Guyana times - Friday 26, 2019

Girls in ICT aim at striking a gender balance in related fields

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 3905

FRIday, april 26, 2019

PRICE

CJIA fees increase

Initial expansion plans could have offset expenses – Jagdeo Page 3

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Video of P10 Lusignan prisoners participating in “dog fight” surfaces

…blasts Govt for not knowing of increase beforehand

President reshuffles Cabinet Page 7

...Adams-Yearwood moved from Housing Ministry, Broomes from Natural Resources Ministry

P8 Vendor arraigned for murder of Timehri teen

Fire destroys home of P10 President’s neighbour

Page 9

DJ killed after car slams into concrete fence at La Jalousie CCJ dismisses former MP’s application to defer sitting of National Assembly

Page 15

4 busted with cocaine Page in fire extinguisher 14

Most customers being exploited in electronics sector – CAU P16

Ranks come under fire during drug eradication exercise at Kara Kara P11

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friday, april 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Friday, April 26 – 10:30h-12:00h and Saturday, April 27 – 12:00h-13:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, April 26 – 09:20h-10:50h and Saturday, April 27 – 10:50h-12:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

CJIA fees increase

Initial expansion plans could have offset expenses – Jagdeo …blasts Govt for not knowing of increase beforehand

Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY

Sunny intervals and cloudy skies are expected during the day, followed by partly cloudy to clear skies in the evening. Temperatures will range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-easterly to East North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 09:02h and 21:53h reaching maximum heights of 2.19 metres and 2.05 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 15:15h reaching a minimum height of 1.04 metres.

WEDNESday, april 24, 2019

LOTTERY NUMBERS D

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 DAILY MILLIONS

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Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

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pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said had the coalition Government gone along with the PPP/C’s initial designs for the US$150 million Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Expansion Project, then there would be no need for the recently-announced increase in airport fees. The increase, he noted, could have an impact on the local tourism industry as well as traffic at the country’s main port of entry.

Last week, the CJIA announced the increase in its Government-mandated airport security fees and the introduction of an airport passenger’s service charge.

According to Caribbean Airlines, one of the international companies operating out of CJIA, this new development would see the fees/charges for a round trip raised to US$35, the equivalent of G$7315. Departing passengers will be required to pay US$17 while arriving passengers will pay US$15 payable in Guyana Dollars at the prevailing foreign exchange rate.

The CJIA had reportedly advised all airlines that these increases are to support improvements at the airport.

However, Jagdeo said, during his weekly press conference on Thursday, PPP’s original plans were intended to use the CJIA as a minihub to access other major regions across the world, which would result in increased traffic at the airport.

“You can often do what you want by increasing traffic; that is why the size of the airport matters. By increasing traffic, you don’t need to adjust fees because you operate now on volume…

(Secondly) we would have had more freight, because with the larger aircraft coming in, it would’ve been a big boost to the non-traditional industries –- perishables and stuff. So the cost of freight to North America and Europe would’ve gone down. (The original design) was based on more airlines coming, more airlines and more passengers coming,” he asserted.

This, the Opposition Leader added, would offset the cost of supporting the newly-expanded airport, which was done using a US$138 million loan from the China EXIM (Export/ Import) Bank. “(The original design) was mainly on volume growth than a vertical increase of the fees, especially by that magnitude. That’s a huge fee… First of all, we have to get what we paid for at the airport and we’re not getting the type of airport we paid for… I believe that volume growth could’ve offset any repayment of the loan. But if they had to do a minimal increase, they should have at least had the consultations with (stakeholders) and the Government should have known about it,” he contended.

After taking office in 2015, the coalition Government redesigned the Airport Expansion Project reducing the air bridges from eight to four, among other things. Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson had explained that this was done, in part, to limit cost overruns.

Following the announcement of the increased fee and the introduction of a new service charge, there has been mounting local public and international pressure on Guyana. In fact, Minister with responsibility for tourism, Dominic Gaskin, said that this arbitrary increase would affect the industry, adding that Cabinet was unaware of the increase before

An artist’s impression of the original design created under the PPP regime

it was announced.

To this end, Jagdeo blasted the coalition Administration over the way it is managing the country.

“It could impact tourism, but my point is… how do you run a government and the Minister responsible for tour-

ism doesn’t even know and doesn’t agree with the increase in the airport fee. He is a member of the Cabinet and he said other members of the Cabinet don’t know too.

This is what we have for a government,” Jagdeo stated.

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 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

Taking immunisation seriously

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orld Immunisation Week – celebrated in the last week of April – aims to highlight the collective action needed to ensure that every person is protected from diseases that are preventable once they are properly vaccinated. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this year’s theme: “Protected Together, Vaccines Work!”, celebrates Vaccine Heroes from around the world – from parents and community members to health workers and innovators – who help ensure we are all protected, at all ages, through the power of vaccines Immunisation is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. In essence, immunisation is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening, infectious diseases. It is also one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions, and prevents between two and three million deaths annually from diseases such as diphtheria, measles, pertussis, pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella and tetanus.

The goal of World Immunisation Week 2019 is to raise awareness about the critical importance of full immunisation throughout life.

During Vaccination Week, there are a number of activities usually planned in more than 180 countries across the world, including vaccination campaigns, training workshops, roundtable discussions, public information campaigns, etc, to raise awareness about the importance of being immunised.

Like many other countries, for us in Guyana, this special week provides an opportunity to remind families and communities in general how effective vaccines can be, and to encourage people to take action to ensure that more children, and increasingly people in other age groups, are immunised against deadly and debilitating diseases.

According to WHO, there are more than 19 million unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children in the world, putting them at serious risk of contracting these potentially fatal diseases. Of these children, 1 out of 10 never receive any vaccinations, and most likely has never been seen by the health system.

The Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) – endorsed by 194 Member States of the World Health Assembly in May 2012 – aims to prevent millions of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases by 2020 through universal access to immunisation.

Despite improvements in individual countries and a strong global rate of new vaccine introduction, all of the GVAP targets for disease elimination — including measles, rubella, and maternal and neonatal tetanus — are behind schedule, according to the WHO. In order for everyone everywhere to survive and thrive, countries must make more concerted efforts to reach GVAP goals by 2020. Additionally, those countries that have achieved or made progress towards achieving the goals must work to sustain those efforts over time — so that no person goes without life-saving vaccines.

To achieve the kind of progress that is needed, the WHO has urged that Governments invest more in immunisation efforts, advocates must make vaccines a priority, and people must get themselves and their families vaccinated.

Countries are also being urged to reach more children missed by the routine delivery systems, especially those living in countries, districts or areas where less than 80 per cent of them are receiving vaccines, or those living in countries affected by conflicts or emergencies.

When a child or adult who is unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated visits a health facility for any reason, their vaccination record should be checked by healthcare workers, and they should be given all vaccines they are missing.

That said, Guyana’s immunisation programme has been largely successful, and has resulted in the eradication of illnesses such as polio, yellow fever, and measles among others diseases. We urge all stakeholders to utilise World Vaccination Week, which is dedicated to immunisation, to spread the message of the need to be vaccinated; especially in Guyana’s remote areas, where health officials still seem to be facing some challenges.

Guyana will continue to make steady progress if every stakeholder — including donors, health professionals, community leaders, school administrators and others — treats the issue of immunisation more seriously.

A group of young ladies engaged in a discussion about technology at an event to commemorate Girls in ICT Day at the Giftland Mall, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown on Thursday

Venezuelan refugees feared drowned en route to Trinidad

…more than 30 people set sail on fishing vessel Jhonnaly Jose that capsized in heavy seas

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ore than 30 Venezuelans are missing, feared drowned, after their boat sank attempting to reach Trinidad in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The fishing vessel, Jhonnaly Jose, had left the port city of Guiria, but capsized in rough seas near the uninhabited Patos Island, five kilometres (three miles) from the Venezuelan coast.

The boat’s official manifest recorded 25 passengers, but sources say additional passengers boarded unlogged. Most of the passengers were women.

Nine survivors have been found by the Venezuelan and Trinidadian Coast Guards.

Two, including the Captain, Francisco Martinez, were found clinging to floating oil drums as daylight broke over the Gulf of Paria. The stretch of water that separates the Caribbean island from the South American mainland is just seven km at its narrowest point.

Venezuelan authorities released the names of 23 people confirmed as travelling on the boat, all aged between 17 and 28. Most are likely to have been fleeing the ongoing social and economic crisis. The accident happened at night on a popular route for refugees and migrants who pay traffickers to reach Trinidad.

Looking west from Trinidad across the Gulf of Paria towards Venezuela. The Captain of the Jhonnaly Jose was found clinging to oil drums (Josh Surtees/The Guardian photograph)

Passage costs US$250, paid to boatmen who sail under cover of darkness, docking in quiet coves or jetties.

Passenger ferries travel between the two countries about once a week, but many Venezuelans are forced to cross illegally on fishing boats because they don’t have passports to enter through official ports and are often refused entry. Getting passports and official documents issued in Venezuela is almost impossible because of the collapsing civil administration.

Some claim the regime of President Nicolás Maduro deliberately withholds passports and blame the bureaucratic delays on corruption or attempts to stop Venezuelan citizens fleeing the country.

According to Government figures, three million

Venezuelans have left since the crisis began. Per capita, there are more Venezuelans living in Trinidad and Tobago than any country in the region, except the microstates of Aruba and Curaçao. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Trinidadian Government estimate that 40,000 Venezuelans are living in Trinidad, of whom 10,000 have registered as asylum-seekers with the UN refugee agency.

Refugees in Trinidad currently have no employment rights, which force them to work illegally. Many are exploited, paid shockingly low wages and some resort to sex work to supplement their incomes. Sex trafficking rings have been uncovered by the Trinidadian Police.

However, the Trinidadian Government recently announced an amnesty for all Venezuelans living in the country – including those who entered illegally – that will allow them temporary work permits. The scheme, like those in other Latin American countries hosting Venezuelans, will require registration with the Government within a two-week timeframe.

Trinidad’s Minister of National Security, Stuart Young, has said that after one year refugees will be expected to return to Venezuela. Concerns have been expressed about how the Government will handle the data and whether it will be shared with the Maduro regime.

The Governments of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago have close ties, largely because of commercial deals over the off-shore oil reserves that bolster both countries’ economies. The diplomatic situation has coloured Trinidad’s approach to the refugee crisis, with the Prime Minister, Keith Rowley, thus far refusing to recognise Venezuelans living in Trinidad as refugees.

Early unconfirmed reports from local news agencies stated that at least two children were on board the Jhonnaly Jose when it set off. (The Guardian)

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Body of security officer pulled from Demerara River

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he body of 58-year-old Mohamed Rasheed of Number 11 Village, Berbice, who went missing while taking a bath in the Demerara River, was recovered on Thursday afternoon in the vicinity of Omai Wharf.

The man went missing about 17:45h on Wednesday.

The area where Mohamed Rasheed’s body was found

Based on reports received, the now dead man was guarding heavy-duty equipment in the area when he decided to take a bath in the Demerara River at Wismar.

However, it was initially stated that he encountered difficulties owing to the strong current of the tide.

Other employees reported-

ly saw this and tried to render assistance with the aid of life jackets, but it was too late.

Upon the recovery of the body, the Police have confirmed that there were no marks of violence present.

The body is presently at the Wismar Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

Can we watch TV and read news without interference and new unfair laws on private media?

Dear Editor, I read about the outreaches by the sitting politicians, but nothing about the loss of confidence which is affecting the business sector, which adds to an already bad environment for private businesses.

The impact is being felt by almost every household. We all know that laws to address money-laundering means certain controls are in place.

Many can tell about the new difficulties to do simple transactions; it feels soul-destroying at times. The officials, including the Bank of Guyana officials, ought to monitor and ensure that overzealousness in dealing with people does not have the chilling ef-

fect of stalling the economy and adding to people’s misery.

The policies of the Government are doing very little to address the unfair competition which exists between the private and public sectors. The public sector, also, is represented by those officials and their families who benefit from procurement loopholes. See all the recent news about the minister’s husband and the other minister’s company, Videomega. This is a company in the media business, which must be one of the few not affected by unfair competition between the public and private sectors.

How the public sector is

unfairly benefiting is online.

One can read about parliamentary discussions on the state-owned media operation receiving massive subvention in millions of dollars, yet it competes with private media - including print, TV, radio, online - for advertisements.

Despite slashing the budget of the National Communications Network (NCN) Incorporated and the Government Information Agency (GINA) to $1 while in Opposition, the APNU/AFC Government, in the 2016 National Budget, allocated and subsequently approved a whopping $170 million for NCN and $150 million for GINA, reflecting a morethan-$50 million increase in

their subventions over last year’s allocations. ://www.inewsguyana.com/ govt-approves-320m-for-gina-and-ncn-despite-reducing-their-allocations-to-1-under-previous-administration/ The question of conflict of interest and undue influence should also be asked in a circumstance where a stateowned media, already subsidised by taxpayers, goes after the private market. This is an economic issue, but it has an impact on media freedom, and is affecting media outlets across the board. These economic issues and this unfair competition against the private sector have far-reaching impacts.

