Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 21042019

21st April, 2019

No.105613

To all readers

President Granger completes radiotherapy treatment PAGE

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–– cautioned against heavy work load, excessive public engagements

Tourists flock Rupununi Rodeo PAGE

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A participant in the Boys Under-12 Calf Riding Competition in action at Rupununi Ranchers Rodeo 2019 (Delano Williams photo)

ExxonMobil signs Noble Don Taylor for more drilling 05 PAGE

Some 300 youths receive 10 skills training PAGE

Venezuelan family 15 settles in at Lethem PAGE

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Spreading Easter cheers

Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Attorney General Basil Williams on Saturday visited villages on the East Coast and West Coast Demerara where they distributed kites to scores of children. Above are scenes from the distribution exercises

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

President Granger completes radiotherapy treatment

–– cautioned against heavy work load, excessive public engagements PRESIDENT David Granger has returned to Guyana, having completed his regime of radiotherapy in Cuba, however, his doctors have cautioned against a hectic workload. The President returned to Guyana last evening.

In a statement on Saturday, Ambassador of Guyana to the Republic of Cuba, Halim Majeed, said President Granger has completed his regime of

radiotherapy without any complication. Last year, he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and had been undergoing treatment in Cuba ever since. Ambassador Majeed said the President’s medical specialists are looking forward to his recovery and his return to normalcy.

“The President will continue a schedule of medication prescribed by his doctors and is expected to return to Cuba at a

time to be determined by his Cuban medical team,” Ambassador Majeed stated.

While the President will resume official duties, the doctors have warned against having too much of a hectic schedule and workload. “In terms of his resumption of official duties, they have cautioned against too heavy a workload immediately and have advised that care must be taken in pursuing exces-

sive public engagements at this time,” Ambassador Majeed explained.

Late last month, President Granger successfully completed his regime of chemotherapy, which was part of his medical treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. According to the American Cancer Society, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (also known as non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, NHL, or sometimes just lymphoma) is a cancer

that starts in the white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system.

Since his diagnosis late October 2018, President Granger has been receiving medical treatment at Cuba’s Centro de Investigaciones Medico Quirurgicas (CIMEQ).

President Granger has iterated his gratitude to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel; First Secretary of the Commu-

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President David Granger nist Party of Cuba, Raul Castro; First Vice-President of Cuba, Salvador Valdes Mesa; Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla; Cuba’s Ambassador in Guyana, Narciso Reinaldo Socorro; the Medical Team at CIMEQ; the CARICOM Caucus in Cuba and the many colleagues, friends and well-wishers who have extended best wishes for his full recovery and have prayed for his return to good health and physical well-being.

Cuban flora and fauna experts to visit Guyana PRESIDENT David Granger and Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, have agreed that arrangements should be made through diplomatic channels for a Cuban technical team to travel to Guyana to explore the possibility of collecting and cataloguing specimens of Guyana’s flora and fauna, with their counterparts here.

In a statement on Saturday, Guyana’s Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba, Halim Majeed, said the agreement was reached during Minister

Parrilla’s fourth visit to President Granger on Thursday, April 18, since he has been undergoing medical treatment and evaluation in Cuba.

During the visit, the Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister not only congratulated the President on the state of his physical well-being and the completion of the cycles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but used the opportunity to review the President’s visit to key locations in Cuba.

“They reviewed President Granger’s visit to the Cuban National Zoological Park, the Botanic Garden

of the University of Havana and the Escuela Taller de la Habana in Old Havana. They agreed that those first-hand engagements were extremely valuable and that they opened additional avenues of cooperation between Guyana and Cuba,” Ambassador Majeed explained.

Ambassador Majeed said it was then that they agreed that a technical team should be sent to Guyana to explore the possibility of collecting and cataloguing specimens of Guyana’s flora and fauna.

President Granger explained to Foreign Minister

President Granger is seen receiving President Akufo-Addo (right). At centre is Ambassador Majeed. Backing camera is Ambassador Napoleon Abdulai

President Granger (centre) engages Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla (right). Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba, Halim Majeed, is at left

Bruno Rodriguez that he was impressed with the skills training at Escuela Taller, especially in the areas of conservation and restoration of public and national buildings.

“It was agreed that the possibility of the transfer of technology, which could be used in the restoration of Guyana’s wooden buildings, should be pursued at the diplomatic level,” Ambassador Majeed further detailed.

He said the matter of tourism, including multi-destination tourism, was also discussed and there was

concurrence that this was another area for further cooperation between Guyana and Cuba which should be taken up through the usual diplomatic channels.

Earlier this month, President Granger received President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, at that time, was on a four-day State Visit to Cuba.

During that meeting on April 6, the two Presidents discussed economic and cultural cooperation and agreed that relations be-

tween the two States should be deepened. In the context of those discussions, a Ghanaian delegation is expected to visit Guyana later this year.

President Akufo-Addo was accompanied at his meeting with President Granger

by Kwaku Agyemang Manu, Minister of Health; Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Education; and Napoleon Abdulai, Ghana Ambassador to Cuba.

Ambassador Majeed accompanied President Granger.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

Easter unites Guyanese – President Granger PRESIDENT David Granger is reminding Guyanese of the unity the Easter season brings to the country, noting that barriers of class and ethnicity are broken and replaced by the bonds of goodwill.

In his Easter message, the President said that the season is the single most sacred festival in the Christian calendar. It commemorates Jesus’ miraculous resurrection – the most important event in Christianity – which lies at the core of the Jesus’ ministry and mission on earth.

Betrayal, trial, crucifixion and resurrection are the mystery of mankind’s salvation, he said.

As he gave a biblical perspective, he said that most Christians believe that Jesus came to atone for the sins of the world and reconcile man to God. The Gospel of Luke [19: 10] announces Jesus’ mission: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The President said that most Christians accept that Jesus’ crucifixion was a preordained sacrifice for the

redemption of mankind and that his resurrection was a confirmation of the fulfilment of that mission. The Gospel of St John [17:4] recounts Jesus’ prayer to God: “I have glorified thee on earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”

“Easter celebrates the triumph of life over death, good over evil and hope over despair. The values of this festival ? life and hope ? are shared by the adherents of Guyana’s main religions. It is no surprise, therefore, that Easter, while quintessentially a Christian commemoration, is observed by all and celebrated as a national festival,” he noted.

The President noted that the Easter celebration has become a manifestation of social cohesion. With Easter being the longest weekend in the country’s calendar, he said the festival brings Guyanese together, at home and

in the Diaspora, in fun-filled family reunions, kite-flying, picnics, regattas, rodeos and other outdoor activities.

“The Easter celebration reminds us of this country’s geographic and demographic diversity. The Rodeo takes place in the Rupununi savannahs of the south, populated mainly by indigenous people,” he said.

He noted that the annual Regatta is held at Bartica which is located at the confluence of the great Essequibo, Mazaruni and Cuyuni rivers. Kite-flying across our country, he said, is an ancient practice brought here by Chinese immigrants. Easter celebrates our diversity,” the President said.

“The Easter celebration radiates happiness and hope everywhere. Guyanese celebrating Easter this year can look towards the future with confidence. Peace and prosperity await us all,” he added.

Sunday, April 21, 2019 - 05:30hrs - 07:00hrs

According to the President, the Easter celebration allows Guyanese to promote greater unity. “We must use this sacred festival to reconcile ourselves not only to God but to one another by fostering a spirit of

respect,” he said. “May the message of Easter become a source of strength for everyone as we work together to ensure a better future for all,” President Granger added.

Ukraine election: Voters to choose between comic and tycoon Ukrainians will head to the polls shortly in a run-off election to pick the country's next president.

Voters face a stark choice between tycoon Petro Poroshenko, the incumbent president, and television comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, new to politics.

The TV celebrity is favourite in the polls, having dominated the first round of voting three weeks ago when 39 candidates were on the ticket.

Poll stations will open 08:00 local (05:00 GMT) and close 12 hours later.

A court in the capital, Kiev, has rejected a lawsuit calling for Mr Zelensky to be barred from standing.

A man had complained that the distribution of free tickets for a presidential debate by Volodymyr Zelensky's candidacy amounted to bribery. On Friday the two candidates appeared at Kiev's Olympic stadium to debate for the first time.

The televised event was their first face-off after an usual campaign where Mr Zelensky has primarily used social media to communicate

with the voting public.

The winner of Sunday's vote will be elected for a fiveyear term as president.

The position holds significant powers over the security, defence and foreign policy of the country.

WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES? In Ukraine Mr Zelensky, 41, is best known for starring in a political satirical drama called Servant of the People.

In it he plays a teacher who accidentally becomes Ukrainian president after his rant about the nation's politics goes viral on social media.

He is now running under a political party with the same name as his show.

With no previous political experience, his campaign has focused on his difference to others rather than on any concrete policy ideas.

Despite this, he won the first round with more than 30% of the vote - almost double what Mr Poroshenko got when he finished in second place with 15.95%.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

ExxonMobil signs Noble Don Taylor for more drilling ESSO Exploration & Production Guyana Limited – a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, has contracted the drillship Noble Don Taylor for exploration in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana.

This is according to a Noble Corporation Fleet Status Report which was published on April 18, 2019.

According to that report, Noble Don Taylor, which is currently operating in the US Gulf of Mexico, has been contracted by Esso Exploration for a period of one year – “early October 2019 to early October 2020.” The full contract cost was not disclosed as was the case in other contractual arrangements.

The Fleet Status Report was published the day ExxonMobil announced its 13th discovery to date – this time at the Yellowtail-1 well – offshore Guyana on the Stabroek Block. In making the announcement, the U.S oil giant had also signalled its intention to bring another exploration drillship.

The discovery at Yellowtail-1 well will add to the re-

coverable resource of approximately 5.5 billion oil-equivalent barrels on the Stabroek Block. Yellowtail-1 is the fifth discovery in the Turbot area, which ExxonMobil expects to become a major development hub.

Yellowtail-1 encountered approximately 292 feet (89 meters) of high-quality oil bearing sandstone reservoir and was drilled to a depth of 18,445 feet (5,622 meters) in 6,046 feet (1,843 meters) of water.

The well, ExxonMobil explained, is located approximately six miles (10 kilometers) northwest of the Tilapia discovery. The Noble Tom Madden began drilling the Yellowtail well on March 27.

It will next drill the Hammerhead-2 well.

It disclosed too, that exploration and development activities continue at other locations on the Stabroek Block.

“The Stena Carron is currently completing a well test at the Longtail-1 discovery and upon completion, will next drill the Hammerhead-3 well. Later in 2019, the Stena Carron FROM PAGE 4

Ukraine election: Voters ...

The incumbent president, who has been in power since 2014, described the result as a "harsh lesson".

Mr Poroshenko, 53, is a billionaire who made his fortune primarily through his confectionery and TV businesses.

He was elected after an uprising overthrew the country's previous, pro-Russian government.

The stadium debate be-

tween the candidates on Friday was much-anticipated in Ukraine, after the comedian challenged the president to the unconventional event.

After his acceptance, there was a public disagreement between the pair over when it would be held.

Last week, Mr Poroshenko turned up and debated an empty podium after his opponent was absent at the date he suggested.

Drillship Noble Don Taylor (Photo Credit: NOBLE)

will drill a second well at the Ranger discovery. The Noble Bob Douglas drillship is currently completing development drilling operations for the Liza Phase One development,” the oil giant detailed.

Drillship Noble Don Taylor will add to the three other drill ships currently operating in the Stabroek Block.

According to the company, there is potential for at least five floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels on the Stabroek Block producing more than 750,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025. It said too that start-up of the Liza Phase One development is on track to begin by the first quarter of 2020 and will produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day utilising the Liza Destiny FPSO, which is expected to arrive in country in the third quarter.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

Ending the border controversy IT is time that the ongoing unfriendly, unreasonable, and unlawful acts being perpetrated against Guyana by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela be brought to a speedy and final conclusion.

