Wednesday January 07, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
Let the people of Guyana know the real truth DEAR SIR, On April 14, 2014, you the Commissioner General of the government department popularly called the GRA or the “Guyana Revenue Authority “ swore to an Affidavit in Answer to a motion that was before the Supreme Court of Judicature, before the Chief Justice and inter alia made the following statement, “ 5. That there is no entity legally known as the Guyana Revenue Authority. I am advised by my attorneys-atlaw and verily believe that though the notice of motion and affidavit in support thereof was served upon the Revenue Authority, the
Revenue Authority is not a party to these proceedings and consequently this action ought to be struck out.” Come, come Mr. Sattaur, this part of the legal battle is now over and the GRA or rather the RA has won round one. Congratulations are in order for you and whatever the real name is of the government department that you have touted to be the “Best run Department” in all of Guyana. Now is the best time as any to STOP perpetuating this ILLEGALITY. You more than anyone else ought to come clean to the Guyanese people. Don’t you think so? Try and explain how it all
began and what are the legal implications of the farce that you have committed on the populace? We are all interested in your honest explanations. Tell us whose idea it was and maybe just maybe, what were the real motives for this masquerade reaching where it is now. Or was this statement sworn just in the hope that the motion would be thrown out without any real hullaballoo? Come on and bring it on Mr. Sattaur, I get the smell of SCAM and CONSPIRACY written all over this one. We the PEOPLE of GUYANA need urgent answers to these questions. RSVP George Isaac Jordan
Some tips for aviation safety DEAR SIR, I am not a pilot, not even remotely connected to the aviation industry in Guyana. However recent events have led me to question the quality of management and oversight provided to the industry by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, accidents are all too common and while focus by local media is on the search and rescue teams and their progress or success, I have a few harder questions I would like to pose to those in the CAAG and the aviation Industry in general. 1. Given the nature of the Guiana shield terrain, are our aircraft equipped with the best possible ELT’s and other systems? 2. Are our aircraft maintenance schedules and systems subject to oversight? Are spot checks carried out? Do we have to meet just ‘minimum”
standards or do we exceed these? Are pilots pressured to accept economics as part of their safety calculations? Can pilots report employers who may be applying undue pressure to complete flights in potentially unsafe conditions? Can pilots report poor maintenance procedures/systems to the CAAG? Have any reports ever been made? 3. Are aircraft models used for ferrying cargo of fuel drums rated or designed to do so? Is shuttling fuel inherently unsafe? 4. Given the terrain and problems experienced past and present in finding downed aircraft, would investment by the CAAG in a high quality aerial photography drone with GPS matching ability be worthwhile? 5. Should all pilots be equipped with a satellite
phones? 6. Could we mandate reflective strips/glow in the dark stripes/ even mildly radioactive paint stripes on aircraft to help with location and recovery? If any of the above suggestions seem ridiculous, please excuse them as being “out of the box” but keep in mind the thinking “inside the box” has been far from impressive. I have consulted with current and former pilots in the formation of the above questions and many have supported the effort to ask them and look forward to official responses. Robin Singh
Kissoon applauded
DEAR EDITOR, It is not often that I get to applaud my friend Freddie Kissoon but he deserves kudos for recognizing my existence and acknowledging my polling work in Guyana (KN Nov 14). Freddie stated that the findings of NACTA’s polls should be published as Bisram’s polls because he claims “NACTA does not exist”. That is a serious mistake as the founder of NACTA, Vassan Ramracha, penned in a letter to Stabroek News. NACTA does exist! For years, Freddie questioned whether I actually existed even though I met him several times at the homes of politicians and at a few businesses. I am a person of integrity adhering to journalistic ethics, and as such I prefer not to divulge why Kissoon was there. A few years back, I met Prof. Winston McGowan at York College for the first time. Upon introduction, he commented: “So you do exist unlike what Freddie claims”. Subsequently, Freddie stated in columns that he wrote to the editors of SN and KN and the head of Guyana’s press body to inquire about my education and occupation. The editor of one of the dailies did query my university education and my employment and these were published. Freddie himself contacted my place of employment asking for information to write about me. Freddie also questioned whether I conducted polls
because all of them seem to be on target with actual election results. Now he seems satisfied I do exist and that I am the holder of several undergraduate, graduate and post graduate degrees as he no longer queries about those. He also says the polls should be published, but not under NACTA. Admittedly, NACTA has not been functional of late because my colleagues have moved on after establishing the organization and performing yeoman service to Guyanese and Caribbean nationals. But that does not mean that the organization does not exist. For the record, NACTA was founded during the early 1990s by Ramracha, Dr Latchman Narain, Dr Baytoram Ramharack, Trevor Jagroo, Rennie Ramracha, Radica Singh, and a number of other educators. Most of the members of NACTA were actively involved in the struggle for free and fair elections in Guyana. The idea of its launching was Dr Naraine’s and mine that resulted from a meeting of leading thinkers and educator activists in the community. The organization sent countless shipments of educational materials and supplies to Guyana and Trinidad and other societies. It donated money to organizations in Guyana and to individuals. We sponsored essay contests in Guyana. It organized symposiums and
seminars at various American colleges and religious institutions (mandirs and churches) and conducted polls in several Caribbean societies. It partook in rallies and marches in New York. NACTA continued polling activities after the discontinuance of TRPI polls. Organizations come in various sizes. For example, CGID is a “one-man” (small) organization. The WPA is a five-man party. Johnson Polling (Jamaica) is a one-man organization. Peter Wickham runs a one-man organization whose poll showed AFC would win the election of 2011, findings that were lauded by Kissoon. Kissoon had no problem with it being called Cadres instead of Wickham Poll. SARA Poll in Trinidad was founded by Prof Selwyn Ryan and it still exists as a oneman poll. Solution by Simulation was founded by Nigel Henry and it exists as one-man poll. Dick Morris Polling runs a one-man polling outfit; its findings were cheered by Kissoon as being credible for finding the AFC winning the 2006 election. Gallup Polling was founded by George Gallup who has passed on. Roper Polling was founded by the late Elmo Roper. So why can’t NACTA exist even if it is not very active and why can’t its name be used by one of its founders to so label its polls even if it is not active? Vishnu Bisram
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Wednesday January 07, 2015
UG should have given Freddie Kissoon a hearing - Lawyers’ advice to Ombudsman Almost three years after his contract was terminated, former University of Guyana (UG) lecturer Frederick ‘Freddie’ Kissoon, may be getting a hearing. Kissoon was on a contract with the University of Guyana when the university terminated the contract. At the time he had reached the age of retirement. Rather than the story that he was dismissed, the University said that it merely ended the contract earlier, eight months before the contract expired. The contract stipulated that it could be terminated and three months’ salary paid in lieu of notice. Following a complaint lodged last year with the Office of the Ombudsman, UG was notified that the newspaper columnist’s contract termination breached UG’s regulations
and that he should be compensated. Public complaints judge, Ombudsman Winston Moore, in a letter dated December 22, last, to now retired Registrar, Vincent Alexander, stated that: “This office has been advised that Mr Kissoon was wrongfully dismissed, his dismissal being in breach of Statute 25 of the University of Guyana Statutes which provides for notice and a hearing, as pre-conditions for dismissal. In the circumstances Mr Kissoon is entitled to compensation from the university.” UG now has to respond to the Ombudsman’s letter. Yesterday, Justice Moore made it clear that he did not conduct an investigation into Kissoon’s complaint. Nor did he make any findings. He said that the notification to UG was based on legal advice he received. “I sought and obtained
Ombudsman, Justice Winston Moore counsel’s opinion on the issue and I transmitted same to the Registrar of the University of Guyana.” In January 2012, Kissoon who served as a University of Guyana lecturer for 26 years, had his contract terminated with immediate effect. Kissoon, now 64, said that he was informed of the termination of his contract by the Dean of the Social Sciences Faculty, O’Neil Grace. He subsequently received a letter to this effect. The letter, signed by Acting Registrar Theodosius Velloza, informed Kissoon that he would be paid “subject to satisfactory completion of last pay certificate.” He said that he was informed that the decision was taken at a meeting of the University Council. Kissoon, who sat on the University Council as a representative of workers, was
Freddie Kissoon
Gail Teixeira
Former Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Prem Misir
not aware that a meeting was called. He claimed that those who pushed for the decision to end his contract prematurely were Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira; Parliamentarians for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Bibi Shadick and Indra Chandarpal; Pro-Chancellor and Head of the President’s Public Information Office Dr Prem Misir, and Finance Secretary Neermal Rekha. Four members of the university council, including Vice Chancellor Lawrence Carrington, were not in favour of the decision, Kissoon stated. At the time there were almost eight more months left on his contract. RETALIATION? Justice Moore had sought the legal advice of law firms de Caires, Fitzpatrick and Karran and Fraser, Housty and Yearwood. According to the advice of Miles Fitzpatrick, SC, of de Caires, Fitzpatrick and Karran, the Constitution provides that the Ombudsman can investigate
any action by designated public bodies where an allegation is made by a complainant that he or it “has sustained injustice in consequence of a fault of administration”. “The words “injustice” and “fault” seem to extend the mandate of the Ombudsman beyond the need to establish a legal right or cause of action. And Article 192(3) confirms that the reach of the Ombudsman extends beyond mere rights at law.” Fitzpatrick said that even though he believed the contract with Kissoon was finite and could be terminated on three months’ notice, the alleged failure by the UG Council to invite the lecturer to appear to respond to his early dismissal, justifies further enquiry. Fitzpatrick said it would not be unreasonable for Kissoon to take legal proceedings. Attorney-at-law Stephen Fraser of Fraser, Housty and Yearwood, said quite apart from the statutory power to dismiss, the letter of appointment issued to Kissoon provides for termination on notice or payment in lieu thereof. He was of the opinion that the Council of the University of Guyana had the power to terminate Kissoon’s contract
of employment. However, he noted that “there is no express statement in the letter of appointment that the University is entitled to dismiss Mr. Kissoon without cause”. He said that it is only after procedures for notice and hearing are complied with, that UG be entitled to dismiss Kissoon and then only upon notice or payment in lieu thereof. WRONGFULLY DISMISSED “Accordingly, we are of opinion that Mr Kissoon was wrongfully dismissed, his dismissal being in breach of Statute 25 of the University Statutes.” Fraser said that in the present case, Kissoon would be entitled to damages assessed based on total emoluments for the period, during which the hearing procedure might reasonably have been expected to be concluded, “plus at least three months’ salary and housing allowances, as provided for in the letter of appointment dated August 30, 2011.” He said that if it is that the dismissal was indeed arbitrary and in breach of the implied term of trust and confidence, a court if called upon would also want to consider making an award in respect of damages at large.
