Guyana Times -- Sunday, February 06, 2022

“I believe in education” P13

…says Guyana’s first plastic surgeon, Dr Joseph Torres Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4912 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022

Review of Yellowtail Field Development Plan to wrap up by March – VP Jagdeo – says when all criteria met, licence would be awarded Page 3

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Body of missing Wakenaam man pulled from P14 Essequibo River

Man busted with ganja in bucket P8 Region 7 man arrested for P2 allegedly raping 17-year-old girl

Budget 2022

30,000 solar PV home energy systems for hinterland communities in 2022 – PM Story on page 5

Region 2 P27 woman is latest COVID fatality – 296 new cases reported

…says 4th mobile service provider to soon commence operations in Guyana

Silica City to cater for over 12,500 households – Housing Minister ...land ... land earmarked for new city along Linden-Soesdyke Highway Page 7

...designs ... designs for 1st phase to commence this year

Guyana-Venezuela border controversy

All efforts being put into preparing for ICJ case next month – Min Todd Page 11

NWD miner charged, P8 remanded for murder of EBD man

...Foreign Ministry allocated $3.6B for foreign policy programme

“The country has lost a bright girl” – Min Persaud as she bids farewell to Mahaica accident victim Page 26

Teenager among 3 arrested with marijuana during raids in Reg 9 P2

2 NEWS Region 7 man arrested for allegedly raping 17-year-old girl SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

P

olice ranks in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) have on Friday arrested a

man who has been accused of raping a 17-year-old female. The Police have said that the victim and the

suspect are known to each other.

Preliminary investigations revealed that, on the day in question, the suspect had visited the teenager’s home, where he committed the act against her will. At the time, she was at home alone.

The act had reportedly left the teen unconscious, and upon regaining consciousness, she raised an alarm. A report was then made to the Police. The suspect has been arrested as further investigations get underway.

Just recently, Police in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) arrested a 19-year-old male after he was accused of raping an intoxicated 16-year-old female.

Investigations revealed that the victim and the alleged suspect are known

to each other.

On the day in question, at about 17:00h, the suspect picked up the victim from her home with his motorcar, and along with two of her friends, they consumed alcohol.

“It is further alleged that while transporting the victim back home (she was intoxicated), the suspect stopped the car and forcefully committed the act without her consent,” the Police have said in a statement.

A report was made to the Police, and the victim was escorted to a medical facility, where she was examined. The suspect was then contacted, told of the allegation of rape and cautioned, but he denied it.

Nevertheless, he was placed in custody, and subsequently charged for the offence.

Teenager among 3 arrested with marijuana during raids in Reg 9

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The ganja found during the operation

teenager is among three persons arrested with a quantity of marijuana during raids in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) in the wee hours of Saturday.

The Police have said the arrests were made after they had carried out a narcotics operation at three separate houses in the North Rupununi District on Saturday.

During those raids, a party of Policemen went to the home of a 43-yearold farmer at Aranaputa Valley, North Rupununi, and searched his premises.

They unearthed 25 Ziplock bags containing a total of 19.1 grams of cannabis hidden in a glass bottle in the suspect’s bedroom.

The party of Policemen then went to another house in the same area, where a 17-year-old male was contacted, and a search on his person unearthed 2.6 grams of cannabis sativa.

Additionally, at the home of a 29-year-old male, 2 grams of the prohibited substance were found concealed in a soap powder bucket.

The three suspects were arrested, and are in custody pending charges.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, February 6 – No further closure and Monday, February 7 – 09:00h-10:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, February 6 – 07:30h-09:00h and Monday, February 7 – 08:00h-09:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily

WEATHER TODAY Lightly cloudy skies are expected throughout the day and night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 07:59h and 20:21h reaching maximum heights of 2.51 metres and 2.46 metres.

Low Tide: 13:54h reaching a minimum height of 0.72 metre.

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change % +2.37

Crude Oil

$93.27/barrel

Rough Rice

$274.734/ton

-0.73

London Sugar

$497.10/ton

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Review of Yellowtail Field Development Plan to wrap up by March – VP Jagdeo ...says when all criteria met, licence would be awarded

T

he review of oil giant ExxonMobil’s Yellowtail Field Development Plan (FDP) is expected to be completed by next month, after which the licence would be awarded once all the criteria have been met.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo pointed out, during a recent press conference, that while it was anticipated that the review would be completed by 2021, there were some setbacks. Nevertheless, a draft licence has already been crafted as authorities await completion of the assessment.

The Yellowtail development, which will be oil giant ExxonMobil’s fourth development in Guyana’s waters, would turn out to be the single largest development so far in terms of daily production, with a mammoth 250,000 barrels per day targeted.

“On the review of Yellowtail, there was an expectation that would be done by the end of the year. We’ve had some setbacks. We’ve been working more, so we’re anticipating the completion of everything by the end of March latest. So, we have some consultancies in place, and the Ministry has been reviewing. They have a draft licence. There’s a parallel process at the EPA, and we anticipate that, by that period, the review will be completed and the licence issued,” the Vice President pointed out.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, during his budget speech, told the National Assembly that in order to safeguard the en-

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

vironment and reap the intended benefits from this new field, two international consultancy firms are involved in the process.

“I want to say that we’re not taking things lightly. As a Government, we have already engaged two different sets of international consultants so that they review the field development plan for Yellowtail and to ensure that, once a licence is granted, it brings additional benefits to the people of Guyana.”

According to the Requests for Proposals (RFP) issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the consultant being sought to review and evaluate the FDP would have to review not only the FDP, but also all supporting and reference documents, as well as the environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) submitted by Exxon and its joint venture (JV) partners in the block.

It is expected that the consultant’s assessment would

address compliance, or lack thereof, with the existing Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act 1986 and the Environmental Protection Act 1996, the Petroleum Agreement.

It is also expected that the assessment would evaluate the compliance of Yellowtail to international best practices and industry standards, while pointing out unresolved issues and areas where additional assessments should be done by Exxon before the FDP is approved. And with an existing no-flaring policy having been put in place by the Government, the consultant is expected to also evaluate the FDP in that context.

Back in November 2021, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Executive Director Kemraj Parsaram had announced his agency’s plans to put the Yellowtail FDP through a rigorous process before approval, including bringing on an independent expert to review the

plan.

Exxon already has approval from EPA for three other projects: the Liza 1, which is producing oil, and the Liza 2 and Payara developments.

Yellowtail has an anticipated start date of late 2025, pending governmental approvals and project sanctioning.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates that at least six projects offshore Guyana would be online by 2027, with developmental drilling recently starting on the second one, the Liza Phase 2 project.

Back in May 2019, EEPGL was granted approval by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to go ahead with its Liza Phase 2 Development offshore Guyana.

The oil company had said the project would have the capacity to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day. Exxon had also revealed that the Liza Phase 2 development was funded at the cost of some US$6B, including a lease capitalisation cost of approximately $1.6 billion for the Liza Utility FPSO vessel.

For the Phase 2 Development, six drill centres were planned, along with approximately 30 wells – 15 productions, nine water injection and six gas injection wells.

The US$9 billion Payara development, the third development, will meanwhile target an estimated resource base of about 600 million oil equivalent barrels, and was at one point considered the largest single planned investment in the history of Guyana.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Local Government Elections

W

ith the debate on the 2022 Budget completed and the Approval of the Estimates to be consummated tomorrow, the Government would have executed its mandate to prepare the country for its economic takeoff in its thrust to finally achieve Developed Country status. A legislative foundation had already been laid late last year with the passage of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) and the Local Content Act. As such, it is imperative that Government immediately turns its attention to addressing threats to our democratic governance. It must fill lacunae in the Electoral Laws and the staffing of the GECOM Secretariat that were exploited by the APNU/AFC Coalition in their foiled attempt to rig the March 2, 2020 General Elections. While it took the entire democratic world - Caricom, the Commonwealth, the OAS, and the UK, US! EU etc - to head off the PNC’s perfidy, Guyana cannot have its democratic credentials impugned again. AG Nandlall has informed the House that Government would be presenting bills to amend the Representation of the Peoples (ROPA), Elections, and National Registration Acts.

VP Bharrat Jagdeo had pointed out that Government would start with the Local Government Elections (LGE): “We believe [it is crucial] for holding local government elections as a test run, because many of the measures that we are putting in place could then be implemented in the local government reform.”

The LGE have already been delayed because GECOM claimed it could not make the necessary preparations last year when they were due.

These “preparations” include filling a number of vacancies in the GECOM Secretariat occasioned by the then incumbent CEO and DCEO, Reg 4 RO and two other officials committing fraud in their offices and getting fired and charged. The major vacancy of CEO has been filled, and the others should be taken care of shortly. Commissioner Gunraj revealed that the seven-member Commission has already tasked the new CEO with preparing a “roadmap” for the LGE this year.

This would include the preparation of an updated voters’ list. While the Opposition PNC has revived its pre2020 demand for a house-to-house registration to compile a completely new list, this would necessitate constitutional changes on the right of overseas Guyanese to vote. Because of that onerous hurdle, the PPP has signalled it would prefer the Claims and Objections process that has produced voters’ lists since 2006.

While the details of the line expenditures would be revealed tomorrow, PPP Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall, revealed in his budget presentation that “in excess of $4.1billion” has been allocated for the LGE. While the Opposition remains “headless” in the absence of an Opposition Leader, Opposition Shadow Local Government MP, Ganesh Mahipal, in his Budget presentation, demanded that the Government conduct the LGE as soon as possible. It would appear that the Opposition and the Government are on all fours as far as the LGE is concerned. It is now up to GECOM to make the necessary preparations, and the CEO has assured that this is his highest priority.

One amendment the Government is seeking to enact is to impose severe penalties of $10M and maximum life imprisonment to dissuade Secretariat officials from engaging in elections’ fraud. Additionally, it wants to close some loopholes and increase administrative efficiencies by dividing the gargantuan Reg 4 into 4 subdivisions, where 3 ROs would tally their SOPS separately, and these would then be totalled for a final vote. This proposal has raised objections from the Opposition, even though there would be absolutely no change in the voting at individual polling stations and the summation of those votes for seat allocation between competing parties.

Other amendments require GECOM to post results from polling stations on its website, and SoPs be returned to the CEO and GECOM Chairman. The polling stations also would not be situated at the sole discretion of the CEO. There are also a number of adjustments to allow more ordered selection and training of Election Day employees and publication of training manuals.

On to the LGE: democracy delayed is democracy denied.

Sixteen persons on Friday completed the Foundations Programme: Training of Trainers Course, which was facilitated by the Human Services and Social Security Ministry and UN Women. The initiative forms part of the activities organised under the Spotlight Initiative, which was created in partnership with the United Nations, European Union (EU), the Government, and CSOs in Guyana.

In photo, Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud and officials from the UNDP posed with the successful batch

Opposition Commissioners’ pronouncement is contemptuous, LGE are due and must be held now!

Dear Editor, I refer to the press statement under the caption “GECOM cannot contribute to the amendment of RoPA without probing 2020 elections – Opposition Commissioners”, published on February 03, 2022 in the Kaieteur and Stabroek News’ papers. This is an absolute falsity that exposes the Opposition Commissioners' surreptitious intent to further delay and derail the holding of Local Government Elections (LGEs) in 2022.

Most of the Guyanese readership, interested stakeholders, and other observers are now aware of the need to exercise much caution when examining language sprouted from the likes of Vincent Alexander and his cohorts as Opposition mouthpieces. The deceptive mix of partial truths, silence in relevant areas, and words’ convenience are consistent aspects of the agenda of his political focus, rather than the real relevant and legally factual position.

