Guyana Times - Tuesday, September 3, 2019

02 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4035

Tuesday, september 3, 2019

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

P9 Repsol Exploration commences drilling in Kanuku Block

Chaos at Georgetown, Vreed-enHoop Stellings after barge slams into Demerara Harbour Bridge

21 years later

Region 1 man charged for killing wife at P9 Fun Day

See story on pages 12&13

NDC clerk P3 found murdered on ECD

Thousands of commuters including school children were left stranded on Monday after a barge slammed into the Demerara Harbour Bridge. In composite photo, stranded commuters flocked the deplorable and deteriorating Georgetown and Vreedn-en-Hoop Stellings to cross the river in water taxis

Govt Minister calls out Indigenous peoples over land claims

Clogged P11 canals, unstable utility poles anger Garden of Eden residents

Another fire erupts 5 dead as Hurricane at Region 9 ranch Dorian pounds Bahamas

Gunmen escape with empty bag in attempted NA robbery P15

See story on page 7

‌says all Guyanese have a right to resources

Page 16

Page 2

2 news

tuesday, september 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Another fire erupts at Region 9 ranch

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Fire engulfs sections of the Waikin Ranch at Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo)

ess than four months after experiencing a devastating fire which led to the death of several animals and destroyed both flora and fauna in its path, the Waikin Ranch at Lethem, Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) has once again been plagued with another blaze.

According to information reaching this publication, the fire started at about 15:00h on Monday afternoon at the ranch. It is understood that no extensive damages have been caused since there was not much vegetation on the vast land owing

to the last destructive blaze.

In addition, staffers on sight managed to plough along the fences with a tractor to make a fire breakage.

In expressing frustration about the action suspected to

be arson once again, co-owner of the ranch, Francesda Pires, explained to Guyana Times that such acts result in the destruction of the animals’ natural habitats. continued on page 3

news

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tuesday, september 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

The Demerara Harbour Bridge has suffered damages which caused the bridge to be closed to vehicular traffic. However, according to management, the bridge is expected to be open for light vehicular traffic this evening.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, September 3 – 06:50h – 07:35h and Wednesday, September 4 – 07:40h – 09:10h.

NDC clerk found murdered on ECD A 58-year-old man was killed during the wee hours of Monday at Haslington North, East Coast Demerara (ECD) as he was on his way to his sister's residence.

Dead is David Gentle of Lot 42 Golden Grove, ECD. Reports are the man’s

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine with cloudy intervals are expected throughout the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to Southerly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 07:14h and 19:31h reaching maximum heights of 2.74 metres and 2.69 metres.

Low Tide: 13:07h reaching a minimum height of 0.55 metre.

Dead: David Gentle

body was found about 01:30h with several chop wounds to his face and about his body.

Police investigations have so far revealed that Gentle, a father of four, who worked at the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) as a clerk

was last seen at a karaoke in Nabaclis North, ECD. His body was later found lying motionless in a pool of blood near his bicycle by residents in the area. It was subsequently taken to Jerrick's Funeral Parlour to await a post-mortem examination.

When Guyana Times visited the area on Monday, relatives dismissed robbery as a motive, since the man's body was found with his jewellery and his cellular phone intact.

Gentle’s younger sister, Wanda Benjamin said she hoped that the Police could find her brother's killer(s) and close this case soon.

She recalled that she was awakened by someone who arrived at her home to request the services of her husband – who is a photographer. The woman said she and her family went to the scene, but initially did not recognise Gentle as his face was covered by blood.

“I am hoping that the Police catch the person that did that as soon as possible and bring it to justice, so we as a family could get closure of his death,” she cried.

Meanwhile, Stokeley Roberts, brother of the now dead man, said Gentle was a jovial person and hardly ever got into arguments.

He explained that his brother worked as a clerk at the village’s NDC and would usually be responsible for enforcing certain regulations, which may have been offensive to some persons.

“To say if he had a prob-

Another fire erupts... saturday, AUGUST 31, 2019

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But what is even more alarming, according to Pires, is the fact that there is no fire service in the area to assist the ranch or other areas whenever the need arises.

Additionally, she highlighted that the roads are in a deplorable state, which also makes it impossible to access exterior help.

“The problem is it’s the habitat for the animals…in Lethem, there is only a volunteer sort of fire service, there’s no real fire service in Lethem and the roads are so bad it’s impossible for them to come out to us and to come put in the savannah. So people forget that this is rural area, so it’s not like you can fight fire like you can in the city,” Pires said.

The ranch has boundaries from the main Rupununi trail, the Ireng River, the Brazil border and the west and Pirara River. It covers almost 33,000 acres of mostly rolling savannah plains and is a sanctuary to hundreds of wildlife.

Back in April of this year, several acres of the ranch were destroyed by fire which blazed for almost three days before it could be contained.

The aftermath saw a saddened scene with burnt trees and the carcasses of turtles, snakes, armadillos and mammals which could not survive or escape the inferno.

from page 2

This had led the ranch officials to reach out for donations of seedlings to replant the savannah, as they were expected to be planted during the rainy season.

Undertakers at the scene as residents attempt to get a glimpse of the body of the NDC clerk

lem with anybody, I won’t be able to say, but the work that he is doing – he works at the NDC office as a Clerk of Works to go around and see if people squatting on Government reserves like an enforcer, so I don’t know if this could be one of the reasons that cause this to happen to him… I know to-

tally is not a robbery … why I would say is not a robbery is because jewellery, cellular phone, everything was intact,” he said.

Roberts said when he saw his brother, he was very shocked as his sibling was motionless with several chops to his neck, with his head barely attached.

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tuesday, september 3, 2019

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

Satisfying youths

I

t’s a fact that youth today make up the larger part of the population of almost every country in the world. This presents certain challenges for policy makers to develop, implement, and maintain programmes and activities which must be economically and socially oriented to satisfy their (youth) desires.

It is also well known that the absence of well-thoughtout programmes with respect to youth development impacts negatively on our young people, and sometimes, even leads to them resigning themselves to lawlessness and other antisocial behaviours that are damaging to society.

Caricom Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque earlier this year said that the majority of victims, as well as perpetrators of crimes reported by the Police, are young males 18 to 35 years old. He pointed to the fact that there are a number of socio-economic determinants of crime, of the least of which is the high youth unemployment in the Region of 25 per cent. That is, three times the average and the highest. This is surely reason to be concerned as right away, one would begin to worry about the kind of future these persons would have, and the contribution they would make to their societies, if any at all. Certainly, this is enough reason to cause governments and policy makers to take a closer look at what is happening in their individual countries and take steps to remedy the situation.

Certainly, there is a great need for intervention in order to combat the current challenges facing young people. In order to prepare young people for workplace success, job training programmes need to go beyond technical instruction and also teach “life skills”, such as communication, reliability, and teamwork. This push for teaching youth life skills has been validated by employers who have consistently reported that, above all, they want to hire employees who possess workplace-ready skills, such as communication, teamwork, motivation and responsibility. Technical skills, they say, can be learned on the job.

In addition to teaching youth the life skills employers look for, there is need to also introduce complementary life planning activities in this component. These activities help youth in assessing who they are, their aspirations for the future, and define realistic steps toward achieving these goals.

Guyana has a number of programmes geared towards equipping young people with various skills for the world of work, etc. This is commendable, but more focus needs to be placed on combining teaching life skills with the various academic or technical subjects. Meaning, these programmes should include assessment and identification of ways to build competency and skills supportive of healthy behaviours to help young people as they mature into adulthood.

Additionally, institutions such as the family and religious bodies need to take their roles more seriously as happened before. Historically, the older generation had managed to transmit their beliefs, values, traditions, customs and institutions to the younger members of their societies. This was achieved largely because of the impact of agencies of socialisation, such as the family, religion and the schools.

Today, the impact of these institutions has been challenged and undermined by new forces, particularly television and the internet, and the pop culture as a whole.

Further, the role of the private sector should never be underestimated. There is need for funding for many crucial programmes aimed at creating better opportunities for young persons here. Such programmes, once effectively implemented, would see our young people become well equipped with the necessary skills to develop themselves, and in turn, contribute to the overall development of the country. The private sector is one of the main beneficiaries of an educated and skilled workforce, and it should seek to invest in, and help to build the pool of talent it wishes to draw from.

It is well accepted that progressive countries in the world have strong systems for engaging youth in policy formation and in creating or altering programmes designed to support youth. We believe that if our young people are to make more mature and responsible judgements, and engage in activities that are the hallmark of a socially-productive adulthood, certain support systems for development must be present in the environment— teaching life skills is a good way to start.

As the new academic year begins, this mother was seen on Monday morning taking her children to school (Department of Public Information photo)

As fires ravage the Amazon,

Indigenous tribes pray for protection

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s thousands of fires ravage the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, some Indigenous tribes are turning to prayer in a bid to halt the destruction and protect their environment for future generations.

In the village of Feijo, in the west of Brazil, approaching the border with Peru, Indigenous people from the tribe of Shanenawa on Sunday performed a ritual to try to find peace between humans and nature.

With faces painted, dozens danced in circles as they prayed to put an end to the fires.

“We want peace and love,” Tekaheyne Shanenawa, a Shanenawa leader, told Reuters as he danced in a circle as part of their ritual. “Peace, harmony and education to stop these fires that have attacked the Amazon”.

Tens of thousands of forest fires have been record-

Indigenous tribes pray for protection

ed in the Amazon during this year’s dry season, the most in at least a decade, at the same time as Brazil’s new far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has argued that the forest needs to be exploited, and Indian reservations vastly reduced.

“If the fires continue the way they are, in 50 years’ time we will no longer have the forest standing up,” said Bainawa Inu Bake Huni Kuin, another Shanenawa

leader.

“And we will not feel secure in what we have, in our culture, in our language, in our songs. Us without the forest, we won’t be able to farm, we won’t be able to eat, without our land we won’t be able to live.”

Most of the Amazon is located in Brazil, but significant parts are also located in Colombia and Peru, where fires have also been detected. The Shanenawa

number about 720 and inhabit around 23,000 hectares (57,000 acres) of land.

But the backlash has been particularly strong against the Bolsonaro administration, which has acknowledged it does not have the resources to put out the fires. Many of them are believed to have been set by cattle and soy farmers.

As a far-right Congressman and presidential candidate, Bolsonaro drew headlines for his disparaging comments regarding Indian tribes, and as president he has said that too much of the country’s territory is unproductive because indigenous tribes have special rights.

“Our rituals pray for planet Earth, to always keep it healthy and safe,” Bainawa said. “We pray for mother water, for father sun, for mother forest and for mother earth, whom today feel very wounded”.

(Reuters)

When will the probe be launched on whether fake voters were registered in H2H? Dear Editor, Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter – Martin Luther King Jr There is a deafening silence about the serious allegation that was made in July 2019 that thousands of non-Guyanese have arrived in Guyana over the last four years and then disappeared into thin air. This situation is further reinforced by the fact that many of these non-Guyanese have

secured work permits and are working with two security companies whose owners are closely aligned to the PNC. In addition to that, these non-Guyanese are alleged to have been given all sorts of documents to facilitate their registration during the House-to-House process (H-2-H). This is a dangerous situation for all Guyanese since these non-Guyanese can influence the outcome of our general elections which then compromise its freeness

and fairness.

It was no less a person than former PNC Minister Kit Nascimento who explained that the caretaker Minister of Citizenship, Mr Felix, had to rely on the Brazilian authorities to present information on some of these migrants. Is it a case that Guyana has lost control of its borders? Was it not Mr Granger who said he will be the security President and he will bring greater protection to the territorial integri-

ty of the nation?

Yet Mr Felix did not see it fit to launch a probe into this dangerous national security situation involving non-Guyanese who are allegedly parading all over the nation.

Some have even advanced to the stage of securing fake documents and are presenting themselves as bonafide voters since they were able to register in the compromised H-2-H process in the absence of non-PNC verification. turn to page 5

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tuesday, september 3, 2019

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

New GECOM Chair must rule by the law Dear Editor, When the new GECOM Chairperson took office, she promised to conduct business by the rule of law, this we expected her to respect and uphold, that is, the Constitution of this country.

Then my next statement is, rule by the dictates of the law and do not pander to the dictatorial politics of the PNC. Ever since that lofty statement was made, only one aspect of it has been adhered to and that is the stopping of the House-toHouse Registration; however, the crucial aspect of getting into full election mode, which is a process that can only be effected by a Claims and Objections period, is left in limbo as GECOM stated that it intends to “merge” the H2H data into the NRR. This is totally madness,

because, in the first place, the H2H was an incomplete process and from all who witnessed the process, it was highly flawed with the usual PNC rigging flair attached to it. The sole aim of that H2H was to slow down, I dare say confuse, the process of us ever having a credible list for election, hence, we witnessed an illegal list being formulated. It is an unverified list which saw the enumerators picking and choosing which areas to visit and who to register – it was a one-sided affair crafted and produced by an illegal chairman who wanted to delay the holding of elections. It was also meant to prolong the life of an illegal government, so, in all fairness, that list cannot be merged into the national grid of registrants.

Isn’t the chairperson, who is a retired judge, not knowledgeable of these things? Or is she just turning a blind eye to these facts? A judge should know that you cannot make an unverified, suspect list legal, this is insane, it just cannot happen? Then it behooves us to believe that “The Iron Lady” has lost her steel plating and is pandering to please the president who “planted” her there? Is it a continuation of the same old nonsense in not honouring timelines and constitutional deadlines? Come on Madam Chairperson, be your own self and respect the law.

