Guyana Times, Friday, December 20, 2019

P5

GBTI welcomes more joint tourism initiatives Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4143

THE BEACON OF TRUTH friday, december 20, 2019

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Guyanese worried about free and fair elections …says Party is constantly – Jagdeo fighting attempts to rig AG admits “SOCU is a mess”

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

P5 Rank transferred after female passenger busted with cocaine

Page 3

See story on page 2

American P7 Airlines’ inaugural NYbound flight delayed by 12 hours

$8B in rates and taxes P20 owed to City Hall – Mayor

Chairman of the Roraima Group of Companies, Captain Gerry Goveia in discussion with some of the veterans that were honoured on Thursday at Roraima Duke Lodge during the annual Veterans Luncheon (See story on page 20)

Guyanese woman “I thought they would’ve busted with Page 12 killed me” – teen details cocaine hidden in harrowing escape from car trunk underwear in Brazil Alleged torture of teen

Page 8

Oil sector an area of threat for money laundering in Guyana Page 7

Region 5 P20 Councillor calls for mechanisms to be in place to make roads safer

2 news AG admits “SOCU is a mess” G friday, DECEMBER 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

uyana’s Attorney General Basil Williams has admitted that the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), under his watch, has been a mess, from failing to carry out successful investigations to failed prosecutions.

He also expressed disappointment in the Unit’s ineffectiveness since it was established.

He made these comments at a Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (ML&TF) National Risk Assessment

Attorney General Basil Williams

Seminar on Thursday at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston Georgetown.

“One of the things we have to deal with is the question of investigations, prosecutions and convictions for money laundering offences, which I believe from 2015 to now, we haven’t had any, not one… we’ve seen the evaluation of all [of] the countries and they[‘ve] all fail[ed]. Some of them have hundreds and they still are not effective depending on the nature of economies but we hav-

en’t had any; it’s remarkable and we have to look at that because that’s a gaping wound in the AML/CFT side… you’ve mentioned that you’ve increased some employment in SOCU. SOCU is a mess, so we have to reorganise SOCU and we have to make it effective,” the Attorney General stated.

SOCU has been under fire for some time now with several allegations of corruption and mismanagement being made against it by persons it would have investigated and had

SOCU headquarters

business dealings with.

Earlier this year, a forensic audit into SOCU’s operations was launched by the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The audit found cases of falsified invoices bearing forged signatures.

Other irregularities that were unearthed include falsified records as well as missing documents. There were also reports of listed expenditure being concocted and receipts being backdated.

Recently, a Police investigation was launched against Assistant Police Commissioner Sydney James, the former Head of SOCU, following recommendations from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers.

James was eventually sent on leave by the Government to facilitate investigations and acting Head of SOCU, Althea Padmore, was appointed. Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has said publicly that with all that has happened, James will not be returning.

However, besides the fraud allegations, SOCU has failed to secure convictions in the cases it brought to court. It was only in March of this year that contempt of court charges brought

by SOCU against eight top executives of GBTI were thrown out by the Magistrates Court.

The charges brought by SOCU against Guyana Rice Development Board officials were also thrown out.

SOCU was established in 2014 on the recommendation of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and was intended to be a Police unit operating under the authority of the Police Commissioner but with a close relationship to the FIU. A few years ago, Jagdeo stated that SOCU was created with the sole purpose of investigating money laundering and the financing of terrorism under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing for Terrorism (AMLCFT) Act, but is now the operational arm that is being used to target Opposition members.

“This concern of the parliamentary opposition is further bolstered by recent public statements by Cabinet Ministers which are particularly ominous,” Jagdeo had stated.

He further reminded that during the 2016 Budget Debates, in February, the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, promised to make the protocols that guide SOCU’s operations public in a matter of weeks, a promise he is still to fulfil.

It was SOCU which led a botched high-speed chase on the car transporting the wife of PPP/C Parliamentarian Charles Ramson Jr, resulting in three persons being killed and the subsequent declaration by the Government that there will be no investigation into the incident, while no agency or person has so far accepted responsibility.

Jagdeo said that the fact that $40 million has been allocated in the 2016 Budget of the Ministry of the Presidency for a “top-up” of the SOCU staff is highly suspect and facilitates an environment for overt political interference.

As such, Jagdeo had alerted the Guyanese public, civil society bodies, the diplomatic, and donor communities of what he terms “worrying developments which are an indicator of creeping authoritarianism undermining democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

In 2017, former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Roger Luncheon; former Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Ramesh Dookhoo; daughter of former President Donald Ramotar and General Manager of Guyana Gold Board, Lisaveta Ramotar; son of former Labour Minister Nanda Gopaul, Dr Gansham Singh; former Deputy Head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Marcia Nadir-Sharma and former Minister of Natural Resources Robert Persaud were arrested

by SOCU for “conspiracy to defraud the State of revenue”.

news

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friday, DECEMBER 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Friday, December 20 – 12:30h – 14:00h and Saturday, December 21 – 01:00h -02:30h and 13:30h – 15:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, December 20 – 11:45h – 13:15h and Saturday, December 21 – 12:40h -14:10h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine with partly cloudy skies will prevail throughout the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to East SouthEasterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 11:35h maximum height of

reaching a 2.36 metres.

Low Tide: 04:59h and 17:36h reaching minimum heights of 0.86 metre and 0.87 metre.

wednesday, DECember 18, 2019

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Guyanese worried about free and fair elections – Jagdeo

…says Party is constantly fighting attempts to rig

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pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo says that during interactions with Guyanese, both here and abroad, many have expressed concerns about next year’s March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections being free and fair.

Speaking at his weekly press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo pointed out that while persons are confident that the PPP will “sweep” the upcoming polls, they are nevertheless worried about the electoral process.

“The biggest concern is would the elections be free and fair and so I’m confronted with this question everywhere… I want to say to people that it’s not unreasonable, as I said before, to think that the PNC (People’s Nations Congress – the largest party in the APNU fraction of the governing coalition) will attempt, this APNU cabal, will attempt to tamper with the elections but the opportunities to do so are limited in the new environment,” he stated.

According to Jagdeo, already the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Opposition has been constantly fighting off such efforts to rig the upcoming polls.

“All long, their plans have been stymied because of a vigilant public, a free press and our struggles – of PPP – to expose attempts to prepare for such an eventuality.”

This, the Opposition Leader noted, started with the unilateral appointment of Justice James Patterson at the helm of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Jagdeo reminded that they had to move to the courts to have the handpicked Chairman removed,

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

which was done in June after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) had ruled that the appointment was flawed.

“So an attempt to tamper with the elections, because with him there highly unlikely we would’ve had free and fair elections. But that attempt was thwarted. Secondly, they attempted to do a House-to-House (H2H) activity that was to replace the NRR (National Register of Registrants) that shouldn’t have been done because it was started even after the former Chairman was removed on a basis of an order he signed. Again, we had to go to the court and the court stopped that activity and declared that it was unconstitutional to remove the names of people from the NRR simply because you did not find them,” he pointed out.

More recently, Jagdeo continued, the Governmentnominated Commissioners

at GECOM also attempted to disenfranchise thousands of Guyanese who failed to uplift their national identification (ID) cards as well as contaminating the voters’ list by merging the unverified data obtained during the H2H exercise with the NRR. He noted that while the PPP managed to thwart these efforts, they were also faced with a similar attempt only last week when they wanted to use a flawed sampling system to verify the approximate 20,000 new registrants.

But with the persistent efforts of the PPP Opposition, Jagdeo said GECOM recently decided to conduct a field exercise to verify these new names before they are added to the list. This exercise is expected to last between four to five days, but according to the Opposition Leader, this could have been done weeks ago when PPP-nominated

Commissioners at GECOM first named the suggestion.

He went on to outline that his Party has also stepped in to foil efforts aimed at preventing external oversight at GECOM leading up to the elections.

Nevertheless, he assured that they will continue to fight off any such attempts by the coalition.

“I want to say to all of those people with fears that APNU will continue to try to tamper with the process given their history but every attempt will be carefully examined and they will not succeed. We have a different environment. We have a free press and people within [GECOM] who have some integrity and there shall be oversights,” Jagdeo asserted.

Going forward, the Opposition Leader pointed out that the Party will now have to look at polling day activities, the training of staff, transparency of information and voters’ education, the placement of staff and so on. He noted that they want these to be professionally done and will be pressing for this.

However, Jagdeo explained that these efforts to thwart their attempts at rigging the elections are making the coalition “desperate”.

This, he said, is evidence in the fact that the PNC called the PPP riggers when, in fact, there are documented evidence with the international community of rigging under that party.

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guyanatimesgy.com

friday, DECEMBER 20, 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

Road carnage continues

Y

et again, Guyana has experienced another deadly accident resulting in five fatalities. Five persons, all of whom could have been working and assisting their families and helping in the development of their communities and country as a whole, are now dead. This is in addition to the dozens of persons who lost their lives during the course of the year due to some form of recklessness by drivers, or, in some cases, other road users. As the year draws to a close, more than 18 persons have died in less than 30 days. Thus far, more than 100 accidents have claimed the lives of more than 120 persons.

We are indeed convinced that the efforts being made by law enforcement and other authorities to reduce the alarming rate of road accidents are not achieving the desired results.

