Guyana Times - Sunday November 28, 2021

The Advent Wreath: Symbolising Christmas is approaching P14

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4845 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021

PRICE

High fertiliser price

President Ali intervenes to bring further relief to farmers …says, “We are in this together,” at Region 2 meeting See story on page 7

Oil potential in Orinduik could rival Liza field – Eco …close to finalising targets

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Skeldon guest house gutted P26 by fire

Independent P10 expert to review Yellowtail Field Development Plan …as ERM apologises for unauthorized use of Shyam Nokta’s signature

16 Days of Activism against GBV P13

From 36 years of abuse to a life of peace - domestic violence survivor tells her story

Page 3

to drill in the Orinduik block

$120 VAT INCLUDED

Vehicles being sanitised at the Guyana-Brazil border at Lethem, Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) (DPI photo)

Basil Williams to Essequibo contest for Coast teen PNCR falls to death at leadership …in plea for support, says he construction site was “nurtured” by LFS Burnham Page 26

Region 3 P11 woman latest COVID-19 death …44 new cases, death toll now 986

Page 9

More data needed on new Omicron variant before changes made in travel guidelines – Health Minister Page 22

Capoey hoping to produce star athletes, but need resources P17

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, Nov 28 – 11:00h – 12:30h and Monday, Nov 29 – 12:00h – 13:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, Nov 28 – 11:35h – 13:05h and Monday, Nov 29 – 12:45h – 14:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be sunshine during the day. Expect partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East South-Easterly to Northerly between 1.34 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 11:25h and 23:52h reaching maximum heights of 2.21 metres and 2.27 metres.

Low Tide: 17:22h reaching a minimum height of 1.02 metre.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS H

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FREE TICKET

26 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

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Oil potential in Orinduik could rival Liza field – Eco …close to finalising targets to drill in the Orinduik Block

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co Atlantic Oil and Gas, one of the Joint Venture (JV) partners in the Orinduik Block offshore Guyana, has said that the block has enough oil potential to rival the Liza field… and this will soon be put to the test when Eco determines its drill targets for the Orinduik Block.

In the company’s corporate and operational update that dealt with the results of the six months ended September 30, they explained that they are funded for further anticipated drilling in the Orinduik Block and will be pursuing at least one exploration well targeting light crude oil.

According to Eco, Guyana is one of the most prolific exploration regions in the world and the company believes that the eastern portion of the Orinduik Block holds significant promise that could rival the Liza field oil discovery trend.

“Eco continues to firmly believe that Orinduik offers significant upside, with the eastern section of the block closer to the established Liza oil trend than any other block offshore Guyana.

The partnership is focused on the careful selection of locations and is able to drill a number of stacked or multiple target sections targeting light oil.”

“Guyana continues to be one of the most prolific exploration regions in the world, with over ten billion barrels of oil discovered in the last six years. Eco and the JV partners have already delivered two substantial oil discoveries on the Orinduik Block and the block continues to offer significant upside potential,” the company said.

2022 outlook Meanwhile, date featured

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$72.72/barrel

-13.11

Rough Rice

$258.12/ton

-0.83

London Sugar

$501.40/ton

-1.92

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1791.80

$1792.80

Low/High Change

$1779.80 0.00

$1818.00 0.00%

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

Eco CEO Gil Holzman

from President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eco Atlantic, Gil Holzman.

According to him, the company’s outlook for next year is a good one, particularly as it relates to the Canje and Orinduik Blocks offshore Guyana.

"We are extremely upbeat about our operational outlook for 2022; in the nearterm, we look forward to updating the market on technical results of the Sapote-1 well and updated drilling plans on the Canje Block,” he said.

“And we are confident that our investment in JHI will generate considerable opportunity and value going forward. On our Orinduik Block we are close to finalising the drilling targets selection process and continue to see substantial prospectivity in the light oil cretaceous section on the block,” Holzman added.

While Eco is a newcomer in the Canje Block, it had announced a gross figure of approximately 2.9 billion

barrels of oil and gas equivalents in its Orinduik Block back in 2018. This amount was verified by the first independent assessment done on the field.

The Orinduik oil block is just a few kilometres from ExxonMobil’s discoveries in the Liza and Payara fields.

It is under the administration of Eco Guyana and Tullow, who signed a 10year Petroleum Prospecting Licence and Production Sharing Agreement with

Orinduik back in 2019, with the Jethro-1 and Joe-1 wells.

Back in September of this year, Eco had announced in its SEDAR filings that they would be revisiting the Jethro-1 well’s commercial value. When the Jethro-1 well was dug in the Orinduik Block back in 2019, it was found to not have commercially viable oil.

According to Eco in its filings to the Canadian authorities, Guyana continues to be one of the most prolific

Guyana in 2016.

Earlier this year, Qatar Petroleum (40 per cent) and Total E&P Guyana BV (60 per cent), farmed into the block using Total’s 25 per cent working interest in the block. Oil was found in

oil exploration destinations in the world. And with the recent increase in oil prices, Eco said that the joint venture partners would be revisiting the Jethro discovery and its potential to be commercialised. (G3)

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021

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

COVID-19 renewed threat

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here has been a dramatic lowering, in the past month, in the number of infections and deaths due to COVID-19 in our country, with 75 new infections reported on average each day. That is just 26% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on September 17, which was also our deadliest month. Yesterday, there were only 2 fatalities and 50 new infections against a total of 985 deaths and 37,663 cases since March 2020.

With more than half of the population vaccinated two weeks ago, and most deaths occurring in the unvaccinated, partially unvaccinated, or vaccinated with waned immunity populace, the Ministry of Health (MoH) had decided to introduce booster shots for those over 50, and also those with co-morbid conditions such as diabetes. A vaccination programme had also been rolled out for school-age children, but, as with the old age cohorts, there has been a worrying degree of “vaccine hesitancy” that has led to some regions of the country - such as Reg 6 - having worrying higher rates of infection. Another nettlesome statistic was the revelation yesterday that of 38 persons in the ICU at the Infectious Disease Hospital, 23 were pregnant women.

However, with the overall drop in deaths and infections, there are some who believe that we may have entered the “endemic” stage of the COVID-19 scourge. As opposed to an “epidemic”, when infections and deaths are rising exponentially, the endemic stage means that daily numbers of COVID cases had risen to a peak (here in September) and declined systematically, until a steady state with low numbers (endemic prevalence) is reached.

Why should COVID epidemic transition to the endemic phase? At any point in time, the number, proportion and distribution of non-immune versus immune people determines the transmission speed R. When the pool of the susceptible is large, R rises above 1, and when the pool of the immune is large, R falls below 1. The end of the epidemic denotes that the herd immunity threshold (HIT) applicable to the particular variant has been reached. But does this mean that the pandemic is over in Guyana?

Certainly not. Next door, in Trinidad, after 31 persons died last Thursday - their highest to date - they earned the dubious honour of becoming #1 in the entire world in the number of deaths per million populace 22.09. In the meantime, the developed European countries with vast numbers of vaccines are also topping the charts in deaths and infections from COVID-19. Even though the Opposition anti-vaxxers have toned down their strident campaign, we certainly cannot become complacent.

Especially when a new and much more virulent variant the ‘B.1.1.529’, called “Omicron”, has appeared in South Africa and already found in Botswana and Hong Kong.

Several countries, including the US, UK, Israel, Italy and Singapore, have already moved to restrict travel from South Africa and other countries in the region. According to South African health officials, the ‘B.1.1.529’ variant has many more mutations than scientists expected, especially after a severe third wave, which was driven by the Delta variant.

Many of the mutations are of concern for immune evasion and transmissibility. “Omicron” carries a high number of mutations in its spike protein, which plays a key role in the virus’s entry into cells in the human body. The B.1.1.529 variant has 50 mutations overall, including more than 30 on the spike protein alone, which is the target of most current COVID vaccines.

The high number of mutations suggests that all of the present vaccines which were designed to counter the original Chinese Wuhan strain might not be as effective. The WHO is presently investigating the strain, and is expected to issue a statement soon. But we have to assume that, as with the more virulent Delta strain, which is still wreaking havoc in Europe, “Omicron” will force the entire world to start a new wave of vaccine development, and rolling them out to a pandemic-weary populace.

Elimination of Violence against Women: The Supreme Court of Judicature on November 25 joined in the fight for the elimination of violence against women and girls (The Supreme Court of Judicature photo)

ERM apologises to Shyam Nokta for unauthorised use of signature

Dear Mr Nokta, E n v i r o n m e n t a l Resources Management (“ERM”) was contracted to conduct an environmental impact assessment study (“EIA”) for the Yellowtail Development Project. The proponent for the Yellowtail Development Project submitted to, and received approval from, the Guyana Environmental Protection

Agency (the “EPA”) a list of consultants to conduct the EIA. This list did not include Mr. Shyam Nokta or his company, Environmental Management Consultants (“EMC”).

In conduct of the EIA, ERM did not engage with, or involve, Mr Nokta or EMC. ERM has no current relationship or engagement with Mr Nokta or EMC to

provide support to any EIA concerning the Yellowtail Development Project or otherwise.

It is with deep regret that Mr Nokta’s electronic signature was inadvertently included by ERM on the cover of the version of the EIA non-technical summary for the Yellowtail Development Project that was posted on the EPA’s

website.

ERM extends an unreserved apology to Mr Nokta for this error and the ensuing commentary.

Sincerely, Steve Koster, P.E Senior Partner Partner-In-Charge, Yellowtail Development Project EIA

Common-sense public health precautions required this holiday Dear Editor, COVID-19 mandates wouldn’t still be necessary if people stepped up as Guyanese citizens and do the right thing.

We are approaching a time of year that is traditionally one of the most stressful, but this year will have a twist.

Christmas Season 2021 will be the first time that many families gather together since before the COVID-19 pandemic and health crisis.

We all expect another unique holiday season this year, unlike in last year, as many workers have been asked to return to work as COVID-19 infection rates seem to be dropping and many have been receiving their vaccines.

However, this doesn’t mean that the year will end with a full return to pre-pandemic “business as usual.” The past year has shown that, after so many months of working from home or in hybrid work arrangements, employees are less inclined to

comply with rigid office guidelines and schedules.

However, there are people who apparently want the COVID-19 pandemic to continue.

Tested, proven, safe vaccines developed in record time are freely available, a few common-sense public health precautions are all that is being asked of citizens.

After almost a thousand deaths and severe illnesses, it is hard to understand the rage and resistance being demonstrated in some circles of Guyana. You would think the Government was telling us to gargle with cleanser, or take livestock dewormer or some such nonsense.

We hear a lot of yelling about personal freedom, but freedom is best defended when we pull together, not when we risk health and safety for the politics of rejection and failure.

I think most of us would like to feel free to go out in the community without being exposed to a potentially deadly disease, or visit family without putting

them at risk.

Some regard for public health is simply a part of good citizenship. Remember civics lessons in school? No one likes masks, or traffic lights. Freedom to speak, worship, travel and vote are not impinged because we can’t drive through red lights or must wear a mask.

As leaders and managers, we must be sensitive to two key factors this year that are different from years prior: One, this could be the first time since before the pandemic that many employees are gathering with their families to celebrate holiday traditions. Two, this year, many families will gather while facing significant loss of a loved one due to the pandemic. In some cases, this may be a family’s first major gathering to mourn their loss since stricter limitations on large gatherings were lifted.

For so many, this holiday season will be all about balancing love and loss; as a leader, showing empathy to workers and

staying flexible can make a difference in employee retention into 2022.

Consider allowing more flexibility in schedules, start times, and locations to encourage employees to travel and enjoy their holiday time. While there may be limitations to flexibility depending on the industry, across the board, workers report feeling burned out, especially in certain industries, like hospitality, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and production.

It’s easy to get caught up in the rigours of the holiday season, between end-of-year deadlines, family obligations, parties with friends and colleagues, and holiday gift shopping (anticipated to be even more challenging this year due to supply chain issues).

With so many factors at play, it’s equally easy to lose sight of the true meaning of these holidays — a time to be kind, be generous whenever possible, be thankful, and gather together.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Urgent need to strengthen RoPA Dear Editor, The PNC’s glaring manipulation of our electoral system for almost thirty years before 1992 remains indelible on the minds of many citizens alive today from that period. March 2020’s frightening abuse of the process at the hands of many of their leaders and agents has certainly tainted the crafted intent of decency and fairness in our democratic framework.