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Wednesday January 07, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 07, 2015
Gunman shoots doctor, kills himself in Texas Army medical shooting
Police officers guard an entrance to the Beaumont Army Medical Center/El Paso VA campus during the search for a gunman AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A gunman shot a doctor at an Army medical center in El Paso, Texas, and then apparently took his own life on Tuesday, the El Paso Times
reported. The paper said the information was based on a preliminary investigation provided by officials, including U.S. Representative Beto
O’Rourke’s office. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the men and women at the El Paso VA clinic,” O’Rourke said on his Facebook page. There was no information immediately available on the condition of the doctor. Officials at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in west Texas were not immediately available to comment but said they would soon hold a news conference. The shooting was at a VA clinic next to the medical center, the paper said. Video from the scene showed numerous police cars and emergency vehicles while at least one helicopter flew overhead. CBS Evening News in a tweet quoted a Pentagon official as saying the situation was now under control. El Paso police were also assisting in the incident at the medical facility that is part of Fort Bliss, local media said.
Group seeks new grand jury in Ferguson police shooting case
In this Nov. 26, 2014 file photo, members of Missouri National Guard stand outside of the Ferguson Police Department Municipal Court ST. LOUIS (AP) — The NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund, citing “grave legal concerns,” is
asking a Missouri judge to convene a new grand jury to consider charges against the Ferguson police officer who
fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown.The letter submitted Monday to St. Louis County Circuit Judge Maura McShane also asks for a special prosecutor to oversee the case and an investigation of the grand jury proceedings that ended in November with a decision not to charge Officer Darren Wilson.Lawyers and other experts who analyzed grand jury transcripts for the fund raised concerns about the decision to allow a witness to provide false testimony, erroneous legal instructions to grand jurors, and “preferential treatment of Mr. Wilson by the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office,” said Sherrilyn Ifill, the fund’s president.Wilson, who is white, fatally shot Brown, who was black and unarmed, on Aug. 9 in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson. The shooting led to sometimesviolent protests that escalated again on Nov. 24 after McCulloch announced the grand jury decision.Ed Magee, a spokesman for St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch, declined to comment Tuesday. Messages were left with Wilson’s attorney and the clerk for McShane.Nine white and three black jurors heard more than 70 hours of testimony from about 60 witnesses.
Wednesday January 07, 2015
Kaieteur News
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The elephant sits comfortably The “criminalized economy” and the “criminalized state” labels may boomerang against those who have coined them to describe the economy and State of Guyana. Those who have concocted these dubious labels may regret making them if they ever manage to grasp political power. In today’s column I will explain why the labels of a “criminalized State and a criminalized economy are dangerous, even to those who concocted these terms to describe Guyana. It is dangerous for two main reasons; the first being that such labels reflect a misanalysis of the state of the affairs of Guyana and therefore misses the elephant in the room. The second is that they invite certain dangerous policy responses that could destroy the country, once again. If Guyana is a criminalized State and this criminalized State is administered by the PPPC, then any opposition parties that take power will have no other option, if they accept the fact that the State is criminalized, than to dismantle the State. If the State is criminalized, then reform is out of the question. It is impossible to reform a criminalized State. As
such there will be only one solution left to the opposition parties that support this argument of the existence of a criminalized State. That option would be to dismantle the entire State machinery. It would be a tragedy, once again, for Guyana to dismantle the State machinery. The institutions of the State are far from perfect, but they are in far better shape today, in terms of infrastructure and capacity, than at any other time in Guyana. Billions of dollars have been sunk into improving these institutions and if they are deemed to be part of a criminalized State, then their dismantling would mean that all these investments would be swiped clean. That would be a tragedy in itself, since recreating institutions takes a very long time and is extremely costly. The dismantling of the criminalized State would have to involve dismantling institutions and recreating them. We have been down this road before. The recreating of state institutions under the cooperative socialist experiment destroyed private enterprise in Guyana. Guyana has never recovered from this experiment. The private sector in this
country was decimated under Burnham. He brought the commanding heights of the economy under State control. Burnham could have stopped there but he did not. He destroyed the private sector in this country. It must be recalled that when the External Trade Bureau (ETB) was established, the foreign exchange crisis was not acute as it later became. But this Bureau, a recreation of the functions of what a trade ministry should do, decided who got licences and who did not. In other words, the ETB had the power to decide which businesses had a lifeline and which did not. In this way, Burnham determined the fate of private businesses in Guyana. He could have stopped there also, but he did not. He was intent to remove any class threat to his rule, and so he went after sections of the landed class, seizing their estates and properties and compensating them at 1939 valuations. All of this was done in the name of re-creating the institutions of the State to serve in the process of creating the new Guyanese man and woman. And this is the danger inherent in any attempts at recreating State institutions.
Dem boys seh...
Rohee know Donald get thump During last year people call in fuh seh that dem boys use some language that dem didn’t like. Dem didn’t like when dem boys seh Fat Crook, Shaat Scamp, Donald Duck, de scampish Rat and Babbie de Frighten Man. You know de rest. In 2014, dem boys dig kicks, dem talk about all de skullduggery that was going on and dem share jokes wid you, de readers, who dem boys thought shared the same interest and sense of humour. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case and dem boys hear that dem upset a small group of people who is good friends wid de Rat and he
kavakamites. Everybody know who they are. If you are one of these people, dem boys sorry. Please accept dem sincerest apologies. Starting today and onward, dem boys plan to talk about culture or education. Dem column will only have content such as old monuments like de Sanata Complex, nature like Kwame when naked and sitting down beside de Rat, and others like de Hope Canal, other interesting topics like de Marriott, de airport, de Amaila Falls, de telecommunication situation, de airwaves, de drug contracts, Gee Pee Hell, Guysuco contracts, road contracts, all BK, See Kay and
Dee Kay contracts wha dem been ducking all de time. Dem boys seh that dem gun be nice to Rohee and Donald Duck because Rohee seh that Donald never slap nobody. Rohee seh that he de Donald come from de old school—de West Indies team that never beat nobody. He never tell dem boys how much slap Donald get. Of course, dem boys hear that from de time he small he use to get thump behind he head. So starting today, dem boys want you-all to forget wha gone, appreciate wha deh, and to look forward to what coming your way, next. Talk half and think about wha coming in 2015.
That danger goes beyond the perversion and destruction of institutions. It can destroy that which has taken a long time to build. The second danger of the label of a criminalized State is that it is a based on a false analysis that creates a blind spot, one that forces you to stare at the elephant in the room and not see it. The real problem of the economy of Guyana is not that it is either criminalized or part of a criminalized State. The real problem is that there exists an economic oligarchy that is directing the course of development in the country as a self-serving enterprise. This oligarchy comprises a clique of super-rich in this country that is at the source
of the problems of income distribution in the country. They are elephant in the room. Instead of seeing this huge elephant that is sitting comfortably in the room, those who advance the notion of a criminalized economy and a criminalized State will end up inviting policy responses that avoid zeroing in on the perfidious elements of the oligarchic class. What is needed is not a dismantling, indeed not even a reform of the State or
economy. What is needed in Guyana is the excising of this self-serving class. Unfortunately, the idea of there being a criminalized State could have the opposite effect. It could allow the elephant to continue to sit comfortably, and who knows, even to co-opt the new government just as they have done to the PPPC.