The recent broadcasting

Crossing the floor and living to tell the tale Dear Editor, To many Guyanese reading this article, Sir Emmanuel Neville Cenac is just a name; or, to stretch it a little further for those of us who are familiar with Caribbean history and politics, he is the GovernorGeneral of St Lucia.

But of even greater importance is the fact that this very same gentleman was someone who crossed the floor to join another party in the House of Parliament here.

Before I delve into my main point today, I shall endeavour to give you a brief overview into that crossing-of-the-floor event. Sir Neville Cenac was a member of the St Lucia Labour Party (SLP), and Sir John Compton was a member of the United Workers Party (UWP). In that election, sometime in the 1980s, Sir John’s UWP won the election in a one-seat majority with 9 UWP seats versus 8 SLP seats. Now, Sir Compton was not comfortable with such a narrow win, and in his own words, he “wanted a more decisive win, so that when certain major decisions are to be made in the house, he would not be impeded by an unpatriotic opposition.”

In this regard, Sir Compton called another election that same month, which yielded the very same result: 9 UWP seats to 8 SLP seats. At this juncture, the name Neville Cenac came to the forefront. He crossed the floor, giving Sir John the majority he badly needed, which now amounted to a 10-7 win.

Before I move on, I would like to make two very important points. The first point is: The St Lucian Parliament, which holds 17 seats, is founded on a winner or “majority” being 9 seats of that number. A similar situation exists in the Guyana Parliament, which is made up of 65 seats, wherein a winner or “majority” is 33.

In the St Lucia situation, there was no mumbo-jumbo disgraceful fiddling around of the figures, like what obtained in Guyana. The constituted majority was a foregone conclusion, which is an accepted fact here.

The second point is: as one side of the house is increased by the crossover, the other side decreases very similar to the Guyana scene when Charrandas voted with the Opposition in that no-confidence vote.

Now I turn our attention to the main facts of my case: When Mr Cenac made that bold step out from his party and into the fold of another, he was not issued any death threats like had obtained in the Charrandas case. No punches were thrown at him, or anything of that sort.

Sir Neville was free to move about in his native St Lucia as a normal person would.

He was hailed as a patriot for crossing the floor, and lives to tell the tale, even to the point of being conferred with the post of governor-general of that country.

Rightfully so, there was some disgruntlement shown by party comrades and the

constituency which he represented: that he has betrayed them; but no threat or harm was meted out to the gentleman. Disgruntlement also never boiled over into death threats, or him having to run for his life into another country. None of those shameful deeds was ever contemplated. It shows the maturity and civilised thinking of the political parties and the electorate in that country -- something that is alien to the PNC and their supporters in Guyana.

Sir Neville was never put on a party’s lynch list, nor was he under investigation for bribery, nor was a call

made for his immediate arrest for making that decision.

The point I want to bring to you is: PNC members have to look themselves in the mirror and come to the realization of how indecently disgraceful they appear in the eyes of the civilised world when it comes to their behaviour in the face of a validly passed no-confidence vote.

The threats and violence that are intricately bound up with that grouping speak volumes of that party in or out of power.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

law, which includes radio, TV and cable operators, is also in the news, wherein we are informed that this law will allow the authorities to criminalise media operators and seize their operations.

We are reading lots of news stories about the broadcasting authority’s efforts to collect its new and very high fees, and very little about dealing fairly with media operators or about the laws which are curbing media freedom. Any day now, one can expect half the stations to disappear if the news stories are to be believed.

Tony Vieira, in a letter in the press, noted that the authority regulating broadcasters has a case at the Appeal Court questioning its legal status. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2018/ opinion/letters/10/03/appeal-challenging-legality-of-broadcast-authority-still-to-be-heard/ Is the threat made publicly with this new law -- to criminalise media operators and seize their operations -a clever subterfuge to grab the rights of existing media operators? The operators should take note. In the US and Jamaica, when the state wanted to use media broadcasting frequencies held by private media owners, suitable arrangements were made, instead of trying to

criminalise operators.

This elephant voice about regulation is followed by silence on the larger issues of media freedom and poor trading opportunities. Some operators have been contacted about covering the now infamous ‘chase them out’ speech by the Opposition Leader; was similar action taken to address the MPs, one of whom shouted, ‘Charrandas gon dead tonight!’ and one who hit him in Parliament when the no-confidence motion was passed? Was any Police action taken so far?

How far can the GPA and other media associations step in for those media entities which fall under the new laws? Is this coercive power to allow for action against them when covering a relevant media issue? https://www.stabroeknews.com/2018/news/ guyana/04/28/guyana-gainsin-press-freedom-ranking/ I read in the Stabroek News that, ‘The GPA also noted the removal of two columnists from the stateowned Guyana Chronicle, which it said appeared not to have bothered Government and its professed commitment to press freedom and freedom of expression’.

All this is very worrying in the current climate.

Yours truly, R Singh

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By Rebecca Fraser-Thill

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ost parents know that tweens and teens will act out, at least occasionally. These bad behaviours are known as externalising behaviours.

What are externalising behaviours? In short, they are actions that direct problematic energy outward.

Learn to identify such behaviours with the examples that follow and get tips on the best way to confront such behaviours in tweens and teens with this review.

Externalising behaviours can not only lead adolescents into sticky situations but may leave long-standing consequences in their lives.

Defining externalising behaviours with examples

A child or an adult who exhibits externalising behaviours engages in behaviours that harm others as opposed to lashing out at the self (which are known as internalising behaviours).

Externalising behaviours include physical aggression, verbal bullying, relational aggression, defiance, theft, and vandalism.

Tweens show many externalised behaviours, especially when they are troubled or have other challenges going on in

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their lives. Boys are more likely than girls to show the more blatant externalised behaviours, such as physical bullying, but on the whole, levels of aggression are similar between the sexes.

Adolescents are vulnerable to both externalising and internalising behaviours

Oftentimes, tweens and teens exhibit both externalizing and internalising behaviours.

Adolescents may vandalise property (externalising behaviour) at school while also using drugs or alcohol (internalising behaviour). Parents may have one child who relies on externalising behaviours to cope with another who relies on internalising behaviours. While the former child may be considered “the problem child,” both children need help and intervention before they harm themselves or others.

Consequences

Children who display externalising behaviours may face a number of consequences for their behaviours. On a mild level, this can include notes sent home from teachers concerned about the youth’s disruptive behaviour in class. This can escalate

to school detention, suspensions or even expulsions. Some schools have zero tolerance policies involving drug use, bullying or weapons. So, children who engage in externalising behaviour using these methods may find themselves kicked out of school.

At worst, children who act out instead of inward (internalising behaviour) may find themselves arrested for theft, vandalism or assault, or they may face consequences at school such as expulsions.

This can mark the start of a long journey in the criminal justice system if the behaviour isn’t corrected.

Why children exhibit externalising behaviours

Children may act out in ways that harm others for a variety of different reasons. They could be victims of physical, sexual or emotional abuse. They may have lost a parent or another close relative to death or experienced a divorce, parental abandonment or other traumatic experience, such as domestic violence, the incarceration of a parent or the substance abuse problem of a parent.

Some children who act out in destructive ways may suffer from mental ill-

nesses or a personality disorder. On the other hand, many children with learning disabilities act out to deflect attention from the fact that they’re having difficulty learning. Being kicked out of class may

seem preferable to them than having their learning disability exposed.

Whatever the reason children engage in externalising behaviours, it’s important that they get help and intervention. This

may include counselling, therapy or an evaluation for a learning disability or disorder. Talk with your child’s teacher or administrator about getting help or consult a licensed medical professional. (www.verywellfamily.com)

By Rebecca Fraser-Thill

ward later. For instance, say that a tween is supposed to be working on a final project for social studies class. His or her parents have said that if he or she earns all Bs and As in class, they’ll take their student out to dinner at a favorite restaurant for a family dinner together.

But tonight a favorite TV show is on and the student wants to watch it. He or she knows that if he or she watches the TV show, his or her project will suffer.

Does the student take the immediate reward (watching the show) or does he or she choose to instead work on the project tonight so that he or she can get the dinner in the future? This is a question of a child’s ability to handle the delay of gratification.

Another example of delay of gratification is ‘the spend now or save later’ predicament. For example, your child may want a new bike. He or she has enough money saved to purchase an inexpensive bike that’s not really what he or she wants. Or, your tween can continue saving to get the bike they really want.

Delay of gratification steadily improves from the early childhood years into adolescence.

Individuals often do not internalize delay of gratification until the teen years or later. In other words, children and tweens typically need external guidance to help them choose the later, better reward over the immediate, small reward.

This means that parental

supervision of homework and other delayed feedback tasks are essential during the childhood and tween years.

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elay of gratification refers to the ability to put off the receipt of an immediate reward in order to gain a better reward later. Your tween is old enough to know or understand that delaying gratification may be difficult, but that there is a potential reward for his ability. Here’s what parents should know about the delay of gratification and their tween’s maturity and growth.

Example of delay of gratification

Delay of gratification refers to the ability to put off the receipt of a reward in order to gain a better re-

How can parents help foster a child’s ability to delay gratification?

As a parent, you can encourage your child to delay gratification with a few simple tips. For starters, help your child work toward his or her goal with a step by step plan. If your tween is working on a big project with the promise of a nice dinner once it’s completed, help him or her map out a plan to get to the finish line. You could develop a calendar for your child to review or establish goals that are written down and can be reviewed. Offer encouragement as your tween progresses through the project and motivate your student as he or she gets closer and closer to the goal.

Be sure that you carry through on any promise that you made to your tween. If you promised your child that you would go to the movies after he or she brings up a math grade, be sure you make good on your promise once your child has accomplished the goal.

In the end, your child will eventually learn that the choices we all make come with consequences.

Delaying gratification can help your tween set his or her sites on bigger goals, and work towards achieving them. (www.verywellfamily.com)

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FRIday, april 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

President reshuffles Cabinet

...Adams-Yearwood moved from Housing Ministry, Broomes from Natural Resources Ministry

Minister Simona Broomes

A

s Government prepares to return to the National Assembly today, President David Granger has announced some major reshuffling of his Cabinet following the resignation of four

Ministers who had dual citizenship status.

This reshuffling is in accordance with recent rulings in the local courts that it is illegal for persons with dual citizenship status to be elected to sit in the National Assembly.

To this end, Foreign Affairs Minister and Second Vice President, Carl Greenidge; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Public Service Minister, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, and Business Minister Dominic Gaskin were forced to tender their resignations.

As a result of that development, President Granger, who has lauded the work of the four ministers during their time in office, on Thursday announced some reshuffling which has seen the transfer of some minis-

Minister Valerie Adams-Yearwood

ters and the appointment of new ones.

These changes will see controversial ministers Valerie Adams-Yearwood and Simona Charles-

Initial expansion plans...

Meanwhile in response to the hike, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Tuesday protested the refusal of the management of the CJIA to hold talks about the adverse impact of the increases on both the passengers and the airlines.

The global air transport body says CJIA’s continued refusal to cooperate with IATA on both the proper calculation and implementation of such fees and charges has now led to a situation where airlines have been forced to manually collect the additional amounts from both arriving and departing passengers.

“It is completely unacceptable that passengers are being inconvenienced in such a manner. This is a direct result of the airport management’s refusal to engage with IATA on a process, which is standard practice across the globe. As

a consequence, our member airlines have unfortunately no choice other than to manually collect the additional fees and charges,” said Peter Cerda, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas in a statement.

IATA called for immediate dialogue with the CJIA management and Guyana’s Ministry of Public Infrastructure on the implementation process related to the increase in the Government-mandated Airport Security Fee and the introduction of a new Passenger Service Charge at Guyana’s main airport.

IATA has worldwide standards in place enabling airlines to collect Government-imposed fees, service charges and taxes as part of an airline ticket. These are then transferred to the respective Governments. “This has provided a smoother travel experience for passengers, by

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eliminating the former practice whereby many governments manually collected some of these fees and taxes at airports,” IATA said.

Furthermore, IATA says it wants clarity from the airport operator on how the fees and charges have been calculated, as again international standards set out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Document 9082 were not followed.

“As such, we urgently call on the management of Cheddi Jagan International Airport to engage into the requested dialogue, so passengers are no longer inconvenienced, and member airlines can return to their normal business. This will ensure the sustainability of the aviation sector in Guyana and facilitate the growth of tourism and trade, thereby contributing to a vibrant and healthy economy,” Cerda said.

Broomes being removed from their previous ministries.

Minister Adams-Yearwood has been replaced by Junior Minister Annette Ferguson, who has been removed from the Public Infrastructure Ministry and placed at the Communities Ministry as Housing Minister.

Adams-Yearwood is now a Junior Minister within the Agriculture Ministry, with responsibility for Rural Affairs.

She had previously come under scrutiny as Housing Minister after it was recently revealed that her husband Godfrey Yearwood was awarded a contract to build homes for a project spearheaded by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), an agency which fell under her then Ministry.

