lovers. Go to get truly off-grid. Similar in size to the UK, Guyana is home to fewer than a million people, and river, off-road or air transport are often the only routes

into the heart of it all.

“Natural highlights range from jaguars stalking dense forests to giant anteaters on the savannahs, harpy eagles in the skies and wow-mo

ments like Kaieteur Falls, one of the world’s highest single- drop waterfalls (and twice as high as Vic toria Falls). The number of eco-tourism experi ences and community-run

lodges is growing, too,” the article said.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Director of the Guy ana Tourism Authority (GTA), Kamrul Baksh,

said that the authority is excited about the country being featured, and sees it as a sign of all the hard work being put into pro moting the country as an ideal tourism destination.

“This is as a result of the constant market ing, promotion and brand positioning in the travel marketplace by all tour ism stakeholders. We know of the quality of tourism offerings here in Guyana and it’s good to be recognized internation ally by renowned travel publications,” Baksh said.

He added: “Destina tion Guyana has been focused on promoting to its core markets and is expanding its horizon even further. Our beau tiful country will attract more and more travel lers, who will tell a story of authentic, unique and once-in-a-lifetime expe riences.”

This is not the first time that Guyana is being featured in a National Geographic publication.

Earlier this year, Guyana was featured in the cover story of the April edition of the Na tional Geographic mag azine, while the 2013 National Geographic Traveler included Wil derness Explorers’ award-winning Amer indian Guyana Tour among its “Best of the World 2014.”

Gov’t does not transfer subventions to co-op societies –– Minister Hamilton says

seph

said that the govern ment does not transfer subventions to any co-op society in Guyana.

Earlier this week, Op position Leader Aubrey Norton said that the Peo ple’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administra tion has refused to disburse a subvention to the Mo cha-Arcadia Multi-purpose Agricultural Co-op Society.

to those claims, Minister Hamilton said that central govern ment has no subvention for

group.

He said that while he is the minister responsible for co-op societies, the interac tion with the government is facilitated through the Chief Co-op Development Officer.

Hamilton said he sus pects that the International Decade for People of Afri can Descent- Guyana, was transferring money to the co-op society.

The minister said: “So, the Ministry of Labour’s co-op department here we have no relationship as it relates to transferring

funds. Our authority is to supervise co-op societies and make sure that they are run transparently and accountably.

“What is important to note is that this supposed transfer of funds from the Alexander outfit, it was done with no reference to the co-op department and that’s a breach.”

He added that before a co-op society could access a grant, loan or subvention, the process needs to start at the level of the co-op department.

Further, Hamilton men

tioned that the government has been engaging residents of Mocha-Arcadia and has implemented numerous programmes to ensure that all residents are empow ered.

He even stated that it was only recently that President, Dr Irfaan Ali and the Minister of Agri culture Zulfikar Musta pha made commitments to the community con cerning the provision of acres of land for farmers, road access and drainage upgrades, among other things.

Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton

Investing in Guyana’s manufacturing sector

By Dr Lorraine So bers

GUYANA is facing an ex citing future as it makes its mark in the energy sector with oil production soon to exceed one mil lion barrels per day and with plans underway to bring natural gas to shore within the next two years.

Competitively priced, clean and green energy will allow Guyana to occupy an advantageous position in Latin America and the Caribbean. Paired with abundant natural resources and rapid projected growth in the energy sector, the manufacturing sector is poised to support the na tion’s strategy for diversi fication and expansion.

Be it diversification or development, a strong manufacturing sector is critical to building a stable economy. The alternative leads to a higher import bill, vulnerability to vol atile markets and lost op portunities for employment creation. Guyana’s energy prices are projected to de crease within the next five years through the upcom ing gas-to-power project and the Amaila Falls Hy dropower Project.

Lower energy prices will allow for lower pro duction costs and compet itive prices of products. For example, Trinidad and Tobago has had the lowest energy prices in the region for decades. This has al lowed the country to estab lish a manufacturing sector that maintains a significant market share for a wide range of products across the Caribbean.

Recently, I came upon

the question, “In which manufacturing industries should Guyana invest to capitalise on more compet itive energy prices?”

Although this is a fair question, I will not attempt to answer it directly. I be lieve a suitable response will require a thorough feasibility study or a fore sighting exercise with a group of experts. Nev ertheless, my immediate thoughts lead to two fun damental questions: one) Why invest in Guyana? and, two) Why invest in its manufacturing sector?

It is tempting to jump directly into familiar talking points such as utilising natural gas, de veloping petrochemicals, expanding existing indus tries, following through on well-planned but unfund ed, dormant projects, etc. However, discovering and documenting the “whys” of any action or signifi cant investment will prove invaluable in probing as sumptions and defining scope. My initial hunch is that Guyana can develop clusters of agri-focused and agriculture-supporting industries such as fertiliser, agri-processing and re search in food technology. However, if not addressed, those pesky “why” ques tions will always persist.

WHY INVEST IN GUYANA?

Potential investors will consider every aspect of operation that can impact their profitability —avail ability and cost of raw materials, labour, land, transportation networks, energy availability and security, skill base, market

Dr Lorraine Sobers

availability, risk, and ro bustness.

Energy costs, in partic ular, can be one of the larg est operating costs for most manufacturing processes. As such, more competitive energy prices in Guyana, through gas-to-power and renewable energy develop ments, can make Guyana attractive to investors.

Guyana Office for In vestment (Go-INVEST) re ported that the manufactur ing sector contributes less than five per cent to the national gross domestic product (GDP) and em ploys approximately 12 per cent of the population. Growth in 2021 was esti mated to be 3.5 per cent.

In Guyana’s favour, we have proximity to Lat in American, Caribbean and United States mar kets, preferential trade arrangements, opportu nity to source raw mate rials locally, availability of industrial parks and tax-exemptions on a wide

range of vehicles, material and equipment imports. Additionally, at present, more than 75 per cent of Guyana’s exports have duty-free market access to facilitate competitive placement of products

However, there is need for improvement in sever al areas. Undoubtedly, in vestors will be concerned about the cost and reliabil ity of power supply, the capability and capacity of the labour force and the ease of doing business such as the processing time for applications and licences.

This comes back to an issue I have raised several times, that is, the support systems must be prepared to facilitate the anticipated rapid growth and expan sion of operations to be carried out in Guyana. The institutions responsible for public services, edu cation, power supply and distribution and finance must be able to deliver

timely and quality service to stakeholders — there is no other way.

WHY INVEST IN GUYANA’S MANUFACTURING SECTOR?

An obvious starting point would be to look at what Guyana has in hand — abundant, locally available raw materials from the agricultural, fish ing, forestry, and min ing sectors. There is also a vast range of possible traditional and non-tra ditional investment areas based on the availability of raw materials, including agro-industry products, industrial materials, and paper products.

In addition to a predict ed drop in energy costs, Guyana’s manufacturing sector will be able to boast of producing products us ing cleaner and green en ergy with a mix of natural gas, hydropower, and solar power. Investors interested in positioning their prod ucts as low carbon or net zero will find this very attractive, coupled with the competitive conditions previously mentioned.

The practice of some companies using Envi ronment, Social and Gov ernance (ESG) standards to evaluate projects and

investment portfolios will be in harmony with Guy ana’s low carbon develop ment strategy.

Ongoing development of a robust manufactur ing sector moves Guyana away from exporting its raw materials, towards creating more value-add ed products. As a natural consequence there is an accompanying increase in the value of exports, reduced demand for im porting those products and increased employment.

Also, through Guy ana’s manufacturing sec tor, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may also access opportunities supported by international partnerships, training pro grammes, grants, funding programmes and specif ic government incentive packages for priority in vestment areas.

At this time, Guyana is awash with hope and anticipation as the na tion transitions into a new order of business, opportunities and de velopments. Investment in the manufacturing sector will undoubtedly position Guyana to avoid the resource curse, there by ensuring sustainable and stable development.

(OilNOW)

Sour Grapes

PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali and Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mot tley on Tuesday witnessed the signing of an agreement for the establishment of a partnership between the Carib bean Community (CARICOM) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

The partnership agreement, signed by Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Af fairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd and President of the Bank, Professor Benedict Oramah, aims to facilitate cooperation and support, as well as provision of assistance for the promotion and financing of SouthSouth trade between African countries and CARICOM member-states.

Before the signing of the agreement, a Guyanese delegation led by President Ali and a Barbados delegation led by Prime Minister Mottley met with a team from the bank for discussions on related South-South trade matters, as Barbados had earlier hosted an impressive Af ri-Caribbean trade ‘expo’ arranged by the Bank last month.

The September event in Barbados also coincided with the first anniversary of the inaugural CARICOM-African Union (AU) Summit on September 7, 2021 that was hosted Online, and attended by almost all Heads of Gov ernment from the continent and the Caribbean region.

The Bank’s ‘expo’ also opened the way for what can well be described as first steps towards a reversing of the Middle Passage of Europe’s Great Triangle during the Transatlantic Slave Trade that saw millions of Africans being kidnapped, exported as insured property, and sold into eternal enslave ment.

The routes opened by the Barbados ‘expo’ included a first direct flight to Bridgetown (and the wider CARICOM region) by Ethiopian Airlines, which will surely seek to spread it wings to other destinations, not excluding the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri, where the related agreement was signed.

The Caribbean’s continuing en

gagement with Africa since the 2021 CARICOM-AU Summit is a positive and encouraging development that will benefit all CARICOM and AU mem ber-states, and all the peoples of the almost 70 nations involved.

