38 minute read
Govt mulls vulnerable groups P
SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM $29.8M fraudulent wire transfers unearthed by GWI
On the heels of the mul- via wire transfer instruc- named individuals nor had The fraud was unearthed Ruimveldt, Georgetown; timillion-dollar fraud tions, payable to persons re- it initiated or instructed the after an employee of the Randi Gladstone, 38; and acat a local bank in- siding in the USA, particu- bank to carry out “these ficti- Bank called GRA to confirm countant Leroy Green, 26, of volving the Guyana Revenue larly the state of New York. tious transactions.” the issuance and the amount Kitty, Georgetown. Authority (GRA) account, the “The names of the recip- The Guyana Police Force on the cheque that was at- On Tuesday, Romeschand Guyana Water Incorporated ients are Troy Robertson was promptly called in and is tempting to be cashed. That Singh, 40, of Grove Squatting (GWI) is now reporting that of 1405 Brooklyn Avenue currently conducting inves- was the fourth cheque as Area, East Bank Demerara it has unearthed almost $30 AF2F Brooklyn Avenue, New tigations. The Police finger- three others were already (EBD); Komalram Persaud, million in fraudulent wire York 11210 and Deyannera print experts have since con- cashed. 25, of Golden Grove, EBD; transfers. Mohamed of 1998 Pacific firmed that the signatures The cheques were cashed Devindra Moteeram, 24,
GWI’s Board of Directors Street, Brooklyn NY 11216. were forgeries. at different branches of the of East La Penitence, in a statement confirmed for March 2021. The sum It has been established that The Bank of Guyana has bank in question – one at Georgetown; Anush Khan, that the incident occurred of $17,489,417 was debit- both signatures on the wire also been notified. Diamond, EBD, and the 29, of Diamond, EBD; and at a local commercial bank ed from GWI’s account on transfer instruction letters On Friday, several GRA other at its Regent Street, Shareesa Tappin, 26, of and the funds amount to March 16, 2021, while on were forged,” the statement clerks were charged in rela- Georgetown location. Clifford Avenue, Georgetown, $29,816,932. March 24, 12,327,515 was read. tion to $19.4 million fraud in- Those charged on Friday were also charged.
The fraud was discovtransferred. Based on accounts from volving forged cheques which were GRA staffers Ivor They are all accused of ered by the water author- GWI, was informed by the GWI, the water entity were cashed at the Guyana Dowridge, 26, of Cummings conspiring with each other to ity’s Finance Department the bank that the amounts indicated that it has never Bank for Trade and Industry Lodge, Georgetown; defraud the GRA. (G2) upon reconciling accounts represent payments made conducted business with the (GBTI). Tooqwan Clarke, 25, of West
Govt mulls cash grants to vulnerable groups
After facing a “rough time” during the first countrywide $25,000 COVID-19 cash grant distribution exercise that was rolled out last year, the Guyana Government is now considering a second round of financial relief but only to vulnerable groups such as elderly persons and single parents.
During a press conference on Friday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo explained that while Government is committed to and continues to explore ways of bringing relief to Guyanese amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic, the administration of the cash grant exercise was a major issue.
“You know it took us a long time to go to each home to give the grant to people. And we had a lot of difficulties too… because there was every family in Guyana we had to go to. In some cases, people may not have gotten the money, and they did not get a chance to fill up or some didn’t get to full out the ‘pink form’ because some of them may not have been home. And in some areas, people lied… So, we’ve had a rough time and the people who are distributing this had to contend with all sorts of things,” he stated.
Currently, the first distribution exercise is still ongoing with “pink slip” applicants being processed.
Only recently, the Ministry of Finance revealed that an estimated 40,565 families will benefit from this second phase of the $25,000 per household COVID-19 relief cash grant.
However, even as Government is working to wrap up the first cash grant exercise, VP Jagdeo noted that had there been an easier way to administer the distribution then this process would have been carried out “swiftly”.
Nevertheless, he went on to say that Government is thinking about a second countrywide stimulus relief but only for certain vulnerable groups.
“We’re definitely considering [a second relief exercise] for vulnerable groups like older folks and others, maybe single parents because that’s easier to administer… So that is on the card but not necessarily for everybody but more vulnerable groups in the second stage… But we’re keeping constant, the thought of helping these communities and the people who need the help,” the Vice President asserted.