Meanwhile, Junior Minister Broomes has been removed from the Natural Resources Ministry and placed at the Ministry of the Presidency with responsibility for Youth Affairs. Her placement at the Natural Resources Ministry was said to be a conflict of interest situation after it was revealed that she had mining operations which she subsequently claimed were handed over to her children.

More recently, this Minister had found herself in the limelight after she had become embroiled in an altercation with two security guards at a business establishment on the East Bank of Demerara.

In addition, the Head of State has announced that Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament Haimraj Rajkumar will now be the Business Minister; Dawn Hastings-Williams the Minister of State in the

New Public Service Minister Tabitha Sarabo-Halley

New Business Minister Haimraj Rajkumar

Ministry of the Presidency; and Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Chairperson Tabitha Sarabo-Halley the Public Service Minister within the Ministry of the Presidency.

There has been no mention of who will replace Greenidge as Foreign Affairs Minister.

However, even as Government reshuffles its Cabinet for today’s parliamentary sitting, three MPs on the PPP Opposition’s side – Gail Teixeira, Adrian Anamayah and Odinga Lumumba – have already resigned from the National Assembly. They each have dual citizenship. Despite this, however, the Opposition is holding strong to its earlier position of not attending any National Assembly sessions until the hearing and determination of the appeals before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) challenging a Court of Appeal ruling that INVALIDATED the passage of the no-confidence motion against the Coalition Government.

Last month, the Appeal

Court ruled, via a 2:1 majority, that the motion needed an absolute majority of 34 votes and not a simple 33 majority in order to be validly passed.

As such, the several appeals were filed to reverse the decision and reinforce a prior ruling by the High Court, which found that the motion was successfully passed.

The Trinidad-based Regional Court will be hearing arguments on those appeals on May 9 and 10.

Nevertheless, today’s recommencement of parliamentary sittings will see a host of items on the agenda coming up. One such item is the Petroleum Commission of Guyana Bill, but Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has said that such key matters should not be dealt with when the no-confidence motion is still engaging the courts.

“I do not think any sitting of the Parliament should address any of these major issues, especially before the CCJ rules definitively on these matters,” Jagdeo told reporters at his weekly press conference on Thursday.

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friday, april 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Vendor arraigned for murder of Timehri teen

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vendor was on Thursday arraigned for the murder of 18-year-old David Toney of Alliance Road, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), who was fatally stabbed on Saturday last at the Timehri Docks.

Rickland Bovell, of Swan Village, Linden-Soesdyke Highway, was not required to plead to the indictable charge when it was read to him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The Police stated that on April 19, 2019 at the Timehri Docks, Bovell murdered Toney.

The court heard that on the day in question, about

Dead: David Toney

03:30h, the accused was engaged in an argument with the victim and his parents over non-payment for cab-

bage.

During the argument, the accused pulled out a knife from his pants waist and stabbed the victim.

However, it was also reported contrarily that the now dead teen intervened in an argument between his father, Mark Toney, and a group of men.

The argument had reportedly stemmed from the packing of cabbage into a truck at the Timehri Wharf.

The argument reportedly escalated into a scuffle and it was then both the young man and his father, along with his stepmother, were injured.

The young man attempted to run, but collapsed a short distance away. He

sustained at least three stab wounds to his abdomen and chest.

His father was stabbed to his back and his stepmother to the left hip and left shoulder. They were taken to the Diamond hospital where they were treated and sent away.

The young man’s body was removed some five hours after the stabbing incident and taken to the Lyken Funeral Home.

After committing the act, the accused had fled the scene, but had been later arrested and charged.

The accused was remanded to prison until his next court appearance set for May 15, 2019.

Town Council cleans up dead fish in Essequibo Coast canal

Mayor Rajendra Prabhulall; Deputy Mayor Rudolph Williams; Superintendent of Works, Brian Hercules; Environmental Health Officer Eashwin Persaud and Councillors at the clean-up exercise

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he Anna Regina Town Council on Wednesday led a clean-up exercise to remove all the dead fish from the canal between Richmond and La Belle Alliance, Essequibo Coast.

The clean-up team included Mayor Rajendra Prabhulall and Deputy Mayor Rudolph Williams as well as Superintendent of Works, Brian Hercules; Environmental Health Officer Eashwin Persaud and several Councillors.

A hole was dug and the dead fish buried, bringing

much relief to nearby residents who were complaining about the stench.

Meanwhile, staff from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Georgetown office also visited the area and took samples of the water to conduct the necessary tests.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder had revealed that the fish most likely died as a result of lack of oxygen in the water, which could have been caused by low water levels, owing to the prolonged dry season.

The hole that was dug to bury the dead fish

Norton Street man remanded on robbery charge

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29-year-old man was remanded to prison on Wednesday when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to an armed robbery charge.

Waldron Rogers, of Lot 6 Norton Street, Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty where he pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.

It is alleged that on April 20, 2019 in Georgetown, the defendant robbed Delroy Wilson of $12,000 in cash.

The court heard that on the day in question, the accused was walking when he confronted and robbed the Virtual Complainant (VC).

After committing the act, the accused reportedly escaped, but was later arrested by the Police.

Prosecutor Ceon Blackman objected to bail on the grounds the defendant is known to law enforcement and he was also positively identified by the victim.

Bail was refused, and Rogers’ next appearance is slated for May 8, 2019.

Look back…

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…to Georgia inally, UG’s long-suffering staff – academic and nonacademic – have drawn a line in the sand against the bow-tied but not purse-tied VC, Ivelaw Griffith. From the moment he was ensconced into office in 2016, he was determined to prove he’s the last of the big-time spenders.

Trouble is, according to the staff, his spending was directed purely at himself and a tight coterie he dubbed his “Cabinet”! Yes -”Cabinet” -- while the staff were left with crumbs!!

If folks wondered about his pretentions at being a “President” in charge of a “Cabinet”, his week-long megamillion-$ “inauguration” at several locales around the city, but mostly at the Princess Ramada, seemed more like the coronation of a monarch!! And from then on, it was all up… up…and awaaay with spending!! Jetting off to NY with an entourage to “raise funds”, where he spend more on flights and hotels than he collected, was just Griffith’s opening salvo.

He talked fat about opening a slew of new faculties – God knows where the professors will be coming from - while the basic foundational courses, like English and science, remain mired in mediocrity. There were any number of “outreaches” and “twinnings” with foreign universities, which boiled down to junkets for a lucky few while the rest of the student body had to make do with the same ole, same ole.

But what most folks missed, however, was that -if they’d just taken a cursory look at Griffith’s previous job -- none of the above would’ve been any surprise. As your Eyewitness has been mentioning ad nauseam, in 2013, Griffith had been appointed President of a small (enrollment 3000) land grant black school in Georgia – Fort Valley State University – that catered to students who were not in much better straits than those at UG. He enjoyed the same 1-wk Inauguration “gala”, this time under the theme “Dreaming and Doing: A Vision for Excellence Engagement”, before announcing an explosion of the school’s programmes much as he’s doing at UG. He flew off to foreign locales – especially to the Caribbean - where he announced he was “internationalising” his university in the sticks! Like the “Rennaissance” magazine he launched at UG, he directed a bi-weekly publication, “WILDCAT DREAMS” FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT! But he’d been hired to boost the enrollment at Fort Valley. So after there was a 25 per cent enrollment drop after his first year, the University and Griffith parted ways in 2015 - two years before his contract expired!!

The folks in Georgia weren’t fooled a bit with Griffith’s hoopla and bells and whistles. We’ll have a “value for money” audit done on our AG. It’ll show that it’s time for Griffith to go!!

Never mind his YSM history! …at Guyana Gold Guyana Goldfields has been in the news for some time.

First it was about the large quantities of gold they were exporting – boosting our GDP, but basically just paying wages to about 500 Guyanese, including the top brass of ACDA, for some obscure reason. Floated as a “penny stock” on the Canadian Stock Exchange, it rose to Cdn$9.60 per share, making a whole lotta insiders filthy rich. Anyhow, the stock tanked after 2016, falling to pennies per share once again!! You can imagine how many persons lost their shirts, along with the ACDA big wigs.

The founder was blamed for all sorts of skullduggery, even though he wasn’t the operational CEO, just “relations with the government”! He was thrown out, and a new board was installed, along with the ex-US Ambassador Holloway.

Well, the founder isn’t taking his ouster lightly. He’s blaming the present lot for the CN$1 billion loss in equity, and along with some other shareholders who own a total of over 5 per cent of the shares, is waging a shareholder rebellion.

Welcome to the “stock wars”!! …at CJIA The Auditor General’s Office is gonna be very busy in the next few months with its audit of where the US$150 million expended on CJIA went.

Hope his report comes out just before the elections!!

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

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FRIday, april 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

DJ killed after car slams into concrete fence at La Jalousie wards Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD) from Tuschen.

According to reports, Ramraj and Abrahim were both passengers in the back seat of the taxi bearing registration number PSS 9367, driven by a 23-year-old man of Tuschen Housing Scheme.

Based on reports received, the driver, who was found to be above the legal limit of alcohol consumption, was speeding along the roadway when he lost control of the

yond repair.

Public-spirited persons who rushed to the scene pulled the three unconscious occupants from the mangled car and rushed them to the WDRH. However, Ramraj was treated and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries.

When contacted, Ramraj’s only sibling, Trishana Ramraj, revealed that after receiving news of

Dead: Vickram Ramraj

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21-year-old Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) entertainer was in the wee hours of Thursday killed while two others were injured when the motor car in which they were travelling crashed into a fence at La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Dead is Vickram “Andy” Ramraj of Lot 85 Tuschen Old Road, while 31-year-old Nafeeza Abrahim of Parika, EBE and the driver of the motor car are nursing injuries at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).

The accident reportedly occurred sometime around 01:00h while the trio was heading to-

The mangled car following the accident

The fence that was damaged by the speeding car

motor car thus causing the vehicle to veer off the road and collide with a concrete fence. The motor car was reportedly damaged be-

the accident, her family rushed to the scene and later to the hospital.

According to the grieving young woman, before seeing her

brother, the family attempted to speak with the taxi driver, who had regained consciousness at the time.

The man, who she said had visible injuries to his arm and head, was, however, unable to give any information as he was still in a state of shock.

The younger Ramraj also revealed that Abrahim, who is not known to her family, suffered serious injuries to her feet.

“The car smash up…when we

saw it and when we reach the hospital, the Police was trying to talk to the driver, but he wasn’t cooperating because like he was still out of it,” the young woman related.

Ramraj, who was described as a loving and joyful person, leaves to mourn his sister, parents, other relatives, and friends.

The driver of the motor car is expected to be taken into Police custody to assist with the investigation.

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FRIday, april 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Video of Lusignan prisoners participating in “dog fight” surfaces been isolated from the rest of the prisoners and that a Board of Inquiry (BoI) has been launched to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter.

Just last month, another video gone viral from the same prison led to ranks of the Guyana Prison Service seizing a number of improvised weapons at the Lusignan Holding Bay. These weapons were made from fencing material and a pot cover. The cell-

phone used to record the video was also confiscated.

That video featured three prisoners, two of whom are convicted while the other is on remand, who subsequently faced internal charges.

Last year, video of prisoners at the New Amsterdam Prison, who had been remanded for serious offences surfaced, raising new concerns about the quality of supervision and security within the facility.

At that time, Head of

State David Granger expressed worry about the recent Mother’s Day ‘bash’ that featured prisoners sporting high-priced liquor and narcotics.

The video, which was secured and seen by this publication, showed some of the same prisoners featured in photos shared on social media not only drinking alcoholic beverages but smoking marijuana and sporting a significant amount of cash.

In one clip, a prisoner was

filmed counting at least 12 single $5000 bills as he placed them on a plate that was filled with what appeared to be cannabis and other prohibited substances.

Another clip showed the prisoners boasting about the “sweet life” that they are enjoying despite the fact that many of these very men were awaiting trial for grave breaches of the law, including rape, murder, robbery under arms, simply larceny and gun-related offences.

Fire destroys home of President’s neighbour

A One of the men with a makeshift leash tied around his neck pretending to be a pit bull

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nother video has surfaced allegedly from the Lusignan lock-ups, this time showing inmates engaging in friendly spars referred to as “dog fights”.

The fight which was captured on a smartphone was subsequently leaked to the media. Based on information received, the recording was done on Easter Monday.

During the spar, the men described themselves as “Pit Bull”.

Acting Director of Prisons, Gladwyn Samuels, when contacted, told Guyana Times that he received the video on his mobile phone just before noon on Thursday and that the sender was requesting a comment on the issue.

According to Samuels, upon receiving the disturbing video, he immediately launched an internal investigation into the matter.

He explained that the “ring leader” of the gang has

mother and her two children are now homeless after fire of unknown origin completely razed their home at Lot 6 Thorne’s Drive, D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown.

The distraught home owner, Mia Ritchie, who resided near President David Granger’s former official residence, said she was at work when she was contacted by her neighbours around 12:45h informing her of the fire.

Ritchie, who is employed as an announcer at the National Communications Network (NCN), was unable to estimate her losses as she explained that she was still coming to grips with what happened.