Without a doubt, the foregoing highlights strong justifications and a necessity for the immediate strengthening of our applicable electoral laws. In particular, urgent changes to Chapter 1:03, Representation of the People Act (RoPA), are critical. The amendments must target ensuring that clandestine operatives and their agents who are hell-bent in their pursuit to suppress the will of our great nation are sufficiently deterred, or be adequately punished in cases where they breach the applicable legal protocols.

In context, the Attorney General’s Chamber and the Ministry of Governance must be commended for their efforts at proposing influencing recommendations in the draft amendments to the electoral laws. Further, their demonstrated genuine interest in involving the widest cross-section of our population in the scrutiny of the proposed amendments in draft electoral laws must be commended.

Some of the observed responses to the requests from

the associated consultations point to the overwhelming harness of penalties being draconian; while others, particularly from the main Opposition representatives, are centred on the need for a complete overhaul of the laws through electoral reforms. It is a long-known fact that the applied strategy by this group was and still is premised on inflicting delays where they believe that the system affords options for manipulation.

It should be recalled that the National Task Force, set up after the 1994 Local Government Elections to review related electoral reform matters, achieved nothing after almost two decades of interaction. This was largely due to the delaying and antagonistic strategy of involved PNC operatives to changing legislation that would have been subjectively interpreted and/or represented.

In this case, however, Local Government Elections are due, and all systems must be put in place for the holding of free and fair elections. While electoral reforms are necessary and important, this nation cannot wait out another ten years of frustrating delays for the necessary legal assurance and framework to be fortified. Systems must be put in place to hold duly constituted Local Government Elections now. The Guyana Elections Commission being fully prepared to hold free and fair elections within an effective and legal framework is im-

perative.

Adequate preparations mean that the relevant staff must be in place. The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is at present without a Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Deputy CEO, Assistant CEO, Chief Accountant, Legal Officer, Logistics Manager, Civic and Voter Education Manager, along with other vacancies to be filled. As a consequence, the Chairperson of GECOM, Madam Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh must uphold her responsibility for the functioning of the Commission, get her act together, and quickly put a system in place for filling all the appointments, and have the full staff complement in place.

The PPP/C Government is fully behind the holding of Local Government Elections, and supports this position by ensuring the allocation of over $1.1 billion in the 2021 budget for the holding of LGE this year. The budgetary breakdown categories confirm allocations approximating $237.7 million towards the printing of 500,000 ballots and other relevant publications; $285.7 million for voters’ education; $135.7 million for the training of election day staff; $81.6 million for rental of buildings to conduct the elections, while a whopping $75.6 million was allocated for meals. Further, it must be fresh in the population’s mind that a substantial amount of rollover funds are in the GECOM coffers.

It is not surprising that

Vincent Alexander is talking of the pulling of GECOM purse strings. What is utter nonsense relating to Alexander’s aberration about the National Procurement & Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) refusing to release required appropriations to GECOM. Where is the evidence to show that NPTAB refused to approve projects or releases of money related to GECOM? Further, NPTAB is not responsible for the release of funds. I therefore call on Mr. Alexander to provide the evidence for national scrutiny that GECOM specifically made requests to NPTAB. In respect to the renting of buildings, the Commission, in directing GECOM’s CEO, needs to make sure that retendering must be completed well in advance before the expiration of an existing contract. Did GECOM apply for a multi-year agreement? What is stated in the Rent agreement (clause)?

Was this issue ever flagged at the GECOM Commission?

Where are the minutes of Meetings?

Vincent Alexander, in

questioning the autonomy of GECOM after 2020, is being wicked and deceitful. He cannot be real in the representations bent on misguided perceptions, and must stop attempting to influence with his falsified opinions. There is a need to separate and be clear about what is the true meaning of autonomy and accountability.

The GECOM Commission,

together with its Secretariat, makes up a Constitutional Agency funded by taxpayers, and must be accountable. This nation must not be misled by the fallacies of Alexander, and understand the role of the GECOM Secretariat and the powerful Commission.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Common-sense public...

FROM PAGE 4

This Christmas season will be our second since the pandemic started. We’ve learned many lessons about COVID-19, and the vaccines have helped with our comfort level about getting together.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still precautions that can be taken as we gather for this holiday.

I think everybody was hoping this time last year that today, a year from that point, we’d be able to say, ‘There’s very little worry, very little concern.’ But that is not the case.

I always tell people,

‘Listen, when you’re dealing with something like a global pandemic, you just gotta take life day by day, and not act as if the ending has already arrived, because it hasn’t. And in many parts of our country, COVID rates are quite high right now. As the number of people with COVID-19 continues to increase in the current pandemic, everyone has a role to play in taking care of ourselves and their loved ones, and slowing the spread of the new coronavirus.

Sincerely, David Adams

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021

Feature

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e continue this week to discuss the issue of pregnancy prevention, and to respond to the many queries I have received over the years on this subject.

I appreciate that there is genuine concern for the wellbeing of the female or male animal that is being considered for spaying/neutering, and the pet owner wants to be assured of making the best decision for the animal and his/her family.

Allow me to state that my mentioning last week of the almost compulsory overnighting of the spayed/neutered animal in the Vet's Clinic after the surgery was simply to illustrate the added costs the owner would need to cover in other countries.

I do recognise that some owners would prefer to arrive the next day at the Vet's Clinic to a bouncing animal, instead of having to take care of the pet (throughout the day/night) until it has fully recovered.

That peace of mind comes at a cost. Of course, should there be a problem with the dog's recovery, the best place for the dog to be is in the Vet's Clinic. However, I maintain that it is much better for the spayed/neutered animal, or any animal which has undergone surgery under general anesthesia, to recover in the environment in which it is most comfortable, and in the presence of loved ones. In the post-surgical recovery room of the Vet's Clinic, there are sounds

MORE ARGUMENTS FOR SPAYING AND NEUTERING OF PETS

(other dogs howling, hallucinating barking, whimpering, etc.) and strange smells and general bustle to which the recovering pet is not accustomed.

In fact, such environments (like any hospital) are not conducive to the mental wellbeing of the recovering patient. As to the possibility of a problem emerging during the time between the actual completion of the surgery and the attainment of full consciousness, I can only say that if the surgery was performed professionally and with technical soundness, the chances of a dilemma emerging are wellnigh zero.

It would be remiss of me if I do not provide you with the mathematical progression relative to numbers of offspring which can be produced from unspayed/ unneutered adult companion animals.

In dogs, an unspayed bitch, her male partner and all of their puppies will potentially increase to 67,000 animals in six years!

In cats, the numbers are more alarming; an unspayed female cat, her mate and all of their progeny, producing two litters per year, with 2.8 surviving kittens per litter, can total 11,606,077 offspring in 9 years!

I recall reading a while ago in the Ripley's "Believe it or Not" Column in Guyana Times that two brown rats can multiply into a million in just 18 months!

There is one simple and immutable fact: A cat/ dog can produce too many young ones in its lifetime for any person (however kind or willing) to look after properly, or even to find adoptive “Forever Homes” for. These unwanted animals are often neglected, cast outside the home and their own, or just consciously taken far away from the heretofore nurturing protective household and strayed.

This results in lives full of unimaginable misery and suffering for the abandoned animal.

I will reiterate what I have covered thus far with a list that summarises the advantages of spaying and neutering: * The spayed female cat or dog does not go into heat, so you will not have the noise and inconvenience of male animals trying to mate with them. * Spayed and neutered pets are less likely to get away from home and go roaming, thus reducing the chance of them being injured in accidents, or being involved in “fights” or territorial disputes, all of which could lead to massive lacerations and deep trauma and costly surgical interventions. * Spayed and neutered pets would not contract sexually transmitted diseases * Spaying females reduces the risk of mammary gland tumours and ovarian and uterine cancers, especially if done before the first heat cycle.

Guyana’s misunderstood predator: the jaguar * Neutering males eliminates the risk of testicular cancer and reduces the risk of prostate disease.

And again, let us recall and dispel some myths about spaying and neutering: * Your spayed female pet will not be "unfulfilled” if it does not have a litter. * Spaying and neutering will not break your pet's spirit. If anything, your companion animal will become more attached to you. * Your pet does not have to produce a first litter before it is spayed.

There are no medical arguments that support the benefits of a first pregnancy and parturition before spaying. In the case of the male pet, one does not have to wait until he has had his first sexual experience before the neutering is done. The surgery can be done preferably around seven months of age.

FOR YOUR FURTHER GUIDANCE:

1) There are benevolent sponsors and humane societies which support programmes associated with spaying/neutering. Degreed veterinarians perform the surgery.

There is little or no cost.

2) The female cat or dog must reach the age of puberty before the surgery can be performed. The scientific literature abounds with the repercussive defects (health, anatomical) if the animal is spayed too early in life.

W

ith its expansive tropical rainforests, savannas and coastal plains, Guyana boasts one of the world’s most diverse wildlife populations.

Among the over 5,000 species calling these landscapes home, the jaguar may be one of the most misunderstood.

Many recognise the jaguar as our national symbol, supporting the shield on Guyana’s Coat of Arms and upholding the “One People, One Nation, One Destiny” principle that has long represented the strength and courage of our people. Many also know the jaguar as a predator – one just as elusive and dangerous as it is majestic.

On November 29, 2021, International Jaguar Day, Conservation International-Guyana is recognising the jaguar’s incredible impact on Guyana’s biodiversity, and the important work being done in Guyana to conserve it.

As Guyana’s largest land predator, jaguars are an important link in regulating natural food chains, keeping herbivores in check, and ensuring habitats stay healthy.

Conserving the jaguar, and the healthy natural spaces that they support, is crucial to our ecosystem restoration and climate regulation efforts.

But despite the jaguar’s once robust presence across the Americas, the species has lost over half of its natural territory, and has even gone extinct in some countries.

Much of this stems from human-driven habitat loss, illegal demand for jaguar parts, and killing of “problem” animals.

In Guyana, where jaguar populations are still relatively healthy, incidents of human-jaguar conflict are increasing as development moves into new natural areas.

In the Rupununi savannahs, where cattle ranching has been practised for hundreds of years, there is still a very strong fear of losing livestock to jaguars. For many Indigenous communities and local livestock owners, cattle are major investments and sources of dependable income.

And although jaguar attacks in Guyana are relatively low compared to other parts of the Neotropics, the economic impact of losing individual cattle is significant, at times leading to the killing of any large cat in the vicinity of the attack, leading to an unnecessary loss of even more jaguars.

Conserving Guyana’s jaguars would take a broad coalition of partners working to delicately balance the well-being of both our people and the nature on which we still depend. One such effort is underway in the Rupununi, where the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme is working with communities, the Rupununi Livestock Producers Association, and the Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit to better understand the interactions between livestock and large carnivores.

Whether tracking cows with GPS collars, camera trapping jaguars, or mapping high- risk areas for livestock, this local research is generating new information on how jaguars move across the landscape and interact with cattle.

Using this information-driven approach is key to minimising human-carnivore conflict; improving livelihoods; and conserving healthy, productive natural areas as we celebrate the jaguar, its important place in Guyana’s natural landscapes, and the work being done each day by local villages, community scientists, organisations and the Government to better conserve this iconic species.

Happy International Jaguar Day! What drives human-jaguar conflict?

Links for more information:

International Jaguar Day: https://www.internationaljaguarday.org/ Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme Guyana: https://www.swm-programme.info/country-guyana Panthera: https://www.panthera.org/

NEWS

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

High fertiliser price

President Ali intervenes to bring further relief to farmers …says, “We are in this together,” at Region 2 meeting

Region Two farmers at a meeting with President Dr Irfaan Ali and his Cabinet Ministers on Friday (OP Photo)

President Dr Irfaan Ali, with Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, meeting with Region Two farmers

O

n the heels of protests by Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) farmers over the high price of fertiliser, President Dr Irfaan Ali has sought a further reduction of the costs from local suppliers to bring more relief to farmers amid global supply challenges that are contributing to the rise in prices and the lack of supplies.

Fertiliser costs have been going up for months now and the issue was previously raised with the Head of State during a visit to the PomeroonSupenaam region back in September.