In an update on the second phase of the distribution exercise earlier this week, the Finance
Ministry said distribution has already been completed in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), where some 2576 families have benefitted from the combined $64.4 million for the project.
Regions One (BarimaWaini), Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) have seen over 80 per cent completion, with 2056 of an estimated 2235 families receiving their cash grant from the $55.8 million for those regions.
Meanwhile, distribution has not yet started in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).
The Regional Executive Officers are putting systems in place to start the process in the new week.
The Ministry said the over $1.1 billion COVID-19 relief initiative was budgeted in 2021 under the Ministry of Social Services and is being executed by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional
Development. It is managed by a committee from the Finance Ministry.
In 2020, $4.5 billion was allocated for the first phase of the grant, which started in September. During that distribution exercise, primary households received the grant, while tenants or other families residing at the same address were issued a “pink slip” for follow-up during the second phase.
In December, the National Assembly approved an additional $2.5 billion to continue the cash grant relief efforts.
In addition to this measure, the Government also distributed $1.73 billion to Amerindian communities as part of its one-off COVID-19 relief investment fund aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and revitalising hinterland economies.
Persons with queries about their COVID pink slip grant can contact the Ministry on telephone numbers 223-7040/223-7039.
File photo: Scene from the 1st phase of the cash grant distribution
SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Driver receives electrical burns after crashing into utility pole
The car that crashed into the utility pole
Ayoung driver received burns about his body when he crashed 12:30h on Thursday, the man was driving at a fast rate of speed when he lost into a utility pole along the Hosororo Stretch Public Road, Region One (BarimaWaini), while speeding.
Twenty-four-year-old Royston Gill of Hosororo Hill, Mabaruma, is said to be in a serious condition at the Mabaruma Hospital and has suffering third degree burns to both legs and fourth degree burns to his neck.
Police said at about control and collided with the utility pole. As a result of the collision, the pole broke and the exposed wires were hanging. Police said that as the driver stepped out of the car, he walked onto a live wire which rendered him unconscious. He was taken to the Mabaruma Regional Hospital.
Sexual assault, fraud allegations
Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), former Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe on Friday denied accusations of fraud and sexual assault levelled against him by the Guyana Police Force and said that he intends to defend himself.
Claiming that the allegations are false, Slowe through his lawyer, Selwyn Pieters on Friday said that he has had a distinguished 37 years of service as a Police Officer.
On Thursday, Slowe and eight other persons, including serving and retired officers of the Police Force were charged with conspiracy to defraud the GPF of $10 million. Slowe, on the other hand, is being investigated for sexually assaulting a female Assistant Superintendent, who worked with him.
Investigations conducted by SOCU revealed that former Commissioner of Police Leslie James hired several retired Police Officers, including Slowe to conduct a complete revision of the Guyana Police Force’s Standing Order in March 2019.
The former Top Cop never sent for nor received approval from the Permanent Secretary of the then Ministry of Public Security or the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board to execute the revision of the Standing Order.
It was revealed that over $10 million was paid to the retired officer but they did not provide the Police Force
PSC Chairman Paul Slowe
with a completed revised Standing Order. However, Slowe’s lawyer is contending that the allegation of conspiracy to defraud is fraud.
“Work was done on the Standing Order. There was no timeline on which the work was to be completed. The National and Regional Elections held in Guyana on the 2nd March 2020 caused the process to be suspended. In the lead-up to the elections, the location in which meetings were held became unavailable due to use by the Guyana Police Force for elections purposes,” Slowe’s lawyer said.
According to counsel, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic, and the election situation in Guyana was resolved until August 2020.
Considering this, the lawyer added that due to the COVID-19 situation, meetings to deal with the finalisation of the Standing Order were not feasible.
Pieters added, “In addition, Mr Slowe has other duties in relation to his constitutional position as Chairman of the Police Service Commission and his paid employment which takes him overseas.”
Meanwhile, concerning the sexual assault allegation, Pieters made it clear that “The allegations of sexual assault levelled against Mr Slowe… is false.” He added that the claim that the officer who was allegedly sexually assaulted reported the incident to her superiors is also false.
It is alleged that between March and April 2019, a female Assistant Superintendent, who worked along with Slowe, was sexually assaulted by him three times.
The Police Force in a statement said that the sexual assaults were reported to an Assistant Commissioner of Police who failed to take proper action. It is alleged that the Assistant Commissioner told the female officer, “… Is I have to promote you.”
