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Kaieteur News
Wednesday June 16, 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
Vaccines and Vaccination As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the critical issue of vaccines and vaccine availability is something that has underscored major divisions in the global community. Even as some wealthy countries in the top global economic bracket are hoarding more vaccines than their citizens are even willing to take, other smaller nations are facing trouble even getting vaccines in the first place. For example, Trinidad and Tobago, our normally more progressive CARICOM sister country, has had serious trouble in sourcing the vaccine in sufficient numbers to immunise its 1.4 million population, twice the size of Guyana’s. Things have become so dire in Trinidad to the point that the US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago tweeted on Sunday that: “The Government of the United States of America has made a donation of COVID-19 vaccines to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. The donation includes 80 vials of Pfizer vaccines. The United States is committed to assisting the Government of Trinidad and Tobago with its vaccination efforts. We believe that every vaccine counts.” While the miniscule amount of the donation was lambasted, the fact that the Government of Trinidad humbly accepted it underscored the dire situation there. And even with the recent availability of some vaccines, Prime Minister, Keith Rowley, found himself having to apologise this past weekend for what was essentially a stampede to get vaccines, admitting that he as government had attempted to “do too much with too little.” In contrast, Guyana has so far seen over 100,000 citizens or about one-eighth of our population receiving at least one dose of the vaccine with about half that number having been fully vaccinated. The administrative side of things seems to be running smoothly as well, with the Guyana Defence Force even being integrated into the process, with ranks seconded across the country to assist in the non-clinical, administrative processes in the rollout. One area the Administration has stumbled considerably on however is using modern communication technology to inform the public when and where to get vaccines, as well as providing information about the process. There is no central portal with up to date information readily available on stationary or transient vaccination sites, particularly on social media. Queries on the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page regularly go unanswered. And it isn’t that social media is ineffective. A push on Facebook by First Lady Arya Ali saw dozens turn up for a vaccination drive she hosted a few weeks back. That said, the largest hurdle to reaching a critical mass of vaccination is not going to be the cost of the vaccines, or glitches in the rollout, or poor public relations on vaccination but what is referred to, often euphemistically, as vaccine hesitation. Even with the progress made with regard to the Government’s vaccination drive, we are still far below any reasonable escape velocity when it comes to COVID-19 immunisation and a slowdown appears to be on the horizon, one pushed by a growing, multifaceted skepticism based in part by partisan politicking to the opposition base, faithbased distrust of the vaccine or vaccination in general, and the impact of global conspiracy theories about the supposedly nefarious purpose of any significant public health measure. Anglo-American comedian and journalist, John Oliver, in a recent edition of his ‘Last Week Tonight’ Show on HBO summed up the efficacy or lack thereof when it comes to tackling vaccine hesitancy (the sharper term is ‘anti-vaxxing’) and the best possible way of persuading the skeptical that the vaccine is a good thing: “In researching this piece, experts repeatedly told us the vaccine hesitant generally don’t respond well to hearing from politicians, celebrities or athletes telling them to get the vaccine. And I get that. I would love to think that I could end this piece having carefully laid out some data with a triumphant call for people to get vaccinated. The truth is, I am not going to convince the people in your life who are hesitant – the person with the best chance of doing that is you.” The numbers of the dead from COVID-19 are rising. The names and faces are increasingly less anonymous. At this point in time, the 100,000 citizens who have taken that critical first step to become vaccinated have to take the initiative to convince their friends and family who are skeptical to go out and become vaccinated. This would be more effective than a thousand government initiatives.
NEEDLESS COVID-19 DEATHS! DEAR EDITOR, I am very saddened by the needless COVID-19 DEATHS prevailing worldwide and now in Guyana, when a door of God’s Mercy has been provided through the discovery of the anti-viral effects of a known medication named IVERMECTIN. This has been found to be safe, affordable and very effective against the virus by an eminently qualified group - the FRONTLINE COVID-19 CRITICAL CARE ALLIANCE doctors (Google FLCCC). This group, led by Pulmonologist, Dr. Pierre Cory, presented their evidence-based conclusions as to the merits of Ivermectin to PREVENT and TREAT COVID-19 at the U.S. Senate in November 2020. However,
the Global Regulatory bodies, the W.H.O., F.D.A., N.I.H. and C.D.C. responded ranging from “Pending approval” (W.H.O.) to “Neither for or against” (N.I.H.) to ”Silence”, according to Jamaican Surgeon, Dr. Charles Royes, in his presentation on the subject. I am heartened by the decision of the Government of India, which firstly conducted trials with Ivermectin in two states, Delhi and Goa and when they had great success, officially recommended the medication nationwide for the treatment of COVID-19 (The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, AIIMS, April 20, 2021.) Mexico is also experiencing success over COVID-19 using the Ivermectin protocol.
Our own Dr. Zulfikar Bux, Emergency Medicine Specialist, G.P.H.C. and Asst. Professor of E.R. Vanderbilt Medical Center, testified in the Sunday Kaieteur Newspaper, June 6, 2021 concerning Ivermectin: ”Ivermectin works! ... My clinical experience using Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients has also been excellent. It has a strong safety profile and is a far better option to explore to help control COVID19 infection and death rates before considering a systemic lockdown”. I am so grateful for your honest assessment, Dr. Bux! In closing, I urge our Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, whose medical specialty is Public Health, to use his good judgment and
advise the Government towards the saving of Guyanese lives. Why should we subject our entire society to experimental vaccination that cannot, at this point, guarantee safety or efficacy and to a very restrictive protocol that tends to cripple our economy and our mental health, when we have access to an oral, safe affordable and very effective medication? The Word of God counsels: “So, whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is Sin.” (James 4:17) God is the Judge. GUYANESE LIVES MATTER! HUMAN LIVES MATTER! Standing for the Sanctity of Human Life, Bernice Walcott
Mangroves have their role DEAR EDITOR, We need mangroves; mangroves do not need us. In response to Mr. Charles Sohan’s letter, dated 12 June, 2021 allow me to express my apprehension as regards to annihilation of mangroves. It is while strolling along the Ogle seawall that I discovered recently planted mangroves growing majestically as if earth is kissing the Atlantic Ocean with pride, and the recent addition of coconut trees, wave their palms to the ocean with joy. The peace and tranquility were mine while this happened. Besides my poetic expression of mangroves, I would like us to understand the
significance of planting and preserving mangroves along the seafront. It is no new knowledge, but timely reminders along with disciplinary measures of destroying mangroves will be of great significance. Economic development is important, but at what cost must be a counter feasibility question. As Guyana hits centrestage on the world business market, especially through oil and gas production, it is important to self-evaluate on some of the critical matters of concern that every Guyanese must be pondering in their minds. I am not here to harangue on mangrove and its importance, but to ask a few
fundamental questions. I was appalled to hear that mangrove has been destroyed in certain areas. First of all, these mangroves were planted by volunteers and people who want to protect coastline from land erosion as a natural sea defence. The fact is that everyone is aware of the benefits of mangroves because Project Mangrove would have ample feasibility studies done with pros and cons being weighted well. If we focus on economic development at the cost of our mangrove, it is imminent that our future generations will have to pay the price, especially on the coast. Coastal development is the
major cause of destruction of mangroves. If we protect mangroves, they will protect us. If not, we will perish as they have been made to perish. We have to put up with certain uncomfortable situations, such as mosquitoes and crustaceans. This situation will prevail even if we did not have mangroves. We might be a little uncomfortable, but rest assured future generations will have a better life if we protect mangroves. Hence, I urge all of us to make efforts to ensure that our mangrove is protected at all costs. We need mangroves; mangroves do not need us. Jerri Dias
G7 Summit - flattering to deceive DEAR EDITOR, The G-7 leaders would have done the world a service, if they had stayed home in their climate-controlled homes, and pristine environments. As far as I am concerned, the G-7 Summit was an exercise in trumpet blaring and mutual selfcongratulations, on a job well done. It was a con job, with plenty of embedded promises and expectations, and the just as usual dispiriting; just like political manifestoes and party congresses, with an abundance of hot air followed by cold reality. From my perspective, the world would be better off if G-7 chiefs had remained in their G-strings, and stuck to their knitting. That is, fooling the people and the world of good intentions about climate change and the environment, about
