Guyana Times, Thursday July 04, 2019

Guyana records 9.2% tourists increase

P15 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 3974

thursday, july 4, 2019

PRICE

CV Nunes, Graham’s Hall students top NGSA 2019

WHAT'S INSIDE:

GuySuCo, P11 NICIL slapped with lawsuit over breach of contract

…declining performances recorded in English, Social Studies, Science …3.7% increase recorded for Mathematics See story on page 12

NICIL under fire for “unlawfully” seizing guns, ammo from GuySuCo …Corporation says arms were acquired for its security dept ...claims weapons now in possession of SPU officers Page 10

Guyana Goldfields suspends operations at Aurora

…as over 200 down tools ...planeloads of workers flown out of mine CCJ post-judgement advice

Opposition Leader, President to

meet today See story on page 3

$80 vat included

Teachers being trained to tackle mental health issues in schools P11

Phone thief jailed for 2 years

P8

ERC still P14 probing PM, Minister’s call for protests, “war break”

See story on page 9

Page 7

Digicel baffled at long delays in liberalisation

Implementation of new insurance laws has implications – GTM Chairman …as company records $1.93B profit in 2018

Page 2

Parents should not discourage underperformers – Education P13 Ministry’s CEO

2 news

THURSday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Implementation of new insurance laws has implications – GTM Chairman …as company records $1.93B profit in 2018

T

he recent implementation of the Insurance Act 2016 is causing major setbacks for local insurance companies, according to the Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Life Insurance Company Limited (GTM).

The Insurance Act of 2016 and its supporting Regulations of 2018 took effect mid-last year.

At the company’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, Chairman Ram L Singh spoke of the factors that have influenced the performance and operation of the company.

“The myriad of new requirements have had and will continue to have significant and profound implications for your company financially and operationally well into the future,” he told stakeholders at the Georgetown Club.

The Chairman pointed to Note No. 48 of the Insurance Act, which sets a limit on investments for statutory fund requirements. “Though the Insurance Act gives an implementation of five years from the date of the Act came into force, the implication for all companies carrying on longterm business in nonetheless far-reaching,” he noted.

Singh explained that a key investment requirement for any insurance company, especially life insurance companies, was viable, secure long-term investments. GTM currently has substantial investments in shares of large entities such as Banks DIH Limited; Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL); Republic

GTM Chairman Ram L Singh

Bank Guyana Limited and Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI).

The Chairman noted that some of the equity in these companies was pledged towards the statutory funds.

“The new regulations seek to limit the equity pledged to a paltry 20 per cent of the statutory fund. If your company is to comply, it will need to dispose of millions of shares in companies that are considered in the investment world as ‘blue chip’ or reliable highquality investments. With the unavailability of alternative sources of viable secure longterm investments, liquidating these shares means your company would now have billions of dollars in deposits earning far lower rates of return,” he told shareholders.

Singh went on to outline that beyond the issue of excess liquidity and unnecessary exposure to low-yielding returns, the sudden disposal of large amount of shares in

a company would inevitably have negative repercussions for the company’s share price and value. Moreover, three or four insurance companies disposing of their shares in these large companies would, according to the Chairman, not only be devastating but catastrophic for those companies.

In fact, he disclosed that the 24 per cent appreciation in value of GTM from $10.31 billion to $12.78 billion at the end of December 2018 was a direct result of increased share prices from these investments.

This, he added, contributed to the company’s “favourable performance” as reflected in its accounts.

Financial position

Turning his attention to the company’s financial position, Singh revealed that GTM’s total income for 2018 was pegged at $1.93 billion, which is $124 million more than the previous year. At the end of December 2018, the company’s asset base increased by $2.47 billion. This 23.97 per cent growth over 2017’s figure is as a result of the increase in value of non-current assets and improved share values of the local companies in which GTM invested.

Further, the company’s insurance premiums written, unlike 2017, recorded a growth of $133.76 million or 7.74 per cent in 2018. After the payment of reinsurance, GTM’s net premium growth was $121.67 million over 2017.

Meanwhile, of the company’s 1.86 billion insurance

The GTM employees who were awarded for their outstanding contributions and achievements

premiums written last year, Guyana continues to be the top contributor with $899 million or 48 per cent, followed by St Lucia with $589 million or 32 per cent and Grenada with $281 million or 15 per cent.

According to the Chairman, GTM settled some $568 million in insurance claims during 2018 compared to $461 million paid out in 2017.

“The increase is a direct result of claims association with routine health, car, surgeries and treatment of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, renal failure and heart-related illness. As opposed to being a cause for alarm at this stage, an increase in the use of

health-care services is seen as the growing awareness of the importance of preventative health care which provides an opportunity to expand your company’s health insurance portfolio,” he told the shareholders.

On the other hand, Singh explained that concerted efforts were made to aggressively manage expenditures and as such, a decline in management expenses was recorded.

Notwithstanding this, however, he noted that the new Insurance Act and its attendant Regulations required the introduction of additional positions at senior levels.

“Steep increases in insurance levies to fund operation

of the insurance regulator’s office and charges that are not imposed by other regulators in other territories in which your company operates, run counter to the regulator’s call for cost efficiency. Nonetheless, the Board of Directors working in collaboration with management have taken steps to comply and have already established a fully functional Compliance Department and identified persons for the positions of Risk Officer and Client Ombudsman,” he added.

As customary at its Annual General Meetings, GTM also recognised its staff for their contributions and achievements over the past year.

news

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THURSday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

CCJ post-judgement advice

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

Thursday, July 4 –05:00h-06:30h and Friday, July 5 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, July 4 –05:00h-06:30h and Friday, July 5 – 05:45h-07:15h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Cloudy conditions in the morning will be followed by sunny intervals in the afternoon.

Cloudy skies are expected in the evening followed by light to thundery showers.

Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-easterly to North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 18:00h reaching a maximum height of 2.64 metres.

Low Tide: 11:31h and 23:47h reaching minimum heights of 0.41 metre and 0.60 metre.

WEDNESday, JULY 3, 2019

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

Opposition Leader, President to meet today

T

he much anticipated meeting between President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on the appointment of a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will take place today.

In a letter, dated July 3, the Head of State proposed that the two leaders meet at 15:00h today at the Ministry of the Presidency (MotP).

The correspondence was sent

by Director of MotP Joseph Harmon and addressed to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Member Gail Teixeira, both of whom have been acting on behalf of the respective political leaders. Guyana Times was told that the Opposition Leader will be attending the meeting.

Over the weekend, correspondences between the Government and the Opposition sparked much public debate after it was suggested that the President submits his own list of nominees for the GECOM Chair.

“The Government interpreted [the Caribbean Court of Justice’s ruling] to mean that both the President and Leader of the Opposition will provide nominees on the list of six persons. It is hoped that the Leader of the Opposition could quickly communicate his view on this issue before a date for the meeting with the President is finalised,” Harmon had reasoned in the letter sent last Friday.

However, that proposal was immediately rejected by the Opposition.

In fact, Teixeira pointed out that Article 161 of the Constitution makes it the Opposition Leader’s job to submit names to the President, not the other way around. She noted too that to do otherwise would be a case of the President usurping the Opposition Leader’s role.

“The Leader of the Opposition wishes to remind that the Caribbean Court of Justice, in its recent judgment, in interpreting Article 161 (2) of the Constitution, examined the letter, spirit and intendment of that Article. Therefore, the judgement of the Court must be construed as giving obeisance to the Article, rather than derogating from it,” she responded.

“In this regard, it was never a matter of controversy that the list of six names must emanate from the Leader of the Opposition and the appointment of one therefrom is exclusively the remit of the President,” Teixeira also wrote.

The former Chief Whip went on to say that the CCJ was merely providing guidance on how to conduct the engagement with the two sides. Notwithstanding this, Teixeira informed Harmon that the Opposition Leader was open to the President suggesting names informal-

Opposition Jagdeo

ly.

Leader

Bharrat

Article 161 (2) of the Constitution states that “…the Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person…”

It goes on to outline the process by which the Chairman is appointed, stating that the Chairman is “to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons, not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after meaningful consultation (between) political parties represented in the National Assembly”.

Last week, former GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson officially stepped down from the position. His appointment was deemed unconstitutional by the CCJ, which noted that President Granger stepped outside of

President David Granger

the Constitution when he appointed Patterson.

In its judgement on this matter, the CCJ had said clearly that “once the President and the Leader of the Opposition have hammered out a list of names not unacceptable to the President, the list, comprising the six persons, must then formally be submitted to the President by the

Leader of the Opposition and the President must then select the Chairman from among those names”.

While explaining the consensual process to appoint the GECOM Chairman, the CCJ went on to advise that, “This approach gives the President a role in the identification of the six names, but it obviates [eliminates] the possibility that after the formal presentation of the list, the President could suggest that one or more of the names or indeed the entire list, is unacceptable”.

To, therefore, have the Government claim that the CCJ intended for President Granger to himself submit names has some observers questioning the Government’s sincerity in wanting to work with the Opposition to appoint a Chairman of GECOM the right way.

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSday, JUly 4, 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

A most damning reality

L

ast week, the US Ambassador to Guyana made public her views on challenges that cloud the business climate here. She cited blackouts, high taxes, and corruption. In other words, those, among other things, are impediments for investors both local and foreign. Interestingly, this statement was made more than four years after the APNU/ AFC coalition Government came to office. This is significant and its understanding lies in the run-up to the 2015 general elections.

During that period, the APNU/AFC Opposition held no punches in its visceral castigation of the then PPP/C Government branding it as corrupt.

It was their priority campaign theme used for passionate utterances to garner votes on the pretext of a promise that corruption will be banished under a coalition Government.

In the frenzy of doing so, it seemingly elevated itself as a bastion of piety with total disdain for any semblance of corruption.

Having won, the coalition immediately ordered a plethora of forensic audits into State entities. It was an exercise with an abundance of confidence that corruption, which it claimed was endemic under the PPP/C, would be unearthed. Supporters of the coalition, having been fed a carefully crafted political narrative, were brimming with the expectation that former PPP/C officials would be exposed.

To date, and millions of taxpayers’ dollars after, the audits have not found the corruption that the coalition led the nation to believe had occurred.

Ironically, having proclaimed that it would not condone or be involved in any form of corruption, the APNU/AFC Government farmed out the audits to persons without the requisite financial tendering procedures being followed.

Since then, and throughout its tenure, there has been an avalanche of accusations of corruption levelled against it.

The Jubilee Park construction, the feasibility study for the new Demerara Harbour Bridge, the execution of the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), and single sourcing of contracts are a mere few allegations of corruption that attracted national attention.

In addition, various other allegations have been levelled, including the reported selling of firearm licenses by a senior official and the awarding of contracts to the spouse of a minister within the said ministry she had responsibility for.

What these point to is the suspected prevalence of corruption under a Government that boasted of eradicating it.

The Ambassador’s statement in question speaks to its impact in just one area; business climate.

Blackouts continue to plague the nation adversely affecting businesses and residents alike. It has become unbearable with nothing tangible implemented to reduce it. The Government, which is now forced to battle with the scourge of power outages, scuttled the Amila Hydro Falls project— which would have guaranteed reliable, clean, and cheap electricity. Its realization would have lowered manufacturing cost, easing burdens on consumers.

It was a transformative project envisioned by the PPP/C and would have been operable by now had it not been for the actions of the APNU/AFC while in the Opposition. Many, at that time, pondered if the project was scuttled simply because it emanated from the PPP/C and its success would have added political value. That aside, the country is reeling from the telling effects of blackouts— effects reiterated by a senior Diplomat.

On the tax front, much has been said about how the APNU/AFC, seeming unconscionable, unleashed a plethora of new taxes on Guyanese. In addition to taxes, licensing and land-rental fees were massively hiked, making it extremely difficult or even impossible for those affected hard-working Guyanese to provide for their families.

With those increases, many were plunged into financial hardships as ends cannot be met while businesses were forced to shed jobs with some closing. That has led to increased unemployment and the continual downslide of the economy.

All of these: taxes, corruption, and blackouts, continue to disrupt the lives of Guyanese here. The Government has denied corruption, found excuses to justify the mountain of taxes and seemed incapable of dealing with the electricity sector. It has even accused the Opposition of playing politics when it brings attention to these issues.

One wonders what its response would be to the diplomat’s statement which appears very definitive and which pointed out that Iran, the West Bank, and Gaza are ranked higher than Guyana. That speaks to a damning reality of a once prosperous country rapidly declining within just four years.

A performer is seen during the new fire ceremony for the Pan American Games Lima 2019 in Teotihuacan, Mexico (Reuters/Gustavo Graf)

Venezuela’s fuel traffickers on the fringe

… faced with a collapsing economy, some risk smuggling fuel to Colombia while dodging Venezuelan soldiers at the border

O

nce the wealthiest country in the region, Venezuela is mired in the worst economic crisis in its history.

Hyperinflation, political instability, severe debt, and chronic food and medicine shortages have crippled the economy in recent years.

Almost exclusively dependent on oil revenues, Venezuela found itself in a recession after oil prices dropped in 2014. The economy contracted, inflation and the cost of basics skyrocketed, and some Venezuelans turned to the trafficking of fuel to make a living.

In neighbouring Colombia, they have found a good source of accomplices and buyers.

Fuel costs one cent a litre in Venezuela, but is sold for more than 30 times its original price in Colombia.

After buying fuel in Venezuela, smugglers cross the border on foot, lugging 50-litre tanks on their backs. Determined smugglers even carry fuel in plastic bags as they cannot afford plastic containers.

In Juan Frio and Cuestecitas, border villages in Colombia, inhabitants live side-by-side with fuel containers and petrol cans sold illegally. Many have turned to trafficking.

But smuggling petrol is a high-risk form of trafficking, as soldiers from the Venezuelan military patrol the border area, all too ready to fire.

“The cops try to catch us because we are excellent targets for them,” says fuel trafficker Jose Luis in Cuestecitas. “Our trucks don’t have official papers and the cops know that we smuggle fuel. What we are doing is illegal.”

Luis uses a vehicle that

A petrol smuggler exchanges fuel with a trafficker along the Venezuela-Colombia border Jazeera]

he says can carry “more than three tonnes of fuel” from Venezuela.