Slowe’s lawyer noted that his client is presumed innocent and will be pleading not guilty to these charges. The PSC Chairman vowed that his lawyers will be “vigorously defending this matter and look forward to the truth coming out in a court of law.”
“Because of the inflammatory manner in which the Guyana Police Force Corporate Communications Unit is peddling these false allegations, the public’s record must be set straight and also, to protect the character and careers of Mr Slowe, members of the Police Service Commission and Senior Police Officers,” the statement added.
Pieters accused SOCU and the Police Force’s Corporate Communications Unit of seeking to besmirch the character of his client and the other officers for “collateral purposes having to do with disciplinary matters at the Police Service Commission….and the promotion of Senior Police Officers that has occupied the court since January 2021.
“Mr Slowe also intends to vindicate his reputation from the defamation that is being peddled.” In the meantime, Slowe is yet to return to Guyana to answer the charges laid against him. The other serving and retired officers who were charged were released on monetary bail.
Attorney-at-Law Selwyn Pieters
Corentyne man in 94 kilos ganja bust on $150,000 bail
Omesh Lakeram, the 47-year-old man who surrendered to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Wednesday in relation to a 94 kilogrammes marijuana bust in Berbice, was on Friday released on $150,000 bail after being charged with trafficking in narcotics.
Lakeram, who was represented by Attorney-atLaw Bernard Da Silva, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on May 11, 2021, at Number 68 Village Beach Front Corentyne, Berbice, he had 94 kilogrammes of marijuana in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.
The defendant appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court. The case was transferred to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court for August 6, 2021. As a condition of bail, the accused drug trafficker was ordered to report to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court once per month.
On May 11, 2021, CANU said it interdicted 94 kilogrammes of cannabis at Number 68 Village, Corriverton, Berbice. After conducting surveillance for several days, CANU officers around 04:00h on the day in question observed three to four individuals with flashlights coming through a track.
As the individuals approached, CANU ranks identified themselves and ordered the persons to stop. However, the individuals dropped what they were carrying and scattered in different directions.
The CANU ranks attempted to pursue, but given the poor visibility at the time which raised concerns for their safety, they decided not to continue. CANU officers then returned to the spot where the items were dropped and discovered four bags with several parcels inside.
The bags were transported to CANU’s headquarters where they were processed. Some 80 parcels of marijuana weighing 94kg (207 pounds) collectively were found. Shortly after the discovery, CANU issued a wanted bulletin for Lakeram. The marijuana find is reportedly worth $18 million. (G1)
Omesh Lakeram (left) with his Attorney-at-Law Bernard Da Silva
21 Around the World
OILNEWS
Blast kills several at pro-Palestine rally in southwest Pakistan
Oil jumps on weather concerns in Gulf of Mexico
Oil prices jumped 2 per cent on Friday after three days of losses, driven higher as a storm formed in the Gulf of Mexico, but were on track for a weekly fall as investors braced for the return of Iranian crude supplies after officials said Iran and world powers made progress a nuclear deal.
Brent crude futures rose US$1.33, or 2 per cent, to US$66.36 a barrel by 1:06 pm ET (1606 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate was at US$63.54 a barrel, up US$1.61, or 2.6 per cent.
A weather system forming over the western Gulf of Mexico has a 40 per cent chance of becoming a cyclone in the next 48 hours, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Friday. "This early storm prompted traders to buy crude ahead of the weekend in anticipation of potential production shutins," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago.
The gains were limited by the expectation that Iran could add a million or more barrels per day of oil production later this summer.
The two contracts are on track to fall about 3 per cent on the week - their biggest loss since March - after Iran's President, Hassan Rouhani, said the United States was ready to lift sanctions on his country's oil, banking and shipping sectors.
US energy firms added oil and natural gas rigs for a fourth week in a row as higher oil prices prompt some drillers to return to the wellpad.
The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose two to 455 in the week to May 21, its highest since April 2020, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Friday.
Iran and world powers have been in talks since April on reviving the 2015 deal and the European Union official leading the discussions said on Wednesday he was confident a deal would be reached.
Still, investors remain upbeat about fuel demand recovery this summer as vaccination programmes in Europe and the United States would allow more people to travel, although rising cases across parts of Asia are raising concerns.
Option bets on oil prices rising above US$100 for the December 2021 Brent contract have jumped after last week's surprisingly strong US inflation data, with open interest on calls nearly tripling in May, JPMorgan analysts said. The bank's forecast is for Brent to end 2021 at US$74.