It is easy to recognise the PNC/R-prepared agenda-setting and framing, advocated by these Commissioners in creating circumstances of party convenience. The focus is nothing but another designed attempt at targeting backdoor manipulation of the Commission’s balance; to strategically defy and malign the High Court’s ruling on the treatment of the Register of Registrants (RoR).

In their futile argument to discredit and disbar the current RoR and reposition a focus on house-to-house registration as a method of cleansing the Voters’ List, they contend that “the judgment in relation to Houseto-House Registration should be clarified from the standpoint of its applicability to the voters’ list as distinct from the Register of Registrants.”

The statement, however, is tantamount to a sleight of hand movement that can be easily discerned by even the ,most cursory examination.

These commissioners cannot expect the nation to buy into their frivolous rhetoric.

Rather, the nation would be more aware that no current legislation in Guyana empowers the retirement of the Register of Registrants. Further, it is recalled that when the APNU/AFC took power in 2015, they swiftly went to the National Assembly even before the PPP/C took up their seats in Parliament, and passed the law to allow GECOM to use the Continuous Registration system to update the Register of Registrants.

Following this precedent approach, a Preliminary List of Voters was prepared to facilitate a short period of the Claims and Objections process to realise a final Voters’ List.

In 2016, it was this Voters' List that enabled GECOM to run off LGEs that year. The hypocrisy in their current tantrums is self-revealing, and Guyanese are now more aware that the delays are being conjured up because the PNC and their cohorts are always afraid to face the electorate. It is factual that, for almost two decades, the PNC has acted to frustrate all efforts regarding the holding of LGEs. The PPP/C and the Commission must put an end to all the PNC commissioners’ tactics to delay and frustrate the holding of LGEs. Consequently, the GECOM must also move to advance its mandate of ensuring the holding of Local Government Elections this year.

Editor, the call for “house-tohouse” registration as a mechanism for the cleansing of the Voters’ List was never considered by the PNC/APNU/AFC while in Government. They

held three elections with the same Register of Registrants, and implemented the very law that they hurriedly put in place in 2015, which relates to the Continuous Registration process. Further, it was the PNC/ APNU/AFC that established an increase in permanent GECOM offices around the country to facilitate this process. Of significant note is that they also supported the establishment of several fully equipped and staffed sub-offices to strengthen the genuine efforts to periodically update the Register of Registrants.

All and sundry must question the timing of this callous statement by the Commissioners, and its implications for various aspects of the roll-out of GECOM’s programme. It is also unbelievable to learn that GECOM does not have information to facilitate the usual appraisal of the issues that took place in preparation and running off of the Regional and National Elections held in 2020. The connotations suggest the Opposition Commissioners knew all along of dirty deals which inform the core issues of the GECOM Secretariat’s operation during the 2020 Elections.

It is sad to say that Alexander and his crew conveniently never raised any of these matters which were, time and time again, advanced by many rational commentators in the press. The PNC and Opposition GECOM Commissioners' call for the internal probe of the 2020 Elections, therefore, is only a ‘red herring’ exemplifying this crew’s persistence to delay and frustrate the efforts of GECOM’s preparation for the holding of LGEs. Our nation must recognise that the current Opposition Commissioners would never speak objectively on behalf of GECOM.

Notwithstanding, what is urgently needed is for GECOM to win the heart of all Guyanese.

Another contemptuous issue referred to in the press release is the representation of disagreement with the proposed legislative amendments by way of significant penalties, including hefty fines and jail time, to improve the enforceability of RoPA. It is clear that what happens under the circumstances makes it more difficult for political parties and their representatives at GECOM to succeed in influencing the negative role and functionality of the Secretariat’s staff, who may be categorised under the ilk of the former Chief Elections Officer and his Cabal. It shows that what this crew represents as ideal is a passive system that may be subjective to their manipulative undercurrents, albeit the abundance of evidence of fraud in the 2020 elections.

Finally, GECOM must ensure all its finances and assets are fully audited. Guyanese must be able to see in the public domain the list of all GECOM’s permanent offices and sub-offices in the country. Transparency and accountability would rebuild confidence in GECOM. The PPPC Government's massive allocation in the 2022 budget for GECOM certainly clears the way for the holding of LGEs. However, an examination of the massive spending spree that previously unfolded is also necessary. What we are certain of is that none of these should become a prerequisite for holding the LGEs this year.

The new CEO must be credited for the plans and system that he is putting in place for the holding of Elections and the cleaning up of GECOM. Sincerely, Neil Kumar

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

5

News

Budget 2022

30,000 solar PV home energy systems for hinterland communities in 2022 – PM

…says 4th mobile service provider to soon commence operations in Guyana

P

rime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips has outlined several transformative projects that the Government will undertake in 2022 to significantly improve the local energy sector.

During his budget presentation on Friday evening, Phillips related that the distribution of 30,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) home energy systems would commence in hinterland and riverine communities this year and when completed, would provide 4.5 megawatts of power across all 10 administrative regions.

Several small but transformative renewable energy projects are also expected to be completed. Among these are the installation of a 1.5-megawatt solar farm in Bartica and a one-megawatt solar farm in Lethem. Both projects are expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2022.

“These initiatives that capitalise on the power of renewable energy will certainly lead us along a path of sustainability while allowing us to reach remote areas to serve the needs of people who have, for too long, remained unserved because of their geographical location,” the PM stated.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips

Additionally, the Prime Minister said that $31.6 million has been budgeted as a catalyst for e-mobility. This allocation will see the installation of six level-three fastcharging facilities for electric vehicles. The facilities, which will be located at S & R Parking Lot, Guyana Energy Agency, MovieTowne, Giftland Mall, Massy at Providence and Little Rock Suites in New Amsterdam, are expected to achieve 80 per cent charging capacity within 40 minutes.

The Prime Minister added that the Government has catered for the addition of 2.8 megawatts of power to the capacity of Guyana Power and Light (GPL) this year. This

comes as a result of growing demand.

“Despite the challenges faced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Guyana Power and Light customer base increased by five per cent in 2021,” he noted.

He added that GPL expected “10 per cent growth in the customer base, with an estimated 235,576 customers by December 31, 2022”.

According to the senior Government official, there are also planned infrastructural upgrades being undertaken at GPL in 2022 that will see the company reducing the loss of generation capacity and improving its ability to transmit power to cater to demand.

Among these plans is the

reinforcing of the DemeraraBerbice Interconnected System (DBIS) through the upgrade of several integral transmission and distribution locations.

In addition to these provisions, the Wales gas-to-energy project and the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project will also commence this year under the Prime Minister’s supervision.

“Both projects will transform the cost structure of GPL and will bring stability to the current fluctuations in generation cost due to the volatility of fuel prices,” Phillips said.

Telecommunications

With regard to the telecommunications sector, the Prime Minister said that the Government was committed to creating an environment that fostered competition.

He assured the National Assembly that in addition to liberalising the telecommunications sector within 64 days of taking office, the Administration has also moved to implement number portability – a mechanism that would allow persons to keep their mobile numbers when changing service providers.

It is obscene for the APNU/AFC to speak on the sugar industry Dear Editor, Today I speak to you on the contribution made by the AFC Member Mr Khemraj Ramjattan in his recent address to the house on monies spent in the agricultural sector, sugar being his main concern. His contribution - or should I say noncontribution - was a planned attack on the allocations made to the sugar industry. In his opinion, sugar is a burden on the economy, and the present administration is putting money into a failed sector.

In essence what he was saying is that the plans, whatever those were, that the Coalition had for the industry were far superior to that of the present administration. Well, those plans were the closure of four sugar estates and attempts to shut down the industry as a whole.

Startling and truly backward was the Coalition’s goal for the industry. I am speaking of an industry that was making near a quarter-million tons

of sugar when they took office in 2015 to one that was reduced to a mere 79,000 tons by 2019.

But it is of utmost significance that we take note of the person making that doomsday pronouncement. Please note, it was Khemraj Ramjattan and his counterpart Moses Nagamootoo who went through the sugar belt and lied to the workers that they would never close the estates. It was they who told the sugar workers that they would keep sugar going and make it into a prosperous economy.

However, all of that talk soon changed after taking office. His Government soon forgot that solemn promise they made to the sugar workers, because soon after gaining control of power, they promptly closed the estates. It was an overnight 180-degree turn on the people. So for Ramjattan to come now and say anything about the industry tells of a man who has the unmitigated gall

of a sympathetic Judas, or ever to open his mouth or face the Guyanese people!

Is Ramjattan out of his mind? Or is he of the view that Guyanese are stupid?

Which is it?

But what Ramjattan is not telling us is the hidden agenda of his and the party to which he is subservient. Theirs was the clear agenda to decimate agriculture, sugar being their main focus, the plan was that, with its closure, the support base of the PPP/C would be brought to its knees, and with the rigging of elections, then the PPP/C would have been cut off from mainstream political power, never to regain political leadership in Guyana again. This was their plan.

Then to compound insult to that asininity, the Coalition installed a Minister of Agriculture who knew nothing about agriculture, far less about sugar, other than that which he might have seen in a textbook. To have done

this is a clear sign of the APNU/AFC’s evil intention. Now that their evil plan has been exposed, Ramjattan is shedding crocodile tears that he is concerned about sugar.

Utter hogwash! I say this man has to take those hypocritical antics someplace else.

So, I close by saying that, despite oil, Guyana is still an agricultural economy, and to neglect so great a sector would be looking at a disastrous state of affairs down the road. Guyana can ill afford such pitfalls at this time of its history.

Therefore, we repudiate that form of backwardness as well as all those who think that spending in the sugar industry should be lowered. That is not going to happen, and may I add, this Government would see sugar through its difficult years back into the marvellous success story of tomorrow.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

A working group among the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and local service providers is in place and pursuing a December 2022 completion date for the new mechanism.

“Another competition-facilitating measure is the issuance of a licence for the operation of a third submarine fibreoptic cable connecting Guyana to the global Internet via the Atlantic Ocean. This development means that all three of our major service providers will have their own transatlantic submarine fibreoptic cables,” PM Phillips revealed.

Additionally, he said that a fourth mobile service operator was licensed and was expected to commence operations within 2022.

The National Data Management Authority (NDMA) has also boosted its operations by increasing its bandwidth capacity by 167 per cent.

“This allowed for the increase in Wi-Fi bandwidth from 50 to 200Mbps at 139 public Internet access sites.

Overall, public Wi-Fi consumption increased from 242Mbps in January to 500Mbps by October 2021,” Phillips noted.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister expressed disappointment in the parliamentary Opposition for sticking to a political agenda and not acknowledging the many benefits that Budget 2022 offered ordinary Guyanese.

“How can you come and lecture us about a budget that does not provide for the people of Guyana – a budget that provides $600,000 starting this year for everybody who has to do dialysis? … I served in the military, I interact with veterans, and this is one of the issues that was raised by the leadership of the veteran foundation: about many shutins that have kidney issues and are challenged to pay for their treatment… this is the Government that has provided for that this year,” he declared.

Prime Minister Phillips recommended the budget to the House as one that is transformative and people-centred.

6 FEATURE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

A

s promised, let us this week look at some specific considerations associated with choosing a dog as our companion animal. After all, we don't want the animal to make a round-trip back to the previous owner; or worse, that you get rid of your pet in a way that, shall we say, is inimical to its interests.

Consideration #1: Size/space

Should you choose a large dog or a small dog?

Well, firstly, all puppies are relatively small, and you may not know if it would grow into a huge dog. There is a pearl of conventional wisdom that dictates that you look at the dog's paws. If they are big, the dog will be big.

