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Consultation to amend P
SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Consultation to amend Condominium Act to start in June
Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal
Stakeholder consultations to streamline the amendment of the sultative process with our key stakeholders, for example, the banks, insurance Condominium (Regulation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act is slated to begin by the first week of June.
Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal announced on Friday that the Attorney General’s Chambers is in the process of completing the draft amendment.
“The first draft we’re expecting by the new week and then it goes through the concompanies and other relevant institutions who will have to give their input,” Croal said. In the statement from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), it further detailed that feedback garnered from the stakeholder forum will play an integral role in development of the legislation. By September, it is anticipated that the bill will be presented to the Parliament for consideration.
The amendment of the Act will pave the way for owners of condominiums and duplexes to access titles for their land. Additionally, commercial banks would also be able to accept the properties as collateral and offer loans to the homeowners for expansion and insurance companies will also be allowed to issue policies for protection.
Currently, the Act caters for the regulation and division of properties into parts that are to be owned individually and parts that are to be owned in common, and to make provision for the use and management of such properties, and to make provision for the assignment of certain properties owned by the Government.
During this year’s budget presentation, Croal had told the National Assembly that the former APNU/AFC Government constructed duplexes without amending the Condominium Act to include this type of house. As such, persons are feeling the bugbear of being disqualified
An example of condominiums
from accessing loans, insurances or titles.
“The result is that those citizens that invested their hard-earned dollars into these houses cannot get insurance or titles and even more worrying is that the banks are not amendable to hold duplexes as collateral. How could any Minister with an ounce of sense allow this to happen? No wonder even they though they inherited a robust housing and water sector, it has plunged into chaos for four years. It falls to us, this PPP/C Government, to once again rescue the housing sector,” he was quoted as saying.
The national housing development plan for 2021 includes the construction of 1000 homes for low-income earners in areas such as Cummings Lodge, Prospect, Providence, Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Onderneeming, Wales, Ordinance, Fortlands, Hampshire, Williamsburg and Amelia’s Ward. Another 100 is set aside for the hinterland communities.
This is in conjunction with the allocation of house lots to meet the 50,000 target within five years. (G12)
SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM 24 connector roads to be built along ECD highway
The Government has gotten approval from its counterparts in China to utilise the sums saved on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) road widening and improvement contract to execute additional roadworks linked to the project.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill made this announcement in an interview on Friday.
“We are going to be doing 24 connector roads. The connector road is the road that is going to be coming north or south to the main access road,” the Minister is quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying.
Some $1 billion has been allocated for the programme in the 2021 budget. From that sum, the Government of Guyana has invested nearly $440 million with about $560 million saved from the project.
China Railway First Group Company Limited is the contractor for the project. Works are expected to be completed by year end.
Upon taking office, Minister Edghill criticised the coalition’s handling of the project, which saw a rushed commissioning in the lead-up to the 2020 elections while there were critical outstanding components.
A section of the ECD road at Montrose (DPI photo)
Many of those issues were later rectified. This includes the installation of street lights and traffic signs, among other works.
The ECD connector roads tie into the Government’s infrastructural development agenda that is linked to other transformational projects.
These roads will provide easier access and reduce traffic congestion when the Ogle-Eccles thoroughfare comes on stream. That four-lane highway will connect the ECD and East Bank Demerara corridors.
Edghill has said there are plans to extend the road further to Diamond, then Timehri. He said the intended outcome is to have a thoroughfare connecting the country’s two main international airports at Ogle and Timehri.
India has already prequalified contractors for the $10.4 billion OgleEccles road. A contract award is expected by the last quarter of 2021.
SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Guyana will be good partner for US climate change efforts – Ambassador Lynch
…will share clean energy technologies – White House Climate Advisor
By Vahnu Manikchand
With the BidenH a r r i s Administration prioritising climate change both domestically and internationally, the United States is now looking for partners across the globe and according to US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, Guyana will make a good partner on this front.
“We’re looking for good partners to work on [climate change]. Guyana will be a good partner, I’m absolutely certain,” Ambassador Lynch told Guyana Times.