Bright be the Road you are Walking, Light be the Load you are Carrying, Sweet be the Home you are Staying,Happy be the Day you are Foreseeing - Have a Pleasant Day
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Wednesday January 07, 2015
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
A Minister called me out of the blue I went to get my shoes and my wife’s repaired at Bourda Market last Monday morning (the holiday) because we planned to wear them the next day. At the rate the Chinese manufacturers are going, their goods are going to be boycotted in this country. My wife ordered her pair of shoes through the Avon cosmetic catalogue. As they say in common parlance, “you run from the jumbie and reach up with the coffin.” We thought that though the Avon item was made in China, it would be of
a better quality. At the first wearing, the stitches came loose. I remember looking for a good umbrella and thought that since John Lewis Styles is where all the rich pretenders, the emptyheaded nouveau riche, and the dressed-up wannabes go to shop, then an umbrella at that store may be of a better quality. I paid three thousand dollars for that umbrella and it was as fragile as the ones you buy for five hundred dollars all over the pavements in downtown Georgetown. I
collected my shoes which were done right away, went to the greens and fruits section of the market, and on the way home stopped at the supermarket to buy Hershey’s chocolate kisses that my wife requested for her relatives whom she invited for lunch that Monday. I drove in the yard and as I was about to get out of the car, my phone rang. It was a top Minister of the Government. I am not going to name him (it is a him not a her – in July 2013, I had a telephone conversation with
a her - Satyra Gyaal. She denied that the attacks on my life were conspiracies of her government and party). If my editor-in-chief and the publisher request the name, obviously in the media business, you have to reveal the identity to them. Incidentally, during the Watergate scandal, the publisher of the Washington Post, Katharine Graham, said she never asked for the identity of ‘Deep Throat’. But the editor, Ben Bradley, did request Deep Throat’s name from Carl Bernstein and Bob
Woodward. It turned out to be an interesting conversation. After wishing me a happy New Year, we talked. I did tell him that he can be assured that my phone has no facilities for taping. In Georgetown lingo, the kind of cell phone I have is jokingly referred to as a “mango-pelter.” But I like it, because it serves my purpose of making calls, receiving calls and telling me the time. Those are the only functions that interest me in the use of a cell phone. I will print two of the points I raised with him. I told him in no uncertain terms, I regard the PPP as a worse, much worse regime than the Burnham government. The Rodney death and other nasty acts damaged the credibility of the Burnham government, but when juxtaposed with the Jagdeo cabal (and perhaps Ramotar’s interval of three years) the PPP regime is far more sickening. The other point was a mystery I needed him to explain. I made it pellucid that the PPP’s image and credibility could have been far better if it had adopted a commonsensical approach to bad individual behaviour in government. I asked him why this is such a mystery. He had no answer. This aspect of our conversation took up the rest of the time and I offered him several examples where the PPP is simply beyond belief. I mentioned the total lack of disciplinary measures against
Frederick Kissoon PPP big wigs and Ministers who do really awful things. I told him I can’t imagine why an Attorney-General was not reprimanded for telling the nation that as a Minister he likes to do illegal things. He was laughing his head off at that example, because he knew it was weird and bizarre. I really belaboured that point to him, because this entire country cannot understand why the leadership of the Government of Guyana and the PPP would practice such a policy. All over the world, Ministers get a good dressing down for unbecoming behaviour. I don’t know why he called. I don’t know if he taped our conversation. I hope he did so, and he could take it back and play it to his colleagues. The question of elections did not come up, but I am saying it here in my column – my take is that the PPP will lose the plurality it got at the 2011 elections. It will be hurt by corruption scandals, but equally it will be devastated by the horrible conduct of its princes and princesses. Can’t wait to see Charles Ramson and Kwame McCoy on the campaign trail.
Old Year’s Night murder suspect remanded A 23–year–old miner who allegedly killed another man at Aracru Village, North West District, (NWD) on Old Year’s Night has been remanded to prison. Yesterday, Tyrell James stood before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court charged with murder. He was not required to enter a plea to the indictable offence. According to the allegation, on December 31, 2014, at Aracru Village, NWD, James murdered 52-year-old Augustine Samuels called ‘Jack.’ The accused was unrepresented before the court. Prosecutor Michael Grant did not present the details of the case but reports indicated that a drinking brawl led to the murder. Yesterday’s hearing was brief, and the accused was remanded to prison until February 16, when the matter will continue at the Mabaruma Magistrates’ Court.
Wednesday January 07, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Rohee suggests AFC “set-up” President Ramotar The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is suggesting that the Alliance For Change (AFC) planted persons to sit in at the meeting held late last year in Aishalton to provoke President Donald Ramotar. This is what PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee, indicated yesterday as he hosted the Party’s weekly press conference at Freedom House. Rohee was at the time mounting a defence for the President’s response to a man who heckled him. A week ago, a recording surfaced of the meeting at which the President had delivered a speech in Aishalton. During the recording, Ramotar was heard saying that former President Bharrat Jagdeo would not have allowed certain statements to pass without retaliation. This came out as the man questioned the former President’s record in office
while Ramotar was busy attacking the political opposition. The President was heard saying “They don’t have a record to be proud of; they don’t have a history that they can be proud of. That is why they don’t like history and they don’t like to hear about the past.” The man retorted, “Yea, yea, like Jagdeo.” “You don’t know anything about Jagdeo; if he bin hay he mighta slap yuh, coz yuh stupid,” the President is heard saying on an audio recording released to the media by a villager. Yesterday Rohee told the media that the entire incident may have very well been a set-up by AFC. “The PPP would not be surprised if the Aishalton incident turns out to be a setup by a certain parliamentary political party,” said Rohee. He qualified which political party he was
President Donald Ramotar
PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee
AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan
speaking of when he said “a member of this particular party made an outrageous claim to the effect that the PPP wanted to buy-off certain Parliamentarians.” Rohee said as well that his party was not surprised that the political opposition and “the opposition media have played up and overplayed the
anti-Ramotar and anti-PPP sentiments.” He said definitively that there was an obvious objective to jeopardize the PPP’s relationship with Amerindian people. Rohee said that his Party “views concerns over the statement purported to have been made by the President at Aishalton as an attempt to sow discord, division and mischief among our Amerindian brothers and sisters.” The General Secretary went on to state the “good” things that the PPP has done for Amerindians. “Under the
PPP/C government Amerindian development has advanced by leaps and bounds. In all areas of Amerindian life, Guyanese can bear witness to the actions and results of the PPP/C developmental programmes for our Amerindian brothers and sisters. In education, health, village development, Amerindian inclusion in policy development and implementation on the records, the PPP/C administrations are exemplary.” Rohee said that the
GWI seeking consultancy services Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) was the lone entity that received bids yesterday for services in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Consultancy. The bids were opened yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Main and Urquhart Streets. For the provision of training manuals and training in ICT three tenders were opened.
GWI also received tenders for the supervision and mentoring consultancy required for project execution phase for the water and supply and sanitation infrastructure improvement programme.
a f o r e m e n t i o n e d developments are in stark contrast to “the lives they lived under the PNC (People’s National Congress) when Amerindians were scorned upon and made mere pawns in the politics of the PNC.” But when asked if the fact that the PPP developed some Amerindian communities should mean that the President can speak to Amerindians in a derogatory manner, Rohee failed to give a clear answer. He said “look, the Opposition obviously pounced upon this thing because they see it as something they can use politically, so they are seeking to milk it as much as they can in order to embarrass the government and the President...We are not upset about what they said, but we have a right to say our part.” Rohee said too that “the PPP has a proud record of working to ensure that our Amerindian brothers and sisters benefit from accelerated development and this has developed to the point where today, the PPP stands out as the Party with the largest and fastest growing Amerindian support”.
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Wednesday January 07, 2015
Rohee dodges questions on Govt’s disregard of calls for AG’s removal General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee yesterday dodged questions about government’s decision to ignore numerous calls to sanction Attorney General Anil Nandlall for threats made in relation to staffers of the Kaieteur News and the establishment itself. Late last year, Kaieteur News made public a recording of a conversation Nandlall had with a Senior Kaieteur News reporter. Nandlall was heard saying that there are plans afoot to harm “innocent people” working at Kaieteur News in reaction to many of the stories the paper had been publishing. He was also heard admitting that he used taxpayers’ money for
personal reasons. The Attorney General, in the recording referred to a female Kaieteur News reporter as a “li’l thing” and advocated for one of his relatives to have an opportunity to have sexual favours from the reporter. The general content of the recording sparked widespread displeasure and many bodies have since called for Nandlall to resign or otherwise be removed from his post. Many of his colleagues in the Guyana Bar Association called for him to resign and so did the two main opposition parties – A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change. Even the governmental Women and Gender Equality Commission (WGEC) endorsed such calls, but they all fell on deaf ears. Yesterday, as he hosted
the PPP’s weekly press conference where he lauded developments that came under the PPP/C administration, Rohee was asked to comment on government’s refusal to remove Nandlall. The General Secretary was also asked how the PPP views the fact that the government, in an effort to protect Nandlall, even ignored the call of the WGEC, which is a governmental organization. But Rohee refused to give a straight answer. He said that the PPP had already made known its position on the Nandlall recording. He added that questions on how the PPP views the government’s stance on the issue should be directed to Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, as “it is all really up to the government.”
Attorney General Anil Nandlall
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee
The WGEC has publicly stated that it is “shocked and dismayed by the utterances made recently by the person who currently holds the position of Attorney General of Guyana. His utterances clearly demonstrated a
marked lack of respect for women.” The Commission said that the recording brought two issues to the fore, one being the conduct of public officials and the other being the culture of men as it relates to
women in Guyana. The Commission which is headed by Indra Chandarpal said that in this case, the conduct of the public official is particularly worrisome. This, the commission said, is mainly because he has particular responsibility for upholding the Constitution of Guyana. The Commission pointed out that the constitution protects the rights of women and stipulates obligations under the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) as well as the mandates of this Commission which falls under Article 86. “We therefore endorse the call for all necessary sanctions to be taken,” said the Commission. Two of his female colleagues in government and the National Assembly have condemned Nandlall’s actions. They are Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, and Member of Parliament Dr. Vindhya Persaud.
