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AIETEUR NEWS
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
15-year-old shot dead… Friday Edition
Tragic end to eight years of friendship
November 20, 2020 -Vol. 22 No. 45
Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80
Online readership yesterday, 105,555
I prefer an int’l investigation into oil blocks awards - Former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman Technology to monitor AG files summons Exxon’s operations to be to strike out up by September 2021 - No cost mentioned
elections petitions
Over 30 dormitory Angola’s State oil students test positive company made no money from oil in for COVID-19 since reopening of schools 2019 as debt bites
Dubai royal in Guyana on oil business
Govt., Exxon silent on Kaieteur Block discovery made at least three days ago Troubling details about the Kaieteur block award: Listen to ‘The Glenn Lall Show’ tonight 7:20pm on Kaieteur Radio
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Technology to monitor Exxon’s operations to be up by September 2021 - No cost mentioned T he fiber optic cable which will allow Guyana to monitor Exxon’s operations offshore is expected to be laid by the third quarter of 2021, so that Guyana can monitor ExxonMobil’s producing Liza Phase One operations. ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), according to a project summary published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “proposes to construct the Project starting in Q4 2020) and ending in Q3 2021…” No cost is mentioned in the document. It is understood that the company’s intended highspeed fiber optic/wireless transport service will connect its onshore and
offshore facilities. The summary states, “This connection will establish a foundation for high-speed / low latency connectivity of onshore and offshore facilities to Guyana foundation infrastructure, allowing implementation of digital technology to improve productivity (field access data and planning), support remote operations, and support reliability (process monitoring and inspection).” It is understood that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will make use of this facility to monitor Exxon’s offshore operations. The tax agency had said last year that it would have a CCTV system set up, following the installation of a fiber optic cable. This will allow the authority to see what is happening at the operation
The Liza Destiny oil vessel.
24/7. The agency has had to rely heavily on vessels which come to shore, for whatever
reason, to report on what’s happening offshore, through various forms, utilizing regulations in the Customs
Act. GRA had also contemplated manned presence on the oil vessel(s) at all times, but it is unclear
whether that was ever achieved. In November last year, (Continued on page 26)
"Guyanese: stop leaders from deceiving. Pressure them for disclosures on all deals."
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I prefer an int’l investigation into oil blocks awards - Former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman
By Kemol King ormer Minister of Natural Resources and Alliance for Change (AFC) executive, Raphael Trotman, would prefer that there be an investigation into the awards of offshore oil blocks by an independent, international firm as industry governance advocate, Global Witness, has recommended. The attorney-at-law provided this comment, when asked by Kaieteur News yesterday. Awards of multiple oil blocks have been perceived by some sections of society and political commentators to have been made under suspicious and/or corrupt circumstances, and not inkeeping with the best interests of the Guyanese people. When it comes to Trotman, the award of Guyana’s most valuable block (Stabroek) has drawn the most controversy, and blame tends to be placed
F
squarely at his feet. He signed the controversial agreement in 2016; a year after ExxonMobil announced its first commercial d i s c o v e r y. U t i l i z i n g a ‘bridging deed,’ Trotman granted a new lease to ExxonMobil, as time was running out on the 1999 agreement for the company to make a relinquishment. The contract was kept from the public, for a year a half after its signing, by the D a v i d G r a n g e r administration. The then Government had also hid from the public that it received a signing bonus from ExxonMobil, of US$18M, which it kept in a special account. When the contract was finally revealed and subjected to public scrutiny, it became apparent that its provisions were sub-standard and crafted in such ways that Guyana would suffer significant value leakage. Contentious public debates have been waged for
Former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman
years, including when the contract was highlighted in an early 2020 report by the internationally respected Global Witness. In its call for an investigation into the award, the anti-corruption watchdog pointed to Trotman’s lavish Exxon-paid trip to its Texas headquarters, querying whether this constituted a conflict of interest. The nongovernmental organization also said that Trotman ignored expert advice on multiple occasions, and
signed the agreement away in a short period. Most importantly, the firm said that Guyana left US$55B on the table because of its failure to secure a fair deal. In response, Trotman had told Bloomberg he would release a report on a probe done into the matter, likely to clear his name. The report, done by the British firm Clyde and Co. was never formally released. However, Kaieteur News has seen the document, which painted Trotman in a much less
critical light than Global Witness did. For example, Clyde and Co. stated that both the Ministry of Natural Resources (MoNR) and the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) made several attempts to negotiate improved terms for Guyana, and that the Exxon-led consortium was “not receptive” to the proposed amendments. Notably, Trotman has admitted that he thinks government should have done better with the deal, but that he was instructed to sign the agreement, though he has never said who gave the instruction. He continues to be hammered in the press for the part he played in these proceedings. The former minister also recently faced questions from Kaieteur News over the part the Granger administration played in the suspicious awards and transfers of the Canje and
Kaieteur blocks. The initial awards were made by the previous Donald Ramotar administration, but it is believed that the Granger administration ignored obvious red flags when it approved transfers of stakes. Trotman had declined to answer, explaining that he is not in a position to answer, since he – now out of office – did not have access to the documents relating to those transactions. On the other side of the political aisle, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has given no green-light for the independent probes he spoke in support of while Opposition Leader. He recently posited that an internal review being conducted by government into the awards will inform him whether there is a need for an investigation into the Canje and Kaieteur awards. As of now, his view is that no laws were broken and that there was no corruption.
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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 End of Men It is from George Meredith, in his novel ‘The Ordeal of Richard Feverel’, that we are gifted the words, “I expect that Woman will be the last thing civilized by Man.” That quip, read literally when it was written in the Victorian era, is becoming increasingly ironic now. If nothing else, the COVID-19 era has been a litmus test of civilized behaviour and while women have shined across the globe, men are increasingly losing their luster. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in global political leadership. The year 2020 has brought us the beacons of hope, confidence and democratic leadership in politicians like US congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, US VicePresident Elect Kamala Harris, perennial powerhouse German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and, certainly not least, Barbadian Prime Minister Mottley, all women who have distinguished themselves at the only time that matters, a time of crisis. Consequently, the year 2020 has been a showcase of the opposite behaviour in male leadership around the world, from our own former President David Granger and US de facto former President Donald Trump refusing to concede in elections that they both lost and damaging their respective countries with divisive idiocy in attempting to hold on to power; to the tragic-comic and absurd antics of Brazil’s Jair Bolsanaro whose regressive policies have seen his country’s COVID-19 numbers escalate and its forests burn down; to Belarus’ increasingly dictatorial Alexander Lukashenko who has been taking advantage in the flux (or glut)of global leadership to brutally repress citizens in opposition to his rule. Interestingly enough, yesterday was – as most people would have been blissfully unaware of – International Men’s day. Even fewer people would know that the commemoration of International Men’s Day on November 19 started in fellow CARICOM nation, Trinidad and Tobago, just 21 years ago. It is no surprise that the day passed with no fanfare, no celebration, no avalanche of well-written messages by various government ministries. On the one hand, patriarchal structures around the world remain largely intact and thus the idea of acknowledging and celebrating men on a particular day seems superfluous and unnecessary. One could consider that the most powerful and supposedly progressive democracy in the world has only just elected its first female vice president, not even president, and that voting for all women in that country is less than a century old. On the other hand, there can be no denial that a sea change is currently underway that is unsettling that patriarchy and while men (and women) at the top of it, remain largely untouched in terms of social standing, the lower tiers are being shaken and often shattered. Centuries of relative stasis in terms of the hierarchical superiority of men are being impacted by a phenomenal flux that not only threatens social structures, male dominated-civilization, but undoubtedly the individual male psyche that is produced by and in turn reproduces those structures. In very real terms, we are seeing the end of men, whatever judgments we bring to that event.
Why UWI? Dear Editor The University of the West Indies informed the region via a press release on November 18, 2020, that it is on the verge of signing an agreement with Guyana to facilitate the training of over 20,000 nationals over the next five years. I am concerned about the way this has been advanced as I see several loopholes that can be exploited for the wrong purposes. One of the major issues the APNU+AFC administration faced was placing persons who received scholarships from the Government of Guyana under the previous PPP-led administration. The major reason for this was that scholarships were awarded to persons without an assessment of the needs of the public service and thus upon the completion of their studies, many graduates could not be properly placed, if placed at all, because no ministry or government agency had an apparent need for the skills that were attained. The shift that is taking place in our society demands a systematic survey of the human resource needs of the public service and the country in general. The Department of the
Public Service under my stewardship created a strategic plan that required first and foremost, a Human Resource Needs Assessment Survey that should have been catered for in the 2020 budget to take into consideration the following: An appreciation of the areas in the public service that may require specific expertise to ensure that the new industries that are blossoming can be adequately serviced and regulated is key. A review of all the work permits being granted would also give an indication of the skillsets needed that we do not have locally and a decision needs to be made on the most efficient approach to having our citizens acquire these skillsets. This would eventually reduce the need for companies to continue requesting the large number of permits, currently sought on a monthly basis, for foreigners to enter Guyana to take advantage of emerging job opportunities. Research is also needed, on the potential upline and downline jobs that could be created in the short, medium and long term, surrounding the oil and gas industry as well as other areas where g o v e r n m e n t o r
public/private investments will be made to ensure the economy is sufficiently diversified. The aforementioned press release states that President Ali “has identified all areas of Human Resource Development that Guyana is urgently in need of.” There are so many questions that need to be answered. How did they arrive at the number 20,000? By what process were these areas identified? Was a decision made as to how many persons are needed for each area of study? Is this eligible for only persons who want to work in the public service or will this be available to all Guyanese? What criteria will be used to determine who gets to study what programme? Will Guyanese be able to just choose their area of interest, as was obtained in the past or will there be a selection process, based on the findings of a transparently conducted needs assessment? This leads me to my other concern which is - Why UWI? I have no personal problem with the University of the West Indies but one glance at the Open Campus website shows that the programmes offered are significantly limited
compared to the skillsets, already established to be required. Thus, since it would cost UWI to create an array of new programmes and find new lecturers to meet our needs, we can be sure that our tax dollars would ultimately be paying for that. This begs the question: would it not be smarter to spend our resources on our national university as well as our vocational institutions? When it comes to the education of our society, the development of our education institutions and who has access to the educational opportunities that are made available, we all need to ensure that our tax dollars are being utilized responsibly, in an equitable manner by providing for the needs of all Guyanese. I do not have all the information, M r. E d i t o r , b u t t h i s arrangement between Guyana and UWI clearly leaves us with more questions than answers and I hope that those of us, who have an interest in the development of both our Vocational Institutions and our national university, will pay keen attention to this strange new deal. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, MP
UWI going to Guyana Dear Editor, On Thursday, November 18, 2020, the regional headquarters of The University of the West Indies (UWI) issued a media release titled: “UWI going to Guyana” which stated that Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali had invited UWI “to help drive forward Guyana’s human resource development strategy.” The anticipated engagement adds a new dimension to the long relations between UWI and Guyana. Our relations are primal. Guyana was there, virtually from its UCWI beginnings in 1948. Guyana and Guyanese have been dedicated and valuable contributors to the respect that UWI has earned as an international university. The “UWI going to Guyana” media release ought to have invoked a feeling that we are at the start of a new moment in Guyanese and Caribbean tertiary education. A regional response to the task of saving our fragile and stressed planet.
Depressingly, it is not the case! Current deconstruction of responses to the release reveals hurt and evidence of the reassertion of the insensitive style and tactics that have characterized the first 100 days of President Irfaan Ali’s administration. The absence of reference to UG in the media release is seen as a snub and disrespectful of the national university. This further suggests that the “UWI going to Guyana” relationship is a cold transactional one. A reading of the media release suggests that The University of the West Indies has an available knowledge pool to deliver in Guyana for a price. The potential market is “20,000 nationals over the next five years.” At current market rates for credible online tertiarylevel education, UWI is poised to earn a very tidysum of Guyana’s national treasury. Our fragile planet, stressed by power-hungry politics and the consequences of polluted
environments, desperately seeks an integration and application of knowledge. This is about the survival of the human species. How do we as a species survive and thrive and, in the process, create just and caring societies? These questions and this quest have been perennial. Guyana is an exciting mode in a nascent Caribbean-inflected international tertiary education environment. G u y a n a ’ s reality—geography, terrain, flora, fauna, hydrology, mineralogy, history, politics and its living culture—is a crucial variable in our understanding of the big picture context and in preparing for a future which aspires to be just and caring. We h a v e p l a y e d unnecessary politics with the national university since its creation in 1958. The time has come to grow-up! Guyana is getting to a place where for the next 20-40 years; the national wealth could increase by hitherto unimagined levels. This will be the function of the
recently discovered oil and gas. However large the declared quantities are, it is a finite resource. Oil and gas will come to an end. We need to be thinking about what lies beyond oil and gas. The media release from The University of the West Indies suggests an already predetermined package to be delivered “aggressively.” Surely, a more appropriate and respectful trajectory should be institutionalizing an era of reciprocity. A win-win strategy. Not a zero-sum game. One that will benefit the regional tertiary education system with innovative teaching and learning, robust research, and transforming service. A lingering question is whether this engagement with UWI is associated with Professor Jacob Opadeyi. Professor Opadeyi, a faculty member at UWI, St. A ugustine was formerly UG’s Vice Chancellor (2013-2016). Professor Opadeyi who is in some way associated with President Ali doctoral (Continued on page 6)
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Combating Child Labour in Guyana Dear Editor, On Combating Child Labour, Guyana is committed to fully honour the two principal International Labour Conventions, which Guyana it ratified. These are ILO Convention 138 and Convention 182. A ratified Convention is an international treaty obligating member states to bring their legislation and practice in conformity with all ratified Conventions. 1. Convention No. 138 – Minimum Age, 1973: This Convention calls: • For the abolition of child labour and emphasizes that school is for children, not work; (normally any child under 15 years of age) • For the minimum age for employment to be not less than the age of completion of compulsory education (normally not under 15 years); • On states to pursue a national policy designed to abolish child labour; • On states to progressively raise the minimum age for employment consistent with the full physical and mental development of young persons; • On states to ensure that the minimum age shall not be less than 18 years for any type of work which is likely to jeopardize the health, safety, or morals (or 16 years under certain conditions of protection of health safety or morals, with adequate and specific instructions or vocational training) of young persons, the representative social partners having been consulted. 2. Convention No. 182 – The Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999: (ratified by
all of 187 member State of the UN International Labour Organization). This Convention is applicable to all persons under 18 years of age, and requires ratifying states to take effective and immediate measures to prohibit and eliminate as a matter of urgency the worst forms of child Labour defined as: - “all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.” - “The use, in procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances.” - “The use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs.” - “Work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children” (Article 3). Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour further calls for: International cooperation among states in eliminating the worst forms of child labour; - effective measures to implement and enforce the provisions of the Convention; - the recognition of the importance of education in eliminating child labour; and - special measures to identify and reach out to children at risk, and to take account of the special situation of girls. Samuel J. Goolsarran
...Child rights advocates demand more from the From page 5 Government of Guyana to review the life of the Commissioners in all the Commissions and appoint Commissioners who will reinvigorate these bodies so that they become real agents empowered to advance positive change in our nation, as opposed to just symbolic, toothless entities. Bibi Ahamad- CSNRG, Spotlight; Annan Boodram-
Caribbean Voice; Juanita Burrowes- United Bricklayers; Karen de Souza- Red Thread; Ashome Clark- ChildLink; Maureen Hope; Omattie Madray ChildLink; Sherlina Nageer; Gary Prescott; Parbattie Ranglall; Rev. Patricia; Sheerattan-Bisnauth; Kobe Smith- SASOD; Akola Thompson; Hasani Tinnie; Sharlene Williams; Derwayne Wills- CSNRG, Spotlight
...UWI going to Guyana From page 4 work at UWI, St. Augustine, was recently appointed as Special Projects Officer in Guyana’s Ministry of Education. During his tenure as Vice Chancellor, Professor Opadeyi “was awarded a US$193,000 contract for the digitization of immovable property
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records and the establishment of an electronic database with linkage to the sub-registries of the Deeds Registry.” We have played unnecessary politics with the national university since its creation in 1963. It is time we give it a chance to grow and flourish. Vibert Cambridge, Ph.D., A.A.