The year 2019 will go down as yet another year when Guyana experienced some of the most horrific road accidents resulting in the loss of lives and injuries to countless others. We are very much concerned about the number of persons losing their lives on our roadways. Too many families have been broken as a result of losing a loved one due to road accidents, most of which could have been avoided.

The reasons for the high rates of road accidents are well known, and there is no need to rehash them here except to say that while there are various factors which impact on road safety, there is little doubt that the single most important in a general sense is enforcement of the traffic laws. The Government has enacted the relevant legislation in relation to driving under the influence, loud music in vehicles, overloading, speeding, etc, but if the laws are not adequately implemented, they become useless. It would be interesting to find out how many of the drivers/ conductors who are stopped for breaking a traffic law/s are actually charged and brought before the courts. It should also be mentioned here that in some cases, Police Officers themselves are engaged in breaking the traffic rules; eg, by speeding or driving under the influence, and hence are the source of some of the accidents we currently experience.

While it is not our intention to paint the entire Police Force with the same brush, as there are many professional and honest officers within the Force, we are convinced that unless what is perceived as the endemic corruption in the organisation, and the traffic section in particular, is addressed in a systematic way, we will not achieve the desired results.

Further, in addition to enforcement of the traffic laws, there are several actions which could be taken immediately to reduce the number of road accidents here. To begin with, the authorities should start fixing all the potholes on our streets and highways, which no doubt pose a serious threat to people’s lives.

Additionally, the authorities should immediately start clearing the parapets and roadways of all encumbrances, such as old, abandoned vehicles, tractor trailers, carts, etc, as these have been known to contribute to accidents. At the same time, tougher action should be taken against persons who are bent on encumbering the roadways.

We had also made the point before that Guyanese need to move away from the culture of disregard and irresponsibility in relation to using the roadways. The Education Ministry and other relevant stakeholders should examine the possibility of strengthening the schools’ curriculum with the aim of increasing knowledge, skills, and understanding among children and young people about the responsible use of our roadways. Similar efforts should also be made targeting the adult population, as they too are sometimes found to be irresponsible when using our roadways.

There seems to be no effective leadership, both from a political as well as an administrative/technical standpoint, to confront the challenge. We believe the time has come for all stakeholders to return to the drawing board and re-examine their approach to road accidents, since what currently obtains has failed the nation.

For a small country such as ours, we cannot afford to continue along this path. The number of deaths and disabilities as a result of road accidents is indeed very worrying, and something must be done urgently to bring a halt to the level of irresponsibility and recklessness on our roadways.

Palm Court’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ravin Prashad receiving an award from American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana (Amcham) President Zulfikar Ally in recognition of the establishment’s exceptional service to Guyanese and tourists for the past 75 years

Government can reduce road deaths quickly Dear Editor For as long as bus operators are not all being paid a fixed flat monthly rental for their much-needed services (and are instead left to fight and race each other for passengers and to speed to complete as many trips as possible to make their money), we will continue to have as many road deaths as seems to now be the new norm.

Public transportation is transportation provided usually by the Government. We instead have private transportation being provided to the public. But with public transportation, the Government pays the bus operators.

With public transportation, the Government is the

boss, not the passenger nor the bus operator. The passenger does not pay the bus operators. The passenger purchases bus-passes from the Government and presents that in the bus instead of cash. The Government, in turn, uses the monies raised from the sale of bus passes to pay the bus operators.

With public transportation, the Government has complete control over how high or low bus fares should go.

And with public transportation, there are no accidents worthy of report because the bus operators do not need to pick up as many passengers, nor make as high a number of trips, as possible to make their money.

Similarly, our Government would save our lives if they too collect cash from passengers and then use it to pay the bus operators one flat equal monthly rental to cover gas, maintenance and driver salaries, etc. (The Government can also provide gas subsidies for the operators).

Let the bus operators become public servants, serving the public for a monthly fee.

This way, our Government need not buy new buses. But most importantly, our bus operators would see no more benefit in speeding nor overtaking on turns nor racing nor overloading nor overcharg-

ing nor working only during profitable hours nor only on profitable routes nor using touts to pull and tug at passengers, etc. None of these activities would increase their monthly payment.

This new system can be phased in. Alternately, a date can be announced for a complete switch-over, along with a deadline for bus operators to sign up.

Too many of us know someone who died recently or was at least injured in a bus accident that proper public transportation could have avoided if it were being provided.

Sincerely, John M Fraser LLB

APNU/AFC challenged to defend their manifesto promises Dear Editor, Many promises in the APNU and AFC political manifestos were designed to attract votes from a wide cross-section of the population but essentially to solidify and secure their hardcore support base. Many of the promises made are not honoured faithfully by the political party since elected to govern.

Deviation from some of these promises is replaced by actions of partisan and

political “selfish, self- interest”.

The leaders of the APNU/ AFC Government, and party leaders, are called upon and challenged to justify and defend their policies and decisions to this nation during their election campaigning.

The following two issues are to be addressed by APNU/ AFC politicians: Substantial remuneration increases to itself: * They must justify their decision that within weeks

of its assumption of government, it awarded itself (Executive and National Assembly) some 50% salary increases, substantial remuneration, and other benefits to the Executive – not widely known. This action is a glaring conflict of interest, ignoring other impartial means of determining the benefits through the recommendations of an independent body for parliamentary approval.

Constitutional reform: * They must explain to

this nation why they ignore the calls and promise for a more inclusive and broadbased government through major constitutional changes and amendments for shared governance and power-sharing, given the context of deep-rooted ethnic and political party nexus, so as to build long-term national governance consensus in the national interest.

With thanks, Joshua Singh

news

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FRIday, december 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

GBTI welcomes more joint tourism initiatives

GBTI Director Suresh Beharry and Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine unveil the plaque to the “I love Guyana” Tourist Park

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BTI has indicated its long-term commitment to partnering with the Guyana Tourism and Hospitality Association (THAG) in supporting the maintenance of Guyana’s latest tourist attraction – the “I love Guyana” 3-dimensional sign, which was officially launched on Wednesday.

“This is a fantastic initiative,” said GBTI Director

Suresh Beharry, speaking at the official ceremony on the lawns of GBTI. “It’s not a one-year project, it’s not a one-year commitment, I think I can safely say on behalf of the board and the members of GBTI that this will be a long-term relationship,” he concluded.

Beharry said GBTI is very happy to be associated with the project. The Bank

was the lone company to have sponsored the sign in partnership with THAG and Impressions.

He said Guyanese need to develop a deeper sense for patriotism which is affected by our fractured society and underscored other speakers’ sentiments that a divided house cannot prosper.

“Unless we fix it, there will be no prosperity for

While we are at it, let’s modernise transportation

Dear Editor, As we approach the age of prosperity in Guyana, can we readjust our methods of handling problems? Most notably the one of carnage on our roadways where lives are being lost by 5 and 6 at a time.

The quite evident pattern is that Guyana handles the traffic problem the same way the USA Government handles mass shootings. Lots of talk and prayers after the incident in question and no substantial actions to effect change.

From careful observation, the carnage can be corrected within 6 months if certain steps are taken. #1 the phasing out of minibuses entirely: This may be considered a farfetched idea that cannot be implemented immediately but I must say that in all developed and developing economies that I have assessed, there is migration to more efficient and safer ways of transportation. #2 The introduction of modern transportation for public use: This can be twofold. (a)Railway systems – These are one of the most efficient and decentralising systems possible with stops along the entire route from Georgetown to Berbice. Then we can have the minibuses or taxis doing shuttles from the respective stops along the way. (b)Larger modern busses

–

These should be plying organised routes and replace the minibus industry... entirely.

We are talking about busses completely fitted with metro cards, professional uniformed drivers and scheduled bus stops. #3 Requirements of age limit of 40 years minimum for public transportation drivers with random breathalyser and drug tests on the parks. #5 Have Police in civilian clothing riding these public transports randomly and informing of any form of misconduct or traffic breach (overloads, speeding, dangerous driving, loud music, or otherwise unacceptable behaviours).

Maybe the problem will be addressed seriously when (God FORBIDS) the life of a Government Minister's child or relative is taken by a legal missile travelling down some narrow carriageway piloted by insane maniacs having no concern for tomorrow but having 15 or more people sitting along with him in said missile.

So the question remains... are our people not thinking or are the brown paper bags loaded in someone’s favour that our lives aren't much of a priority?

Sincerely, Concerned citizen

Guyana moving forward…I am hoping that this sign can start us in the direction to fix that so Guyana can really take its place in the Caribbean, in the world.

Wherever it is that GBTI can continue to promote and assist Guyanese—companies and individuals to better themselves, to promote Guyana— we stand ready to help because as it says we see Guyana through your eyes,” Beharry noted.

GBTI’s maintenance role in this project will include the supply of power to the park, maintenance and other possible enhancements.

This is just another of many Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that the Bank has undertaken. Other CSR initiatives by GBTI include the GBTI-sponsored Buxton Steel Orchestra, the GBTI Open Lawn Tennis and the GBTI Summer Camp among others.

Several in custody for murder of Rural Constable

S

Seon Anthony Burry

everal suspects are currently in Police custody and are being questioned in connection to the murder of 28-year-old Seon Anthony Burry, also called “Cenestro”, whose body was discovered with multiple stab wounds to the neck and throat on Tuesday morning at D’Urban Park.

