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Thursday April 29, 2021
Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
India blows up itself, the rest of the world must learn The true number of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic is staggering. Words like catastrophic and colossal cannot be considered to be overstatements since the experts from across the globe who are watching on, with fingers crossed, believe that the real official death toll is anywhere from two to five times the number being reported in India. The numbers in the subcontinent break one record after another with no end in sight. The first problem, among many others, is that health and government authorities in India do not have any time to spare on such luxuries as counting the dead, for they are too busy dealing with the living and struggling to keep them in that state. Already fears are intensifying about where this will all end up, first in India itself, and next regarding the prospects for the rest of the world, in this pandemic which shows no signs of letting up. On each occasion that there is some little bit of a respite that is experienced there is some new development in some new corner of the globe about a new variant, new cases, new numbers, all of which send everyone rushing for cover. Though it may smack of second-guessing of hindsight, of being after the fact and of not being helpful to anyone, it still has to be said. For starters, the highly populous nation of India, with its 1.4 billion people, made a major blunder, when its authorities allowed the mass gatherings of tens of thousands of its citizens for a Hindu festival. That was asking for trouble and though no one could have imagined the extent of the fallout, there it is being lived with now and in a very worrisome state. Sometimes discretion and commonsense are the best part of judgment and wisdom. There is no need for any advanced university education to appreciate the dangers that are inherent in some situations. That was one opportunity bypassed when firm discipline and the orderliness that follows from such would have served the now suffering and barely able to breathe people of India well. But that is now history and the consequences have to be absorbed, the punches rolled with, which is the same story that has relevance to the current severe spike in COVID-19 confirmed cases and still to be estimated real death toll. It needs to be mentioned also that those recordbreaking confirmed cases may be the smaller part of that horror story, since those are the results from actual testing done. The other instance of thoughtlessness was when large gatherings, against all good sense, were allowed, if not encouraged, by the Narendra Modi Government, in favour of attendance at the party’s mass rallies. Unthinking and selfish leaders have brought down the wrath of God upon the heads of their peoples. Now, in recent days, something as basic and taken for granted as breathing has transformed into the huge undertaking of a life and death gasping for air that is not there. Further, there are no hospital beds, no oxygen tanks, not enough expert hands to tend to the wave after unstoppable wave of very sick patients that come seeking relief, any kind of relief. And the relief oxygen supplies that have to make their way from the industrial states to where they are needed the most seem like an eternity away to those waiting. All of this has made the news in the starkest possible fashion in the New York Times, Reuters, USA Today and the BBC Online news editions, among other well-read news sources. The news cannot be grimmer, which is what makes a watching world take an indrawn breath and observe. No place is safe or out of reach. Right here we have anxieties and concerns over reports of variants of the virus in nearby Brazil. The word from India is of a still unknown and unconquerable strain of the virus, which is part of the problem. For the virus operates in an almost spirit form: it can be anywhere, grab hold of any human carrier, and wreak havoc on those systems that are frailer, less vigilant.
I am suggesting that we sell Guyana to a billionaire DEAR EDITOR, I shall begin by telling you that I’m a patriotic Guyanese living in Guyana. I have an intense love for Guyana and the people of this country and I want what is best for the poor and powerful people in this country. Do you know why 50 percent of Guyanese have migrated and continue to migrate in alarming numbers even though the country has found oil, it’s because they have lost hope. Some people tell me that I have to continue to have hope for a better Guyana – at what point do I have to stop hoping? There’s a thin line between having hope and being naive is there not? For example, the woman whose husband has been physically abusing her for decades, should she continue to stay with him and to hope
for him to change and the abuse to stop? After years of being abused and hoping for change and he doesn’t, to continue to hope for a change is foolish and naive. For she to continue to stay with him is blind optimism. She can’t continue to hope as she continues to be abused. She can’t continue to hope in the face of uncertainty. After years of political and economic darkness, there are many people who want Guyanese to believe a brighter day will come and that Guyana will become a little Dubai. If you had a car and it was giving you a tremendous amount of troubles wouldn’t you sell it? You put in a new battery, starter, alternator, radiator, carburetor and even a new engine and still have problems with the car.
After a while, wouldn’t you say enough is enough and sell the car? I’m putting it to you that Guyana is like that car. After five decades and nine executive presidents and millions of dollars invested in the country, Guyana is still the second poorest country in this hemisphere. Therefore, I am suggesting that just as you would sell the car that is giving you problems, for Guyana to prosper, I’m recommending that we sell Guyana to a billionaire for $750 billion U.S. and give each citizen (Guyana population 750, 000) of Guyana one million U.S. dollar each. This way the poor pensioners would no longer have to live on monthly crumbs of $25,000. Poor children wouldn’t have to go to school on empty stomachs. Diabetics would have money to buy insulin. Poor people would be able
to pay for the best healthcare. I know my recommendation to sell Guyana is a radical one, but the citizenry can’t continue to hope for a change to the Guyana’s Constitution or for a united Guyana or for a third political party to be elected, or for better leaders. It is not going to happen; it hasn’t happened in five decades. The politicians will never change the Constitution, Guyanese will never unite, a third political party will not be different from the two major political parties because they all come from the same mango tree and we will not get better political leaders. Let us stop hoping for a change in Guyana because we have been hoping for 50 long years and nothing changed. It’s time to do something radically different and sell the country. Yours truly Name provided
We need a strictly enforced 6pm to 6am curfew DEAR EDITOR The current Government of Guyana has demonstrated a callous indifference towards the COVID-19 virus and the fact that for the month of April, 54 persons have died to date. The number of recorded daily positive cases continues to rise at an alarming rate with 214 cases in one day recently. There have been a total of 291 deaths which is an extremely high death toll for our country. Yet the President has not held a press conference to address this nor has there been the institution of any emergency measures to deal with this deadly virus which is rapidly spreading out of control in Guyana. The Government defiantly issued releases stating that the “curfew” (which is really no curfew) remains at the same absurd hours of 10:30 pm to 4 am. They prefer to have restaurants and bars open allowing for gatherings of persons. Persons are not being responsible so the Government must step up and impose social restrictions in the interest of everyone. If they cannot do so, then they must step aside. We do not need bars and restaurants open at all. We do not need Army officers en-
dangering their lives by going into these establishments to arrest those not closing the doors at the late 10:30 hour. The Government, in a lame attempt, closed some of these establishments and then subsequently issued a statement listing the reopening of such venues a short time thereafter. There must be the recognition that the pursuit of economic wealth cannot supersede the lives and safety of the Guyanese people. We need a strictly enforced 6 pm to 6 am curfew, the closure of all malls, restaurants and bars, hair salons, places of worship, creeks and recreational areas. Further the airports must be closed with immediate effect to all flights.Further, places where there is a single case of at least one person being infected with this virus must be ordered to be closed. The virus spreads like wildfire and it will only be a matter of time before all are infected. The fact that the Supreme Court of Guyana has not closed following the reports of multiple staffers having tested positive for the virus is a disgrace. One would have hoped that the Courts as the guardians of the welfare of the citizens of Guyana would have taken
Though the various vaccines currently approved for production and use offers a level of protection and confidence, there are still those unknowns that come out from behind the bushes and lay low. The COVID-19 virus, as is now known and encountered and accepted knows no barriers capable of stopping it from taking root and flourishing rapidly. This is what an alarmed world is concerned about, since it exhibits all the frightening characteristics of endless selfrenewing and at will. The best that we can do at this time is get vaccinated, take sensible precautions, follow the protocols (all of them) laid down by the COVID-19 Task Force, keep our head on and hope for the best.
