Guyana Time - Sunday, September 25, 2022

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CPL’s 10th anniversary Tournament can be used for Caribbean to market itself globally – President Ali …will aid in developing Cricket Carnival as Guyana’s brand

Inkeeping with Guyana’s growing status as a region al destination and with the benefits of sports tour ism in mind, the Government plans to build another stadi um in the next three years.

This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, during the Caribbean Premier League’s (CPL) 10th anniver sary dinner at the Pegasus Hotel on Friday. According to the President, this will com plement efforts to develop the Cricket Carnival product for Guyana, adding to the impor tance of the Government get ting involved in sports devel opment.

He pointed out that Caribbean Premier League (CPL) must be seen as more than just an event but a plat form for the Caribbean region to market itself globally.

“I think every single Government must come on board. We have to give as much support to this tourna ment as possible because this tournament has much more than the event and the game of cricket in it for us. This tournament has the ability to bring our people in this region together, cementing us, and fusing our culture. Giving us an opportunity to meet each other, to network and these are things you cannot attach a value to,” the President stat ed.

President Ali is of the view that the regional leaders, the private sector and all stake holders should find ways to work with CPL to create a product that will be one of the best globally.

He said the CPL showcas es that cricket is alive in the region and also reminded the audience that cricket forms part of the culture of the peo ple in the Caribbean.

“We are looking at two to three years to have at least one new stadium added to the country because we are

looking down the road… that is why we have developed a product for Guyana and this product can be for the region, that is the Cricket Carnival,” he said.

“We cannot expect West Indies cricket and the play ers to do better if we are not involved in building a system and supporting a system that helps them to develop and help them to get better. We have to be part of that sys tem,” he also said.

In April of this year, the President had announced plans to construct an interna tional stadium and urban cen tre at Palmyra in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), as well as state-of-the-art hotels and malls. This will result in the region undergoing a peri od of massive economic and in frastructural transformation in the coming years.

“You will have your own National Stadium in Berbice and to support that national stadium we are going to build an entirely new urban cen tre,” President Ali had said at the time, adding that already, proposals for a state-of-theart modern hotel, malls, and a

private hospital have been re ceived by the Government.

The importance of sports tourism is reflected in the Finance Ministry’s Mid-Year Report. It states that over 150,000 visitors have been re corded arriving in Guyana in the first half of the year and over 150,000 more are expect ed in the second half of 2022, largely due to Guyana host ing games from the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League.

According to the mid-year report, Guyana has seen an increase in visitor arrivals compared to 2021. The report notes that there was a 103 per cent increase in visitor arriv al from January to May, com pared to the same period last year.

It was revealed that 105,905 visitors were record ed during that time period. The reason for this increase is multi-dimensional. While a lot of people visited due to increased oil and gas activi

ties, the resumption of tour ist attractions like the Bartica Regatta was also a factor.

“There was a 103 per cent increase in visitor arrivals from January to May 2022 from 48,626 to 105,905, when compared to the same period in 2021. This is primarily due to increased oil and gas activ ities as well as the resump tion of tourist activities such as the Bartica Regatta and Pakaraima Safaris,” the re port said.

The report, meanwhile, ex pects 158,223 additional vis itors will be recorded in the second half of the year. This is attributed to sports tourism.

The Guyana National Stadium at Providence was built in 2006, to host the Super Eight matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It has gone on to host a plethora of events, including Test and One Day International match es and CPL games.

President Dr Irfaan Ali and First Lady Arya Ali chatting with Guyanese cricket legend Shivnarine "Shiv" Chanderpaul at the CPL’s 10th Anniversary Dinner hosted at the Pegasus Hotel on Friday evening

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Political trust and democratic support

In Guyana, the political system appears to be very dysfunctional for several reasons. We incorporate verbatim findings from a study of the impact of political trust - or its absence thereof - in South Africa, which is even more culturally plural than our polity, and which is blamed for our challenges. Among those challenges, the absence of political trust looms very large, since it is a central value of democracy. Its presence in a society is indicative of citizens’ support for the political system as much as them exercising their franchise. Political trust should be more enduring than the act of voting for, or supporting, a party or government. In transitional societies that are undergoing democratic consolidation, political trust is crucial for citizen acceptance of decisions by government, even when unpopular. Political trust is the glue that keeps the political system together.

According to one political scientist, political trust can be understood as ‘the probability that the political system will produce preferred outcomes even if left untended’. It is the perceived likelihood that the regime would deliver public goods without having to be closely scrutinised by citizens. In Guyana, the most salient feature of political motivation among Guyanese have been strident accusations that the Government of the day is favouring particular ethnic constituencies, depending on which of the two major constituencies – Indian or African Guyanese – are their core supporters.

Political trust, then, is closely linked to the concepts of political support and legitimacy. The three can be understood to relate to each other in the following way: support for the political authorities or a regime would typically express itself in two forms – trust or confidence in them, and in the belief in the legitimacy of these political objects. Thus, political trust is present when citizens feel that their own interests would be attended to even if the authorities were exposed to little supervision or scrutiny. All Guyanese should at least agree that this has not been the case since the early 1960s, when the PPP Government, supported predominantly by Indian Guyanese, was accused by the African-supported PNC of favouring their supporters.

Legitimacy is present when people believe it is right and proper to accept and obey the authorities, and abide by the requirements of the regime. Trust and legitimacy are therefore distinct concepts. We can expect them to vary independently- although it is likely that those who consider a regime legitimate would also have considerable trust or confidence in it. Equally, people may lose their trust in the abilities of authorities to run a country, yet not be prepared to deny the authorities in general the moral right to rule and to expect obedience to outputs. In Guyana, the PNC’s rigging of elections and their destruction of the nationalised economy by the 1970s made a large bloc of African Guyanese withdraw their support.

They also implicitly withdrew their trust, since that in turn depends on political support for the regime and its authorities. One expert distinguishes between two types of support. Diffuse support is a reservoir of positive attitudes and goodwill towards the regime as a whole, its underlying principles, and the larger political community. Diffuse support is more durable than specific support, and is essential to tolerating poor regime outputs in the short term. Diffuse support may appear as a common consciousness or group identification with the larger political community, and satisfaction with the regime’s performance. Specific support, on the other hand, relates to citizen satisfaction with outputs (decisions, policy and actions) and performance of political authorities, such as leaders and institutions. Trust and specific support are distinct, so, as with African Guyanese in the 1970s, by 2011, for instance, some Indian Guyanese removed their specific support for the PPP, and they were removed from office. Even though voting in Guyana is still ethnically influenced, from a recent LAPOP survey, it appears that political trust as an aspect of specific support may have its roots in experience, and is dependent on short-term performance evaluations of incumbent authorities.

Both political parties, therefore, should attempt to inspire trust through equitable programmes.

2 historical errors about Castle shooting must be corrected

Dear Editor,

More than any other diaspora com munity to which Indian laborers were taken, British Guiana has earned the distinction of being a former colony, if not the only one, that has been char acterized by a long tradition of contin uous agitation and protests against British colonialism and the plantoc racy. This has been a distinct char acteristic feature of the Indian in denture experience since 1838 when, in 1836, John Gladstone brokered a lucrative deal for the arrival of 396 Girmitiyas on two ships, the SS Whitby and the SS Hesperus, up to the cessation of indenture in 1917 (it officially ended in 1920). Sugar work ers have consistently been a bulwark in the struggle against a controlled economic and social system that de fined their existence. On the morning of Wednesday, June 16, 1948, just af ter sunrise, five sugar workers were brutally shot to death at Enmore Estate while advocating for improved working conditions, fair wages, and for the recognition of a Trade Union of their choice. The five workers who died (14 others were seriously in jured) became known as the Enmore Martyrs (Lallabaggie and Dookie from Enmore, Rambarran, Harry and Pooran from Enterprise/Non Pariel). One worker was shot in the back as he tried to flee from the scene. At their gravesite, following the funer al procession, a young Cheddi Jagan made his solemn commitment: “There was to be no turning back. There and then I made a silent pledge – I would dedicate my entire life to the cause of the struggle of the Guyanese people against bondage and exploitation”. Long before Enmore, however, estate workers played a major role in expos ing the inhumanity of inclusive in dentureship, demonstrated by a rest less, habitual rebelliousness.

Perhaps the most dramatic pro test in the Caribbean region was the Marienburg massacre of indenture workers in 1902 in Suriname. But for us in Guyana, that recognition goes to the massacre in Rose Hall. On Thursday, March 13, 1913, in Rose Hall Plantation, East Canje, British militiamen opened fire on Indian sug ar workers, killing 15, including a woman shot in the stomach, and in juring about 40 others. The serious ness of some of the wounds warrant ed amputations. Prior to this event, the shooting at Devonshire Castle in 1872 had earned the reputation of be ing the first of many deliberate acts designed to deprive the indentured sugar workers of their basic human and economic rights. Devonshire Castle is significant for several rea sons. One, it was an early insurgen cy that demonstrated a strong resolve to oppose the abusive hierarchical in denture system. Two, all five of the victims were direct descendants from ancestral India. Three, the protest, even within its spontaneity, estab lished a precedent for future protests throughout the colony. Four, the cal lousness associated with the actions of the colonial authorities revealed their inherent disdain for the “coo lies”, despite stipulations that ex isted in British regulations for their protection.

During the Devonshire Castle up rising, while protesting low wages and overwork, seven male workers were injured, and five others were killed. The five men viciously killed had ar rived in British Guiana between 1854 and 1869. Anne Marie Phillips in her PhD dissertation, extracting infor mation from an inquiry into the inci dent (A Report of the Proceedings and Evidence at the Inquest on the Bodies of Five Rioters, killed by the Fire of the Police, Georgetown: The Colonist

Office, 1872), described the uprising in this way:

“On the day of the protest, over two hundred Indian laborers from Devonshire Castle assembled out side of the court house in Daniel’s Town. The complainants, Partaub and Paraag, refused to enter the court house. One witness to the inci dent, John Henry Blake, clerk to the stipendiary magistrate of the North Coast district, testified that he heard the immigrants saying that ‘the mag istrate was not going to give them jus tice.’ After they turned away from the court house, the immigrants began to make their way back to Devonshire Castle. In response to the assem bled Indian laborers, the armed po lice who had arrived in Daniel’s Town earlier that morning were deployed to Devonshire Castle. At the estate, the police opened fire on the immigrants …” What was remarkable about the Devonshire Castle shooting was that after hearing testimony from the “management, immigration and court officials and the local police”, four jurors found that the police con stables had acted appropriately “in defense of their lives, and in defense of the lives of the said several other persons, then and there being, and also for the preservation of the pub lic peace.” The colonial government attempted to prosecute the “ringlead ers” of the uprising on three separate occasions but each time, the jury was unable to reach a verdict. The victims were not only silenced, but memories of the protesters had to be desecrat ed, as well.

In honor of their memory, a mon ument was established at Cabbage Dam, Devonshire Castle in Region 2, the victim’s memories now perma nently etched in Essequibo’s history.

President Dr Ifaan Ali embracing Prime Minister Brigadier (ret'd) Mark Phillips at the Caribbean Premier League's (CPL) 10th Anniversary Dinner and Gala, which was held at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre. Also in photo are First Lady Arya Ali and Mignon BowenPhillips (Office of the President photo)

Lands unjustly distributed by APNU/AFC after NCM to be given to “ordinary” Guyanese – Jagdeo

The Government of ten catches flak from the parliamenta ry Opposition for taking away lands that were dis tributed under the former Government following the 2018 passage of the NoConfidence Motion (NCM), but according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, this is done so the ordinary Guyanese can get much needed land.

Jagdeo made this pro nouncement on Saturday, during the distribution of cash grants to fishermen in Georgetown. He referenced 5000 acres of land that was distributed on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD), including land distributed to a coconut company that he said did not plant a sin gle coconut.

“Another promise we made was to do 50,000 house lots in this term. If you heard me speak in Region Three, 14,000 persons ap plied in Region Three. From Den Amstel to Parika, all over. We are looking for land there. The land going West of Uitvlugt to Parfaite. Most of the Government land is in that direction.”

“We look at Wales. They shut down the factory at Wales. Sold the equipment and the factory out as scrap metal. Some people bought it, it’s gone. And gave the land out to a few big peo ple. A company got about 5000 acres to plant coconut.

Not a single coconut tree was planted there,” the Vice President said.

According to Jagdeo, 25,000 house lots for ordi nary Guyanese could have fit on those 5000 acres, or five house lots per acre. He ad mitted that the Government does not have available land elsewhere in Region Three.

“So, we’ve decided that we’re going to get all of those lots done, so we’re busy tak ing back some of the lands to put into (house lots). The same thing happened in Linden,” he said, referenc ing one person who got 200 acres. According to Jagdeo, 1000 house lots could fit on 200 acres.

Days after they came to power in August 2020, the new PPP/C Government had announced that all of the land deals conducted by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) since the December 2018 passage of the No-Confidence Motion

(NCM) would be reviewed.

In a statement at the time, Attorney General Anil Nandlall had said that “A review of all leases, licences and permissions to occupy Public Lands, granted since the 21st day of December 2018, will be conducted. On the 21st day of December 2018, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government was defeated by a No-Confidence Motion passed in the National Assembly. As a result, there of, it was reduced to a care taker status only.”

Despite being toppled by a motion of no-confi dence that was tabled by the then PPP/C Opposition and was passed with a ma jority vote, the APNU/AFC Administration remained in office and instead of op erating in a caretaker mode in accordance with the Constitution, continued in a “business as normal” man ner.

In fact, the coalition had challenged the passage of the NCM but it was validat ed by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in June 2019, which ruled that elec tions should be called with in three months as stipulat ed in the Constitution. But elections were not held un til March 2020 – some nine months after the CCJ ruling and more than one year af ter the passage of the mo tion.

During that time, the caretaker coalition conduct ed many underhand deals including the massive give away of prime State lands to political affiliates. In fact, even after the March 2, 2020 elections, the APNU/AFC Government, in its wan ing days, had transferred lands to a number of com panies through the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

At one point in 2020, the Government of Guyana had called in the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate the former APNU/AFC Government’s questionable transferals of State land.

And in July 2020, just before the then Government left office, businessman Glen Lall had filed legal proceed ings against the APNU/AFC Administration over its rush to finalise land deals despite elections being held and the National Recount showing their loss at the polls.

The application alleged that the Government’s transfer of lands on June 11, 2020, was unlawful, ultra vi res, null and void. According to gazetted orders, a num ber of private companies received prime land on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). However, Lall’s case was dismissed in the High Court in August 2020. (G3)

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday held a meeting with the CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean states) Quartet on the sidelines of UNGA in the US and discussed multi lateral issues of mutual in terest, including UN reforms and climate change.

“The meeting took stock of developments towards a post COVID pandem ic economic recovery, and agreed to work closely in sectors including Trade and Commerce, Agriculture, Food and Energy security, Health, Vaccine production, Traditional Medicines and logistics,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

Both sides also discussed regional and multilateral is sues of mutual interest and acknowledged their cooper ation in United Nations and other multilateral bodies. They agreed to work togeth er on global issues includ ing UN reforms and climate change. It’s to be noted that India has been seeking to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). India’s claim has also been backed by several countries, in cluding four (United States, France, Russia, UK) of the five permanent members of UNSC, besides China. In the meeting, both sides ex pressed satisfaction in re vitalising the India-CELAC

forum. They expressed hap piness at the growing en gagements of India with Latin American countries and reviewed the entire spec trum of India-CELAC rela tions. It’s to be noted that India has been seeking to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). India’s claim has also been backed by several countries, in cluding four (United States, France, Russia, UK) of the five permanent members of UNSC, besides China. In the meeting, both sides ex pressed satisfaction in re vitalising the India-CELAC forum. They expressed hap piness at the growing en gagements of India with Latin American countries and reviewed the entire spectrum of India-CELAC relations. The meeting was held under the pro-tempo re presidency of Argentina.

The CELAC Quartet was represented by foreign min ister of Argentina Santiago Cafiero, foreign minister of Guatemala Mario Adolfo Bucaro Flores, foreign min ister of Trinidad and Tobago Amery Browne and vice minister for multilateral af fairs of Colombia Laura Gil Savastano. EAM Jaishankar is on an 11-day visit to the USA during which he would participate in several meet ings including the 77th ses sion of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 24. (OneIndia. com)

The five Devonshire Castle Martyrs, ages and immigrant ships that brought them to British Guiana includ ed Kaula Khan [Kala Khan], 43 years, arrived on the SS Shand in 1854, Mucksoodally [Maqsood Ali], 36 years old, arrived on the SS Earl Russell in 1865, Becaroo [Bhikaaroo], 25 years old arrived on the SS Earl Russell in 1865, Akloo [Akhlu], 30 years old arrived on the SS Apelles in 1866, and Buldewo [Baldeo/Baldev], 32 years old arrived on the SS Far East in 1869.