Commander of Region Four (Demerara-

Mahaica) Sub-division A (Georgetown), Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas, when contacted on Thursday, stated that in light of the nature of investigations, he is unable to provide many details.

However, he confirmed that investigators have already narrowed down suspects and zeroed in on a few of them. These suspects are presently in Police custody pending investigations.

The Rural Constable was stabbed to death at D’Urban Park, Georgetown, and was found at about 05:45h laying there less than two hours after he had left his Lot 194 Section A, Field 7, South Sophia, Greater Georgetown home to train athletes.

He was a Rural Constable (RC) attached to the Police Force Sports Club.

Burry, who was enlisted as an RC in the Force on July 17, 2015, leaves to mourn his mother, a child, and siblings.

Rank transferred after female passenger busted with cocaine

A

female passenger nabbed with drugs at the Ogle airport on Sunday morning has led to the transfer of a rank of the Police Narcotics Department.

According to reports, the female passenger was escorted to the Eugene F Correia International Airport on Sunday by the rank who is allegedly stationed there.

The rank then indicated to security at the airport

to conduct a search on the woman’s luggage; however, the act caused suspicion by an official.

The female passenger was taken into a room by an agent of the Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) and the search was conducted during which over one kilo of cocaine was found in her possession.

According to officials, a probe was launched as there

were suspicions of collusion among the Police ranks stationed at the airport.

At the time of the bust, the female passenger was travelling to the Cayman Islands, via Barbados.

The Narcotics rank has reportedly been posted to the Tactical Services Unit of the Police Force pending the outcome of the investigation. The female passenger remains in custody.

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FRIday, DECEMBER 20, 2019

Page

Foundation

Should I pay my son to quit

?

…a neuroscience-based parental guide to your nightly battle royale fight

By Erin Clabough, PhD

I

spoke recently at the #EdCrunch education conference in Moscow on a panel called “A Child on the Internet: Prohibit, Observe, or Explain?” If you are wondering how scientists do research for a discussion about kids and gaming, I was surprised to see that three out of the four panellists, including me, asked their own kids to help with the answer. There’s no roadmap for it.

As a neurobiologist, my answer was that we do not Prohibit, Observe, nor Explain.

None of those will work longterm. Instead, we need to engage with the process. We need to stay in charge by understanding not how the games work, but how the brain works.

It’s a problem not just for the experts.

My sister sent me this Fortnite text exchange from her son and wondered, “Should I actually pay him the $100? Is it worth it?”

These games are engaging virtual realities.

They are experiential l e a r n i n g playgrounds that tap into everything our brain is primed for: Immediate reward, problem solving, constant feedback about how our progress is going, and importantly for our preteens and teens – social interaction.

It’s the perfect storm for addictive

behaviour and parents have to handle it on a daily basis. We have battle hungry babies who need to be reined in.

Here’s my how-to Fortnite Battle Royale parent strategy: See that screen time is not actually the enemy. Yes, too much screen time is bad for our kids –not because staring at a screen is bad for their brain or eyes, but because TV and video games take up so much room in their lives when they should be having hands-on, face-toface, real-world experiences instead. It’s the things they are missing out on owing to computer games that cause

problems, not so much the games themselves. Limits make sense here.

Understand these games are not benign. Parents won’t be surprised to know that playing violent video games can cause increased aggression for an entire day after the video game has been turned off, especially if the player keeps thinking about the game and ways to improve their play.

Be careful about the types of games your kids play.

Consider that massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs) are different than the games of your youth. A MMOG can’t easily fit into a one-hour screen time block a day. It is, by definition, a giant, open, persistent world, with both opportunity and high stakes play always waiting there in your living room. It calls to kids day and night like a bustling 24-hour Target waiting for the binge impulse shopper.

You’re not alone in your struggle to control it: When a Fortnite mom screams at her child to get off for the seventh time because he’s kept on playing after his timer has gone off, remember that through the magic of MMOGs, our houses can hear what happens in your house, as our homes are virtually knit together through the audio of this reluctant parenting connection.

Acknowledge that these games can provide an important social connection.

Enforcing extreme limits

on the time your child can game with their actual friends can prevent interactions that you actually want your child to have, especially in older kids. Real communities are built in these online worlds where there is overlap with between virtual and face-to-face relationships: Kids talk about the games in school the next day.

Know your kids are not lazy. Playing video games is not a waste of time. Our kids are always learning and the brain keeps developing in response. Kids are desperate to learn, happy to pursue a goal, delighted to have a social pack; they are so motivated to get better that they sneak out of bed at night and turn on the Xbox to work at getting their first Victory Royale. Massive online video games have raised the bar for kid engagement.

These clever games are an indicator of change – It’s a virtual revolt against the way we’re trying to make kids learn things in school and, as such, they present a challenge to educators everywhere to make the learning worth doing, more interesting than video games.

Exploit what we know about learning. As a neuroscientist, I started thinking about the mechanics of learning and how I could apply that knowledge to the Fortnite problem.

Neuroscience has shown that repeated exposure to something with rest periods in between is the most effective way to learn something. Practice strengthens connections between neurons and makes that pathway stronger. So, what if your child is dying to do something that you’re not thrilled about? The ability to swiftly execute a headshot from afar so you’re the only survivor is not what I want my son practicing on a daily basis. Instead of daily video game playing time, be open

to your child playing weekly in bigger chunks. Approach gaming time the opposite of the way you would have him study for a major exam. If your son studies for an algebra test for five hours the night before, he won’t learn it as well as if he studies an hour a day for five days in a row. So, consider banking your child’s play time: Instead of an hour a day during the school week, he gets five hours in one chunk on the weekend.

Use Fortnite as a tool.

Fortnite is a huge opportunity for both kids and parents to allow children to set and stick to their own limits. It’s up to them to come up with reasonable limits and consequences for what happens if they can’t adhere to those limits. In other words, the child makes their own rules, and the parent agrees to them. Fortnite could be a way for kids to work on

much-needed self-regulation skills. The struggle is not ours alone, so don’t shoulder all the responsibility for the structure of it. Let them make the rules, as long as you agree with those rules. You want your child to set up self-regulation skills that will eventually work when you’re not around to enforce them.

As parents become more involved in our children’s digital usage, we can delay exposure, we can set limits, or we can control their apps with parental controls, but we won’t always be working on the same platforms they are, and we aren’t always familiar with the games they’re playing.

It may be Fortnite now, but it will be something else next. We can use these tools to empower our kids and to cope not with specific games, but with any unknown online platforms that our children are enchanted with. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

Paper 3D Christmas Tree

Supplies: 12-inch x 12-inch green cardstock brown and yellow cardstock Christmas scrapbook paper foil cardstock two-inch circle punch scissors glue Instructions: Begin by cutting out a triangle from your 12? x 12? green cardstock. Draw a line from the centre of the top of the paper down to each bottom corner of the paper to make a triangle shape. Then cut out the triangle.

Cut out several two-inch paper circles from your Christmas scrapbook paper and foil cardstock. To make a Christmas bauble, use 5 circles from the foil cardstock or six circles from the Christmas scrapbook paper.

Fold your paper circles in half with the bottom of the circle facing out. Add glue to one side of the folded circle and glue each of the sections on top of the other to create the 3D bauble. Leave the first and last section of the bauble unattached from each other so you can glue the bauble onto your Christmas tree. Continue folding and gluing the paper circles together until you have six baubles.

Cut out a tree star from your yellow cardstock and a tree trunk from your brown cardstock. Glue them onto your triangle paper Christmas tree. Then add glue to the bottom of your paper baubles and glue them onto your tree.

Cut out 1/2-inch paper strips from your Christmas scrapbook paper. Add glue to the back and glue them onto your paper Christmas tree to look like a garland. (iheartcraftythings.com)

NEWS

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friday, DECEMBER 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Oil sector an area of threat for money laundering in Guyana

G

uyana’s burgeoning oil and gas sector has been marked critical for the monitoring of money laundering, as the country prepares for its fourth round of mutual evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).

This was according to National Risk Assessment (NRA) Coordinator, Alicia Williams who was at the time speaking at a Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (ML&TF) National Risk Assessment Seminar on Thursday at the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown.

“Guyana is preparing for

NRA Coordinator Alicia Williams

its fourth round of mutual evaluation which is scheduled for 2023, that is, the first quarter of 2023. This NRA, that is, the new na-

tional risk assessment will be conducted by a working group of 75 persons, [which] you would have already heard, representing public and private sector organisations in Guyana, [from] over 40 public and private sector organisations. It will allow us to identify any new money laundering or terrorist financing threats and vulnerabilities, and it will also include an assessment that is a money-laundering assessment of new areas such as virtual assets.

We’ll also look at the oil and gas sector, proliferation financing which was not covered under the old National Risk Assessment and illegal

wildlife. These are new areas for the working group,” Williams stated.

However, Attorney General Basil Williams, who was present at the seminar, underscored the importance of Guyana meeting the requirements of the FATF and stressed on the importance of Guyana maintaining its good standing with the FATF and CFATF, especially at such a pivotal point in its history with its new oil wealth.

“With our oil regime looming, it’s very important that we ensure we’re not blacklisted because the CFATF and the FATF requirements to protect the internation-

Attorney General Basil Williams

al financial economy is brutal and they respect nobody, it’s no respecter of persons.