After more than 50 years of provocation from Venezuela, the people of Guyana have had enough.

Since Guyana gained independence, our citizens have never been afforded the opportunity to enjoy a peaceful and predictable existence. Instead, because of Venezuela’s shenanigans, the lives of Guyanese citizens have been characterised by uneasiness, anxiety, and worry. Enough is enough.

This publication stands by the administration's position that Venezuela’s contention that it has any claim to Guyana’s territory is without merit. Similarly, we support, unreservedly, the course of action that has been adopted

by President David Granger and the APNU+AFC coalition administration.

Venezuela’s most recent action — the refusal to file a Counter-Memorial (CM) on the court’s jurisdiction by April 18, in defiance of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), — is only the latest in a series of counterproductive moves by our western neighbour. The ICJ

had requested the CM after Guyana submitted arguments in November of last year, contending that the ICJ has jurisdiction to hear and rule on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award that fixed the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.

The ICJ requested the CM, so that the court could hear both sides, but Venezuela refused to tell its side (if it has one).

It all started when Guyana’s territory was inherited from the three colonies of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice — which were all occupied by the Netherlands for over two centuries. In 1814 they were transferred to Great Britain, and in 1831 those three colonies were united to form British Guiana.

The borders of British Guyana were therefore established at that time.

Later, neighbouring countries challenged those borders and the matter was finally settled, by arbitration, in 1899. That settlement — in which Venezuela was awarded 13,000 square Km of Guyana’s land — was to be full, perfect, and final.

Venezuela accepted all of those terms. However, in 1962, Venezuela announced that it would no longer abide by the arbitration decision and renewed its claim to the region.

Guyana has always been a peaceful country, even before our

independence. And, despite Venezuela’s views to the contrary, government’s position that there is no “dispute” remains unchanged to this day. After all, everything was settled in 1899. In any case, in the interest of peace, Guyana agreed to sign the Geneva Agreement in February 1966 — three months before independence — which stipulated that any disagreement will be taken to the United Nations (UN) secretary-general who will decide how to settle any issue according to the UN Charter.

Guyana’s hopes for any peace at all were completely dashed when, in October 1966, the Venezuelan National Armed Forces seized the 7 square Km Ankoko Island in the Cuyuni river, after claiming ownership of 150,500 square Km of Guyana’s land covering five of our 10 regions. The Venezuelan army continues to illegally occupy the island, which they use as a base to harass Guyanese miners and provoke our soldiers.

Under the Geneva Agreement, the secretary-general, in 1990, chose the ‘Good Offices Process' to resolve the matter. However, it became clear that Venezuela had no intention of having a resolution; instead, that country continues to provoke Guyana. Venezuela has, over

the years, repeatedly trespassed on Guyana’s territory, sent armed ships into our waters, and engaged in armed aggression. For example, on October 10, 2013, a Venezuelan warship entered Guyana’s waters and, under threat of force, prevented an unarmed vessel, the Teknik Perdana, from conducting surveys.

Of course, such behaviour violates international laws and conventions.

Venezuela has even published maps that include Guyana’s territory, portraying it as Venezuela’s land.

Clearly, the Good Offices Process had failed. On January 31, 2018, the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, referred the controversy to the ICJ for judicial determination that would be final and binding under international law. That option is allowed by the Agreement. But in June 2018, Venezuela declared that it does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICJ, and will not participate in the process.

Obviously, Venezuela has no desire to see an end to matter that it contrived. The reason for this, says President David Granger, is geopolitical. The president asserts that Venezuela wants Guyana’s lands, sub-surface wealth, and access to the Atlantic. Guyana’s oil discoveries can only make the problem

worse. In other words, Venezuela created this problem out of pure greed.

The recent refusal by Venezuela to submit the CM to the ICJ has prompted Guyana to request that the ICJ go ahead with the case. The court should now rule on whether it has jurisdiction, and, if it does, it should hear and determine the substantive issue of Venezuela’s claim to our land.

This publication iterates its position: this matter has dragged on for far too long, it needs to end.

Guyanese deserve to live with the assurance that no country will be allowed to disturb our peaceful lives. It is underscored too, that the approach being pursued by the APNU+AFC administration is correct; only the current course can lead to a final and indisputable outcome. Further, in matters involving our territory, there can be no equivocation or division.

Citizens are therefore urged to support President Granger and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge in bringing an end to this issue.

Is Exxon's Hammerhead the next mega-discovery of oil?

Dear Editor, EXXONMOBIL's announcement Thursday that it had made a new and its 13th oil discovery offshore Guyana at the Yellowtail-1 well included another bit of information worthy of some attention.

The company also announced that two drillships are set to conduct additional drilling at the Hammerhead location. The Hammerhead well is the ninth oil discovery and was completed last August.

Up to that point, previous discoveries were estimated to contain recoverable resources of more than four billion barrels of oil equivalent. Hammerhead and the next three discoveries at Pluma, Haimara and Tilapia have now taken those estimates to over 5.5 billion barrels.

That Hammerhead, the ninth discovery, has now jumped the line for follow-up or appraisal drilling strongly suggests that the oil reservoir there is far larger than the rest.

Moreover, that the company has decided

to drill two appraisal wells simultaneously in its high-quality sandstone reservoir must mean we are eventually looking at a mega-discovery of at least a billion barrels.

Guyana will know by mid-May if we have another Liza.

Part of Hammerhead's oil resources is already in the 5.5 billion barrels calculation.

Therefore, should its appraisal confirm the presence of more oil, the total recoverable resources for the Stabroek Block may not make an eye-catching spike. Nevertheless, it

is likely to be singled out as a monster find.

Finally, the lonely Ranger-1 well (the sixth oil find, located much farther north) seems to be getting on-and-off treatment, getting pushed around the batting order.

Of note, however, is that Exxon’s public statements suggest that Ranger's estimated resources are not included in the 5.5 billion barrel total for the Stabroek Block.

Yours faithfully, Sherwood Lowe

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

GTT gives further clarity to billing issues Dear Editor OVER the last couple of weeks, we have been communicating to you the recent change in our billing cycle for our DSL service.

Based on your feedback, I would like to give further details and provide clarity on this matter, so that we can work together to avoid any future disruptions of this nature. Before even attempting to explain, I would like to sincerely apologise to you for any inconvenience this downtime may have caused. I fully understand how disruptive not having your internet service can be, especially if your children cannot stream their favourite show on Netflix or YouTube, complete their school assignments, or you being unable to meet your deadline to conduct

your business. Disconnecting our customers is not something that GTT enjoys doing.

With the exception of rare errors, your DSL service gets disconnected due to non-payment. In many instances, non-payment may not be intentional on your part, but may be as a result of an accumulation of small balances over time, payments made late, or simply confusion on the amount needed to clear the account or due dates.

On April 11, 2019, many DSL services were disconnected because we changed the grace period for payment from 40 to 10 days after the end of the month. We know that it is a significant change, but it was a necessary change for us to streamline our business; normally, the grace period for most companies in Guyana spans between three to five days. I under-

The art of making the kite is dying

Dear Editor,

THE Easter holiday and season are of major significance, not only for Christians, but for all Guyanese just as the other holidays observed by Muslims and Hindus are seen and viewed by all. The flying of kites is a remembrance of the ascension of Christ to be at the side of the Father, the Almighty, in heaven and that is what kite flying is all about; but the art of making the kite is dying and the culture of flying is declining, but the Christian population is increasing and so are the denominations.

There was a time when almost every home, weeks before Easter Monday, would select the pointers, eathea or board frames and start to make the kites; as for the board-frame kites, many over three feet long by about two feet six inches width and carry hundreds of

pieces of patch work with various matching colours that make them beautiful, the bull, the ears and frills, so as to make them noisy.

The loop for them to mount easily and the tail loop for them to be well balanced and length of tail, so as to avoid the kite pitching, it was and still is a test of skill and patience. Almost every child in the home would have his or her own kite to raise and fly on Easter Monday and days after.

You don’t see that many kites and children and adults doing it these days.

Raising and flying of the kite is a major significance, and reminds of the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascending of Christ to heaven; but, sad to say, the art of making the kite is dying and the culture of flying is declining.

Regards Archie Cordis

stand that there is some confusion, whereby some customers believed that they have been billed twice for their service; let me assure that this is absolutely not the case. Now that the grace period has been reduced from 40 to 10 days, customers who would normally wait close to the 40 days to clear their outstanding bills, would end up with their previous and current bills being due for payment around the same period.

I sincerely regret that everyone was unable to get the notices that we sent and going forward, we will do even more than the text messages, emails and robot voice calls. In addition, as an extra measure to our unconditional commitment to customer satisfaction, we will credit the reconnection fees paid for any customer who was affected by this change over the next two months.

Over the past six months, we attempted to be more proactive in letting you know what you owe.

Here are ways that we can work together to ensure that you are not disconnected: 1. For mobile, landline and DSL, simply dial *100# from your mobile (works for GTT mobiles only) and follow the prompts. With this you will receive the most updated information about your bill. You must try it!

2. By using the MyGTT app you are empowered to not only view your bills, but to pay bills (using VISA or MasterCard – debit or credit). We continue to upgrade the app to make it even easier for you to manage your accounts.

3. We will send you text messages through your mobile and emails with your outstanding bal-

ance between the fourth and seventh days of each month. In order for this to give you the most value, we need you to ensure that your contact information is updated – especially your email and mobile numbers.

Please do not ignore the messages we send; we promise not to spam you but to keep it to a minimum.

I would like to reiterate that the easiest way to pay your bill is via the MMG app, the MyGTT app and at MMG agents across the country. By using any of these methods, your payments are immediately applied to your accounts; all other methods can take up to two days for payments to be applied to your accounts.

Sincerely Orson Ferguson VP Customer Experience

Cannot be business as usual

TO move a nation from ‘no confidence’ to trust and collaboration would take much more than legislation can offer. Easter people, who make up a significant portion of civil society, can put the nation on a new course of creating spaces and circumstances that would heal the divisions of race, politics, gender and generation and the many ways we are fragmented and divided.” This is the Easter Message of Roman Catholic Bishop Francis Alleyne, which is given in full below: “On Easter Sunday and during the weeks following we will hear (read) the resurrection and post-resurrection accounts around the lives of the apostles. In those narratives, it is clear that for those who encountered the Lord, before and after his Resurrection, could not continue as before. For the members of the early Church, the physical Jesus was no longer present to them, but what he taught was now theirs to assimilate, make their own and share with others. That was very different from being in the learning seat free of full responsibility. Resurrection was not only the event of Christ breaking the bonds of

death but also, and intending to be, the transformation in the lives of his followers, those whom he accompanied then and we who claim to be disciples now. When one encounters the Lord it cannot be business as usual.

“In the case of St. Peter, we are introduced to the Simon, a spontaneous individual with noble ideals but impetuous and afraid who denied knowing Christ.

He had to overcome his limitations and take on the teachings of Jesus before his could live up to the name “Rock,” on which the Church could be built.

Similarly, St. Paul, formerly Saul, was a diehard Jew who approved of the death of Stephen and was ready to draw battle lines with anyone appearing to act outside the parameters of Jewish law and tradition. That same Paul/Saul would write in his letter to the Philippians, “If only I can gain Christ and be given a place in him” (Phil 3:8-9). We are regaled with the Easter stories of Peter and Paul and all the saints with whom we profess to have communion and as their lives rose in stature and brought life to others, that in communion with them our lives too would

be testimony of growth and transformation from a state of fragility and brokenness, to become “a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

“What is our story? The Easter mystery meets us in our daily lives in the midst of our usual routines of family and work and pursuits. It meets us with our fears and limitations, our hopes and dreams and meets us intent on freeing, transforming and expanding our lives. It meets us as individuals and meets us as communities, society, nation. Our mandate, as Easter people, is to live the Mystery, something within our reach, something for which we need each other. Pope Francis often uses the term “accompaniment”; journeying with, listening, sharing, empathising, respecting also connoting movement, direction with gaze and goal towards life to the full. This we can make real for ourselves and those in close proximity to us. This would be my Easter wish to all.