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Aishalton teacher claims “intense scrutiny” after assault allegations By Nicholas Peters John Adams, the Aishalton teacher who was allegedly slapped by a member of the Presidential Guard, is now claiming that he is under intense scrutiny and could be facing a probable transfer to another teaching district. Several weeks ago, Adams was at a People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) public meeting in the Region 9 village, where President Donald Ramotar delivered the
feature remarks in an open forum. During the rally, Adams was said to be openly questioning the policies of the President and his administration. As the speech continued, Adams related that the Head of State was not addressing matters that directly affected Aishalton village. Rather, he said that the President focused more on lambasting the parliamentary opposition and independent news
Annandale man on armed robbery charges Twenty-three year-old, Andrew Ridley of Annadale, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry yesterday, charged with five counts of armed robbery. The charges state that between December 12 and December 27, 2014 in the vicinity of Georgetown, Ridley robbed five persons. The alleged victims were identified as Tessa Waterman, Curtis John, Kevin Craig, Collin Nelson and Sherwin Gilgeous. Ridley, who did not have a lawyer, pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. The matter was brief given that Prosecutor Michael Grant did not present the facts of the case to the court. Grant however, asked that the defendant be remanded based on the seriousness of the offence and the penalty it attracts. He also pointed out that the defendant used a firearm to commit all the crimes. The Prosecutor told the court too, that there is a likelihood that Ridley may not return for trial if he is granted bail. As such, the defendant was refused bail. He is scheduled to return to court on January 16.
outlets, Stabroek News and Kaieteur News. After admitting to criticising the President’s speech, Adams says that he was singled out by rally organisers and later confronted by two members of the Presidential Guard. Adams claims the men questioned him on whether he did in fact criticise the President’s remarks, which resulted in one of the guards slapping him. At the same meeting, a recording was later released whereby the President is heard addressing another villager who spoke out during his speech. In the recording President Ramotar could be heard saying that the opposition “doesn’t have a history that they can be proud of”. A villager is then heard saying “Yea, yea like Jagdeo.” To this the President retorted, “You don’t know anything about Jagdeo; if he bin hay he mighta slap yuh, coz yuh stupid,” Adams has since brought the issue to the public’s attention and consequently feels that he is being singled out by members of the Aishalton community for his actions. A new school term has
Aishalton teacher, John Adams
commenced and Adams related that during a village meeting, several members were looking to have him transferred to another teaching district. Speaking to this publication, he claimed that those who were primarily supporting the motion to transfer him were avid supporters of the ruling PPP. He cites that the villagers’ reason for having him transferred was due to his participation in certain protest demonstrations. Adams does not deny his participation in said demonstrations, however he
clarified that they were done during his downtime and not in the capacity of a public educator. “The only time I protested was in August on World Indigenous Day in front of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs,” said Adams, who explained that this was when school was closed, and on his personal time. Meanwhile, when contacted, Toshao of Aishalton, Bernard Conrad told Kaieteur that the village does not have the power to transfer Adams to another teaching district. That decision is left up to the
Teachers Service Commission (TSC). The village leader said that members of the community did raise concerns about Adams remaining in the village, relating that the teacher has “turned Aishalton into a bad image”. According to Conrad, a number of other reasons were given for the transfer of the educator, stating that he has a “history of bad behaviour”, which Adams has adamantly denied. When asked whether Adams deserved to be slapped for expressing his displeasure with government at a public meeting, Conrad said that the police should have been called in to address the teacher’s “disrespectful” behaviour at the rally. He further stated that he would not condone the Guard’s slapping of Adams, or anyone. In speaking to a representative from the TSC on whether Adams is indeed being considered to be transferred, Kaieteur News was made to understand that no official report has reached the committee against the teacher. As such the TSC is unable to comment.
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Kaieteur News
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Wednesday January 07, 2015
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Wednesday January 07, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
2015 must be the year of good governance - if only for the nation’s children DEAR EDITOR, Please permit me to extend greetings for a peaceful and productive New Year to the entire Guyanese society, and more particularly, the leadership, members and supporters of the Peoples’ National Congress Reform. Last year, 2014, was a most eventful year for the nation. We witnessed and endured the unthinkable corollaries of an out of control and disrespectful regime. We have witnessed the AG’s assault on press freedom, the Education Minister’s continued belittling of the nation’s public education system, the Bin Shai Lin fiasco, the multimillion dollar E-Governance debacle, the unauthorized spending of state resources by the Finance Minister, the unprecedented carnage on the roads, an unthinkable level of crime, unabated murders and suicide, the relentless domestic and other assault on our children, the bourgeoning cocaine enterprise and the spiraling of the underground economy, the ill-intended prorogation of the Guyana Parliament, and the list goes on. Guyanese have certainly endured more than their fair share of bad governance. However, we are reminded of the old saying “every rope has an end.” So, 2015 provides us with that unique opportunity to turn things around, at the upcoming elections. The president informed the nation that, in 2015, Guyanese will go to the polls to elect a government, but interestingly, he has decided
to withhold the date on which those elections will take place. This kind of PPP mind game I find to be yet another act of disrespect for the people by the regime. Keeping the election date a secret also indicates an obvious fear by the regime, to face the electorate. Undoubtedly, this fear is born out of the colossal failure of the policies of an out of control government. The failed policies of the administration are reflected throughout the nation and are common to almost every community. These dangerous realities and symptoms of bad governance permeate almost every sector in society. I am, therefore, confident that Guyanese will take this opportunity, provided in 2015, to ensure that they secure good governance for themselves and the children of Guyana. Guyanese, both at home and abroad, are anxiously awaiting the change that is expected, the change that must and will come to the people of Guyana. I encourage every eligible voter to be resolute in his/her demand for good governance, for a government that respects and demonstrates concern for the ordinary Guyanese, for a government that promotes meritocracy and denounces nepotism. I urge the citizenry to make voting in 2015 a top priority, if not one of their resolutions. It is time that we remain focused and determined to take action to ensure that the future of our children is secure and bright. When we go to the polls let us walk with pictures of our
children, a child we know or just the name of a child and pledge to vote to protect the future of those young lives. Our vote must provide hope for the nation’s children, our vote must provide protection for our children. Our votes must demonstrate love for our children, for too many of them have been allowed to fall by the wayside. Too many of them are allowed to be absent from school, only to be kidnapped and enticed by the vices of criminal enterprise. Let me be the first to state that a vote against the PPP/C
will certainly be a vote in the right direction. Let me be the first to also state publicly that a vote for David Granger and the APNU will be a vote for Guyana’s children and a promising future for the nation. I wish to commend the Leader of the Opposition for pledging to make the public education system in Guyana better for all Guyana’s children. His continued emphasis on the need to promote and enhance the welfare of our children is praiseworthy. His steady, sensible, tactful and wise leadership, in a time of
much crisis should demonstrate to all that he is not only ready to lead the nation, but that he is prepared to confront and deal with the many challenges which are before us. Like I have said before, leadership is humble not arrogant, leadership is wise not foolish, leadership is purpose-driven not egoladen, leadership is bold and courageous not cowardly, leadership demonstrates care, compassion and respect for others, leadership is confident. Leadership is about patience, character and
integrity. These traits of true leadership characterize and personify Mr. Granger. I, therefore, unhesitatingly endorse the current leader of APNU and two-time elected leader of the PNCR, as the next presidential candidate of APNU and next president of the cooperative Republic of Guyana. At this juncture of the nation’s history the nation needs sensible and steady leadership. Incontestably, David Granger is capable of providing that leadership to the Guyanese people. Lurlene Nestor
Cane farmers are suffering DEAR EDITOR, So the government has bailed out the rice farmers again. It found 2.1 billion dollars to do this great move to help rice farmers. The Minister of Agriculture was all smiles in the newspapers and told the Guyanese people that this had to be done because rice was very important to the economy and there was a drop in the price of rice and the farmers had to be paid so that they can go back into the fields etc. etc. This makes good economic and commonsense. But what about the cane farmers minister? Don’t you think that they deserve a bailout too? Do you even know what is happening to the Skeldon cane farmers? Did you not see in the newspapers that the CEO of Guysuco has said that the price of sugar has dropped
from $111,000 per ton to about $70,000. Do the maths? Don’t you think that this alone means that the farmers need a bailout? Do you care that the banks are seizing the cane lands and any property they can put their hands on? Can you explain to the cane farmers why you, the CEO and Chairman of Guysuco have all refused to meet with the Skeldon cane farmers to hear their problems? How come the rice farmers are getting all the help and the cane farmers who are suffering more, are not getting anything? This is not fair. In a year or two the farmers would be wiped out because of the Skeldon factory. The farmers cannot stand more blows from the Skeldon Factory although they are managing their farms better than Guysuco. But now they cannot pay their loans
much less do crop husbandry. Minister, do you have any idea about how many families depend on these farmers for their daily bread? Think about the thousands of votes that you would lose in Berbice. Minister, you are the one responsible. Why is the EU money given to assist the farmers being squandered by the government? Can someone in government explain why not one cent was given to the cane farmers? Instead of assisting the farmers, the worst manager ever was sent to Skeldon. This manager is in the news every week for all the wrong reasons. Minister, can you explain why someone like that is running one of the largest estates in the country. The farmers are complaining bitterly that they are being robbed by Skeldon estate but the authorities just
don’t care. Guysuco is strangling the Skeldon cane farmers with high charges and bad work. But no one cares that without the farmers Skeldon Estate will have to close down. Mr. Vieira wrote a nice letter asking for the production figures and questioning Guysuco. Well Mr. Vieira, you will never get any honest answers. I can tell you, all kinds of magic are happening at Skeldon. If you want answers come and meet with the Skeldon Cane farmers. The ones who are not afraid of victimization by the government and Guysuco will meet you. It’s time the National Cane Farming Committee wake up and take a stand and represent the farmers for a change. The Skeldon cane farmers have been abused for too long. Beshan Persaud
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Wednesday January 07, 2015
Watchdog offers more proof Syria government used chemical arms: U.S. (Reuters) - The latest report on Syria by the global chemical weapons watchdog offers further evidence that the Syrian government repeatedly attacked its own citizens with poison gas, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said on Tuesday. The 117-page report by a fact-finding mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) includes eyewitness accounts of helicopters dropping barrel bombs with toxic chemicals. The findings are consistent with two previous reports by the mission but offer much more detail. After a closed-door meeting of the U.N. Security Council on progress in destroying Syria’s chemical weapons program, Power said the new report added credence to allegations that the Syrian government used chlorine gas as a weapon in its four-year-old civil war after pledging to give up its toxic arsenal. “UNSC met on Syria CW
today and reviewed more compelling eyewitness evidence of chlorine gas use by Syrian regime,” Power said on her Twitter feed. “32 witnesses saw or heard sound of helicopters as bombs struck; 29 smelled chlorine,” she added. “Only Syrian regime uses helos (helicopters).” The third OPCW report does not say who used chemical weapons. Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari declined to comment. The report contains photographs of what eyewitnesses told investigators were barrel bombs containing chlorine that were dropped from helicopters. It also includes a screen-grab from a video provided by one of the witnesses to some of the attacks that shows a yellow cloud some 50 meters (yards) high after the impact of a barrel with toxic chemicals. The multiple incidents of alleged chlorine attacks were in the villages of Talmanes, Al Tamanah and Kafr Zita. Most took place in April and May
2014. There were two alleged attacks in Talmanes, five in Al Tamanah, and 14 in Kafr Zita, where the most recent was Aug. 30. The effort to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons program was launched after a sarin gas attack on Aug. 21, 2013 that killed hundreds of civilians in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. President Bashar alAssad’s government and rebel forces blamed each other for the Ghouta strike and other chemical weapons attacks, though Western government’s blame Assad. Damascus joined the OPCW, without admitting responsibility for Ghouta, after the United States threatened military intervention. After briefing the 15nation Security Council, U.N. disarmament chief Angela Kane told reporters the OPCW mission was still trying to clarify gaps in Syrian chemical weapons declaration and hoped to destroy all remaining production facilities by June.
