Guyana chronicle epaper april 02 2018

MONDAY 2nd April, 2018

No.105232

GuySuCo to invest in mechanisation, co-generation PAGE

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–– Dr Davis says most of $30B bond will be spent in these areas

Bartica well underway to 07 becoming ‘a clean, ‘green’ town’ PAGE

Guyanese girls admitted 09 to top-tier US universities PAGE

–– President Granger at annual Regatta and commissioning of new boardwalk

Payne called aunt minutes before being killed 08 PAGE

President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger pose with this family during their visit to Bartica, Region Seven, on Sunday

To all readers

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

GuySuCo to invest in mechanisation, co-generation GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

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–– Dr Davis says most of $30B bond will be spent in these areas

By Svetlana Marshall GUYANA Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Director of Agricultural Services, Dr. Harold Davis Jnr, anticipates that approximately 60 per cent of the $30B, secured through a syndicated bond, will be utilised to modernise the remaining factories, and the balance would likely be used to significantly enhance agricultural services within the industry.

In a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle at his La Bonne Intention (LBI) Estate office on the East Coast of Demerara, Dr. Davis said that if the sugar industry is to be competitive, it must be modernised, and the upgrading of the factories is critical to the process.

“It will go towards field development, it will go towards acquiring new machineries but most of the money I think will be spent on factories…. The factories are old and they need a lot of investment, so the bulk of the money will, I think, be spent on factories… I would say that 60 per cent of the monies will go to the

factories and the rest of it will be spent on agriculture development,” he told this newspaper.

Blairmont on the West Bank of Berbice; Albion-Rose Hall in East Berbice; and the Uitvlugt-Wales in West Demerara are the three estates remaining under the management of GuySuCo. They are complete with factories and are being supplied with cane from various locations.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), “mechanisation covers all levels of farming and processing technologies, from simple and basic hand tools to more sophisticated and motorised equipment”.

It reduces hard labour and simultaneously improves productivity and timeliness of agricultural operations, thereby improving the efficient use of resources and market access.

FAR WAY TO GO While the sugar industry has undergone some levels of mechanisation, Dr. Davis believes that it has a far way to go.

“The work of mechani-

sation in this industry started way back in the 1970s, long before it was nationalised.

We had different periods under which advancements were made in the identification of equipment and technology that can do it… so we have made strides in finding equipment that can work in this industry. At least 60 per cent of our canes are loaded by machines… we have identified technology that drain and effectively manage it in a mechanised manner but what is necessary is to find the resources to make it a widespread reality,” GuySuCo’s director of agricultural services explained.

He clarified that while a percentage of the cane fields were developed in the past to allow for mechanise harvesting, it was not an indication that a large percentage of the industry had been mechanised.

“As I indicated about 60 per cent of our canes can be loaded mechanically, but that doesn’t mean that 60 per cent of the industry is mechanised, it is not mechanised,” Dr. Davis further clarified.

But as the corporation

moves to up the level of mechanisation within the sugar industry, the director posited that the move will include retooling of factories to facilitate the new diversification programme which will see significant attention being placed on plantation white sugar and cogeneration.

WHITE SUGAR He said that GuySuCo is aiming to produce ‘Plantation White Sugar’ to sell into the local, CARICOM, and USA markets – a move that would see the corporation earning more and simultaneously displacing the importation of refined sugar regionally.

“If the Caribbean produces enough white sugar it means that you could put what you call the Common Exchange Tariff (CET) on the product. Automatically, it means that any white sugar that comes into the country, (importers) will have to pay a tariff because it is a local product, meaning that it is produced in Guyana, Jamaica and Belize,” Dr. Davis explained.

Another significant revenue earner for the corpora-

tion would be cogeneration, the director of agriculture anticipates. GuySuCo had sold its co-generation plant at a cost of US$30M to Skeldon Energy Inc (SEI) – a special purpose company owned by the National Industrial and Commercial Limited (NICIL) and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL). However, SEI has fallen on tough times, and according to Dr. Davis, GuySuCo has learnt from its mistakes.

“We have had issues with the boilers and there were mistakes made but we would have learnt from those errors. Co-generation is one of the few things that would transform a sugar cane industry into a very profitable exercise and so we hope to do more of that,” he posited.

But whether it is the production of brown sugar, refined sugar or electricity through cogeneration, Dr. Davis said the sugar industry must not be labour intensive.

“The sugar industry that we have is a labour intensive industry. Looking at it philosophically we would have to hire a more skilled workforce, quite naturally

GuySuCo’s Director of Agricultural Services, Dr. Harold Davis Jnr with the modernisation of the industry we are looking to mechanise a lot of our operations. What we cannot go back to is a labour intensive sugar industry, we can’t go back there we have to change this industry if it is going to be competitive, it has got to be a modernised industry,” he explained.

The Special Purpose Unit (SPU) secured the $30B syndicated bond to aid in the revitalisation of the country’s sugar industry.

The SPU – an important arm of the NICIL – through its head Colvin Heath-London, disclosed that the $30B bond will be made available within two weeks, and will be repaid within a period of five years.

Guard killed in Berbice store robbery A 54-YEAR-OLD security guard was found dead after the Rose Hall Town, East Corentyne, Berbice store he was protecting was robbed of $1.5 million sometime between 19:00 hrs and 21:00 hrs on Saturday.

According to investigators, a friend of the owner of Sukhram’s General Store popularly known as “Fat Lady Store”, raised an alarm around 21:00 hrs after he called out to the security guard, Munisperen Monien, and did not get a response.

The Guyana Chronicle was informed that as custom-

ary, the friend would do regular checks on the building and when he passed on the first occasion at around 18:30 hrs, he did not see Monien. He left but returned about two hours later and called out to the guard but got no answer.

This prompted him to inform the manager and other employees of the store, who upon checking discovered the lifeless body of the man guard in a pool of blood in a back entrance leading into the store.

On closer examination, it was discovered that his throat was slit, his limbs were

Dead: Munisperen Monien broken and there was a severe gash to the head.

Further checks revealed

that the assailant(s) gained entry to the heavily secured premises by way of a hole in the back fence and made their way into the store.

Sources close to the investigation have revealed that there was no sign of forced entry into the store since the locks were reportedly left open, pointing to an inside job.

Seven persons, including the manager and other staff, are in custody assisting the police with their investigation.

The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that

the owners of the business are out of Guyana and monies would usually be left secured in the store in their absence.

The manager has allegedly confirmed that some $1.5 million has been lost in the robbery.

A source has revealed that there was an attempted break-in at the store on Wednesday evening and Monien was able to positively identify the alleged perpetrators.

Brother of the deceased, Lloyd Monien, said he received a call sometime after midnight from a friend that

his brother was badly beaten and he later found out that he was killed while on duty.

“We went to the place and see he lie down in blood, the police move he and we went over to the mortuary and I see that his neck cut and he foot and hands look like it break and he had a gash to the head, it look like them beat him up badly,” the brother said.

Monien, who is unmarried and has no children, leaves to mourn his two sisters and a brother.

The Police have launched an investigation.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

President opens Bartica Regatta PRESIDENT David Granger on Sunday called for greater regional participation in the Bartica Regatta, as he officially opened the powerboat sporting activity.

The Head of State gave the charge to the regional authorities and the planning committee at the opening of the Bartica Regatta at Golden Beach, Third Avenue.

More swimming, more canoes, more boating and other watersports,” said President Granger.

He noted that the Regatta is developing from a local festival to a more global one. He pointed out that “people have come back home” to be a part of Regatta and he encouraged Barticans to continue to support the event.

Accompanying Pres-

fairs, Basil Williams.

Moments before opening the Regatta, the President along with Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall unveiled a plaque to mark the commissioning of the Golden Beach Development Project, the highlight of which is a boulevard.

The President joined by

the First Lady, the mayor, ministers and other regional officials greeted persons along the boulevard.

Mayor Marshall noted that Bartica is poised to be the tourism capital of the country. “We are working to ensure that our true potential is met.

We are working to ensure

that we enforce a green agenda. We are working

to ensure the good life for all,” Marshall said. (DPI)

President David Granger and Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall, unveiling the plaque to mark the commissioning of the Golden Beach Development Project

Fire destroys Wellington Park home Visitors throng the boulevard at the opening of the Bartica Regatta 2018 (DPI photos)

“I want to see more participants from all over the region … all coming to Bartica to make this a more massive festival.

ident Granger was First Lady Sandra Granger; Minister of State Joseph Harmon; and Attorney General and Minister of Legal Af-

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Wednesday, April 04, 2018

Thursday, April 05, 2018

President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger are accompanied by, at left, the Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall; and on the First Lady’s left, Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams and other officials as they walk along the boulevard

A WELLINGTON Park, Corentyne, family is counting their losses after fire destroyed their furniture and equipment on Saturday night.

According to Chandradat Moonsammy, at around 21:00 hrs a friend alerted him that his sister’s home was on fire.

“Rockers pull up Blam! Blam! Shanie house on fire! So me call the fire service and run over and we smash in the grill and bruk down the side door,” he said.

He continued that upon entering the building, thick smoke started to bellow from the entrance and he noticed the three-piece suite was on fire.

However, due to the smoke and intense heat, they were unable to get into the one-story concrete building.

“The smoke too much, we couldn’t get in, so we start to soak the building from the outside by which time the fire service come and them start fuh out the fire,” Moonsammy said.

He stated that after the fire service was able to subdue the

The kitchen of the house in the aftermath of the fire

fire, they noticed a window at the back of the house was smashed and the grill removed.

A table was also set alight in the kitchen. The three bedrooms in the house were also destroyed as well as electronics in the kitchen.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the scene, the scent of kerosene was high and the entire interior of the building was destroyed.

Moonsammy said no one was at home at the time of the fire.

His sister lives overseas but a relative from Whim Village was the caretaker.

Moonsammy is calling for a full investigation into the fire.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Expert warns C’bean must strengthen its Internet infrastructure

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) — An Internet expert has called for greater regional network resilience and security and is urging Caribbean countries to strengthen their critical Internet infrastructure if they are to defend against the growing threat of climate-change-driven natural disasters.

The expert, Bevil Wooding, is also urging regional countries to adopt the new strategies if they are to keep up with the world’s growing digital economy.

Wooding, the Caribbean outreach director at the American Registry for

Internet Numbers (ARIN) said ‘in today’s world, the security, resilience and robustness of computers networks are critical to the development of the digital economy.

“The Caribbean can no longer afford to leave important decisions about network build out, network resource management and network infrastructure spending only to commercial telecommunications providers. Those issues are now the concern and the responsibility of governments, private network operators and even end users,” said Wooding, who works with the US-based non-profit organisation re-

sponsible for Internet number resource management.

Wooding, who is also the Strategic ICT Advisor for the St Lucia-based OECS Commission, told officials attending the 36th Executive Council meeting of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), that the regional regulator has established a special commission to identify “actionable recommendations for improving Caribbean network resilience”.

He also highlighted current efforts by regional and international non-profit organisations to address the issue, noting that the CTU, ARIN, the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG),

Packet Clearing House and others, are already collaborating on initiatives “to develop greater awareness and technical capacity in computer network design, management and cybersecurity.”

OECS Director General, Dr. Didacus Jules, said that the devastating impact of the 2017 hurricane season on several Caribbean territories has put a spotlight on the importance of strengthening the resilience of the region’s communications network and infrastructure.

“As a region, we must have a clear, strategic approach to building out Internet infrastructure to drive business innovation and

Cops rescue child bride Venezuelan girl, 13, ‘married’ in ‘tribal ritual’ in Penal

TRINIDAD NEWSDAY - Police who were searching a house in Penal on Wednesday afternoon, made the chilling discovery of a 13-year-old girl who was brought into the country days ago from Venezuela as a child bride.

Newsday was told the child is now in a safe house, while officers of the Child Protection Unit and the Anti-Trafficking Unit interview her.

Her assumed husband, a 24-year-old man from Penal Rock Road, cannot be found.

Police told Newsday yesterday, officers of the South western Division, led by Sgt Ablacksingh, were conducting an exercise between the hours of 2 pm and 7 pm on Wednesday.

They received information of a man in Penal who may have been harbouring illegal immigrants, as well as prohibited animals, and executed a search warrant at the house, only to find the 13-year-old girl in a room adjoining the house.

