K
AIETEUR NEWS
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
CARICOM firmly rejects acts of
Wednesday Edition January 13, 2021 - Vol. 16 No.02
Online: www.kaieteurnews.com
aggression by Venezuela
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Online readership yesterday, 95,869
Gas-to-shore project, another cash cow for ExxonMobil Stabroek Block deal reveals…
When will you demand your pot of gold? Our political leaders want us to believe that oil will deliver a pot of gold. We at this newspaper, however, believe that our political leaders are bent on deceiving citizens by waving one magic oil wand after another, but with little to nothing to show for it. Our leaders have betrayed the nation. They have primed the expectations of Guyanese, while engaging quietly in secret deals that deprive the country of billions of barrels of oil. The stinking-rich Canje and Kaieteur oil blocks were handed over to friends and cronies. ExxonMobil was handed the deal of a lifetime, on a platter. Our leaders are correct: Better will come. But for whom? It is our leaders who will inherit the pot of gold. Guyanese, when will you wake up and say “No” to what is happening with your oil? When will you demand your pot of gold?
Police Service Guyana, U.S Maduro on sign goods Commission in talks PR offensive & services to settle promotions over E’bo claims agreement case out of court Five years GECOM Chair refutes now, alleged Commissioners’ claim of her rape victim 16, “refusal” to meet with PNC awaiting justice
Appeal Court tells Gruesome murder of West Berbice teens… Suspected EAAF director claims “Sindicato” convicted rapist, he was never offered gang members ‘Go back and serve autopsy video rob Kaituma your sentence’ - Minister of Home Affairs, Police say he is lying businessman
Only 10 GRA officers auditing Guyana’s billion-dollar oil sector Listen how our leaders want to entrap us with this Gas-to-shore project that will leave us in massive debts tonight at 7:20pm on 99.1/99.5FM Kaieteur Radio.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 13, 2021
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
The Sabre Rattling to the West
O
nce again, some weeks after the International Court of Justice, not unpredictably, ruled that it had jurisdiction over the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, in which the latter continues to assert an absurd and illegitimate claim over Essequibo, beleaguered Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro has promised to “reconquer” the county that covers one-third of our country’s sovereign land space. As reported in today’s issue of this newspaper, Maduro has gone on an internal PR offensive, packing propaganda with toys and trinkets to communities on the border with Guyana. Even as he wastes time and resources on such theatrics, tens of thousands of Venezuelans continue to flee from his mismanagement of his country’s economy. While he is known to feast sumptuously in private, as was a few years ago accidentally caught on television, his people are starving and fleeing for other more stable countries, including Guyana. Just last month for example, in the sort of tragedy that the world has become accustomed to when it comes to refugees from war-torn African countries fleeing for the comforts of Europe, the bodies of 14 drowned Venezuelans, bound for Trinidad, washed up along the Venezuelan coast. According to a BBC report: ”According to the IOM, the exodus of Venezuelans is the largest in the recent history of Latin America and the Caribbean. Tens of thousands have fled to Trinidad and Tobago, many making the crossing by sea in often overloaded, rickety boats. At least two boats disappeared last year on their way to Trinidad and Tobago with a third believed to have capsized en route to Curaçao. The authorities in Trinidad and Tobago said its coastguard had not intercepted any boats in recent days, dismissing rumours that the migrants had been turned back by officials from the Caribbean nation.” Whatever value Maduro’s vitriolic rhetoric brings for his perpetually failing regime is therefore dubious. It is doubtful that it would be enough to turn the tide of public support in his favour – aggression costs money and taken to its natural conclusion his rhetoric, if he is to act upon it, would take the sort of resources that his country, and its people, cannot afford. Moreover, considering how swift and unequivocal regional condemnation of his rhetoric has been, any actual aggression from Maduro is destined for failure not only in terms of diplomatic support but by Guyana’s allies, the US in particular, ready to provide military support against any armed incursion. The ironic thing is that the most recent precedent for the defiance of international norms and rule of law in
the hemisphere was set right here when, despite universal international condemnation from dozens of countries and representative organisations, the Granger administration sought to steal an election, a coup that – were it successful – would have resulted not only in an illegitimate regime but one which would not have been able to command the respect and support of our allies in the hemisphere and further afield. There are several lessons to learn from the current
sabre rattling emanating from our neighbour to the west. None is more important than the need for a sense of common purpose of a legitimate government and a legitimate opposition acting in concert with each other to defend our territorial integrity. Maduro’s aggression should be a wakeup call for Guyanese to unite and build a strong and cohesive state, not the failed republic that our neighbour to the west has become under a fumbling, corrupt and increasingly desperate despot.
Saying one thing, operating in another world DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to the article titled, “Legislative reform for oil and gas sector won’t be done in isolation – Attorney General” (KN January 11). A few thoughts and observations are shared. The new PPP government has rebranded itself: the marketing is sweeping and powerful. Listen carefully and something becomes obvious: the party’s leading lights all say the right thing, those things that comfort, even delight, which is admirable; but then there is reality. It has been this way from the level of His Excellency, the Hon. Vice President, and now the Hon. Attorney General of the land. There are others who follow their lead. They talk a good game, for they have learned that words are cheap and have no meaning, other than in the moment, and then it is off to the usual hijinks behind the scenes. The president likes to talk about transparency, but examine the record and there it is: the only things on which he has been transparent about are those that he has left alone, those that he does not go near to, that he avoids like the pandemic. How about a few disclosures, Mr. President on the things promised by self and comrades? Like reports
withheld? Like regulations that have been quietly removed under watch? As for the real number one, the Hon. Vice President, he talks up a storm, but they are all fillings but, unlike the dental ones, there is no pain, only anticipation which falls flat. Because on the issues that matter, that are sensitive and timely, the Hon. Vice President is anything but. He is silent, he is communicating with the spirit world for guidance, and he is the perfect example of those with something to shade. I would say that those are things that the Guyanese people ought to know, and yesterday. Just not when the political potentates feel that they should throw them a holiday morsel of information. Like I said, these fine fellows have retraced their steps, analyzed their communications errors, and now present Guyana with their rehabilitated images and messages. There is not a word out of place. If the PPP government was a public relations firm, it would be unbeatable and collect all the business. And that is what the Hon. Attorney General did when he went on air, and he artfully gave Guyanese the business. That would be of sweet, soothing words that lead in a certain direction. The
honourable one is reported to have said many things in that radio interview, such as modernizing oil and gas sector legislation to protect the environment, advance local content policy imperatives, and ensure that the sector is managed by technocrats and not politicians. Not only is that more than a mouthful, but it is also all utterly delicious, as the wise man (in Guyana, we call them ‘smaaatmaaan’), intended it to be. There is nothing over which to take issue with the big one, since he has crossed the tees and dotted the eyes. From my perspective, though, the learned Attorney General just juk Guyanese in the eye. I tender this, because on the environment, Exxon is free to do as it pleases (and it does); on the EPA, it is somewhere around (except it is largely meaningless in the rush of events); and on this slick one slid over Guyanese about ‘technocrats and not politicians to run the sector, I quickly detected the legal, ah, luminary, trying to pull a fast one. Undoubtedly, there will be technocrats, but whose and of what caliber, may I ask? To ask and answer, they will be handpicked and of a certain oil and gas outlook, as properly determined, taught
and inculcated, so that there are no missteps, there are no mavericks to rock any boats, and there are no independents talking out of turn and taking matters into their own hands. They will be of what we have now at the EPA and other places, where men and women are in lockstep with political thinking and political objectives. Perhaps, I should be more specific and say those that are exclusive to that of His Oil Majesty, the VP. Sure, the technocrats will be there, but with their standing orders and canned scripts, and history afterwards. Hold me accountable (the president should follow suit) on this one. It would have been helpful to hear from the AG of civil society (not the craven private sector) involvement. And while I am it, some ordinary people poor, cross sectional, and excited - to be part of that eclectic oil and gas mix. In fairness to the AG, he did take shelter under that all-purpose camouflage of “it’s a work in progress.” Well done, sir. To my fellow Guyanese, I say good luck with this golden goose; with some luck, it would not be theirs that is roasted to a crisp. Sincerely, GHK Lall
Freddie Kissoon does not speak for African Guyanese but he supported some of their struggles DEAR EDITOR, Reference is being made to Freddie Kissoon’s article, “Lincoln Lewis and some other leaders are selfdestructive” (KN Jan 11, 2021). While I am African and proud, I am not driven by African triumphalism and racism. And whereas I am aware the black community is not monolithic, and they may have other leaders, I speak for a significant amount of people in the black community. I identify with them, I know their concerns, I feel their pains and I speak for them. The blood of our ancestors, their pains, their struggles, resides in me or guide me. Freddie does not speak for African Guyanese, though I acknowledge, he supported some of the struggles of this community. But there he goes again, the presumption of this man to determine who speaks for the community. Now he would like people to think he has more respect in the black community, more leadership in the black community than I do. That is the crassness of the man, the intellectualism of
the man. After he started a brawl and is being met with greater force, he is now seeking to give the impression he cares about standards. Who set them and who agrees with them? This is not a formal debate. Freddie is not a person who adheres to universally acceptable principles and will not recognize these. He might be an educated man but he is not a principled man. This captain of chaos cannot set standards about ugliness. For years now he has encouraged the abuse of the black race, and in particular black leaders who have shied away from going into the gutter with him. I have no problem going into his habitat because as a trade unionist I go wherever the fight takes me. There are many ugly human beings in the world. Kissoon’s character contributes to him being so called but the narcissist in him chooses to focus only on his ugly exterior. About his interest in my age, I am not 80 yet but I am looking forward to it. The ancestral genes allow my
family to enjoy long life; long, fit, and functional living. My uncle, James Barrington Lewis Layne, at 104 years old, was able to walk out unaided to exercise his franchise at the last election. My blessing of longevity is not a curse. Only the young tender buds among us, in their teens especially, make an issue of age because many feel the sweetness of living is at that stage of life only. Freddie and I are both aged, grey hair adults and drawing pension. In his preoccupation of age, he remains trapped in an era of schoolboy bullyism to compensate for his inadequacies. I have never put a cigarette in my mouth but in his desperation, he accuses me of “always” having one in my mouth. Smoking a cigarette is not thieving; it is not illegal nor is it plagiarism, but his accusation is true to the lying nature of an ugly human being who feels he could say anything and not be held accountable. Therefore, people like me must reply. Freddie abuses his unfettered media access to engage in public mischief, and he benefits from having
lectured at the highest institution of learning in society as someone who can be trusted, when he continues to prove to the contrary. And if to him my sledgehammer may be light, suffice to say it is more than enough for a cesspit fly. In closing, I recognize the Editor’s note in Kissoon’s instant column that “In the interest of preserving some level of respect and decorum in these pages, this will be Mr. Kissoon’s final response to Lincoln Lewis.” I respect the newspaper’s concern, but Freddie’s attacks, lies and continuous historical misrepresentation of the black race, and in particular black leaders, has reached the limit of tolerance. This issue is not just about him and Lincoln, it is about the African community who he believes he can disrespect and denigrate without fear of challenge. Lincoln Lewis Editor’s Note: Since Mr. Lewis is allowed the right to reply; this letter is being facilitated and will mark the end to his and Freddie Kissoon’s exchange.