She explained that while there is not any programme in place presently between the US and Guyana, this is an area that the two countries will definitely collaborate on. In fact, she mentioned that only recently Guyana participated in a Ministerial Roundtable hosted by the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry.
That virtual session last month was attended by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who, according to Ambassador Lynch, expressed support for efforts to tackle the climate emergency and also expressed interest with partnering with the US on this global issue.
Amongst its pledges to the global climate fight, the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to double overall climate financing and triple the amount of finance going towards adaptation in countries that need help in managing climate impacts.
In addition to this, the US Government has also recognised that it has international obligations to not just meet its commitment in the Paris Agreement but also providing resources for vulnerable and in-need nations. As such, the US is planning to share its domestic technologies and innovations with developing countries to aid in their efforts to combat climate change.
Energy technologies
This was according to White House National Climate Advisor, Gina McCarthy, during a briefing with journalists from several countries who are participating in a three-week Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT) on “Combatting the Climate Crisis through US Innovation” hosted by the US Department of State’s Foreign Press Centers (FPC).
McCarthy was at the time responding to a question posed by Guyana Times on the US sharing its technologies and innovations to assist developing countries.
“I want other countries to understand and to have access to the innovations in clean energy technologies as soon as we can so they can reap not just the cost-savings benefit but the public health and safety and security benefits that a clean energy economy can bring,” McCarthy stated.
The National Climate Advisor pointed out that it is important for the US to recognise, and it has, the size of its economy as well as the technology and innovations it currently has.
She explained that both herself and Secretary Kerry are working together to ensure that the US positions itself domestically to be effective, and raises the strength and profile and commitment of the world towards tackling climate change.
“There’s been a lot of progress and a lot of opportunities that are being provided to American workers and to our industry sector for investments that are going to really make a difference and be able to deliver this type of commitment in the US. So, today is also a product of a Governmentwide assessment that looked, sector by sector, at how we can address the challenge of climate change and make the success that we’re looking for,” she noted.
The National Climate Advisor disclosed that like in most countries, the electricity and transportation sectors in the US represent some of the biggest challenges that they face. She said that the current US Administration is looking into every sector, at what kind of already-existing, cost-effective clean technologies and products are already being deployed.
“There are many [such clean technologies] which is what brings us hope for the future. And we also looked at innovation trends, and that will allow us to look at the biggest opportunities we have to actually win that clean energy future,” McCarthy posited.
Moreover, the White House Climate Advisor went on to outline that the US is using the power of both its private sector and public sector investments to try to drive clean energy investments.
“I can’t say that all of their investments of private sector companies will be investing in the kind of clean energy future we all want, but I’m hopeful that the lessons have been learned here that that’s where the money is, that’s where the opportunity is. And the more I think that leaders across the world like President Biden send that signal about what we want to see happen in our own countries, then I believe that more will display that kind of same pathway and utilise it in their international work,” she asserted.
Asked by Guyana Times about the policies in place to encourage US private sector companies to make “green investments” in developing countries, McCarthy indicated that they do work with companies to make sure that their work internationally reflects the values of the United States of America as well as the country’s influence – in terms of where technologies are heading and where the opportunities lie, not just in the US but internationally.
“So, we definitely do want to do the best we can to ensure that we’re providing incentives for our businesses both here and abroad to be kind – to be sharing the most innovative technologies that they have available and to be advancing those in other countries. We don’t always have an opportunity to dictate that, but we do have ways in which we can use our financial structures to actually advance those efforts considerably,” she contended.
Further, the National Climate Advisor noted that the US is also in a position to start working with some of the independent offices and agencies in the Government as part of its “whole-of-government approach” to start advancing the transparency of where its private sector companies are investing. This, she added, will allow investors and shareholders to better understand what is going on and enable them to use their power to ensure that US values are best represented financially in all markets across the world.
“So, we’re going to be tackling this issue. There are ways in which we can influence it, but ultimately, it’s going to – a lot is going to be about advancing clean energy to the extent that it becomes the preferred alternative, where it becomes less and less expensive, where mandates are no longer necessary but where it becomes the future that everybody demands.