The corrupt PNC GECOM appointees are on the road touting that The Chief Justice has ruled that H2H is not illegal, but is that the full text of her

ruling? The Chief Justice ruled that while H2H in itself is not an illegal process, however, we are not in normal times and another route ought to be explored. That process is going straight into the Claims and Objections period which would produce a credible list or NRR in time for election earliest.

So, this gerrymandering around the issue of a credible list is a political ploy crafted by the PNC to confuse and in the end delay elections all to the benefit of the PNC extending their illegal stay in office while they plunder the treasury dry. Madam Chairperson, I call on you to do the decent thing and honour the Constitution.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Measuring the performance of our leadership Dear Editor, In this and future election seasons it is important that we are given the opportunity to take an objective view of our leaders while also being able to make an informed decision at the polls. How will we measure the promised performance (before taking office) vs actual performance (at the end of their term) of our leaders, independent of party affiliation? It is important that our leaders can clearly articulate and successfully debate and justify their plans for our country along key dimensions of performance by being able to answer the following questions for the populace: 1. What is their econom-

ic plan to both sustainably maintain and grow by each key sector (bauxite, construction/housing, energy and oil, financial: direct and indirect investment, fishing, forestry, gold, manufacturing, rice, sugar, tourism and wholesale/retail and trade)?

2. What is their fiscal policy and plan for budgetary controls to both ensure good governance and controlled spending, especially in Government compensation at the upper levels of their Administration?

3. What is their unemployment reduction plan by county and town?

4. What is their safety and security plan by town?

When will the...

While I welcome the Minister’s call to launch a probe into the situation where there is an allegation that persons in the Rupununi are in possession of fake official Guyanese documents, I would like to point out his hypocrisy in ignoring the wider national security problem of thousands of non-Guyanese arriving in Guyana and then falling off the radar.

When you become a national figure, your first duty is in the service and protection of the entire nation impartially. Your duty is to address the fears of all Guyanese whether they

from page 4

live at Buxton or Albion, irrespective if they are your supporters or not. But what I am observing from the action from Mr Felix is that he is operating like a PNC Minister in a land of only PNC members, in subservience to the diktats of Congress Place and in adherence to the Sophia Declaration which stated in 1976 that “the State is just but an arm of the PNC party”.

Has paramountcy of the PNC party returned to Guyana?

Regards, Sasenarine Singh

5. What is their border security and defence plan?

6. What are their plans to reduce drug and human trafficking and the associated anti-corruption policy?

7. What is their plan for the usage of the funds generated by the oil sector?

8. What is their education plan by level (nursery, primary, secondary and university)?

9. What are their health and medical plans for the country and for each town?

10. What is their environmental sustainability plan?

These plans should also take into account the impact and development of our villages and the public service

and unions where applicable.

Over the years, we have unconsciously judged our leadership’s performance by these dimensions. It is time that voters demand a higher level of accountability and are allowed to overtly judge our present and future leadership along these key dimensions going forward.

Leadership’s performance across these key dimensions are essential to determining whether our leaders have earned the right to lead us as we move our great nation into the next level of development.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

It is time Guyanese reject snake oil peddled

by David Hinds Dear Editor, At the risk of being characterised as “absurd”, “nonsensical”, and “foolish”, I would like to address the deficiencies in Dr David Hinds’ article captioned, “It is the role of Government in Guyana to directly and indirectly create employment for its citizens”.

Hinds anchors his arguments in the “thinking of Jagan’s PPP, Burnham’s PNC and Rodney’s WPA”.

Guyanese must be thankful to the CIA and British for their machinations in removing Jagan because Guyana would have been reduced to a Cuban style dictatorship. While Burnham wreaked havoc on the Guyanese economy experimenting with nationalisation, price controls, etc, Jagan deemed it “old wine in new bottle” and offered “critical support”. Rodney was the ideological twin of Robert Mugabe. His death [whether by his mishandling of explosive or treachery] saved Guyana from the faith of becoming another Zimbabwe-style disaster.

Hinds seeks to liberate Guyanese from “four centuries of economic and political bondage” and advocates Government determining “who gets what, when and how”. Replacing massa with Government does not liberate Guyanese from “economic and political bondage.”

Not massa but Government will take care of everything.

Instead of liberation, Hinds institutionalises the dependency mindset of the plantation slave.

Hinds fails to grasp the complexities of the Guyanese economy. Accordingly, he believes that Guyana is a

“mini-private sector that is mostly engaged in “buying and selling” and does not have a “thriving and diverse private sector”.

On his way to Buxton, Hinds should take a detour to Ogle. He will see the nascent Guyanese aviation sector. Furthermore, Hinds is clearly oblivious to all the construction that has taken place around the country, totally disregards the mining, timber, hotel, rice, sugar, bauxite, etc. Instead, he wants Government to determine “who gets what, when and how”. Guyanese will do well to remember the privation that they experienced with socialism. The ETB, co-op stores, KSI did not deliver for the Guyanese populace.

Hinds, at his most dangerous, advocates the economic equivalent of “crack cocaine” – that is cash transfer to the poor. While this proposal sounds appealing, it reinforces the very dependency that he so desperately wants to overcome. Hinds should take a refresher in primary school proverbs – Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

The Government of Guyana should focus on education – build schools, award scholarships to study abroad; invest in hospitals; build roads, sewer systems, electricity grids, water, etc.

Doling out cash is not the role of Government.

It is time Guyanese reject the snake oil peddled by Hinds and his ilk.

Sincerely, Roger Ally Fort Lauderdale

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tuesday, september 3, 2019

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Foundation

H

omework is your teachers’ way of evaluating how much you understand of what’s going on in class.

But it can seem overwhelming at times. Luckily, you can do a few things to make homework less work.

Create a homework plan Understand the assignment Write it down in your notebook or planner, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about what’s expected. It’s much easier to take a minute to ask the teacher during or after class than to struggle to remember later that night.

If you have a lot of homework or activities, ask how long the particular homework assignment should take. That way you can budget your time.

Start right away Just because it’s called “homework” doesn’t mean you have to do it at home. Use study periods or other extra time in your school day. The more you get done in school, the less you have to do at night.

Budget your time If you don’t finish your homework at school, think about how much you have left and what else is going on that day. Most students have between one and three hours of homework a night. If it’s a heavy homework day, you’ll need to devote more time to homework. It’s a good idea to come up with a homework schedule, especially if you’re involved in sports or activities or have an after-school job.

Watch where you work

When you settle down to do homework or to study, where do you do it? Parked in front of the TV? In the kitchen, with the sound of dishes being cleared and your brothers and sisters fighting?

Find a quiet place to focus The kitchen table was OK when you were younger and homework didn’t require as much concentration. But now you’ll do best if you can find a place to get away from noise and distractions, like a bedroom or study.

Avoid studying on your bed Sit at a desk or table that you can set your computer on and is comfortable to work at.

Park your devices while you study. Just having your phone where you can see it can be a distraction. That makes homework take longer.

Get to work

Tackle the hardest assignments first It’s tempting to start with the easy stuff to get it out of the way. But you have the most energy and focus when you begin. Use this mental power on the subjects that are most challenging.

Later, when you’re more tired, you can focus on the simpler things.

Keep moving ahead If you get stuck, try to figure out the problem as best you can – but don’t spend too much time on it because this can mess up your homework schedule for the rest of the night. If you need to, ask an adult or older sibling for help. Or reach out to a classmate. Just don’t pick someone you’ll be up all night chatting with or you’ll never get it done!

Take breaks Most people have short attention spans.

Sitting for too long without stretching or relaxing will make you less productive than if you stop every so often. Taking a 15-minute break every hour is a good idea for most people.

(If you’re really concentrating, wait until it’s a good time to stop.)

Get it ready to go

When your homework is done, put it in your backpack.

There’s nothing worse than having a completed assignment that you can’t find the next morning. Now you’re free to hang out — without the guilt of unfinished work hanging over you.

Get help when you need it

Even when you pay attention in class, study for tests, and do your homework, some subjects seem too hard. You may hope that things will get easier, but most of the time that doesn’t happen.

What does happen for many people is that they work harder and harder as they fall further and further behind. There’s nothing embarrassing about asking for help. No one understands everything.

Start with your teacher or guidance counsellor Some teachers will work with students before or after school to explain things more clearly. But what if you don’t feel comfortable with your teacher? If your school is big, there may be other teachers who know the same subject. Sometimes it just helps to have someone new explain something in a different way.

C

reating painted rocks is a great way to pass the time, and is a wonderful meditative art activity for both children and adults.

Supplies

Rocks [flat smooth rocks work best] Rock paint (see options below) Water-based glue sealer with a foam brush or acrylic varnish (optional) Rock Paint Options: Patio Paint or acrylic paint & paintbrushes Extra fine tip paint pen multipack Extra fine tip pastel paint pens Black outline & fine detail pens Black and white fine to medium paint pen set Metallic brush paint pens

How to paint rocks

Collect rocks to paint.

Wash rocks and allow them to dry in the sun.

Set up an area to paint rocks. Put down newspaper or a piece of white posterboard to protect the surface that you will be working on.

Optional–Paint a single colour acrylic base layer on each rock that you will be painting and allow to dry.

Recommended for some rock painting designs.

Paint rocks in any way you like.

Allow rock paint to dry overnight.

Use a foam brush to paint a layer of acrylic sealant or use a varnish to help protect the paint. (Optional) Once finished painted rocks can be displayed on your nature table, in flower beds, in the garden, or wherever else suits your fancy. If you place painted rocks outside, they will weather in the sun and may get damaged even with a sealant or varnish applied.

Rock painting tips

A fun way to paint rocks is to think of them like clouds in the sky. What do you see? Paint the rock to match.

Two colour patterns using a complementary or contrasting colour always look nice.

Hearts, rainbows, mandalas, and words of inspiration are always fun to paint on rocks. (rhythmsofplay.com)

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tuesday, september 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt Minister calls out Indigenous Wildlife exporter slapped with 2 peoples over land claims …says all Guyanese have a right to resources

on our ability to efficiently manage and sustain our resources. In almost every village, there is an abundance of natural resources,” he added.

Just recently, former President of the Amerindian Peoples’ Association (APA) and Chairman of the Upper Mazaruni District Council, Toshao Mario Hastings, said that in cases where titles may have been isthese were done “There are those (villages) that have outgrown their sued, without consultation land space. Let us firstly justify our need for land ex- and without the Free and Informed tension, showing how, and what plans are in place Prior Consent (FPIC) of to utilise the additional land….It is also important Indigenous peoples.

Inevitably, this that Indigenous peoples understand that all Guya- has resulted in sechallenges on nese have a right to share in the distribution of our vere rights violations since resources…” – Sydney Allicock Indigenous peoples’ right to own, use and occupy traditional lands is constrained “Our land rights are mul- to be able to develop a land in many ways, he noted.

“Our hunting, fishing, tifaceted and while it is im- management plan to keep portant that our policy mak- us properly organised so spawning, farming, gatherers understand the value of that 100 years from now, we ing grounds, lie outside of space for other forms of life would still be able to have our titled lands. Our sacred to survive, many villages our lands bringing benefits sites outside of titled lands are being desecrated by minhave been applying for land to us”.

According to the ing which is done without extension with no clear vision with how the land will Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs our consent. We are faced Minister, the APNU/AFC with fragmented titles enbe used.

Claims for ancestral Government did not set out abled by deficient laws that lands which our fore parents to deprive Indigenous per- do not recognise our collecused…to hunt, fish and farm sons of their lands, but in- tive right nor support our now need to be supported stead, the administration is collective decision making”. by a village improvement “encouraging efficient land management” of resources plan,” he explained.

Minister Allicock fur- in a country with a growing ther noted that a village im- population and rapid ecoprovement plan is important nomic development”.

“Our development hinges in identifying development derstand that all Guyanese have a right to share in the distribution of our resources…,” Allicock told the gathering.

He stated that Indigenous peoples across the country need to collaborate with others to find “a middle ground” in relation to ownership and rights of lands that belong to the country.

Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock

S

ome Indigenous villages in the country have failed to adequately occupy and accordingly utilise the lands that they possess, yet, they are applying for more access to lands.

This is according to Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock, who, at the launching of Indigenous Heritage Month 2019 on Sunday, pointed out that while the issue of land rights is important, Indigenous peoples need to take into consideration that they are not the only ones who are entitled.

“Then, there are those (villages) that have outgrown their land space. Let us firstly justify our need for land extension, showing how, and what plans are in place to utilise the additional land….It is also important that Indigenous peoples un-

that is needed and that this should be the focus of the Indigenous communities in the country.

“It is only you who would be able to know what your most valuable resources are and what kinds of projects will be benefitting to you.

We have to be able to understand what we have so that we can better plan. We have

TIP charges

A

wildlife exporter was taken before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday after he was charged for trafficking two Venezuelan nationals for labour exploitation.

Feezal Shaw, 62, of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD), appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh and denied the charge.

The charge stated that between February 14, 2019 and June 14, 2019 at Soesdyke, Shaw engaged in Trafficking In Persons, in that he recruited, harboured and transported the two men for the purpose of labour exploitation.