I tend to advise that you look at the parents of the pup. When that pup grows up, it is unlikely that it would be much larger than its father if it is a male, or larger than the mother if it is a female.

(Of course, when in doubt, ask your veterinarian or a bona fide breeder). If the dog is a pure breed, then your job is simple. The dog would grow (all things being equal - health, nutrition, etc) to the size that is standard for that breed.

Size is also your important consideration, according to the home in which you live. It would not make too much sense under our local conditions to keep a large dog indoors.

(One wonders whether this would be sensi-

World Wetland Day 2022…

SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS RELATIVE TO THE ACQUISITION/ADOPTION OF A DOG AS A PET ble under any condition).

If we are going to keep a canine companion animal indoors in a small house, then a small dog makes sense. Large dogs would need yard space with sturdy and high fences. Males, scenting females in heat, would go over, under, and through weak symbolic fences.

Please remember that all dogs need to run around freely. It is cruelty to an animal if it is tied to one spot for long periods of time. It is also illegal.

Consideration #2: Time.

Do you have enough time to exercise (playing with it; taking it for walks, etc) your dog? Do you have the time (and patience) to groom and examine your canine ward, and perhaps manually extract ticks and fleas from its coat? What about the time needed to take your pet to the vet for its check-ups, immunisation and deworming?

Would you spend some time daily playing with, and training, your pet?

Are you prepared to cook meals, or offer commercial dog foods and observe eating patterns?

Consideration #3: Cost.

In choosing a dog as your pet, you should think of the cost associated with its care. Feed costs can be high, especially with large dogs. A very large and active dog may

require between eight and ten pounds of feed daily.

Then there are the veterinary costs – vaccinations and dewormings and incidentals.

If it is a female, you may wish to spay (removal of the ovaries and womb) her, so that she would not continue to present you, during the mating season, with her beaus and litter after unwanted litter. You may wish to consider neutering (removal of the testicles) your male canine pet. These interventions incur costs.

Consideration #4: Treatment.

If you have a lot (or even one) of young energetic children in the home, can you condition them away from the belief that their new furry friend is not a bouncing ball? Have you chosen a puppy that can tolerate some rough play? And if you have chosen an adorable fun-ball, can you accept with equanimity its not-so-adorable bad habits and general mischief? Do you have the necessary patience?

You must know whether you would prefer a vivacious ball of energy, or a dog with a more relaxed temperament.

Consideration #5: Health.

When you are choosing your puppy from the litter, it would be advisable to select a puppy that has clear, alert eyes

and a cool, moist nose.

Preferably, the puppy must be active and effervescent, and be exhibiting great vitality. It must not show signs of lethargy, slinking away from approaching humans, and tending to hide itself in a secluded spot. The coat must be soft, smooth and glossy.

In the area of the anus, there should be no sign of a diarrhoea or bloody stool (pasted hair, discolouration) etc. Bones (ribs, pelvic bones) should not be visible, and the legs should not exhibit signs of rickets (bowed or X-shaped legs, etc). There should be no watery or purulent discharge from the nostrils or eyes.

A good rule-of-thumb is to throw a bundle of keys (or anything that makes some unaccustomed noise) into the middle of the litter. Consider taking one of those puppies that immediately investigate the keys, and not one of those which shriek and run away.

Consideration #6: RELIGION

This column has no interest in getting into a debate about belief-fixation.

Similarly, we do not wish to provoke dissent within a family group. However, I am advised that some religious tenets forbid dogs from being inside a house.

I suppose hygiene is the primary issue. Next week we will discuss the pros and cons of keeping a dog in the house, or in a kennel outside.

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Wetlands in Guyana

his week we will continue to look at wetlands in Guyana, focusing on the benefits and values of wetlands, and the need for conservation. We will also examine the North Rupununi wetlands which exists here in Guyana.

XWetlands can best be described as fresh, brackish or salty bodies of water, which can vary from large lakes to ponds, swamps, peat lands and bogs, slow streams, lagoons and estuaries. They also include ditches, water races, mining pits and hydro lakes.

Wetlands are very important and dynamic ecosystems. They support unique plants and animals, which interact with each other and the wetland environment to obtain the things they need to survive. As conditions change, the wetland, as a unit, changes, and so do the types of animals and plants they support.

The value of wetlands Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world; they are comparable to rainforests and coral reefs.

They support numerous species from all of the major groups of organisms – from microbes to mammals. In fact, they are home to more animal and plant species than any other type of habitat!

The value of a wetland and the services it provides depend on a complex set of relationships between the wetland and the other ecosystems in the watershed.

Wetlands provide a number of ecological services. They serve as nurseries for freshwater and marine fish, and store and purify water. Wetlands also replenish ground water and store carbon.

They retain nutrients and sediments, and also support a wide range of animals and plants (bio-diversity). Because water drains into wetlands, they play an important role in flood control.

Wetlands are also of significant benefit to society, as they offer spaces for recreation and tourism opportunities, creating jobs and income-generating and leisure activities. They also provide food for people, and a place for them to practice some cultural traditions. Transport and research services are also provided by wetlands.

North Rupununi Wetlands in Guyana The North Rupununi Wetland System is one of the largest wetlands in Guyana. It encompasses an area of 22,000 hectares of periodically flooded savannah and forest. These wetlands are dominated by the Rupununi, Rewa, and Essequibo Rivers, and include over 750 lakes, ponds and inlets!

Uniquely, the North Rupununi Wetlands are a portal between two major river basins, the Amazon and the Essequibo. Seasonal flooding allows aquatic wildlife from one river system to mix with the other, resulting in this huge diversity of wildlife.

Over 450 species of fish have been recorded in the area, leading to estimates of up to 600 species for the larger wetland system. This is the highest fish diversity in the world for areas of similar size.

The wetlands are also home to Guyana’s endangered giants, and they supply a food chain to these endangered species, such as the Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger), Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), Giant River Turtle (Podocnemis expansa), and recovering populations of the largest freshwater fish in the world, the Arapaima (Arapaima gigas).

Importance of the North Rupununi Wetlands The North Rupununi Wetlands play a crucial role in the lives of approximately 5000 residents in the area’s 16 primary communities. The rivers and waterways act as the main transportation routes and sources of drinking water. Water-loving palms and other vegetation are used for housing, craft- making, traditional medicine, and food. Additionally, fish represents a major source of protein in local communities, while other wildlife species of commercial and subsistence value depend on the wetlands for survival.

The North Rupununi Wetlands also feature a prominently Indigenous culture and folklore, and have significant aesthetic value, serving as a primary place of recreation for local residents.

North Rupununi Wetlands’ resources were respected and managed by the communities themselves through their own traditional systems. However, over time, many of these traditional systems have weakened, and many wetland resources, particularly fish, have begun to show the strain of overuse.

The challenge now is to re-establish community-based management of local wetlands resources, and work with communities to improve resource monitoring, management planning and decision-making. The North Rupununi Wetlands Project has taken up this challenge. The North Rupununi Adaptive Management Process, or NRAMP, is a decision-making tool which individuals, communities and institutions can use to develop plans to manage day-to-day livelihood activities and natural resource management scenarios. The process uses the learning cycle which forms the basis for every decision and action that we make and enact in our everyday lives. This course aims to strengthen the capacity of community members to understand the North Rupununi Adaptive Management Process, in order to develop suitable adaptive strategies for management of natural resources and community livelihoods within the North Rupununi.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, c/o Communications Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN; or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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Silica City to cater for over 12,500 households – Housing Minister ...land earmarked for new city along Soesdyke/Linden highway ...designs for 1st phase to commence this year

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ith designs for the first phase of Silica City expected to commence this year, it is envisioned that over the next two decades this new city along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway will grow to hold more than 12,500 households.

The new city is intended to be one of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s climate change mitigation strategies. Giving an update on it during his Budget 2022 presentation on Friday was Housing Minister Collin Croal.

While the city will eventually grow to house more than 12,500 households, the Minister explained, it will initially cater to just over 3000 households in the first five years. Additionally, a whopping 3800 acres of land has been earmarked for the new city, and designs for the first phase of the project will begin this year.

“It is envisioned that over the next 20 years, the projected population for this new city will be approximately 50,000 occupants or over 12,500 households.

Therefore, within this first five years, it is expected that this city will be developed to

Housing Minister Collin Croal

cater for at least 3125 households – approximately 625 units annually.

“Consultations are ongoing with the utility companies as I speak, to coordinate the development of the infrastructure, since it is anticipated that a shared utility corridor will cater for all utilities to be routed,” the Minister further said.

Nor will Silica City be any ordinary city. According to the Minister, the city will be a smart one, powered by renewable energy and developed with the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change and goal 11 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which speaks to building sustainable cities and communities, in mind.

“The vision of Silica City is the creation of a vibrant, sustainable, resilient and modern city… the smart city is proposed for creating a new city that will compact and have a pedestrian-oriented, energy-efficient, interconnected and sustainable, comfortable, attractive and secure environment,” Minister Croal said.

Silica City is a development the PPP/C Government had initiated talks on prior to leaving office in 2015, but which was never continued under the succeeding A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government.

In his first year in office in 2020, President Dr Irfaan Ali had revealed that Government had begun discussions on Silica City as a secondary city. He had explained that the Government was looking at an area on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway that would be connected to the new four-lane bypass road.

The Linden-Soesdyke Highway (photo by South America Discovered)

“We have initiated discussions on having a new area – a secondary city – developed. We are exploring this opportunity along the new four-lane highway, because we are already seeing the pressure on the city itself,” the President had said at the time.

He had further noted that as development and expansion continued, there would be more occupation of

the outskirts of Georgetown, and the country must be prepared for it. As a result, Government will be putting plans in place to ensure that such growth and development will be facilitated.

President Ali had also explained that the idea was not new, but was in the pipeline since he was Housing and Water Minister years ago, when the concept of Silica City was introduced at a

Building Expo. In fact, talk of Silica City began as early as 2013, under the previous PPP/C Government.

“Now we have to think about the future, think about the floodplain, think about a natural expansion of the city, the industrialisation that will take place,” President Ali had said at the time, adding that in terms of funding, a mix of public-private partnerships would be used.

8 NEWS NWD miner charged, remanded for murder of EBD man SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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ust days after Police arrested a man accused of murdering another man at Balamani Backdam, Cuyuni River in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), that man has been charged with the cap-

ital offence.

The accused, 33-yearold Ovid Williams of Moruca Village, North West District (NWD), was arraigned before Bartica Magistrate Crystal Lambert for the murder of

Man busted with ganja in bucket

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anks in Regional Division #7 (CuyuniMazaruni) have arrested a man after a quantity of ganja was found in his home.

Police in the Region have said that following a tip-off, they went to the home of a 51-year-old man at Imbaimadai and conducted a search, during which they unearthed the ganja

stashed in a 5-gallon bucket.

He was told of the offence committed, cautioned, and has since admitted ownership of the narcotics.

He was arrested and escorted to the Imbaimadai Police Station along with the narcotics, which, when weighed, amounted to 294.8 grams. He remains in custody pending charges.

Brian Melville, 42, a miner of Lot 105 Second St, Craig Village, East Bank Demerara.

Williams was not required to plead to the indictable charge, and was remanded to prison until February 28, 2022.

Based on reports received, on the day in question, Melville had finished working for the day, and was standing at the entrance of his camp when the suspect ran up to him and dealt him three chops to his neck, shoulder, and hand, before making good his escape into the bushes while Melville fell to the ground and became motionless.

Williams was arrested on the Puruni Trail the following day with what appeared to be the murder weapon – a cutlass - in his

Well, it’s over now…

Y

Charged: Ovid Williams

possession.

A post mortem examination has been conducted on Melville’s body, and the Police say they are still investigating the matter.