emphatic action to deal with this life and death issue which is haunting the nation. Another matter of grave concern is that the Chairman of Region Four (the Region which is plagued with the highest Covid infections) has made frantic appeals to the Covid-19 task force imploring them to introduce meaningful action to control the spread of the virus. However he has complained that his appeals have fallen on deaf ears while the infections continue to increase. The proximity of Guyana to Brazil is extremely frightening having regard to the number of deaths currently in that country. The ideal situation
would be a shutdown of the Guyana thereby ensuring the safety of all. This has proven effective everywhere else in the world. The Government in its parochial pursuit of wealth is not minded so to do. Alas, it may have to be shut down as a result of workers being rendered incapable to perform their tasks since they have been infected with this rapidly spreading virus. I urge the Government to cease this unacceptable conduct and act now in the interest of us all. I call on my fellow Guyanese to take a strong position on this life and death issue. Yours truly, Stephanie Isaacs
And what is keeping this Government from publishing the gas-to-shore studies done by the previous Government? DEAR EDITOR, At last, Dr. Jagdeo is providing some figures for the public on the gas-to-shore project. He has reduced the uncertainty from 100% (US$400M-800M) to 11% (US$810M-900M). From the limited information, based on what he claims has already been negotiated, the following can be deduced without consideration of interest payments, which can be calculated by finance specialists. 1. At 7 US cents per kWhe for 250 MW electricity generation, the US$900M investment can be paid back within 6 years of a turn-key delivery. 2. Dr. Jagdeo has to be clear whether the price he is quoting is for thermal kWhr,
or for electrical kWhe. There could be a factor of 2.2 that depends on the efficiency of the conversion. 3. The 50 million cubic ft. per day request is consistent with the desired 250 MW of electricity. I only meant to examine the consistency of the new revelations, not whether they can be realised at those prices. A proper feasibility study still has to be done. And what is keeping the government from publishing the study by the previous government on the website of the Ministry of Natural Resources naturally, for all Guyanese taxpayers who funded it to see? Yours truly, Alfred Bhulai
Thursday April 29, 2021
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GUYOIL fiasco is a The perception is, if the police can classic case of the raid their own kitty, what’s wrong blind leading the blind with civilians stealing from each other • Load port certificates of DEAR EDITOR, I do not in any manner mean to offend the visually impaired, but the ongoing GUYOIL fiasco is really a classic case of the blind leading the blind. GUYOIL’s present imbroglio involving alleged improprieties in the purchase of fuel demonstrates the lack of foresight in the selection of members to its Board of Directors (B.O.D) as well as the appointment of senior managers. The present B.O.D. comprises of all newcomers that are without any specialised knowledge of the downstream oil industry as it relates to GUYOIL’s operations. I would hazard a safe guess that their collective knowledge most likely would be limited to the extent of perhaps fueling up once or twice at a GUYOIL service station. Now to compound matters further, most of the senior Management team are fresh faces, again without prior experience of the specifics of the downstream oil Industry. So what we have on our hands between the B.O.D. and senior management in GUYOIL is truly the blind leading the blind which is a recipe for unmitigated disaster. This is precisely the reason why the Board and management went about the purchase of fuel as if they were purchasing mangoes at Bourda market or grocery from a “salt goods” shop. The purchase of fuel is always accomplished by observing international best practices in the industry which are laid down polices in GUYOIL. This involves the following details on the request for quotation, namely: • Full specifications of the fuel with the required volume. • Identification of load port, which could be a refinery or an oil major terminal. • Selection of an independent fuel surveyor that will represent the buyer at the port and will monitor the fuel for quality and quantity. The surveyor will carry out their own laboratory testing to ensure the fuel is within specifications.