Every country, [even] in Europe …they have to come

up for assessment and they have to conform [to] the recommendations of the FATF,” the Attorney General told the audience.

As Guyana was previously blacklisted in 2015, regulations and laws addressing Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML&CFT) had to be put in place in order for the country to meet international standards and be able to continue international trade and business.

According to the NRA Coordinator, Guyana will be conducting its second NRA over a 10-month period from December 2019 to September 2020.

American Airlines’ inaugural NY-bound flight delayed for 12 hours

The American Airlines plane at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri

T

he first direct flight from Guyana to New York offered

by American Airlines left scores of Guyanese stranded for several hours at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, on Thursday morning.

The passengers who were scheduled to depart Guyana at 01:35h on the day in question on the inaugural American Airlines flight to the John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, New

York, were stuck at the airport for many hours as a result of multiple factors.

Guyana Times understands that those passengers were forced to remain at the CJIA after their direct flight encountered the delay as a result of bad weather. Other issues that compounded the matter also resulted in almost four hours of delay by the incoming flight arriving from the JFK airport.

Shortly after the situa-

tion occurred, Justin Franco, a spokesman for American Airlines, in response to the delay, stated that due to weight restrictions, the aircraft had to make a stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU).

“The stop was required to put additional fuel to get to Georgetown,” he said.

Once the flight arrived in Guyana, scores of passengers at the CJIA were told that the crew required rest, hence their flight was rescheduled to depart at about 13:30h.

American Airlines began operations in Guyana last year, with direct flights to Miami. This is the first time they are introducing direct flights to New York.

American Airlines’ daily flights were scheduled to leave JFK at 18:00h and arrive at CJIA at 12:40h the following day. The return flight is scheduled to leave CJIA, Timehri at 01:35h and arrive at JFK at 06:29h.

On August 21, another American Airlines flight was delayed after the aircraft suffered a blowout from a

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, Guyana

raised runway light at the CJIA, leaving over 100 passengers stranded.

The incident occurred just after midnight as American Airlines flight AA1512 was taxiing down the runway for take-off to Miami.

Guyana Times understands that the aircraft had run over the temporary runway lighting, which damaged the wheels of the plane.

The temporary lighting

system was installed to facilitate extension works at the CJIA runway.

All 128 passengers and five crew members aboard that American Airlines aircraft were transported via buses from the aircraft back to the terminal building.

This was the second incident involving an American Airlines flight in a twoweek period in the month of August. When the first incident took place, passen-

gers on another American Airlines flight faced delays after the plane experienced compression issues while in air, forcing it to return to Guyana. Those passengers were transported the following day.

These issues came when American Airlines was gearing up to expand services here in Guyana with the commencement of non-stop flights from Georgetown to New York City.

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Alleged torture of teen

“I thought they would’ve killed me” – teen details harrowing escape from car trunk

Ashkay Budhairam was beaten and burned with hot water

By Rupa Seenaraine

S

eventeen-year-old Ashkay Budhairam of Westminster, West Bank Demerara (WBD) believes that he managed to save his life after enduring six hours of torture and then jumping out of a moving car to escape his captors.

Earlier this week, two law enforcement officers were taken into custody for the alleged beating and torturing of the young lad. Guyana Times spoke to the teenager on Thursday, as he detailed his harrowing experience after being handcuffed, beaten and burned with hot water re-

Some of the injuries sustained

peatedly.

Last Monday, Budhairam recalled that he was with a few friends in nearby village Schoonord when eight unknown men showed up with weapons in two cars at about 11:00h. They proceeded to attack his friends until he was snatched and put in the trunk of one of the vehicles in an unconscious state.

“I was at the Superbet with my friends and whilst playing some games, eight persons run into the place. Them had wood, baton and crowbar and them things. Them snatch me and start beating me. I hold on on my friend and tell he don’t let the carry me nowhere cause I didn’t know them. They end

up lashing he and he loose me. Them put the crowbar behind me and I get blackout and them throw me in the trunk.

Then they drive off,” he related.

After driving for some distance, the young man said he was taken to a house in the same vicinity. The two constables, who are brothers and occupy the said residence, alleged that Budhairam had stolen some items from their house. He was handcuffed to a bed and questioned about the missing items to which he denied

He was doused for a second time with the hot substance.

The injured teen told this publication that the men were fearful that neighbours might hear his screams and opted to put him back into the trunk.

“Them carry me to a house, reverse the car in the yard and carry me in the house. They handcuff me down to a bed frame and start beating me, beating me and asking how far them things deh. I tell them I didn’t know anything. Them go and hot some water in a electric kettle and start throwing it on me. I started hollering and making noise”.

He added, “They take the gun and lash me behind my

The house which the men ransacked

any involvement.

After that, he noted, a few of them proceeded to visit his house to search for the articles while the beating continued.

But the teenager claimed that nothing was found at his residence. Water was then heated and thrown on the lad to which he started screaming.

head. After that, they throw back the water again. I start hollering again and one of them said that ‘Let we carry he out from here before somebody call the Police’ and they take out one of the boards from the bed and slide the handcuff out. They carry me back to the car and put me back in the trunk”.

Escape

He said that the car was moving for approximately 20 minutes and somehow, he managed to open the trunk and leapt out. The men exited the car but he had already jumped across the trench – one which they did not attempt to cross. As he looked up, it was a desolate location, an average distance from where he lived.

“It had a shovel in the trunk so I thought they would’ve killed me. I play with one wire at the back by the trunk and it open. I jump out and roll over in a big bush, over the drain and so. I couldn’t run properly cause every time, I falling down with the handcuff by my hand. Them then stop the car to pick up some brick from the road and start pelting me. I lie down in the bush and when they gone, I walk home and tell my sister to call my mother”.

Ashkay said he was afraid for his life, believing that the men were going to kill him after noticing the shovel in the trunk beside him. This fuelled his might to flee.

After reaching home, Budhairam and his relatives filed a report at the Parfaite Harmonie Police Station and later went to the West Demerara Regional Hospital to seek medical attention.

On Tuesday, Police Commissioner Leslie James confirmed that there was a report and that the two ranks – one of whom is stationed at the Tactical Services Unit and the other at the Wales Police Station – were both taken into custody. An investigation has been launched.

Straightening out…

W

…the Police?

hile addressing the Guyana Police Force’s annual awards ceremony, caretaker President Granger said, “People want a Force they can trust”. Well, he’d said the same thing when he was running for office in 2011 – and again in 2015. In fact, study after study over the years had shown that out of all the public institutions in Guyana, the Police Force was the LEAST TRUSTED!! At its most benign, the word “police” connoted “bribery” and “harassment” to the John and Jane public!!

The findings are rather demoralising seeing that the Police is the institution that interacts most pervasively day in, day out with the public. And when one considers that they literally have the power of life and death over the said public – the only institution authorised to use lethal force in the course of their duty – it’s also very frightening.

Ironically, only the day before Granger’s observation, two Policemen – sons of a senior Police Officer! – had been fingered by a youth for TORTURING him.

The incident epitomised the arrogance of the Police towards the public. Seems that someone had broken into the home of the cops and stolen some items. Either acting upon information received or their own suspicions of “known” characters in the area, in the company of two carloads of friends or other Policemen in civvies, armed with crowbars and pieces of wood, they grabbed the young man in public and transported him to their house, mafiastyle, in the trunk of one of the cars.

There, they proceeded to handcuff him, shackle him to a bed and beat him mercilessly to confess to the crime.

Also mafia style! When that proved unsuccessful, they doused him with boiling water from a kettle which severely scalded the youth. Yet no confession. Finally, they bundled him into the trunk of the car once again and were driving to some bushy, secluded spot where the youth figured he was going to be executed but managed to escape.

Granger had emphasised his years in the Security Sector and, surrounding himself with others from that section, insisted on the campaign trail he was the man who could restore trust in the Police. He proceeded to purge the entire inherited top brass of the Force and installed his own “incorruptible” men – while going on a massive recruitment drive to bring the Force up to its 4900 top strength.

But what has he achieved?? Did giving out 2700 awards – more than half of the Force’s strength – reflect the reality of their performance?? Or was it a reflection of his politicisation of the Force along the lines of what his mentor Burnham had achieved??

Isn’t this why the people still distrust the Police??

…religious fundamentalism

Guyanese love to boast about the religious “harmony” in our dear, old mud land. After all, hadn’t Burnham given those “others” their quaint religious festivals such as Diwali, Eid, Youman Nabi and Phagwah as holidays?? But beneath that patina of bonhomie, at best, the reality was “tolerance” and never “acceptance” of the ways of the “other”. That was beyond the pale to the fundamentalists who defined them as “heathens”.

This was brought out vividly in the reaction of a popular singing Christian tele-Pastor, Kester Deane, to the horrific accident at Mahaicony that took five lives. The fella highlighted some Jhandi flags near the scene and wrote: “Those who have eyes to see, the people are being offered up as sacrifices in this country. The road carnage, fires, aeroplanes crashes, suicide, school bullying, river mishaps, domestic violence, robberies and murder…Y’all still think this is normal? CHURCH WAKE UP! And take back this country”!!

After being called out, he “apologised” and promised: “I shall be more calculating, carefully sensitive, and committed to the workings of my mind…”

Imagine that…”more calculating”!!

…treasonous leaders?