Indians will be observ ing the 150th anniversa ry of the shooting of the five Devonshire Castle “ringleaders” from India. However, in honor of their sacred memories, two his torical errors must be cor rected. One, for sever al years, the Devonshire Martyrs Commemoration has been held mistaken ly on 29th September.

The actual massacre oc curred on Monday, 30 September 1872. Second, as Evan Radhay Persaud has pointed out, it ap peared that the names of two of the Martyrs were recorded incorrectly in the Commission of Inquiry Report of 1872 which can be accessed in the Rodney National Archives of Guyana (National Archives Document AA3/49). Kaulica and Maxidally as they appeared in the COI Report, should in fact be recorded as Kaula Khan (# 235) and Mucksoodally (# 236) instead.

The monument on Cabbage Dam, appropri ately serves as a stark re minder of the tragedy of the senseless killing of the Indian Girmitiyas. The Europeans tried to erase their existence. We owe it to their memories to get it right.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

CELAC meeting 2022: India discusses multilateral issues of mutual interest

HEARTWORM DISEASE – continued

Last week, we doc umented that the Heartworms live mostly in the right-side heart chambers. That alone could compromise the heart function immensely. The heart is unable to efficiently pump an adequate volume of blood for circulation. This means that many organs are starved of blood and ox ygen (the blood carries the oxygen) to sustain their op timal functionalities.

Apart from occupying space in the heart (space needed for specific volumes of blood), these bundles of worms can entangle them selves in the heart valves and impede the mechanical aspects of the heart’s func tion.

Of course, all of this be comes worse, if the worms are actually and physical ly constraining the flow of blood from the heart to the lungs. You can imagine how the animal would be pant ing (increase in the breath ing rate) while trying to get more oxygen into the sys tem. During the dry, hot weather season, the respira tory distress becomes even more disastrous.

But not only is the lung function messed up.

Some of these worms can actually get into the large blood vessels related to the liver! The liver’s functions begin to collapse. Jaundice (yellowing) develops. The abdomen swells due to in creased fluid there. The ani mal can become anaemic es pecially if it is losing blood via diarrhoea. Once the liver is compromised, the progno sis looks very bleak. In fact, the animal will most likely die in a couple of days. The disturbing consideration here is that the veterinarian seeing the symptoms might logically be tempt ed to focus on the liver, since the symptoms are asso ci

ated with liver damage.

So, let this be a lesson to us all: If the abdomen swells with fluid (ascites), check for Heartworm. It may not be a case of Heartworm, but have it checked never theless. Better safe than sorry. The test is complet ed in minutes. It is better to go this route than to be rate ourselves (owner and vet) for not having recog nized Heartworm as a possi ble cause in the differential diagnosis.

Anyway, enough lectur ing. This story I was devel oping with the liver is ac tually not the norm. Acute (sudden) ailment with an ob vious set of symptoms is not usually the way the heart worm infection progresses.

Q: WHAT ARE THE HEARTWORM SYMPTOMS

A: As I said last week, this is an insidious (gradu al, proceeding secretly, sub tly, and slowly) disease. It sneakily invades the dog (cat), and it treacherously progresses into a full-blown malady.

The first signs some times do not appear un til many months, even a year (even years, ac cording to some cas es cited in the lit erature) after the infection by the mosquito has taken place. No wonder the veteri narian could mistake if for another ailment.

Relative to this ail ment, I will

share with you the things that impact upon me the most; those things that make me think of Heartworm!

(i) Any dog that comes from the Lower East Coast and immediate environs. Actually, nowadays I advise that patients be routine ly checked for Heartworm, irrespective of where they live.

(ii) Emaciation – es pecially when I know that the dog is being well fed and is dewormed regularly. The weight loss is often accom panied by an abdomen, that is, at first, bit (almost imper ceptibly) swollen; and where you can actually see the ribs of the ribcage.

(iii) A cough! Not a rasping, gasping, throaty spasmic cough. It is soft yet deep cough. Not as if some thing is stuck in the throat. Rather, it may best be com pared with the cough that might be emitted if one has a slight sore throat.

(iv) Fatigue and tired ness, even after minimal ex ertion. Apathy and listless ness are usually present in heartworm cases.

(v) These other symptoms, which devel op later:

- Vomiting blood - Severely laboured breathing - Swollen abdomen

(vi) Of course, the clincher is the laboratory examination of the blood. There can be no dispute as to the presence of Heartworm if the test is conducted cor rectly.

Next week we will dis cuss the lab test, because it is not as straightforward as it sounds.

MONTREAL PROTOCOL AT 35

As we continue to celebrate 35 years of progress towards the preservation of the ozone layer, let us look back on some critical achievements of the Montreal Protocol.

Ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are man-made chemicals that, when released into the atmosphere, can cause the depletion of the Ozone Layer. This leads to increased levels of ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth’s surface, which results in higher rates of skin cancer, eye cataracts and damage to people’s immune systems. It also diminishes the productivity of food crops and reduces plankton levels in the ocean.

Since 1987 the Montreal Protocol has sought to reverse past damage done to the ozone layer by supporting efforts to eliminate the consumption and production of ODS. More than three decades later, the Montreal Protocol has been ratified by over 190 countries, including Guyana, each of which has committed to meeting strict time-bound reduction obligations for each of nearly 100 substances controlled by the protocol. Accumulating evidence shows massive reductions in ODS use worldwide. Production of ODS declined from 1.8 million tonnes in 1987 to 83,000 tonnes in 2005.

Key achievements of the Montreal Protocol

Global participation – Over 190 countries and the European Community have ratified the Protocol. This high degree of participation has contributed to global compliance with the Montreal Protocol targets and serves as a blueprint for global cooperation on environmental issues;

Elimination of ozone depleting substances – As of 2005, the Parties of the Protocol have phased out the production and consumption of over 95% of all of the chemicals controlled by the Protocol;

Healing the ozone layer – Global observations have verified that atmospheric levels of key ODS are decreasing, and it is believed that with implementation of the Protocol’s provisions the ozone layer should return to pre-1980 levels by 2050 to 2075;

Supporting developing countries – With the assistance of the Multilateral Fund for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol, developing countries have permanently phased out, as of 2005, over 190,000 tonnes of ODS, constituting over 70% of developing country total. Further, projects designed to reduce over 90% of the remaining developing country production have already been agreed;

High rates of compliance – In the process of the phase-out, many countries, both developed and developing, have met their phased out targets well ahead of schedule. Did you know that Guyana achieved the target of phasing out ODS two years before the global target;

Health benefits – Controls implemented under the Montreal Protocol have enabled the global community to avoid millions of cases of fatal skin cancer and tens of millions of cases of non-fatal skin cancer and cataracts. The United States estimates that by the year 2165 more than 6.3 million skin cancer deaths will have been avoided in that country alone, and that efforts to protect the ozone layer will have saved it an estimated $4.2 trillion in health care costs over the period 19902165;

Climate change benefits – The Protocol has also delivered substantial climate benefits. Because ODS are also global warming gases, the reduction in ODS between 1990, when they reached peak level, and the year 2000 has yielded a net integrated reduction of approximately 25 billion tonnes of CO2 weighted global warming gasses. These significant reductions make the Montreal Protocol on of the prime global contributors in the fight against global warming.

We invite you to check our Facebook page and Instagram account for photos of our joint outreach to schools in Berbice which were conducted in celebration of Ozone Day.

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

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

Dog’s Heart infested with Heartworms

As you can see, the dog with the heartworm infestation is in big trouble

Suriname fishing licence outrage

Diplomacy has so far failed in resolving impasse – Govt

countries which would also address the granting of li cences. Guyana continued to engage in the discussions with Suriname in good faith with the expectation that they would result in a mu tually beneficial arrange ment.”

Rental

The Guyana Government has ad mitted that efforts at a diplomatic resolution of the Suriname fishing licence impasse have so far failed, with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo standing firm fol lowing the summoning of Guyana’s Ambassador and the Ministry’s issuance of a statement telling Guyana to wait for a diplomatic solu tion.

On Saturday, Jagdeo made it clear that Guyana will not be waiting but will be acting to protect its peo ple. Recently, Jagdeo had said that Surinamese busi nesses in Guyana would re ceive reciprocal treatment, a statement that seems to have drawn rancour in Suriname.

“When I raised the mat ter, for one and a half years we been trying, through dip lomatic channels, to resolve this. And they promised us, in writing, 150 licences to our fishermen… I raised it and said there must be rec iprocity in international trade and relations. The way you treat us, we will treat you,” Jagdeo said.

“So, I saw they issued a statement, their Foreign Ministry, that I must be pa tient and await diplomatic efforts. But we’ve waited a very long time. And our fish

ermen are being harassed there. And the diplomatic efforts are not yielding any results. That’s a merry go round they have us on there. But we’ll stand up for the people of this country.”

Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Ministry released a statement recounting the sequence of events from the time it got involved in at tempting to resolve the fish ing licence impasse between Suriname and Guyana.

The matter was first raised at the presidential level in 2020, at the 1st con vening of the Agriculture Working Group. According to the Ministry, despite agreeing at the time to grant the licences, this did not ma terialise.

“In agreeing to the grant ing of the licences, the Government of Suriname in dicated that it would set up a Government -owned compa ny to be the business partner of the Guyanese fishermen with which they will sign a Vessel basing Agreement, and which will take care of the registration of the ves sels of the Guyanese fisher men. This was in keeping with Suriname’s fishing leg islation.”

“The Government of Suriname also proposed the conclusion of a Fisheries Agreement between the two

A situation had aris en whereby persons in Suriname were renting li cences to Guyanese at ex orbitant prices. It was ex plained that the Surinamese Ministry of Agriculture had requested the names of these middlemen from whom the Guyanese fisher men were renting their li cences. Further, a number of criteria were outlined for the formation of the company.

The Ministry noted that Guyana complied with all the requirements Suriname set out for granting the li cences. They explained that Guyana has not received formal or substantive com munication from Suriname since January 2022.

According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in the state ment, it is evident that di plomacy has so far failed at getting the licences for the fishermen to fish, unha rassed. However, Guyana remains committed to good neighbourly relations with Suriname.

“While the foregoing dip lomatic and political ini tiatives were being under taken, Guyanese fishermen continued to be harassed in Surinamese waters as they attempted to continue to ply their trade for their subsis tence and that of their fam ilies. Matters escalated this year when Suriname confis cated three Guyanese fish ing vessels along with their nets and engines and sold the catch.”

“Following the conclu sion of the matter, Guyana

reached out to Suriname to release the vessels on hu manitarian grounds, but there was no accommoda tion to this effect. It is ev ident that the diplomatic engagement has so far not reaped the desired outcome. Guyana remains commit ted to good neighbourly re lations with Suriname,” the Ministry said.

Following the high-level meeting in Guyana during August 2021 between President Ali and President Santokhi, the two lead ers had issued a joint press statement indicating that the age-old issue of licenc es for Guyanese fisherfolk to operate in Suriname’s terri torial waters would be ad dressed.

These fishermen op erate from the Corentyne coast and have to use the Corentyne to get access to

the Atlantic where they get most of their catch. The Corentyne River is consid ered Surinamese territory. Currently, the licences are issued to Surinamese busi nessmen at US$100 per year and rented to the Guyanese fisherfolk at US$3000 annu ally.

Guyana has already said that it will be bringing this matter before the Caribbean Community (Caricom), since Suriname is also a member state. Moreover, Attorney

General Anil Nandlall has also said that legal measures could be taken, if necessary, to get compensation for the fishing boats and equipment that Suriname had seized and subsequently sold.

These remarks from Government had resulted in Guyana’s Ambassador in Suriname, Keith George, being summoned re cently to a meeting with the Surinamese Foreign Minister, Krishna Mathoera, on this very issue. (G3)

2 reporters arrested for attempting to extort $90M from businessman

Two reporters are un der investigation af ter they attempted to extort a whopping $90 million from a local busi nessman in exchange for the removal of a “libellous” article that was posted on a social media site.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Saturday evening confirmed that local journalists – Alex Wayne, 49, of Huntly Village, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara; and 41-year-old Gary Eleazar of Da Silva Street, Newtown, Kitty, Georgetown – are presently in custody for ex tortion.

Reports are that the businessman, an auto dealer, filed a complaint about the extortion with the Police Force on August 29. He related that an arti cle was published on a so cial media (Facebook) page – Guyana News Network (GNN) – with his photo graph alleging that he is involved in illegal activi ties. GNN has been posting

articles under the guise of being a “news” agency.

The businessman, in his complaint, claimed that the article caused him to be “embarrassed” and his “reputation was tar nished”.

Alex Wayne Gary Eleazar

…Guyana will stand up for its fishermen – VP

Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, Keith George, was recently summoned to a meeting with the Surinamese Foreign Minister Krishna Mathoera

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo speaking with fishermen on Saturday at the Agriculture Ministry

2 reporters arrested for attempting to...

In light of his report, the police interviewed the businessman and obtained a written statement in cluding extracts from the social media article that were taken from his cellu lar phone and Facebook.

During his interview, the businessman dis closed that he was contact ed by Wayne and Eleazar. According to the business man, the two reporters are close associates of an overseas-based business man – who was taken to court last year for alleged ly importing illegal fuel into Guyana – who report edly instructed them to post the article about him (auto dealer) on the GNN Facebook page.

The businessman claimed that the report ers informed him that they need $90 million to remove the post from the social media page.

Consequently, an in telligence-led operation

was conducted on Friday by the Police on the East Coast of Demerara some time between 15:40h and 16:35h. During the sting operation, both Wayne and Eleazar went to the busi nessman to extort cash.

As a result, investiga tors then gave the busi nessman some money, along with certain instruc tions. The two reporters were then seen arriving at the location and went to the businessman. The trio engaged in conversa tion during which Wayne and Eleazar demanded $1 million in order to remove the post from the GNN Facebook page, which they claimed is being man aged by an overseas-based People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) activist along with themselves.

In fact, Wayne took out his computer and hand ed same over to Eleazar, who went to the website and attempted to remove

the post but then claimed that the password that he was in possession of, was not working at the time for some reason.

As a result, the $1 mil lion was handed over to the two journalists as a down-payment in keeping with their demand. They duo collected the money and indicated to the busi nessman that they will re turn sometime after to re move the post and collect the outstanding monies.

However, as Wayne and Eleazar were about to leave the business es tablishment, they were intercepted by the police and told of the allegation. The officers then conduct ed a search during which a portion of the mon ey was found on Eleazar, while some were found on Wayne.

Additionally, two cel lular phones and a laptop were immediately seized from the duo. Further

searches were conducted at their homes. A laptop and three hard drives were recovered from Eleazar’s residence and nothing fur ther was found at Wayne’s home.

These items that were found at the home and the persons of the two suspects were taken into custody along with the two other men.

Guyana Times under stands that a video and audio interview was con ducted with Wayne during which he admitted to in vestigators that he act ed in concert with Eleazar and the overseas-based businessman to create and publish the article about the local auto dealer on GNN Facebook page.

According to Wayne, the two businessmen have “an ongoing issue”.

Nevertheless, the two reporters remain in police custody as investigations continue. (G8)

Taking away… …land

Your Eyewitness was intrigued by the story on Government officials talking to some folks on the West Coast of Demerara about taking away their land so as to accommodate the gas pipeline to the Wales Development Zone (your Eyewitness’s name!). The gas, of course, will be coming from our oil fields 120 miles offshore, and will land at Crane/Nouvelle Flanders - the plantation that abuts Plantation Vreed-en-Hoop.

Now, don’t think your Eyewitness is just citing esoteric ideas like “plantation” just to show off – even though he must confess that might occur on RARE occasions(!!). That these lands were once sugar plantations is quite significant!! You see, in the beginning, the plantations along the Demerara River were laid out by the Dutch, with canals running perpendicular to it so as to drain the land at low tide. You can still encounter some of the kokers along the West Bank Demerara Road. So, on its way to Wales, the gas pipeline would have to cross these canals – and the abutting dams that farmers use to get to their rice fields.