To reach US$100, demand would need to average above 102.6 million bpd in the third quarter and grow to 103.6 million bpd in the fourth quarter, JPMorgan said, in the absence of any additional OPEC+ supply response. It expects Iranian crude and condensate production to rise to 3.2 million barrels per day in December, from around 2.8 million bpd in the first quarter.
Barclays expects Brent and WTI oil prices to average US$66 a barrel and US$62 a barrel, respectively, this year. It cut demand estimates for the Emerging Markets Asia (ex-China) region, flagging the risk of further downside if the recent surge in infections persisted. "Extended mobility restrictions in the region might slow the demand recovery somewhat, but seem unlikely to stall it for a sustained period, given largely positive results of vaccination programs worldwide," it said. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Abomb blast has killed at least seven people at a pro-Palestinian rally in the southwestern Pakistani border town of Chaman, Police and hospital officials said.
The explosion took place as participants of the rally, organised by a regional religious political party, were dispersing, Police official Muhammad Iqbal told Al Jazeera.
“There was a rally there, and as soon as it was ending and people were dispersing that is when the blast occurred,” he said via telephone.
Iqbal said the explosives had been planted in a motorcycle parked near the location of the rally.
The death toll stood at seven killed and 17 wounded, local hospital official Akhtar Muhammad told Al Jazeera. The condition of three of the wounded is critical and they
Men gather to identify the body of a relative who was killed in a
bomb blast in Chaman [Saeed Ali Achakzai/Reuters] have been moved to the provincial capital, Quetta, about 100km (62 miles) southeast of Chaman.
A small town of about 150,000 residents in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, Chaman is one of the main border crossings between Pakistan and its northwestern neighbour Afghanistan.
Rallies in support of Palestinians were held across Pakistan on Friday, as the
COVID-19 deaths in Latin America surpass 1M as outbreak worsens
The death toll from COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean passed 1 million people on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, with the pandemic worsening in the part of the world with the highest per capita death rate.
From the dusty highlands of Bolivia to the Brazilian metropolis of São Paulo, the pandemic has swamped underfunded healthcare systems after spreading fast across nations where many people survive hand-to-mouth and have been unable to enter lockdown.
In Peru, among the hardest hit nations in the region, COVID-19 patients have died in crowded hospital corridors of the capital Lima. Deep in the Amazon jungles of Brazil, many residents of the city of Manaus have died at home with no oxygen to fill damaged lungs, after supplies ran out there this year.
With cases falling in Europe, Asia and North America, and flat in Africa, South America is the only region where new infections are rising rapidly on a per capita basis, according to Our World in Data. Although India is currently struggling through one of the world's worst outbreaks of the pandemic.
On average in May, 31 per cent of the COVID-19 deaths in the world have been in Latin America and the Caribbean - home to just 8.4 per cent of the global population.
Doctors and epidemiologists say the coronavirus pandemic took unprepared governments by surprise last year and its impact has been worsened by leaders who downplayed its gravity and failed to secure timely vaccine supplies.
The top eight countries registering the most COVID-19 deaths per capita over the past week were all in Latin America. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Iran leader urges Muslim states to back Palestinians militarily, financially
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday called on Muslim states to support Palestinians militarily and financially and help rebuild Gaza after an 11-day conflict with Israel, Iranian media reported.
Iran, which does not recognise Israel, supports the Islamist militants of Hamas, who rule the Gaza Strip while President Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority controls Palestinian-populated areas of the occupied West Bank.
Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group fired hundreds of rockets into Israel before Friday's truce, although Israel said its "Iron Dome" defence system had shot down the majority of them. "Muslim states must sincerely support the Palestinian people, through military...or financial support ...or in rebuilding Gaza's infrastructure," Khamenei said in a statement.
He urged Muslims to demand that their Governments back Palestinians.
Iran's Foreign Ministry earlier said Palestinians had won a "historic victory" over Israel.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement: "The intifada (Palestinian uprising) has gone from using stones to powerful, precise missiles ... and in the future the Zionists (Israel) can expect to endure deadly blows from within the occupied territories."
Leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have praised Iran’s financial and military support, but Tehran has rarely confirmed its weapons supply. But Khamenei last year hailed Tehran's supply of arms, saying Iran had transformed the military balance of power between Israel and the Palestinians.