North Korea boosted ‘cyber forces’ to 6,000 troops, South says (Reuters) - North Korean military’s “cyber army” has boosted its numbers to 6,000 troops, the South Korean Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, double Seoul’s estimate for the force in 2013, and is working to cause “physical and psychological paralysis” in the South. The new figure, disclosed in a ministry white paper, comes after the United States, South Korea’s key ally, imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. Pyongyang has denied involvement in the attack. For years, North Korea has been pouring resources into a sophisticated cyber-
warfare cell called Bureau 121, run by the military’s spy agency and staffed by some of the most talented computer experts in the country. Its long-term target may be telecoms and energy grids in rival nations, defectors from the isolated state said. “North Korea is currently running its 6,000 (-member) workforce for cyber warfare and performing cyber attacks for physical and psychological paralysis inside South Korea such as causing troubles for military operations and national infrastructures,” the South Korean Defence Ministry said. North Korea has denied involvement in the recent hack into Sony Pictures,
which distributed a comedy film featuring an assassination plot against its leader Kim Jong Un and slammed the fresh U.S. sanctions, calling them hostile and repressive policies by Washington. The reclusive country is also suspected to have carried out a series of other cyber attacks against South Korea, which it is technically at war with. In 2013, South Korea blamed the North for crippling cyber-attacks that froze the computer systems of its banks and broadcasters for days. The two Koreas have remained technically at war for more than six decades as the Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
Wednesday January 07, 2015
Kaieteur News
Stocks fall, bonds rise on oil, euro zone worries
A man (R) looks at an electronic board displaying Japan’s Nikkei average (top C) and various countries’ stock price index outside a brokerage (Reuters) - Stock prices fell on global markets on Tuesday, stuck in a dismal start to 2015 as tumbling oil prices and Greece’s possible exit from the euro zone struck a note of fear and drove investors to safe-haven assets, including gold, the yen and lowrisk government bonds. A decline in Brent crude futures to a near 5-1/2-year low of $51 a barrel extended the oil market rout that began in mid-2014. The latest fall intensified concerns about how the dramatic price drop, due to sluggish global growth and a supply glut, will hurt earnings of oil companies and exacerbate disinflationary pressure worldwide. With little sign where the oil price drop will stop, some
analysts cautioned whether such a move might ripple across the vast derivatives market. “You have a cross current here where it looks like a commodity bubble has totally burst,” said Paul Mendelsohn, chief investment strategist at Windham Financial Services in Charlotte, Vermont. “And now I think people are beginning to wonder, out of the $200 trillion worth of derivatives out there, how much of it is commodity related, and who owns it?” The Greek anti-bailout party Syriza held a slim lead in polls before the Jan. 25 national election, which rekindled speculation whether the euro zone
might let Greece leave the economic bloc rather than renegotiate its international bailout. Data on Tuesday showed euro zone manufacturers registered almost no growth in the fourth quarter, putting pressure on the European Central Bank to take bold steps to keep the region from slipping into recession. Disappointing data on the U.S. services sector and factory orders also took a toll on markets on Tuesday. The three major U.S. stock indexes fell for a fifth straight session, though they finished well above their session lows. For the Standard & Poor’s 500, it was the longest such losing streak since late 2013.
More objects found in AirAsia wreck hunt, but no sign of black box Reuters) - Search teams scouring the ocean for the wreckage of an AirAsia jet found two new metal objects on Tuesday, but nine days after the plane crashed officials say there is still no sign of the crucial black box flight recorders. Bad weather continued to hamper the search, and while conditions eased slightly on Tuesday, high waves and strong currents prevented divers from going deep into the waters to look for the plane’s wreckage on the bottom of the Java Sea. Indonesian officials believe they may have located the tail and parts of the fuselage of the Airbus A320-200 30 meters below the surface, but have been unable to properly investigate the debris so far. Flight QZ8501 plunged into the water off Borneo island on Dec. 28, about 40 minutes into a two-hour flight from Indonesia’s second-biggest city of Surabaya to Singapore.
There were no survivors among the 162 people on board. Jakarta has launched a crackdown on its fast-growing aviation sector since the crash, reassigning some officials and tightening rules on pre-flight procedures in a country with a patchy reputation for air safety. “Divers were ready on the ship but the challenges were currents and waves,” the head of Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, Fransiskus Bambang Soelistyo, told a news conference in Jakarta on Tuesday evening. He said a U.S. navy ship located two more metal objects using sonar signals, though it is not known yet if they are part of the missing plane. Those would add to the five large objects, believed to have been part of the plane, detected so far. Two more bodies were also recovered from the sea, bringing the total found so far to 39. Search and rescue agency official
Supriyadi, who is coordinating the operation from the southern Borneo town of Pangkalan Bun, said there had been no “pings” detected from the black box’s emergency locator beacon, possibly because it was buried in the seabed or the muddy water was impeding its signal. “They haven’t found anything, maybe because the water is turbid and there is zero visibility,” he said. “There’s a possibility it is buried in mud.” The captain of an Indonesian navy patrol vessel said on Monday his ship had found what was believed to be the tail, a key find since that section of the aircraft houses the cockpit voice and flight data recorders. But Soelistyo said that could not yet be confirmed. Less than a third of the bodies of the mostly Indonesian passengers and crew have been recovered so far. Many more could still be trapped in the fuselage of the aircraft.
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Wednesday January 07, 2015
Transparency Watchdog Group: Govt. must account for $55M Xmas gift to churches Trinidad Express - The Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) yesterday called on Government to explain the process by which $55 million was given as a gift to Christian Churches during the Christmas of 2014. The TTI said the Government should disclose the list of beneficiaries, and amounts received. The following is the statement of the TTTI Having noted from reports in the media that Cabinet has approved the allocation of $55M as a gift to Christian churches in Trinidad and Tobago in celebration of Christmas 2014, in an effort to ensure transparency and integrity in the country’s financial affairs Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (Transparency) has re-
quested Government to clarify the following issues
and make the responses public without delay: • What are the criteria for determining how each church is selected and on what basis is the quantum being allocated for each church? • Is there a system for recording the amounts that have been disbursed and the beneficiaries of these sums? • Is there a documented, public process whereby the churches can access the funds? • Are there restrictions with regard to the use of the funds? Transparency has recommended that the answers to these questions be placed in the public domain and also that a full list of the beneficiaries and the amounts received by them be published.
country,” the MAJ said in a statement in reference to two articles published by the Jamaica Observer on the 4th and 5th of January 2015 regarding the continued depressed state of public hospitals in Jamaica. “The Medical Association of Jamaica has again noted and remains extremely concerned with these reports on the state of the country’s public hospitals. “These stories have once again highlighted the sad and unacceptable circumstances under which patients and their relatives must access their care. This is compounded by the frustrating and demoralising conditions in which Health Professionals often provide this essential service,” the statement read. The MAJ described the state of the health sector as a “national emergency” and said that the chronic underfunding and delayed reform of the public health sector in Jamaica is negatively affecting the outcomes of patients.