The pipeline will now be arbitrarily dividing the rice fields and dams. Your Eyewitness wonders how this would affect efficient ploughing, harrowing, raking etc. All of these will have to be considered in the compensation package being offered. Will these costs be amortised, since the pipeline will be in situ for at least 50 years??

So, your Eyewitness now comes to the main point – the price being offered, which was stated at $1 to $4 million per acre!! This figure was supposedly arrived at by the Government’s evaluator!!

And your Eyewitness has those asterisks because the offer is so laughable!! Are these guys for real?? Have they checked out the price of a house lot in that area right off the Public Road at Crane/Nouvelle Flanders?? You’re talking at least $3million for a HOUSE LOT!! And there are at least 6 house lots in ONE acre!! And this was BEFORE it became known that a US$600 million shore base was being constructed just up the road at Vreed-en-Hoop!!

Now, dear reader, you may say that the land OFF public roads are always more expensive because of accessibility and all that, and that most of the land on the way to Wales are waaaaay off the Public Road!! But you forget that there’s a brand new 4-lane multi-billion-dollar highway being constructed parallel to the pipeline from La Grange to the border of Crane/Nouvelle Flanders!! All of the land to La Grange – which is more than half-way to Wales - will now become accessible!!

As the AG pointed out, the Constitution declares that REASONABLE compensation must be offered. These farmers need to lawyer up pronto!!

…poverty vs getting rich?

Three years before President Hoyte accepted free and fair elections in 1992, he was forced to accept a Structural Adjustment Program from the IMF, so the US$2.1 BILLION foreign debt the PNC had bequeathed could be confronted. Apart from President Jagdeo getting rid of that albatross after he took over in 1999, he had to execute several Poverty Reduction Programs during the next decade.

Now, in 2022, the PNC in Opposition are sadly still stuck with this notion of “poverty reduction” - and this is actually a fetter, especially on those among their supporters who listen to them!! You see, dear reader, at that time, we were desperately trying to keep our neck above water, so we focused negatively on stayin’ alive!! Today the tables are turned, and we have one of the biggest oil finds to close out the fossil fuel age!!

With that money, we must change our goals from merely surviving to now ostentatiously succeeding to join the high-flyers.

Everything depends on our expectations!!

…Trini arrogance

Well, tonight our Warriors are gonna be taking on the Trini Knight Riders. All your Eyewitness can say is that we fans must do our bit to ensure that the TKR go quietly into the night!! Intimidate them!!

Twin brothers attacked, 1 shot dead

Twin brothers came under gunfire at Sandhill Landing, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), leaving one dead, while the other managed to escape.

Dead is 22-year-old Ray Wame Narine, a miner of Spring Garden, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). His twin brother, Ron Keme Narine, and 30-year-old Rakesh Chunilall, also a miner of Banana Land, Berbice, managed to es cape.

Guyana Times was told by relatives of the brothers that Ray Wame Narine has two children with another on the way.

Police said the suspects have been identified as a father and his son, who hail from Pearl Village, East Bank Demerara. The incident occurred be tween 23:30h and 00:00h on Thursday at Sandhill Landing, Cuyuni River.

According to reports, the motionless body of Ray Wame Narine was found covered with several tree branches in the northern corner of the main access road which runs East to West.

The body was clad in a grey jersey and black/white trousers.

Police in a statement on Saturday said that upon examination, two gunshot wounds were seen to the chest area along with oneinch lacerations to the ab domen and shoulder. A twoinch laceration was also seen to his right arm.

One suspected exit wound was observed on the right side of his back, and a warhead was also recovered in close proximity to the vic

tim which appears to be of .32 (calibre) ammunition.

Investigations so far revealed that the broth ers operate a dredge in the Sandhill Backdam.

The surviving broth er told the Police that he and his brother left their 4-inch mining operation on Thursday and went to Sandhill Landing, Cuyuni River, and while sitting on the front step of the Shanaz Allicock shop, a Honda XR motorcycle approached from a western direction with the suspects.

Ron Keme Narine said he recognised the pillion rider, as only a few days prior he had an altercation with him, and he relieved him of a firearm and am munition, which was later handed over to the Police.

He said the suspects dis mounted the motorcycle, hurriedly walked in their direction with handguns and started to discharge

several rounds in their di rection.

After the shooting they escaped in a western di rection and while running, the suspects were still dis charging rounds in their di rection.

Ron Narine added that while running, he saw his brother collapse on the roadway, and he continued to run and sought refuge in some bushes where he re mained for about two hours after which he returned to the landing.

Upon arrival, he found his brother lying motion lessly on the road with what appeared to be blood on him. He later learnt that the suspects had made good their escape.

Ron Narine told Police that he also observed a gunshot wound to his right forearm which was received while he was evading the suspects.

Eyewitness account

Meanwhile, according an eyewitness, who was a customer at another shop next to where the broth ers were seated, at the time of the incident, he was at “Momo Shop” when he saw the two suspects pass him on a motorcycle, and they parked the cycle in a dark area.

Thereafter, he told Police he saw when they walked towards the two brothers who were sit ting at a nearby shop and he saw when they pointed what appeared to be hand guns towards them. Soon after, he heard loud explo sions which sounded like gunshots.

On hearing that, he said that himself and others who were at the shop began run ning away and during that process he felt a burning pain in his lower abdomen. He fell to the ground and became unconscious.

He was picked up by public-spirited persons, placed in a motor car and taken to the Bartica Regional Hospital where he was seen and examined, and a single gunshot wound was observed to his lower stomach. The bullet exited through his lower back.

He was subsequently transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent surgery and was admitted a patient. He is currently in the recovery room.

The body of Ray Narine was escorted to the Bartica Regional Hospital where it was pronounced dead, and taken to the hospital’s mor tuary pending a post-mor tem examination.

Police are currently look ing for the two suspects.

Linden vendor slapped with ganja, illegal gun, ammo possession charges

Royston Hilliman, a vendor of Main Street, Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10, was slapped with pos session of two grams of cannabis, 19 grams of Methamphetamine, illegal firearm and ammunition charges.

The 47-year-old man ap peared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Linden Magistrate’s Court via Zoom.

He pleaded guilty to the possession of canna bis charge and was fined $5000 but denied the other charges. He was released on $40,000 bail for the posses sion of narcotics (metham phetamine) and $200,000 bail for the possession of firearm. He was released

on his own recognisance for the illegal possession of am munition charge.

The case was adjourned to November 10.

Dead: Ray Wame Narine

Royston Hilliman

Regional Food Fest spices up Main Street with fusion, authentic cuisine

Bites from different Caribbean coun tries matched with Guyana’s smacking cuisine took Main Street by storm, as the Regional Food Festival offered a flavour ful experience to patrons this weekend.

Here just for a few days, the initiative is part of the Cricket Carnival festivities. By midday on Saturday, businesses lined the street to prepare their signature dishes as patrons trickled in.

With soca music to liven the atmosphere, pots were brewing in anticipation of the usual crowds. When <<<Guyana Times>>> paid a visit, a selection of fu sion and traditional dishes awaited the public. From Guyana, pepperpot, cur ries, and other known del icacies were coupled with newer inventions like the cassava bread pizza by the

Singing Chef Adventures.

Authentic pastries and local drinks like mauby and sorrel were all ready to be sampled.

On the other hand, Cuban, Barbadian and Surinamese cuisines also generated quite the attrac tion.

Jennifer Thomas of Jenny’s Homestyle Kitchen was elated at the atten tion her business gener ated. Being a small cater er from Garden of Eden, the 51-year-old woman ex plained that her goal is to offer food that gives a home-cooked feel.

“Our best is the grilled meats. You name it. We got it…I’m so happy to get this opportunity to showcase my business. I normally do delivery from home so this is a big thing for me. I’m so happy for this,” Thomas told this publication.

Over at Doc’s Catering, Salima Husain shared that they are creating the best Cuban and fusion menu items. According to her,

too much.”

Troy Vannooten, on the other hand, is famous for his barbecue meats and ke babs – which is only avail able for special occasions.

“I’ve been doing this

Meanwhile, Carol’s Snackette brought a taste of Guyanese snacks, like her famed eggballs, and lo cally made juices.

Larger establish ments such as Heliconia Restaurant, Palm Court and the Wine Vault were also present at the festival. Viresh Rampersad repre sented Maharaja’s Palace, which has been known for their authentic Indian cui sine.

Paraguay, who accompa nied his family to check out the carnival-like festival.

“My wife heard about it and she said we should come take a look. So, we came here early and was having a really good time… We had some food, juices and drinks and having a really good time. Guyanese food is so flavourful.

persons were sold on their croquettes with ham.

“We prepare burgers, hot dogs, fish and French fries. It’s also a mix of Cuban and Guyanese food. The Guyanese people like it

for years. I only do it only for special events because I want people to taste my special fingers. Every time we come out, nothing is left back,” the Eccles resident relayed.

He shared, “We have a wide variety of Indian cuisine. We have biryani, chicken tikka masala and Asian-fusion as well. If you come to the restaurant, you have a much wider variety to taste. You can eat there for a year and have a dif ferent dish every day… People are truly happy to have that authentic Indian food. It’s not something that they find very common in Guyana.”

Enjoying the festivi ty was Victor Gauto from

There’s so much variety of food than I’m used to. I don’t think I’ve tried every thing as yet because it’s so much,” Gauto added.

All the way from New Jersey, Lall (only name pro vided) returned to Guyana for the Caribbean Premier League. However, he was equally excited to capital ise on the local foods.

“We have to get some food from here, which we’re waiting on. The crowd is developing. We’re good to go. We don’t get this that much. I love the fried rice and cook-up.” (Rupa Seenaraine)

Jennifer Thomas operator of Jenny’s Homestyle Kitchen

Troy Vannooten

Victor Gauto from Paraguay

Taxi driver killed in horrific WCB crash

Devonshire Castle and Independence Struggle

ThisFriday, September 30, will be the 150th anniversary of the slaughter of five indentured sugar workers and the wounding of seven others at Devonshire Castle, Essequibo Coast. It reminds us of the seminal role of labour in the struggle for independence from Britain, since the 1872 killings reinforced the unity of interests of the sugar planters and the state. Sugar bosses could summon the state Police to “settle” labour disputes. The killings also exacerbated already strained relations between newly-freed African slaves and Indian indentureds, since the Police Force, then, as now, was overwhelmingly African-manned.

While some Indians who had completed their indentureship had been recruited and performed satisfactorily, by the 1870s, Governor Kortright vetoed this practice by imposing discriminatory “minimum physical requirements”. He said he feared Indian policemen making common cause with the “coolies with cutlasses on the plantations”. Supplementing this physical violence deployed to quell plantation labour uprisings, other daily humiliations were inflicted on the immigrants. In addition to demanding to see “passes” for Indians off the plantation, Police Force historian John Campbell noted: “Police were employed to levy rents and to act as bailiffs (and) East Indians quite rightly viewed the Police as agents or allies of their oppressors”. Chief Justice Beaumont noted Police harassment of Indians in the 1870s as “galling subjection”.

Since protests of working conditions on the plantations was arbitrarily defined as “overt rebellions” eliciting shootings, Girmitiyas did not lightly embark upon such actions. One could only imagine the provocations that they did. The abysmal conditions on the plantations by 1870 can be gleaned from the stark population statistics. Of the 69,380 Indian immigrants landed by 1869, 6,523 had returned to India, but only 44,936 showed up in the census. It meant that if not a single birth occurred – which was impossible –17,921, 1 in 4 had died.

The seminal precursor to Devonshire Castle occurred in July of 1869, when shovel gang workers at Plantation Leonora disputed the wages for work done and allegedly “assaulted” a manager. The response was swift: the Police and the 2nd West India Regiment were called in. Following the “Leonora Riot”, the B.G. Police Force became “the most heavily armed Police in the British West Indies,” according to historian Adam Adamson. Even though no one was killed, the protesting workers were arrested, convicted, and jailed in short order. The system had begun to perform a “one-two-three” – first the Police would use violence to maintain “order”. Then the judiciary would emphasise the condign lesson by applying the “law”, where any alleged non-performance or underperformance of their tasks – civil violations – earned criminal penalties of jail terms and onerous fines. Finally, the planters would add the “jail time” to the indenture period of the immigrants. Some were expelled from the plantations for good measure.

The Leonora protests precipitated a Royal Commission of Inquiry but instituted no changes in the Police composition or SOPs that continued unleashing violence to “keep the Indian in his place”. They became a bogeyman in that community.

On Sept 29 at Devonshire Castle, one Parag had been arrested for “assaulting” a Manager but was rescued from confinement. He cross-charged the Manager. The next day, Sept 30, Parag refused to appear at the Magistrate Court, where the accused, as a Manager, would have been allowed to sit beside the Magistrate. Instead, he, along with 250 other immigrants, appeared at the Estate, and prevented the Manager or anyone else from entering.

Twenty-three armed Policemen and the Magistrate appeared, and the latter ordered the Policemen to load their rifles. The Police were then ordered to charge – the immigrants stood their ground, and one Policeman (Archer) discharged a shot. The other Policemen thought the order to shoot had been given, and nine of them opened fire. Five workers, Maxidally, Kaulika, Beccaroo, Baldeo and Auckloo, were killed, and seven others were wounded. At the Inquest, the Policemen’s actions were exonerated as “justifiable homicide”. Labour protests were now routinely dubbed “riots”.

The planter-friendly paper “The Colonist”, exulted: “the leaden argument has brought submission quicker than all honeyed words that could have been used.” The “leaden argument” by Police guns was then made with fatal regularity to murder Indian Guyanese sugar workers protesting the syatem: 1896 - Non Pareil (6); 1903 - Friends (6); 1912 - Lusignan (1); 1913 - Rose Hall (14); 1924Ruimveldt (13); 1939 - Leonora (4); until 1948 - Enmore (5), when the PPP was formed to demand Independence.

Atwo-vehicle collision on the West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) public road early Saturday morn ing left one man dead and his motor car completely de stroyed.

Dead is Salim Yusuf, a taxi driver of Bennett Dam, West Coast Berbice.

CCTV footage captured indicates that at least one vehicle was speeding and the impact caused both ve hicles to veer off of the road and onto the parapet.

They ended up about 30 feet apart with both facing the road.

At the scene on Saturday morning, persons gave dif ferent versions of what may have transpired.

However, Police said the accident that occurred at around 04:30h on the D’Edward Public Road in volved motor car PYY 3603, driven by a 33-year-old teacher of Kildonan Village in Corentyne, Berbice, and motor car PTT 9357 being by 30-year-old Yusuf.

According to the Police, enquiries disclosed that the motor vehicle being driv en by Yusuf was proceed ing west along the southern drive lane on the said road while the vehicle driven by Bynoe was proceeding east along the northern drive lane at a fast rate.

The teacher, the Police

said, lost control and col lided into the right side of Yusuf’s car.

Yusuf was taken out from his car in an unconscious condition by public-spir ited citizens and taken to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where he was pro nounced dead on arrival.

At the time of the acci dent, the teacher was re portedly on his way to his Corentyne home while Yusuf is said to have been going home after dropping off a passenger.

The accident occurred about five houses away from Yusuf’s home.

His sister-in-law said fol lowing the impact, she went to the scene and the former bus driver appeared to have been dead already.

“My neighbour called and said that he got an ac cident and we run out, me and the other neighbour and I guess he was already dead, his head had fallen backwards and his foot was on the steering,” the woman said.

His sister-in-law said that Yusuf, who was living overseas before returning to Guyana, is said to be effi cient in his business.

“He would be working taxi and when you call him, he always come and if he can’t make it he would send somebody for you. Presently, he was living alone, he and

my sister was living togeth er but since last December my sister went away on an island but the two of them still correspond,” she re vealed.

Meanwhile, Police in a statement noted that the

driver of motor car PYY 3603 is in custody assisting with the ongoing investiga tion. (G4)

Dead: Salim Yusuf

The vehicles that were involved in the accident

Scenes from Guyana National Stadium

- string bag vendor Andrew Herman

By AlvA Solomon

Hesays some days he sells one bag and some days he sells a dozen or more. But for Andrew Herman, his poly ethene string-bag business is his main means of an in come, a trade he learnt since he was 10-years-old.

Herman can be seen around town pushing his cart with the colourful string-bags displayed on his cart. He said he wakes up before sunrise and head to the city from his home in Golden Grove on the East Bank of Demerara to ply his trade.