However, two weeks ago, the Region Two farmers had complained during a protest that, due to the high price of the fertilisers, they were finding it hard to move forward with their cultivation and had called on the Government to intervene in the matter.

Days later, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha travelled to the region and was able to influence the reduction of the cost for the two types of fertilisers by 10 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively.

But during a recent visit, President Ali met with farmers across the region and announced that he too spoke with the fertiliser dealer and managed to get the prices reduced by a further $100.

With this, the Head of State reassured farmers of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s continuous support.

“I am here to work with the farmers to genuinely improve your stocks…

Every single day, we are out there fighting for farmers, fighting for every

Guyanese. So, we are in this together. If you sink, I sink, if I rise, you rise— it’s a simple equation,” the President contended during the meeting held at the Guyana Rice Producers’ Association bond in Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.

He also took time to explain and reiterate to the farmers that the rising cost of fertilisers and other goods is out of the Government’s control.

“The Minister of Agriculture will tell you what is happening in the industry. And then I will tell you what more we are doing to try and help you because you know what is going on right now. The price of natural gas is skyrocketing, and natural gas is a key ingredient to produce fertilisers. We don’t have control over that.

Understanding that I’ve been reaching out, we have meetings every day with other countries to try to resolve this issue,” the Head of State stressed.

Joining the Head of State at the meeting on Friday were Minister Mustapha and Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance,

Dr Ashni Singh, who also spent time explaining the other external factors that are affecting the country.

Dr Singh noted that the global supply chain has been severely affected as a large number of freights have not been able to move from their ports, which has directly resulted in a significant increase in the cost of shipping.

“In some of the richest countries in the world, shelves are empty for Christmas this year. That is what is happening worldwide,” Minister Singh said.

Nevertheless, President Ali reiterated to the Region Two farmers on Friday, mostly rice producers, that his Administration will continue to work with them to address the issues that are currently facing the industry.

This commitment comes days after the Head of State and his Agriculture Minister met with rice millers from Regions Two and Five (Mahaica-Berbice), who are facing difficulties and are unable to meet financial obligations such as payments to banks.

As a result, the

news@guyanatimesgy.com

President ordered Ministers Mustapha and Singh along with Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, to meet with the banks and the millers in order to resolve the issue.

President Ali went on to tell the PomeroonSupenaam farmers on Friday that he had been proactive in his visits to the region via a Cabinet outreach and a presiden-

tial outreach, subsequently.

He said that since his last visit in September, the Government has been able to resolve more than 120 land issues and more than 100 National Insurance Scheme (NIS) issues.

“You raised issues about passport office; we established a full passport office here. Since it has been established, it has received

229 applications, and we have already processed 221,” he highlighted.

Once again, President Ali also took time on Friday to answer questions and resolve issues that the farmers raised on the spot.

Meanwhile, the following day, Minister Singh held a NIS outreach at the entity’s office in Anna Regina to address citizens’ concerns and issues. (G8)

8 NEWS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Tone deaf…

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…to Indigenous Peoples’ history ith us adopting the American “Thanksgiving” to such an extent that we were awash in “Black Friday sales, it reminded your Eyewitness of our predilection for adopting anything and everything foreign. And in this instance, we are evidently totally oblivious to what exactly the Americans are giving “thanks” about - to wit, the arrival of their Pilgrim Fathers in America, where they met and were feted by the friendly peoples they met there, but promptly turned around and not only took over their land, but pretty much exterminated them in the process.

The same thing had been done to its logical conclusion by the Spaniards in the West Indies - and just a tad less in what became “Latin” America. There are so many Guyanese who’ve migrated to the US especially in the New York and Atlanta areas - but do we ever think why we don’t see any “Red” Indians? Well, it’s for the simple reason, that they’ve been either killed off or hauled out to reservations in the American West.

During our Colonial era - and even afterwards - we were “educated” about the “savage Red Injuns” whom the poor White settlers always had to be on the lookout for, lest they be attacked and scalped! Never mind that the said “settlers” were taking over land that had been occupied for thousands of years by the said “Red Indians”!! They presumably shouldn’t have resisted, but assisted in their demise by rolling over and playing dead.

Now, pretty much the same thing could’ve happened here in Guyana against our Indigenous Peoples. They were saved from extermination mainly because the Dutch, who opened up our wild coast, didn’t see much value in the interior jungles in which the former lived.

And also, by the time they got here, the Spanish had already normalised the use of enslaved Africans to produce the tropical crops like sugar and coffee. In fact, the Dutch actually signed treaties with the Indigenous Peoples for them to hunt down Africans who ran away from the sugar plantations. This obviously didn’t engender much goodwill between the two groups which suited the plans of the Dutch to a “T”!

This doesn’t prevent us from conceding, however, that this land - from the Pakaraimas to Orealla, and from Point Playa to Lethem - belongs to our Indigenous Peoples. We should be thankful that at Independence they were only granted some 18% of the land by the British. And, as such, we should stop this nonsense of celebrating “Thanksgiving” to commemorate the loss of their homelands!

It’s just rubbing salt into open wounds. It’s like celebrating our enslavement, so that we could enrich the Europeans by labouring for hundreds of years free.

Just not cool, man!! …to a Brooklyn White Christmas Your Eyewitness’s attention was caught by a small item in one of the dailies: several envelopes addressed to someone in Brooklyn were intercepted at the GPOC and found to contain cocaine. Spare a thought for the poor (Guyanese?) soul in Brooklyn who was expecting to have a White Christmas this year!! But your Eyewitness isn’t THAT sympathetic.

Whoever was hoping to brighten the year-end festivities in Brooklyn should’ve known that, nowadays, letters through the Post Office are a thing of the distant past!! It’s just not done anymore!! They’ve been replaced by email, Facebook, Instagram, and all the other social media out there in hyperspace. Christmas (and other) cards are now sent electronically!!

So, if you’re going to send anything in a letter-sized envelope overseas, know that it’ll stick out like a sore thumb wrapped in thick white swaddling!! And if you think that a box would’ve drawn less attention, just understand that care packages come FROM America.

Not go TO!! …to gender-based violence The “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” runs from Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to Dec. 10, the International Human Rights Day. But it’s too symbolic: we need some real action.

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

NEWS

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Basil Williams to contest for PNCR leadership

…in plea for support, says he was “nurtured” by LFS Burnham

F

ormer Attorney General Basil Williams, SC, who was among seven who were nominated for the position of leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), has officially accepted the nomination with the contention that he has worked through the party ranks for it.

On Saturday, in accepting the nomination, Williams alluded to his longstanding role in the party while telling members why they should vote for him and about his ability to conduct a virtual campaign for the leadership position. According to Williams, he worked his way up as an ordinary member, before serving as Vice Chairman for eight years and Chairman for six.

“I have been working nonstop for the last 20 years as a member of our Central Executive Committee (CEC).

During that time, I spent 17 years in Parliament, practiced as a lawyer at all material times, and served as Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General the last five (5) years for the APNU/AFC Government. I have been travelling incessantly the length and breadth of our country and the diaspora to visit with our membership and indeed wider communities.”

“I have worked my way up the CEC’s ladder from an ordinary member in 2001; Vice Chairman for four consecutive two-year terms, eight years, and Chairman for three consecutive two-year terms, six years. It was under my watch as Chairman we won Government again after 23 years,” Williams further said.

Moreover, Williams contended that he was nurtured by the founder of the PNCR, former President LFS Burnham.

This was a major selling point in his argument for why he would

make a sound choice for leader of the party.

“The only office I never served in is that of leader. I believe that having been nurtured by our Founder Leader Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham and inherited by subsequent leaders after his death and having performed with excellence, the ordinary member, armed with facts and knowledge of my works would agree that Basil Williams, SC, is a sound choice for leader of this great party of ours,” Williams added in his statement.

While Williams urged the delegates to vote him as leader, he also noted that he would not be physically campaigning and cited the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, virtual meetings and other methods will have to be used, lest the campaign “kills off” treasured members of the party.

“We are asked to hold our congress in this milieu and therefore it can’t be business as usual. The world has had to adapt and also Guyana. The PNCR must also adapt lest we ‘kill-off’ our treasured members,” Williams said in his statement.

Virtual meetings, and other forms have taken over to avoid wherever possible face-to-face meetings in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and more deaths therefrom. I do not propose to provide the occasion for our people to contract the virus by having them assembled to listen to me campaign for the post of leader. I will adopt the relevant means of messaging as attend the pandemic.”

Besides Williams, other nominees for the leadership of the party include former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and former Region 10 Chairman

Sharma Solomon. Incumbent Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, Aubrey Norton and Dr Richard Van West-Charles were also nominated for leader.

Since the nomination process concluded on November 17, 2021, reliable sources have indicated that former Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence, who was also nominated, will not be running.

The party’s 21st biennial delegate congress is scheduled for December 11, 2021, over the course of one day. In Stage 1 of the congress, elections will be held for the leader, Chairman, Vice Chairpersons and Treasurer. In the second stage, there will be an election for the members of the Central Executive Committee.

Harmon’s candidacy is supported by several Members of Parliament and party members who attended his campaign launch that was streamed live on the PNCR Facebook page. These include: Coretta McDonald, Roysdale Forde, Ganesh Mahipaul and Annette Ferguson – all parliamentarians.

Meanwhile, Dr Van WestCharles has been endorsed by several PNCR members including prominent leaders in Linden, including Solomon and former PNC parliamentarian Vanessa Kissoon.

Greenidge, a long-standing member of the PNC R who once served as Finance Minister under former President Forbes Burnham, served from 2015 to 2019 as Foreign Affairs Minister under the Government of David Granger - who he previously challenged for the leadership of the party. He is currently employed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an advisor on borders.

(G3)

10 NEWS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Independent expert to review Yellowtail Field Development Plan …as ERM apologises for unauthorised use of Shyam Nokta’s signature

T

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to put oil giant ExxonMobil’s Yellowtail Field Development Plan (FDP) through a rigorous process before approval, including bringing on an independent expert to review the plan.

Approval for Yellowtail, ExxonMobil’s fourth development in Guyana’s waters, is currently subject to an ongoing review by the EPA. In an interview with this publication, EPA Executive Director Kemraj Parsaram explained the approval process.

“Yellowtail EIA process is ongoing… there’s a 60 days period after they’ve submitted their EIA and that 60 days is statutory for the public to provide any comments and reviews. So that 60 days come to an end around December 15th.”

“So, after the public inputs, there’s an independent body called the Environmental Assessment Board. They have to review the EIA and recommend to the EPA whether the EIA is acceptable or not and recommendations,” Parsaram further explained.

According to him, it

will be based on this process that the EPA will decide whether to approve the project and issue a permit.

Parsaram also assured that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will also be subject to an independent expert’s review. This will be coordinated with the Natural Resources Ministry.

“So that, plus the public inputs the EPA will consider and make a determination whether to approve the project. And by approval, meaning issuance of a permit. It also includes an independent expert review, that is coordinated with

MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources) as well, as part of the Field Development Plan,” he said.

Unauthorised use of signature

Part of that approval process was an outside company, Environmental Resources Management (ERM) being contracted to conduct the EIA for the Yellowtail project. On Saturday, however, ERM had cause to send out a statement apologising for using the signature of Environmental Management Consultants (EMC) head Shyam Nokta without permission.

EPA Executive Director Kemraj Parsaram

Environmental Consultant Shyam Nokta

According to ERM, Nokta’s electronic signature was inadvertently included on the cover of the EIA non-technical summary for the Yellowtail Development Project, which was posted on the website. This is despite the fact that ERM had no engagements with Nokta or his company.

“The proponent for the Yellowtail Development Project submitted to and received approval from the Guyana Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) a list of consultants to conduct the EIA. This list did not include Mr Shyam Nokta or his company, Environmental Management Consultants (“EMC”).”

“In conduct of the EIA, ERM did not engage with or involve Mr. Nokta or EMC. ERM has no current relationship or engagement with Mr. Nokta or EMC to provide support to any EIA concerning the Yellowtail Development Project or otherwise,” ERM said in its statement.

Exxon already has approval from EPA for three other projects; the Liza 1, which is producing oil and the Liza 2 and Payara developments. Yellowtail has an anticipated start date of late 2025 pending governmental approvals and project sanctioning.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana will

be online by 2027, with developmental drilling recently starting on the second one, the Liza Phase 2 project. Back in May 2019, EEPGL was granted approval by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to go ahead with its Liza Phase 2 Development offshore Guyana.