“My wish too would be that we sustain our prayer for the nation. Our nation

at present awaits the outcome of legal pronouncements flowing from the no- confidence vote of last December. The courts and the constitution can clarify the terms and the way they are to be applied. But to move a nation from no confidence to trust and collaboration would take much more than legislation can offer. It cannot be business as usual. Much of what has gone before and to a great extent is still present, has not worked and is not working. Easter people, who make up a significant portion of civil society and who take up the invitation to live the Mystery, can put the nation on a new course, certainly one of accompaniment, creating spaces and circumstances that would heal the divisions of race, politics, gender and generation and the many ways we are fragmented and divided. He is risen, it cannot be business as usual.”

Yours sincerely, Bishop Alleyne

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The resurrection of hope

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OMORROW is Easter Monday and I take this opportunity to wish all Guyanese, especially our Christian brothers and sisters, peace and happiness as we again celebrate the resurrection of hope in a trouble-plagued world.

This has been a prolonged weekend of reflections from Holy Thursday through Good Friday and, now, Easter Monday. It is a time for family re-unions, bonding with friends and neighbours, and “liming” in the parks. The pervasive, aromatic aromas from bar-b-que grills say that our people are having a great time.

For believers, these days bring new meanings to the Passion, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection – all symbolised in the graceful life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

THE ROLE OF JUDAS The treacherous role of Judas and his betrayal for 30 pieces of dirty silver would not be lost in this politically charged country, which is still under the shadow of that fateful, December 21, 2018 no-confidence vote in our National Assembly. That vote has been tainted and stained by what all honest Guyanese believe to be the kiss of a Judas!

But for our children, the symbols are metaphorically cross-buns and kites.

The holidays allow them freedom to occupy all safe and open spaces where they could see their kites take to the skies, as they gleefully paint their own dreams for success in splashes of bright colours on the horizon .

RELIGIOUS, NATIONAL HOLIDAYS Guyana has for many years observed some 19 (some say 20, as no one really works on Old Year’s Day) religious and national holidays during the year.

This calendar in part testifies to our respect for our multi-culturalism, and open celebration of diverse beliefs and traditions. It also demonstrates commitment to nationhood and displays a patriotic embrace of our unique, distinct Guyanese nationality.

Recently, I shared an impression with others that as I travelled to several cities of the United States, I would see displayed on vehicles and buildings on diverse days, different flags – Mexican, German, Russian, etc. That suggested the co-existence of many nationalities in one country. In Guyana, we see many peoples, with a common flag, in one nation.

There can be no doubt that in addition to its diversity,

Guyana is blessed.

Nothing dramatises this more than the periodic discovery of huge deposits of oil in our off-shore wells.

On Good Friday, the banner headline of the Guyana Chronicle reads, “EXXON IN 13TH STRIKE”, with the scrap lines, “adds to previously estimated 5.5 billion barrels of discovered recoverable resource”, as the “company mulls bringing 4th drillship.”

FORTUNES SOARING Like the multitude of kites that would flutter in the winds tomorrow, our nation’s fortunes are soaring.

It is not just the oil discoveries that give us hope, but the prospects that all of our people would benefit fairly, equitably and enormously from them. This assurance was repeated when Dr. Mark Bynoe, the head of the Department of Energy, stated: “For years, Guyanese have heard of the country’s oil potential, and we are now seeing it manifesting. The Department of Energy intends to employ international best practice in managing this resource and the monies that will be derived therefrom, to give Guyanese the good life…”

(Guyana Chronicle, April 19, 2019).

That assurance is comforting, even as I am reading the compelling and brilliant book, “WHY NATIONS FAIL”, written by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson. Sub-titled “The origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty,” this mind-tickling account of what has gone wrong, and could go wrong, in many otherwise richly endowed countries, points to the importance of solid institutions, not just power, to temper what the authors described as the “politics of poverty and prosperity.”

THE POVERTY OF POLITICS For much too long in post-independent Guyana, we have been plagued by what seems to be the poverty of politics, under a winner-takes-all system which leaves the loser bitter, cynical and confrontational, and trending towards ethnic strife and sabotage.

Even the most celebrated achievements of the nation are painted by “losers” as a curse, as is the case of our oil discoveries, our new international airport, roads, bridges, schools, health facilities and expanding communications capacity.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

The institutions that have been established to combat sleaze, such as the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), are disrespected, with calls recently from prime suspects for its disbandment.

The story in Guyana over the past four years has been about the establishment of institutions that could monitor and control political and bureaucratic excesses, which have contributed to disparities between rich and poor countries. Over these years, power has been used as a democratic tool to strengthen constitutional institutions such as the Parliament, the Judiciary and the Executive; and to fashion others to protect integrity in public life, and combat “blue collared” and other illicit activities such as money-laundering.

Over this period, the independence of financial-economic institutions such as the central and other banks, and the efficacy of revenue-stream bodies, such as the Guyana Revenue Authority, have been guaranteed.

POSITIVE RATINGS It cannot go unnoticed that Guyana’s positive ratings for press freedom has been going up, since the watchdog role of the press is cardinal to ensuring that our institutions enjoy autonomy. Similar, hopeful signs have been emerging in areas of economic growth and open governance practices under our coalition government.

With good news from the oil and other developmental sectors, there is a need to further align our political system and economic institutions to work constructively and cohesively for the prosperity, rather than the poverty, of our nation.

Towards this end, we must take seriously the process of constitutional reform. The all-party, bi-partisan parliamentary committee must promptly get to work on finalising legislation to set up a Constitutional Reform Commission, as both government and opposition have a shared responsibility to build stronger systems and institutions to ensure our nation’s prosperity.

Like our kites in the Easter skies, we can hope to soar high once we set ourselves new horizons for our collective dream of Guyana being an enviable success story.

The sacrifice and hope of Easter must mean no less to us all. April 21, 2019

Youth organisation calls on prime minister DURING an hour-long meeting with ‘Move On Guyana’, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo assured the youth organisation of the government’s support.

The prime minister, who is currently performing the functions of the President, told the group’s executives that the Coalition Government is committed to implementing the goals of the Constitution, which include free education from nursery to university levels.

The youth team was led by its President, Vishal Joseph, the current Caricom Youth Ambassador, and included secretary, Christopher Johnson; Assistant Treasurer, Varune Mahadeo; Vice-Presidents Mary Adams and Rosco Jeffrey; and other executive members-- Eon Bollers,

Joseph Singh, Christine Simon, Elson Low, Akeem Peters, Dr. Randy Domer and Dr. John Anderson.

The group of young professionals stated that they are interested in promoting fresh thinking and action as well as implementing policies.

They commended the government for executing several youth initiatives and for being supportive of strong youth leadership in Guyana.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo expressed pleasure at receiving the youth leaders and exchanging ideas with them.

He said, like the late Martin Luther King, “mine eyes have seen the future”, as he recounted his origin in the youth and student movement since 1964. (DPI)

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo peruses one of the publications given to him as members of ‘Move On Guyana’ look on (DPI photo)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Understanding Energy

‘Wildcatting’ & Oil Exploration WITH first-oil expected in less than a year, it’s worth looking back now to where Guyana’s new oil boom started.

Before 2015, sporadic attempts at offshore drilling had yielded no resource finds of any significance. In oil industry terms, that made Guyana’s offshore a “frontier” region—one with no history of exploration success or oil production.

But since that time, a series of 12 successful discoveries totalling more than 5.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent have put Guyana on track to eventually make us one of the largest oil producers in South America.

When the consortium of companies led by ExxonMobil first struck oil about 200 km off the coast in 2015, they were drilling what are referred to in the industry as “wildcat” wells.

These initial exploratory wells pose some of the biggest uncertainties for companies in the industry.

In an unproven region without any known resources, companies that are willing to forge

ahead and drill exploration wells are known as “wildcatters” and the test wells they drill are called “wildcats.” The terminology stems from the early days of oil exploration in the remote American West.

“Wildcat” wells can make or break small firms, as the investment risk can amount to millions of US dollars with no guarantee they will find anything. Oftentimes, the companies will be counting on the proceeds from a successful well to recoup their costs. However, if they are unsuccessful, the results can be devastating. Therefore, large companies are better placed to absorb those costs, but are sometimes unwilling to take on such financial risks.

Drilling offshore wells like those that were drilled in Guyana’s waters require contracting drillships that often rent for more than US $300,000 per day, months on end.

And drilling only begins after extensive logistical preparation, safety checks, tests, and exhaustive seismic surveys to map the geo-

logic formations under the sea floor. These efforts are intended to improve the chances that a well will be successful.

Under the production-sharing agreement between Guyana and the exploration companies, the companies assumed all of the costs and financial risk of drilling “wildcat” wells.

Under this agreement, the government is insulated from loss and the companies make a profit only if the wells strike oil.

Guyana’s agreement was structured to incentivise investment and financial risk- taking by international companies. These incentives worked and attracted some of the most capable international energy companies to invest in Guyana, including ExxonMobil.

The success by the early “wildcatters” on the Stabroek Block has highlighted Guyana as a bright spot on the map for the international energy industry. Since 2015, numerous companies have invested here—including many companies that aren’t oil producers themselves, but provide key services and logistics

to offshore operations.

By now, Guyanese may know the names of some of the companies that have taken notice of our early success and decided to drill new “wildcat” wells off the coast in coming years. These include Tullow and Eco Atlantic, which are planning to drill Jethro-Lobe site in the Orinduik Block.

Successful wells to date have all been located on the Stabroek Block, so other areas offshore Guyana are still largely considered a frontier region. But as new wells are drilled on other blocks and when oil production begins next year, Guyana’s transformation into an important and established energy exporter will be well on its way.

As companies in the oil and gas sector and their contractors continue to flock to Guyana, it’s worth remembering where this started just four years ago and celebrating what Guyana has done right to encourage this kind of rapid development in a responsible way.

The decline and fall of the narco-republic IN 2012, the US State Department’s ‘Annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report’ warned about Guyana being ‘a trans-shipment point for South American cocaine on its way to North America and Europe.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) became acquainted ad nauseum with this name, the only English-speaking South American country, after investigating numerous narcotic cases involving Guyanese. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers no longer had the trouble of confusing Guyana with Ghana, the name of this former British colony became all too familiar. Regional and international airports security personnel were on the constant watch for Guyanese passengers who came up with the most ingenious methods to ferry illicit substances while travelling to various world capitals. The land of many waters and the mighty Kaieteur Falls went from being famous

globally and regionally for its teachers, technicians, hard workers, diplomats, statesmen and stateswomen and national heroes, to being ignobly recognised as the land of the ‘drug mules.’

There is no doubt, between 1999-2015, Guyana became a virtual narco-republic.

This status quo was compounded by the sad reality, documented in every international report of consequence concerning Guyana on this subject, the consistent lack of political will to crackdown on the drug empire. Home Affairs Ministers came and went, some huffed and puffed but it was all pomp, formality and political choreography; there was never any overt and robust intervention to prevent the rise of the narco-republic. Feroze Mohammed, Minister of Home Affairs (1992-1994), appeared to be pursuing the ‘Guyana Strategy for dealing with the Drug Problem’.

Ronald Gajraj, Minister of Home Affairs (1995-2004), vowed to bring down the drug empire with the ‘Na-

tional Drug Strategy Master Plan 1997-2000’. Gail Teixeira, Minister of Home Affairs (2004-2006), passionately warned Guyanese not to support businesses associated with those who peddle illicit substances.

Clement Rohee, Minister of Home Affairs (2006-2015), once thundered, ‘We will get tough on drug lords.’