poverty amelioration, about related debt relief, and about what matters to the world’s exploited and endangered, and not to self-interests. India and China might care enough about that clamp on coal, but why not something along the same lines in the long-awaited, highly anticipated action against fossil fuels dependency? China may care about the great game of nations, and what is bubbling up against its visions and objectives, but not the bulk of lesser developed societies. The G7 Summit and leaders should have stayed home to assure their political future. Once again, poor nations and their multitudes of poorer people, mostly coloureds, are put in their proper places. Meaning, at the bottom: they belong there, and must stay there. Just ask their foreign
exploiters (like Exxon) and their local quislings (like the PPP and PNC). I recognised early that the jig was up, when U.S President, Joe Biden, made a big splash about climate change from White House porticos, and then started to sway sideways, as though he is Notorious B.I.G or Floyd Mayweather. What a balloon, what a letdown… I will say this now, and I am speaking for Exxon: the only change of substance happening with climate change is that nothing is changing. Editor, Guyanese may be impressed with local and foreign political operators, but I don’t care if they are Joe Biden or the apologies we have here, they are almost all a pack of unmentionables, unreconstructed mistakes in suits (and dresses). The UN itself said that there is an unprecedented
pandemic-driven unemployment crisis g l o b a l l y, and these mothers pick on coal. I say, why not? It has a reputation as black as Mephistopheles, and represents easy pickings. India had better beware: sanctions for excess atmospheric contamination. Oh, and it is another way to put the squeeze on China. But I have to hand it to them, they are smart; slick is more the word. In the quid pro quo for doing nothing, after all the hullabaloos, on climate change, there was corporate giveback of 15 percent taxes. Smart, isn’t it? Note not much of corporate laments. But in true paternal colonialist fashion, they did stick it to us to the tune of a billion vaccines. Take that, and no grimacing, not even an ‘ouch’. Sincerely, GHK Lall
Wednesday June 16, 2021
With assassination, the Attorney General only touched the surface DEAR EDITOR, The Media has been fulsome with reports on Attorney General Nandlall’s very robust statement in Parliament, when he altered Rodney’s Death Certificate from ‘unemployed’ to Professor and cause of death, to assassination. Sections of the media have also for years been pointing accusing fingers in a particular direction, and I am a little surprised that those who ought to have some facts have not been seeking to set the record straight. If you use the word ‘assassination,’ as a legal person, the Hon. Attorney General should be able with the same gusto say who is the assassin, based on evidence that is credible, and convincing. We look forward to similar treatment for the death of the likes of Ronald Waddell, Courtney Crum Ewing, Minister Satyadeow ‘Sash’ Sawh, and the Bacchus’ brothers from Princes Street, Lodge. But Editor, here is the problem, hypocrisy and the failure of those who ought to know better to explain much more of the Rodney saga that we have heard of so far. First, why did universities in Jamaica and universities in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania said goodbye to Rodney. Senior politicians in Tanzania did say that Rodney seemed interested in pursuing the path of a violent revolution. Next, is it true that Dublin and his colleagues were shot by the police after they had purchased rifles from a certain source? Whether they were set up or not is another
matter. They say, “when you play with fire, you get burn.” After several enquiries, and statements by those who were confident that their understanding of what happened on that fateful night in June 1980, was all that there was to know. But so far, no one has explained what Rodney was doing outside of the prison wall, to ask, as they claimed, to test a walkie-talkie. This is so ridiculous for the leader of what was a large group to himself, to test a walkie-talkie, an instrument that can be bought over the counter in any Radio Shack or electronic store. Next question, why did he not take with him that night, a senior member of the WPA, but opted for his dear beloved brother? Only he and maybe those who knew the real story could answer. But most worrisome is that we are ignoring the logic and sequence of events as written by Gregory Smith, who described the whole incident as an accident. Did Rodney know he was carrying a lethal weapon, or was it a harmless walkie-talkie, which young boys and girls can test and operate? If it were a weapon or a bomb, was it to blow up the walls of the prison to cause confusion? Are the people of Guyana being consumed by yet another propaganda blitz? Every story is manysided. After 41 years, we may yet learn of the real story, but use this strategy of a great academic for pure political purposes. Yours truly, Nigel Bacchus
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Only in the mind of Freddie Kissoon DEAR EDITOR, I refer to Freddie Kissoon’s columns published in the Kaieteur News, June 14 and 15, 2021 editions, captioned, “This country has produced one of history’s most demonic, evil political parties” and “The documents have the stamp of Thomas and Roopnaraine” respectively. Much of what Kissoon wrote in his columns are not worthy of a response as it would be dignifying nonsense. However, I will deal with aspects of each column. Kissoon in his June14 column is claiming that the WPA is the most demonic and evil political party Guyana has produced. By any standards, this is an idiotic position that can’t be supported by evidence. And it is coming from a man who sees himself as a foremost intellectual versed in social, historical and political theory. The nonsense he writes brings disgrace to that special group of learned men/women called intellectuals. He posed a challenge to the WPA, which should not go without a response. Before I address that matter, let me deal with his statement: “But the WPA never, never discussed at the party level anything whatsoever about bringing up Rodney’s legacy with the Guyana Government of which it was a part.” In making this declaration, Freddie is doing his usual devious propagandising and self-promotion, creating the impression that he knows what is discussed in the WPA executive - which he doesn’t. Now let me return to his more important utterance that
warrants my response: “...the WPA needs to explain to the Guyanese people why it did not do between May 2015 and July 2020 what the PPP did in August 2021 in support of Rodney.” In the above, I am replacing “in” with since to make sense. This huge obsession of Freddie Kissoon with what the WPA did or did not do when it was part of the coalition government, be it Rodney or otherwise: has a simple answer. The WPA was never in a position to do what the PPP did since it was not in the government in the same way as the PPP. In his June 15, 2021 column Freddie Kissoon’s crusade against the WPA continues. This time, he slides deeper in the cesspit of deception and misinformation, which has long become his trade mark in his public writings. It is also clear that he has absolutely no intelligence about WPA’s configuration and inner workings. His claim that Clive Thomas was responsible for the closure of GuySuCo is malicious and slanderous; Kissoon knows when the decision to close the respective sugar estates was made. Thomas’s stewardship of GuySuCo board had ended. He is also aware that it is the AFC’s Minister of Agriculture who made the decision to close down the estates. What the “know all” Kissoon is apparently unaware of is that the AFC’s decision and public announcement forced the Cabinet to endorse the decision. None of this has
anything to do with Clive Thomas. In political terms, Kissoon is labelling the APNU+AFC coalition government as PNC/WPA government not revisionism but gross disrespect for Guyanese intelligence. It is public knowledge that the then government was 60 percent APNU and 40 percent AFC yet Kissoon claimed otherwise. Why? His utterances says it all, he is seeking to portray the WPA as having hostility to Indian sugar workers/their families and the interest of the wider Indian community. He wrote, “…On the contrary, the PNC/ WPA government sought vendetta. It jeopardised the livelihood of 28,000 East Indians on the sugar estate when it dismissed 5,000 sugar workers.” This is Kissoon playing the race card, and actively promoting political and ethnic division. In another of his mythical fancies, he reduces the recent WPA statements to the work of Clive Thomas and Rupert Roopnaraine and not the party executive. He contended, “The press releases have the stamp of Clive Thomas and Rupert Roopnaraine.” There is method in Kissoon’s madness. He is banking on the fact that neither Thomas nor Roopnaraine have ever responded to his wicked
rumblings. And in this case, they would not do so now. I also note with interest, Kissoon’s efforts to avoid a polemic with Dr. David Hinds. He removes Hinds from having anything to do with the writing of the WPA statements. He needs to return to his crystal ball. And by the way Kissoon, Brother Deon’s surname is Abrams not Abraham. In ending this polemic, I must state that Freddie Kissoon’s contention that the WPA is demonic and evil, and his claim that the WPA’s recent statements are the work of Clive Thomas and Rupert Roopnaraine are fictions of his imagination, and a reflection of a corrupted mind unleashing a poisonous dislike for the WPA. Why? Why all this ferocity against a political party that he consistently claims is dead? The record will show that the WPA never engaged in communal violence, never killed/assassinated any political opponent or any Guyanese, was never in control of government, repressed any group of people or built a criminal state or dictatorship. Without having these reprehensible credentials, how on earth can the WPA be credibly described as politically demonic and evil? Only in the mind of Freddie Kissoon, this is possible. Tacuma Ogunseye