The oil company had said that the project will have the capacity to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day. Exxon had also revealed that the Liza Phase 2 development was funded at the cost of some US$6 billion, including a lease capitalisation cost of approximately $1.6 billion, for the <<<Liza Utility>>> FPSO vessel. For the Phase 2 Development, six drill centres were planned, along with approximately 30 wells – 15 productions, nine water injection and six gas injection wells.

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

The Yellowtail development, which will be oil giant ExxonMobil’s fourth development in Guyana’s waters, will turn out to be the single largest development so far in terms of barrels per day (bpd) of oil, with a mammoth 250,000 bpd targeted. (G3)

NEWS

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 3 woman latest COVID-19 death …44 new cases, death toll now 986

T The PNC must accept constitutional rule

G

uyanese on both sides of the divide periodically complain about “governance” – mostly when they are out of office – and talk about crafting a new constitution that would address the issue. However, while we choose to ignore it, it must be admitted that one of the challenges facing us when we discuss our constitution is that because it was crafted by Shahabudeen and others to confirm Burnham’s megalomanic compulsion to “legalise” Ravi Dev his dictatorship, all such exercises are akin to daubing lipstick onto a pig. It remains a pig and will remain so unless the PPP jettisons its Burnhamite premises on constitutions.

We went through constitution reform exercises back in 1996 and then again more extensively in 1999/2000 after the PNC bludgeoned the PPP government to the bargaining table.

That neither excursion changed the political climate or the PNC’s political behaviour - even though the process received their full cooperation and ultimate sanction in Parliament - should signal that there is something radically wrong with their politics. And that something is signalled by the present imbroglio over not even a mere subset of our constitution – the electoral system – but the implementation of what should have been a routine matter – the appointment of the Elections Commission’s electoral officers.

The words of Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, which has withstood the pressures of governing the largest and most diverse democracy in the world is salutary: “…however good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it, happen to be a bad lot. However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn out to be good if those who are called to work it, happen to be a good lot. …The Constitution can provide only the organs of State such as the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The factors on which the working of those organs of the State depends are the people and the political parties they will set up as their instruments to carry out their wishes and their politics.”

Take for instance one of the most revolutionary constitutional changes of 2000 to accommodate the PNC’s contention that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which as Opposition they Chaired, was merely conducting audits of governmental actions long past. The constitutional innovation was to introduce four Parliamentary Sectoral Committees (PSCs) that were mandated to “scrutinize” the entire gamut of governmental operations in real time. They had the power to summon any governmental officer to explain what might be going on with any project. But yet, in the past year and a half, while they have been complaining about every program the PPP government unfurled – from flood relief to COVID 19 vaccinations – they have convened no meeting of the appropriate PSC. So, the problem of the PNC and governance does not lie in the Constitution per se, but in their refusal to accept the fundamental tenet of democracy that is implicit in the notion of a constitution to authoritatively allocate power in the state. The British idiosyncrasy of an “unwritten constitution” reinforces Ambedkar’s dictum that explicitly stated rules, in and of themselves, may be necessary but are not sufficient for a democratic order. The rules have to be embedded within and be supported by a wider political culture that gives life through the actions of good men to the rules in developing the wider network of informal traditions, accommodations, informal pro quid quos that make stable societies function. This element is missing in Guyana.

The PNC has demonstrated time and again that when it comes to power, their guiding principle is brutally simple: “What is ours is ours and what is the PPP’s in negotiable – through force if necessary”. During their thirty-three years in power, they proved that our fundamental problem is of the use and inevitable abuse of power and that the challenge is to prevent that abuse and direct it to ends that serve the national interests. This notion is rooted in the fallibility of man… the belief that no man or group of men, should be entrusted with absolute power over other men as we saw with the PNC between 1964-1992. This tendency is exacerbated when a country has groups that are racially or ethnically different, as Guyana, since it becomes so much easier to demonise the “other” and resort to extreme measures to assert one’s position.

This, the PNC still does not accept.

he Health Ministry on Saturday announced that there has been another local death from COVID-19, which increased the death toll to 986.

The latest fatality is a 69-year-old man from Region Three, who died on November 26 while receiving care at a medical facility. She was fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, there were 44 new cases in one day. From the 37,707 total confirmed cases since March 2020, 17,762 are males and the remaining 19,945 are females.

There are 16 persons in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 65 in institutional isolation, 1399 in home isolation and two in institutional quarantine. For now, there are 35,341 recovered cases while active infections have dropped to 1480.

Data shows that the new positives were dispersed among six regions, with two in Region One (Barima-Waini), five in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 25 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), three in Region Five (DemeraraMahaica), one in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and one in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Cases in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) remain constant.

This week, it was revealed that over 4760 children contracted the novel coronavirus since March 2020.

Almost 400,000 adults or 78 per cent have taken their first dose of a COVID vaccine. Only 275,000 have returned for a second jab, indicating that over 100,000 are still outstanding.

Addressing this gap, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Friday said, “That indeed is a challenge. Some of it, we can attribute to when the person got their first dose and when they

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD NOVEMBER 27, 2021 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

44

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

65

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

1399

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

16

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

2

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

19,945

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

17,762

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

37,707

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

35,241

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

400,000

FULLY IMMUNISED

275,126

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

986

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1667

REGION 2

1550

REGION 3

5080

REGION 4

17,715

REGION 5

1408

REGION 6

3199

REGION 7

1781

REGION 8

620

REGION 9

2473

REGION 10

2214

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181. should come back to get their second dose. But a lot of it is people who would have already received their first dose but they have not shown up back for their second dose. That’s worrying because if you’re partially vaccinated, you’re not going to get the benefits of the vaccine.”

A breakdown has shown that Region Four is leading the immunisation campaign with 87.4 per cent first dose coverage. Region One comes at 82.7 per cent first doses, Region Six at 76.9 per cent, Region Five at

76.8 per cent, Region Nine at 75.1 per cent, Region Seven at 74.9 per cent and Region Three at 74.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, Regions Two, Eight and 10 continue to lag behind at 64 per cent, 49.7 per cent and 37.5 per cent.

“There are [areas] in Region Eight where people are very, very hesitant and in some areas, entire communities have refused to be vaccinated,” said the Minister.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with

COVID-19 or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene. (G12)

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FEATURE

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

From 36 years of abuse to a life of peace - domestic violence survivor tells her story

By Solomon McGarrell

W

omen are oftentimes deemed to be the backbones in their relationship, even if it is to their detriment, all in the name of love for their children. This love in a majority of cases forces women to endure years of abuse at the hands of beloved partners.

This is the identical life story of the domestic abuse victim, 54-year-old Esther Gobin, who recently shared her life story with Guyana Times.

Gobin related that when she met her reputed husband, she thought to herself that she had found “Mr Wonderful”, but little did she know, behind that charming man lay an abuser who could not contain his deception of portraying a loving persona and quickly snapped out of it. “He treated me nice for the first, about a year after having our first child, he began hitting me whenever he drinks alcohol,” she related.

Abusing her physically was not enough for him, he then turned to the innocent children.

“He would usually beat me up and them girls and then put us out,” she recounted.

The mother of six children said she endured 28 long, hard years of abuse with fear that if she walked out, her children would punish and wanted to have them grow with their father, with the hope that he would someday turn his life around. As life unfolded,

“My children kept me back, I didn’t want to have them punishing, I always wanted them to grow with their father but he could have never changed. I had six children to take care of and found it difficult to move on because of my financial situation. Yes, it affected the children, he made our big daughter get away with a boy, our second daughter drop out of school. All of our children except one finish school.” this proved to cause more harm than good.

“My children kept me back, I didn’t want to have them punishing, I always wanted them to grow with their father but he could have never changed. I had six children to take care of and found it difficult to move on because of my financial situation.

Yes, it affected the children, he made our big daughter get away with a boy, our second daughter drop out of school. All of our children except one, finish school.”

The woman, who lived some 15 years in Calcuni, a village in the Upper Berbice River, Region 10, recalled that throughout the years she would have only made two reports to the Police regarding her reputed husband’s abusive act against her and the children, but this proved futile since he would go into hiding before they arrived at the village.

She later moved to Kwakwani, the heart of the sub-district, with

her abuser and children. Although the Police station was just a stone’s throw away, the abuse continued but she opted not to make any reports, out of fear that her children would punish if she set foot out the door.

Recounting her life, Gobin said she and her children would go the extra mile just to make him happy and to assist in putting bread on the table. “Myself and them children would work with him in the bush, deh struggling with him and he would still beat us and put us out. I used to be going to family members and spend a two day and go back, because I couldn’t have afforded it,” she related.

Enough

Christmas is the time when families would usually get together and have a merry time, but in Gobin’s case, it was time to hit the road without a worry about her two youngest children’s future, “I had enough; it was a Christmas eve when he came

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

home drunk and began cussing up and I just walk out the door without looking back to this day.”

She related that she moved to a relative’s house but not without difficulties since she and her children had to live in separate places until she was able to get a place of her own.

Gobin said she worked two jobs to maintain herself and her 14-year-old son – with one salary for herself and the other was sent for her then 10-year-old daughter, who was at another relative’s house outside of Region 10.

When she thought she was finally out of what she described as “the pit of hell”, her exreputed husband utilised every opportunity to beat her down.

She said he reached out “plenty times and begged me but I don’t want that anymore, I had

enough.”

Life on her own

Gobin explained that life with her children away from what they once knew as home “is nice”, but her wages were not sufficient to cater for basic needs and send the children to school and they dropped out of school without having the opportunity to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate.

“When I moved on, it was nice, I use to work, but I couldn’t afford to send them (children) to school. When I would go and ask him for money to take care of them, he would say is your children, take care of them. My daughter dropped out at fourth form; she could have made it at CXC; she was never a dunce child.”

After many years of slaps,

cuffs, kicks, being put out whether it rained or not and the hard work, Gobin revealed that she recently suffered from a stroke but this has not severely affected her mobility.

Life of peace

After stepping out the door some eight years ago, she has managed to rebuild her selfesteem and moved on to another relationship which she described to be the opposite of what she endured for 28 years. “Life is very nice now, at least I don’t get licks or get bad treatment,” she confidently and happily stated.

She said she would encourage persons to muster up boldness and get out and not think they cannot make it on their own.

The happy couple constructed a home and operates a shop at the area.

14 FEATURE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

The Advent Wreath: Symbolising Christmas is approaching

By Jemima Holmes

C

hristmas, a time of joy, togetherness and thanksgiving, is rivalled in celebration by few others. It is the time of year that children look forward to with utmost eagerness, plotting their wish lists. In Guyanese homes, mothers brainstorm the right colour for “blinds” and fathers pull out all the tools needed to repair and clean.

A picture of perfect anticipation; yet, it is not the same in most homes.

The chaos and expectation, for Anglicans, is absent, as they look forward to something they regard as more important; the season of Advent.

“The Anglican church calms you down, slows you down,” St Sidwell’s parish Priest, Reverend Monsell Alves told Guyana Times.

Preparation

“The focus must be the preparation to welcome Jesus Christ. Ever so often in our society, we celebrate Christmas long before, during the season of

Advent, but Advent tells us that we must wait, we must watch and we must be patient but because of commercialism, it doesn’t happen.”

The observance of this season, which is a faithbased, has much to do with a particular symbol, the Advent Wreath. It often bears five candles; four on the outer part of the wreath, of which three are purple and one rose pink. In the centre stands a single white candle. The Wreath in itself is evergreen and decorated lightly with purple bows and flowers.

Each of the candles on

the wreath bears a special significance and provides the Anglican Church with a new, weekly focus as the time winds down to Christmas Day. According to Father Alves, even the colour of the wreath is symbolic.

“So, it speaks to God’s eternity,” he said about the colour.

The Parish Priest went on to share more about Advent, stating, “During the season of Advent, there are four Sundays and so for every Sunday during the season, we light a different candle.”

“These candles can be lit during mass, when we

Reverend Monsell Alves speaking with Guyana Times journalist Jemima Homes. Also in photo is Evening News cameraman Paul Vanvield

have the great thanksgiving, the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. These candles during the season of Advent can be lit if you have evening prayer or morning prayer.”