quality, quantity and lay time report. • In the case of CIF purchase agreement, supplier to give full details of vessels in the Q88 form. This is information as it relates to the particulars of the vessel, compliance with IMO standards of being double hull for protection against spillage, whether it will operate on the naabsa clause( not always afloat but safely aground) or the aa clause (always afloat) which makes a huge difference in volume because of our draft restrictions. • Payment terms as per bill of lading, etc.. These and a host of other finer details as contained in the standard ASBATANKVOY spot charter contract have to be agreed on by both client and supplier before a contract is entered upon. You strictly do not entertain any purchase of dubious origin, quality and quantity. GUYOIL as an oil major in Guyana must be on par with the same standards of Rubis and SOL. You definitely do not see these oil majors being involved in this type of cake shop purchases. As is patently obvious because of the specialised and technical nature of GUYOIL’s operations, it would always be prudent to retain a couple of members that would have previously served on its Board for institutional knowledge and continuity. The subject Minister for GUYOIL needs to find an artful mix of persons with the necessary competencies of the downstream oil Industry to blend with the nascent B.O.D. and Management Team or he may very well have situations such as this repeating itself ad nauseam. Yours truly, Reggie Bhagwandin
DEAR EDITOR, A close examination of comments posted on social media, following recent attacks and physical assault on persons either at the gates to their residence or in private motor vehicles reveal two misapprehensions. According to the cynics and critics, the victims were robbed at the gate to their premises, because they did not have guards or their gates are not electronically operated, their cameras are badly located or because they were not armed. In respect to robberies where persons are either dragged from their cars while at junctions where traffic lights are located or because they are caught up in bumper to bomber traffic, this is not only a new phenomenon. It is scary. Some claim it was the victims’ fault because they were in a defective vehicle with windows that cannot wind up nor down, the locks on the doors dysfunctional or because they were not vigilant enough to notice they were being followed. This ‘blame the victim’ argument is not only obtuse; it is reminiscent of an argument used by misogynists that women are raped because of the provocative way they dress. Furthermore, is the cry by another branch of critics and cynics who constantly harp on the failure of the state to protect its citizens. These individuals expect the police to roll out a twenty-four seven cordon sanitaire, to be every nook and cranny to protect both public and private property and to prevent crime. This opinion reminds of another specious claim that the Guyana Fire Service and fire-fighters must have an idea where the next fire is likely to take place that’s why they shouldn’t be late!
When discussing the fight against crime, we must start from the premise that the Guyana Police Force can only do so much. In respect to robberies at private properties, this is precisely where organisations like the community policing groups and neighbourhood police are expected to step in to augment the ranks of the GPF and to engage in regular foot, bicycle, vehicular and boat patrols in designated communities. And as regards robberies from persons seated in vehicles caught up in traffic, this will require a thorough study by law enforcement to determine what steps can be taken to tackle this new type of criminal activity. If allowed to go unattended the criminals specialised in that genre of crime will become emboldened and some robberies with the use of a firearm, attempted or otherwise can result in a homicide. I have consistently held
the view that criminals tend to be a step ahead of law enforcement because they are not bound by any Standard Operating Procedures nor do they abide by any law or laws save their own. Conversely, law enforcement operatives must conduct themselves within the confines of the law less they be accused of engaging in lawlessness and extra-judicial activities. Excuses that ‘we don’t have a vehicle or a boat available’ are like a broken record and are no longer acceptable. Every year, successive PPP/C governments have been pumping billions into the capital budgets of the Guyana Police Force and the Community Policing Organisations to procure land and water transport and communications equipment. But it is sad to learn that while on the one hand, government is pouring more and more of the people’s money into the coffers on the GPF, on the other hand, there are elements within the organisation
who are quietly siphoning off and pocketing more, more of the same people’s money. This is a crime known as fraudulent conversion. If it’s not pilfering of finances, its reckless driving resulting in loss of life, damage to private property or to police vehicles resulting some being written off. The public perception is, if the police can raid their own kitty, what’s wrong with civilians stealing from each other?People usually look to those who sit at the top to set the example. Top brass of the GPF signify the upper sophisticates in the organisation who shoulder heavy responsibilities and who should know better and whose hands must as clean as a whistle. However, when those at (Continued on page 6)
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It is madness for Government to move ahead with the gas -to gas-to -to-shore project without studies DEAR EDITOR, I endorse your front page reports and critique (Apr 27) and Mr. Glenn Lall’s commentary of the gas-to-shore project on his Monday radio programme (Apr 26). It is madness for government to move ahead with the gas-to-shore project even though studies are not completed. From the sound of it, this is a project that will benefit Exxon and a few individuals in the government with their front persons in the private sector. Clearly, Exxon would continue to increase its wealth off Guyana and a few who own land along the path where the pipes would be laid down. They would become enormously wealthy selling land to the government. Brassington said the cost would be about US$900M. Technical experts say it would be closer to $1.3B. The costs would be part of Exxon’s oil project and included in the costs that Guyana would pay. But Exxon would co-own it and rent it to us. Since we are paying for the construction, why is Exxon owning it? Paying rent is double billing benefiting Exxon which will also sell us our own gas which it would have flared or inject back into the well. Who is negotiating this arrangement? It seems like another one of those negotiated by the coalition. It should be noted that when the gas becomes depleted in twenty years, the pipes would be useless. They would not even have scrap metal value and not worth bringing the pipes back to the surface for recycling. The shore gas will be piped from the ocean floor to Crane. From there, it would be transported by 22KM pipe to Wales for the power generating plant. Why not set up the power plant in the Crane area? There is so much land on the coastal area. An artificial island can be built to station the power plant or the government can land it on the East Coast where there is enough revetment
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Kaieteur News
land for a power station, avoiding the US$80M cost for on land transportation of gas. The government has not accounted for maintenance cost and purchasing of land to run the pipe. The pipe from Crane to Wales would require a safety or buffet corridor of at least 250 meters on each side. That is .5 Km of land that would go wasted for 22 Km length. That is the equivalent of 11 square KM – a huge chunk of fertile land that would no longer be available for agriculture. The use of 11 square KM of good land to locate the project in Wales in itself does not make it viable. It is about the same amount of land that constitutes the entire Wales community. The pipe pathway would have to be maintained routinely that would cost a fortune. The pipes would also have to be protected and maintained, generating additional costs? Why would government want to maintain 22 Km of pipeline in agricultural and residential areas? There would have to be corrosion protection which in itself also needs maintenance. This is a huge cost that would drive the up the price of electricity. During maintenance, the whole operation would have to be shut down. Or will there be two pipe lines — which would further increase the cost. Also, one must take cognisance that the pipe would run thru prime residential and agricultural land that would be decommissioned from housing and farming.