“Normally, this sort of vehicle can carry up to a ton and a half ... It is a fantastic machine. You don’t have to worry about breaking down in this truck,” he says.

But he must decide whether this trip is worth risking a seven-year prison sentence and the confiscation of his vehicle worth more than US$5500.

Other smugglers, who traffic the fuel on foot, say they know they risk going to prison for what they do but are ready to face the risk in order to make a living.

“I am doing this for food, to be able to eat,” one young man in Venezuela says. He points to his clothing filled with holes and notes the price of bread and flour increases daily.

“Our economy is on the ground; there are no jobs anymore,” he adds.

The young man says many of those now traffick-

ing fuel had bright futures ahead of them.

“We all have qualifications and some of us even have degrees. But the universities are no longer open, they have all closed down.”

Elsewhere, a man and woman who are part of a family of small-time traffickers say this is their only way to make a living. The woman says the Police have gone too far in destroying their paths and smashing cars found smuggling fuel.

“We sacrifice everything for the sake of our children,” she says. “We are not thieves. This is just our job.” (Al Jazeera)

Peru to host international talks on Venezuela in Lima next month

Peru has invited China, Russia, Cuba, the United States and dozens of other countries to Lima on August 6 to discuss the political crisis in Venezuela, Peru’s Foreign Minister said on Wednesday.

Nestor Popolizio said the idea was to gather

[Screengrab/Al

countries that are in some way connected to the crisis in Venezuela in hopes of encouraging dialogue and building support for new elections.

Representatives of the Government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the Opposition were not invited, he added. “We don’t want to polarise the meeting,” Popolizio told a news conference.

In 2017, Peru founded the Lima Group, a regional bloc of Latin American and Caribbean countries plus Canada that has pushed for democratic reforms in Venezuela for years, often issuing joint statements critical of Maduro.

But with the political crisis worsening this year, Popolizio said that it was important for Maduro’s allies, such as China, Russia and Cuba, to be part of efforts to find a solution.

“The broadest meeting on the subject of Venezuela is sought,” Popolizio said.

(Reuters)

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thurSday, JUly 4, 2019

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

Why is David Arthur Granger on this path?

Dear Editor, To properly understand the gravity of David Granger’s uninterrupted juvenile frolic pertaining to the appointment of the Chairman of GECOM, one must walk back to the year 1985.

Forbes Burnham died in August 1985, and was succeeded by Desmond Hoyte. Guyana, in 1985, was hoping for a fresh wind of change with Burnham’s death. The PNC dictator was dead, and that development presented the nation with a golden opportunity to repair itself. The holding of free and fair elections, and elections free from fear, in December 1985, was the first imperative to put Guyana back on the progressive path.

Unfortunately, Hoyte stubbornly refused to budge on any of the prerequisites to hold free and fair elections. Although, as a former Minister of Finance, he was aware of the situation: that the nation was in a race to the bottom, he refused to institute reforms. Some insiders told me that he was afraid of the PNC strongmen at that time, especially around issues such as his personal security. Thus he complied with the “dictats” of those strongmen. And, most importantly, he refused to demolish the system by which the Elections Commission Chairman was unilaterally appointed by the Head of State without consulting anyone, in a monarchical manner.

At that time, we had an Elections Commission Chairman, Sir Harold Bollers, who was nothing but a post box or a glori-

fied rubber stamp. His role was just to pass documents and messages between interested parties. And at that time, there was one Roy Hammond, who was the PNC man parading as the Chief Elections Officer, but was taking instructions directly from the PNC Minister of Home Affairs, rendering him into a political poodle of the PNC. The end result from this immoral structure was that those 1985 elections turned out be the most rigged, manipulated, and crooked elections in the entire history of Guyana.

In 1985, Desmond Hoyte made Forbes Burnham look like a church boy in the art of rigging elections.

The majority of this nation, (not only the PPP), including non-political players like the Electoral Assistance Bureau, the Private Sector, the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church; along with friends of democracy in the diaspora, the International Community, and the Carter Center, among others, has since been able to leverage the powers of the United States of America to isolate the PNC politically, financially and diplomatically.

The situation was made untenable for the PNC cabal to the point that no one internationally wanted to do business with them.

Hoyte relented and did the right thing. What Hoyte did in 1991 was that he placed his country first, rather than his party, and facilitated free and fair elections in 1992. It was not an easy road, but by not promoting Granger (seen then as one of the PNC hardliners), but instead promot-

ing Joe Singh, a much more respected professional officer to head the GDF, he had the professional leadership in the Army to walk Guyana back into the arms of democracy.

There is a lesson to learn from this act of Hoyte’s.

By and large, this nation (not the PPP or PNC) took the sensible road to ensure that the Carter/ Price Model was instituted for the 1992 elections.

In an article written in the Stabroek News of April 7, 1991, Hoyte was quoted as saying that he “will seriously consider a list of five candidates supplied by the Opposition Leader”.

History has shown that Cheddi Jagan provided those names, and Hoyte extracted a name - Rudy Collins.

All of Guyana (civil society, political parties and the ordinary man, with the full support from our friends in the international community) collectively rejected the 1985 system at that time, and there is no reason to believe that my nation thinks differently today.

So why is the PNC trying to go back to the 1985 system?

We must all reject this push by the PNC to go back to 1985. That Carter/ Price Model achieved segregation of duties. In business, if one person selects the contractors, books the transactions, pays the bills, and reconciles the bank accounts, there is a strong possibility that you can very well be robbed, because there are no checks and balances in the value chain. That is why, in business, we insist on segrega-

tion of duties, to allow the internal control systems to protect the business.

Similarly, this act of segregating duties, where the Leader of the Opposition selects the list of six names to submit to the Leader of Government, who then selects one, must be seen as

one that is inclusive; one that protects the nation from autocratic actions; and one that encapsulates all the key ingredients of democracy.

So what really is David Arthur Granger’s problem? Why is David Arthur Granger on this path that

resembles an uninterrupted juvenile frolic as pertaining to the appointment of the Chairman of GECOM? Is it his plan to take this nation back to 1985?

Regards, Sase Singh

Since when did Guyana’s land belong to Benn to allocate as he sees fit?

Dear Editor, The revelations by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo -- about the allocation of land to certain Government functionaries -- are startling, and the responses are alarming!

Jagdeo alleges that, after the passage of the Motion of No Confidence (MCN) in Government, people with access to sensitive Government plans to develop certain oil-related infrastructure secured land that can be flipped for fortunes. The implication is that these applications were fast-tracked, without the requisite business plans or demonstrated access to capital to develop the lands.

For starters, every Guyanese -- regardless of race, creed, class, political affiliation, or resident status -- should be entitled to obtain land, as long as they can show that they can put the land to productive use. The land is Guyana’s patrimony, belonging to ALL Guyanese.

If someone wants to get a piece of land to build a house or a palace; fine, have it. This cannot include the holding of land for speculative purposes, especially if the speculation is based on “insider” in-

formation. Acquiring land on the basis of such information is corruption, and should be treated as such.

All leases granted after the passage of the MCN should be subject to review. And, further -- bad news for the lessees -- all land acquired as part of corrupt deals should fall under the ambit of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Canadian Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act, and the OECD Convention on Preventing the Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in Internationals Business Transactions.

So, folks, you have entered into bad deals! You will not be saved by SOCU or SARA or ‘Jane’. Uncle Sam will look at the transactions, and no American company will purchase or lease from you land corruptly acquired.

Please check www.justice. gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa for further information. They have already been alerted to look out for these transactions.

The most alarming of all is the land allocation to GECOM CEO, Keith Lowenfield. Keith Lowenfield got 216 acres at Millie’s Hideout (not a hideout again)

and two acres at Mocha subsequent to the passage of the MCN? Now, Keith, as a big man, you ought to know that, in the upcoming election, you don’t just have to be clean, but like Caesar’s wife, Pompeia, you have to be above suspicion.

Give back the people their land, and resign immediately. Don’t wait for the new GECOM board to fire you.

You will fight it all the way to the CCJ and you will lose.

And you cannot delay the election, because GECOM could suspend you with pay while you exhaust your legal remedies. You get the drift?

The most fascinating part of all this is that Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Trevor Benn, has threatened to sic the Police on Jagdeo and his employees for stealing his clients’ confidential information. His clients’ confidential information? Since when did the land of Guyana belong to Benn to allocate as he sees fit? Does not the Opposition Leader have a right to bring to the Public’s attention suspicious transactions?

Yours truly, Randy Depoo

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Foundation Camping in the great outdoors is almost always inexpensive, and there are even plenty of places where you can camp for free.

Learn how to swim Swimming is not only fun and good exercise, but knowing how to swim is an important safety skill. During the summer months, inexpensive or sometimes even free swimming lessons are offered at some public pools. Start by checking with your local parks and recreation department.

Blow backyard bubbles Mix 6 cups water, 1 cup corn syrup and 2 cups regular strength liquid dish soap for the biggest, longest-lasting bubbles ever. And a bent coat hanger makes a terrific bubble wand.

Take an online boating safety course

By Jeff Yeager

S

Gaze at clouds

ummertime, and the livin’ is easy. And in the summertime, the fun can also be free.

Read on to see the 31 free and fun things you can do this summer if you’re on a budget.

Go geocaching “Geocaching” is like a worldwide treasure hunt using a GPS or other mobile device to find secretly hidden containers called “geocaches” .The geocaches usually contain a logbook to let you say, “I found it!” before you re-hide it in exactly the same spot for the next geocacher to find. Google “geocaching” to find out more.

Learn all about boating safety, specific boating laws and boating regulations for your state by taking a free online course offered by the BoatUS Foundation.

Visit fairs Many fairs offer rides and other fun activities, usually at a fraction of the cost of amusement parks. Some fairs also offer special discount days as well and will let you bring your own picnic or other refreshments. And, volunteering at the fair might get you a free pass.

There’s nothing more relaxing than laying on your back in the summertime on a lush, green lawn and gazing up at the clouds drifting overhead. Make a game of it by snapping pics of formations that remind you of something then playing 20 questions with your friends to see if they can guess what you’re thinking of.

Make homemade ice cream Homemade ice cream is easy and quick to make with a neat method using two different sized plastic bags, one placed inside the other along with ice and rock salt. Visit Food.com for the recipe.

Take a hike

Go see a movie Many theaters offer special summer deals for kids and even adults, often for matinees Explore your local library Libraries aren’t just about books anymore; they’re multimedia resources with computer access, e-books, audio books, DVDs and free programmes for people of all ages. And why not use their air conditioning or fans – rather than your own – to keep cool this summer?

Go fly a kite Kite flying can make you feel like a kid again, and building your own kite from inexpensive materials you might already have around the house is half the fun. See this website for DIY kite building designs and plans.

Learn a foreign language Whether you’re traveling abroad this summer or just want to learn a new language, the website of the British Broadcast Corporation offers free online courses – including audio and video teaching tools – to help you master 40 foreign languages.

Stage a summer film festival Choose a theme – like summer romance or vacation road trips – and have everyone bring their favourite flick for a weekend of binge watching with friends. You can borrow DVDs from some public libraries for free. Also, if you or one of your friends have an online movie streaming service, such as Netflix or Hulu, you can save money by watching movies that way.

Host a watermelon seed spitting contest Watermelon is synonymous with summertime and, with practice, spitting the seeds can become an art form. Check out this video for tips on spitting techniques -- and some laughs.

Upcycle a shipping pallet Wooden pallets used in the shipping business can be transformed into all sorts of fun summertime projects, including furniture, tree houses and portable gardens. Many business give away spare pallets for free. Look for designs ideas on Pinterest.

Have an epic water gun fight Rinse out plastic squeeze bottles from dish soap and shampoo to use instead of store-bought squirt guns for a good old-fashioned backyard water fight.

Hike: get to know all about a particular area.

Camp for free

Dive into a swimming hole Swimming in a natural lake, river, stream or hot spring is literally cool fun..

Play in your yard’s sprinklers Punch lots of small holes in a two litre plastic soda bottle, then attach it to the end of a garden hose with a male-to-male hose coupling. Hang the bottle over a tree branch, turn on the hose, and enjoy a refreshing outdoor sprinkler shower.

Play a round of disc golf Traditional golf is usually an expensive sport to pursue, but disc golf – aka “Frisbee golf” – costs very little and is great exercise.

Enrol the kids in a summer reading challenge Keeping up on your reading is not only an enjoyable and educational way to spend the summer, but many local libraries and bookstores offer plenty of summer reading programmes that come with some pretty nice prizes and other perks. The Book It! Summer Reading Challenge, for example, is a chance for kids who read five books by August 15 to win prizes.

Volunteer your time Volunteering is not only a great way to help others, but it can be a lot of fun and a chance to meet new friends.

Visit a museum

(HuffingtonPost)

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THURSday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Digicel baffled at long delays in liberalisation process

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he Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digicel Guyana, Gregory Dean, has expressed his disappointment over the continuous lengthy delays in the liberalisation process.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Wednesday, Dean related that his company, which has been pushing for an end to the monopoly of the local telecommunications sector, does not have any recent indication that there is much progress.

“It’s still uncertain what’s happening with the progress and what’s causing this long delay… We’ve had discussions with the Government and the updates we get are that discussions are still ongoing.

But obviously, the concern for us, you know, is discussions have been going on for years and we still don’t understand what is the main sticking point and why we still can’t have liberalisation,” he posited.

According to the Digicel CEO, it has been 12 years since his company entered the Guyana market and has been promised liberalisation every year since.

“The legislation was passed in Parliament in 2016 and so we anticipated shortly after the passage of the legislation, there would be full liberalisation; but once again, we’ve been quiet disappointed that there

Digicel CEO Gregory Dean

has been little or no progress since,” Dean asserted.

In fact, he said that after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier this year, it was anticipated that the liberalisa-

Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) – a company, owned by US-based Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN) — which has held the monopoly over the local telecommunications market for more than 20 years.

tion process would swiftly move towards a final resolution but that was not forthcoming.