It is, therefore, simply pathetic that while the Guyana Government has, since August 2020, been reaching out and expanding ties with developing na tions, big and small, and with regional groups, far and wide, to deepen SouthSouth Cooperation, some would view such developments as right decisions, but taken by the wrong government.

It is also just as absurd to think that in the 21st Century, there would still be human beings measuring governments by racial and ethnic measurements, according to colour of skin and texture of hair, at a time when the UK has just appointed its first Prime Minister of Colour, and Americans two years ago voted the first Woman of Colour as US Vice-President.

Worst of all, though, is that those expressing political displeasure about

this PPP/C administration entering into what they regard as potentially-benefi cial bilateral arrangements with African nations, they would have preferred to have been the ones signing, are missing the point that this is not a Guyana-Afri ca deal, but one between a continental bank and a region considered by the AU as Africa’s Sixth Region.

Among those with sour tastes are some who questionably claim to be representatives of People of African Descent, while failing to explain sat isfactorily to a concerned public what was done with mountains of related funds provided by an international entity.

This level of shortsightedness con tinues to blind those who refuse to look beyond their eyelashes to the reality that both times and political climates have changed, and continue to do so in ways that cannot but consign them to the relative scrapheap of history.

But then, grapes aren’t generally sour, so it may just be a matter of taste!

Rishi Sunak is the changing face of UK and global politics

Dear Editor,

RISHI Sunak’s arrival as Britain’s Prime Minister is a ground-breaking milestone as the UK’ s first prime minister of colour and the youngest in modern political history shows that the world has rapidly evolved from a few decades ago.

Sunak, the youngest British PM in over 200 years, is the son of Indian immigrants and heritage and is now running a country that once colonised his forefathers.

But if his victory swept away anoth er barrier in British politics — putting Mr Sunak in the same pathbreaking category as Margaret Thatcher, Brit

ain’s first female prime minister, and Benjamin Disraeli, its only prime min ister of Jewish heritage — it also thrust him into power at a singularly difficult moment.

This reminds me of President, Dr Irfaan Ali’s commitment to his ‘One Guyana’ vision of promoting greater inclusion at the legislative, political and social levels, thus creating avenues for all to prevail.

It represents a social contract of in clusion since no individual, government or society has all the answers.

Nevertheless, Guyana has become the United Kingdom (UK)’ s largest trading partner in the Caribbean after trade between the two nations in 2021

amounted to 516 million pounds, and accounted for 21.6 per cent of all the UK’s trade with the Caribbean.

With the recent announcement of visa-free travel to the UK, the trade will expand further as Guyana is ripe for development and transformation into a brighter future for all Guyanese.

The UK’s visa waiver is not isolat ed to strengthening relationships and building out opportunities, but it is also an essential pillar in developing peo ple-to-people contact as Guyana aims to take its place as a global leader in a number of areas, including ecological services, environmental services and climate change.

It is with great optimism that under

the tenure of PM Sunak, greater bilat eral opportunities evolve to benefit both countries in the future.

Mr Sunak, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, is expected to pull Brit ain back to more mainstream policies after Ms Truss’s failed experiment in trickle-down economics, which rattled financial markets and badly damaged Britain’s fiscal reputation.

He is also likely to offer a stark contrast to the flamboyant style and erratic behaviour of Boris Johnson.

Yours sincerely, Halim Khan Head of Region Three Private Sector Inc. (R3PSi)

The stone Tory builders refused (Part III)

–– has become Britain’s head cornerstone!

PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak’s selection as the British Conservative Party’s new crown jewel was welcomed like a gift from the gods to Indians at home and abroad, and People of Indian Descent in the sub-continent and the global Indian Dias pora.

Confirmation of Brit ain’s first Prime Minister, who’s a practicing Hindu, also came on the symbolic day of October 24 when millions the world over cel ebrated Diwali.

The nationalist media in India celebrated the arrival of the ‘British Raj’, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Sunak’s selection as evidence of the growing influence of what he called “the living bridge of UK Indians”.

PM Sunak has been wel comed by Western world leaders as the pair of safe hands Britain needs most now, and he’s expected to administer quick fixes to its battered and broken econo my, first and foremost.

But he’s repeatedly made it pellucidly clear that some very tough decisions will be taken, as was also forewarned before by Jere my Hunt, the Chancellor (of

the Exchequer), who was appointed by his predeces sor, Liz Truss, and whom he’s also kept So, the Englishman of Indian origin and Hindu faith selected to lead Brit ain has been the Man of the Moment; September’s loser who became October’s winner.

Now, all eyes are on him at home, and not only those wishing him well, but also the untold numbers of Brit ons who wished they had a say in whether he should have been given the keys to Number 10 Downing Street

And this is where those who continue to praise Prime Minister Sunak’s Indian heritage need to be more careful than politically correct.

Cold-minded, blue-blooded Anglo-Sax ons and racists of all stripes waving the Union Jack across the British Isles of the United Kingdom are sorely hurt that a son of im migrants who isn’t devoted to the Church of England is in charge of the Bank of England; the UK Treasury.

It would probably have been a different story if those grumbling had a vote, but they also know they won’t, unless he agrees, as

Chronicles of a Chronic Guyana Chronicler

By Earl Bousquet

Tory Leader, which they also know is most unlikely before the 2024 deadline.

For the same reasons the grunting elements, and most British Labour Par ty supporters, wished and prayed to see ex-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s back, the ‘sickos’ who hold that ‘Only pure Brits should rule Britain’ also want to see Sunak fail.

This usually invisible but very present and size able element of the Brit ish electorate also includes those who hold on, for dear life, to the age-old notion that “Foreigners have too much say in Britain”, and eternally oppose immigra tion policies they consider too favourable to non-na tionals entering Britain.

That sizeable and ef fective anti-immigrant lob by is always reflected in the UK Parliament, where MPs claim to represent their constituents’ feelings and vote against pro-immigrant policies

The ‘Brexit’ vote was a major reminder of the grow

ing power of this ever-trend ing trend, as Brits main ly voted against opening Britain up to immigrants, including fellow Europeans.

Since the ‘Brexit’ vote that unseated David Camer on and saw the Tory admin istrations of Theresa May and Boris Johnson flip-flop just before and after the vote, all Tory leaders, bar none, have been guided on immigration policy by their acknowledgment of the de monstrable electoral effect of this large ethnically-pure, anti-immigrant section of the electorate.

This anti-immigrant breed spans both major par ties, and continues to grow as economic conditions con tinue to decline, with the UK facing the highest in flation rate in four decades, ahead of a steamy global recession to be preceded by what can be the UK’s cold est winter ever.

It’s precisely that type of thinking that led to Boris Johnson having workedout the controversial immi grant deportation deal with

Rwanda, the anti-immigrant sentiments also blown-up by the number of Ukrainian im migrants now sharing scarce resources with need Brits, and the continuing streams arriving on the English coast from France.

And this is also why, despite Johnson’s Home Affairs Minister Priti Patel and her current successor Suella Braverman, both being Brits of Asian De scent whose anti-immi grant differences are only in scale and speed of im plementation, Braverman was reappointed by Sunak, never mind the whirlwind of criticism that came after he put her back in the same post, one week after she resigned over a security breach (sending official messages through her pri vate e-mail).

And in defense of Braverman’s unpopular re appointment, Prime Min ister Sunak took the op portunity to place his own immigrant sentiment on the table during his first speech at Westminster’s

Dispatch Box, during Prime Minister’s Questions on Tuesday, accusing the La bour Party and its leader Sir Keith Starmer of “selling fairytales” and “supporting unlimited immigration”.

It is in this light that those in and out of Britain singing well-meaning high praises to Sunak’s Indian heritage must be careful about over-describing him as an ‘Indian’, which he is not, in the British context, as he was born and raised, schooled and been a citizen of the UK all his life.

His adorers must never forget to always remem ber that Rishi Sunak is the Prime Minister of Britain, and, therefore, always ex pected to act in Britain’s interest first and foremost, at all times.

The same caution applied to description of half-white Barack Obama as America’s First Black President and to Asian-White -Caribbean US Vice-President Kamla Harris as America’s First Black Vice-President.

The city with gold in its sewage lines

FIROZABAD is India’s glass capital, most famous for producing traditional glass bangles. But the city is the source of another treasure; one that’s hidden and extremely hard-won.

“He burned the sari, and from it handed us a thin slice of pure silver,” said my mother, describing a moment that had taken place 30 years ago at her home in the city of Firoz abad. The man in her story was no magician, but an extractor. Like many similar artisans in my mother’s hometown, he’d go door-todoor, collecting old saris to mine them for their precious metals.

Until the 1990s, saris were often threaded with pure silver and gold, and I remember digging into my mother’s wardrobe, search ing for her glittery outfits like treasure. But as she told me, the extractors were looking for something even more valuable than clothing; they were looking for trash, and a kind of trash specific to this city.

So now, to learn more about that seem ingly mystical transfiguration of extraction, I was driving back to Firozabad, a city over shadowed by the nearby Taj Mahal (45km west), and better known for being India’s capital of glass bangles than for its precious metals. But as I found out, for some industri ous artisans, the city was nothing less than a gold mine; a place where the precious metal once trickled through the sewers.