Wednesday January 13, 2021
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Why are reason and truth enemies to Lincoln Lewis? DEAR EDITOR, Missives, replies, retorts, and rejoinders must not be personalized and replete with falsities; they must provide some useful information to readers for intellectual elevation. These qualities were missing in Lincoln Lewis’ latest (Jan. 10) and earlier responses to my attempts to correct his misunderstanding of reality. He continues to pedal more misinformation and myths. I was not surprised with the quality of his last reply to use “a sledgehammer” in responses to me and Freddie Kissoon – that in itself exposes the character of the man. Lewis has nothing of value to add to his defence of his contributions to issues raised, and so he delves deep into his race. When one does not have anything of substance to contribute to an argument, one inserts ‘race’ and extraneous points into the debate. Thus, Lewis brings up Kamala Harris’ upbringing, her Indianness, her Blackness, and the contributions of Black Americans to the presence of Indians in the US. Those points have no relevance to the ongoing discourse. In addition, Lewis belittles
the enormous contributions of Indian Americans and other ethnic groups to the civil rights movement as well as to the development of America, and in so doing exposes his ignorance of the struggle for equality in the USA. On Kamala Harris, as I stated earlier, not anyone can be a f a t h e r. Impregnating a woman does not make one a father. Fatherhood involves being with children and being responsible for their growth and development. As Vice President, Kamala stated that the family was abandoned when she was age six. She praised her Indian mother and maternal kin for the progress of herself and sister Maya. She stated so publicly. And she has not mentioned her father in her speeches. What can I write about the father when Kamala herself did not mention his contribution? I will not indulge in speculation and misinformation into which Lewis seems to revel. I would prefer not to continue this exchange as no amount of evidence or reasoning would enlighten Lewis. He is determined to see things only in terms of
India-Africa trade and World unification DEAR EDITOR, India-Africa trade has blossomed from US$5.3B in 2001 to some US$62B in 2017/ 18. This means that Africans and Indians are cooperating more and more on the World stage. While in Guyana, Indians and Africans are fighting each other for power. It is my hope that one day the whole World will be united and be ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION, ONE DESTINY - under ONE GOD. This means that one day we will all put aside our differences and be one people. Yes, people will still have cultural differences but these
differences will not get in the way of who we are as a people. Why will this unification happen when Globalization did not happen? Because they were trying to unify the world under economics rather than acknowledging that there is only One Eternal God. Basically, they were/are trying to turn t h e w h o l e w o r l d into a shopping mall. Guyana will play an integral role in uniting the World. But first, we need to unite our country. Once people understand that we need peace and prosperity for all, then we will make progress. Yours faithfully, Sean Ori
“his race” – no other factor matters. Race reductionism has become his mantra. Nevertheless, I must comment on his lack of understanding of the civil rights movement in America. In America, every group historically had suffered varying degrees of oppression and persecution. It is indisputable that Black Americans were persecuted in America. Other ethnic groups, including several White ethnic groups and all immigrant groups (Haitians, Jamaicans, Blacks from Africa, etc.), Irish, Italians, Polish, Greeks, Jews, native Indians, Hispanics, Japanese, Chinese, Indian Americans, were all at one time or another oppressed by the dominant White group (Anglo Saxons). While Blacks contributed significantly to the civil rights movement, the contribution of other ethnic groups must not be cast aside as a post-script. Black American leaders fought against slavery, and they played a leading role in the civil rights movement. Jewish lawyers and businesses were in the thick of the civil rights movement defending Black activists in court and funding the movement; the role of Jews in the civil rights struggle must not be understated. Irish leaders fought against indentureship that helped enforce Black abolition rights. Leaders from among other ethnic groups, including Indians, have also made a contribution to fighting against prejudice and ethnic abuses. While acknowledging the major contribution of the Blacks, we must not ignore the struggle of each
group that led eventually to improvement of rights that benefited all. And yes, Indians benefited from the preceding struggles of all groups, including Black civil rights leaders, for which they express tremendous gratitude. But Indians have also been building upon those accomplishments of the civil rights and other movements and have been distinguishing themselves particularly in such fields as medicine, healthcare, science, t e c h n o l o g y, engineering, and business. Each contemporary generation has to continue building upon the foundations set by previous generations. Succeeding generations are literally the building blocks of societal evolution. Various groups were excluded from America. Although Indian soldiers made contributions to the geo-security of America going back to the 1800s and helped to protect American troops in WWI and WWII, they were not welcome in the US. When Indians, Chinese, Japanese, etc. came to the US during the 1800s, they faced racial discrimination, of which they fought against, and in so doing left their own imprint in early struggles for equality. They all helped to renovate, restructure and rebuild America. Indians grew food first to help feed the American nation, and now their contribution to America in all spheres of economic activity is substantial. This does in no way minimize the contribution of other ethnic groups to the country’s development.
The Chinese and Japanese helped built the railways. Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and Blacks helped to elect the first non-Anglo Saxon and nonProtestant President in John K e n n e d y. The election of the country’s f i r s t C a t h o l i c P resident helped to empower the civil rights movement. The 1965 Immigration Act paved the way for Indians and other ethnic professionals to settle in America. During the Vietnam War, when there was a shortage of professional labour and troops, Indians and other groups were welcomed to the US. The US opened its door to skilled Indian and Asian labour. Indo-Guyanese and other Guyanese are in America, Canada, UK, etc. because of the racial persecution and repression that Lewis’ governing PNC party inflicted upon the people. I came to the US because JFK and others opened the door for me. And I have not been selfish. I have contributed to the Black struggle and civil rights. I was elected to student government at City College (heart of Harlem) in 1978 in my Sophomore year and was reelected several times and served in several executive positions. I piloted funding for Black Civil rights movement, helped to organize Harlem Black Renaissance, participated in protests against apartheid and minority rule in Ian Smith Rhodesia and against closure
of Sydenham Hospital in Black Harlem, fought against tuition increases at public universities, and took part in so many other activities that redounded to the benefits of minorities, including Blacks. Lewis tends to mask his own racism when it comes to bauxite, sugar, elections, and land rights. He supports rigged elections to benefit a Black party. He asked President David Granger to cancel the 2020 elections, because his party lost. Poor chap! He still doesn’t know that Granger had no authority to cancel the elections. He only supports land rights to Africans but not to Amerindians and Indians. On bauxite and sugar, the African-based PNC closed the bauxite industry that employed primarily Africans. It was the Indian-based PPP that rescued bauxite in 1992 from collapse. Yet, Lewis accused the PPP of engaging in African genocide, and not the PNC that shut down bauxite! The gravy from the Indiandominated sugar industry was diverted to revive bauxite as well as other sectors in the economy, and yet Lewis has failed to acknowledge the role of Indians and the PPP in the country’s development. Lewis knows the history of his PNC party’s 33 (28+5) years of governance. The economy was wrecked and it required the PPP (the party he describes as Indian) to rehabilitate it. Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram
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NY Judge’s Son Pictured at Capitol Riot in Fur Pelts, Police Gear Is Arrested Daily Beast - A Brooklyn judge’s son, who was pictured Wednesday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol wearing fur pelts and carrying police gear, was arrested by the FBI yesterday. Aaron Mostofsky, the 34-year-old son of prominent Orthodox Jewish community figures and Kings County Supreme Court Judge Shlomo Mostofsky, was seen in multiple photos from the violent insurrection wearing the bizarre fur outfit and a bulletproof vest with “POLICE” emblazoned across it. He was carrying a wooden staff and a plastic riot shield with Capitol Police insignia. Mostofsky has been charged with four offenses including felony theft of government property, knowingly entering or remaining in a restricting building without lawful authority and doing so with intent to impede government business, and disorderly conduct in the Capitol, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Daily Beast. His defense lawyer, Jeffrey Schwartz, declined to comment. A source with the knowledge of the case told The Daily Beast that
Aaron Mostofsky was photographed inside the breached building carrying a Capitol Police shield and a bulletproof vest. Mostofsky was arrested early yesterday at his brother’s house in Brooklyn. ABC7, CNN, and NBC first reported the arrest. During his arraignment yesterday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sanket Bulsara ordered Mostofsky held on a $100,000
secured bond after prosecutors described his behaviuor as “a mob attack and a rampage on the U.S. Capitol.” “The government is deeply troubled by the conduct of the defendant. Much of this is public,”
Bulsara said yesterday. While Mostofsky’s arraignment was in New York yesterday, the 34year-old will eventually be extradited to Washington D.C. Schwartz, however, insisted his client “was not part of the mob” and was just “caught up in it.”