Urgent help needed for our artists Dear Editor, Our small artist community is vanishing - four of our senior artists, versatile in painting and sculpture, are in urgent need of medical treatment not available at Georgetown Public Hospital. These artists have given their golden years to our country, represented Guyana at Carifesta, the IDB and in South America - Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela. They are not looking for charity - sales of their works would cover their medical bills. The National Gallery - Castellani House - no longer purchases art for the National Collection… the sizable
$330B Emergency Budget, has any money been allocated for the purchase of art? This is an open appeal to the banking establishments. The big business houses and individual collectors who would wish to help these artists need to come on board. I have written numerous letters to the Ministry of Culture under the PPP/C and APNU+AFC Governments requesting that a grant be given to senior artists to assist in the production of their artistic gems for public display. Unfortunately, that has fallen on
deft ears. This year we have lost four outstanding senior Guyanese artists - Grace Gale, Francis Ferreira, George Simon, and Osaze. These artists have given over four decades of distinguished service to our country and the Diaspora. They lived purposefully and their contribution forms part of the treasury of Guyanese art. Thanking you in anticipation for your support. I have enclosed my phone number – 223-4636. Desmond Alli (General Secretary Guyana United Artists G.U.A.)
History repeating itself Dear Editor, As I observe and absorb the whirlwinds striking Guyana since the discoveries of oil, I am reminded sharply of two truisms. The first is that history has a way of repeating itself; and no matter how nuanced, sophisticated or modern, that repetition in some form is occurring here. And second, it is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. I start with a quick high-level over flight through history, Caucasian history. In recent times, the Spaniards, through Columbus and Cortez and the rest, introduced ‘enlightenment;’ U.S. President Munroe called it Manifest Destiny; Englishman Rudyard Kipling waxed about the ‘white man’s burden; Scotsman Adam Smith, termed it capitalism; and an endless strain of Christian missionaries proselytized with the promise of heaven. In the nutshell of this lumpen mass, all of this falls under one glowingly adventurous and inspiring word. It is ‘pioneer’ or ‘pioneering.’ To go a little deeper, gold made the Spaniards decimate the Incas and Aztecs; the Grand Design(s) and New World Order of the Americans, under the sprawling auspices of commerce and democracy fueled their ambitions to mold the world to their will, for their own prosperity; the British and Russians engaged in their Great Game over there for territory and influence; and the missionaries led the charge to save the savages from themselves. It was all good form and in good order. There is just one problem, and with this I focus primarily on the Americans of yore. The problem is that nobody asked the people on the other side of all that benevolence with its lights of leadership and partnership and discipleship; with the sails of ships of civilization and slave ships. And to those, I add the whips and men on horseback with their repeating rifles and advanced
ordinances of war. For it was war declared in America and the Americas, on the so-called ‘Red Indian’ now airbrushed with the more genteel Native American; and, of course, the dark sons and daughters of the Dark Continent. Those, who are fondly remembered as ‘pioneers’ and fabled ancestors of old were land-grabbers, slave-owners and slave-drivers and, in Guyana, ‘massa’ or the ubiquitous ‘Crosby Babu.’ They took away the land from the Cherokees in 1829- who were driven all the way from Georgia to Oklahoma. Gold was found, rich pastureland was present, and there was the source of many troubles. Sure, there were treaties from the Great White Father, which disinherited one tribe after another and took away their pastureland and hunting grounds. And, it was the same just under a century later in Forsyth County, Georgia when white men conspired to run poor and prosperous Black Americans from their homesteads and their rich fields. That was under the aegis of law and order, for manufactured charges of rapes and fears of revolution. Like the Native Americans in their time, Black Americans were forced to flee before the ferocious thunderstorms from the media about insurrection and out-ofcontrol violence that threatened the welfare of white womanhood, white property interests, and the white way of life. Conveniently covered up were the plunders of the majority, the judicially sanctioned and sheriff-enforced lawlessness. And in this, with this, and from this most succinct history-real history-lesson, I ask my fellow Guyanese: is this not what is happening here today with our oil? Today, we have treaty and contract to furnish the same sheens on the predations that took place
before. The Secretary of State came and went; the Ambassador came and will go; and Exxon, Guyana’s oil pioneer came, conquered, and carries away. Mr. Pompeo got his treaty (“joint maritime agreement”) and more; like the Cherokees and Apaches and Comanches of yesteryear, Guyanese will rue the day. The tribes are still recounting their terrible fate around campfires; we will look back and wail along our own trail of tears. Guyanese will trek to the vast slaving fields of America to pick up the pieces, like the Indians were compelled to do. Exxon has the sanction of law and court and contract to gouge out our eyes and remove our testicles, and for both we will declare ourselves happier. It is because we are so enamored from our selfenslavement to the powerful rhythms of capitalism. I thank our political leaders - PPP/C and PNCR and damn well all the others - for being house servants and collaborating Indians selling tribe and treasure for today’s equivalent of cheap whisky and a few shiny baubles. In this 21st century, I understand that 500 top companies are interested in coming here. I say why not, given what we have got. Those will be our East India Company and our Santa Maria and Golden Hind. They will run local content to the undesired places and slave labor, and for that we will celebrate. Exxon is Generals Sherman and Custer, Powell, too. The Secretary, the one making Guyanese feel good. And the Ambassador blowing smoke with her democratic peace pipes. To ensure prosperity, the Guyanese law will provide cover for ‘night riders’ to oppress renegades via social media, propaganda, and a brutalizing agenda. If this is not a song and dance for our rich fields (just like Native Americans and Afro Americans), then I need a new western education. And if this is not history repeating itself in standing orders, then I must try my hand at being reborn. GHK Lall
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Govt., Exxon silent on Kaieteur Block discovery made at least three days ago
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he Ministry of N a t u r a l Resources and ExxonMobil have been silent for three days about an oil discovery recently made at the Tanager-1 well in the Kaieteur Block. The public is unaware when the discovery was made, but was notified of it when “inside” information from the UK firm, Westmount Energy was made public by a regulatory information service. We s t m o u n t i s a n investment firm which has been quietly buying into companies which have stakes in blocks offshore Guyana. As a result of its interest in the company, Ratio Petroleum, which owns a 25 percent stake in the Kaieteur Block, Westmount has access to such information.
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat
The firm said on Tuesday that the contractor struck 16 metres of net oil pay
ascertained to be heavier than the crude assessed from (Continued on page 26)
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Positive COVID-19 patients found breaking home isolation will be taken to institution
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ositive COVID-19 patients who are in home isolation will be sent to an institution to isolate once found breaking the stay at home order. This was stated by the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony in an exclusive interview with this publication recently, as he responded to concerns about persons confined to home isolation being seen interacting with the general public. There have been a number of circulations in recent times, claiming that persons who were known home isolation patients are being seen outside of their homes, going out to shop, hang and other things. In light of this, the Minister explained that once it is brought to the attention of the Health Ministry, that a person confined to home isolation is found outside of their home or mingling with persons, they will be taken into institutional isolation. This will allow 24 hour monitoring of these persons, curbing further spread of the virus, according to the Minister. Former Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence had stated that home isolation is contributing to the increase in COVID-19 cases, since many persons have homes that are not conducive to the standard home isolation requirements. In giving an example, she stated that most of them don’t have self-contained rooms so they are forced to interact with their household. However, in response to that concern being raised by this publication, Dr. Anthony said that once a person tests positive for the virus, they are given the option of being placed into home isolation or institutional isolation. He lamented that those in home isolation were found to have substantial living environments, making them able to isolate there. Meanwhile, persons who were found to have living environments that were not
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony. conducive were placed in institutional isolation. He further added that in every region, there are institutional isolation facilities and medical personnel attached to the Health Ministry checking to ensure these persons are home. These check-ups he said would usually be conducted “ideally” once a day, however the frequency of check-ups differs by region and the number of COVID-19 cases. It was noted that since Region Four has a larger number of COVID-19 cases and persons in home isolation, it is sometimes difficult for all persons to receive daily checkups, but in other regions where there are fewer cases, an adequate amount of monitoring is usually conducted. He stressed that the medical personnel would explain to the patient and their families the seriousness of COVID-19 and walk them through the entire home isolation process.They have also included doctors in this initiative, who are usually placed at a health facility closest to where these persons are located and if it is necessary, they can go out and pay them a visit.
World Bank approves US$26M loan targeting East Coast drainage, flood preparedness
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he World Bank B o a r d o f Executive Directors yesterday approved US$26M in additional financing for Guyana to support the ongoing Guyana Flood Risk Management Project. “These funds will help to improve Guyana’s climate resilience, protect economic activity and reduce the impact of natural disasters,” the Bank said in a statement. “Ninety percent of Guyana’s inhabitants live on the narrow coastal plain, much of which lies below sea level. Flooding poses a serious and recurrent risk to both the lives of people and to livelihoods in the agricultural sector. These additional resources will help protect
some of the country’s most populous areas and build greater resilience,” said Ozan Sevimli, World Bank Resident Representative for Jamaica and Guyana. The project aims to significantly increase flood resilience in the low-lying coastal lands of the East Demerara area, which includes the country’s capital, Georgetown, where much of the population as well as administrative and commercial activities are concentrated. The additional financing will include extensive work to improve the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), one of Guyana’s major water storage and flood control facilities. The project will improve
the drainage systems that ensure the integrity of the EDWC dams. Water stored in the EDWC dam is used to irrigate agricultural lands, provide water for use in homes, and reduce the risk of flooding. The project will include an update of the Emergency Preparedness Plan, flood modeling, the rehabilitation of small existing irrigation structures, capacity building, communication and outreach activities to better inform the public. “These activities are expected to contribute to reducing the outbreaks of infectious illnesses due to flooding, alleviating the burden on the healthcare system that is currently managing the Covid-19 pandemic,” World Bank said.
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The source of our ethnic polarization is to be found in homes
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h e E t h n i c R e l a t i o n s Commission (ERC) is expected to soon have a public discourse with the country’s political leaders in order to improve ethnic relations. I thought that was supposed to be the mandate of the ERC, but it appears as if they are passing the buck when it comes to responsibility for improving race relations. The country’s political leaders are not the problem. The people are at fault. Take for example the situation with our young people. They were supposed to be the generation which would not become victims of racial polarization. It was said that since they were not born during the 1960s when there was race strife, that they would not be poisoned by the ethnic bug. They have. They have fallen in line. Just as previous generations did. The political leaders of Guyana cannot be held chiefly responsible for the contamination of our young people. They have some responsibility but the problem is not at Congress Place or Freedom House. The political parties are victims also of ethnic polarization. They would love nothing better than to enjoy multiracial support but their efforts are not succeeding in any significant manner. The source for ethnic polarization is to be found in the homes. That is where it starts and spread to areas where there is competition – the economic sectors, government and politics.