Congress has voted to impeach Trump. But can charges even be BROUGHT here against Granger for instructing our rep at the UN to abstain on the UNCLOS vote – to please Venezuela??

Not treasonable?

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

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Miner remanded to prison for feloniously wounding labourer …was allegedly dealt cuffs to head, body causing him to retaliate with scissors

A

23-year-old miner was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) to answer to the charge of felonious wounding.

Dameon Jones, called “Blacka”, of Republic Drive, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD), appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert on Thursday and denied the allegation that on

December 16, 2019, he stabbed 35-year-old Robin Benjamin Lepps.

It was reported that on the day, a verbal confrontation began between the two men which stemmed from an old grievance. Lepps is said to have dealt Jones a few cuffs to his body and head.

In retaliation, Jones, who had a pair of scissors in his possession, used it to deal a stab to the centre of Lepps’ chest, one to his right-side rib cage, and a third stab to the left-side rib cage.

After the fight attracted the attention of onlookers, Jones reportedly fled the scene, while persons rushed Lepps to the Bartica Regional Hospital where he was immediately admitted.

Meanwhile, the suspect allegedly visited the Bartica Police Station where he handed over the pair of scissors to the investigating officers who promptly arrested and charged him for the offence.

He will make his next court appearance on January 9, 2020.

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friday, DECEMBER 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyanese woman busted with cocaine hidden in underwear in Brazil

A

2 9 - y e a r - o l d Guyanese woman will now spend her Christmas behind bars after she was nabbed at the Sao Paulo Airport, Brazil, moments after she arrived there with just over five pounds of cocaine concealed in several pieces of undergarments.

Maranda Cozier reportedly left Guyana through the crossing at Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) on December 12 to travel to the neighbouring Portuguese-speaking country.

The cocaine that the woman had in her possession

Some five days later, while she was at the Sao Paulo Airport in Brazil, law enforcement officials on duty subjected the woman and her belongings to a routine check.

It was during this search that the Portuguese officers discovered that she had 2295 grams of cocaine stashed in four different packets of underwear.

She was immediately arrested by those ranks and began to be questioned about the origin of the cocaine and the location to which she had been transporting the illegal sub-

Maranda Cozier

stance.

Shortly after the woman’s arrest in Brazil, that country’s drug enforcement authorities contacted local enforcement officials to notify them about the incident.

According to information received, the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) was directly informed about the situation and ranks have already begun a probe of their own here in Guyana.

At this time, it is uncertain as to whether the woman was a ‘drug mule’ who was carrying the cocaine to a supplier or buyer in Brazil or if she had just been passing through that country with the illegal substance with another country set as her destination with it.

In fact, it is unsure as to whether she obtained the cocaine from a supplier right in Brazil and had busted when she was making her way out of that country.

However, drug enforcement agencies from both Brazil and Guyana are said to be working hand-in-hand on this case with the hopes of discovering where the cocaine originated from, how it passed through the border undetected, and who it was destined for.

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14

1. Make a list and a budget

If you’ve made a list of gifts to buy, you’ll have a good idea of how much money you’ll spend in total, although you still need to plan for unforeseen purchases and price variations!

If you’re a very organized person, you already have the expected amount in your bank account and will be able to pay cash for everything. Otherwise, you might wince at the list... In this case, calculate the amount that you know you can realistically spend on gifts without affecting your family’s current expenses. This amount is your Christmas budget. Avoid putting impulse purchases on a credit card that you know you won’t be able to pay for a long time. It is always possible to make good buys without spending a fortune.

2. Plan with the Internet

Instead of going on a long and exhausting tour of the stores, do some screen shopping! Almost all stores have a website, some of them even allowing you to check an item’s availability in a store near you. It’s a very practical way to save some time and avoid going across town to find a specific gift. And you can shop whenever you want, night and day!

Visit many websites, take notes, compare and add pages to your “Favourites” bookmark to give yourself some time to think about it. Your purchase will be well thought-over and even more appreciated, especially since you'll probably have saved time and money! turn to page 18

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catalogue

18

H

ave you been “Naughty or Nice” during 2019? This will only be determined by Santa Clause and to make sure you know the result, you have to be at the Naughty or Nice Party on Saturday evening at Palm Court— Guyana’s premier nightspot.

As usual, Pulse Entertainment hosts this party on an annual basis so that partyholics can redeem them-

selves at the last minute to get on Santa’s Nice List.

The venue will be transformed into the North Pole w i t h

Santa, Mrs Claus and the elves; not forgetting the snow effects and the spec-

tacular lights that will definitely put you in the mood for the joyous season.

It’s an evening to get your first kiss under the mistletoe from that special someone. In addition, the music will be carefully selected by Deejay Ryan and Shizzle, who will make sure patrons have a mind-blowing time.

Gates open at 21:00h with admission set at $2000. There will be drink specials all night. Make sure you know your status: Are you “Naughty or Nice?”

P

rospect and its environs are in for a treat this weekend as the CRW crew hosts another one of its concept parties but this time, it is one to express appreciation to their supporters.

The party titled

“Legacy” is set for Saturday, December 21, 2019, at 110 Prospect, East Bank Demerara.

T h i s event is expected to be a grand one that will feature a health fair, football and basketball competitions and an after-party.

However, during the day, there will be tons of activities for the children ranging from trampoline to face painting, bouncy castle, ring games and many more.

Music will also be in galore as several top-notch sound systems are expected to be on spot. These include Slingerz Family, Team Swag, Power Sonic and Mad Vybz. With all in store for a grand night, this

is one party you don’t want to miss.

The

Chasing Real

Wealth Entertainment (CRW) is a group of youths based in the Prospect, EBD community and has hosted several successful community events aimed at bringing cohesion.

The Prospect, Little Diamond and Covent Garden communities are relatively small and still undergoing development and as such, proceeds from this event will be used to purchase streetlights as well as do some maintenance works in the community.

from page 14

3.Look for deals!

In recent years, Christmas deals start several weeks before Christmas.

Businesses compete to attract us with more and more deals. For once, keep store flyers instead of recycling them and compare items in the stores’ printed and electronic publications. Some articles are sometimes at a 50 % discount to attract customers. It’s up to you to take advantage of these great offers, without buying too much of course!

As for online shopping, ask about the refund and exchange policies. If you buy an item in November, will it be exchangeable or refundable at the end of December or in January?

4.

Choose your battles!

Shopping in the middle of the Holidays is exhausting! On the weekends and some weeknights, malls are so packed that we get discouraged before we even complete our purchases. If you can, try to go shopping at the beginning of the week. Monday and Tuesday nights are ideal to shop in relative peace! Otherwise, go early in the day on the weekends, which should give you enough time to do your shopping before the stores are full of customers. Avoid dressing too warmly, drop your coat in a mall locker, take a coffee break to rest a little, do whatever it takes to make your outing fun and not painful. (extracted from motherforlife.com)

19

T

he Fitzburg Recreational Ground will come alive this evening when the Mash 2020 Jumpstart Concert is held. As preparations are being made for the hosting of Guyana’s Republic anniversary, the Social Cohesion Ministry is making sure that all the regions are fully participating.

The launch was done in the mining town of Linden and one of the jumpstart concerts were

T

he Leonora Stadium will come alive on Saturday evening as Royalty V y b e z Entertainment presents “ P i m p My RideGuyana Edition”.

Closing date for registration is today and based on information gathered, there are 25 different categories to be contested with millions in prizes and trophies to be won.

Some of the categories are Cleanest Bike, Cleanest Vehicle, Cleanest Engine, Most Unique Vehicle,

held a t

Vehicle with the best graphics, Best Rims, Cleanest and Loudest working bus, Extreme Car, Extreme SUV, Vehicle

with the loudest sound and many more.

However, competitors cannot enter in more than three categories and vehi-

D’Urban Park and in Lethem.

Now, it’s time for Region One. Those slated to perform on Saturday evening are Jumo “Rubber Waist” Primo, Reigning Soca Monarch, Brandon Harding; Reigning C h u t n e y Monarch, Steven Ramphal; Melissa Vanilla Roberts and Chutney Queen, Vanita Willie.

Admission is absolutely free and the action starts at 21:00h.

cles registered for the show have to be at the venue before 18:00h.

It will be one grand event as vehicle owners showcase their prized possessions with the aim of winning b i g .

Gates

will be opened at 17:00h but the action starts at 19:00h. Apart from the vehicle parading the arena, there will be entertainment by Royalti Vybez.

Admission to the event is easy.

W

est Side! Get ready for one of the most talked-about event to close off the year billed for Boxing Day at the Aracari R e s o r t , Versailles, West Bank Demerara.

The Boxing Night Chutney Jam is expected to be epic with some high-quality performances from Guyanese artistes.

The event will feature former Chutney Monarch, Bunty Singh; Vicadi Singh, AW Lyrical, Nishal B, Sexi Sonia and Vanita Tony Cuttz.

to the night will be the deejays— some of the most versatile ones around.

In addition, The Kimberly Dance Troupe will be in the house as well the Feel the Beat Tassa Group. The line-up of performers will definitely put you on the dance floor. But also adding some flavours

These include Deejay S h e i k out of XS L o u n g e , Deejay Golden Chyld, Deejay Anthrax and Deejay Sanjay.

Music will be provided by the Notorious Sound System.