Wednesday January 13, 2021
The Performing Arts and Guyana’s development DEAR EDITOR, I was recently reading the works of Kalidasa and Kabir, when it occurred to me that our school system has an opportunity to better reflect the rich diversity of our ancestral cultures. These two poets are amongst the greatest and best known in the world, yet our school syllabus is dominated by Shakespeare. There is an opportunity to further embrace our National Poets who have also enriched our culture and captured our history while placing on display Guyana’s contribution to t h e p a i n t e d e m otional canvas of life. Our School System, The National Cultural Centre (which needs to be more culturally diverse) and The Theatre Guild are still in their infancy. The vision of using them to enrich Guyana’s development, while embracing and expressing our diverse cultural heritage in the Performing Arts such as poetry, music, dance and theatre is still worth pursuing. It is a great opportunity to learn more about each other, and with mutual understanding, peaceful coexistence may have a better chance of success. It should also be noted that, The National Cultural Centre, was a place that school children from diverse backgrounds would visit to view National and International shows such as
the performance of a visiting Chinese Acrobatic Team. Yet today, the display in front of the Centre does not reflect the diversity of our culture and to many it seems less inviting than it was before. We must not limit the cultural richness of our National Centre and we must ensure a true reflection of what our culturally rich society has to offer. After finishing the holiday season, many of our citizens can easily remember the influence of the various cultures on the kitchen table. The Amerindian Pepper Pot, the Portuguese Garlic Pork, the African Cook-up Rice, the Indian Curry, The Chinese Chowmein and the European Homemade Bread, all add to the range of culinary experiences offered in our multicultural society. The same cultural diversity should be on display at our Multicultural National Landmarks and within our school syllabus. The performing arts is a tool if used well, can provide an opportunity for cultural exploration and understanding. It is an enlightening endeavour worth pursuing and leveraging as we continue our journey towards social cohesion and peaceful coexistence. Best regards, Mr. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana
Wednesday January 13, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday January 13, 2021
GECOM Chair refutes Commissioners’ claim of her “refusal” to meet with PNC Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh has refuted claims by opposition-nominated Commissioners, Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman, in which alleged that Singh had refused to meet with a People’s Nationals Congress (PNC) delegation, on the ground that it had been “unprecedented”. In a statement to the press
last evening, the Chairman recalled that PNC General Secretary Amna Ally wrote to her on January 7, requesting to “engage you singularly as the Chairperson of the Commission to proffer our proposals of the matters at hand before participating in the Commission’s meeting.” Singh notes that in her response, also dated at January 7, she extended an invitation for the team to meet with
the Commission on January 12 at 2PM. “In a separate communication on the same day,” the Chairman adds, “I also requested that many issues likely to be raised are matters to be addressed by the Commission, and recommendation that proposals should be forwarded in writing so that they may be dispatched to the Commissioners for their perusal and consideration prior to the meeting.” Later on January 11, in her
response, Ally reiterated her request to meet singularly with the Chair, to discuss matters in relation to voters’ registration. Singh went on to say that the GS further stated that “It is public knowledge that you have facilitated meetings with other stakeholders both foreign and domestic without major formalities…” She expressly opined that a meeting with the full Commission can be held subsequent to a meeting with the PNCR. However, the Chair says that she further advised Ally on January 12, 2021, prior to the meeting of the Commission, of her insistence that the team to meet with the “full Commission as is customary when meeting with Political Parties”. She further explained that this methodology had been useful in ensuring all Commissioners collectively benefit from the issues to be addressed for later deliberation and decision. “The claim made by Commissioners Alexander, Corbin and Trotman that I refused to meet because such a meeting is unprecedented is grossly misleading at the very least. As Chairperson of GECOM, I have never engaged with any political party on my own. Proposals made by stakeholders are always welcomed
GECOM Chair Claudette Singh. and being heard by the full Commission allows for a more meaningful engagement at that level,” the Chairman expressed. She continued that in any event, as Chairperson, she reiterates that it is appropriate to engage political parties at the level of the Commission so that their concerns may be
discussed and, where necessary, action taken. “It is for these very reasons that I extended an invitation to Ms. Ally to meet with the entire Commission as I would with any other political party expressing a desire to meet with me singularly,” the Chair concluded in her statement.
Wednesday January 13, 2021
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HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY I
f the APNU+AFC is se rious about assessing, truthfully and honestly, its loss in the 2020 elections, it has to cease the parody, halt the blame-game and be prepared to be forthright about its record of governance. The APNU+AFC continues to make itself look comical with its Trump-like complaint that it was cheated out of an elections victory because the dead and migrants came out and voted. The concocted and puerile excuse which the APNU+AFC attempted to deceive its supporters with, was itself the very excuse which the PNC used to deny democracy in Guyana for almost a quarter of a century. One PNC/R leader went on national television and announced that the dead rose from their internment, voted and then promptly went back to the cemetery. The leader also alleged that overseas residents voted. That leader’s excuse could well have been lifted from an extract of Guyanese Roy Heath’s novel, The Ministry of Hope, in which he described the PNC’s rigging of elections. Heath wrote of the PNC/R, “They had things their own way for more than two decades with their falsi-
fied registers and mysterious resurrections of the dead, who appeared at polling stations, voted and promptly returned to their resting places in cemeteries all over the country; not to mention the transmigration of would-be citizens domiciled overseas, whose ocean-skipping antics would have done justice to the comic-strip plastic man.” Until such time as the APNU+AFC disabuses itself believing its own propaganda, it will continue to issue delusional statements and to be entrapped by its own silly excuses, rather than facing up to the factors which resulted in its defeat at the March 2 polls. It also has to dispense with the blame-game. It will end up condemning the entire community by the time its delusional saga ends. First it was the Russians who it was said were behind the plot to erase APNU+AFC votes. It never produced a shred of evidence to substantiate Russian manipulation in the elections, resorting instead to science fiction and espionage to explain its electoral defeat. Then when its attempt to steal the elections backfired, including due to the international community rejection of the BINGO plot to tamper with
the tabulations, the APNU+AFC resorted to blaming the Americans for what it said was a conspiracy of regime change. The Coalitions should have asked themselves how it is within a short period of five years, it moved from being the darlings of the West to running afoul of them. They even targeted Caribbean leaders after the CARICOM audit team rejected their allegations of electoral fraud as a “fishing expedition.” The blame-game continues now again with another APNU+AFC leader alleging that Global Witness was involved in influencing the outcome of the 2020 elections. The said leader did not address how it was that with the resources of the massive state-media at its disposal, his Coalition failed to contradict anything which was said in the Global Witness Report on the oil negotiations. There is more in the mortar than on the pestle when it comes to Global Witness’ decision to withdraw a report it had done on the oil deal because of the need not to be sidetracked from its core mission of addressing climate change. The media needs to investigate the real reasons why
Dem Boys Seh…
Who gan bell de big cats? De fastest way fuh spread a virus is fuh get it in de schools. Dat is why dem boys bin understand when de government bin close de schools when de pandemic start and why dem still keeping most of dem pickney at home. Dem boys wan know who can be held accountable for dat foolish and reckless decision to open dormitory schools. If there is any place where de virus gan spread, and spread fast, is in a dormitory. And dat is wah happen-
ing now. More dan 50 cases of students, teachers and workers dun test positive. And who is to be held accountable? Nah ask Aunty Priya dat question. She gat more excuses dan a pregnant nun. Dem close down wan restaurant at de Mall. Dem seh indoor dining not allowed. But in yesterday paper, de Prezzie and de Vee Pee and all de other Pees sit down at a table eating food at de Ambassador residence. Is dat not indoor dining? Who can bell dah cat? Somebody decide dem
gan keep football at de cricket stadium. And dem damage de playfield and de pitch at de only ground in Guyana which meets de standard for international cricket. No spectators were allowed to watch de matches because of de COVID-19 regulations. So why it ain’t hold no where else? Why de stadium? Is foolishness! And who can be held accountable for dis cockup? Nah ask dem boys. Talk half and remember wah type of country yuh living in.
Global Witness is now concentrating on climate change and shifting away from its criticizms of the oil and gas industry, especially considering that fossil fuels is one of the primary contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. One of the champions of the environment, Conservation International, has strangely gone silent over the threat of Exxon’s flaring to the environment. In fact it has hardly lifted a finger to speak out against
the oil companies. And its silence was all the more deafening after Conservation International benefited from US$10M from the oil company in 2018. The APNU+AFC is not likely to return to political office in the foreseeable future. It shot itself in the foot by its antics during the five months between March 2, 2020 and August 2, 2020. But the least it owes itself and the thousands of supporters who voted for it, to at least try to understand why it
was rejected by a majority of Guyanese. Unless its engages in this form of introspection, it will find itself being supplanted by other parties and be reduced to a footnote in Guyana’s political future. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Wednesday January 13, 2021
==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
Outrageous humans in the world found in Guyana in 2020
W
e start with one of the top lead ers of the AFC that the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has allowed to damage its reputation, maybe permanently. What a dystopian, dysfunction formation that should be disbanded ASAP. To think this is a constitutional body with high authority that refuses even a halfbake enquiry into repugnancies that are dangerous. In a virtual meeting of the AFC’s leadership, one of its bigwigs offered a solution to Guyana’s perennial ethnic curse – division into an Indian Guyana and African Guyana. In a column and two references in other articles on this page to this evil, I cited the name Dr. Vincent Adams who objected to this solution.
To date, the ERC has remained unmoved. So we have a sitting MP that is advocating partition and the ERC is uninterested. But the same ERC contacts ordinary folks when they mouth off their moments of inconsequentialities. In a forthcoming column, I will expose ERC commissioner, Barrington Braithwaite, for the racially inciting things he wrote in the Chronicle in 2020. 2- Joseph Harmon, former intelligence chief of the army during the time of the Walter Rodney presence. He subsequently became a lawyer and is now opposition leader. The satirical column in this newspaper, “Dem Boys Seh” refers to him as “Lil Joe” and “Joe Shanlin.” Mr. Harmon did three perfor-
mances that were so sordid they certainly disqualify him to ever be a president of this country not that such an event will ever happen. First, he displayed a special power of divine perception. He told the nation during the five months of his party trying to derail the election that the votes of the members of the security forces were not counted because unstamped ballots are cast aside. Harmon could not have known that and no person in the world could know this even if they have the 440,000 ballots in the March 20 election for them to take home to examine. The answer is that Harmon could not have detected the Xs of security personnel when the recount began because those ballots
were the same for the civilian population and were mixed among the rest of ballots countrywide. Secondly, Harmon justified the employment of an American firm in the name of the Guyana Government to sell to the American political establishment an APNU+AFC victory. The government of Guyana did not contest the 2020 election. Most shocking about this PR firm thing was the revelation by the leader of the PNC, and the then head of government, David Granger, that he, Granger, did not know of the hiring of the PR firm. Finally, in September, as part of a wider scheme or conspiracy, Harmon travelled up to Region Five and incited PNC constituencies over the murder of two Black youths. Harmon and Granger turned a sociological crime into a political event and caused innocent Indian people to be beaten and robbed during which time Region Four and Region Six were cut off from Region Five. 3- Raphael Trotman. Did you see the latest Fareed Zakaria presentation on CNN? He touched on a subject
that is as old as time. He put on screen the image of two Republican senators who claimed that the American election was rigged. Zakaria said to think that these two men are constitutional experts. In times of violent political contest, the most repellant rejectionists of rationality over emotions are educated people. In violent partisan wars, the educated mind is the most dangerous item on the ground. In 2020, Trotman embarked on two self-destructive pathways for which we must ostracize him from society in general. First, he mocked the small CARICOM islands as being too small to understand the importance of hundreds of thousands of votes. This was during the time he and his PNC/AFC colleagues were claiming victory. Secondly, this was the man who told the world that in Guyana, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) has the sole constitutional authority to
present the report of numbers for an election declaration, a report that no one has the constitutional or legal authority to overturn (see
Frederick Kissoon my column of Wednesday, July 15, 2020, “The crass ignorance of Raphael Trotman.” The world has now seen that Trotman was uttering the most dangerous demagoguery unfit for a man trained in law. The world has seen that Trotman was wrong. The CEO’s numbers were rejected because, unlike what Trotman told the world, the CEO has no such constitutional and legal power. In Guyana rejecting the CEO’s report, Trotman lost state power perhaps never to regain it again. 4- Khemraj Ramjattan – space has run out. I will continue this starting with this gentleman. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Wednesday January 13, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday January 13, 2021
More than half of new COVID-19 cases found in Region Five More than half of yesterday‘s new COVID-19 cases came from Region Five. According to information released by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Region Five accounted for 35 out of 65 new cases recorded. The spike in cases comes, following warning from Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, that the indigenous village of Moraikobai in Region Five is now seeing an increase in cases.