And in many ways, the investment strategy that the Biden-Harris Administration has put on the table and our regulatory approach is to recognise that in the US today, we are making progress in the utility sector mainly because clean energy is the cheaper alternative. And the more that we can promote that and show that it has added benefits for our health, for our air quality, for our water quality, the more that we can show that, the more that the people in every country will begin to demand that. And you will see that demand shift so that any international company coming in has only one in one choice in terms of how they build the market, and that’s to go to clean energy. And so, our hope is that over time that demand will build. It is building in the United States, and we’re going to work that like crazy,” McCarthy pointed out.
Meanwhile, the US envoy in Guyana could not say definitively whether any US company has expressed serious interests in investing in renewable energy areas in Guyana. However, she too posited that they try to ensure that any company that is coming here to invest from the US engages in green practices.
“We’re hoping that they all want to make green investments because it is such an important issue… And we always emphasise the importance of doing whatever work they’re interested in, in an environmentally friendly manner,” Ambassador Lynch related to Guyana Times.
US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy
$13.7M worth of ganja discovered along Canje River
Ranks of the Guyana Police Force unearthed and destroyed $13.7 million worth of ganja during a drug eradication exercise at Cow Savannah, Canje River, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).
During the exercise, a quarter acre cultivated farm was found with about 1000 cannabis plants of about two feet in height on the right bank of the Canje River at Cow Dam.
The ranks also conducted a search on the left bank of the said river and during that search, several parcels wrapped with transparent and black plastic bags were found with a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.
A black bag with six twelve-gauge cartridges was also found.
The cannabis plants were cut down, and the suspected cannabis taken into custody.
While the ranks were heading up the Canje River, a wooden boat with three occupants was stopped at Calabash, Canje River.
The boat’s occupants and their belongings were searched.
During the search, one black plastic bag with a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis was found in the backpack of an occupant, which amounted to 500 grams.
The suspected cannabis found at Cow Savannah, Canje River, was weighed and it amounted to 55kg. The suspected cannabis and cartridges were lodged and the suspect placed into custody.
The estimated value of the cannabis found at Cow Savannah, Canje River, is $13,750,000.
The quarter acre cultivated farm and other items that were discovered by Police
Gaza tower housing Al Jazeera office destroyed by Israeli attack
Abuilding that housed international media offices including Al Jazeera’s in the Gaza Strip has been hit by an Israeli air raid that demolished the structure.
It was not immediately clear if there were casualties in Saturday’s attack. Live Al Jazeera video showed the 11-storey al-Jalaa building, which also houses several residences and other offices, crashing to the ground after being bombed as dust and debris flew into the air.
The building also housed The Associated Press news agency bureau.
A statement from Al Jazeera condemned the attack, calling on “all media and human right institutions
The al-Jalaa tower housing Al Jazeera and The Associated Press offices collapsed after being hit by an Israeli missile in Gaza City
the bombing and to “hold the government of Israel accountable”.
“Al Jazeera condemns in the strongest terms the bombing and destruction of its of-
to join forces” in denouncing
fices by the Israeli military in Gaza and views this as a
clear act to stop journalists from conducting their sacred duty to inform the world and report events on the ground,” the statement read.
“Al Jazeera promises to pursue every available route to hold the Israeli Government responsible for its actions.”
Meanwhile, the AP said on Saturday it was “shocked and horrified” by the Israeli air attack.
“This is an incredibly disturbing development. We narrowly avoided a terrible loss of life,” AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said in a statement.
“The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today,” Pruitt said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
35 Around the World
Trinidad and Tobago declares state of emergency as COVID-19 cases surge
Trinidad and Tobago will impose a state of emergency from midnight to contain an increase of COVID-19 cases and related deaths, Prime Minister Keith Rowley said on Saturday.
Rowley also imposed a curfew from 9 pm to 5 am local time, with some exceptions to essential services including the energy sector, supermarkets, and pharmacies.
The twin island state was experiencing a third wave of COVID-19, Rowley said.
Seven hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients are at a critical stage of 73 per cent overall occupancy, Principal Medical Officer Dr Maryam AbdoolRichards added.
With a population of more than 1.3 million people, Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley
has registered 15,375 infections, 5214 of them active, and 265 deaths, Health Ministry data showed.