Nothing was saved from the building but her daughter’s violin, the woman told <<<Guyana Times>>> as

Firefighters trying to contain the blaze

she was almost in tears.

Ritchie and her two children, aged 11 and nine, have been living at that location for the past seven years.

Firefighters who arrived at the scene were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the Head of State’s home.

The team of men were unable to say what may have triggered the fire, but they

noted that an investigation was launched.

The woman said she did not have any issues with her neighbours and as such, ruled out arson.

Only on Sunday, an abandoned house in Kitty, Georgetown, which was previously occupied by at least six homeless persons, was completely destroyed around

15:30h. It is believed that one of the male occupants of the house left a fire unattended.

In fact, a neighbour told this publication that the fire started when one of the dwellers who was cooking left the home and went on the road to make a purchase.

She explained that when he returned and saw the building on fire, he ran away.

S RAIGHT

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FRIday, april 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Ranks come under fire during drug eradication exercise at Kara Kara

shift tent, a quantity of clothing, and a wooden boat, along with five live 12-gauge cartridges.

The farm was subsequently destroyed by fire, and samples of the cannabis plants retrieved.

The Central Bank has never sold this much gold in the entire history of independent Guyana By: SASE Singh; M.Sc. - Finance, ACCA

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omething big is happening with the gold stock at the Bank of Guyana right now. Last year was a watershed in the size of the official gold stock, as it fell to its lowest level since 2001, and the Bank of Guyana continues to shed its stock of gold clearly for political reasons rather than economically sensible reasons. Who sells a product when the price is low? (See graph below with price).

The value of the stock of gold at the Bank of Guyana in March 2019 was G$1,934 million, compared to the PPP days in 2014 when the value of the gold at the Central Bank was G$25,014 million. (See graph in blue below).

This is nothing to celebrate when one watches the price of gold from 2014 to March 2019. From the graph in yellow above, one can see that the price of gold has not climbed above US$1,300 an ounce for most of this period, yet the Central Bank chooses to sell most of its gold lock, stock, and barrel since 2014. The only conclusion one can find for such a fire sale is that the US dollars were needed to prop up the rapidly dwindling foreign reserves. If one were to reflect on the implosion in sugar exports since 2014, one can understand why this gold was sold at great loss to Guyana.

It is an irrefutable fact that with the major gold investors, much of the foreign currency generated by those companies leaves Guyana and never returns, unlike the rice, sugar, bauxite, timber, seafoods, and rum exports. The Central Bank depends on these foreign currency flows. The fact shows that, in 2013, sugar exports brought in US$114.2 million to the Central Bank. In 2018, the sugar sector brought in only US$27.1 million. That is a reduction in foreign currency inflows from the sugar sector of some 86 per cent, or US$87.1 million. That is a hole needed to be filled, thus the gold sales.

Similarly, there has been a reduction in the foreign currency earnings from the rice sector between 2013 and 2018 of some US$53.7 million (22 per cent). Foreign currency earnings from bauxite, timber, pharmaceuticals, garment, and molasses all declined.

In 2013, foreign currency earning from the garment industry was US$6.8 million. At the end of 2018, it was US$0.3 million. This represents a total collapse in garment exports. While countries like Haiti and El Salvador (no better than Guyana), are expanding their garment industry, here in Guyana we have a clueless bunch in Government and at places like GO-INVEST who refuse to see the opportunities that this industry can create for the people. In 2013, the World Bank in a report wrote off the Haiti garment industry.

Today Haiti exports some US$833 million in garments to the world.

Same story with El Salvador.

What have Team Granger done since they came to power?

Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! These people have the reverse Midas touch. Everything they touch is destroyed. They did it to the sugar industry. They did it to the forestry sector. They did it to the garment industry.

Their hallmark remains massive acts of incompetence and policy paralysis, embellished with their runaway acts of corruption.

Take, for example, the national airport. They said they spent US$35 million on sand, when the sand pits were less than 5 miles away.

US$35 million in sand my foot!

In the final analysis, similar to what happens in a horse race when the thoroughbred moves east, the “kangala” moves west.

Reading a CNBC Report from January 2019, it stated that in 2018, around the world, Central Banks bought the most gold by volume to add to their stock since 1967. Meanwhile, the “kangalas” in Guyana who are making the decisions continue to sell our stock of gold at Please at sasesin1@yahoo.com. these low share prices. your Whenthoughts will the dotishness end?

The plants before they were destroyed

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drug eradication exercise by Police ranks attached to E Division (Linden-Kwakwani) on Wednesday reportedly ended in a shootout at a marijuana farm at Kara Kara, Mackenzie, Linden.

According to information received, ranks attached to the Mackenzie Police Station and Community Policing Group ventured 20 miles up the Kara Kara

creek in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice), where they conducted a drug eradication exercise between 06:30h and 15:00h.

They reportedly discovered a marijuana farm, which measured approximately two acres and contained approximately 4000 cannabis plants measuring eight inches to four feet in height.

Ranks also discovered a make-

The 12-gauge cartridges found at the scene

However, on their way out of the location, ranks reportedly came under fire by unknown persons. They reportedly returned fire. However, the persons managed to escape. The area has since been marked as Police try to ascertain the owner of the land.

An investigation has been launched.

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FRIday, april 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

4 busted with cocaine in fire extinguisher

Dinesh Dias

Anthony Collins

Seenarine Mathura

Mohamed Inshan

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our men were taken into custody following the discovery of a quantity of cocaine concealed in a fire extinguisher during a raid by agents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Tuesday evening.

Reports are that based on information received, the CANU ranks conducted the raid at the house located along Timehri Base Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), where the discovery was made.

A total of 1.89 kilograms of the illegal substance was unearthed in the fire extinguisher.

CANU, in a release to the media, stated that the cocaine-laden fire extinguisher was expected to be placed on an aircraft leaving the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) for an international destination.

The four men arrested have been identified as Dinesh Dias, Anthony Collins, Seenarine Mathura, and Mohamed Inshan.

They are expected to make their first court appearance in relation to this matter today (Friday) at the Providence Magistrate’s Court, EBD.

According to CANU, this seizure and arrest is part of the efforts being made as it “seeks to tighten its grip on narcotic distributors throughout the country”.

In late February, two persons were arrested by CANU, following a drug bust at a local shipping company’s bond in Timehri, EBD. Two men were arrested and charged for the crime.

In January, ranks of CANU swooped down on a Charlestown, Georgetown house, where they unearthed a large quantity of cocaine and marijuana worth in excess of $40 million.

The intelligence-led operation was carried out at a St Stephen Street, Charlestown home and lasted some seven hours. So far, two persons – a male and a female – were arrested, as CANU hunts for another suspect whom it believes might have a big role in the illegal trade.

Guyana Times understands that CANU ranks responded to intelligence of the “possibility of narcotics being stored at this location” and staked out the residence until they caught the suspect red-handed.

15 CCJ dismisses former MP’s application to defer sitting of National Assembly T news

FRIday, april 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has dismissed a case by former Member of Parliament Charrandas Persaud, in which he sought an order to defer the sitting of the National Assembly, which reconvenes today.

The respondents in this case were Compton Herbert Reid; Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland; Attorney General Basil Williams; Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo; State Minister Joseph Harmon, and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The CCJ’s ruling was made on Thursday following a pre-trial and submission of affidavits by both the applicant and the respondents in this matter.

According to a release to the media by the Attorney General’s Chambers, it has been further ordered that the applicant pay costs to the AG of Guyana, and those are to be assessed if not agreed upon.

According to a copy of the Court ruling, the CCJ, having considered last month the earlier ruling that the no-

Former Government Member of Parliament Charrandas Persaud

confidence motion was not validly passed in the National Assembly on December 21st last year, considers the status of the Government and the National Assembly of Guyana unaffected by the result of that vote taken in December last year.

As such, the CCJ, in its consideration of the submissions, stated that it would be imprudent in those circumstances for that Court to take what it deems “the most unusual step” of restraining the

National Assembly from sitting, as urged by the applicant.

In the first week of January last, private citizen Compton Reid had filed an action challenging the validity of former Government Parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud’s election as a Member of Parliament (MP), given his Canadian citizenship – the consequence of which, he contended, is that the no-confidence motion against the APNU+AFC Government could not be regarded as having been passed.

On December 21st, a ‘yes’ vote from Persaud to an Opposition PPP/ C-sponsored no-confidence motion against the APNU+AFC Government had tipped the scales 3332 in favour of the motion.

Consequently, Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland, ruled that the motion had been carried.

Scotland has refused to reverse his recognition of the December 21 no-confidence motion, which propelled the Government to approach the courts to challenge the va-

lidity of Persaud’s vote and to seek an order staying the holding of general elections within the legally stipulated 90 days.

Less than a month after Reid had filed his action, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George ruled on the case, stating that the court has no jurisdiction to hear challenges to Persaud’s petition, since the applicant Compton Reid would have had to file an elections petition within 28 days of those elections.

Justice George, however, said the court has jurisdiction to comment on the dual citizenship. She noted that the Constitution was very clear about dual citizenship status. To be qualified to be elected to the National Assembly, one must be 18 years old and Guyanese.

It was established that Charrandas is a Guyanese citizen by birth.

The evidence is that, in order to be become a Canadian

The Caribbean Court of Justice

citizen, one has to take an oath and bear allegiance to Canada. Charrandas would have sworn allegiance to Canada to receive a passport.

The CJ noted that the holding of a passport has far-reaching consequences, and that by renewing the passport, one is renewing one’s own allegiance to the

State.

According to the CJ, by swearing allegiance to another state, a dual citizen is not qualified to be elected to serve in the National Assembly.

This, she noted, is applicable to the MPs who currently hold dual citizenship in the National Assembly.

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FRIday, april 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Girls in ICT aim at striking a gender balance in related fields

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n celebration of the international Girls in Information C o m m u n i c a t i o n Technologies (ICT) Day, the Public Telecommunications Ministry, in collaboration with private sector agencies, on Thursday hosted a mini expo to showcase the work of young women in the related field.

Held at the Giftland Mall at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, the exhibition focused on promoting job opportunities and striking a gender balance by increasing the number of girls in the ICT field.

Assistant Engineer at the National Frequency Management Unit, Melissa Layne, said, “The idea behind this initiative is to spread awareness about the gender gap which exists in computing and the field of technology, and also to encourage more women

One of the participants utilising her software

and girls to take up careers in tech.”

She told Guyana Times that there are challenges in reaching hinterland communities; but whenever those are reached, persons are encouraged to use offline applications

to exceed their usual expectations.

According to Layne, many youths are unaware of the career opportunities in technology because of the lack of accessibility.

Layne revealed, “What we

are showing is what some women in technology have been doing in Guyana. We have done tech camps in St. Cuthbert’s Mission and Charity as well, where we bring technology to the girls of those outlying communities.”

She added, “What we found in the hinterland regions is connectivity and actually being exposed to what tech has to offer. Girls don’t understand that there are jobs like programming and graphic designing. They don’t have the awareness and the knowledge; and sometimes access is a bit hard.”

On site, teenage girls were present to showcase their programming skills, which were used to develop databases for the health and agriculture sector.

Serena Razack said her group focused on creating an

inventory for hospitals, given that there have been a number of cases of misdiagnosis and expired medications.

This programme allows medical practitioners to be au fait with the medication along with its expiry date, how much is being used, and by which doctor. Razack said the programme can be modified for a larger quantity of medications.

“This is the first major project we are doing. We have been hearing about the different drugs in Guyana, so we figured it would be helpful if we created a programme that would allow us to keep track of these drugs: like the expiry date, how much is being used, and so on.

This database can be expanded so you can add more drugs; so we think that, with further editing, it will be helpful.”

Meanwhile, Sakia Jones told this publication that her

database was created to aid the agriculture sector with record-keeping.

“When you’re dealing with agriculture, especially on a farm, you have to keep track of everything you do. Because it’s a broad topic, we’re only doing plant based-stuff, like the water requirements, soil type and the plant name, just to put that in the inventory,” she explained.

Girls in ICT Day is observed every year on April 26 in all member countries and organisations of the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) has, for many years, led Guyana’s outreaches into schools with special focus on rural areas.

while electronics cover products such as tablets, cellular phones, laptops and other devices, most of the reports were as a result of defective cell phones being sold.

To address the issue, the Consumer Affairs body said it will continue to collaborate with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) to ensure products being sold to customers are of maximum high quality.

Following the electronics sector was the auto industry, which recorded the second highest number of complaints received at the Commission.

When the figures from 2018 were compared with figures from the previous year, there was, however, a decline in the number of such complaints. A seven per cent decline was recorded, CCAC said in its report.

However, those complaints accounted for 77 per cent of the cumulative value of all complaints the consumer body recorded.

“While a marginal reduction of 7 per cent was seen, the Auto Industry had the second highest number of complaints, and accounted for 77 per cent of the cumulative value of com-

plaints. This continues to be an issue of grave concern, as 61 per cent of reported complaints were due to the contravention of Part IV - Section 22 (Return of defective goods), while 28 per cent were due to the contravention of Part V – Section 31 (Misleading or deceptive conduct),” the report details.