The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) was formed in 1995; all carefully presented apparent efforts were in vain.

The drug empire increased its power and dominance and exerted unprecedented influence over the Guyanese state.

At the macro-level, this state of affairs translated into 60% of the country’s economy being run by the opaque underworld, according to economists such as Dr. Clive Thomas. At the micro-level or in the everyday existence of life in Guyana, the narco-republic manifested itself in the daily lives of Guyanese in its ugliest forms. In the streets, killers and goons under the protection of powerful drug barons moved without fear

of punishment or of being answerable to the law. They killed at will and exacted violence on innocent civilians, while boldly stating ‘I could kill you and nothing will happen.’ They donned opulent gold chains, bought Toyota Allions, walked around with guns in waist and bestrode Guyana night life like untouchable giants. Bodies popped up everywhere and unsolved cases became the order of the day. Trepidation gripped the society, and law-abiding citizens cowered in their homes. In the festival of blood and guns, mothers cautioned their children and pleaded with them not to incur the wrath of the drug empire on their way to school or church. The consequences of a society under the scourge of drugs manifested in an academic way during this period.

The narco-republic reached its zenith in 2002, when the Mash Day jailbreak occurred. A dangerous paradigm of criminality engulfed the society and what followed was a sad confirmation that the drug empire

had reached its apogee. As the security forces retreated, the ‘Phantom Squad’ and ‘Short Man’ filled the security vacuum to save the nation from demise, a certain paradox among paradoxes. ‘Short Man’ became the anti-hero and his unpalatable heroism was regrettably celebrated in some parts of Guyana. He became the de facto head of state, while commanding his armed forces of the underworld. Law-abiding Guyanese became resigned to the fate that this is our destiny, as one people, one nation under the tutelage of drug lords.

The beginning of the end of their resignation in this wretched state started in February 2015, when the former head of the Guyana Defence Force, David Arthur Granger, was nomi-

nated to be the presidential candidate of A Partnership of National Unity (APNU) to contest the national elections. The narco-republic began its decline and fall on May 16th, 2015, when this teetotal and highly disciplined military man was sworn in as President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. On February 10th, 2016, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officially opened its local office in Georgetown; senior members of the drug underworld and their family members are now facing the courts; there are no known distinguished drug gangs and above all, dirty money has dried up to the point where it is affecting liquidity in the system.

These are all manifestations of the decline and fall of the narco-republic.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Some 300 youths receive skills training

By Svetlana Marshall

IN its quest to reduce violence and unemployment among young people, the government, through the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP), has been training hundreds of young people in five regions of the country.

Already, 294 persons have been trained under the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded programme, while 555 young adults are currently receiving formal training in technical and vocational institutions found within their districts.

Come September, the final batch of 380 persons will commence training at tertiary institutions in the fields of business, engineering, welding and fabrication, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and entrepreneurship, among other areas.

CSSP Programme Manager, Dr. Clement Henry

A community mobilisation meeting Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) Project Manager, Dr. Clement Henry, said the training forms part of the Community Crime and Violence Prevention component of the CSSP, which is divided into a three components.

He said the Community Crime and Violence Prevention component, which places tremendous emphasis on youth development and behavioural change, started in August 2016, but training commenced in 2017. Dr. Henry said training is on-going in technical institutions in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and 10. Singling out Region Six,

the project manager said the programme has surpassed its quota for that region as a result of an increasing interest from the people there in advancing their education. The programme is also well received in Region Four.

Major emphasis, the project manager said, is being placed on entrepreneurship. Currently, 30 young adults are enrolled in entrepreneurship programme.

In total, approximately 200 of them will be trained to become entrepreneurs.

Once their business concepts are approved, these budding entrepreneurs will be provided with small grants and their businesses will be monitored by coaches.

A group of at-risk youths in wood-working class It was noted that soon, job readiness Many of them are coming from vulneraand placement services will be offered ble homes, vulnerable communities and to the participants of the programme. our hope is to introduce them to some “This programme has not started as of the key life skills issues, help them yet but we want to help them to culti- to talk on these issues, help them to vate the right type of attitude for the develop a positive prospective on these workplace. Some of these young people issues, and in the end, transform them have been raised in unstructured envi- into a whole new person – again that ronments and even those who have been would be model citizens,” Dr. Henry raised in a structured environment, the explained. hope is that we can raise the standard of Under this aspect of the programme, professionalism among them, so when attention is placed on anger managethey go into the workplace, they will be ment, interpersonal violence prevention model employees,” he explained. and substance abuse, among other critHe said through CSSP, partner- ical areas. To make an impact, one-onships will be created with non-gov- one counselling is offered and home ernmental organisations (NGOs), the visits are conducted in addition to group private sector and the government to training. ensure that the certified trainees are “If we intervene at these three sepprovided with job opportunities. arate points, we can help overall in transforming those young people…

LIFE-CHANGING we have been seeing transformation….

The programme’s mid-term eval- For us, the training that we give them, uation is currently ongoing; how- the mentoring that we give them, and ever, according to Dr. Henry, based the job readiness preparation that we on qualitative feedback from both give them, we hope that this is what parents and students, the initiative is is going to transform our young peolife-changing. ple so they engage not in activities In addition to the academic and of delinquency, activities relating to skills training, the programme focuses crime and violence, activities relating on domestic violence prevention, inter- to substance abuse, but become better personal violence prevention, conflict citizens, model citizens, citizens who resolution, and parenting. are willing to be engaged in positive “We believe that by combining activities and interpersonal developthese four areas, it is likely that we ment,” Dr. Henry said. can address crime and violence at the The entire CSSP initiative, which root – that is, in the household, at the includes two other components – individual level and at the community strengthening the Guyana Prison level,” he explained.

Service rehabilitation and social He said the training is intended to reintegration services, and strengthbuild their resilience and make them ening the Guyana Police Force crime well-rounded individuals. A mentorship prevention and investigation capacity programme is also in place under the – totals US$15M. Of the US$15M, the umbrella initiative.

Community Crime and Violence Pre“Our hope is to build psychosocial vention component has been allocated resilience among these young people. US4.8M.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Tech girls looking to change Guyana

GIRLS across the country are set to benefit from enhanced access to opportunities with the “Girls and Technology can change Guyana” project crafted by Evie Kanhai- Gurchuran, a 2018 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Alumna.

As part of her YLAI fellowship, Gurchuran has crafted the project in response to a gap in understanding and utilising Information and Communication Technology (ICT) she believes exists in the local context.

“We’re really trying to understand what are the hindrances or the perceptions of why more girls and women are not choosing to go into fields that call for computing and ICT,” Gurchuran, who is the Managing Director of the Guyana Chapter of ‘Girls in Tech’, told the

does not necessarily transfer into employable or entrepreneurial skills.

As such, the project was crafted and awarded two of sixty project grants, from over 200 proposals being submitted by YLAI 2018 participants.

The project encompasses wide-reaching data collection, targeting as many females as possible in Guyana; capacity-building and education; and creating digital or digitally-based solutions for communities.

Central to the execution of the project is the data collection component, since this is expected to guide interventions and generally, how the rest of the project will function specifically.

“The project that we created actually came out of the need to find data in Guyana and we would really like to give a voice

of volunteers have also conducted focus groups sessions, observations and interviews. An essay competition was also launched, but was narrowed to garner the opinions of females between the ages of 13 and 19.

This competition closes on April 27.

“The greatest thing we want to achieve is understanding why more people, and girls in particular, aren’t saying they want to do a foundation package (a locally offered computer course) over why I should go do a cooking class for example,” Evie said. “Is it that cooking class is available but the computer class isn’t? Is it that I have a stove and I have an oven but I don’t have a computer? – What are the reasons, what are the hindrances? That’s what we want to know.”

“By 2025, 75 per cent

So far, the team has visited Parika and will be visiting Berbice and Linden.

“Even though Parika is just an hour and a half away, there is like a total culture shock,” Gurchuran noted. “We went to Parika and we asked ‘why don’t you put your business on Facebook’ or told persons ‘Let’s help you’ and they’re like ‘no they don’t want to’.”

This experience was a practical one that helped to show the group that there are still many persons who are not au fait with ICT. “We are trying to understand why people aren’t accessing or utilising digital means to improve their business processes or even improve their marketing or advertising, for many, they just don’t see it as necessary,” she explained.

Evie Gurchuran presenting her pitch in the finals of the YLAI Innovation Pitch Competition, Washington DC, October 2018 Guyana Chronicle in a recent interview.

There is a low interest in ICT for some people, according to Gurchuran.

She explained that persons have their cellphones and they are comfortable working on apps. However, she posited that this

to young women in particular, about how they feel about technology,” she explained.

And in collecting data, surveys have been disseminated online and in-person through the Rights of the Child Commission. Evie and her team

of the jobs in the world are going to require some skills in using the computer, in using a tablet and using the Internet and knowing how to navigate these,” Minister of Public Telecommunications related at recent event geared at getting youth involved in ICT.

The process of data collection will conclude at the end of April, and the findings will be made available to the public.

The intention is to offer the raw data to funding agencies who may want to use this to spur projects, she said.

2018 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Alumna, Evie Gurchuran The project will then letters aims to spur digital move into its other phases. entrepreneurship.

Using “Sites Builders”- a There will also be company Evie co-founded workshops conducted by with her husband, five Evie and her partners, on community websites will topics such as “Responbe launched. sible Disruption – Po“This aspect of the proj- sitioning Businesses to ect will culminate in the achieve Social Good” and creation of a website for a “Data Pitch Workshop” Linden and Berbice, as not for women to incorporate only a tourism feature,” data into their business the woman said. “If you’re proposals, to have a greatheading to Linden for ex- er chance in securing fiample, you should access nancing and support. ‘linden.gy’ for example, And finally, she indiand see all the places where cated, “If there are probyou can eat or stay.” lems in the communities And the group aims that we can work to solve, to have a newsletter fea- then we will be working ture where girls in the with our teams to create communities write about solutions through mobile what affects them. “We’ve platforms, then we will do already been part-funded that as well.” for the second part of this “If it is that we need a campaign which is called mobile app to track our ‘Girl tell the world’- just goods when it’s going to encourage young wom- from Parika to Georgeen to write about their town, then Sites is going everyday life and prob- to work with a partner lems in their communi- to assist these entrepreties, just so that we can neurs to put a tech focus know what’s going on,” to what they’re doing she said. and improve their busiThis creation of digital ness processes,” she exdirectories and the news- plained.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Tourists flock Rupununi Rodeo

By Tamika Garnett

THE Rupununi Rodeo Ground overflowed with tourists and excitement as day one of the Rupununi Ranchers Rodeo got underway on Saturday.

During the lively day, competitors participated in the calf-roping, wild cow milking, bareback bronco and bull riding events and much more.

The annual event was declared open by Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock, who handed over the sum of $1M to

the event organisers.

As the day progressed, it was evident that the rodeo was living up to all the expectations of yet another successful hosting.

Aside from the suspense of the bareback bronco and bull riding, which were the featured events, spectators were all too happy to volunteer to participate in the beer run competition, which had the crowd in gales of laughter.

The native Lethem residents who turned out seemed almost outnumbered by the multitudes of tourists, both local and foreign, who

A section of the crowd on day one of the Rupununi Rodeo travelled long distances to flock the border community of Lethem to experience the exhilarating event.

“It’s the rodeo that brought me back to Guyana, nothing else,” shared Morbheinn Nicol, a UK volunteer who attended the Rodeo last year when she worked as a volunteer teacher with British charity, Project Trust.

“I liked the bull riding in the Rodeo, it’s pretty mental, and the after party,” Nicol said.

She fell so deeply in love with the Rodeo during her stint here that when her volunteer work ended, she scheduled her vacation and paid to come back this year to experience the thrill.

Nicol is part of a group of some eight British youths, who were very enthusiastic to be in Lethem for the rodeo.