He said he started mak ing the bags after learning the art from his late grand mother. “That’s in the 1970s, my grandmother was a busi nesswoman , she use to sell on Water Street near the ar cade,” he recounted.

He told the Guyana Times that in those days he made the bags for her to sell and he noted that at the time he was “still younger that the Common Entrance class.” At the time, Herman said he was a student of the St Andrews Primary School at the Stabroek.

Back in those days, Herman said his grand mother and his aunts plied the craft-making trade. “I use to look on and watch how they making it and that is how I learn,” Herman said.

Herman said that bags are strong. “These bags can carry a sack of cement. It can tek the weight ,” he said. He likened the material to the seine nets used by fish ermen, adding that since those nets are used to haul tonnes of fish, his bags pos sess the durability to fetch the heavy items.

Designing the bag

Herman said making the bags require a lot of skill and time. He said it takes as much as two hours to make one bag. According to him, he utilises various colours of the polyethene string which he inserts into various nee dles. “Each string use a dif ferent needle,” he said.

He said that he starts the process by plaiting and sew ing from the top of the bag until one colour is complete. “You plait that colour and when you reach the end you burn the ends to keep in in tack,” he said, adding that he ends the process with the handle which is plaited and burnt at the end to complete the bag.

Herman noted that he retails the bags for $1000 although he posited that the entire process can be time-consuming and he should increase his price. But he wouldn’t. He said that he understands that the customer may not be able to afford to pay a high er price. “Some days you sell one, yesterday I sold three,” he said, noting that some days he sells more.

Herman noted that al though the sales may fluctu ate, he loves his trade. “You got to be able to manage and go again. Some days I take a time off because I have to gather my materials and make the bags,” he said.

With a chuckle, Herman said he is a father of one, but he noted that he has seen children who resemble him while walking around. He said he has several grand children and he noted that he loves his family dearly. Anyone who wishes to con tact Andrew Herman can contact him on mobile num ber 682-4724.

Andrew Herman and his coloured strong bags

Andrew Herman says he has been making the polyethene string bags since he was 10 years old

HEALTH TIPS

UNDERSTANDING SINUSITIS

Dr. Tariq Jagnarine Family meDicine/enDocrinology

The sinuses are small air pockets located between the eyes and behind the forehead, nose, and cheekbones. When the sinuses and nasal passages become inflamed, the condi tion is known as sinusitis. The terms “sinusitis” and “sinus infection” are some times used interchangeably.

A sinus infection is a very common condition.

Inflammation can occur be cause of conditions such as structural issues in the nose, or a sinus infection. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, sinus infec tions affect 31 million peo ple in the United States each year.

SINUSITIS RISK FACTORS

Sinusitis often occurs when something, such as mucus, blocks the openings of the sinuses. Anyone can

develop sinusitis, or a si nus infection. However, cer tain health conditions and risk factors can increase the chances.

Possible contributors to sinusitis include: Structural issues affecting the nose, such as:

o Deviated septum, which occurs when the wall of tissue that runs between the left and right nostrils is uneven

o Nasal bone spur, or growth

o Nasal polyps, which are usually noncancerous Weakened immune system

History of allergies

Colds and other up per respiratory tract infec tions, which can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fun gi

Cystic fibrosis, which causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs and other mucous membrane linings

Mould exposure Tobacco smoking Dental infection

Aeroplane travel, which can expose you to a high concentration of germs Sometimes a cold, aller gens or bacteria can cause too much mucus to form. This mucus build-up can be come thick and encourage bacteria and other germs to build up in the sinus cavity, eventually leading to a si nus infection.

SINUSITIS TYPES

There are different types of sinusitis, and they all have similar symptoms. The severity and duration of the symptoms would vary.

• Acute sinusitis

Acute sinusitis has the shortest duration. It may last up to 4 weeks. A vi ral infection brought on by the common cold can cause symptoms that typically last up to 10 days. Viral in fections eventually lead to most cases of acute sinus itis, but seasonal allergies are another possible source.

• Subacute sinusitis

Subacute sinusitis symptoms can last up to 12 weeks. This condition com monly occurs with seasonal allergies or bacterial infec

tions.

Recurrent acute si nusitis

In recurrent acute sinus itis, you have at least four episodes of acute sinusitis over the course of 1 year. Each episode of acute si nusitis must last at least 7 days.

Chronic sinusitis

Symptoms of chronic si nusitis last for more than 12 weeks. Chronic sinusitis symptoms are often less se vere than acute sinusitis symptoms, and fever is rare. Bacterial infection may be to blame in these cases. Additionally, chronic sinus itis commonly occurs along side persistent allergies or structural nasal issues.

SINUSITIS SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of sinus itis are similar to those of a common cold. They may in clude:

• Decreased sense of smell

• Fever

• Stuffy or runny nose

• Headache from si nus pressure

• Fatigue

• Cough

It may be difficult for caregivers to detect sinus itis in a child. Signs include:

• Cold symptoms that do not improve within 10 to 14 days

• Allergy symptoms that do not respond to medi cation

• Lingering cough

• Fever above 102.2°F (39°C), which is considered a high fever

• Thick green or yel low mucus coming from the nose

SINUSITIS DIAGNOSIS

A doctor would ask about the symptoms, and perform a physical exam before mak ing a diagnosis. The doctor may check for pressure and tenderness by pressing a finger against the head and cheeks, and may also exam ine the inside of the nose to look for signs of inflam mation. In most cases, the doctor can diagnose sinus itis based on the symptoms and the results of a physical exam.

In the case of chronic si nusitis, the doctor may rec ommend imaging tests to examine the sinuses and nasal passages. These tests can reveal mucus blockag es and any abnormal struc tures, such as polyps.

Allergy tests. An al lergy test identifies envi ronmental factors that may cause an allergic reaction. Blood tests. A blood test can check for conditions that weaken the immune system, such as HIV.

FROM

HEALTH TIPS

UNDERSTANDING SINUSITIS

SINUSITIS TREATMENT

Most sinusitis cases are caused by viral in fections, and may not require treatment. Overthe-counter (OTC) medications and home rem edies may help ease the symptoms, though.

Nasal congestion

Nasal congestion is one of the most com mon symptoms of sinusitis. Try these tips to help reduce nasal congestion:

To help relieve the feeling of pain from sinus pressure, apply a warm, damp cloth to the face and forehead several times a day.

Perform a nasal saline rinse to help clear the thick and sticky mucus from the nose.

• Drink water and juice to stay hydrat ed and help thin the mucus; use an OTC med ication, such as guaifenesin, that thins mucus.

• Use a humidifier in the bedroom to add moisture to the air. Turn on the shower and sit in the bathroom with the door closed to surround yourself with steam.

• Consider using an OTC nasal cortico steroid spray. There are decongestants avail able over the counter.

PAIN MEDICATIONS

In rare cases, sinusitis can trigger a si nus headache or pressure in the forehead and cheeks. OTC medications such as Tylenol and ibuprofen can help.

Antibiotics

If the symptoms do not improve within a few weeks, it is likely a bacterial infection. Antibiotic therapy is needed if persons have symptoms that do not improve, including:

Runny nose

• Congestion

• Cough

Continued facial pain or headaches

Eye swelling

Fever Surgery

If the chronic sinusitis does not improve with time and medication, persons may un dergo surgery to: Clear the sinuses

• Repair a deviated septum

• Remove polyps

SINUSITIS PREVENTION

Because sinusitis can develop after a cold, the flu, or an allergic reaction, following a health-promoting lifestyle and reducing expo sure to germs and allergens can help prevent this inflammation. To reduce the risk, people can:

• Get a flu shot every year. Eat nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

• Wash the hands regularly.

• Limit exposure to smoke, chemicals, pollen, and other allergens or irritants.

Take antihistamine medication to treat allergies and colds.

• Avoid exposure to people with active respiratory infections, such as a cold or the flu.

SINUSITIS COMPLICATIONS

If left untreated, sinusitis may cause rare complications, such as: an abscess, which is a walled-off col lection of pus in the sinus cavity

• meningitis, a life-threatening infec tion that can cause brain and spinal cord dam age orbital cellulitis, an infection of the tissue surrounding the eyes

Sinusitis is treatable, and most people re cover without seeing a doctor or taking antibi otics. However, you should tell a doctor if you are having repeated or chronic sinus issues. It may be an underlying medical condition, such as nasal polyps.

“Health literacy is important” – Dr Ramsammy

Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony has cau tioned on how low health literacy contributes signifi cantly to health disparities and can cause wide-rang ing implications for people’s well-being and the provision of health services.

During his feature ad dress at the opening of the St Joseph Mercy Hospital’s Health and Wellness Experience 2022 on Saturday, Dr Ramsammy shared that the common practice of shying away

from early screening and not keeping up to date or being unable to recite the numbers that add up to good health: blood pressure, cho lesterol levels, blood sugar level and body mass index is not ideal.

“The most important as pect of health is us, and how we live; our lifestyle is critical not just for to pre vent Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) but other infectious diseases,” he said.

Dr Ramsammy remind ed the audience that, un like family history, ethnicity

and gender – which cannot be changed – other factors can be altered by the choic es a person makes every day to prevent the early onset of disease such as diabetes and hypertension. This, he said, starts with basic lifestyle changes in the way a person eats and their involvement in daily physical activities.

While congratulating the management of St Joseph Mercy Hospital and their partners on pulling off a suc cessful event, the Advisor to the Minister made a public appeal for more public-pri

vate sector collaborations geared at taking health ed ucation and early screen ing to not only hospitals and health centres but to the homes of citizens.

Dr Ramsammy said that the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Health (MOH) is aiming to introduce the HbA1c test to all regional hospitals, health centres and health posts across the country.

HbA1c test is a simple

blood test that measures a person’s average blood sug ar levels over the past 3 months. It’s one of the com monly used tests to diag nose prediabetes and diabe tes and is also the main test to manage patients living with diabetes.

Earlier this month, in celebration of Wellness Day, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony shared that pro moting a healthier lifestyle is a preventative measure

against illnesses and health complications.

In Guyana, he had pointed out that many per sons have adopted an inac tive way of living coupled with poor choices and the Ministry is aiming to change this trend. This includes smoking, abuse of alcohol consumption, fast food, con suming sugar-sweetened beverages and lack of ex ercise in the daily routine. (G12)

An elderly woman getting a check-up at the event

Another miner dies as pit caves in

A37-year-old min er of North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), died after a sand pit caved in on him.

Dead is Omar Oselmo. He died on Thursday at about 18:00h at Sand Hill Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Police said that when they visited the scene, the body was seen in an old dug out pit next to a wall of sand which appeared to have collapsed.

Investigation revealed that Oselmo was employed at a mining operation at Sandhill Backdam, and on Thursday at about 16:00h, he and his co-workers had finished working and went to camp.

At about 18:00h, Oselmo returned to the work ground to 'punt' and sud denly the walls of the pit caved in on him, trapping him in the process.

His co-workers told Police that they heard his scream and rushed to his assistance but they did not see him. As a result, they

began digging and later found Oselmo's motionless body beneath the sand.

The body was removed and examined but no mark of violence was seen. The scene was processed, pho tographed, and statements were taken.

The body was lat er escorted to the Bartica Regional Hospital where it was pronounced dead. It was escorted to the Bartica Regional Hospital's Mortuary for storage await ing PME.

Investigations are in progress.

A week ago, a 24-yearold gold miner was killed at Gold Finger Landing, Cuyuni River, after a tree fell and pinned him at the mining camp.

Dead is Troy Prudencio of Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

Information from the Guyana Police Force indi cated that at about 13:22h on Saturday, Prudencio and two other miners –

aged 31 and 25 – were cooking at the camp site. However, there were sev eral gusts of heavy winds, followed by the sound of a falling tree.

Prudencio and the other two workers scampered to get out of the camp to safe ty. However, the miner was too late and he was pinned by the tree.

Reports are that the other two workers imme diately removed the tree but their co-worker was motionless at that time. Two months ago, two min ers met their demise af ter the mining pit in which they were working col lapsed at Kumung Kumung Backdam, Puruni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Dead are 44-year-old Troy Scott of Linden and 32-year-old Seon Martin of Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper

Essequibo) who were em ployed by a businessman of Rahaman’s Park, Greater Georgetown.

Investigators said that Martin was the general manager for the operation and at the time of the inci dent, he was operating the jetting hose while Scott was operating the marrock hose in the mining pit which is about 25 feet in depth.

However, during the mining operation, the land reportedly caved in, thus trapping them beneath. Based on reports, the other workers who were also in the mining pit at the time escaped unhurt.

The two men were pulled from under the de bris but by that time, they were already dead.

Anns Grove murder/suicide

Family praying for injured woman to survive

Family members of Sharon Scott, who was brutally chopped and set on fire by her husband moments after he killed their only son at their Anns Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home on Wednesday, are hoping that the woman sur vives the attack.

Police stated hours after the incident that the wom an was in a stable condition and was recovering but fam ily members told this pub lication that based on their

observation, the woman’s condition is deteriorating.

“While I will say that she might be coming around, I don’t know if she will make it, but we are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that she pulls through so that when she comes out, she will be able to tell me exact ly what really happened that night. She is the only body that I can get the truth from,” a relative said.

The relative said that while there are different ver

sions of the incident which oc curred on Wednesday morn ing, Scott is the only one who knows exactly what occurred.

“She is the only one that can say the truth,” the rela tive said.

Scott was chopped and set on fire by her 57-yearold husband, Leon Bobb, who also killed their only son, 21-year-old Seon Scott.

Bobb later died by suicide.

It was reported that Bobb went berserk and chopped his son to death in his sleep,

and then turned the blade on his wife, chopping her to the neck and lighting her on fire.

Police said that the now dead man and his wife had an ongoing domestic dispute, in which he accused the wom an of having affairs. Bobb re portedly physically assaulted his wife on several occasions, causing their son to intervene

in a bid to save his mother.

However, on Wednesday morning, it is suspected that the man killed his son while he was asleep to prevent him from going to the rescue of his mother.

Police said when they re sponded to the scene, the young security guard was found lying motionlessly on

a mattress. A large wound was seen on the left side of his neck.

The suspect was then found lying on a blood-soaked bed in a room, with a large wound to his abdomen and his intestines protruding, and one to his neck. He was taken to the hospital but lat er died. (G9)

Injured: Sharon ScottDead: Seon Scott

Dead by suicide: Leon Bobb

Americas not on track to meet global targets on maternal health, mortality – PAHO

…record 2nd highest rate of adolescent pregnancy

and the Caribbean, brought together high-level speakers to review the impact of cur rent crises and the way for ward to address these.

Dr Etienne also warned that gender-based violence is on the rise in the Americas, and that school interrup tions triggered “the worst ed ucational crisis we have ever seen”, as “our kids missed more school days than chil dren in any other region.”

measles and rubella, which have lagged during the pan demic.

She also called for com prehensive, evidence-based programmes to empower schools, communities and families to care for young people so that these can thrive, and urged countries to work with women and children “to shape the inter ventions that are intended to reach them”.

As part of PAHO’s par ticipation at the UNGA, in terim Assistant Director Marcos Espinal also joined a high-level Round Table on Global Solutions to Face Infectious Diseases on 21 September, organised by the Wellcome Trust.

Established in 2005 and hosted by the World Health Organisation, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child

Health (PMNCH) is the world’s largest alliance for women’s, children’s and ado lescents’ health and well-be ing. PMNCH brings togeth er 1250 partners, including governments, NGOs, adoles cent and youth groups, pri vate sector organisations, health professional associa tions, academic and research institutions, inter-govern mental organisations, and UN agencies. (G12)

The Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) Director, Dr Carissa F Etienne, highlight ed the aggravating effect of COVID-19 on the health of women and children, which has left the region battling to meet global targets on ma ternal health and mortality.

Speaking at a high-lev el event during the United Nations General Assembly, she reported “It’s clear that we must act now to protect the future of our region… Widespread disruptions to maternal and newborn care left expectant mothers and their babies without support during one of the most criti

cal periods of a woman’s life and a baby’s growth,” the Director said in her state ment.

Young women were left particularly vulnerable, she added, as disruptions to fam ily planning services fuelled one of the largest increases in teenage pregnancy, seen in more than a decade. The Americas also has the sec ond highest rate of adoles cent pregnancy in the world.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) event, Tackling Conflict, Climate Change and COVID-19: A Triple Threat to Women, Children and Adolescents in Latin America

“Children and teens across our region are at risk of becoming the genera tion that missed out on the health, education and eco nomic opportunities they needed to reach their fullest potential,” she cautioned.