Why waste good land that can be used for agriculture? People would want huge compensation. Would politicians and friends who own land in the area stand to make a killing selling it to the government? Why not look to East Coast for the total project? East Coast does not need the 22 Km pipeline to set up a power generating plant. Would it not be more feasible to transport the gas via ships and or supplied to storage tanks at the power station? This would avoid all the risk to bring the gas on pipeline. If surplus gas is to be exported, why not load it on tankers at production site and send directly to destination. Why bring it to shore and then export? If at all the gas project to Wales is to alleviate suffering of that depressed community and sugar workers, a tiny fraction of the US$900M can be used to employ them in varied agro and animal husbandry industries such as dairy products and canned processing. This project is clearly not thought through enough. This makes it all the more imperative to hire experts who can assess and ascertain costs and who can give a fair, objective, professional evaluation. Politicians must not try to be engineers. We saw what happened at Skeldon, the East Coast and East Bank highways and the Amalia road. Government should adopt the consensus of the engineers of this project. Yours truly, Shawn Simmons
The perception is, if the... From page 5 the top engage in corrupt acts, people view such acts as a betrayal of their trust. The trust between people and the police is as fragile as walking on egg shells. Unless decisive steps are taken to return to the drawing board with a view to institutionalising police reform and prison reform, we will continue to be haunted by the cry of the juvenile who
I met some time ago at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) at Onderneeming. When I asked him what would he like to do when released from the facility, he responded saying, “Sir, I jus wan fuh be a betta tiefman so dem cyan ketch me.” Yours truly, Clement J. Rohee Former Minister of Home Affairs
Harmon’s statement on petition decision is sinister in its implications DEAR EDITOR, The statement of the Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, to supporters following the ruling of Chief Justice on Elections Petition No. 88 is replete with doublespeak, sinister in its implications and a subtle call for violent reprisals in its intent. Assailed by the economic downturn that made thousands jobless and caused great business loss, citizens of every community are in survival mode, not receptive of inflammatory rhetoric that would negatively impact all the support systems the current government is rolling out to improve extant living conditions and to enhance the potential of achieving upward mobility for themselves and offspring. However, there would always be misguided persons who are content to wallow in
their impoverished state in order to empower and enrich their corrupt leaders. The rabble that strove to create mayhem in the streets in Georgetown after the court handed down its decision were obviously amassed in preparation and expectation of the judgment that was delivered, which in the eyes of any intelligent person was in accordance with Constitutional imperatives. But the rambunctious elements that rampaged in the city after the judge’s ruling were influenced and manipulated by their uncaring, destructive, lawless leaders in efforts to create a breach of the peace and provoke the police into retaliatory action to precipitate a tsunami of violence in the nation, without caring about their health in this deadly pandemic. Their intent and objec-
tive is the PNC brand of politics of violent aggression that is meant to bring the PPP/C President and Government to their knees and jeopardise the development/empowerment/ enrichment programmes President Irfaan Ali and his government is rolling out countrywide. And race-baiting is always their preferred strategy. Harmon’s message, with its covert innuendoes and threats, is not so subtle, as can be deduced from his obvious call to arms. It only takes one person to light a match, or to fire a bullet. Burnham said to the effect that only those who own the dogs can call off the dogs. So will PNC, for once, put the nation first and call off their “dogs of war?” Yours truthfully, Erin Northe
Thanks for kickback sarcasm DEAR EDITOR, Thank you for that eloquent “Dem boys seh” satirical piece (Apr 26). Kickback is indeed needed to kick-start investment in our country or to obtain virtually any document or to conduct any official business. I got a good laugh from this piece of mockery. It is short and sweet and caricatures exactly what is happening in this country. It is spot on. No project can be undertaken, no contract awarded without a kickback for the boys, not “dem boys in KN”, but for “de boyz” in government or in an office. We need more of your sarcasm exposing what pass for governance in this God
forsaken country. I thank Mr. Glenn Lall and KN for exposing corruption. What is regretted is that people of integrity and repute, the likes of Chris Ram, Ravi Dev, Freddie Kissoon, Vishnu Bisram, Anand Goolsarran, Veerasamy Ramayya and more, who spoke out against corruption during the preceding regime, are quiet. Their pens and voice have fallen silent. People look to them as the voice of conscience against corruption. Are they losing their integrity, honesty, courage to speak out and value system? Have they resigned themselves to the corruption of this administration? I salute GHK Lall and Glenn Lall for courageously speaking out against corrup-
tion. They have the cojones to speak your mind. Kickback is everywhere and perhaps in some areas even worse now than under the previous regime. Are instructions coming from above and who are the beneficiaries? Is kickback only at the level of the board by the Director or Chair or CEO or the bureaucrat? Why is government leadership tolerating corruption at the bottom? Voters should reject corruption regardless of which party in office? The tens of billions siphoned off by bureaucrats and politicians, if shared equitably, would make everyone a millionaire. Yours truly, Hema Lokenauth
Freddie should do an article on the non-payment of rates and taxes DEAR EDITOR, Freddie Kissoon did an excellent article on Jan 31, 2021 on “What the Mayor and his Deputy told me makes Guyana an unfit nation.” I see on the news that the Mayor is criticising the present government in not giving him/Council substan-
tial funds for the Council to function. I would be happy to see Freddie Kissoon do a reminder article to illustrate to the people the facts where more than 50% of thousands
of buildings that have gone up in Georgetown during the past years do NOT pay rates and taxes. Yours truly, Kissoon Persaud
What is the plan and strategy to curb these attacks on citizens? DEAR EDITOR The Guyana Police Force recently said it would be tackling robberies committed by motorcycle gangs. The question is: when? Almost on a daily basis robberies are committed by these gangs on motorcycles and bicycles. The prevalence of attacks at traffic lights is frightening. Come on Mr. Commissioner of Police – what is the plan and strategy to curb these attacks on citizens? Yours truly, Shamshun Mohamed