“All I know is when you drink the Rupununi water you don’t leave the Rupununi, so that’s what I’ve done. I drank the water and I liked it so I’ll never leave,” joked 18-yearold Jack Bailey, who is on his volunteer stint in Region Nine.

This is his first year at the rodeo and he could not be happier.

Tristan Jilson, 23, is part of yet another group of volunteers, the Peace Corps and is currently teaching in Wowetta. After all the good stories of the rodeo, he decided to have a personal experience.

GREAT ATMOSPHERE “I know it’s a great thing so I came to check it out. It’s been really nice.

There’s a lot of western things in the US so it’s kind of like seeing similar things. Most definitely I would come back; it’s awesome; it’s a great time; it’s a lot of fun. There’s great food, great events,” Jilson said.

Splashed among the foreigners were a number of local tourists. The Experience GT Tours took some eight coastlanders up for the experience, while other hinterland persons travelled across villages to take in the event.

Carlos Joseph, 20, is a member of a contingent from the Bina Hall Institute.

“I never came Rodeo before because I’m from South Rupununi,” Joseph explained.

However, the school’s administration See page 17

Action in the cow-milking competition on day one of Rupununi Rodeo 2019 (Delano Williams photo)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Scores of women to benefit from business, leadership conference

SCORES of women living on some of the Essequibo islands are set to benefit from the PowHERful Leadership and Business Conference, which will be held at the Anna Regina Town Council on April 27.

“The PowHERful conference focuses on leadership and business development; we have training sessions on finance, branding and marketing, startup business development, self-care, mental health and female leadership,” 33-yearold entrepreneur and founder of WeLead Caribbean, Abbigale Loncke, shared.

WeLead is a non-profit organisation that supports and empower women throughout the Caribbean through conferences, training and mentorships.

“Our aim is to equip women with the necessary tools and on-going support to thrive personally and professional,” Loncke related, while sharing that the conference ties into the mandate of the organisation.

For this conference, she highlighted: “Our hope is to have 80 women attending

the conference from Wakenaam to Charity, and since this is the first of its kind in Essequibo, we are intent on making it impactful.”

These women were selected after Loncke and her team reached out to village leaders and business development institutions in Essequibo, asking them to nominate women who have an interest in business or have recently started a business. Several small businesses have also sent their employees to attend the conference, according to Loncke.

The theme of the conference is: “Be fearless, influence, Innovate and Inspire”, and Loncke noted that the speakers are Investment Management Officer, Mark Peters; Acme Marketing Consultancy, Jennifer Cipriani and entrepreneur, Debbie Houston.

The organisation also with Republic Bank, IPED Essequibo, Imman Bacchus and Son’s Ltd., the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce, NIS Essequibo and Shammah Boutique.

“As an Essequibian, I

NA prisoner interferes with electrical panel A mentally-ill prisoner, who is serving 25 years for murder, interfered with the main electrical panel at the New Amsterdam Prison causing it to smoke.

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, said the incident occurred about 18:35hrs on Saturday. It was explained that the convicted prisoner, Devon Griffith, was placed into Devon Griffith the security block after he became aggressive with his fellow inmates, who are also mentally ill.

“Whilst in the Security Block, I am informed he bridged the electric wire that caused a feedback to a main panel; this resulted in a large amount of smoke at the pane,” Samuels explained.

Members of the Joint Services quickly responded and assessed the situation, as well as members of the Guyana Fire Service, who inspected the area. It was thereafter declared safe. The prisoner has since been relocated and is being monitored.

Griffith was sentenced to 25 years in prison in February 2018 after pleading guilty to the killing of his aunt back in 2015 at Hopetown, West Coast Berbice.

He killed Vida Britton in the course or furtherance of a sexual offence of rape.

Griffith was initially indicted with murder but confessed to the lesser count of manslaughter.

am extremely happy to be able to host this conference in Essequibo,” the woman said.

“My hope is that with the ongoing support that

we would offer female entrepreneurs and leaders in Essequibo, we would be able to see positive changes and development happening in the near future.”

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Entrepreneur and founder of WeLead Caribbean, Abbigale Loncke

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Easter messages Easter messages Easter messages

Easter messages

Emulate Jesus’ principles, urges mayor

EASTER is a special time in the Christian calendar of events when the Christian

community reminisces on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This sacred event mirrors the special attributes of Christ that can be emulat-

ed by both Christians and non-Christians. His death and burial signifies love for humanity, sacrifice, selflessness and new beginnings and His resurrection conveys the message of victory and hope.

During this time, Christians attend Church services, spend time with family and friends and most of all, they indulge in the tradition of kite flying. As we observe this religious event, it is im-

perative that we put away the old attitude of indiscriminate deposit of waste in drains, canals and city thoroughfares. I am convinced that collectively, we can address this environmental challenge with strength and courage.

Moreover, it is important that we make the necessary sacrifices that will improve the aesthetics of Georgetown and secure the welfare of its population.

I implore you to think about ways that you can emulate the principles demonstrated by Jesus Christ, in your personal lives, community and nation.

Thank you God Bless you. Happy Easter.

Pandit Ubraj Narine Mayor of Georgetown

Jesus preached peace, forgiveness and goodwill – IAC THE Indian Action Committee (IAC) in recognition that many Guyanese, including a number of persons of Indo-Guyanese origin, are adherents of Christianity, in which a Jewish Carpenter named Yehshua (Jesus), is believed by his followers to be the son of God. The IAC also recognises that the followers of Yehshua believes that he was crucified by the Romans, acting under the advice of the Jewish religious leaders of that time; and that after his brutal execution [He] managed to regain life and proceed out of his tomb and sometime later, made himself visible to his disciples.

The IAC further recognises that Islam includes Jesus as one of the holy prophets preceding the Prophet Muhammad SWT; but Muslims do not acknowledge that Jesus was the son of God nor that he was crucified.

The IAC understands that Buddhists claim that Jesus was a monk who spent his ‘missing years’ between the ages of 13 and 29 in the Himalayas as a student

of sages and that he visited many places in the Indian sub-continent and even Tibet. The IAC is of the opinion that the teachings of Yehshua are universally held to be good and thus encompasses all of the great religions of the world including Sanatan Dharma.

The IAC acknowledges that festivities will occur on Easter Monday which is characterised by flying of kites and enormous consumption of alcoholic beverages and so, the organisation calls upon all revelers to raise their kites in open areas devoid of electrical wires and have regard for the practice of no drinking and driving.

The IAC calls upon all Guyanese to follow the teachings of Yehshua who preached peace on earth, forgiveness and goodwill towards mankind, which are necessary goals for the development of a unified Guyana.

The IAC takes this opportunity to wish Christians of all denominations a solemn Good Friday and a Happy Easter.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

Venezuelan family

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settles in at Lethem

By Alva Solomon IMAGINE building your life in the country of your birth, but having to leave everything behind including your job, your home, your car, all the friends you knew your entire life, to start all over again in another country.

Such is the life of Lisamarie Silva, a Venezuela-born mother of two, who

said she worked at an airline in the state of Ciudad Bolivar. She worked as an administrator with the company for six years. After the birth of her son, she continued working, this time as a pharmacist and was looking to elevate herself some more with the support of her family.

REFRIGERATION BUSINESS The family decided to

Lisamarie and her family

lived her entire life in the neighbouring country before being forced to return to the border town of Lethem as economic hardship grips the Bolivarian Republic.

Silva, a former airline employee in the neighbouring country, is the daughter of Guyanese parents. Although she travelled back and forth across the border on holidays, she returned to these shores permanently some two years ago and her husband and their two children are now adjusting to life at Lethem.

Notwithstanding the language barrier, she said her daughter, the elder of her two children, made a quick adjustment although it was a tough feat. She said her first born is a current student of the St Ignatius Secondary School, while her son is gradually adjusting to primary school life at the border town.

“It’s very hard to move to a place [where] you don't know anybody and start over, rebuild everything,” Silva said.

As she recounted life in the neighbouring country, she

work on more independent ideas in order to make a living. Hence, they decided to start a refrigeration business, since her husband is skilled in this area.

But things changed drastically when the Bolivarian Republic fell into economic hardship around 2014; after making some hard decisions, she decided to relocate to Lethem with her children and husband three years later.

“We sold our car, we left the business behind, the house was left behind with everything in it,” she said.

When she moved to Lethem in 2017, where her parents lived prior to migrating to Venezuela several decades ago, Silva said it was always a tough task adjusting. But as they say, necessity being the mother of invention, the family had to make ends meet.

She said she and her husband built a snackette and the couple started selling burgers, a move which provided vital income. Then, the couple recognised that there was no established refrigeration repair business at Lethem, so they jumped at

the opportunity.

“The business is growing, because there is no other skilled technician at Lethem,” Silva said.

MORE LUCK Another vein of luck also came her way when she was told about a vacancy at the office of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) at Lethem.

Lisamarie Silva

“They needed someone with knowledge in finance and computer, so I applied.

I had what they wanted and I passed the interview,” Silva said with a smile. She has been working at that agency for some four months and she plans to enhance her qualifications in order to secure a bright future for her family.

She said her father, an elder sister and another young-

er sibling are still living in Venezuela, and according to her, the family will continue to pray that the situation improves there.

As regards the treatment she received since moving to Lethem, Silva said she has not encountered many problems since relocating to the border town.

“Guyanese have treated us well,” she said

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Receptionist is Rodeo queen MAE Allicock, a 17-yearold Surama Eco Tourism Lodge receptionist, on Friday night rose above her competition, won favour with the judges and prevailed over six other competitors to take the crown in the Takutu Hotel Rodeo Pageant.

The pageant is popularly called the ‘Miss Rupununi Rodeo Pageant’.

Allicock delivered an eloquent introduction, wowed in an elegant one-piece swim suit and impressed in

her rodeo wear to earn the crown.

Behind Allicock was first runner-up, Faylaika Charles, from Central Rupununi, a crowd favourite throughout the night. One of the more energetic delegates of the night, Priscilla LaCruz, a school teacher, ended as second runner up.

Aside from the top three, also participating in the pageant were Alisha Felix from St Ignatius Village; Leya Aldie from Sand Creek Village; University of Guyana

student, Juewayne Andries from Rupertee Village and Shelly Brown, a Bina Hill Institute student.

The pageant featured dance, introduction, swim wear and rodeo wear segments.

Allicock was definitely one of the standouts of the night and impressed the crowd from the start, when she stepped out on stage and delivered a flawless introduction.

Following the introduction, Allicock again stood

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

out in her uniquely tailored, orange and black trimmed, one-piece knitted swim suit.

A straw hat, matching sarong and strappy high heeled sandals accented the look.

In the rodeo wear, while the other contestants settled for jeans, Allicock donned a fringed, strapless dress and knee high cowgirl boots to match.

The dance competition saw participation from two dance groups from St Ignatius and a hip hop dance group. Winners of the dance

Rodeo Queen 2019, Mae Allicock performs on stage competition are expected to be announced at a later date.

The winners of the pageant were presented with their prizes at the end of the night. For her win, Allicock walked away with $125,000 in cash, a trophy, a cosmetic gift set compliments of Sasha Beauty and a bouquet.

The cash prize was donated

by Air Services Limited and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock.

Second and third place winners also received cash

prizes, trophies, cosmetic hamper and bouquets.

The event was sponsored

by Banks DIH under their Banks Beer brand, along with several other corporate sponsors.

Following the pageant and dance competitions, patrons enjoyed karaoke and an after party to help usher in the events of the Rupununi Ranchers Rodeo, which began on Saturday and will come to an end on Sunday.

Easter season brings good business for Essequibo kite makers

A kite maker displaying his kites at the Anna Regina Market

WITH Easter being tomorrow, kite makers on the Essequibo Coast are cashing in on the little business brought on by the Easter season.

On a visit to the Anna Regina Market, Region Two, many kite makers were making full use of the season.