According to Police reports, during the month of February 2019, the victims were invited by Shaw to come to Guyana and build cages for him to keep his exotic animals.

The prosecution is contending that when the victims arrived in Guyana on February 14, 2019, they were allegedly paid for their first three days of work and were not paid until June 1, 2019, when Shaw handed them $100,000 each.

Further, Shaw took away their passports after they inquired about the remainder of monies owed. The pros-

Feezal Shaw

ecution is contending that Shaw held the passports after telling the men that he was applying for an extension of stay for them in Guyana, but never returned the documents.

Shaw was released on $100,000 bail. The case will continue on September 11, 2019.

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tuesday, september 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Clueless…

H

…on energy ead of the Department of Energy (DoE), Dr Mark Bynoe, addressed a Christian Men’s gathering over the weekend, and summarily dismissed the idea of Guyana going ahead with a refinery to handle the crude oil we’ll be receiving as our share of the oil. Your Eyewitness wonders if Bynoe thinks that “church people” are so focused on the hereafter, they’re simplistic or stupid about things of the world. The fella had the arrogance to tell the people, “I think what most people are conflating is not if a refinery should come to shore, it’s whether or not we should have cheap fuel.”

So all church people can possibly think about when they consider the oil discovered off our shores is “cheap fuel”??

They can’t possibly think about the industrialisation of Guyana?? They can’t possibly think about adding value to at least one of our primary products…after hundreds of years of being hustled on sugar, rice, bauxite, gold and timber?? They can’t think about using the petroleum distillate for synthesising other products, like fertilisers etc?? Or even using by-products like bitumen to cap our roads – especially the ones we plan to open up our hinterland?

And to add insult to injury, Bynoe simpered that as far as “cheap fuel” is concerned, the Government could deliver that without a refinery!! Well, of course it can…just take off the 70% tariff they slap on the import price!! Well, why don’t they do that to diesel for agriculture, which is the largest employer in the country?? But that’s not all. His answer involving tariffs demonstrates that Bynoe hasn’t the foggiest notion about the oil industry.

When Granger personally handpicked him, there was a firestorm of protest in the face of his obvious unsuitability for a job that’ll literally determine whether the ordinary Guyanese will even have a chance of enjoying the good life from oil. The job description called for experience in the petroleum sector at a ministerial level or its equivalent; yet, all Bynoe had was a PhD in ENVIRONMENTAL Economics, of all things!! Granger placed a man trained to protect the environment in charge of one of the most polluting industries on the planet!!

But Bynoe’s a perfect example of the PNC under Granger: appointing loyalists to positions critical to our future, but in which they had no experience. It’s like Burnham putting Haslyn Parris in charge of Bauxite after nationalisation - when the man pushed production without ignoring the needed recapitalisation. Of course the entire entity collapsed after the first decade!!

What was more galling that Granger handpicking Bynoe was his overlooking AFC’s Dr Vincent Adams, who had 30 years in the US Department of Energy.

And placing HIM in Environment!! …on local content “Local Content” regulations in the incipient oil industry has been very high on the agenda of the people, but the Government keeps on dawdling. After all, while the idea of the Government sending out cheques to every Guyanese citizen might look like a lucky windfall, Guyanese know that having their own jobs is a better option.

Fundamentally, they’ll be given an opportunity to develop themselves, and rise as far as their natural talents and hard work would take them.

But with every company with the most tenuous experience in the oil industry flocking from across the world to service the “oil find of the century”- and us not having the legislation in place to insist on locals being hired - it’s possible we may be left out in the cold. The point was raised that we might be locking out the skills needed to perform the needed jobs if we do so.

But every country became developed by either protecting their “infant” industry or insisting on local content??

Can’t walk unless your hand’s held!! …on election date You’d think after all the brownnosing PM Nagamootoo’s been doing, he’d have some insider info on the PNC’s plans for holding elections.

But in his column, the poor fella had to cry out, “Quando, Quando, Quando” – When? When? When?

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

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tuesday, september 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Repsol Exploration commences Region 1 man charged for drilling in Kanuku Block 21 years later

killing wife at Fun Day

A

man, who was evading Police for the past 21 years for the murder of his wife, was hauled before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday.

Philbert Thomas, 46, appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly and was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on September 5, 1998 at Cubacalli, Waini, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini) he murdered Viola Thomas.

According to Police information, Thomas allegedly murdered his then 23-year-old wife, a resident of Cubacalli, Waini, North West District, during a fun day in 1998.

It was reported that Thomas stabbed his wife several times about her body, and then made good his escape.

However, it was only recently that the accused was arrested, charged and remanded to prison for inflicting grievous bodily harm to his ex-lover and her companion.

It was after him being charged that the mother of the late Viola Thomas saw his photograph in the newspaper as Philbert Thomas.

For that charge, he gave his name as Gilbert Thomas but the woman nonetheless went to the Police. The dead woman’s mother went to the Acquero Police Station and made a report stating he was the man who is wanted in connection with the murder of her daughter.

Following the killing in 1998, the Director of Public Prosecution had recom-

Philbert Thomas

mended that the suspect be charged with murder, as the fugitive was in hiding. The matter was heard at the Acquero Magistrates’ Court, Region One, where several witnesses testified against Thomas, who was charged in absentia.

Eight years later, the matter was recalled at the same court and was adjourned with no appointed date for resumption (sine die).

Following his identifica-

tion recently, a court order was filed and Philbert Thomas, called Gilbert Thomas, was identified by the murder victim’s mother and he subsequently confessed to the crime.

The accused was remanded to prison and the case will continue on September 9, when he will appear before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for reassignment.

Thomas was last month charged for felonious wounding committed on his ex-lover Dally Gobin and her friend Leaymond Smith.

It was reported that on the day in question, the victims were imbibing at Gobin’s house when the suspect showed up without being invited.

This resulted in a heated argument which led to a scuffle. Thomas allegedly whipped out a knife and dealt Gobin one stab to her breast. He then turned his attention to Smith and stabbed him once before fleeing the scene.

The victims were taken to the Kwakwani Hospital, where they were treated and referred to the Linden Hospital Complex. There they were admitted, and subsequently discharged.

Thomas was arrested while hiding at a camp in the Hururu Backlands, and was subsequently charged.

O

ne week after United Kingdombased oil company Tullow spud its second well in the Orinduik Block offshore Guyana, Repsol Exploration, a Spanish oil company, has also commenced drilling in the Kanuku Block of the maritime zone.

The works commenced on Sunday at the Carapa 1 well site within the Kanuku Block and will conclude on November 30, 2019.

These operations will incorporate the use of MODU Rowan EXL-II and the OSV Bourbon Calm during this period.

Maritime Administration in a notice said that the necessary signs and lights will be displayed to alert other vessels which have already been cautioned to maintain a wide berth of these vessels.

Once oil is found in this well, Repsol has said Guyana could benefit from as much as 60 per cent in oil profit, based on its Petroleum Agreement with the Government.

It is understood that the net cost of the Carapa well will cost US$20 million. Last week, a notice published in one of the daily newspapers said that Tullow will

now be heading to the Joe-1 well site to drill. That operation, which will incorporate the use of the MODU Stena Forth drillship, is expected to conclude on December 31, 2019.

The Joe is located in approximately 650 metres of water and costs approximately US$3 million to drill.

A recently published report from international company Gustavson Associates had estimated that the well has a 43.2 per cent chance of success.

About three weeks ago, Tullow announced a major oil find at the Jethro-1 exploration well in the Orinduik Block, becoming the second oil company to announce an oil find offshore Guyana.

Jethro-1 well was drilled by the Stena Forth drillship to a total depth of 4400 metres in approximately 1350 metres of water. According to a statement from the company, evaluation of the logging data confirmed that Jethro-1 comprises high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs of Lower Tertiary age, which simply means they date back to millions of years ago. The well encountered 55M of net oil pay, which indicates a recoverable oil resource estimate that exceeds Tullow’s pre-

drill forecast of 100 million barrels of oil.

News of the find created waves in financial centres around the world, as well as international news outlets.

Up to press time, Tullow’s shares had jumped by over 19 per cent on the London Stock Exchange. In fact, it was the biggest gainer on the index.

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

In April, ExxonMobil made its 13th discovery offshore Guyana at the Yellowtail-1 well. Two months prior, the US super major made double oil discoveries at the Tilapia-1 and Haimara-1 well in the Southwest section of the Stabroek Block. Yellowtail-1, located some six miles North-west of the Tilapia discovery, encountered approximately 292 feet of high quality oil bearing sandstone reservoir. That discovery adds to the previously announced estimated recoverable resource of approximately 5.5 billion oil-equivalent barrels on the Stabroek Block.

Yellowtail-1 is the fifth discovery in the Turbot area, which ExxonMobil expects to become a major development hub.

10 news

tuesday, september 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Support of stakeholders imperative for delivery of quality education – CEO

…as Education Month launches

A

s a number of key stakeholders within the education sector welcomed the new academic year, it is vital that their support and efforts towards the sector remain constant so as to deliver quality education throughout the country.

This view was expressed

Education Minister Nicolette Henry

by Chief Education Officer (CEO) Marcel Hutson, who was at the time offering opening remarks at the launch of the list of activities for Education Month 2019, on Monday.

The CEO emphasised that the Education Ministry required the support of its

A number of stakeholders during the launch of Education Month

stakeholders, since the true standard of education within a country could only be achieved through a collaborative approach.

“As we enter the first term of the new academic year 2019-2020, we at the Ministry of Education crave your continued, unfettered support in advancing the cause of education delivery in our nation… it is clear that the achievements of such functions will require a collaborative approach or effort among all our stakeholders if we are really going

to hit at these functions and ensure that we fulfil them,” the CEO noted.

In recognising the Ministry’s progress in education, Hutson noted that it was priority to develop its human resource through education.

“It is vital at this juncture for us to recognise that our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education and the human mind is our fundamental source. We must, therefore, do everything in our power to protect and en-

rich this resource that we are speaking of,” he said.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Nicolette Henry expressed similar views underscoring that education was the key to national development.

Minister Henry commended the teachers, education officers and staff of the Ministry for their dedication, hard work, commitment and, in some cases, sacrifice that resulted in the great performance by the sector, together with declaring the month of activities officially opened.

Each year, the month of September is observed as Education Month and this year the month is themed “Education: the key to national development”. Over 20 activities have been planned across Guyana to engage all stakeholders in education.

During the launch at the Ministry’s Sports Ground, Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, there were performances by the National School of Dance, the Buxton Steel Orchestra and the South Ruimveldt Secondary School.

Linden man remanded for assaulting grandmother

A

Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) man who appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on Monday, charged with three offences allegedly committed against his

grandmother, has been remanded to prison.

Matthew Blackman of Lot 36 Stewart Path, Christianburg, Wismar, Linden, was slapped with the charges of unlawful assault, threatening language, and assault causing

actual bodily harm, committed against his 69-yearold grandmother, Verna Blackman.

It is alleged that on Wednesday, August 28, Blackman committed the offences during a confrontation with his grandmother at their Lot 36 Stewart Path home.

He is alleged to have dealt the woman several punches to her head, pelted her with a bottle in addition to threatening to burn the house down. Blackman also allegedly hit the woman to her head in the presence of Police Officers who were summoned to their home. In court on Monday, Blackman pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Several witnesses were called to testify in court on Monday, including a policeman and the Virtual Complainant.

Blackman was remanded to prison and the case was adjourned to September 12, 2019.

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tuesday, september 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Clogged canals, unstable utility poles anger Garden of Eden residents One of the poles was broken after severe wear and hanging by the electrical wire.

Clogged canals

A section of the canal that is overgrown with aquatic plants

U

nstable electrical poles have been the most concerning issue for residents at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara, having affected the supply of power to the community and resulting in constant blackouts.

This was relayed by residents during a recent visit, as they lamented the level of neglect they face.

Bissoondyal Boopat explained that his family has suffered constant power outages as a result of the shaking poles which disturb the flow of electricity.

They have lodged numerous complaints every time the power is disconnected but the Guyana Power and Light would dispatch a crew to the area to temporarily remedy the issue. Numerous

persons have been affected by this problem.

“The poles shaking so every time it shake too hard, we getting blackout.

Sometimes, it does be two times a day. When we call and they come, they attach back the wire and done. The next day, we got to call again and them does do the same thing again,” the distressed man relayed.

Adding to this, another neighbour sought to comment on the clogged canals that many have complained bitterly about. As a result of the overgrown aquatic shrubbery, they are yet to experience proper drainage.

“Our drainage system leads here. When you have plants growing in this crucial trench and no one is clearing it, we’re going to have problems. The thing is every time the rain falls or there is too much water, it overflows. It overflows and then we have to pray that it doesn’t come into the yard.

Some people have to worry that it will get into their houses. This is a developing community and we should not have these issues to worry about,” he insisted.

They are pleading with authorities to have these matters rectified in the

Australian Govt offers funds for local projects

T

he Australian Government, through its High Commission based in Trinidad and Tobago, is seeking to fund Guyanese projects that are geared towards addressing community health challenges and empowerment for vulnerable groups, among others.

For the past few years, the Australian Government has been funding local projects in this regard under its Direct Aid Programme (DAP). This year, community groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), local government organisations and other entities engaged in development ac-

tivities on a “not-for-profit” basis have been invited to apply.