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Kaieteur News
Open Letter to the Guyanese Government and Opposition DEAR EDITOR, Like Guyanese everywhere, I am deeply concerned about the present environmental disasters affecting Guyana. There is a formality but it is partly political and directly in the power of political managers. I assure these managers that this is not an argument for power-sharing, which is now seen as a crime and a diversion from destiny. This letter is about the countrywide floods, the pandemic, and the impact of the new oil industry on the environment, and on longterm survival. At the outset, let me say that regardless of whether my ideas and recommendations are accepted or not, I wish those in control of government as much success as possible in efforts to manage the disasters named and avoid damage to life, property, and ecology. This wish for success would have applied the same way if the previous government had
been in office. The political system allows single party management of disasters. This is regrettable but since the system cannot change overnight, I sincerely hope that in the interests of Guyanese of every description and political grouping, we can get away with it at least for this time. Whether Guyanese support the government or the opposition, it is in our common interest to wish success to all survival measures taken, and are about to be taken, for our common preservation. In practical terms, it is my experience that disasters, epidemics or pandemics and environmental slippage can be more effectively approached by representative non-partisan or all-partisan working groups regarding each other as fellow citizens, fellow humans, and people in the same boat. Failure to work for and develop groupings and task forces along all
party-lines is not the fault of any one party. All governments have traditionally turned national projects into party projects with the aim of eclipsing political rivals. In other words, they have carried the spirit of the election campaign into daily life between elections. Each new government repeats the practice of the government before it because its supporters expect it to do so and to gain political advantage. During my first visit to the African continent, even as one-party regimes were spreading, I heard from ordinary people the phrase, “he chop, make I chop.” It was used as an excuse, for copying bad practices rather than best practice, so as not to appear stupid or be left behind. It seemed that this behaviour could be found in individuals, in parties, and in governments. In the case of Guyana, if I am to avoid naming and blaming both of which are
Donald Ramotar responds to Freddie Kissoon DEAR EDITOR, I am once more reluctantly replying to some misrepresentations made by Mr. Freddie Kissoon. I have responded to those charges before, however, after some months elapsed, Mr. Kissoon returns to the same subjects and make the same inaccurate charges thus forcing me to respond once again. On June 6, 2021 in his Kaieteur News column, he said: 1. That he was dismissed from his job at the University of Guyana in 2012. That is not the whole truth. Indeed Mr. Kissoon had reached retirement age and his contract was not renewed by the Appointment Committee. At the time, he was not the only person that the Appointment Committee did not renew their contracts having reached retirement age, seven others met the
same faith. The Committee had made a statement at the time responding to Mr. Kissoon’s allegations, which he did not respond to. 2. He also charged that his wife was pressured out of her job at GO-INVEST. (In previous times, he claimed she was dismissed.) That is far from the truth. I recall that Mr. Keith Burrows told me that Mrs. Kissoon had resigned. He expressed disappointment at her resignation because he added that she was a very good worker and he really did not want to lose her. I recall telling him if he thought so, he should try to persuade her to stay. He later told me that he spoke to her, but she had refused to stay on, saying she found a higher paying job. Mr. Burrows can verify this.
3. He charged that his nephew was struck down by my son in Kitty. This is another falsification. If my son had struck down Mr. Kissoon’s nephew, then the logical conclusion would be that the car that was driven by my son had hit his nephew with the front of the vehicle. That did not happen. Mr. Kissoon’s nephew was lifting a heavy object and stumbled into the side of the car. It is true that Mr. Kissoon had Mr. Benschop call me. I got the impression that they were asking me for some money to compensate Mr. Kissoon’s nephew or that they would go public. I told him bluntly that my son was not responsible for the accident, and I preferred to leave the matter in the hands of the police. Those are the facts. Donald Ramotar Former President
often useful, I can claim that governments tend to justify their successes, failures or shortcomings by reference to the same things in the regime, which they have succeeded or replaced. But this is all part of the political routine, and I don’t expect it to go away. As we all know now, we should have to find ways of dealing with disasters in spite of these features of our political practice. I once wrote a short paper, not a letter to the editor, titled “The Pandemic”. In it, I made a brief reference to the fact that the first government under the pandemic, the APNU+AFC coalition, treated the pandemic in effect as a party project. I commended the new government of the PPP/C for their distribution of $25,000 to each household and then said that unfortunately, it had not improved the coalition’s method of handling the pandemic, but was also treating it as its own party project. In both cases, this treatment of the pandemic as the project of the government in power, reduced in my opinion the extent to which people generally were prepared to comply with preventive measures recommended for the whole population. The people on the spot can better design the
presentation of an antipandemic campaign. To me, at a distance, it seems that the more people associate any campaign with the party in power, the more it is that large numbers of them will feel an inclination and in some cases a duty not to cooperate with it. The authorities should be wise enough to design task forces and to include public advocates who do not all appear partisan or chosen by the government in power. Although it will be useful for the Minister of Health at times to reassure the public of their awareness of the national needs, when the minister becomes the main daily spokesperson on the pandemic, there may be a lot of room for unintended partisan advocacy in the minister’s communication. Assembling task forces and working groups with well-defined and limited authority should help to bring realism into the way particular disasters are seen and managed. For the sake of accountability, I would suggest that financial responsibility for the expenditure of all kinds should be left clearly in the hands of public servants accustomed to complying with the financial regulations. Expenditure on these projects should be subject to investigation by field
auditors under the control of the auditor general and subject to the review of the public accounts committee. There should be some encouragement to media operators to encourage more frequent communication from our experts in health, in climate change, in environmental impacts so that after a time, larger sections of the population can engage in discussion of these issues and achieve some competence in the existing legislation and required legislation, and the best practices available globally. The non-government members of the task forces and working groups should share in decision-making and have the right to advocate for communities, but expenditures should be left to the representatives of the state. The non-state member must be free to be vigilant against discrimination, conflicts of interest and feather-bedding. I hope that decision-makers of all political tendencies will take these recommendations not as a route to be followed, but as an alert that we have a duty to devise and introduce with urgency a system of disaster management much superior to the one now prevailing. Respectfully, Eusi Kwayana
RUSAL’s plan to upgrade bauxite operations here raises other key issues DEAR EDITOR, True, the main public reaction to RUSAL’s recently touted plan to upgrade its bauxite-mining operations in Guyana would dwell on the company’s contempt for good labour practices and its workers, and on its arrogance in relating to the government (SN Editorial, June 15). We should, however, use this opportunity to resolve a few other companyspecific concerns and to adjust our general mining policy. Those specific to the company include: (i) The profitability of its Guyana operations. In a 2019 assessment report (BCGI BAUXITE: Prospects on World Market), the company declared its Guyana bauxite ore to be uncompetitive due to its average quality, high production and freight costs, and the availability of other sources of supply. If, indeed, the company plans to renew investments in BCGI, then its 2019 report evidently left out the upsides. Regardless, the country needs to conduct its own expert review; (ii) Royalty payments. While the
government’s 10 percent equity in BCGI gets it only a token board seat, how much of the 1.5 percent royalty on bauxite production has the company paid? (iii) To what extent is the government capable of tracking the quality, volume, and market value of the bauxite that the company ships out? The company uses most of Guyana’s bauxite to feed its own alumina plants. Guyana has to grasp the implications of such in-house arrangements; and (iv) What is the status of the company’s compliance with the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (GYEITI)? As regard general mining policy in the non-oil extractive industry, (i) some of the zeal on local content (LC) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) we apply to the oil companies should be applied to all large mining companies. While, historically, the large gold operations in Guyana have been more attuned to these responsibilities, their bauxite cousins (with the likely exception of the small First