In the meantime, the MOH noted that 21 cases were recovered in Region Four, two new cases in Region Three, one new case in Region Six, four new cases in Region Seven and two new cases in Region Ten. Additionally, there are 378 patients in home isolation, 55 patients are in institutional isolation and three patients are in the COVID19 Intensive Care Unit at the Infectious Disease Hospital.
Wednesday January 13, 2021
Kaieteur News
Appeal Court tells convicted rapist go back and serve your sentence The Court of the Appeal yesterday rejected a request from convicted rapist, Calvin Ramcharran, essentially telling him to go back to serving his 23- year jail sentence. The ruling was delivered by Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, at the Appeal Court in Kingston. In dismissing the appeal, Justice Cummings-Edwards noted that the Court found that Ramcharran’s case had no merit as it relates to the grounds of appeal. According to the Chancellor, the Court disagreed with arguments that Ramcharran’s sen-
tence was severe in all circumstances. “The Court will only interfere if a sentence is found to be manifestly excessive or passed on the wrong principles,” Justice Cummings-Edwards said, adding that the requisite directions were given to the jury by the trial judge. She noted that “the jury was properly assisted in coming to their verdict.” In 2015, Ramcharran was sentenced by Justice Jo Ann Barlow, for rape and assault causing actual bodily harm (Continued on page 14 )
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Convicted rapist: Calvin Ramcharran.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 13, 2021
U.S. has no intention of setting up any military base in Guyana – U.S Admiral During a press conference yesterday, Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller, stated that the United States of America (USA) has no intention on setting up any military bases in Guyana. This comment was made after the signing of the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, between Guyana and the USA. The event was held at the Baridi Benab, at the State House, Carmichael Street, Georgetown. The agreement was signed by Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Godfrey Bess, and Admiral Faller. In light of the Guyana border controversy with Venezuela, Admiral Faller was asked by the media if there will be a greater presence of the U.S. military in Guyana, by the setting up of military bases in the country on or offshore. Responding to the question, Admiral Faller said, “The United States doesn’t seek to have bases anywhere in the hemisphere. We seek to have
Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller.
the right military presence as invited by our sovereign partners; we only came at the request of mutually agreed partnership for an exercise or training.” The U.S. Admiral added that their future presence in Guyana will be determined by “our host and friends and
that presence will be in the form of exercises and training…”Faller was also asked if the U.S. is concerned that Venezuela can pose a threat to the U.S. oil company ExxonMobil, and about the support of the U.S. military to Guyana due to the
Venezuela’s latest decree over local waters. The Admiral said, “Every nation deserves the right for sovereignty and to make sovereign decisions over its resources…my visit was planned months ago.” While stating that their only focus is to strengthen the bilateral military relationship for exercises and activi-
ties, he added that as it relates to the controversy over borders and territories, the matter is best left to legitimate international organizations, so there can be a peaceful resolution.
Appeal Court tells convicted rapist ... From page 13 committed on a 20-year-old woman. He was sentenced to 23 years on the rape charge, and four years on the assault charge. Back then, the trial judge ordered that the two sentences are to be served concurrently. Even after he was sentenced, Ramcharran maintained that he was innocent of the crime which according to the facts presented in court, revealed that the young woman was attacked and raped at a party while she was out with some friends. The Court heard that the victim was making her way to the washroom, when she was ap-
proached by Ramcharran, who asked her if she was “doing business.” When the young woman replied, “no,” Ramcharran grabbed her hands and a fight ensued between them during which he stripped her clothes, choked, punched and hit her several times to the head with a bottle while dragging her to the back of an unfinished building, where he forcefully penetrated her. After the attack, Ramcharran reportedly offered the woman $65,000 and instructed her to meet him on the road in a car. Instead, the victim was able to escape and get help from persons nearby to seek medical attention.
Wednesday January 13, 2021
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Kaieteur News
EAAF director claims -Minister of Home he was never offered autopsy video Affairs, Police
Gruesome murder of W.C.B teens…
say he is lying
The slain Berbice teens: Joel and Isaiah Henry with Haresh Singh to the extreme right Even as Director of the Argentine Forensic Team (EAAF), Dr. Luis Fondebriber has stated that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has never made any offer for him to view videos of the autopsies conducted on the Berbice teens who were slain in early September 2020, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Guyana
Police are countering his claims. The murdered teens are Haresh Singh 16 and the Henry cousins, Joel and Isaiah ages 16 and 19 respectively. It has been four months since they were killed and police are yet to find their killers. Dr. Luis Fondebrider, had
been brought in by the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) to assess whether or not his team can help in solving the case or not. He conducted a four-day visit, in December 2020 where he visited the crime scene and family members of both Singh and the Henry cousins. On January 6, it was re-
The December 15 meeting Dr. Fondebriber had with, Home Affairs, Robeson Benn and Top Police officials ported in a Kaieteur News article titled, “FBI assisting police in solving West Coast Berbice teens’ murder”, that Dr. Nehaul Singh, had advised that the EAAF director could be provided with a video of the autopsy conducted on the teens. With a copy of the video, he would be able to form his own opinion or conclusion. Well-placed police
sources had said that Dr. Fondebriber was yet to respond to them. Responding to these statements, Dr. Fondbriber in a letter published in yesterday’s edition of this paper wrote, “A report carried in both the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News on January 6 states, that an offer had been made to me to view the
video of the autopsy conducted on the youths murdered on West Coast Berbice and that “the authorities are awaiting a response on this from Dr. Fondebrider.” For the benefit of your readers, “I wish to clarify that at no time did I receive such an offer.” He continued that during his visit to Guyana, a formal (Continued on page 22)
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 13, 2021
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From page 19 meeting on December 15 with the Minister was the only time, which he had an opportunity to meet with officials since his efforts to meet the pathologist who performed the autopsy and the Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum were unsuccessful. Fondebriber went on to add that he had written to the Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn on December 21, requesting a number of reports in order make a professional assessment of the murders. He wrote that to date he has not received any replies form the relevant officials and cannot understand how it is that GPF stated that they had offered him the chance to see the video of the autopsies. Both the GPF and Ministry of Home Affairs have since sent out respective statements calling Fondebriber claims false. GPF stated that his letter was filled with inaccuracies and advised, “In a matter of this nature that has national importance, it is irresponsible to make such public claims that are contrary to the facts of the reality of what transpired.”
The Home Affairs Ministry and GPF acknowledged the meeting Fondebriber spoke about. However, they both argued that it was at that same meeting that Fondebriber was offered to view the video of the autopsies. GPF in its press release stated, “It was in this meeting in the presence of all attendees that the offer was made for the Guyana Police Force to share with him a copy of the video of the post mortem exami-
nations conducted on the Henry boys and to date, the Administration of the Guyana Police Force is not in receipt of a formal response from Dr. Luis Fondebrider as it relates to that offer”. The Home Affairs Ministry in its respective release also stated, “At this meeting, Dr. Luis Fondebrider was advised that he would be provided with the video of the autopsies conducted in relations to Berbice incidents”. The ministry also added that “he would be provided with the forensic reports of those autopsies as well and even granted him another offer to have a meeting with Dr. Nehaul Singh, the Government Pathologist, who at the time was on his way to duty
in Lethem”.The brutal slaying of the teens in early September of last year had sparked protests, robberies, and the blocking of the roads in West Coast Berbice. Several vehicles were burnt during the protests as access to and from Berbice were cut off for days. The mutilated bodies of Joel, 16, and Isaiah Henry, 19, were the first to be discovered next to a coconut farm at Cotton Tree Backdam, West Coast Berbice.A rice farmer was arrested as one of the suspects for their murder. A few days later, amidst the violent protest, his grandson, Haresh Singh, 17, was also killed in an apparent retaliation.
Guyana, U.S sign... From page 15 militaries will now be able to expand their response to tackle issues like climate change, trafficking narcotics, terrorism, small arms and human trafficking. He said, “These threats, if left unattended can erode national security and undermine regional stability. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) therefore looks to increase the defence cooperation as a mean of improving the responsiveness to natural disasters and transnational criminal threats.”Brigadier Bess also stated that Guyana is part of a Region that is prone to natural hazards, which have the potential to undermine security and stability in a country. Admiral Faller in his remarks said that it’s an honor to be in Guyana to demonstrate another step in the longstanding bilateral agreement military-to-military security cooperation.He added, “With this agreement we are entering a new era of defence partnership. For over half a century our countries have built a bond of friendship…”Admiral Faller arrived in Guyana on Monday, and is on a three-day visit. The Southern Command is one of the
Department of Defence’s six geographically-focused unified commands with responsibility for U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, as well as security cooperation with defence and public-security forces in the region.The U.S. and Guyana have a history of security cooperation, and the defence partnership between the two countries includes collaboration against regional threats and challenges, capacitybuilding engagements, bilateral training, expertise exchanges, exercises, and participation in military education programs.Last September, during the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit, the two countries signed a Shiprider Agreement, which allows the US Coast Guard to patrol local waters.The first joint-service exercise between the two countries’ Coast Guards was conducted last Saturday to combat illegal fishing activities in local waters.