Founded in 1354 CE by the sultan of Delhi, Firoz Shah Tughlaq, Firozabad was built as a palace city that, according to court historian Shams-i-Siraj’s writings, was twice the size of the walled city of Shahjahanbad (today’s Old Delhi, devised by the same ruler who built the Taj Mahal). According to Rana Safvi, historian and author of ‘The Forgotten Cities of Delhi’, it was “used as a prototype for later Mughal-era fortresses, as this was the first time the concept of a Diwan-e-Aam [audience hall] for the public and a Diwane-Khas [private audience hall] for the nobles was introduced.”

While Safvi notes that very few traces of that old city remain, I saw that today’s Firozabad has its own type of grandeur. As I drove into the city, almost every lane was a kaleidoscope of pushcarts and trucks loaded with colourful glass bangles of every shade glimmering under the morning sun.

The bracelets hold a significant place in Indian tradition, symbolising prosperity and good fortune for married women and

new brides, who may wear stacks of them on each arm.

CITY OF BANGLES

With approximately 150 glass-bangle factories today, it’s no wonder Firozabad has earned the nicknames City of Glass and City of Bangles.

The craft goes back at least 200 years. One theory is that several of Firoz Shah’s attendees were migrants from Rajasthan who specialised in this jewellery form. They taught it to local artists, and as time went on, the industry expanded to the production of glass bottles and chandeliers, the latter of which was in high demand by the kingdom’s royal courts and nobles.

As bans on foreign imports were imple mented after World War I and World War II, the glass industry of Firozabad experienced a drastic growth. After India’s Independence in 1947, it soon became India’s leading glass, and bangle, supplier, and today accounts for approximately 70% of the country’s glass production.

Which is why it was so surprising to me that after several trips to the city and discus sions with locals and residents involved with the glass industry, I learned that Firozabad creates another precious commodity, one that only emerges after the bangles are made: Gold.

Traditionally, glass bangles produced in the city were decorated with pure gold polish. This meant that many other items used during

the process came into contact with the pre cious metal: The bottles and containers filled with polish, the fabric scraps used for buffing, the baskets that held the refined bangles, and even bits of broken bracelets themselves.

This gold-coated waste from bangle factories and workshops, and from the homes of the craftsmen was often disposed of in the city’s sewage pipelines, essential ly creating a secret stream of potential wealth. Once collected and cleaned, this waste was mined to extract the metal.

NOTHING BUT TRASH

“For those oblivious, these materials are nothing more than trash,” said Mo hammad Sultan, who owns a jewellery store in Firozabad. “But those familiar with the metal know the true value of this ‘trash’.”

Sultan himself has worked as a gold ex tractor for more than 25 years, and explained that the technique of wresting the metal from these discards is presently known by only a handful of artists, and that it varies, depend ing on the item.

“The disposed bottles of gold are left in a bucket of thinners or turpentine for a few hours to remove the gold residues,” Sultan explained. “The residue sets on the surface of the thinners, and is then wiped off with a piece of fabric, which is allowed to dry and is finally burned to ashes. After this, the ashes, with the addition of a few chemicals, are set on a thick layer of sand on a stove

or heater, which is allowed to heat until the ashes turn into liquid. Once the liquid cools down, it transforms to the glass, leaving be hind the gold residue which now rests below the sand.”

“It takes a lot of patience and learning to master the art, and it is certainly not some thing that can be learned in a week’s time,” Sultan said, adding that it took him a few years before he could extract the metal on his own.

Once extracted, the gold is sold off to jewellers. Over the years, the city has wit nessed extractors from humble backgrounds, but with an exceptional metier for the craft, hard work and a touch of luck, rewrite their fortunes.

“The craft has turned several into million aires,” said Mohammad Kasim Shafi, another gold extractor in Firozabad.

Though there are no documented records of the craft’s history, locals who learned it from their parents or grandparents estimate it may have been in practice for the past 80 years or more. However, gold prices have surged in recent times, and the polish has largely been substituted with less expensive chemicals. So, although the skill has been passed down through generations, it is slowly fading away.

“Since extracting gold is a work of preci sion and exceptional skill, the practice, even before the substitution of the metal, was known by limited people,” said Shafi. “But when bangles began to be polished and de signed with other chemicals, the shortage of gold naturally led to the eclipse of the craft.”

Though the use of gold has considerably decreased in the industry, some still incorpo rate it into their bracelets. Walking down the market streets of Firozabad, I passed through several workshops where workers were en grossed in making or decorating bracelets, some using pure gold polish.

The next day, as I sat in a cab to return home, I realised how different the city looked to me now that I knew its secret. My mother’s memories of throw-away items transformed into precious metals had a new depth now that I’d heard the tales of Firozabad’s trea sure-hunting gold extractors of past and present.

Together, they wove a story that turned a city I thought I knew into one with a lit tle-known layer of history streaming just under the surface. (BBC)

Traditionally, glass bangles produced in the city were decorated with pure gold polish (Xavier Galiana/Getty Images)

Thousands of acres of farmlands opened – as work wraps up on Ituni to Tacama road

WORK on the Ituni to Tacama road in Region 10 has been completed, opening up over thousands of acres of farmlands.

In July, a $251.4 million contract was signed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Associated Construction Services for the rehabilitation of this road.

The project which fell under the purview of the National Drainage and Irrigation Au thority (NDIA), will see improved access to thousands of acres of farmlands, including those lands used in the cultivation of corn, soya and sorghum, among other produce.

made representation for and we are hoping that these projects can help us to ensure we enhance production,” he had said.

Additionally, the completion of this road way is also expected to result in the reduced cost of production owing to an anticipated reduction in transportation costs.

In a previous interview with the Guyana Chronicle in September, Minister Mustapha had said that works were in progress to extend the farm in the Tacama Savannahs to some 4,000 acres.

“Last year, we would have started the trial

continuously increase, so the next three years we can expand to 25, 000,” Mustapha said.

He further related that if the government is able to further expand production within the next three years, the country will not only become a supplier to the regional market, but will also be self-sufficient in producing its own feed for livestock.

“Now if we can move to 25,000 acres, this means we will be self-sufficient two times per year and we will also be a net exporter,” Mustapha said.

Meanwhile, soya bean at the Dubulay Ranch at Ebini along the Berbice River will be ready to harvest in the coming weeks.

The owners of Guyana Stock Feed Ltd., Royal Chicken, Edun Farms, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and Bounty Farm Ltd., along with the Brazilian-owned N F Agriculture, have partnered to produce soya bean and corn for both the local and regional markets.

With Guyana expending close to US$25 million annually on proteins for the poultry sector, the government since taking office has taken steps to promote domestic cultivation of grains such as corn and soya bean.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, at the time of the signing, said that the road will provide for an increase of production within the respective farms.

“These are large projects that people have

of 125 acres and it was very successful and we harvested three tonnes per hectare, and that is aligned in getting the kind of production we want; because of that we said we will expand to 3,000-4,000 acres this year and we will

kind gesture

OCTOBER is designated the month of Breast Cancer Awareness, and as it comes to an end, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Oncology Depart ment hosted a special day of togetherness for the hospital’s cancer survivor patients registered with the clinic.

All the beautiful ladies were treated to a sumptuous lunch, with light refreshments and entertainment. Dr. Gooding and some of the patients gave words of encouragement to have hope and faith; not to give up and to have a fighting spirit in order to overcome anxiety and depression.

In addition, 45 hampers were delivered to the ladies, com pliments of Muneshwer’s Limited. The hampers consisted of household, personal and self-caring products.

The GPHC expressed thanks and appreciation for this wonderful and thoughtful gesture by the company, showing compassion and care for the survivors and being generous to society.

Representing Muneshwer’s were Selena Rafeek, Sarah Ramoutar and Valerie Rodrigues.

In 2021, six local companies and a region al firm joined together to undertake the mas sive project that could see Guyana becoming self-sufficient in corn and soya bean over the next few years.

Construction of the foundation and in stallation of a corn and soya bean processing plant will commence in the second half of the year and is expected to be completed by February 2023.

The processing plant will provide a drying and storage facility for the corn and soya farmers in the Tacama area.

The newly rehabilitated Ituni to Tacama road in region 10 (Photo courtesy of President, Dr Irfaan Ali’s official Facebook page)

The corn and soya bean farm at Ebini along the Berbice River (Photo courtesy of President, Dr Irfaan Ali’s official Facebook page)

Significant increase in gender parity a result of strategic policies, programmes

GUYANA has recorded significant progress in the area of gender equality through the implementation of policies and programmes that are consistent with the country’ ongoing rapid eco nomic development.

The country’s progress was recorded in this year’s Global Gender Gap Insight Report, which is published annually by the World Economic Forum.

The report measures gaps between men and women based on four key indicators: Economic participation and opportunity, health and survival, educational attainment and political empowerment.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, the 2022 edition covers 146 countries, including Guyana, which ranked 35th, moving up 18 slots from its 53rd ranking in 2021. Guyana also ranked sixth in the Latin America and Caribbean Region.

In the area of economic participation and opportunity, Guyana ranked 53rd globally. Gender equality at the level of legislators, senior officials and managers places Guyana in 17th place, an astonish ing score of 0.879/1, and tied with other countries in first place for gender equality at the level of professional and technical workers globally.

Notably, in the areas of access to finan cial services, land assets and non-land as sets, Guyana recorded “near equal rights” with distinctively equal rights for widows and daughters with regard to inheritance.

Those statistics are a reflection of the cumulative results of the numerous proj ects and initiatives implemented by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government.