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Carmouche to be 1st Black jockey in Kentucky... From page 22 since 1921, which was even then long after the era dominated by Murphy, Winkfield and others.Chris Goodlett, a historian at the Kentucky Derby Museum, cited a combination of Jim Crow laws and segregation in the U.S., intimidation by white riders and decisions by racing officials, owners and trainers for the decline of Black jockeys in the early 20th century. One example was white counterparts riding Winfield into the rail at Harlem Race Track outside Chicago and injuring him and his horse.“Consequently, white trainers and owners would be (more) reluctant to ride Black jockeys on their horses due to instances like that,” Goodlett said. “We see it also just from an administrative point of view, as well: fewer licenses being issued to Black jockeys, sometimes not issued at
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all.”Brien Bouyea, communications director for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, said many Black jockeys left for Europe because of better working conditions and never returned. Manny Ycaza came from Panama and blazed a trail for Latin American jockeys, who used riding schools and other factors that changed on-track demographics. Along the way, participation by Black people in the Kentucky Derby ebbed and flowed with significant contributions along the way, including grooms Will Harbut with Man O’War in 1920 and Eddie Sweat with Secretariat in 1973 and trainer Hank Allen with Northern Wolf in 1989. Harbut’s great grandson, Greg Harbut, co-owned 2020 Derby runner Neckar Island and helped found the Ed Brown Society, named after the 19th century Black jockey and
trainer to further diversify racing.Husbands was well-aware of his unique place in history when he rode Seaside Retreat in the 2006 Derby and feels a connection to Carmouche this year because “the stepping stone that he’s doing for his culture is the same stuff I was trying to do for my culture.”Knowing the history of Black jockeys, Husbands is inspired by Carmouche’s journey.“When I saw the in-
terview with him two years ago, it bring water to my eyes in terms of how his wife is white, he’s Black and he’s a little bit scared of his kids on his streets,” Husbands said. “It brought me home because he said in this interview that no racetrack was being prejudiced to him. ... Now he’s coming in to ride in the Kentucky Derby. It’s like he’s shining a light out there.”Husbands said Carmouche becoming the first Black jockey to win the Kentucky Derby since 1902 “would
Thursday April 29, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A scandal concerning a celebrity you admire could be in the news today, Aries. This might throw you for a loop. You might even suffer some disillusionment. Withhold judgment for the time being. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Some rather shocking news could come to you from a friend who lives far away, Taurus. This probably won't affect you directly, as it most likely concerns the world economy, politics, or big business,.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A dip in the stock market might cause you to worry about your own financial future, Gemini. CANCER(June21–July22) Today you might find that some of your more ambitious plans finally seem to be paying off, Cancer. You should be happy about this, but you might panic a bit, fearing that everything could crash at the last minute.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A family member could be experiencing business difficulties, Libra. Your sensitivity could cause you to feel their anxieties, too. You might want to make it clear to this person that you're there for him or her. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) A friend or relative could be ill, out of work, or otherwise beset by problems. You may want to do whatever you can to help out. This could be frustrating, but you will feel
better for having done what you can. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) An unexpected expense, perhaps requiring repairs to the house or car, might take a chunk out of your bank account, Sagittarius CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Career changes may be on the horizon, Capricorn. Although positive in the long run, the events leading up to the change may seem catastrophic.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) If you've been doing some creative or job-related writing, today you might be tired, blocked, and unable to muster the energy to turn on the computer. Leo, you need to ask yourself how important it is to get it done today.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Premonitions today might be rather disturbing, Aquarius, and you might actually feel some fear because of them. Don't panic! Your intuitive abilities aren't quite as sharp as usual.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) A project of some kind you've been working on could be going well, Virgo, but today you might experience a sudden rush of inspiration that makes it a lot better than you originally envisioned.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Changes within a group you're affiliated with might profoundly affect you today, Pisces. Perhaps the group is veering in a new direction that doesn't particularly interest you.
be a blessing. It would bring tears to a lot of people’s eyes.”The usually talkative and confident Carmouche paused several times trying to put into words what it would mean to follow the footsteps of jockeys like first Derby winner Oliver Lewis, Winkfield
and Murphy.“From my perspective, if I win this race, man, it would touch a lot of people,” Carmouche said. “A lot of people will be crying, a lot of people will be happy and a lot of happy tears.”
Thirteen youth... From page 22 while dozens this year has benefitted from educational grants. The BCB has also sponsored a one year educational scholarship for a cricketer attending the University of Guyana. Foster disclosed that the next area to benefit from the programme would be the Berbice River Sub Association, while more students from the Upper Corentyne, Lower Corentyne, West Berbice and New Amsterdam/ Canje areas would also receive grants. The main objective, he stated is to assist at least seventy cricketers with grants in 2021, while school bags would also be shared out with educational materials. Special thanks were extended to the Management of Vitality Inc for their support of Berbice cricket. In addition to sponsoring the Educational Trust Fund, the company and its Charity Foundation recently donated $1.4M worth of cricket gears to eight Berbice clubs and sponsored a 20/20 cricket tournament for Upper Corentyne clubs. The Vitality Inc Foundation would also construct a home for a less fortunate employee of the BCB. The construction for the mother of five is expected to start shortly after some minor arrangements are put into place. This would represent a first of its kind for the pro active cricket board, which is now focusing on off the field activities due to the ongoing covid19 pandemic.Director of Vitality Inc Abbas Hamid stated that his company was very pleased with the state of development taking place in Berbice cricket and as such was delighted to be associated with it. He joined with Foster to stress the importance of education and discipline. Vitality, he noted, was committed to playing a major role in the development of Guyana and intends to become a major force in the country by offering service of the highest standard. The company is a $2B investment in Guyana with special interest in the Oil and Gas sector. Among the subsidiaries of Vitality Inc are Vitality Supplies and Vitality Accounting/ Consultancy.