Dem
boys seh... Guyana now start planning for when the vaccine reaches. It will take a few months fuh de vaccine to get here. It slower dan de antigens testing kits. But we should push the accelerator because from experience, the Ministry of Health cannot outrun a turtle. Just look how long it took them to move the testing capacity for the coronavirus to 600 tests per day. Dem boys wan tell Uncle Frank dat he should bring in de Cubans fuh administer de vaccine when it comes. This
There is no ethnic polarization in our schools. Just take a look at our school children. They are at their happiest when they are with their multiracial friends. The problem is in the homes. That is where the race problem is germinated. This is where the greatest hypocrisy lies because on the one hand, parents claim that they bring up their children, not to harbour prejudices against persons of another race. However, behind closed doors and out of the earshot of our neighbours, they peddle ethnic narratives. The people are their own worst enemies. There is too m u c h h y p o c r i s y. T h e y purport to believe in one thing but privately hold the opposite view. They pretend to be unbiased but they harbour ethnic bitterness. They may not want to admit but they know that this is indeed happening in many instances. A disconnect exists between what people profess as their ideals and what they practice. And this is the source of ethnic conflict. Hypocrisy! If people would come out and be honest about what they really believe, we would be able to make progress in race relations. Glenn Lall repeats something often to his staff. He tells them that if they do not stand up for certain things, they will fall for anything. There are persons in this country who claim they believe in democracy. But in truth and fact, they are willing to accept dictatorship so long as it is by the party they
support. There are some persons who say that they believe in free and fair elections but they would stand and see an election being rigged and say nothing simply because it benefits the party which they support. There are persons who believe that Guyana was conned in the oil negotiations but they will not come out and say it because it will make their political masters look bad. Some persons say that they want the best government for Guyana. But what they really want is to be ruled by their own. But they do not want to admit this fact. It is this type of hypocrisy which is the source of our problems. We pretend to have certain ideals but in practice we are disconnected from those ideals. So long as this type of hypocrisy exists, there is nothing which our political leaders can do to improve race relations. The ERC is wasting its precious time to have such a discourse on race with the country’s political leaders. It will be another talk shop. The political leaders will say the politically-correct things. But nothing they say will have any meaningful impact. The ERC should be helping people settle on moral ideals and to rid themselves of double standards. Once the people rid themselves of hypocrisy, the ethnic relations problem becomes easier to solve. No amount of talking with political leaders will bring any rewards so long as the people are disconnected from
Give de vaccine a shot gan save a lot of problems when de time come fuh receive de jabs. Uncle Frank, who since he tun Minister losing he hair, nah gan gat to bother with training people. Dem boys know dat dem gat plenty people who frighten de vaccine more than dem frighten de coronavirus. Dem gat plenty mouth but dem scared fuh tek de vaccine. Dem boys see bodybuilder who gat figure like Arnold run when dem see vaccine needle. Dem frighten de needle more than
dem frighten de vaccine. Big man cry eye water after getting jab. When dem boys bin small dem bin get vaccine. And onto of dis day – in dem boys ripe old age – de scar still deh. But these days dem children does get dem vaccine and no marks nah deh pun either dem hand or backside. Dem boys asking all of you to give de vaccine a shot… literally. Believe in God but trust science! Talk half and watch big men run when de dem see syringe.
the values they profess. (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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Friday November 20, 2020
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Vladimir Glasgow: Memories of struggle I first met Vladimir Glasgow about 10 years ago. Mark Benschop and I were going to Kwakwani on a human rights mission and at Linden, Vladimir was going to arrange things from his end. I was sick when I reached Linden. My head was spinning, stomach churning, and body lifeless. I don’t know what happened, but I didn’t eat that morning and there was a touch of the flu. My suggestion was that they go without me. I will book into a hotel and leave the night when they return to Linden. Vladimir delayed the bus and checked me into a pharmacy where I met a doctor. After the intake of
some different types of tablets and some rest, I made the journey to Kwakwani. I liked Kwakwani. Years after, in 2011, I went back there to campaign for the Alliance For Change (AFC). Actually, the best pigeon-peas cook-up rice, I ate in my entire life was during the 2011 election campaign in Kwakwani. From that time, I became friends with Vladimir. I asked why the Russian first name. He explained that his dad was a trade unionist in the bauxite industry and had once visited the USSR and that explains it. Vladimir was the point man for the AFC in Linden. On the AFC campaign trail in Linden in 2011 and 2015, we got to
know each other very well. After the APNU+AFC got into power in 2015, Vladimir became the Region 10 representative for the Office of the Prime Minister. It was during the five-year period of APNU+AFC in office, I saw the essential politics of Vladimir. He was no ‘yes man’. He spoke his mind and his mind was independently structured. He saw governance differently from the way the AFC saw it. As a member of the national executive committee (NEC), he resigned last week. This means that the NEC since the election defeat in March has l o s t l a rg e n a m e s t h a t mattered in the halls of AFC’s politics. The list includes Dominic Gaskin, Leonard Craig, Gobin Harbhajan, Audwin Rutherford. Former MP and AFC executive, Trevor Williams, told me that he has completed his resignation, has it printed out but he wants to deliver it personally to party strongman (my words), Khemraj Ramjattan, because when he joined the
AFC in 2006, he did so in front of Ramjattan so he wants to leave in front of Ramjattan. Another executive, Joel Edmond, husband of PNC parliamentarian, Geeta Chandan-Edmond, told me he has taken a break from politics. This means the AFC has lost another popular Berbician. Vladimir knew that too much was wrong in the AFC leadership now that such leadership had power. But as a name in the long list of second-tier leaders who didn’t have an independent source of income, they had to shut their mouths. This entire second tier leadership knew that doomsday was coming from the APNU+AFC government because power intoxication had taken over. They saw it coming but could do nothing about it. V l a d i m i r ’s d a y s i n politics was numbered. He was not a favourite of the PNC bigwigs in Linden and they saw him as a threat. I was shocked when I met Vladimir in Survival Supermarket on Sherriff Street and he told me that
Prime Minister M o s e s Nagamootoo had dismissed him on the complaint of the PNC group in Linden without conducting a hearing. I remember my first expression on hearing the news was, Frederick Kissoon “Oh my god, and you just land. I met so many of got married.” them that were dreaming of a I was prepared to let better Guyana when the AFC Nagamootoo feel the full first contested national brunt of my scatological elections in 2006 and did vocabulary when I see him phenomenally well. despite whatever police They all flocked to the action he may want to take. AFC because they saw a But we never bumped into chance of a third party each other since Vladimir coming up to diminish the broke the news to me. hold the two leviathans – PPP Guess what? You are not and PNC – had on Indians going to believe what you are and Africans. All three of about to read. Vladimir told them, Glasgow, Craig and me, he was asked to return to Rutherford, were AFC the AFC for the 2020 election second-tier leaders that I campaign by Ramjattan and interacted closely with and he agreed. I remember could testify to their superior asking him if it was the same political culture. I hope there Ramjattan that remained is still a place for them in the silent when Nagamootoo political sun. fired him. (The views expressed in I’ve known Vladimir for this article are those of the more than 10 years. He is one a u t h o r a n d d o n o t of the better young men necessarily reflect the politics has produced in this opinions of this newspaper.)
Friday November 20, 2020
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Friday November 20, 2020
AG files summons to strike out elections petitions
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summons has been filed by A t t o r n e y General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, to strike out the elections petition challenging the outcome of the March 2, 2020 Regional and General elections. Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire is expected to hear preliminary issues raised in the two elections petition matters next Tuesday. However, the AG in the summons filed on November 10 last, requested a dismissal of the petitions on the
grounds that the matter was filed outside the timeline prescribed by the law for legal service on the parties involved. According to a document seen by this newspaper, Nandlall is contending also that leaders of the two main political parties —- the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Bharrat Jagdeo and the opposition —-A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change(APNU+AFC) leader and former President David Granger as listed respondents, were not served in accordance with the law.
Attorney General: Anil Nandlall According to the AG, the respondent in Petition 99 of 2020 was served in breach of Section II of the National
Parents seek help in finding daughter, grand kids Missing - Shameeza Khan her two children.
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he parents and uncle of a 20year-old woman who reportedly left home with her two children last Wednesday are seeking the public’s help for information on their whereabouts. Shameeza Khan along with her kids, Aniza and Akash Ali, ages 4 and 2, lives in her parents’ home at Samatta Point, Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Last Tuesday, she had a misunderstanding with her
husband who resides a few houses away with his parents. The following day, her parents left for work but when they returned, she was nowhere to be seen. The parents began making inquiries and were told that she was seen leaving with two bags. Khan’s husband too has not seen nor heard from her since November 10. The woman’s family said that she has no cell phone in her possession and
is worried for her safety. “We just want to know if she is ok if anyone has seen her, please tell her to make contact with us and notify us about where she is,” the parents said. K h a n ’s f a t h e r h a s already lodged a report at Grove Police Station. Persons who might have seen Khan and her children or know where they might be can contact family members on 684-6021/6219086 or Grove Police Station on 265-2233.
Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act, Chapter 1:04 and Rule Nine of the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) rules. The AG contends further that the matter is a violation of the said Validity of Elections Act and Rule Nine of the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) pertaining to the elections. “ I n t h o s e circumstances,” Nandlall asserts that, “the Court cannot proceed to the hearing the petition.” To support his claims, he explained that Section 8 of the National Assembly Validity of Elections Act stipulates that respondents are to be served with the notice of the presentation of the petition, and of the nature of the security or proposed security, and a copy of the petition with supporting affidavit not exceeding five days after the presentation or filing of an elections petition. The AG emphasized that the Act makes it mandatory
Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George –Wiltshire
for the petitioner, in the prescribed time, to serve on the respondent, a notice of the presentation of the petition, and of the nature of the security or proposed security, and a copy of the petition unless the Court otherwise directs. Added to this, Nandlall said that the manner of service as prescribed in Rule 9 (1) of the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) rule imposes on the petitioner, the statutory obligation to effect service within five days after the presentation of the petition.
In the matter of Petition 99 of 2020, Nandlall explained that the petition having been filed on September, 15, 2020, should have been served on all respondents five (5) days at least by Monday, September 21, 2020, thereafter in keeping with the legal guidelines and prescriptions. The lawyer noted however that, in the Affidavit of Service of the applicants Brennan Joette and Natasha Nurse, it is deposed that service was affected on the second named Respondent (Continued on page 30)
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Friday November 20, 2020
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Suriname oil contract dictates…
Companies must disclose nationalities - while Guyana’s policy of all workers annually substantially vague
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o stone is left unturned when it c o m e s t o Suriname securing maximum benefits for its people. According to the Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) the Dutch-speaking country has with oil companies; there are strict Local Content rules which have to be followed. These rules ensure companies have no room to escape their responsibility of using to the greatest extent, local goods, products and services as part of its operations. According to the country’s PSAs, companies are required to provide a report demonstrating the number of employees engaged in petroleum operations in Suriname, identified by nationality, to the extent that such information does not cause the contractor to violate any laws. This report must be submitted no later than 90 days following the end of each calendar year. Also, a list of the number of contractors’ and subcontractors’ local hires and associated titles must be submitted in quarterly reports. In addition, companies are required to use their best efforts to train locals with respect to its Petroleum
UK Consultant, Dr. Michael Warner Operations, including technical, administrative, executive and management positions. These rigid rules are not only absent from Guyana’s Production Sharing Agreement with ExxonMobil, but also the draft Local Content policy that was finalized by UK Consultant, Dr. Michael Warner. In fact, with regards to the nationalities of employees, Guyana’s Local Content Policy stipulates that the Oil Company/ operator must give a total level of local content utilization; the estimated Guyanese in the workforce; estimated training hours; expenditure with Guyanese suppliers, among other factors. What ExxonMobil failed to show with their local
content, however, was a breakdown of the job description, salaries, and even the plans in place to increase this workforce by more than 55%. In fact, no data was provided for the public to analyze if there was any progression in the employment of Guyanese to senior positions from 2015 to now. With regards to capacity building, ExxonMobil said that this is an ongoing process for its own operations as well as for its direct contractors, with more than 100,000 hours of training provided to Guyanese staff as of the first half of 2020. As for the local businesses it has used for the first half of the year, ExxonMobil said more than 600 Guyanese suppliers were used for services. These “services” included the procurement of “food stuff” and “engineering” works. Again, the company provided no breakdown of the names of companies it used for the first half of 2020. The only time ExxonMobil ever released the list of companies it claimed to have used for its local content efforts was back in June 2018. Notably, the previous, A Partnership for National
Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) regime, for the last five years had promised the nation that the Local Content Policy would be in place for first oil which officially started on December 20, 2019. However, close to a year has p a s s e d a n d t h e implementation of this document is yet to happen.
However, since President Ali has assumed office, steps were put in place to set up a local content advisory panel. The list is constituted by Trinidadian energy strategist, Anthony Paul; former T&T Energy Minister, Kevin Ramnarine; former Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge; former President of the
Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), Shyam Nokta; USbased Chartered Accountant, Floyd Haynes; and trade unionist, Carvil Duncan. This team is tasked with executing consultations and r e v i e w, a n d m a k i n g recommendations to inform the country’s local content policy.
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Friday November 20, 2020
Region Three ranks complete training in noise management - Commander cites urgency for GPF’s Decibel meters calibration
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s 23 police ranks, yesterday, successfully completed a one-day training session in noise management, the Region 3 Commander, Errol Watts, has noted the urgent need for the calibration of Decibel meters owned by the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The training session was held at the Leonora Technical and Vocational Institute located on the West Coast of Demerara (and facilitated by Senior Environmental Officers of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)). Those officers were Candacie BrowerT h o m p s o n , Ta s h a n a Redmond and Ladonna
Kissoon. According to a release by GPF, the EPA collaborated with the Region Three Commander to train the ranks. The policemen received both theoretical and practical training in noise control studies. The ranks were also educated on the EPA’s role in environment protection and noise management. They were updated as well on EPA’s Noise Regulation Legal Services. Watts also refreshed them on GPF’s noise regulation policy. Speaking with this newspaper yesterday, Watts highlighted that the training session is the fourth held by EPA and that his ranks are now better edified in dealing
with frequent complaints of noise nuisance. He said that his division has been inundated with noise nuisance complaints both “by day and by night.” Watts stated also that motor vehicles with amplifiers and households with very large sound systems for domestic purposes have been very inconsiderate when playing music. Citizens, according to the EPA’s website, are advised to desist from emitting noise level above the prescribed 100db (decibel) recreational limit. Kaieteur News had reported back in August, that EPA lacked equipment to measure noise nuisance.
Commander Errol Watts briefing the ranks during the training session.