Looking forward, the Director reminded the pan el that Latin America and the Caribbean have made re markable progress in recent decades to reduce childhood mortality and expand access to health services, and urged leaders to “lean on these past experiences and refocus our efforts as we rebuild from this pandemic.”

This includes stepping up efforts to restore children’s annual check-ups and rou tine vaccinations from pre ventable diseases like polio,

PAHO Director Dr Carissa F Etienne

Regional

Galapagos Park testing coral replanting to restore fragile ecosystem

Ecuador’s Galapagos

National Park is testing different cor al replanting methods in an effort to restore frag ile underwater ecosystems around the storied islands.

Coral reef die-offs af fect the marine food supply chain and are considered a major climate tipping point.

The experimental proj ect is run by park rangers and volunteers, with sup port from the Galapagos Conservancy, in a bay on

Santa Cruz island.

Since 2020 they have tested how coral repro duces when it is placed on varying surfaces like bricks, cement or tied to gether and strung on met al frames, growing samples in a nursery before adding them to the bay.

“The area around the nursery has seen improve ments with the presence of the coral, with the appear ance of new fish and in vertebrates,” said Jenifer Suarez, the park ranger

who leads the project.

Climate events associ ated with the El Nino phe nomenon - which increas es sea temperature around the Galapagos - have pushed corals in the archi pelago nearly to extinction, said Danny Rueda, head of Galapagos park.

This project “will regen erate areas of great ecolog ical value in the Galapagos marine reserve to bene fit its ecosystems and lo cal productive sectors,” he said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Brazil sees dramatic spike in August deforestation data

times these fires run out of control. Environmental advocates blame far-right President Jair Bolsonaro for this accelerated de cline.

During his term, Bolsonaro has scaled back environmental oversight, and called for more com mercial farming and min ing in the Amazon saying it will reduce poverty, invit ing global outrage over his handling of a region crucial to slowing global warming.

Argentina’s oil workers end strike after inking deal on safety

Unions representing thousands of strik ing Argentine oil workers called off a strike on Friday afternoon that they began the day before after a meeting with busi ness leaders ended in a deal on greater safety measures and training for employees.

The workers launched the strike on Thursday af ter a fire in a storage tank caused an explosion at the New American Oil (NAO) refinery in the town of Plaza Huincul in western Neuquen province.

The blast left three dead and one injured.

Union leaders, represen tatives of oil companies, and

local government officials signed a deal designed to im prove “training programmes and prepare active person nel and future workers on issues of on-the-job safety.”

The deal also requires spending to ensure compli ance with regulations, ac cording to a copy of the deal released by one of the unions.

Prior to reaching the agreement, Marcelo Rucci, secretary general of the Private Oil and Gas Union of Rio Negro, Neuquen and La Pampa, the country’s larg est oil union, stressed that improvements in safety are a matter of life and death.

“This is a job, not a war

to go and die in,” he said, noting that 15 workers have died over the past five years due to work-related acci dents.

“We can’t continue to lose lives to satisfy unre alistic production targets,” added Rucci, whose union represents some 25,000 workers, including some employed in the prized Vaca Muerta shale fields in Neuquen.

Argentina’s Government is investing in infrastruc ture projects it views as key to helping it boost domes tic oil and gas output and over time lessen costly en ergy imports. (Excerpt from Reuters)

PAHO: Dwindling routine vaccinations is cause for concern

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest spiked more than 80 per cent in August from a year earlier, preliminary Government data showed on Friday, with fires raging at a re cord-breaking pace.

Government satellite data showed 7135 square kilometers (2754 square miles) were cleared in the Amazon from January to August, up 19 per cent from the same period of last year, according to na

tional space research agen cy Inpe, which collects the data.

In August alone, de forestation totaled 1661 square kilometers (641 square miles), an 81 per cent increase from the same month in 2021.

With the beginning of burning season this month, there were 33,116 Inpe fire alerts, the second-worst on record in a decade. In Brazil, farmers cut down the forests and set trees on fire to clear land, and some

“Deforestation is com pletely out of control in the Amazon. It is the result of a very successful anti-en vironmental policy that has been implemented in the last almost four years,” said Greenpeace Brazil’s Cristiane Mazzetti, refer ring to Bolsonaro.

“This accelerated de struction is pushing the Amazon close to a tipping point where it would fail as a rainforest. Such fast environmental change would be catastrophic for the global climate and biodiversity,” she added. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Dr Carissa Etienne warned on Wednesday that while the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic con tinues to kill an estimat ed 4000 lives weekly in the Americas and Monkeypox cases rise, the polio vi rus has now been detected among unvaccinated com munities in the American city of New York.

Consequently, Etienne urged countries, includ ing those in the Caribbean, to immediately strength en surveillance and routine vaccination campaigns.

The PAHO Director said although the United States mounted a swift public health response fol lowing the detection, po lio was a disease that she never expected to see in the Americas again.

“It’s been nearly 30 years since the Americas became the first global re gion to wipe out wild polio,” she said, noting however that “dwindling vaccination rates, worsened by the

COVID-19 pandemic, have left many of our populations unprotected.”

PAHO said polio, which can spread quickly among communities with insuffi cient vaccination coverage, is not a treatable disease, but it is fully preventable with vaccines.

Yet, vaccination cover age has fallen below 80 per cent in nearly all of South America, and 12 countries in the region are at high or very high risk of experienc ing an outbreak.

PAHO said it was work

ing closely with the US and issued several alerts to member states to remain vigilant and take measures to proactively reach unvac cinated populations with a polio vaccine.

“We must not take the life-saving power of vac cines for granted,” Etienne said, urging countries of the Americas to step up their COVID-19 vaccination cam paigns, particularly in the Caribbean, where a num ber of islands are falling be hind. (Excerpt from Nation News)

Bahamas lifts mask-wearing measure

support from C-TOC and intelligence support from US law enforcement agen cies, executed an operation at the airport.

The operation resulted in the seizure of more than 1000 pounds of cocaine contained in 10 bags.

The police theorised that a major transnation al criminal organisation is responsible for seized drugs. A high-level inves tigation is now underway in a bid to arrest the per petrators.

Police said the drug has an estimated street value of US$25 million. (Jamaica Observer)

The Bahamas Government said peo ple will no longer be required to wear a mask from October 1, except for those accessing healthcare facilities, visiting senior care homes, or in an indoor classroom setting.

In a message posted on his Twitter account, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis said adjustments to the mask mandate were rec ommended by the advisory committee at the Ministry of Health & Wellness.

But the authorities said that while mask wearing is not currently required in outdoor settings, it is still largely required indoors and that once the new policy

takes effect, mask wearing will not be needed in most settings.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said mask wearing will still be needed for people access ing a health care facility for any reason, including work ers, patients, visitors and vendors or any non-resident worker of a long-term care residential facility.

The health authori ties said mask wearing is also needed “in any indoor classroom setting in an ed ucational institution, ex cept where Rule 27 (20 of the Health Services Rules (COVID) Prevention and Management of Community Spread 2021)”.

President of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union, Darrin Woods welcomed the announcement, saying the move will likely boost tour ism numbers and aid the na tion’s economic recovery in turn.

Former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said while the policy change was not an “unreasonable step”, it also did not mean that the virus was behind us and further reminded Bahamians to be on guard.

The Bahamas recorded 37,213 cases of COVID-19 and 833 deaths since the first case was recorded in March 2022. (Excerpt from Nation News)

Observer Online has

More than US$25 million worth of cocaine was seized by the Narcotics Division at the Ian Fleming International Airport in Boscobel, St Mary on Thursday.

learnt that the drugs were seized during an operation which included members of several local and US law enforcement agencies.

It was reported that about 7:00 pm, offi cers from the Narcotics Division, with operational

An aerial view showing a deforested plot of the Amazon rainforest in Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil, July 8, 2022

PAHO Director Dr Carissa Etienne

OIL NEWS

Oil rig count sees small jump amid crash in crude prices

The number of total active drilling rigs in the United States rose by 1 this week, according to new data from Baker Hughes published on Friday.

The total rig count rose to 764 this week—243 rigs higher than the rig count this time in 2021.

Oil rigs in the United States rose by 3 this week, to 602. Gas rigs slipped 2, to 160. Miscellaneous rigs stayed the same at 2.

The rig count in the Permian Basin increased by 1 to 344 this week. Rigs in the Eagle Ford stayed the same at 72. Oil and gas rigs in the Permian are 84 above where they were this time last year. While up year over year, active drilling in the Permian has remained near the current level since mid-May.

Primary Vision's Frac Spread Count, an estimate of the number of crews completing unfinished wells—a more frugal use of finances than drilling new wells—rose by 3 to 287 for the week ending September 16, compared to 280 a month ago and 252 a year ago.

Crude oil production in the United States remained stagnated at 12.1 million bpd for the fourth week in a row for the week ending September 16, according to the latest weekly EIA estimates. US production levels are up 400,000 bpd so far this year and up 1.5 million bpd versus a year ago.

At 9:19 am ET, the WTI benchmark was trading down US$2.72 per barrel (3.26 per cent) on the day at US$80.77 per barrel—the lowest level for WTI since January and a US$5 per barrel dip on the week.

The Brent benchmark was trading down at US$87.95 US$91.84 per barrel, down US$2.51 (3.76 per cent) on the day, and down US$4 per barrel compared to this time last Friday.

WTI was trading at US$83.57 minutes after the data release. (Oilprice.com)

Hurricane Fiona: Canada hit by “historic, extreme event”

Hundreds of thou sands of peo ple have been left without power, after Storm Fiona hit Canada's coastline.

Fiona was downgrad ed from a hurricane to a tropical storm on Friday.

But parts of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick still experi enced torrential rain and winds of up to 160km/h (99mph).

Officials have yet to share any reports of fatal ities or serious injuries, but authorities are deal ing with extensive flood ing across two provinces.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre warned ahead of its arrival that Fiona could be "a historic, extreme event", with un precedented wind speeds.

Tropical storm warn ings were issued for the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and New Brunswick, as well as in parts of Quebec.

The country's eastern region could receive up

to 10in (25cm) of rain, in creasing the risk of flash flooding.

In Nova Scotia, shel ters were prepared in Halifax and Cape Breton for people to take cover ahead of the storm.

In Port aux Basques, with a population of 4067 on the southwest tip of Newfoundland, in tense flooding saw some homes and office build ings washed out to sea, lo cal journalist Rene Roy, told CBC.

And the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said a woman was res cued after being "tossed into the water as her home collapsed" in the area. They said another report of a women being swept out from her base ment had been received, but conditions remained too dangerous to conduct a search.

Power companies have warned that it could take days to restore electrici ty, as wind speeds remain too high to start work on downed power lines. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Around the World

Complaints about Russia's chaotic mobilisation grow

The strongly pro-Kremlin editor of Russia's staterun RT news channel ex pressed anger on Saturday that enlistment officers were sending call-up pa pers to the wrong men, as frustration about a mili tary mobilisation grew.

Wednesday's announce ment of Russia's first pub lic mobilisation since World War Two, to shore up its faltering Ukraine war, has triggered a rush for the border, the arrests of over 1000 protesters, and unease in the wider population.

It is also attracting crit icism from the Kremlin's own official supporters, something almost unheard of in Russia since the inva sion began.

"It has been announced that privates can be re cruited up to the age of 35.

Summonses are going to 40-year-olds," the RT ed itor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan, railed on her Telegram channel.

"They're infuriating people, as if on purpose, as if out of spite. As if they'd

been sent by Kyiv."

In another rare sign of turmoil, the Defence Ministry said the Deputy Minister in charge of Logistics, four-star General Dmitry Bulgakov, had been replaced "for

transfer to another role". It gave no details.

Russia appears set to formally annex a swathe of Ukrainian territory next week, according to Russia's main news agencies. This follows so-called referen dums in four occupied re gions of Ukraine that be gan on Friday. Kyiv and the West have denounced the votes as a sham and said outcomes in favour of annexation are pre-deter mined.

For the mobilisation effort, officials have said 300,000 troops are needed, with priority given to peo ple with recent military experience and vital skills. The Kremlin denies re ports by two foreign-based Russian news outlets that the real target is more than 1 million. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Iran will act decisively after biggest protests in years, President says

Iran must deal decisive ly with protests which have swept the coun try after the death in cus tody of a woman detained by the Islamic Republic's morality Police, President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday.

At least 41 people have been killed in the weeklong unrest, state televi sion said on Saturday. It said that toll was based on its own count and offi cial figures were yet to be released. Protests have erupted in most of the country's 31 provinces.

State media quoted Raisi on Saturday as say ing Iran must "deal deci sively with those who op pose the country's security and tranquillity".

The protests broke out in northwestern Iran a week ago at the funeral of

Mahsa Amini, a 22-yearold Kurdish woman who died after falling into a coma following her deten tion in Tehran by morality police enforcing hijab rules on women's dress.

Her death has reignited anger over issues includ ing restrictions on person al freedoms in Iran, the strict dress codes for wom en, and an economy reeling from sanctions.

Women have played a prominent role in the pro tests, waving and burn ing their veils. Some have publicly cut their hair as furious crowds called for the fall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The protests are the largest to sweep the coun try since demonstrations over fuel prices in 2019, when Reuters reported 1500 people were killed in a crackdown on pro testers - the bloodiest con frontation in the Islamic Republic's history.

On Friday, state-organ ised rallies took place in several Iranian cities to counter the anti-govern ment protests, and the army promised to con front "the enemies" behind the unrest. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Lightning, heavy rains kill at least 36 in India

Hazardous weath er has killed at least 36 people in northern India over the past 24 hours, including 12 who died after being struck by lightning.

Across the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 24 people died after their homes collapsed during unrelenting rains, Relief Commissioner Ranvir Prasad said.

Mohamed Usman, 15, was on his friend’s roof in the city of Prayagraj when lightning struck on Friday evening, killing him in

stantly. His friend Aznan, who goes by one name, was injured and is being treated in a hospital.

“As soon as they set foot on the roof they were hit by lightning and my son died,” said Mohammad Ayub, Usman’s father.

Officials said 39 peo ple in the state have died from lightning in the last five days, prompting the state government to issue new guidelines for how people can protect them selves during a thunder storm.

Lightning strikes

are common during India’s monsoon season, which runs from June to September.

Colonel Sanjay Srivastava, whose or ganisation Lightning Resilient India Campaign works with the Indian Meteorological Department, said defor estation, depletion of bod ies of water, and pollution all contribute to climate change, which leads to more lightning.

Global warming has also increased the fre quency of lightning, said

Sunita Narain, Director General at the Centre for Science and Environment.

A 1-degree-Celsius (1.8-degree-Fahrenheit) rise in temperature in creases lightning by 12 times. Thunderbolts con tain as much as a billion volts of electricity and can cause immense damage to buildings when they hit.

There has been a 34 per cent rise in lightning strikes across India over the past year, which has caused deaths to increase.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Russian law enforcement officers leading away a person during a rally, after opposition activists called for street protests against the mobilisation of reservists, ordered by President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow, Russia, September 24, 2022

People light a fire during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's "morality police", in Tehran, Iran September 21, 2022. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

Get together with someone you look up to or enjoy working alongside, and together you’ll devise a great plan. You are overdue for a change. Embrace new beginnings.

Stand up for your rights and do what comes naturally. Consider how you can make money doing something you enjoy. Don’t wait for someone to push you in a direction or make decisions for you.

GEMINI (MAY 28June 20)

CANCER

Go over every detail and make changes that are condu cive to enjoying life more while lowering stress. Discuss your objectives with a loved one, and you’ll find a way to improve your domestic situation.

Go through your stuff and discard what’s obsolete. Free yourself from the stress of clut ter and care, and you’ll ease tension and be able to head in a direction that motivates and excites you.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Information offered to you will help you get along with others. What you learn will encourage you to use your skills in exciting ways, re sulting in new outlets.

Do whatever it takes to fin ish what you start. Discipline will make a difference when it comes to competitive situa tions. Look for a unique alter native that will separate you from the crowd.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Taking a seminar, surfing the internet or practicing some thing you want to perfect will be satisfying and helpful. Address any partnership concerns and change what isn’t working for you.