…so, what’s next? our Eyewitness breathed a long sigh of relief after Finance Minister Ashni Singh finally wound up this year’s Budget Debate. And having, as is customary, the last word. But after his marathon 5-hour-plus opening salvo, one suspects the almost 2-hour ending one was a breeze!!

What was surprising to some - but NOT your Eyewitness was that it was Harmon who gave the customary Opposition Leader hour-and-a-half closing speech in response!!

For some reason - unfathomable to yours truly - it was thought that with Nicolette Henry’s resignation, Norton was gonna be shoehorned in to do the honours. Clearly, they weren’t reading your Eyewitness!! Firstly, the first tip-off was that Nicolette hadn’t even submitted her “resignation” formally to the National Assembly!! Can’t get in space if a space ain’t there, can you?? And your Eyewitness had warned that even if the space had opened up, there was the immovable force of the Sanctimonious Gangster to deal with!!

All of this dithering opened up the PNC and the Opposition to all sorts of digs - sly and otherwise! The PPP wags just couldn’t resist the temptation. An Opposition claiming they could run the country better than the PPP Government and they can’t even run the appointment of an Opposition Leader?? Well, there’s a long, long letter from that old ex-magistrate Maxwell Edwards - who’d been an advisor to Basil Williams - on a legal approach for Norton. And if you know Ganger like your Eyewitness knows Granger, once the matter goes to the Courts, Norton might as well call it quits!! That’s a long, looong road!!

So, what were the highlights of the last day? That it was a zinger by AG Nandlall to Roysdale Forde, SC - his shadow across the aisle - kinda summarizes the entire 5-day debate. Forde claimed during his speech that Nandlall had used Forde’s notes in law school!! Yes…that allegation was made somehow relevant to the legislative agenda of the Government in the coming year that the AG was expounding on!! The latter replied that it would’ve be quite infra dig for a QUEEN’S COLLEGE old boy to depend on notes of a ST ROSES one!! In an analogous context, Burnham had retorted, “No day canoe can bore punt!!”

Nandlall subsequently apologised to St Roses and its alumni when he realized that while his retort might’ve been quite normal when he was a schoolboy, he WASN’T a schoolboy any longer!! But seriously, folks, the Opposition better get its act together soon, or they might just go the way of the dodo. And leave their constituency high and dry!

Next week, the PPP starts spending that HALF-ATRILLION-dollars!! and they’ve already declared they’ll go after the PNC’s constituency!! …for Whoopi Whoopi Goldberg’s a public personality - famous for being uninhibited in offering her opinions. After a very successful career in the movies, she became a fixture on a female-focused but politically divergent panel, The View, discussing topical issues. Your Eyewitness always liked her candid opinions. So, it was somewhat of a surprise to him when he heard she’d been reprimanded and suspended.

So, what’d she say that was so offensive? Seems the panel was discussing a banned novel involving the Jewish Holocaust. Whoopy interjected that the Holocaust wasn’t about race, since the Jews and Germans were all White. It was about “man’s inhumanity to man”, she insisted. She was then tutored on the nuances of the Nazi ideology, which was based on them seeing Jews as an “Inferior race”.

She apologised but it wasn’t enough.

There is a lesson here for us in Guyana, where our politics are normalising quite racist statements - even though no Whites are involved!! …on a unipolar world Last week, your Eyewitness claimed the Ukraine standoff meant America was now operating in a multipolar. NATO might be a passé dinosaur.

Russia’s link-up with China on Ukraine and Taiwan proves the point!!

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

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Guyana-Venezuela border controversy

Recolonising our children’s minds?

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ast week, I pointed out that even though “colonialism” might have ended (for us in 1966), its deeply embedded structures stubbornly persist as “coloniality”. These could be subsumed under three broad and interlocking systems of racial hierarchy, systems of knowledge, and cultural systems. After slavery, the Christian Church was supported by the state to pacify the ex-slaves and convince them that they should accept the racial hierarchy of Whites on top Ravi Dev and Blacks at the bottom.

They were to direct all their energies into acquiring an (classics) education, acting proper and marrying up - meaning “whiter”. The indentured labourers who followed them on the plantation also gradually harked to these “white values”.

Queen’s College and Bishops were the epitome of the “education”, and were founded in the mid-19th century to impart the hierarchical system of knowledge that dismissed local insights. The “Royal Readers” were issued towards the end of the long 19th century, and their contents were carefully curated to convince us natives of the necessity of the European “civilizing mission”. We cried about the poor “Little Match Girl” perishing in the cold even as our children died like flies from malnutrition, malaria and overwork here. We gnashed our teeth at the depravities and ungratefulness of those “heathen Indians” who imprisoned and suffocated those poor East India employees in the “Black hole of Calcutta”, who “only wanted to save India”.

But, by the 1930s, Britain realised they were laying it on a bit thick in their colonies, and sent out one of their “educators, J.O. Cutteridge, who issued the “West Indian Readers”. These merely daubed on a patina of local colour to the same imperial narrative that fooled no one. During the struggle for independence after WWII, the local intelligentsia exposed this source of “mental slavery”, and began subverting it. UWI Mona established a unit to review our school curricula.

In 1963, a year after Trinidad’s Independence, Sparrow spoofed the W.I. Readers better than any PhD dissertation with “Dan is the man (in the van)”. By then, the “Caribbean Readers” that I was weaned on, and which supposedly was cleansed of hegemonic narratives, were issued. I learnt about the farmer, Mr Joe, in his spotless white shirt, building a house with his menagerie of animals, including Mr Willie, the pig. Mr Joe was nothing like my Nana, however, who farmed at De Willem in grimy clothes, and where I occasionally laboured. Even then, I realised the discordance of a farmer’s shirt remaining untouched by dirt.

While we may criticise the PNC (and this writer has done so profusely), after independence, they at least self-consciously articulated a decolonial agenda in the school system that was inherited from the 1957-1964 PPP Government. In the 1970s, the “Rampat Family”, “A Happy Family” and Timehri Readers “Market Day” went further, not only in terms of cultural inclusivity, but decoloniality in valorising local Guyanese forms of knowledge. Colonisation was nothing if not epistemological in imposing its hegemony. My children consumed these Readers, in addition to the “Nelson’s New WI Readers”, into the new millennium.

It was therefore quite shocking to read the critiques of the Atlantic Readers, and then actually browse them on the MoE website. The illustrations are resplendent - as the Imperial Royal Readers were - with foreign fruits and vegetables, along with blonde and red-haired ruddy-cheeked children. But our Indigenous Peoples are literally an afterthought through the artifice of a “visit to Lethem”. Why marginalise the practices, beliefs, cultures and unique identities of those whose stolen land we live on? Most unbelievably, after we have all been alerted for decades to the arrogance of Europeans claiming that Columbus “discovered” the Americas - thus denying Indigenous Peoples their humanity - Atlantic Reader Bk 5 declares that “Barrington Brown discovered Kaieteur Falls”! Even as it ironically follows with Brown being informed of the legend of Kai and the falls by Amerindians.

In my previous letter, I quoted Anibal Quijano: “Europe’s hegemony over the new model of global power concentrated all forms of the control of subjectivity, culture, and especially knowledge and the production of knowledge, under its hegemony.” I suggested it “should be especially relevant to academics in our local university”, and asked, “How do we break out? The Atlantic Reader, rather than the Royal Reader, suffices?”

Clearly, they don’t for our next generation now in primary school. Back to the drawing board.

All efforts being put into preparing for ICJ case next month – Min Todd – Foreign Ministry allocated $3.6B for foreign policy programme

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s the Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy court date at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) draws nearer, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, has assured that all efforts are being put into preparing for the case.

The Minister was at the time making his contribution to the 2022 Budget debates.

He explained that $3.6B has been allocated to his Ministry to carry out its foreign policy programme and improve Guyana’s bilateral relations with the international community.

Important among those efforts is ensuring the adjudicating of Guyana’s border case against Venezuela. Guyana, which filed its memorial in the case in 2018, will have to sub-

The ICJ

mit written pleadings for its case on March 8, 2022.

According to the Minister, his Ministry will not rest in working on preserving Guyana’s sovereignty, and Guyana would be in a state of readiness by March 8 when it has to present its written submissions for its memorial.

“We will not rest in our efforts to preserve our sovereignty and territorial integrity. Following the ICJ ruling on the jurisdiction in the case of the Guyana/ Venezuela controversy, we have been putting all our efforts into preparing to submit the merits of our case by March 8 this year.

Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd

“Equally, we will continue to be a responsible member of the international community, enhancing our profile on the regional (stage),” Minister Todd said.

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FEATURE

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“I believe in education” I

…says Guyana’s first plastic surgeon, Dr Joseph Torres

n 1998, Joseph Torres emerged as the St Ignatius Secondary’s top student at that year’s Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Examinations. Today he is Guyana’s first Cuban-trained plastic surgeon, a feat that complements his hunger for academic achievement as well as his aim to inspire others from remote communities to strive for greatness through education.

Dr Torres recently completed studies in Cuba, where he read for a double-major or, as he called it, specialised studies in General Plastic Surgery and Burn Care, a leg of studies which commenced in China. He is said to be Guyana’s first plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon, and while the qualifications on Dr Torres’s curriculum vitae may be lengthy, he is as humble a person as one would imagine.

During an interview with this publication, done on Thursday from his apartment in Cuba, where he is preparing to travel back to Guyana, Dr Torres noted that these medical studies commenced back in 1998, when he attended the University of Guyana and read for an Associate Degree in Medical Technology.

He majored in medical microbiology. After completing that programme in 2002 and completing a brief stint in the pharmacy of the Woodlands Hospital, Dr Torres was granted a scholarship by the

the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he is a staff member.

Dr Torres said the field of plastic surgery is still in its infancy stages in Guyana, noting that persons are still not very conscious of

Dr Torres said his wife Afiya and his children have been his biggest supporters

Government of Guyana to study medicine in Cuba.

He spent the next seven years in that Spanish-speaking island, and in 2010 he returned, after successfully completing the programme. It was also a historic return, since he became the first medical doctor who hails from the Rupununi.

Dr Torres, who was born and raised in the village of Wowetta in the North Rupununi, subsequently served in the medical field for another four years before preparing to pursue further stud-

ies overseas. He said the specialised area of his medical studies commenced in 2016 in China.

“I was awarded a scholarship, through an arrangement by the Government of Guyana with the People’s Republic of China, to study general surgery, and I spent two years there,” he said of the initial phase of the programme. He then transitioned to Cuba, and continued in the field of plastic surgery for another four years, beginning in 2018. He says he is now obligated to provide his services to the citizenry through

Dr Joseph Torres

the field, including reconstructive surgery. He said when persons think of plastic surgery, they would only consider implants or a tummy tuck, but according to him, there are many other areas of plastic surgery that many may not be aware of, and they include reconstruction of the scalp, the chest, and genitalia, among other areas of the human body.

Why he made that choice

According to Dr Torres, while completing medical studies in Cuba, during his first stint before 2010, thoughts of being a plastic surgeon had roamed his mind. According to him, he gravitated to that field after encountering several children with cleft lips in the Rupununi following his return. A cleft lip is an opening or split in the upper lip, which occurs when developing facial structures in an unborn baby do not close completely.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Body of missing Wakenaam man pulled from Essequibo River

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wo days after he had gone missing following the capsizing of a boat in the Essequibo River on Thursday evening, the body of 54-yearold Lakeram Kuber of Belle Plaine village in Wakenaam Island, Region Three, has been recovered. His body was discovered a short distance from the island.