The event is promoted by Team Domination and West Siderz Entertainment.

Tickets cost $1000 and the action starts at 20:00h.

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Region 5 Councillor calls for mechanisms to be in place to make roads safer

I

n light of the tragic accident that claimed the lives of five people on Wednesday, Deputy Regional Executive Officer (DREO) of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) Sherwin Wellington has challenged Councillors to ensure mechanisms are in place to make the roads safer.

“I was on-site [at the accident] and it was not a nice scene, people were screaming. We have to put a stop to this because one of our medics, in fact, two health professionals — a medic and a nurse who was pregnant— both lost their lives”.

The medic was nine months pregnant. Both she and her unborn child perished.

As such, Wellington explained that the Administration had planned to have its Christmas party on December 23 but it will be rescheduled.

“We cannot have a party when our staff is mourning,” he said.

Meanwhile, acting Regional Chairman Rian Peters also noted that the RDC has lost one of its former members.

Seechan Chandilall, who was the driver of the minibus involved in Wednesday’s accident, previously served as a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Councillor on the RDC. The house observed one minute of silence in honour of the former

Deputy Regional Executive Officer (DREO) of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Sherwin Wellington

Councillor.

Wellington reiterated that too many lives are being lost on the roadways as a result of irresponsible driving. This, he said, is the main cause for road deaths because the drivers are using the roads as a race track.

“I am concerned and I know that we need to do something to send a message to the drivers. Only recently on social media, we saw a driver and a conductor behaving in a lawless manner; fortunately, they were charged and placed before the court for their behaviour.

Those of us who travel in minibuses which might be overloaded and you’re not comfortable should get out of the bus. Ask the driver to slow down if the bus is going too speed. If they don’t want to reduce the speed it is your right to get off the bus and

report the matter to the Police,” Wellington related.

Meanwhile, coalition Councillor Dillon Crawford called for the grieving families to receive support.

On Wednesday, persons were killed and four others seriously injured following a collision between a minibus and a lorry on the Fairfield Public Road, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Dead are minibus driver Seechan Chandilall, 48, of Lot 102 Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice; Keon Sealey, 33, of Farm, Mahaicony; Alana Vaughn, 31, of Farm, Mahaicony, Ewart Reynlods, 64, of Calcutta Mahaicony, and Maxwell Disreali Thom, 76.

Police stated that on the day in question, the minibus was proceeding west along the southern side of the road when it experienced a ‘blowout’ of the left side rear wheel. This caused the driver to lose control and collided with the left front portion of the lorry that was proceeding east along the northern side of the road.

Also injured were Cecil Gordon, 46, of Farm, Mahaicony; David Jacobs, 60, and Angela Jacobs, 15, both of Moraikobai, Mahaicony, and lorry driver Sherlon Wills, 46, of Helena, Mahaica. They were all initially taken to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where they were treated and then transferred to GPHC where they were admitted.

$8B in rates and taxes owed to City Hall – Mayor T

he Mayor and City Council of Georgetown on Wednesday disclosed that businesses in Georgetown owe City Hall over $8 billion in rates and taxes.

Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine made this announcement at a press conference on Thursday at his office.

“I am appealing to the public, to the businesses, even residents who owe us millions, come in to us let us deal with these matters,” he said.

The Mayor is urging the defaulters to pay up so that the work of City Hall can be less strenuous while noting that City Hall will be imploring legal actions if businesses do not settle their accounts.

“There are other businesses, huge businesses in the city that owe taxes and not coming to us and we would not take this easily,” he revealed.

Earlier this year, the Mayor and City Council launched a unit to recov-

Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine

er some $8.4 billion in rates and taxes owed to the Council but that unit seems not to be working as businesses continue to owe the Council a large sum of money.

In addition, based on a recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry into the City Council earlier this year, the City Treasurer related that the Council will put new measures in place to properly account for financial statements to ensure that accountability,

transparency, and integrity are achieved in exchange for payment of taxes and provision of services by the City Council.

With the establishment of a Tender Committee, the Georgetown City Council had intended to come clean with its new accounting mechanisms and procedures but with all these measures being implored, the efforts to get payments from defaulters continues to be a major issue at the Mayor and City Council.

West Demerara motorists decry poor traffic management

Roraima Duke Lodge fetes veterans

Gerry Gouveia Sr greeting the veterans

A

s dozens of Guyanese patriots of the Joint Services gathered to receive another unforgettable treat at the 10th annual Veterans’ Christmas Luncheon held at Roraima Duke Lodge, Kingston, the retired military men and women called for more respect from a nation which they have risked their lives all to serve and defend.

During the event, Captain Gerald Gouveia Jr, who hosted the event, said that the veterans’ luncheon has become an integral part of the Christmas tradition at Roraima Group of Companies and as such, it is committed to showing appreciation to the military men and women who made noble sacrifices for their country.

“We at Roraima are al-

ways proud to give back to the community in which we serve and there are no better people than to give than the people who served us as Guyanese people”.

It was highlighted that Captain Gerry Gouveia Sr served in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) for approximately 15 years and retired as a Major. This accomplishment inspired him to give back to military men and women who served the country.

He highlighted that some of the veterans suffer from disabilities.

“More needs to be done to help our veterans. They have served the nation with distinction and need not just be remembered but must be cared for”.

According to Gouveia, the

event has been a success over the past ten years; however, he is pleading with businesses and religious communities to engage in the luncheon which caters for veterans during the holiday season.

The veterans present performed poems and shared stories with each other while enjoying the atmosphere.

Veterans Welfare Officer and retired Staff Sergeant Beverly Somerset noted that this is one of the most exciting times of the year for the veterans since they look forward to it.

“Before the date is presented by Roraima, the veterans call sometimes two or three weeks before to find out when it will be held. Many of them are very excited to attend because they do not get out often due to their physical condition. So, especially at this time of the year, they are eager to come out and enjoy themselves” Somerset stated.

Somerset concluded that the veterans deserve all the love during the holiday and is, therefore, calling on the Guyanese population to show more respect.

The veterans’ associations which participated in the Roraima Veterans Luncheon were the Guyana Veterans Legion and the Millicent Greaves Citizens Home.

The line extending beyond Plantain Walk to reach the junction

T

he Christmas season at its peak has resulted in many traffic congestions along the West Demerara Public Road, with lines extending hundreds of metres.

On Thursday, several motorists and taxi operators called for better traffic management, especially at the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) and Vreed-en-Hoop junction in the early hours of the day.

One driver told Guyana Times that he spent 35 minutes from Goed Fortuin to the DHB junction, which, in normal circumstances, would have taken just over 10 minutes.

This is due to motorists boycotting the lines to use the sidewalk, coupled with an increase in holiday shoppers crowding the streets.

However, he believes the situation can be less stressful with intervention from the Guyana Police Force.

Joseph Montgomery explained, “Everybody using the same line to come to the junction. Some choose to use the parapet and drive like they crazy until they reach the front while other people still waiting at the back.

How is that fair? Tell me”.

According to him, those boycotting the legal barrier to use the “fast way” are causing danger to the lives of other road users. It was indicated that on some occasions, Police Officers are stationed to ensure uniformed traffic flow. However, in many scenarios, the junction is left unsupervised, allowing drivers to break the law.

Meanwhile, this publication spoke to a taxi driver who insisted that he is losing money from the increased time for one drop.

“I wasting more time and gas. Sometimes you waiting in the line with two people.

That’s just $200 for one spin for a whole half an hour.

It ain’t make sense. Most people staying home cause we ain’t making anything much,” he insisted.

On Tuesday, Police Commissioner Leslie James addressed traffic and carnage on the roadways, stating that motorists must develop better attitudes. He said that road users need to change their attitude for there to be a significant reduction in minor, serious and fatal accidents.

“We would like to see a

change in the attitude of motorists and the way in which they use our roads and they would have heard statements made by the Traffic Chief in that regard, speaking directly to persons who are using the road, who decide on occasion the way in which they would drive or the way in which they would use the road resulting in serious fatalities…It’s almost as if they’re flouting the law,” he cautioned.

Since last Sunday, the Force employed a new operation to decreased these numbers and make the roads safer, especially during the holiday season. James said more human resources will be put aside for this until there is a positive change.

“We are out there in numbers…We sat and strategized after which we commenced an operation referred to as ‘Operation Safe Roads’…

We’ve been doing what we have to do. We’ll continue to do what we have to do. We have increased numbers now following this operation that commenced on Sunday and this will continue until we see a change in the attitude of those using the road,” the Top Cop had stressed.

friday, DECember 20, 2019

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21

Locally-crafted GFF Super 16 Trophy revealed The trophy to be handed over to the winner of the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) Super 16 Cup tournament was last Tuesday afternoon put on display at the premises of the National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO) at Agricola, Greater Georgetown, to the great appreciation and admiration of that company’s Managing Director Bert Sukhai and staff of NAMILCO. The handiwork of local fabrication experts Brass Aluminum and Cast Iron Foundry Limited of Lots 9-14 West Ruimveldt Business Area in Georgetown, this trophy, the first of its kind, was conceptualized and manufactured locally; and will be making the rounds at a number of the GFF’s partners whose sponsorships have enabled the GFF to stage this yearend Super 16 Cup, which commenced last Sunday and will continue this weekend.