Iran on Friday displayed an Iranian-made combat drone that it said had a range of 2000 km (1250 miles), naming it "Gaza" in honour of the Palestinians' struggle against Israel, state media reported. (Excerpt from Reuters) country marked Palestine Day in solidarity with the people of Gaza following the 11-day conflict with Israel in which at least 243 Palestinians in Gaza and 12 Israelis were killed.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, and has seen several attacks in recent months.
Pakistan’s military has been battling an armed ethnic separatist movement in the province for more than a decade, and elements of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its allies have also claimed attacks in the province in the past. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
El Salvador: Remains of 24 people found in ex-Policeman's garden
The remains of at least 24 people have been uncovered at the home of a former police officer in El Salvador.
The graves may hold up to 40 bodies - most of them thought to be women or girls, officials say. Exhuming all the bodies could take another month.
Police believe that the discovery reveals a secret murder ring operating over a decade.
El Salvador has one of Latin America's highest rates for femicide, the murder of a woman or girl because of her sex.
Hugo Ernesto Osorio Chávez, 51, was detained in Chalchuapa this month for killing a 57-year-old woman and her 26-yearold daughter. The former officer, who had previously been investigated for sex crimes, confessed to killing the pair.
But when forensic teams searched his house about 48 miles (78km) north of the capital, San Salvador, they found at least seven pits containing bodies, some of which may have been buried as long as two years ago.
The authorities said the discovery suggested the existence of a murder ring that may have lasted for a decade.
At least 10 people are facing charges.
The suspects include former policemen, former soldiers and people smugglers, said Mauricio Arriaza Chicas, director of El Salvador's national civil police, La Prensa newspaper reports.
He alleged Osorio Chavez might have been killing people for a decade.
Prosecutors say the victims may include girls aged nine, seven and two, AP reports. (Excerpt from BBC News)
No Internet: Lockdown worsens Argentina’s educational inequality
Education has become a highly politicised issue in Argentina during the pandemic, with battle lines drawn over whether classrooms should remain open during another wave of COVID-19 infections or continue virtually, as they did for almost all of 2020.
The dispute has gone all the way to the Supreme Court, which sided with the city of Buenos Aires when it refused to abide by a national government edict to shutter schools as infections rose.
Now, as Argentina registers a record number of COVID-19 cases — 35,000 for the third straight day — a new lockdown announced on Thursday is once again sending all students home, making the question of how to ensure everyone can learn more urgent than ever.
Lack of Internet connectivity is one of the major factors that drove one in four primary school students who live in the poor settlements of Argentina known as “barrios populares” to abandon their schooling at some point in 2020, according to the Observatory of Argentines for Education (Observatorio de Argentinos por la Educacion), a think-tank based in Buenos Aires.
Of the 78 families surveyed, about 10 percent said they did not intend to send their child back to school in 2021.
Some four million people in Argentina live in the barrios populares. About half of the households surveyed by Observatorio de Argentinos por la Educacion this year reported difficulties connecting to the Internet, while 11 per cent said they couldn’t connect at all.
On May 4, centre-left President Alberto Fernandez announced the Government would be handing out 633,000 laptops this year to high school students across the country, prioritising those who had seen their connection to the classroom drop dramatically, or disappear entirely. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
ARCHIE
DILBERT
PEANUTS
CALVIN AND HOBBES
SUDOKU
SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE
ARIES (March 21April 19)
Focus on something that matters, and you will make a difference. A path that leads to a unique way to use your skills and knowledge will stimulate your mind. Romance is in the stars.
Don't limit what you can do. An energetic approach to dealing with personal responsibilities will help you get things done and leave you time to do something that makes you happy.
Take nothing for granted. If you want something done to your specifications, do it yourself. Get involved in activities that get you moving in a healthy direction. A challenge will bring out the best in you.
A change of scenery will inspire you to do things differently. Listen to your heart, not to what others do or say, and you will find peace of mind and a way to start some positive projects.
Turn to the people you know you can count on. People who have let you down in the past will do so again if given a chance. Concentrate on self-improvement, getting fit and romance.
Spend extra time on work-related projects. Getting a head start on something that's worrying you will put your mind at ease. Don't let anyone interfere or tempt you.
Take control, learn all you can and pursue something that excites you. Time spent with someone special will encourage you to rethink your lifestyle and immediate plans.
Spend more time at home and less time doing things that drain your bank account. A risky offer will be misleading. A change is necessary, but it has to be made for the right reason.
Keep life simple and avoid temptation. Consider what you have to offer, and update your resume or look for opportunities to use your skills to make a difference. Be part of the solution.