The child told police that she had been brought into the country and she had gotten married to the man under what she told police

was “tribal rites”.

Police were also told that the child had been married to the man on a small island off the coast of Venezuela, before she was brought to Trinidad a couple days earlier..

Police alerted the Child Protection Unit, who with the assistance of the Children’s Authority, found a safe house for the child.

The child is now being assessed on her psychological and physical health and being interviewed by agents of the Children’s Authority, as well as the Child Protection Unit and Counter Trafficking Unit.

Chairman of the Children’s Authority Hanif Benjamin told Newsday the response of the unit upon hearing of the Venezuelan child bride was immediate, as per their mandate to protect all endangered children, regardless of background or ethnicity.

He added that in today’s world, “our local agencies have to be prepared to deal with situations similar to this one.”

“We have to understand that we are operating in a global village, and we also have to understand that we are not impervious to the challenges that the world is facing.

We have to prepare ourselves to deal with many challenges and this is one such challenge.

“We have to be aware that our neighbours are going through difficulties and we are not impervious to the movement of people, the movement of drugs, the movement of guns.

It now becomes critical for agencies to prepare themselves and to move away from archaic methods of dealing with things.” Benjamin said. The Marriage Bill was introduced and read for the first time in the Senate on December 19 by Attorney General Faris Al Rawi.

The Bill amended chapters and lines in the Marriage Act, the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, the Hindu Marriage Act and the Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act. The amendments limited the age to be married without consent to the age of 16 and the consent for people wanting to be married between the age of 16 and 18.

According to United Nations’ statistics, each year 15 million girls are married before the age of 18.

Bevil Wooding economic development,” Jules said, warning that, the global economy will become increasingly unforgiving to regions with failing, outdated or unsecured technology infrastructure.

“If we do not act with urgency to address this, the impact on our economic and social development can be more devastating than last season’s hurricanes,” he added.

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Restoring Le Repentir Cemetery ANY mature Guyanese, whether visiting from the heart of the countryside or from not so distant rural communities, or better yet, resident in the city, particularly in the Southern wards of Georgetown, would recall the pristine magnificence that had been the Le Repentir Cemetery.

Whether from the parallel western located St. Stephen Street; the northern roadway, Princes Street; the Southern pathway of Sussex Street; or from the Eastern end of Cemetery Road – one had a clear bird’s eye western view of the country’s largest cemetery. Even the view from the latter roadway, to the further east, was all the way clear, with the graves in clear view, as far as the eye could have seen.

Though a place of the dead, as it still is, and will continue to be, its environment could have been likened to a garden of serenity, in which many of our family members and close relatives, friends, and numerous distinguished

Guyanese of historical note have been interred.

This extends to a former British, colonial governor and his wife, just also opposite the collective resting site of a Scottish family of seven that drowned on a Good Friday while swimming at an interior location.

All these long-departed are resting in peace in grounds that were daily tended to by a fixed staff that, with the use of grass knives, scythes, and cutlasses, ensured that the grass was kept to very low levels among the graves, and even in those spaces that any remains had not been interred.

On both sides of the road there were towering palms and well-tended hedge rows, along with circular beds of colourful flowers along the entrance from Princes Street that added a garden-like ambience that reduced the feeling of being in a place of the dead.

Also, the support roads were well-paved and maintained, and canals were all cleaned, regularly.

From a tranquil place where many family members were known to visit the graves of their loved ones, to sit on the latter and reminisce, and also place a fresh flower and, where also tombs were painted on special occasions, the cemetery gradually metamorphosed to a thick forested jungle, with the graves soon disappearing among strongly rooted vegetation.

Canals, bordering, and within the cemetery, became choked with vegetation, becoming home to reptiles that were frequently observed within the cemetery itself. Added to this, were the internal roads which in an advanced state of neglect, eroded, to the state of becoming muddy whenever there was a passing shower.

As a further insult to those buried, the landfill site’s tonnes of garbage, spilled on to the many graves in its immediate surroundings.

In this hell-like milieu, death took on an increased frightening spectre.

While we will not tar-

ry at the obvious reasons for this descent to abject neglect, because of its well documented causes, it should be emphatically stated that what had occurred, occasioning this abysmal state of the cemetery was nothing else but shocking and deliberate neglect on the part of the powers that be at that material time, since it was obvious that the City authorities no longer possessed the financial means to support a maintenance staff that had been needed, and still does.

It was painful for the numerous Guyanese who returned to visit, and even those locally resident, that were denied access to the resting place of their loved ones because of impenetrable vegetation.

Fast forward, and a restoration initiative is underway, one that has been implemented, it seems, to give impetus to efforts that commenced in 2015.

Marked progress has been made, but issues such as the badly cracked tombs, caused by the huge trees that took root among the

latter, as well as those that have been badly scarred by burning of vegetation, must be addressed.

There should be no attempts to employ the use of weedicide for the suppression of vegetation, as such can only harm the surrounding environs, especially residents, water reservoirs and its marine life. Such a risky strategy, if done, will also remove the natural green, so critical for the preservation of our environment.

Among the challenges will be those deeply rooted tree stumps that still remain among the tombs, and which will have to be addressed, since vegetation will grow again, despite removal.

While restoring the Le Repentir Cemetery to its former aesthetics will be no

easy task, because of some of the issues alluded to, daily maintenance will be the key to a cemetery that restores the honour to the remains of those already there, as well as according respect to those to come.

This, we opine, is better done by a permanent staff assigned to such duties.

Since most of us from the City of Georgetown will be laid to rest in its prescribed grounds, we must all ensure that this hallowed space is in a state of constant readiness for such a solemn moment, whenever. This is best done by the reminder that such works entail ready amounts of finance; citizens are therefore reminded that this can only be done by a willing commitment to honour their civic obligation.

Opposition for opposition sake Dear Editor,

REFERRING to the article, “Govt’s meeting with British experts was publicity stunt”, via Kaieteur News of March 23, 2018. What does one expect from an Opposition Leader whose only contribution to national debate is virulent criticism?

Before responding to this constitutional office holder, who has become the consummate opposition brand that criticises for criticism sake, the following observation is apt.

Editor, given the avalanche of criticisms, many of

which bordered on personal attacks, one would have thought that these “learned local oil and gas experts” would have taken the opportunity to attend the government-sponsored, three-day discussions, led by a collective of some of the world’s renowned thinkers.

I had thought that these supposedly Guyanese “patriots”, for all of their decibel high statements etcetera, would have used such a unique opportunity to engage with such a panel on the very issues for which they have been verbally be-labouring the government.

Although one is entitled to

an opinion, it is always best tested in the wider court of public discussion. And what better occasion for these very Guyanese to have had an open debate on the emerging oil and gas industry, which is all new to this country. After all, this is the seminal period of this country’s socio-economic development history, when an auspicious era is about to begin, as a democratic nation – all are welcomed to air their concerns.

But such concerns should be of the type that will assist in finding solutions, rather than being very nasty and partisan in tone. Listen to these so–called knowledge-

ables, and one cannot help but observe that they have all the answers, and hold the key, to the issues arising from the oil and gas contract.

I extend this view to the Leader of the Opposition with his usual grading of the coalition government. Always believing that he is the economist par excellence, he ought to have been present, as a national leader at such a gathering. All the other activists, critics as well; but their fossilised reasoning, with its usual political partisanship would have been exposed.

Any reasonable Guyanese would ask why Jagdeo particularly was not there, to match

arguments with the visitors.

They would have made intellectual minced meat of him!

Instead, he is now accusing the Granger administration of not educating “ourselves”. I interpret this to mean the public. He, or any other of his ilk, is damned for such a lie!

Whatever this nation has learned about the oil and gas industry, apart from the Internet, are primarily due to the numerous public engagements, on the part of the Ministry of Natural Resources, whether in the form of individual overseas experts, visiting groups, and even the recently held oil and gas expo.

The citizens of this country are not short of informative data.

What Jagdeo fails to understand, and maybe, grudgingly accept, is that the entire nation is following the unfolding of this emerging sector. They are anticipating the positives from which they will benefit.

Most important though is that the public knows which government they prefer to be responsible for this nation’s affairs, prior to, and after 2020 first oil. This much, Jagdeo should know.

Regards, Earl Hamilton

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

President Granger celebrates Easter Sunday in church PRESIDENT David Granger, accompanied by his daughter Han Granger-Gaskin, on Sunday morning attended the sunrise Easter Sunday Service at the St. Matthew Anglican Church, Providence, East Bank Demerara, which was officiated by Reverend Clarence Narain.

Easter, popularly celebrated in Guyana with the flying of kites, is considered to be the most important event in the Christian calendar as it celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of God.

Remembering the cross on which the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died

President David Granger and his daughter Mrs. Han Granger- Gaskin at the sunrise Easter Service on Sunday morning at the St. Matthew Anglican Church, Providence, East Bank Demerara

Bartica well underway to becoming ‘a clean, ‘green’ town’ -- President Granger at annual Regatta and commissioning of new boardwalk

PRESIDENT David Granger on Sunday charged mayors and town councils across the country to follow the lead of the town of Bartica, in their pursuit of initiatives, which not only promote the ‘green’ agenda.

his deputy set out to establish a clean, ‘green’ and safe town and they are well on their way to achieving that objective. This is a model and I wish that every other town should emulate this example. Most of them are waterfronts and this is a joy to

are working to ensure that we enforce a ‘green’ agenda. We are working to ensure that there is a good life for all. Let us continue to work for the development of our town and most importantly, let us work for a better Guyana. We have

with the developmental works that have been taking place in Bartica.

“This is a great and big change for us here in Bartica, this boardwalk. We feel different. It’s less crowded and confusing out here and cleaner

However, he noted that it is his desire to see the participation of villages in the CuyuniMazaruni region. “Regatta is moving from a local festival to a global festival. I want to see more participants from all over the region, all coming to make

lutely a great environment and great people and lots of sun, so it’s a great day for racing. When I got the opportunity to come and see, my wife and I decided to come and it is fantastic and I wish many more people could come out and see this,” he said.

President David Granger addressing the Bartica gathering on Sunday

The president issued this challenge as he commissioned the first boardwalk in Guyana and the town at the Golden Beach, Bartica, Region Seven.

The area, which is powered by solar electricity and has a number of seating areas, drew the usual large crowd for the annual Bartica Easter Regatta, where President Granger said that the facilities they are now enjoying should be replicated across Guyana.

“Bartica is dear to my heart. You are now a town, something that should have happened more than 100 year ago, but it is now irreversible and unchangeable and you can look around and see the changes that the town council has made in two brief years.

Mayor [Gifford] Marshall and

see. Bartica is a model and I am vindicated in making Bartica a town and giving Bartica the name, ‘a clean, ‘green’ town’,” he said.

On this note, Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall in his remarks, said that the Mayor and Town Council is working assiduously to ensure that it achieves the mandate of becoming the first ‘green’ town in Guyana and the Caribbean.

Importantly too, he said that Bartica has a role to play in tourism in Guyana, if it continues on its current developmental trajectory.

TOURISM CAPITAL “Bartica can become the tourism capital of Guyana.

We are working to ensure that our true potential is met. We

A section of the crowd at the commissioning of the first boardwalk in Guyana, Bartica, Region Seven

unveiled our first boardwalk.

Next year we will [construct] an extension and His Excellency will declare open the extension.

These projects are here to show not just what we can do, but it is a pillar of development. It places us on the centre stage of the Caribbean and the world,” Mayor Marshall said.

Roxanne Jardine, a resident of Bartica, in an invited comment, said that like the Head of State, she too is pleased

and we welcome all of the infrastructural works. This is a real change in 2018 from the time I have been living in Bartica and I definitely look forward to seeing more changes in the near future,” she said.

Meanwhile, President Granger referencing the Regatta events, said that the sport has continued to grow from year to year, with it now becoming a national and international event.

this a more massive festival.

Let’s have swimming, canoeing, boat racing and all the other water sports we have,” he said.

Rod Henson, Country Manager for ExxonMobil Guyana, who was in the region to participate in the festivities, said that he is impressed with what he has seen so far, adding that he was encouraged by friends to go to the event.

“This is my first time, but I am having a blast. It is abso-

Nazir Baksh, who is visiting Bartica with his family from Canada, said that while it is his first time, he too was impressed with what he saw over the weekend.