In Guyana, women, for example, could apply for and successfully acquire house lots, loans, mortgages, business registra tions and other financial and non-financial assets which create economic stability and parity.

Implementation of initiatives such as WIIN, empowerment grants for women, small business grants, and others, have created opportunities for women to be come more involved in entrepreneurial activities and achieve greater economic independence.

In the area of education attainment, Guyana ranks first globally, tying with 21 other countries such as Canada, Brazil, The Netherlands and Jamaica, which is the only other Caribbean country in first place.

Guyana has also tied for the top spot with other countries in the ranking for enrolment in both secondary and tertiary education. This is especially important as it clearly indicates the outcomes and longterm impact of projects implemented by the government.

The construction of schools and the provision of human and other resources in Amerindian communities throughout the interior regions of Guyana, have made education accessible and attainable, even during periods when Guyana has had lim ited fiscal capacity.

Other pilot initiatives such as the school feeding and text-book provision programmes have been enhanced to create even more opportunities for children and

youths all across Guyana to access educa tion, which is a fundamental human right.

The $30,000 education cash grant also allowed parents and guardians to have more spending power, and to purchase supplies needed to send children to school.

This cash grant project, which was implemented by a previous PPP/C Government, was stopped under the APNU+AFC Government. It was rein troduced by the PPP/C in 2020.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Other opportunities such as the introduction of GROW and GOAL scholarships have seen thousands of Guyanese benefitting from free tertiary education, and preparatory courses for tertiary education.

In 2021, 6,000 applicants were award ed full scholarships for tertiary studies, of which 69 per cent were women and 31 per cent were men. Nevertheless, the Govern ment of Guyana recognised the importance of supporting boys and men, who, for var ious reasons, are not as actively involved in further education.

Having recognised these existing gaps, the government continues to make efforts to encourage the participation of men and boys, and President, Dr Irfaan Ali most recently announced the introduction of a Men on Mission (MoM) project-- a 1,000-man initiative aimed at engaging men across Guyana to tackle existing and emerging social issues.

Further, based on the health and sur vival index, Guyana yet again ranks first, tying with 27 other countries across the world. In sub-components of this index, such as sex ratio and birth, and healthy life expectancy, Guyana also ranks first globally.

Women in Guyana are afforded repro ductive autonomy and have a legal right to make their own decisions regarding reproduction. This right is further reflected in the mean age of women at the birth of their first child, which is recorded at 26.7 years old; a healthy age and a significant improvement from the situation in Guyana 30 years ago.

Further, 98.5 per cent of live births in Guyana are attended to by skilled personnel. This is especially noteworthy, considering Guyana’s geography and the diverse terrain across the 10 administrative regions.

“Whilst the government recognises gaps in healthcare provision and continues to plan for improvements, the construction of healthcare facilities including hospitals, outposts, and health centres, the training of healthcare professionals and consistent budgetary allocations for the health sector over the past two decades has created al most universal access to healthcare across Guyana,” the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance said.

Guyana has also recorded equal rights for men and women in access to justice, and men and women also have equal rights to divorce.

Those are only some of the civil and political rights sub-indexes that are anal ysed in the report; however, other factors such as elections lists quotas and party membership quotas for women are also

analysed.

“It is important for us to recognize that development is measured as a combination of various elements, and each and every project and initiative implemented by government forms part of a larger vision towards promoting development and real izing the fundamental human rights of all Guyanese,” the ministry said.

The outcomes of each project when viewed in isolation might appear small, but the overall impact of all the investments by the government creates positive change as

is clearly shown in the 2022 Gender Gap Report.

The promotion of gender equality is no easy task, and the 2022 report even shows that various factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, global fuel and food crises, unprecedented natural disasters as a result of climate change, and civil conflicts have affected gender parity negatively on the global scale.

Despite this fear of backsliding in even some of the most developed countries, Guyana’s ranking continues to rise; the results of the commitment over many years of the government, rights commissions, and other key gender-equality stakeholders in Guyana are becoming more evident.

“Government therefore acknowledg es these positive changes as quintessen tial in creating comprehensive national development, and remains committed to promoting and protecting gender equality, consistent with its One Guyana vision,” the Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Ministry said.

Opposition’s non-participation in LGEs would not affect process

–– Attorney General says

ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, S.C., on Tuesday evening said that should the A Partnership for National Unity + Al liance For Change (AP NU+AFC) not participate in Local Government Elec tions (LGEs), the credibil ity and legality of the pro cess would not be affected.

Nandlall, during his vir tual programme, “Issues in the News,” said that the Op position is in its “usual con fused state” as it relates to its participation in the LGEs set for March 13.

He added that in this con fusion, the AFC has said that they will not contest the

elections and subsequently changed its rhetoric to say that the executive committee of the party would make a decision on the way forward.

The Attorney General noted that the population will not be distracted by the confusion and “ineptitude” taking place in the Opposi tion camp.

Nandlall added: “Wheth er the APNU+AFC contests the elections as a collective or as individual parties… will not affect the credibility of the elections, neither will it affect the legality of the elections.”

Additionally, the Attor ney General said that the Op position’s non-participation

will, however, have devastat ing political consequences if that decision is taken.

He went on to say that it is clear that the Opposition is afraid of the upcoming elections, since there is solid evidence that they might lose by a large margin.

Digicel Chairman joins CARICOM reparations movement

CHAIRMAN of Digicel, Denis O’Brien, offered his support to the regional reparations movement during an engagement last week with the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC).

O’Brien presented a pro posal entitled “Repair” that he said could assist in ad vancing CARICOM’s call for reparations for native genocide and slavery.

The plan seeks to per suade the British and Eu ropean governments and institutions to establish a new long-term fund for rep arations. He said the fund will have clear five-year tar gets with financing flowing to the region annually.

The Digicel Chairman had already publicly de clared his solidarity with the work of the CRC and had spoken on the mat ter to several CARICOM Heads of Government, the Commission’s Chairman, Professor Sir Hilary Beck les, and national reparations committees.

O’Brien said the pro posal supports the CRC 10-Point Plan for Repa ratory Justice in which reparation is defined as an economic and social de velopment strategy for the region. He agreed with the CRC’s position that Europe owes the region a “Mar shall-Style Plan” after 400 years of wealth extraction by which it was enriched.

The Chairman of Digi

cel said his Repair plan will facilitate multi-sectoral investments in agriculture, health and education, among other areas. He suggested that such a multi-sectoral investment and trading plan was critical to the successful recovery of the region from current international eco nomic crises.

In applauding O’Brien and his team for their affir mation and support of the work of the CRC, Professor Beckles said the Repair plan has the potential to form the basis for discussion in high-level government rela tions with the UK, Europe, and the European Union.

“ This level of engage ment will help build mo mentum in support of CAR ICOM’s call for repara tions,” he added.

The Repair plan seeks to energise the movement for reparations through public relations campaigns in the United Kingdom, and Eu ropean and Caribbean com munities. To achieve this objective, a robust commu nications strategy utilising both traditional and social media platforms will be implemented.

O’ Brien commended the commission for its out standing work in bringing reparations to the top of the global agenda. Every where in Britain, he noted, exposure and apologies for enrichment from slavery are the order of the day.

The next critical step is

to influence public opinion so that European leaders will offer reparations in stead of cautious statements of regret.

He also called for the establishment of a team of regional economists from UWI and other partners to prepare a report on what the “Marshall Plan Rep arations” development programme would entail. The time, O’Brien said, has come to put a firm but reasonable reparations for development proposal be fore Europe.

The commission and O’Brien’s team agreed to collaborate on development of the proposal in the com ing months.

The CARICOM Rep arations Commission in vited other private sector corporations in the Ca ribbean and in Europe to similarly partner with the CRC to seek reparatory justice for the peoples of the Caribbean. (CAR ICOM)

Attorney General

Anil Nandlall, S.C.

Chairman of Digicel Denis O’Brien

EU partners with Guyana to enhance forestry sector standards

LOCAL officials and representatives of the European Union (EU) met on Thurs day to discuss the implementation of their Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Gov ernance and Trade (FLEGT).

The agreement will help to improve forest governance and sustainable forestry, and verify the trade in legal timber.

Ambassador of the European Union to

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharat, said: “The Pre-JMRC [Joint Mon itoring and Review Committee] meetings continue to highlight Guyana’s continued commitment to the VPA process and the broader initiatives to improve forest gov ernance.”

He further stated that the VPA and the agreements are all part of the government’s commitment under the Low Carbon Devel

Guyana, René Van Nes, said: “The VPA spearheads Guyana as a global pioneer of sustainable forest management.”

During the meeting, the parties indicat ed that they hoped to sign the agreement before the end of 2022. After Guyana and the EU sign and ratify the VPA, its commit ments will become legally binding.

The parties intend to give high inter national visibility to such an important milestone, noting the groundbreaking and innovative nature of the agreement. The signature and subsequent ratification will mark the end of a 10-year negotiation process.

Guyana will thereupon join a select group of Asian, African and American countries committed to the protection of their forests.

Guyana will also become the first VPA country in the Amazon region, and the second in the Americas, after Honduras; this will make the nation a frontrunner in sustainable forest management, adhering to the highest international standards.

Through the VPA’s implementation, Guyana will further strengthen the sus tainable use of its forest resources, reduce illegal timber trade and better modernise timber operations, thereby ensuring that forestry brings “green” jobs in the formal economy.

The VPA also includes commitments to improve transparency, accountability, legislative clarity and other aspects of governance.

opment Strategy 2030, which is aimed at promoting a green economy.