It was reported that on Thursday, at about 23:30h,

Dead: Lakeram Kuber

Feroze Amin, 58, of Good Success, Wakenaam Island and Kuber left Wakenaam in a fibreglass boat powered by a 100hp Yamaha outboard engine to go pick up a friend, Floyd Dazzell. However, while the three were returning to Wakanaam, the boat reportedly capsized and submerged. Dazzell and Amin managed to swim to safety, but Kuber did not make it.

Searches were conducted by residents, and the

man’s body was recovered.

The body has been taken to

a funeral home to await a post mortem examination.

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“I believe in education”... severe genetic disorder that affects the skin, mostly in infants. Infants with this condition are born prematurely with very hard, thick skin covering most of their bodies.

He said he found two children in the North Rupununi who suffered from the condition, and according to him, he is hoping to provide the requisite surgery to such children on his return. He explained that the condition includes a deformity of the eyelids and dry eyes, but with the surgery, he said, he can protect them.

“So these are some of the things that motivated me.

There are some children that don’t have an option, and plastic surgery is definitely an option,” he added.

Humble beginnings

As he spoke about his passion for academia, Dr Torres said he attended the Wowetta Primary School, and subsequently the St Ignatius Secondary, near Lethem. The 6th of 7 siblings, Dr Torres grew Dr Joseph Torres as he performed an operation on a patient

He said while he worked in the Rupununi as a medical doctor, he was on outreach and he observed a number of children with cleft lip, which is deemed a congenital malformation. He said medical officials are sometimes unaware of such children.

“They were hidden in the villages,” he said. In addition, he noted that in many communities, there are children with other rare body features, such as those with extra toes or fingers, a condition known as polydactyly. “Every Indigenous community I would think would have a child with this type of congenital malformation,” he said.

He said he knew general surgery could not correct the features of such children, but he also knew there had to be a way to remedy the situation. His research then led to plastic surgery and the specialization that the

field entails. “It touched me that I could not help them at that time,” he said.

Dr Torres has said that to commence his interest in the field, he began registering children with such conditions in the North Rupununi, and in 2016, prior to leaving for China, he tried unsuccessfully to have the children receive the requisite treatment at the Lethem Hospital. However, the children underwent surgery at the GPHC, and he singled out the assistance provided by the late aviator Malcom Chan-A-Sue who flew the children to the city to undergo the surgeries.

Harlequin Disease Dr Torres noted that during his research, he also discovered that there are children who suffer from Harlequin disease, a condition which is also known as Harlequin ichthyosis. It is a

up with his mother and a step-father, and those childhood days taught him many valuable lifelong lessons.

After his studies at secondary school, he then commenced a 23-year journey of medical studies, and according to the doctor, while he focuses on his studies, his immediate and extended families would provide much-needed support. To this end, he singled out his mother, Mary Torres.

He said he married his wife Afiya Quamina Torres in 2012, and according to the doctor, she has always been by his side. “She is my biggest supporter,” he said of his wife. He said she has been beside him in China as well as in Cuba. With a smile, he noted that as a couple, they have two children; one was born in China and the other was born in Cuba.

“They were always supportive. We had difficult times, but that is part of life,” he said. He also noted that his mother-in-law, Jennifer Boston, is always there to support the family.

His expectations

Dr Torres said that plastic surgery is a “refined” medical field, and he added that the requirements are very high. He explained that in any country where there is plastic surgery, there is a regulatory system. He added that in some countries such as neighbouring Brazil and Colombia, one has to be part of a special society of plastic surgeons in order to receive the green light by the medical authorities to practice in the field. He said he has some colleagues from Colombia who were not medically trained to provide plastic surgery in their home country, but were nevertheless practising in the field back home. However, the Government of Colombia recognised the deficiency and sent them to Cuba to be qualified in the field.

As for Guyana, he said there may be a need for the establishment of a regulatory system to provide oversight of this field of medicine. “Those systems protect

FROM PAGE 13

the patients, since the overall objective is to protect the patient,” he noted, adding that many persons can benefit from plastic surgery.

Dr Torres speaks several languages, and they include English, Spanish, Mandarin and the Indigenous Wapishana language, which is spoken at his home at Wowetta.

Throughout the interview, Dr Torres reiterated the importance of education.

“My academic journey has been long, but I believe in education,” he added.

He noted that his aim is not only to educate others and treat his patients to the best of his abilities, but to also be a role model to others. He singled out his Indigenous roots, of which he is proud. He noted that there is a need for persons to motivate hinterland students so that they can rise to the peak of any field of study.

“For us to truly come out of poverty, we need to embrace education,” he explained.

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Hundreds graduate from UG’s College of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences about thereafter.

The Head of State highlighted, “You must use this knowledge, skills and values that would have been acquired to change your personal circumstances and revolutionise Guyana’s development. You have demonstrated the resolve to make a difference. The past two years have been extremely challenging. The onset of one of the world’s gravest health crises has presented challenges for education, including here at the University of Guyana. It is to your credit that despite these challenges, you have persevered.”

Receiving Presidential Awards were Davendra Kissoon and Tomeshwor Shaunique Critchlow and Annette Baksh of the Faculty of Social Mohabir, who completSciences with Prime Minister Mark Phillips ed a Bachelor of Science (Civil with Environmental he University of Guyana (UG), in its 55th convoEngineering) and Bachelor of Education (Mathematics cation, conferred newly-minted graduates from the Concentration Programme) respectively.

Turkeyen and Tain campuses with their official Mohabir told the convocation on Friday, “My knowlcertification. edge base has grown tremendously and I can say with In the second lap of the virtual graduation ceremo-

T

ny on Saturday, students from the College of Medical Sciences and Faculty of Natural Sciences were celebrated for their achievements.

In her special address, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said the graduates from some 50 disciplines would leave the institution profoundly different from when they first enrolled.

“Take a minute to reflect on your experiences and never forget those who supported you through this chapter of your personal and professional development…It is clear that the nation is extremely proud of your accomplishments. The essence of your educational achievements will be determined by their practical applica- Shaqueon Scott

Davendra Kissoon and Tomeshwor Mohabir with President Dr Irfaan Ali

Shaunique Critchlow from the School of Medicine; and Annette Rosalyn Baksh from the Faculty of Social Sciences received the Prime Minister’s Medal.

Cilicia Harris, the Best Graduating Law Student, received the Pro-Chancellor’s Medal. The Council of the University Prize was awarded to Marissa Foster from the Faculty of Social Sciences while the University of Guyana Student Society Prize was copped by Cardel Hunte.

Also graduating are NEW GPC employees Hema Singh, who completed her Associate of Science (Biology) with distinction and was also the top performing student in the associates program, and Shaqueon Scott, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) with distinction. Meanwhile, Lawanda McAllister and Brandon Corlette – both Journalists at Guyana Times – will graduate with a Bachelor of Science and Diploma in Communication Studies respectively. This ceremony is set for next Saturday.

Dr Ashana Singh and Prime Minister Mark Phillips

authority that I am a far better teacher now than I was when started UGBC. The journey, while being academically enriching, had its fair share of obstacles – the most notable being the shift from face-to-face learning to online learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Best Graduating Students Ashana Singh and

Hema Singh

tion. As such, I charge you to go forth and pursue a life of both purpose and service,” she advised.

President Dr Irfaan Ali also sent out a special message for the graduates, lauding their resiliency to persist in their educational agenda, despite the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and the mounting challenges brought

Lawanda McAllister

Brandon Corlette

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Inter-American Defense College Director gives thumbs up to UG’s new master’s programme

A

s the University of Guyana (UG) prepares to begin teaching the first cohort of its new Master’s Degree in Strategic Development Studies, university officials recently met with the Director of the US InterAmerican Defense College (IADC), Major General James Taylor.

They had discussions on various areas of mutual interest and pledged to further collaborate, especially on the academic side of security-related issues.

The new master’s programme is being offered on the menu of new strategic security and safety offerings through the University’s recently-launched Institute of Human Resilience, Strategic Security and the Future (IHRSSF).

The IADC team was accompanied by the Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Colonel Omar Khan, who was

UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin gives Major General James Taylor a mini-tour of the Turkeyen campus

integrally involved in conceptualising and working on the design of the programme.

Colonel Khan noted, “This

is one of our red-carpet initiatives to bring an understanding of the various aspects of security in Guyana.

Such a programme will promote awareness for optimal decision-making and will enhance the capacity of our peo-

ple… I am happy that we have come to this day and we will be able to offer this programme.”

Major General Taylor gave a thumbs up to the programme and commended the University for taking the initiative to design and implement it. “I know this is a great programme that will add great value to this country. You have an excellent thing going,” he remarked.

The Director shared the experiences of the IADC and indicated that the College would be happy to further collaborate with UG on its new master’s programme.

UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin, out of whose office the project was developed, said that the University was delighted to have been given the opportunity to host Major General Taylor and his team.

She outlined the menu of initiatives that the University was currently pursuing regarding safety, security, and resiliency through the IHRSSF. TURN TO PAGE 25

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Inter-American Defense College Director gives ‘thumbs up'...

She outlined the menu of initiatives that the University is currently pursuing regarding safety, security and resiliency through the IHRSSF. In referring to the Master’s programme the VC noted, “This programme allows … UG to accomplish one of its 2040 Blueprint aspirations - Goal # 2 for The University to be a centre of Excellence in 9 specific areas of national strategic importance of which human resiliency systems is one.”

Major General Taylor and his aide, Major Greg Carter, are currently in Guyana at the invitation of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

Coordinator designate of the Master’s programme,

Vice-Chancellor, XI, Paloma Mohamed Martin gives Major General James Taylor a mini-tour of the Turkeyen campus

FROM PAGE 23

Brigadier (Rtd) Bruce Lovell, provided a brief presentation of the programme to the delegation. According to him, the programme comes at the opportune moment when the country’s development trajectory will be impacted by the discovery of oil, which makes it necessary to posture the nation’s human resources to exploit the attendant opportunities.

He explained that the programme is fundamentally designed to produce graduates capable of functioning in the contemporary operating environment who can apply the research skills of empiricism to generate conceptual, theoretical, and practical solutions required for national development.

26 NEWS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“The country has lost a bright girl” – Min Persaud as she bids farewell to Mahaica accident victim

S

ixteen-year-old Shereeda Persaud of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice (WCB), who lost her life after the car in which she was travelling collided with three other vehicles on Wednesday at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was laid to rest on Saturday amid an outpouring of emotions from her family and friends.

The teen’s body was viewed at the Central Islamic Organization (CIOG) on Woolford Avenue in Georgetown before it was escorted to her residence for final viewing and funeral service.

At the CIOG, Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud expressed condolences to the family on behalf of the Government, while adding that Guyana has lost a bright young girl.

“I’m here to express my condolences to the family on this great loss. It’s a loss, I think, that is a very painful one; and through the…

Dead: Shereeda Persuad

Government of Guyana, I’m here to stand with you, to support you, because I know this is the type of pain and hurt that will be with you for some time; but I just urge you to have faith in God, because your prayer, your faith and love for God will (give) you the strength during this very difficult time,” Minister Persaud related.

She said, “The country has lost a very bright girl.”

The teenager, who had been buzzing with brilliant life, had played the role of

Home Affairs Minister at the 2021 Youth Parliament, where she had spoken extensively on road safety. Ironically, she and her 21-year-old boyfriend Christopher Bhagwandat of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara were killed at Mahaica during a high-speed Police chase.

Also expressing condolences to the family at the funeral was the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG).

According to Persaud’s uncle, Tameshwer Persaud, “She was a very jovial, kindhearted person. She always had a smile. She was very, very good in school. She was a part of the Youth Parliament… she was debating about accidents at the Youth Parliament.”