“It is my first time in Bartica. It’s really good. We are enjoying this; the seating and the accommodation, the boardwalk… We are definitely encouraged to come back,” he said. (Ministry of the Presidency)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Payne called aunt minutes before being killed

FIFTEEN minutes before she was killed travel agent Reona Payne contacted her aunt Taneisha Payne in tears, saying that something was bothering her and upon inquiry she was reluctant to say and promised to return a call.

Former Army Captain Orwain Sandy, who served as Special Assistant to the Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) went berserk Saturday morning, emptying his gun on his reputed wife in First Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown.

After committing the act, he surrendered to police custody at the Ruimveldt Police Station.

“After 15 minutes I received a call saying that Orwain Sandy had killed his wife. I didn’t believe at first because I had just talked to her, then I receive another call and police confirmed that my niece was killed,” Taneisha Payne said.

She said when a call was returned to her niece’s phone it went to voicemail.

One eyewitness at the murder scene said that

Dead: Reona Payne when the former army officer shot his lover the first time, he growled at those who were around and demanded that no one intervene as he continued to empty the clip of rounds into her body.

In an interview with this publication, the aunt explained that her niece was not a violent person but the duo had their own issues within their relationship.

Adding that her niece was a decent young woman, Taneisha Payne said the entire family was left in shock and trauma at

what occurred and they will be expecting justice.

Relatives were critical of the inhumane act of killing Reona Payne and leaving her body on the roadside in the sun like an animal.

They are calling on the judiciary to make the soldier an example when passing judgment, since Sandy was a captain in the army and was qualified and should know better than to resort to violence in any dispute.

Reports also indicate that December last Reona sent a message to a friend about being punched to the face by Sandy during an argument. It was during that same argument that she said he threatened to kill her.

One of Reona’s friends related that on more than one occasion Sandy had cocked his weapon and threatened to kill her.

LONG RELATIONSHIP A relative related that the duo knew each other and shared a relationship from teenage years. As

they matured they both separated and married different persons, Reona’s union produced three children and Orwain Sandy is a father of five. They later divorced their partners and decided to start a relationship several years ago.

One relative noted that the couple lived together in Golden Grove before they moved into Providence, East Bank Demerara two years ago. “He was her first boyfriend,” said the relative.

One of Payne’s former co-workers spoke emotionally on the killing.

“The coward makes me so angry. Now her children are motherless. He murdered her but gets the opportunity to turn himself into the police. I hope he gets a life sentence,” the coworker said.

Contact with relatives of Orwain Sandy proved futile.

Meanwhile, the Police have confirmed that Sandy used his service revolver during the shooting. Police sources also related that the soldier had on one occasion lodged his firearm

Interdicted GDF Captain, Orwain Sandy at the Police Station during a domestic dispute.

One source explained that the soldier had suspected Reona Payne was being unfaithful and was conversing with someone from overseas.

It was reported that on Saturday, Sandy had planned to drop Payne off at her place of work when she received a phone call from the same person from overseas.

When the soldier questioned her and asked her to desist from railroading their relationship she

became abusive and an argument ensued, and in the vicinity of the masjid in First Street Alexander Village, Reona grabbed the soldier’s firearm and threw it out of the car.

According to the source, Sandy stopped the vehicle to retrieve the weapon and Payne exited too, and after picking up the gun he fired in her direction empting the entire magazine.

T h e C h i ef - o f - S t af f has ordered the Inspector-General of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF)to conduct a Board of Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The GDF sought to assure Guyanese that Sandy’s action does not mirror the image of other soldiers.

“The force is truly saddened by this occurrence and would want to reassure the general populace that this is an isolated incident and is not reflective of the values and standards of the Guyana Defence Force,” the army said.

The GDF has since extended sincerest condolences to the relatives of the late Reona Payne.

MP Harry Gill saves pensioner from drowning … during alleged suicide attempt

MEMBER of Parliament (MP) Harry Gill was in the right place at the right time

when he prevented a pensioner from taking her life, after she allegedly jumped

into the Larico canal in Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice on Sunday.

The 82-year-old was rescued by Mr. Gill after he heard a loud splash of the water.

Thinking someone had thrown garbage into the water as they

sometimes do, the MP looked out the window and saw the woman in the water, struggling and screaming.

“I ran out of the house

The pensioner after she was retrieved from the canal and was able to grab her and pulled her out to safety.

“I then called the Blairmont police and asked that they send a patrol to get her and she was taken for psychiatric and medical attention,” the People’s Progressive Party parliamentarian said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Guyanese girls admitted to top-tier US universities

FOLLOWING their recent successes at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Fatima Karim and Ashley Anthony have scored positions in a few of the top-tier universities in the United States.

Karim, currently an Upper Sixth form student at Queen’s College and 2016’s top CSEC performer, was able to gain admission into the Princeton and Stanford Universities.

Though preparing to sit her second and final set of CAPE exams, the top performer opted to apply to universities early, so that she could dive right into furthering her studies without pause.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, she said excitedly, “When I got into Princeton I was so sure that this is where I was going, and then boom, a day later I got into Stanford.”

Intent on studying chemical engineering, the young woman related that both universities are amazing and choosing which one she will attend will be a difficult decision.

With Princeton as an acclaimed Ivy League institution and Stanford as a leading research institution, the choice would definitely be a tough one.

Fatima, however, mentioned that based on the curriculum offered and what she expects from her university experience, she is leaning more towards Stanford.

In fact, she highlighted that Stanford was one of her two first choices alongside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to which she unfortunately was not granted admission, but she holds firm that “everything happens for a reason”.

A CBS News report indicated that the acceptance rate for Stanford was the lowest in its history with the university’s admission office detailing that

it accepted 2,040 students out of a pool of 47,450 applicants from around the world. So it is definitely remarkable that Karim copped a spot. She was also granted admission into the New York University (NYU).

Whichever route Karim decides to take -- Princeton or Stanford -- she knows that ultimately she must return to Guyana.

“I think Guyana needs our engineers, so I would be proud to come back and assist in the country’s development at this crucial point,” she stressed.

Also admitted to another high-profile US university, Yale, is recent CSEC and CAPE top performer, Ashley Anthony.

Hoping to study Biomolecular Physics/ Chemistry, Anthony recounted that while she was elated about getting into Yale, her mother actually fell out of bed upon hearing the good news.

“Yale was definitely among one of my top choices,” she said, while relating that she sent about 18 applications in total to universities like Harvard, Stanford and Johns Hopkins.

Ashley is also already set on continuing her academic pursuits, even after she graduates in 2022 by going after her Masters and Doctorate Degrees, but also acknowledged that she will definitely return to Guyana.

Seeking to work in research, however, presents a small problem, since there are not too many jobs available here. She nevertheless said, “I am hoping to get the best possible education, so that I can then invest in Guyanese. Even if it isn’t with direct service, I can invest resources, provided I become successful enough.”

APPLICATION PROCESS For prospective applicants, Karim sought to explain the application process. She noted that most of the universities,

Fatima Karim

though there are a few exceptions such as NYU, require the Scholastic Assessment Tests (SATs) and the top-tier colleges may require the specific-subject tests.

Since she is aiming to pursue chemical engineering, she did the Chemistry SAT, and scored a perfect 800 (full marks) and the General SATs, in which she scored 1520 out of a possible 1600.

“For the top universities these scores are just the start,” she stated. “After you pass these grade requirements, the next im-

Ashley Anthony

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portant things are your [extracurricular activities] and your essays.” She said, “Personally, I think they care more about these.”

Locally, Karim highlighted that persons can sign up for the SATs online and sit the examinations at the Georgetown International Academy (GIA), or at the North Georgetown Secondary School.

The School of the Nations and the New Guyana School are also local institutions that offer SAT preparation courses and the examinations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Delinquent or misguided? A child aged 12 A TEACHER said recently, ‘It was so refreshing to hear from a 10-year-old pupil that he does not use the internet…I’m too young…’ he said, ‘After complet-

ing the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

I might check it out if my parents let me’. The teacher continued, ‘The child is quite rounded and contented in his child-

hood. ‘Yes, he does have a hand-held game that he is allowed to play with at weekends and holidays, but he is not ‘hooked’. His parents are clearly monitoring his development

and keeping abreast of the things he does’. Apparently, the reason the teacher found what he said so refreshing was due to the fact that she accidentally came across another pupil

of hers earlier that week on social media. She explains what happened.

I was getting some information off of my boyfriend’s Facebook account. He is also a teacher and we find and share web sites that help us with our work: and there among his ‘friend requests’ I saw one from ‘Lusty Linda’; I tried to pay it no mind. But as I worked, that one ‘friend request’ picture kept begging my attention, the face seemed so familiar.

The girl was scantily dressed in quite a provocative pose. Like most of the pictures nowadays, she was doing the familiar ‘pout’ with her mouth while looking away from the camera.

I finished my research and went about my daily work, not giving it a second thought. That evening while finishing up lessons with a group of secondary school pupils, it suddenly hit me. I had seen that ‘Lusty Linda’ face before, but not only had I seen her; she used to be one of my NGSA students. Just last year I taught her, she just turned 12 in November.

In my heart I wanted to be wrong, all kinds of things began to rush through my mind. Was she being used for prostitution, maybe even human trafficking? I rushed home wanting to be wrong but no, I was horrified and my heart sank; there she was again, friend request ‘Lusty Linda’. This time I clicked on her picture and opened up her page.

She had given her age as 18 and although some unsuspecting person might have been fooled by her full-body size and her size 36 bust, along with her make-up and accessories, in her face you could tell she is a child. It was clear from her many followers that she had been receiving correspondence from different men and this had

been going on for some time.

I was so upset and worried about this child that I rang a friend who works at the Childcare and Protection Agency to make a report. After some background checks, he told me that the girl’s name was already in the system and she was taken into care months ago due to lack of parental control.

Only then was I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Investigations revealed that the girl was getting away from home and sleeping out: she was often seen in the company of grown men. Her mother had not been outraged or surprised by her daughter’s Facebook identity, she only asked her daughter to take it down, but the child did not comply. For her own safety, the child was taken into care. Parental training is presently ongoing for the mother in question.

While social media can be a useful tool when used in the right way, so many of our young people are at risk because they are not properly supervised or even monitored. As a teacher, my advice to parents is, do not allow your child free access to the internet unless you can monitor them and you are aware of what they are doing. Most children are unaware of the potential dangers to which they are exposed by posting provocative pictures and aspects of their everyday lives on social media.

Parents, please care enough to guide them and monitor their usage of the internet , don’t leave anything to chance.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child ring the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@ gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Bulkan spreads Easter spirit to Region Eight

PRESIDENT David Granger’s kite-distribution initiative was taken to the Region Eight community of Mahdia on Saturday.

Some 400 primary school students from five villages in the district received kites for the Easter holiday.

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan and APNU+AFC Member of Parliament, Rajcoomarie Gloria Bancroft delivered the kites on behalf of the Head of State.

Students from Micobie, El Paso, Princeville and Campbelltown were brought by Toshaos Ivan Pio and John

Andries to join others from Tumatumari and Mahdia for the event.

The excited children and their parents who came out in their numbers noted that this was the first time the kite-distribution initiative had been brought to their community. The kites were adorned with the President’s photograph along with photographs of birds and animals.

Minister Bulkan wished the children and their parents an enjoyable Easter and reminded them to continue working to develop their communities.

Minister Bulkan listens intently to this little girl

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan and APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Rajcoomarie Gloria Bancroft, with some of the Region Eight Primary School children

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan and some of the lucky children who received kites

Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Rajcoomarie Gloria Bancroft and Toshaos Ivan Pio and John Andries, are joined by some of the children with their kites

The children queuing to receive their kites from Minister Bulkan

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Easter messages Easter messages Easter messages

Embrace brotherhood, Dr Norton urges

T

HIS weekend, all across this nation, Guyanese will come together to celebrate Easter. This Christian observance of the death and the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a central part of Christianity and its observances have become a unique and colourful part of Guyanese traditions.

As with most of our religious holidays, persons from all walks of life, from across all races, cultures and social strata, come together to observe the occasion.

Easter is the most sacred season on the Christian church calendar. It is preceded by Lent, which is a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, self-examination and repentance.

It is the culmination of Holy Week, or for some, Passion Week, when believers recall the events that unfolded after Christ rode into Jerusalem on the back

Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton

of a donkey on Palm Sunday, suffered persecution and was tried and crucified on Good Friday. The themes of hardship, sacrifice, redemption and renewal thread through this season.