Hope

The first candle that will be lit today, is one of the purple ones. Its significance is one that is closely attached to the season of Christmas.

Hope is the subject of many seasonal movies and carols, a time when the expectation of a special child gave the world some hope to cling to.

“In our society that we’re living in as Guyanese, we need to also during this pandemic - give people hope,” Father Alves said candidly.

However, while the Advent reason for lighting a Candle of Hope is vaguely similar, St Sidwell’s has attached their own twist, in advocating against HIV/ AIDS. “So the first Sunday of Advent…the first candle we light, will be the Candle of Hope and when we light the candle hope, and this year what we are doing at St Sidwell’s, in addition to lighting this candle which symbolises hope, we will also light the HIV/AIDS candle, because the 1st of December is World AIDS Day,” Reverend Alves informed this publication.

He further stated, “We want to give hope to those

persons who are living with HIV/AIDS, to those persons who have to care for those living with HIV/ AIDS and everything that has to do with HIV/AIDS.”

Peace

The following week, the Anglican church’s focus will shift to peace, as the second Advent candle is lit. Like the first, this candle will also be purple.

As Father Alves explained the intention behind the peace candle, he noted that it is within their belief to accept that peace does not come without tribulations.

He explained, “The second candle we light, is a candle that symbolises peace. And so, for us as Christians, we do not believe that peace means the absence of conflict. We do not believe in that. As Christians we believe that we are going to experience situations in our lives, we going to experience hardships, difficulties, trials, but Jesus Christ is our Prince of Peace.”

Additionally, Jesus Christ’s title as the “Prince of Peace” is taken into consideration, as the church actively exercises ways of sharing that peace.

“Since he’s the Prince of Peace, we will light the Candle of Peace. We offer peace to the world and so one of the greetings we say in the Anglican church, ‘The peace of the Lord be with you’ and the members

of the congregation respond ‘And also with you’,” Father Alves noted.

Joy

The rose-pink candle on the Advent Wreath is quite a special one; not only is its colour unlike most of the others, but its traditional lighting is also different from the other Advent candles.

“The third candle is the Candle of Joy and this candle is usually lit by a child, because you may know of the carol, ‘Joy to the world, the Lord is come’.”

Seen as a time of giving and charity, the lighting of the joy candle also signifies the middle of the Advent season.

Father Alves further shared, “This candle also symbolises what we call mid-Advent. So, we are in the middle of Advent, we light the Candle of Joy and so our spirit is lifted because Advent is a semi-penitential season, it is a time whereby we should give more to charity, we should also spend more time in prayer and we must also spend more time in fasting.”

“For the 24 days of Advent, we are encouraging persons to read the book of Luke, for every day read a chapter of the book of Luke and so we spread the message of joy during this season of Advent,” the St Sidwell’s Parish Priest urged.

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The Advent Wreath: Symbolising...

FROM PAGE 14

Love

With all the romantic stories that are pedalled by large networks during the Christmas season, it comes as no surprise that love plays an integral role in the Anglicans’ lead up to Christmas Day. With that said, the fourth candle on the Advent Wreath is symbolic of love.

This candle will also bear the purple colour, like those that were lit during the first and second weeks of Advent.

Father Alves shared cheerily, “So, you come now and you start to smile because you start getting closer to Christmas, because Christmas speaks to the Bethlehem child bringing joy to the world, bringing love to the world, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

“And so, that’s the message of love.”

The Christ Candle

Essentially the most important candle to be

lit during the season; the Christ Candle is lit on Christmas Day itself. This is also the point at which the colours of the bows and flowers on the Advent Wreath change. Sometimes the traditional Christmas colours, like red and green, are opted for, but what is sure, is that the Advent Wreath will now appear more festive.

“Jesus Christ is the light of the world, white signifies purity and so we light the Christ Candle,” Father Alves related to Guyana Times.

The whole idea of the Advent season, is to prepare one’s heart and mind for the birth of Christ, it is for this reason that the Christ Candle is so important.

“Advent means the coming of Jesus Christ, our incarnate Lord, you will also hear the word Maranatha, which also speaks to the coming of Jesus Christ,” Alves said, adding “as we think of the second coming of Jesus Christ, we think of our own incarnation, Jesus Christ coming into the world and us, living in

this publication that the focus on Christ coming into the world is much, much, more important than the date.

“I want to make this point that for us as Anglicans, we are not concentrating pm whether the 25th is the right date or the wrong date, for us as Anglicans we believe in the gospel of John. We believe that Jesus Christ came into the world, and that is what we’re celebrating,” the Priest revealed.

Self-introspection

the world but not part of the world. So, we have to try as much as possible - it is hard for us to do - during the season of Advent, we don’t sing Christmas songs or Christmas music.”

He added, “One of the popular songs you will hear in the churches is ‘Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel’ and

Emmanuel means ‘God is with us’. So we are inviting Jesus Christ to come into our homes, to come into our lives”.

However, with the Christ Candle being lit on Christmas Day, there is often much speculation about the ‘right date’ of Jesus Christ’s birth. On this note, Father Alves explained to

While the observance at the church level affords Christians the opportunity to be fully involved in the Season of Advent, there is much that the individual can do to align their beliefs with the purpose of the observance.

For starters, believers can prepare their own wreath in their home.

However, this time calls for serious self-introspection.

Reverend Alves went on to posit, “During this time of Advent, it is so important for us to look within ourselves. We tend to clean

physically, outside our houses and we buy all the fancy things but we don’t clean inside.”

“We want to make sure our hearts and our minds, our relationships with others are reconciled, forgiven.”

The need for such may cause some confusion with the Season of Lent, which is observed earlier in the year, before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. These seasons are not quite the same, since they differ in length (Lent - 40 days), (Advent 24 days) and purpose.

The St Sidwell’s Parish Priest explained, “The Season of Advent prepares us for the incarnation of Jesus, whereby we remember the birth of Jesus. The season of Lent, it brings us to remember the resurrection of Jesus. So you have this full moment and then suddenly, spring comes”.

With all that has been taken into account, the Advent Wreath is a bold reminder of the most important parts of the Christmas season. The need for hope, Peace, Love, Joy and the birth of Jesus Christ.

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FEATURE

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Capoey hoping to produce star athletes, but needs resources Capoey’s Sports Coordinator Jumol Allicock

By Jemima Holmes

N

estled between forest and lake on the Essequibo Coast, there is much for Capoey to offer to Guyana. While the village is big on tourism, there is a strong camaraderie when it comes to sports. As told by Sport Coordinator Jumol Allicock, there is a wealth of talent, but improvements are needed.

Allicock described sporting events in Capoey Mission as a community effort, where everyone would chip in for the preparation and then share the spoils afterward.

“We as Amerindians say we come on a ‘Kayap’.

A kayap is where you cook, you have drinks and so on.

So that’s the first thing in preparation that we do.”

Allicock went on to explain, “When we’re doing a game or we have our sports day or something, we come

together, all the youths come together. If there is a field to clean or prepare, we come together. We work together and cook.

The next day we come and make sure the stumps are up, the boundary poles are in place and then we play.”

The harmony in the village does not stop there, as Allicock said people come from all walks in the surrounding environs to the Capoey Sports Ground which is located in a central part of the village, just off the Mission’s boat landing.

“During the game, it’s a whole lot of fun. Cause you’re seeing people come from all different directions, you might see them come out from a little path, you might see them come up from here [the boat landing], everywhere you see them coming out, in different colours too,” the young man highlighted.

He added, “If they win something, they come together and they share it up, or they buy some stuff and everybody sits and

The existing Capoey Sports Ground on which all activities are held

laugh and gyaff and enjoy the moment”.

It is no secret that far-flung communities in Guyana are not as fortunate as those in townships, when it comes to benefitting from resources. This is precisely the case for Capoey Mission, on the Essequibo Coast, which is only accessible by boat.

The village, which has a rich Amerindian history, is quite popular for tourism, however, they one day

hope to produce athletes of national and international calibre.

According Allicock, there are a number of potential talents in the village, across the sports of cricket, football, volleyball and athletics.

“Capoey have a lot of raw talent, especially in running. We have some good runners but the only thing, I think, they aren’t getting these opportunities to go here and go

there. In football, we have really good talent, we have players playing for different clubs but they ain’t getting the full opportunity to get this national experience or get an opportunity to feel what it feels like to play somewhere out of Capoey or out of the region,” Allicock related to Guyana Times Sport exclusively.

However, in order to develop those talents, the community is in need

of better facilities. In Allicock’s opinion, sport gears and an indoor facility would be perfect.

He answered Guyana Times Sport’s probe, stating, “Well, gears especially.”

“If we talk about cricket, if we talk about football, most players and so on can’t afford to buy a cricket boots, or a cricket pad or a football boots and so on, it’s expensive.”

“So gears are one of the disadvantages, when it comes to a player getting full equipped for the game,” Allicock further stated.

On the matter of the indoor facility, he posited, “An upgrade in the area, and so on, especially something indoor. Like a sports centre inside, where you could get different indoor games, because not every day you come, you feel like coming outside and you know, playing.”

For now, Capoey is quite contented with the joy and unity that sport brings to their quaint village.

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HEALTH TIPS

IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP Dr. Tariq Jagnarine Family Medicine, Endocrinology/Diabetes

A

good night’s incredibly ant for our In fact, it’s just as

sleep is importhealth. import-

ant as eating healthy and exercising. Unfortunately, there’s a lot that can interfere with natural sleep patterns. People are now sleeping less than they did in the past, and sleep quality has decreased as well.

Benefits of sleep

1: Poor sleep is linked to higher body weight

People with short sleep duration tend to weigh significantly more than those who get adequate sleep. In fact, short sleep duration is one of the strongest risk

factors for obesity.

In one extensive review study, children and adults with short sleep duration were respectively 89% and 55% more likely to develop obesity. The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to be mediated by numerous factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise.

For persons trying to lose weight, getting quality sleep is absolutely crucial.

2: Good sleepers tend to eat fewer calories

Studies show that sleep-deprived individuals have a bigger appetite, and tend to eat more calories. Sleep deprivation disrupts the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones, and is believed to cause poor appetite regulation. This includes higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite, and reduced levels of leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite.

3: Good sleep can improve concentration and productivity

Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function. These include cognition, concentration, productivity and performance. All of these are negatively affected by sleep deprivation.

A study done on medi-

cal interns provides a good example. Interns on a traditional schedule with extended work hours of more than 24 hours made 36% more serious medical errors than interns on a schedule that allowed more sleep.

Another study found that short sleep can negatively impact some aspects of brain function to a similar degree as alcohol intoxication.

On the other hand, good sleep has been shown to improve problem-solving skills and enhance memory performance of both children and adults.

4: Good sleep can maximise athletic performance

Sleep has been shown to enhance athletic performance. In a study on basketball players, longer sleep was shown to significantly improve speed, accuracy, reaction times, and mental well-being.

Less sleep duration has also been associated with poor exercise performance and functional limitation in older women. A study of over 2,800 women found that poor sleep was linked to slower walking, lower grip strength, and greater difficulty performing independent activities.

5: Poor sleepers have a greater risk of heart dis-

ease and stroke

Sleep quality and duration can have a major effect on many health-risk factors. These are the factors believed to drive chronic diseases, including heart disease.

A review of 15 studies found that people who do not get enough sleep are at far greater risk of heart disease or stroke than those who sleep 7–8 hours per night.

6: Sleep affects glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes risk

Experimental sleep restriction affects blood sugar and reduces insulin sensitivity. In a study done on healthy young men, restricting sleep to 4 hours per night for 6 nights in a row caused symptoms of prediabetes.

These symptoms resolved after one week of increased sleep duration.

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FEATURE

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HEALTH TIPS

IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP were twice as likely to relapse as patients who slept well. Researchers are even recommending sleep evaluation to help predict outcomes in individuals with long-term inflammatory issues.

FROM PAGE 18

Poor sleep habits are also strongly linked to adverse effects on blood sugar in the general population.

Those sleeping less than 6 hours per night have repeatedly been shown to be at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

10. Sleep affects emotions and social interactions

7: Poor sleep is linked to depression

Mental health issues such as depression are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders. It’s been estimated that 90% of people with depression complain about sleep quality.