Wednesday January 13, 2021
Kaieteur News
Recruitment soon on for more Labour and OHS officers – Labour Minister Guyana’s labour force is set to be strength- region can have at least two officers. This he ened with the Ministry of Labour’s plan to recruit more Labour Officers and Occupational Health and Safety Officers (OHS) soon. This is according to the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, who made the disclosure while speaking to Kaieteur News yesterday. The Minister said that permission was recently given by the Ministry of Public Service to improve components within the labour force, which includes the hiring of more officers. In light of that, he stated that the Labour Ministry will be hiring ten labour officers and 18 OHS officers, who will be distributed among the regions based on their needs. Hamilton had appeared on Kaieteur Radio’s “Wake Up Guyana” radio programme last year where he expressed that Guyana only has about 20% of the required quantity of labour officers and OHS officers needed for the efficient monitoring of the labour industry. He said that an adequate number of officers is lacking in every region of the country, which has made it extremely difficult for the Labour Ministry to tackle labour-related matters in all regions. According to Hamilton, the central region, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), only has eight labour officers, standing below the required number and other regions have about one officer each, which he referred to as “sprinklings.” Now, in the regions that have only one labour officer, another will be added so every
stated, is ideally what the Ministry is aiming for. Hamilton gave a distribution of the new officers regionally, where he said that Regions One, Two, Five, Seven, Eight and Nine will each have one labour officer added and Regions Four and Ten will each have two officers added. In Region Ten, one will serve in Kwakwani, while the other one serves in Linden. Since Region Four will have ten labour officers when the two are added, he said that two will serve on the East Coast of Demerara, two will serve on the East Bank of Demerara and the other six will remain at the central office in Georgetown. Currently, there are 16 labour officers and nine OHS officers countrywide. Additionally, Minister Hamilton noted that a move has been made to write to the Public Service Ministry to seek permission to place advertisements for the positions, where they will recruit those who meet the requirements. It was also stated that a skills assessments survey will be conducted next month. The Ministry will also do a first phase skills assessment on the formal economy by the second quarter of this year/ the end of June and another one on the informal economy by the end of September. Going forward he said, these things will help them to plan and advise the government about skill needs on a national and regional level.
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Wednesday January 13, 2021
Wednesday January 13, 2021
Kaieteur News
Police Constable granted bail on forgery charges
Police Constable, Omali Lloyd, was yesterday charged and granted bail on forgery charges after he appeared at the Linden Magistrate Court before Magistrate Wanda Fortune. Lloyd, who was represented by Attorney at law, Gordon Gilhuys, was slapped with three counts of uttering forged documents committed on Public Justice. The defendant pleaded not guilty to all three charges, and was granted bail in the sum of $25,000 each on the two matters and self-bail on the other, with condition for him to lodge his passport. He also has to report to the Wismar Police Station on the last Friday of every month. The matter was adjourned to January 22.
Charged: Omali Lloyd
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Five years now, alleged rape victim 16, awaiting justice The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of Velma Pickering, 56, of Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara (ECD), who was allegedly stabbed and killed by her son-in-law, on Monday continued in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court. The defendant, Linden Isaacs, 28, a security guard of Strathspey Squatting Area, East Coast Demerara, was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleged that on May 11, at Lot 257 South Vryheid’s Lust, ECD, he murdered Pickering. The PI is being conducted by Magistrate Alisha George. When the matter was called, Police Prosecutor Vivian Adolph called five witnesses to testify. Those witnesses included two police officers, Pickering’s daughter and son, and a neighbour. Kaieteur News had reported that Pickering
was left dead allegedly after a domestic squabble with her son-in-law turned violent. According to a police report, Pickering was reportedly attacked and stabbed multiple times after Isaacs accused her of trying to break up his relationship with her daughter. She managed to flee the house and ventured into her neighbour’s yard where she collapsed. She was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and was pronounced dead on arrival. Meanwhile, publicspirited persons caught Isaacs shortly after fleeing the scene and he was handed over to the police. An investigation was launched and he was subsequently charged with the murder of his mother-in-law. Isaacs is expected to make his next court appearance today for the continuation of the murder PI.
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Wednesday January 13, 2021
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Wednesday January 13, 2021
Steven Smith replaces Virat Kohli as No. 2 Test batsman, Kane Williamson solid at the top - Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Marnus Labuschagne and Kyle Jamieson moved up the tables
Steven Smith’s 131 and 81 at the SCG helped him go past Virat Kohli. (Getty Images)
ESPNcricinfo - Kane Williamson, who hit 238 in the Christchurch Test, consolidated his position at the top of the ICC rankings for Test batsmen by reaching 919 rating points - the highest ever by a New Zealand player. There was a switch just below him, with Steven Smith replacing Virat Kohli in the second position following the Sydney Test where he was the Player of the Match. Williamson’s previous best points tally was 915, which he had reached in
Wednesday January 13, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You could be expecting an important letter, call, or email today, and sit on the edge of your chair waiting for it. This might be from a friend or lover. It could be delayed, and this might get you flustered.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Libra, making or receiving an important letter or call regarding money might be on your agenda today, but circumstances beyond your control could delay it.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Unfounded worries about money could plague you today, Taurus. Someone close may have given you some incorrect information.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Wo r r i e s a b o u t m o n e y might plague you today. They might have little, if any, basis in fact, as you're probably fretting over possibilities that aren't likely to ever manifest.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You don't worry too much, but today might be different. Insecurity may arise about a partnership. This might be a current or potential romantic relationship.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today you could look in the mirror and be appalled by what you see, activating your insecurity about the way you look.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Worries about health and work might be on your mind today, Cancer. You could be stressed out over whatever you're doing, and this might have you feeling less energetic than usual.
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Kaieteur News
CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Artistic or spiritual inspiration could come your way today, Capricorn, although it might be muddled and you could be perplexed about how to deal with it.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today you may want to set aside some time to spend with close friends or a love partner. Other responsibilities could have you on your own, taking care of errands and other important matters.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today you may spend some time by yourself working on your own projects. The desire to spend time alone with a special someone may also interfere with plans you've already made to attend a social gathering.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Today you might concentrate on projects. These could be related to your personal relationships. Whatever the nature of your tasks, Virgo, don't be surprised if you find them confusing.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Various personal issues might be on your mind today, Pisces. You could want to work them all out without distractions, so you may decide to spend part of the day alone.
December 2018, already taking him past Richard Hadlee, the only other New Zealand cricketer to have crossed the 900-point mark (909 in December 1985). Meanwhile, Smith’s scores of 131 and 81 at the SCG took him past Kohli, who went back home from Australia after the first Test for the birth of his first child. In other changes after the thrilling draw in Sydney, Marnus Labuschagne achieved a career-best 866 points to stay at No. 4 - he hit 91 and 73 in the game - and among bowlers, Josh Hazlewood gained three places to reach No. 5 after picking up four wickets in the game. For India, Cheteshwar Pujara’s twin half-centuries pushed him up to No. 8 from the tenth spot, while Rishabh Pant’s aggressive 97 in the second innings helped him jump 19 spots to No. 26. Shubman Gill, Hanuma Vihari and R Ashwin also made gains after playing crucial innings in helping India salvage the draw. Following the conclusion of the Christchurch Test between New Zealand and Pakistan, Henry Nicholls’ 157 brought him inside the top ten for batsmen after he gained three places to become No. 9. Kyle Jamies o n - w h o bagged a career-best match haul of 11 for 117 at Hagley Oval - was another big mover: he climbed seven spots to reach No. 21 among bowlers, and also became the fifthranked allrounder after just six Tests. Also, Pakistan - despite losing the series 0-2 - had reason to cheer after Azhar Ali’s 93 and 37 helped him advance seven places to No. 18 and Mohammad Rizwan’s 61 took him to No. 37 following a gain of ten places.
...Paine slammed for poking From page 28 batsmen to judge where they stand — with his boots. But it was not clear whether Smith’s act was intentional. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant then took fresh guard as he went on to hit an attacking 97. Former India opener Virender Sehwag said the Aussies tried “all tricks” but to no avail.
...Australian & Chinese Grands From page 31 27 June France (Le Castellet) 4 July Austria (Spielberg) 18 July Great Britain (Silverstone) 1 August Hungary (Budapest) 29 August - Belgium (Spa) 5 September - Netherlands (Zandvoort) 12 September - Italy (Monza) 26 September - Russia (Sochi)
3 October Singapore (Singapore) 10 October Japan (Suzuka) 24 October - USA (Austin) 31 October Mexico (Mexico City) 7 November - Brazil (Sao Paulo) 21 November - Australia (Melbourne) 5 December - Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) 12 December - Abu Dhabi (Yas Island)
...First Class Auto lends support From page 28 and that extra safety protocols will have to be followed to ensure that everyone is protected. To date, dozens of drivers have already signaled to be part of the three-hour race including defending champion, Adrian Fernandes, lap record holder; Rameez M o h a m e d , MotilallDeodass, ‘Afo’ Harper, ‘White Boy’, Richard and his brother Reeyaz Hamid and Harold ‘Topgun’ Hopkinson.
The GMR&SC has explained to this publication that potential competitors, that special covid-19 rules and protocols will be provided in the coming week to ensure the safety of drivers, mechanics, officials and everyone involved at the event. Prospective competitors are reminded that helmets and gloves are required and those interested in competing are asked to make contact with the GMR&SC via the Albert Street office.