Health officials have cited a highly transmissible Brazilian variant, first identified in a Venezuelan migrant, as a factor in the increase in cases. Some 60,500 people have received their first vaccine dose but only 1000 of these have received a second dose. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Dilbert
Peanuts
Calvin and Hobbes
ARIES
(March 21April 19)
TAURUS (April 20May 20)
An incident will escalate if you aren’t forgiving. Pay more attention to being the best that you can be instead of complaining or criticizing someone. Focus on love, romance and happiness.
Catch up with friends and relatives. Showing interest in others will also lead to valuable information that will help you make up your mind about something. Don’t overreact or overspend
GEMINI
(MAY 28June 20)
CANCER (June 21July 22)
LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
Take pride in what you do, and you will gain confidence. A steady pace and an innovative idea will help you turn something mediocre into something spectacular. Take a simple, efficient approach.
Share your intentions, and you’ll get positive feedback. Broaden your horizons, and you’ll find a way to use your skills more efficiently. Take nothing for granted. Be honest about the way you feel.
Keep moving forward. Express your dreams, intentions and feelings to a loved one. A commitment will bring you one step closer to a stable and happy future. Romance is favored.
VIRGO
(Aug. 23Sept. 22)
Be aware of what’s going on around you, and you’ll avoid being broadsided by someone’s actions. Focus on making personal changes that will improve your life and bring you more friends.
LIBRA
(Sept. 23Oct. 23)
Don’t lose sight of your goals. Personal growth along with educational pursuits will lead to stability and exciting relationships with like-minded people. Romance is encouraged.
SCORPIO
(Oct. 24Nov. 22)
An open mind will lead to knowledge and exciting opportunities. Explore possibilities and prepare to leap into a world of intrigue. Engage in what brings you joy and peace of mind.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)
Take precautions when dealing with people who are unrestrained or tend to exaggerate. Get your facts straight before you pass along information. Take your responsibilities seriously.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
Plan to do something that will improve your personal life. Getting the ones you love involved in a project will bring you closer together. Plan something special to show your appreciation.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
Stop worrying about something you can’t control. Make personal changes that boost your confidence. Prioritizing romance will tighten the bond between you and someone special.
PISCES
(Feb. 20Mar. 20)
Focus on what you can do, not on what you can’t. Distance yourself from people who are challenging or indulgent. Pay more attention to your health, and make physical fitness a priority.
Smith, Permaul selected for 30-man Windies training camp
– no room for Hetmyer
The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Selection Panel has named a 30-man squad for a three-week, highperformance, red-ball training camp in St Lucia, starting tomorrow, Sunday May 16, in preparation for the upcoming Test Series against South Africa.
The camp provides an opportunity for established Test and developing players alike to sharpen and enhance their redball skills in a high-performance environment, after a monthlong break following the Sri Lanka Series.
The camp will include two “best v best” inter-squad matches, as the West Indies look ahead to their final series in the ICC World Te s t
Shimron Hetmyer
Championship with two Test matches against the Proteas in June.
Most players attending this camp have been involved in recent West Indies Test squads and high-performance camps. A few players, however, will be receiving their first international training experience since the beginning of the pandemic. Among those are Guyanese fast bowler Nial Smith, Jamaican top-order batsman Paul Palmer, Vincentian leg-spinning allrounder Keron Cottoy, and St. Kitts & Nevis’s left-handed batsman Kieran Powell.
Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite and fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph will not be attending this camp, as they are currently competing in the English County
Championship, and will return to the West Indies for the Test Series if selected. Current world #1 ranked Test all-rounder Jason Holder is being rested due to his workload across all formats of the game, and will arrive in St Lucia at the end of the month.
The squad will arrive in St. Lucia and complete the quarantine protocols established by the Ministry of Health for the bio-secure environment before they start training under Head Coach Phil Simmons and his team management unit.
Coach Simmons has said: “This camp is very important for our preparation for the upcoming Test Series against South Africa, and for the rest of our busy and exciting summer. We will continue the work which we began last year in England - to further develop our Test team into a force to be reckoned with in world cricket.
CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, is looking forward to the camp as CWI continues its investment in, and focus on, building a high-performance environment.