In an advertisement published in the local newspapers, the Commission explained that specific focus will be placed on promoting human rights, including empowering women, youth, Indigenous communities and people with disabilities; improving access to safe water and levels of sanitation and hygiene in communities; and promoting sustainable environmental practices, along with a few others.

The programme will run from 2019-2020.

Applications will be

open from September 14 and close on October 20, 2019 during round one.

Meanwhile, another round of applications will be accepted from December 7 and closes on January 12, 2020. Interested persons can visit the Trinidad and Tobago Australian High Commissioner web page for further details.

Australia has been supporting DAP projects in Guyana since 2009. According to the Commission, “RE NEW TT, an NGO dedicated to providing access to energy for resource-poor rural communities in the Caribbean, is a recent beneficiary. RE

NEW TT received DAP funding to replace a failing old pump in the Indigenous community of St Cuthbert’s in Region 4 with a new solar-powered one to provide over 1200 households with access to clean, safe water”.

In addition to this, it was noted that under the DAP, solar electricity was reconnected to the St Cuthbert’s Primary School following the destruction of the school’s solar cells by a lightning strike. The new solar power source provides students with a well-lit learning environment and access to modern learning aids.

One of the unstable utility poles that are hanging by the wire

nearest future. Some have even offered to volunteer their time to assist.

“This area is not that large. We’re asking if they can please just come in and have a look at what’s happening. It wouldn’t take much to fix it and I’m sure,

everyone here will be relieved. Some of us can even come out and help in whatever way but we can’t do it alone. As for the light posts, that’s for GPL to look after because it is very dangerous”.

12 news

tuesday, september 3, 2019 | gu

Chaos at Georgetown, Vreed-en-Hoop Ste into Demerara Harbour Bridge …thousands stranded as vehicular traffic halted

By Rupa Seenaraine

O

n the first day of the new academic year, a catastrophe happened when a barge and tug slammed into the southern side of the Demerara Harbour Bridge just after midnight, thus shifting the spans which connect the structure and causing a shutdown to vehicular traffic.

In the wee hours on Monday morning, notices were sent out that the structure would be closed for emergency works and the only alternative to cross the Demerara River was via the speedboat service, operating

Whilst the boat service would usually commence operations at 06:00h every morning, provisions were made for the commuters to cross earlier. However, both stellings saw an influx of passengers in a rush to meet their destinations.

When Guyana Times arrived at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), the area was cordoned off from the Vreeden-Hoop junction and persons were forced to walk to the docking area as Police ranks tamed the situation.

School-aged children hurried to make it into the next

A damaged section that was under repair

at Stabroek and Vreed-enHoop stellings.

available boat as they feared reaching late on the very first

day of school. Several boats were lined up as a swarm of passengers trickled into the vessels amid the confusion.

A mother of three explained that she was unaware of the situation and two of her kids were already late to school. She too, lamented about the inconvenience faced after having to use the boat service.

“I was planning to use the bridge as usual, but we just got wind of the fact that the bridge is not working. Now, I just dropped off my daughter and I’m going to carry the other two. With all the trouble to cross, they will be late and it’s the first day of school,” she expressed.

Over at the Stabroek Stelling, a similar scenar-

io was observed as multiple boats loaded dozens of passengers and escorted them.

Officials of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) fixed themselves to organise the crowd in orderly lines. Police Commissioner Leslie James was present on site, along with other senior ranks, as he positioned that the situation was brought un-

der control.

“We have the Deputy Commissioners [of] Administrations and Operations, Commander of A Division (GeorgetownEast Bank Demerara), the Traffic Chief, another person in charge of impact base and other officers. We’re all here to make an assessment as to what is taking place. So far, reports and what we’re witnessing, everything is under control,” he told this publication.

While the morning hours eventually got somewhat organised, there was a complete shift in the afternoon proceedings.

Passengers fainted after waiting for some time to board speedboats at the

Commuters bustling to cross the Demerara River

Stabroe compla ment w plained One hyperve that, p were g school lost in t

P

Gen the B Rawlst Infrastr David clarity the issu The Ministe prelimi reveale beyond

news

ber 3, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

13

p Stellings after barge slams

Deputy [of] and mander etowna), the person se and ll here t as to So far, re witunder ublica-

hours hat ora comernoon

ed afe time at the

tion. After the vessel started drifting, a distress call was sent out but no one on-board spoke English. The crew members were detained as investigations continued.

“The crew and the barge have been detained by the Police…The preliminary assessment from MARAD suspected that the barge was outside its anchorage point.

They also suspected that the barge was not properly manned. When the barge became adrift, the crew was manned by Cubans and

Meanwhile, Adams said that the barge came into contact with the bridge at two locations, and the structure was shifted from its aligned

bridge is completely out of alignment between the high span and the retractor span,” he said.

Emergency actions were deployed to remedy the situation but it was hindered by unfavourable tidal conditions for a few hours. For the morning period, workers managed to install temporary decking and some of the connecting posts. In total, nine connecting posts were to be changed along with nine anchor chains.

“This morning, we man-

Panamanians. Apparently, it’s a Panamanian-registered vessel. They issued a mayday because it was drifting from Diamond-Grove. Very late, they gave the mayday and it was received by the Light House,” Patterson asserted.

position between the high and retractor spans. During the collision, it was loaded with a gravel-like material.

“The barge came into contact at two locations, span 13 and again at span 16. We saw some severe damages. The

aged to replace the connecting post at span 13. That was to facilitate us moving over to span 16. We had to put in some temporary decking…

We had to suspend all works due to the tide. The tide is really against us. We expect

He insisted that introspections should be made to prevent such occurrences in the future and they might have to mandate operators to have all barges powered by a tugboat. According to him, 55 water taxis came to the rescue and aided the massive undertaking.

Damages

Stabroek Stelling while some complained that the movement was stagnant and complained about the toxic air.

One woman was even seen hyperventilating. Adding to that, persons with baggage were given preference over school children, who were lost in the crowd.

Preliminary reports

General Manager of the Bridge Corporation, Rawlston Adams and Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson provided clarity on the seriousness of the issue.

The Public Infrastructure Minister told the media that preliminary investigations revealed that the barge was beyond its anchorage loca-

that to change,” Adams stated.

He later added that all marine transits were also suspended since the unaligned structure presents unpredictability to the operation of the retractor span.

“The reason we have had

to suspend all marine transit is the fact that you see the bridge is out of align. For the retractor span to close, it has to be in line. We cannot take the chance to open the retractor span”.

The total cost attached to the damaged bridge has not been ascertained. However, it was related that the connecting posts will cost $5 million, while the chains are in vicinity of $4 million.

The Bridge is the main thoroughfare for commuters to drive across to the capital city. An estimated 11,000 persons would use the structure in the morning hours, but the DHB management was expecting maximum traffic Monday morning, since it was the beginning of a new academic year.

Provisions were made for the boat service to be extended until 22:00h along with four emergency vessels on standby. Authorities are hoping to facilitate light traffic on the bridge by this evening.

One of the points of impact on the Harbour Bridge

14 News

tuesday, september 3, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

EBD 2-vehicle collision

2nd victim succumbs 1 month later “He worked as a security officer attached to Bounty Supermarket on Regent Street… he left home in good spirit but the news of the accident has left us in a state of shock”, the woman added.

With his passing, she is not sure how the rest of the family will take it.

He served in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) for more than 20 years. He was described as a family man.

However, the accident had already claimed the life of 59-year-old Oswald Roberts of Lot 489 Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

It was reported that on August 2 at approximate-

Dead: Rawle Glasgow

ly 06:45h, a motor pick-up truck, which was driven by a 45-year-old, Lusignan, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident with passenger, Ashley

Persaud, was proceeding at a fast rate when it reportedly lost control on the New Hope Public Road, EBD. As a result, the vehicle began to swerve from east to west and ended up into the path of the minibus, which was said to be proceeding north along the western side of the said road. The two vehicles collided head-on, causing extensive damages.

The occupants of the minibus, including the driver and driver of the pickup, were all rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where Roberts was pronounced dead on arrival.

The other passengers: Andre King, 48; Dave

Taylor, 22; Sheena Chin, 23 and Gina Chin, 24; Candacie Vickerrie, 32; Glixman Adams, 69; John Cheddie, 28 and Murrissa Mc Pherson, 29; Tatema Murray, 35; Cherryan Millington, 30; and T Deolall, 42, all of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway were all treated for various serious injuries.

The driver of the pick-up was transferred and admitted to the Mercy Hospital where he was treated for abdominal trauma, while his passenger, Persaud, was treated for a fractured right arm.

No charges were filed in connection with the accident.

Corentyne fire

The pick-up that was involved in the accident

O

ne month after a two-vehicle smashup at Craig, East Bank Demerara (EBD), a second person succumbed from his injuries on Sunday evening while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Dead is 54-year-old Rawle Glasgow, an ex-soldier of Coverden, EBD. Following the accident, the father of six sustained head injuries and broken limbs

among others.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Monday, Cecilene Williams, a sister of the dead man, explained that her bother spent close to three weeks in the intensive care unit of the GPHC. He was placed in the male surgical ward where he took his last breath at about 17:30h on Sunday.

The woman explained that on the day of the accident, her brother was heading to work.

Corrective surgeries commence on badly burnt brothers

A

One-year-old Besham Sohan before his injuries

toddler and his fouryear-old brother, who were badly burnt by fire at their home, are presently undergoing a series of surgeries overseas as the lads continue to battle for their lives.

Gansham Sohan, four, and Bisham Sohan, one, are currently patients at a hospital in Texas, where they both have undergone multiple corrective surgeries since being medevacked to the United States of America less than a week ago.

In providing an update on the lads’ conditions, Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA) revealed that doctors have been administering sedative drugs to the younger Sohan due to the extent of his injuries.

Nevertheless, the non-governmental organisation further noted that both boys have been responding well to treatment even though the road to recovery is far from over, as they are expected to undergo more surgeries.

The brothers sustained severe burns about their bodies following an incident

One of the lads being prepared to be medevacked

which occurred on August 16 at their Number 48 Village, Corentyne home. The mother of the boys lit materials to drive away mosquitoes and turned her attention away for a short period of time, but by then, the older Sohan had thrown dry grass into the fire, causing it to flare up and burn both him and his brother severely.

The brothers were being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where the younger Sohan was on life support, while his older sibling was in the Burn Care Unit, but due to the severity of their burns and the unavailability of the advanced treatment in the country, overseas treatment was sought.

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tuesday, september 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Gunmen escape with empty bag in attempted NA robbery

P

olice are on the hunt for two gunmen who attempted to rob a grocery store in New Amsterdam, Berbice and who broke into a car and escaped with a bag.

The attempted robbery occurred at approximately 19:30h at the Bob and Sons Variety Store situated at Strand and Chapel Streets New Amsterdam, Region Six

Bob and Sons grocery Store

$150M corrective works for Port Kaituma Hospital

(East Berbice-Corentyne) on Monday evening.

Reports are that five employees of the store were outside after the business place closed, while several others were inside when two masked men pounced on them.

Speaking with Guyana Times, one of the employees said that he saw two masked men running towards them.

The car window that was smashed

T

he Public Health Ministry is expected to ink a $150 million contract which will see the commencement of corrective works on the Port Kaituma Hospital Complex.

A team led by Minister Volda Lawrence recently conducted an assessment visit to the complex to examine the area where the works will take place.

According to the Department of Public Information, among the upgrades are access points for accident and emergency patients, outpatients, rehabilitation of other areas to accommodate audiology, radiology and other specialised areas. The Ministry’s Procurement Manager, Seewchan (only name), explained that the goal is to ensure that all the necessary services are now available in the Port Kaituma district.

“When the hospital was initially designed, it didn’t cater to some specialised areas, particularly for radiology … so, we are trying to have that completed with the specific pieces of material which are required to be used in the radiology department,” he is quoted by DPI as saying.

Minister Lawrence noted that based on the scope

A bullet hole on the building

He said one of the men started firing shots in the air.

He told this publication

A section of the main building at the Port Kaituma Hospital which will house critical service areas such as the Accident and Emergency Unit

of works to be done, the staff can move into the new complex as soon as November.

Seewchan added that it is the Ministry’s intention for the works to be done promptly as the primary goal is to relocate all existing and new services to a more spacious and conducive facility soonest.

Based on the new facility’s capacity, there is the likelihood of the new Port Kaituma Hospital becoming the new regional hospital in the Barima-Waini. It will also cater to improved workspace for staff and better healthcare delivery for

patients.

Seewchan continued to explain, “Having visited the Port Kaituma old hospital, you would see the challenges not only our health workers are being faced with, but the patients also. There is the lack of ventilation, electricity to do basic testing and so on but I think with this new hospital being in place having that huge complex, having the mortuary, generator, admin office, a section for infectious diseases and a housing quarter for the doctors and nurses I think that will facilitate better service”.

The initial project cost $700 million.

that one of the gunmen fired a shot in his direction but he was not hit and immediately retrieved to the side of the building. According to the employee, upon seeing the gunmen, they rushed into the building. Realising that they could not enter the store, one of the bandits used his gun to smash the window of the owner’s car which was parked outside.

The man then grabbed a bag from the vehicle and es-

caped. However, this newspaper was told that the bag contained personal belongings of a staff member but no cash.

Only two days ago, the owners of the variety store opened a supermarket. It is believed that the bandits thought that the day’s sales from the new supermarket were in the car. Police in Berbice have since launched a manhunt for the two gunmen.