One kite maker, Vijay Singh, said he looks forward to the season to earn an extra income. He was retailing kites at $500 and $1000.

“Come get your colourful kites, fly them as high as you want,” were the words of another kite maker, Miguel Singh, who was selling his kites for $300, $500 and $1000.

Buyers were very receptive and the sales were increasing as children entered the market.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Tourists flock Rupununi ...

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From page 12

thought it was a good idea for the students to experience the rodeo.

“It’s so enjoyable. I enjoyed watching the little children riding the little calf and the best dressed women and men,” he said.

Joseph spent his day checking out the different booths at the event and pledged to visit again next year and as long as the event continues.

Day one of the two-day event opened with Best Dressed Male and Female Riders, but the action really got started with the wild cow milking competition.

Some four ranches got in on this action, each working in teams of two persons, with one person to subdue the animal and the other to milk it.

The day continued with the calf-roping and Boys Under-12 Calf-Riding Competition.

The spectators thoroughly enjoyed the bareback bronco and bull-riding.

Some 35 persons across 15 ranches entered in the male bareback bronco riding, which saw daring participants competing to see who could hold on the longest with just one hand and stay mounted – bareback of course - on a wild horse as it thrashed about.

At least two of the male riders managed to do the feat without falling off at all, while some four females from three ranches were brave enough to give the activity a try this year.

The male bull riding had over 40 participants.

Aside from the competitions, the rodeo offered a full family package with side attractions such as merry-go-round, Ferris wheel and other rides.

Reflect on the message of Jesus –– Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton EASTER is the most sacred season on the Christian calendar. It is preceded by Lent, which is a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, self-examination and repentance as we reflect on the themes of suffering, sacrifice, redemption from sin and spiritual renewal.

It is the culmination of the Holy Week, or for some, Passion Week, when believers recall the events that unfolded after Christ rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, suffered persecution and was tried and crucified on Good Friday.

This weekend, all across the nation, Guyanese will come together to celebrate Easter -- to observe the death, burial and the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter and its observances have become a unique and Social Cohesion Minister, colourful part of GuyaDr George Norton nese traditions.

The celebration of Easter is a show of our diversity and cohesiveness as a nation. It is a time when Guyanese from every walk of life come together to observe this occasion through family gatherings, church services and kite flying.

As we celebrate this Easter, I urge you to reflect on the lessons of the season and allow those lessons to transcend into your daily lives as a guide to fostering a spirit of hope, unity, respect, brotherhood and agape love preached by Christ, who is alive and well in this ‘Land of many waters’.

As Minister of Social Cohesion, I pray that we will all know the love, forgiveness, grace and power of God as we experience his risen presence in our lives.

Happy Easter to all Guyanese, those at home and in the Diaspora!

The Rupununi Rockerz performing during the opening ceremony of Rupununi Rodeo 2019

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Special Superintendent Trevor Reid addressing ranks during the OPR session held in Bartica

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Cops benefit from operational training FORTY-five cops within ‘F’ Division (Interior locations) recently attended a training session on professionalism conducted by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

The event was held at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court

by Special Superintendent, Trevor Reid and Assistant Superintendent, Terrence Browne of the OPR. During the session, the ranks were educated on what is expected of them

when dealing with situations such as neglect of duty, ethics and courtesy, corruption, roles of supervisors, proper record keeping and professionalism.

The training is part of the on-going reformation process to have a more professional and proactive Police Force.

Some 188 ranks already benefitted from similar training conducted in Berbice, Essequibo and the Linden Police Divisions.

Duo remanded for Black Bush Polder robbery TWO persons were charged and remanded to prison on Thursday when they appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.

Arjune Indar called “Braff”, 37, a labourer of Mibicuri, South Black Bush Polder (BBP) and Deon Johnson, 45, of Lot 21, Number 78 Village, were jointly charged with four counts of robbery under arms committed on April 16 on Naziran Hussain, Elian Sukhdeo, Nikita Sukhdeo and Beckham Sukhdeo of Mibicuri.

The men were not required to plead to the indictable charges. They were subsequently remanded to prison and the matter was transferred to the Mibicuri Magistrate’s Court for May 7.

On Tuesday, rice farmer Lomas Parag, 70, and his wife, Naziran Hussain, 60, along with their niece and nephew, were attacked by the two gun-toting men around 02:00 hrs.

The men relieved the family of G$200,000, two diamond rings as well as a bag containing $1.2 million in cash, which was withdrawn from a commercial bank by the family to pay workers.

The cash belonged to a relative of the rice farmer who withdrew the money to take care of expenses pertaining to the rice business.

The bandits also physically assaulted Naziran Hussain during the ordeal.

Diligent work by the police led to the arrest of the men a day after.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Easter messages Easter messages

Easter an occasion for social cohesion, says GAWU THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) extends Easter Greetings to all Guyanese and more especially, to members of our Christian Community, both here and around the world, on the occasion of 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, in both its symbolic significance and its secular relevance, important and powerful messages.

For the members of the Christian Community, the Easter story represents the fulfillment 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 the widespread kite-flying activity 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 religion, ethnicity or culture. It, therefore, offers another opportunity for Guyanese to share common experiences and understand each other better.

Let us hope that the symbolism of our kites soaring skyward inspire all Guyanese to embrace the abiding message of hope for the resurgence of the conditions needed for the future development and prosperity of this our Dear Land of Guyana.

PPP encourages embrace of love, tolerance and humility EASTER is one our nation’s most anticipated holidays in which Guyanese from all backgrounds participate in the traditional kite-flying and other family-related activities that have become synonymous with the occasion.

It is foremost a very sacred time for Christians across the world, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter also provides many pertinent lessons for all humanity through its teachings of tolerance, humility, love and respect for others while offering an abundance of hope that one will rise despite being confronted with insurmountable challenges. It is that hope that gives meaningful purpose to all mankind for both personal and societal advancement. On this auspicious occasion, 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 both here and in the diaspora. At this time, our Party urges reflection on the significance of this sacred occasion given its pertinent messages and the importance it can play in helping to realise universal peace and brotherhood among all.

Easter, like many of our national holidays, transcends religious boundaries and Guyanese in communities across our country will flock and interact at various vantage points epitomising the true spirit of the occasion in serving to bring people together. Our Party also takes this occasion to remind of the need for safety while flying kites.

Once again Happy Easter to all! People’s Progressive Party. A happy Easter to all!

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Police diligently pursuing beer garden robbers

THE Police in ‘B’ Division have been working tirelessly over the past few days to solve the robberies committed at Indra’s Grocery and Beer Garden last Saturday.

On Thursday, two persons were charged with seven counts of robbery under arms when they appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.

Sylvester Joseph, 33, a carpenter of Lot 173, Victoria Street Cumberland, East Canje and Ashley Drigpaul, 22, unemployed of Lot 192 Main Street, New Amsterdam, were charged with the offence committed on April 13 at Lot 1165 Galaxy Street, Canefield, New Area, East Canje.

According to information received, a cellular phone belonging to one of the victims was traced to the address

of Drigpaul, who is said to be the girlfriend of Joseph. While in custody, she related that the cellular phone was in Joseph’s possession.

The two appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court where they were not required to plead to the indictable charge. They will return to court on April 24.

Last Saturday, at approximately 22:00hrs, three masked men, two of whom were armed with guns and the third with a cutlass, stormed Indra’s Grocery and Beer Garden.

During the ordeal, the men relieved some 20 customers of their cellphones, cash, jewellery as well as car keys.

The bandits then proceeded to the business owners, Premchand and Taramattie Seelochand, who were beaten

and forced to hand over all their valuables and an undisclosed sum of cash.

After committing the act, the bandits escaped in a car belonging to one of the victims. The vehicle was recovered the following day in a community on the East Bank of Berbice.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the police received credible information pertaining to a suspect who was seen in Linden, Region 10, selling several cellphones.

An intelligence operation led to the arrest of a man identified as Chris Rampersaud. He was later transferred to Berbice. Rampersaud is said to be the mastermind behind the robbery and reportedly confessed to the crime and three other armed robberies in the region.

He remains in police custody and is expected to face the court soon.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

Teenager killed, others hospitilised in payment dispute A 25-year-old labourer of Swan Village, Soesdyke / Linden Highway, is expected to be charged this week in the aftermath of the murder of a teenager on Friday at the Timehri Docks, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Dead is David Toney, 18, a labourer of Alliance Road, Timehri, EBD. Reports indicate that the victim and his parents, Mark Toney, 48, and Judith Hosea, 39, both of Hill Top, Timehri was involved in an argument with the suspect and a group of men over payment owed for loading cabbage onto a truck.

During the argument, the suspect began scuffling with Mark and David Toney and, shortly after, he whipped out a knife from his waist and stabbed Mark several times about the body and then stabbed David in his left side chest.

Judith Hosea, who attempted to intervene, also received a stab wound to the back of her right arm.

Mark and David left for the Timehri Police Station to report the confrontation and stabbing; however, on their way, David collapsed and died on the roadway.

The other injured persons are receiving medical attention. Several persons were taken into police custody pending investigations.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 21, 2019

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

RACING TIPS Irish Racing Tips Cork 08:40 hrs Mister Capitano 09:10 hrs Sassy Yet Classy 09:40 hrs Rathnure Rebel 10:10 hrs Killultagh Vic 10:40 hrs Tully East 11:15 hrs Whiskey Sopur 11:50 hrs Ask Heather 12:20 hrs General Counsel South Africa Racing Tips Scottsville 08:40 hrs Extravargant 09:15 hrs Silver Rose 09:50 hrs Expedite 10:25 hrs Made To Conquer 11:00 hrs Mashari English Racing Tips Plumpton 08:55 hrs The Flying Sofa 09:55 hrs Dreyfus 10:25 hrs Brandon Castle 10:55 hrs Magic River 12:05 hrs Kereman Market Rasen 09:00 hrs Mon Port 09:30 hrs Present Ranger 10:00 hrs Mabela 10:30 hrs Larch Hill 11:05 hrs Midnight Chill 12:10 hrs Akarita Lights Southwell 09:05 hrs Fly True 09:35 hrs Mystic Knight 10:05 hrs Mr Buttons 10:35 hrs Cape Victory 11:10 hrs Champarisi 11:45 hrs Fly Lightly 12:15 hrs Ticks The Boxes Ffos Las 09:15 hrs Lady Cylla 09:45 hrs Capone 10:15 hrs Balibour 10:45 hrs Champagne Champ 11:20 hrs Samuel Jackson 11:55 hrs Volcano

‘F’ Division cop Police Inter-division T20 hardball title

A STERLING performance yesterday earned F Division the winners’ trophy in the Leslie James Inter-Association/Branch T20 round-robin hardball cricket tournament.

Played at the Police Sports Club ground, the final between F Division and Headquarters was won comfortably by the latter.

The winning trophy was handed over by Commissioner of Police Leslie James yesterday.

Details will be carried in tomorrow’s edition.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

New captain Smith Delhi Capitals leads Rajasthan to win railroad Kings (ESPNCRICINFO) - RAJASTHAN Royals announced a change of captain just over an hour before the game against Mumbai Indians and, three-anda-half hours later, a new captain, Steven Smith, led the team home in a tricky chase with an unbeaten half-century.

The five-wicket win was set up mainly by some strangling bowling from Shreyas Gopal and Jofra Archer, after Mumbai Indians had looked set for a much bigger total than 161 for 5, having reached 81 for 1 at the halfway mark.

Archer and Jaydev Unadkat bowled five of the last six overs that saw Mumbai score only 52 runs. Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar gave Royals a scare early on in the chase, again bagging three wickets, but Smith’s unbeaten 59 off 48 balls took them home after he had brought the equation down to 25 required from 24 balls along with Riyan Parag. Royals now have six points from nine matches, still placed seventh, while Mumbai are at No. 2 with 12 points from ten games.