After missing the 2018 year-end deadline for the complete liberalisation of the public telecommunications sector, Government in March inked a “non-binding” agreement with

A joint statement from the Public Telecommunications Ministry and GTT had stated that while the MoU was non-binding, the signing nevertheless represented a major step toward fully liberalising Guyana’s telecommunications market. It was noted too that the par-

ties have further agreed to continue discussions on all outstanding issues with the objective of eventually reaching a binding agreement.

“After many years of delays, this Government has brought the country one step closer to achieving a fully open telecommunications market. While more work needs to be done, the Government is committed to continuing discussions and completing the process of liberalisation for the citizens of Guyana,” Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes stated in the missive.

In June 2018, Minister Hughes had explained that the extra delays in the liberalisation process were as a result of other issues surrounding the final document having to be reviewed.

Citizens were, for many months, exasperated with the many delays that had occurred, but the Minister, at that time, had pointed out there were many other issues which surrounded the liberalisation. In fact, she further refuted the reports of it being completed until 2020.

Presently, there are two telecommunications companies which provide mobile phone services to the Guyanese public. The liberalisation of the sector is heavily dependent upon the settlement of a US$44 mil-

lion tax claim against GTT. However, the company continues to enjoy the monopoly in international voice and data services until 2030.

In January of 2018, it was reported that negotiations with GTT and the ministry to address the lifting of the monopoly were effective. These negotiations began in 2016 with the intention of ending the 26year monopoly on the fixed line market.

The liberalisation, once in place, would ensure there was fair competition and regulation among all enterprises in the business sector.

Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes

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THURSday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Phone thief jailed for 2 years

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22-year-old man, who admitted to snatching a man’s cellular phone, was jailed for two years when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Oswald Cumberbatch, of Lot 86 Laing Avenue, Georgetown, stood before Magistrate Faith McGusty and admitted to the charge which stated that on July 2, 2019, at Croal Street, Stabroek, Georgetown, while

using personal violence, he robbed Ansar Abdul of a cellular phone valued at $120,000 and a phone case valued at $2,000.

The prosecution’s case stated that on July 2 at about 08:00h, the Virtual Complainant (VC) was walking along Croal Street, Georgetown, in the vicinity of the Route 40 minibus park, when he was approached by Cumberbatch who pushed him to the ground and re-

lieved him of the articles. The defendant then tried to escape but he was grabbed by the VC and persons in the area. He was handed over to the Police.

In plea of mitigation, the man told the Court, “I use to work at the wharf but I get stab up by one of the guys who worked there.” He further said that after receiving the injuries, he was unable to perform any duties like before and was left unemployed.

“Is off of hunger and temp-

tation caused me to rob the man, my daughter birthday is tomorrow (Thursday) and I’m very sorry for what I did, I know it’s wrong,” Cumberbatch said in mitigation.

Magistrate McGusty, before sentencing the man, told him, “If it had not been for the man who held onto you, then you would’ve gone off singing Hallelujah”. She then sentenced him to two years imprisonment.

Inmate charged for beating prisoner to death

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he inmate, who allegedly attacked and severely beat another prisoner with a piece of wood, was on Wednesday slapped with the capital offense of murder and appeared at the Cove and John Magistrates’ Courts.

Thirty-one-year-old Devindira Persaud, who was on remand at the Lusignan Holding Bay, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on another charge, made his appearance

before Magistrate Fabayo Azore. It is alleged that he hit 23-year-old Samuel Lyttle of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara (WCD) with a piece of wood on June 25 at the prison.

It is alleged that Lyttle was in his hammock when Persaud attacked him with a wood that had a nail stuck through it. Persaud reportedly lashed Lyttle repeatedly about the head before being

restrained by prison wardens.

Lyttle succumbed one day after the beating at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Lyttle was remanded on June 19 on breaking and entering and larceny charges.

However, on June 25, he and Persaud were involved in an argument when the perpetrator allegedly picked up a piece of wood and struck him.

Lyttle was treated at the pris-

on infirmary but was rushed to GPHC due to the severity of his injuries. Persaud was remanded and the case will continue on August 8 at the Vigilance Magistrates’ Court.

It was only in April that another prisoner of the said prison was also killed by other inmates who beat him following a dispute. That prisoner has been identified as 30-year-old Shaheed Ali of Albouystown, Georgetown.

Teen remanded for ganja trafficking

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teen, who was caught with a quantity of cannabis, was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with narcotics possession.

Seventeen-year-old Randy Smith of Laing Avenue, Georgetown, stood before Magistrate Faith Magistrate Faith McGusty

and denied the charge. It is alleged that on June 30 at D’Urban Street, Georgetown, he had 266 grams of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

“I was in my bed when my brother call me and tell me go to his girlfriend and collect a bag,” the teen told the Court on Wednesday. He noted that when he uplifted

the bag from the brother’s girlfriend, there was a tire inside and while on his way home, the Police stopped him and conducted a search and the cannabis was found in the bag.

Police Prosecutor Ceon Blackman objected to bail on the grounds that the cannabis was found in his possession and the penalty it at-

tracted. He further stated that the teen was seen riding a bicycle and acting in a suspicious manner when he was stopped by Police ranks that were on patrol in the area. It was during the search that the quantity of cannabis was found in a plastic bag. Smith is scheduled to make his next Court appearance on July 24.

Vendor slapped with robbery charge

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Bourda Market vendor of Lot 564 ‘B’ Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was taken before Magistrate Faith McGusty on Wednesday to answer to a robbery charge.

Simeon Truman appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and denied the charge which stated that on June 21, 2019 at De Abrue Street, Georgetown he robbed Karen Adams a quantity

of items valued at $77,000.

Prosecutor Annalisa Brummel did not object to bail since no confrontation was held between the Virtual Complainant and the 21-year-old defendant.

Magistrate McGusty

released Truman on $75,000 bail. As a condition for bail, he is required to report to the Brickdam Police Station every Friday until the completion of the trial.

A tale of two Guyanas… …the winter of despair With the French Revolution as the backdrop, Charles Dickens began his novel, “A Tale of Two Cities” – referring to Paris and London, of course – with the immortal first line: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…”

Well, with the PNC exhibiting all the signs of repeating the excesses of its Burnhamite iteration to hold on to power by any means necessary – and then some! – many Guyanese have been plunged into a “winter of despair”. There were high hopes after 1992 that the change in Government after free and fair elections had signalled an end to the “worst of times” and “the age of foolishness”.

There was hope that the PNC would’ve learnt that democratic government under the rule of law was the only way forward, after their dictatorial rule had plunged even their supporters into untold misery and suffering in the 28year age of darkness. But it was not to be. Squeaking into office by the tiniest of margins – a single seat, representing 5000 votes – they immediately demonstrated that their “coalition” was just a Trojan Horse to pick up where the old PNC had left off.

Their Cabinet, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments were so dominated by African-Guyanese that even their own supporters were incredulous. They obviously had learnt the hard way that ruling with one race group was a sure-fire way to compete with Haiti for the “shithole” country prize.

Against this background it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the PNC has been so contemptuous of the Constitution; the latter is just a bother to dictators! The signs were there from the beginning, when Granger insisted that the ruling by the Chief Justice -- that not only a former Judge could chair GECOM -- was just her “perception”, and he was entitled to his!! He was just channelling his hero Burnham!!

So the latest PNC stunt -- to meet as a Cabinet on Tuesday and declare that there’d be no incarceration for possession of small amounts of weed -- is just another thumbing of their nose to the CCJ, which has just ruled that the President and Cabinet stands RESIGNED. Their volte face to then assert that the decision had been made last April when they met in Linden is just ‘mamaguying’.

It doesn’t matter what the CCJ orders, the PNC will bully their way through!! …the spring of hope Maybe it’s more than fortuity that the results of the NGSA were announced on the same day as the PNC’s disdainful treatment of the CCJ’s judgement. Your Eyewitness believes it’ll be youths -- bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as they are -- who’ll usher in a season of light against the encroaching Stygian darkness of the PNC’s anti-democratic rule.

Surely, the PNC will not be able to sell them their zerosum approach of “if it’s not us, it’ll be THEM!” The youths can see that from next year. There will be enough to go around for all of us to make a decent life. There’s no need for the PNC’s scorched earth tactics to hold on to power.

Such an approach tells us clearly that they’re ultimately only concerned with their own survival, and not even with those who’re supporting them because of the fears they’ve whipped up.

They say, “out of the mouths of babes comes wisdom”, and comes the next elections, they’ll demonstrate that wisdom to the PNC!!

Yes…it will be the best of times!! …rural and urban It’s more than symbolic that, again, the top two students at this year’s NGSA are from rural areas. For too long, Guyana had seen the urban schools dominate.

Thanks to the PPP for creating “an epoch of belief” in rural schools!!

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

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THURsday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Goldfields suspends operations at Aurora …as over 200 workers down tools …planeloads of workers flown out of mine

Some of the Guyana Goldfields workers at the Eugene Correia Airport

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Workers at the Social Protection Ministry’s Labour Department

atters have escalated at Guyana Goldfields to the point where the Canadianowned mining company has suspended most of its operations on day two of strike action from workers with various grievances with the company.

This publication understands that the company spent much of Wednesday transporting most of its personnel, via aircraft, from Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) to the Eugene F. Correia Airport. This came after workers initiated strike action on Tuesday relating to concerns regarding their severance payments among other things.

Earlier in the day, the company issued a statement in which it said that the strike resulted from a misunderstanding. According to the company, the misunderstanding concerned management and certain open-pit contractors.

The company said that workers blocked the delivery of ore to its mill. It noted that with the exception of the underground decline, operations were suspended until a resolution could be reached with striking workers.

“The company is actively working along with its employees and adhering to applicable laws and regulations and is facilitating communication with the relevant Governmental labour authorities to understand and address employees’ concerns and to resolve the matter as quickly as possible,” it said in the statement.

“AGM has been examining options to improve mining performance in order to ensure Aurora’s long-term future. No decisions have been made concerning any possible changes to the mining operation at this time… The company is making arrangements to have the strikers meet with representatives of the Ministry of Labour to mediate the dispute,” the company added.

Meeting

When this publication arrived at the Eugene F. Correia Airport, workers who were flown from Aurora quickly boarded Goldfields’ minibuses to transport them to their destinations. While some opted to head home,

others headed down to the Social Protection Ministry’s Labour Department. This publication spoke to several workers, including one who revealed what concerns drove the workers to strike.

“There were certain concerns raised by those who were contract workers for four years and so on, and they haven’t been given any confirmation. There are cases where some workers are truck drivers and others are utility operators. That means they can operate many other equipment. And they’re paid on the same rate as the truck drivers,” the worker said.

Another added, “There were safety concerns being raised. And salaries. People have been working with the company for years and they’ve been advancing and working with other equipment and pay wise, they’re paid at a standard rate”.

While the company had said that workers “blocked” the delivery of ore to the mills, the workers explained that staff in fact lied on the ground in an effort to prevent the loader from transferring the ore from the stock pile.

After the meeting at the Labour Department, one worker explained that they informed the department of the need for a union to represent them. Previously, the company had said that a ‘Grievance Committee’, comprised of workers, dealt with any concerns the workforce had.

“The main concern was getting a union to represent the employees. And that was addressed. And we’re happy,” the worker said, adding that their discussions were generalised when he was asked if all locations or just Goldfield’s Buckhall operations were dealt with.

Another worker noted that they had requested for the Minister, in this case Junior Social Protection Minister, Keith Scott, to visit the workers on site at Aurora Goldmines in order to hear their concerns.

“We already voiced our concern here. Now they’re going to come on the ground and get an actual interaction with each and every individual and see what the actual conditions are,” he said, adding that they are expecting the minister to visit on Monday.

Fast track

President of the National Mining Workers Union (NMWU) Sherwyn Downer had previously complained that his efforts with the Department of Labour to gain recognition in order to represent Guyana Goldfields workers were being hindered

by the company.

On the other hand, the company has said that by law, Downer needed the support of 41 per cent of all workers and not just those stationed at Buckhall. The company had also made it plain that it will not allow the union on site to seek that support from workers, but rather, such a pitch must be made away from Aurora.

In an interview at the department on Wednesday, Minister Scott acknowledged the workers concern

about being unrepresented by a union. He gave the Government’s commitment to ensure workers get their representation.

“The issues have been brought to the table. We promise to fast track the recognition for a union of their choice. We’ll also ensure that… (by next week) we’ll have both parties round the table (company and workers),” Scott explained.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman expressed confi-

dence in his junior counterpart’s ability to resolve the issue. According to Trotman, his ministry will nevertheless work alongside the Department of Labour to resolve the matter.

“I am expecting that within a reasonable time, the issues will be dealt with. I think the workers were given an opportunity and they have expressed their satisfaction with the way the meeting was conducted. They were given an opportunity to be heard”.

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thursday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

NICIL under fire for “unlawfully” seizing guns, ammo from GuySuCo

… Corporation says arms were acquired for its security dept … claims weapons now in possession of SPU officers

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parks continue to fly between the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited/Special Purpose Unit (NICIL/SPU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), this time over the seizure of guns and ammunition.

This was revealed in a statement issued by GuySuCo on Wednesday.

The Corporation disclosed that the arms and ammunition which it acquired and issued to its security department were now unlawfully in the possession of the SPU. According to the Sugar Corporation, the weapons were originally at the Rose Hall and Skeldon Sugar Estates in Berbice, but were now unlawfully in possession of officers attached to NICIL’s SPU. GuySuCo explained that since the Estates were di-

vested in December 2017, the SPU has been refusing to return the firearms and ammunition claiming that they were vested as a part of Skeldon and Rose Hall Estates.

The Sugar Corporation noted that the matter was duly reported months ago to Police Commissioner Leslie James and other relevant authorities, but it was still awaiting the return of the firearms and ammunition.

“The Corporation, its officers, employees, servants, and agents shall not be liable for any injuries, loss of life, damage to property or any other claims resulting from the use and/or misuse of the said firearms and ammunition at the abovementioned two Estates from 31 December 2017 to the date when they are returned to the Corporation’s possession,” the company said in a

statement on Wednesday.

The Corporation pointed out that firearms could not be vested, unlike the millions of dollars’ worth of property that SPU has vested and was in the process of selling to private individuals.