The doctors added that the personal and financial costs to patients and their families for delays, complications, pain and suffering will soon be incalculable. “We hope that some significant improvements in the budgetary allocation to the sector will be made for the upcoming financial year (2015/16). Jamaica’s budget for public health service must be based on the health realities facing the country at this time.” The association said that hospitals and health centres cannot function effectively or efficiently without the concomitant investment in the sector. “We believe that the country’s stakeholders must act together and quickly to safeguard the health of our citizens. A collective and collaborative approach in addressing this challenge is the first step of many in achieving health sector reform and the sustainable financing of public health services in Jamaica.” (Jamaica Observer)
Deryck Murray Chairman of the Trinidad & Tobago Transparency Institute
Jamaica’s health sector a national emergency, doctors say
Dr Shane Alexis KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) says it is urging the ministries of Health and Finance to jointly consult with public and private stakeholders on how to effectively and sustainably address issues affecting the nation’s health sector. “The provision of good health care should be viewed by the Government as an investment in our citizens towards increased productivity and not simply a cost to the
Wednesday January 07, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 27
CONCACAF Women’s Football: 2014 in Review
From page 29 Costa Rica hosts FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica became the first Central American country to host a World Cup of any kind, when it staged the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup from March 15-April 4. The tournament’s 32 matches attracted a total of 284,320 spectators, a new attendance record for the competition. Japan posted a 2-0 victory over Spain in the final at the Estadio Nacional in San Jose. Two of CONCACAF’s three representatives — Canada and Mexico — advanced to the quarterfinals. Costa Rica did not make it past the group stage, but it performed with distinction in Group A — two of its three losses were by only a single goal. A crowd in excess of 30,000 attended the tournament opener between the Costa Ricans and Venezuela, which was also played at the Estadio Nacional. Canada hosts FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup
After hosting the inaugural FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2002 (when it was a U-19 competition), Canada welcomed the world’s best under-20 sides to its shores once again in 2014. A crowd of 15,822 at the Stade Olympique saw Germany defeat Nigeria 1-0 after extra time in the final. The Germans were also part of a pairing that attracted the tournament’s largest attended match, when they defeated Canada in the quarterfinals, 2-0, before 22,421 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. Two of CONCACAF’s four representatives – Canada and the USA – advanced as far as the quarterfinals, while Costa Rica and Mexico did not make it past the group stage. There were no red cards shown over the entirety of Canada 2014, making it the first-ever FIFA women’s tournament — senior, U-20 or U-17 — to end without a single dismissal. Inaugural CONCACAF
Girls’ Under-15 Championship held in the Cayman Islands In CONCACAF’s continuing efforts to develop women’s football in the region, the first-ever Girls’ Under-15 Championship was held in the Cayman Islands, August 6-17. Canada emerged as champion from the 16-team field, prevailing 4-1 on penalty kicks over Haiti after their final ended in a 1-1 draw. Sarah Stratigakis of Canada won the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player. Mexico’s Veronica Charlyn Corral makes a statement Veronica Charlyn Corral’s credentials as an influential footballer in CONCACAF were already well established. The 23-year-old Mexico international had appeared in three FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cups (2006, 2008, 2010) and one FIFA Women’s World Cup (2011). She is also the all-time leading CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship
Wednesday January 07, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Try to stay disciplined and focused today, Aries. This may be easier said than done, but it's crucial for preserving your sanity.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your freedom-loving nature may seem a bit dampened today, Libra, but don't let it get you down. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) These rewards won't come without hard work and discipline, however, and this seems to be a focus of the day.
Today is a great day to get rid of the stuff that's cluttering up your life, Scorpio. Get to the heart of the issue and stop beating around the bush.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20)
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Don't sweat the small stuff. You may feel like something is restricting your otherwise light, witty nature, but don't worry about it.
Don't mess with superiors or people in authority today, Gemini, or you might end up in some serious hot water. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Make sure you're building with bricks and not straw, and that the mortar you use is strong. Try not to get discouraged by negative emotions.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) There are opportunities open to you now whether you realize it or not. It may be hard to be aware of them today, given the astrological weather.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) There's a sober feeling to the day that may leave you feeling a bit down, Leo. There may not be any specific instance or situation that causes you to feel this way, so don't sweat it.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Your emotions may feel restricted today, Aquarius. You may feel bad about something you did in the past. Somehow your heart isn't able to let it go.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) People may be extra stubborn today, so try to avoid any confrontations that could lead to full-scale war. Your emotions may feel restricted and restrained.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You're going through a period of major evaluation and assessment of certain life projects. Today's energies bring much of that tension into focus.
scorer with 14 goals. At the age of 14, she became the youngest player to ever score a goal in a World Cup match, when she connected twice against Switzerland in the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The past year, though, saw Corral take her game to the next level. At the CONCACAF Women’s Championship, she netted four goals, including the last two in a 4-2 extra-time win over Trinidad & Tobago in the match for third place. That result sealed the Tricolor a place in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Corral, who plays for Finland’s Merilappi United, followed up those outstanding performances with even more at the Central American & Caribbean Games. In leading Mexico to the gold medal, she scored a tournamentbest five goals, including the first in a 2-0 win over Colombia in the championship match. Trinidad & Tobago’s emergence on the international stage For Trinidad & Tobago, 2014 may be remembered as the year it entered the ranks as a genuine contender in CONCACAF. On August 26, the Soca Princesses made history at home, defeating Jamaica 1-0 in the final of the inaugural Caribbean Football Union Women’s Caribbean Cup at Hasely Crawford Stadium. Mariah Shade, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, struck for the lone goal. At the CONCACAF Women’s Championship, the Trinidadians advanced to the match for third place, before falling to Mexico, 4-2 after extra time. Despite that setback, they were handed the lifeline of an intercontinental playoff against Ecuador for the final berth in the 2015 FIFAWomen’s World Cup. After a 0-0 draw in the opener of that series, the South Americans prevailed 1-0 in the second leg, in front of a Hasely Crawford Stadium crowd of 23,000. CanadahostsFIFAWomen’s World Cup Canada 2015 Official Draw Canada welcomed the world at the Official Draw for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ on December 6 at the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa. After a record 129 nations entered the competition, which featured 398 qualification matches, each of the 24 finalists discovered their opponents for the final competition’s group phase. CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship: Costa Rica v Trinidad & Tobago The Cayman Islands’ Truman Bodden Sports Complex was the location for arguably the most thrilling game played in the Confederation during 2014 as Costa Rica booked a ticket to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on January 19 with a 7-3 win over
Trinidad & Tobago in the CONCACAF Women’s Under20 Championship’s match for third place. Trinidad was less than 20 minutes away from becoming the first Caribbean side to qualify for a FIFA Women’s World Cup at any level, when the Central Americans launched a rally to recover from a two-goal deficit, scoring six unanswered goals. Nicole Araya broke a 3-3 deadlock in the 94th minute and fired a brilliant volley into the back of the net two minutes later. 28,255 fans watch Canada v U.S. in Winnipeg On May 8, Winnipeg provided the perfect backdrop to unveil the Official Slogan for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™: To a greater goal™. In what turned out to be the second-largest crowd for a women’s international friendly in 2014 (28,255), the two CONCACAF rivals played to a 1-1 draw at the new TD Place, one of the six venues selected to host Canada 2015 matches. Other highlights… - As a 14/15-year-old, Costa Rica’s Gloriana Villalobos played in the following competitions: 2014 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, 2014 FIFA U-17 World Cup, 2014 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship and the 2014 Central American & Caribbean Games. - In January, the United States captured a third straight
CONCACAF Women’s Under20 Championship title. - Costa Rica qualified for its first FIFA Women’s World Cup, overcoming Trinidad & Tobago 3-0 on penalty kicks after their meeting in the match for third place at the CONCACAF Women’s Championship ended in a scoreless draw. - The USA’s Abby Wambach was named the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Player of the Year. - Jamaica’s Shakira Duncan had a remarkable year, scoring 14 goals in the CFU Women’s Caribbean Cup and adding two more in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship. - The USA’s Christie Rampone earned her 300th cap on October 24, 2014, in a CONCACAF Women’s Championship semifinal against Mexico in Chester, Pennsylvania. The 39-year-old became the second U.S. player to reach the mark, joining Kristine Lilly (352 games, 1987-2010). - Christine Sinclair was named Canada’s Female Player of the Year for a remarkable 11th straight time and 12th overall. She played in every minute of Canada’s 11 matches in 2014 and, at the club level, scored seven goals in her second year with the Portland Thorns FC of the National Women’s Soccer League. (CONCACAF)