Bauxite Inc.) have been far stingier. In any case, the hard-minerals mining companies —especially given the fact that they operate within or close to communities—should be held to well-defined LC and CSR accords, crafted with the input of local stakeholders; and (ii) the SN editorial astutely touches on the recent inclusion of bauxite on the European Commission’s Critical Raw Materials list. The U.S. also has its list of such critical and strategic minerals. In Guyana, it has been recommended recently (but totally missed or ignored) that we should conduct a thorough mineral resource assessment of these minerals and produce special policies (with a distinct investment regime) for their exploration and extraction. Lastly, with growing oil wealth, the practice of generously giving away large mining concessions just to provide limited employment can now be revised. Sincerely, Sherwood Lowe
Wednesday June 16, 2021
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SAVE THE ELDERLY! Seven coronavirusrelated deaths were recorded yesterday. But do not expect any major alarm bells; the average age of those dying was 69 years – the elderly who have been treated with scant respect during this pandemic. Had the average age of those dying been 40 years or lower, there would have been chorus of calls for a lockdown. But the elderly have been treated as expendable during this pandemic. As some have observed on social media, people are dying by the droves in Guyana, yet the streets are crowded daily. The majority of persons are going about their life as if things are normal. But things are not normal. Make no mistake about it, the pandemic is coming to an end around the world. The number of daily new cases and the number of deaths normally, when plotted on a bar chart, shows a clear bell curve pattern, indicative that the vaccination is working and the pandemic is being crushed, slowly but surely. However, in Guyana, where the government is glibly boasting about 46 percent of the adult population receiving their first dose of the vaccine, the infections and deaths are peaking. The seven deaths reported yesterday is the second highest daily toll, if you subtract the 13 deaths, which were reported on May 26 due to an adjustment entry. Over the past few months, there has been a steep spike in cases and deaths. In addressing the nation, the President has said that April was a crucial month and he
promised that more soldiers and police would have been out in the streets enforcing the regulations. If they were, they must have been operating like ninjas. The public has not seen an increased presence of the Disciplined Services enforcing the anti-COVID-19 regulations. The situation, rather than improving, has gotten worse. In April, there was an increase in cases of more than 80 percent in infections and deaths. Things did not get any better in May where deaths increased by 50 percent higher than the previous month, even though new infections increased by 20 percent. The government is not even interested in extending the night time curfew. The media is totally disinterested in making a case for tightening social restrictions and the public, at large, is not crying out for a lockdown. This leaves the only options open to be testing and vaccination. But in both of these instances, there are serious and grave problems. The government has not yet gotten its testing right. It still takes two days for test results to be made public. For seriously ill persons, these two days can mean the difference between life and death. By now, the testing capacity should have been increased to the point whereby 5,000 persons could have been tested daily with results the same day. Same day PCR test results is still not being realisable. And this has been a signal failure of the Ministry of Health. If anything, this should have been fixed since it would have allowed for
mass testing which still cannot be achieved in Guyana, more than one year into the pandemic. The government should now try to engage in mass testing. This is the only way it can help check infections using testing since contact tracing is virtually negligible in Guyana. The government is also hoping to vaccinate the country out of the pandemic. But it faces two obstacles, one of which it is admitting and the other one of which it is not admitting. Herd immunity of 75 percent of the population cannot be achieved. The under-18 population is more than 25 percent and therefore 75 percent of the population cannot be immunised through vaccination. But the second obstacle, which the government faces is vaccine resistance. This is not unique to Guyana but is also occurring in the developed world. The government is now being forced to go house-to-house in Region 10 to try to increase the inoculation rate in that Region. It should not worry. If people do not value their lives enough to go and get themselves and their elderly loved ones vaccinated, the government should not have to go house-to-house. What the government should do is to focus now on ensuring that the more than 35 percent of the adult population above 55 years are vaccinated. The government should request communities to do a census of their elderly who have not yet received the jab and arrangements should be made to offer the jab to those desirous of being
DEM BOYS SEH
Cardboard parties Soulja Bai bin draft he own 10 commandments. He bin talk how he nah want no cardboard parties in de Coalition. He did even set it out as a special Commandment fuh participation in de parliament. Soulja Bai bin mek it known dat all of de Coal-A-Shun parliamentarians must belong to active political parties. He seh he nah want no fake parties and no cardboard parties. He talk how all de parliamentarians fuh de Coal-A-Shun must belong to active parties with constitutions. Dem parties must not be shell parties but, according to Soulja Bai, dem must gat members, with conferences and attract membership in all of the regions of this country. So dem boys wan ask if dem gat any member of parliament in de Coal-A-Shun who belong to a cardboard party – a party without members or which never had a conference. Dem Boys asking if any of de parliamentarians in breach of Soulja Bai Commandment. And if so, wah is de penalty
fuh having wan cardboard party? Some of dem cardboard parties suh small dat instead of a manifesto, dem does gat a mini-festo. It mek dem boys remember de time when a certain man bin form a cardboard party and bin trying fuh get enough persons fuh sign petition fuh he fuh contest wan election. He fly in to de hinterland village and ask dem people wah problems dem gat. He seh how he gan solve dem problems. De people tell he how dem gat two problems. First, dem seh how dem nah gat a resident doctor. De politician tek out he cell phone, dialled a number, spoke to somebody, and den tell de people how he done arrange fuh a doctor fuh come de following week. He ask de people what was de second problem. Dem tell he how dem don’t get cell phone signal in de area. Talk half and watch out fuh dem cardboard parties!
vaccinated. Given the reluctance to intensify social restrictions, this may be the most efficient strategy available to reduce deaths. The Minister of
Human Services and Social Security should lead the charge within Cabinet for this to happen. (The views expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Wednesday June 16, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday June 16, 2021
Kaieteur News
7 persons die over 2-day period from COVID-19 FOR RENT
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8 7 - E - A l b e r t St,Albertown,third building from Lamaha in Albert Street. Price 24 Million(Land 82x20) negotiable. Property at Kuru Kururu concrete one flat house plus chicken pen. Call: 622-8265.
WANTED Wanted one experienced Gold Smith, Jacobs Jewellery and Pawn shop 16 Pike street Kitty Tel#622-4970 Wanted (2) experienced Welder/Fabricator. Contact Tel#222-3844. Experienced Cooks and Servers,Cleaners, Handyman. Call:626-7285 to book interview. Night guard between age 40-60 years, from Liliendaal or Cummings Lodge area.Call# 688-2464. Back to Eden B a k e r y. E x p e r i e n c e d b a k e r s , p a s t r y, p u r i makers,sales rep. 85 Dand Street, Subryanville G/town. One (1) female able bodied sales clerk. Call#2252313,226-1497. Male able bodied sales representative.Contact Tel#227-3580 for more info. Female sales representative experience in P.O.S system would be an asset.Contact Tel#227-3580. Driver for Route 42 Minibus.Call# 649-7371. Wanted 2 male sales boy must have knowledge about smart devices age 17-25.Contact 688-5951/225-7579. 1 NIS pay roll clerk, other duties, mature male or female, 25- 40 yrs Tel#675-0587/ 2231229 1 Machanic with knowledge of welding, perferably from E.B.D, driving would be an assest. Tel#675-0587 Lorry driver, Factory work male & female.Apply in person to R.P Enterprise E.C.D. 220-2818/3710. One cashier to work at Ice house,18yrs and older.Call: 223-7165.
VACANCY Hotel Attendants.Call: 2277714 & 223-3448. Pump Attendant & Cashier. Shifts (6AM-2PM & 2PM10PM). Shell Station Providence E.B.D. Email: Shellramsburg@gmail.com R o o m Attendant,Supervisors,Receptionist, 30-50 years old. 233 South Road Lacytown. Tel#2252304. Driver must be able to assist in workshop,age 25-45, Car/ Van licence.Call: 642-9823. Male cleaner for a workshop.Call: 642-9823. Trained grade 1&2 Teachers needed. Payment will commence with experience and will be in 6 digit. 623-1615. For porters apply at Alabama Trading. 65 Robb Street Bourda. For painter,carpenters & Mason. Call: 623-1615. Vacancy for females to assort and pack goods. Aplply at Alabama Trading. 65 Robb Street Bourda. Vacancy for female accounts clerk/cashier.Apply at Alabama Trading. 65 Robb Street Bourda. Salesperson with experience, Courtney's Boutique Stall B Bourda Market.Behind wireless connection.Tel#2273407. Minibus and Taxi drivers.Call: 225-3284/6281183. Auto Electrical apprentice age 19-25 yrs.Apply in person, Lot 120 Forth Street Albertown G/Town or call 610-0340. Experienced masseuse/cosmetologist required. Nalini's hair salon,225 New Market Street (opposite Maggies). 226-6705/609-6259.