On Sunday, as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, persons will assemble at homes, at community grounds and at parks to fellowship, share meals and fly kites.

As Minister of Social Cohesion, I urge you, amidst the camaraderie, to reflect on the lessons of the season. The spirit of brotherhood and agape love preached by Jesus Christ is alive and well in this ‘land of many waters’.

I, therefore, urge you to inculcate these values, which are so clearly demonstrated during the holiday season, into your daily lives.

Happy Easter!

A fulfilment of God’s prophecy

–– People’s National Congress Reform

THE People’s National Congress Reform extends Easter greetings to all Guyanese and more especially to members of our Christian Community, both here and around the world, on the celebration of one of the most important events in the Christian calendar.

This festival, which commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, contains both in its symbolic significance and its secular relevance, important and powerful messages.

For the members of the Christian community, the Easter story represents the fulfilment of God’s prophecy that mankind would be offered the hope of eternal life through the sacrificial death of His son, Jesus Christ and His subsequent resurrection from the dead. It is this faith, which has kept the worldwide Christian church alive and enabled its followers to significantly contribute towards making the earth a better place for all mankind.

The Easter season in Guyana is best known for widespread kite-flying that is seen by many as a representation of the theme of the resurrection. Whatever may have been its origins, kite-flying attracts widespread participation of Guyanese, from all walks of life, regardless of re-

ligion, ethnicity or culture. It, therefore, offers another opportunity for Guyanese to share common experiences and work towards a more socially cohesive society.

This Easter as our kites of many colours soar to the heavens, let us be inspired; let us celebrate our multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society.

Let us be proud of this rich mosaic that is Guyana. Our diversity is an asset, not a liability.

Happy Easter to all!

Contemplate bright future –– Alliance For Change

THE Alliance For Change wishes all Guyanese, particularly our Christian brothers and sisters, a happy and blessed Easter.

This Easter presents an opportunity to ponder on national renewal and contemplate the bright future before us and for us to all commit to ensuring that the necessary preparations to benefit from these prospects are not compromised and are pursued with vigour and purpose.

Equally, as Christians engage in praise and worship and reflect on the sacrifices made by Jesus Christ for the sins of man, the party urges that we use this season to reflect on how far we have progressed and the road ahead.

The AFC recalls the struggles and the tribulations, the hardships and the sacrifices endured by this and previous generations to get our beloved nation to be where it is today, just over half a century post-independence. Further, we must consider too, what lies ahead, including the necessary sacrifices, as we continue to make gains and

advances towards Guyana becoming a modern, technologically and infrastructurally advanced, developing state committed to delivering world-class social services to our people.

And finally, as we engage in the unique and mesmerising Guyanese Easter Monday tradition of kite-flying, the AFC implores all, especially our children, to fly your kites in wide, open spaces, away from power lines and other dangers.

Reflect on this sacred occasion, PPP urges THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) takes this opportunity to extend Easter Greetings to all Guyanese, especially our brothers and sisters within the Christian community.

Easter provides many pertinent lessons for all humanity, teaching tolerance, humility, love and respect for others with an abundance of hope that one can rise to a brighter future despite being confronted with insurmountable challenges.

At this time, our party urges reflection on the significance of this sacred occasion, given the importance it can play to realise universal peace and brotherhood among all mankind.

Easter, like many of our nation-

al holidays, transcends religious boundaries and Guyanese from all walks of life participate as families and communities gather across the country for the traditional kite-flying. In this regard, our party urges that safety be foremost.

Once again, Happy Easter to all!

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Anglican Diocese honours outstanding women

THE Human Rights and Social Justice Commission of the Anglican Diocese of Guyana closed the month off with a bang as they celebrated International Women’s Day with a march and awards presentation on Saturday.

The march began at the St. George’s Cathedral and culminated at Austin House (the home of the Bishop).

The awards presentation followed shortly after.

The commission believes that it is important to speak to the commitment and contributions of women in the diocese and by extension Guyana, and to continue to press for the advancement of women in all spheres of life.

Delivering the keynote address was Sheron Harper, member of St. Sidwell’s Parish Church and a Worldwide Trustee of the Mothers’ Union. Harper, in her ad-

At the head table, from left, Bishop Charles Davidson, Ms. Sheron Harper, Ms. Schemel Patrick, Chairperson of the Human Rights and Social Justice Commission and Ms. Tracy Marks, programme chair and member of the Human Rights and Social Justice Commission

Bishop of the Diocese of Guyana Charles Davidson, presenting the donation to Akilah Doris of the Ministry of Social Protection

dress, highlighted the contributions of outstanding women in the diocese and urged others to join the movement.

She noted her work, particularly with women in the hinterland areas, and called on members to be more supportive to vulnerable groups, within their parishes and communities.

The commission awarded 10 outstanding women for their sterling contributions to their parish and communities. These women were nominated because of their extraordinary performance, and for going above and beyond their standard job requirements to ensure the comfort and happiness of parishioners and community members a release noted.

Eight women were nominated and awarded for their contributions; these were Cheril Collins (St. Mark’s Parish); Monica Case (St. James-theLess); Beatrice Amsterdam (Church of the Transfiguration); Yvonne Barrow (St. Mark’s Parish); Lena Edmondson (St. Mark’s Parish); Thelma Spencer (Church the King); Wendell Roberts; and Beverly Coppin (St. Aidan’s).

Bishop Charles Davidson awarded two other wom-

en for their offerings to the church, namely Rita Hunter, the first woman to be ordained Deacon and Schemel Patrick, chairperson of the Human Rights and Social Justice Commission for her steadfast contributions to the commission and the advancement of human rights.

Featured also on the programme was the commission’s handing over of its first donation to the Ministry of Social Protection, as part of a partnership with the two bodies. Accepting the contributions on behalf of the Ministry of Social Protection was Manager of the Gender-Based Violence Unit, Ms. Akilah Doris. She expressed the ministry’s gratitude and welcomed what she described as a marriage between the Diocese of Guyana and the Ministry of Social Protection.

She also noted that this is the first time that a church group has contributed to the ministry’s safe houses. Doris noted the difficulties faced by many women who find themselves in violent situations and expressed the ministry’s hope in building more safe houses across the country.

The commission has committed to regularly do-

nate much-needed equipment and sanitary and food supplies to the Ministry of Social Protection’s safe houses.

In an effort to respond to the needs of women and children affected by gender-based violence, the Human Rights and Social Justice Commission has launched a “We Care” campaign in all parishes to offset this partnership.

The “We Care” campaign will remain as part of the church’s year-long caring project.

The local Human Rights and Social Justice Commission is a product of the Provincial Commission on Human Rights and Social Justice. It is the duty of the HRSJ Commission to keep under constant review, all matters relating to social justice and human rights in the Diocese of Guyana, and to make recommendations to the Bishop on the development of strategies which will assist the church in furthering its work on these issues.

The commission believes that the church has a voice and a role to play in educating and empowering its parishioners and communities.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Scenes from Rodeo 2018 Photos by Delano Williams

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Rubis, GPL throw weight behind STEAM –– urge other companies to come on board

RUBIS Guyana Inc and Guyana Power and Light (GPL) have reiterated the importance of corporate entities supporting the biennial Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Fair programme.

The fair is hosted by the Ministry of Education.

Leading the charge is Rubis Retail Accounts Executive Rhonda Johnson, who stressed that her company sees investment in education as investment in the coun-

try’s future leaders.

She noted that it is because of this principle that the company supported the Regional Democratic Council Region Four Education Department STEAM fair in a very significant way.

Johnson expressed satisfaction in the execution of the regional fair, but noted that in future fairs, improvements would have to be made.

“The organisers and participants did a really remarkable job. However, there

were some glitches which I trust can be rectified at the next competition if they are going to continue the growth and development of the science fair,” Johnson said.

She reaffirmed her company’s commitment and dedication in continuing to support the science fair, noting that while it is only their second time supporting the science fair, RUBIS is very happy with its growth and development.

“From a Rubis perspective, Rubis believes that the

GPL Public Relations Officer Shevon Sears presenting a cheque to Region Four Acting Regional Education Officer (REDO) Tiffany Harvey support for the STEAM was the perfect opportunity to allow students to unleash their inner creativity. This is the second time that we have given support to this competition and we believe that it’s a worthwhile initiative. Anything that can propel intellectual learning and allow students or young people to improve on their academic standing, Rubis is very happy to support,” Johnson noted.

The senior Rubis official disclosed that her company continues to remain steadfast in helping to champion the development of education, declaring that the country stands to benefit significantly.

“We believe that this was the perfect forum for us as a corporate company to give some sort of lending hand to ensure that the Department of Education materialises or realises what they were trying to achieve,” she said The Rubis Retail Accounts Executive said supporting educational initiatives is one way of preparing students who would soon enter the workforce to be effective and efficient in the execution of their duties.

She called upon other companies to follow suit, what she said has been Rubis’s approach to holistic development.

STRONG LABOUR FORCE “We draw our human capital from the local market, so we believe that it’s incumbent on us to ensure that we do our part in ensuring that the labour force is educated, as an educated labour force can lend to effective and efficient industries or the performance of industries in an effective and efficient way,” Johnson reiterated GPL Public Relations Officer (PRO) Shevon Sears, lauded the fair, but noted the need for a more timely start to the STEAM competition.

She also said that this year’s competition produced a significant number of brilliant ideas, which she passionately appealed to the

Department of Education to bring to reality.

“There were some interesting projects, I have seen some very fantastic work by the students and it speaks very well about the students’ talent; and if we can support these endeavours, there is no doubt that Guyana can be a better place. Therefore, for GPL we believe in supporting these initiatives as it plays a vital role in Guyana moving in the right direction and that we learn to be creators rather than accepting what is just there,” Sears said.

The GPL PRO expressed satisfaction at seeing that this year’s competition involved a number of nursery schools, stating that it is the right direction for the organisers to go.

She commended them for what she said was a well organised competition and urged the department to continue involving more schools and students.

“There is no other place to start it than in the school and I am so happy that at the nursery level, this event caters for students at the nursery level; we need to cultivate that kind of spirit, the spirit of thinking, thinking out of the box; creativity -- the ability to experiment that would lead to the implementation and creation of various products and services, and so I believe it should be something that more [of] corporate Guyana can come on board, so that it can be pushed at a greater level, so that more people can come out and support as this can grow by leaps and bounds, because it’s a really nice programme,” Sears stressed.

The PRO added, “This is an excellent programme and we at GPL are very happy and firmly feel that it should be supported by more corporate companies, thus ensuring that it continues to grow significantly.”

The national finals for the STEAM fair are slated for April 3 – 6, 2018 and will be held at the St Joseph High School.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Lawyers for US fugitive to file High Court motion … after declaring Magistrates’ Court has no jurisdiction in matter

THE defence attorneys for Troy Anthony Thomas, who is wanted in the United States (US) in connection with a 2011 murder, are expected this week to file a motion in the High Court to stop processing of the extradition matter, which is currently being heard at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The attorneys, Nigel Hughes, Bernard DaSilva and Darren Wade, recently aired their objections when the matter was called before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus last Monday.

The three lawyers are contending that the Magistrates’ Court does not have the power to deal with the matter which is filed under the Fugitive Offenders Act. Hughes contended that the rights of Thomas will be overstepped upon, if the extradition proceeding is heard in the lower court and the case would have been better heard in the High Court.

Attorney DaSilva during his preliminary submission, told the court his client was being deprived of his liberty

for the purpose of extradition to the USA, contrary to the prohibitive provision of the Fugitive Offenders Act 1998.

DaSilva further added that Thomas’ detention was unlawful and unconstitutional, since the 1993 Extradition Treaty made between the UK and USA, to which Guyana succeeded on its attainment of independence in 1966, contains no provision of the Fugitive Offenders Act 1998.

He added that the treaty must contain: (a) provision for securing a fugitive offender, (b) once extradited to the requesting state, in this case the USA, will not be extradited to a third country without the consent of the Minister of the requested state—in this case Guyana.

Stacy Gooding, a lawyer who is representing the Government of the United States of America, requested some time to reply to the attorneys’ submissions.

The matter was transferred to the Providence Magistrates’ Court for April 11 before Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus.