Good governance of Guyana’s forests is crucial to sustainable development. It helps both Guyana and the EU to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including by mitigating climate change and protecting biodiversity.

The EU and Guyana agreed to focus their efforts on the further development and implementation of strengthened operation al procedures for the sector, and a robust paper-based and digital traceability system of logs and timber that meets the VPA’s requirements. To ensure that these priorities are met in time, Guyana and the EU agreed on a detailed work plan.

The stakeholders also discussed how they will continue to engage with national and international stakeholders interested in VPA implementation. They committed to putting in place a range of tools to ensure that interested audiences could follow the developments and impacts of VPA implementation.

Representatives of the private sector and civil society, including indigenous peoples’ organisations, presented the issues they would like to bring to the table. Guyana and the EU also discussed the next steps in the development of an approach to protect the traditional rights of Amerindian peoples.

The next meeting of the Joint Mon itoring and Review Committee, which reviews progress of the implementation of the Guyana-EU FLEGT VPA, is scheduled to take place in May, 2023.

Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat (right) and Ambassador of the European Union to Guyana, René Van Nes

ICJ to hear preliminary objections raised by Venezuela in border controversy case

THE International Court of Justice (ICJ) –the high est court in the world –will hold a public hearing on preliminary objections raised by Venezuela in the border controversy case with Guyana from Novem ber 17 to 22, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Neth erlands.

The ICJ has issued a no tice informing the Govern ment of Guyana that “ the hearing will be devoted to the preliminary objections raised by Venezuela.”

Venezuela had submitted preliminary objections to the admissibility of the case before the court regarding the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela).

During the hearing, both countries will lead oral ar guments regarding the ob

jections The ICJ will later deliver its ruling.

Guyana had moved to the ICJ with its case in March 2018, challenging the non participating Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela over its disagreement on the legal validity and binding effect of the October 3, 1899 Award.

Venezuela had main tained that the ICJ was with out jurisdiction to hear the case and had not participated in the matter.

However, in a December 18, 2020, 12-4 majority rul ing, the ICJ upheld that it has jurisdiction to entertain Guy ana ’ s contention concern ing the validity of the 1899 Award about the frontier between British Guiana and Venezuela, and the related question of the definitive set tlement of the land boundary.

Man arrested for possession of cannabis

A 59-year-old man was on Tuesday arrested by ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) after he was allegedly caught with a quantity of can nabis at the Rubis Gas Station on Mandela Av enue, East La Penitence.

According to a re lease from CANU, Ig natius Mann of Prashad Nagar, Georgetown, was intercepted at the gas sta tion by ranks. A search of Mann and his motor cycle led to the discovery of a quantity of cannabis.

Ranks then went to Mann’s home and con ducted a further search.

IN CUSTODY: Ignatius Mann

The ICJ pointed out too, that both Guyana and Vene zuela had agreed to the 1966 Geneva Agreement which showed that both parties had accepted the possibility of the controversy being re solved by means of judicial settlement.

After a case management meeting, the ICJ had set time limits for Guyana and Venezuela to file written pleadings on the merits of

the case.

Guyana met its March 8, 2022, deadline to submit its Memorial on the merits of its case to the court Venezuela, on the other hand, submitted preliminary objections.

As a result, the ICJ allowed for such an ob jection to be lodged and considered by the court, and, as a consequence, the proceedings on the merits of the case were suspended

until the court rules on the preliminary objections.

Guyana maintains that a judicial settlement of the matter is the only recourse remaining as it has exhausted all other measures.

As recently as October 4, the United States govern ment reaffirmed the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and solidified its support for a “ peaceful resolution ” of the Guyana Venezuela bor

der controversy through the proper court, if there is any deviation from that Award.

Guyana is seeking to obtain a final and binding judgement that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which es tablished the location of the land boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid, and that the Essequibo region belongs to Guyana, and not Venezuela.

The search resulted in the discovery of an additional quantity of cannabis.

Mann was escorted to CANU’s headquarters along with the suspected cannabis, which has a total weight of 174.8 grams.

Investigations are still ongoing

The seized cannabis

All dialysis patients must receive entitled benefits

SENIOR Minister in the Office of the Pres ident with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, has instructed the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) to ensure that all dialysis patients receive their entitled benefits.

The minister’s intervention follows several complaints of persons encountering difficulties in accessing their benefits after securing the $600,000 grant offered by the government to dialysis patients.

Dr Singh affirmed that the grant is addition al support, and should, at no time, be used as a basis for persons being denied their legitimate benefits from the institution.

“In Budget 2022, one of the several mea sures that we announced was the introduction of a $600,000 grant to persons receiving di alysis treatment. This grant was in response to government’s recognition of the severe challenges being faced by persons undergoing dialysis treatment and the tremendous costs associated with that treatment, not just the dialysis treatment and the associated medi cation, but other expenditure associated with accessing that treatment,” Dr. Singh recalled

following the meeting with the NIS.

The minister then expressed his disappoint ment that dialysis patients were experiencing difficulties when it should not have been the case.

“Oftentimes, patients would require dialy sis treatment twice, sometimes thrice a week etc. and so recognising this, we introduced this dialysis support programme under which every single person receiving dialysis on a regular basis will get a grant of $600,000.

“Having introduced the measure in Bud get 2022, it came to my notice recently that a number of persons have been having some difficulties, particularly in their interactions with the National Insurance Scheme in relation to dialysis treatment. The issue that has been raised with me is that since the introduction of the $600,000 grant by government to dialysis patients, some persons have been unable to access their dialysis reimbursements from the NIS,” Dr. Singh said.

He related that during the meeting with NIS’s management on the matter, he provided clear instructions that the NIS discontinue this forthwith.

The senior minister described the situation as perverse, noting that it was never the gov ernment’s intention.

“I made it crystal clear that government’s $600,000 grant to dialysis patients is intended to be an additional support to dialysis patients and was never intended to result in patients being denied their NIS benefits. Apparently, what has been happening is that in some cases patients are being told that until they have utilised the $600,000, they are not being reim bursed their dialysis benefits.

“The intention was always to provide addi tional support and not to provide support -this grant- and then to take it away through another institution of the state. And so I made this very clear to the senior management of NIS that the $600,000 grant provided by government for dialysis treatment is additional to whatever was being enjoyed by persons who have paid their NIS over the years and who are entitled to some degree of NIS support,” Dr Singh related.

He added that persons who have been contributing to NIS over the years should not be penalised.

Dr Singh urged any person who is still en

countering such issues to contact the Ministry of Finance, where staff are available to deal with the issue.

The government, he said, continues to work aggressively to improve the quality of services delivered by state institutions such as the National Insurance Scheme.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh

UNICEF report: Heatwaves to impact almost every child on earth by 2050

HEATWAVES have be come an unavoidable health hazard for many nations, but new data in dicates that they are set to affect virtually every child on earth by 2050, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.

Today, at least half a bil lion youngsters are already exposed to a high number of heatwaves, placing them on the front lines of climate change, the UN agency not ed.

By the middle of this century, moreover, it esti mates that more than two billion children will be ex posed to “more frequent, longer-lasting, and more severe” heatwaves.

“The climate crisis is a child-rights crisis – and it is already taking a devastating toll on children’s lives and futures,” UNICEF Exec utive Director, Catherine Russell, warned.

This year’s wildfires and heatwaves that have swept through India, Eu rope, and North America were “yet another sober ing example of the impact of climate change on chil dren,” she added.

YOUNGSTERS AT GREATER RISK

New data from the agency published in its re port, The Coldest Year Of The Rest Of Their Lives, underscores that young children face greater risks than adults when faced with extreme heat events.

This is because they are less able to regulate their body temperature compared to adults. The more heat waves children are exposed to, the greater the chance of health problems, including chronic respiratory condi tions, asthma, and cardio vascular diseases.

“The world urgently needs to invest in building

their resilience – and in adapting all the systems children rely on to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing climate,” UNICEF maintained.

This is regardless of whether average glob al temperatures rise by 1.7 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels if

greenhouse gas emissions are low, or whether they rise by 2.4C, if emissions are high.

PROTECTION –THE PRIORITY

Protecting children from the escalating im pacts of heatwaves should be a priority for all coun

tries, UNICEF said, in a call for “urgent and dra matic emissions mitigation measures to contain glob al heating - and protect lives”.

Children in northern re gions will face the most dramatic increases in high heatwave severity, while by 2050, nearly half of all chil dren in Africa and Asia will face sustained exposure to extreme high temperatures over 35C (95F), UN Chil dren’s Fund data showed.

“This will have a devas tating impact on children,” said Vanessa Nakate, cli mate activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

She added: “The more frequent, longer lasting and more severe heat waves children are ex posed to, the greater the impacts on health, safety, nutrition, education, ac cess to water and future livelihoods.”

ADAPTATION CALL

Highlighting the devas tating impact of drought in the Horn of Africa after four failed rainy seasons, Ms. Nakate insisted that “lives are being lost from preventable causes be cause the world is acting too slowly on mitigation and not providing enough support for adaptation.”

Children “who are least responsible for climate change are bearing its big gest costs,” she continued, noting that although Africa produces less than four per cent of global emissions, it suffers some “most brutal” impacts of the climate crisis.