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Wednesday January 13, 2021
Tim Paine defends Steve Smith after pitch incident in third Australia-India Test
B
BC Sport - Steve Smith did not deliberately scuff up the crease during the final day of the third Test against India on Monday, says Australia captain Tim Paine. Former captain Smith was seen on the stump camera scraping the crease with his boot during a drinks break. He was criticised on social media, with suggestions he was removing the India batsmen’s guard - the marks used to guide where they stand. “He was certainly not changing a guard,” Paine said. “I imagine if he was, the India players would have kicked up a bit of a stink at the time. “As we know, he has those many Steve Smith quirks - one of those is he is always marking centre.” India batted out a tense final day to salvage a draw, ensuring the series remained level at 1-1 going into the final Test in Brisbane, which starts on Friday. Smith, who was sacked as captain in 2018 following the ball-tampering scandal, was seen shadow batting and then scuffing the crease with his boots. When India
India lost only three wickets on the final day as the tourists earned a memorable draw. (Getty Images)
batsman Rishabh Pant returned to the crease, he had to ask the umpire for his guard again. Former England captain Michael Vaughan described the incident as “very, very poor”. “He (Smith) is disappointed with the way it has come across,” Paine said. “That is something he does every single game, five or six times per day. He likes
to walk up to where he bats and visualise where he is going to play. “Yesterday you could see him up there playing a couple shots as left-hander as if where he wanted Lyon (Australia spinner Nathan Lyon) to pitch the ball. It is one of his mannerisms.” ‘Only one person knows that’s Steve himself’ Pant made 97 as India chasing an unlikely 407 to win - closed on 334-5 at the
SCG. England all-rounder Chris Woakes said: “There’s only one person who knows whether he was doing it to affect the opposition batsman or not and that’s Steve himself. “You can say he was just
shadow batting and doing what he normally does and it’s a habit, or you can say he was trying to distract Rishabh to get him out of his zone.” Speaking from Sri Lanka, where England begin a t w o - Te s t s e r i e s o n Thursday, Woakes added: “It’s hard for me to sit here and watch from a million miles away and say he was doing it to get into the Indian batsmen’s mind. “It is not the first time I’ve seen something like that happen. “It’s one of those things where a lot of the time some of that might go unnoticed, but it’s such a big occasion that it’s easy to jump on it.” ‘I’m human’ - Paine sorry for sledging Ashwin Paine apologised for his own behaviour on the final day after he was embroiled in a sledging incident with I n d i a ’s R a v i c h a n d r a n Ashwin. The wicketkeeper, who dropped three catches during the innings, was heard on the stump microphone using an expletive to insult Ashwin. “I’m someone who
prides himself on the way he leads this team and yesterday was a poor reflection of that,” said Paine, who was also fined 15% of his match fee for dissent to an umpire on day three. “My leadership wasn’t good enough, I let the pressure of the game get to me. Yesterday, I fell short of my expectations and my team’s standards.” Paine has led Australia since Smith’s sacking and has been credited with improving the team’s culture following the incident in Cape Town. “I’m human. I want to apologise for the mistakes I made yesterday,” Paine added. “We’ve set really high standards over the last 18 months and yesterday was a bit of a blip on the radar.” Meanwhile, Australia will monitor the fitness of Wi l l P u c o v s k i b e f o r e deciding if he is fit for the final Test. The opener, who scored 62 on debut in the third Test, suffered a shoulder subluxation injury when diving in the field on day five.
First Class Auto lends support to Endurance C/Ship
Paine slammed for poking Ashwin in drawn Sydney game AFP - Former Test players condemned Australia skipper Tim Paine f o r s l e d g i n g I n d i a ’s Ravichandran Ashwin from behind the stumps as the tourists hung on a draw in Sydney on Monday. Stump microphones picked up the attempt by Paine to unsettle Ashwin who replied with barbs of his own and then with important runs on the fifth and final day of the third Test. The match ended in a draw and the four-Test series is tied at 1-1 with the final game at the Gabba in Brisbane starting Friday “We can’t wait to get you to the Gabba,” Paine started. Ashwin replied: “Just like we want to get you to India. It’ll be your last series.” Paine then said: “at least
my team-mates like me” and added an expletive. Ashwin stepped away from the crease for a second, but then continued with his innings as he batted more than two hours to finish not out on 39 as India salvaged a draw. Former England captain Michael Vaughan called Paine’s conduct on the field as “very very poor”. “Let’s be honest the captain of Australia since sandpaper gate has led this team with great distinction,attitude & never once has he crossed the line of negativity in my eyes,” Vaughan wrote on Twitter. “...but today his language behind the stumps & sledging today was back to the old days !! Very very poor !!” Former Australia
batsman Michael Hussey said he “didn’t like it” but added “it (the verbal volleys) didn’t overstep the mark”. Ashwin stood firm with Hanuma Vihari as the duo took India to safety at close of play with their 62-run stand in 269 balls. India finished on 334-5 chasing a daunting target of 407. India captain Ajinkya Rahane said he was not too concerned with the chatting in the middle “as long as it stays on the field”. In another bit of c o n t r o v e r s y, v i d e o s suggested that Steve Smith scuffed up the batsman’s guard at the crease. A view of the stump camera showed Smith shadow batting and then apparently rubbing off the pitch marks — made by the (Continued on page 25)
The first round of the Secure Innovations and Concepts Inc. (SIC)/ Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Endurance Championships has been green-lit to speed off on January 24 and the motorsport community has greeted it with much anticipation with dozens of competitors signaling their intention to race.
Continuing its support of motor racing in Guyana is First Class Auto Spares and Sales that has decided to be part of this historic meet with a $50,000 sponsorship. Representative of the First Class Auto; Richard Hamid who also competes in the 1500cc class, in an invited comment to the media, noted that he is pleased that the Executive of
the GMR&SC has managed to successfully negotiate the return of motorsports following the curtailed 2020 season brought about by covid-19. Hamid, who also competes in the 1500cc class, noted that himself like other competitors are eager to race but they understand that it will not be like before (Continued on page 29)
Wednesday January 13, 2021
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Pound says farewell to WADA and passes anti-doping torch (Reuters) ributes from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to IOC chief Thomas Bach poured in for retiring anti-doping crusader Dick Pound last week but there was understandably no applause from the likes of Lance Armstrong, Gary Bettman or Vladimir Putin. No doubt the sentiment of disgraced Tour de France champion Armstrong, NHL commissioner Bettman and Russian President Putin was good riddance to the nononsense Canadian lawyer who clearly delighted in ruffling feathers from the Kremlin to New York. For more than two decades Pound, who was charged in 1998 by then International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch with setting up a World AntiDoping Agency (WADA), has been a thorn in the side of drug cheats. He served as president of the agency he founded from 1999 to 2007 and then had a seat on WADA’s Foundation Board until his final term came to an end on Dec. 31. Loud, brash and at times outrageous, the hard-nosed Canadian straight-shooter attacked the doping problem with guns blazing, keeping the anti-doping battle in the headlines, elevating sport’s dirty little secret into a mainstream issue. Such brazenness, h o w e v e r, c a m e w i t h
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criticism - even from those on the same side of the antidoping fight - lawsuits and death threats. So despised was the WADA chief by Major League Baseball that Pound once claimed to Reuters that commissioner Bud Selig had two dartboards in his office, one with a picture of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden and the other of him. “I used to enjoy it when the Lance Armstrongs and all those came after me because it was an indication I was doing the right thing and all the bad guys self identified so it was fun,” Pound told Reuters. “In the great scheme of things I don’t think I am up there where governments would be concerned but there are lots of nutters out there. You just carry on,” added the 78-year-old. BASE HITS During his nine years as WADA president, Pound said there were no home runs just a string of base hits that advanced the anti-doping cause. With no meaningful outof-competition testing, a mish-mash of sanctions and banned substance lists, dopers operated with near impunity, picking from a menu of designer performance-enhancing drugs, until WADA came along. While nabbing cheats like Armstrong and sprinter Marion Jones grabbed headlines, it was the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound, poses in his offices in Montreal, Quebec, Canada February 26, 2020. (REUTERS/Christinne Muschi) mundane work of overseeing the drafting and implementation of the WADA Code and UNESCO treaty that laid the foundation for a global agency. “I think getting the idea of an independent international agency accepted by both the sport movement and governments was a big a step,” said Pound, who remains the longest serving member of the IOC. “Getting a Code so that everyone was singing off the same song sheet was important. “Bit-by-bit we got to a stage where we could not only coordinate the fight against doping in sport but actually bring organisations that are not compliant before CAS (Court of Arbitration
for Sport) like we just did with the Russians.” Certainly Pound was not afraid to pick a fight with dope cheats or sporting bodies that turned a blind eye to the abuses. Armstrong threatened to take him to court. Bettman was outraged when Pound claimed as many as one-third of NHL players used performance-enhancing drugs. But these were mere skirmishes in comparison to the never-ending war with Russia and state-sponsored doping that consumed his attention over the last five years. DOPING SCHEME It was Pound’s independent investigation in 2015 that uncovered an institutionalized doping
scheme within Russian athletics that led to more investigations and the uncovering of more deception. The Russian scandal divided the doping world, with the hard-liners demanding stronger punishment and attacking WA D A f o r w h a t w a s perceived as a weak response. Russia, which has in the past acknowledged some shortcomings in its implementation of antidoping policies, has always denied running a statesponsored doping programme. With Pound gone WADA has lost its most forceful and unapologetic voice, leaving a void he hopes will be filled by new president Witold Banka, Poland’s former Minister of Sport and Tourism and once a 400 metres sprinter. After nine years of P o u n d ’s ‘ D a m n t h e torpedoes’ philosophy,
WADA moved into a more statesman-like stage with Australian politician John Fahey and then British sports administrator Craig Reedie at the helm. Pound saw Fahey as unengaged and Reedie as non-confrontational and in the pocket of the IOC. The 36-year-old Banka, however, has displayed a Pound-like nose for a fight, taking on the U.S. over a threat to withhold funding and taking a poke at professional leagues for their unwillingness to beef-up testing. “This new guy Banka is young, he’s an athlete of stature and I think he is determined to do as much as possible,” said Pound. “For someone from the public authorities he is a breath of fresh air. “I’d like to see Banka succeed because that will send a message and maybe it will mean we won’t get some vanilla replacement when his term finishes.”