In tackling this issue, the Commission said it has collaborated with the GNBS and has already accepted a request from international consultant and Director of Excellence in Automobile Assessment (EAA) in Japan, Lee Sayer.

Sayer has so far held meetings with stakeholders involved in the importation of vehicles during a visit to Guyana.

The Consumer Department said the meeting was focused on facilitating discussions on a pre-shipment inspection programme for used vehicles being imported from Japan.

The Unit said it would continue to engage in research geared at achieving a safer market for consumers.

Further, it said it would continue working with the GNBS to regularise the auto industry with the development of a “Used Vehicle Standard”.

“Abducted” miner remains in Police Most customers being exploited custody after conflicting reports in electronics sector – CAU – hunt still on for prime suspect

Police F Division Commander, Kevin Adonis

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he hunt is still on for the main suspect in the murder of truck driver Nicolas Perion Bobb, who was shot and killed on Sunday last in the Kuribrong Trail, Potaro River.

Two men are presently in Police custody, one of whom is the miner alleging that he escaped from the perpetrators after they had “abducted” him.

However, his ‘tale’ is yet to be confirmed.

According to Commander of “F” Division (Interior locations), Kevin Adonis, the statements given by the miner are

“conflicting”, and therefore he is still being investigated in relation to murder.

“His story varies a lot, it is not consistent. But he is in custody, we have him in custody.

So, as for him and the abduction, we still want to know if he was part of this murder or not,” Adonis has said.

The Police Commander emphasised that while the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is hunting for the main suspect in the shooting/murder, and two men are in custody, there may be others involved.

“Yes, we are looking for that one person; but based on information we are receiving, there are other persons who are said to have been there. Apparently there were a few of them (men) there, and they were together when the crime(s) occurred, from what we are being told,” Adonis has said.

In relation to the main suspect, the GPF will soon issue a wanted bulletin for his arrest.

“We did not get him as yet…as it is, robbery was not the motive… This guy is an owner of a mining camp, so when we went there yesterday

W

The slain truck driver, Nicolas Bobb

(Wednesday), he was not there, but we know he is from Vreeden-Hoop on the WCD,” Adonis disclosed.

Reports are that the dead truck driver, who hailed from Carabese Hill in Bartica, was shot in the stomach by a group of men.

Police had initially said that the killers had abducted another man who was in Bobb’s truck and reportedly saw when the driver was shot.

However, the man managed to escape and was said to have been assisting law enforcement officers with their investigation.

ith the use of technology and electronics expanding rapidly by the day, the Consumer Affairs Unit (CAU) is urging customers to be very careful when making such purchases, and to keep their receipts as the electronics industry accounted for a whopping 41 per cent of the total complaints received by the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) last year.

This was revealed in the Unit’s annual report recently released to the media.

According to the Commission, it received 289 complaints in 2018, the majority of which was dominated by the electronics industry.

Further, most of those complaints resulted from defective goods being unreturnable.

“The majority (84 per cent) of these complaints were due to Part IV -- Section 22 (Return of defective goods) being contravened. This can be linked to the growing ease of accessibility to these products, which consequently leads to them being more susceptible to fraudulent and misleading practices,” the Unit explained.

It was keen to note that

guyanatimesgy.com

this film become a reality.

I

f you have not had a chance to see “Choices”, a movie filmed in Guyana and produced by popular comedian Kelvin “Vicious” Fortune, then the place to be this evening is the Tower Hotel Poolside, Main Street, Georgetown.

The movie is about a young man falling in love, but his mother disapproves

of the relationship.

The grand premiere of the movie this evening promises to be epic, especially with the live performances of Guyana’s Soca King, Brandon Harding and Chutney Monarch, Steven Ramphal. It will be a night to celebrate Guyanese and more so, one that recognises efforts of fortune in making

A

fter persistent calls from the public for the return of the GTT Jingle and Song Competition, the company today launched the GTT Plus Star Singing Competition.

According to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Justin Nedd, this competition will mirror its previous incarnation, but will see several additions. “The public asked for it, and as the Do More Company we want to satisfy our customers and all Guyanese.

The competition will definitely be a platform for one lucky contestant. I am excited and cannot wait for the grand finale,” Need declared.

The show is expected to run until June and will allow contestants from across Guyana, 16 years and older, to compete for the grand prize of $1 million and a single recording contract with popular local music producer Drew Thoven.

The countrywide audition will commence in Georgetown on April 26-28 at Duke Lodge, Kingston; followed by auditions in Berbice at the Little Rock Suites on May 4. Contestants from Linden will also be given an opportunity to audition on May 11 at the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) Inc. The auditions will then conclude in Bartica, Essequibo on May 18.

GTT Senior Marketing Executive Tashandra Inniss said the

I

f you are living on the East Coast of Demerara, then the place to be on the holiday weekend is the Ogle Community Centre Ground for the third annual East Coast Fair and Chutney Show The Fair is billed for Sunday, May 4, followed by the Chutney Show on Monday, May 5.

On Sunday, there will be a prize-giving ceremony for residents. The organisers, B.E.S.T. Family Entertainment in collaboration with CRAZY and 71 Sound will be distributing

shopping voucher certificates to three single parents as well as three school vouchers.

There will also be lots of giveaways for the kids, including ice cream and hampers. In addition, there will be a kid’s fun park consisting of trampoline, face painting, bouncy castle and other games. For the adults, there will be several business booths as well as a well-stocked bar.

There will also be barbecue on sale. Admission to the Fair is absolutely free. However, on the holiday, the Chutney

The film was shot at several locations, but opened at the Promenade Gardens.

The recording of the film reportedly started with $1000, but ended up costing approximately $1 million. The short film was made possible by the group of young men and women, who wanted to become actors, direc-

friDAY, april 26, 2019

tors, and stage managers among other film-based careers.

The film is expected to be taken to several secondary schools

across the country including in Lethem, Linden, Essequibo and Berbice. The premiere and after-party at Tower Poolside is set to commence at 20:00h. Tickets cost $1000.

five-leg competition promised to be exhilarating for both the contestants and the public.

“It will start with the auditions, after which we will have the preliminaries, quarterfinals, semi-finals, finals and a grand finale at which the winner will be announced. We have done some changes to the previous seasons, so both contestants and the public are in for an exciting experience. Those desirous of participating can sign up online for the auditions on https:// www.gtt.co.gy/webform/plusstar-competition.”

Inniss added that while the three finalists will all walk away with cash prices, the public will also be given an opportunity to win big with the company through weekly text-to-win challenges.

In 2006, GTT launched its first Jingle and Song Competition, which garnered the attention of thousands across the country and produced popular Guyanese artiste Timeka Marshall, who become a star in the process of winning the competition.

Several competitions followed and they shaped the musical careers for other local artistes like Lindeners Malika Boyd and Brandon Harding, recording artiste Poonam Singh, Calvin Burnette, Ryan Hoppie, and Berbician Gail Ann Singh to name a few.

Show will be the headlining event. The show will feature

former International Chutney Monarch KI, along with

A

s plans are moving apace for the hosting of Guyana Carnival 2019, there are some big names and events that have been added to make the event more spectacular this time around.

One such event is W.E.T.

Wednesday featuring the Monk of Soca, Machel Montano which is set for Wednesday, May 22 at the National Park.

Montano is no stranger to Guyana and has delivered to his fans. This time around, expect one of the most energetic performances by the King of Soca. Sharing the stage with Montano are reigning local Soca Monarch, Mr Killa and Guyana’s own, Jumo Primo.

Both Mr Killa and Primo are known to set the stage on fire and the Guyana Carnival Committee is making sure that happens. It will be a night of nonstop entertainment and high-class performances.

Patrons are reminded that it will be a wet affair so come prepared for a full jouvert party.

Setting the pace for the evening will be DJ Shizzle, Patrick The Hypeman, DJ Jay and DJ Just Jay. General admission tickets for the event cost $5000 and the VIP experience cost $25,000. For tickets, visit guyanacarnival. eventbrite.com or the box office at Lot 206 Lance Gibbs Street, Queenstown (Hits and Jams office).

Guyana’s Chutney King; Steven Ramphal, Mystic and AW Lyrical. The emcee for the Show will be “Chiney Man”.

Music for the event will be provided by No. 71 Sound, Full Bloom, Platinum, DJ Golden Chyld, Fusion One Voice, Selector Andre and Damion.

In addition, Royalty Vibes will be in the house. General admission tickets cost $1500 and more at the gate, and for the VIP experience, patrons will pay $6000. Secure parking will be available.

Tickets are available at

Matts Printing, Industry; Prance Chinese Supermarket, Industry; Giftland Mall; AAA Service Centre, Giftland Mall; Dacts Pharmacy, Plaisance; Jai Signs, Albouystown; Suresh Grocery Store, Stabroek Market and BM Soat, Croal Street, Georgetown.

For the Chutney Show, gates to the venue will open at 18:00h, with 21:00h set for show time. The event is sponsored by the Government of Guyana, Sterling Products Limited, Jai Signs, Attorney-atLaw Nigel Hughes and others.

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guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, april 26, 2019

6 to vie for Miss Guyana India title S

ix young ladies were short-listed as finalists to compete in the upcoming Miss Guyana India Pageant slated for later in the year.

The chosen delegates have been described as the cream of the crop. The winner of the pageant is expected to travel to India to compete in the international pageant. The delegates will be officially unveiled and sashed on Saturday at the Ramada Princess Hotel commencing at 19:00h. Admission to the event is absolutely free.

Delegate #1

Delegate #2

Delegate #3

Shorona Haniff was born on September 29, 1993 and hails from the small village of Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara.

This 25-year-old beauty is pursuing an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) professional accounting certification, and is the former Miss Guyana Talented Teen 2011.

Shorona’s passion is music: all her life she has been developing this talent, using it to serve and lift the spirit of everyone around her.

She believes in in the words of Shakespeare: “If music be the food of love, play on.”

It is her dream that through music she can contribute to fostering love and unity among the people of the world.

Four years ago, she had no idea where she would be or who she would become, but Dianna has always believed one’s past does not determine their future. “A school dropout” was the label Dianna wore for two years.

Being a school dropout is not something to be proud of, but the decision she took made the difference.

This 21-year-old beauty returned to school and graduated with honours – the valedictorian of Camille’s Institute’s Class of 2017.

She also participated in Miss World Guyana 2018 as a finalist. Her biggest desire is to house less fortunate children and restore their hope for a better life, because they are the future.

Dianna says: “I have a passion for teaching and learning new things; the best way I express my self is through

Rashena was born on March 19, 2001 in Georgetown.

She completed her high school education and wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examinations at Al-Ghazali Islamic Academy (AIA) in 2017. During her years at AIA, she received the ’Student of the Month’ award in September 2014.

She now studies pre-law, sociology and psychology at the School of the Nations.

During her first year, she was given the opportunity to attend the London International Academy in London, Ontario, Canada, to do a Winter STEM Course.

Rashena expresses her artistic side through make-up.

Her passion for makeup began at the tender age of 16, and she discovered that she had a talent for it – doing make-up for friends and pho-

Delegate #4

Delegate #5

Delegate #6

Introducing 23-year-old Sandeka Rampersaud. She was born and raised on the quiet and harmonious island of Wakenaam, which is one of the more than 365 located in the mouth of the Essequibo River.

Being the youngest of three girls, she grew up very cultured and sheltered and frequented the Melville Mandir, where she sang and learned to play the drums and harmonium as well as speak Hindi.

Sandeka is often described as an approachable, amiable, outgoing and hardworking young lady with a curious mind and an old soul.

She completed her secondary education at Essequibo Islands Secondary School. She then pursued a diploma in marketing at the University of Guyana, graduating in 2016. During her studies, she was an employee of Scotiabank Guyana.

After a few years of serving the aforementioned organisation, Sandeka decided it was time to embark on a new journey. She is currently an employee of

Friendly, career-oriented, “bookworm”, filmy, goofy and insanely in love with her beautiful Indian culture are some of the things that make Hemwantie Seodat the young lady she is. Hemwantie, fondly called Kimmy, is 20 years old.

She hails from humble beginnings and was taught that education was the only way to succeed.

Hemwantie says growing up among cousins has contributed to making her a social butterfly, but also taught her values such as compassion, sharing, tolerance and patience.

Throughout her life, conditions were not always favourable, but her parents provided for them to the best of their abilities, teaching her to be grateful.

Growing up in a Hindu household, going to temple, being a part of each festival, taking part in school programmes and attending Saraswati Vidya Niketan have all made her appreciate the Indian culture a whole lot more.

She received a scholarship from the Shri Devi Global Humanitarian Mandir in 2015

Diana Ahmad is a breath of fresh air for anyone who meets her. Exceptionally hard-working, determined and goal-oriented, this 5’5” young lady is a force to be reckoned with.

Dubbed in local media circles as the “dynamite shortie” for her fiery personality, Diana was brought up in a humble, Christian home, as an active member of the St Andrew’s Lutheran Parish. She is the only child of her parents, whom she considers to be her world.