Guyanese killed in Nevis POLICE in St. Kitts and Nevis are investigating the murder of 27-year-old Guyanese, Marlon James, who was residing in Brown Hill, Nevis.

He is said to be originally from Buxton, East Coast Demerara.

According to the Charlestown Police Station in Nevis, it received a report of a body being found along a road in the Hamilton area at around 7:30 Friday morning.

“There were signs of violence and multiple gunshots wounds about the body. The District Medical Doctor arrived at the scene and pronounced him dead,” the Nevis Police said.

The report further stated that the Crime Scene Dead: Guyanese Unit also responded and Marlon James several items of evidential value were taken into police custody.

Investigations are ongoing and persons with information regarding the incident are urged to contact the Charlestown Police Station, on the island.

Thomas, 31, of South Ozone Park, Queens, New York, was nabbed by police during an operation on Wednesday, March 14; the operation had commenced since January 31, 2018.

According to reports, on December 11, 2011, 20-yearold Keith Frank was shot once in the torso in a flash of violence outside a South

Richmond Hill party. Frank, who moved to Queens from Guyana when he was 12, died exactly two months before his 21st birthday.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) began looking for Thomas in connection with the shooting.

However, within hours he allegedly fled the jurisdiction and crossed over to

Canada from New York State.

In Canada, he is said to have used travel documents belonging to a relative and boarded a Caribbean Airlines flight, arriving in Guyana in the early hours of the morning before the bulletin could reach Interpol (International police.)

Troy Anthony Thomas

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Fire averted at old Linden TV station

FIREFIGHTERS on Sunday averted a major blaze at the old television station building located in Richmond Hill, Linden, by arriving promptly at the scene.

While the building, fence and dish were partially damaged, the land and other articles in the compound were scorched.

According to a resident of Richmond Hill, the fire started around 15:00hrs, allegedly by a security guard attached to the doctor’s quarters who was trying to burn some rubbish.

“The fire quickly spread due to the dry undergrass, so it started to spread very fast and spread across to the building and it passed that and was going down the hill, but quick work by the fire men, who would have responded promptly,” the resident said.

The old television station, known as the Linden Television Station, was a gift to the community by

expatriate company Green Construction. The building was left abandoned after the station came under the management of the National Communications Network (NCN) and the operation was moved to Watooka.

After the signing of the 2012 agreement between the former administration and former Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, the dish was handed over to the community and the Region 10 Television Station which is yet to be established. The station is to be housed at the very building that was saved on Sunday.

Calls continue to be made for the directors of the television station to put differences aside, so that the process of putting the station on air can be expedited.

It has been over a year since the trustees have held a meeting to discuss the interest of the station. In 2012, a bloody protest which

Firefighters on Sunday were able to put out the blaze at the old television station building, located in Richmond Hill, Linden resulted in the death of three Lindeners marked the call by Lindeners to have their own television station.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

City businessmen continue Easter tradition

MORE than 2,000 children were on Sunday treated to an Easter extravaganza by city businessmen in keeping with the sixth year of the tradition, held at “The Garage” on Aubrey Barker Road in South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

Children were feted and treated to a day of fun and surprises at the South Ruimveldt eatery and entertainment locale.

The kids received kites, meals and other surprises and were entertained by music.

Owner of “The Garage” Estwick Northe, said that as a businessman corporate social responsibility is essential to the society the business serves.

“Once you’re making money, you have to give back to the society in some way, and I believe by doing this, we can share happiness to the youths of today.

Former Presidential Adviser on Youth Empowerment, Aubrey Norton, hands over some of the kites during the day-long distribution, while the businessmen, at rear, look on. (Rabindra Rooplall photo) “Many people really enjoy the intangible benefit of giving. Giving back to the community gives you a pleasant feeling of connectedness and the satisfaction of at least trying to make the world a better place,” he said.

The businessman explained that as a successful member of the community,

“we have a responsibility to help those that are less fortunate and contribute to the common good. I feel this so strongly that it’s been a longstanding practice of mine to donate…to charitable causes.”

Adults in attendance lauded the businessmen and called on the rest of society to join in the

spreading of joy, not only at this time of the year, but also whenever the need arises.

The businesses that donated supplies and kites include Hopkinson Mining, Dynasty Night Club, Big Boss Trucking Services, Winedays and Growthvibes among others.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Businesswoman hopes to impact beauty market with ‘Selah Scents’

A FEW years ago, Sandy Williams, started making handmade soaps as a hobby.

Now she is the proud owner of “Selah Scents” which offers 100 per cent natural products for skin and facial care.

Williams, 29, a former Leonora Secondary School teacher migrated in 2014 with her husband to Georgia, USA and that is when her love for soap-making started.

“After I moved to the US, I started to get really dry skin so I took up this challenge and went after it. He (her husband) supported me throughout all my testing of everything I made,” Williams explained.

“I have a crazy obsession with bubbles... My husband would get on me for the different detergents I used. I was always trying different bath products such as bath bombs so he said why don’t you just make your own soaps,” she stressed.

According to the soap lover, her main goal is to provide a naturally made product for facial and skin care, as her company provides the market with handmade soaps using natural ingredients such as goat milk, buttermilk, and a variety of butters such as shea, kokum and turmeric.

After trial and error, in June 2017 Selah Scents was officially launched with the tagline “Let us help you love your body.” The small business is an online company run through their Facebook page.

Selah, which means Warrior in Hebrew, was chosen for the company name.

Williams further explained that she never thought that she would have become an entrepreneur since she was a teacher for the past 11 years and the business was the brainchild of her husband, Kwame.

“Selah Scents was really built on his dreams and my creativity. He is my biggest supporter and motivation.

We have single-handedly conceptualised our brand. I have relied on his marketing and sales skills and I have used my knowledge from my communications degree to create my labels, business

cards, banners and packaging ideas,” she added.

The entrepreneur strongly boasts that Selah Scents is the best care that you can afford for your skin, as she explained their facial bars last almost two weeks if used two times daily.

She furthered pointed out that their soaps offer natural care for the skin, without the cosmetic preservatives and if one checks their Facebook reviews one would be able to see how much Selah’s product are loved.

Some of the products currently offered by Selah Scents are the company best seller, the charcoal soap, which is

used as a detoxing mask for the skin; the turmeric luxury soap which is a two-layer beauty bar that cleans and moisturizes the skin and novelty soap which comes in any scent the consumer desires and could be molded in any shape such as mustaches, cupcakes, honeycomb, mermaids, unicorns and other fun shapes.

Within the horizon, Williams disclosed that their product line will expand to include items such as body sugar scrubs recipes, clay hair mask recipes and whipped body butter recipes while remaining consistent and loyal to their customers.

“It’s really getting the

‘Selah Scents’ pink pooch bath bombs and hand soap

The charcoal facial bar

A few samples of the different shapes and fragrances that Selah Scents offers

feedback from our customers. When someone returns for a second order, it’s the best feeling in the world. Not just for the sale, but mostly because it lets us know they love our products. It’s a really good feeling knowing that we can create something for people that they love,” Williams said.

Her advice to other entrepreneur is to not let anyone or any thoughts distract you from making that investment.

“However small, just make that start. Second and most importantly, do not be discouraged when people do not support you, even the people closest to you.”

Sandy Williams and her husband Kwame

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Concerted effort to tackle illegal mining at Linden

By Vanessa Braithwaite

THE Ministry of Natural Resources will be collaborating with the Regional Democratic Council of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) and the Linden municipality in an effort to clamp down on the indiscriminate and illegal mining

of the region’s resources.

These resources include sand, loam, laterite and stone. Illegal sandpits have been causing erosion in various communities in the town.

On Wednesday, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman told the Guyana Chronicle that he is cognisant of what is

An illegal sandpit aback Amelia’s Ward happening in Linden and the matter is of grave concern to his ministry.

He has since assigned junior Natural Resources Minister Simona Broomes to investigate the issue. She has since held one meeting thus far with the residents of Moblissa over the mining of both sand and loam in their community.

“We don’t expect that within a day, week or even a month, the problems of the last two decades will be reversed immediately, but certainly it is a matter of grave concern to us and we are doing something about it,” Trotman said.

He confessed that the situation has escalated to this point of worry, as a result of years of neglected supervision. In addition to causing erosion and wanton exploitation of the region’s resources that can garner an income, another area of concern is the damage sand trucks are causing to the roadways.

Currently, sections of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway are under threat.

The surface of the road is being eroded by the weight of the trucks.

Regional Chairman Renis Morian has described a huge “break away” at the Moblissa Bridge as an awaiting catastrophe and posited during a recent visit that the very trucks can topple, especially at night.

Trotman said this situation also merits the attention of his ministry.

“Sand trucks are blamed for that and while I might say that is for the police, I take it that the Ministry of Natural Resources has responsibility; we want to make sure that if sand is being moved, we

want to make sure that it is being done in a lawful way. We have to respect weight limits and wherever this sand is coming from the sandpit must be authorised.”

During previous statutory meetings at the RDC, the matter was raised by councillors who also cited the exploitation of gold and lumber from the region. Residents from aback Amelia’s Ward have been up in arms with regional officials over the illegal mining of sand by contractors, truck and tractor operators, which has expanded to a pit right behind their back doors.

Residents of Cholmondley Hill, Wismar, have also expressed concern over illegal mining of sand in their community since this too is causing erosion.

Minister of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Valarie Patterson-Yearwood, had revealed that while clearing land for the construction of housing units in Amelia’s Ward, a huge sand pit was discovered at the exact spot where the houses were to be built.

Alternative arrangements had to be made. One tractor driver explained to this publication that mining and selling sand has been his livelihood for years and he also has in his employ three young boys who look to the job to make an honest living.

If the sandpit operation is halted, not only will many breadwinners for their families be out of jobs, but construction costs in Linden will also go up.

Minister Trotman never spoke of halting the operation, but of putting systems in place for it to be done in an orderly manner and legally.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Church thief spending Easter in jail “THOU shalt not steal” is one of the Ten Commandments which are learnt in church, and for 32-year-old Michael Jeffery, he will be learning it the hard way as he spends the Easter holiday behind bars.

Jeffery was charged and appeared last Thursday before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly for breaking into the Bedford Methodist

Church’s manse and stealing over $100,000 in items.

He denied that between March 3rd and March 26, in Georgetown, he broke and entered the church and stole two toilet seats, valued at $80,000, two sinks, valued at $30,000, a toilet tank, valued at $10,000 and a metal chair, valued at $5,000.

The unrepresented man denied

the charge and kept a straight face as the prosecutor Sanj Singh told the court that the defendant was caught on CCTV camera breaking into the church and removing the items.

Singh further added that when Jeffery was arrested by the police, he confessed to the crime and took them to where the stolen items were hidden and returned them.

Nevertheless, Jeffery still denied and debunked the prosecution’s claims.

The prosecutor opposed the defendant being released on bail, since he failed to prove that he has a fixed place of abode.

Magistrate Daly, after listening to both sides of the case, remanded Jeffery to prison until April 4.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Seafarers’ union to push for stronger maritime laws

THE leadership of the newly established Guyana Seafarers and General Workers Union (GSGWU) has announced that their intention is to advocate for the lo-

cal maritime laws to be strengthened.

Chief Negotiator for the union, Micah Williams, told the Guyana Chronicle that the labour laws are weak in the maritime

sector.

“We need to step up our standards so that the fishermen can enjoy a better working environment like any other worker,” he said, adding that their intention is

to approach the government with recommendations to amend the laws.

Williams believes that the fledgling oil-and-gas industry should also be considered when amending the

laws, because there will be a lot of offshore workers.

“Guyana’s maritime laws are weak, because for instance fishermen go to sea with insufficient food supplies and according to international law and standards, that is wrong,” he explained.

The union will be guided by an international body that represents persons who work at sea.

Aside from sufficient food, some of the issues that the international body takes seriously include the seaworthiness of vessels and the payment of workers.

“We will ensure that all these things are sorted out,” said Williams, pointing out that fishermen often face injustice and noted that the union will represent them well.

GSGWU, which was launched last Saturday, promised that there will be great changes in the maritime sector.

In addition to ensuring that the workers get their benefits, they will also teach them about the regu-

Chief Negotiator for the union, Micah Williams lations in the sector and the importance of paying their taxes.

The chief negotiator pointed out that a programme will be set up to train persons to work at sea.