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Wednesday January 13, 2021
NBA roundup: Bucks ease past Magic
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i a n n i s Antetokounmpo scored 13 of his 22 points in the second half to lift the Bucks to a 121-99 victory over the host Orlando Magic on Monday, Milwaukee’s fifth win in six games. Khris Middleton collected 20 points and 10 rebounds and Bobby Portis finished with 20 points off the bench for Milwaukee. Middleton made 9 of 17 shots and Portis went 9 of 13 for the Bucks, who shot 50.5 percent (46 of 91) from the floor. O r l a n d o ’s N i k o l a Vucevic recorded 28 points and 13 rebounds for his third straight double-double and eighth of the season. Aaron Gordon had 21 points and eight assists for the Magic, who have dropped three in a row and five of seven since starting the season with a franchise-best 4-0 record. Charlotte Hornets 109 New York Knicks 88 Gordon Hayward scored 28 of his 34 points in the first half and host Charlotte picked up its fourth consecutive victory by defeating New York. Devonte’ Graham added
19 points, P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges each provided 13 points each and Terry Rozier had 12 points for the Hornets. Rookie guard LaMelo Ball, a 19year-old who became the youngest player in NBA history to produce a tripledouble two nights earlier, pulled in a game-high 14 rebounds to go with eight points, seven assists and three steals in a reserve role. Kevin Knox II, coming off the bench, poured in 19 points to lead the Knicks. Elfrid Payton posted 15 points, Austin Rivers had 13, Mitchell Robinson scored 12 and Julius Randle and RJ Barrett both contributed 11. Barrett shot 5-for-18 from the field, missing all five of his 3-point attempts. Memphis Grizzlies 101 Cleveland Cavaliers 91 Dillon Brooks scored 21 points and Jonas Valanciunas notched two of his 12 points on a critical putback with less than two minutes remaining as Memphis rallied to win at Cleveland. Brooks capped his teamhigh scoring performance on a deep 3-pointer with 36.1 seconds remaining, the final
points of a game-sealing 7-0 run for the Grizzlies. The decisive stretch began on Valanciunas’ put-back, which was one of the center’s seven rebounds. The entire Cavaliers starting five scored in double figures, led by Andre Drummond with 19 points. Drummond also grabbed 14 rebounds to continue his streak of recording doubledoubles in each of Cleveland’s 11 games this season. Cedi Osman and Damyean Dotson both scored 14 points. Atlanta Hawks 112 Philadelphia 76ers 94 Trae Young had 26 points and eight assists to help host Atlanta end its four-game losing streak with a win over short-handed Philadelphia. Atlanta also got 15 points and seven rebounds from De’Andre Hunter, 12 points and 11 rebounds from Clint Capela and 12 points and seven rebounds from John Collins. Brandon Goodwin came off the bench to score 15. Philadelphia rookie Isaiah Joe made four 3pointers and scored a seasonhigh 18. Tyrese Maxey scored 15 and rookie Dakota
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after scoring against the Detroit Pistons at the Bradley Center. (Nick Monroe/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports)
Mathias scored a seasonhigh 14. The 76ers lost their third straight game. Washington Wizards 128 Phoenix Suns 107 Bradley Beal finished with a game-high 34 points to go along with eight rebounds and a team-high nine assists to power host Washington to an easy
victory over Phoenix. Davis Bertans finished with 18 points by making six 3-pointers off the bench for Washington. Raul Neto had 16 points, Robin Lopez and Garrison Mathews 11 apiece and Rui Hachimura 10. Lopez added a game-high 11 rebounds. Devin Booker came up
one point short in his personal duel with Beal, totaling a team-high 33 points for the Suns, who never led. Chris Paul notched 14 points and a game-high 11 assists while Mikal Bridges chipped in 14 points and Dario Saric had 13. (Field Level Media)
‘No pool, no room service, no housekeeping’ - Indians upset - Players restricted to hotel-ground loop but to mingle in the team room at the hotel with DIY life at Brisbane hotel allowed
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SPNcricinfo - - India landed in Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon for the final Test at the Gabba, starting Friday. India were very reluctant to travel to Brisbane because of a combination of factors. The big one was the fear of being restricted in their hotel rooms when not at the ground, reminiscent of the twoweek hard quarantine the visitors observed upon landing in Sydney in November. However, through lengthy deliberations over the past few weeks, Cricket Australia has assured BCCI that the Indian squad would not have to deal with a hard quarantine. As an example, though their movement would still be restricted between the hotel and the Gabba, they would be able to mingle in the team room. That finally paved the way for India agreeing to travel to Brisbane. What annoyed the squad, though, was discovering on their arrival at the team hotel that there would be no housekeeping. More than one person in the Indian camp said they had never been told about the DIY life at the hotel. Although they were not allowed to roam freely in Sydney during the third Test either, they had the room
The Indians’ movement will be restricted between the hotel and the Gabba, but they will be able to mingle in the team room. (AFP via Getty Images) service and housekeeping facilities at the hotel. Here, not so. “There is a gym, a basic one,” one person said. “No pool, no room service, no housekeeping.” There is no in-house food or
beverage option at the hotel either. It is understood that an external contractor has been hired to provide catering to the two teams but they cannot order anything customised. They do have the option, though, of
ordering via food apps. One reason behind the absence of housekeeping and other hotel staff could be that the BCCI had told CA it would want the Indian squad to fly out of Brisbane
immediately after the Test. To ensure maximum safeguards, it is possible CA agreed to having the bare minimum hotel staff to avoid unnecessary contact with a person outside the bio-secure environment. However, the Indian camp is not satisfied with the arrangements, especially considering there are some players traveling with families. The other major point of irritation for the Indian camp is the ban on using the hotel pool. Several players with niggles or injuries, including key bowlers - Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin - would want to utilise the swimming pool as part of the recovery process. However, the pools are off limits because of the fear of community spread of the Covid-19 virus. The Indians were also afraid of being asked to isolate for a further two weeks on their return to India from Brisbane because of one reported case of a person being infected by the new UK-strain of the virus in Brisbane. That would have affected their plans for the home series against England, starting February 5. As of now, though, there is no bar on travelers flying in to India from Brisbane.
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Umpire Basil Morgan gets Montserrat’s 2nd highest honour By Sean Devers Hailing from the small Island of Montserrat where, after centuries of being dormant, the Soufriere Hills Volcano erupted in July 1995 destroying the Capital Plymouth, International Cricket Umpire Basil Morgan received his Country’s second highest Honour for his contribution to cricket in Montserrat, the Leeward Islands and the West Indies. While for most people globally, 2020 was a year they would like to forget due the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But for the affable 73-year-old Morgan, who has a Guyanese wife, despite the trials and tribulations 2020 brought with, it was a year he would want to remember for as long as he lives since in November 2020 he received the Order of Excellence from the government of Montserrat. The former statistician received an award earlier in the year from the world statistician body for his outstanding achievement of over 50 years as a statistician, while in October he was recognised by the Leewards Islands Cricket Association (LICA) for 60 years of contributing to Montserrat and Leewards cricket. “Last year was not a bad one for me personally. I received the Country’s second highest honour, a trophy from LICA for my contribution to cricket in the Leewards, a trophy for 50 years of involvement as a member of the world body of cricket statisticians,” said the right Honourable Basil Elliott Walton Morgan. At the Ceremony to bestow the Honour on
Morgan from the LICA, Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Ricky Skerritt said Morgan is one of the regional umpires to follow, while President of the LICA Enoch L e w i s s a i d M o r g a n ’s extensive contribution to Montserrat, Leeward Island and West Indies cricket over the past sixty years represents absolute commitment, dedication, and loyalty for the sport of cricket. Morgan officiated in 16 ODIs between 1996 and 2 0 0 1 , w a s Te l e v i s i o n Umpire in four Test matches and stood in 90 first Class matches and is the only person from the tiny Island to officiate in an International cricket match. Born on May 13, 1947 in British Overseas Territory of Montserrat, to William and Louise Morgan and while he played the game and was good enough to make his debut as a player in 1965 for Montserrat as an off-spinner facing some of the great cricketers in the region like Sir Vivian Richards, Sir A n d y R o b e r t s , Ve r o n Edwards, Sir Enoch Lewis among others, his claim to fame came as an Umpire and cricket statistician. “At the age of twelve years I began appreciating the game of cricket and spent four years as the local league scorer, as well as Primary School Cricket Umpire. My involvement in cricket starts from being a scorer. I was also a player, Groundsman, selector, secretary of local cricket statistician, match referee, manager. I also did a little bit of coaching and I am indeed thankful to God for giving me health and energy to get all these things done,” said Morgan who officially
Guyana appointed to Chair World Archery America’s Gender Equity Committee
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rchery Guyana continues to make strides in the international arena, this time through its’ Secretary General, Vidushi PersaudMcKinnon, who was appointed Chair of the World Archery Americas inaugural five-member Committee to deal with gender-equity matters in our continent. The creation of this committee is an important step towards enhancing
equal involvement of both genders in all archeryrelated areas. Its members will work in coordination with World Archery’s Homonymous Committee and Pan Am Sports’ Women in Sports Committee. The Committee is comprised of Mrs. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon (Chair), Barbara Hernandez (DOM), Natalia Londoño (COL) Maria Andrea Mejicanos (GUA) y Cesar Otarola (CHI).
retired as a local Cricket Umpire after serving 52 years in the sport from 1960 to 2012. On his retirement Morgan was honoured by the Ministry of Education, Youth affairs and Sports at the Cultural Centre. “It has been a pleasure serving my country and it delighted me to see the youth grasping for and reaching toward positive objectives where the game is concerned. I can only hope that those who are currently involved will uphold the standards of Cricket and continue to pursue the game as a lifetime career, making themselves and Montserrat proud. I am satisfied that thr ugh his involvement, o the game has developed particularly in Montserrat over the past 50 years,” Morgan noted. Morgan thanked former regional umpire Theodore Bramble, Frank Edwards, Pat Whyte, Lloyd Barker, Steve Bucknor and Eddy Nicholas. He also thanked
Umpire Basil Morgan receiving an award
MCA, LICA, CWI, West Indies Players Association, ICC and former head of the WCUA Chetram Singh for supporting and encouraging
him throughout his career. I (this writer) remembered whenever I was doing Radio Commentary in Antigua, St Kitts, Nevis, St
Martin or Anguilla I would say hello to Umpire Morgan and he would send me information on the Leewards players and team.
Australian & Chinese Grands Prix postponed because of coronavirus restrictions Valtteri Bottas won the last Australian Grand Prix in 2019. (Getty Images)
BBC Sport - This year’s Formula 1 season will have a delayed start after the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix were postponed because of Covid-19 restrictions. The races were first and third on the 2021 calendar and the season is now scheduled to begin with the second race, in Bahrain, on 26-28 March. Australia and China have strict rules on international arrivals. The Australian Grand Prix, originally scheduled for 19-21 March, will now take place between 19-21 November. A race at Imola in Italy has been added from 16-18 April and becomes the second race of the season. “We are pleased to confirm that the number of races planned for the season remains unchanged,” F1 president Stefano Domenicali said. “The global pandemic has not yet allowed life to return to normal, but we showed in 2020 that we can race safely as the first international sport to return and we have the experience and plans in place to deliver
on our season.” F1 says discussions over a new date for the Chinese Grand Prix, which was meant to be held from 9-11 April, are ongoing. The third race of the season, scheduled for May 2, is yet to be confirmed but it is expected to be filled by Portugal’s Portimao circuit following its debut last year. The dates of the Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi events have been moved to accommodate the postponed Australia race. Brazil moves forward one week to 7 November, while the latter two have been pushed back a week to 5 and 12 December respectively. Only 17 of the 22 scheduled F1 races went
ahead in 2020 while the 2021 season is due to have a record 23 races. Imola, a historic F1 venue which held a grand prix for 27 consecutive years from 1980, hosted its first race since 2006 in November last year. “It is great news that we have already been able to agree a rescheduled date for the Australian Grand Prix in November and are continuing to work with our Chinese colleagues to find a solution to race there in 2021 if something changes,” Domenicali added. “Obviously, the virus situation remains fluid, but we have the experience from last season with all our partners and promoters to adapt accordingly and safely
in 2021.” Valtteri Bottas won the last Australian Grand Prix in 2019, after the 2020 race was called off only hours before first practice was due to start when a McLaren team member tested positive for coronavirus. Updated 2021 F1 race calendar 28 March Bahrain (Sakhir) 18 April Italy (Imola) 2 May TBC 9 May Spain (Barcelona) 23 May Monaco (Monaco) 6 J u n e Azerbaijan (Baku) 13 June Canada (Montreal) (Continued on page 29)
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Wednesday January 13, 2021
Gayle sees Pooran as probable heir apparent. “He is going to be even more dangerous!”