Poor sleep is even associated with an increased risk of death by suicide.

Those with sleeping disorders like insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also report significantly higher rates of depression than those without.

8: Sleep improves our immune function

Even a small loss of sleep has been shown to impair immune function. One large 2-week study monitored the development of the common cold after giving people nasal drops with the cold virus. They found that those who slept less than 7 hours were almost 3 times more likely to develop a cold than those who slept 8 hours or more.

Getting at least 8 hours of sleep can improve our immune function, and help fight the common cold.

9: Poor sleep is linked to increased inflammation

Sleep can have a major effect on inflammation in the body. In fact, sleep loss is known to activate undesirable markers of inflammation and cell damage. Poor sleep has been strongly linked to longterm inflammation of the digestive tract in disorders known as inflammatory bowel disease.

One study observed

that sleep-deprived people with Crohn’s disease

Sleep loss reduces your ability to interact socially.

Several studies confirmed this by using emotional facial recognition tests. One study found that people who hadn’t slept had a reduced ability to recognise expressions of anger and happiness.

Researchers believe that poor sleep affects our ability to recognise important social cues and process emotional information.

Along with nutrition

and exercise, good sleep is one of the pillars of health. We simply can-

not achieve optimal health without taking care of our sleep.

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22 NEWS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

More data needed on new Omicron variant before changes made in travel guidelines – Health Minister

T

he rise of a new variant of concern, now called Omicron, has raised concerns among countries with its link to high infections.

However, Guyana is awaiting more information before changes are made to its travel guidelines.

The B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to the World Health Organisation from South Africa on November 24.

The epidemiological situation in South Africa has been characterised by three distinct peaks in reported cases, the latest of which was predominantly the Delta variant.

In recent weeks, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of Omicron and the first known confirmed infection was from a specimen collected on November 9. The Technical

Advisory Group on SARSCoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAGVE) will continue to evaluate this variant.

“Based on the evidence presented indicative of a detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, the TAG-VE has advised WHO that this variant should be designated as a VOC, and the WHO has designated B.1.1.529 as a VOC, named Omicron,” the WHO stated on Friday.

In the latest COVID update, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony indicated that because research is in its initial stage, there is a possibility that the variant could have serious implications. However, these concerns would be clarified in the coming weeks as scientists analyse the mutation further.

“This variant, on the spike protein, they have noticed that

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

it has about 32 mutations. The implications of the mutations are still being discussed but it is feared that these mutations would make this particular variant more transmissible. It can probably have the ability to evade our immune system because with so many mutations, it is a possibility but they don’t know for sure because these are early days yet in terms of research,” said the Minister.

He noted that amid speculations, Guyana will be awaiting official data to determine if travel arrangements should change or if restrictions will be imposed.

“We don’t know how transmissible. There are lots of speculation. There are lots of discussions going on so we would require a little bit more information before we start changing our travel arrangements.

It’s not only the UK. Six countries – South Africa and a number of countries around South Africa – are now restricting flights going into the UK.” Since this recent development, several countries have taken a step to impose travel restrictions, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Countries such as Italy, Israel, Germany, Botswana and China have already reported cases.

He added, “There is no hard information. In the next couple of days and couple weeks, we will know more. Based on the epidemiology and the dynamics of the disease, we’ll see whether or not it has an increase in transmissibility and infectiousness. All those things would become clearer.”

Nevertheless, travellers were cautioned to be cautions when crossing borders. He urged those unvaccinated persons to get immunised in order to limit the event of spikes.

“Wherever you’re travelling to, you have to be cautious.

I think a lot of people are optimistic that they’re coming to the end of the pandemic but as you can see, even setting aside this new variant, we will have challenges in a number of countries where among the unvaccinated people, you are seeing

spikes in cases.”

In the meantime, the WHO has asked countries to enhance surveillance and sequencing efforts to better understand circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants; submit complete genome sequences and associated metadata to a publicly available database; and report initial clusters associated with VOC infection.

Where capacity exists and in coordination with the international community, health authorities have also been asked to perform field investigations and laboratory assessments to improve understanding of the potential impacts of the VOC on COVID-19 epidemiology, severity, effectiveness of public health and social measures, diagnostic methods, immune responses, antibody neutralisation, or other relevant characteristics.

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26 NEWS Skeldon guest house gutted by fire A SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

n early morning fire on Saturday destroyed the Embassy Guest House situated at Line Path, Corriverton, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

The fire of unknown origin destroyed the popular guest house located at Lot 54 Line Path.

According to the owner, Swarendra Sukhpaul, he received a phone call indicating that the building was smoking and also had a fire to it.

He said the first thing he did was to call the fire service and they hurried over to the scene. He said it took him about two minutes to get there.

“By the time I get there the fire service was there and they try to out the fire but because the water they have in the fire truck is only

The guest house on fire

about 400 gallons water so they had to make like about six trips to get water.”

Sukhpaul said the firefighters tried their best to curtail the blaze.

However, the entire building was destroyed.

The building was not in use at the time. The businessman said that he last visited the building a week ago and everything was in-

tact.

Sukhpaul believes that the fire was of an electrical nature.

“For a few weeks in Corriverton we are having a problem with high and low voltage and we have been getting frequent blackouts.”

Sukhpaul recounted that two weeks ago a fire started at his Corriverton gas station but fortunate-

The debris following the fire on Saturday

ly a firefighter who was at a supermarket opposite the gas station rushed to their assistance and used a fire extinguisher to put it out. Sukhpaul said he then called GPL and they were able to restore power and said that there was a slack connection.

“Friday night and yesterday the current was going on and off,” he told the media.

He explained that the nine-bedroom premise served as a guest house for contractors and Government

officials who are required to be in the district for an extended period.

Sukhpaul is trying to estimate his losses. However, he noted that all of the rooms were self-contained.

(G4)

Essequibo Coast teen falls to death at construction site

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16-year-old worker died on Saturday after he fell from a rice mill shed which is under construction at Vilvoorden, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

Dead is Amar Dindyal.

Reports are that Dindyal, the eldest child for his single mother, was employed with a private contractor of Pomona Scheme, Region Two, as a labourer.

The contractor was employed by the owner of the Golden fleece and Vilvoorden Rice Mill for the construction of a dryer shed at Vilvoorden.

Reports are that at about 15:00h a relative of the teen was contacted to inform the family that Dindyal fell from the shed at his worksite and was in a critical condition at the Suddie Public Hospital.

“This child was a simple and quiet boy, he is the eldest child for his single mother and works tirelessly in order to provide for her,” the relative told this newspaper.

The teen, however, succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention.

An investigation has been launched.

Only on Thursday last, Guyana Times reported that at least 50 persons have lost their lives since August 2020, according to data released by the Labour Ministry.

Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton in releasing the data said that this occurrence has to be stopped.

“We have two choices in this matter. Either we continue our merry way, and we prepare to go wake houses and play dominoes and cards, and to attend funerals; or we change. For me, the first option is that I don’t want to shepherd that.

I have already had to issue nearly 50 death announcements since I am a Minister.

Dead: Amar Dindyal

Fifty is too much,” he said.

The Minister said many times people pay attention to the statistics when their main focus should be the loss a family has to endure.

“For me, it is a person, a father, a husband, a son, and in many cases, persons who are leaving children behind because the breadwinner is gone. That cannot continue.”

Earlier this month, 22-year-old Sudesh Charran, a labourer of Lot 3964 West Minister, West Bank Demerara (WBD), was crushed by a metal lift while working at a supermarket at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

The now dead man was reportedly walking under the metal lift to enter the supermarket when it fell from the upper flat and pinned him to the ground.

As a result, workers rushed to his assistance and used a piece of wood to lift the metal structure from the man’s body. They managed to pull him out but by this time, he was motionless and a large wound was seen to the top of his head.

The Police were summoned, and the injured victim was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) where he was pronounced dead on arrival. An investigation is underway.

(G14)

27 GOGEC hosts oil and gas seminar for secondary school students T NEWS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

he Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) launched its inaugural oil and gas seminar for its first batch of high school students.

As part of a collaborative effort, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Ltd (GTT) and the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber aim to educate Guyanese students throughout the country to prepare them for this emerging industry.

Students from Annandale Secondary School and Apex Education were awarded certificates of attendance at the training on Friday, which focused on the opportunities in the oil and gas sector.

These certificates were presented by Minister within the Public Works

Ministry Deodat Indar, and President of the Guyana Oil and Gas Chamber (GOGEC) Manniram Prashad.

The students were given a basic understanding of the economy, how the oil and gas value chain operates, and the various opportunities that exist not only in the oil and gas industry but all the other industries.

Students were also encouraged to pursue their dreams, and to challenge themselves as they are the future of Guyana. This is real local content for the future.

“Today’s session is a start to educate and prepare our students and future leaders for the changes and development that Guyana will experience. As we develop the

skills of our youths, we will enable them to take advantage of the opportunities in the oil and gas sector.”

This massive training programme will cover a 14-month period throughout Guyana and will cover over 50 schools and 1000 students.

The official launch will be held early in December.

Presenters at this session were Joel Bhagwandin, Financial Analyst Bobby Gossai, Senior Petroleum Coordinator at the Ministry of Natural Resources Sherif Alghali, Partner of Atlantic Oilfield Services Tony Whyte, Chairman of the International Energy Conference and Expo, and Consultant Roubinder Rambarran.

Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, along with President of the Guyana Oil and Gas Chamber (GOGEC), Manniram Prashad, and secondary school students

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News

UK, Germany and Italy detect Omicron coronavirus variant cases

B

ritain, Germany and Italy detected cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant on Saturday and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new steps to contain the virus, while more nations imposed restrictions on travel from southern Africa.

The discovery of the variant has sparked global concern, a wave of travel bans or curbs and a selloff on financial markets on Friday as investors worried that Omicron could

stall a global recovery from the nearly two-year pandemic.

The two linked cases of the new variant detected in Britain were connected to travel to southern Africa, British Health Minister Sajid Javid said.

Speaking later, Johnson laid out measures that included stricter testing rules for people arriving in the country but that stopped short of curbs on social activity other than requiring mask wearing in some settings.

The Health Ministry

in the German state of Bavaria also announced two confirmed cases of the variant. The two people entered Germany at Munich airport on Nov 24, before Germany designated South Africa as a virus-variant area, and were now isolating, said the Ministry, indicating without stating explicitly that the people had travelled from South Africa.

In Italy, the National Health Institute said a case of the new variant had been detected in Milan in a person coming from

Mozambique.

Czech health authorities also said they were examining a suspected case of the variant in a person who spent time in Namibia.

Omicron, dubbed a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organisation, is potentially more contagious than previous variants of the disease, although experts do not know yet if it will cause more or less severe COVID-19 compared to other strains. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Jamaica imposes travel restrictions on 8 countries over new COVID-19 variant

T

he Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOH) has imposed restrictions on travellers from eight countries over concerns of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant.

The travel ban comes into effect immediately.

The countries include Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The Ministry said all persons who are not cit-

izens or permanent residents of Jamaica and who have visited the list of countries within the last 14 days will not be allowed entry into the island.

Residents and citizens of Jamaica who have visited the list of countries within the last 14 days will be subjected to a mandatory State-supervised quarantine for no less than 14 days.

Against the advice of the World Health Organistion (WHO), a host of countries,

including Australia, Brazil, Canada Iran, Japan, Thailand and the United States, joined others, including the European Union and the UK in imposing restrictions on southern African countries in response to warnings over the transmissibility of the new variant.

Trinidad’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has also imposed restrictions on travellers from the eight countries listed.

The global health body

has named the new variant omicron, labelling it a variant of concern because of its high number of mutations and some early evidence that it carries a higher degree of infection than other variants.

That means people who contracted COVID-19 and recovered could be subject to catching it again.

It could take weeks to know if current vaccines are less effective against it. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

OILNEWS OIL NEWS OPEC+ monitoring new virus variant, some concerned over outlook – sources

O

PEC+ is monitoring developments around the new coronavirus variant, sources said on Friday, with some expressing concern that it may worsen the oil market outlook less than a week before a meeting to set policy.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, is already facing a release of oil stocks led by the United States to try to cool prices. Still, a source said Russia, a key OPEC+ member, was not concerned about the virus variant yet.