On a strange Jaipur pitch

XI Punjab

Steven Smith cracks one to the off-side. (BCCI)

that had scattered patches of grass, both Powerplays were driven by the more attacking openers - Quinton de Kock for Mumbai and Sanju Samson for Royals.

Put in to bat, de Kock used the middle- and legstump lines of the Royals pace bowlers and the ball turning into him from Shreyas to pepper the legside boundary, scoring 42 of his first 50 runs there. Jofra Archer put him down at longon when he was on 4 in the third over, and that helped, as de Kock cashed in to hammer three fours and a six on the

trot off Dhawal Kulkarni in the next over.

Mumbai, however, lost steam after de Kock’s 34ball half-century. Their No. 3 Suryakumar Yadav scratched his way to 34 off 33, with only one boundary (a six) in his first 30 balls. His slow scoring added pressure on de Kock, and both fell within a space of five balls, and Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard were left with too much to do at the end.

Royals’ chase started with Samson hitting two consecutive fours off Hardik in the first over, followed by

long as we play good cricket throughout the tournament that we’re going to win.”

He added: “It’s about being disciplined in all three departments … so the team that performs best on that day in each area would usually come out on top.”

Hope’s ODI form has been excellent over the last year, striking an unbeaten 123 against India in Visakhapatnam last October before making 95 a few days later.

He followed up with stellar back-to-back unbeaten hundreds against Bangladesh last December despite West Indies defeat in the threematch series.

Hope, who made his ODI debut three years ago, has never played in a World Cup and said the May 30 to July 14 showpiece in England would be an important milestone in his career.

“It’s something I’ve been

looking forward to for my entire life. I’ve never played in a World Cup whether it’s been Under-19, 20-over – whatever the case maybe,” the Barbadian pointed out.

“It’s one of those things that growing up as a youngster I always wanted to be involved in and being able to do it at such a young age is definitely something to cherish and if we put in those good performances consistently we’re going to do well.”

Hope is a member of the 14-man squad which have been involved in a training camp over the last week under new interim head coach Floyd Reifer.

He said players had used the opportunity to work on crucial aspects of their game, and hailed the presence of former West Indies Test batsman, Ramnaresh Sarwan, who had been mentoring the younger batsmen.

163 for 7.

GAYLE TEES OFF FOR KINGS XI Rahul hit Sandeep Lamichhane for a six and a four off the first and third balls of the second over before the leg-spinner had him stumped the next ball. At 15 for 1 after 2.3 overs, it looked like Kings XI were in for one of those slow starts before Gayle stepped up. And did he

three off Krunal Pandya in the next to race to 21 off his first seven deliveries. Ajinkya Rahane handed a catch to cover in the fourth over before Royals’ No. 3, Smith, played the role Suryakumar could not earlier in the day, to help the hosts race to 60 for 1 in the Powerplay.

After Chahar had Samson hole out to long-on for 35 off 19 and Ben Stokes chop on a leg-break for a duck, Smith changed gears to anchor the chase as Royals unveiled a new No.5.

Hope hoping for ‘runs and wins’

CMC – Elegant stroke-maker, Shai Hope, says “runs and wins” will be his focus as West Indies gear up for the Tri-Nations Series in Ireland and the ICC World Cup which follows.

The 25-year-old has emerged as a key part of the Windies one-day setup where he averages 45 from 49 matches, with four centuries – three of these coming in the space of seven matches on tours of India and Bangladesh late last year.

“Runs and wins, that’s my thing for the year,” Hope said during the ongoing camp here at 3W’s Oval, UWI Cave Hill Campus here.

“Hopefully whatever I do in the nets, it can transfer into the game and we can get those results we’re looking for. I always back my team 100 per cent and I’m sure we are one of the teams to be reckoned with so I know as

(ESPNCRICINFO) MEASURED half-centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer helped Delhi Capitals to a five-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab at Feroz Shah Kotla.

Victory means Capitals now have two wins from five matches at home, and are joint-second with Mumbai Indians - both teams having six wins from ten matches -

“The intensity [of the camp] has been very high from the beginning and it’s just great to see the fellas taking everything from each individual coach. Everyone has come out together and put in a big effort in preparing for the next step,” Hope noted.

“I think it is very crucial especially as a team coming together early and getting in those sessions early enough to make sure you prepare well and get everything in place, so that when you get on the field it will come as naturally as it can be.”

He added: “[Sarwan] pointed out that the basics are very important … and just made sure that the guys tried not to stray too far away from the basics. It was nice to have him around because he did share a lot of knowledge and I’m sure the guys embraced him and the knowledge.”

Shikhar Dhawan pulls the ball. (BCCI)

on the points table.

Chasing 164, Dhawan and Iyer set the platform by adding 92 off 62 balls for the second wicket. But once Dhawan fell, Capitals slipped from needing 28 off 24 to needing six off the last over with five wickets in hand.

Iyer though held his nerve and hit the winning boundary off Sam Curran with two balls to spare.

Earlier, Chris Gayle’s 69 off 37 - studded with six fours and five sixes - gave Kings XI a breezy start and took them to 50 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay. But KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and David Miller managed just 21 off 23 between them, and once Gayle was dismissed, and Mandeep Singh failed to step up, Kings XI had to settle for

step up!

The opener glided the third ball he faced, off Ishant Sharma, past short third man for four before launching the next over long-on for a 101-metre six. In the next over, he smashed Lamichhane for four fours, including the one that burst through the bowler’s hands en route to the straight boundary.

Overs five to eight though produced just 24 runs, including Agarwal’s wicket, before Gayle got stuck into Amit Mishra. A juicy full toss and a rank short one, both were smoked over deep midwicket, with Gayle bringing up his half-century - off just 25 balls.

As a result, Kings XI raced to 92 at the half-way mark despite losing three wickets.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

GVF continues preparation for French Guiana trip

THE Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) held another successful weekend camp at the National Gymnasium as it prepares to send two U21 sides to next month’s Inter-Guianas Volleyball Tournament, which is billed for French Guiana.

The camp is geared to prepare the national side for the May 1-5 event.

To date, the GVF president Levi Nedd is pleased with the team’s training sessions. He is also optimistic that with more support from the public the sport will be able to spike into a different level, which will help to advance all facets of the game.

Nedd, who became volleyball head late last year, is coach of the male team, while Yannick Fingall, who is coach of the female team, is Nedd’s assistant with the

young men. Rodney Fredericks will travel as the female team assistant coach.

Vanille Chester, who will also travel with the side, will serve as chaperon.

Both teams will have their final session on April 26, at the National Gymnasium.

EASTER MONDAY COMPETITION Meanwhile Nedd is inviting volleyball players to the Number 63 Beach, Corentyne, on Easter Monday to participate in a fundraising Bar-B-Que and Beach Volleyball competition.

Competition commences at 9:00h with trophies up for grab donated by Ansa Mcal.

The two teams that are scheduled to represent Guyana at the French Guiana competition.

Persaud strikes gold in 100M butterfly at CARIFTA Aquatic Championships ALEKA Persaud finished with a gold medal in the 100M butterfly event at the 2019 CARIFTA Aquatic Championships, which started yesterday at the Barbados Aquatic Centre in Wildey.

Team Guyana, which includes six swimmers, had four top five finishes on Day One with the 12-year-old leading the charge.

Persaud stormed to an almost two seconds win in the event (for 11-12 yearold swimmers) last night.

She finished in a time of 1:08.52, over a second faster

than her preliminary time of 1:09.61s and quite faster than Giani Francis from Jamaica, who settled for a silver after clocking 1:10.17.

Harper Barrowman from the Cayman Islands placed third in a time of 1:10.53.

Due to her dominance in the 100M butterfly, the preteen also qualified for the Caribbean and Central American Championships, which is scheduled for later this year.

Prior to that clash, Patrice Mahaica, the other Guyanese female at the championships, finished

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday April 21, 2019)

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fourth in the 50M backstroke after clocking a time of 35.67s, while Persaud finished fifth in a time of 35.78s.

Both swimmers had registered better times in the preliminaries. Persaud had clocked 34.53s for a fifth place position, while Ma-

haica was tied for sixth on 34.97s.

Raekwon Noel was the other swimmer to register a top five performance.

The 13-year-old swam 18:18.88 to finish fifth in the Boys 13-14 age division in the 1500M freestyle event.

Noel was in third for a few

hours, before two swimmers registered better time in the final round yesterday afternoon.

Leon Seaton, who registered a PB in the 50M back with a time of 30.54s, just missed qualifying for the final after placing ninth. In the 13-14 100M butterfly Seaton

finished 13th after clocking a time of 1:04.86.

Paul Mahaica also just missed the final, after finishing ninth in the 11-12 100M butterfly preliminaries in a time of 1:11.19s.

All the swimmers swam yesterday morning, except Nathan Jackson.

McKoy strikes Gold - Bronze for Tyrell Claudrice McKoy ran a personal best a personal best in the 1500 metres to win Guyana's first and only gold medal, while Shaquka Tyrell won bronze on a bitter-sweet opening day of this year’s CARIFTA Games in the Cayman Islands.

McKoy’s time of four minutes, 39.46 seconds (4:39.46) saw her winning the Girls U20 event ahead of the Jamaican pair of Kelly-Ann Beckford (4:40.49) and Aneisha Lawrence

(4:41.19), in a race that saw the Monroe College student running smart from the sound of the starter’s gun.

Joanna Archer, who is also a freshman at Monroe College, competing in the race with McKoy, did good enough to finish fifth, clocking 4:46.03.

Meanwhile, Tyrell, running in the Girls U17 1500 metres, crossed the line in a time of 4:52.52 to finish behind Jamaicans Samantha Pryce (4:47.34) and JodyAnn Mitchell (4:49.49) to win the

country’s first medal on day one of the prestigious regional track and field meet.

Guyana’s Matthew Gordon looked destined for a spot on the podium in the Boys U17 1500 metres, but he was tripped during his dying stages of the race but recovered to finish fifth, running 4:12.77.

The race was won by Bahamas’ Curtis Mitchell (4:09.34), with J’Voughn Blake of Jamaica placing second (4:10.52) and Bermuda’s Nathan Armstrong third (4:11.464). Guyana’s Cordell Charles (4:17.83) finished finish 9th.

Deshana Skeete failed to make it on to the podium in the Girls U20 400 metres, finishing 8th.

Daniel Williams, the world U18 400 metres silver medallist, didn’t look his usual self when he competed in the Boys U20 400 metres final, where he finished 7th with a time of 48.65 seconds; a far cry from his personal best (46.72 seconds) in the distance.

NOTE: Up to press time, Chantoba Bright was on course to repeat as Gold medallist in the Girls U20 Long Jump.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

MYO, LBI record Inter-Jamaat 15-over victories THE MUSLIM Youth Organisation (MYO) and LBI Masjid recorded victories in the Inter-Jamaat 15-over Softball Cricket competition, which continued at the MYO ground on Woodford Avenue, Georgetown on Friday.

Home team MYO got past Diamond New Scheme by three wickets, while LBI got the better of New Mosque by six wickets.

In the opener, the home team restricted their opponents for 116 in 14.2 overs. R. Sargeant led the attack for the visitors with 32 (2x4, 3x6) runs, while opener P. Khan supported with 17 and S. Mohamed with 18 later in the innings. Timore Mohamed led the attack with two wickets for MYO. In reply, MYO reached the required target in 12.4 overs al-

though the visitors had managed to capture seven of their wickets.

Majeed Khan led MYO with an aggressive unbeaten 36 (4x4, 3x6), batting at number five. Mohamed added 26 (2x4, 2x6).

In the second clash New Mosque scored 161 from their 15 overs after several batsmen played their hands Altaf Samaroo powered his way to 33 after hitting three fours and an similar number of sixes, while earlier in the innings, Rohit Samaroo had scored 27 (2x6).

In reply, LBI skipper Safraz Ally batted his team to safety with a boundary-laden 62 (5x4, 6x6).