The NAMILCO stop was the trophy’s first on its tour of sponsors, and Sukhai commended GFF President Wayne Forde for the vision that informed the creation of such a trophy, which he described as unique and bringing to the fore the quality of local craftsmanship of BACIF, which compares favourably with that of international com-

NAMILCO Managing Director Bert Sukhai (left) and GFF's Wayne Forde during their remarks

panies.

In highlighting the work of the GFF under the stewardship of Forde, Sukhai informed that NAMILCO is pleased to be associated with the GFF, which has been charting a new and solid course for football in Guyana.

NAMILCO is the single largest sponsor for the programmes of the GFF. This is done through the NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power U-17 Intra Association League, which is played among the nine (9) regional member as-

sociations of the GFF. The contract is in the second year of its five-year duration, and is worth in excess of $30 million.

“We’ve played a very prominent role in the development of football, and now we are part sponsoring this tournament,” Sukhai declared.

In his remarks, Forde expressed profound gratitude to Sukhai and NAMILCO for the massive support they have been giving to sport, not only at the GFF level, but to many other entities even outside of football.

Brentnol Bourne of BACIF was on hand to go into details in terms of the manufacture of the trophy, and informed all that BACIF and the GFF are working to produce a booklet that would contain the details of the trophy from conceptualisation to final product.

Also offering remarks at Tuesday’s activity was NAMILCO’s Finance Director Fitzroy McLeod, who disclosed that the company regards supporting sports as part of its corporate and social responsibility.

He explained that NAMILCO did not get involved in the sport from an entertainment standpoint only, but also for what it offers from a developmental perspective.

“For a long time, we did not have a wide-based, cohesive, developmental programme that could reach every region in the country…

So, while we are pushing our product and getting to our markets, we have had the opportunity to also be involved in the development of young people.”

McLeod also declared that the high level of accountability displayed by the GFF is one of the main reasons why NAMILCO continues to partner with the Federation and will continue to do so.

Commenting on the production of the trophy, McLeod said: “We are happy to see that we have utilised our own resources to put something together that, again, is of international standard; and we hope that this kind of thinking, this kind of approach, would be demonstrated in a lot of our other endeavours.”

NAMILCO staff members were encouraged by Sukhai to support the Super 16 matches. He said that once they attend, and can present to management their ticket stubs as proof, they would be refunded.

Four teams to battle for supremacy

T

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– in 10/10 fundraising cricket at West Meten-Meer-Zorg

he Meten-MeerZorg Future Youths cricket club will on Sunday, December 22, host the Zeeburg Cricket Club, Mc Gill Sports Club and West Coast Warriors in a 10/10 fund-raising cricket tournament which commences at 9:15 hrs.

Proceeds from this event will go to the charitable cause of raising funds to help cover medical expenses for a close family member of a West Meten-Meer-Zorg cricket club player.

Former club president Troy Khan has said he is aware of the condition of the affected individual, and is appealing to members organizing this event, as well as all former club members and current players, to please make any contribution they can.

He has said they can visit the club, or make contact with club captain Jermain Maxwell on Tel #677-

Travis Persaud will also be playing in this charitable match

8393, or Rabindra Dasrat on 691-4038, in regard to contributing towards the cause.

The club will also be holding a BBQ on the same day, and all proceeds generated therefrom will be directed towards this cause.

Odyssey Sightseeing Tours has donated two (2) tickets (day tours) in aid of the same cause. BBQ ticket holders are asked to write their names and contact numbers on the backs of their tickets for a chance to win one of these day-tour tickets to an exciting trip.

Lots of action is expected on the field of play, as power house team Zeeburg, who lost to hosts Meten-Meer-Zorg Future Youths last Sunday, are anticipated to put in a stronger performance with the likes of Andre Seepersaud, Malcolm Hubbard, Ricardo Poloram

and Ushardeve Balgobin included in the team.

Meten-Meer-Zorg Future Youths, who will be led by the impressive all-rounder Jermain Maxwell, would include the in-form Sheldon Alexander and Tevin Imlac.

The Mc Gill Sports Club will be led by former Guyana U19 Captain Travis Persaud, and would include prolific left-hander Daniel Basdeo and cricket veteran Sudesh Persaud.

The West Coast Warriors side would be comprised of such eminent players as Anil Sookdeo, Doodnarine Mandlall, Azaad Azees, Jetendra Kishore and Ganesh Narine.

Trophies to be handed out after this tournament are sponsored by business entity Supreme Petroleum and by family members of the late Jean Barker of Meten-Meer-Zorg West.

22 Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell biggest buys friday, DECember 20, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

– Hetmyer gravitates to Delhi Capitals

I

t's the IPL 2020 auction.

The highlight has been Pat Cummins selling for INR 15.5 crore (US$ 2.2 million approx.), the highest price an overseas cricketer has commanded at the IPL - ever. Here are some of the talking points and other highlights - and lowlights - from the goings-on in Kolkata.

Cummins became the most expensive overseas buy in IPL history when Kolkata Knight Riders bought him after a scrap with Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals. All right, not so much a scrap, really, because Capitals and Royal Challengers went toothand-nail for the first part before Knight Riders waded in and had their man.

Kumble, their director of cricket operations, made the announcement after the auction ended on Thursday.

Kings XI also brought in Wasim Jaffer and Jonty Rhodes as their batting and fielding coaches, respectively.

"This is the right moment for KL Rahul in his career," Kumble said after the auction. "This leadership role will really help him grow."

Rahul was thankful to the team management for showing "faith" in him and giving him this responsibility. "We've had a great day in the auction, we've had exactly the players we wanted, so [I'm] really, really excited and can't wait for the IPL," he said in a video posted by the franchise.

KL Rahul the new Kings XI Captain

Sunrisers get India's Under-19 World Cup Captain

Having let go of R A s h w i n , Kings XI Punjab a n nounced a new captain in K L Rahul f o r the upcomi n g se as o n .

Anil

While Rajasthan Royals made a late entry to the bid for Mumbai's Yashasvi Jaiswal, who recently became the youngest to hit a List A double-century, and got him for INR 2.4 crore (US$ 338,000 approx.), which was 12 times his base price, Sunrisers Hyderabad shelled out a lot of money on more lesser-known players: India's Under-19 World Cup captain Priyam Garg and 22-year-old Jharkhand batsman Virat Singh. The same two teams bid for them and Sunrisers beat Kings XI both times, for INR 1.9 crore each (US$ 267,000 approx.).

Fast bowlers get the big money

The second round saw big money being spent on the fast bowlers, es-

pecially Nathan CoulterNile and Sheldon Cottrell.

Coulter-Nile was another Australian to fetch big money as Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings fought over him. He quickly became a millionaire and then went to Mumbai for a massive INR 8 crore (US$ 1.1 million approx.). Cottrell's bid saw a fierce three-way fight between Royals, Capitals and Kings XI. His bid also went on for long and became a battle between Kings XI and Capitals. Kings XI finally pouched the West Indian for INR 8.5 crore (US$ 1.2 million approx.). Royals bid again for Indian left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat and were given a bit of competition by Kings XI but eventually got him back for INR 3 crore (US$ 423,000 approx.).

In the last leg of the auction, South Africa quick Dale Steyn who has been injury-prone of late, was picked by Royal Challengers, again, after twice going unsold earlier in the day. He was picked for INR 2 crore (US$ 282,000 approx.), even though he left the BBL recently with a side strain.

Australians on the teams' radar

Cummins was certainly not the first Australian to attract interest. Before him, Glenn Maxwell was picked up by Kings XI for INR 10.75 crore (US$ 1.5 million approx.). Royal Challengers picked up Australia opener Aaron Finch for INR 4.4 crore (US$ 620,000 approx.) after winning a bidding war against Knight Riders.

Later in the evening, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh were sold at their base prices of INR

2 crore ($US 282,000 approx.) to Super Kings and Sunrisers respectively.

Allrounder Marcus Stoinis fetched even more money when his bidding started at a base price of INR 1 crore and Royals and Capitals multiplied it nearly five times and was finally taken by the Delhi franchise for INR 4.80 cr ($US 676,000 approx.).

Andrew Tye went unsold twice but eventually got a team late in the auction script, when Royals bought him for his base price of INR 1 crore (US$ 140,800 approx.).

Varun, Chawla in high demand

Varun Chakravarthy, the mystery spinner who was the joint-most expensive buy last season, picked up an injury after just one match last IPL. That remains the only game he has played in more than 12 months and it would not have been surprising if no one wanted him this time, or spent a small amount on him. But Knight Riders and Royal Challengers did not think so. They took his price up, up, and away to INR 4 crore (US$ 563,000 approx.), when Knight Riders got him on board.

Piyush Chawla, meanwhile, is 31 and not among the top spinners in the country, and had been released

by Knight Riders recently.

He got INR 6.75 crore (US$ 0.95 million approx.) from Super Kings, who also have Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir, Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner in their spin contingent. Mumbai opened the bid for Chawla but soon dropped out as

Kings XI joined in, but they stopped after a while too, and Super Kings got their man.

Another millionaire from the Caribbean

Fresh off a match-winning century against India in the first ODI, West Indies' Shimron Hetmyer is a millionaire now too. He had set his base price at INR 50 lakh and saw two bidding wars: first between Royals and Knight Riders and then between Capitals and Royals. Capitals made him a millionaire with a bid of INR 7.25 crore and then bagged him for INR 7.75 crore (US$ 1.1 million approx.). Hetmyer is known for his big-hitting and was let go by Royal Challengers recently after they gave him only five games last season in which he scored 90 runs.

price of INR 1 crore (US$ 141,000 approx.).