Questioned about the how ranks will be able to measure the level of noise nuisance emitted by perpetrators, Watts said that GPF has Decibel meters in stock but they are not calibrated. Wi t h t h e f r e q u e n t complaints from persons affected by noise nuisance, the Commander said that there is urgent need for the instruments to be calibrated. This media house has learnt from a source that the meters were recently donated to GPF by the Chinese Government. Watts further told this newspaper that the reasons
behind the union between the GPF and the EPA in training the ranks are simply because “the Summary Jurisdiction Act Section174 does not provide stiff punishment for perpetrators.” The Act, Section 174 A (1) states “No person shall, in any road, street, public place or land or in any building premises, by operating or causing or suffering to be operated any stereo set, juke box, radio, wireless loud s p e a k e r, g r a m o p h o n e , amplifier, automatic piano or similar instrument of music, or by any other means whatsoever, make or cause or
suffer to be made any noise which shall be so loud and so continuous or repetitive as to cause a nuisance to occupants of any premises in the neighbourhood.” Section 174 A (2) further states, “Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of one thousand dollars and to imprisonment for three months.” However, under the EPA’s (Noise Management) Regulations (2000), defaulters can be fined up to $700,000 and face up to one year imprisonment.
Kaieteur News
Friday November 20, 2020
Over 30 dormitory students test positive for COVID-19 reopening of schools
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ince the reopening of schools on November 9, over 30 dormitory students have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. This was disclosed by Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony on Wednesday during his update on the COVID-19 virus. The Minister stated that these students were not showing symptoms of the virus and they were only discovered after they carried out Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests on them. “With a pandemic, you will expect that there are people who are going to be positive but like we have seen in other parts of the world, children generally are asymptomatic and they will have a milder form of the disease,” he also said. Upon the reopening of schools for grades 10, 11, 12 and Technical and Vocation Education students, all students occupying school dormitories were required to have a PCR test done. This
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony was to ensure that the possible spread of the virus among that student population was curbed. Adding to that, the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand had stated that since many of these students were coming from areas that are COVID-19 hotspots, it was imperative that they track their status. The Health Minister said that in light of the infection among students, the parents of a few dormitory students decided to take them back home, which was allowed by
the Ministry. He explained that following discussions held between those parents, they were given the option of having their children taken to an institutional isolation facility or take them back home and isolate under strict guidelines. Further, he disclosed that COVID-19 positive students who travelled from the hinterland to Region Four to stay at dormitories and conduct their studies are being isolated at the Diamond Hospital. He also addressed the eight K ato S econdary School students who were brought to Region Four to attend the President’s College Secondary school. Four of these students had tested positive for the virus, but the Minister assured that they have been looked after and are being monitored. In addition to the four Kato students, two students had tested positive for the virus at two separate schools in Bartica, Region Seven, (Continued on page 26)
No steps here: This minibus seemingly made an attempt to climb over the median at McDoom, East Bank Demerara Wednesday night, around 10pm. It failed in its attempt.
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Friday November 20, 2020
Region 8 residents complain of Baramita teen drinking substandard work contractor partner slapped did on $5.1M water well with murder charge
Residents of the El Paso village in Mahdia, Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) have been complaining about substandard work done on a water well valued at $5.1 million by a contractor employed through the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). Residents reached out to this publication, lamenting that the water well was only partially serviceable as it was only providing a school within the community with water and not the rest of the community. The enraged residents stated that the situation is a “total disrespect” to their hardearned dollars and called for a faster resolution to be made. Kaieteur News contacted the Mayor of Mahdia, David Adams, who said that the Mahdia Mayor and Town
Mayor of Mahdia, David Adams. Council had contributed some $4.5 million to the project. He went on to say that the Council had no superintendence over the project as the money was given to GWI, who contracted a Brazilian company, Fox Services and Trading, who was responsible for drilling the
well. The well was supposed to be dug at 150 feet; however, the contractor only drilled it at 90 feet. Adams stated that he was told that they encountered rocks while drilling the hole, making it impossible for the well to extend beyond 90 feet. In addition to that, they had also encountered equipment issues and had to avert the project to go back to GWI and have the equipment fixed. According to Adams, the equipment was fixed, but, they were deployed to construct another well in Port Kaituma, in Region One (Barima-Waini). The works expected to be done there will last for three weeks, hindering the continuation of the project in El Paso. Kaieteur News (Continued on page 26)
The man, who is alleged to be the killer of a 16-yearold girl who was found dead after a drinking spree, was yesterday slapped with a murder charge and remanded to prison. The defendant, Wickroy Mitchell aka “Shatta,” 38, a miner of Number 53 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, appeared virtually before Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce in the Matthew’s Ridge Magistrate’s Court, when the indictable charge was read to him. The charge alleged that, between November 14 -15, 2020, at Coanna Backdam, Five Star, North West District, he murdered a 16year-old girl of Baramita Village. Magistrate Scarce remanded the defendant to prison and he is expected to make his next court appearance on February 2, 2 0 2 1 , f o r t h e commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder. According to the police,
Accused of murder: Wickroy Mitchell aka “Shatta.” the dead teen’s body was found on Sunday last behind her home at North West District. It is reported that the teen was allegedly strangled to death by the defendant. This newspaper also received information that she was raped during the process. Investigators had revealed that around 12:00 hrs. on Saturday, the teen was seen imbibing, together
w i t h h e r m o t h e r, t h e defendant and other males at a shop in the area. At around 15:00 hrs. the teenager and her mother became intoxicated and decided to leave the shop. However, before doing so, they purchased another bottle of rum along with a quantity of rice. The defendant also reportedly left together with them as well. Sometime later, investigators were told that the teen’s mother returned to the shop alone and spent a while there. On Sunday around 07:30 hrs. the teen’s body was discovered lying motionless behind her home, she was transported to the Port Kaituma Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty. The matter was reported and the defendant went into hiding. However, on Tuesday the police apprehended the suspect and he was placed in custody and subsequently charged.
Angola’s State oil company made no money from oil in 2019 as debt bites
"Guyanese: No more 'Nancy stories' from leaders; DEMAND they tell ALL on our wealth."
Angola’s state oil giant made no money from core oil activities last year, a Reuters analysis of its full accounts shows, as billions of dollars of debt repayments ate up profits. The bleak disclosure within the company’s 121page annual financial results published in Portuguese last week underlines the perils facing the impoverished, oildependent nation, even before oil prices plunged due to the coronavirus outbreak. Sonangol is the engine of sub-Saharan Africa’s third l a rg e s t e c o n o m y, a n d Africa’s number two oil exporter. The company reported last week that its net profit fell to 46 billion kwanza ($125 million) in 2019, down by over half in dollar terms from 80 billion kwanza ($316 million) in 2018, using the official average exchange rates for those years. This was despite Brent crude oil prices averaging a comfortable $64 a barrel last year, not far below 2018’s $71. For 2020 so far, the average is $40. Core activities lost 351 billion kwanza ($955
million) compared to a profit in 2018 of 69 billion ($274 million). The decline in crude prices has worsened Angola’s debt burden. Sonangol itself has borrowed billions of dollars from China and banks such as Standard Chartered in recent years, pledging its oil exports as collateral, to support the economy and its own expansion. Its total liabilities at the end of 2019 stood at a massive 13.4 trillion kwanza ($36 billion) including loans, risk provisions and accounts payable.In 2019, its debt repayments hit 764 billion kwanza ($1.8 billion), against operating profits from oil production, sales and refining of 580 billion kwanza ($1.57 billion). “NET PROFIT” The company hailed its overall net profit as “strong growth ... as a result of stabilizing revenues and the strong cost reductions in the context of ongoing restructuring.” Angola has pinned its hopes for mitigating a projected steady decline in
its oil output on a drive to privatise key state assets, including parts of Sonangol itself, by 2022. But much of the net profit was generated through 397 billion kwanza ($1.1 billion) of “extraordinary results”, mostly from cancelling a vast old debt and selling some assets. The figure is nearly 30 times higher than in 2018. It includes 280 billion kwanza from a cancellation of debt to South Pars, Phase 12 - an Iranian company formed with Sonangol to develop a giant gas field where activity ultimately never started due to sanctions. Other “extraordinary items” included a gain of 46 billion kwanza from the sale of a real estate company and 13 billion kwanza from the transfer of medical care for several hundred workers back to the state. Auditor KPMG said Sonangol’s liabilities at the end of 2019 outweighed its assets, something that has not happened since an oil price crash in 2016. (Republished and modified from Reuters)
Friday November 20, 2020
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15-year-old shot dead…
Tragic end to eight years of friendship
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he fatal shooting of Rockey Sawh, 15, allegedly by his best friend, 16, is now being described as a tragic ending to eight years of ‘great’ friendship between the boys. Sawh’s mother, Amrita Panday, described their friendship as admirable and told Kaieteur News, “They actually grew up together; they attended different schools but shared a great relationship with each other.” The boys’ parents also knew each other and were good friends too. According to Sawh’s father, Rakesh Sawh, he has been a neighbour and friend of the 16-year-old’s parents for 12 years. The years of friendship between both families and the boys, however came to a tragic an abrupt end after Sawh died on Wednesday around 14:20 hrs. at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Corporation (GPHC). He was shot to the right side of his head. Police stated that his death was as a result of an accidental shooting which took place at the best friend’s home located in Sandy Babb Street Kitty. Sawh’s mother said he went there for a sleep over on Tuesday evening. Investigators reported that Sawh’s friend had found his father’s .32 Taurus pistol and showed it to him. The friend, this newspaper was told, pointed the gun to Sawh’s head and accidently pulled the trigger. The two boys
Dead, Rockey Sawh.
were alone when the incident occurred. The gun went off and Sawh fell. The time of the shooting and what happened after is turning out to be a mystery for Sawh’s parents. Family members learnt of Sawh’s shooting around 03:00 hrs. on Wednesday morning. When they arrived at the hospital he was in a coma and brain dead. (Continued on page 29)
Friday November 20, 2020
The house located in Kitty where the fatal shooting reportedly took place.
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Trial for murder Mahaicony businesswoman
I would never do anything to hurt ‘Auntie Shakeela’ - accused tells court
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urder accused, Navindra Singh told the Court yesterday, in an unsworn statement, that he would never do anything to hurt murdered Mahaicony businesswoman, Bibi Shairoon Nesha Ali. In fact, Singh, who joined the proceedings via Zoom from the Lusignan Prison told the Court that he loved Ali whom he called by her alias “Aunty Shakeela.” The accused led his defense before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed12 member-jury. This was before Senior State Counsel; Tuanna Hardy, led her closing address, urging members of the jury to consider several key pieces evidence presented by witnesses in the trial. Among the evidence is the testimony of police witnesses who told the court that Singh‘s fingerprint was found inside the murdered woman’s bedroom. The State Prosecutor noted that the testimony of the police fingerprint expert corroborated the evidence of other witnesses, who testified that they saw the accused in the area on the night the woman was allegedly robbed and killed. She noted too that another witness, Rajindra Dindyal, had testified that the accused who was a juvenile at the time had threatened to harm the woman. “The fingerprint,” the
Accused: Navindra Singh
lawyer stressed to the panel, “is one of the most potent piece of evidence against the accused.” She noted that fingerprints unlike most other features, is unique to one individual. “The accused has neither led evidence nor called any witnesses to give a reasonable explanation why his print was found in the home of the murdered woman,” the lawyer stressed.Meanwhile, in an attempt to rebut the prosecution‘s contention, Defense Counsel Bernard Da Silva, asked the jury to disregard any evidence that the fingerprint expert presented. The lawyer contended that “a fingerprint,” is not enough to convict his client. During the trial, previous witnesses who were called to the stand in the trial, including police fingerprint
expert, Lallbachan Dyal, testified that a fingerprint impression found in the home of murdered Mahaicony businesswoman had matched the accused. The policeman told the court that he ran tests on several of the prints, which were collected from the home. Several weeks after the murder, he noted, Davenand Rampersaud and Singh (a juvenile at the time) were held and charged for the crime. Inspector Dyal, the fingerprint expert told the court that he compared the fingerprints collected at the crime scene against the prints of Rampersaud and Singh after they were arrested for the crime. He said, however, that of all prints collected, only one matched the print of S i n g h ’s l i t t l e f i n g e r. His expertise in fingerprint analysis was taken to task by Defense Counsel, Bernard
Da Silva, but the witness remained firm that the print w a s a m a t c h Dyal’s evidence followed the testimony of police detective, Joel Chisholm, who told the court that he dusted the surfaces in the home of the dead woman and collected fingerprint samples for testing.Officer Chisholm also testified to collecting fingerprint samples from the body of the deceased and later witnessing along with her relatives, the Post Mortem Examination performed on her body, by a state pathologist. According to reports, Ali, who operated a small store at her Lot 4 Novar, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara residence, was found bound and gagged in her home on October 17, 2016, following a suspected robbery. Reports are that her murder likely occurred between October 15 and 16, 2016, since by the time her body was
discovered, it was already swollen. Singh who was 14 years old when he was arrested, had been initially charged along with 27-year-old, Davenand Rampersaud. Rampersaud has since pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of manslaughter when he faced a judge at the
Murdered: Mahaicony businesswoman, Bibi Shairoon Nesha Ali.
High Court. He was sentenced to life in prison for the crime and is expected to serve at least twenty-five years in jail before becoming eligible for parole. S i n g h ’s m a t t e r i s expected to conclude today after the Judge sums up the evidence and presents it to the jury for deliberation.
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Friday November 20, 2020
Policy Forum Guyana launched advocacy training kits for youths
T
he Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) has launched its advocacy training kit, which is aimed at helping young people, indigenous youths in p a r t i c u l a r, t o a d d r e s s common issues and ways they can deal with it.
According to a press release, the training kit is called, “Living in Harmony with Nature & Society” and it contains a manual named ‘Freshwater’ which highlights the environment, sexual violence, epidemics, fairness and protection.