Seven persons who tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have died between Sunday and Monday. The Ministry of Health (MoH) in its release reported that the latest fatalities are a 51-year-old man from Region Two (PomeroonSupernaam), a 75-year-old woman and a 70-year-old man both from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), two males, aged 84 years and 66 years, both from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and a 72year-old man and a 66-yearold woman both from Region
Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara). Their deaths now take Guyana’s COVID-19 dead toll to 437. According to the Ministry, their deaths were recorded over a two-day period, June 13-14, 2021, and all of them died while receiving treatment at a medical facility. Further, the Health Ministry in its daily COVID19 dashboard chronicled 84 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 18,530. A breakdown of new
cases per Region shows Region Four leading with 30 new cases, Region Six with 21, Region Three with 18, Region Five with seven, Region 10 with three, Regions Two and Seven with two each and Region Eight with one. The dashboard also shows that 22 patients are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 112 persons are in institutional isolation, 1,378 in home isolation and two persons are quarantined institutionally. To date, a total of 16,401 recoveries have been recorded.
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Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday committed Ryan Lowe to stand trial in the High court for allegedly wounding his colleague. On his first court appearance, Lowe was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that on November 23, 2016, at Dumpsite Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD), he wounded Leroy Cummings with intent to commit murder. After conducting a preliminary inquiry (PI) into the matter, Senior Magistrate Daly ruled that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence to the court and as
such, she committed Lowe to stand trial before a judge and jury at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes. According to reports, after committing the act, Lowe went into hiding but was apprehended three years after the incident and he was finally placed before the court for the offence. This publication had reported that Lowe and the Cummings are known to each other and they both work at the HaagsBosch Dumpsite located in Eccles, EBD. On the day in question, the defendant and some other colleagues were drinking while Cummings was asleep in a hammock. It is alleged that Lowe then went over to
Cummings and dealt him two lashes to his knee to wake him up. He then confronted him over some alleged stolen items and the two men got into an argument. This angered the defendant who took a knife and dealt Cummings several stabs to his body. Lowe then escaped and went into hiding. Cummings was rushed to the hospital and treated for his injuries. After evading the police for three years, Lowe was arrested on November 18, 2019. The court had learned from the police prosecutor that the injuries, which the victim received are lifethreatening and due to the said injuries; the victim’s left arm was amputated.
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Wednesday June 16, 2021
Wednesday June 16, 2021
Onaiwu bags six-minute hat-trick as Japan crush Kyrgyz Republic AFP - Striker Ado Onaiwu bagged a six-minute first-half hat-trick as Japan confirmed their dominance in Group F of Asian 2022 World Cup qualifying with a crushing 51 win over the Kyrgyz Republic in Suita yesterday. Manager Hajime Moriyasu made five changes to the side that beat Tajikistan 4-1 a week ago and opted for Onaiwu to lead the attack in the absence of Takumi Minamino, who withdrew from the squad last week “due to club circumstances”. Onaiwu did not disappoint, opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the 27th minute after a handball by Aizar Akmatov.
He tapped in for his second four minutes later at the far post after good work down the right by Kawabe Hayao and completed his quickfire treble in the 33rd minute with a towering header. Takuma Asano and Sho Sasaki added two more after the break while Kyrgyz captain Mirlan Murzaev scored their consolation penalty in first-half stoppage time. Minamino, who had netted in all seven of Japan’s group matches, reportedly left after playing in the 1-0 friendly win against Serbia on Thursday in order to sort out a move from Premier League
Japan’s Ado Onaiwu opens the scoring with a penalty in the 5-1 win against Kyrgyz Republic in Suita. Liverpool to Southampton with qualification secured. Minamino, who spent much of last season on loan at Southampton, had tied a national record set by Japan
Wednesday June 16, 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. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Unfounded worries about money could plague you today, Taurus. Someone close may have given you some incorrect information. 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. 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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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. 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. 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. 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.
hero Keisuke Honda by scoring in seven consecutive qualifying matches with his goal in the 4-1 win against Tajikistan eight days ago. “Takumi Minamino will be leaving due to club circumstances,” said a brief statement from the Japan Football Association. Onaiwu’s hat-trick was not the fastest hat-trick in World Cup history and was almost pedestrian compared with Egypt substitute Abdul Hamid Bassiouny’s 2001 effort. Bassiouny took just 117 seconds to score three times after coming on in the 8-2 win against Namibia in a African qualifying match. The dominant Samurai Blue confirmed their place at the AFC 2023 Asian Cup in China and in the final round of Qatar World Cup 2022 Qualifiers with a perfect eight wins from eight, scoring 46 goals and conceding only two. In the other Group F match, Tajikistan beat Myanmar 4-0 in Osaka to seal second place. Only the top team in each of the eight groups automatically progress to the third phase of World Cup qualifying, where they will be joined by the best four group runners-up.
...GFF will not make ‘hasty From page 31 examine the programme holistically and decisions that are essential to bring the desired results for all to be happy would be made. Asked to share his views on the level of preparation of the local based ‘Golden Jaguars’ leading into the June qualifying window, Forde stated that not just for the SMNT, but all teams, anyone with a fair pair of eyes would recognise that preparations have been better than before. “You know, there’s an old saying that, success has many fathers and failure is an orphan, I think no one can fault us for having our guys out here, day in day out working very hard. I think there were obviously clear signs that we’re making progress. I think a couple of recent international signings is an indication of how well the guys have been able to cope with the lack of activity primarily due to the almost two years that they haven’t been able to play any football.” Just a few days ago, 19 year-old players Nicholas McArthur and Rishaun Ritch (Fruta Conquerors Football Club) signed contracts with Jamaica’s top club Portmore United and will play in the Pro League there. They have both been on the club from ‘Reggae’ land radar since 2018 when they represented Guyana at the Concacaf U20 Championships in Florida. Another Fruta Conquerors FC player and baby of the
SMNT team, 17 year-old Omari Glasgow recently participated in a two-day National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One ‘University ID’ try-out in Atlanta, USA. Forde underscored that the players have all been training consistently in the SMNT programme at the GFF Providence training facility. “Clearly we see in the games that we lost that there is no substitute for game time, we knew that, and we really worked hard. We are happy with the progress the guys are making; we hope that very soon they can have the platform, which is game time to really exercise the knowledge that they are gaining through the technical development programme.” It was also disclosed that an extensive holistic review of the World Cup campaign is underway and at the appropriate time, the GFF would be reporting to the public which information would include the financial investment made. Given the challenges that have been brought on by the covid-19 pandemic, the Federation would have had to use chartered flights to move local based players and technical staff around the region. Forde further revealed that until commercial travel in the region returns to some level of normalcy, the GFF might be locked into having to use charters for regional engagements.
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Wednesday June 16, 2021
India, New Zealand name squads for WTC final
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FP - New Zealand and India yesterday announced 15man squads for the World Test Championship final, with Black Caps captain Kane Williamson included after recovering from injury.
Williamson missed New Zealand’s triumph against England at Edgbaston, which sealed a 1-0 series win, with an elbow injury. New Zealand include BJ Watling for the final, which starts in Southampton on Friday, after the wicket
keeper recovered from a back injury. “Kane and BJ have certainly benefited from their week of rest and rehabilitation and we expect them to be fit and available for the final,” said New Zealand coach Gary Stead. “Playing in a world cup
final is a really special occasion and I know the guys are looking forward to getting into their work here in Southampton. “India are a world-class outfit who possess matchwinners all through their line-up, so we’re under no illusion about how tough they will be to beat.” India’s trio of Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hanuma Vihari have returned to the Test squad for the final after missing the England series earlier this year with injuries. The debate around who will open the batting appears
to be resolved as Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are the only regular openers who have made the cut. India have bolstered their fast-bowling options by including five seamers — Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj. Jadeja’s return means there is no place for Axar Patel, who made an impressive debut in the series against England, taking 27 wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin is the other spin-bowling option. New Zealand
India captain Virat Kohli (left) and his New Zealand counterpart Kane Williamson will go head to head in the World Test Championship final.