“The pandemic has made it necessary to assemble larger squads during the pre-tour phase, to allow our preparation to be facilitated within one biosecure bubble.
This has turned into a positive for us, by creating a much-needed level of focus and intensity leading into tours, while also allowing for players to make a case for selection if they perform well in the warmup games.
Cricket West Indies (CWI), in partnership with the St. Lucia National Cricket Association, have been working closely with the Government and Ministry
Nial Smith
of Health to create a safe biosecure bubble for the players and staff. Everyone entering the bio-secure bubble will undergo two COVID-19 PCR tests prior to their arrival in St. Lucia, and throughout the duration of their stay.
The Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium (DSCG) will host both Test matches against South Africa, the first bilateral cricket that the Proteas would be playing in the Caribbean since 2010. The first Test would be played from June 12-16, and the second from June 18-22.
CWI HIGH-PERFORMANCE
TRAINING SQUAD:
Jermaine Blackwood Nkrumah Bonner Darren Bravo Shamarh Brooks John Campbell Roston Chase Rahkeem Cornwall Keron Cottoy Joshua Da Silva Shannon Gabriel Keon Harding Jahmar Hamilton Kavem Hodge Chemar Holder Shai Hope Kyle Mayers Obed McCoy Preston McSween Marquino Mindley Shayne Moseley Paul Palmer Veerasammy Permaul Anderson Phillip Kieran Powell Raymon Reifer
Versammy Permaul
Jayden Seales Nial Smith Oshane Thomas Hayden Walsh Jr. Jomel Warrican
TEAM MANAGEMENT UNIT
Head Coach – Phil Simmons
Team Manager – Rawl Lewis
Assistant Coach – Roddy Estwick
Batting Coach – Andre Coley
Fielding Coach – Rayon Griffith
Physiotherapist – Denis Byam
Physiotherapist – Lyndon Knights
Strength & Conditioning Coach – Ronald Rogers
Massage Therapist – Zephyrinus Nicholas
Massage Therapist – Kurlyn Smith-Nicholas
Mental Skills Coach – Donald La Guerre
Media & Content Officer – Dario Barthley
Shennel Daniels scores perfect GPA in first year at US college CSA Director Smith grateful Guyana Football Federation (GFF) scholarship awardee Shennel to Grenada, St Lucia – for agreeing to host South Africa tour at short noticeDaniels has successfully completed her first year as a business student at the Bryant and Stratton College in the USA with flying colours, having secured perfect academic scores and played every minute available for the Bobcats women’s soccer team.
Daniels received a partial scholarship from the GFF to support her pursuit of an associate degree in business at the college’s Syracuse campus. She scored straight A grades in both her mid-term and final reports to achieve a perfect GPA (grade point average) of 4.0.
The former Fruta Conquerors player also made her mark on the Bryant and Stratton Bobcats
women’s soccer team, being se- Shennel Daniels I t has been confirmed Smith has expressed delight gratitude to them for their lected in every starting line-up, that the West Indies to be heading back to the enthusiasm and willingness and completing the full 90 min- arships, trials with professional Bryant and Stratton’s Head will officially host South Caribbean, particularly in to host us.” (Sportsmax)utes in all its matches. clubs, and vocational training. Women’s Soccer Coach Alex Africa for the first time since light of the difficult and
“Having achieved a GPA In April, for example, the GFF Grigorita was full of praise for his 2010. The series has been uncertain times caused of 4.0 in all my studies and be- joined forces with MACORP to new star player and student. booked for the islands of by the pandemic. He has ing able to perform well on the offer 10 excavator training schol- “Shennel became an import- Grenada and St Lucia. reserved a special word of Bobcats women’s soccer team arships for male and female foot- ant part of our starting line-up,” The parties had been gratitude for the countries is really a wonderful feeling and ballers. Grigorita explained. “She was locked in negotiations for the that stepped in to host the a great achievement for me,” Daniels said. “I am very happy “We are extremely proud of the impact Shennel has made able to adjust quickly to the demands and athleticism of colpast several months, with several obstacles having had series on relatively short notice. CLASSIFIED ADS and proud of my achievement in soccer and in my studies at this on her college experience, both in her outstanding academic lege soccer. Her experience and knowledge allowed her to be to be overcome. The latest obstacle, it is believed, was “We are extremely pleased to have the men’s TAXI SERVICE point of my journey. achievements and in her on-field competitive at a high level. a venue for the tour, which team’s tour to the West Elegant Cabs. 231-1494 / 226-4277,