It should be noted that hard copies of the kit are limited in number but a soft copy is available on the PFG website, which any interested person is welcome to access. The manual contains e x a m p l e s o f e ff e c t i v e
activism by communities, indigenous organizations and other non-governmental and governmental agencies over the past decades. The release stated, that the aim of the manual is to distinguish that integration between coastal life and
interior communities is drawing the younger generation progressively into coastal habits, values and ways of doing things. It added that it was evident for youths studying on the coast, and for those who remain in their communities as a result of better roads, social media, mining and forestry as well as tourism. PFG said that the manual is a contributor in helping
with discernment, providing educators, youth leaders, indigenous organizations and faith-based groups with tools to encourage wise decision-making for the protection of the well-being of communities. The release also highlighted that, “While better health and education and job opportunities may result, the cost of the (Continued on page 30)
Technology to monitor... From page 2 GRA had advertised in Kaieteur News that the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel had been appointed a sufferance wharf and private warehouse, pursuant to the Customs Act issued under Section 2 and Part 4 of the Act. A sufferance wharf is a place other than an approved place of loading and offloading by the Revenue Authority, where a senior customs officer may by discretion and under certain conditions, allow the loading
and offloading of goods. That subjects the Liza Destiny vessel to all customs regulations which concern sufferance wharves. It is the appointment that gives GRA the authority to conduct its surveillance. Following the installation of the connection to the Liza Phase One operation, Exxon intends to connect to the Liza Phase Two operation in 2022 when the project is slated to come on stream. It also intends to connect to the Payara area in 2023. That development is slated to come on stream in 2024.
Region 8 residents complain ... From page 16 understands that since the well cannot service the entire community, it will be used solely for the supply of water to the school, which it is servicing currently. But, in light of that, they will have to construct another water well in another part of the community, to provide all of the residents with potable water. This will require additional funding, but the Town Council has expressed that they do not have any more money to disperse on the project. It was stated that GWI is currently seeking additional funding for the
other well. Addressing the same issue, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal told another section of the media, “GWI has not accepted the well nor has made any payment since the well is intended to be drilled to a maximum depth of 150 meters. After the well is completed, GWI will be working with the Town Council to connect it to the system.” Residents have maintained that they deserve potable water after waiting for such a long time, and another long wait on the next well cannot be accepted.
Govt., Exxon silent ... From page 8 the Liza-1 producing field. It said that the well is likely to be plugged up and abandoned. It also said that the find will undergo further studies to determine how it will impact prior analyses of the basin, and in so doing, drilling of other wells.It was anticipated that the well, adjudged most likely to yield a commercial discovery, would result in a discovery of 256 million barrels. This particular well, the deepest drilled by ExxonMobil to date, in the Guyana basin, is likely to see Exxon handing a hefty bill to
Guyana. Up to press time yesterday, there was no release from the Government on the Tanager-1 discovery.
Over 30 dormitory students test... From page 15 while another two tested positive at a secondary school in Anna Regina, Region Two.Kaieteur News understands that the rest of cases came from other regions including Region Nine. Up to Wednesday, 32 students had tested positive for the virus countrywide.
Friday November 20, 2020
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Chinese contractor wants $4B to supply COVID-19 stocks The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) on Tuesday opened ---- bids for 16 governmental projects at their Ministry of Finance (MoF) office, on Main and Urquhart streets.
Notable projects included the --supply, delivery and installation of medical equipment for the retrofitting of the COVID-19 hospital, under the Ministry of Health (MoH); the supply and delivery of medical supplies for COVID-19; as well
as the request for proposal consulting firm to validate the rehabilitation of the MV & LV distribution network under the Guyana Power and Light Below are the companies and their bids.
Ministry of Agriculture- Consultancy services for the design, review and supervision of constriction of dams, drainage and irrigation structures at West Watooka, Region Ten
Protected Areas Commission (PAC) Completion of extension of administrative building
Procurement of Building Materials Construction of Green Heart Timber Bridge Lesbeholden Black Bush Polder
Provision of consultancy services for design and supervision of pump stations within Regions Two, Five and Six in four lots
Consultancy services for the design for upgrading of Georgetown Drainage System, infrastructure and supervision of construction- Phase One, North Road concrete drain, Georgetown
Procurement of Building Materials Construction of Heavy Duty Timber Bridge Catherine
Ministry of Health- Supply, delivery and installation of medical equipment for retrofitting of COVID-19 hospital
Supply and delivery of medical supplies, COVID-19 Procurement of Building Materials Construction of Heavy Duty Reinforced Concrete Bridge Prem Nagar Meten-Meer-Zorg
Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) - Supply and delivery of water treatment chemicals in two lots
Procurement of two New Cars
Bureau of Statistics - Supply and delivery of computer equipment
Guyana Power & Light (GPL) - Request for proposal consulting firm to validate the rehabilitation of the MV & LV distribution network
Procurement of Building Materials Construction of Heavy-duty Timber Bridge First Street Craig Mill Cove and John Ministry of Human Services and Social Security - Procurement of Land Transport
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Repairs and painting to EPA southern roof structure Procurement of Capital Furniture and Equipment
Guyana Defense Force - Development of Lands for Crops Fishing and Ruminants Agri Corps Garden of Eden
(Continued on page 30)
Kaieteur News
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Friday November 20, 2020
Women Miners Org. engages the Labour Ministry on critical mining issues
Elderly Region 4 woman is the latest COVID-19 fatality
The Guyana Women Miners Organization (GWMO) and the Guyana Mining Syndicate on Wednesday met with the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, to discuss critical issues affecting workers and ways in which these can be resolved. The meeting according to the Ministry’s release, focused on two main issues, namely: Labour Relations and Workplace Safety and Health concerns. One of the key challenges outlined at the engagement, was the accessibility for miners with regards to making reports to the Ministry on matters like mining violations and crimes committed in the mining areas. This is according to the President of GWMO, Urica Primus, during a telephone interview with Kaieteur News yesterday. She added that the organization proposed the integration of a GWMO mobile app for the reporting of these matters, which the Ministry accepted. Primus further mentioned that the Ministry and GWMO have agreed “to
The Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday reported a 60-year-old woman from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) as the latest COVID-19 fatality. The woman who died while receiving treatment at a medical facility was recorded as Guyana’s 143rd COVID-19 death. Additionally, the MOH recorded 62 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 4,976.
Urica Primus, President of GWMO.
work on the development and integration for virtual training on workers’ rights as well as to observe awareness of companies on guidelines and laws that ought to be followed in an effort to maintain not only a healthy working environment but keeping safety guidelines in mind.” Concerns were also expressed about the failure of many employers to meet their financial obligations to their employees; Primus explained that the proposed measures have to be
discussed with the relevant stakeholders to ensure practicality prior to integration. GWMO called upon the Ministry for increased technical support for the development of guidelines as it relates to mining in the rainy season. It was therefore agreed, that a Memorandum of Understanding should be developed between the parties and the modalities of this agreement would be addressed in the coming week.
This was indicated in their daily dashboard update, which also states that seven persons are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, 104 persons are in institutional isolation, 757 persons are in approved home isolation and 62 persons are in institutional quarantine. To date, 3,965 persons have recovered from the virus and 26,226 persons have been tested countrywide.
Friday November 20, 2020
Kaieteur News
...Tragic end to eight years From page 18 After inquiring they learnt that he arrived there some time around 02:30 hrs. The medical professionals also told them that the teen might have been shot some four hours prior to his arrival. They speculated that it might have been sometime around 23:00 hrs. on Tuesday since his friends had spoken to him on Facebook between 21:00 and 22:00 hrs. During a visit to scene, y e s t e r d a y, n e i g h b o u r s told this newspaper that did not hear any gunshots or loud explosion that night. Kaieteur News reported on Thursday of allegations made that the suspect’s mother had turned up at scene, picked up her son and left, while Sawh was discovered by another individual lying in a pool of blood around 02:10 hrs. Speaking with the paper yesterday, police sources said that they received a call informing them of the incident from the friend’s mother around that time. Detectives also received information, a top police official said, that the woman had called an ambulance too. It is unclear whether the woman or the suspect was at scene when the call was made. Nevertheless, they were both picked up by
cops, hours later at their second home, located at Dairy, Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD). “I saw when the police came and arrested them. I live just next door to their house in Dairy but what makes me angry is that they still did not inform me that my son was shot, we had to learn from other sources,” said Sawh’s dad. He continued that even when he attempted to inquire of his son’s death, the friend’s
parents refused to say anything to him. Sawh’s mother also shared similar sentiments: “They are not telling us anything, we just want to know what happened, we want answers.” She said all she is knows is that the friend’s parents were residing at Dairy in their second home and that the teen traveled to Kitty on Monday to stay in that house since it was more convenient for him to attend school in the city.
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From page 26 ‘integration’ process is also to be calculated in terms of undermining traditional indigenous values and lifestyles.” The training kit was developed from the work undertaken over three years under the patroPolicy Forum Guyana launched advocacy training kits for youths nage of the “Shared Resources Joint Solutions” programme. Another guiding principle in the selection of materials was the inclusion of lesson plans addressing relationships: with the natural environment; inter-personal relations; relations with strangers and inter-generational relations. Materials that have proven to be effective in combatting earlier epidemics of malaria and alcoholism in indigenous communities are also included in the manual.
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From page 12 on September, 25, 2020. “Therefore, the respondent was served four days outside the statutorily prescribed period in respect of Petition No 99 of 2020. Further, exhibited is the Affidavit in Support of Service of Brennan Joette and Natasha Nurse is the acknowledgment of service signed by David Granger on the 25th September, 2020,” Nandlall explained in the document. This is not the first time the issue of late service has been raised. During a Case Management Conference (CMC) hearing of the matter in Douglas Mendes, SC of Trinidad,
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...Chinese contractor wants From page 27 Ministry of Public Works - Urban Roads 2020 Regions #6 Lots 8-10
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According to the release, the kit benefitted from materials produced by Rights of Children (ROC), the East Coast Clean-Up Committee, the Guyana Human Rights Association and the Upper Mazaruni Christian Council. In addition to recognizing the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Fund for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the PFG wished to express its appreciation to a number of local agencies. The Science Advisor to the National Centre for Education Research & Action (NCERD) provided valuable guidance with respect to the Freshwater Manual. Teachers from Graham’s Hall, Eccles and Seafield Primary schools assisted in reviewing the appropriateness of the materials for primary schools.
Friday November 20, 2020
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who is leading the legal team for the PPP/C raised an issue of his clients—President Irfaan Ali and Bharrat Jagdeo not being served on time in accordance with the prescribed Court rules. As a result of this purported breach, the lawyer held that the Court should proclaim the petitions as null and void. On that note, the Chief Justice pointed out herself that the records reflect that even the former President David Granger was also served late. She noted that Granger was served on September 25, 2020 when he should have received the document five business days after the petition was filed on September 15, 2020. The Chief Justice directed that the lawyers have the submissions for that application filed and served by November 20, 2020.
Urban Roads Region #6- Lot 11
Friday November 20, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Dubai royal in Guyana on oil business
P
The suspected narcotics that were discovered.
Porter claims ownership of bag containing cocaine, ganja A 25-year-old porter of North East, La Penitence, Georgetown, yesterday admitted to the police that he was the owner of a bag that contained a quantity of suspected cannabis and cocaine. According to a police report, the narcotics were discovered around 11:20 hrs, during a search on a motor lorry at a Police Outpost, in Itaballi, Region Seven. It is reported that the police unearthed four bulky parcels and two small parcels of suspected cannabis weighing 1.877 kilogrammes and cocaine weighing 7.6 grammes respectively.
The lorry was being driven by a resident of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, and at the time of the search was also occupied by the porter and a 28-year-old man of Diamond Housing Scheme. After the discovery was made, the driver and the 28-year-old man identified the bag as the North East, La Penitence man’s belongings. When the man was questioned, he subsequently claimed ownership of the bag and its contents. The man was then told of the offence, cautioned, arrested and placed in custody pending charges.
r e s i d e n t , D r. Mohamed Irfaan Ali yesterday met with his Highness Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Juma Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and an eight-member delegation in Guyana on a three-day official State visit. Over the next few days, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Juma Al Maktoum, who is a member of the ruling family in the UAE, and members of his team will meet with several Government officials from various ministries. In the initial meeting with President Ali, the UAE team also met with members of the Cabinet including: Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, Minister of Natural Resources, the Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Housing and Water and Minister within the Ministry, Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Public Works, Juan
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Juma Al Maktoum
Edghill and other government officials. The visiting delegation was welcomed by several Ministers and officials upon its arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, The UAE is one of the top oil-producing countries globally and is expected to lend assistance to Guyana in oil and gas, among other areas.The Sheikh has a
p r i v a t e o ff i c e w i t h a portfolio of privately held group companies, focusing mainly on infrastructure development, energy projects, LNG terminal development, commodity & oil trading, water desalination, water recirculation as well as education and agricultural projects, according to its website.
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Friday November 20, 2020
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...South American 10k set for November 29th, Thomas From page 39 ‘mining town’ last Sunday, Thomas finished in a time of 43 minutes 08 seconds in the run that was contested around the outer circuit of the venue which is set to house the region’s first synthetic track. The Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) athlete was followed by the Linden based Upper Demerara track club’s Ronnell Newton (43minutes 57seconds), Winston Missingher in third with a time of 44m 9s, Royston Fordyce in fourth and former South America 10k champion Cleveland Forde all the way in fifth place.
Last year’s South American 10k leg in Guyana witnessed a clean sweep by Kenyans Alex Ekesa and Veronica Jepkokei who the open male and female categories, respectively. In that race, the Kenyans weren’t the only foreign competitors but athletes from Grenada, the United States, Suriname, St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG) and Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) also competed. Winston Missinger finished second in the men’s open in Guyana and the Suriname legs last year and he will definitely be looking to maintain his competitive edge over Thomas in this event.