Several other batmen supported with Chris Khan hitting 27 (3x4, 1x6), Carl Spencer 21 and Randy Narain, who struck three sixes in an unbeaten score of 19.

Is Banks DIH delivering excellence to Linden?

Timore Mohamed took two wickets and scored 26 runs.

Zaman Alli supported with 22 (1x4, 2x6) not out. Rohit led New Mosque’s bowling at-

tack with three strikes.

The competition continues today at the same venue.

Guyana off to solid start at CARIFTA Junior Chess Championship

The national junior chess players who are currently competing in the CARIFTA Junior Chess Championship.

GUYANA’S experienced players led the charge on the opening day of the eighth CARIFTA Junior Chess Championship, which is currently underway in Curacao.

In total, the 14-member team finished with 11 points from 28 games on Friday.

St Stanislaus students Ghansham Alijohn, Jaden Taylor and Jarrell Troyer finished with 1.5 points each, after registering a win and a draw. Troyer swept aside his

opponent, Sicilian Paulsen’s mode of play with white pieces after he went for the aggressive English attack.

In the second round, he threw away a material advantage, just like his schoolmate Taylor, which allowed his opponent the half point. Taylor had executed brilliantly in round one, which led to a dominant opening win.

Alijohn, on the other hand, had bounced back to register an impressive draw after he lost the ini-

tiative and advantage in his opening round. In round two, his defence held and he used his wits to pounce on a slight opening to capture full points.

Young Milan Ramataursing won against fellow WMCF club mate Mahesa Boodhoo in round one and managed to hold a draw against a higher-ranked opponent in round two.

Chelsea Juman finished with one point. The excited youngster went down on time

in round one, while in round two she rebounded to tactically destroy her opponent.

Another Saints student Savir Gookul had to forfeit his game in the first round after he fell sick (vomiting, possible food poisoning), but after help from medical personnel/parents Dr Rajkumar and Dr. Ryhan Singh, the youngster was able to bounce back and win his second round.

Also scoring a point was Samirah Gobin. She got off to a shaky start in round one after losing her way in the endgame. Gobin, however, bounced back nicely in round two to deliver a checkmate against her opponent. Mahir Rajkumar won his first game against a higher-ranked player and lost in round two while Arysh Raghunauth, who was nervous in his first regional tournament, played solidly to take two draws in rounds one and two.

The other players Joshua Khan, Jacob McDonald and Mahesa Boodhoo are yet to come off the mark.

Wendell Meusa travelled as coach, while Anand Raghunauth is head of the delegation.

AS Banks DIH products are to brand and lace the community of Linden for the annual Linden Town Week celebrations from this weekend, it is apposite to take a closer view of this conglomerate beverage company as it descends on this town.

Back in December as the 6th edition of the UDFA’s Banks GT Beer yearend football tournament kicked off before massive crowds at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, I tried to nudge Banks DIH to do the right thing.

I implored this illustrious corporate giant not to subject UDFA to a downgrade of the level of sponsorship for this tournament.

Banks DIH responded well with promises of support for substantive levels of prize moneys and expenses.

Prize moneys have been paid to clubs as promised, but as of today no funds have been received to cover the expenses incurred back in December 2018.

It has also been brought to my attention that the beverage giant continues to give other Linden sports organisation an unpleasant ride.

It is reported that clubs have not been paid their cash incentives for Linden basketball association’s March 2018 tournament for which Banks DIH promised sponsorship.

The unpaid clubs have silently withdrawn their support for current tournaments planned by the association in Linden.

The basketball authority in Linden, it seems, has pleaded with the beverage company, over time to no avail, as the most recent

excuse was that a document handed in was not properly addressed.

Could this be possible after one year has passed that Banks DIH is using flimsy excuses after gaining the confidence of the people of Linden, not to support this sports association?

The mining town people, who have been so faithful to them and hearing the annual millions of dollars raked in from sales in Linden, need better treatment and maybe drastic measures need to be applied.

It is clear the football and basketball associations in Linden do not have the gall and are hesitant in going public. But Banks DIH’s disdain and word-of-mouth promises must not be condoned any longer Mr Editor.

Region 10 continues to consume record volumes of their products.

Corporate sponsorship of community activities is usually seen as ‘thank you’ for support of businesses.

A more altruistic reason for Banks DIH to perform this community service is the recognition that exercise through sports is one of the most effective ways of offsetting the damage done to the health of our citizens through the consumption of alcoholic beverages and sugar-laden drinks.

Your success in industry did not arise from breaking faith with your corporate plans, so please be faithful to your supporters.

Do the right thing, Banks.

Victor Wrong

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

Guyana top Netherlands at World Mootoo, Torrington Mixed Doubles Curling Championship bowl DCC to

Rayad Hussain in action in Norway, representing Guyana at the 2019 World Curling Federation World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship

THE Guyanese pair of Rayad and Farzana Hussain, who opened their campaign at the 2019 World

Curling Federation World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Stavanger, Norway, defeated the

Netherlands 6-4.

Guyana made their debut at the championships last year, and according to reports

out of Norway, the team had an improved second-half performance, in which they scored at all four ends.

This gave Guyana a 6-4 win over Netherlands in the opening round-robin session of the championship, and, speaking to reporters after the game, Rayad Hussain said, “It’s nice to get the campaign off on a good foot this year. The secret was to calm down! I think we were too nervous at the start, so we calmed ourselves down after the fourth end break and it felt better.”

The pair will be action again today against Austria. (Rawle Toney)

East Coast Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ competition

Who will soar like a kite tomorrow night? … New champion to be crowned WITH the defending champions Uprising out of contention in this year’s East Coast Zone Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ competition, the buzz over who will be the new champions is dominating the conversations among fans and the respective team supporters with just over 24 hours to go.

The semi-finals and final are set to highlight the Easter activities on the East Coast with Haslington Market tarmac anticipated to be besieged with people eager to see new champions crowned.

The competition has grown in popularity and participation over the years to become the most eagerly anticipated event in the shorter version of the game and will conclude this evening. The feedback is that the surrounding communities and those further afield are excited to witness the impending showdown between the four remaining teams.

The hot favourites are

Part of the action in this year’s East Coast Zone of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ competition

Paradise A, whose form have rightly installed them as the team to beat, but Victoria Church Yard, a team that is a model of consistency over the years could have the final say in the tournament’s outcome.

Then there are debutants Liliendaal Hustlers, who after

a few uninspiring performances suddenly found form to qualify for the semi-finals with an impressive display.

Melanie B are the other semi-finalists and they too have a legitimate chance to go all the way and should not be underestimated.

Paradise A will have in their line-up the cool, but deadly Quincy Adams, who to many has been the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and he will have in support Tyreek Cummings.

On the other hand, Hustlers will look to players such as Tevin Fowler, Sunil Logan, Stephon Reynolds and Anthony Sancho to lead their quest for victory.

Victoria Church Yard will no doubt be depending on the performance of Rashleigh Morrison to secure their spot in the final, while Melanie B’s chances of advancing rest surely on how well Odell Gulliver and Ryan Seales perform.

However, before the semi-finals are played there will be action in the Plate Section and former champs Uprising will have a chance to win some consolation if they could capture the winner-takeall $60 000 up for grabs.

They face BV A in the first game, while Belfield Warriors take on Buxton Diamond in the other with the winners to collide in the final.

commanding seven-wicket win

Left-arm spinner Daniel Mootoo (right) and medium pacer Qumar Torrington, claimed nine wickets between them.

By Rajiv Bisnauth LED by two sensational spells of bowling from leftarm spinner Daniel Mootoo and medium-pacer Qumar Torrington, hosts Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) easily disposed of their opponents, Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) by seven wickets in the GCA/ American Youth Premier Cricket League Under-19 competition yesterday.

Despite missing two of their top players, Ashmead Nedd and Sachin Singh, who both joined the West Indies Under-19 training camp in Antigua, the Queenstown-based side won their fourth in four games.

The diminutive, Mootoo, who was surprisingly left out of the Demerara Under-17 squad in the just concluded Inter-County tournament, had figures of 5-12 in 6.1 overs while Torrington claimed 4-13 off six overs. Left-arm spinner Ricardo Percival (18), was the other successful bowler.

Deciding to bat first, the visiting batsmen failed to put up any fight, and their team were bowled out for 80 in

34.1 overs. Only Shay Narine (15) reached a double figure, in a total disappointing batting display where the batsmen generally failed to build any meaningful partnerships.

The run chase was quite easy, as the home team reached 81-3 in 17 overs.

They lost Ezekiel Wilson, leg-before-wicket to Mohamed Khan for four, at 24-1.

However, Inderjeet Nanan and Alphuis Bookie then took the score to 72 - a partnership which took the game away completely away from GYO. Nanan made 21 while Bookie contributed 23 before both were dismissed to Rohan Sukhnandan and Safeek Deonarine respectively.

Garrick Persaud and the right-hander Nkosi Beaton who slammed 135 against Queen’s Collage last Thursday, were left unbeaten on two and seven respectively when the winning target was achieved.

The tournament continues today.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, April 21, 2019

Beharry spins Everest to 26-run win over GCC

Aaron Beharry

HOSTS Everest Cricket Club (ECC) prevailed in a low-scoring encounter over powerhouse Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) by 26 runs in the GCA/American Youth Premier Cricket League Under-19 Cricket competition yesterday.

Everest bowlers, led by off-spinner, former Berbice Under-15 player Aaron Beharry, produced an excellent effort in defending their total of 91 all out in 22.3 overs.

Beharry claimed 5-16, while Raynaldo Mohamed (3-23) and Chandanand Dowlatram (2-26) supported

Beharry well.

At the start of the day’s play, Everest total was built around Anel Tilku, who top-scored with 27 with six boundaries. Alex Algoo and Beharry contributed 17 runs apiece. A. Persaud was the best bowler for the visitors with figures of 5-12.

In reply, the run chase never got going, and GCC folded for just 65 in 22 overs. R. Phillips made 28 while R. Singh struck a 3-ball 11, to be the two top-scorers.

All set for JJTRC final leg ALL systems are in place or today’s final leg of the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee (JJTRC) Triple Crown which gallops off at the Port Mourant turf club in Corentyne, Berbice.

In an invited comment yesterday, organiser Nazrudeen Mohamed disclosed that close to 100 of the country’s top racehorses will be in action.

The Triple Crown race promotion provides a bonus of $500 000 for whichever horse can complete three consecutive victories and, come this Easter, the mare Valentina, in the three-yearold Guyana-bred category, will be the only animal in the running for the Triple Crown bonus.

The feature race will attract a total prize purse of almost $2M with the winner of that C Class and Lower race pocketing $1M.

The winner of the threeyear-old Guyana-bred race will pocket $400 000, the F Class winner $350 000, H Class $300 000, I Class $250 000, J Class; $230 000, K Class $220 000, L Class $200 000, L Class and Lower $140 000.

The day’s event will be run under the auspices of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA), therefore owners, groomsmen and trainers were asked to have their animals properly registered before today. Further, if this requirement is not met horses will not be allowed to participate in the day’s proceedings.

On the other hand, outstanding individual performers including jockeys, trainers and stables will be presented with accolades, compliments of Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market.

Race time is 12:30hrs.

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McKoy strikes Gold - Bronze for Tyrell

Persaud strikes gold in 100M butterfly at CARIFTA Aquatic Championships PAGE

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The Golden run! Claudrice McKoy crosses the line unchallenged to win the Girls U20 1500 metres at the CARIFTA Games.

All set for JJTRC final leg PAGE

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Aleka Persaud on the podium last night after winning gold in the 100M butterfly.

‘F’ Division cop Police Inter-division T20 hardball title PAGE

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An action-packed day of racing is anticipated.

Winners F Division snatch the Leslie James Inter-Association /Branch T/20 round-robin hardball cricket tournament.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 2019