GuySuCo pointed out that in the case of these guns, they were licensed exclusively to the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc.

Tension

This is the latest incident in the fractious relationship between NICIL and GuySuCo. The SPU, a part of the Finance Ministry’s NICIL, was created primarily to divest billions of dollars in assets held by GuySuCo. Previously, NICIL has claimed GuySuCo has not been forthcoming with information to aid in the divestment; GuySuCo has denied this and has countered with

evidence of records of submitted information and concerns that NICIL has been less than transparent about the process.

GuySuCo had criticised NICIL for the current arrangement that sees NICIL pocketing proceeds from the assets it divested. GuySuCo claimed that it should be the other way around, so that the Corporation could fund its own strategic plan.

Reports then emerged of unsavoury deals being made

by NICIL, particularly when it comes to the millions of dollars’ worth of scrap metal that forms GuySuCo’s asset base. According to a NICIL staff who stepped forward under the condition of anonymity, certain officials at NICIL/SPU have been making backroom deals with select scrap metal exporters and profiting handsomely.

One exporter in partic-

NICIL’s office on Camp Street

ular is an Indian national, who, the staff said, is related to one of the officials. This exporter, the staff said, was given the contract to purchase scrap metals from GuySuCo, which he proceeded to then export out of Guyana by the container load over the past year. This, the staff noted, is despite the fact that the exporter was once implicated in a scandal involving the forgery of customs documents to export scrap metal.

In April of this year, reports had also emerged that scrap metal from GuySuCo worth $3 billion was sold to a mysterious buyer, but the proceeds from the sale were not received by the

Corporation.

This is another transaction the Government has been silent on, with former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin distancing his Ministry from the sale when questioned by Guyana Times in April. The Business Ministry has overall responsibility for the scrap metal trade.

Nor is that all. According to GuySuCo, it is yet to be informed by NICIL about the extent of the valuation done

by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) into its assets – information others, including Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, have repeatedly called for.

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THURSday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

GuySuCo, NICIL slapped with lawsuit over breach of contract …after reneging on land sale agreement with sport entity

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he Guyana Sugar C o r p o r a t i o n (GuySuCo) and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) have been slapped with a lawsuit over claims it breached an agreement to make land available for the construction of a multi-purpose sports facility.

According to claimant Robin Singh, President of the Guyana Baseball League Incorporated, his company entered into an agreement with GuySuCo back in 2015 to purchase two plots of land amounting to 20 acres of land.

The company claims that after negotiations that began with a business plan in 2013, an agreement was struck in May of 2015 to purchase the land for $25 million an acre.

According to the company, permission was sought and granted for time in order to raise the funds.

Four years later, the Guyana Baseball League Incorporated informed GuySuCo by a letter dated May 10, 2019, that it had secured the necessary financing and was, therefore, ready to complete the purchase.

According to the company, GuySuCo had promised to prepare the necessary writ-

ten agreements and other related documents to effect the sale.

But to the company’s surprise, hurdles were raised the next month. According to its affidavit, “On June 5th, 2019, the claimant was copied in correspondence addressed to Mr Frederick Singh (of GuySuCo), written

by Ms Arianne McLean, the company secretary and inhouse Attorney of (NICIL).”

“The letter was a cease and desist letter. The letter requested that (GuySuCo) cease and desist from entering into any attempt to sell any lands to, inter alia, the claimant,” the company states. “The claimant informed (NICIL) of the details of its arrangements and sought to have the land sale completed.”

According to the company, any vesting order should take into account pre-existing agreements. It noted that a vesting order depriving it of its legal rights to the land in question is “irrational, unreasonable, unlawful, capricious… null and void”.

But interestingly, the company also claimed in its affidavit that NICIL made the vesting order without the approval or consent of the Board of GuySuCo. And

Teachers being trained to tackle mental health issues in schools

Some of the teachers who are being trained to tackle mental health issues in schools

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hirteen teachers, selected from schools within Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), are being trained in a collaboration between the Public Health and Education Ministries to tackle mental health among young people in schools.

The teachers are being trained at the Mental Health Unit, Quamina Street, Georgetown. In Guyana, 1315 per cent of mental health issues are found among adolescents.

As such, the ministry’s aims in training the teachers are to help them recognise children and adolescents with mental health issues such as self-harm, suicide, and depression and to provide referrals and to give support to children and adolescents with mental health issues.

Director of the Mental Health Unit Dr Util Richmond-Thomas, giving brief remarks on Wednesday, said that the importance of Guyana’s chil-

dren and adolescents cannot be overemphasised.

“The young, the aged, and the vulnerable need the young adults to provide for them, protect them, and defend them, to be productive, to pay taxes and to otherwise contribute to our society. We literally depend on their mental and physical strength and resilience, their knowledge, their judgement, loyalties and wisdom to help us to achieve our dreams and visions and that of our families’ communities,” Dr RichmondThomas said.

Mental health issues are an affliction of many developing countries because of a lack of adequate knowledge and mental health facilities.

It affects around one in four people in any given year.

They range from common problems such as depression and anxiety, to rarer problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Stigma and discrimination also deters persons from seeking help. turn to page 15

according to the company, NICIL has already earmarked the land for a mysterious buyer.

“The claimant has learnt that (NICIL) is entering all manner of agreements for the sale of the said property and has informed the claimant the plots are at present unavailable, being earmarked for sale to another entity.”

The Guyana Baseball League Incorporated is asking the court to grant, among other things, an order compelling GuySuCo to honour the agreement it made in 2015 to sell it the land, as

well as an order quashing any transfer of the property to NICIL. It is also seeking an injunction restraining GuySuCo or NICIL from entering any contract to sell the land to anyone else. The company is also asking for any other order the court sees fit, costs, and interest.

The company is being represented by Sanjeev Datadin, Aneesa Chow and Donovon Rangiah, of Whitworth Chambers. They are seeking to have the matter heard in the High Court on July 31 at 09:15h or “soon after that time”.

Part of the business proposal detailing the facilities the company planned to build

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THURSday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

CV Nunes, Graham’s Hall students top NGSA 2019

By Rupadai Seenaraine

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nticipation and mixed reactions resonated on Wednesday morning as the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results were officially released, paving the way for Venisha Lall of CV Nunes Primary and Dave Chowtie of Graham’s Hall Primary to secure the top spot after gaining 532 marks.

An overwhelmed Chowtie told Guyana Times that he did not expect to emerge at the very top but was confident that he would have succeeded.

“I don’t know what to say but I’m very excited.

I really didn’t expect this to happen but I am very grateful to my teacher and God for giving me the wisdom to pursue this, and my family who supported me,” he expressed.

The aspiring medical doctor stated that the journey towards his success was coupled with long hours of studying and research. However, his hard work finally paid off.

“Hard studying and hard work pays off. In Grade Five, we did all the writing and paperwork and in Grade Six, we did revision, working past papers and different textbooks.

Anything that was hard for me, I would go and research it,” the 12-year-old said.

His mother, Neela Chowtie, reminded parents that it is not an easy undertaking but academic support goes a long way.

“I am shocked but I’m very excited for him because he studied a lot.

Venisha Lall – 532

Dave Chowtie – 532

Actually, he wanted to get one of the top schools but we never expected to be in the top 10. I want to encourage parents to work with their child because it is not an easy task.

Sometimes the work they get in school, they wouldn’t understand everything,” she related.

The top student position was shared with Venisha Lall, who hails from Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam). According to her, she aspires to become an economist or possibly, the President of Guyana.

Lall shared that a person’s school does not determine their potential, while acknowledging that her journey was not that difficult.

“I wanted to prove that no matter if you come from a public or private school, you could still do it. It wasn’t hard. I always wanted to become an economist and I want to be the future President to help the poor people,” the top performer stated.

Her mother, Ridika Lall, told this publication that her child was always consistent in her academic performance but would

also engage in her favourite pastime, dancing.

“She’s always active in everything and extracurricular activities. I had my doubts but she was confident. Other than that, she dances and I think that’s what gets her loosen up a bit”.

The third position was shared by four persons who obtained 530 marks. They were Shrirish Persaud and Ajala Maharaj of Academy of Excellence, Ethan Bianchini of Marian Academy, and Shivali Challu of Mae’s Under 12.

Bianchini relayed, “I did a lot of studying and maybe a little praying and stuff like that. I’m feeling very shocked of the grade.

I didn’t expect this result but I want to be a lawyer because there are a lot of debates and I’m very fascinated about that”.

Challu, who is a hopeful cardiologist, expressed, “I was very shocked. I couldn’t believe it but I know I worked really hard so it was possible. [My teachers] always pushed me to do my best and my parents helped me when I had to stay up late at night”.

Shivali Challu – 530

Shrirish Persaud – 530

Ruth Larson – 530

Ethan Bianchini – 530

Sarita Somai – 529

Ajala Maharaj – 529

Jaaya Shiwraj – 528

Aditya Sharma – 528

Maaseiah Salikram – 528

Umashankar Singh – 528

Devine Amsterdam – 528

Akaia Griffith – 528

and Stafani Rafeek of Success Elementary, Ajala Maharaj, Narindra Singh and Wade Beckles of Marian Academy, Sarah Johnson, Jaaya Shiwraj, Aditya Sharma and Yuvraj Tularam of Academy of Excellence, Umashankar Singh of Novar Primary, Devine Amsterdam of New Guyana School, and Malene Crandon of the New Guyana School.

Some 14, 300 students sat the examination on April 17 and 18, with the highest obtainable score being 536 marks. They were tested in Mathematics, English,

Social Studies and Science.

The top one per cent of this year’s unit comprised 166 candidates.

While the first spots were taken by public institutions, the other positions were dominated by private schools which secured over 100 spots. Significant achievements were noted for Academy of Excellence having produced 26 top performers, followed by Success Elementary with 22 and Mae’s Under-12 with 21.

As customary, there was a glaring gender gap with 94 females and 72 males.

Malene Crandon – 528

Other notable performances were recognised from Sarita Somai, Akaia Griffith, Maaseiah Salikram

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THURsday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

NGSA 2019

Declining performances recorded in English, Social Studies, Science …3.7% increase recorded for Mathematics or more. Only Mathematics saw an increase from last year’s statistics, with an upward trajectory from 38.3 per cent to 42 per cent. However, the overall performance in English dropped from 60.6 per cent to 57.4 per cent. The same followed for Science with figures decreasing from 46.8 per cent to 46.4 per cent and Social Studies with 46.1 per cent to 39 per cent.

Decline “not worrying”

Education Minister Nicolette Henry

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he Education Ministry has recorded an improvement in students’ performance in Mathematics for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), but for the other subjects, the results were a whooping decline.

The pass rate for each subject is calculated by the number of students who would have obtained 50 per cent

Education Minister Nicolette Henry responded to questions raised about these figures, saying that the current figure is not that worrying. Nevertheless, she positioned that the education sector is a long way from all students attaining 50 per cent or more.

“The important areas of matriculation are Mathematics and English language. If we are able to bring Mathematics to the 40s and keep the English above 50 per cent, Guyana is on the right developmental path. Education is more of a long term output sector…I really would be happy as Minister of Education if I were to come here today and say all of the students were able to get more than 50 per cent. We are a long shot away from that,” Henry said.

Candidates are required to complete two papers for each subject. The first consists of multiple choice questions and the second requires essay structured answers.

For Mathematics, students were tested for knowledge, algorithmic thinking, and reasoning. Science is based on their ability to comprehend and apply knowledge. For Social Studies, they are graded on conceptual

understanding and use of knowledge. English Language is more complex as students are being judged on reading, comprehension, vocabulary, structure, content, language and organization.

The Minister stated that the Ministry had embarked on the Emergency Mathematics Intervention Plan to better the performance of candidates.

“This plan entailed a number of aspects such as training for teachers in content and methodology, facilitating fortnightly cluster meetings in all regions, recruitment of Mathematics coordinators and monitors, training of Officers and School Administrators to supervise the teaching of Mathematics, administering a diagnostic assessment of pupils in the hinterland regions prior to training of teachers, enhancement of public relations, and parental involvement in the education of children”.

She said that she believes that significant progress can be made through a reformed curriculum to suit Guyana’s school system and requirements. A curriculum is currently being crafted with assistance from local educators.

“We are doing curriculum reform in the scope and breadth that we haven’t done since 1976. We’re now in the process of doing that. It is this curriculum reform that would allow us to modernize the delivery of education in this country. When that curriculum would have been developed, we’re going to see some shifts that we cannot experience at this point in time. Most of the strategies that are required to give us the king of output depend on what you put in,” she asserted. (Rupadai Seenaraine)

Parents should not discourage underperformers – Education Ministry’s CEO

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hief Education Officer (CEO) Marcel Hutson has urged parents not to discourage their children if they are among the underperformers at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA); stating that these students may be gifted in other ways.

He shared this view during the official announcement of results at the National Centre for Educational Research Development (NCERD), stating that some children might not have met the expectations of their parents but it is not the end of their life achievements.

“I wish to acknowledge those parents who might think that their children might not have done well not to discourage or despise them. I’ve seen how that works sometimes where children feel a sense of underachievement and not having any worth. It is important that as parents, we do not see these exams as the end of a child’s life,” the Education official expressed.

He added, “We need to encourage our children, regardless of how they may have performed in your sight.

All of us have our strengths and weaknesses which serve to remind us that we need one another and that we need to work hard as a team to ensure that each child fulfil his or her potential in the area of their giftedness”.

Hutson acknowledged that situations place students at a disadvantage, but this should not deter their will for performing successfully.

“We recognize that some of our students are placed at a disadvantage because of circumstances that might be acting against them, but that should not exclude them from performing…It calls for hard work in that particu-

the top-five secondary schools in Georgetown.

In 2018, the Ministry had promised to bridge the gap that exists through technological support for students to access pertinent information and other services.

Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson

lar area”.

To ensure that equal opportunities exist for all students, emphasis will be placed on monitoring public schools to hold them accountable for the performances.

This has also stemmed from the fact that private schools have outnumbered the top spots at the NGSA. “Monitoring and evaluating school performance will take priority, but I think the time has come for us to look and see how we can bring schools to account for their performance in the public sector”.