...Ex-Windies pacer Franklyn Rose wants From page 37 these guys can bat out an entire day, we haven’t seen that in a long time but we have to bat long. Apart from Darren Bravo and Braithwaite, the batting is very inexperienced and going up against a New Zealand team with the likes of Trent Bolt, Neil Wagner and Tim Southee in their line-up, is going to be tough, but all we have to do is try to bat out the day and once we can do that we can score a reasonable total,”added Rose, who bagged 6-101 on debut against India at Sabina Park. Rose who played for Jamaica, West Indies, Gauteng, H e r e f o r d s h i r e , Northamptonshire and Surrey
Friday November 20, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Try not to lose sight of your own projects or desires, Aries. There's a great deal of power and manipulative energy in the air today that could throw you off course if you aren't careful.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Feel free to speak more loudly today, Libra. You'll find that things fall into place more easily if you speak your thoughts outwardly and directly in the presence of others.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Recharge today by getting outside and stretching your arms to the sky, Taurus. Be proud and courageous. You have the power to turn an unhealthy situation into a positive one.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You should bask in a glorious splendor today, Scorpio. There's a great deal of power at your disposal. You'll find your ego is healthy, charged, and ready for the battlefield.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Difficult predicaments could arise today if you try to exert your will over others without having the most honorable intentions.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Add more sunshine to your day, Sagittarius. It may be time to stir up your inner passion and let it speak with greater confidence than you have been lately.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) The fire within you is raging today, Cancer, and you should be careful how you wield this power. Be proud and triumphant. Walk with your shoulders back and head high. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) There may be a great deal of fuss over something that seems quite insignificant to you. Try to see the beauty and importance of everything around you. At the same time, make sure you give yourself enough credit for being the person you are. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Things are coming to a critical point for you today, and you may find that other people openly object to your actions.
Friday November 20, 2020
CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You'll find that your spark can easily turn potential energy into kinetic energy, Capricorn. Don't underestimate the power of your words. Realize the profound impact they have on others and take responsibility for their consequences. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Don't dwell on your fluctuating moods today, Aquarius. Look at the larger trends and how positive elements are coming together in your favor. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) This is your day to shine in all your glory. There's no need to hold anything back. You'll find that you have a great deal of love to share.
said when he started playing for the West Indies as a young talented fast bowler there were no proper programmes in the Caribbean when you came back on a break to maintain our fast bowling. “Someone like Oshane Thomas is one of the quickest fast bowlers in the West Indies but who is working with him? Who is working with
Shannon Gabriel in Trinidad, who is working with Alzarri Joseph in Antigua? Nobody! There is nobody working with them. As a player and as a spectator I don’t know who is monitoring them? We pick them and watch them fail and then criticize them. And not only the bowlers but the batters as well. These guys come back
home and go in the nets and think they are doing well but no one is monitoring them. What type of programme we have to monitor these Cricketers? We wait until they fail then we drop them and criticize them,” lamented Rose, who has 27 wickets from 27 matches, 294 wickets from 94 First-Class matches and 99 scalps from 81 List ‘A’ games.
...FIFA lifts ban on TTFA, clears way From page 34 Normalisation Committee, and; bringing its own statutes in line with the FIFA statutes, and; to fully cooperate with the Normalisation Committee in the fulfilment of its mandate as stated in FIFA’s letter of March 17th, 2020; be it further resolved that all court matters existing between the TTFA and FIFA shall be immediately brought to a stop”. The move ultimately ended the dispute and cleared the way for a return to normalcy. “Under these circumstances, the Bureau decided on 19 November 2020 to lift the suspension of the TTFA with immediate effect. This means that all of the
...Gokarn Ramdhani From page 39 children (Narayan & Priyanna) who have reached so far in Badminton, winning so many National Tournaments and Medaling at so many International that they are now both on Badminton Scholarships as Student Athletes in Canada. My wife Emily also played a leading role as my right hand in the running of Badminton in Guyana. Once you are in Admin in Sports it’s my belief if your Family is not part of it shows how far you can take a sport. How can you get the interest of others if you can’t do it with your immediate ones? It’s a lot of sacrifice but it’s for a good cause. All depends how what’s your Goal. Mine is to reach the Olympics,” Ramdhani opined. He informed that the association plan to meet with the new Minister of Sports to outline their programmes and activities planned like Shuttle Time for the schools and the launching of the New Outdoor Air Badminton for the parks and rural areas. They also hope to hold our AGM in December. Ramdhani is a Level 111 Badminton Coach.
TTFA’s membership rights have been reinstated, as defined in art. 13 of the FIFA Statutes, with immediate effect,” the letter said. “Consequently, TTFA’s representative and club teams are again entitled to take part in international competitions. This also means that the TTFA may benefit from development programmes, courses and training provided by FIFA and/or the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football. “Moreover, FIFA member associations may again enter
into sporting contact with the TTFA and/or its teams.” In March, the ousted William Wallace administration had taken FIFA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the decision to dissolve the administration that had only been in charge for four months. They subsequently withdrew the dispute from CAS and placed it before the TT High Court of Justice, who ruled that FIFA’s decision was illegal and therefore null and void. However, the Court of Appeal overturned the ruling.
Friday November 20, 2020
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Virat Kohli’s absence creates a hole and a plot twist ESPNcricinfo - Eighty-five years ago an Australian team toured South Africa with Vic Richardson as captain while Sir Donald Bradman remained at home. Officially this was to continue his long recovery from illness suffered on the 1934 tour of England, but also to captain South Australia to the Sheffield Shield. Seldom since then can be found any sort of parallel with the news that Virat Kohli will be missing all but one of this summer’s Test matches between Australia and India due to the impending birth of his first child. Then, as now, the player in question is not just the preeminent batsman in the game, but also the biggest boxoffice draw of his or many other eras. Bradman was the unrivalled star of a much smaller cricket universe than the one that Kohli dominates now. Television broadcasting was still more than 20 years away in Australia when Bradman missed that tour, but it’s hard to think of another player who would have got the watermark treatment, his smiling face tattooed onto the top right corner of the television screen, as Kohli has been on Fox Cricket this week. That bit of branding, alongside plenty in News Corp’s newspapers, has a lot to do with the fact that the limited-overs portion of the tour, which Kohli is not missing, is exclusive to the pay TV service, leaving the free-to-air Seven Network with just one Test match from which to extract its pound of Kohli-hype. As far as the broadcasters are concerned, the early exit of India’s megastar captain is tantamount to losing Bradman, and Fox are taking every opportunity to ram home the discrepancy. What should also be remembered about the 193536 tour, however, is that in Bradman’s absence and after the retirement of the long-time captain Bill Woodfull, the Australians gelled impressively under the tactically astute and socially outgoing Richardson, winning the series 4-0 while playing an enterprising brand of cricket. The South Africans, though not having to face the batting giant of the age, were attacked from all sides. One advantage India have by comparison to the 1935-36 Australians is that they know far better the capabilities of their likely stand-in captain: Ajinkya Rahane. Through many matches for India A and a handful of occasions with the senior side, Rahane has
Virat Kohli is pumped up after India’s MCG Test win in 2018. (Getty Images) shown himself to be a sharp and aggressive leader, even if in bearing and outward countenance he and Kohli could not be more different as personalities. In this, he provides some parallels with Kohli’s greatest top-order batting asset, Cheteshwar Pujara, who in 2018-19 simply bored the hosts into defeat. Where Kohli brings instant theatre, combative moments and the drama of an elite athlete operating on the edge, Rahane as a captain and Pujara as a batsman offer an almost preternatural calm at times, and much less of an Alpha “contest” for the Australians to get into. For all of Kohli’s pre-eminence as a batsman, recent evidence suggests that Australia quite like locking horns with him, not only for the scope of the challenge but also for the fact they come out on top as often as not. In 2017 in India, Kohli made 46 runs in three Tests before Rahane took over for the deciding match in Dharamsala; two years later, Kohli produced arguably the innings of the summer on a fiery Perth pitch, but was otherwise more or less tamed while averaging 40.28 for the series. Certainly, the energy created by his arrival at the crease has focused the Australians more than it has detracted from their bowling and fielding. Pujara, meanwhile, has stretched Australian patience far more often. “Every batter’s a little bit different, but they’re probably polar opposites,” Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said. “For me it’s about not really seeing the batsman down the other end, it’s just about seeing the wickets and seeing where I want to pitch the ball and taking the batter out of the equation, whether that’s Virat or Pujara.
“That’s the way I go about it, I know everyone’s different and they like to get in the fight with Virat and they think that brings out the best in them as a bowler, but I think it’s just about treating every batsman the same, whether they have a lot of energy or not, that’s the way I go about things.” Most intriguing on the batting front will be the fact that Pujara will be able to focus exclusively on his preparedness to bat for long periods, while Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc must adjust their focus after the suite of white-ball games that will also feature Kohli. All the quicks plus Nathan Lyon are seasoned enough to know that shifting gears from white ball to red requires a greater application of patience, but equally will realise that is easier said than done without the requisite match practice. “Patience is probably the big thing for me, moving from white ball to red ball,” Hazlewood said. “You’ve got 10 overs in a white-ball game ad you’re probably not always looking for wickets, but you know you’ve only got 10 overs and you’ve got to try and make an impact, so when we head back to that red ball it’ll be patience as the key for me and sticking those right areas all day. That’s probably the one thing I set my mind to in that change of format. “When we got [Pujara] at Perth he didn’t hurt us on a bit quicker, bouncier track, so his game’s obviously set up, he’s played the majority of his cricket in India on slower, lower wickets, and he’s hard work on those tracks to find a chink in the armour. The more pace and bounce we can get at a few of the grounds will be helpful, but I think it’s a patience game with him and it’s just about outlasting him
and knowing he’s going to face a lot of balls, and not going away from our plan we’ve talked about. Keeping to that as best we can.” As for Rahane, the likes of Cummins, Lyon, Steven Smith and David Warner will recall how he marshalled India brilliantly in that deciding 2017 Test, particularly in how the Australians were placed under pressure in the third innings when starting only 32 runs behind. Mentally tired at the end of a long and often spiteful series, they cracked for 137, leaving Rahane to help run down a modest fourth innings target and then gracefully allow Kohli the opportunity to lift the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Nonetheless, Rahane is nowhere near as transcendent a batting talent as Kohli, and the Australians
will have the chance to corner him over successive matches on bouncier surfaces than those commonly produced in India. This applies both ways of course: Rather than a oneoff with Kohli in the dressing room, Rahane will get three matches in which to assert himself as a leader. “India is very, very lucky to have a stand-in captain like Rahane,” Ian Chappell told ESPNcricinfo in 2017. “I thought he did a fantastic job and it’s not easy to do the job as a fill-in, because you know the full-time captain has got a certain style. What do I do, do I try and copy that style, do I try and captain the same way as him, or do I just be myself, and Rahane did the right thing - he captained in his own way and I thought he did a terrific job. Aggressive in his own quiet way.
“You don’t have to be a gung-ho captain to have the whole team behind you, you just need to do a good job, and have the guys having faith in what you’re doing. If you’re making the right moves and the aggressive field-placing moves that Rahane was making, then that creates a belief in the team. The team are looking at your captain and they’re thinking ‘well, the captain thinks we’ve got a real chance here in this game, he thinks we’ve got a chance of getting a wicket’, so that brings the team behind the captain.” So yes, Kohli is a loss to the series, but his absence will not necessarily make Australia’s task an easier one. Well acquainted with Kohli’s fire, Tim Paine’s team will need to find better ways to cope with the ice of Pujara and Rahane.
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Team New Zealand launches sleek 75-foot America’s Cup yacht
In this photo released by Emirates Team New Zealand, they launch their America’s Cup AC75 boat 2, Te Rehutai, Maori for Sea Spray - at the Viaduct Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, yesterday, Nov. 19, 2020. (Emirates Team New Zealand via AP) WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Team New Zealand has launched the boat with which it will defend the America’s Cup when the venerable sailing trophy is contested in March for the 36th time since 1856. The sleek 75-foot monohull was revealed at its launching ceremony in Auckland yesterday, closely observed by challengers from the United States, Britain and Italy which will vie for the right to compete against New Zealand in the Cup match. American Magic, Ineos Team UK and Italian challenger Luna Rossa have already launched and named their second yachts in which they will compete in the challenger series for the Prada Cup in January and February. They watched closely yesterday to see if New Zealand’s second race boat revealed any major technological advancements.
New Zealand’s yacht showed similarities in hull shape, depth and configuration to those already launched but will also see some refinement in its foils and cockpit configuration. The yachts which will compete for the America’s Cup rise up out of the water on thin foils which allow them to almost fly over the water at high speeds. New Zealand, which was instrumental in coming up with the AC75 design rule, is seen to have some advantage in technological development, though Thursday’s effort was a belated launch. The yacht originally was to be launched in October but has been delayed for reasons Team New Zealand has not revealed. That limits the time Team New Zealand will have on the water in the new boat before the Cup match begins on March 6.
The AC75 class marks a departure from the highspeed foiling catamarans which were used in the two previous Cups and a quantum leap from the traditional monohulls in which the Cup was previously contested. Team New Zealand general manager Grant Dalton said the designers started with a blank sheet of paper as they came up with the second New Zealand yacht which differs in many respects from its predecessor. Until now the defender has been training with its first yacht named Te Aihe, the indigenous Maori world for dolphin. “There was no concept,” Dalton said. “We knew it had to be a monohull but we couldn’t leave the (multi-hull) generation behind.” “You couldn’t find a person within Team New Zealand who believes that we haven’t exceeded what we thought we would.”