Kumar Shaw

Complainant secured her minibus and retired to bed.

However, the following day, she discovered the battery compartment open and the battery missing.

A report was made and upon investigation of CCTV footage, Shaw was seen removing the battery. He was arrested and charged for the simple larceny. However, the battery was not recovered.

The Magistrate, after listening to the facts, fined Shaw $15,000. Failure to pay the fine will result in him serving two months imprisonment.

Battery thief fined $15,000 A man, who admitted to stealing a battery from a motor vehicle, was fined $15,000 on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

Twenty-nine-year old Kumar Shaw appeared before Principle Magistrate Leron Daly and admitted to the charge which stated that on July 20, 2019 at Regent Street, Georgetown, he stole one motor vehicle battery valued at $22,000, property of Kim DeSantos.

Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh told the court that on July 20, the Virtual

16 news

tuesday, september 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

5 dead as Hurricane Dorian pounds Bahamas

A

t least five people have been killed in The Bahamas, as Hurricane Dorian continues to batter the country.

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said the deaths were confirmed at the north-eastern Abaco Islands, which bore the brunt of the storm.

Some 13,000 houses are feared damaged or destroyed, according to the International Red Cross.

Dorian, the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, remains "extremely dangerous", Minnis said.

Pictures showed surging floodwaters, upturned cars, and snapped trees.

Eyewitness videos and reports paint a picture of massive and widespread flooding, with panicked families fleeing to their roofs to escape rising floodwaters.

Dorian is the most powerful storm to hit The Bahamas since records began and will later move "dangerously close" to the US east coast, according to forecasters.

It hit The Bahamas as a category five hurricane, but has now weakened to a category four with maximum sustained winds near 240 kilometres per hour (150 miles per hour), says the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) in its latest update.

Dorian will, however, remain "a powerful hurricane during the next couple of days".

The NHC said that only a slight deviation in the path of the storm could bring Dorian directly over Florida's east coast, which is already expected to face life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds over the next couple of days.

The US states of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency.

The storm is moving very slowly over Grand Bahama, having earlier made landfall on the Abaco Islands.

It has brought ferocious winds and massive amounts of water to both areas, which are in the north of the Bahamas archipela-

The storm has devastated Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands (Photos from the Guardian and BBC News)

go. Grand Bahama, with a population of about 50,000, is only 100km (60 miles) east of West Palm Beach in Florida.

Forecasters had warned the storm could create "life-threatening" storm surges as high as seven metres (23 feet).

Clint Watson, a journalist based in the capital Nassau, said people in Grand Bahama were being

hit with "buckets of rain" and posting videos online showing water rising to the windows of their attics.

"You can't fathom that, but that's what people are showing us with their videos, saying 'Please, come and rescue me. I'm in the roof of my home and this is where the water is'. And you can see the water outside pressing in. It's stories like that and images like that that you can't get out

of your mind," he told the BBC.

International airport under water

Local media report that the international airport is under water.

Dorian is travelling west at just over 2km/h (1mph), the NHC said. It added that the hurricane would "continue to pound Grand Bahama Island" .

The winds at the core of

Venezuela Opposition says Norway talks must

focus on elections

N

orway-backed talks between Venezuela’s Opposition and the Government of President Nicolas Maduro must focus on elections, an Opposition negotiator said on Monday, as the dialogue proceedings remain stalled after the Government walked out.

Maduro’s delegation suspended its participation last month to protest a new round of US sanctions, and has not yet established when it will return to the proceedings that are meant to resolve the country’s political standoff.

Opposition Leader Juan Guaido, who has been recognised by more than 50 countries as the nation’s legitimate President, has said

the country needs to hold a free and fair vote following Maduro’s 2018 re-election that was widely described as rigged.

“It was the regime that walked out abruptly because it did not want to discuss ... what’s important for the country, which is holding a free election,” said legislator Stalin Gonzalez, a lead Opposition negotiator.

Asked when the talks will resume, Gonzalez responded “that question should be asked of the regime, if they’re prepared or not to discuss the important issues”.

Neither Venezuela’s Information Ministry nor Norway’s Foreign Ministry replied to requests for com-

Stalin Gonzales, Vice President of Venezuela's National Assembly speaks during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela [Photo by: REUTERS/Manaure Quintero]

ment.

Guaido, who is Head of the Opposition-run National Assembly, in January invoked the con-

stitution to assume a rival interim presidency –though Maduro continues to control state institutions. (Excerpt from Reuters)

the storm are spinning so fast that the centre is collapsing on itself, stalling over the area and weakening the storm's eye. This is making it expand and cause damage over a larger area, says BBC Weather.

On Monday morning, Minnis said reports from the Abaco Islands suggested the devastation was "unprecedented".

The Abacos are home to about 17,000 people. It is unclear how many ignored evacuation orders and pleas from officials to leave low-lying areas.

The International Red Cross also said as many as 13,000 houses could have been destroyed. "There might no longer be any clean water readily available on Abaco, because of storm surges flooding wells," spokesman Matthew Cochrane told the BBC. He said that aid workers were expecting "significant humanitarian needs" in The Bahamas once the storm passes.

The UK Department for International Development said it was sending three humanitarian experts to the Bahamas.

How has The Bahamas prepared?

The country is one of

those most regularly hit by hurricanes, and homes are required to be reinforced to withstand the winds of a category four storm.

PM Minnis did announce an evacuation order for parts of Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands.

All tourists were asked to leave.

The Prime Minister said on Sunday of residents who chose to stay: "I can only say to them, that I hope this is not the last time they will hear my voice and may God be with them."

There has been no official confirmation of casualties, but TV station Eyewitness News carried an interview with a woman who said her eight-year-old grandson had drowned on the Abaco Islands.

The storm is currently moving west but it is forecast to make a gradual turn north or north-west, taking it along the eastern US seaboard.

But its path is difficult to predict and it's unclear if it will make landfall.

"Surge-related flooding depends on how close the centre of Dorian comes to the Florida east coast," the NHC said.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that the storm "looks monstrous" and the US east coast would "be ultimately impacted and some of it very, very severely".

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned people not to be complacent following the change in the storm's predicted path. "This storm at this magnitude could really cause massive destruction," he said.

Popular attractions, including Disney World in Orlando, have said they are "closely monitoring" the storm. Miami has ordered the removal of electric rental scooters from the streets to avoid them becoming projectiles.

South Carolina on Sunday issued a mandatory evacuation of the entire coast, effective of noon on Monday and affecting 830,000 people. Georgia then followed suit.

Is climate change making hurricanes worse?

Scientists cannot say whether climate change is increasing the number of hurricanes.

But the ones that do happen are more likely to be more powerful and more destructive because of our warming climate, says BBC Weather's Tomasz Schafernaker.

Here's why: An increase in sea surface temperatures strengthens the wind speeds within storms and also raises the amount of precipitation a hurricane will dump Sea levels are expected to increase by one to four feet over the next century, bringing the potential of far worse damage from sea surges and coastal flooding during storms (BBC News)

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, september 3, 2019

Around the World

Burkina Faso convicts two generals over deadly 2015 coup

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wo senior allies of Burkina Faso's deposed former President Blaise Compaore were sentenced to 10 and 20 years in prison, respectively, for organising a 2015 coup attempt against a transitional Government.

A military court handed General Gilbert Diendere a 20-year prison term on Monday on charges of murder and harming state security.

General Djibrill Bassole, accused of treason, was given a 10-year prison sentence.

"This is a victory for the Burkinabe people, a victory for democracy and the rule of law," said Prosper Farama, a lawyer for people injured in the coup attempt.

"Only the people, by their le-

General Gilbert Diendere was convicted on charges of murder and harming State security [Joe Penney/Reuters]

gitimacy, confer power."

The coup fizzled out within a week after army-backed demonstrators attacked the rebels' barracks. Fourteen people were killed and more than 300 wounded during the unrest.

D i e n d e r e and Bassole were the lead-

ing figures in a 19-month trial of 84 people accused of the attempted overthrow of Burkina's transitional Government.

The coup was mounted by an elite unit of the army, the Presidential Security Regiment (RSP), on September 16, 2015, less

than a month before scheduled general elections.

Although the would-be putsch was quickly quelled, it had traumatic consequences for Burkina Faso, one of the world's poorest countries with a history of chronic instability.

It dug a deep rift in the armed forces, weakening the ability to cope with mounting attacks by armed groups that have now killed more than 500 people, analysts say.

Last month attackers killed 24 soldiers in the deadliest assault yet on the country's army.

Burkina, once among the region's most peaceful countries, has also been riven by inter-ethnic violence over the last few years. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

India manufacturing growth at 15-month low in August: PMI

E

xpansion in India’s manufacturing sector hit its slowest in 15 months in August as demand and output grew at their weakest pace in a year and cost pressures increased, a Private Sector survey showed on Monday.

The survey comes after official figures showed India’s economy grew at an annual rate of 5.0 per cent last quarter, its slowest in

more than six years and significantly weaker than 5.7 per cent in a Reuters poll.

The Nikkei Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index INPMI=ECI, compiled by IHS Markit, declined to 51.4 in August from July’s 52.5, its weakest since May 2018.

However, it has remained above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction for more than two years.

“August saw an undesirable combination of slowing economic growth and greater cost inflationary pressures in the Indian manufacturing industry,” Pollyanna De Lima, principal economist at IHS Markit, said in a release.

Input costs rose at their quickest pace in nine months while the rate of increase in output prices was slower than in July, suggesting firms’ profit margins were squeezed.

With inflation predicted to remain below the Reserve Bank of India’s medium-term target of 4 per cent for the rest of this year, the central bank is expected to ease further in October to boost a slowing economy.

[RBI/INT] “Until manufacturers are willing to loosen the purse strings, it’s difficult to foresee a meaningful rebound in production growth on the horizon,” De Lima said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

California boat fire: Four dead, 29 missing, officials say

T

he United States Coast Guard said on Monday four bodies have been recovered near a dive boat that caught fire off the coast of Southern California with dozens of people on board.

Matthew Kroll of the US Coast Guard said the bodies recovered on Monday morning had injuries consistent with drowning.

Searchers were continuing to look for 29 other people who were on board the vessel Conception, which burned while anchored off Santa Cruz Island, off the coast of Santa Barbara.

Five crew members were awake when the fire broke out and were able to jump

In this photo released by the Ventura County Fire Department, firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire on a boat off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, California

into the water, officials said.

They were rescued by a passing pleasure craft.

Authorities have given fluctuating information about the number of people on board the vessel. The Coast Guard said a sixth

crew member who was on the manifest was actually not on board.

The Los Angeles sector of the US Coast Guard said earlier that more than 30 people were "in distress" on board the boat.

"A group of crew members has been rescued [ones with minor injuries] and efforts continue to evacuate the remaining passengers," the Coast Guard tweeted early on Monday.

According to the Associated Press, the boat was on a Labor Day cruise, taking divers to the Channel Islands.

The vessel, Conception, was operated by Santa Barbara-based Worldwide Diving Adventures, which said on its website it has been operating such expeditions since 1972.

This weekend trip had departed early Saturday morning with plans to return early Monday evening.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Brexit: “Election in October” if MPs block no-deal

B

oris Johnson has insisted he does not want a general election, as he urged MPs not to vote for "another pointless delay" to Brexit.

But the BBC understands the PM would seek to call a vote, expected to be on October 14, if MPs block no deal.

Tory ex-Ministers are joining forces with Labour to stop the UK leaving the EU on October 31 without

17

an agreement.

Speaking outside No 10, Johnson said such a move would make further talks with the EU on a new deal "impossible".

With MPs' backing, he said he would be able to achieve changes to the UK's current deal - negotiated by Theresa May and rejected three times in the Commons - at an EU summit on October 17.

The PM said there

were "no circumstances" in which he personally would ask Brussels to delay Brexit and UK negotiators must be allowed to get on with their work without interference from Westminster.

Faced with Johnson's promise to leave the EU on October 31, with or without a deal, a number of MPs have come together across party lines to try to prevent the latter outcome.

They are expected to put

forward legislation today under Standing Order 24 a Commons rule which allows urgent debates to be called.

The bill, which has now been published by Labour MP Hilary Benn, would force the PM to request a Brexit delay to January 31, 2020, unless MPs had approved a new deal, or voted in favour of a no-deal departure, by October 19.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Hong Kong protests: Students boycott class on first day back

T

Students joined several rallies planned for Monday

housands of secondary school and university students have boycotted classes in Hong Kong, in the latest pro-democracy protests.

The student action comes on the same day as a call for a broad two-day strike and large rally.

Protests over the weekend saw some of the worst violence in weeks between protesters and Police.

Hong Kong is now entering its 14th successive week of demonstrations.

The protests were sparked by changes to a law that would allow extradition to mainland China, but have since widened to include calls for an independent inquiry into Police brutality and universal suffrage.

Early on Monday, activists disrupted train services at different stations causing major rush hour traffic delays. Services resumed later

in the morning.

Nurses were also seen lining the corridors of hospitals, holding pro-democracy placards, according to AFP. There was little other sign of the two-day strike.

However, students came out in huge numbers.

Thousands gathered outside the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Many of the students were wearing eye-patches to show their solidarity with one activist who during the earlier weeks of protests was injured in the eye in clashes with the police.