Kane Williamson (capt), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, K y l e J a m i e s o n , To m Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Will Young India Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
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Wednesday June 16, 2021
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Record-breaking Ronaldo strikes late as Portugal sink Hungary
B
UDAPEST (Reuters) Cristiano Ronaldo struck a late double to help holders Portugal get off to a winning start with a 3-0 victory over Hungary in front of a 67,000 crowd yesterday as the forward became the all-time leading scorer at European Championship finals. Hungary rode a wave of early pressure from Portugal in the Group F clash but and had a goal ruled out for offside shortly before Portugal’s Raphael Guerreiro broke the deadlock at the other end with a deflected effort in the 84th minute. Captain Ronaldo sealed the win by lashing home from the penalty spot in the 87th to move ahead of Michel Platini as the all-time top scorer at the finals on 10 goals, which he quickly turned into 11 by dribbling the ball into the net in added time. The two sides had drawn 3-3 in one of the best games of Euro 2016 and although there were fewer goals this time around the match was no less compelling as the vociferous locals filled the Puskas Arena to capacity. The action on the pitch mirrored
the fervour in the stands as Portugal played with real intensity, playing a direct game and hitting their front three with quick, long passes. Diogo Jota had the first clear sight of goal when he thumped a shot which was parried by keeper Peter Gulacsi, incurring the wrath of a furious Ronaldo who was in a better place to shoot. Ronaldo was left only blaming himself late in the first half though when he uncharacteristically missed the target from close range after an incisive cross from Bruno Fernandes. Hungary did little attacking but pressed energetically to limit Portugal’s space. Striker Adam Szalai was their danger man, heading a free kick into the arms of Rui Patricio shortly before halftime then testing the keeper again early in the second half with an attempt from outside the box. Portugal’s veteran defender Pepe nearly scored at the start of the second half, his header from a Fernandes corner tipped away by the ever-alert Gulacsi, who later turned away a strike from Fernandes. Hungary substitute Szabolcs
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates. (REUTERS)
Schon set the stadium alight in the 80th minute when his shot squirmed past Patricio but the linesman’s flag was quickly raised to puncture the celebrations. Guerreiro soon brought the hosts more pain as his scuffed shot
trickled into the far bottom corner off the foot of Hungary defender Willi Orban, who moments later fouled Rafa Silva to allow Ronaldo to compensate for his earlier miss and score from the spot.
Ronaldo then combined with Silva to calmly dance past Gulacsi and round off a day of records after becoming the only player to feature in five European Championships and to play the most games in the tournament.
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Wednesday June 16, 2021
Hummels own goal helps France beat Germany
B
BC Sport W o r l d champions France started their Euro 2020 campaign with a win over Germany thanks to a Mats Hummels’ own goal in a high-quality heavyweight Group F match. Hummels - recalled for this tournament after being told by coach Joachim Low in 2019 that his international career was over - diverted Lucas Hernandez’s cross into his own net in the first half of a fascinating contest in Munich. Tournament favourites France were marginally the better of the two sides, but appeared to be in third gear for much of it. Paul Pogba sent the ball over the bar from a corner with his shoulder, Kylian Mbappe had an angled shot saved, he and Karim Benzema had goals ruled out for offside and Adrian Rabiot hit the outside of the post. Germany came into the finals with big questions over their best XI as well as their chances of success after an uncharacteristically turbulent few years, but proved typically competitive finals opponents. Thomas Muller - another player recalled after being jettisoned by Low - headed wide, with Ilkay Gundogan slicing an effort past the post from a good position in the box and Serge Gnabry seeing a shot deflected on to the roof of the net. It was not just the actual football that was of interest either. There was a hint that Germany defender Antonio Rudiger may have bitten the
shoulder of Pogba in the first half, although replays proved inconclusive. This came after a Greenpeace protestor had parachuted into the stadium, shedding equipment as he crashed to the pitch before being hurried away by security. France’s win means they and Portugal, who beat Hungary 3-0 in Budapest earlier yesterday, take the early initiative in a highly competitive Group F. France do what is required When the draw for the finals was made, this was a standout fixture - a winners’ convention between two of t h e c o n t i n e n t ’s m o s t decorated sides, containing some of the modern game’s highest individual achievers. The two nations have f i v e E u r o p e a n Championship titles between them and six World Cup wins, with only three of the players starting the game in Munich without a Champions League winners’ medal in their collection. Just to add a bit more spice, the two countries also have some on-field history, most notably the encounter at the 1982 World Cup, which included the infamous clash between German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher and France defender Patrick Battiston. While the encounter did not produce a timeless classic, it did showcase a consistent level of skill and intelligence rarely seen so far in the competition. France supplied much of it, with Pogba and N’Golo Kante a complimentary midfield pairing of grit and
Mats Hummels scored Germany’s first-ever own goal at a European Championship. (Reuters)
guile, and the front three of Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema a constant menace to a vulnerable German defence. With such attacking riches at France’s disposal, it could be seen as a negative that it took an own goal to seal this win, but they could easily have added to the scoreline had the forwards timed their runs better. At 33, Benzema can be forgiven for going early to gain an advantage and drawing the offside flag that ruled out his finish, but Mbappe has pace to burn and is less in need of the extra yard. In the end, Hummels’ own goal was all France needed to get off to a winning start in their quest to unite the European Championship trophy with the World Cup - as they did
Keevin Allicock heading to Olympics Amateur fighter, Keevin Allicock, is the fifth Guyanese sportsperson that has booked their ticket to the prestigious, quadrennial showpiece that is the Olympics, which will be hosted in Tokyo, Japan this July-August. He joins Track athlete Aliyah Abrams, Table Tennis player Chelsea Edghill and swimmers Andrew Fowler and Jamila Sanmoogan. This was confirmed by Director of Sports Steve Ninvalle, who is also the head of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA). Ninvalle, who has been a fine leader of boxing administration in Guyana and the Caribbean, during an invited comment with Kaieteur Sport posited that this calls for celebration, and indeed it does. Allicock, who won the silver medal at the
last Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, had broken into the top 20 of the world rankings early last year in his division and he will be Guyana’s brightest hope of winning a medal. This is the first time in 25 years that a boxer will be heading to the Olympics with the last being John Douglas; Guyana’s flag bearer for the 1996 Olympic Games. An interesting fact is that Guyana’s only Olympic medal, a bronze, was captured by Michael Parris in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Russia. Ninvalle has indicated to the media that a press conference will be held this afternoon at Ministry of Youth, Sport & Culture to provide more updates.
21 years ago. Germany lack their usual composure Regardless of the outcome, Euro 2020 will be Low’s final hurrah as Germany boss, with Hansi Flick ready to succeed him after the tournament. This is arguably the weakest German side he has taken into a major tournament - having led his nation at seven - and is certainly the least settled, with the coach still seemingly unsure as to his
best XI or even best formation. However, they still retain quality in the side, most notably in defender Joshua Kimmich and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, and have experience now too thanks to Low’s decision to recall Hummels and Muller. The wisdom of drafting back Hummels, though, may be questioned by some after his calamitous attempt to clear Lucas Hernandez’s cross that resulted in him shinning in France’s winner.
What was most apparent was the lack of that extra level of composure, class and self-belief so inherent in previous German sides. They huffed and puffed after going behind but never looked like hurting the French, even with Leroy Sane, Timo Werner and Kevin Volland thrown into the mix. It was not the calamity some feared but it was a first-ever openingmatch defeat for the Germans at a European Championship finals.