Persaud, of Bath, West Coast Berbice, was supposed to be in school – Bush Lot Secondary School – where she was a top performer, when she seemingly ditched school and was picked up in a motorcar driven by her 21-year-

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud extends condolences to the relatives of the dead 16-year-old at CIOG on Saturday

old boyfriend to head back to his Mon Repos, ECD home to celebrate his mother’s 45th birthday. That, regrettably, was when the fatal accident occurred.

The car driven by the young man, PNN 8852, was reportedly stopped by traffic ranks at Perseverance,

Mahaicony, ECD. The young man had pulled in the corner, but as the cops approached, he reportedly drove away at a “fast rate of speed”. A mobile patrol was alerted and went in pursuit.

This resulted in a highspeed chase, culminating in a four-vehicle collision involv-

ing another motorcar and a canter.

The Guyana Police Force has come in for heavy criticism following the accident. In light of those criticisms, Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie has promised that a thorough investigation would be conducted into the fatal accident.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 2 woman is latest COVID fatality – 296 new cases reported

T

he Health Ministry on Saturday reported that a Region Two resident who had tested positive for COVID-19 has died, taking Guyana’s death toll from the pandemic up to 1,180. The 57-year-old woman, who died on February 4, 2022, had been unvaccinated.

The Health Ministry has reported that, of the 1,302 persons who had been swabbed for the virus yesterday, 296 new cases have been detected.

The total confirmed cases in the country has now moved to 61,404, of which 28,341 are males and 33,063 are females.

There are 14 patients in the designated Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 127 in home isolation, 5,343 in institutional isolation, and nine in institutional quarantine. The data shows that 54,740 patients have recovered from the life-threatening virus, while 515,731 tests have been conducted.

A breakdown of the new

cases shows that 34 new cases were reported in Region One (Barima-Waini); 13 in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); 30 in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); 72 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); 11 in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice); 29 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); nine in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni); 38 in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); 59 in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) and one in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

Meanwhile, vaccination continues among the population, with latest figures showing over 425,000 first dose uptake among the adult population, or 82.9 per cent of that demographic. Second doses have surpassed 315,000, or 61.6 per cent of that demographic.

For adolescents, some 23,000 persons, or 31.8 per cent, are fully vaccinated,

while over 41,000 persons have returned for their booster shots.

Government started administering booster shots after studies around the world showed that efficacy of the vaccines wanes after six months of receiving both doses.

Persons have been encouraged to take the booster dose, since protection against the disease would wane after months of complete immunisation. In January, some 20,000 new infections were reported with the rise of the Omicron variant of the disease.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasise: the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand-hygiene.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD FEBRUARY 5, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

296

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

127

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

5,343

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

14

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

2367

REGION 2

2358

REGION 3

7888

REGION 4

30,528

REGION 5

2287

REGION 6

5567

REGION 7

2391

REGION 8

860

REGION 9

3725

REGION 10

3433

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

9

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

33,063

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

28,341

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

61,404

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

54,740

Wear a face mask.

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

425,333

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

FULLY IMMUNISED

315,909

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

1180

If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181.

28 NEWS Comprehensive cervical cancer services to be offered in public health system – Health Minister W SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ithin this year, the Health Ministry will move to broaden the services for treatment and early detection of cervical cancer in the public health system, eliminating the burden patients face in using the private system.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony indicated on Friday that among women, breast cancer is still the most prevalent, followed by cervical cancer; while in men, it is prostate cancer.

Dr Anthony outlined that the Ministry has been rolling out a comprehensive programme to tackle this cervical cancer, since it is preventable.

While primary prevention will focus on vaccination, the secondary measures will involve screening for women aged 30 and older. At the tertiary stage, the Ministry is planning to ensure that radiation and chemotheraphy is readily

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

available. The Ministry is also working to fast-track surgeries for patients.

“This year, we will have rigid focus on cervical cancer and the reasons why we’re doing that is because cervi-

cal cancer is actually preventable. Cervical cancers are caused by a virus and it’s called the human papilloma virus and if we prevent women from being infected, then we can prevent cervical

cancer.”

Molecular tests for the detection of HPV, which is currently only offered in the private healthcare system, will soon be introduced in the public system.

“I think it’s a little bit costly for most women to afford so we’re working on making sure we offer that test as well in the public sector. For those women who develop cancer, we want to enhance getting surgeries for them faster. In some cases, they will need chemotherapy or radiotherapy to make sure that they can have access to these things.

When we think about cervical cancer, we want to offer a comprehensive programme.

The regional hospitals and some selected health centers have the resources to conduct visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), pap smears and other cancer related detective methods. In Budget 2022, funds have

been allocated for a massive programme to administer HPV vaccines to girls between nine and 14 years of age.

It also makes provision for a Prostate Specific Antigen machine for early screening of prostate cancer for the male population.

Speaking on COVID and cancer, it was pointed out that vaccination becomes critical since comorbid patients stand higher risks of being severely infected.

“Despite having cancer, you need to go get vaccinated. Cancer is not an excuse for not getting vaccinated

and the only time you need to reconsider is perhaps if your physician or the doctor that is treating you says that you should not get the vaccine. They may have a reason why…In some cases, if a person’s immune system is depressed, most of the recommendations is not just for two doses but an additional dose. If there is any doubt with any of our cancer patients, then they should consult with their physicians and get the guidance that they need so that they can get vaccinated as quickly and as early as possible.”

All efforts being put...

FROM PAGE 11

He also noted that, over the time the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has been in office since 2020, Guyana has revamped its foreign relations and built bridges.

According to Todd, the country’s bond with the international community has grown stronger, and so has the professionalism of its Foreign Service.

“Guyana’s bond with its international partners is stronger than it’s ever been before.

The PPP commitment to our foreign policy agenda is driven by a cadre of trained diplomats and qualified staff at the headquarters, as well as those stationed at our embassies, High Commissions, and consulates abroad.

“Budget 2022 will provide valuable support for the implementation of the Ministry’s policy guidelines in a systematic manner regarding postings and cross-postings,” Minister Todd also said.

The Government’s territorial agenda also receives the support of the Parliamentary Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC).

On the first day of the budget debates, Member of Parliament (MP) Amanza Walton-Desir, who shadows the Foreign Affairs Ministry, used the occasion to affirm the APNU/AFC’s support for the Government as it continues its territorial border case.

“Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remains sacrosanct. There is no distance between the Government and the political Opposition on this issue.

It is the David Granger-led Government that initiated the judicial route to resolve this issue, and the present Government has continued on this trajectory. We reaffirm that the border claim by Venezuela is mischievous, opportunistic, and without merit, and we are confident that Guyana will be vindicated,” she had said.

Guyana moved to the world court, the International Court of Justice, after exhausting all means of negotiation with Venezuela and the failed good offices pro-

cess between the two South American neighbours. Then United Nations SecretaryGeneral António Guterres, in January 2018, decided that the case should be settled by the ICJ, after exercising the powers vested in him to decide how the controversy should be settled by the 1966 Geneva Agreement between Guyana, Venezuela, and the United Kingdom.

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945, and began its activities in April 1946. The Court is composed of 15 Judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).

Back in March 2021, ICJ had granted Guyana until March 8, 2022 to file its written submissions for the case, after requesting 12 months.

Venezuela was given until March 8, 2023 to submit its counter-memorial.

The Spanish-speaking nation is laying claim to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass in Essequibo, and a portion of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in which more than nine billion barrels of oil have been discovered over the past six years.

In his address to the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly last year, President Dr Irfaan Ali had informed the world about Venezuela’s continued disregard for international norm in pushing its illegal claim to Guyana and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The President had also used meetings with the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to update them on Venezuelan’s actions, which had run the gamut from incendiary statements to issuing decrees.

Following his meeting with Caricom, the community had issued a statement rebuking Venezuela and urging it to adhere to the ICJ process.

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HEALTH TIPS

PREVENTING CANCER - WORLD CANCER DAY 2020 - ‘Close the care gap’

Dr. Tariq Jagnarine Family Medicine, Endocrinology/Diabetes

W

orld Cancer Day 2022 marks the first year of a new three-year campaign centred on the issue of equity.

The campaign theme, ‘Close the care gap’, recognises the power of knowledge, and challenges assumptions. This first year of the campaign raises awareness about the lack of equity in cancer care, and explains the barriers that exist for many people in accessing services and receiving the care they need; and how these barriers potentially reduce a person’s chance of surviving cancer.

About one in every three persons would develop some form of malignancy during his or her lifetime. Despite these grim statistics, doctors have made great progress in

understanding the biology of cancer cells, and they have already been able to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, instead of just waiting for breakthroughs, we can do a lot to protect ourselves right now.

Screening tests can help detect malignancies in their earliest stages, but being alert for symptoms of the disease is important.

An estimated one in three women and one in two men would develop cancer in their lifetime, making the odds high that, at some point, the disease would impact you or someone you love. While certain factors that can lead to cancer, like genetics, are out of our control, there are some things we can do to lower our risk.

Most cancers can be prevented through lifestyle change.

Lifestyle factors, such as one’s type of meals, exercise, smoking, drinking, are very important to evaluate, since they can easily increase cancer risk. Data implicate obesity, smoking, and alcohol use, among other factors in cancer diagnosis. These are all modifiable with a simple change in lifestyle.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), more than four in 10 cancer cases are linked to lifestyle factors you can change.

The American Cancer Society developed this simple reminder of what to check for and when to check with a linkage to specific cancers: C: Change in bowel or bladder habits - Colon Cancer A: A sore that does not heal - Skin cancer U: Unusual bleeding or discharge - Cervical Cancer, Endometrial Cancer T: Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere Breast Cancer I: Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing - Throat Cancer O: Obvious change in a wart or mole - Skin Cancer N: Nagging cough or hoarseness - Lung Cancer It’s a rough guide at best.

The vast majority of such symptoms are caused by nonmalignant disorders, and cancers can produce symptoms that do not show up on

the list, such as unexplained weight loss, or fatigue. But it is a useful reminder to every person to listen to your body and report sounds of distress to the doctor.

The 10 commandments of cancer prevention are:

1. Avoid tobacco in all its forms, including exposure to secondhand smoke. We don’t have to be international scientists to understand how to protect ourselves and our families.

2. Eat properly. Reduce our consumption of saturated fat and red meat, which may increase the risk of colon cancer and a more aggressive form of prostate cancer. Increase the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

3. Exercise regularly.

Physical activity has been linked to a reduced risk of colon cancer. Exercise also appears to reduce a woman’s risk of breast and pos-

sibly reproductive cancers.

Exercise would help protect persons from other diseases, even if they don’t lose weight.

4. Stay lean. Obesity increases the risk of many forms of cancer. Calorie count; there is a need to slim down, take in fewer calories, and burn more with exercise.

5. Reduce alcohol intake, limit alcohol use to an average of one drink (glass or beer) a day. Excess alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx (voice box), esophagus (food pipe), liver, and colon; it also increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Smoking further increases the risk of many alcohol-induced malignancies.

6. Avoid unnecessary radiation exposure. Get medical imaging studies only when they’re needed. Check homes for residential radon, which increases the risk of lung cancer. Protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation in sunlight, which increases the risk of melanomas and other skin cancers. But don’t worry about electromagnetic radiation from high-voltage power lines, or radiofrequency radiation from microwaves and cell phones; they do not cause cancer.

7. Avoid exposure to industrial and environmen-

tal toxins, such as asbestos fibres, benzene, aromatic amines, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

8. Avoid infections that contribute to cancer, including hepatitis viruses, HIV, and the human papillomavirus. Many are transmitted sexually or through contaminated needles.