Williams said the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Industry has already granted them permission to utilise the building for the classes, but they are still making the logistical arrangements.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Guyana remain unbeaten in regional U-15

CMC – GUYANA remained the only unbeaten side after they trounced Trinidad and Tobago by 32 runs, to install themselves as front-runners to win the Regional Under-15 Championship.

Playing in round three here Saturday, Guyana were dismissed for 105 in the 46th over, after opting to bat first at the Windalco ground.

The innings was tottering on 15 for three before a series of small partnerships – Jonathan Rampersaud (12) put on 23 for the third wicket with Zeynul Ramsammy (16) and 24 for the fourth with Romel Datterdeen (15) – got the total past the 100-run mark.

Ronillster Perreira was the best bowler with three for 11.

In reply, T&T were reduced to 73 all out in the 36th over, with Safeik Khan (4-11) and Chanderpaul Ramraj (4-18) wrecking the innings with four wickets apiece.

A t C h e d w i n P a r k, reigning champions, Barbados climbed their way back into contention

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with their second straight victory, easily brushing aside hosts Jamaica by six wickets.

Asked to chase a tricky 168, the Barbadians reached their target in the 46th over with opener Jacob Bethell top-scoring with 53 and captain Nimar Bolden stroking an unbeaten 35.

Bethell faced 106 balls and struck four boundaries, posting 56 for the first wicket with Jaden Leacock (19) and a further 54 for the second wicket with Micaiah Simmons (24).

Skipper Sanjay Walker had earlier continued his rich vein of form with an unbeaten 64 as Jamaica, opting to bat first, tallied 167 for seven off their 50 overs.

They were 60 for three before Walker, who struck six fours in a 104-ball innings, anchored a 63-run, fourth wicket partnership with Javon Nembhard (20).

Tariq O’Neale (2-16) and Jaden Leacock (2-37) both finished with two wickets each.

At Jamalco, Windward Islands chased down a paltry 71 to beat Leeward Islands by seven wickets.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Elgar steers PROFORMANCE rry a B l i e N THE ARTISTRY OF AGILITY With south Africa World Cup 2018

(REUTERS) - SOUTH Africa opener Dean Elgar dropped anchor to steer his side to 134 for three in their second innings at the close of the third day of the fourth and final test against Australia on Sunday, giving the hosts a daunting lead of 401 runs.

Elgar amassed 39 from 158 balls in a patient knock that has been the glue for South Africa’s second innings, as they look to build an unassailable lead with two full days remaining at the Wanderers.

Australia need victory to avoid a first series defeat in South Africa since 1970, but have been rocked by the ball-tampering scandal that saw former captain Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft being sent home and slapped with hefty bans after the third test in Cape Town.

Elgar will resume on the fourth morning, with his captain Faf du Plessis on 34, as the pair look to increase the lead towards the 500-run mark.

SCORECARD South Africa 1st innings 488 all out

Australia 1st innings Matthew Renshaw c Quinton de Kock b Vernon Philander 8 Joe Burns c Faf du Plessis b Kagiso Rabada 4 Usman Khawaja c Quinton de Kock b Vernon Philander 53 Peter Handscomb b Vernon Philander 0 Shaun Marsh c AB de Villiers b Keshav Maharaj 16 Mitchell Marsh b Morne Morkel 4 Tim Paine c Dean Elgar b Kagiso Rabada

62 Pat Cummins lbw Keshav Maharaj

50 Nathan Lyon c Dean Elgar b Kagiso Rabada 8 Chadd Sayers c Hashim Amla b Keshav Maharaj 0 Josh Hazlewood Not Out

1 Extras: 3b 9lb 3nb 0pen 0w

15 Total: (70.0 overs)

221 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-10 Burns, 2-34 Renshaw, 3-38 Handscomb, 4-90 Khawaja, 5-96 Marsh, 6-96 Marsh, 7-195 Cummins, 8-206 Lyon, 9-207 Sayers, 10-221 Paine Bowling: Vernon Philander 18-8-30-3-1.67, Kagiso Rabada 19-7-53-3-2.79-1nb, Morne Morkel 12.2-3-34-1-2.76-2nb, Keshav Maharaj 20-3-92-3-4.60 Aiden Markram 0.4-0-0-0-0.00 South Africa 2nd innings Aiden Markram c Peter Handscomb b Pat Cummins 37 Dean Elgar Not Out

39 Hashim Amla c Mitchell Marsh b Nathan Lyon

16 AB de Villiers c Tim Paine b Pat Cummins

6 Faf du Plessis Not Out

34 Extras: 0b 2lb 0nb 0pen 0w

2 Total: (56.0 overs)

134-3 Fall of Wickets: 1-54 Markram, 2-79 Amla, 3-94 de Villiers To Bat : Bavuma, de Kock, Philander, Maharaj, Rabada, Morkel Bowling: Josh Hazlewood 13-5-20-0-1.54, Chadd Sayers 8-2-33-0-4.12, Nathan Lyon 25-11-44-1-1.76, Pat Cummins 10-2-35-2-3.50

England strong after light stops day three (REUTERS) - ENGLAND were in a strong position to win the second test against New Zealand and level their two-match series as they extended their lead to 231 runs when bad light stopped play three overs early on the third day at Hagley Oval on Sunday.

Captain Joe Root was 30 not out, while David Malan was on 19 with the visitors on 202 for three in superb batting conditions.

Barring an unlikely batting collapse on Monday, the outcome of the match is now firmly in Root’s hands with the major decision to be made on how long he wants to bat on the fourth day to give his side enough overs to bowl New Zealand out.

“We’re not in a bad position at the minute,”

England batting coach Graham Thorpe told reporters.

James Vince and Mark Stoneman, who had consolidated England’s lead in the middle session, were the only wickets to fall after tea with both no doubt ruing the missed opportunity of scoring their first test centuries.

Stoneman was caught by wicketkeeper BJ Watling off Tim Southee for 60, before Vince was snapped up by Ross Taylor at first slip off Trent Boult for 76.

Vince had earlier been dropped by Taylor at a wide first slip by Colin de Grandhomme while on 55.

Alastair Cook was the only wicket to fall in the middle session when he was caught by Watling off Boult for 14.

Stuart Broad had ear-

lier completed his 16th five-wicket haul, finishing with six for 54, while his new ball partner James Anderson had four for 76 as they bowled New Zealand out for 278.

Watling top-scored with 85 before he was bowled

by Anderson, while Tim Southee scored his fourth test half century before he was bowled by the 35-yearold for 50.

Neil Wagner (24 not out) and Boult (16) then provided a swashbuckling 10th-wicket partnership of 39 runs to get their side within sight of England’s first innings of 307.

England need a win to deny New Zealand their first series victory against them since 1999. The hosts won the first test at Eden Park in Auckland by an innings and 49 runs.

RECORD books are excellent tools for measuring individual sports performance, but history often remembers the artists behind the performances more than the numbers. The most prolific strikers in World Cup Football are Germany’s Klose and Brazil’s Ronaldo, but the mesmeric movements of Pele and Maradona are the stuff of legends.

Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson doesn’t feature on the top 25 list of all time highest scorers in the NBA, but his no-look passes still inspire children born decades after his retirement. Jonty Rhodes is still remembered for his fielding prowess and athletes like Roger Federer and Floyd Mayweather can be counted among the great dancers of our time, with the sheer grace with which they compete.

This edition of ProFormance explores one of the underlying traits that history remembers these athletes foragility.

WHAT IS AGILITY? Agility, like every other facet of sport, can be trained.

To see a basketball player evade an opponent and ‘taking an ankle’ in the process is not just down to talent, it takes practice.

Offensive plays in the NFL and rugby are rife with athletes who abruptly change direction at high speeds. In these sports, being able to sprint through a straight line is important, but having speed in multiple directions is worth paying for.

Thus, agility is the ability to change direction with minimal loss of speed.

ELEMENTS OF AGILITY TRAINING Vern Gambetta, in his

book--Athletic Development: The Art and Science of Functional Sports Conditioning, lists the components of agility training as Acceleration, Body Control and Awareness, Change of Direction, Footwork, Recognition and Reaction, Starting, and Stopping.

HOW TO TRAIN AGILITY? Detailed descriptions of how to train each component will prove too voluminous, so be sure to look for How-To videos on our upcoming Facebook page. It is important, however, to start by assessing your current agility before embarking on a plan to improve it. As popular management consultant, Peter Drucker said, “what gets measured, gets improved.”

Many teams use the “Illinois Agility Test” or “T” Test to get the measure of their agility. These tests require the athlete to sprint through a small distance with multiple changes of direction by running around marked cones.

Once you’ve been assessed, the self-same tests mentioned above can be used during training sessions to improve your footwork, body control and movement precision as you manoeuvre around each of the cones in the tests.

Agility drills are also meant to be very sports specific, so it is very useful to get coaches involved with athletes in developing activities that mirror the types of movements and scenarios likely to be seen in actual play.

Another critical aspect of agility training is to help improve the athlete’s ‘awareness and reactivity’. Most sports are very reactive--one team responds to the actions of another team, or one player to another. Being able to respond

quickly and efficiently largely determines who has the upper hand. Partner-mirror drills are good ways to train reactivity and awareness.

In addition to Partner Mirror Drills and Sport Specific-Drills, there are also exercises which help to train Multi-directional Speed. Lateral A-skips, Line-stop deceleration drills, and agility ladder drills are a few popular examples.

Finally, if you are just beginning agility drills for the first time, it is important to follow a safe progression. Beginners can start with improving movement skills, like simply working on running form.

Learn to jog forward, backward, and move well sideways at slow speeds before increasing speed of movement in each direction.

As you gradually add speed to your movements, you may at some point start to add activities that challenge you to react to what is happening in your environment, e.g. sprinting on the sound of a whistle.

Former Brazilian Football captain, Socrates believed in the Joga Bonito.

“Beauty comes first” He said. “Victory is secondary.

What matters is joy. Sport not only remembers athletes by the joy their results bring, but by the majesty of their seemingly languid nimbleness, and nonchalant speed that appears to slow down time for a brief moment as they perform a feat that may be remembered for a lifetime. How will you be remembered?

If there are specific topics you would like to see discussed here, or you have questions, you can email proformance592@gmail.com or leave a message on the Facebook page.

Ali destroys Chelsea at the Bridge (REUTERS) - TOTTENHAM Hotspur ended 28 years of hurt and took a massive stride in the race for a topfour finish in the Premier League as Dele Alli struck twice in a 3-1 victory at Chelsea on Sunday.

Not since Gary Lineker scored the winning goal in 1990 had Tottenham taken three points home from Stamford Bridge and in 2016 their title hopes were

ended by the Blues in a rumbustious draw dubbed the ‘Battle of the Bridge’.

Fourth-placed Tottenham, unbeaten in the league since December, began the day five points clear of Chelsea, but it looked like being a familiar tale of woe when Alvaro Morata punished a Hugo Lloris mistake to head the hosts in front.

Christian Eriksen bamboozled Willy Caballero with a dipping effort just

before the break though and Alli, whose form and temperament has been questioned of late, struck twice in four minutes in the second half.

The sight of fit-again Harry Kane coming on as a substitute added to the joy of Tottenham’s fans who could finally celebrate at Stamford Bridge after 27 league games there without a win — a run of 18 defeats and nine draws.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Clodoaldo, was a Santos legend & the unsung hero of that great 1970 Brazil goal, dribbling past 4 Italians to start the move.

(Sports Illustrated) - Some goals are elevated by the situation in which they are scored.

Others transcend the game from which they occurred entirely, forging a life of their own. Rarely does one paradoxically manage - to achieve both.

Even more extraordinary is a goal that perfectly encapsulates the entire essence of a team, distilling all their magnificence into 36 seconds, 29 touches, nine passes, one step over and a shot to create pure footballing poetry.

“He would send his assistant coach to watch opposition matches and take photos with a telephoto lens. He’d come back and give us a slide show on his projector.

“The Italians were obviously too good defensively not to track back, but we noticed that, probably because of the heat, they dropped off later in the game.”

So, it was always in Brazil’s script - it just had to be enacted correctly with the cameras on, in front of 107,412 expectant people, on the big-

Carlos Alberto Torres and Jairzinho

As with all great art, Carlos Alberto’s 86th minute strike in the 1970 World Cup Final was predetermined with painstaking and thoughtful preparation, yet executed with the impression of unbridled spontaneity.