Lahore Qalandars bag Shakib Al... From page 21 Rovman Powell and Fidel Edwards, with all three available for the entire remaining leg. Karachi and the Multan Sultans picked up four players each while Quetta picked just one replacement. The order of picks was settled through a randomiser, and Lahore won the first pick in the Platinum category. Russell was a high-profile option, but since he will only be available for a part of PSL 2021’s remainder, they went with Shakib instead. Other than Hales, Islamabad will miss Lewis Gregory and Phil Salt but the franchise have roped in Khawaja and the South Africa batsman Janneman Malan and will welcome back Colin Munro, who missed the initial leg due to New Zealand’s quarantine rules. Quetta have only picked one replacement so far but may look for more once the availability of Chris Gayle and Dale Steyn become known. The PSL will clash with several other series, making
it tricky for the franchises to choose their combinations. An initial seven-day mandatory quarantine in the last week of May will directly clash with the IPL playoffs. This will be followed by an ODI series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. West Indies and South Africa, meanwhile, are playing a Test and T20I series in June, while England will host New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the same timespan. ESPNcricinfo understands that the newly picked players won’t be considered for retention for the next edition of the PSL. The nineteen players picked so far will be treated as provisional while the original roster (before the postponement) will be effective for next year’s pre-draft business.The remainder of the tournament will be played in June, with all matches in Karachi, in a bio-security bubble being put in place by a UK-based company. The teams will assemble by May 23 to begin their mandatory seven-day quarantine, and action will resume on June 2, with the final on June 20.
Kaieteur News
PAGE 20
Thursday April 29, 2021
Man City fight back to win at PSG BBC Sport - Manchester City produced a superb
display to come from behind and take control of their
Champions League semifinal with victory against
Paris St-Germain in France. Pep Guardiola’s side fought their way through a scintillating early PSG surge when they fell behind to Marquinhos’ header, glanced in from Angel di Maria’s corner after 15 minutes, to dominate after the break and turn this first leg tie in Paris on its head. City, who had threatened before the break when Phil Foden missed a great chance, were much more positive and got the reward they deserved after 64 minutes when Kevin de Bruyne’s menacing cross evaded everyone in the penalty area and drifted beyond motionless PSG keeper Kaylor Navas. PSG, with Neymar fading and Kylian Mbappe subdued, were ragged and Riyad Mahrez put City in a great position to reach their first Champions League final when his left-foot freekick went through the wall to beat Navas seven minutes later. And to complete PSG’s
Neymar hasn’t scored in his last six games in the knockout stage in the Champions League. (Getty Images)
Champions League as confirmation they are a European superpower - and this magnificent display brings that ambition closer than it has ever been before. The Premier League
Mahrez’s winner was his second direct free-kick goal in the Champions League - his first coming for Leicester. (Reuters)
misery, former Everton midfield man Idrissa Gueye was rightly shown a red card late on for a dreadful challenge on Ilkay Gundogan. Man City’s dream comes closer Manchester City have craved triumph in the
leaders had to show all their qualities before finally overpowering their hosts, who ran out of steam after showing real class in the first half, with Neymar and Di Maria pulling the strings. Ruben Dias and John Stones were prominent as City held firm in the first
half, while after the break, as they showed greater ambition, Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker carried real attacking threat, and the visitors played with enormous maturity as they pinned PSG back in their own half. Their menace grew throughout and it was no surprise when De Bruyne levelled then Mahrez put them ahead - indeed PSG ended so beaten and disorganised they may almost feel grateful they only lost 2-1. C i t y ’s C h a m p i o n s League history is littered with disappointments in the latter stages of the tournament, often mired in tactical confusion or ill-luck - not so here. Those experiences mean they will take nothing for granted when this dangerous PSG side come to Etihad Stadium in six days but City have never been in better shape to reach a Champions League final.
Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring with his teammates. (Riyad Mahrez Twitter)
Kaieteur News
Thursday April 29, 2021
PAGE 21
Lahore Qalandars bag Shakib Al Hasan, Quetta Gladiators sign Andre Russell Peshawar Zalmi have signed the West Indian trio of Fabian Allen, Rovman Powell and Fidel Edwards ESPNcricinfo - The Lahore Qalandars have picked up allrounder Shakib Al Hasan as their replacement for Rashid Khan for the remainder of PSL 2021. The Karachi Kings snapped up Martin Guptill to fill in for Colin Ingram, while the Quetta Gladiators picked Andre Russell to replace Tom Banton, and Islamabad United brought in Usman Khawaja to cover for Alex Hales in their top order. These were some of the biggest signings made on Tuesday night, when the six PSL teams met to choose replacements for the players who will miss the remainder of the 2021 season, which is set to resume on June 2. On March 4, the tournament was suspended mid-season when a number of players tested positive for Covid-19. The teams’ rosters of local players remain intact but most of the overseas players, who were around before the postponement, will not be
Andre Russell will replace Tom Banton in the Quetta Gladiators roster. (BCCI/IPL)
available for one reason or another. The English players will be busy with the Vitality Blast T20 tournament, while some others will be on national duty. The six teams were given a list of over 135 players across all five categories. Lahore took a big hit, losing their middle-order core as well as their ace spinner
Rashid. They picked up five players at the replacement draft to fill their vacant slots. Peshawar Zalmi suffered a big blow to their roster too, with key players Mujeeb Zadran, Saqib Mahmood and Ravi Bopara unavailable. They plugged the gap by signing three West Indian players in Fabian Allen, (Continued on page 29)
The Lahore Qalandars were the busiest team during the PSL 2021 replacement draft. (ESPNcricinfo Ltd)
Kaieteur News
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Thursday April 29, 2021
CSK canter to target of 172 to move to No. 1 on points table ESPNcricinfo - Four contrasting half-centuries told the story of the Chennai Super Kings’ seven-wicket victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad, with the victors climbing back to the top of the IPL 2021 points table. The vanquished, meanwhile, remained in last place. David Warner chose to bat in the tournament’s first game in Delhi, saying he did so “because we haven’t done it yet”, in an effort to change the Sunrisers’ fortunes. However, a middling effort with the bat gave the team only a par total of 171 for 3. Warner himself scored a laboured half-century while the returning Manish Pandey made 61 off 46, but both left the strong feeling that some runs had been left out in the middle.That was proven true when Ruturaj Gaikwad continued his resurgence with an incandescent 75 off 44 - not hitting a six but hitting 12 fours - while Faf du Plessis contributed a robust 56 off 38. Both the Super Kings’ openers strike rates were far superior to those of the Sunrisers’ halfcenturions, and their stand set the game up for the Super Kings. Despite a Rashid