“I would like to personal- performances for the Bobcats,” “Shennel was able to cover reportedly was originally set Indies officially confirmed. Cell #: 625-6600. 24 hrs. ly thank the Guyana Football Federation for all the help and GFF President Wayne Forde has said. “She is rapidly proving hera few different positions for us, and we were very happy with for Trinidad and Tobago. A recent spike in COVID-19 COVID-19 has played havoc with the ICC Future Tours GR Taxi 227-1982,225-7878 support you’ve given me when I first obtained the scholarself to be an exceptional ambassador for Guyana, the GFF and her performance on the field and in the classroom.” cases has, however, forced an alteration to those plans. Programme, and we are thankful to Cricket West VACANCY ship from Bryant and Stratton our football community. “Shennel accomplished the The current plan will see the Indies and the Governments Male Bond Clerk Requirements: 3 College. I am grateful for the support I have received, and I look “We look forward to supporting her further on this journey, highest possible GPA of 4.0 in all of her classes. This is an excepteams play two Tests at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground of St Lucia and Grenada for ensuring that the tour goes Subjects C.X.C Experience in dealing with customers. Send application at: Lens 136 Sheriff Street, C/forward to your continuous sup- as she continues to excel in her tional achievement, and every- in St Lucia, and the T20s at ahead as planned‚” Smith Ville Tel: 227-2486 Email: lensgy@ port as I enter my second year at studies and football career. one is very proud and happy for the National Cricket Stadium said. outlook.com Bryant and Stratton College.” Part of the GFF’s strategic “As a role model, we hope Shennel’s achievements will inher,” he said. Daniels’s scholarship with in Grenada. The series will take place between June 10 “The hosting nations‚ in particular‚ came to the party WANTED plan is to provide meaningful opportunities for Guyanese footballers, including college scholspire many more young female footballers in Guyana to follow in her footsteps.” the college was facilitated by former national team player Kevin Beaton. and July 3. Cricket South Africa (CSA) Director Graeme at very short notice, and Cricket South Africa would like to extend its immense 219-5000, 227-2100 Wanted: Contract Cars Tel: 614-6202
Golden Jags tackle Guatemala on July 3
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Federation (CONCACAF) has announced the official schedule for their 2021 Gold Cup tournament.
With that came the dates of the preliminary games in which Guyana’s Senior Men’s National Football team will participate in hopes of making it to their revamped Knockout Stage (July 24–Aug 1).
This summer’s Gold Cup, the 16th edition of the competition and a key part of Concacaf’s 60th anniversary celebration, will be played in 11 stadiums across eight US metropolitan areas. Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will host the competition’s final match on Sunday, August 1.
“We are extremely pleased to confirm the schedule and venues for this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, which
The local arm of the national team is currently in training
second consecutive Gold Cup tournament.
This year’s edition will include a new Preliminary Round (July 2-6) prior to the Group Stage (July 10-20) and a promises to be a celebration of football in our great region,” said Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani. “2021 is Concacaf’s 60th anniversary year, and we look forward with great anticipation to watching the best men’s national teams in our confederation compete for the Gold Cup title. With an exciting new format and the prospect of welcoming passionate fans to the stadiums for these compelling matchups, I can’t wait for the football to begin on July 2nd, and to crown a champion in Las Vegas on August 1st,” added Montagliani.
Prior to the start of the 2021 Gold Cup Group Stage, 12 national teams which qualified through their Concacaf Nations League (CNL) performances will compete in the Preliminary Round (Prelims) from July 2-6, 2021 as they vie for a spot in the second knockout stage.
There, the Golden Jaguars will take on Guatemala on Saturday, July 3 at the PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That game will kick off at 9.30pm. Should Guyana emerge victorious from the second knockout, they will advance to battle the winner of a Guadeloupe vs Bahamas matchup for a spot in Group C of the Gold Cup. That game will be played on July 6 from 9.30 pm at the same venue.