While Brazil’s technical ability was always lauded as the defining factor in their superiority, their organisation and measure is often overlooked.

The so called ‘perfect goal’ displayed the best of both these attributes.

As the goalscorer himself pointed out in an interview with the Observer in 2013: “We’d worked on the move in training. Zagallo had said that if we dragged the Italians to the left wing, then I should get forward down the right.

gest stage of all.

But there were no nerves present when the time came, only ruthless clarity: “This was the 85th minute and they were already beat, so I just took off.”

And take off he did, in surely one of the most well timed runs in the history of the game. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, for Alberto’s run isn’t the only pitch perfect aspect of this masterpiece.

As alluded to in the intro, the context isn’t necessarily required to appreciate the work, but it is worth laying down the foundations before analysing the cherry on top.

Having gone in front through a towering header from Pele, which bore a remarkable resemblance to the one Gordon Banks so infa-

mously saved in the quarter final, the Italians hit back just before half time to level the scores.

After a tense end-to-end start to the second half, the deadlock was eventually broken

by Gerson in the 66th minute with a long range effort that curled sumptuously away from the keeper.

With the Italian’s hitherto unerring spirit cracked, Jairzinho finished them off with a far less exquisite bumbling finish off his knee, after Pele knocked down a route one lob into the box.

Almost certainly confirmed as winners, lesser teams would’ve been satisfied with their lot, and seen out the remaining 20 minutes with austerity. Brazil’s attention, however, turned to artistry, and to how they could commemorate their ascension.

And so, after an ailing Italian failed with a fruitless run, they recovered the ball deep in their own half, and commenced their tapestry. Its first threads are made up of a few lethargic passes - as if surveying the scene that lies

The Goal That defined the Legendary 1970 Brazil Team

before them.

After a particularly lax one near the centre circle, Clodoaldo decides enough is enough.

Collecting the bobbling ball, he allows the oncoming defender a brief glimmer of hope, before calmly slotting it past him to begin his slalom.

is thrust viciously at near waist-level.

Undeterred, he shields both himself and the ball with another precise sideways touch before instinctively and instantly throwing a delightfully feigned step-over to send the third Italian flying into oblivion.

The 1970 Brazil Team

The duped defender’s subsequent begrudging kick out has no effect, and if anything only reaffirms Clodaoldo’s desire to torment his toiling opponents. No sooner has he regained his footing from the first evasion, is he forced to elude an even more impassioned Italian, whose boot

A fleeting moment of satisfaction is permitted here, before another opponent comes for him, far more gingerly than his predecessors, and his apprehension is duly capitalised on with another agile cut back.

After four sublime seconds, and four defenders conquered, Coldaoldo’s dance is over. He

EXCLUSIVE: Brazil legend, CLODOALDO. Winner of 1970 World Cup with King Pele

momentarily absorbs the adulation from the stands, before knocking it out to his teammate on the touchline.

This teammate, Rivellino, takes barely a beat before caressing it up field to the scampering Jairzinho. After killing it dead with a touch so deft it almost surprises the great man himself, he sets off to cause Brazil Portugal World at chaos.vs Driving purposefully Cup 1966: BackItaly’s (L-R),capa jaded Facchetti, Orlando, Manga, Brito, tain, he suddenly shifts inside, Denilson, And Rildo, drawing in Facchetti’s partner Fidelis Cera Front (L-R): Pierluigi before tapping Massuer Americo, it off to Pele at the last Jairsecond.

As Pele receives the ball, the English commentator privy to a view of the pitch that we are not - reaches a level of excitement that we cannot yet comprehend. Indeed, he announces Carlos Alberto’s bursting arrival before we are even aware of his presence.

Time stands still as Pele, telepathically familiar with his captain’s advancing run, nonchalantly waits for the perfect moment before rolling it across playfully into his path.

With no hesitation, the right back gallops up to the ball, before leathering it with untethered power back across the goal and into the corner.

The Azteca Stadium erupts with unprecedented astonishment, as his at last satisfied teammates finally allow themselves to revel in their glory.

As Alberto would later describe it: “Pelé and me played so often together that he knew where I was – I didn’t need to shout. He saw me coming and rolled his pass in front of me so I didn’t have to break stride.

“And I caught it perfectly.”

Upon Carlos Alberto’s passing in October 2016, the footballing world recounted with fondness the legacy he left - a legacy he crowned by cementing his side’s status as the everlasting greats of world football, with the finest goal the World Cup has ever produced.

33

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

The pain of a hopeful West Indies cricket fan

Are the west Indies serious about cricket moving forward?

By Akash Persaud AMIDST the Doom and Gloom of the “1100 Grit Yellow” ball tampering fiasco, Afghanistan emerged the top team in the Cricket World Cup 2019 Qualifiers. When the teams that were going to be playing in the CWCQ were announced, it was a fore-gone conclusion in my mind and maybe that of other followers of cricket as to who were going to be the 2 teams to qualify; West Indies and Afghanistan of course. This is not because I’m West Indian and a fan of West Indies cricket, but by the mere fact that West Indies should qualify easily being who they are, or perhaps in hindsight, who they were – WEST INDIES and Afghanistan, because they are the best of the rest.

As the tournament began and concluded, it seemed every team deserved a place, except the West Indies. They were on the brink of losing to these so called “minnows” on so many occasions. West Indies, with such a long and distinguished tag of “world beaters”, were reduced to rags in a tournament they deserve to be in. By no means were teams “blown away” in the super sixes by this Test playing team that possesses the like of Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Kemar Roach, Carlos Braithwaite (remember the name), but rather, close finishes and at-least one win that should have been a loss. It seems that in a month of Sundays, this Afghan team will beat this very West Indies side, every day, lopsidedly at that too. In the final, West Indies played as if they were just happy to be in CWC’19.

There was no sense of urgency that suggests that they should be embarrassed of how they got to this point and should try their best to win this so called “final”.

These sentiments that Im sharing is not because I hate this team, my very blood bleeds the crimson of the West Indies flag, in every sense. I have stayed up late, listening to radio – Courtney Walsh bowling in Christchurch, 3 am Guyana time; I sat in the Rohan Kanhai stand as Shiv Chanderpaul debuted.

I remember the “bottle chorus” of the Busta regional tournament at Bouda.

There were some great moments.

I have publicly denounced this team on many occasions, saying “bannas I done wid them” only to be drawn, like an insect, to the light of the television screen whenever West Indies plays, with the hope that “they will win today”. Then they will lose, but I will still go back with that hope and thought; “y’all could beat these people budday”.

Being born in Wakenaam to a family of traditional cricket followers, I became a fan of the game very late. I looked in awe, men holding small transistor radios to their ears; they seemed to West Indies be listening to the Gods with such intent. Though I did not have Captain a sense of why mostly Indo-Guyanese spoke of the glories of InJason dia and Afro- Guyanese that of West Indies, I immediately felt a Holder sort of “birth-right” to be a fan of my “own team”, that has not (Getty changed. What has changed is the joy that I experience in the early Images)

90’s (when I started to follow the game) to what has now been replaced by pain, anger and grief. How is it that the once mighty West Indies needed rain and messers Duckworth/Lewis and Stern to get into a tournament that they WON twice and were losing finalist once; how?

From the perspective of a fan, it seems that this conundrum lies at the very top; the WICB. For over a decade and a half, we have been told to be patient, the team is rebuilding. Coach after coach have been tried.

Well that rebuilding seems to be in the hands of, in Guyanese parlance “over-night contractors” who know absolutely nothing about building the project at hand, but will get paid anyway. Where are the West Indian greats: Viv Richards, BC Lara, Ambrose, Walsh, that deadly fast bowling quartet of the 80’s, Roger Harper… where are they? Why isn’t this rebuilding process given to people who know what it is like to build a team; Clive Lloyd comes to mind, but instead, to people who just clamber for the fame and fortune that comes with these leadership roles. Why are some players dictating why, when and how they will play for West Indies? Sunil Narine, Kieran Pollard, Andre Russle and Dwayne Bravo decided that they will not be available, but rather, they will play for the PSL. Some would argue that it’s a matter of “food on the table” and the WICB has not done its bit to take care of these players. But where is the pride and loyalty to your team; it is the very West Indies team that made most of these players come to prominence. Is it that no one cares about the fans and lacks the decency of at least giving them something to cheer about? Or is it the players revolting against a tyrant WICB ? But then perhaps it can also be the lure of the “big bucks”. Whatever it is though, West Indies cricket needs intervention, perhaps a revolution of some sort. The bull has to be taken by the horn. The time is now!

West Indies being out of CWC’19, which they deserve to be, in my opinion, could have done West Indies cricket more good than harm. Perhaps it would have sparked that REVOLUTION needed in the sport--a sport which is a part of the Caribbean’s culture and folklore. But maybe if we the fans let our voices be heard, to those at Caricom, the ICC and lovers of West Indian cricket – Worldwide, maybe, just maybe things will change. I have HOPE in West Indies Cricket, even if it comes in brothers Kyle and Shai, I have Hope. Youngsters in the team--Jason, the Hopes, Keemo, Chase, Shimron etc. should be used as the blocks to really rebuild this team, but it can only be done with a “fit and proppa contractor”. Long live West Indies Cricket.

34

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Shaw wins BACIF Inaugural Golf Tournament

BACIF Tourney winners pose outside the Golf Clubhouse with the sponsor and club officials. From left – President Aleem Hussain, Peter Pompey, Aasrodeen Shaw, Mike Mangal, Lakeram Ramsundar, Patrick Prashad, Avinash Persaud and Captain Chen Deo.

AASRODEEN Shaw, treasurer of the Lusignan Golf Club, for the second week in succession emerged the winner of a tournament with a net score of 65.

The LGC executive carted off the Brass Aluminium & Cast Iron Foundry’s (BACIF) Inaugural Golf Tournament trophy.

BACIF General Manager, Peter Pompey, along with Commercial & Design Superintendent, Yolanda Geddes-Kendall; machine shop superintendent, Kwesi Craig; and Technical Assistant to the GM, Adrian Barkoye, were on the course to happi-

ly take a few golf strokes as their personal initiation into the great game.

BACIF of Lots 9-14 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, is the premier manufacturer of high quality and precision engineered ferrous and non-ferrous castings in Guyana for over fifty years.

Mr. Pompey, in congratulating the winners and participants of the day’s tournament, thanked the golf club for the opportunity to contribute to its development and pledged to continue to offer support.

The competition was

fierce, so that after 2nd place there was a tussle between 3 golfers for 3rd place, followed by another tussle between 2 golfers that would have been for 7th place.

The 3rd place winner was determined from a count of the ‘back nine’ scores.

At the end of the day, the winners were as follows: Lakeram Ramsundar - Nearest to the Pin; (current and 3 times Guyana Open Champion) Avinash Persaud – Best Gross and Longest Drive; (former Guyana Open Champion) Mike Mangal (71/8) - 3rd

Best Net; Patrick Prashad (68/9) – 2nd Best Net; and Aasrodeen Shaw (65/16) – Best Net. The next close ten Net performances were done by (president) Aleem Hussain (71/12 – 4th place); Richard Haniff (71/12 – 5th place); Avinash Persaud (72/2); (2 times former Guyana Open Champion) Mohanlall Dinanauth (72/6); Gavin Todd (73/18); (former Guyana Open Ladies Champion) Shanella London (74/16); Clifford Reis (74/23); Kassim Khan (76/9); Lakeram Ramsundar (77/11); and Guillermo Escaraga (77/24).

West Indies lacked application – Mohamed CMC – CAPTAIN Jason Mohammed has blamed a lack of application for West Indies’ poor showing in the opening Twenty20 International of the three-match series against Pakistan here Sunday.

Chasing 204 for victory in the historic fixture at the National Stadium here, the reigning T20 World champions crumbled for 60 all out – their lowest-ever score in the shortest format.

The 143-run defeat was the second heaviest-ever in T20 Internationals and Pakistan’s most emphatic margin of victory.

“It is a good wicket but I think our shot execution [let us down] and we didn’t apply ourselves well enough,” said Mohammed, who is leading the side in the absence of regular skipper Carlos Brathwaite.

“We have to stay positive as a team. We still have matches ahead so we’ll come back strong and come up

with some different plans, try and apply ourselves differently and try and do the basics right tomorrow [in the second match].”