Offering valid suggestions and a helping hand will encourage positive changes at home and to the way others treat you. Consider what matters most, and you'll make the right decisions.
It's full speed ahead. Plan out what you want to do, then get the ball rolling. A healthy mindset and enthusiasm will help you bring about positive changes at home and to a meaningful relationship.
Develop a plan and follow through. Refuse to let outside influences put a damper on your day. Take the initiative to engage in something you can do safely. Avoid those hyping a risky venture.
TAURUS (April 20May 20)
GEMINI (May 21June 20)
CANCER (June 21July 22)
LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)
LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)
SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 23Dec. 21)
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)
Chelsea Edghill gains qualification spot to represent Guyana at XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020
National player and Guyana's highest-ranked female player globally former has gained a qualification spot to participate in the Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020. Caribbean under 21 women’s champion and many times Caribbean champion, junior and senior sportswoman Guyana, Lourdosa Portugal division one player will be the first table tennis player, male or female, to represent Guyana at a senior summer Olympic games Olympics.
Edghill is one of the top female players in the Caribbean and Latin America, she reached the quarter finals at the recent Olympic qualifiers held in Rosario Argentina. Great Achievement for us as a Table Tennis nation and fraternity we are truly elated of the ITTF and IOC recognition of our player’s talent and country programs in selecting Chelsea. While universality position is generally geared towards allowing the opportunity to National Olympic Comittees, which have traditionally sent small delegations to the Olympic Games, and is used as a basis contribute to enhancing and reflecting universality of the Olympic Games by selecting athletes from countries’ which have not been able to qualify, so that they may have an opportunity to be invited to compete in sports and disciplines for which Invitation Places have been reserved.
For table tennis only One (1) men’s single and one (1) women’s singles Tripartite Commission Invitation Places are made available for which
Hetmyer should be playing all formats
– but he needs to work harder, says white-ball captain Kieron Pollard
West Indies white-ball captain, Kieron Pollard, says he wants to see Shimron Hetmyer competing in all three formats of the game for the men in maroon, but he also says he believes the Guyanese batsman has to work harder if he wants to regain a Cricket West Indies (CWI) central contract.
Speaking openly on Hetmyer’s career and a number of other topics, Pollard reasoned that the 24-yearold player from East Berbice would excel only if he is hungry enough for success.
“We love Hetty. He is a young, talented cricketer, a guy whom we know deep in our hearts can take West Indies cricket forward from a generational point of view with his skill and what he can achieve on a cricket field,” Pollard said on the Line & Length TV Show on Sportsmax.
“He knows the truth, and he knows what it is. We would love Hetty to be playing all three formats of our cricket, but as the saying goes, ‘you can only take the horse to the water, but you can’t force him to drink.’ So, with that being said, I will leave it right there; and for the individual himself to get things together.
“We love him, and we want to have him. He has a fantastic re- cord in ODI cricket. We saw what he can do in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and it’s just for him to take what’s in front of him. The world is at his feet; it’s (for him to decide) if he wants it bad enough, and what he wants to achieve as an individual,” Pollard has said.
Hetmyer has not been a consistent member of the West Indies Team over the past year, owing to fitness and COVID-19 concerns. Along with other senior players, he chose not to tour Bangladesh earlier this year out of personal fears and concerns for his safety, because of the COVID-19 infection rates in that country.
In 16 Tests, he averages 27.93 and is yet to regi s - ter a century, but in ODIs, he has five hundred and averages 36.66 from 42 innings; while, in T20s, he has scored 379 runs with a strike rate of 116.97. O v e r the last year, he has scored 100 runs from five innings in T20 Internationals, and 14 runs in two ODIs. His form for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League and the Delhi Capitals in the IPL has been more encouraging, but he failed to maintain a CWI contract, prompting cries in some circles that he wasn’t given a fair break.
In terms of the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa, in which the Windies would play five T20s in Grenada, Pollard warned that the side, rated at Number 10 in T20s, must be on top of their game.
“We have to plan properly in order to conquer. Not looking too much into the names (of the opposition) because, as I said before, these guys are talented in their own right, as they would have not been selected for their national teams (otherwise),” said Pollard. (Sportsmax)
National Cycling Championships billed for this weekend
The country's top riders would take to the circuit today (Saturday May 22) and tomorrow (Sunday May 23) for the National Cycling Championships, after enduring a gruelling ride in the Independence Three-Stage Cycle Race last weekend from the border town of Corriverton in East Berbice to the capital city of Georgetown, and then from the mining town of Linden in Upper Demerara to Georgetown for the grand finale.