FIFA lifts ban on TTFA, clears way for return to international football SportsMax - FIFA has lifted its suspension of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association thus clearing the way for the country to participate in international competition and participate in the draw for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In a letter dated November 19, over the signature of FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura and addressed to Robert Hadad, Chairman of the Normalization Committee that was appointed in March, FIFA informed of the decision to lift the suspension that was
imposed in September. “We write to inform you that the situation of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has been referred to the Bureau of the Council on 17 November 2020,” said the letter that went on to rehash the situation that had unfolded over the last eight months and that concluded with the Court of Appeal in Trinidad and Tobago ruling in favour of football’s world governing body. “In addition, the Court of Appeal stressed that in
accordance with art. 57 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes and art. 67 of the TTFA Statutes, CAS was the only recognized path to resolve such dispute. Additionally, the Bureau was informed that on 26 October 2020, the FIFA administration received the minutes of the TTFA members’ meeting.” At that meeting members of the TTFA voted overwhelmingly to “fully comply with its obligations as a member of FIFA, recognizing the legitimacy of the FIFA-appointed (Continued on page 32)
Friday November 20, 2020
Rublev signs off from ATP Finals with win over Thiem LONDON (Reuters) Russian youngster Andrey Rublev signed off from his maiden ATP Finals in style by beating Dominic Thiem 6-2 75 yesterday. The aggressive 23-yearold took full advantage of a rather flat performance by Thiem who had already sealed his place in the semifinals with two wins in the London Group. Defeats by Rafa Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas meant Rublev could not advance but the $153,000 and 200 ranking points for a group stage proved a sizeable carrot. But for a double fault when he had a match point against Tsitsipas on Tuesday, Rublev could now be looking at a place in the semi-finals. Instead he will leave London full of belief after a superb 2020 in which he won a season-leading five titles. “I was so close in my second match. I had match point and I was serving, so it could have been a completely different story if I won two matches,” Rublev said on court.
Russia’s Andrey Rublev celebrates winning his group stage match against Austria’s Dominic Thiem. (Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs) “I would maybe still have a chance to be in the semifinals. But it’s part of life.” The world number eight, playing again in a drablooking olive green tee-shirt, put the hammer down from the start and broke the Thiem serve twice for a 4-0 lead. Rublev, who delivers his forehand with brutish force,
grabbed an early break in the second set but faltered at 4-3 when a netted forehand allowed Thiem to level. But Rublev broke the Austrian world number three again at 5-5 with a yet another forehand winner and finished the job a game later to record a third straight win over Thiem. U.S. Open champion Thiem, runner-up to Tsitsipas in last year’s final here in London, now has a day off to shrug off the defeat and prepare for Saturday’s semi-final when he will face either world number one Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev. “It was difficult to keep the intensity like I had in the first two matches,” Thiem, who produced a masterful display to beat Nadal on Tuesday, told reporters. “When I’m not at 110% at this tournament there is no chance against any player, that’s what happened today.” Later yesterday Nadal was due to face a crunch match against Tsitsipas with the winner joining Thiem in the semi-finals.
Nuwan Zoysa found guilty of three offences under ICC anti-corruption code ESPNcricinfo - Two years after being charged under the ICC anti-corruption code, former Sri Lanka player Nuwan Zoysa has been found guilty of three offences. Zoysa came under the scanner after his stint as bowling coach of Team Sri Lanka in a T10 tournament organised in the United Arab Emirates in 2017. He now remains suspended and sanctions will be announced by the ICC soon. Zoysa has been found guilty of breaching these three articles of the code: · Article 2.1.1 “for being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspect(s) of a match.” · Article 2.1.4, which involves “directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach Code Article 2.1.” · Article 2.4.4 which deals with “failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any
Nuwan Zoysa at a training session. (Aamir Qureshi/© AFP) approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code.” Zoysa has also been charged by the ICC on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) with breaching four counts of the ECB AntiCorruption Code for Participants for the T10 League. Those proceedings are ongoing. Although Zoysa had worked as the bowling coach of the Sri Lanka A team on several tours, these offences relate to the 2017 iteration of the UAE-based T10 tournament. He had been a highly-rated coach in the Sri
Lanka Cricket system for several years, before corruption allegations prompted his suspension. Zoysa also becomes the third former Sri Lanka player to be found guilty under the ICC’s anti-corruption code over the last few years. In 2019, Sanath Jayasuriya was banned for failing to cooperate with an AntiCorruption Unit (ACU) investigation. In 2016, former Sri Lanka offspinner Jayananda Warnaweera - also the longtime curator at Galle stadium - was suspended under the code.
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‘Gayle has proven he should start Medvedev beats Djokovic to reach owner wants management semis at ATP Finals every game’ - KXIP to back experience next year
Ness Wadia believes West Indies star batsman Chris Gayle (left) should start from ball one next season. SportsMax - Kings XI Punjab co-owner, Ness Wadia, has made it clear that he believes West Indies star batsman Chris Gayle should start from ball one next season, as analysis surrounding the team’s unsuccessful campaign continues to unfold. Kings XI narrowly missed out on securing an Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff spot after finishing 6th in the overall standings. The team, however, got plenty of plaudits for an improbable run, which saw it win five games in a row after getting off to a 1-6 start. Kings XI’s rapid ascent from the bottom of the table
was fueled by the reintroduction of Gayle into the line-up. The West Indian had been left on the bench for the first seven games of the season. He was not picked for the first five, with a bout of food poisoning ruling him out for the next two. Gayle fired immediately once he was inserted into the line-up, ending with 288 runs at an average of 44.14 and a high score of 99. “The team management did what it thought was best for the team. It is important to back experienced players and Gayle has demonstrated that he should play every game next season,” Wadia told the Press Trust of India
(PTI). The owner also had high praise for team captain and leading scorer KL Rahul, suggesting that some of Kings XI’s struggles could be based on the fact that it is a newly assembled unit. “It’s a new captain, new team with lots of fresh faces, sometimes it clicks and sometimes it doesn’t. The auction is coming up soon and we would be looking to plug gaps in the middle order and our bowling,” Wadia said. “K L has been with is for three years and there was a reason we went after him so aggressively. He has proved us right.”
Second Windies group test negative again for COVID-19 CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, CMC – Tests on a group of 10 West Indies players and support staff – including Test captain Jason Holder and Twenty20 International captain Kieron Pollard – currently enduring managed isolation for the COVID-19 virus on the Tour of New Zealand, have all been returned as negative. New Zealand Cricket, the governing body for the sport in the country, made the announcemen t i n a media release on Thursday that the second of three tests, wh i c h t h e g r o u p must undergo before being released from quarantine, showed no adverse findings. The group, which also includes players such as T20I vice-captain Nicholas Pooran, fellow left-handed batsman Shimron Hetmyer and all-rounder Keemo Paul, will have their final tests on Day 12 of their stay in the quarantine facility.
Results permitting, the group will leave managed isolation next Thursday, November 26, one day before the Windies face the Blackcaps in the first Twenty20 International at Eden Park in Auckland. The players and support staff in isolation and the outcome of the tests have come into sharp focus again, after New Zealand health officials prevented an advance group of the Windies from training last week because members of the squad had flouted strict protocols in place at the managed isolation facility. There was no indication that any of the members of the advanced group of the Windies squad left or had contact with anyone outside of the managed isolation facility in which they had been confined after they arrived in the country almost three weeks ago. Players in the advance group were reportedly caught
on camera sharing food and socialising in the facility, which was against the strict rules of managed isolation in place in the country. The news of the second negative test will come as a great relief to the current group players and support staff in quarantine because they can begin to count down the days until they can leave the facility to join the rest of the Windies squad. This will allow them greater freedom of movement to train and prepare for their series of three T20Is and two Tests against the Blackcaps, and the ability to freely mix with the general population in the country. The advanced group of the Windies squad travelled last Friday to the southern island city of Queenstown, where they will begin a threeday match against New Zealand “A”, starting today (6 p.m. on Thursday – East Caribbean) at John Davies Oval.
LONDON (AP) — Daniil Medvedev is enjoying the ATP Finals a lot better in his second appearance. Medvedev secured a spot in the semifinals of the season-ending tournament by dominating five-time champion Novak Djokovic 63, 6-3 Wednesday for his second straight win of the group stage. Medvedev, who lost all three of his group matches last year on his tournament debut, has now beaten Djokovic in three of their last four meetings. The topranked Serb can still advance if he beats 2018 champion Alexander Zverev in a winner-takes-all match today. Zverev kept his tournament hopes alive with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Diego Schwartzman earlier Wednesday. Medvedev broke Djokovic three straight times to go from 3-3 in the first set to a 3-0 lead in the second. The first break came after a marathon game when the Russian finally converted his third break point when Djokovic missed a forehand after a long rally. Djokovic then doublefaulted on set point and never looked likely to stage a comeback in the second. Medvedev saved the only break point he faced at 2-0 and then secured the victory with a forehand winner on his first match point. ‘’He was just better, no question about it,’’ Djokovic said. ‘’Just not a great match from my side. I thought I could have and should have done better, but credit to him for playing on a high level.’’ Medvedev is looking a lot more comfortable at the O2 Arena than last year, when his three losses included a collapse against Rafael Nadal in a match where he led 5-1 in the third set. ‘’You always have doubts
Daniil Medvedev of Russia speaks on a microphone after winning against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in tennis match at the ATP World Finals tennis tournament at the O2 arena in London, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) in your head, like maybe next year is going to be (like) last year in London, I’m going to go out there and be tight, again, I’m not going to show anything in the Masters finals,’’ Medvedev said. ‘’Well, not the case. Finished No. 1 in the group already, which is great.’’ Zverev, coming off what he had described as one of his worst matches of the season in his opening loss to Medvedev on Monday, led 31 in the second set before his Argentine opponent battled back with two breaks. A visibly frustrated Zverev fired a ball into the empty stands after losing the second set. The 23-year-old German recovered and broke Schwartzman twice in the third set. Schwartzman, who struggled with unforced errors, sent a forehand into the net to end the match. The decisive ZverevDjokovic match today will be a rematch of the final from two years ago when the German won in straight sets.
‘’I’m happy to give myself a chance to go to the semifinals,’’ Zverev said. ‘’I need to win every match, otherwise I’m out, so I’ve got to go in with that mindset. I went to that mindset today, and I did my job.’’ Schwartzman broke early in the first set, but like in Monday’s loss to Djokovic he immediately gave it back. Zverev broke again for a 4-2 lead thanks to Schwartzman’s unforced errors. On Thursday, Rafael Nadal will play Stefanos Tsitsipas with a semifinal place at stake. Nadal has lost to Tsitsipas just once in six meetings - at the 2019 Madrid Open. He beat Tsitsipas here last year in the round robin before the 22-year-old Greek went on to win the title. Nadal has never won the ATP Finals. Also yetserday, Dominic Thiem, who has already qualified for the semifinals, was down to face Andrey Rublev. The Russian is 0-2 and can’t advance.
Jamaica’s Nick Richards is 42nd pick in 2020/2021 NBA Draft SportsMax - Jamaica’s Nick Richards was the 42nd overall pick in Wednesday’s second round of the NBA Draft. Richards, a former Kentucky Wildcat, was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans but was then traded to the Charlotte Hornets. The former Jamaica College athlete went into the draft on the back of his best season ever at Kentucky, averaging 14 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per
game plus 10 double doubles while shooting at a conference high .644 fieldgoal percentage, pundits expected him to go undrafted. However, Kentucky head coach John Calipari, always had faith in the 6-11 centre. “What Nick has been able to do with his body, his mind and mastering his skills, it’s been incredible and rewarding to watch as a coach,” Calipari said. “It’s been a pleasure to see him grow into the player
and the young man he has become, and he’s done it all because of his hard work and his dedication. It has all paid off.” Richards led the Wildcats with 66 blocks, including 18 games with multiple rejections. He closed his college career with ranked third all-time in field-goal percentage of .628 with a minimum of 50 attempts. He also ranks 10th all-time with 146 career blocks, and his 528 rebounds rank 46th.
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FIFA proposes mandatory maternity leave for women players MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - FIFA is to introduce new regulations to protect the rights of women players, including mandatory maternity leave, world soccer’s governing body said yesterday. The reforms have been put forward by FIFA’s Football Stakeholders Committee (FSC) and will go to FIFA’s Council next month for approval. While many players in Europe are already protected by employment law in their given countries, FIFA says its aim is to create “new global minimum standards” for female players all over the world, given the rapid emergence of new clubs and leagues globally. The proposed rules include a mandatory maternity leave of 14 weeks, at a minimum of two thirds of the player’s contracted salary and a guarantee that “no female player should suffer a disadvantage as a result of becoming pregnant”. The planned regulations also state that on their return to work after maternity leave, clubs must “reintegrate female players and provide adequate medical and physical support”. Women players’ contractual rights were
FIFA’s logo is seen in front of its headquarters during a foggy autumn day in Zurich, Switzerland November 18, 2020. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann) already covered by the existing regulations for all footballers but the changes are a bid to address specific concerns for female players and are viewed as a basic minimum that can be applied in all countries. “As we try to accelerate the professionalisation of the women’s game, which is one of our strategic objectives, it is really important that we evolve and adapt the regulatory framework around the game at the same time. This is a very good example,” Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer, told reporters. “We want to see more women being able to earn a living playing football whilst
at the same time being able to have a family life and being mothers. It is important that we provide the necessary regulatory framework to protect those women,” she added. The new regulations also seek to address problems for coaches working internationally. Until now coaches’ contracts have been subject to the same regulations as players but FIFA wants to introduce specific language to deal with the rights of coaches. “The aim is to protect contractual stability, achieve greater transparency and make sure that coaches also get paid on time,” FIFA said in a statement.