$186M approved for Sport sector DPI - The National Assembly, on Monday evening, approved $186.4 million to facilitate more infrastructural works through the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s Ground Enhancement Programme. Minister, Hon. Charles Ramson Jr., told the House that the Ministry has already exhausted its budget to undertake several ground enhancements works across the country, hence the request for additional funds. “Ground enhancement forms part of what communities do for their community grounds which includes playing of sports, but it is not only for the playing of sports. It is a community ground for which all kinds of activities occur there like social and training activities and even medical purposes,” he said. Of this sum, $10 million will be allocated for the development of community grounds in Region Ten. Responding to a question posed by Opposition MP, Hon. Jermaine Figueira, Minister Ramson said while no specific ground has yet been identified, a decision would be made following a consultation with key stakeholders. These include the Regional Administration and residents, among others. He added that several grounds in the Region have already benefitted from the programme; however, there is more to be done to ensure sports men and women have a
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Charles Ramson Jr.
space to train and exercise. “There are options their so when we go to Region 10, we will meet will the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to identify the ground to start infrastructural works,” the Minister said. The Ministry allocated some $1.5 billion towards sport development, of which, $915.5 million will go towards the improvement of community grounds countrywide. The work will include the establishment of multipurpose, sporting facilities of international standards in Regions Two, Six and Ten.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday June 16, 2021
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Messi frustrated after Argentina draw with Chile at Copa America
A
FP - Argentina superstar Lionel Messi scored a s t u n n i n g freekick but Chile hit back to earn a 1-1 draw in the Copa America on Monday. Messi’s magical left foot gave dominant Argentina a deserved first half lead but Eduardo Vargas equalized in the second half after Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved veteran midfielder Arturo Vidal’s penalty. D e s p i t e A rg e n t i n a ’s dominance, Messi lamented that “we weren’t calm, we didn’t have control of the ball.” His coach Lionel Scaloni saw things differently, though. “We deserved to win but in the end we drew. In any case, it’s only the start of a very tough tournament,” said Scaloni. Before the Group A game started in the Nelson Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro, there was a light and effects tribute to Argentina legend Diego Maradona, who died in November aged 60, although the ground was empty due to coronavirus restrictions. The first chance fell to Messi on eight minutes as Leandro Paredes picked out Nicolas Tagliafico on the left and the fullback nodded the ball down for his captain, who sent a volley wide.
Minutes later, Giovani Lo Celso crossed from the left but a sliding Lautaro Martinez could only spoon the ball over the bar from inside the six-yard box. Argentina were in total command and Lo Celso picked out Nicolas Gonzalez to shoot from 20 yards but goalkeeper Claudio Bravo got down well to his right to tip the ball around the post. From Messi’s corner Gonzalez headed over the bar and moments later he was released by Lo Celos but shot straight at Bravo. It would be a frustrating night for Gonzalez. Argentina got the goal their domination deserved on 33 minutes, and inevitably it was Messi who scored, curling a free-kick from 25 yards out just beyond Bravo’s dive. They should have had a second soon afterwards but teed up by Gonzalo Montiel 10 yards out, Martinez screwed his shot horribly wide. “I would be worried if the team wasn’t creating chances. The important thing is we are, we’re getting lots of players in the box. And it will go in,” said Scaloni. - ‘Defiant’ Chileans Chile started the second half with more intent and Erick Pulgar played Vargas into the area but his shot on
the stretch was saved by Martinez. However, Vidal stormed in to try to fire home the rebound and was caught by Tagliafico as he shot. Referee Wilmar Roldan consulted VAR and then awarded a penalty. Martinez tipped Vidal’s effort onto the crossbar but Vargas was quickest to the ball to head home the equalizer. Argentina were soon back on the attack but Chile centre-back Gary Medel blocked a volley from Gonzalez, who later headed over from a Messi free-kick. Twenty minutes from time, Messi created space in the box but Bravo was down well to save his low shot. Gonzalez’s night to forget would get worse 10 minutes from time when he ran onto a perfect chipped pass from Messi but headed over from just seven yards out when it looked easier to score. It was his last involvement as he was substituted before Bravo took the goalkick. Argentina kept pushing but Messi headed over the bar in injury time as Chile held on for a point. “This team didn’t want to be beaten, even though they didn’t play well. This group of players are defiant,” said Chile coach Martin Lasarte. Angel Romero scored
Du Plessis suffers memory loss after concussion but recovering well
Faf du Plessis
(Reuters) outh Africa batsman Faf du Plessis said he suffered some memory loss after sustaining a concussion during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) T20 match in Abu Dhabi on Saturday but is confident of making a quick return to action. Du Plessis collided with Quetta Gladiators team mate Mohammad Hasnain while trying to save a boundary in their 61-run defeat to Peshawar Zalmi.
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The 36-year-old lay prone on the ground while the Gladiators physio attended him before he got up and was taken to hospital. “Thank you everyone for all the messages of support,” du Plessis tweeted on Sunday. “I’m back at the hotel recovering. Have concussion with some memory loss but I will be fine. Hopefully be back on the field soon.” O p e n e r S a i m Ay u b replaced du Plessis as a concussion substitute.
The Gladiators also had to use a concussion substitute in their previous match when West Indies allrounder Andre Russell was hit on his helmet by a Mohammad Musa bouncer in the match against Islamabad United. Russell was checked over by a physio and was allowed to bat on but was out in the very next ball. He was taken to hospital, with Naseem Shah playing as concussion substitute. Quetta played Lahore Qalandars yesterday.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi (center) celebrates his goal against Chile at the 2021 Copa America with teammates Nicolas Gonzalez (left) and Giovani Lo Celso. twice as Paraguay bounced back to beat 10-man Bolivia 3-1 in Goiania and top Group A. Erwin Saavedra gave Bolivia the lead from the penalty spot on 10 minutes after a long VAR review. Paraguay dominated throughout but the game changed deep into first half stoppage time when Bolivia’s Jaume Cuellar was sent off for a second booking.
Alejandro Romero Gamarra restored parity just past the hour mark and Romero put Paraguay in front three minutes later. Romero sealed the win 10 minutes from time as Paraguay enjoyed almost 80 percent possession and had more than 30 shots. The Copa was due to take place last year but was delayed by 12 months due to the coronavirus. It was also switched from
original hosts Argentina and Colombia to Brazil at the 11 t h h o u r d u e t o t h e pandemic situation in the former and social unrest in the latter. Brazil’s health ministry issued a statement on Monday saying 31 members of the playing delegations, including players and staff, tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday, without giving further details.
Arlington swimmer Torri Huske breaks American record in the 100m butterfly Torri Huske reacts after setting an American record in winning the 100m butterfly at the US Olympic swimming trials.
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BC Sports - Torri Huske, an 18y e a r - o l d Yo r k t o w n H i g h swimmer, etched her name in U.S. Olympic history on Sunday night when she set a new American record in the 100m butterfly at 55.78 seconds. In the first heat at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Huske shattered the previous record of 55.98 seconds set by seven-time Olympic medalist Dana Vollmer at the 2012 London Olympics. In doing so, Huske joins Vollmer as the only Americans to break 56
seconds in the event. Huske, who also competes for the Arlington Aquatic Club and is set to swim collegiately at Stanford, edged 16-year-old phenom Claire Curzan by less than half a second. Curzan is a favorite to make the U.S. team for the Tokyo Olympics in the 100m fly. Both booked their spot in Monday night’s final. And with the world record of 55.48 seconds in sight it could prove to be another historic race with a trip 2021 Tokyo Olympics on the line for the top two swimmers.
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday June 16, 2021
GFF President Wayne Forde’s statement on 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
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x p re s s i o n o f gratitude to sponsors and GoG: I would like to begin by thanking our sponsors and the Government of Guyana, through the Minister of Culture Youth and Sports Mr. Charles Ramson Jr., for supporting the Golden Jaguars’ participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. I would like to welcome our new partner Blue Water Shipping, who provided the sponsorship which allowed us to live stream the game against Puerto Rico via our official Facebook page. I am pleased to report that more than 34,000 viewers watched that game. Statement: The Golden Jaguars’ 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign did not go as we had planned or expected and we are all very disappointed. While there are positives to take away from each game, not least the promising performances of our young talent, it was heartbreaking to see the team consistently conceding soft goals in the early stages of the three games that we lost. Following on from the Golden Jaguars’ historic qualification and appearance
at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, which was further cemented by the team’s solid performances in each game, we can surely understand the high expectations of the fans and other stakeholders, and we share in their disappointment. T h e G F F h a s consistently stated that its strategic focus is to qualify for the expanded FIFA 2026 World Cup and, while four years may seem to be a long time ahead, it is our intention to start the integration of new talent into the national team programme now by building a squad that will reach its peak in time for that qualification process. H o w e v e r, w e a l s o understand the importance of maintaining public confidence as we pursue this ambitious goal. As a stepping stone towards this ultimate goal, it was one of the senior men’s national team’s targets this year to reach the second phase of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We would, therefore, have to accept that, while the successful integration of some potential stars of the future can be considered an encouraging step forward, the recent performance of the team fell short of creating the
momentum we had hoped for. While it is critical that we begin the grooming process of the generation of players that will be tasked with achieving the goal of 2026 qualification, it was never our intention to do this at the expense of the nation’s flagship football brand, and no-one within the national team programme should be saying otherwise. The public expects the GFF to manage the changing cycles of our national teams in a responsible and smooth way, and it is absolutely important that we do all that we can to meet that expectation. Despite the extensive work being done with our domestic-based national team players, we have to acknowledge that the lack of competitive game time has proven to be rather unforgiving. This is not for a lack of effort – the GFF had negotiated three international friendlies as part of our preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers: two against Suriname and one against Nicaragua. Unfortunately, both nations were unable to meet those commitments due to factors brought about by the Covid-19 situation
here in Guyana and within their respective countries. The resulting absence of these crucial warm-up games was an unavoidable set-back in the teams preparation. Next month, the ‘Golden Jaguars’ will make their second consecutive appearance at the Concacaf Gold Cup, albeit in the expanded preliminary round of the tournament. Head Coach Márcio Máximo and his Technical staff must now shift their focus to preparing the team for their opening game against Guatemala on July 3rd, 2021 in Miami. We are planning to travel to Miami early, with the hope of playing two friendly games as part of our preparation for this important encounter. These friendly games are crucial in assessing the players’ level of match fitness and other performance benchmarks. There is no doubt that Guatemala will be a tough obstacle in advancing to the round of 16, and we should be realistic about our expectations. However, we expect the squad and staff to give everything they have to cause Guatemala some serious problems throughout the match, and we know the support of the fans can make all the difference.