Khan induced late wobble, the three-time IPL champions motored home in 18.3 overs. Warner struggles, Pandey dawdles Warner did score a fifty, but it was the slowest of his T20 career - he got there off his 50th ball. He also crossed 10,000 T20 runs, only the fourth man to do so, but both of these landmarks came in an innings he might not look back on too fondly. Warner didn’t lack intent, but his timing was all awry. And when he did get some meaty shots away, they found the fielders as often as the gaps. Warner’s frustration was visible through his innings, with self-recriminatory screams and angry swishes of the bat when he had failed to send the ball where he wanted to. He tried to go deep, tried to go straight, tried to go across the line, but that he ended up with 57 off 55 speaks of how little of what he tried worked. At the other end, the returning Pandey was more fluent but, until the last tenth of his innings, Pandey didn’t exhibit any sense of urgency, even with Warner noticeably struggling. Pandey was
David Warner and Manish Pandey during their century stand, Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2021, Delhi, April 28, 2021 © BCCI/IPL happy to nudge and tickle the ball around with the occasional boundary attempt. He was a lot more stable at the crease than Warner, but given Warner’s
Carmouche to be 1st Black jockey in Kentucky Derby since ‘13
inability to force the pace, there was a case for Pandey to be more adventurous. The duo added 106 runs for the second wicket, but took 13.5 overs to do so. Only three century partnerships in the IPL have been slower, and only one since 2017. Williamson finishes in style It fell to Kane Williamson to show there were no demons in the pitch or the bowling. Williamson
stroked his way to 26* off 10 balls, somehow managing to score runs all around the park even though he was there for such a brief while. He had walked in at 128 for 2 in 17.1 overs, with ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster tool predicting a final tally of 156 at that point. It was Williamson’s fireworks that pushed the total beyond 170, aided by a good finish from Kedar Jadhav against his old team the duo put on 37 off the last 13 balls. Gaikwad, du Plessis at it once again The Sunrisers’ top-order struggles were made more stark by the Super Kings’ openers’ ease. While Williamson had provided a brief sparkle, Gaikwad and du Plessis had an extended feast on a placid surface. They batted 13 overs,five balls fewer than the PandeyWarner association, but their partnership was worth 129 runs to the latter’s 106. The Sunrisers bowlers weren’t able to get any significant movement in the air or off the deck, and both Gaikwad and du Plessis got their drives flowing freely. The two complemented each other perfectly too: while Gaikwad took on the spin of J Suchith and Rashid Khan, du Plessis punished the pace trio of Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed and Siddarth Kaul.Gaikwad taking the attack to Khan was perhaps the most crucial byplay of the chase. Khan’s four overs
were always going to be the most crucial in the Sunrisers’ defence, but Gaikwad neutralised that threat by taking full toll any time Khan erred. Three times in his second and third overs Khan dragged the ball short, and each time Gaikwad found the boundary. Rashid’s revival Not that Khan bowled badly. On the contrary, he had his usual array of legbreaks, sliders and googlies operating despite some dew. And he showed just how potent he could be by first fizzing a legbreak past Gaikwad’s forwarddefensive push to knock back off stump, then getting Moeen Ali out on the slog with a wrong ‘un, and immediately after pinning du Plessis in front with another googly. While he had ended up conceding 36 - Ali too followed the Gaikwad template in taking the attack to Khan - he still took three crucial wickets.The speed and dominance of the opening partnership, however, meant that Khan’s quota of overs were finished by the 15th over. His wickets meant the Super Kings’ canter to victory slowed down, but it couldn’t be stopped. Scores: Chennai Super Kings 173 for 3 (Gaikwad 75, du Plessis 56, Rashid 336) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 171 for 3 (Pandey 61, Williamson 26*, Ngidi 2-35) by seven wickets.
BCB/ Vitality Inc Educational Trust Fund Kendrick Carmouche at Saratoga Race Course in August. (Cindy Schultz for The New York Times) AP - Long before Kendrick Carmouche started riding horses growing up in Louisiana, Black jockeys were synonymous with the sport.Black riders were atop 13 of the 15 horses in the first Kentucky Derby in 1875 and won 15 of the first 28 editions of the race. Everything has changed since: Carmouche on Saturday will be the first Black jockey in the Kentucky Derby since 2013 and is just one of a handful over the past century.Carmouche is now one of the few remaining Black jockeys in the U.S. Much like Marlon St. Julien in 2000, Patrick Husbands in 2006 and Kevin Krigger in 2013, his presence in horse racing’s biggest event is a reminder of how the industry marginalized Black jockeys to the point they all but disappeared from the sport.“As a Black rider getting to the Kentucky Derby, I hope it inspires a lot of people because my road wasn’t easy to get there and I never quit,” Carmouche said. “What I’ve been wanting all my career is to inspire people and make people know that it’s
notabout color. It’s about how successful you are in life and how far you can fight to get to that point.”Carmouche is a success story in his own right. He is the son of a jockey who has won more than 3,400 races and earned $118 million since beginning to ride professionally in 2000. He came back from a broken leg three years ago and set himself up for his first Kentucky Derby mount by riding 72-1 long shot Bourbonic to victory in the Wood Memorial on April 3. Bourbonic will leave from the 20th post in Saturday’s race at Churchill Downs.He’s also a rarity in a sport now dominated by jockeys from Latin America.“Obviously there haven’t been many in recent decades, but if you go back to the early years of the Derby, the late 1800s, early 1900s, Black jockeys dominated the Kentucky Derby,” NBC Sports analyst Randy Moss said. “Guys like Isaac Murphy and JimmyWinkfield.”Carmouche joins St. Julien as the only U.S.-born Black jockeys in the Derby
(Continued on page 19)
Thirteen youth cricketers receives $260,000 in educational grants - Foster pledges more grants in 2021 “Since the election of the new administration of the Berbice Cricket Board in early 2018, we have stressed the importance of education. The BCB strongly believes that the pursuit of an educational background is just as important as striving to become a cricketing superstar as only about two percentage of our current youth players would go on to become a professional cricketer. You must remember at all times that what you have in your brain can never be taken away from you and the BCB is determined to make sure that each one of our young players understand the importance of education.” Those were the words of BCB President