9. Make quality sleep a priority. Admittedly, the evidence linking sleep to cancer is not strong. But poor and insufficient sleep increases are associated with weight gain, which is a cancer risk factor.

10. Get enough Vitamin D. Many experts now recommend 800 to 1,000 IU a day, a goal that’s nearly impossible to attain without taking a supplement. Although protection is far from proven, evidence suggests that Vitamin D may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, colon cancer, and other malignancies.

There are a lot of things people can do, and it largely comes down to leading a well-balanced, healthy life, with exercise. Reference is not made to earth-shattering things: These are mostly small tweaks just about everyone can do to lower their risk, and most of them are good for our overall health and general wellbeing, physically and mentally.

30 India win fifth U-19 World Cup title after Bawa, Ravi prove too hot for England GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022

I

t was India’s seamers, not spinners, in the U-19 World Cup final who plotted England’s downfall, as Raj Bawa and Ravi Kumar produced match-winning bowling performances to share nine wickets and dismiss their

opponents for 189.

Bawa’s 5 for 31 was the best bowling performance in an U-19 World Cup final ever, while Ravi finished with 4 for 34.

Even though India won by only four wickets, they were

always ahead of the chase. Shaik Rasheed hit a fifty, Nishant Sindhu stayed unbeaten on 50, and Bawa made a crucial 35. And as it is often with Indians at World Cup finals, it was a wicketkeeper who hit a six to seal the World

Raj Bawa dismantled England’s middle order

Cup title.

Although England did strike with wickets that prevented India from posting big partnerships, the modest target of 190 put very little pressure on them. That England even reached 189 was courtesy of James Rew’s valiant 95, which rescued England from 91 for 7 after Tom Prest chose to bat at the toss.

England’s troubles started early when Ravi found some movement in the morning, assisted in part by a bit of overnight rain in Antigua. He had Jacob Bethell lbw with a full ball in the second over, and then had Prest chopping an attempted pull onto his stumps.

George Thomas, who scored a half-century in the semi-final, attacked right-arm seamer Rajvardhan Hangargekar from the other end even though Ravi was among the wickets early. He smacked Hangargekar for a 16run over early, but fell for a 30ball 27 when Bawa came in at first change.

Bawa pitched the ball up, and Thomas tried to mow one across the line, only to miscue a skyer to cover.

Rew and William Luxton were left with the task of starting England’s recovery, but they could last only 16 balls together, as Bawa struck two more times in consecutive deliveries. Bawa found some extra bounce to a wide-ish ball, and Luxton went chasing, only to edge it to the wicketkeeper Dinesh Bana.

George Bell was gone for a duck when Bawa welcomed him with a short ball for his very first delivery, and all he could do was glove it to Bana in trying to block off the back foot.

From 45 for 5, England were soon 91 for 7 following the wickets of Rehan Ahmed (caught behind off Bawa) and Alex Horton (caught at midwicket to offspinner Kaushal Tambe).

With England heading towards being bowled out for a sub-120 score, it was left to Rew, the last recognised batter, to add some runs. He joined hands with No. 9 James Sales to build a stand, and together they added 93 runs. Rew was the attacker in the partnership, increasing his tempo as England crossed hundred, 125, 150 and then 175.

Even Vicky Ostwal, the economical left-arm spinner, went for 5.16 per over as Rew preferred pulling off the back foot or going over midwicket. In fact, as England went past 180, it appeared like it was game on, with India probably needing to chase a target in the range of 225-240.

But that’s where it all went wrong again. Rew, on 95, pulled a harmless Ravi delivery to a fumbling-tumbling-juggling Tambe at deep midwicket, while Thomas Aspinwall became Ravi’s fourth scalp three balls later.

From the other end, Bawa combined with Bana once more to take his fifth-wicket haul, and England failed to bat 31 crucial

SCOREBOARD ENGLAND UNDER-19S INNINGS (50 OVERS MAXIMUM) George Thomas c Dhull b Bawa 27 Jacob Bethell lbw b Ravi Kumar 2 Tom Prest (c) b Ravi Kumar 0 James Rew c Tambe b Ravi Kumar 95 William Luxton c †Bana b Bawa 4 George Bell c †Bana b Bawa 0 Rehan Ahmed c Tambe b Bawa 10 Alex Horton †c Dhull b Tambe 10 James Sales not out 34 Thomas Aspinwall c †Bana b Ravi Kumar 0 Joshua Boyden c †Bana b Bawa 1 Extras(lb 1, w 5) 6 TOTAL (44.5 Ov, RR: 4.21)189 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Jacob Bethell, 1.5 ov), 2-18 (Tom Prest, 3.3 ov), 3-37 (George Thomas, 10.1 ov), 4-47 (William Luxton, 12.5 ov), 5-47 (George Bell, 12.6 ov), 6-61 (Rehan Ahmed, 16.2 ov), 7-91 (Alex Horton, 24.3 ov), 8-184 (James Rew, 43.1 ov), 9-185 (Thomas Aspinwall, 43.4 ov), 10-189 (Joshua Boyden, 44.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Rajvardhan Hangargekar 7-1-36-0 Ravi Kumar 9-1-34-4 Raj Bawa 9.5-1-31-5

Nishant Sindhu 6-1-19-0 Vicky Ostwal 6-0-31-0 Kaushal Tambe 5-0-29-1 Angkrish Raghuvanshi 2-0-8-0 INDIA UNDER-19S INNINGS (TARGET: 190 RUNS FROM 50 OVERS) Angkrish Raghuvanshi c †Horton b Boyden 0 Harnoor Singh c † Horton b Aspinwall 21 Shaik Rasheed c Rew b Sales 50 Yash Dhull (c)c Bell b Sales 17 Nishant Sindhu not out 50 Raj Bawa c Prest b Boyden 35 Kaushal Tambe c Rehan Ahmed b Aspinwall 1 Dinesh Bana † not out 13 Extras (w 8) 8 TOTAL (47.4 Ov, RR: 4.09) 195/6 Did not bat: Vicky Ostwal, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravi Kumar Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 0.2 ov), 2-49 (Harnoor Singh, 17.3 ov), 3-95 (Shaik Rasheed, 26.6 ov), 4-97 (Yash Dhull, 28.2 ov), 5-164 (Raj Bawa, 42.6 ov), 6-176 (Kaushal Tambe, 46.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Joshua Boyden 71-24-2 James Sales 7.4-0-51-2 Tom Prest 10-1-29-0 Rehan Ahmed 10-2-32-0 Thomas Aspinwall 9-0-42-2 Jacob Bethell 4-0-17-0

deliveries and were all out for 189 in 44.5 overs.

The consistent left-arm swing bowler Boyden lifted England early in the chase when the inform Raghuvanshi was caught behind for a duck, but neither he nor the other seamers could get a second quick wicket, despite accumulating the dot balls.

With Harnoor Singh and Rasheed happy to bide their time, it was a waiting game for England, as they looked to wait for the error. That finally came in the 18th over with the score at 49 for 1, when Harnoor gloved a short ball from Aspinwall to the keeper.

That brought the captain Dhull together with his vicecaptain Rasheed. They had put together a double-century stand in the semi-final and looked to attack England’s spinners.

Rasheed used his wrists to flick off his pads and stood tall to crunch cuts or drives through the off side.

Rasheed moved to fifty in the 27th over, but fell moments after, caught on the leg side after a wild heave off Sales. The bowler then removed Dhull for 17 to give England a tiny glimmer of hope, as India lost their fourth wicket for under a hundred.

Sindhu and Bawa, though, counter-attacked instead. Bawa hit two sixes and one four, while Sindhu also went over cover or midwicket. Two catches sent Bawa and Kaushal Tambe packing before India could go over the line, but there were enough runs left for Sindhu to reach his halfcentury.

He got to fifty in 54 balls, after which Bana wasted no time to finish the contest. The first six went over deep square leg. The second one soared over long, and even before it landed, the camera panned towards the India players running in to celebrate.

Bawa was named Player of the Match in the final for his all-round performance. South Africa’s Dewald Brevis collected the Player of the Tournament prize for his 506-run tournament.

Dhull has joined Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli, Unmukt Chand and Prithvi Shaw on the list of Indian captains to win the competition. (ESPNcricinfo)

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31 Hutson optimistic about fitness, funding as CARIFTA prep begins GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022

The Leonora Track and Field Facility on the West Coast of Demerara will see a bit of action today as Guyanese athletes commence their quest to participate in the 2022 CARIFTA Games. This is the first CARIFTA trial.

The Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games are seen as the marquee event for young athletes around the Caribbean, and with the event being staged again this year following a two-year break, the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) is getting an early start in regard to putting together a team.

Today’s trial will give local athletes their first of three opportunities to make the qualifying mark, which has remained the same since 2019.

In an invited comment with Guyana Times Sport, AAG President Aubrey Hutson said the AAG hopes to have a contingent of 15 or more athletes.

AAG President Aubrey Hutson

“And we are hoping to put together - at least from what we would have seen in our first developmental meet, we may have, like, a 15-person contingent heading to Jamaica for the Easter weekend for the CARIFTA Games,” Hutson said on the topic of contingent size.

He added, “So we want to give our athletes (in) the first of the official CARIFTA trials an

opportunity to come out and compete on Sunday (today), and we hope that we can, you know, put together a decent team to represent Guyana.”

Currently, Hutson says, there are no concerns about athletes’ fitness, since the clubs have been working overtime. The AAG’s worries, however, lie in the lack of new talent owing to the absence of schools’ athletics championships.

“There are some clubs that, throughout the pandemic, would have heeded the advice of the Athletics Association of Guyana in finding new and innovative ways to train. While they may not have had the amount of competition, training was ongoing. Even within that season, we had more than five athletes going off to the USA on scholarships,” The AAG president explained on the matter

A snippet of what to expect at today’s CARIFTA trials

of athletes’ preparedness.

However, Hutson went on to raise a relative concern, stating, “So, you know athletes are in good shape, reasonably good shape, what we would have lost are the numbers due to the absence of schools athletics activities. There is no Nationals, you know, the inter-school and inter-house level.

And that has created a downturn in the amount of, you know,

student-age athletes showing interest in our sport.

“But we're going to find innovative ways to bring them back into the sport, and we’re working hard through the club systems,” Hutson assured.

When asked about funding, Hutson was absolutely positive about the topic, citing the recent Sport budget allocations as his assurance.

“Since becoming President, a position that I always champion, especially at the CARIFTA level, and so far, for the last nine years of activities - wouldn't have been 9 CARIFTA, because we had the absence of two - we were able to send all of our qualifiers to the CARIFTA Games.”

He continued, highlighting, “With what we heard and saw coming out in the 2022 Budget, where there's sufficient funding for the support of sport and sporting activities such as the CARIFTA Games, we’re very, very optimistic, almost assured that you will get enough funding to send our team to the crypto games.”

The 2022 CARIFTA Games will be hosted in Jamaica over the Easter Weekend, April 16-18.

(Jemima Holmes)

3 Cricket Committees affiliated to ECB benefit from Project Stephney honoured “Cricket Gear For Young And Promising Cricketers In Guyana” to be on National Selection Panel

“I

also thrilled on election as ECB VP

t is indeed an honour to serve in the capacity as a selector. It is quite a challenging role, but I am confident and committed to performing my task without fear and favour”.

Those were some of the words from former Essequibo skipper and batting all-rounder Elroy Stephney, who had his initial sitting as a National Selector recently. He was one of the four selectors named by the Guyana Cricket Board to determine a squad for the forthcoming Regional Four-Day Tournament.