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 07, 2015
FIFA presidency: David My New Year’s wish for Bernstein backs Prince Ali bid <<<< Letter to the Sports Editor >>>>
Basketball in Guyana
DEAR EDITOR, My 2015 wish for Guyana Basketball is for the stakeholders and shareholders to come together for the sole purpose of growing and developing this beautiful sport. My Challenge to the Basketball Federation is to reengage the heads of all basketball entities responsible for administrating, coaching & promoting this lovely sport with a goal of collectively agreeing on a common way forward. My Challenge to the sub-associations is to establish a framework that will ensure that rules, standards, transparency and integration are present in the administration of this lovely sport. My Challenge to the Guyana Basketball Official Council is to get more young people involved particularly school students who are interested in being a part of this lovely sport. Provide stipend for them to cover travel expenses and refreshments for games attended. We need a bigger pool of officials (i.e. RefereesTable Officials). An urgent need for statisticians to be available with software application equipped to provide full statistical
coverage of games at half time and at the end. We need to move away from the idea that fouls and points are the only stats needed for a game. In addition to the above a game tape should be available by the official before the team’s next game. This cost should be transferred to the club requesting a copy. It should also be noted that the game of basketball should not be perceived as an art but more of a science. My Challenge to independent promoters of this lovely sport is to give back to the sport in the form of partnership/donations to various needs within the basketball fraternity. My Challenge to the sport reporters is to promote pre and post game interviews with coaches and players. This method will see more comprehensive reporting as well more confident players and coaches. My Challenge to the Coaching Association is to go into the schools and teach the game of basketball with the hope of inspiring more student athletes to want to become professional athletes and more wellrounded citizens. Create a national code of conduct manual for players and coaches who wish to become
players at the national level. My Challenge to players is to ensure that you strike a balance between your education and the time spent studying or playing the game. A basketball player that has an education has a far better chance of achieving his/her goals. Set goals and believe in them, also surround yourself with people who will push you to become better. My Challenge to Sponsors is to invest into the sport with a strategic goal of partnering in developing this lovely sport. A donation is well received but we need sponsors to be at games to offer feedback and interact with fans. Gather information on the ground that will help provide a platform for your company. Last but not least our fans, for without you the game would not be the same: continue to show support and demand from us higher standards of this lovely game called basketball. In all our dealing let us be aggressive and respectful of each other in the pursuit of achieving our goal for 2015. Kind regards, Junior Andrew Hercules President of Guyana Amateur Basketball Coaching Association
Eugenie Bouchard thrashes Serena Williams at Hopman Cup
Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard dropped just three games in a stunning win over world number one Serena Williams at the Hopman Cup in Perth. Bouchard, the world number six, won 6-2, 6-1 in 50 minutes to give Canada an early lead over the United States in the mixed team event. Having required an oncourt espresso to get her going in her opening match on Monday, Williams again looked sluggish. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I’m so tired,” said the 33-yearold. “It’s weird. I can’t get my body to move. I feel like I’ve got no energy. It’s a little frustrating because I know I can play two thousand times better. “I’ve been trying to rest up. I did a little gym work, but I just felt depleted. I don’t know why. I don’t know how to describe it. “I’ve just got to get my feet moving. I have to figure it out. Hopefully I can do better in the next match.” The American will play Lucie
Eugenie Bouchard Credit: Reuters/Edgar Su Safarova of the Czech Republic in her next singles match tomorrow. Bouchard enjoyed her first-ever win against Williams, and joked afterwards: “Maybe she needed another coffee. “I know she didn’t play her best. I’m happy I just stayed with it and held my nerve. It’s a good way to start the year - it gives me some confidence.” Vasek Pospisil later beat John Isner 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to give Canada an unassailable 2-0
lead over the US, before Williams and Isner took the mixed doubles 6-3 7-5. World number two Maria Sharapova began her 2015 campaign with a crushing 6-0 6-1 win over Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova in Brisbane. “It certainly felt good to start, after not playing a match for a couple of months,” said the 27-year-old Russian. “Despite all the training, it’s such a different feeling to go out on the court and play in front of a crowd.” (BBCsport)
Prince Ali will challenge Sepp Blatter (right), who is running for a fifth term as FIFA president Former FA chairman David Bernstein has backed Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein’s bid to challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency. The Jordanian Prince, 39, will stand as a candidate at FIFA’s presidential election on 29 May, where Blatter, 78, will seek a fifth term of office. Bertstein worked with Prince Ali on FIFA’s committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility. “FIFA needs a change and I think Prince Ali could do it,” said Bernstein. Football’s governing body FIFA has suffered a number of corruption allegations during Blatter’s 17-year reign. FIFA vice-president Prince Ali announced his decision to stand on Tuesday (yesterday) after saying he had been encouraged to do so by colleagues. Bernstein added: “I know Prince Ali
fairly well, he’s a very impressive person and I think he’s a decent person. He’ll make a very interesting challenge to Blatter. “FIFA needs a major shake-up, it has lost its credibility and there’s all sorts of issues. “The man at the top makes a hell of a difference in any organisation. It would be quite a job. “There has been quite a bit of change within the FIFA set-up already, but without a change at the top I don’t think we will see real reform.” Former diplomat Jerome Champagne, 56, who joined FIFA in 1999, is the only other challenger to have confirmed his intention to run for the presidency. However, Bernstein says there needs to be just one candidate in the running against Blatter. “If there are two people
competing and splitting the vote, that will do no good at all,” said Bernstein. “Blatter is a very shrewd operator, he gets a lot of support and he plays the game well. “I think it will be difficult to beat him but I am pleased someone is having a go.” But when asked if he felt Blatter would still be in charge after the elections, Bernstein said: “Yes.” UEFA president Michel Platini said: “I know Prince Ali well. He has all the credibility required to hold high office. We now await his proposals and his programme for the future of football.” FA chairman Greg Dyke added: “Personally I welcome Prince Ali’s decision to stand for the FIFA presidency. It is very important that there is a credible candidate standing against Mr. Blatter and Prince Ali is certainly that.” (BBCsport)
Stout to lead Pride in NAGICO Super50 Bridgetown, Barbados Title holders Barbados Pride have named their 14-man squad for the 2015 WICB Nagico Super50 Championship in Trinidad & Tobago, January 15-26. Squad: Kevin Stoute (captain), Tino Best, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, Kyle Corbin, Shane Dowrich, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Ryan Hinds, Shai Hope, Ashley Nurse, Javon Scantlebury-Searles, Jomel Warrican, Kenroy Williams. Management and
technical staff: Henderson Springer (Coach), Dexter Toppin (Assistant Coach), Hartley Reid (Manager), Jacqueline King (Physiotherapist), Rodney Ashby (Video Analyst), Henderson Wallace (Selector). Barbados Pride will oppose Combined Campuses & Colleges in two practice matches at the 3Ws Oval, the first was yesterday and the next is set for tomorrow, a Day/Night beginning at 14:00hrs. (BCA)
Kevin Stoute
Wednesday January 07, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 29
Good Success take Badri New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Wellington, 4th day Kane Williamson & BJ Watling Prasad Memorial T20 title set Test record sixth-wicket stand
Good Success SC were crowned champions of the Badri Prasad Memorial T20 competition after their opponents Sans Souci SC refused to continue the final which was contested on Sunday last at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground. The controversy came after Sans Souci’s Seon Venture was given out with the score on 60-7 in 13.5 overs, chasing 89 from a reduced 15-over contest; Venture teammates disagreed with the umpire’s decision. Sans Souci decision to insert their opponents paid dividends - pacer Venture sent back the dangerous Imran Khan for 16 (2x6) and Charles Benjamin (06), while off-spinner Gurnauth had Chandrika Ragnauth caught for nine before Oyono Sampson accounted for Shoaib Namaz (02), reducing Good Success to 47-4. However Lokram Narine and Nazeer Mohamed steadied
the innings with a fifth wicket stand of 39. While Mohamed (02) was content to play the supporting role, Narine took the fight to the bowlers; he clobbered four sixes in a top score of 30. Following their separation, Sans Souci picked up wickets at regular intervals with Sampson doing most of the damage with 3-10 from three overs. Venture captured 2-12 from three while Khemraj and Wayne Osborne had one each. Medium pacer Ragnauth uprooted the stumps of Khemraj (00) and Narine bowled Osborne (06) as Sans Souci made a shaky start. Offspinner Vickram Ramnarine then removed Tulsieram Ramadeen (05) and Sampson (01) before Heera Sukram (08) was run out leaving the score at 24-5. Venture and Roopnarine Persaud attempted to repair the damage with a sixth wicket stand of 19 before Persaud was run out for 11. But
Venture and Narine (05*) kept their team in the hunt with a seven wicket stand of 19 before Venture’s dismissal ended the match abruptly. Ramnarine was the most successful bowler with 2-10 off two overs, while Ragnauth and man-of-thematch Narine took one each. Mohamed collected the best bowler award with nine wickets and Ryan Adams of Zeelandia (136) took the best batsman prize. Both teams received trophies. Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Satrohan Prasad congratulated the teams and said he admired the way the game was played until the controversy. Secretary of the Wakenaam Cricket Committee Nazeer Mohamed thanked the sponsors. The competition was played in memory of the late Badri Prasad, a former businessman on the island and was sponsored by Oudit Prasad.