A Hong Kong court on Monday overturned the Government's decision to disqualify Agnes Chow from a parliamentary by-election last year. She had tried to stand as candidate for the local Demosisto party, which is organising the current boycott with several student groups. (Excerpt from BBC News)

US to withdraw 5000 troops from Afghanistan, close bases – US negotiator

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani meets with US special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in Kabul, Afghanistan September 2, 2019

T

he United States would withdraw almost 5000 troops from Afghanistan and close five bases within 135 days under a draft peace accord agreed with the Taliban, the chief US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad said on Monday.

The deal, reached after months of negotiations with representatives from the insurgent movement, must still be approved by US President Donald Trump before it can be signed, Khalilzad said in an interview with Tolo News television.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has been briefed on a draft of the accord and will look at details of the deal before giving an opinion, his spokesman said on Monday.

In exchange for the phased withdrawal, the Taliban would commit not to allow Afghanistan to be used by militants to plot attacks on the United States and its allies.

It includes provision for

so-called “intra-Afghan” talks to reach a broader political settlement and end the fighting between the Taliban and the Westernbacked Government in Kabul.

However, details of any future negotiations remain unclear, with the Taliban so far refusing to deal directly with the Government, which it considers an illegitimate “puppet” regime.

Many Afghan Government officials have resented the exclusion of the Government from the US-Taliban talks. There was some uncertainty about whether Ghani had been given a copy of the agreement, or simply shown it.

Afghan security forces pushed back Taliban fighters from both cities but a suicide bomber detonated his explosives on Monday in Kunduz, killing at least six policemen and wounding 15, officials and the Taliban said.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, september 3, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Think big, but stick to what’s reasonable. If you are practical but also imaginative, you will come up with a plan that will help expand your interests.

You’ve got what it takes to close a deal, finish what you start, attract support and motivate and inspire others. Don’t waste time procrastinating; take action.

Someone will mislead you. Ask questions and distance yourself from anyone who is being pushy or trying to force you in a direction you shouldn’t go. Keep your life simple.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Positive changes at home or work will lead to better relationships with the people you deal with daily. Love and romance are on the rise and will improve your personal life.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Get busy. The less time you have to get involved in what everyone else is doing or saying, the better.

Self-help, healthy living and personal growth are favored.

Peanuts

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Follow the path that excites you the most. Getting involved in something new will lead to interesting encounters with people who motivate you to follow your heart.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Buy only what you can afford. Living beyond your means will get you in trouble with someone who shares expenses with you. Do your best to keep the peace.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

If you share your feelings and desires with someone special, you’ll find out where you stand and how best to move forward.

Personal improvements at home and work will pay off

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Talks will be misleading. Listen carefully and decipher the meaning behind the words. Don’t let gullibility cost you mentally, physically or financially.

Moderation is encouraged.

CAPRICORN

A change at home or work looks promising. Financial gain, greater responsibility and a higher title, along with some perks that will raise your self-esteem, are heading in your direction.

SUDOKU

(Dec. 22Jan. 19)

solution for LAST PUBLISHED puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Impulse purchases should be nipped in the bud.

Think about every cent you spend. You cannot buy love or respect. The more you save, the better you will feel.

If you keep moving forPISCES ward, inch by inch, you will (Feb. 20get good results. You can March 20) count on loyal friends to help if you ask them. Don’t be shy. Call in favours.

tuesday, september 3, 2019

19

Ashes 2019: Archer will demand to bowl at Steve Smith ̶ Stuart Broad E

ngland’s Jofra Archer will demand to bowl at Australia batsman Steve Smith in the fourth Ashes Test starting on Wednesday, says fellow fast bowler Stuart

Broad.

Smith missed his side’s third-Test loss with concussion after being hit on the neck by an Archer bouncer at Lord’s.

“He hasn’t actually got me out,” said Smith, who will return at Old Trafford.

“Jofra is a fantastic bowler - but he’s an even better bowler when he gets challenged,” Broad told BBC Sport.

“I know when Steve Smith walks to the crease, Jofra will be walking to [captain] Joe Root saying: ‘Give me that ball.”

The five-match series is level at 1-1 after England’s epic one-wicket victory at Headingley, although holders Australia will retain the Ashes if they win either of the final two Tests.

Archer, 24, qualified to play for England in March, made his debut in May, bowled the super over as the hosts won the World Cup in July and has taken 13 Test wickets at an average of 13.53 since his first appearance at Lord’s.

“We’ve seen him stand up to a lot of high-pressure scenarios already in his young international career,” said Broad.

“I’m going to be a very interested viewer from mid-on because they’re two world-class players going against each oth-

Jofra Archer (R) took five wickets at Lord’s and eight at Headingley

er, with a little bit of verbal niggle going around as well.

“That’s what Ashes cricket is about - the theatre, the excitement, the enjoyment.”

Smith retired hurt on 80 on the fourth day of the second

Test after ducking into an Archer delivery clocked at 92mph.

He had already received treatment after being struck on the arm by a short ball from the bowler.

Although Smith returned to make 92, he was replaced by concussion substitute Marnus Labuschagne in the second innings as Australia survived to draw the Test.

Smith, who made twin centuries in the first Test, is averaging 126 from three innings in the series, having been dismissed twice by Chris Woakes and once by Broad.

Smith scored 23 in Australia’s innings-and-54-run win in the tour match against Derbyshire, which ended on Saturday.

Australia coach Justin Langer said: “Steve Smith is in a great place. He’s an all-time great player for a reason and he can’t wait to play this Test.”

Asked whether the incident at Lord’s will affect Smith’s thinking, Langer said: “Maybe. But he’s one of the most organised thinkers in the game of cricket.

“All our guys will have plans for England’s fast bowlers, as I’m sure England will have plans for our fast bowlers.”

Smith’s return at number four in the order could mean Labuschagne - with scores of 59, 74 and 80 in the series - shifting from four to three, and number three Usman Khawaja moving up to open in place of Marcus Harris. (BBC Sport)

US Anti-Doping Agency withdraws case against sprinter US Open 2019: Defending champion Naomi Osaka loses to Bencic

D

Christian Coleman won the men’s 100m at the US National Championships last month (Getty Images)

T

he US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has withdrawn its case against sprinter Christian Coleman, the fastest man in the world this year.

Coleman, 23, had been charged with missing three drugs tests and was facing an automatic one-year ban.

Usada said it had withdrawn the charge after receiving guidance from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Coleman is now free to compete at the World Athletics Championships, beginning in Doha on 28 September.

The American ran a world-leading time of 9.81 seconds in the Diamond League in California in June.

Why has USADA withdrawn its case?

Under the ‘whereabouts’ system, athletes must let officials know where they will be for one hour every day as well as details of overnight accommodation and training.

Failure to do so - a ‘filing failure’ - three times in a 12-month period could lead to a rule violation under the World AntiDoping code.

Usada said clarification from Wada had

been sought around the interpretation of the current International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI) This concerned the date on which a failure to update an athlete’s changed whereabouts information should be considered to have occurred.

Usada recorded filing failures for Coleman on 6 June, 2018, 16 January, 2019 and 26 April, 2019.

Two of the three tests were directed by Usada, while a third was initiated by the Athletics Integrity Unit.

However, as the ISTI states that filing failures relate back to the first day of the quarter, Coleman contended that his failure to update which was discovered on 6 June, 2018, should relate back to 1 April, 2018.

That is more than 12 months prior to Coleman’s third filing failure on 26 April, 2019.

Wada clarified this fact to Usada, resulting in the charge being withdrawn.

The decision by Usada to drop the charges can still be appealed by Wada or the IAAF, athletics’ governing body.

If found guilty, Coleman would have faced an automatic one-year ban and would

miss t h e W o r l d Championships and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Coleman had denied the charge and, in a statement to former sprinter Ato Bolden for the NBC network last month, said: “I’m not a guy who takes any supplements at all, so I’m never concerned about taking drugs tests, at any time.”

Former Great Britain 400m Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu received a year’s ban in 2006 under the ‘whereabouts’ system for three missed tests.

Coleman won the US National Championships in July in 9.99 seconds.

He finished second at the 2017 World Championships in London behind fellow American Justin Gatlin and has a personal best of 9.79, making him the seventh fastest man in history.

He also set a world record for the 60m when he claimed gold at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham last year and was talked about as a new superstar sprinter in the post-Usain Bolt era. (BBC Sport)

efending champion Naomi Osaka has been knocked out of the US Open, losing 7-5 6-4 to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the last 16.

Osaka, 21, was broken late in the opening set and then again in the fifth game of the second under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof at Flushing Meadows.

Japan’s Osaka will lose her world number one ranking, with Ashleigh Barty of Australia to return to the top spot.

Bencic, the 13th seed, will play Donna Vekic in the quarter-finals.

The Croat, seeded 23rd, saved a match point as she beat Germany’s 26th seed Julia Gorges 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 in two hours and 42 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

For Bencic, 22, it is her second appearance in the quarter-finals after also making the last eight in 2014.

Osaka, who beat Serena Williams in last year’s final for her maiden Grand Slam title, started off badly as she lost her serve at the first opportunity and had to save two break points to avoid going 3-0 down.

She then fought back with a break before Bencic took the decisive break in the 11th game and then served out the set.

In the second set, an Osaka double fault gifted Bencic another break and the Swiss player took the final game of the match with a service game to love.

After winning the Australian Open in January for her second Grand Slam, Osaka became the world number one, a position she held until June when Barty took over.

Osaka returned to the top eight weeks later but Barty will become number one again, despite losing in the last 16 to China’s Qiang Wang on Sunday.

Djokovic pulls out injured against Wawrinka

Defending champion Novak Djokovic is out of the US Open after quitting because of injury against Swiss 23rd seed Stan Wawrinka as defeat loomed in an electrifying fourth-round match.

Djokovic, 32, retired with a shoulder problem seconds after a double fault left him two sets and a break down.

Loud boos greeted the Serb’s decision, with more heard as he walked off court.

“I’m sorry for the crowd. They came to see a full match but it wasn’t to be,” said world number one Djokovic.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka had dominated the last-16 contest in a boisterous atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium, producing a powerful display reminiscent of his best to lead 6-4 7-5 2-0, when Djokovic decided he could not continue.

Wawrinka, 34, will play Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals. (BBC Sport)

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tuesday, september 3, 2019

India’s Tour to the West Indies 2019…

Visitors sweep Test series with 257-run demolition A

target of 468 was always going to require a miracle a third candidate for the ‘greatest innings in history’ in 2019 probably - but for a brief period in the morning session, West Indies appeared to at least come prepared to go down fighting.

However, that fight fizzled in the first hour post lunch as the Indian bowlers inevitably closed in, with Jasprit Bumrah, also inevitably, providing the breakthrough that began the slide. Eventually, West Indies were bowled out for 210, an improvement on their first-innings 117, but that still meant a heavy 257-run defeat in the match and a 2-0 sweep of the series to India, who have also moved to the top of the World Test Championship table with 120 points.

In addition, Virat Kohli also became the India captain with most wins, with 28 victories in Test cricket, going past MS Dhoni’s 27.

West Indies had progressed well through a 61-run stand for the fifth wicket between Shamarh Brooks and Jermaine Blackwood, but both men were a lot less decisive and fluent post lunch, and Bumrah got one to straighten in the corridor to catch the edge of Blackwood’s tentative poke. Rishabh Pant did the rest, and West Indies went tumbling from 159 for 4 to 180 for 8. After that, it was a matter of time.

That Blackwood was in the middle, having originally not even been in the squad, was down to the ICC’s new concussion substitute laws, and he became the second ever concussion substitute to come on in Test cricket. Blackwood, who is from Jamaica, had been on the field as a substitute fielder earlier in the match. He was asked to pad up thanks to Darren Bravo retiring hurt in the fourth over of the day.

Bravo had been hit on the right side of the helmet off a Jasprit Bumrah bouncer in the last over of day three, which sent his stem guards - which protect the batsman’s neck area - flying. A West Indies spokesperson said the batsman had undergone a concussion test after play and passed it.

However, in the fourth over, immediately after creaming a cover drive off Bumrah, Bravo walked off the field. He was taken to a doctor and a concussion was subsequently confirmed, which allowed West Indies to draft in Blackwood.

His inclusion meant West Indies became the first team in Test matches to have 12 batsmen batting in a single innings, but that wasn’t enough to stop India’s march to victory.

West Indies had begun well, with Brooks by stroking a full toss from Mohammed Shami through cover, and continuing to show excellent timing during his stay. Brooks should have been on his way back for 30, getting a spiffing

delivery from Ravindra Jadeja that reared up from a length and spun, to take the edge and go into Ajinkya Rahane’s hands at slip, but replays showed that Jadeja had overstepped and Brooks survived. He added to Jadeja’s injury by lacing a cover drive in his next over.

Before that, West Indies had faced a mid-session wobble with Roston Chase and Shimron Hetmyer falling inside five balls. Jadeja got one to hold its line after pitching on leg stump and struck Chase on the pads, who was playing for the turn. Given out on the field, he reviewed, but the call stayed with the umpire with the ball shown to be clipping the top of the stumps.

In the next over, Ishant threw one wide and Hetmyer was suckered into driving with short cover in place, and hit the ball exactly to the fielder.