Let your mind wander, and you’ll come up with ideas that make a difference. Address concerns you have and help those in need. Your input will make you feel good and will spark big ideas.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Don’t lose sight of your goals, regardless of what’s happening around you. Speak up on your behalf and clarify what you are willing to con tribute. Upgrade your qualifi cations.

Control your emotions when dealing with a friend, relative or peer. Being a good listener will help you deduce what oth ers need and want. Choose love over discord.

AQUARIUS

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

PISCES

(Feb. 20Mar. 20)

You’ll come up with a fi nancial plan that helps you reduce your overhead. Discussing shared expens es will resolve existing prob lems and ease stress. Choose your battles wisely.

Check safety issues be fore you proceed. Work alone and avoid interference. Look for a unique alternative that cuts your time and expenses in half. Question anyone who embellishes situations.

Peanuts

Calvin and Hobbes

Dilbert

Tears, hugs and glory as Roger Federer finally bows out from tennis

Throughout the final week of Roger Federer’s life as a professional tennis player, he handled his emotions far better than he had envisioned. But at the end of his final match alongside his rival Rafael Nadal, in a tense 4-6, 7-6, 11-9 loss representing Team Europe against Team World’s Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe at the Laver Cup in London’s O2 Arena, the 41-year-old finally succumbed.

As Federer’s tears began to fall, Nadal, alongside him, wept, too. After 18 years of meeting each other on the court, contesting some of the fiercest battles in the biggest finals around the world, they spent the final moments of Federer’s career on the same side.

Before Federer’s first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, men’s tennis was at a crossroads. As the influence of top US players waned, some believed the immediate future of the sport was bleak. But first Federer arrived, playing in his seemingly effortless way, driven by his endless toolbox

of shots, and learning how to harness his audacious talents; and then Nadal followed as a perfect foil, his physical, topspin-heavy style marking them as stark opposites.

Between 2004 and 2019, they faced each other 40 times in singles. Their excellence pushed men’s tennis, and each other, to incredible

heights, leading to what many consider a golden era when Novak Djokovic joined them to form the “big three”. Their rivalry has always been professional and friendly, but Federer and Nadal have, over time, become increasingly close.

Nadal’s wife, Maria, is due to give birth to their first

child soon, but Friday night’s event meant so much to the Spaniard that he had to be there. “When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too, because of all the moments that he has been next or in front me during important moments of my life,” said Nadal, who is now 36.

Nadal and Federer sat together during the ceremony, even holding hands, and there were displays of emotion from all directions. Djokovic, 35, put his hands on Federer’s shoulders, and Andy Murray, also 35, hugged him warmly several times. Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, 24, who credits Federer with inspiring him to play tennis and choose a one-handed backhand, was also in tears. Federer later embraced his wife Mirka, his parents, and his four children.

After struggling with intense emotions during his on-court interview with another former No 1, Jim Courier, Federer revealed that his only request for the ceremony had been that an interviewer would direct the occasion. Had they just handed him a microphone to speak, he said, he would not have been able to manage his feelings.

“I was able to remind myself, always on the court again, how wonderful this is,” said Federer. “This is not the end-end; life goes on. I’m healthy, I’m happy,

everything’s great, and this is just a moment in time, you know. This is obviously supposed to be like this.”

It has been a historic month for tennis. Serena Williams, who turns 41 on Monday and is only a month younger than Federer, retired amid emotional scenes at the US Open.

Despite talk of retirement following both players as early as the late 2000s, they paired their success with astounding longevity. Finally, many years after most of their rivals had left, their era is coming to an end.

The circumstances of Federer’s retirement, forced by the chronic knee injury that left him in rehab for most of his last three seasons, and which created uncertainty about whether he would even be able to manage one last doubles match, were far from ideal. But, flanked by the rivals who battled him, the final moments of his career created an unforgettable demonstration of sportsmanship and compassion. (GuardianUK)

The New Orleans Pelicans and star guard CJ McCollum have agreed to a two-year, $64M contract extension, according to reports. The deal, as reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, keeps McCollum signed through the 2025-26 season, tying him to fellow stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, who are signed through at least for the next three seasons.

Acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in February, McCollum has been a scoring machine down the stretch for the Pelicans, and has helped lift New Orleans into the playin tournament, and eventually into a compelling six-game series against the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.

The 31-year-old guard averaged 24.3 points in 26 games with the Pelicans last season, shooting 49.3 per cent from the field and 39.4 per cent from three-point range.

With one offseason priority completed, the Pelicans can now turn their focus towards getting Williamson back on the court, after he missed the

entire 2021-22 season with a broken right foot.

New Orleans fans have spent much of last season waiting for Williamson's return, which never came. Williamson averaged 27 points over 61 games in 2020-21.

With their stars now fully healthy, the Pelicans carry elevated expectations into this

season, despite playing in a loaded Western Conference. New Orleans' high-scoring trio of stars is accompanied by veterans like Jonas Valanciunas, Larry Nance Jr. and Devonte Graham, while second-year defensive ace Herbert Jones is expected to take a step forward.

So much of the Pelicans'

potential success, however, relies on health. Williamson has played 85 career games since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2019. McCollum has missed a total of 45 games over the past two seasons, and Ingram has never played more than 62 games in a season as a starter. (Sportsmax)

Outsider Majestic has produced a strong finish to win the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket. The 25-1 shot, ridden by Aidan Keeley and trained by Mick Channon, came through the field in the latter stages to surge to victory. Bell Rock and Dual Identity were second and third respectively.

"I'm ecstatic to win a race like this! It's by far the best of my career," said Keeley, who was taking part in his first race at Newmarket. "I don't really know how to put it into words. I've had a lot of help off jockey coaches and all my family, and thanks go to Mr

Channon for giving me the ride. There's a lot of people behind it, I'm just the one riding the horse."

Keeley's grandfather Brian Rouse won the prestigious handicap aboard Baronet in 1978 and 1980. Keeley added: "It's a handicap that does throw up big-priced winners. Even if you are on one that is a big price, you are always thinking you've got half a chance."

Earlier, Lezoo, ridden by William Buick, won the Cheveley Park Stakes; while Blackbeard, ridden by Ryan Moore, earned victory in the Middle Park Stakes. (BBC. COM)

A huge honour: Federer is given an emotional farewell as his career comes to a close

Walsh may shuffle batters

W EST INDIES

Women’s Head

Coach Courtney Walsh has said there is a possibility his batting lineup for Sunday’s third and fi nal One-Day International Series match against New Zealand Women will be shuffled to bolster their chances of victory.

The women in maroon have slumped to their second straight defeat at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Thursday, as the Kiwis snagged a series’ win by two wickets. Taking first strike, WI made 169/9 from 50 overs, before New Zealand raced to 171/8 in 40.1 overs.

The WI top order has not yet clicked, and Walsh

opportunity to bat high er up. Having lost both

ODI matches, Walsh needs to change his tac tics as the regional team chases precious points to ward the ICC Women’s Championship and eventu al qualification to the 2025 ODI World Cup.

“I think we didn’t play to our best in both games. For this game, I thought we didn’t bat as well as we know we could, or should, have batted. And we didn’t put enough runs on the board in the beginning. It’s not about just turn up and play, we need to win one of these games to get some points. It’s a bit of a con cern we’re getting all the runs at the back end,” he said.

Walsh believes a couple of changes to the batting

line-up can increase the WIs’ chances of victory, and provide his batters with a platform heading into the five-match T20 series against the Kiwis, which bowls off on Wednesday. For the past two matches, Matthews batted at num ber five, scoring two and 46 respectively.

“It’s something I’m go ing to look at. We need points, so we have to try to win the last game. It’s trying to see what the best batting order we can get going into the last game to try and give us the best chance to win,” he add ed. “Heading into the T20 Series, I’m going to look at all the possibilities and what’s best. If it means Hayley opening in the next

(ODI) game to get her go ing for the T20, it’s some thing I can look at, and will have a discussion with her to see how she feels.

“If we have to shuffle around a few people to get the best order for the next game, I would never rule that out,” he has said.

On losing veterans Deandra Dottin, who re cently retired from interna tional cricket, and former skipper Anisa Mohammed (six-month break), Walsh has said the WI plan to in crease their player pool in an effort to discover new talent, moving forward.

“We have to look at more regional games, and get more territories involved,” he closed. (Newsday)

UEFA fines Juventus and Eintracht Frankfurt should have had a settled team’, says legendary fast bowler Sir Andy Roberts could be hampered by lack of

Legendary West Indies fast bowler Sir Andy Roberts believes not having a settled team could make things difficult for the Windies in the upcom ing T20 World Cup qual ifiers. In order to official ly book a spot in Australia next month, the two-time champions must advance from a play-off group that would also feature Ireland, Scotland and Zimbabwe.

UEFA has fined Juventus and Eintracht Frankfurt after charging both clubs with racist or discriminatory behaviour following Champions League matches played earlier this month.

The charge against Juventus comes follow ing the 2-1 defeat in their Champions League open er at Paris Saint-Germain on September 6, after which social media foot age appeared to show vis iting fans making dis criminatory gestures. The Bianconeri have now been hit with a €15,000 fine, and have seen a partial stadium closure suspend ed for one year.

Eintracht, meanwhile, were issued with several charges after crowd trouble marred their Champions League trip to Marseille the following week. The

Bundesliga outfit released a strong statement distanc ing themselves from an in dividual who appeared to give a Nazi salute at the State Velodrome, but were charged with racist be haviour and three other of fences.

Eintracht have been fined a total of €45,000 by UEFA, as well as received the same suspended pun ishments as Juventus.

Marseille, who were charged with the throwing of objects, lighting of fire works, use of laser point ers, crowd disturbances, and blocking of public pas sageways after the same match, have been ordered to play their next home Champions League game behind closed doors.

The French outfit have already been handed a suspended stadium clo sure in June, meaning their next European home

game – against Sporting CP on October 12 – would take place without sup porters present. Marseille must also close the Virage Nord stand at the Stade Velodrome for their game against Tottenham on November 1.

Ligue 1 rivals Nice have been ordered to play a Europa Conference League match behind closed doors, after being charged over incidents at each of their two matches in the compe tition this season.

After crowd trouble marred the team’s draw with Koln earlier this month, Nice’s furious pres ident, Jean-Pierre Rivere, said: “We’ve had enough of this! I’m not in the habit of leaving a ship when things are rocking, but when you see that, you inevitably say to yourself: ‘What am I doing here?’.” (Sportsmax)

The team would start as heavy favourites to advance from the group, but the squad would feature sev eral players who have not been in it for the last few months, and even some who have never played the for mat internationally.

Since a disastrous cam paign at the 2021 World Cup, the Windies have played 22 matches, but a few of the players added to the squad have not played in most of the matches over the past year. For instance, Evin Lewis has not played since the last tournament, Johnson Charles has not played for the team since 2016, Sheldon Cottrell has played sparingly since the start of the year, and Yannic Cariah and Raymond Reifer are yet to play in the for mat. Having played so many matches, Roberts be lieves the team should have already been using a settled squad ahead of the tourna ment.

We don’t have a set tled team, and that is the biggest problem. You don’t know what your teammate is capable of doing because he has just come into the team,” Roberts told the Mason and Guest radio programme. “When West Indies was at its best, we had a settled team for five, ten years. If you check out Australia, Australia has a settled team, and Pakistan has a settled team. India

is fiddling around with the team, and just look at the is sues they have been having. You need settled teams,” he added.

“We are going with a number of new players, new to the international scene. We knew for a long time that the World Cup was go ing to be this year, so we should have been trying our best to make sure we have a unit that is ready to go from ball one.” (Sportsmax)

does not rule out giving captain Hayley Matthews

West Indies women’s head coach Courtney Walsh

Andy Roberts

Everest Cricket Club receives good report

…Manager Krista Norton proud of club’s accomplishments

By TimoThy Jaikarran

The Everest Cricket Club has continued striving to be one of the best facilities in and around Guyana. The club

has continuously upgraded itself time after time, and is now reaping the fruits of its labour. The club’s manager, Krista Norton, has also deemed the club honoured and proud to be

chosen as a practice venue for CPL.

The club was recently chosen to host the ICC Under-19 World Cup and then the Guyana leg of the ICC Women’s 50 Overs World Cup. Added to that, the club has been chosen as a venue for practice matches for the ongoing Hero CPL matches, and representatives of their respective CPL franchises have touted the excellent condition of the practice venue.

The club has also taken care of every single need of the players at the venue, having provided them with all the basic amenities given around the world.

Speaking first about the venue, Barbados Royals bowler Oshane Thomas said, “It’s good being at the Everest Cricket Club. Wonderful place, good people and nice wicket. I think the pitch is excellent, good for both

batting and bowling. For a fast bowler, what you put in you will definitely get out off the wicket. So, I think it is a balanced wicket.”

Also commenting about the ground, Jefferson Miller, Jamaica Tallawahs Chief Executive Officer, said, “I just want to say that the accommodation here is outstanding. The service, the professionalism, the outstanding staff, and we are very happy to be here, as this will be our home away from home during CPL.”

Himanish Bhattacharjee, TKR Digital Content Manager, also said, “Thank you firstly for the warm welcome we have received. We are obviously seeing it is a great ground. From the first look of it, it is really nice to be here. From the legacy you have spoken about, we will obviously go in and see a bit more.”

Speaking with this publication, club manager

Joshua Denny Memorial football tournament…

Krista Norton explained that the Everest Cricket Club is proud and honoured to be chosen as a CPL practice venue. She related that she and her staff have worked arduously under the guidance of the executives to deliver for the club and for the country.

“With the responses we have received from the franchise teams, we are pleased they have very good things to say about the facilities and the services. It has been most overwhelming of the words and appreciation and congratulations coming from world class players and cricket officials. Even Pete Russell, CEO of CPL, commended us on the hospitality we have given to each team,” Norton shared.

She went on to clarify that with the club having been upgraded, the door has been

Santos, GFC bag wins on first night

opened for it to stage CPL practice matches, which is another badge of honour for the club. She divulged that the club would continue to pursue players, which would encourage sponsors to put more resources at the club’s disposal.

Going forward, she explained, the club’s intention is to place additional pitches on the square, while expanding the field so the northern boundary would go 40 feet to the north and the eastern boundary would go 30 feet to the east, which will add a tremendous amount of space. The club would also be lengthening the pitches, which would create a requirement to take the square 10 feet to the north, as there is a little amount of buffer zone between the stands and the boundaries.

Exactly one year to the day after his tragic death, the fi nal of the Joshua Denny Memorial football tourna ment will be hosted, af ter the preliminary games have showcased exciting football action.

Fuelled by the group ‘Mothers against Violence’, this tournament consists of rivalry between 4 un der-20 teams from the Georgetown area, inclu sive of the last club that

Denny played for before his untimely demise.

Last Friday, the first two games of the 2-day tournament witnessed Santos Football Club pull ing off a lopsided win against Camptown FC, while the Georgetown Football Club edged Fruta Conquerors FC 2-1.

Led by braces from Darren Niles and Tyrese Dowridge, Santos pulled off a thrilling 6-1 win against Camptown.

Niles was the first to add his name to the score sheet, after finding the back of the net in the 15th and 23rd minutes. Solomon Austin joined the party a little more than ten minutes later when he struck in the 35th minute. Dowridge added his two in the 48th and 58th minutes, and Jaheim McPherson added Santos’s 6th goal in the 70th. Calvin Prince produced the lone reply for Camptown in the 68th minute.

Fruta Conquerors at tempted to achieve a comefrom-behind win in the dy ing minutes of their game, but were unsuccessful. Ravi Coates found the back of the net first for GFC in the 24th, and the score re mained at 1-0 at the half. In the second segment, GFC’s Shamar Welch found the back of the net in the 59th minute, and Antonio McArthur even tually struck for Fruta Conquerors with a stunner in the 68th.

However, as the Tucville-based Fruta out fit tried to erase their one goal deficit, time got the better of them, resulting in the 2-1 win for GFC.

The Joshua Denny Memorial tournament will continue next Friday, September 30th 2022, when the final of the tour nament will be contest ed. On September 30th one year ago, Denny was robbed and brutally mur dered whilst on his way to work.

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Jefferson Miller, Jamaica Tallawahs Chief Executive Officer, standing alongside ECC Manager Krista Norton

The ECC has produced an excellent practice facility

The club provided all the basic amenities for the visiting teams

Himanish Bhattacharjee, TKR Digital Content Manager, standing next to ECC Manager Krista Norton

The Joshua Denny Memorial tournament has been organised by his mother Aferya Denny (second right)

The victorious Santos FC team

The victorious GFC team

By Brandon Corlette Guyana Amazon Warriors have secured a playoff spot for the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League with a thumping win against Trinbago Knight Riders in Match 28, played at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, EBD.