Kane Williamson and BJ Watling added a record 365 runs for the sixth wicket © Getty Images Kane Williamson and BJ Watling shared a world record sixth-wicket partnership of 365 as New Zealand dominated Sri Lanka yesterday on day four of the
CONCACAF Women’s Football: 2014 in Review
second Test. Captain Brendon McCullum declared on 524-5, leaving Sri Lanka needing 390 in 107 overs at Wellington’s Basin Reserve to win and square the two-match series. Williamson hit an unbeaten 242, his first Test double century while Watling made 142 not out, his fourth Test ton. The record tops the 352 Watling and McCullum made against India last year. That feat was also achieved at the Basin Reserve, where a bronze plaque marking the achievement had only been set in concrete three days ago. Williamson spent more than 10 hours at the crease,
scoring his ninth Test century and the seventh highest score by a New Zealander. The 24-year-old faced 438 deliveries, scoring 18 f o u r s , w h i l e Wa t l i n g posted a career-best 142, with nine fours and a six as Sri Lanka toiled. The tourists had reached 45-1 by the close after Dimuth Karunaratne fell for 17, leaving his opening partner Kaushal Silva (20 not out) and nightwatchman Dhammika Prasad to see them through the final overs. Sri Lanka 356 and 45 for 1 (Silva 20*, Craig 1-0) need another 345 runs to beat New Zealand 221 and 524 for 5 declared (Williamson 242*, Watling 142*). (BBCsport)
Rafael Nadal suffers shock defeat in Doha
The United States (pictured) celebrates after winning the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship on October 26, 2014. (Photo: Mexsport) Miami – For women’s football in CONCACAF, 2014 proved to be historic in significant ways. Two of the Confederation’s member associations hosted FIFA events, a new national team champion was crowned and a first-of-its-kind symposium on advancing the women’s game was held in Philadelphia…and that’s just the beginning of a memorable year. CONCACAF.com takes a look back at some of the best stories: U.S. wins CONCACAF Women’s Championship The United States claimed
its seventh CONCACAF title, defeating Costa Rica 6-0 in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship (CWC) final on October 26 at PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. A pair of CWC final marks were broken in the process. Abby Wambach established a new tournament record for most goals scored with four, while the Americans set the standard for the most goals scored by a single team. The U.S. improved to 5-00 in CWC finals, while Wambach also broke Michelle Akers’ record for the most Women’s World Cup
Qualifying goals registered by an American with 18. The USA, Costa Rica and thirdplace finisher Mexico each earned a place in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted by Canada. Fourth-place Trinidad & Tobago advanced to an intercontinental playoff against Ecuador for the last berth in the competition. U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd was named the Golden Ball winner as the CWC’s best player. CONCACAF hosts conference on women’s football
In Philadelphia, CONCACAF hosted “Let’s Develop Women’s Football,” a two-day gathering of prominent global leaders in women’s football. The event — held from October 25-26 — highlighted the region’s vast success stories, providing Member Associations with new strategies and ideas to continue competing at the elite level. CONCACAF is the leading Confederation for participation in women’s football with more than 26 million registered female players. Continued on page 27
World number three Rafael Nadal made the worst possible start to the new season as he lost to Germany’s Michael Berrer in round one of the Qatar Open. The Spaniard could not build on a strong start and Berrer, ranked 127th, powered through to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Nadal, 28, played only seven matches between Wimbledon and the end of last season as he struggled first with a wrist injury and then appendicitis. Top seed Novak Djokovic earlier beat fellow Serb Dusan Lajovic 62, 6-1. Berrer, 34, had to come through three rounds of qualifying in Doha and had only two wins over top-10 opponents to his name before yesterday. Nadal, the defending champion fought until the end and earned two chances to break back when
Rafael Nadal Berrer served for the match, but the German held his nerve superbly to come through after just under two hours. (BBCsport)
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Kaieteur News
NAMS takes lion share of prizes in Berbice Inter-School Chess Championships
The winners, Team ‘B’ of New Amsterdam Secondary (NAMS) and Mr. Dhanraj (right), Head Teacher of NAMS. Defending champions New Amsterdam Multilateral School (NAMS) not only defended their title, but took three of the six prizes on offer when the fifth edition of the Annual Berbice Inter-School Chess Championships (BISCC) was held recently at the New Amsterdam Multilateral School. NAMS walked away with the top two positions in the team category as well as the top individual accolade. The players in the winning NAMS ‘B’ team were Kemo Daniels, Devon Kissoon, Shamar Hooper and Stefan Peters. In the individual category, Junior Seepersaud of NAMS who finished second last year to Darwin London of Berbice Educational Institute (BEI) reversed the results on his
archrival on this occasion. The third place finisher was a surprise, with New Amsterdam Special Needs School (NASNS) (Deaf) student Rabin Munilall, outwitting the other players to win the third prize. Tournament Director was National Chess champion and coach Wendell Meusa who was assisted by Steve Leung, Dane Grimmond, Colin Bowery and Wayne De France. At the closing ceremony Meusa stated that he had seen great talent and potential among the players during the tournament including 10 yearold Christopher Tobin of Eversham Primary who placed fourth in the Individual category and female player Jayshree
Carpen from JC Chandisingh who played unbeaten, winning two and drawing one of her games. Coordinator was K r i s h n a n a n d Raghunandan who is the Public Relations Officer of the BISCC and an Executive member of the Guyana Chess Federation. Raghunandan who has been active in this sphere since 2010 praised the Department of Education, Region 6 for their support. Trophies were donated by the Department of Education Region 6, Dr. Walter Singh and family, Deonarine Balram of the Balram Shane Store of Rose Hall Town, Tajpaul Adjodhea and Bibi’s Travel Service among others. (Samuel Whyte)
Wednesday January 07, 2015
Ramdin - Middle order failure cost us Cape Town, South Africa - West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin has conceded that the regional side’s batting was left exposed by his failure and that of veteran middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul during the just ended test series against South Africa. Ramdin’s confession comes as West Indies slumped to their seventh straight series loss to South Africa, losing the third test by eight wickets at Newlands yesterday. “Everyone expected Shiv and myself to get some more runs. Shiv has been doing it for the past six or seven years that I have been around,” said the West Indies skipper who has not been able to build on the form he showed over the last two years. “And then I didn’t have the best time. Hopefully in the one-day series, I will get some
Australia v India Batsman David Warner scored a century yesterday and paid tribute to Phillip Hughes as Australia dominated day one of the fourth Test against India in Sydney. Warner hit 101 and
Denesh Ramdin runs.” In 10 Tests between November 2012 and June last year, Ramdin averaged a shave under 50, scored two centuries and three fifties. But his recent Test form has flagged with just five
runs from two Tests against Bangladesh in the previous series. Chanderpaul, with 91 runs from five innings, has had the leanest tour among the West Indian specialist batsmen and finished with exactly the same numbers as the captain himself. “It’s the first time I have seen Shiv fail” declared Ramdin. Ramdin and Chanderpaul were supposed to have provided stability to the West Indies middle order but were forced to watch as the likes of emerging batsmen Kraigg Brathwaite and Leon Johnson stood out. “We need to take ownership of our game,” said Ramdin. “We make 60s and 70s and think we can keep our place for the next series but we need to score back to back hundreds”. The first T20 between West Indies and South Africa will be played in Cape town on Friday. (CMC)
David Warner in Phillip Hughes tribute during ton “I said to the players I might as well not play those two Tests because I couldn’t score a run there.” The opening partnership was
plaque outside the home side’s dressing room on Monday. Meanwhile, India have announced their 15-man
TSC overcome Queenstown Masjid in tapeball fixture
Warner touches the bronze plague in honour of Hughes as he walks out to bat in Sydney.
Abdul Austin Led by outstanding performances from Shawn Massiah and Charwayne Mc Pherson, Transport Sports Club (TSC) defeated Queenstown Masjid by four wickets in a 12-over tapeball encounter played Monday last at Muslim Youth Organisation ground. Queenstown Masjid batted first and scored 101-7 off their allotted overs. Abdul
Shawn Massiah (left) and Charwayne Mc Pherson Austin and Gamaal Khan featured in a fourth wicket stand of 76 after they lost a few early wickets. Austin slammed five fours and two sixes in a top score of 55 while Khan struck 25 (2x4). Massiah captured 4-16 while Joshua Wilson and Akeem Redmond had one each. Medium pacers Majeed Khan and Azaar Ameer made
early inroads, reducing TSC to 45-4 before Mc Pherson and Massiah steadied the chase with a fifth wicket stand of 48. Mc Pherson clobbered four fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 50 while Massiah was dismissed for 15. Khan finished with 2-20 and Ameer 2-25. TSC received a trophy. The game was organized by Queenstown Masjid.
on reaching 63, he took off his helmet and kissed the ground near the spot where Hughes was fatally injured, when on 63 runs. “I’m always going to pay tribute to my mate,” said Warner. “Every time I play here I’ll definitely be doing that.” He shared an opening stand of 200 with Chris Rogers (95) in Australia’s 3482. It was Warner’s 12th Test century and third of the series with the 28-year-old needing just 108 balls to reach the milestone. “It’s very special,” added Warner. “I haven’t scored a hundred at home or the MCG and I was sort of talking myself out of it.
ended when Warner was caught in the gully by Murali Vijay off the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin. In the next over Rogers chopped a Mohammed Shami delivery onto his stumps to depart five runs short of his hundred, but stand-in captain Steve Smith (82 not out) and Shane Watson (61 not out) guided Australia to 348-2 at the close. Australia hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series, with emotions in the final match heightened because it is taking place at the same ground where Hughes, 25, died last year. Cricket Australia unveiled a memorial
squad for the forthcoming World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand and starts on 14 February. Allrounder Ravindra Jadeja (shoulder) and pace bowler Ishant Sharma (knee) are included, despite suffering injuries during the current tour of Australia. India squad: Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Akshar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav. (BBCsport)