Over the years, there has been a stark difference in the performance of students of the hinterland and the coastland regions. With the exception of Region One (Barima-Waini), all regions were able to secure one of

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thursday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

ERC still probing PM, Minister’s call for protests, “war break”

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he Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) is still investigating the recent calls made by Finance Minister Winston Jordan and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo for protests and “war break” at the Government outreach held in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) some weeks ago.

The high-ranking Government officials made those comments following the Caribbean Court of Justice’s ruling that the No-Confidence Motion filed by the Opposition was validly passed, thus toppling the Government. During the meeting, which was held in Bartica the same day as the Court’s ruling, the ministers pointed out that the David

Finance Jordan

Minister

Winston

Granger-led administration is not prepared to call elections unless House-toHouse registration is carried out, regardless of what the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) or anyone says. It

was then that the ministers called for protests with Finance Minister Winston Jordan taking a step further saying “war break”.

These statements led to the Opposition – Peoples Progressive Party – filing complaints with both the Police and the ERC. On Wednesday, Chairman of the Commission, Dr John Smith, explained to Guyana Times that such complaints are usually forwarded to a special unit to conduct the probe.

“What normally happens when these complaints come in and they have been quite a number, we pass them on to one of the units we have— Investigative Unit— and they do the investigation

Prime Minister Nagamootoo

Moses

and then they report back to the commission,” he said.

However, the Chairman was unable to say exactly when the probe will be completed but assured that the report by the Opposition is

being acted upon.

“It’s been sent to the unit. I can’t remember if the investigation is complete because I don’t want to give you the wrong information but it has been sent and action is being taken on that matter; that I can say with certainty,” the ERC Chairman said.

Further, he explained that the Investigative Unit usually goes to the part of the country where such statements were made to investigate thoroughly.

About two weeks ago, the Chairman acknowledged that the body was in receipt of the letter and it was forwarded to the Investigation Unit. After the evaluation is completed, commissioners will make their input to determine the final outcome.

Asked whether the Commission had expressed concerns over the series of events, Smith noted that it is too early to determine since the letter was sent just a couple of days ago.

One-line responses

Over the weekend, former Chief Whip for the Opposition, Gail Teixeira, said she has since received one-line responses from the ERC and Police with regards to her complaint made in relation to the troubling statements by members of the Government.

Teixeira told this publication, “I just got one-line acknowledgement letters saying they would be looking into the matters from both the ERC and Commissioner of Police”.

“War break”

During an outreach in Bartica last month, Minister Jordan called on supporters to go out and protest for House-to-House registration, noting that if that doesn’t happen, then there would be “war break”.

This is despite the fact that this exercise is likely to further delay the elections that were constitutionally

Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission, Dr John Smith

due since March 21 of this year.

“Comrades, be on the ready! Because we will be able to call you out to picket for House-to-House registration. No registration, no elections”!

“And CCJ or no CCJ, they can’t tell us that we must tinker with that list to call an improper election.

Elections must be free, fair, and proper,” the Minister said in gross disregard for the ruling of the highest Court in the region.

Jordan added, “From today Comrades, war break.

Because we got to go to elections before the end of this year, hopefully. I say hopefully because we can only go to elections when GECOM says it’s ready. So don’t let anyone tell you anything”.

“And I’m putting the Police on notice. Mischief will be afoot between now and when the elections are called. You have to be on your guard and your lookout. Your intelligence has to be upgraded. Because already there is talk about bringing people on the street,” he said.

Nevertheless, similar sentiments were also expressed by Prime Minister Nagamootoo who declared that there would be “trouble” without House-toHouse registration and urged street protests.

“You have to control your emotions” – Magistrate warns before jailing man

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agistrate Faith McGusty on Wednesday warned a North East Sophia, Greater Georgetown man that he has to learn to control his emotions before jailing him for assault.

“You have no control over your emotions,” Magistrate McGusty told 27-year-old Raphael Burnett of Lot 25 North East Sophia, Greater Georgetown, when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and admitted to the charge.

The charge alleged that on June 25 at North East Sophia, he assaulted Renee Summerset.

The prosecution’s case stated that the two men were friends and on the day in question, the Virtual Complainant (VC) was at work in North Sophia, Georgetown, when Burnett was passing and uttered some words to him. This led to an argument and Burnett left and returned with a shaving knife in his hand.

According to the prosecu-

Raphael Burnett

tion, Burnett then confronted the VC and cut him on his back. The matter was reported and Burnett was later arrested.

Prosecutor Annalisa Brummel in her submissions to the Court said, “It is clear that the defendant had an opportunity to make a report after the VC uttered words at him but it clearly shows that his intention was otherwise”.

Magistrate Faith McGusty jailed Burnett for six months.

news

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thursday, JUly 4, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana records 9.2% tourists increase Number 56 Minibus Association moves to enforce code of conduct

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G

uyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has recorded a 9.2 per cent increase in tourists to Guyana compared to the same period last year.

In its mid-year re port, the GTA revealed that Guyana has since gained 122,967 visitors for the period January- May 2019 compared to 112,578 persons over the same period last year.

Visitors from the Caribbean account for 49.4 per cent, while those from the United States and Canada account for 31.1 per cent and 7.1 per cent respectively.

In 2018, Guyana had recorded a 17 per cent increase in visitors’ arrivals up to September. As such, the sector was given a massive boost with $305 million being allocated to GTA in the 2019 Budget and $93 million to the Department of Tourism.

Former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin had noted that the increase was given in

recognition of the importance of the tourism sector.

Guyana had also recorded the highest increase in growth in the tourism sector within the Caribbean during the first half of 2018, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation during a State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) held in The Bahamas. In March of this year, Guyana was awarded in Berlin after being named the number one “Best of Ecotourism” destination in the world from among the top 100 destinations selected by a panel of experts who reviewed sustainability success stories submitted by destinations worldwide.

The newly-created “Best of Ecotourism” category was added in 2019, and put Guyana up against very well-known and experienced ecotourism destinations like Sierra Gorda in Mexico, Tmatboey in Cambodia, and the Galapagos Islands in

Ecuador.

GTA President Brian Mullis had said of Guyana, ““Guyana has expended considerable effort in recent years not only to develop new and innovative ecofriendly tourism products as a part of the national Green State Development Strategy, but also to incorporate sustainable tourism best practices into all aspects of its strategy, planning and programming while educating the world about its deep commitment to maximising the positive socioeconomic and conservation outcomes from tourism.”

Further, Guyana was also honoured at the “Golden City Gate” Film Awards held in Berlin as the winner of the ‘Destinations’ category.

Destination Guyana took first place for its nature destination video in the worldwide video competition that has been running for 19 years.

Teachers being trained...

As such, Dr RichmondThomas noted that the training of the teachers is strategic and necessary at this time in Guyana.

“We feel confident to invite referrals from the Ministry of Education as enough capacity has been built on the ground to start addressing the mental health needs of our young people in primary health care” she informed.

Within the last two and a half years, 100 health care workers have been trained to diagnose and manage

common mental health disorders. This, Dr RichmondThomas noted, is a significant milestone for Guyana.

“I am proud to say that the Mental Health Unit and Guyana have turned a corner over the past two and three quarter years.

The mental health unit has been very busy training hundreds of health care workers to diagnose and manage common mental health disorders. Among them are more than 100 workers for primary health care. These disorders in-

he Number 56 Minibus Association has moved one step closer towards impending the code of conduct which governs the way operators in the industry function.

On Monday, operators plying the Number 56 (Rosignol/New Amsterdam) route got themselves uniformed.

According to the association’s President, Dennis Chesney, the Number 56 Minibus Association is very close to implementing all of the requirements stipulated in the code of conduct implemented by the United Minibus Association.

The code of conduct for minibus operators has been approved by both the Business Ministry and the United Minibus Union.

The piece of document, which would seek to guide and monitor the behaviour of minibus operators, takes immediate effect.

Among the areas which will be addressed are the operators’ mode of dress, language and behaviour.

This means that operators will not be allowed to wear inappropriate clothing exposing themselves, use indecent language, and treat passengers in a hostile manner.

In fact, operators will now be mandated to wear

from page 11

clude those that commonly affect children and adolescents, so this is an incredible milestone for us” the Director said.

Representative of Education Ministry Balogun Osumbiyi urged the trainees to play their role following the completion of the training programme.

“This has come in an appropriate time in the Ministry of Education, the execution of this workshop is important. Mental health is not about chang-

ing who you are, it’s about changing your relationship to who you are. As administrators of your various schools, the success of your school weighs heavily on how you manage and you can only manage if you are fully equipped to do so. This workshop is equipping you to manage, so please use the skills obtained” the representative urged.

The programme will eventually be rolled out to target teachers from each administrative region in Guyana.

Members of the Number 56 Minibus Association along with executives and the President of the United Minibus Union, Eon Andrews

a uniform, along with an identification badge, which should include the name of the organisation of association.

Chesney said on Wednesday that they are very close to achieving this requirement.

“I think every group of buses should form themselves into an association themselves in order, because a lot of people are traveling and you want discipline and an orderly system not this wayward, rushing, talking, and pulling system. We have a system that we load one at a time and I think that system should be applied to all buses,” he told this publication.

The 49 buses in the association have formed themselves into seven groups and only four are allowed to work each day.

This means that operators would only work four days per week – a system that prevents chaos and ensures an equal playing field for members.

Meanwhile, President of the United Minibus Union Eon Andrews said the code of conduct requires that transportation service providers be uniformed.

“Because uniformity indicates order. There is too much indiscipline and disorder in our country and we have to start somewhere.

It started in Bartica and UG. I always knew that this country-based bus services always confirm to things. I am glad to be here at engine oil capacity because I’m also a member of the Road Service Council”.

He said, in his opinion, the Number 56 Minibus Association is on good footing for future development.

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Regional

Amazon deforestation surged Venezuela Opposition pledges equal treatment in June under Bolsonaro for creditors in possible restructuring

Brazil is home to 60 per cent of the Amazon, which is the world's largest tropical rainforest and is seen as vital to the global fight against climate change [File: Bruno Kelly/Reuters]

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eforestation in Brazil's portion of the Amazon rainforest soared more than 88 per cent in June compared with the same month a year ago, the second consecutive month of rising forest destruction under new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.

According to data from Brazil's space agency, deforestation in the world's largest tropical rainforest totalled 920 square kilometres.

The data showing an 88.4 per cent deforestation

increase is preliminary, but indicates the official annual figure, based on more detailed imaging and measured for the 12 months to the end of July, is on track to surpass last year's figure.

In the first 11 months, deforestation already reached 4565 square kilometres, a 15 per cent increase over the same period in the previous year. That is an area larger than the US state of Rhode Island.

Environmentalists have warned that Bolsonaro's strong remarks calling for the opening up of the

Amazon for development and criticising the country's environmental enforcement agency Ibama for handing out too many fines would embolden loggers and ranchers seeking to profit from deforestation.

"Bolsonaro has aggravated the situation ... He has made a strong rhetorical attack," said Paulo Barreto, a researcher at Brazilian NGO Imazon.

The surge in deforestation comes as Brazil faces more pressure to protect its environment under the terms of the free trade deal between the European Union and South American bloc Mercosur agreed to last week.

The rainy season through April appeared to have held off a spike in deforestation that subsequently came with the dry season starting in May. Bolsonaro's office declined to comment, saying questions would be addressed by the Environment Ministry. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

V

enezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó’s economic advisers have proposed treating most creditors equally in a possible debt restructuring should it oust President Nicolas Máduro from power, according to a document published on Wednesday.

The South American country has debts worth around US$200 billion to a diverse group of bondholders, commercial suppliers to State-owned firms with unpaid accounts receivable, and companies whose Venezuelan assets were expropriated.

Venezuela is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in history, marked by hyperinflation as well as chronic food and medicine

shortages. The Government has defaulted on most of its debt, but creditors are reluctant to negotiate a restructuring due to US sanctions intended to force Maduro from power.

The promise of “equal treatment” is intended to discourage creditors from filing lawsuits against Venezuela or State-owned oil company PDVSA in US courts in order to accelerate payment, according to the document written by Guaidó’s s lawyers released by the Oppositioncontrolled National Assembly.

“We will not give any preferential treatment in the renegotiation to those claims that have been the object of a judicial decision,” the docu-

Trinidad: Toddler crushed to death by truck

Mexican manufacturers demand background checks for migrant labour

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exican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has promised thousands of jobs to migrants waiting on the northern border for United States asylum, but some employers are refusing to hire them unless the Government screens for potential criminals.

Lopez Obrador said on Friday he would make up to 40,000 jobs available along the border to migrants while they wait in Mexico for the results of their US asylum claims under an agreement forged with US President Donald Trump.

Many asylum claimants

are Central American nationals fleeing violence and poverty in their respective countries of origin, often at the hands of criminal groups like Mara Salvatrucha, known as MS-13.

Employers in Mexico are urging the Government to conduct background checks and regularise their immigration status to make sure gang members are not among the job seekers.

But Luis Hernandez, President of manufacturing industry chamber INDEX in the border city of Tijuana, said companies run the risk of falling out of compliance with existing internation-

al agreements unless background checks are run on prospective employees.

Many Mexican firms are certified by the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism with US Customs and Border Protection, which requires companies to only employ individuals whose backgrounds have been verified, said Hernandez.

"We don't want to take the risk that the federal government comes to audit us, the state government audits us and because we hired someone, we're not following the rules," he said. (Excerpt from

Al Jazeera)

US hits Cuba with sanctions

T

An oil refinery in Cuba

he United States is sanctioning a Cuban business for importing Venezuelan oil as part of America's ongoing effort to force the South American country's President, Nicolás Maduro, from power.

The United States Treasury is targeting Cuban oil company Cubametales for its continued support of the Venezuelan Government, according to a press release

Wednesday from the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The sanctions on Cubametales "will disrupt Maduro's attempts to use Venezuela's oil as a bargaining tool to help his supporters purchase protection from Cuba", Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the press release.

The Treasury Department says State-run

Cubametales guarantees all imports and exports of fuel to and from Cuba, and has maintained a close business relationship with Maduro.