OPEC+ has resisted US calls to do more to lower oil prices, continuing to unwind last year’s record output curbs by adding 400,000 barrels of supply per day every month since August.

Next week’s meeting will discuss January’s output.

Global authorities reacted with alarm to news of the B.1.1.529 variant, with the EU, Britain and India among those announcing stricter border controls. Oil plunged more than 10 per cent, the largest one-day drop since April 2020.

“Not good as it adds bearishness to an already weak outlook,” said an OPEC delegate about the new variant, asking not to be identified. Another said this could be the case, although it was too early to say.

OPEC+ meets on Dec 2 to decide output policy. Another source said the group would assess the significance of the variant for the market.

Sources have said that an OPEC panel which advises Ministers and met this week sees the US-led oil stocks release as increasing the supply excess that OPEC has already warned of next year.

Another OPEC delegate, while noting the slide in oil prices on Friday, said it was not yet clear how significant an impact the variant would have. Oil demand has been recovering and is expected by OPEC to return to the pre-pandemic rate of 100 million bpd in 2022.

“I am very concerned,” he said. “There are many unknowns at the moment.”

Prior to Friday, OPEC+ sources said the group had not discussed pausing their planned output hike in January. Iraq said on Thursday OPEC+ should stick to its existing plan.

A source familiar with Russian thinking on Friday downplayed the variant.

“I believe that the panic on the market because of the new COVID version should calm down,” the source said. “The OPEC+ participants should...not chase after the speculators.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

Colombia extends health emergency, citing new coronavirus variant

C

olombia will extend its health state of emergency until Feb 28 due to the emergence of a new coronavirus strain in South Africa, the Andean country’s President Ivan Duque said on Saturday.

The health emergency “is extended due to the existence of a global declaration concerning the status of the pandemic as well as allowing us to continue taking all precautionary measures,” Duque said from Monteria, a city in the country’s province of Cordoba.

The state of emergency was due to lift at the end of November.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday declared the B.1.1.529 detected in South Africa as a SARS-CoV-2 “variant of concern.”

The discovery of the variant, known as named Omicron, prompted countries

around the world to place travel bans on flights from South Africa and some of its regional neighbors.

Colombia has no direct flights with Africa, Duque said, adding that anyone travelling from the continent to the South American country will have to transit through the United States, Brazil, or the European Union, which have already imposed restrictions.

“This measure has an additional element of protection for us as well,” he said.

Anyone who has been in Africa in the last 15 days who report symptoms must contact Colombian authorities and self-isolate, Duque said.

Colombia has reported more than 5 million coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, as well as over 128,300 deaths, according to the Government. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021

ARIES (March 21April 19)

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You can stabilize your life with a couple of adjustments to personal and financial papers. Put your mind at ease by taking care of time-sensitive matters. Added discipline will help you get it done.

Put your heart into whatTAURUS ever you choose to do. Touch (April 20base with someone you find May 20) motivating or who you just love to be around. The input you receive will push you in a new and exciting direction.

Be careful sharing inforGEMINI mation. Keep your passwords (MAY 28- and personal documents June 20) tucked away someplace safe.

Take the time to look for job opportunities, and something will tweak your imagination.

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30

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021

Axar Patel’s five-for skittles New Zealand out for 296 as India take lead A

xar Patel’s dream start to his Test career continued with the leftarm spinner picking up a fifth five-wicket haul in his fourth Test to help India bowl New Zealand out for 296 and take a first innings’ lead of 49.

On a Kanpur pitch where the ball was keeping low from time to time, Axar reaped the benefit of targeting the stumps and finished with figures of 5 for 62.

Needing to survive five overs before the close of play, the Indian openers were rattled by Kyle Jamieson, as Shubman Gill’s stumps were sent flying with the first ball of the second over, and Jamieson reached 50 wickets in only his ninth Test. In doing so, he bettered Shane Bond’s The India team Celebratng New Zealand er, he drew Taylor’s outside edge, and Bharat didn’t make any record by three matches.

The overall re- mistake this time. In his next over, he had Nicholls lbw as the cord belongs to Charlie Turner batter missed the slog sweep. Nicholls reviewed the decision, of Australia, who took his 50th hoping the impact would be outside the off stump, but it turned out to be the umpire’s call. wicket in his sixth Test.

As wickets fell at one end, Latham inched towards his hunM a y a n k Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara took India to dred at the other. He was on 95 when he stepped out to Axar, only for the ball to turn, bounce and hit him on the gloves, stumps, extending their lead to 63.

In the morning, Tom Latham and bounce towards the wicketkeeper. Bharat collected it and and Will Young resumed for New broke the stumps with Latham stranded a fair way down.

After tea, Axar returned to end Tom Blundell’s resistance Zealand in the same resolute manner they displayed on the second day, and with a delivery that scooted underneath the bat and clattered stretched their opening stand to 151. into the stumps. Blundell consumed 94 balls for his 13. Tim But once that partnership was broken, Southee became his fifth wicket, bowled while playing for the the visitors lost their next nine wick- angle and the ball holding its line.

Jamieson worked hard to take New Zealand closer to India’s ets for 99 runs, to be bowled out for first innings’ total, but holed out in the deep for 23 while trying 296.

Axar had a big hand in that collapse. to take on R Ashwin. The last pair frustrated India for a while, Bowling with the second new ball in the before Ashwin bowled William Somerville - who fought for 52 afternoon session, he dismissed Ross balls to score 6 runs - to wrap up the innings.

India had started the day with their two most experiTaylor, Henry Nicholls and L a t h a m while conceding only 14 runs in an 11- enced bowlers, Ishant Sharma and Ashwin. Young and over spell as New Zealand s l i p p e d Latham didn’t find it easy to score against them, though Young skipped down the track against Ashwin a couple of from 214 for 2 to 227 for 5.

Taylor, who is playing his first international match since times, hitting him over mid-on for four on one occasion. But, the World Test Championship final in June, had a slice of luck otherwise, both batters were forced to wait for the rare loose early on, when he came down the track to Axar only to in- delivery.

Luck, too, seemed to be on New Zealand’s side. Ishant side-edge the ball between his legs. But KS Bharat, substituting for Wriddhiman Saha who has a stiff neck, failed to latch and Ashwin drew the outside edge of Young and Latham respectively, and while Young’s outside edge went for four on to it.

Axar, though, wasn’t to be denied for long. A few overs lat- through the gap between wide slip and gully, Latham’s fell

SCOREBOARD NEW ZEALAND 1ST INNINGS Tom Latham st sub (KS Bharat) b Patel 95 Will Young c sub (KS Bharat) b Ashwin 89 Kane Williamson (c) lbw b Yadav 18 Ross Taylor c sub (KS Bharat) b Patel 11 Henry Nicholls lbw b Patel 2 Tom Blundell † b Patel 13 Rachin Ravindra b Jadeja 13 Kyle Jamieson c Patel b Ashwin 23 Tim Southee b Patel 5 William Somerville b Ashwin 6 Ajaz Patel not out 5 Extras (b 6, lb 4, nb 5, w 1) 16 TOTAL (142.3 Ov, RR: 2.07) 296 Fall of wickets: 1-151 (Will Young, 66.1 ov), 2-197 (Kane Williamson, 85.3 ov), 3-214 (Ross Taylor, 94.3 ov), 4-218 (Henry Nicholls, 96.5 ov), 5-227 (Tom Latham, 102.1 ov), 6-241 (Rachin Ravindra, 110.4 ov), 7-258 (Tom Blundell, 123.4 ov), 8-270 (Tim Southee, 127.4

ov), 9-284 (Kyle Jamieson, 138.6 ov), 10-296 (William Somerville, 142.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Ishant Sharma 15-5-35-0 Umesh Yadav 18-3-50-1 Ravichandran Ashwin 42.3-10-82-3 Ravindra Jadeja 33-10-57-1 Axar Patel 34-6-62-5 INDIA 2ND INNINGS Mayank Agarwal not out 4 Shubman Gill b Jamieson 1 Cheteshwar Pujara not out 9 Extras 0 TOTAL (5 Ov, RR:2.80) 14/1 Yet to bat: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha †, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Shubman Gill, 1.1 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Tim Southee 2-1-2-0 Kyle Jamieson 2-0-8-1 Ajaz Patel 1-0-4-0

short of Ajinkya Rahane at first slip.

With the breakthrough still elusive, Ashwin switched from around the wicket to over the wicket. The move worked, as he had Young edging one behind on 89, with Bharat taking an excellent catch staying low.

Ashwin could have had Latham too. The bowler did everything right: tossed the ball up, got it to spin past the outside edge, and hit the batter on the pad. Umpire Nitin Menon, though, turned down the vociferous appeal for lbw, and India chose not to review. Replays showed Latham would have been on his way back had they done so. He was on 66 then.

A little later, Menon and Ashwin were involved in what seemed like a chat about Ashwin’s follow-through. When bowling from around the wicket, the offspinner was delivering from close to the stumps and then moving across towards the lefthander’s leg side to avoid stepping on to the danger area. In the process, he seemed to be obstructing the umpire’s view, and that of the non-striker too. India’s coach Rahul Dravid, too, was seen making a visit to Match Referee Javagal Srinath’s room.

Kane Williamson had walked in with three men around the bat, and after a few watchful moments, struck two fours in Jadeja’s one over. But in the last over before lunch, Umesh Yadav got one to nip back with the second new ball and pinged Williamson on the back leg. The New Zealand captain decided to review the lbw decision, but replays showed the ball would have hit the top of middle stump. (Taken from ESPNcricinfo and modified)

GFF, GNWFA launch Women’s Super-16 Festival 2021

T

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Guyana National Women’s Football Association (GNWFA) have, on Saturday November 27, officially launched the GFFGNWFA Women’s Super-16

Festival 2021, alongside a public campaign against domestic abuse, and as part of the GFF’s plans for the safe return of senior football over the year-end holiday season.

Sixteen teams from across Guyana will do battle for the nation’s first female year-end title, and the cream of women’s football talent, including several domestic-based Lady Jags players, are expected to be featured.

The tournament will promote the tagline “We rise against domestic violence”

to raise awareness about male-on-female abuse, and inspire change across society.

“The true power of football to change lives, bring people together, and create hope is only possible when women and girls are given equitable access to the game and its developmental resources,” GFF President Wayne Forde has said.

“The inaugural Women’s Super-16 Festival 2021 is only the first step in bringing about the much-needed institutional changes that are necessary to lift the pro-

file of the female football across Guyana,” Forde added.

“While we still have a far way to go, we are determined to change the landscape for women’s football in the coming years,” he concluded.

GNWFA President Andrea Johnson has said the tournament would revive “women’s football in a spectacular way” after the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This year-end tournament will see 16 teams from the coastland and hinter-

land regions battling for supremacy and vying for over one million dollars in cash and prizes,” Johnson said.

“The teams and players are extremely elated to participate, after being dormant for more than a year because of the pandemic.

“This is the first time we will be having more than five hinterland teams participating. It promises to be electrifying and thrilling,” she elaborated.

“Throughout the four weeks that this tournament will be played, we will witness in action Annalisa

Vincent, Lakeisha Pearson, Shamaya Daniels, Shanic Thornhill and others. The tournament will be played under the tagline ‘We Rise Against Domestic Violence’ because we want the public to know that it’s not okay to abuse a spouse.”

The tournament will commence in St Cuthbert’s Mission on December 11, and the final is slated for January 2 at the GFF National Training Centre.

Other matches will be played across the country, including in Georgetown, at Leonora and in Bartica.

31

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021

Da Silva should open in second Sri Lanka Test, says Andrew Mason - time has come for Pollard to say goodbye

By Brandon Corlette

N

oted cricket commentator and journalist Andrew Mason of Barbados strongly believes that wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva should open the batting alongside Kraigg Brathwaite in the second Test match against Sri Lanka at Galle.

Regular opener Jeremey Solozano remains uncertain after he was struck on the helmet while fielding at short leg in the first Test. Solozano has since been replaced by Shai Hope as concussion substitute, and Jermaine Blackwood opened the innings alongside his captain.