Pakistan were cruising at 140 for two in the 16th over before West Indies clawed their way with three quick wickets to reduce the innings

Jason Mohammed says Windies lacked application.

In the first high profile international match on Pakistan soil in nine years, the hosts made the most of the occasion to pile up 203 for five off their 20 overs.

to 156 for five in the 18th.

However, veteran Shoaib Malik took charge of the latter stages of the innings, stroking an unbeaten 37 off 14 balls as Pakistan ended on a high.

Mohammed admitted the Windies had lost the plot at the death.

“It was definitely a tough day. I think we went pretty well with the ball until the last couple of overs,” he lamented.

Despite the result, the importance of the match was not lost on the capacity crowd, which welcomed international cricket back to Karachi.

Until now, Pakistan had played all their home series in the United Arab Emirates, following the 2009 terrorist attack on a Sri Lankan team bus which left several players injured and members of the secuirty forces dead.

Mohammed said he had enjoyed being part of history.

“It’s nice being here. It’s my first time being here for international cricket and it’s nice being in Pakistan.”

The second match is set for Monday at the same venue.

T&T women take U-19 Title

A HALF-century from opener Shania Abdool propelled Trinidad & Tobago to an eight-wicket victory over Windward Islands to lift the Cricket West Indies-sanctioned Regional Under-19 Girls’ Invitational Twenty20 Tournament title on Sunday.

Abdool struck half-dozen boundaries in an unbeaten 57 from 54 balls to earn the Player-of-the-Match award and lead T&T successfully past a victory target of 93 with 34 balls remaining in the grand final at the National Cricket Centre.

She dominated a first wicket stand of 54 before fellow opener Djenaba Joseph and Alysha Gomez fell cheaply, and remained to carry the hosts the rest of the way to their target, allowing them to repeat as title-holders.

Earlier, Windwards, sent in to bat, were restricted to 92 for nine from their allocation of 20 overs with no batter reaching 20.

Leandra Ramdeen was the most successful T&T bowler with 3-11 from her allotted four overs.

At the nearby Gilbert Park, Guyana followed up steady batting – led by Shakiba Gajnabi and Casey Charles – to post a 55-run victory over Barbados in the Consolation Final to finish in third place.

Gajnabi hit six fours in a run-a-ball top score of 48 and Charles collected five fours in 31 from 33 balls to lead the Guyanese to 130 for six from their 20 overs, after they chose to bat.

The pair shared 68 for the fourth wicket, but no other player reached double figures.

Though they kept wickets in hand, the Barbadians never seriously challenged the asking rate and never came close to overhauling their target, as no batter reached 20.

SCORECARD

PAKISTAN PAKISTAN Fakhar Zaman run out 39 Babar Azam lbw b Emrit 17 Hussain Talat run out 41 *+Sarfraz Ahmed c wkp Fletcher b Powell 38 Shoaib Malik not out 37 Asif Ali b Paul 1 Fahim Ashraf not out 16 Extras: (lb6, w7, nb1) 14 TOTAL: (5 wkts, 20 overs) 203 Did not bat: Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Hassan Ali. Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-65, 3-140, 4-150, 5-156.

Bowling: Badree 4-0-37-0, Paul 4-0-26-1, Williams 4-0-43-1, Permaul 0.3-0-8-0, Samuels 0.3-0-7-0, Powell 3-0-34-1.

WEST INDIES C Walton c Asif Ali b Mohammad Nawaz 6 A Fletcher c Hussain Talat b Mohammad Amir 0 M Samuels c Fahim Ashraf b Mohammad Nawaz 18 *J Mohammed c Hussain Talat b Mohammad Amir 0 +D Ramdin c Mohammad Nawaz b Hassan Ali 0 R Powell c & b Shadab Khan 5 K Paul not out 10 R Emrit c Hussain Talat b Shoaib Malik 11 K Williams c Babar Azam b Shoaib Malik 0 S Badree c Shoaib Malik b Hussain Talat 7 Extras: (w3) 3 TOTAL: (all out, 13.4 overs) 60 Did not bat: V Permaul.

Fall of wickets: 1-6 2-8, 3-8, 4-15, 5-27, 6-33, 7-51, 8-51, 9-60, 10-60.

Bowling: Mohammad Nawaz 4-0-19-2, Mohammad Amir 2-0-32, Fahim Ashraf 1-0-9-0, Shadab Khan 3-0-13-1, Shoaib Malik 2-0-13-2, Hussain Talat 0.4-0-3-1.

Result: Pakistan won by 143 runs.

Series: Pakistan lead three-match series 1-0.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: HUSSAIN TALAT.

35

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 2, 2018

Bramble’s cameo helps Guyana Bright wins lone medal for Guyana on Day Two All-stars beat Trinbago Titans of CARIFTA Games

By Colin Bynoe.

THE Saturday night skies were peacefully set above the historic Albion sports complex ground when Berbicians were treated to a much-touted battle between a well-knit Guyana All Stars and the Trinbago Titans under lights.

This time Guyana All Stars were the victors, thanks to a belligerent 42 from just 27 balls from 27-year-old Anthony Bramble.

The match was organised in observance of the 100th birth anniversary of the late Dr Cheddi Jagan who is widely regarded as the ‘Father of the Nation’.

Trinbago Titans won the toss and opted to take first strike. Their line-up included the likes of Lendyl Simmons, Nicholas Pooran and Imran Khan but without their season stars, they were evidently short of their best.

They crawled their way to 21 for two inside the first six overs.

Surprisingly, Simmons who is known for opening the batting for Trinbago in times past, opted to bat at number four.

By the half way stage of the encounter, the Titans were staring down a possibility of a score under the hundred-run mark, being

Leon Johnson Collects the winning trophy from Executive member of the People’s Progressive Party, Zulfikar Mustapha

39 for seven.

Nicholas Pooran and Mark Deyal then went on a rescue mission for the Titans, building a 61-run partnership with Pooran being the aggressor; hitting 5X6 in an eye-catching display of power-hitting.

Two of Pooran’s sixes

landed out of the ground while off the final ball of the Titans innings, he hit a jaw-dropping switch hit for a maximum off the hostile Keon Joseph.

Pooran was not out on 60 when the Titans innings ended on 118 for nine. Bowling for the All Stars, Gudakesh Motie

had figures of 3-29 while Romario Shepherd bagged 2-20.

The lively and passionate home supporters were given much to cheer.

When Guyana All Stars started their reply, the crowd witnessed another display of power-hitting, this time from Anthony Bramble.

Bramble seemed to be in a hurry when he and Sherfane Rutherford propelled the score to 60 at the end of the power play.

Bramble fell in the seventh over--stumped off Imran Khan for 47 --but the damage had already been done and at that stage, the Guyana All Stars were in a commanding position.

Captain Leon Johnson did the repair work for the All-Stars, finishing on 20.

The win for the Guyana All Stars came in the 16th over as they reached 119-6 with four wickets to spare.

Mark Deyal was the pick of the Titans’ Bowlers, taking 2 for 23 off his four overs.

Bramble was adjudged Man-of-the-match for his allround performance; collecting three catches behind the wicket and two stumpings, in addition to his 27-ball cameo.

The Guyana All Stars were presented the Dr Cheddi Jagan Trophy at the presentation.

‘Feeling is Awesome!’

Hat-trick hero Gray on 1st Milo title Hat-trick hero Zion Gray is ecstatic at winning his school’s first Milo U-18 Schools football title following a 5-1 drubbing of Buxton Youth Developers on Saturday evening.

Speaking to the media under the stars at the Ministry of Education Ground, the eventual Most Valuable Player said that the feeling was surreal.

“The feeling is awesome.

This is the first Milo championship that sir Leon Lesson has won and it’s a very awesome feeling,” He said.

“The strategy was to come out early, get a goal and then put Buxton under pressure so we could score more goals,” He added.

He continued, “We (Sir Leon Lessons) came out as one and played as one.

The past couple weeks we

have been training hard and everything that coachman thought us, we executed to win as one.”

And that they did. Gray scored the first of his hat-trick after tapping in from close range after teammate Julian Bamfield’s set piece was parried by the keeper.

Buxton’s Shamash London in the 16th minute levelled things up to silence the

Zion Gray’s first goal of the night (Adrian Narine Photo)

crowd on hand at the venue.

The game remained that way for almost the entire half.

On the return, Gray carefully guided a headed chance into the right corner after a touchline cross.

Alwin Franklin netted in the 59th minute to carry the score to 3-1 before Gray completed his hat-trick in the 63rd minute and Teon Forde topped it off with a goal, two minutes into stoppage time to complete the 5-1 rout and help his team to their maiden Milo Schools’ Football Tournament victory.

Sir Leon Lessons pocketed $500,000 for winning the tournament while Buxton received $300,000, all of which will go towards a school project of their choice.

Tournament Co-Director, Troy Mendonca commended the winners for their performance as well as all the teams that participated in the competition.

...Williams, Phillips through to the 200M finals

By Rawle Toney

Chantoba Bright was the shining light for Guyana on Day Two of the CARIFTA Games in Nassau, Bahamas, claiming the country’s lone medal on a bittersweet day for the athletes from the ‘Land of Many Waters’.

Bright was third in the Girls U-20 Triple Jump, where she leaped a distance of 12.14 metres, behind Jamaicans Lotavia Browne (12.23 metres) and Farquharson Leone (12.24 metres).

Bright won the only gold medal for Guyana (so far) at the CARIFTA Games this year, where she topped the field in the Girls U-20 Long Jump.

Daniel Williams and Kenisha Phillips booked their spots in the 200 metres finals, while Deshana Skeete failed to advance.

Murphy Nash, Cordell Charles and Kezra Murray all finished outside of the podium in their 3000 metre run on day two of the regional track and field showpiece.

Williams, following his unusual dismal performance in the Boys 400 metres finals on the opening day of the games, returned to run a personal best in the 200 metres, clocking 21.21 seconds, but was behind the game’s ‘spotlight’ athlete, Christopher Taylor of Jamaica, who was first in a time of 20.65 seconds.

The 2017 IAAF World U-18 Championship 400M silver medalist, Williams, saw his time being fast enough to book a spot in the finals which will run off today, to give him a chance to avenge his disqualification last year, when he finished second behind Taylor, but track officials flagged him for stepping on the line in the final turn.

For Phillips, she was third in her heats where she ran 24.8 seconds in the Girls U-20 and will look to add a CARIFTA Games medal to her trophy stand, having won silver in the event at last year’s South American Youth Games in Chile.

There was some disappointment for Skeete, with the South American Youth Games 400 metres Gold Medallist just missing a place in the finals. With qualification by time for those who did not win their heat, Skeete, though running a personal best of 24.79 seconds, her time was not good enough to see her through.

Meanwhile, things didn’t go too well for Guyana in the field outside of Bright’s first day heroics. Princess Brown’s leap of 5.47 metres in the Girls U-17 Long Jump was just good enough for a sixth place.

In the Boys U-20 Long Jump, the Guyanese pair of Tramaine Brown and Carl Williams saw their leap not being good enough to add to the country’s medal count.

Brown’s jump of 7.09 metres saw him finishing tied fourth with Curacao’s Jaden Bernabela, and Williams finished sixth following his distance of 7.02 metres.

The curtain for the 47th hosting of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games will come down today and Guyana has so far totalled six medals (one gold, five bronze) – just two short of their most ever in the games’ history which they achieved last year.

Apart from Williams and Phillips featuring in the U-20 200 metres finals, Nash will turn out in the Boys U-17 800 metres finals, and Shaquka Tyrell and Kissanna Glen in the U-17 Girls 800 metres finals.

Murray and Jeonna Archer will also be in action, running in the Girls U-20 800M finals, while Guyana is registered for the 4X400 metres relay.

Bright wins lone medal for Guyana on Day Two of CARIFTA Games Chantoba Bright finished third in the Girls U-20 Triple Jump and it was the lone gold medal for Guyana on Day Two of the CARIFTA Games.

...Williams, Phillips through to the 200M finals

Daniel Williams ran a personal best (21.21 seconds) to book his place in the finals of the Boys 200M finals at the CARIFTA GAMES

‘Feeling is Awesome!’

Hat-trick hero Gray on 1st Milo title

See Page 34

See Page 35

West Indies lacked application – Mohamed Zion Gray collects his trophy for MVP.

Chadwick Walton blasts one (Getty Images Photo)

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018