Mnuchin added, "Maduro is clinging to Cuba to stay in power, buying military and intelligence operatives in exchange for oil."

The US tightened restrictions on travel to Cuba last month in reaction to what the Treasury Department called its "destabilising role" in the region. The US sanctioned Maduro in 2017.

Since he was elected two years earlier, he has overseen a growing political, humanitarian and economic crisis including chronic shortages of essentials such as food and medicine. (Excerpt from VOA)

ment reads. “As a result, the authorities request all parties to abstain from initiating judicial actions.”

The move comes more than five months after Guaidó, a lawmaker who leads the Assembly, invoked Venezuela’s Constitution to declare an interim presidency, arguing Maduro’s May 2018 re-election was illegitimate. He has been recognised by dozens of countries, including the United States.

Nevertheless, Maduro retains control of State functions and the backing of key allies, including Russia and China. He calls Guaidó a USbacked puppet seeking to oust his socialist Government in a coup. (Excerpt from Reuters)

The toddler's mother, Corine Charles, 20, said she was outside the house washing, but had secured the child indoors

I

n what can only be described as a freak accident, two-year-old Terracina Ariel Meena Moonilal was crushed to death by the wheel of a truck in front of her humble home in Wallerfield on Wednesday morning.

The accident occurred unknowingly to the truck driver, who drove off but was stopped a short distance away by screaming villagers and children and told of the tragedy that struck.

The incident occurred shortly before 08:00h.

Speaking with the Guardian Media, the toddler's mother, Corine Charles, 20, said she was outside the house washing and had left her daughter in the house, but had placed a wooden barrier in front of the doorway to ensure that she was secured indoors.

She said a few minutes before the horrific ordeal, her 12-year-old nephew came to use the washroom,

"two trucks came in and one turn at the dead end and drove off, but the other one stopped and called the boy to ask him directions and is only when the truck drove off he saw Terracina on the road and screamed out to me that the child lying there."

"When I run and see I saw her...her head was crushed and she was dead.

I start to scream and cry, " she added.

Charles said she strongly believes that when Terracina saw her cousin standing outside she rocked the barrier – breaking free and ran out and stood next to him but in front of the truck's wheel.

The toddler's cousin neither the truck driver saw the little girl on the roadway.

The child was taken by ambulance to the Arima District Health Facility but was pronounced dead on arrival. (Trinidad Guardian)

T&T woman pleads guilty to killing friend, stealing her baby

A

woman who admitted to taking part in the murder of a La Horquetta, Trinidad woman because she wanted her baby has pleaded guilty to felony murder.

Kerry Ann Hosang is possibly the first woman to plead guilty to murder under the felony-murder rule, which gives a judge the discretion to waive the mandatory death sentence.

Hosang pleaded guilty on Wednesday before Justice Althea AlexisWindsor in the Port of Spain Fifth Criminal Court.

Prosecutors told the

Judge the State was prepared to accept a guilty plea by way of felony murder, and after the charge was read out to Hosang that on a day unknown, between August 30 and September 4, 2005, she murdered Reena Kissoon at La Horquetta, she formally entered her guilty plea.

According the facts agreed to by Hosang, she told police she wanted Kissoon’s baby and paid two men to “lick up Reena” for her to take the child.

Kissoon’s throat was slit.

When the Police went

to Hosang’s grandparents' home in Maracas, St Joseph, she gave them the baby.

Hosang will return to court on July 11, at which time the judge will entertain her plea in mitigation and set a date for sentencing.

She is represented by attorneys Keith Scotland and Asha WatkinsMontserrin.

Hosang first went to trial for Kissoon's murder in 2010, but after the jury could not arrive at a unanimous verdict, a retrial was ordered. (Trinidad Newsday)

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THURSday, JUly 4, 2019

17

Around the World

Hong Kong protests: China tells UK Libya migrant centre attack may not to interfere in “domestic affairs” amount to war crime – UN envoy

Its UK Ambassador said relations had been “damaged” by comments by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and others backing the demonstrators’ actions

C

hina has warned the United Kingdom not to “interfere in its domestic affairs” amid a growing diplomatic row over the recent protests in Hong Kong.

Its UK Ambassador said relations had been “damaged” by comments by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and others backing the demonstrators’ actions.

Liu Xiaoming said those who illegally occupied Hong Kong’s Parliament should be “condemned as law breakers”.

The Ambassador was later summoned to the

Foreign Office over the remarks.

A Foreign Office spokesman said Sir Simon McDonald, Permanent Under Secretary and head of the diplomatic service, told the Ambassador his comments were “unacceptable and inaccurate”.

Earlier, Prime Minister Theresa May said she had raised concerns with Chinese leaders.

Weeks of mass protests in the territory over a controversial extradition bill exploded on Monday, when a group of activists occupied the Legislative Council building for sev-

eral hours after breaking away from a peaceful protest -- raising the colonial-era British flag.

Critics say the extradition bill could be used to send political dissidents from Hong Kong to the mainland.

Demonstrators have also broadened their demands to include the release of all detained activists and investigations into alleged police violence.

In the middle of the demonstrations, Hunt pledged his “unwavering” support to the ex-British colony and its citizens’ freedoms.

In a series of broadcast interviews and posts on social media, Hunt repeated the message that the protesters should refrain from violence, but urged China to listen to the concerns of the Hong Kong people.

Beijing has made a formal complaint about Hunt, accusing the Conservative leadership contender of “colonial-era delusions”.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Manslaughter charges dropped against shot pregnant mum

Marshae Jones. The case in Alabama has faced widespread criticism from rights groups

A

n Alabama District Attorney has dropped manslaughter charges against a pregnant woman whose unborn child died after she was shot in the stomach.

Marshae Jones, 28, was

allegedly shot by a co-worker while five months pregnant.

She was charged after Police alleged that she had started the fight, endangering the child’s life.

“There are no win-

ners in this case, only losers in the sad ordeal,” said Prosecutor Lynneice Washington.

Women’s rights advocates had expressed outrage over the charges against Jones.

The decision was announced by the Jefferson County District Attorney in a press conference on Wednesday.

“We are gratified the District Attorney evaluated the matter and chose not to proceed with a case that was neither reasonable nor just,” lawyers for Jones said after the decision was announced. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Iran threatens to restart reactor as nuclear deal falters

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ran threatened to restart its “dangerous” heavy water reactor in three days unless partners in the nuclear deal protected its trade, as tension over the floundering agreement ratchets up.

President Hassan Rouhani said as required by the historic 2015 accord – abandoned by US President Donald Trump last year – Iran removed the core of the reactor and filled it with cement in

January 2016. “[But] from July 7 onward with the Arak reactor, if you don’t operate [according to] the programme and timeframe of all the commitments you’ve given us, we will return the Arak reactor to its previous condition,” Rouhani warned signatories on Wednesday.

“Meaning the condition that you say is dangerous and can produce plutonium,” he said, referring to a key component of a nucle-

ar weapon.

“We will return to that unless you take action regarding all your commitments regarding Arak.”

Rouhani kept the door open to negotiations; however, saying Iran would again reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium below the 300-kilogram limit set by the nuclear pact if signatories Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China honoured their pledges. (Excerpt from Reuters)

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he United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Wednesday amid angry global reaction after an air strike hit a migrant detention centre killing 44 people and wounding 130 others.

The UN envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, condemned the air raid in the capital Tripoli saying it “clearly could constitute a war crime”.

The attack in the early

hours of Wednesday intensified concerns about the European Union’s policy of teaming up with Libyan militias to block refugees and migrants from crossing the Mediterranean Sea, which often leaves them at the mercy of brutal traffickers, or stranded in horrible conditions inside squalid detention centres near the front lines.

It could also lead to greater pressure on renegade military command-

er Khalifa Haftar, whose forces launched an offensive to seize the capital in April. The Tripolibased UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) blamed proHaftar forces of carrying out the attack on the detention camp.

According to the UN Support Mission in Libya, the air raid killed at least 44 people and wounded more than 130. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Stromboli: One dead as volcano erupts on Italian island

Tourists watch the explosion from a beach on the island of Lipari

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volcano has erupted on the Italian island of Stromboli, killing one person and sending frightened tourists fleeing.

The victim is a male hiker who was hit by a falling stone, while other peo-

ple were injured.

The navy has been deployed for a possible mass evacuation, with 70 people already evacuated.

The volcano is one of the most active on the planet and has been under a regular state of eruption

since 1932.

“Unfortunately one man is dead, there are a few injured, but none seriously,” emergency worker Calogero Foti told Italy’s Rai television.

The victim was a 35-year-old man from Sicily who was hiking when the volcano erupted twice. His Brazilian friend was discovered dehydrated and in a state of shock, the AGI news agency reported.

Firefighters are battling flames on the island.

“We saw the explosion from the hotel. There was a loud roar,” said Michela Favorito, who works in a hotel on the island. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp hit by photo glitch

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ome Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp users cannot upload photos, videos and files.

Facebook, which owns all three apps, said it was aware of the issue and was “working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible”.

The company’s main social network, its two

messaging apps and image-sharing site Instagram have billions of users.

Rival platform Twitter also had issues, with some users not able to send direct messages or receive notifications.

The company apologised for the inconvenience, tweeting: “We’re currently having some issues with DM delivery and

notifications.

“We’re working on a fix and will follow up as soon as we have an update for you.”

Users were still able to post on Twitter and #instagramdown began trending as many people used the site to highlight the problems with its competitors. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Dubai royal ‘hiding in London’

Princess Haya is now in hiding in London

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rincess Haya Bint al-Hussein, a wife of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, has left her husband – a highly unusual move for a senior royal in the United Arab

Emirates.

The Princess is now said to be hiding in a townhouse in central London.

Sources told the BBC she was in fear for her life as she prepared for a court battle with her husband.

Princess Haya was born in May 1974. Her father was King Hussein of Jordan, and her mother was Queen Alia al-Hussein.

Sources close to Princess Haya told the BBC that she had discovered disturbing facts about the attempt by one of the Sheikh’s daughters, Sheikha Latifa to flee and had been subjected to increasing hostility and pressure from members of her husband’s extended family. She reportedly no longer felt safe, and fled to Germany before moving on to the UK. (Excerpt from BBC News)

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ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Live and learn. Trust only what you know to be factual, and let others do as they please. Going about your business will encourage you to finish what you start.

Going on a getaway, atTAURUS tending a conference or learn(April 20ing something about yourself May 20) that can help you better understand a loved one will lead to personal growth. If you love someone, let them know.

dilbert

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Someone will offer a solution, but before you decide to take it, you’d be wise to check its validity. Refuse to let anyone tamper with your emotions.

CANCER

Back away if someone is meddling in your business.

Don’t feel that you must follow the crowd or put others’ goals ahead of your own.

Stick to your plan.

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

SUDOKU

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Don’t put up with other people’s indulgent or excessive behavior. Be realistic about what’s going on around you and stick to the facts. The more direct you are, the better the outcome.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Stay connected to the people who share your sentiments and are willing to pitch in and help. You can get things done without taking a risk or spending impulsively.

SCORPIO

Make your actions count.

How you deal with others will affect how you are treated.

A change you make will improve your personal life and relationships.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

YESTERDAY’S WORD

Refuse to let your emotions cause you to say or do something you’ll regret.

Take a wait-and-see attitude and go about your business. Accomplish something meaningful and dismiss trivial matters.

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

You can wheel and deal, as long as you aren’t misleading. Explicitly lay out your thoughts and plans to avoid someone misinterpreting your ideas.

Discuss your plans before you start a new project. You are likely to meet with opposition if you don’t get approval before you begin. Update your residence to suit your needs.

Look at an opportunity, discuss your concerns and desires with someone close to you and make a decision that encourages positive change.

Plan something special for a loved one.

Feeling comfortable with your living situation and appearance will encourage you to push forward with a long-term plan you’ve been considering.

Romance is on the rise.

thursday, JUly 4, 2019

19

Jason Roy

Bairstow, Wood put England in semi-finals T

his was not quite how England had dreamed of making the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1992.

Falling away after a fast start with the bat, and then defending 305 rather than 355 or more, their method: to rumble New Zealand in Durham, was less the hyperactive “we’llchase-anything” way of Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss than that of Australia’s table-toppers.

But after 44 years of hurt, dating back to the very first global tournament in 1975, one suspects that Morgan’s men could not have cared less. They are now two wins away from lifting the cup, and the outpouring of relief at reaching the pointy end of the competition was palpable, even if it was momentarily delayed by a streaker who ran almost as many rings around ground security staff as Morgan’s men did around Kane Williamson’s men.

England owed much to Jonny Bairstow for this win, after he recorded another strong-arm century at the top in the reassuring company of Jason Roy and Joe Root. Others also contributed: whether Morgan, in an innings that looked more important the longer the day went on; pivotal late runs from Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett; then a collective bowling and fielding display that showed precision, discipline, and a little too much class for a New Zealand side all too reliant upon Williamson’s runs.

It was Williamson’s exit, run out by a deflection when backing up, that more or less put the crowd at Chesterle-Street into celebratory mode. Given that Pakistan would need to win by an impossibly vast margin over Bangladesh to pass them, New Zealand have some time to think about their cricket, and they will be given plenty of pause by how their batting has gradually broken down under the sustained spotlight of the round robin cup format.

New Zealand will be frustrated, too, by how they never challenged a target that was reduced in size by at least 50 runs in the final 20 overs of England’s innings. The Durham surface slowed up more rapidly than most predicted at toss time, but was still good enough for Tom Latham to stroke his way to an attractive 57.

With a little more support

at the other end, the target would not have been so far out of reach.

For the most part, though, this was England’s day to breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate a little. They are where they need to be, albeit not quite by the means they had expected to get them there.

A sunny summer’s day, a fresh but dry pitch, and the tournament’s trend towards rewarding target defenders all pointed strongly to Morgan batting first, and he did so gladly against opponents lacking the hamstrung Lockie Ferguson.

Williamson offered up an opening gambit - Mitchell Santner to take the first over - that was very nearly rewarded by a skidding arm ball that beat Roy and narrowly missed leg stump before scuttling away for four byes.