Hilbert Foster as he delivered the feature address of the Vitality Inc Education Trust Fund at the St Francis Community Developers Training Center. Thirteen under17 players drawn from the Upper Corentyne area received a combined two hundred and sixty thousand dollars under the BCB organised programme. The players each benefitted from a twenty thousand dollars voucher, which they would exchange at the Metro Office Supplies Store in New Amsterdam for educational materials. Among the players were Jamiel Clarke, Khemraj Sukwah, Ramesh Singh, Davindra Persaud, Orlando Campbelle, Emanuel Issacs, Salim
Khan, Isaac Chandan and Tavindra Doobay. Foster, disclosed that the players were selected by the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association based on personal discipline, performance in the classroom, membership of a cricket club and commitment to the game. The CWI Director used his half hour feature address to speak on a wide range of topics including the danger of drugs, importance of education, faith in God, respect to elders and choosing suitable friends. The BCB, he stated has over the last three years assisted hundreds of youths with educational materials, school bags and cycles, (Continued on page 19)
Kaieteur News
Thursday April 29, 2021
All Season’s Racing Service, Pressy’s Gift Store support Wiltshire dominoes tourney All Season’s Racing Service and Pressy’s Gift Store have supported the Mark Wiltshire and Arthur Chung dominoes competition which is set for the Mining town of Linden on May 1. All Season’s Racing Service of Robb Street has sponsored one of the trophies for the top finishers, while Selwyn Prescott of Pressy’s Gift Store, which is located at 93 Regent Street, Lacytown, handed over a sponsorship cheque to Wiltshire. Wiltshire expressed gratitude to the sponsors and is calling on teams to register soonest. The competition which is expected to attract some leading teams from Linden and Georgetown will be held at the Supervisor’s Club. Entrance fee is $15,000 and the winning team will take home $175,000, a trophy and nine medals, the runner will pocket $75,000 and a trophy, third place $35,000 and a trophy and fourth place $15,000 and a trophy. The most valuable player will receive $10,000, while the best female player will collect $10,000 and a hamper. Al covid guidelines will be observed and the competition will conclude on May 2. Te a m s c a n c o n t a c t Wiltshire on 659-8672 for registration.
PAGE 23
Thompson upbeat about women’s cricket at Commonwealth Games By Calvin Chapman ollowing this w e e k ’ s announcement of cricket returning to the 2022 Commonwealth Games with women competing for the first time ever, Guyanese cricketer Akaze Thompson is relishing the opportunity to be part of that historic experience. The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) made the announcement on Monday with six qualified teams in Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and a country from the West Indies set to join hosts England in the eightteam Twenty20 competition. T h e We s t I n d i e s ’ representative team will come from the winner of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) regional T20 tournament which is needed to be complete by January 31, 2022. Thompson, who’s an allrounder, shared with Kaieteur Sport that, “I’m very much excited to hear that women’s cricket will now be a part of Commonwealth Games. It’s a huge step in the right direction for women’s sport to get more recognition and fanfare and I would love if I can help Guyana win the qualifying tournament because it’s always a great feeling to be representing my country. Flying the Golden Arrowhead at such a major e v e n t l i k e t h e Commonwealth Games would be even more special for me.”
F
Selwyn Prescott of Pressy’s Gift Store presents the cheque to Mark Wiltshire.
Mark Wiltshire accepts the prize from a representative of All Season’s Racing Service in the presence of the entity’s CEO Raymond Ali.
Vicky Bharosay is new assistant treasurer of DCB
T
he Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) on Saturday, April 24th 2021, held its Ordinary General Meeting at the Demerara Cricket Club’s pavilion in Queenstown, Georgetown. One of the important agenda items was the appointment of a new assistant treasurer, to fill the vacancy owing to the passing of Mr. Prettipaul Jaigobin. Mr. Vicky Bharosay was nominated for the position by DCB president, Mr. Bissoondyal Singh, and seconded by theVice president, Mr. Neil Barry. There were no other nominations for the position, and as such, Mr. Bharosay was elected as the new assistant treasurer for the Demerara Cricket Board. Mr. Bharosay, who is ACCA qualified, is presently employed as the manager of the credit administration department of Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry.
Akaze Thompson in the nets. The West Indies is full of tremendous talent in the women’s game and their win in the women’s T20 World Cup in India, 2016, is testament to the potential. With that being said, regional rivalry is stiff and Thompson is well aware that winning the regional qualifying tournament will not be an easy task but she is optimistic that her teammates have the goods to pull off the victory. She noted that, “I think we are capable of qualifying, we (Guyana) have one of the best teams in the region, with good preparation I think we can qualify. I believe our closest rivals will be Barbados and Jamaica but I am not too worried about them because once we prepare well and train, we can beat anyone.” Being inactive for over a year is something that has plagued athletes all over the world because of the
pandemic, when quizzed about how challenging it will be to get back into action at full throttle, Thompson noted that it will be difficult but she has set out clear goals and intend to achieve them. She elaborated that, “Being away from the game so long has really been difficult, putting on weight during the pandemic was my main issue but currently I’m working on it so as time goes by everything should be falling back into the right places for me.” The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete across 11 days. Birmingham 2022 will be the first major multi-sport event in history to award more medals to women than m e n . The Commonwealth Games cricket tournament will take place at the Edgbaston Stadium.
Thompson during a typical pugnacious innings.
Vicky Bharosay
CSK canter to target of 172 to move to No. 1 on points table
rt o p S Akaze Thompson in action during a tournament.
Faf du Plessis (left) and Ruturaj Gaikwad got CSK’s chase off to a flier, Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2021, Delhi, April 28, 2021 © BCCI/IPL
Thompson upbeat about women’s cricket at Commonwealth Games Awardees of the Trust Fund poses with BCB executives and Mr Abbas Hamid of Vitality Inc.
BCB/ Vitality Inc Educational Trust Fund
Thirteen youth cricketers receives Moe and James brothersgrants arrive $260,000 in educational
Guyana - Foster pledges morein grants in 2021 Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.