However, just when it seemed like India had opened a door to charge through, a free-stroking Blackwood joined Brooks to keep West Indies ticking over. Blackwood had a slice of luck, dropped off his fourth ball before he had scored a run. He pushed at a Jadeja ball that took the edge, but Pant couldn’t hold on. After that, Blackwood played with his familiar insouciance, crunching boundaries square and straight, even if not always with pristine timing. Technically, he had two more ‘chances’ though it would be harsh on the fielder to call them that. On 21, he drilled a fuller one from Shami back to the bowler’s left. It was powerfully struck and Shami did well to get a hand to it and stop its momentum.

Then on 32, in the last over b e fore lunch, he flayed a cover drive off Jadeja and Mayank Agarwal at silly point had to take evasive action as the ball hit him flush.

India also lost both their reviews during the session.

In the 23rd over, Ishant rapped Chase on the pads, but the ball had swung in from well outside off, and ball tracker showed it would have missed leg stump.

Then in the 25th over, Shami hit Blackwood on the pads, and once again Virat Kohli wanted to review it. However, there was an inside

3

SCOREBOARD

India – 416 & 168-4d Windies 1st innings – 117 Windies 2nd Innings (target: 468 runs) JD Campbell c Kohli b Mohammed Shami 16 KC Brathwaite c †Pant b I Sharma

3 DM Bravo retired hurt 23 SSJ Brooks run out (Kohli) 50 RL Chase lbw b Jadeja 12 SO Hetmyer c Agarwal b I Sharma 1 J Blackwood c †Pant b Bumrah 38 JO Holder (c) b Jadeja 39 JN Hamilton † c Rahul b Jadeja 0 RRS Cornwall c †Pant b Mohammed Shami 1 KAJ Roach c †Pant b Mohammed Shami 5 ST Gabriel not out 0

Extras (b 14, lb 2, nb 1, w 5) 22 TOTAL (59.5 Overs, RR: 3.5) 210 all out Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Kraigg Brathwaite, 2.3 ov), 2-37 (John Campbell, 7.4 ov), 2-55* (Darren Bravo, retired not out ), 3-97 (Roston Chase, 27.5 ov), 4-98 (Shimron Hetmyer, 28.4 ov), 5-159 (Jermaine Blackwood, 48.4 ov), 6-177 (Shamarh Brooks, 53.2 ov), 7-177 (Jahmar Hamilton, 53.4 ov), 8-180 (Rahkeem Cornwall, 54.3 ov), 9-206 (Kemar Roach, 58.5 ov), 10-210 (Jason Holder, 59.5 ov) BOWLING I Sharma (12-3-372) JJ Bumrah (11-4-311)

M Shami (16-2-653) RA Jadeja (19.5-4583) GH Vihari (1-0-3-0)

edge onto pad.

The lost reviews didn’t matter once Bumrah broke through after lunch. He had bowled only three overs in the morning session and spent some time off the field, and was given only a three-over spell post lunch too, but prised out Blackwood.

Brooks was done in by a combination of lazy running and brilliant fielding. Having pushed Jadeja square, he ambled down the crease but there was no run with Kohli haring across from cover. Before Brooks could process that there was a threat to his wicket, Kohli had dived, collected and thrown the ball in one motion, hitting the stumps direct.

The lower order was done in as much by the pressure as by the Indian bowlers sustaining good lines, and though Jason Holder hit out towards the end, that was just a last gasp of defiance before he missed a slog across the line and Jadeja rattled the stumps. (Cricinfo) Shamarh Brooks raises his bat after getting to fifty

NAMILCO 50th Anniversary Sports – Essequibo…

Imam Bacchus CC defeat NAMILCO Thunderbolt Team to win T20 showdown A well poised half-century off the bat of opener Parmesh Parsatam, and an equally responsible 37 from opening partner Navindra Persaud, guided Imam Bacchus Cricket Club to a comfortable eightwicket win over the NAMILCO Thunderbolt Team when the NAMILCO 50th Anniversary Sports programme, Essequibo leg, came off on Sunday last at the Imam Bacchus Ground at Columbia in the Cinderella County of Essequibo.

A colourful crowd, including well over 50 NAMILCO staff members, host Sam Baksh of the famous Imam Bacchus & Sons, host of the day’s proceedings; along with NAMILCO’s Fitzroy McLeod (Finance Director) and Atomaram Lakeram (Personal Assistant to Managing Director Bert Sukhai) all soaked up an absorbing day of action in very sunny conditions.

The programme, which had been put off by a few weeks owing to the prolonged rainy season, was well received by the participants and dozens of spectators who were on hand.

After winning the toss and deciding to take first strike, NAMILCO Thunderbolt Team started well, but were kept in check by some steady bowling from the home team.

Opener Travis Persaud looked the part in his innings of 38 off 26 balls, decorated with eight (8) fours. He timed the ball well, and set the foundation for the team’s eventual total of 117-5.

But once Persaud succumbed to the Imam Bacchus bowling attack, his teammates were not able to get the better of the pace and spin attack, even though they got starts. Sudesh

Persaud was left unbeaten on 18 when the overs ran out.

Support came from Abdool Razzak (17), and Daniel Basdeo who was left not out on 12. N. Cadogan and K. Persaud were the pick of the Imam Bacchus bowlers, with each taking two wickets for 12 and 13 runs respectively.

Needing to score 118 to win off their 20 overs, Imam Bacchus Cricket Club were very businesslike in their approach. They were led by openers Parmesh Parsatam and Navindra Persaud, the duo blasting the ball to all parts of the ground as neither of the NAMILCO Thunderbolt Team bowlers escaped the willow.

Parsatam hit the boundary ropes on eight occasions in his match-winning 51 before he fell. And even though his opening partner Navindra Persaud went back for 37, the foundation for victory and the winning prize of $50,000 was already laid.

Formalising the win were Yogeshwar Lall and Latchman Rohit, who were left unbeaten on 16 and 13 respectively when the win was achieved. For their efforts, NAMILCO Thunderbolt Team collected $10,000. Both teams were also presented with trophies.

During brief opening and closing ceremonies, host Sam Baksh expressed delight at being able to host the programme for the NAMILCO 50th Anniversary celebrations.

He said Imam Bacchus & Sons were more than elated to welcome executives and staff

NAMILCO’s 50th Anniversary Essequibo Sports Day winners, Imam Bacchus & Sons CC, pose with company officials following the presentation of prizes

of the National Milling Company of Guyana.

McLeod, in his remarks, said that Imam Bacchus & Sons have been faithful partners of NAMILCO from the time they started business in Guyana, and the company thought it fitting to host such a programme there.

On behalf of NAMILCO Managing Director Bert Sukhai, who was unavoidably absent, sincere gratitude was extended to Baksh, Imam Bacchus & Sons, players, staff members and fans by Sukhai’s Personal Assistant, Lakeram.

He said NAMILCO was more than happy

to give back to the community as this milestone is celebrated. A similar programme was held in the Ancient County of Berbice in May of this year.

NAMILCO is also the title sponsor of the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) national Intra Association Under-17 League, which involves all nine (9) Regional Member Associations. The two entities inked a fiveyear agreement in this regard back in 2016.

NAMILCO is the first company in Guyana to sign a multi-year partnership deal with the GFF.

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Good outings for King, Malik, Hemraj and Green ꟷ in CPL GAW practice match

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atched by a handful of spectators, the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) played the first of their two practice matches last night at the National Stadium at Providence, EBD.

innings of 47 as the GAW reached 210-6 in their 20 overs against a quality Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI) Academy team led by the successful Leon Johnson.

Chandrapaul Hemraj hit a brisk 34, while

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Chris Green bowls during his 2-14 (Brandon Corlette photo)

Jamaican Brandon King was a standout with his 66 runs from 40 balls, while Captain Shoaib Malik played an exquisite

Nicholas Pooran smashed 20.

CGI were restricted to 151-6, Tevin Imlach top-scoring with an unbeat-

en 38 while Trevon Griffith scored 35. They lost the match by 59 runs.

Another positive for the GAW was in the bowling department, wherein Chris Green returned economical figures of 2-14 in four magical overs.

GAW will continue their preparation with a second practice match tonight at this same venue.

Annual Referees Assistance Programme concludes

NOT RECEIVING YOUR DAILY & SUNDAY COPIES OF THE

SCOREBOARD

GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS Won By 59 runs GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS won toss and decided to bat GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS 210 for 6 (20.0 overs) B KING c K SAVORY b R ALI MOHAMED 66 C HEMRAJ b R ADAMS 34 A BRAMBLE c G MOTIE b K JOSEPH 16 S MALIK c G MOTIE b K JOSEPH 47 N POORAN+ c (sub) b G MOTIE 20 S RUTHERFORD run out (T IMLACH)

8 C GREEN* not out 1 R SHEPHERD not out 6 B LAUGHLIN O SMITH V PERMAUL Bowler O M R W C PESTANO 4.0 0 54 0 R ALI MOHAMED 4.0 0 31 1 K JOSEPH 4.0 0 39 2 R ADAMS 3.0 0 25 1 T IMLACH 2.0 0 21 0 G MOTIE 3.0 0 32 1 Batsman, Fall of Wicket, Partnership, Over C HEMRAJ 1-88 (34) B KING (43) 7.2 B KING 2-126 (38) A BRAMBLE (15) 11.2 A BRAMBLE 3-130-4 A BRAMBLE (1) S MALIK (2) 12.1 N POORAN 4-167 (37) N POORAN (20) S MALIK (17) 16.3 S MALIK 5-198 (31) S MALIK (28) S RUTHERFORD (3) 18.6 S RUTHERFORD 6-203 (5) S RUTHERFORD (5) C GREEN (0) 19.2

R BACCHUS c &b C GREEN 12 18 23 2 0 12 66.67 R ALI MOHAMED c B KING b B LAUGHLIN 4 10 18 0 0 6 40.00 L JOHNSON* c B LAUGHLIN b V PERMAUL 21 22 32 2 0 10 95.45 R PEREZ st N POORAN b V PERMAUL 1 5 9 0 0 4 20.00 T IMLACH not out 38 31 41 2 1 8 122.58 K SAVORY+ c C HEMRAJ b S RUTHERFORD 13 12 15 1 1 7 108.33 R ADAMS not out 13 9 17 2 0 2 144.44 K JOSEPH C PESTANO G MOTIE Bowler O M R W O SMITH 3.0 0 49 0 C GREEN 4.0 1 14 2 S MALIK 2.0 0 15 0 B LAUGHLIN 4.0 0 17 1 V PERMAUL 4.0 0 32 2 S RUTHERFORD 2.0 0 8 1 R SHEPHERD 1.0 0 9 0 Batsman, Fall of Wicket, Partnership, Over R BACCHUS 1-50 R BACCHUS (12) T GRIFFITH (35) 5.1 T GRIFFITH 2-51 (1) T GRIFFITH (0) R ALI MOHAMED (1) 5.5 R ALI MOHAMED 3-71 (20) R ALI MOHAMED (3) L JOHNSON (11) 9.1 R PEREZ 4-85 (14) CGI ACADEMY R PEREZ (1) L JOHNSON Batsman (9) 10.6 Runs Balls Mins 4s L JOHNSON 5-94 (9) 6s Dots S/r L JOHNSON (1) T GRIFFITH lbw b C GREEN T IMLACH (7) 12.5 35 15 27 2 K SAVORY 6-120 (26) 3 3 233.33 K SAVORY (13) T IMLACH (13) 16.4

Heritage Games set for September 20-22

GUYANA TIMES

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in your area?

Contact our

Circulation Department on

Phone: 223-7230 EXT: 55 President of the GFF, Wayne Forde, and FIFA instructors are flanked by FAF participants at the end of the event

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223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

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21

wenty referees, including three FIFA referees, have completed the annual Referees Assistance Programme (RAP) held in Guyana from August 27 – 31.

Hosted at the National Stadium at Providence, the programme comprised of both theoretical and practical sessions, led

by FIFA Technical Instructors Javier Santos and Jeffrey Stolis, and Fitness Instructor Alan Brown.

According to Santos, three key areas were covered over the period. “The first was the fitness condition of the referees, second was the technical knowledge and workingin-the-classroom sessions with the technical instructors; and the third area was the technical and practical training in the field of play.

“In the fitness condition aspect of the referees, a fitness test was done, but two different types of tests were administered for the Referees and the Assistant Referees respectively.

“For the technical knowledge (aspect), video tests were done evaluating handball

decisions, tactical fouls, and offside decisions and challenges, the most important thing in the field of play. The third aspect was done using players, and the referees and assistants had to take the best decisions, depending on the play,” he explained.

He noted that the referees were receptive to the information shared; and looking ahead, Santos said the major challenge is the referees’ commitment to the task at hand.

“They have to show that they are ready to officiate at the elite level matches, regardless of whether it’s just here in Guyana or internationally; and this is not just for the FIFA referees, they have to show they are ready physically and technically. So they have to train continuously, and keep working together with the support of the Referees Department and the GFF, to enable them to be prepared and ready for matches in this part of the region,” he explained.

At the conclusion of the programme, a Certificate of Participation was awarded to each participant.

he Everest Cricket Club ground, located at the confluence of Camp Road and Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, will again be the venue for the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs’ Heritage Sports Month celebrations.

This event has quickly become a yearly tradition for all those who have ever witnessed the Heritage Games, and this year’s sporting activities and family fun day will be held under the theme, “Maintaining our Traditional Practices while promoting a Green Economy”.