“Almost every country is experiencing chang ing heatwaves,” UNICEF said, adding: “What each government does now will determine the survival of those least responsible for this crisis – our children and young people.” (UN News)

10 to vie for ‘Miss East Coast’ crown

TEN beauties will grace the stage at Tipperary Hall, Bux ton, on November 12, to com pete in the Miss East Coast Pageant.

The pageant returns this year after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to one of the pageant’s committee members, Dwright Ward, the “grand” re turn will see the Tipperary Hall being transformed into a spec tacular red-carpet venue to host the event.

“We are coming big, and we are coming better. We want these girls to portray that they came in this pageant as girls and [will] leave this pageant as ladies,

young respectable ladies,” Ward told the Buzz.

The delegates are Izannah Rogers, Lotoya Williams, Nutan da Blair, Queasha Sealy, Shakel Lewis, Alicia Baptise, Nikesha Bashk, Stacy Hosannah, Trevena Durant and Yunette Stepheney.

The pageant will see the delegates competing in several segments which will test their ability to be an ambassador for their respective communities.

“They are going through eight weeks of rigorous training. They are also going through eight weeks of workshops, team building sessions [and] personal building sessions. We are sched uled to have public speaking and

etiquette training,” he added.

The pageant was first intro duced to the local entertainment scene in 2018 and was coordinat ed by Baddow ‘Junior’ Horton, a well-known philanthropist and entertainer.

His aim was to create a plat form for young women living along the East Coast corridor to be leaders who are equipped with the necessary skills to inspire others.

Tickets will be available at the Buxton Bakery and Cigars and Cognac from next week. Persons can also contact pageant coordinator Keon on telephone 592-659-5350.

This year’s Miss East Coast delegates (Photo courtesy of Dwright Ward)

New music from ‘Melody’ to be out soon

AMELIA ‘Melody’ Thom

as is all set to release her brand-new single, “Pres sure”, which she has de scribed as a “sexy blend of R&B, dancehall, and reggae.”

Come November 5, the new music, produced by Bambustation from the Vir gin Islands, will be available on all major online platforms.

“The song is about meet ing someone and feeling an instant connection,” Melody

told Buzz this week, adding, “The lyrics are about meeting someone on a night out and feeling a connection. You’re so infatuated with that person that you want to get to know them…It’s also about having a one-night stand.”

The 34-year-old musi cian, who started singing when she was just 12 years old, was inspired by a past experience and by the expe riences of others who have fallen for someone they just

met.

The track was co-pro duced by Burchmore Simon and ‘Chronic X’ from Kross Kolor Records.

Just recently, Melody taught a vocal training course and a social media marketing programme for upcoming artistes at Kross Kolor Re cords in an effort to help them develop their skills.

She has also been working towards creating her new 12-track reggae album which

she plans to release next year. Formerly known as ‘Miss Melody’, the reggae and R&B singer went to England with her family when she was three years old. At age 14, she began working with vocal trainers and artist developers during which time she real ised that songwriting and the art of compiling lyrics were her passion.

Thomas subsequently wrote and produced her own

music as she collaborated with, and wrote for local and international artistes.

She has also performed across the UK, Europe, Can ada and the Caribbean at the 291 Show at Hackney Em pire, a variety of songwriters’ competitions, Reality Byte’s Showcase, the Canadian Reg gae Fest, the Guyana Nation al Stadium, the National Park and Hootenanny Brixton, among others.

Thomas is a pioneer in royalty management and music licensing through her previous employment as a music licensing agent for a company in London. She has what it takes to educate artistes, music businesses and music users alike on the benefits of protecting their work and making money from their music.

Amelia ‘Melody’ Thomas (Photos courtesy of Amelia Thomas)

Melody’s

Kali Ranks goes ‘Tropical’ with Lauryn

(Jamaica Observer) – JA

MAICAN-BORN produc er Kali Ranks has added another star to his uni verse after recently col laborating with Lauryn Hill on the song Perfect Match.

The single will form part of Tropical House Cruises to Jamaica: The Asian Edi tion. It also features acts in cluding cricketer-turned-ar tiste, Chris Gayle, Capleton, and Sizzla Kalonji.

“It was the first-time

meeting Miss Hill and, of course, I was extremely ex cited to meet her. We met in Battery Studios New York City. She was a very hum ble lady. We spent hours writing and recording. She had great vibes and her skills were on point, as expected. It was truly a momentous moment in my music career,” the producer, whose given name is Dean Moulton, told the Jamaica Observer.

The project will debut

on December 23.

Hailing from Kingston, Kali Ranks also spent some of his younger years in Portmore, St Catherine. He attended Kingston College for one year before migrat ing to New York.

He has worked with other known artistes such as Canibus, Chris Brown, Rampage from Buster Rhymes’ camp and Onyx.

In the meantime, Kali Ranks says he has high hopes for the song which

has two other remixes.

“We knocked out three versions of A Perfect Match in one day, the main ver sion — which we made the dancehall remix — [is] to [be] called The Reprise where she sings a poem written by Drew Dixon, and a poetry recital that goes with the songs,” he informed.

Lauryn Hill, an eighttime Grammy winner, is known for songs such as Killing Me Softly, Nothing

Even Matters, To Zion, and I Gotta Find Peace of Mind.

Kali Ranks feels hon oured that the single will be part of a collective project.

“The stars involved are ones that I have always looked up to, like Caple ton and Sizzla Kalonji and Str8 Kings. To be men tioned with Chris Gayle and such names is just a godsent gift. I’m thankful to Miss Hill and everyone down with the project and behind it,” he said.

Boxer Tyson Fury to release ‘Sweet Caroline’ remake for charity

(Reuters) - WBC heavy weight champion Tyson Fury is swapping his box ing gloves for a micro phone, with the release of his debut single, a remake of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”, for charity.

The 34-year-old British boxer, who has previously sung for crowds at matches as well as dueted with Rob bie Williams, will put out the track, a crowd favourite at sporting events, on Novem ber 11, in aid of men’s mental health charity Talk Club.

“’Sweet Caroline’ is a record I’ve always loved,

and I’m excited to record and release it,” Fury said in a statement, noting the single will come out just in time for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to give something back to mental health and, hopefully, continue to raise awareness for a cause that’s really close to my heart and if it helps England along the way, in the World Cup, well that’s an added bonus.”

Fury stunned boxing fans in 2015 when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF, WBA and WBO belts. But he later struggled with

mental health and substance abuse which derailed his career. He fought back and has been vocal about mental health awareness.

“Boxing has been a massive platform for me to spread the word on mental health and I have done it to the best of my ability,” said Fury, who will take on Derek Chisora in December.

“It has been widely printed about my highs and lows, ups and downs, so I’ve tried my best to keep talking about it as much as I can and keep trying to smash the stigma.”

Kali Ranks (Jamaica Observer photo)

Tyson Fury (Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo)

Kanye West: What’s next for Yeezy and trainer fans?

Kanye.”

THE FUTURE FOR YE?

As for Ye, he’s lost his position in Forbes magazine’s list of bil lionaires. It estimates that the loss of the Adi das partnership cuts Ye’s net worth from $1.5 billion to $400 million (£1.3 billion to

£349 million).

In the world of fash ion, Emily feels the rapper no longer has “the positive inputs he had all those years ago”.

“It’ll be interesting to see his next move. And which brands are brave enough to take him under their wing.”

As for his music,

James says while he’s not yet at the stage where he’ll be press ing skip on his tunes, but “it’s getting very close”.

“I do think a lot of people will turn off his music now, will skip him and put [his comments] before the music.”

(BBC) – KANYE

West’s Yeezy collab oration with Adidas has been one of the most successful in the brand’s history.

But that’s now over, as the clothing giant has dropped the rap per - known as Yeover anti-Semitic com ments.

Cutting the partner ship means Adidas will make a net loss of £217 million in 2022, with many other brands also ending their relation ships with him.

For fans of the fash ion and music, and the wider sneaker world, the big question is what comes next?

“I was a fan of him,” James Drury tells BBC Newsbeat. “He is a ge nius in the fashion in dustry and in the music industry.”

But the 28-year-old is no longer a fan and says he can’t stand by Ye after anti-Semitic comments.

“It does feel like he’s almost attention seeking to stay rele vant,” he says. “And he’s just a little bit too far out there with me now.

“There’s certain things that you just can’t agree with.”

‘A SEPARATE BRAND’

James, from Shrop shire, has been collect ing Yeezys since 2016, when he first got into the range.

“It was more so the rarity,” he says. “See ing images of various celebrities wearing them, it instantly pulls you in.”

But when it comes to being a Yeezy col lector, he will continue despite Ye’s comments.

“I almost see Yeezy as a brand separate ly from Kanye West.

Obviously, he con trols much of it, but for some reason I see Yeezy as separate. So, I will continue with it.”

James says he’s not in it for the money though.

“I’m personally not in it for selling them, I collect because of the rarity rather than the money,” he says.

“I have huge stories behind [certain shoes that I’ve got].”

Emily Atkins from The Sole Supplier, a specialist trainer web site, labels it “the big gest story in the sneak er world”.

the partnership has cost Adidas money, Emily is interested to see the wider impact.

“We’ve been see ing that people have rebelled and boycot ted Adidas because of Kanye’s comments,” the shoe expert says. “And I think his influ ence is on the whole brand.”

Emily, 25, says Adidas can recover from the backlash, and they can learn a big lesson on not putting “so much reliance on one influencer for their campaigns”.

“I think he started damaging his reputa tion a long while ago.”