Warriors won the game by 37 runs, after posting a competitive 173-6 in 20 overs, while the TKR bowed out of the CPL after posting 136 all out in their innings. This is the first time in CPL history that four-time

champions TKR have not secured themselves a playoff spot.

In pursuit of the GAW target, TKR openers Tim Seifert and Colin Munro added 32 runs in 4.4 overs. Shakib trapped Seifert for 13 from 17 balls, as the Kiwi batsman continued to score this season at a strike-rate below 100. Munro, the other Kiwi, showed more dominance in his strokeplay, and was joined by pinch hitter Samit Patel.

The duo took TKR to 47-1 in the powerplay, but the Warriors kept things tight, with Tahir running towards the grass mound after removing Munro for 30, when he was caught at 68-2 in 9.5 overs. The out-of-form Nicholas Pooran was unlucky, as he was run out for one, but Captain Pollard entered the crease and slammed a six off his first ball against Tahir.

The fans were not welcoming towards Pollard, as he was booed, but the big man stood tall as usual. Patel played his role when he struck 34 from 27 balls in an innings that included three fours and one six before being caught by Gurbaz as he top-edged one of Odean Smith’s heat rocks.

At 91-4 in 13.1 overs, it was a tall ask for TKR to overtake the GAW score, but with Andre Russell joining Pollard, TKR fans still had hope. After 14.3 overs, TKR reached the 100-run mark, but Pollard was troubled by the accurate Motie, and was eventually stumped for 13 runs from 16 balls by the same Motie.

Providence erupted in rapturous joy! The Red Stand, in which President Dr Irfaan Ali was, danced away as the Warriors now held the upper hand. Russell was removed by Shakib for 12, and that was all she wrote for TKR.

Shakib was the star in a collective effort, ending with 3-20 from four overs. Tahir had 2-31 in

a top bowling effort from GAW.

Earlier, TKR won the toss and opted to bowl first. It was an eventful first over bowled by left-arm seamer Shaaron Lewis, featuring a leg-before decision that was overturned by Gurbaz, and a dropped catch by Pooran off the blade of Chandrapaul Hemraj. However, the final ball went to the boundary, as Hemraj opened his account with a classy cover drive.

In the next over, Hemraj was trapped for four upon review off the veteran Ravi Rampaul. Shai Hope joined

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and the duo took Warriors to 49-1 in the powerplay. Hope and Gurbaz added 50 runs for the second wicket. Gurbaz, the pocket-rocket from Afghanistan, was in full flow, and the packed Providence was rocking, while Hope had a slow start. The Barbadian eventually held out to long-on and was caught for 14 from 19 balls off the bowling of left-arm spinner Samit Patel.

At 56-2, Shakib joined Gurbaz, and Warriors reached 74-2 at the half-way stage. Gurbaz reached his second fifty in as many matches from 35 balls at that stage, after slamming five thumping sixes, and Shakib then took Patel to the cleaners, smashing three fours in the 12th over. After 13.4 overs, Warriors broke the 100-run barrier, with Shakib and Gurbaz showing their class. After a blazing 60-run stand between the international stars, Gurbaz fell for a well-played 60 from 42 balls, decorated with six maximums, after being caught at forward square-leg.

At 116-3, Romario Shepherd joined Shakib, but Sunil Narine, who was not introduced until

the 11th over, send back Shakib at 121-4 in 15.2 overs.

The Bangladeshi star was out stumped for a promising 35 from 24 balls, including four fours and one six.

Hetmyer then came to the crease later than usual, with Narine in operation and match-ups playing a big role. Shepherd, struggling to time the ball to perfection, made six and departed with the score at 132-5 in 17.2 overs.

However, in the penultimate over, Hetmyer and Odean Smith took on the inexperienced leftarm seamer Shaaron Lewis for 17 runs.

The final over, which was bowled by Rampaul, yielded 20 runs, as Hetmyer’s 23 and Smith’s 22 took Warriors to 173-6 in 20 overs. Narine, the magician, was the best TKR bowler with 2-23 in his four overs.

The CPL continues today at Providence with Jamaica Tallawahs playing St Lucia Kings from 10:00h, and Guyana Amazon Warriors battling table leaders Barbados Royals thereafter.

The Providence Stadium was sold out for the big clash

Narine claimed two wickets in his spell

is much more than a game for us in Guyana, it is a passion, part of our culture and a unify ing force. As we celebrate “One Guyana”, the hosting of the CPL final will be an energis ing force. We are building a product that will be spectator-focused, integrated with our re gional partners for a global market. Cricket

Carnival is a fusion of entertainment and celebration that will be mind-blowing and unbelievably different from any other glob al cricketing event. We welcome all to the greatest celebration of music, pageantry, Caribbean vibes with a South American touch, and, of course, cricket played loud est.”

Onbehalf of the management, coach ing staff and players of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, I would like to welcome all the fans in our dear land of Guyana who will be coming out from today in numbers to fill our National Stadium in all our games – and those who could not get in because the tickets were all sold out with in a few days. In the ten years that the Hero T20 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has been in existence, I can say – without any fear of being accused of exaggeration that you have been the most consistent in dem onstrating support for your team – and for CPL Cricket – in all of the territories.

And I repeat, the Guyana Amazon Warriors are your team and your vociferous support of your team in and out of the sta dium has proven to be their secret weapon – providing at crucial moments that rush of adrenalin that takes teams across the line from the agony of defeat to the thrill of victo ry. Your Guyana Amazon Warriors have re sponded by being the most consistent team in the last decade. And they have become known as a team that never say die.

This year, our season was bookmarked between the end of the month of August – the month we have commemorated as “Freedom Month” for more than a century and a half – and the end of September, which is the month we celebrate “Amerindian Heritage Month” in honour of our First Peoples. During that time, we West Indians have marked that freedom and indigenous ness by achieving success in several fields –but nowhere else more unique than in the culture we evolved in celebrating life itself. Maybe it is because, more than most other

places, our history has made us appreciate life more, since it could have been so easily taken from us. This year, we have launched a unique Cricket Carnival to bring it all to gether!

Cricket has been an integral part of Caribbean life, and as I have said in previ ous years, T20 might have been launched elsewhere, but its joie de vivre and all its synonyms – cheerfulness, cheer, light-heart edness, merriment, glee, gladness, happi ness, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, delight, pleasure, high spirits, good spirits, good hu mour, jollity, jolliness, hilarity, mirth, jovi ality, exuberance, elation, exultation, eu phoria, jubilation – declare it was “born” in the West Indies.

Once again, on behalf of your Guyana Amazon Warriors I ask that you join me as I say with all sincerity:

GO WARRIORS! – Let us celebrate the joy of Caribbean Cricket!!

“Cricket

WELCOME TO GUYANA, CPL 2022

Guyana is a proud host of the highlyanticipated finals of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2022, the do mestic Twenty20 cricket league played here in the West Indies.

We warmly welcome the teams, players, coaches, and their fans for the final leg of the tournament. The first game in Guyana is set for Wednesday, September 21, and will climax with the fi nals on Friday, September 30.

An exciting brand of cricket is expected from the six teams participating in the tournament name ly, Jamaica Tallawahs, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Barbados Royals, Trinbago Knight Riders, St Lucia Kings, and, of course, the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

This is the 10th season of the CPL, but the first time that the finals are being held in Guyana. We anticipate an electrifying atmosphere from the wave of fans who will fill seats at the National Stadium in Providence to witness the games.

My fervent hope, like many Guyanese, is for our Amazon Warriors to draw inspiration from the games being staged in Guyana to finally reward their passion ate and loyal fans by win ning the elusive CPL cham pionship on home soil.

Notwithstanding, host ing the CPL is a special mo ment for Guyana.

As a result of the vi

sion and investments of our Government, led by Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the CPL finals were secured, particularly given the socioeconomic development bene fits that cricket offers.

The CPL games in Guyana are paired with Cricket Carnival, a fun, vi brant and colourful medley of activities held under the “One Guyana” theme.

This is the first of three annual CPL finals and Cricket Carnivals to be host ed by Guyana.

The CPL and the carnival events mean a lot to Guyana as our unwavering drive is to bring people together and to unify the country. There is no better way to achieve this than through sports and culture.

Both events fulfil the Government’s overall mis

sion of promoting Guyana as a top-tier international destination for investment, tourism, entertainment, sports, food, and cultural ac tivities.

There is something for everyone to enjoy, including music festivals, food shows, concerts, competitions, and organised tours.

More importantly, the Government’s inten tion through the events is to invest in its people as a springboard that will foster economic opportunities for every Guyanese.

In advance of the CPL, we noted that hotels were booked solid and numer ous economic opportunities have opened up for bed and breakfast accommodations, vendors, restaurants, bars, transportation services, and tour operators.

Guyana is rapidly evolv ing as an oil and gas market,

and our Government has mapped out a transforma tional development trajec tory that will ensure the di versification of our economy by using the gains from this natural resource for coun trywide development.

We will continue to build out many new pillars so that our economy will be resil ient, strong and sustainable. Combined, CPL and the Cricket Carnival is one such avenue Government has ad opted as a unifying catalyst

for economic growth.

On behalf of the Government and the people of Guyana, I am pleased to extend a warm welcome to thousands of visitors from across the globe, particular ly our Caribbean Region.

“The 10th anni versary finals in Guyana will be the biggest finals the CPL has ever had. We'll have sell out crowds to all the games, there's going to be an ex traordinary atmosphere. As I said, that coming together of Carnival and cricket will

never be seen better than in Guyana this year. So, for us it is all about, you know, en joying what's ahead. I think it's going to be a phenom enal few days in Guyana, and I hope all the fans, both watching at home and in the stadium, will enjoy the expe rience.”

By Jemima Holmes

In 2014, a lanky Guyanese lad from Cumberland, Berbice got another shot at represent ing the West Indies on the international stage, having played Under-15 cricket pre viously. Two years later, the same teenager achieved the unthinkable – the opportuni ty to lead that very Under-19 team that he was first select ed for, two years prior.

Upon his return from Bangladesh with the West Indies’ first Under-19 World Cup trophy and a smile that you could spot miles away, the Berbician lad was hailed as the “Captain of Destiny” by a Guyana Chronicle writ er – a title that is truly fit ting, six years down the road.

Of course, the individual needs no introduction. He is Shimron Hetmyer, Captain of the Guyana Amazon Warriors and only the sec ond Guyanese to hold the ti tle in the franchise’s 10-year history.

be played at the Guyana National Stadium.

I’d like to call that desti ny.

“I got the opportunity now to captain my side and captain my country as well; it’s something that I can’t wait to actually go out on the field and start doing,” Hetmyer told the Hero CPL’s media team prior to the com mencement of the 2022 sea son.

“Being here for a while I think, yes, I am ready,” the left-handed batsman added.

As one would expect, Hetmyer has been looking forward to his rise in the ranks for quite a while; may be even since his entry into the Warriors team in 2016, months after his World Cup glory. The then 19-year-old only played a single match for the Warriors, but two years later announced him self as the flamboyant bats man Guyana has come to know and love.

However, Hetmyer, who is still the youngest player to slam a Hero CPL century (having done so as a 21-yearold), is looking to bring more than boundaries and maxi mums to the table.

“I’m very excited actu ally. It’s something that I’m

a team player than just try ing to hit 6s and 4s basical ly.”

He continued, “So, I’m trying as much as possible to do as much as I can, in terms of being the captain, trying to help out as much as I can and just being there for the team.”

Of course, the captain cy hat is one that we have not seen Hetmyer taking on much, since 2016. Aside from occasional stints at the national level, Hetmyer has stayed far from leadership, but this time around, the challenge is what enticed him.

“I think it’s the experi ence really. Being around the West Indies team, I think I’ve learned a lot, in terms of how to go about doing stuff as someone in a leadership group. I’m just trying to do my best, in terms of trying to help the guys that are com ing up in their careers and who’re in the centre part of their careers. To really push on and really play more for the West Indies,” the 25-year-old said.

When it comes to pres sure situations, Hetmyer is pretty confident that there is enough support for his team to rely on.

On this topic, he relat ed, “It’s always good to know that there’s guys you could always go to and find out what they’re thinking and they could help you, in terms of field setting, who to bowl at a specific time, just to make sure that everything runs smoothly.

“There’s a lot of guys there that’s actually experi enced.”

plained, weighing the pres sures of performing at home and the captaincy, “Knowing that you’re playing at home, it’s always fun and exciting, but it’s also very challeng ing, because of the fact that you know you have to win, or there’s this pressure on you to win.”

Nonetheless, Hetmyer is very eager to get to the

Guyana leg of the Hero CPL.

He related, “[But] I really relish playing in Guyana, the crowd and so on and knowing the conditions that I’m playing in as well, so, all of that helps. It makes it just a little bit more exciting, a little bit more special when you actually win games in Guyana.”

“Winning the World Cup, it was just a breath-tak ing feeling. There were just so many different thoughts running through each and everyone’s head,” A young er Hetmyer had reflected to the International Cricket Council (ICC) back in 2020.

He went on to add, “Lifting the trophy, that was a feeling like no other, be cause being the first captain to do it and then having such a wonderful team and some great guys that I actually grew up with since Under-15 cricket, that made it even more special.”

And now, the GAW

Captain would love nothing more than to raise the Hero CPL trophy at the Guyana National Stadium.

“That’s something all Guyanese players, fans, ev eryone have been looking for ward to and more so myself, because I literally cannot wait to go back to Guyana and play some cricket.”

Think about it: a GAW team stacked heavily with Guyanese players, the Guyanese fans enthralled in the boisterous crowd as they revel in the glory of win ning their first Hero CPL trophy, at the first final to ever be played at their home ground. And, of course, they are being led in celebra tions by none other than the only captain who has led an Under-19 West Indies side to World Cup victory.

Some occurrences have destiny written all over them, and Shimron Hetmyer’s cap taincy is one of them.

This very year, as Hetmyer leads the local fran chise in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Amazon Warriors may have the opportunity to play their first CPL final at home, the first time that the final will

really looking forward to, to be honest and it’s something I think I could learn a lot from, in terms of taking my cricket forward. Like how to manage my innings, how to look after my team, as well. Just to be a little bit more of

One pressure situation that Hetmyer might not be able to escape that easily is the thousands of adoring fans in the Guyana National Stadium, holding strong to the hope that Captain Hetmyer would get their team over the line this time.

“It’s a little bit of both, to be honest,” Hetmyer ex

Hetmyer’s batting has also reflected his intent to lead well

Shimron Hetmyer is embracing the captaincy role

Shimron Hetmyer is no stranger to lifting trophies as captain

Shimron Hetmyer: The long-proclaimed “Captain of Destiny”

WhenPresident Dr Irfaan Ali boldly declared his intention in December 2021, to bid for the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) finals in Guyana, lit tle did anyone know that the Head of State had bigger plans in mind.

A grand celebration of Guyanese and Caribbean culture, an array of colours and costumes, coupled with the sport that the Region enjoys the most, was what he had in mind. And so, Cricket Carnival was birthed.

“The loudest it will ever be!” was the vow President Ali made on the evening of March 30, 2022, when he went on to announce the inaugural Cricket Carnival, a fusion of fete and cricket that has never been attempted in the Caribbean Region before.

Of course, the thought of Cricket Carnival sounds easy to those who may not have an intricate knowledge of the planning that has gone into the event, but, in six months the

Cricket Carnival planning committee has managed to pull it off.

Simply put, the main objective of Cricket Carnival is to diversify Guyana’s tourism product, but for other sectors like culture and arts, it is said to be the driving force that will put Guyanese creatives on the map.

Of course, coupled with the Hero CPL, it would be hard for tourists to resist and that fact has unfolded well for Guyana.

“By the time we announced, all the rooms in the hotels were booked up and so, we launched the Bed and Breakfast programme that added 300 new rooms, those are most ly taken up, sorry to say,” Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond said about the response to Cricket Carnival.

She continued about the event’s future prospects, “In these next three years, this Cricket Carnival is only going to get big ger and bigger and we will be perfecting the

product every year. And, after three years, we will have a big surprise for you, it’s going to get even bigger.”