Today, Saturday, the National Time Trials would pedal off on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway from 7:30h, with the riders tackling a lumpy course over 10 miles.
Tomorrow, Sunday, the road race commences at 7:30h in front of the Banks DIH Headquarters at Thirst Park, before proceeding to Dora on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and returning to Banks DIH Thirst Park for the finish. The event will cover a distance of 100 miles.
Fresh from a display of supremacy in the Independence Three-Stage Race, Briton John has set his sights on winning the National Championships. "I really want to win the Championships, and I am really looking forward to it," Briton John said after his triumph in the Three-Stage.
Team Foundation's Raynauth 'Obeahman' Jeffrey is also a favourite to win today's National Time Trial Championships. This East Coast Demerara resident has raced a number of time trials in the USA with outstanding results. However, he would face stiff opposition from last year's champion, Briton John, and from Jamual John.
The Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) has indicated that Sunday's National Road Cycling Championships is an event that is open to all cyclists over 19 years old (seniors).
Meanwhile, the Masters, Juniors, Juveniles and Ladies National Road Championships will be held on Sunday May 30th around the Old Road Circuit in Mahaica. The Masters and Juniors will race for 50 miles, or 8 laps; the Ladies will cover 25 miles, or 4 laps; and the Juveniles will race for 25 miles or 4 laps.
GCF President, Linden Dowridge, has said the recently concluded Independence Three-Stage Race was a good warm-up for the cyclists who will compete in the National Championships.
Chelsea secured. In the realm of table tennis, the University of Lindenwood graduate in Chemistry performance attempts at qualification tournament wins; ability and potential of the athlete played a critical role in the selection of the Universality spots.
Chelsea is a former ITTF With the Future in Mind Scholarship awardee and a former Junior Olympian ( Nanjing China 2014). This comes on the heels of Guyana’s women’s team of Chelsea Edghill Trenace Lowe and Natalie Cummings and Jody Ann Blake qualification to the World Table Tennis Championships Buscan South Korea which was cancelled due to Covid 19 pandemic. Chelsea’s team mates Players and parent’s members of the fraternity have expressed their joy for this achievement and have indicated that Chelsea have their fullest support. This is a win for Guyana’s Table Tennis It’s a testimony to the talent hard work determination the GTTA would like to express our gratitude to all who have contributed and to our members who continue to work hard and play despite the challenges.
CWI to host Professional Cricketers Draft for 2021/22 season
— Reifer, Lewis out, Anderson in, Bramble not listed among Jaguars
Cricket West Indies (CWI) will host the West Indies Professional Cricketers Draft for the 2021/2022 season on Tuesday, May 25, via video call.
The territorial board franchises will be convening to draft their final two players for their squads, to play in the forthcoming season which hopefully would include the CG Insurance Super50 Cup and the West Indies Championship.
The Draft would be conducted over two rounds, and each franchise must pick a player in each round. Each franchise would pick two players to add to their pre-selected squad of thirteen protected players, to make a full squad of fifteen players. The franchises will be selecting their two picks from a pool of nearly 100 players.
For the 2021-22 season, each franchise would be allocated a pick number, according to their final league position and performance of the franchise in the last West Indies Championship, held in 2019-20 and won by the Barbados Pride (see table below for sequence of draft picks). Each franchise would have 90 seconds in each round to make a pick. Where a selection is not made within this time period, the franchise would miss its turn and would have to wait until all the other franchises have made their selection in that round before making its selection.
Once the franchises have made their full picks to confirm their 15 retained players, a total of 90 cricketers across the six franchises would be retained on full-time regional contracts for the next twelve months.
CWI Cricket Operations Manager Roland Holder has said the Draft, now in its eighth year, demonstrates that CWI remains committed to its professional cricket structure and system, even in these times of uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 90 regional players who would be awarded regional franchise contracts would be able to train and practise professionally, as CWI hopes for a return to normalcy in regional cricket later this year.
Each choice by each franchise selection committee would be monitored and recorded by the draft overseer(s), as notified to the franchises by CWI.
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appointed new NSC Chairman
When the Honourable Charles Ramson Jr, took office as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Kashif Muhammed, recognised as no stranger to the sporting fraternity, accompanied him to many of his outreaches.