But she recognis es the need to keep in mind Ye’s mention of his mental health, as he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

She adds there are other options for Adi das going forward, too.

“It’s dangerous for any brand to rely so heavily on one influ encer to drive such a huge portion of their sales,” she says.

“But on the other hand, they do have other products, some very iconic silhou ettes which have al ways been around pre-

Kanye West, now known as Ye, is best known for hits such as Gold Digger and Stronger (GETTY IMAGES)

RACING TIPS

English Racing Tips

Newmarket

08:00 hrs Ehraz

08:30 hrs Burdett Road

09:05 hrs Bodorgan

09:40 hrs Matilda Picotte

10:15 hrs Turntable 10:50 hrs Allmankind 11:25 hrs Two Brothers 12:00 hrs Alternative Fact

Wetherby

08:10 hrs Piaff Bubbles 08:45 hrs Gelino Bello

09:20 hrs Name In Lights 09:55 hrs Tuddeham Green

10:30 hrs Flic Ou Voyou 11:05 hrs Jar Du Desert 11:35 hrs Ukantango

Uttoxeter

08:20 hrs Magical Maggie 08:55 hrs Inflagrante

09:30 hrs Kingston King 10:05 hrs Mactavish

10:40 hrs Brief Times

11:15 hrs Marta Des Mottes 11:45 hrs Fingle Bridge

Irish Racing Tips

Dundalk

11:55 hrs Las Cuatro 12:30 hrs Inishmot 13:00 hrs Mickey The Steel 13:30 hrs Nel 14:00 hrs Queens Command 14:30 hrs Eastern Racer 15:00 hrs Leabaland 15:30 hrs Amortentia

American Racing Tips Belmont Race 1 Going In Style Race 2 Lord Gatling Race 3 Tizzy In The Sky Race 4 Oakhurst Race 5 Red Butterfly Race 6 Handle The Truth Race 7 Dame Cinco Race

The Classy One Race

Wilo

Canadian Racing Tips Woodbine Race 1 Kodiac Mamba Race 2 Uh Oh It’s Magic Race 3 Onezy’s Dream Race

Souper Class Race

Gungi Race

Attabe Race

Wentru

South Africa Racing Tips Fairview

08:05 hrs And We Danced 08:40 hrs Adios Amigos 09:15 hrs Khaya’s Hope 09:50 hrs Mount Anderson 10:25 hrs Cruise Control 11:00 hrs Federal Reserve

Zimbabwe produces ‘giant killer’ performance to stun Pakistan

(ICC) - Zimbabwe pro duced one of the all-time World Cup upsets with a brilliant performance in Perth to beat Pakistan by one run in a match that went down to the very last delivery.

Pakistan needed 11 to win off the final over of a pulsating evening and that equation came down to three from three with the well-set Mohammad Nawaz at the crease.

But 25-year-old Brad Ev ans produced three stunning deliveries right when it mat tered.

First, he fizzed through a pacy bouncer that Nawaz failed to connect with.

And a miscue off the pen ultimate ball had Nawaz caught at mid-off by captain Craig Ervine, a wicket that saw both batters sink to their knees, with heartbreak again for Nawaz in the second suc cessive match.

Shaheen Shah Afridi punted the final ball down the ground, tearing back in

a desperate attempt for a second run to tie the match.

Wicketkeeper Regis Chakab va fumbled the throw at first, but recovered to whip off the bails with Afridi still short of his ground, sparking jubilant scenes among the Zimbabwe players and supporters.

Pakistan had made a mea sured start to the chase of 131 to win, but two huge power-play wickets gave Zimbabwe a sniff as the bigname opening pair both went cheaply.

Babar Azam was squared up by a lovely piece of bowl

ing from Brad Evans to be sent back for just four runs off nine balls. And the out standing Blessing Muzara bani cleaned up Mohammad Rizwan via an inside edge for 14 (16).

After Iftikhar Ahmed was also removed cheaply, Paki

stan seemingly got the match under control with a solid partnership between Shan Masood and Shadab Khan to reach 88-3 with six and a half overs still remaining.

But the inspired Zimba bwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza took two wickets in two balls to remove Shadab and Haider Ali, before having Masood stumped in his very next over to give Zimbabwe hope and set up a big finish.

After opting to bat first, Zimbabwe got off to a flier as a daring Wessley Madhevere and skipper Craig Ervine played some eye-catching shots inside the first two overs. With five boundaries inside the first three overs, Zimbabwe had a fabulous start, racing away at 10 runs per over.

Some of that early mo mentum toned down when Ervine was sent back by Haris Rauf and his partner got trapped in front by Wasim in the following over. Sha dab Khan prized out Milton Shumba before Sean Wil

liams and Sikandar Raza went about the resurrection work.

Things turned pretty quickly when Shadab sent back Williams and Chakabva off successive deliveries, the latter dismissed off a spectac ular grab at first slip by Babar Azam.

Shadab completed a bril liant spell of 4-0-23-3 but there was more in store for Zimbabwe from the other end. In the very next over after losing two wickets off back-to-back balls to Shad ab, Zimbabwe lost a further two as Mohammad Wasim dismissed Raza and Luke Jongwe off successive balls. 95-3, and what appeared to be a solid start, quickly turned into 95-7 as Pakistan's bowlers went on a rampage in Perth. Eventually, they put up 130-8 on board with some help from Brad Evans down the order.

It seemed unlikely to be enough, but a superb bowl ing display from Zimbabwe ensured otherwise.

India notch win over Netherlands

(ICC) - India posted a target of 180 for Netherlands to chase in their Group 2 clash at the Syd ney Cricket Ground, after half-centuries from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.

Winning the toss and batting first, India lost their opener KL Rahul relatively early. Netherlands bowled with great discipline in the power-play, restricting In dia to a score of 32-1.

But skipper Rohit Sharma then opened up his arms, bringing up a half-century. He departed soon after bringing up his milestone, getting out for a 39-ball 53.

Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav then upped the aggression, with the former bringing up con secutive half-centuries in the tournament after his memorable knock against

Pakistan. He was well-sup ported by Yadav, who also played some brilliant shots, bringing up his half-century off the final ball.

Kohli scored a 62* off 44, while Yadav finished up with a 25-ball 51*, as India ended their innings at a score of 179-2 in their 20 overs.

In reply, Bhuvneshwar Kumar proceeded to bowl two maidens including a wicket to kick-start things for India. India introduced spin early and found suc cess with it as Axar Patel sent back Max O'Dowd off the second ball of the fifth over.

Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann revived the innings a tad, albeit at slow pace, before Axar struck again to dismiss the former. Ashwin then further piled on Netherlands' woes by dismissing Ackermann and

Tom Cooper in the same over.

Netherlands never really recovered from that point, ambling along to 123-9 as India sealed a win by 56 runs to push their net run rate up to +1.425.

PLAYING XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Dinesh Karthik (wkp.), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravi chandran Ashwin, Bhuvne shwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

Netherlands: Max O'Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Bas de Leede, Colin Ack ermann, Tom Cooper, Scott Edwards (c & wkp.), Tim Pringle, Logan van Beek, Shariz Ahmad, Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meek eren.

Brad Evans is mobbed by his teammates after defending ten off the final over, October 26, 2022 (Getty Images)

Max O'Dowd

Axar

GCB president ‘highly confident’ of Harpy Eagles outfit

… Executives meet team prior to Super 50 Challenge departure

THE executives of the Guy ana Cricket Board (GCB) met with the players and management staff of Guy ana Harpy Eagles (GHE) on Wednesday evening, October 26, 2022, prior to their de parture for the Cricket West Indies Regional Super 50 tournament.

The engagement was geared at assisting with closing the perceived relationship-dis tance between players and executives.

In addressing the gath ering president of the GCB, Bissoondyal Singh, began by commending the players on their selection and urged both senior and junior counterparts to capitalise on the opportuni ties afforded them.

“We are aware of your expertise, and are highly con fident that you will excel con sistently throughout the CG United Super 50 Tournament. As a board, given the available resources we were able to runoff the Senior Inter-County Tournament after an absence for over five years,” the GCB boss said.

He continued, “Additional ly, we took all necessary steps to ensure that all matches were livestreamed, including a lives

tream test of the final between the seemingly improving Es sequibo team and the eventual champions Berbice.

“This livestream test of the final targeted the Indian subcontinent comprising India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhu tan, Maldives and Afghanistan, through a partnership agree ment with a promotion firm registered in India.

“While this partnership is in its infant stage, the GCB intends to administer and pro mote cricket in a “big way,” a professional way which will promote players within and outside the Caribbean region

and in general Guyana’s Crick et Product.”

“Further, we facilitated two practice matches. I must men tion that all of these activities, Senior Inter-County, lives treaming of the event and the hosting of the practice matches were financed solely by the GCB. I say this so that you can get a better understanding of the demands the GCB is faced with given its limited re sources and substantial efforts we are taking to ensure that all involved in the game have a fair and equitable chance to represent Guyana.”

President Singh went on to state, “The GCB continues

to examine ways to improve the training facilities available to you, the players, and is in receipt of estimates to upgrade the GCB’s practice facility at LBI.

“While we will be utilising other facilities in the execution of our duties as a board, we believe that the core group of national players at all levels must be given the best possible training environs to nurture and develop their skills. Our ability to train under flood lights will also aid in our com petitive preparations.”