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portsMax - With 13584 runs, 22 centuries and 85 50s under his belt Christopher Henry Gayle is arguably the greatest T20 batsman in history. It is a sentiment shared by his Kings XI Punjab teammate Mandeep Singh, who said as much after the pair powered KXIP to an eight-wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders last October. However, as the veteran opening bat soldiers on in the twilight of his illustrious career, he believes his successor is already on the scene waiting to assume the mantle of greatest T20 player. Gayle, who turned 41 last S e p t e m b e r, b e l i e v e s Nicholas Pooran, a player who KXIP Coach Mike Hesson described as the “young Gayle” back in 2019, possesses all the tools to be
the heir apparent. Pooran, who was Gayle’s KXIP teammate last season, impressed while scoring more than 350 runs in 14 matches during the 2020 IPL. And while he has not set the world alight for the Melbourne Stars in the ongoing Big Bash League, Gayle believes the 25-yearold Trinidadian is well on his way to becoming a great player. “He is a bright prospect. He has a bright future ahead of him,” Gayle told Sportsmax.TV on Saturday while he was in attendance at the launch of Olympian Michael Frater’s cannabis dispensary in Kingston. “He is going so well, had a great IPL, beautiful striker of the ball, super, super talented guy.” While acknowledging that Pooran is not yet the finished product, Gayle said the signs are there that he is
getting better. “His batting is improving. He is getting better and better. I think he is getting to know his game, how to build an innings, which is very important; how to take down whichever bowler at any particular time. Once he can master those things as quickly as possible he is going to be even more dangerous,” Gayle said while revealing that the Trinidadian star, possesses other important traits as well. “We play together and we talk and he is a guy who never shies away from asking a question and he likes to talk about cricket as well. “He is never shy to ask and learn and tries to improve on his mistakes. He seeks advice, which is good. I like that about him,” Gayle concluded.
Big Bash League:
Jason Roy & Liam Livingstone star in Perth Scorchers win
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NFL coach turns down Presidential Medal of Freedom Bill Belichick:
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Jason Roy led Perth Scorchers’ victory charge. (Getty Images)
BC Sport E n g l a n d batsmen Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone led Perth Scorchers to a ninewicket trouncing of Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League. With the Scorchers chasing 140, openers Roy and Livingstone added 123. Both men made their first half-centuries of the season, Livingstone eventually caught at deep square leg for 54 and Roy ending unbeaten on 74. An excellent home
Chris Gayle (right) sees Nicholas Pooran as probable heir apparent.
bowling performance restricted Hobart to 139-5, despite 54 from D’Arcy Short. England’s Dawid Malan, the number one ranked Twenty20 batsman in the world, fell for a duck, chipping Jason Behrendorff to mid-on. Defending such a meagre total, the Hurricanes needed wickets, but missed the chance to remove Livingstone before he had scored when Short put down a simple chance at gully.
The Scorchers also took the Bash Boost point on the way to winning with 22 balls to spare, a fifth successive victory lifting them to third in the table. However, they did suffer an injury concern when Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh pulled up after bowling three balls because of a side problem. Scores: Perth Scorchers 1 for 140 (Roy 74*, Livingstone 54) beat Hobart Hurricanes 5 for 139 (Short 54, David 31*) by nine wickets.
BC Sport - Top NFL coach Bill Belichick says he will not accept President Donald Trump’s offer of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, citing the US Capitol riot. Belichick, of the New England Patriots, said he was flattered when he was first offered the medal - the top award given to civilians in the US. But he said he changed his mind after a mob of Trump supporters stormed Congress last week. Five people died. The celebrated coach had previously spoken of his friendship with Mr Trump. “Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honour represents and admiration for prior recipients,” Belichick said in a statement. “Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award.” Belichick, who has won a record six Super Bowl titles, is considered one of the most successful coaches in NFL history. The Presidential Medal of Freedom recognises individuals who have made outstanding contributions to “the security or national interests of America”. In 2019 Mr Trump gave
New England Patriots’s Bill Belichick is considered one of the most successful coaches in NFL history. Adam Glanzman) the award to golfer Tiger Woods, as well as radio personality Rush Limbaugh and posthumously Elvis Presley. Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter Donald Trump may only have recently made a career of politics, but he’s always loved sport. He owns 17 golf courses and once bought and ran the New Jersey Generals of the US Football League. Just last week, he awarded three presidential medals of freedom to professional golfers. This week he was planning to honour the most successful professional football coach in modern times, Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. The president seems to particularly enjoy the company of sport figures and
revel in their achievements and prowess. So for Belichick, a personal friend of the president’s, to decline the award is a stinging rebuke. The coach’s decision reflects the depth of the political crisis the president has created in the past week. It also highlights the troubled relationship Trump has had with the National Football League and its players, who he has disparaged for Black Lives Matter protests during the US national anthem. Belichick, a sometimes bristling, controversial figure with more than a few detractors, is used to public animosity. A coach can’t win without the commitment of his players, however, and Belichick clearly believed his relationship with his team would be jeopardised by associating himself with Trump at this point.
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Providence Stadium Pitch in almost perfect condition - Minister Ramson “Let’s be clear, the Guyana National Stadium is not owned by anyone, it’s owned by the people of the country.” This image of the Providence Cricket Pitch was published in other sections of the media in contrast to the reality.
Guyana National Stadium Providence Pitch area; photo taken by Franklin Wilson on Tuesday Jan. 12 at 13 55hrs. By Franklin Wilson Stating that it was a consorted attempt to malign the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport (MCY&S) and to prevent the use of the Guyana National Stadium, Providence for football, subject Minister Charles Ramson Jnr. visited and inspected the facility yesterday afternoon following negative articles carried in various sections of the print media, claiming that ‘football’ has damaged the pitch and field. Being the hands on person he is, Minister Ramson made the trip to the facility to ascertain the claims of damage made since he was part and parcel of the BounceBack Football Fiesta which was contested at the Stadium on December 29th, 2020 and January 1st, 2021 in collaboration with the Guyana Football Federation and Kashif and Shanghai Organisation. With the print and electronic media in attendance, Minister Ramson stated in no uncertain terms that the Stadium is owned by the various sports as it is there to be utilised to advance the development of the respective sports persons at the national and global levels. He noted that the GFF, one of the national associations would be required to prepare its Senior M e n ’s N a t i o n a l Te a m (SMNT) for World Cup Qualification matches commencing in March of
this year. “It was brought to my attention that a body that calls themselves GCB wrote to the Manager of the National Stadium on the 6th of January to request the usage of the Guyana National Stadium in preparation for them to get ready for the Super50. In any event, I’m advised that the groundsmen require three weeks’ notice in order for them to be able to get the pitch square in a ready condition for them to be able to use it; the outfield is always usable.” “There is no damage to this pitch that would stop usage with normal preparatory type timings, so then the question is, why would there be a disconcerted attempt to malign the stadium and the ministry only for the usage of cricket and for persons who are favoured?” Minister Ramson posited that that may have happened in the past noting that prior to 2015, 15 to 20 events would have been held at the facility annually as compared to the last two years, which was three annually. Maximum usage of the facility is required Ramson stated, pointing out that for that to be attained it requires the people having access, unhindered. MCY&S does not recognise body calling itself, GCB Minister Charles Ramson declared that his Ministry does not recognise the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) since the restoration
o f t h e C r i c k e t Administration Act that took place last September which paves the way for elections at the Demerara Cricket Board and subsequently, the Guyana Cricket Board. “Until there is an election the ministry of culture youth and sport is not engaging with a body that does not comply with the laws of Guyana. That’s why since the restoration of the act we have not engaged with the body that calls itself the GCB. Even though we have not done anything that would have disallowed them from carrying on activities as a particular body because we are now in the transition of having an elected body in accordance with the act, we are not engaging with them formally because we do not recognise them as the legitimate body representing cricket in Guyana on a national basis until they are compliant with the act.” Minster Ramson informed that there would be a court decision in a few days that would direct when the above mentioned elections would take place. “So it’s just a matter of time before that occurs; but until that occurs we are not engaging an illegitimate body.” The media was informed by Ramson that he was written to and invited to bowl off a tournament late last year but he responded informing the GCB that they should not do so since he was not engaging with a noncompliant body. He said that given the
fact that his Ministry’s interest is in sportsmen and women developing and advancing their respective careers within a structure, taking into account affiliation with regional and international bodies which also aid in advancing their careers, the letter with the GCB was not made public. “But at the same time, we cannot allow a situation to
occur where there is an attempt to discredit the ministry in a public which is not accurate. I invited all of the media houses here today (yesterday) so that they can get a first hand view for themselves, what is the state and condition of the Guyana national stadium. And it is an almost perfect situation, condition so that the event which occurred here, which
was not the first time, we’ve had events of a similar nature that have occurred many times before; but there are some people who believe that Guyana national stadium must only be the reserve or the preserve of the few and not the many and that is not the way it is going to be done in the future, it’s not the way that it’s going to be done now.”
Providence Stadium Pitch in almost rt Spo perfect condition - Minister Ramson “Let’s be clear, the Guyana National Stadium is not owned by anyone, it’s owned by the people of the country.”
Honourable Minister of CY&S Charles Ramson Jnr. inspecting the Providence pitch area at 13 56hrs on Tuesday Jan.12, 2021. (Franklin Wilson photo)
The right honorable Basil Morgan
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