West Indies' Fabian Allen and Oshane Thomas too went for their base prices of INR 50 lakh (US$ 70,400 approx.) to Sunrisers and the Royals respectively. And Sri Lanka's Isuru Udana, who shone with both bat and ball recently in the Mzansi Super League, got an IPL home with Royal Challengers for his base price of INR 50 lakh (US$ 70,400 approx.).

Pravin Tambe, the oldest player in the auction at 48, will get to be a part of the Knight Riders squad, for his base price of INR 20 lakh (US$ 28,150 approx).

Prabhsimran Singh, who went for a whopping INR 4.8 crore last auction but played only one game for Kings XI, was bought back by the franchise for INR 55 lakh (US$ 77,500 approx.)

(ESPN Cricinfo)

The quick and cheap buys

After the main rounds of bidding, the accelerated stage saw a mix of international and uncapped players scattered across franchises. While many went unsold, the biggest buys of the round were fast bowlers Kane Richardson and Chris Jordan. Royal Challengers bid for both of them but only got Richardson, for INR 4 crore (US$ 563,000 approx.), whereas Kings XI bought Jordan for INR 3 crore (US$ 423,000 approx.) which was four times his base price of INR 75 lakh.

Tom Banton, a hard-hitting England batsman who topped the run-scoring charts in the Vitality Blast and is currently playing in the BBL, was bagged by the Knight Riders for his base

Shepherd, Campbelle are GCB top awardees of 2019 – Shallow apologises for Shiv’s Test exit

H

aving produced stellar performances during 2019, Guyana Jaguars and West Indies fast-bowling all-rounder Romario Shepherd has copped the top awards at the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) awards ceremony held on Wednesday last.

Shepherd had won both the awards for being the Male Cricketer of the Year and the Most Improved Player of 2019, Besting both Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul who were the other nominees for the Male Cricketer of the Year.

His fellow Berbican, Guyana’s premier female cricketer Shemiane Campbelle, continued to reign supreme, besting nominees Sheneta Grimmond and Shabika Gajnabi for the award of Female Cricketer of the Year.

Incidentally, both Grimmond and Gajnabi are Berbicians, as also is Shimron Hetmyer.

Guyana Jaguars franchise player Raymon Reifer was awarded Senior Regional Player of 2019. West Indies Under-19 youth player Ashmead Nedd was awarded

Junior Cricketer of the Year, while Gajanbi was awarded the Most Promising Female Cricketer of the Year.

Guyana Jaguars’ Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith was awarded Coach of 2019 for his outstanding coaching service rendered during the year.

The Lower Corentyne cricket team, which won the Cricket Guyana Inc. SBF Petroleum 50-overs Franchise League, was awarded the Best Franchise Team, while Guyana Times Sports Journalist Brandon Corlette was awarded Journalist of 2019 Print Media for his outstanding services.

Dr Shallow speaks

Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies (CWI) Vice-President Dr Kishore Shallow has lauded the contributions of the Guyana Cricket Board to Regional cricket, declaring that without Guyana’s participation, cricket in the Caribbean would not have existed.

In a moment of humility, Dr Shallow, who in his time had played cricket for St Vincent and the Grenadines, publical-

Coach Julian Moore receiving the award on behalf of Romario Shepherd from CWI Vice-President Dr Kishore Shallow

ly apologized to West Indian great Shivnarine Chanderpaul for the way the previous CWI administration had not allowed him to leave the game on his own; and said, “I would like to publically thank him for his contributions to West Indies cricket”.

Dr Shallow who expressed delight at being invited to the GCB Awards Ceremony, thanked the GCB for their continued contribution to cricket during the year, and for the numerous players gaining representation to the West Indies

teams during 2019.

Full List of Awardees: Premium Awards: Romario Shepherd: Cricket of the Year Male Shemaine Campbelle: Cricketer of the Year Female Shabika Gajnabi: Most Promising Female Cricketer of the Year Romario Shepherd: Most Improved Male Cricketer of the Year: Ashmead Nedd: Junior Cricketer of the Year Raymon Reifer: Senior

Regional Cricketer of the Year Mavindra Dindyal: Most Runs scored in Regional Under-15 Isai Thorne: Most Wickets taken in Regional Under-15 Mavindra Dindyal: Most Valuable Player in Regional Under-15 Mathew Nandu: Most Runs scored in Regional Under-17 Sheldon Charles: Most Wickets taken in Regional Under-17 Sheldon Charles: Most Valuable Player in Regional Under-17 Kelvon Anderson: Most Runs scored in Regional Under-19 Ashmead Nedd: Most Wickets taken in Regional Under-19 Kelvon Anderson: Most Valuable Player in Regional Under-19 Corporate Awards: Hand-in-Hand Dave West Indian Imports SBF Petroleum Special Service Award Ms Elizabeth Sunich Everest Cricket Club

Groundsman: Deolall Rajkumar of the Enmore Community Centre ground: For his continued contribution to the development of cricket as a groundsman Coach: Rayon Griffith: For his outstanding service as a cricket coach for the year.

Print Media: Brandon Corlette: For his dedicated and outstanding service as a cricket reporter in the field of print media.

Lower Corentyne: Best Franchise Team of the Year 2019 Other nominees: West Berbice & Essequibo Georgetown Cricket Club: Club of the Year 2019 Other nominees: Abion Community Centre Ground & Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club Players from the Guyana Jaguars 4-Day Team and the Guyana Under-15 Team also received awards for winning their receptive tournaments in 2019.

guyanatimesgy.com

friday, DECember 20, 2019

23

KFC Goodwill Tournament…

Exhilarating semi-final clashes on today

T

he best of the best in secondary school football will be on show this evening when the semifinal of the KFC Goodwill tournament is contested today.

The second annual edition of this tournament has seen concomitant increase in the number of contending teams and heightened competition from the school-age football players. Today, four promising teams will strap up their boots in hopes of pulling off a win in order to advance to the tournament’s final on Sunday, December 22.

A battle of hinterland football powerhouses will ensue in the first semifinal encounter, as Annai Secondary of Region 9 pit their skills against the wiles of Region 7’s Desiree Caesar Fox Secondary, aka Waramadong.

In a scintillating contest that had not been witnessed since the semifinal of the Digicel School’s Football 2017 edition, Annai had been down by 4-0, and Waramadong had thought they had the game in the

A glimpse of what to expect come this evening

bag. However, second- half play was definitely one of the greatest moments in schools’ football history, as a hail of goals resulted in a 7-5 come-from-behind victory for Annai.

While many of those players have departed their teams, both current teams have shown that they still contain high quality footballers. Annai pulled off a resounding 9-1 victory over Annandale Secondary,

ITF Coach Bill Adams to conduct training for juniors

Bill Adams

I

nternational Tennis Federation expert Bill Adams will pay a visit to the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) with intentions to assist in training junior players and the wider community of tennis players.

Adams is a Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) certified teaching professional and a United States Tennis Association (USTA) high-performance coach, who since 1980 has directed the operations of tennis facilities and tennis programmes in Germany and Italy, besides Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania

and Florida. He is also Director of the Bill Adams Tennis Academy.

Guyanese by birth, Adams coached tennis champion Naomi Osaka in her early years, and has trained coaches in Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Italy and Germany.

He was also very instrumental in awarding scholarships to Guyanese student athletes such as Duane Lewis, who went on to become head coach at his university, and Nicola Ramdyhan, who is currently overseas fulfilling her scholarship.

and Waramadong ousted Marian Academy with a 4-0 victory. The likes of Waramadong’s Ovid Andrews and Annai’s Amir Robertson will be the characters to watch in this encounter, which will begin at 17:00hrs.

The curtains will come

down on the semifinal phase when defending champions Shiva Boys Hindu College confront the challenge of Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers 2019 champions Lodge Secondary.

The Shiva Boys are on a high, having not lost a game in the tournament.

In defeating Annai and Annandale Secondary by 3-0 and 6-2 respectively, the visitors from Trinidad and Tobago have also displayed great skill and a knack for solid defense.

As such, Lodge Secondary will be keen to look at their forward players, if they are to put up a challenge. Lodge, on the other hand, have lost one encounter: 3-1 to D.C. Fox Secondary (Waramadong), while simultaneously exuding brilliance against Marian Academy in a 6-1 victory.

As such, this pairing will be an interesting one to watch, as Lodge mea-

The action is always hectic in the KFC Goodwill tournament

sures up to the foreign team for the first time. With talents like Shiva Boys’ Adica Ash, who has netted a hat trick in each game thus far, and Lodge’s Dorwin George, who does not let a game end without finding the back of the net, the second semi will be one to behold.

The KFC Final is sched-

uled for the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue, on Sunday, December 22. Aside from the title sponsors KFC, the tournament’s sponsors include Guyana Coema Construction Services Ltd, Mike’s Pharmacy, the Trophy Stall, and Tiger Rentals.

friday, DECember 20, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell biggest buys – Hetmyer gravitates to Delhi Capitals

Shepherd, Campbelle are GCB top awardees of 2019 – Shallow apologises for Shiv’s Test exist

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