Diana graduated with honours from the most prestigious high school in the Caribbean, Queen’s College, obtaining passes in 10 subjects at CXC, inclusive of six distinctions, after which she attempted to obtain four CAPE subjects.

However, owing to financial circumstances, Diana chose to leave Queen’s College and instead enter the world of work, starting her career in banking at the age of 18. She has been in the banking industry for the past nine years and also lectures.

the Embassy of the Argentine Republic to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Her studies did not end at the University as Sandeka is currently an intermediate student pursuing Spanish as a second language.

music. My motto is “Your past doesn’t determine your future.””

to pursue tertiary education.

“As such, I volunteered to teach at their computer centre in Tuschen to help make children computer literate,” Hemwantie related.

“Currently, I am a final-year International Relations student at the University of Guyana, and also the Vice President of the Hindu Society of UG. “ She was a proud top five finalist at the Miss World Guyana 2017 pageant and winner of the Beauty with a Purpose segment of the pageant.

to shoots as a part-time job.

Two other hobbies of Rashena’s are modelling and dancing.

Although juggling two jobs and a whole host of extracurricular activities, Diana still continued her studies as she became a member of the Association of Business Executives (ABE) and the Institute of Commercial Management, obtaining diplomas in Business Management and Project Management respectively. She is currently pursuing a degree in marketing with the ABE.

friday, april 26, 2019

19

VIVO IPL Edition 12…

Karthik’s 97* in vain after Parag’s, Archer’s late fireworks SCOREBOARD A fter Riyan Parag’s stunning 47 took Rajasthan Royals within striking distance of their fourth win, Jofra Archer signed off his blockbuster IPL campaign with successive boundaries to complete a three-wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders. It was the sixth consecutive loss for the home side, who failed to defend a total of 175 that was primarily achieved thanks to Dinesh Karthik’s valiant 97 not out.

Riyan and Archer added a crucial 44 for the seventh wicket, with Riyan hitting five fours and two sixes in his 31-ball 47. Archer was left to score nine off the last over. First he edged Prasidh Krishna for a four through third man, and then he smacked him over wide long-off for the winning runs.

It was heartbreak for Karthik who had batted so well for his unbeaten 97 off 50 balls, which contained nine sixes and seven fours, an innings that led Knight Riders’ recovery from early trouble, mainly caused by Varun Aaron.

Aaron from nowhere

Aaron, who had conceded 16 runs in his only over in this season’s IPL, had little to lose when he was brought back into the side and handed the new ball by Royals captain Steven Smith.

He struck straightaway, bowling Chris Lynn with an inducker in the first over and dismissing Shubman Gill with a similar delivery in the fifth over. His first spell of 3-1-10-2 prevented the Knight Riders from making a quick start.

Royals “drop” their guard

Knight Riders lost Nitish Rana too and struggled to 49 for 3 at the halfway mark. The first cracks in Royals’ effort appeared when Stuart Binny misfielded at the deep midwicket boundary in the 11th over, which went for 25.

Karthik had struck Shreyas Gopal for two sixes and three fours in the over.

3

Kolkata Knight Riders Innings (20 overs maximum) CA Lynn b Aaron 0 Shubman Gill b Aaron 14 N Rana c Aaron b Gopal 21 KD Karthik (c) † not out 97 SP Narine run out (Aaron/ Rahane) 11 AD Russell c Parag b Thomas

14 CR Brathwaite c Rahane b Unadkat 5 RK Singh not out 3 Extras (lb 7, nb 1, w 2) 10 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 8.75) 175-6 Did not bat: PP Chawla, Y Prithvi Raj, M Prasidh Krishna Fall of wickets: 1-0 (CA Lynn, 0.3 ov), 2-31 (Shubman Gill, 4.6 ov), 3-42 (N Rana, 8.2 ov), 4-80 (SP Narine, 11.3 ov), 5-119 (AD Russell, 16.5 ov), 6-131 (CR Brathwaite, 17.2 ov) BOWLING VR Aaron (4-1-20-2) O Thomas (4-0-32-1) JC Archer (4-0-28-0) S Gopal (3-0-31-1) R Parag (1-0-7-0) JD Unadkat (4-0-501) Rajasthan Royals Innings (target: 176 runs from 20

Rajasthan Royals celebrate

Binny then dropped Andre Russell in the 15th over before substitute Prashant Chopra shelled another Russell skier, in the 17th over.

Russell’s third offering was taken well by Ajinkya Rahane at deep midwicket later in the over, and Royals were lucky the in-form West Indian only managed 14 off 14.

Karthik’s solo act

Karthik, who was stuck in Knight Riders’ slowness in the first 10 overs, took full toll of Royals in the second half of the innings, hitting 55 of the Knight Riders’ 75 in the last five overs.

He slammed Jaydev Unadkat for three sixes, including two in the last over, sent a free-hit from Oshane Thomas sailing over long-on in the 17th, and carted the last two balls of Archer’s IPL campaign, in the 19th over, for sixes as well.

It was an almost single-handed effort from Karthik to take Knight Riders to 175; their second-highest score was Nitish Rana’s 21 off 26 at No. 3

Royals slip to spin

Sanju Samson began Royals’ chase with sixes off Prasidh Krishna and Russell in the first two

overs, before Ajinkya Rahane smashed Prithvi Raj over point for his first six. But Sunil Narine had him lbw in the last over of the Powerplay, after the openers had added 53 for the first wicket.

The wicket brought another when Piyush Chawla removed Samson with a wrong’un. Narine came back from the other end to bowl Royals captain Steven Smith for 2, and could have had another in the same over had he held onto a return catch from Riyan.

The stranglehold of spin continued, however, as Chawla took the wickets of Stokes and Binny, and Royals sank to 98 for 5 in the 13th over.

Riyan announces himself

Riyan let the batsman at the other end do more of the hitting in his first three partnerships, and moved quietly to 22 off 21. But after Archer slammed Narine for a six in the 17th over, Parag

overs) AM Rahane lbw b Narine 34 SV Samson † b Chawla 22 SPD Smith (c) b Narine 2 BA Stokes c Russell b Chawla

11 R Parag hit wicket b Russell

47 STR Binny c Singh b Chawla

11 S Gopal c Gill b Krishna 18 JC Archer not out 27 JD Unadkat not out 0 Extras (w 5) 5 TOTAL (19.2 Overs, RR: 9.15) 177-7 Yet to bat: VR Aaron, O Thomas Fall of wickets: 1-53 (AM Rahane, 5.2 ov), 2-57 (SV Samson, 6.3 ov), 3-63 (SPD Smith, 7.2 ov), 4-78 (BA Stokes, 10.1 ov), 5-98 (STR Binny, 12.3 ov), 6-123 (S Gopal, 15.2 ov), 7-167 (R Parag, 18.5 ov) BOWLING CR Brathwaite (2-0-16-0) M Krishna (3.2-0-43-1) AD Russell (3-0-32-1) SP Narine (4-0-25-2) Y Prithvi Raj (2-0-28-0) PP Chawla (4-0-20-3) N Rana (1-0-13-0)

sprung into action. He slammed Prasidh Krishna for a hooked six, before hammering Russell over the straight boundary, only just beating the outstretched Brathwaite at long-on.

But he fell next ball when he hooked Russell but flicked the bails in his follow-through. That left nine to win, and Archer, duly completed the job with two decisive blows in the last over.

(ESPNcricinfo)

Semenya wins 5000m gold at Tour of the Alps: Tao South African Championships Geoghegan Hart wins for 2nd time on stage 4

C

aster Semenya cruised to victory in the 5,000 meters at the South African athletics championships on Thursday, a potential new distance as she waits for the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an appeal against regulations seeking to limit her testosterone level.

Semenya looked in complete control as she won in a time of 16:05.97 on the opening day of the championships, which serve as an important test for the South African team going to the World Championships in Doha in September.

Semenya made a rare run in the longer distance after earlier cruising into Friday’s final of the 1,500m with a time of 4:30.65, well below her personal best.

Although she barely broke a sweat, her 1,500m time was nine seconds quicker than the second fastest qualifier.

The heats for the 800m, her principal event, are on Friday morning, with the final to be run on Saturday evening.

Semenya is waiting for the outcome of her appeal asking CAS to halt the introduction of new regulations by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that would require her to take medicine to limit her natural levels of testosterone.

The IAAF wants female athletes with differences in sexual development to reduce their blood testosterone level to below a

stipulated concentration for a period of six months before they can compete, to prevent any unfair advantage.

But this is limited to events ranging between 400m and a mile, and so would not include the 5,000m, leaving Semenya free to compete unhindered.

Her time on Thursday was 45 seconds slower than the best mark set in 2019 so far, but Semenya looked to be holding back before putting in her familiar sprint in the final 200 meters.

CAS is due to deliver its verdict on Semenya’s appeal before the end of April.

Meanwhile, 400m Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk pulled out of his heat on Thursday, citing a wet track as he attempted to resume high-level competition after 18 months out.

“Sad to announce my withdrawal from the Athletics South Africa Senior Championships,” Van Niekerk tweeted.

“Was looking forward to competing again on home soil after a good build-up but the weather isn’t playing along so we don’t want to take any chances.

“I look forward to representing South Africa on the international circuit.”

Van Niekerk injured his knee in a charity touch rugby game in October 2017 and missed the entire 2018 season. (Reuters)

B

ritain’s Tao Geoghegan Hart claimed his second win at the Tour of the Alps by outsprinting Vincenzo Nibali from a select group on stage four in Italy.

Geoghegan Hart, 24, moved into second overall, 27 seconds down on Team Sky teammate Pavel Sivakov, who finished fourth on Thursday in Cles.

Chris Froome finished fifth after helping Geoghegan Hart and Sivakov counter earlier attacks by Nibali.

Hart took his first senior win on stage one and finished second on stage three.

The five-day race concludes with a mountainous 147.8km stage to Bolzano on Friday.

Froome is trying to hit top form in time for the start of his bid for a fifth Tour de France title when the race starts on 6 July in Brussels, but struggled early on in the race and said he is now riding in support of Geoghegan Hart and Sivakov, 21.

The 33-year-old twice brought back Nibali on the final major climb of the Passo Predaia before the Italiaan finally dropped everyone except Geoghegan Hart, Sivakov and Rafal Majka with around 21km to go.

Those four stayed clear until the finish, with Geoghegan Hart launching his sprint

first and Nibali unable to come round him, while Majka took third.

Froome led the chasing group home four seconds behind and is now ninth overall, two minutes 34 seconds back on Sivakov. (BBC Sport)

General classification after stage four 1. Pavel Sivakov (Rus/Team Sky) 14hrs 53mins 40secs 2. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Team Sky) +27secs 3. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe) +31secs 4. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Bahrain-Merida) +33secs 5. Jan Hirt (Cze/Astana) +48secs 6.

Mattia Cattaneo (Ita/Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec) +1min 03secs 7. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus/GazpromRusvelo) +2mins 04secs 8. Giovanni Carboni (Ita/Bardiani CSF) +2mins 30secs 9. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +2mins 34secs 10. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Astana) +2mins 39secs

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

friday, APRIL 26, 2019

Carlos Brathwaite Do you remember the name?

Carlos Brathwaite

─ Paul, Reifer, Pollard miss out on WC selection

By Brandon Corlette

O

n April 3, 2016, Carlos Brathwaite hit four sixes in as many balls to hand West Indies a T20 World Cup victory against England. From that point onwards, Brathwaite has failed to live up to expectations of his being a consistent performer.

However, he received multiple opportunities in West Indies teams, even captaining the T20 International Team in 27 matches, wherein he lost 14.

Are we hoping for another miracle from this 30-year-old Bajan lad? Is that the reason why he has been selected ahead of the promising Keemo Paul, or the experienced Kieron Pollard, or the consistent Raymon Reifer?

Selected among the nine World Cup debutants in the West Indies squad, Brathwaite has played in 33 One Day International matches (ODIs),

and the record of this “all-rounder” has been poor in both departments.

Brathwaite has snared 31 wickets at par bowling average of 43.61, and has had one five-wicket haul in 31 innings in which he had opportunity to bowl for the West Indies.

His batting record signifies inconsistency. He has a batting average of 14.40, with 389 runs in 29 innings, including one half-century.

It was Carlos Brathwaite who dented the hopes of Ben Stokes in the World T20 final when he smashed four sixes. Stokes, who is also an allrounder, has had a better ODI career in contrast to Brathwaite’s. The Englishman has compiled three ODI centuries and 14 half-centuries in his 68 innings, while he has snared 63 ODI wickets and taken one fivewicket haul. Clearly, Stokes has played more ODIs than Brathwaite, but the Englishman has shown consistency,

something Brathwaite has lacked.

The emerging talent, Guyanese Keemo Paul, who played 11 ODIs for the West Indies, has shown great promise in all three formats of International cricket, and has also dominated the Regional level in the past years, but he was not considered for the World Cup. The 21-year-old was absent from the team that played in the ODI Series against England because of an injury he sustained in the Test Series. Currently, Paul is involved in the IPL with the Deli Capitals, and has registered a ‘player of the match’ performance.

Brathwaite, who is struggling to make the Kolkata Knight Riders’ starting XI, continues to get opportunity in West Indies teams because of his one time performance in 2016.