Further, he remarked “As you journey to begin this year’s CG United Super 50 challenge,

it is the hope of the executive members of the GCB, that our meeting here will inspire you to bond and play as a team and to lift the CG United Super 50 Championship Trophy for 2022. Go forward confidently, be positive, play as a team, and achieve your set individual and team goals.”

The GHE departed Guyana at 08:15hrs yesterday and will open their challenge against Group A contender Windward Islands Volcanoes on Monday, October 31, 2022.

All Group A matches will be played in Trinidad with the other competing teams be ing Trinidad and Tobago Red

Force (TTRF), Combined Col leges and Campuses (CCC), Windward Islands Volcanoes (WV), and Guyana Harpy Ea gles (GHE).

The Zone B teams consist of Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Jamaica Scorpions, Barbados Pride, and a CWI Academy Team. The Zone A teams will play their preliminary matches in Trinidad, and preliminary matches for Zone B teams will be played in Antigua. The semi-finals and final will be played in Antigua.

The GHE team read as follows:

Leon Johnson (cap tain), Veerasammy Permaul (vice-captain), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Gudakesh Mo tie, Shimron Hetmyer, Roma rio Shepherd, Kemol Savory, Sherfane Rutherford, Tevin Imlach, Quentin Sampson, Anthony Bramble, Nial Smith, Kevin Sinclair, and Clinton Pestano.

The management staff includes Albert Clements (manager), Ryan Hercules (head coach), Garvin Nedd (assistant coach), Angelica Holder (physiotherapist), Kheshava Ramphal (cricket analyst).

THREE exciting nights of action, set to commence from this evening, are expected in the Guinness Greatest of the Streets football tournament.

Set for the Haslington Mar ket tarmac, the event was offi cially launched yesterday at the Banks DIH Ltd’s conference room, Thirst Park.

Guinness Brand Executive, Lee Baptiste, stated that the company is pleased to be a part of structured community initia tives and programmes, adding that excitement and anticipation for the tournament are at an alltime high following a two-year absence.

He further stated that three nights of exciting football is expected, while praising Co lours Boutique for its continued partnership, which has aided in the continued success of the tournament.

Similarly, Troy Peters, Banks DIH Ltd’s Communi cation Officer, stated that the curtailed season of the Guin ness ‘Greatest of the Streets’,

Championship, transpired due a lack of available time to conduct zone matches, adding that every thing will return to normalcy, as the brand has major plans for 2023.

Meanwhile, Rawle Welch, tournament coordinator, thanked the company for the continued support and belief in the team, adding that the tournament has developed into one of the pre mier local sporting activities.

16 teams will compete in an elimination format. The win ners of the first round, which is the round-of-16 section, will advance to the quarter-final stage. This will be followed by the semi-final round and even tual championship match. The tournament's Plate Section will feature the losing teams from the round-of-16 section.

The competing teams are: Melanie-B, Paradise, Victoria Church Yard, Liliendaal Hus tlers, Belfield, Uprising, BVA, Buxton Diamond, Victoria Eagles, Portmore, Bareroot, Non Pareil, Team Cruel, Vry

heid’s Lust, Haslington, and Old School.

All matches will be 20 min utes in duration consisting of two 10-minute segments. If a match is tied at the end of regu lation time, two four-minute pe riods of extra time will be used to decide the outcome. If a win ner is not realised in extra time, then a penalty shoot-out will be used to resolve the encounter.

Each team is allowed two fouls per half. Consequently, every third foul and subsequent infraction will result in a penalty kick being awarded. Fouls at the end of the first half are removed. However, fouls in the second half will transfer into the extra time interval.

Meanwhile, any goal record ed in the final three minutes of normal time in the second half, will count as two. This is called a ‘Guinness Goal’. The ‘Guin ness Goal’ three-minute period will also occur and apply in the final three minutes of extra time.

Main Draw

Round of 16 - October 28

(1) Melanie-B vs Portmore

(2) Paradise-A vs Victoria Eagles

(3) Church Yard vs Team Cruel

(4) Liliendaal Hustlers vs Haslington

(5) Belfield vs Vryheid’s Lust

(6) Uprising vs Old School

(7) BV-A vs Bareroot

(8) Buxton Diamond vs Non Pareil

ROUND OF 16 SCHEDULE

Belfield vs Vryheid’s Lust - 19:00hrs

Buxton Diamond vs Non Pareil - 19:30hrs

BV-A vs Bareroot - 20:00hrs

Church Yard vs Team Cruel - 20:30hrs

Paradise-A vs Victoria Ea gles - 21:00hrs

Liliendaal Hustlers vs Has lington - 21:30hrs Melanie-B vs Portmore - 22:00hrs Uprising vs Old School -

The Guyana Cricket Board executives with members of Guyana Harpy Eagles squad

The Guyana Harpy Eagles team

Bounty Supermarkets National Indoor Hockey Tournament … Old Fort Top Form, Woodpecker

Hikers score wins on night two

THE opening match of night 2 was a second division match, played between Old Fort Top Form and Saints Scorpions. The Old Fort boys thoroughly represented their name ‘top form’ as they whipped their opponents 6-1.

The youthful and talented Simeon Moore showed great energy and scored 3 field goals, 2 in the 22nd minute and the other 3 minutes later.

Moore's teammate Shaquan Favorite opened the scoresheet with the first goal, followed by Daniel and Nandalall. Ezekiel Springer was the lone scorer for the Scorpions.

The ladies’ division matches proved competitive as both win ners defeated their opponents in a slim 3-2 margin. The first ladies’ match, Old Fort Igniters vs GBTI GCC Tigers was excit ing as captain Gabriella Xavier marked her name on the score sheet in the 3rd minute,

However, Ingniter Kayla Duncan levelled for her team with a field goal. Captain ‘Gab by’ wanted to ensure her team’s victory and placed another shot past goalkeeper Keziah to keep her team ahead.

Sarah Klautky braced Gabby with a goal off a penalty corner. However, 3 minutes later in the same penalty corner opportunity, Minosodia Culpepper sent the ball past the goalkeeper.

Both teams continued to fight for ball possession with the Igniters having a chance in the last minute to score but the ball went wide giving the Tigers the victory.

In the other match-up with Woodpecker Hikers and GBTI GCC Spice, Ashley Khalil scored the first goal of the match on a rebound short corner but minutes before the halftime, Maria Munroe answered for her team with a shot past goalkeeper Empress Charles.

The second half started with Spice having more ball posses sion as Hikers played a more defensive structure. The last 6 minutes of the game saw most of the action as Munroe intercept ed a ball in the right back and raced towards the circle earning her team a short corner and an eventual stroke.

This stroke was taken and scored by Munroe. Three min utes later, Kenisha Wills drib bled at the baseline of the circle then gave her team a 3-1 lead. The Spice ladies kept their heads up and played to the end of the whistle securing a goal in the 39th minute. The game ended 3-2 to Woodpecker Hikers.

In the men's division Bounty GCC edged Saints Splinters 5-4. Mark Sargeant and Kareem McKenzie scored a double each but it was Kevin Spencer who sealed the victory in the final minute of the game.

In the other match, GCC

The Sequel and YMCA played a similar game to the earlier men's match when GCC edged Saints 4-3. Goals came of the stick of Devin Hooper (double), Dwayne Scott and Seth Jeffroy for the winning team.

The lone Veterans match and what can be deemed the match of the night was between YMCA Old Fort and Bounty GCC, who played the same type of game with the same results as the men and women.

The GCC men barely got past the Old Fort men 3-2. Kev in Spencer scored a double while Devin Hooper confidently scored on a penalty stroke to secure his team's victory.

Matches continue nightly from 17:00hrs with today’s games being accented with a mini fundraising exhibition match by the National men’s team for their CAC games campaign next year.

Campbellville, Future Stars rack up wins

CAMPBELLVILLE and Future Stars were among the most recent winners of the MVP Sports Futsal tournament.

Wednesday evening’s matches at the National Gymnasium opened with Campbellville blanking Vengy 5-0.

Jahall Greaves (20th, 36th) along with Manasseh Primo (21st, 38th and Marlon Gentle (18th) accounted for the goals.

In the second game of the night, Future Stars overcame Mocha Family 6-3 with goals from Jamal Cozier (1st, 10th, 20th), Tyrese Dennis (1st, 14th) and Raushawn Ritch (16th).

Mocha family had Shamar Jones (18th), Kevin Agard (2nd) and Ian Mars (2nd) on target.

Darren Benjamin (17th), Dextroy Adams (7th) and Phillip Rowley (8th) were the chief destructors in Goal is Money’s 3-0 drubbing of Tiger Bay.

Back Circle were also winners on the night as Cecil Jack man (10th), Dillon Kelly (17th) and Kelsey Benjamin (12th) helped them overcome Sophia (Lennox Young 2nd & 16th) by a 3-2 score line.

Sparta also beat BV Team Cruel 4-2 thanks to Ryan Hackett (1st, 16th), Marcus Wilson (18th) and Purnell Schultz (2nd).

The BV side had Shemar Fraser (3rd) and Neron Barrow (7th) on target.

Meanwhile Bent Street and Stabroek Ballers ended their fixture deadlocked at three goals apiece

Bent Street had all three goals from Deon Alfred (10th, 15th, 19th) while Stabroek had Henry Sampson (16th), Seon Taylor (4th) and Dorwin George (17th).

The tournament is being organised by the Petra Or ganisation with support from Magnum Tonic Wine and Lucozade.

John Abrams (Old Fort) takes a shot at goal but is blocked by GCC goalkeeper Philip Fernandes