Sitting alongside Chief Selector Ramnaresh Sarwan, Albert Smith and Peter Persaud was very special and memorable for the incumbent Vice-President of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB).

“We had consensus in the selection of the national team, which indeed (is) being made with a blend of youth and experience,” Stephney related.

Asked if he was confident and upbeat of the side making an impression in this year’s outing, Stephney expressed immense confidence.

“I’m confident the team will do well this year, despite the pandemic. I am backing the senior guys to take on the responsibility and lead from the front, including our captain Leon Johnson, Shimron Hetmyer and vice-captain Keemo Paul,” the left-handed batsman Stephney, whose younger brother Marvin represented Guyana at the youth level, said.

In addition, Stephney mentioned that Guyana had done exceptionally well for a long period, winning five consecutive championships, which resonated well ahead of the 2022 campaign, and that should work as a psychological advantage.

“We have done excellently for a long period of time at this level, and so these guys have what it takes to replicate those outstanding performances, since some of them would have featured at the highest level as

Elroy Stephney

well,” Stephney declared.

Preparations were very intense, according to Stephney, as Guyana Harpy Eagles had several practice matches, and Stephney believes Head Coach Eusan Crandon and his assistant Ryan Hercules had put in a lot of work for this crucial assignment.

“I am also impressed with Crandon and Hercules, who were able to motivate and keep the guys very close and united.

Having said all of that, the scores in the trials that I witnessed were meagre, but I hope that our batters will ensure they make the necessary adjustment to occupy the crease for longer periods and get big first innings’ totals,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Stephney also took the opportunity to talk about how ecstatic he is at having being elected vice-president of the ECB. “Definitely! I am thrilled to be working with a very dynamic, enthusiastic and dedicated bunch of persons. They are very creative and receptive of ideas that I foresee will advance the development of cricket in the county,” Stephney commented.

He further said that under the leadership of newly elected president Deleep Singh, he is also optimistic that cricket is headed in the right direction.

“I am appealing on stakeholders to join with us and contribute in any way that will drive the process forward, and to support a movement that is going in the right direction,” a proud Stephney disclosed.

P

omeroon, Wakenaam and Leguan Cricket Committees were the latest to benefit from “Cricket Gear For Young And Promising Cricketers In Guyana” project.

The three Committees are affiliated to the Essequibo Cricket Board, and were recipients of one box of red cricket balls each.

Anil Beharry, one of the partners in this initiative, in his capacity as an Executive of the Guyana Cricket Board (ECB), recently visited the County of Essequibo to observe the election of office-bearers of the newly-elected Essequibo Cricket Board. There he met with representatives, known to him already, of the Committees.

He further explained that after discussions with the representatives, he decided to make a commitment to assist them with the balls.

The balls, he emphasised, are to be used for the development of young cricketers.

The balls were handed over to Delvin Austin of Pomeroon, Zaheer Mohamed of Wakenam and Zaman Mustapha of Leguan.

They all praised the initiative

Zaman Mustapha of Leguan

Delvin Austin of Pomeroon

Zaheer Mohamed of Wakenaam

and expressed gratitude. They also promised to promote young cricketers in their respective areas.

Total cricket-related items collected so far: $40,000 cash, two trophies, three cricket boots, twelve pairs of batting pads, fourteen bats, nine pairs of batting gloves and four cricket bags.

To date, twenty-three young players from Essequibo Coast, Pomeroon, Georgetown, the East Canje, East Coast, Berbice and Upper Corentyne areas have already benefited from a junior gear bag, two trophies, nine bats, one pair of bowling shoes, six pairs of batting pads and six pairs of batting gloves.

In addition, the Rose Hall

Estate Cricket Club has benefited from a pair of stumps and bails, and two clubs in the Pomeroon area have benefited from two used bats. Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenam Cricket Committees also received one box of red balls each.

This project is a joint initiative

by Kishan Das of the USA and Anil Beharry. Cricket-related items, used or new, will be distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana.

Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is being done across the country, and club leaders would also assist to identify talent.

Beharry and Das take this opportunity to thank Javed and

Imran of West Indian Sports Complex, Option Group of USA, Hilbert Foster, Bish Panday of P and P Insurance Brokers, Sean Devers, Trevis Simon, Årïêl J. Tïlkú, Aaron Beharry, Leanna Bachan and Imran Saccoor, Devon Ramnauth, Teddy Singh, Romash Munna, Ravi Etwaroo, Ravin Harkishun, Surendra Harkishun, Allan Mangru, Vishal Mahabir, Sherman Austin, Huburn Evans, Rajendra Sadeo and Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall and Cricket Equipment Guyana.

More distribution will be done as soon as the gear is available. Anyone interested in contributing can contact Anil Beharry on 623-6875 or Kishan Das on 1-718-664-0896.

Conditional approval granted for GMR&SC to host endurance event …no spectators, says President Mohamed

T

he Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) has secured approval for the hosting of an endurance event later this month. Via a release on Saturday, the club has confirmed that the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) has granted conditional approval for the event, once pre-set conditions are met and kept.

One such condition is a zerospectator policy for this event, something the GMR&SC President Rameez Mohamed confirmed would be the hallmark of the event.

According to Mohamed, “We had, earlier this year, sought an audience for the hosting of an event, because we understand that our members are eager to get back on track. However, we need those same members to understand that this isn’t an excuse to bring out spectators.

“We are now giving these members a chance to use the machines that they have been prepping all through the latter part of last year for an official club event.

What we want to complete as soon as possible is a list of key personnel

that will be present on race day.

Those include the medical and emergency teams, the marshals and race officials, and of course those members.”

The GMR&SC boss added that the club has already secured donations from some of its members to help offset the cost of the event, as another condition of the approval features a ‘no marketing policy’ of the club’s events.

“We want to say a special thank you to the team over at Secure Innovations and Concepts Inc for throwing their hat in the ring at the first ask to help offset the expenses of this event. It’s something not a lot of people see. There is an expense incurred with hosting these events,” Mohamed has said.

Fully vaccinated only Another conditional measure is that all persons who are attending the event must be fully vaccinated.

As stated by committee member Nyron Maraj, “All persons present on the day must be fully vaccinated.

That is to say that they have had

two doses of a Ministry of Healthapproved COVID-19 vaccine. We cannot overstate the importance of this for our members, their crew and other officials. We are not above expelling those members who have not been fully vaccinated, be it our own marshals. We understand the importance of meeting the requirements of these conditions, and persons must know that if they attempt to breach these rules, it can cost us future events.”

150 persons limit within a set time frame According to the approval letter, the club would have permission to host no more than 150 persons for the event, commencing no earlier

than 10:00 hours and not exceeding 17:00 hours. “We got approval for 150 people, and all we ask is that persons continue to abide by these guidelines. The Task Force has already said to us that they will be there in person to ensure that these rules are upheld. Mask wearing and social distancing, as well as sanitization stations, are all things we have to abide by. Also, the Task Force can, and will be, randomly asking persons to produce their vaccination cards or copies of it, to ensure that they are fully vaccinated.

If by some means someone manages to slip by us and they are found by the Task Force, they will obviously be expelled from this and possibly future events.”

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

Batting full 50 overs is high on West Indies agenda in India ODIs Kieron Pollard wants his team to bat out 50 overs

By Brandon Corlette

F

resh from a memorable T20I series’ win against England in Barbados, the Kieron Pollard-led West Indies

a virtual press conference on Saturday afternoon, Pollard said the West Indies have not batted their full quota of 50 overs in recent ODI series against Ireland and Australia. He also spoke about the lessens he took away from the recent series as a leader, and how the players are focused on the series, in contrast to Indian Premier League (IPL) contracts.

“The things that we need

are put out there for us to be successful,” Pollard said.

India are also fresh off a series’ defeat to South Africa, and the team had been hit by COVID-19, but the Rohit Sharmaled unit remains a strong outfit.

Pollard said the Indian team is still a formidable unit, and this is an opportunity for West Indies to improve.

“For us, it is another opportunity to improve our skills, test where we are at in international cricket, coming up against a formidable Indian team in their conditions. If my memory serves me right, I think the last

time we were down here, we did pretty okay. We did not win the series, but we pushed them; so now we looking to push that one step forward,” Pollard explained.

“Having said that, we need to put our heads together and try to improve in every area of our game, as we fell short to Ireland in the last couple months,” the skipper noted.

Additionally, Pollard said the England series’ win was a matter for him to continue backing his skills and ability in terms of leading. “Sometimes you have to take people by the horn, put guys in situations where they can

Kemar Roach has returned to white-ball cricket

team will be aiming to bat their full quota of 50 overs in the first of three One Day Internationals (ODIs) starting today, Sunday February 6, from 4am Eastern Caribbean time.

Speaking to the media in

to take forward is how we bat 50 overs. We have not batted 50 overs the series against Ireland and Australia, so that is something that we need to look at. As a team, we need to follow the template and plans that

Team India are ready to play

West Indies in training ahead of the ODI series in India

actually thrive,” Pollard said.

The big Trinidadian said the team is focused on achieving goals as a team, and not focusing on who starts the series as favourite. For some of the young players, the IPL auction is around the corner, and this series, most players would want to perform and throw their names in the hat for an IPL contract. However, Pollard assured that the players are focused on the series, and not IPL contracts.

West Indies ODI squad looks decent, and with Test players Nkrumah Bonner and Kemar Roach in the mix, the team is looking to concentrate more for longer periods of time.

The three-match ODI series will be played in Ahmedabad,

and all matches would start at 4:00am Eastern Caribbean time.

India squad for first ODI: Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, M Shahrukh Khan West Indies ODI Squad: Kieron Pollard (capt), Nicholas Pooran (vice-capt), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Britton/Van Lange are men’s doubles champs … Britton/Edghill are mixed doubles winners

Shemar Britton and Chelsea Edghill are the mixed doubles winners

T

Shemar Britton and Jonathan Van Lange are the men’s doubles winners

he National Seniors Table Tennis Championships are but one step closer to conclusion. The action on Saturday night saw Shemar Britton and Jonathan Van Lange storming to the men’s doubles title, and Shemar Britton alongside Chelsea Edghill claiming the mixed doubles title.

In the men’s doubles, the duo of Shemar Britton and Jonathan Van Lange were practically untouchable.

They had the job of fending off the likes of Godfrey Munroe and Christopher Franklin. An epic battle ensued, and the crowd went wild as Britton/Van Lange won the first round 11-3 to take the lead.

Franklin and Munroe bounced back and tied things with an 11-5 victory, and with the score tied 1-1, Britton and Van Lange blindsided their opponents to take the other two rounds 11-8,11-9.

In the mixed doubles, Shemar Britton again featured, but this time alongside Chelsea Edghill. They

had the privilege of duking it out with Christopher Franklin and Natalie Cummings. This threematch encounter saw a great fight from both pairs, but it was Britton and Edghill who edged out their counterparts. The game ended 3-0, with Britton and Edghill winning the rounds 11-8, 11-9 and 11-6.

In the B Class section of the tournament, a total

of eight groups participated. Jonathan Van Lange and Ebo McNeil topped group 1, Miguel Wong and Devon Richmond topped group 2, Colin Wong and Umar Percival topped group 3, Krystian Sahadeo and Abdool Rahim topped group 4; while Maurice Cummings, Kyle Chung and Malachi Moore tied in group 5 on three points each.

In group 6, Shavin Green and Terrence Rausch topped their group, while in groups 7 and 8, Nirran Bissu, Carring Hector, Levi Percival and Warren Hackshaw came out on top.

The action will continue tomorrow from 10:00 am and the finals from 16:00 hrs. The event will be live streamed on the Guyana Table Tennis Association’s Facebook page.

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