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr has, however, offered a different perspective on the prospects of Cricket Carnival.

“From the performance arts area, those young people, they’re going to be able to get the biggest platform that they have ever had before. People from all around the coun try, the Region and the world will be here in Guyana and getting the opportunity to see our talent here. Getting them the name and face recognition that they would not have had otherwise,” he explained.

Ramson Jr further elucidated, “This is

an event that is streamed by 500 million people in the world, they get to see this. Five hundred million people tune in to the CPL finals and semi-finals. How would they have had that otherwise?”

Pegging the event as an outlet that will leap frog Guyana in sectors out side of agriculture and oil and gas, Ramson Jr also touched on the necessity of Government’s involvement.

He remarked, “What I want everyone to know, too, is that when we speak about Carnival, for us it’s Cricket Carnival, but Carnival in Trinidad, which has been the biggest in the Region, is not a Government-led process. It’s not the Government that budgets a significant sum of money, puts aside the mon ey to do all the events or puts together a committee that is chaired by the President and co-chaired by two Ministers.”

“It’s not done that way, but we’ve done it in this way, because we need to leapfrog the curve, so that we start to occupy space in a much more significant way,” Ramson Jr added.

And indeed, the Cricket Carnival has put Guyana on the map; flights in and out of the country are booked, hotels reserved to capacity, and tourists from all around the globe are mingling comfortably with Guyanese natives.

The only aspect left that will make it a perfect picture of success is the music, food, culture and not to forget, the cricket. Let the fete begin!

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Charles Ramson Jr

A glimpse of what to expect at Cricket Carnival

The 10th edition of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has already brought the vibes and the atmosphere is immaculate. To make things even sweeter, the “Biggest Party in Sport” launched the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL). The Guyana Amazon Warriors were selected as one of the three competing franchises as they possessed an exceptional line-up led by the one and only Stafanie Taylor. The squad comprised a well-balanced unit, with an equal balance of experience and youth.

Warriors Women’s batting strength

The team’s skipper, Jamaica-born Taylor emerged onto the international scene as a 17-year-old, hitting a 49-ball 90 on her T20 International debut against Ireland in 2008. In 2013, she became the only player in history, male or female, to ever achieve the number one OneDay International (ODI) ranking in both batting and bowling simultaneously. Taylor’s crown of glory came in 2016 when she led West Indies to the Women’s World T20 title. The talented allrounder has amassed a total of 5298 runs in the ODI format with a healthy average of 44.15 and a high score of 171. On the T20I scene, she has scored 3121 runs at an average of 35.87. With the experience of having led a team to a world title, Taylor was a definite fit for the Warriors camp, bringing a wealth of experience to the side.

Another important player was Sri Lanka’s very own Chamari Athapaththu. She is her country’s highest run scorer in the T20 format. She is a hard-hitting player and by no means, needs an introduction as her reputation precedes her. The attacking left hander has played 90 ODIs and scored 2840 runs at an average of 31.91 while in the T20I format, she has blasted 2079 runs from 98 matches at an average of 22.11 with a high score of 113.

The middle order was bolstered by Vice Captain Shemaine Campbelle. The explosive middle-order batter hails from Berbice and has captained her national team. She is enjoying a resurgence in international cricket. Campbelle is a veteran of 77 ODIs with an average of 20.25, scoring 1357 runs with a high score of 105. In her 91 T20Is, she has an average of 13.10 and can change a match in the middle overs when her bat gets hold of the ball.

Opener Rashada Williams is a Jamaican cricketer who plays for the Jamaica women’s national cricket team in the Women’s Super50 Cup and the Twenty20 Blaze tournaments. In January 2019, Williams was named in the West Indies squad for their tour of Pakistan. She is a right-handed batter and is a wicketkeeper as well; she has played 16 ODI matches thus far with a high score of 78 not out.

Another young talent in the Guyana Amazon Warriors Women’s side was Rachel Vincent, a Trinidadian cricketer who plays for the Trinidad and Tobago women’s national cricket team in

the Women’s Super50 Cup and the Twenty20 Blaze tournaments. In June 2021, Vincent was named in the West Indies A Team for their series against Pakistan. In the said series in Pakistan, she registered a high score of 56 on July 12, 2021.

Chedean Nation, who is Jamaican, is a right-hand middleorder batter, who has represented the West Indies in 59 ODI matches and has scored a total of 812 runs with a high score of 51. In the T20Is, she has played 38 matches, scoring 406 runs with a high score of 63. Her role in the GAW-W team was to cement the middle order and set the tone for the power hitters.

Zaida James, represents the Windward Islands Women and the West Indies A Women. In June 2021, James was named in the West Indies A Team for their series against Pakistan.

The St Lucian has scored 147 runs from four games in the Women U19 T20, 2022 tournament at an average of 73.50.

GAW-W’s all-round ability

Cherry-Ann Fraser is a Guyanese cricketer; the 23-year-old allrounder was added to the West Indies Women’s Twenty20 International squad in November 2019 as a replacement for the injured Stafanie Taylor.

In May 2021, she was awarded a central contract by Cricket West Indies (CWI) and on September 16, 2021, she made her ODI debut against South Africa, bowling 1-33 in her seven overs. She was picked to showcase her exceptional talent as she has the ability to pick up wickets at will and can score runs through all parts of the ground.

Shabika Gajnabi plays for Guyana and the West Indies. She is a right-arm medium bowler. In August 2019, she was named in the West Indies squad for their series against Australia. On the regional scene, she has dominated with both bat and ball, as she emerged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Guyana Cricket Board’s Female Inter-County 50over competition, scoring 173 runs and taking five wickets. In the ODI format, she has taken 10 wickets while she has only taken one in T20Is.

Yet again, Captain Taylor appears on the list; she has shown her worth on the international scene and is one of the most sought-after players. With the ball, she has bagged 152 wickets at an economy rate of 3.52 in the ODI format while with the ball in T20Is, she has picked up 98 wickets at an economy rate of 5.66.

GAW-W’s bowling unit

The bowling unit is led by Ayabonga Khaka, the South African cricketer who plays for the national cricket team as a right-arm medium bowler. Khaka has played a total of 87 ODI matches and has bagged a total of 113 wickets at an economy rate of 4.14 with a best of 5-26. In the T20I format, she has played 42 games and picked up 37 scalps with a best of 4-23 at an economy rate of 6.43.

Kaysia Shultz is a Guyanese cricketer; the talented slow left-arm orthodox bowler is a main feature in the Guyana side as she has been representing the country since 2016. She was named in the West Indies squad for the Women’s T20I series against England, earning her maiden call-up to the team. Recently, she played for West Indies in a tour match against South Africa Women XI, and bowled figures of 1-23 off her six overs at an economy rate of 3.83.

Shamilia Connell is a Barbadian cricketer who represents the West Indies; the right-arm speedster has played a total of 56 ODI matches

and bagged 42 wickets at an economy rate of 4.62 with a best of 4-54. In T20Is, she has played 54 games and taken 36 wickets with a best of 3-14 at an economy rate of 6.54.

Karishma Ramharack is a Trinidadian cricketer who plays for Trinidad and Tobago and the West Indies as a right-arm off-break bowler. She made her T20I debut on February 3, 2019. She has played 14 ODI matches and taken eight wickets with a best of 2-18 at an economy rate of 4.40. In the T20I format, she has played seven games and taken seven wickets with a best of 3-8 at an economy rate of 6.59.

Isani Vaghela was the baby of the Warriors camp, Vaghela is 16 years of age and plays for the United States of America Women’s team. She is a right-hand batter and bowls right-arm medium pace. She was also named in America’s squad for the 2021 Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe. On November 23, 2021, she played in America’s first match of the tournament against Bangladesh.

The 2022 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is certainly a historic event. For the first time in the tournament’s history, a Women’s CPL was played, with three teams locking horns. While noting that this CPL signi fied growth of women’s cricket, Guyanese crick eter Kaysia Schultz said she was excited to rep resent the Guyana Amazon Warriors Women.

“It’s a great feeling to be a part of this his toric Women’s CPL, having a women’s franchise tournament in the Caribbean will surely grow women’s cricket,” the left-arm spinner said.

When asked about her expectations, the 25-year-old Schultz said she expected to see more fans support the women’s game. She also added: “In the future I’ll like to see more female

teams competing in the Women’s CPL, which will also widen the pool of Caribbean players.”

The Women’s CPL will certainly inspire more young female cricketers around the globe. According to Schultz, the CPL is a huge inspi ration for young Caribbean players to share the same dressing room with international stars.

“It’s a huge inspiration for young female cricketers to share the same dressing room with top international players and gain knowledge to develop our game, and even to young female cricketers aspiring to make a career out of crick et,” the humble spinner added.

When asked about her emotions when she first heard she was playing in the Women’s CPL, Schultz said it was a dream come true.

“A dream come true when I found out I was playing for my home franchise, it’s every cricketer’s dream to be play ing for their home franchise as well.”

Schultz, who finished with eight wickets in the Women’s T20 Blaze, which was held in Guyana earlier this year, said her goal was to capture the most wickets and help Warriors lift the trophy.

While the entire Women’s CPL is be ing played in St Kitts this year, Schultz has hopes of playing at Providence, in front of her family and friends. She explained that it would mean a lot for her.

By TimoTHy Jaikarran

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) fixtures for the 2022 season were announced with the best crick eting talents from across the Caribbean and from around the world set to be part of the Biggest Party in Sport. As such, local son of the soil, Chandrapaul Hemraj is set to turn out in his patriotic Guyana Amazon Warriors colours as he is eager to hit the field and showcase his talent before his home crowd.

The talented left hander in the 2021 edition had blast ed a scintillating 105 not out against the Barbados Royals, which he deemed as one of his most memorable moments.

“Being able to score a century last year definitely gave me the confidence going into this tournament, knowing I can score bigger at this level. I am very much prepared going into this tournament, I have it very clear. I understand my role and responsibility with the team, but you know as an opening batsman, I see myself as an entertainer and that’s what I’m going to do this season and I’m looking forward to entertaining my fans.”

In the 2021 edition of CPL, Hemraj was the third highest run scorer for the Warriors with 254 runs at an average of 25.40 with a strike rate of 133.68. In 2022, he played in the US Minor League and from his 11 games, he walked away

with 353 runs at a strike rate of 177.39 and an average of 35.30; he also scored two centuries in the league with a high score of 130.

As he has been playing minor league cricket during his off season, Hemraj came into the CPL with some form. In further preparation, he had been challenging himself to bat 12 to 15 overs every game. The fitter-looking Hemraj has been putting in the necessary work over the past few months as he prides himself on bringing out the best version of himself. “Over the last few months, I have been putting in a lot of work in the gym, a lot of strength work, been plac ing some emphasis on my diet and coming into this tourna ment I feel more prepared, mentally and physically. I don’t want to be overconfident, but I just want to be prepared,” he shared.

Hemraj has stated that one of the things he would be looking forward to is playing in front of his friends and fami ly and the huge crowd at the National Stadium. He revealed that the National Stadium was a venue where he enjoys batting and was optimistic that he would be able to help the Warriors bag some victories.

As it relates to how confident he is that the Warriors will lift the trophy, Hemraj explained that it is his belief that the process is very important for the team. He clarified that as much as one would like to look at the results and

that the team just needed to go through the process and once they get to the semi-finals, take it home for the fans.

The talented Guyanese also reiterated that for him, it was a privilege to represent the Warriors year after year as he stressed on the importance of playing in front of his friends and family. He stated that it was an honour to rep resent the Guyana Amazon Warriors and he has spent four years with them. He added that in this time, he has gained a lot of experience and he believes that now is the time to show some more maturity and have a good season.

Hemraj ended the interview by saying, “We all know that Warriors fans are one of the most passionate fans out there, but I think it’s time for us to deliver it. Time for us to give them what they have been asking for from the incep tion. We have a good bunch of players here, a good bunch of locals and international players and I’m very confident we are going to deliver this year.”

Chandrapaul Hemraj celebrates his century in the 2021 edition of CPL

For a company as large and successful as ExxonMobil, the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is increasingly important.

For the oil and gas giant, its CSR knows no bounds, ranging from educational ini tiatives including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), community projects and agriculture to, of course, sport.

Since ExxonMobil began consistent operations in Guyana, it has contributed heavily to several sport disciplines, such as athletics, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, motor rac ing, squash, tennis and volleyball.

Only this year, the company has resuscitated its Petra-organised ExxonMobil Under-14 Boys’ and Girls’ schools’ football tournament, which fills a critical gap in youth football

ExxonMobil has sponsored both the GAW Men’s and Women’s teams this year

development, between the Pee- Wee (Under-11) and Under-18 levels. ExxonMobil also eagerly hopped onboard as the title sponsors of the National Schools’ Basketball Festival, which has introduced and produced national youth players since 2006.

Not to mention the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) will don the company’s logo for the sixth consecu tive year. Not only has Exxon thrown its support behind the men’s team, but its support for the women’s team in the inaugural Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has been equally consistent.

To be frank, ExxonMobil is the perfect picture of sport involvement and develop ment, and the company is always elated to play the role.

“The many benefits of sport are wellknown, and we take our role as a part of the Guyanese community very seriously. That’s why we support sports at the youth lev el as well as raising our sponsorship of the Warriors,” ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge shared as the compa ny announced its support for the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ Men and Women.

Similarly, Community Relations Advisor Ryan Hoppie shared at the commencement of the third ExxonMobil U14 football tour nament, “You know sport is very important for youth development, and we know that it brings both physical and mental benefits, but, also the camaraderie among players within the team!”

Additionally, given that the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is return ing to Guyana, after being hosted in soli tary destinations during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, ExxonMobil is going all-out for sport once again.

There will be a booth at the Guyana National Stadium on every game day, where Guyanese patrons can interact and play games for chances to get their hands on prizes.

Aside from this, the company is plan ning activities where fans can meet Guyana Amazon Warriors players.

ExxonMobil’s hands-on approach to en suring sport development in the country is a great example of avid investment in sport development. One can only hope that more corporate entities will take a page out of Exxon’s book.

Earlier this year, ExxonMobil became the title sponsors of the National Schools' Basketball Festival

ExxonMobil’s Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs, Marcus Tripp was present for the kickoff of their Boys’ and Girls’ U14 football tournament

The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is known as the biggest party in sport. During the COVID-19 pan demic, this was the first league to host a bio-secured tournament, and it was a success. The stands were empty, as fans were not al lowed, and the tournament was played in one country only. For the players, it was difficult, as they were not allowed to leave the hotel/ bubble.

Come 2022, the CPL is being played in four countries:St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. The fans are back, and stands are filled to capac ity. Players are allowed to move around the different Caribbean countries, and even have their families with them.

The 2022 CPL has burst the bubble, and players, match officials, and own ers are relishing this expe rience. Moreover, the 2022 CPL was historic in nature, with the first Women’s CPL being played in St Kitts, and the newest format, 6IXTY being played in St Kitts as well.

From St Kitts to Guyana, fans are going wild for tick ets, which are high in de mand. This is according to the numbers and a re cent comment from CPL’s Head of Marketing, Chris Watson.

“Across all four of host locations this year, the sales have been really strong, and the reaction has been huge. Particularly in Guyana, the new box office

in Camp Street, the guys have seen great levels of interest, with some games sold out already. So, it has been a strong reaction.”

“Surprisingly, for some of the neutral games, 10 in the morning has been on sale, and it shows how hun gry fans are to come out to a more normal CPL,” he said.

“We have not been able to put on games in Guyana since 2019, so we are really excited to bring a more nor mal CPL this year.”

In recent interviews with fans at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia, the excitement for the return of CPL has been over-the-roof. Fans from the United States of America, who are Guyanese by birth, noted that the CPL has the best atmosphere and it was good for them to see live ac tion again.

From a Guyanese stand point, the CPL carnival in Guyana has attracted a large number of tourists. A majority of the hotels are booked and this is evidence of the high level of interest for CPL 2022, the tourna ment where the bubble was officially burst.

Guyana Amazon Warriors Squad for 2022 CPL: Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Tabraiz Shamsi, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Colin Ingram, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Paul Stirling, Shai Hope, Heinrich Klaasen, Keemo Paul, Jermaine Blackwood, Gudakesh Motie, Ronsford Beaton, Veerasammy Permaul, Junior Sinclair, and Matthew Nandu.

A few fans from the United States of America came to witness the CPL live and direct (Brandon Corlette photos)

Fans were delighted with the return of CPL