If the selection panel had

decided to pick Brathwaite based on experience, the big hitting allrounder Kieron Pollard should have made the World Cup squad. Pollard is one year older that Brathwaite, and is vastly more experienced, with 101 ODIs to his name. Currently, Pollard is involved in the IPL, and has been one of the Caribbean players to add flavour to the tournament with his explosive batting and top-notch fielding.

Pollard has also displayed good signs of leadership qualities in the past editions of CPL, wherein he led Barbados Tridents, and in his recent match wherein he captained Mumbai Indians and led from the front.

It must not be forgotten that Carlos Brathwaite has also shown ability to lead teams. In the 201819 Regional Super50, he led the Combined Campus and Colleges to their maiden championships.

Kieron Pollard

Speaking of Regional cricket, Guyana Jaguars player Raymon Reifer has arguably been the most consistent performer in the Regional circuit. He was awarded with an ODI selection for the squad to Ireland in the upcoming Tri-Series.

Based on consistency, Reifer would have easily made the World Cup team ahead of Brathwaite. Reifer also adds variation to the bowling with his left-arm seam.

Therefore, it does appear that Brathwaite would have gained selection not because of experience, consistency or promise; but based on his four sixes against Stokes, a oncein-a-lifetime performance registered on April 3, 2016.

Taylor, Matthews among new faces for Women’s T20 Challenge

T

Hayley Matthews

he Women’s T 2 0 Challenge for 2019 has already seen an increase in the number of teams and matches from last year.

But now it will also see an increase in the number of foreign players. The 2018 edition had just players from England, Australia and New Zealand take part in the

first ever Women’s T20 Challenge, played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This time around, the tournament will also welcome players from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Caribbean, giving it more flavour from around the world. Australian cricketers, however, will not be present during this edition, meaning the likes of Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning, Elysse Perry and Megan Schutt will be missing. The addition of a new team Velocity, which will be captained by Mithali Raj and coached by former India cricketer Mamta Maben - and the Australians missing out has provided a chance to a number of other players.

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Natalie Sciver, Sophie Ecclestone (both England), Sakera Seiman, Stafanie Taylor, Hayley Mathews (all West Indies), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand) and Jahanara Alam (Bangladesh) will be the new faces this time around, along with a number of Indians. Each of the teams have a maximum of four foreigners this time around, one lesser from previous year. WV Raman will coach Supernova,

who won the one-off game last year, while Trailblazers will be coached by Biju George. The matches will be played between May 6 and 11 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.

Squads: Supernova: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Anuja Patil, Arundhati Reddy, Chamari Athapaththu (SL), Jemima Rodrigues, Lea Tahuhu(NZ), Mansi Joshi, Natalie Sciver(ENG), Poonam Yadav, Priya Punia, Radha Yadav, Sophie Devine(NZ), Taniya Bhatia, Coach: WV Raman Velocity: Mithali Raj (c), Amelia Kerr (NZ), Danielle Wyatt (ENG), Devika Vaidya, Ekta Bisht, Hayley Matthews (WI), Jahanara Alam (B’DESH), Komal Zhanzad, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Sushma Verma, Sushree Dibyadarshini, Veda Krishnamurthy, Coach: Mamta Maben Trailblazers: Smriti Mandhana (c), Bharti Fulmali, Dayalan Hemalatha, Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, Jasia Akhtar, Jhulan Goswami, R Kalpana, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shakera Selman (WI), Sophie Ecclestone (ENG), Stafanie Taylor (WI), Suzie Bates (NZ), Coach: Biju George (cricbuzz)

Stafanie Taylor

guyanatimesgy.com

friday, april 26, 2019

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Overseas-based Guyanese pumps US$2500 into Berbice cricket

W

hen the Hilbert F o s t e r - l e d administration took over the running of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) last year, it did so with just forty-two thousand dollars ($42,000) in the BCB account.

Desperate to raise funds, Foster contacted former BCB Secretary Oscar Ramjeet to lobby overseas-based Guyanese for assistance. One of the first persons to respond was Brian Ramphal, a Texasbased tech businessman, who supported the BCB with a whopping Gy$1 million (US$5,000).

Brian Ramphal

Those funds enabled the BCB to host its Annual Awards Ceremony, Coaching Clinics, First Division Double-Wicket Competition, and production of its Educational Posters, among other things.

Over the last fourteen months, this proactive Berbice Cricket Board has raised over $15 million in cash and kind, to not only host more than 40 cricket tournaments, but to transform the fortunes of Berbice Cricket.

Based on a comprehensive proposal emanating from the Marketing Committee of the Berbice Cricket Board, Ramphal,

on Tuesday last, handed over US$2500 as his sponsorship for 2019. This contribution of half a million Guyanese dollars would be used by the BCB to host the 2019 Awards Ceremony, a Social Development Seminar for young cricketers, and the 100 Balls Tournament in the New Amsterdam/Canje subassociation.

Foster has hailed the continued contribution of Ramphal, whom he described as “a true friend of Berbice Cricket”. He said the BCB remains deeply grateful to Ramphal, and other overseas donors like Dr Puran Singh and

Dr Tulsie Dyal Singh.

Their assistance, the Berbice Cricket Board boss has said, has assisted Berbice Cricket to move from a period of stagnation into a very progressive period of development.

The BCB has already launched fifteen tournaments for 2019, and another six are to be unveiled in a few weeks’ time. The B CB is aiming to host more than thirty tournaments at the different levels, and would be hosting several developmental programmes wherein Clubs across Berbice would receive assistance with cricket gears, balls, scorebooks,

water pitchers and cricket shirts.

Ramphal has said he is delighted to be associated with Berbice Cricket, and is confident that his investment was used for the intended purpose.

He disclosed that he was very impressed by the hard work and vision of the BCB leadership on his visit to Berbice late last year.

He has received the BCB’s highest award, “Tribute to a Hero”, and has been able to see first-hand the impact his contribution has made.

Laluni All Stars crush Everest Masters in Easter fiesta

A

fine unbeaten century from opener Rocky Sarjoo gave the visiting Laluni All Stars a convincing 9-wicket victory over Everest Masters on Easter Sunday at the Everest Cricket Club ground.

This match was organised by the Everest Cricket Club as part of its annual weekend of activities to observe Easter, and was played in the true spirit of the game, although it ended as a one-sided affair.

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Opting to bat first, the hosts amassed a competitive 203-8 from their 25 overs, which was later overhauled

by Laluni with 15 balls to spare.

Everest Masters got off to a flying start, with Saheed Mohamed and Sahadeo Hardeow racing to 43 without loss in four overs, to set the pace for the rest of the match.

When Hardeow was bowled for 11 (2x4) off Sunil Sarjoo’s first ball of the match, Mohamed was joined

by Hemraj Garbarran, and the runs continued to flow as the pink ball sped all over the fast outfield.

However, when seemingly set for a half-century, disaster struck and Mohamed was run out for the top score of 48 (4x4; 3x6, 33 balls) at 87-2. He had added 44 runs for the second wicket with Garbarran, who followed shortly after for 22 (2x4) when the score was at 98-3.

Former national opener Azeemul Haniff then rolled back the years with a polished 20 (2x4; 21 balls) as

Happy faces of the winning Laluni All Stars after their match last Sunday against Everest Masters

the middle and lower orders kept up with the scoring rate until the allotted 25 overs.

Ronald Jaisingh cashed in with 30 (1x4; 2x6), former national youth wicketkeeper Joseph Perry with 24 (2x4; 1x6), and Basil Persaud with 16 (1x4; 1x6); while debutants Safraz Sheriffudeen and

Ishwar Persaud were not out at the end on one and three respectively.

Pick of the Laluni bowlers was Sunil Sarjoo with 3/28, who was ably supported

by Derick Tejnarine’s 2/45, Rocky Sarjoo’s 1/22, and Glen Campbelle’s 1/34.

Set a target of 204 from

150 balls, the young openers from Laluni, an Amerindian village along the Linden Highway, were asked to score at a rate of more than 8 runs per over, and set out the run chase with Rocky and Tejnarine.

These right-handed openers matched each other

shot for shot in their brisk partnership of 175 runs, before Tejnarine was bowled by medium pacer Basil Persaud (1/9) in the 20th over for 83 (54 balls; 5x4; 5x6).

By then the match was all but sealed, but Rocky was still on the go, and brought up his milestone with a lofted six before ending the contest in similar fashion. He ended unbeaten on 113 (74 balls; 9x4; 7x6) while number three batsman Campbelle was on 8 not out when victory was achieved in the 23rd over.

Everest Masters Captain Rajesh Singh and his opposite number Julian Mohabir each expressed gratitude for the match to mark the occasion of Easter, and both hinted at a rematch in Laluni in the near future.

For his pugnacious innings, Rocky was named Man of the Match.

Everest Masters are next slated to host Bartica, on Saturday April 27 from 13:00h, also at the Everest Cricket Club ground in the city.

RHTY&SC cricket teams assist West Berbice counterparts

T

he ten cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTYSC), MS, on Sunday last continued their personal development programme by donating to two of their counterparts in Region 5.

The RHTY&SC teams: Poonai’s Pharmacy Under-12 and Under-13; Farfan & Mendes Under-15; Bakewell Under-17 and Second Division; Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate; Metro Female; Gizmos & Gadgets Under-21 and First Division, handed over the donation of educational materials, kites and white cricket shirts to the D’Edward Cricket Club and the Cotton Tree Die Hard Cricket Club.

The presentation was made after the finals of the Berbice Cricket Board’s West Berbice Perry Gossai Memorial 100 Balls Tournament.

RHTY&SC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster, who is President of the Berbice Cricket Board, declared that in 2019 more than 200 cricket clubs, NGOs, churches, schools, sporting organisations, along with thousands of residents, will benefit from the hard work of the ten teams.

BCB Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu has direct responsibility for the personal development programme, under which the Club’s cricketers seek to make positive differences in the lives of youths and the elderly and less

fortunate.

Foster told the two teams that the kites were to be shared to children whose parents could not afford to purchase one for them, while the complete educational packages should be given to less fortunate students from single parent households.

The cricket tee shirts’ donation is to assist the two clubs to be properly attired.

Foster also disclosed that the Club will, in 2019, be working along with the Berbice Cricket Board BCB Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu handing over donation to Cotton Tree recipients Die Hard to assist clubs across Cricket Club Berbice.

Naidu, who at just 19 years old has monthly food hampers to senior Under the joint programme, clubs taken over the day-to-day running of citizens and single parent households; will receive, during the course of the Guyana’s leading youth and sports educational scholarship to students; year, items like cricket balls, cricket organisation, has said the Rose Hall medical expenses’ assistance to gears, score books, white cricket Town Youth & Sports Club is the only senior citizens; and assisting youths to shirts, trophies, cricket medals and cricket club in the Caribbean that fulfill their dreams of becoming sports water pitchers. All clubs will receive mandates its cricketers to each make ambassadors. balls and shirts, while the other items a positive difference.

Naidu has said he wishes other will be given to those who need Among the most cherished activities entities would match the BCB’s assistance to embrace sports as an of the programme are: providing achievements, since it would mean alternative to a life on the road; away monthly snacks to pensioners as they more youths being able to “Say No to from drugs, crime, alcohol and gangs. wait to uplift their old age pensions; all the social illnesses affecting them”.

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friday, april 26, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

4th edition of Corona Futsal starts May 4

T

he Petra-organised Corona Futsal Tournament will return to Georgetown in a matter of days, as Top Brandz Distributors prepares for over a month of riveting futsal action and the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue gets ready to host eight nights of thrilling futsal action anticipated in the fourth year of the Corona Futsal Tournament.

Beginning on May 4, twenty-four teams will test their skills against each other in a straight knockout format. However, as disclosed by Petra Co Director Troy Mendonca, the organisation has taken a different avenue with the type of teams in the tournament.

“This year, we designed a programme that we think is going to add to a more exciting tournament. As you would know, (because of) the history of Petra and the ‘war teams’, we recognised that there were players playing street football…within these communities that (possessed) the necessary skill and talent…that were not associated with any club. And we thought that this year we want to have a mixture of the war teams and the club teams,” Mendonca explained.

He said the teams will play three nights of round-robin games before the winner and runner-up of each group and the best two

third placed teams advance to the quarter-finals.

He shared on how Petra has spiced up the group stage of the tournament. “One of our exciting features -- as you know, at Petra we always award or reward teams playing in the group, and there are incentives for winning your group. The first place team in your group will get $40,000; the second $30,000; $20,000; $15,000; and $10,000 in that regard,” the Petra Co-Director disclosed.

Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Top Brandz Distributors, Corona Brand Manager Colin Stuart encouraged patrons and football fans alike to come out and support the event. He noted that there will be giveaways on each night.

“I just want to encourage everyone to come out and support.

Top Brandz has always been supportive of sport in Guyana, and we are pleased to be a part of this five weeks’ tournament. We will have beer specials along with giveaway items at each and every game,” Stuart said.