Wayne Forde - President, Guyana Football Federation After the Gold Cup, the team will not be in competitive action until next year. We will use this time to further strengthen the development of our domestic-based national team players together with a consistent level of local and international games. Building a National Team Programme: In closing, I would like to assure our loyal fans here at home and abroad, that the GFF has been making steady progress in laying a sturdy foundation for the long-term success of all of our national teams by investing in many key areas that were neglected by previous administrations. Through the recently
launched M-FAP programme, we continue to invest heavily in coaching education, infrastructure development, more football equipment and state-of-theart data management t e c h n o l o g i e s . We a r e providing unprecedented financial and material support to our members, so that they too can achieve their strategic goals. While it will take some time before we realise the full returns on these investments, we can all take comfort in the positive performances of our youth national teams over the past five years as a firm validation that we are heading in the right direction.
Overseas based former national cyclist Franco Crawford rewards long serving coach Overseas based former national cyclist Franco Crawford, at right, presents founder and coach of the FACC Randolph Roberts with a monetary reward.
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verseas based Guyanese former national cyclist Franco Crawford continues for give back and assist his homeland in whatever way possible. While some would migrate and forget all about where they come from, Crawford is one with a difference. The former national cyclist, who lived a number of years in England, is in the process of re-migrating and has been fashioning himself as a community activist. Though he resided in greener pastures his heart has always been with his homeland where he would return on a regular basis and show his benevolence. Crawford is still a member of the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) where he started his career. Whenever home he
would extend his benevolence to his club, the members and members of the community with numerous gifts and other forms of assistance. Crawford recently showered FACC founder and coach Randolph Roberts with a significant reward for his long and dedicated years in the field of sports and community activism, more so cycling. Crawford in brief remarks stated that Roberts is a stand out coach who worked tirelessly over the years for little or no reward. As such he decided to show his appreciation to Roberts by rewarding him personally. He stated that in other domains Roberts would have been well rewarded for his selfless service. Roberts in expressing his gratitude thanked
Crawford for his continued support and used the opportunity to wish him all the success in the future. He restated his call for the government, the business community and more overseas based Guyanese to take a page out of Crawford’s book and continue to assist. The long serving coach stated that once he stops coaching Crawford would be the one taking up the mantle of organizing the club. Crawford along with his Cousin and businessman Colin Elcock sponsored a memorial cycle road in honour of the late Senior Council, national cyclist and horserace magnate Marcel Crawford. He continues to give numerous donations to charity. (Samuel Whyte)
Kaieteur News
Wednesday June 16, 2021
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BCB team of coaches to publish historic Personal Coaching Manual for youth cricketers Coaches and players during the photo shoot.
- Sponsorship already secured The vibrant Berbice Cricket Board under the leadership of Hilbert Foster would be creating local history when it publishes its own junior cricketers Coaching Manual. The manual is been prepared by a high powered team of coaches and administrators and would be published by the end of July and would be distributed free of cost to every youth cricketer in the Ancient County. BCB President Foster stated that the idea for the manual came to him after he realized that the board would be unable to host its regular in person coaching sessions due to the ongoing covid 19 pandemic. The board for the last two years has been able to organise sessions under very strict guidelines for over five hundred youths but had plans to host many more. The board would restart its coaching programmes shortly with the hosting of four mini cricket academies in the West Berbice, Upper Corentyne, Lower C o r e n t y n e a n d We s t
Omari Glasgow
Berbice. A total of forty youths would be accommodated at each academy which would be conducted by a battery of coaches including Winston Smith, Julian Moore, Balram Samaroo, Delbert Hicks, Travis Hardcourt, Leslie Rahaman and Ameer Rahaman. Foster has already hosted a special meeting with the coaches and it was decided that the manual would focus on batting, bowling, fielding, wicketkeeping and physical fitness. Among the
topics to be covered would be batting stance, bat grip, running between the wicket, bowlers run up, how to play the different batting shots, how to stay physically fit, wicketkeeping stance and movement, bowling run up and long barrier fielding. Preparation for the booklet started last Sunday with a two hours photo shoot at the Albion Community Center involving the coaches and eight youth players. The photo shoot was conducted by camera man Brandon Corlette. The BCB President
disclosed that the coaches decided that it would be better if local cricketers can demonstrate the different positions than to use images from the internet as Berbice players would be able to identify with them. The booklet would be named the B C B Yo u t h C o a c h i n g Manual- Preserving the legacy from John Trim to Shimron Hetmeyer. Berbice has produced a total of nineteen test cricketer since Trim made his test debut in 1948. The booklet, which has already
attracted full sponsorship, would also have features of the nineteen test players and also fielding positions, tips for captains, mental health and a brief history of Berbice Cricket. It would be an historic moment for the board as it would be the first time that a local board would be publishing such a coaching manual and Foster disclosed that a coaching
video would also be produced by the end of the year as the board seeks to make sure that every talent in the county is fulfilled. Work on the video would start in Early August. These special projects would allow players from the under 11 to under 19 levels to work on their game by themselves in the comfort of their homes during the pandemic.
GFF will not make ‘hasty decisions’ regarding Technical Personnel - Forde
Nicholas McArthur
Rishaun Ritch
By Franklin Wilson Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde was yesterday resolute in stating that his Federation will not be making any hasty decision (s) with regards to personnel working with the Senior M e n ’s N a t i o n a l Te a m (SMNT) which has restarted training at the GFF National Training Centre ahead of next month’s 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Preliminary Round match against Guatemala at the Inter Miami CF Stadium in South Florida. Concacaf ’s flagship competition will for the first time include the Prelims prior to the 16 team Group Stage and Guyana, one of 12
nations participating in the Prelims qualified through their Concacaf Nations League performances; these nations will compete for the final three spots in the Gold Cup Group 16-team Stage. Forde made his comments as he was responding to questions from the Media following his statement on Guyana’s participation in the Concacaf leg of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying competition. “We understand clearly the task ahead of us and everything is being done to ensure that we undertake those assignments with the full support of all involved.” Further, Forde stated that whilst neighbouring
GFF President Wayne Forde (right) engages SMNT Head Coach Márcio Máximo. (Franklin Wilson photo) Trinidad and Tobago has sacked their Head Coach Terry Fenwick, the GFF does not compare actions of sister federations since each would have its own unique circumstances that must be taken care of. “What I would like to say to the general public and those who may have expressed their views about the head coach future with Guyana’s football is that we have to bring much more to bear in our deliberation and consideration before we
make those very significant decisions. The fans and the public as one would expect, their expectation is consistent high performance and as I would have said in my statement, we were unable to do that this time around. But that does not mean that we will make hasty decisions before we would have considered all the factors.” The President re-iterated that the governing body will continue to monitor and (Continued on page 25)