The Group Stage of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup will kick off on July 10, and will run through July 20. The 12 qualified nations, the AFC Asian Cup Champions Qatar (guest participant), and the three Prelims winners were drawn in September 2020 into four groups.
Group C currently comprises Jamaica, Suriname and Costa Rica.
If the Golden Jags are lucky enough to make it into the 2021 Gold Cup, they will take on Costa Rica on July 12 from 9pm, Jamaica on July 16 from 6.30pm, and Suriname on July 20 from 6pm.
In an exciting football first development to this year’s edition of Gold Cup, each group’s final group stage matches will be played simultaneously. This is to ensure an even more compelling spectacle as the teams compete to reach the Knockout Stage.
At the end of the group stage, the top two teams from each group would advance to the Quarterfinals.
State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas will play host to the Quarterfinal doubleheaders on July 24 and 25 respectively.
The Semifinals will be played on July 29 in NRG Stadium in Houston and the brand-new Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. The venue for each specific semifinal matchup will be confirmed at the conclusion of the Group Stage (Q2 Stadium, Austin and NRG Stadium, Houston will each host one Semifinal).
The winners of the two semifinal matches will travel to Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium to face off in the Final on August 1.
The Golden Jaguars also have separate upcoming international engagements on July 4 and 8, in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Gold Cup Preliminary Round Schedule
Friday, July 2 - DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Prelims Round One) 16:30 (16:30) M1: Haiti vs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
19:00 (19:00) M6: Bermuda vs Barbados 21:30 (21:30) M3: Trinidad and Tobago vs Montserrat
Saturday, July 3 - DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Prelims Round One) 16:30 (16:30) M5: Guadeloupe vs Bahamas 19:00 (19:00) M4: Cuba vs French Guiana 21:30 (21:30) M2: Guatemala vs Guyana
Tuesday, July 6 - DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Prelims Round Two) 16:30 (16:30) M9: Winner Prelims 3 vs Winner Prelims 4 19:00 (19:00) M7: Winner Prelims 1 vs Winner Prelims 6 21:30 (21:30) M8: Winner Prelims 2 vs Winner Prelims 5
LGC grateful to MACORP for support – aims to install floodlights in the future
LGC President Patanjilee Persaud
Part of the scenery at the LGC
By TimoThy Jaikarran
The Lusignan Golf Club has continued to move from strength to strength, and each time they are coming bigger and better. As at Friday, they obtain 21 Tee Signs for the golf course from MACORP, and while it may be the beginning of better things to come, there is still more work to be done, as the club aims to take its course to an international standard.
In an exclusive interview with LGC President Patanjilee Persaud, it was disclosed to this publicationo understand that the club is extremely grateful for the support being received from MACORP, and as the future awaits, is hoping to get its course in top shape.
“This means a lot! The company has stood by our club in the bleakest of times, (and) we are very grateful for MACORP. The executives had a vision for the golf club, which it channelled to all members. As our plans start to materialize, MACORP played an integral part in the development going forward. For now, it is important to maintain the course in top shape, improve the aesthetics and club house, and try to One of the 21 signs donated by MACORP make the atmosphere the new executive board was a more family- oriented one. installed, more and more
“As our plans come to light, companies are coming on we will continue to advise the board to sponsor golf. media. A corporate sponsor “We need to continue to like MACORP will help firstly highlight and echo MACORP’s with a well maintained and words, as they have noted beautifully laid our course. that they are pleased with the As such, we will utilise some direction of the club,” Persaud more areas of the land to add added. a few more holes,” Persaud In terms of securing explained. corporate sponsors, the
He went on to state that the Lusignan Golf Club is well on LGC plans to install floodlights target, and is gaining more and on the greens, so players and, more corporate sponsors daily by extension, their families can as it continues to grow the enjoy some night golf. sport locally and gradually take
He also noted that since it to the international level.