Hero CPL sees massive audience increase to over 500 million viewers The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) saw an incredible 67% increase in Television, Streaming and Digital viewership in 2020, reaching 523.5million viewers and passing half a billion for the first time in the tournament’s history. The research was independently compiled by YouGov Sport, a division of SMGInsight, one of the world’s largest and most respected research firms. The 2020 Hero CPL was the first franchise T20 tournament to take place since the lockdown and travel restrictions resulting from COVID-19, with all 33 matches played in a secure bubble at two venues in Trinidad & Tobago. Since the tournament’s inception, the Hero CPL has long been regarded as one of the premier events in world cricket and this leap in viewership shows how popular the tournament has become in all corners of the globe. Key drivers include a big linear viewership increase in India of 81% to over 74.9m, growth of 62% in the UK as well as significant increases across the Caribbean, South Africa and in other key markets in Asia. As well as the major broadcast deals in key cricketing markets, games were also shown live on Facebook and YouTube, meaning no matter where you were in the world you could follow the Hero CPL. The innovative Hero CPL social media channels also helped drive this year ’s audience growth with engaging content being produced both during and outside of the tournament with all the major social media
Friday November 20, 2020
Chris Gayle and Lasith Malinga pull out of LPL ESPNcricinfo - Foreign players, franchise staff and tournament organisers continue to arrive in the Sooriyawewa area ahead of the start of the Lanka Premier League, but the tournament has been hit by two further high-profile player withdrawals. Chris Gayle has told the Kandy Tuskers franchise that he will not be traveling to Sri Lanka on account of an injury. Lasith Malinga - Sri Lanka’s most recognisable T20 player - has also pulled out a week from the tournament’s start date, citing inadequate preparation time. The arrival of Andre Russell this week, however, will ensure that the tournament will have at least one global star. Gayle’s exit had been rumoured for several days, but Malinga’s withdrawal has come as more of a surprise, particularly as he was one of the Galle Gladiators’ marquee players, and was expected to lead that team. Now 37, Malinga had not played a competitive match since March, and said that the lack of cricket and training this year had prompted his decision to withdraw. “Since the West Indies series early this year, I haven’t had any cricket, and there hasn’t been any training for me at all,” Malinga told ESPNcricinfo. “When the draft happened last month, I thought there would be about three weeks of training before the LPL, but there has been nothing. They are only having us come to Hambantota this week, and even there they are asking us
Chris Gayle has a hit in the nets. (AFP) to do three days of quarantine. “It’s not easy for a bowler to play at a high level without training. At the LPL they also have matches on back-toback days. So I decided not to play the tournament.” Although the Sri Lanka coaching staff had run training sessions and training camps through the year, and invited Malinga to at least some of them, Malinga is not understood to have engaged in any rigorous training with the national squad. Also withdrawing from the tournament this week is Ravi Bopara, who had been drafted late into the Jaffna Stallions franchise, but has now confirmed to the franchise that he will not play. He had requested 100% of his LPL payment before the tournament; the franchise felt
it could not accommodate this. Both the Kandy Tuskers, who lost Gayle, and the Stallions are looking for replacements for these players. There has been no word from the Gladiators yet about a replacement for Malinga. The Colombo Kings franchise, meanwhile, which had lost Kabir Ali as coach due to his testing positive for Covid-19 this week, has replaced him with Herschelle Gibbs, who initially traveled to Sri Lanka to work as a commentator for the tournament. Gibbs will have Rangana Herath as an assistant coach. The first match of the LPL is scheduled to be played on November 26. The tournament is set to be played at the Sooriyawewa stadium in its entirety, and is set to run until December 16.
CWI tells Big Man Cricket organisers to get GCB approval platforms showing significant advances in audience engagement levels. Hero CPL’s COO, Pete Russell, said: “We are delighted to have seen such a massive jump in viewership for 2020, and passing that 500million figure is a huge landmark for us as a tournament. The interest in Hero CPL has never been higher and that puts us in a fantastic position moving into 2021 and beyond. The tournament has grown in stature and reputation every year and we are certain that will continue to be the case. We are delighted with the linear television and streaming numbers as well as the fantastic growth we are seeing across our digital channels and are excited about our upcoming plans for this year to make our content even more accessible and engaging.”
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Johnny Grave, has informed the organisers of the Big Man Cricket (BMC) tournament that they have to seek approval from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to stage their planned event. In a missive seen by this newspaper, the CWI CEO informed that in monitoring media reports it was noted that in their support for the BMC venture it was misconstrued as offering approval for the event. Grave made it clear that under the structure of the CWI, while they support all organised cricket in the region; they do not actively
endorse or promote local tournaments of any age group that do not meet the approval of the relevant local authority, in this case the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). The CEO clearly stated, “In short, in order to officially host your Big Man Cricket Tournament in Guyana, it is advisable that you solicit the Guyana Cricket Board’s approval or no objection by them.” It was noted that the BMC organisers had received the green light and support from the Sports Minister among others. However, following discussions with cricket officials, Kaieteur Sport was able to ascertain that the GCB did not grant approval for the
staging of this tournament due to the fact that the governing body for the game locally has arranged an Over-40 event which clashes with the BMC tournament. The BMC organisers had written to the GCB on October 31 this year seeking permission to stage the event. However, the GCB cited their planned tournament at the corresponding time, noting that the BMC was going ahead with the organising of the event despite not receiving the requisite approval as yet and as a consequence the GCB did not give their approval for the staging of the event.
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Kaieteur News
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Ex-Windies pacer Franklyn Rose wants aggressive bowling in N/Z By Sean Devers Former West Indies fast bowler Franklyn Rose, who played and coached at Birkenhead City Cricket Club on Auckland’s North Shore during the 2011–12 Season in New Zealand where he lived in Auckland until 2016 when he relocated to his home Island Jamaica, feels that fast bowling will be the strength of the Caribbean side in their two Test matches set for December 3-7 at Seddon Park, Hamilton and December 11-15 at the Basin Reserve, Wellington. Rose, who along Guyanese Reon King, seemed well set to take the fast bowling mantle of the West Indies team in last 1990s and 2000s, but never lived up to the high expectations with Rose capturing 53 wickets from 19 Tests between 1997 and 2000. Speaking on the Mason & Guest Radio programme, Rose said he would love to see the West Indians bowling with pace and hostility. “I would like for our bowlers…we have guys there bowling at 145-150 …We have to go at them;
b r i n g b a c k t h e memories…show aggression. Even if we make 150, back in the days we would defend that….our bowling is our strength. W e h a v e a n inexperienced batting lineup in New Zealand but I think we have the fire-power in the bowling….it’s a bit inexperienced but we have the fire power to run at them. Once we are fit we have at least three guys who could bowl 150 miles per hour, we have defended 150 totals numerous times in the history of West Indies cricket so why can’t we do it in New Zealand. I am just saying this because our batting is a concern in New Zealand but if we have 150 on the Board, the 150 is already there. Our fire power is there and they have go out and defend it….that has been the backbone of West Indies Cricket over the years…Fast bowling; bring back the memories guys,” Rose challenged the West Indian quicks. The genuinely quick Rose provided his thoughts on the selection of fellow Jamaica John Campbell who
Franklyn Rose just after his return from New Zealand in 2016. (Getty Images)
John Campbell with his new Test cap © Getty Images was selected to open the batting with Kraigg Braithwaite in New Zealand despite just managing a single half century from nine Tests at an Average of 25.5 and lamented the lack of a proper fast bowling programme for the young West Indies pacers. The 48-old Rose, who was born on February 1, 1972 in Chalky Hill, Saint Ann, Jamaica, said he was concerned that the out of form Campbell was selected but added he should be given a chance. “Yes of course I am concerned, he needs to get some big runs and bat long but I think that (his failures) comes with inexperience and he has been failing which has been unfortunate. But we should give the guy a chance, not because he is Jamaican….we need to give our young talent around the
Caribbean some chances because we are rebuilding. It is tough you will be under a lot of pressure when you fail but we are rebuilding. What can you do? Is there someone out there better than him?”, asked Rose, one of nine West Indians to take a five-wicket haul on their Test Debut. Speaking on his thoughts on the New Zealand tour which includes three T20 matches on November 27, 30 & 30, Rose said the tour would be tough. West Indies last won a Test Match in New Zealand 25 years ago in 1995 when Skipper Courtney Walsh took 13 wickets in the first Test, while the last time the Wi n d i e s t o u r e d N e w Zealand; they lost 2-nil in the two-Test series in 2017. “It is goanna be tough in New Zealand but hopefully (Continued on page 32)
The South Turkeyen Sports Committee hold F/Ball tourney
T
he South Turkeyen Sports Committee will hold five-a-side small Goal Ve t e r a n s F o o t b a l l Competition on Sunday at the Buxton ground from 7:
AM. At stake are trophies and Medals in this tournament which has been organized by Johnny ‘Overseas’ Barnwell. Keen competition is anticipated.
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Kaieteur News
Friday November 20, 2020
Dominoes action set for Meadowbrook Gardens this weekend Some of the top city dominoes teams are expected to battle for supremacy when Samantha Vickiere stage a dominoes competition starting tomorrow at Favourite Sports bar, Meadowbrook Gardens. The competition will get underway at 14:30hrs and entrance fee is $15,000, however any team that is registered before 13:30hrs on Saturday will pay $12,000 to enter. US$500 will be added to the prizes while the first two teams that register will be given a prize. The most valuable player will receive US$25. The competition will conclude on Sunday and among the teams expected to participate are Mix Up, All Season’s, Providence, Gold is Money, Black Gold, C7, West Side and Turning Point. Samantha Vickiere Teams can contact Vickiere on 692 0562 displays the trophies. or Mark Wiltshire on 659 8672.
Cycling action set to return on Sunday Cycling action is set to return on Sunday.
A
fter a hiatus of some eight months, cycling action is set to return on Sunday with the first of three time trial events. Cyclists will be required to adhere to covid 19 guidelines as the races are geared towards ensuring the safety off all involved. In Time Trial, competitors are not permitted to draft behind each other and any help between riders is forbidden. Cyclists will compete individually and against the clock and the rider with the fastest time is declared the
winner. The second Time Trial will be held in Berbice on November 29, while the third will be staged in Linden on December 6. Pre- registration will be required so as to avoid overcrowding on the morning of the event. Cyclists will be allowed only one chaperone, while temperature tests will be conducted on each cyclist. Each cyclist will start at a two-minute increment at starting line so as to avoid grouping. On Sunday, action will commence at 07:00hrs at Sparendaam and proceed to
Kitty roundabout before returning to finish at the covid hospital. On November 29, the event will start at 09:00hrs at Benjamin Sport and Fitness Centre at Fyrish, Berbice proceed along the Number 19 Road and end at GUYOIL gas station at Palmyra. On December 6, the action will pedal off at 09:00hrs at KD and J Supermarket, Amelia’s Ward enroute to Moblissa Hill and return. Each cyclist along with their chaperone shall leave the area immediately after the have completed their run.
Friday November 20, 2020
Kaieteur News
PAGE 41
South American 10k Gokarn Ramdhani appointed Head Coach set for November at Olds College Badminton Team in Canada 29th, Thomas favourite for race Gokarn Ramdhani has been appointed the Head Coach of Olds College Broncos Badminton Team in Canada. Last year Ramdhani was the Technical Coach to the Broncos where the Team got 1-Silver, 5Bronze at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Provincial Championships and 4th Place at Nationals in Mississauga Canada. Trina Radcliffe, Manager, Athletics of Olds College noted, “Gokarn brings so much experience and passion for the game of badminton. It was a natural fit for him to move into the Head Coach role after being the Lead Technical Coach last year under Mary Smith. The student-athletes will have the opportunity to learn from one of the best.” Ramdhani commenting on his appointment informed that, “I am happy to have gotten this position as it gives me greater chances for becoming a better coach and it’s always a pleasurable priory to be around Badminton and getting players to the highest level possible. This position also gives me a chance to draft International players. I started in 1983 playing when I attend Queens College and made it into the National Team in 1985. It was such a memorable time playing with then top players
Following his strong performance is last weekend’s cross-country, Cleveland Thomas should be the favourite to cop the open title at the South American 10k. By Calvin Chapman L a s t S u n d a y, t h e Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) managed to successfully host two crosscountry 10k events concurrently in Berbice at the Esplande ground and in Linden at the Bayrock Community Center ground, hiccup free, to officially kick-start the 2020-21 track and field season after the relevant authorities gave sport the green light to resume activities. Next on the AAG’s calendar is the usually much subscribed South American 10k event. According to coaches, the South American 10k race on the 29th will be more like a Guyana 10k since it is doubtful whether there will be any athletes from the Caribbean, Central or South America here to
participate. The AAG have not received any invitations from Panama or Suriname that usually host the other two respective stages of the three-leg event so it’s very likely to be a one leg event this year. This year the competition is in its 18th edition and if the performances from last weekend’s cross-country event would be used to gauge the front runners in the road race then the consistent Cleveland Thomas would be tipped to take top honours. Although, cross-country meets are not usually very competitive, coaches and athletes alike pay keen attention to their times to determine their level of fitness and condition. At the Bayrock ground in the (Continued on page 32)
Gokarn Ramghani
Trina Radcliffe -Athletics Manager and many times I use to ride from Republic Park to Queens College so that I can play with the top Players from Linden (Nathan Montague, Billy Holder, Elroy Glasgow and Mike Brummell). In those days training and keeping fit was needed and as you had to keep up if you wanted to get selected. My training was waking up in the morning at 5am and running over Guy bridge and back, Weights Training three times a week and practice 5 Times in a week. It was rewarding as My Doubles partner Sean Barnwell & I held the most titles during the 80’s and 90’s. Special Mention to the Late Ms. Ismay Holder who
taught me lots in becoming a Sports Administrator by putting me on the Executive of The Guyana Badminton Association which I continue to run to this day. I am also at the moment the longest serving Council Member on the Guyana Olympic Association from 1988 to date.” Ramdhani spoke of his involvement with the Yonex Badminton Club since 1985 and the national players churned out and tours made which made players very competitive. He further stated, “My pet project was Coaching and running the programme for the Marian Academy Badminton Team for over 10
years. Here I was able to produce players who made it on the National Team. I am hoping we can get through this Pandemic soon, as we need to get the players back on court and our programmes restarted and especially as they were doing so well both locally and internationally. We medaled at Carebaco, Suriname International and Pan Am Tournaments many times. We w e r e a l s o t h e CAREBACO Junior Champions for the last two years and medaled in the Seniors.” “I am proud of all my players that I Coached and even more so my own two (Continued on page 32)
Alzarri Joseph (Getty Images)
Oshane Thomas (Getty Images)
rt o p S Shannon Gabriel (Getty Images)
Ex-Windies pacer Franklyn Rose wants aggressive bowling in N/Z South American 10k set for November 29th, Thomas favourite for race Winston Missinger finished second in the South America 10k last year.
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