When this publication contacted Minister Ramson in regard to this observation, it was confirmed that Muhammad has been appointed new National Sports Commission Chairman.
This publication also understands that a total of 11 members are to be appointed to the NSC in the coming days. Some of the members selected thus far are Phillip Fernandes, Dellon Davidson, Christy Campbell, Bissoondyal Singh and Chetram Ramdial.
Muhammad is wellknown throughout the length and breadth of Guyana for being a part of the famous Kashif and Shanghai organisation, as he is the co-director. He has also been a part of the biggest football tournament Guyana has ever seen, which is the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament. He is also the recipient of the Medal of Service award, and with his new office, it is likely that this will open doors for various positions to be filled, with one such being the Director of Sports.
Muhammad has continued to show his undying support for sports in general across all platforms.
Kashif Muhammad seen with Minister Charles Ramson Jr in one of his latest outreach
– Sherfane Rutherford picked up by franchise
The St Kitts & Nevis Patriots have announced their retentions for the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League, which gets underway on 28 August in St Kitts & Nevis.
The Patriots have brought in two players from other franchises. They have signed Dwayne Bravo from Trinbago Knight Riders in a trade deal that saw Denesh Ramdin go the other way; and have also signed Sherfane Rutherford from the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
In addition to these two signings, they have retained Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell, Jon Russ Jaggesar and Rayad Emrit.
Exciting young prospects Joshua da Silva and Dominic Drakes round out the retentions.
The Patriots have eight spots to fill to complete their squad, and these will be announced in the coming weeks.
Mahesh Ramani, owner of the Patriots, has said: “The St Kitts and Nevis Franchise extends a warm welcome to the new players joining us this year as well as to our retained core team for yet another exciting season of the Hero CPL. This year makes it extra special with us playing at our home – Warner Park. I would like to thank all our team players, support staff and management, as well as our global fan base for their continued love and support. I look forward to an amazing season in 2021.”
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots retentions
Dwayne Bravo (From TKR) Evin Lewis Sherfane Rutherford (From GAW) Sheldon Cottrell Rayad Emrit Jon Russ Jaggesar Dominic Drakes
Guyana’s Sherfane Rutherford will be suiting up for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots
Domestic-based Lady Jags kickstart training this weekend
The long road to Australia and New Zealand begins this weekend, as the domestic-based senior women’s national squad starts its preparations for 2023 FIFA World Cup qualification.
On Saturday, following testing for COVID-19 this week, the Lady Jags will begin sessions at the GFF National Training Centre at Providence. Training is set to run until the final squad is announced ahead of the first round of CONCACAF qualifying fixtures in November.
“We are delighted to have the Lady Jags commence their important preparations for these crucial games,” said Guyana Football Federation President Wayne Forde. “We all know the record of success that the Lady Jags has achieved in recent years. The GFF is investing in this extended training regime and all other necessary measures to ensure this success continues this year.
“We are confident that this generation of players can take us to the next level, especially as more young players come through the ranks via GFF’s youth development programmes,” Forde has said.
As in the previous cycle, the CONCACAF Women’s Championship – slated for July 2022 – will serve as the qualification tournament for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand. The top four teams from the CONCACAF Women’s Championship will qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, with a further two teams competing in an inter-confederation play-off tournament.
Qualification matches for the CONCACAF Women’s Championship are scheduled for November 2021 and April 2022, with details to be announced in the coming months. “We have a very talented and passionate domestic squad that is raring to get back on the pitch,” said Assistant Coach Akilah Castello, who will lead the training sessions in Guyana under the guidance of Canadabased Head Coach Dr Ivan Joseph.
“Because of the absence of competition during COVID, we are going to focus first on building fitness and conditioning,” Castello said. “Our aim over the coming months will be to develop a larger domestic cohort of players that is ready and able to contribute to the final squad to represent Guyana on the international stage and to make our nation proud.”
In addition to the senior women’s national team’s activities this year, the U20 women’s team will participate in Concacaf U20 Women’s Championship qualifiers in September, while the U17s compete in the Concacaf U17 Women’s Championship in August.
The GFF will also be sending the U14 squad to the Caribbean Football Union Challenge Series, and will host the U15 squad in a camp to prepare for regional competition next year.
“The GFF is committed to investing heavily in women’s football as we look to make up for lost time during the COVID-19 pandemic and deliver on our strategic plan to develop football for all in Guyana,” Forde has said.