But that was about all that could excite New Zealand for the first 30 overs, as England gave the appearance of setting a platform for a huge score. What they were in fact doing, through Roy, Bairstow and Root, was something rather more vital - they were using the best of the batting conditions to win the match in its first couple of hours. Boundaries flowed against New Zealand’s bowling, which dropped short or drifted wide. Bairstow particularly savage, had final score predictions lurching well beyond 350 as England marched to 194 for 1 after 30 overs.

Bairstow’s innings was his second century in as many World Cup innings, and third in three against New Zealand. He had clearly roused himself to a peak of performance via the tight corner England had found themselves in after losses to Sri Lanka and Australia.

His cover driving and pulling verged at times on the brutal, making the very most of pace on the newish ball, and allowing Roy to play something more of a supporting role until he miscued to cover - a sign of things to come.

Roy was angry with himself, his bat thudding into the ground as he bellowed “No!” to everyone and no-one at Chester-le-Street.

But there was no immediate loss of momentum, as Root rotated the strike in typically proactive fashion and ushered Bairstow to three figures.

The loss of Root, to the

faintest touch on a hook at Trent Boult, was a surprise, but signalled the start of a markedly different phase in the game.

Undoubtedly the pitch became more challenging, denying the bats-

men consistent pace to work with.

But equally, New Zealand used its vagaries effectively, mixing up their paces and seam positions to coax a succession of miscues.

Bairstow, having given his hundred a David Warneresque celebratory leap, dragged Matt Henry on.

Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Woakes all picked out fielders they tried to drive over and beyond; and Morgan, having played an innings both slightly skittish and ultimately effective, was unable to evade Santner at cover.

At 272 for 7, with Morgan’s exit, New Zealand had a glimpse of a chase for just 280 or so, but Rashid and Plunkett played vital cameos to breach the 300 barrier.

If New Zealand went to the innings’ break hopeful of challenging England, they were quickly to be set back partly by their own misjudgment.

Woakes’s first over was sharp and accurate, so much so that his first ball to Henry Nicholls hit the back pad in front of the stumps and drew a quick raised finger for LBW. Neither Nicholls nor Martin Guptill seemed eager to review, a call shown to be faulty when ball-tracking had the delivery going comfortably over the stumps.

That early breakthrough was exactly what England needed, and it was followed up by some decidedly fast overs from Jofra Archer, who looked far freer in his movements after some struggles with a side problem.

Guptill was dismissed when, trying to glance, he touched the ball too finely, and so allowed Buttler to capitalise with a superb diving catch, built upon fine

balance and anticipation of what was coming. That wicket brought Ross Taylor in to join Williamson; and, for a few overs, they set about trying to set a platform with all the reserve of two players who know their value to the New Zealand side.

At 61 for 2, the Durham crowd was just starting to tense when a backing up Williamson was run out by a Taylor drive deflected off Mark Wood’s fingertips into the

Jimmy Neesham

stumps.

As if in shock, Taylor chose the following over to take an extremely optimistic second run on Rashid’s arm at fine leg, and was comfortably run out despite a dive, and just as Jimmy Neesham and Latham seemed to be forming their own union, the former was squeezed out by Wood’s pace and tight line from around the wicket.

When Colin de Grandhomme obligingly swivelled Stokes’s first ball to Root in the

Jonny Bairstow

3

SCOREBOARD

England Innings (50 overs maximum) JJ Roy c Santner b Neesham

60 JM Bairstow b Henry 106 JE Root c †Latham b Boult 24 JC Buttler † c Williamson b Bo ult 11 EJG Morgan (c) c Santner b Henry 42 BA Stokes c Henry b Santner

11 CR Woakes c Williamson b Neesham 4 LE Plunkett not out 15 AU Rashid b Southee 16 JC Archer not out 1 Extras 15 (b 4, lb 4, w 7) TOTAL 305/8 (50 Overs, RR: 6.1) Did not bat: MA Wood Fall of wickets: 1-123 (Jason Roy, 18.4 ov), 2-194 (Joe Root, 30.1 ov), 3-206 (Jonny Bairstow, 31.4 ov), 4-214 (Jos Buttler, 34.2 ov), 5-248 (Ben Stokes, 41.6 ov), 6-259 (Chris Woakes, 44.5 ov), 7-272 (Eoin Morgan, 46.1 ov), 8-301 (Adil Rashid, 49.3 ov) BOWLING O M R W MJ Santner 10 0 65 1 TA Boult 10 0 56 2 TG Southee 9 0 70 1 MJ Henry 10 0 54 2 C de Grandhomme10 1 1 0 JDS Neesham 10 1 41 2 New Zealand Innings (target: 306 runs from 50 overs) MJ Guptill c †Buttler b deep, it was virtually party time for England, leaving Latham and the lower order

Archer 8 HM Nicholls lbw b Woakes 0 KS Williamson (c) run out (W ood) 27 LRPL Taylor run out (Rashid/†Buttler) 28 TWM Latham † c †Buttler b Plunkett 57 JDS Neesham b Wood 19 C de Grandhomme c Root b Stokes 3 MJ Santner lbw b Wood 12 TG Southee not out 7 MJ Henry b Wood 7 TA Boult st †Buttler b Rashid

4 Extras 14 (b 2, lb 6, w 6) TOTAL 186 all out (45 Overs, RR: 4.13) Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Henry Nicholls, 0.5 ov), 2-14 (Martin Guptill, 5.2 ov), 3-61 (Kane Williamson, 15.1 ov), 4-69 (Ross Taylor, 16.4 ov), 5-123 (James Neesham, 25.1 ov), 6-128 (Colin de Grandhomme, 28.1 ov), 7-164 (Tom Latham, 38.3 ov), 8-166 (Mitchell Santner, 39.2 ov), 9-181 (Matt Henry, 43.4 ov), 10-186 (Trent Boult, 44.6 ov) BOWLING O M R W CR Woakes 8 0 44 1 JC Archer 7 1 17 1 LE Plunkett 8 0 28 1 MA Wood 9 0 34 3 JE Root 3 0 15 0 AU Rashid 5 0 30 1 BA Stokes 5 0 10 1 to concentrate on limiting the size of the margin. (ESPN

cricinfo)

Prithvi Shaw out of One-Day Series against West Indies “A” – Pant, Agarwal also absent

P

rithvi Shaw has been ruled out of the OneDay Series against West Indies A © Getty An injury has forced Prithvi Shaw out of the West Indies ‘A’ tour that’s set to begin next week. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been making rapid strides over the past 12 months, will be replacing Shaw for the tour, which comprises five 50-over games.

Wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan has also earned a call-up in place of Rishabh Pant, who was summoned to India’s World Cup squad earlier this month as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan.

Mayank Agarwal is the other person missing from the India ‘A’ squad, after he, too, joined the national side as the

replacement for Vijay Shankar, who became the latest casualty in the World Cup. Mayank’s spot will be taken by Anmolpreet Singh, an aggressive opener who has been making the right noises in the domestic circuit.

The One-Day Series will begin on July 11, 2019.

T h e revised India ‘A’ squad for the OneDay Series is as follows: Manish Pandey (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Anmolpreet Singh, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Ishan Kishan (Wkpr), Rahul Chahar, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan and Navdeep Saini. (cricbuzz)

Prithvi Shaw

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursday, JUly 4, 2019

Women’s World Cup:

Jackie Groenen strike sinks Sweden and puts Netherlands into World Cup final T

he Netherlands reached their first Women’s World Cup final after Manchester United midfielder Jackie Groenen’s sweet extra-time strike settled their cagey semi-final match against Sweden.

The European champions will next face holders the United States in Lyon on Sunday, after Jill Ellis’s side had defeated England.

The 48,452 fans inside the Stade de Lyon had looked set to endure a nervy penalty shootout before Groenen’s crisp, low shot sunk the Swedes’ hopes of reaching their second final.

Former Arsenal goal-keeper Sari van Veenendaal had earlier kept the Dutch on level terms with three important saves, before Gunners’ striker Vivianne Miedema’s header was touched on to Sweden’s crossbar at the other end.

Substitute Shanice van de Sanden’s fierce shot was then tipped wide by Hedvig Lindahl, to send the game to extra time, and the Dutch eventually found a way through.

Sweden, who were play-

ing in their fourth semi-final after stunning Germany in the last eight, will now face England in Saturday’s third-place play-off in Nice (16:00 BST).

Wednesday’s disappointing contest failed to match up to the entertainment, the quality, or the intense atmosphere that was seen in Tuesday’s gripping tie between England and threetime champions the USA. But the Netherlands’ achievement - reaching the final while competing in only their second Women’s World Cup - was greeted with emotional celebrations at the full-time whistle after a tense 120 minutes, and their colourful fans danced with joy in the stands.

Ranked eighth in the world, they have enjoyed a rapid rise towards the top of the women’s game two years after winning the Euros on home soil, and they have been backed by a lively, dancing horde of passionate fans all across France.

Sarina Wiegman’s side beat New Zealand 1-0, Cameroon 3-1 and Canada 2-1 to top Group E and reach the knockout stages for the

Jackie Groenen’s shot beat Hedvig Lindahl

second time.

A dramatic 2-1 win over Japan and a 2-0 quarter-final victory against Italy followed, to put them into their first semi-final; and they narrowly overcame the Swedes in Lyon, despite never really playing their best football.

PFA Player of the Year Miedema, who was the top scorer in the English Women’s Super League in 2018-19, was relatively qui-

et, but did almost win the tie in normal time, when former Chelsea stopper Lindahl did brilliantly well to save her header.

Surprise package Sweden’s fine run ends

Both goalkeepers had fine games, as a well-organised and compact Sweden side made it hard for the Dutch to create chances.

Groenen’s winner, howev-

er, saw the Scandinavians being eliminated by the same side that had knocked them out of the European Championship at the quarter-final stage in 2017.

Sweden will still look back fondly on their run in France; after wins over Chile and Thailand saw them reach the knockout stages, before they rested key players and lost 2-0 to the USA, to finish second behind the pre-tournament fa-

vourites in Group ‘F’.

Impressive wins over highly rated Canada and Germany followed, as the Swedes threatened to match their 2003 run to the final; but, instead, it is the Dutch who will be the Women’s World Cup’s first European finalists since the Germans’ triumph in 2007.

With little difference between the two sides, the introduction of Lyon’s former Liverpool winger Van de Sanden from the bench added pace to the Dutch attack, and they looked slightly the stronger in the additional 30 minutes.

Former Chelsea midfielder Groenen, who agreed to join Manchester United from German club Frankfurt in May, was mobbed by her team-mates as the full-time whistle blew.

However, the game ended moments after Sweden’s former Manchester City midfielder Kosovare Asllani was carried off on a stretcher, with a concerning injury following an awkward landing. They will hope she is unhurt and can feature against England on Saturday. (BBC. COM)

BCB expresses gratitude to Brian New York Cricket League…

Ramphal and other sponsors Dhaniram’s batting masterclass, he Berbice Cricket Board that, over the last 17 months, Rambarran.

(BCB), which on Sunday the Rose Hall Town Youth & “We also salute the support Dhanpaul’s miserly bowling hand June 23, 2019 hosted Sports Club (RHTY&SC) MS, has of media outlets Stabroek their second Annual Awards also been a major supporter of News, Kaieteur News, Guyana Bachan consecutive wins Ceremony at the Port Mourant Berbice Cricket, and has invested Chronicle, Guyana Times,

T

Cricket Ground, have said the event has been a huge success, and have deemed the $600,000 invested in its staging as being well spent.

Thirty-two major awards were presented to top cricketers, coaches and clubs from across the Ancient County, and more than 65 officials, umpires and events’ sponsors were honoured in this ceremony; while cricket bats were presented to Isai Thorne and Rampertab Ramnauth, the two Berbicians selected to tour England with the West Indies Under-15 Team.

The winning Inter-County Teams were also honoured, 13 clubs each received $200,000 worth of cricket balls and raincoats, and the 2nd edition of the Upper Corentyne Awards Ceremony was hosted.

BCB President Hilbert Foster, who spearheaded the hosting of the awards ceremony along with Public Relations Officer Simon Naidu, has expressed gratitude to its main sponsor, Brian Ramphal, for the massive investment he has made in Berbice Cricket.

Ramphal, Foster has said, is one of the main reasons why Berbice Cricket has been so successful over the last two years, and he has hailed the overseas-based Guyanese as a hero.

Foster has also disclosed

millions of its own funds to assist the BCB to administer Berbice Cricket. The Club’s massive investment in the awards ceremony includes total sponsorship of the Upper Corentyne Cricket

Association’s A w a r d s Ceremony and the cost of the donated cricket balls and raincoats.

Foster, moreover, has said the BCB would like to acknowledge the contribution of GuySuCo to Berbice Cricket in allowing the use of its venue, providing security during its usage, and preparing the centre for use.

Special mention, he said, must be made of GuySuCo officials Vemen Walter, Orvin Mangru, Roger McDonald, Moses Indardat and Teka Pooran for the invaluable assistance each has offered the BCB. The BCB is also grateful for the outstanding contributions of journalists like Colin Bynoe Jnr, Brandon Corlette, Avenash Ramzan, Romario Samaroo, Frankie Wilson, Claude David, Denica Henry and Gregory

Newsroom, DTV-8, TVG, LRTVS CH10 and NCN. The entire management and staff of the BCB appreciate your assistance in promoting the work of the Caribbean’s most vibrant cricket board,” Foster has said. “ F i n a l l y, we would like to express gratitude to the following companies and individuals who contributed to the event: Guyana Beverage Company, Demerara Distillers Limited, Vickram Suebarran, Apex Insurance, Bissoondyal Singh, The Trophy Stall, Republic Bank, Mursalene Bacchus, A. Ally & Sons, Berbice Chamber of Commerce & Development Association, Berbice River Bridge, Region 6 Democratic Council, David Armogan, Dennis DeRoop, Bakewell, Metro Office and Computer Supplies, Port Mourant Cricket Club and Albion Community Centre Cricket Club.

“The entire Management of the BCB would like to recommit themselves to the continued development of Berbice Cricket, and (are) looking forward to working with all stakeholders in the future,” Foster has declared.