Blackwood recorded scores of 20 and nine, while Da Silva scored a half-century. Da Silva seems to be batting too late at number eight and nine, as he did in the first Test, having shown solidity at the top in regional cricket for Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and the West Indies Emerging Players team.

“We should be looking at asking Da Silva to open the batting along Kraigg Brathwaite for the upcoming Test match.

We cannot afford to go in this Test match with Blackwood at the top, he simply does not have the temperament for it. And if Da Silva opens, you can ask Shai Hope to keep, because you do not want to put the pressure of batting at the top and keeping.

“I think we need to do that, because that problem is compounded because there is a problem with the selection. In the 15-man squad, we are playing a batsman short. It was not necessary to take the extra spinner, and it is true that Permaul would have done well, but for team balance, you had to cover your batting,” Mason told this daily publication.

Additionally, Mason said Da Silva should have made the West Indies One Day International team to Pakistan as an opener, since Evin Lewis opted out because of personal reasons. Mason also recalled that Da Silva had a top season for

the West Indies Emerging Team, wherein he scored heavily.

In the Regional 4-Day season in 2020, Da Silva finished the batting charts with 507 runs and an average of 50.70. Only four Caribbean batsmen have accumulated more runs than the man known as “White Shark”. The runs he piled on included a high score of 113.

Kieron Pollard Playing for the West Indies Emerging Players before the Regional 4-Day tournament, Da Silva scored 310 runs at an average of 44, and racked up an unbeaten 103 in the championship campaign for the Emerging Players.

“Da Silva is a player that has shown that grit and determination that he can play in the ODI,” Mason has said.

Pollard should call it a day

The noted journalist Mason has also said it is time for Kieron Pollard to call it a day in the T20I squad.

“Time has come to say goodbye to Pollard. He has done well at the T20 level for franchises, but for the West Indies, his record has been there and thereabout. His record as a captain is shattering, and we believe we must look towards the future and make Nicholas Pooran the captain,” he said.

Mason also noted that Shai Hope should lead the ODI side, since he is playing his best cricket in that format.

Andrew Mason

And he said Chris Gayle should have gotten his farewell at the World Cup. “In terms of Gayle, I believe those responsible should have spoken to Gayle and say, ‘Thank you very much, but we are not going forward with you after the World Cup.’ I do not know why it is necessary to have a farewell for Gayle in Jamaica. Remember what happened to Shivnarine Chanderpaul? He was not given an opportunity to leave the scene. That, in my Joshua Da Silva view, is not good at all,” Mason added.

ICC Women’s CWC Qualifiers in Zimbabwe abandoned amid COVID-related uncertainty …West Indies, Bangladesh, Pakistan advance that we have qualified, and that we will be there at the World Cup next year. The girls are very happy, because that was one of the missions we wanted to fulfil when we left the Caribbean.

“We’re going to start planning and preparing for New Zealand 2022, but our main focus right now is to get the team back home quickly and safely.”

Chris Tetley, the ICC Head of Events, explained:

T

he International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday announced that the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2021 in Zimbabwe have been called off.

The tournament, scheduled to have been played until December 5, would have decided the final three spots for the ICC Women’s World Cup in New Zealand next year, as well as the remaining two berths in the next cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship.

West Indies had won their first match against Ireland by six wickets, and were slated to face Sri Lanka on Saturday at Harare Sports Club, but that match was abandoned because a member of the Sri Lanka support staff had tested positive for COVID-19 on the morning of the match, after six players had tested positive since the tournament began.

The ICC has indicated that with the emergence of the latest COVID-19 variant in South Africa, and with

the introduction of travel restrictions from a number of African countries, including the host country Zimbabwe, it has reluctantly decided to call off the event, with the qualification slots decided as per team rankings, in keeping with the tournament’s playing conditions.

“Therefore, West Indies, Bangladesh, Pakistan will now progress to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, to be played from March 4 to April 3”.

West Indies Women’s Head Coach Courtney Walsh has said: “Yes, it’s disappointing that the tournament had to be cancelled.

I’m sure all the teams here participating would be disappointed, as it is a chance to put all your skills on show; and especially (for) the teams vying to get to the World Cup, there’s going to be disappointment.

“I think the right decision was taken by not putting the teams at risk, especially with the recent developments happening.

We are obviously delighted

“We are incredibly disappointed to have to cancel the remainder of this event, but with travel restrictions from a number of African countries being imposed at such short notice, there was a serious risk that teams would be unable to return home.

“We have explored a number of options to allow us to complete the event, but it isn’t feasible, and we will fly the teams out of Zimbabwe as soon as possi-

ble.

“Bangladesh, Pakistan and the West Indies will now qualify for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 by virtue of their rankings, whilst Sri Lanka and Ireland will also join them in the next cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship.”

CWI is working closely with the ICC to ensure all members of the West Indies squad remain safe, as arrangements are made for

All systems go for Pakistan tour

CWI CEO, Johnny Grave

C

ricket West Indies (CWI) Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave has said plans for the regional side’s tour of Pakistan are on track.

On the Mason and Guest radio programme this week, he dismissed reports that the six-match tour, which begins on December 13, was possibly in trouble.

Responding to host Andrew Mason, who suggested there were rumours of challenges, Grave said he had spoken to

the CWI security consultant earlier this week, and there were proposals to meet with the players to go through the medical and security plans.

“Everything is moving ahead as planned,” Grave has said.

“The Pakistan tour is on.

We’ve had the security reports in; we’ve had confirmation of the security plan from the PCB [Pakistan Cricket Board]; the team will get the same presidential-style security, the highest level of security provision that any team can get when touring,” Grave insisted.

He added that flights have been booked and the squads will be announced before the start of the second Test against Sri Lanka, which begins on Monday.

West Indies Women recently completed a successful tour in Karachi, winning all three ODIs as they prepare for the Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.

West Indies Men will play

three T20 Internationals and three ODIs against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi from December 13 to 22.

The ODI Series will be West Indies’ fourth series of 12 in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, in which the top seven teams can secure automatic qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.

This will be the West Indies’ first tour of Pakistan since April 2018, when three T20Is were contested. The two-time former world champions will be playing ODIs in Pakistan for the first time since December 2006.

The squad is scheduled to arrive in Karachi on December 9, ahead of the first T20I on December 13. The second match will be played the following day, and the third on December 16.

The ODIs are set for December 18, 20 and 22.

(CMC)

their return to their home territories as soon as possible. (Courtesy CWI Media)

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

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

Hemraj, Rutherford and Lewis failed to meet CWI fitness standards - says Jimmy Adams

By Brandon Corlette

C

ricket West Indies (CWI) Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, has said the Guyanese duo of Chandrapaul Hemraj and Sherfane Rutherford, along with Jamaican Kennar Lewis, failed to meet CWI fitness standards within the six-month window.

While many would have raised concerns about the rusty Brandon King being selected ahead of his Guyana Amazon Warriors partner Hemraj, Adams said: “There is a sixmonth window within which players have to achieve the target. Within this window, Chandrapaul Hemraj had not met the standard required, and therefore was not available for selection.”

During the T20 World Cup squad selection, CWI Lead Selector Roger Harper disclosed that Odean Smith and Sherfane Rutherford failed to meet CWI fitness standards, hence their non-selection to the World Cup. However, Smith was declared fit, and selected to tour Pakistan after strong all-round performances.

While refusing to disclose when Smith had met the fitness requirements, Adams noted that, within the six-month window, the big Jamaican

had made the fitness standards.

Lead Selector Roger Harper has said it is time for CWI to look forward to what is ahead, and how the squad is being built towards the next World Cup. “We are looking forward to what is ahead of us, and developing a team that is competitive for that World Cup. It is about getting the youngsters now involved at the international level up to speed and playing to the best of their ability,” Chandrapaul Hemraj Sherfane Rutherford Harper said during a me- Kennar Lewis, dia briefing.

Pakistan: Kieron Pollard (Captain), habilitation.

As CWI Director of Cricket, Adams level,” Adams explained.

Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (Vice Captain), is also concerned that all those players Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Andre Russell and Lendl Simmons FULL SQUADS who are being considered for selection One-Day International Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, are unavailable due to personal reaare failing to meet fitness standards. squad to Pakistan: Kieron Pollard Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle sons.

“It is a concern for a while, we see it (Captain), Shai Hope (Vice Captain), Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Romario as too important to leaving it hangTOUR SCHEDULE ing. As soon as we get our Christmas Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Shepherd, Odean Smith, Oshane December 13 – 1st T20I, Karachi wish-list from the Selection Panel, we Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Akeal Thomas and Hayden Walsh Jr. want to meet with these players and Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh December 14 – 2nd T20I, Karachi NOTES know how much more support we can Motie, Anderson Phillip, Nicholas December 16 – 3rd T20I, Karachi Pooran, Raymon Reifer, Romario Jason Holder is being rested for give them,” he said.

December 18 – 1st ODI, Karachi “We want to sit with these players Shepherd, Odean Smith and Hayden this tour due to workload manage- December 20 – 2nd ODI, Karachi ment. Fabian Allen and Obed McCoy and find out the challenges, why they Walsh Jr. December 22 – 3rd ODI, Karachi T20 International squad to are unavailable due to injury and reare not getting to a certain (fitness)

Rawle Toney 3x3 Classic…

Toney ecstatic at tremendous growth of tournament …grateful to current sponsors, urges corporate Guyana to become involved

G

uyana’s most anticipated 3x3 basketball tournament, the “Rawle Toney 3X3 Classic”, will make a return at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall during the period February 19–20, 2022.

Founder of the tournament, Rawle Toney, is ecstatic at the tremendous growth of the tournament since its launch in 2019.

In an interview with this publication, he was asked what he thinks of the tournament being given permission by the COVID-19 taskforce, and Toney said, “Excited! Overwhelmed!

Happy! I’m more overjoyed because of the growth of the game since I hosted the inaugural tournament in 2019. The significance of the tournament in February, and what it actually means for 3X3 basketball, not just in Guyana, but the Caribbean, is what will make this tournament’s return special.

“They should look forward to the party and basketball. Much like what the Caribbean Premier League brought to Guyana with T20 Cricket.

“I’m not saying my event is (going) to rival the CPL in any way, because that would be impossible; but it will provide a very similar atmosphere, and one where sports will meet entertainment,” Tony has said.

Founder of the tournament, Asked about the committee’s plan Rawle Toney to embrace the COVID protocols and

maintain them, Toney said that with the tournament being endorsed by FIBA (basketball’s global-governing body) and hosted under guidance of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), FIBA’s returnto-play protocol and the requirements given by the National COVID-19 Task Force would be the guide on how the event is held over the two days.

He relayed that as much as the tournament is intended to be of a certain way, it should be noted that the safety of the players and officials is priority. Toney insisted that the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall would be sanitised, as there is enough space to allow for social distancing. As such, he explained that mask-wearing would be mandatory throughout the tournament.

In a message to the current sponsors, Toney said, “Guyana Breweries Inc, Ansa McAl, FireSide Grill, Bush Cook, National Sports Commission (just to name a few) – I would like to say, ‘Thank you for being on board from the jump’; and without their support, this wouldn’t have been possible. There are a number of others who would’ve made certain commitments since I announced the tournament’s return, but I’ll give more details on December 10 at the launch”.

He reiterated that, to corporate Guyana, this tournament rep-

resents an opportunity to be part of the fastest-growing urban sport in the world, which is now an Olympic sport, having been played at the Tokyo Games. He was also positive that it is an opportunity to help in the development of basketball, particularly the 3x3 format.

The founder of the 3x3 Classic related to this publication that talks are currently ongoing to not only livestream the event, but also have it broadcasted on television. While being held at the Sports Hall instead of the Burnham Hardcourt as had obtained in previous years, this is all part of the plan to protect the players, officials and patrons.

“The event next year can only be accommodated at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The setup and how we will be hosting the tournament cannot be done at the Burnham Court.

You’ll see a concert-like setup along with basketball in the venue, something that will be a first in Guyana for basketball” Toney posited.

This year, a total of 16 teams will be vying for a winner’s purse of $600,000, which has completely been doubled, since Pitbulls 3.0, behind Ryan Stephney, Jermaine Slatter, Ryan Gullen and Travis Belgrave, edged Team Smooth 22-12 in the 2019 finals to walk away with Gy$300,000 and the Rawle Toney 3X3 Basketball Classic Trophy.

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