The first place winner will receive $500,000, whilst second place will pocket $250,000. Third place will cop a $125,000 prize, while fourth will have to settle for $75,000. The MVP of the tournament is also expected to receive a large prize, he explained.

Corona’s Brand Manager Colin Stuart

Banks DIH boosts "Green "Greatest of the Streets" Machine" ahead of RAN Linden Championships…

South Zone Cup Final

By Timothy Jaikarran

I

n the RAN South Zone Cup Final, the Guyana Senior Men’s Rugby Team will be battling for supremacy against Guadeloupe this Saturday at 15:30 hrs at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Ground.

At a simple ceremony held at the Banks DIH Headquarters at Thirst Park, President of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU), Peter Greene, declared himself grateful to the beverage giants for coming on board and supporting the Green Machine.

He also said that, because of the inclement weather, the GDF ground is currently flooded; and if the weather persists, the GRFU has in place measures to relocate the match to the National Park.

Greene reiterated that, in terms of preparation, everything is set for the grand showdown, since the team has been training arduously following its humiliating defeat to the Cayman Islands.

Moreover, he said that the Green Machine has lost the last five games it has played.

Green also said team members have assured him that they will not be taking their current matchup lightly, and will be looking to emerge victorious.

Speaking on behalf of Banks DIH, Communications Manager Troy Peters said, “We

Jamal Angus

are extremely pleased to be partnering once again with the GRFU for this clash between Guyana and Guadeloupe.

We’ve stuck thick and thin with rugby over the years; we’ve anticipated that the Guyana team will do well on Saturday, as we look forward to success from the team. We look forward to a very competitive match, as we are urging the supporters to come out.”

Guyana captain Jamal Angus further stated, “In preparation for the match against Guadeloupe, we have settled down on more of a structured and patterned type of play. In the past, we have played more free flow, individual rugby, which hasn’t worked for us in the past few years. We’ve stuck to a pattern and tried to get it working, as we’ve involved every player, so it may become a part of

them when we hit the field on Saturday.

“The pattern is fairly simple, and leaves a lot of room for change and improvisation during the game, so I think (that) if we stick to our plan, we will be victorious.”

Coordinator of the upcoming match, Terrence Grant, related that Guyana has not played Guadeloupe since 1999, therefore the team barely knows anything about the Guadeloupe style of play, since that country has been away from Caribbean Rugby for a lengthy period.

Grant noted that, despite the setback, it is known that the French’s style of play has always been from the forwards, a move Guyana has to immobilise if they are to sit in the winner’s row at the end of the encounter.

The winner of this encounter will play Bermuda for the overall championship honours as well as the right to play the loser of the Mexico versus Cayman Islands showdown in the latter half of the year.

This will allow the victorious team promotion into the Americas Challenge Championships.

Should Guyana defeat Guadeloupe, they will host North Zone winners Bermuda, who have defeated Jamaica 43-14 at home.

Assuria Insurance Golf Tournament tees off April 27

A

ssuria Insurance Companies will host their inaugural golf tournament at the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) on Saturday, April 27, with a tee-off time of 12:30 pm.

The long-anticipated tournament is finally here, and with the course finally getting some desperately needed rain, it is expected to be in fine condition, with soft greens. Scoring is expected to be extremely low, as the course will favour accuracy.

At the insurance giant's headquarters, General Manager Yogindra Arjune, along with several staff members,

was on hand to hand over the sponsorship cheque. Members of the company will be at the LGC on Saturday to interact with spectators and players and to provide information and answer any questions about insurance needs.

The tournament will feature three categories: 0-9; 10-19 and 21-28, along with prizes for the Best Gross, Best Net, Longest Drive, and Nearest to the Pin (to be held when the tournament concludes). Lots of prizes will be given in addition to trophies, with players and guests being treated to food and drinks compliments of the sponsor.

Assuria General commenced operating in Guyana in 2012, and has quickly grown to be a dominant player in the industry. With offices in Berbice, Georgetown, Diamond and Linden, they are the only company that offers sevenday service (at their Giftland location), and usually processes claims in a short time, as long as all paperwork is submitted.

For more information on the LGC, and how to learn the game or become a member, interested persons are invited to call 220-5660/645-0944. To find out more about Assuria Insurance Companies and their services, email them at

Quiet Storm highlights opening night

T

he highly anticipated ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Linden Championships commenced on Wednesday evening at the Mackenzie Market Tarmac (MMT) with six matches being contested, in which former champions Dave & Celina’s All-Stars, Amelia’s Ward Russians, and NK Ballers suffered losses.

Presidential defeated Dave & Celina’s 1-0, Runic Velloza finding the back of the net in the fifth minute. From there on, Presidential tightened their defense, and the score remained unchanged until full time.

The action intensified with Quiet Storm demolishing Amelia’s Ward Russians 4-0. Mark Richards recorded a hat-trick, scoring his first goal in the first minute, before later going on to score a ‘Guinness Goal’ (a goal scored in the final three minutes of regulation time counts as two) in the 19th minute to take the score to 3-0.

A few minutes later, Amelia’s Ward recorded an own goal to give Quiet Storm the victory.

In the other fixture, Assassa Ballers defeated NK Ballers 2-0, thanks to a Devon Scott goal [GG] in the 19th minute.

Barsenal managed to put down Retrieve Unknowns 2-1, thanks to Carlon Hinds and Keshawn Dey scoring in the first and ninth minutes respectively.

Apart from Glendon Boodhoo scoring for the Retrieve Unknowns in the sixth minute, no other Retrieve player could contribute.

Culminating the evening of play, Capital Storm defeated Amazings 2-0 through an Allan Reece GG in the 18th minute, while Coomacka overpowered Haynes Hitters for a 2-1 win on sudden death penalty kicks after regulation time ended with both teams goalless.

Play will resume on May 1 at the MMT with Quiet Storm battling Haynes Hitters at 19:30hrs, while Capital Storm will duke it out with Assassa Ballers at 20:00 hrs. NK Ballers will then take on Amazings from 20:30 hrs, as Wisroc will attempt to over throw Dave & Celina’s All-Stars from 21:00hrs. Swag Entertainment will engage Presidential at 21:30hrs, and Silver Bullets will take on High Rollers in the final match, from 22:00hrs.

The tournament is being contested in an initial round-robin format featuring four groups of four teams. Upon conclusion of the group stage, the top two finishers will advance to the knockout round.

Group ‘A’ comprises of Assassa Ballers, Amazings, NK Ballers and Capital Storm. Group ‘B’ features Amelia’s Ward Russians, Quiet Storm, Coomacka ‘B’ and Haynes Hitters; while Group ‘C’ consists of Silver Bullets, High Rollers, Retrieve Unknowns and Barsenal.

Swag Entertainment, Dave & Celina’s All-Stars, Presidential, and Wisroc make up Group ‘D’.

The other dates for play are May 3, 10 and 17, with the finals scheduled for May 24.

Assuria General Manager Yogindra Arjune and several staff members were present during the handing over of the sponsorship cheque to LGC President Aleem Hussain

guyana@assuria.gy or visit any of their seven offices: located at

Giftland Mall, at Church Street, Vreed-en-Hoop, Parika, Rose

Hall Town, at Diamond and at Linden.

guyanatimesgy.com

friday, april 26, 2019

23

CPL 2019 set for September 4 - October 12 ─ retained players to be announced today

By Brandon Corlette

T

he “biggest party in sport”, the Caribbean Premiere League (CPL), will bowl off on September 4, 2019, with the final match slated for October 12, 2019. This information was officially released by CPL Chief Operating Officer (COO) Pete Russell, on Thursday last at the Marriott Hotel during a media conference.

Due to Team India’s tour to the West Indies, the CPL management has seen it fitting to reschedule the starting date of the CPL to accommodate all the star players for the Regional showpiece. Each CPL franchise will be allowed to retain three past players and one firstpreference pick for a local player and the marquee player, for a total of five players.

Pete Russell further disclosed that the 2019 CPL will focus on Caribbean players, especially the young talents.

Each franchise team in the CPL will have to select two players

from a CWI developmental squad that was put together

by Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams and the CWI. “This means that the CPL will provide the progressive movement of young talents coming through. You’ve seen the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford”, Pete Russell disclosed.

It is compulsory that one of these players from the developmental squad will have to feature in the starting XI of a respective franchise.

Russell stated that this process has applied since the Dave Cameron CWI administration, and CPL will continue to work in harmony with CWI. With the timeframe of the tournament switched to during the school period in most Caribbean countries, Russell stated that this is not an issue, as CPL continues to be a product the Region desires, judging from the spectacular support it has been receiving.

Focusing on the Caribbean

CPL Chief Operating Officer Pete Russell

players, the 2019 edition will see only four international/ overseas players in a team’s starting XI, in contrast to the five overseas players being there in 2018.

The CPL committee is expecting more top-class foreign players, (excluding Indian players) to feature in the draft that is set for May 22. Those players enjoy the

advantage of less hassle to travel to the Caribbean, in contrast to other countries that host global leagues.

Speaking on the number of matches that will be played in the tournament, Russell said the fixtures will remain the same five-week period, as the CPL committee is considering to play the play-offs as doubleheaders.

No matches in the 2019 CPL will be hosted in Florida, as the Jamaica Tallawahs will play all their home matches in Jamaica.

“I think Florida is definitely on the agenda moving forward, but it was not as successful in 2018 as it was in the past year”, Russell stated.

He noted that it is very difficult to get a huge crowd if Guyana or Trinidad and Tobago are not playing, since the Americans are still not yet 100 per cent behind cricket.

With Women’s Cricket on the rise, Russell disclosed that the CPL will engage the Caribbean ladies to play two exhibition matches during the CPL final.

Focusing on the financial aspects of the CPL, Russell said CPL will give back to the respective Caribbean countries in which these matches are hosted, aiding in their development.

“Plans aiding in development are progressing good; I think you’ll see Doctor

Ranjisinghi Ramroop will make a statement later this week about the creation of a new enterprise”, Russell explained.

The development will continue in Trinidad and Tobago, where an academy will be in place for the initiative of the local team in that twinisland republic.

CPL remains a major part of CWI, the committee continues to work in harmony, and the financial relationship between CPL and CWI is an equitable one, he declared.

“This tournament brings social cohesion and it promotes cricket in the Caribbean.

It’s a lazy description when individuals speak that CPL is just aiming to make money”, were some of the sentiments expressed by Russell.

The salary cap, he said, remains at $750,000 per team; and the CPL will continue to produce exciting players, as West Indies have the most players in the global cricket leagues.

CARIFTA athletes return to heroes’ welcome

By Jemima Holmes

C

heers of appreciation and encouragement erupted in the Arrivals Section of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport late last evening, as parents, relatives and officials gathered to welcome home Guyana’s most successful CARIFTA Track and Field team.

Hugs and kisses were the preferred mode of communication just after 11pm on Wednesday, when the athletes were met by their parents, peers and mentors.

The local contingent, comprising of twenty-one athletes, returned to Guyana with 9 medals: four gold, two silver and three bronze medals -- the highest ever recorded by a Guyanese CARIFTA team.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, bronze medallist Princess Browne shared that she did not expect such a welcome.

“I’m very excited, very thankful for the medal, because I think I deserved it. And everyone else (deserved theirs) because I think they worked really hard as well. I was surprised, I was not expecting so many people to come out and support us,” Brown said amidst broad smiles.

An emotional Anisha Gibbons, who made Guyana for the first time in history cop the U17 Javelin gold, was lost for words at the reception and at her achievement.

“Well, I kept my focus, and I’m very happy. (These are) tears of joy, I don’t know what to say,” Gibbons said between tears.

President of the Athletics Association of Guyana, Aubrey Hutson, oozed gratitude to those who had contributed to the athletes’ success.

“This is the best we’ve ever done. We continue to invest our time, our energy, and whatever little resources we have to continue to send athletes out there to compete. Note, I said compete, and not participate, because we’re at that level where we’re competing now.

And I think the hard work of the AAG, the coaches, the athletes, the parents, and the few in the private sector that believe in us (has paid

The 2019 CARIFTA Track and Field Team along with DoS Christopher Jones, AAG President Aubrey Hutson, and other officials.

off). We just want to say, ‘Thank you very much’,” he declared.

With the athletes’ future on his mind, Director of Sport Christopher Jones pledged his commitment to ensuring that successful athletes are given opportunity to further their studies through university scholarships.

“Our cause as the National Sports Commission is to continue to press the Honourable Minister Dr. George Norton and the

Government to continue the investment in sport, because we realise (that) to keep the athletes in their pursuit of sport, we have to invest in their education,” Jones stated.

The eighteen athletes who are locally based, along with six from swimming and fourteen from Chess, are expected to be officially honoured by the Ministry of Social Cohesion with Responsibility for Sport.

friday, april 26, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

CPL 2019 set for September 4 - October 12

Page 23

─ retained players to be announced today Page 22

Banks DIH boosts “Green Machine” ahead of RAN South Zone Cup Final

4th edition of Corona Futsal starts May 4 Petra’s Sean Embrack, Troy Mendonca and Mark Alleyne, along with Corona’s Brand Manager Colin Stuart

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