Activities are scheduled to commence at 10:00 hrs daily, and all of the Games’ events will be held at this Everest ground, except the swimming events, which will be hosted at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

Activities will run from Friday, September 20, to Sunday, September 22, 2018.

The Heritage Games will begin with a grand opening ceremony commencing at 10:00 hrs on Friday, after which the events would promptly begin.

There will be three days of power-packed activities which would showcase preliminary matches in cricket,

football, volleyball, archery and swimming on Friday and Saturday, paving the way for the finals to be staged on Sunday.

The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs is expecting that more than 600 sportsmen and women hailing from Indigenous villages across Guyana’s ten regions will be competing in the Games, and several cash prizes and trophies will be up for the taking.

In addition to the headline sports, the weekend’s activities would offer a number of novelty sports, such as: piwari-drinking, hot tuma pot-eating, firewood bursting competition, limeand-spoon race, and other traditional novelty games.

Gold Rush in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) are currently the reigning male football champions, while Pariuma Village in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) are the female champions.

In cricket, Laluni will look to defend their title in the male category, while St. Cuthbert’s Mission in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) will defend their female version title.

Region One holds the volleyball titles, with Maburuma being the male champs and Moruca the female champs.

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tuesday, september 3, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

2019 Amazon Warriors Window for 2020 merchandise now available Hero CPL confirmed

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he Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have agreed a tournament window for the 2020 tournament. Next year’s tournament will take place between 19 August and 26 September 2020.

This window means that for the third successive year all West Indies contracted players will be available for the duration of the event. With high calibre international stars also set to take part fans across the Caribbean will be able to see the best talent the cricket world has to offer. This window

CPL COO Pete Russell

players available.

Speaking about the window for the tournament,

Esteemed Sports Journalist Jemima Holmes secured her 2019 GAW replica shirt quite early

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ith the GAW’s first home game against the St Lucia Zouks due in just two days, cricket enthusiasts can ‘rep’ their local team with fresh 2019 merchandise that are on display and available for purchase at the CPL Ticket Office at 238 Camp and Quamina Streets, Georgetown.

Affordably priced at $7200, this year’s replica merchandise will have fans looking identical to their

favourite Hero Caribbean Premier League franchise, the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

Also in stock are the special edition Amazon Warriors shirts, which are also on sale for $7500. And fans can pick up replica shirts from years past at the same location.

There are other Guyana Amazon Warriors shirts, pants, hats, whistles, bands, bags, training kits and cricket gear on sale. Fans can

make it in one stop to shop and pick up their tickets for the GAW home games against the St Lucia Zouks on September 5; the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on September 7, and the Barbados Tridents on September 8.

Tickets for the Red and Green stands are priced at $5000, while Orange stand tickets are $3000. Grass mound tickets are $2000, and car passes are $1500.

CEO CWI Johnny Grave

also means that there will be no overlap with the England and Wales Cricket Board’s new event, The Hundred, meaning both tournaments will benefit from having the best possible

GAW analyst ready to bring positivity to team T

Pete Russell, COO of Hero CPL, said: “We are very pleased to be playing our tournament in August and September, a time or year that is perfect for us and our fans. Having

the best Caribbean cricketers and the world’s best overseas players is the foundation of our tournament and this period gives us that. We may be just days away from the 2019 tournament, but we are already making plans for next year to ensure that we continue to see the phenomenal growth and economic impact that CPL has seen over the years.’

Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI, said: “The Hero CPL has developed into one of the best and most exciting T20 competitions in the world and we look forward to hosting another successful tournament next month. We are pleased that we have once again found a window in our international calendar for the 2020 season to ensure that all the best West Indian cricketers can take part, as the tournament plays a crucial role in our preparations and planning for the ICC T20 World Cup in 2020." (CPL)

TKR appoint Pollard captain after Bravo suffers finger injury

ꟷ Umroa, Anderson tipped as U-19 duo in GAW training camp

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uyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) team analyst Saurab Walkar is brimming with confidence ahead of the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Aiming to bring positive results to the team, Walkar will be in the forefront, after working behind the scenes in 2018.

“This time I am going to be here physically with the team, and this time I am going to show the videos, in contrast to last season”, Walkar told this daily publication.

Walkar who has been analyst in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL), told this reporter that he will be involved in team meetings.

Speaking about preparation, Walkar said it’s a process the team will follow and play well in the tournament. “As the tournament progresses, we will get better with the strength of the team”, Walkar explained.

Walkar was in the Mumbai team set-up for eight seasons in the Ranji Trophy in India’s FirstClass competition. On two occasions during his stint, Mumbai lifted the title. In early 2019, he left the Mumbai unit to take up a role with the Pakistan Super League side Multan Sultans.

Walkar was also a Performance Analyst with IPL side Rajasthan Royals, who were the first IPL champions. He served that IPL franchise for three seasons.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) were tasked with providing two Under-19 players for

the GAW training camps. It was confirmed that Berbice Under-19 duo Kevlon Anderson and Kevin Umroa are those selected for the GAW. The dynamic duo will be involved in the training session with the team only at the Guyana National Stadium Providence.

Anderson, who plays cricket for Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), is one of two Guyanese in the 21-man West Indies Under-19 squad. Umroa who plays for Albion Community Centre Ground, has been left out of the 21-man squad after his initial i nvo l ve m e nt in the first training c a m p s .

(Brandon Corlette)

rinbago Knight Riders (TKR) announced that Dwayne Bravo injured his finger during practice and could miss a significant part of Hero CPL 2019.

Consequently, Kieron Pollard has been named the captain of TKR. Pollard was picked in the 2019 Player Draft as TKR's Marquee Player and the Trinidadian is set to represent his home franchise for the first time in the CPL. Venky Mysore, Director of TKR said, “it’s a very unfortunate injury and Dwayne Bravo will be greatly missed. However, we are fortunate to have someone of the calibre of Kieron Pollard to take over the reins from

Bravo. His leadership abilities are well proven and, like Bravo, will bring a very aggressive style as captain in TKR’s quest for a third championship in a row”.

On assuming the leadership role, Pollard said, "I am standing in the shoes of the entertainer, Dwayne Bravo. I have been waiting for a long time to be made a part of this special team and I am happy to finally be here. This year, a couple of new guys like me have been given the opportunity to be a part of this great franchise. We are looking forward to putting in our best and lifting the title once again in 2019."

The Trinbago Knight Riders will start their campaign with a home game vs. St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots on Wednesday 4 September.

Saurab Walkar

Kieron Pollard

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, september 3, 2019

23

Hero CPL 2019: ExxonMobil fuels GAW

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or the second year running, the international oil and gas megacompany ExxonMobil is fuelling the Guyana Amazon Warriors’(GAW) team as they strive to capture the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Trophy.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors will begin their 2019 campaign on Thursday evening when they take on the St Lucia Zouks. The local team’s lone focus will be to win matches, with the support of ExxonMobil for the second year running.

the team were formally introduced to the media.

Team Manager Omar Khan then embraced the opportunity to formally express gratitude to ExxonMobil, and promise that the Warriors would again make them proud. “Without sponsorship, and without the support from sponsors (like ExxonMobil), we would not be able to look so well dressed; and more importantly, we would not be able to go out on the field and perform well. So we thank ExxonMobil for their tremendous

Members of the Guyana Amazon Warriors team share a light moment at the event (Photo: Dexter Ceres)

Meanwhile, NEW GPC Company Secretary Zulfikar Ali, speaking on the team owner’s behalf, stressed that the 2019 squad has been carefully composed, and disclosed that the franchise owners are very confident that the GAW can ‘win it all’ this time around.

“We’re very confident Amazon Warriors Captain Shoaib Malik presenting a replica shirt to ExxonMobil that the team we’ve put Country Manager Rod Henson together will do well again this year. Hopefully, we’ll bring the title The media launch to reiterate the support, and we hope this relationship home. I think for every Guyanese that is partnership between the GAW team continues to build, to make the GAW, our dream for the past six tournaments and that corporate entity was hosted Guyana and ExxonMobil proud,” Khan that we had, but I think this year that on Monday in the stated. the boys will do us proud,” Ali shared.

Marriott Hotel lobby, The vibes at the National Stadium where members of at Providence this weekend will be at

an all-time high, because persons from all walks of life will come together to celebrate the local franchise. The ExxonMobil Country Manager highlighted this fact while sharing his hopes of the Warriors again making it to the finale.

“Guyana loves cricket, and this is something that we all come together for. Get behind the Amazon Warriors and root for this team! I remember last year, at playoffs against Trinidad -- a very close match -- it came down to the wire. It was really great to be part of that. So I thank the team; and we look forward for that (same action) and to make the

final again,” Henson explained.

The Warriors will begin their campaign on Thursday, but will also be in action on Saturday and Sunday, against the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots and the Barbados Tridents respectively.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors team comprises: Shoaib Malik (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Romario Shepherd, Clinton Pestano, Nicholas Pooran, Chris Green, Shadab Khan, Ben Laughlin, Odean Smith, Keegan Simmons, Brandon King, James Seward, Romain Muniram, Coach Johan Botha, Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith, Jason Pilgrim (team doctor) and Clinton Jeremiah. (Jemima Holmes)

Pooran, Green confident of propelling GAW across finish line Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford”, Green stated.

The right-arm spinner has said the GAW have to continue their consistency and use their strong home base support to their advantage.

Green said he would be looking to significantly contribute to the team’s success with both bat and ball. With Guyana being his “home away from home”, this humble player has said he would be looking to pass on some knowledge to the youngsters.

The experienced Green shared some positive sentiments on Captain Shoaib Malik.

“Having someone like that, who played the most T20 games, brings a great calmness to the group. I think having Malik’s presence for the entire tournament will be keen”, Green concluded.

By Brandon Corlette

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wo of Guyana Amazon Warriors’ (GAW) most prolific players, Nicholas Pooran and Chris Green, have said they are ready to play pivotal roles in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

During the team’s official media launch, the duo, addressing media operatives, shared their goals and aspirations for the GAW. As GAW marquee player, Pooran disclosed that, in his first stint with this franchise, he is excited to be included, and is hungry to register significant performances this season. “I am looking forward for this season with the GAW, who is the most successful team in CPL”, Pooran stated.

Sharing his sentiments on the composition of the GAW squad, Pooran said the squad is filled with young talents, in contrast with the other teams. “(There is) a lot of talent here in the team. The fans may give us a hard time, but we are young and we’ll make mistakes, but (we’ll) have some good games”, Pooran declared.

Pooran was born in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, but has played for the Barbados Tridents in the 2018 CPL. He highlighted that playing against other teams and players is just another contest in cricket. “CPL is the most loved tournament around the world, and it’s competitive; but, at the end, a victory for the Warriors is (now) the most important thing”, Pooran told the local media.

The left-handed wicket-keeper, who scored the most runs for the West Indies in the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament and is fresh from a stint in the English T20 tournament, has said his main goal is to ensure Guyana wins this tournament.

One of the brightest young talents around, Pooran added that the GAW is a well-balanced team, and is capable of win-

Pooran’s T20 credentials

Chris Green (Dexter Ceres Photos)

ning.

His new team mate Chris Green, the Australian player who is known as the T20 globe trotter, has a positive outlook heading into the new season. This off-spinning all-rounder, who in 2018 captained the GAW in the absence of Shoaib Malik, has said the composition of the GAW team looks good, and the team can push further and win.

“We’ve got some exciting local players (who)made a name for themselves last year; the likes of Shimron

Pooran, who in previous editions of CPL played for the Trinbago Knight Riders, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Barbados Tridents, made his T20 debut against the GAW in 2013 at the National Stadium at Providence.

This promising batsman, who was brilliant for the West Indies Under-19 during his junior career, made a half-century on his T20 debut.

Being a teenager at that time, he introduced himself to the big stage with a 24-ball 54, smashing the likes of Sunil Narine, Mohammed Hafeez, James Franklin and Krishamr Santokie for sixes at Providence. From that moment onwards, Pooran has been a brilliant batting talent, and has been recognized globally. Despite sustaining an injury during a car accident, Pooran never gave up on his cricketing dreams, but continued to be

Nicholas Pooran

a seasoned T20 player with 102 such matches under his belt, playing T20 leagues globally.

Among the leagues for which Pooran played are the Pakistan Super League, the Indian Premier League, the Global T20 league Canada, the Bangladesh Premier League and the T10 league in Sharjah. His highest T20 score is 81, and he has nine half-centuries in his blooming career. Since playing for Kings XI Punjab in the 2019 IPL, the explosive Pooran has further developed as a batman. He recently showed his maturity with his maiden ODI half-century against England. He has 11 T20 Internationals under his belt, with two half-centuries.

tuesday, september 3, 2019

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Hero CPL 2019: ExxonMobil fuels GAW

Page 23

ExxonMobil Country Manager Rod Henson shares photo moment with the Guyana Amazon Warriors team. Also in photo are GAW team Manager Omar Khan, ExxonMobil’s Public and Government Affairs Manager, Deedra Moe; Community Relations and Communications Manager Nicholas Yearwood and President of the American Chambers of Commerce (AmCham), Zulficar Ally. GWA’s Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Shadab Khan were absent from the event (Dexter Ceres photo)

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Pooran, Green confident of propelling GAW across finish line

September 5 2019

October 3, 2019

September 7, 2019

September 8, 2019

October 4, 2019

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