Ramdhani siblings break into Senior rankings
Guyana’s badminton s t a r players Narayan Ramdhani a n d Priyanna
Ramdhani have graduated from the Junior Division (Under-19) of their favourite sport and have moved to the Senior players’ league. With the Coronavirus pandemic affecting all sports worldwide, the racquetwielding siblings have, to date, played only three International Open tournaments since 2019, but have performed impressively enough to maintain positions in and around the Top 50 in the Pan American Circuit and in the top 300 players in the Badminton World.
There are more than 189 countries and thousands of players who participate in the sport of Badminton.
Compared to Narayan and Priyanna’s three outings over t h e past
two
Priyanna and Narayan Ramdhani
achievement speaks to the quality of the siblings’
performances thus far.
In a statement from the Guyana
Badminton
Association (GBA), it has players have a great chance in the future (when tournaments recommence after the pandemic) to go a far way. At the moment, as Student/ Athletes, they (Narayan and Priyanna) are competing against the professionals, and still can compete at an extremely high standard.”
Rankings
Mixed Doubles (Narayan and Priyanna): Pan Am Rank, 31 (Points: 3950). World rank, 268.
guyanatimesgy.com
Independence Three-stage Road Race…
Mario Washington leading the pack in stage one
Briton John wins opening stage, Raynauth Jeffery supreme in second stage
Story and PhotoS by brandon Corlette
United We Stand top cyclist Briton John has won the first stage of the Independence three-stage Cycle Road Race from Corriverton to New Amsterdam, a distance of 45 and one-half miles; while the stylish overseas-based Raynauth "Obeah Man" Jeffery went for glory when he claimed the second stage: a gruelling 65-mile journey from Rosignol to Georgetown yesterday.
Opening Stage
The brilliant Briton John defied all odds to claim victory in the first stage of the Independence Three-stage Cycle Race. Adealie Hodge, who was leading the race throughout the Number 19 road, and engaged in early attacks, rode in second, while
The top five riders in the opening stage in New Amsterdam
Paul DeNobrega came in third position. Jamual John finished fourth, while Christopher Griffith rode in fifth position. for the start of this race of attrition. The returning Raynauth "Obeah Man" Jeffery attacked early in the race as cyclists
battled through the storm and muddy Corentyne roadway, but that was neutralised early. Despite numerous attacks, the peloton stayed together while passing through the Albion area, but several riders were marking the dangerous Jamual John. Hodge, who on Sunday last was involved in an accident that broke his bicycle, led the way. He was followed by four chasers in Briton John, DeNobrega, Michael Anthony and Jamual John.
Anthony was dropped after he crossed the Canje Bridge, while Briton took the inside and sprinted away from Jamual and DeNobrega at Princess Elizabeth Road (in front of the Berbice High School). Briton then overtook Hodge to claim victory, while DeNobrega finished ahead of Jamual John. The first stage commenced at 7:37h and finished at 9:25h.
Briton John celebrating a comfortable win
Flying Ace cyclist and top junior rider Mario Washington finished sixth, emerging victor from the finishing pack.
How Briton took stage one
Conditions were overcast as cyclists assembled outside the Corriverton Police Station
Jeffery wins second stage
Earlier, United We Stand riders controlled the peloton, while the four leaders made an early attack at Rosignol. Junior Niles, Jeffery, Ralph Williams and Curtis Dey led the way throughout the West Berbice area. Alex Mendes and
After two stages, the females and juniors are not required to ride the third stage of the race. Their overall placings will be calculated based on the positions of the two stages
Jeffery extended dominance, leading the second stage for the most part, while Briton, Jamual who suffered a flat tire earlier, and Christopher Griffith then reached the leaders at the Mahaica Bridge.
It quickly became 11 leaders at Bachelor's Adventure on roundabout at the same time, but Jeffery took the final sprint and he finished ahead of Jamual (second), DeNobrega (third), Briton (fourth) and Alex Mendes (fifth).
The final stage of this race is set for today (Sunday May
Back with a bang! Raynauth Jeffery storming to victory in the second stage
the East Coast of Demerara. Griffith then took a 100- metre lead from the 11-man group. That large group passed the 16). It commences at Linden at 8:00h and will end at Thirst Park, the industrial complex of Banks DIH Limited.