Sudesh Dhaniram

Z

eeburg Cricket Club’s Yutesh Avi Dhanpaul, currently engaged abroad in the Commonwealth League (CL) and the New York Cricket League (NYCL), has, over the weekend, added to his list of sterling performances by returning miserly bowling figures of 2-26 for his club, the Bachan Cricket Club, in a 30-over affair against a dangerous Punjab 11 Cricket Team.

The youngster’s efforts were however overshadowed by the exceptional batting exploits of a former first class all-rounder, 52-year-old Guyanese Sudesh Dhaniram, who played a classy half-century to take his side -Bachan -- over the proverbial line.

Dhaniram and Dhanpaul have of late both been in tremendous form with bat and ball.

Punjab 11 won the toss, and elected to bat in slightly overcast conditions, fully knowing that

Yutesh Dhanpaul, standing next to the sponsor of the Bachan CC, bagged figures of 2-26

these same conditions place the team batting second at a disadvantage.

Their openers, Asif Mushtaq and Atif Mushtaq, never got going, thus placing pressure on the other batsmen. Luck, however, had deserted the Punjab 11 side, and they soon found themselves moving from 27-1 to 54-4.

With the Punjab innings needing rejuvenation, Ricky Singh stuck around and managed to play an unbeaten 39-ball 44, which included three boundaries and one maximum.

Unfortunately, he received no support from his team mates, and at 85-8, Punjab found themselves in a grim battle to post a respectable total. Tailender Abdul Basit, however, played a superb knock of 36, which included four maximums and one boundary, to take his side to 155-8 in their allotted 30 overs.

Bowling for Bachan, Adand ‘Curry’ Deodat took 3-20, Yutesh Dhanpaul took 2-26; and Mark Tyrell, Beejai Somai and Subhas Persaud each bagged a wicket.

Needing a simple total of 156 to win the encounter, Bachan were put under pressure in coming up against the weather factor. Things took a turn for the worse when Bachan lost the in-form Dhanpaul for a patient 15 early in the innings; but the experienced Sudesh Dhaniram, ably supported by Steven Ramoutar, who played a patient knock of 20, gave his side a fighting chance with an unbeaten 67, made off 45 balls, to take his team to 108-1 at the end of 16 overs. Thus when rain stopped play, Bachan were declared winners of this match because of their superior net run rate.

The only Punjab bowler to take a wicket was Ricky Singh, with 1-22.

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, July 4, 2019

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21

BCB honours Berbice Under-19 Three-Day, Female Senior teams

T

he Hilbert Foster-led Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) have recently honoured their Berbice Under-19 Male and Senior Female Inter-County Teams for winning their respective Inter-County Championships.

Upon his election as BCB President on February 18th, 2018, Foster had pledged that every winning Berbice Inter-County Team would be honoured, and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) from each of the teams would carry home a special prize.

That promise was fulfilled in 2018 with the Under-15, Under-19, and Female Teams being properly honoured, while the three MVPs had each received a bicycle worth $18,000.

This year, the BCB President has again honoured his commitment, and thus members of the two teams were invited to the Board’s second Annual Awards Ceremony, held at the Port Mourant Ground.

The Female Team members were presented with trophies and medals by Her Worship Winifred Haywood, Mayor of New Amsterdam, while Region 6 Vice Chairman Dennis Deroop presented trophies and medals to

The Berbice Under-19 Team pose with Regional Vice Chairman Dennis Deroop

members of the Under-19 Team. The two MVPs, Erva Giddings and Junior Sinclair, were each awarded a bicycle worth $20,000, compliments of the BCB and A. Ally & Sons of New Amsterdam.

Foster has praised the two teams for making the county proud. He disclosed, however, that the BCB was disappointed with the 2019 Inter-County results, the teams having ending up as runners-up at the Under-15, Under-19, and Undier-19 Male One-Day tournaments, but he said the

BCB has committed itself to working even harder to do better in 2020.

He said that while no excuse is acceptable for the 2019 results, the BCB is concerned that, in the Inter-County tournaments, Demerara enjoyed home advantage, and almost all their matches against Berbice were played at one venue.

Foster said that, despite great odds, including the lack of financial assistance from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), the BCB has

continued to produce players for the West Indies teams at a remarkable rate. Two Under-15 Players, Isai Thorne and Rampertab Ramnauth, would shortly be touring England with the West Indies Team, while Kevlon Anderson and Kevin Umroa are in the Caribbean Under-19 Training Squad.

Shemaine Campbelle and Shimron Hetmyer are in the Senior West Indies teams, while Romario Shepherd is in the ‘A’ Team to face India ‘A’. Five Berbicians:

Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Anthony Bramble, Veerasammy Permaul and Clinton Pestano, would also shortly be playing for the Amazon Warriors in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 20/20, while Sheneta Grimmond and Shabika Gajnabi have been involved in the West Indies Women’s Training Camps.

Special mention was made of Coaches Winston Smith and Andre Percival, and Managers Sylvia Autar and Neil Rudder, for the roles they have played in the successes of the teams.

Foster has urged the players to remain focused on their games, and to work harder to improve themselves on and off the cricket field.

The BCB President committed the Board to continuing the work it is currently doing, while striving to do even more for the rest of the year.

Foster, who has hinted that he is not interested in serving for another term as BCB President, has said it is very important that both officials and cricketers work together to achieve the development of Berbice Cricket, and he has urged the senior Berbice cricketers to give back more to the game that has made their fame and fortunes.

UG Trojans claim Transcend Entertainment’s Seven-a-Side Independence Cricket Festival Title – Entertainers settle for runners-up position

Imperial Trading, Red Carpet Wash Bay, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, Star Party Rentals, Xavier’s Investment, Movement Auto Sales, Precision Auto Works, W&J Enterprise, Fung-A-Fat Hatchery, Ole’s

Jewellery, Seeta’s Bar, Regent Household Electronics, Royal Real Estate, Church’s Chicken, Fireside Grill, Magic City, S&D Enterprises, Movement Auto Rental & Bus Service, and Sankar’s Auto Works.

Clement "Busta" Lawrence Premier League 2019…

Forrester 2nd on runs table

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

The victorious UG Trojans team

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T

he Transcend Entertainment’s Seven-aSide Independence Cricket Festival concluded with the UG Trojans emerging victorious after a thrilling finale played against the Entertainers at the Cultural Centre Tarmac on Monday.

Reduced to three overs per side because of inclement weather, the Trojans won the toss and elected to bat.

With National Players such as Christopher Barnwell, Dexter George and Tevin Imlach in their side, the Entertainers had clearly fancied their chances at being victors. Thus when, at the end of their three overs, the UG Trojans had posted a fairly respectable total of 32-4, it looked like a walk in the park for the Entertainers.

Damion Vantull top-scored for the Trojans with 14, even as Christopher Barnwell, with 1-4; Tevin Imlach, with 1-12; and Dexter George, with 1-14, had all demonstrated their prowess for the Entertainers.

Needing 33 runs to win, the Entertainers soon found their big names unable to save them; and at the end of the second over, they were required to score 11 runs from the final over if they were to win the game.

Devon Paul, skipper of the Trojans, showed tape ball fanatics why the Trojans were still in the competition when he bowled the last over, from which only one run was scored.

In meant the Entertainers could muster only 24 runs – and that for the loss of 4 wickets – in replying to the Trojans’ 32 runs.

Earl Gilkes top-scored for the Entertainers with 14.

In an invited comment, hardball coach of the UG Trojans, Kenroy Joseph, said: “We are very excited to finally get past Christopher Barnwell. He has been a thorn in UG’s path. We had our game plan, and that was just to keep bowling full and straight; and it worked for us.

“The tournament has thus far united us and made us more

focused on training to achieve this type of performance in the hardball arena. The tournament has also motivated me to keep my lads’ focus on our goal. To see that our rigid training regime has paid off was very refreshing.

We are currently back in the gym, where we are preparing for the new season of hardball cricket.

“I would like to thank our Sports Organizer Ms Lavern Fraser for her relentless support of our team.”

The UG Trojans are now rightful owners of the top prize of $150,000.

A total of 11 team had participated in the tournament.

They are: UG Trojans, Entertainers, Hadfield Street, Defenders, Team Corruption, Eccles All Stars, Christ Ambassadors, and Underdogs.

This event, which gained the support of the National Sports Commission (NSC), is so far sponsored by Superbet, Banks DIH, Ramps Logistics Ltd,

G

eorgetown Cricket Club all-rounder (GCC) Winston Forrester continued his fine form over the weekend by blasting a quick-fire 36 off 22 deliveries for his club, Atlantis Cricket Club, in action against the Jabza Cricket Club in the Clement "Busta" Lawrence Premier League 2019 tournament.

Forrester has now moved up the runs chart, having scored 210 runs at an average of 105, and is currently only a single run behind the leading run-scorer of the tournament.

In the Atlantis 35-over matchup against the Jazba, Atlantis won the toss and elected to bowl. Jazba’s anticipated start never materialised, and they soon found themselves at 55-5 after the first ten overs, with Joseph Brown having ripped through the top order and Guyana’s Ashmead Nedd having picked up a wicket with his miserly bowling.

However, unfazed, Saeed Janjua took the fight to Atlantis, and brought up his half-century in 57 balls, despite wickets falling around him. But just when it looked as if Janjua would have carried on, he was bowled by Triston Carmichael; and was forced to watch his side crumble, as Carmichael rallied on to clean up the tail and decimate the Jabaz CC from 96-6 to 143 all out in 29.3 overs.

Carmichael returned figures of 4-34; Joseph Brown, 3-24; Dillon Bourne, 1-33; and Ashmead Nedd, 1-17.

Need a small total of 144 for victory off 35 overs, openers Randal Wilson and Winston Forrester – the more aggressive of the two -dominated the weak Jabaz bowling lineup.

Eventually, with the score at 73-1 in the 8th over, Forrester fell for a well-played 36, which included 3 boundaries and 2 maximums.

Randal Wilson and Yannick Elliot were however able to carry on, and ended the match in 16.5 overs with the score at 144-1.

Wilson top-scored with 55, and Elliot chipped in with 35, to give their side yet another win in the league. Quazim Javed was the only bowler to take a wicket, ending with figures of 1-36.

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Prospective Guyana U-19 batsman Alphius Bookie confident of likely selection

By Brandon Corlette

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rom my analysis of the 2019 Handin-Hand Under-19 Inter-County tournament, Alphius Bookie looks to be one of the better middle-order batsmen.

With the Guyana Under-19 players preparing for the 2019 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Under-19 tournament slated for later this month, Bookie has said he is confident of being offered a place in the final Guyana Under-19 squad.

Speaking exclusively with this reporter, Bookie said he was expecting more during this 2019 Inter-County tournament, but is thankful for the opportunity to represent Guyana.

“I am thankful for the opportunity to put some solid performances in, but I (am) not contented, since there is always room for improvement”, Bookie declared.

The Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) player, a gifted right-handed middle-order batsman, has been a seasoned youth player at the Regional level, having twice played for Guyana Under-15 and twice for Guyana Under-17 in the past. He will be eyeing a maiden call-up in the Guyana Under-19 team for the 2019 tournament, which will be played in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

His journey as a cricketer began when, around age 5-6, he was exposed to the game by relatives from his father’s side who were more sport- oriented. “We used to play cricket all day in the streets, and we found out about DCC. My Uncle played for DCC, and

he introduced me to the game”, ball and hungry for wickets Bookie explained. at the time.

Bookie said he started to The 2019 CWI play at the Under-13 level, Regional Under-19 and made great strides as a tournament will be DCC player, playing an inplayed in the 50-over tegral role in his team’s sucOne-day format only, cess. Born on November 2, and Bookie would be the 2000, Bookie has a high score perfect middle-order batsof 131 not out, and his best man because he is capable bowling figure is 4-21, bowling of batting deep, and accelerright-arm medium. ating the score if required.

Among the current Guyana In the 2019 inter-counUnder-19 middle order batsty one-day format, he men, Bookie has a sound batscored the most runs ting technique. Most midfor a middle order dle order batsmen who batsman with competed in the 2019 138 runs for Hand-in-Hand InterDemerara County tournain four Bookie represented Guyana Under 15 ment, both the innings. and Under 17 twice three-day and A n one-day formats, area of conhad starts but failed cern for the prospective to convert those starts. Guyana U-19 batsman is Bookie was able to bat- converting those starts he tle his way through, scoring has had across both formats. two half-centuries across for“I had scores of 51, two scores mats.

His most important in the twenties, one score in the thirties, innings came in the final against and an unbeaten 63”, he disclosed. “I am Berbice, when he scored a combatting 30. looking to change that and carry on with He showed his ability to manoeuvre the some big scores.” ball and overcome some quality Berbice In the latter part of this interview with bowling from the likes of West Indies U-19 Bookie, he told this reporter that he wantselectees Kevlon Anderson and Kevin ed to thank all those who have been lending Umroa, who were breathing fire with the him their support.

Alphius Bookie bats during the intercounty U-19 tournament

“I really want to thank the Almighty for leading me through, hence for this opportunity; and also my Dad and Mom and all my other supporters”, Bookie declared.

The gifted Demerara player has said he is a bit nervous ahead of his maiden Regional U-19 berth, but he is mostly confident, since he has, for some time now, been putting in the extra work on his game.

Junior teams intensify Foster urges National preparations ahead of CFU, Under-17 trio to be role models CONCACAF tournaments

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A glimpse of the male practice sessions

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ollowing the Guyana Senior team’s debut at the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Gold Cup last week, the focus of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) will now be shifted to Guyana’s youth teams, as they prepare for a string of international engagements over the next few months.

Given the close proximity of the looming tournaments, training for the various National teams will be intensified in the coming weeks, as the countdown to their participation in key Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and CONCACAF youth tournaments in the July – September window draws closer.

Guyana is scheduled to participate in six youth tournaments, as follows; CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Qualifiers: from 13th-21st July 2019, to be held in Guyana; preliminary Round of Men’s Under-23 Olympic Qualifiers (home & away matches): from 17th - 21st July 2019; CFU Girls’ Under-14: from 1st12th August 2019 (Group 5), to be held in the Dominican Republic; CONCACAF Under-15 Boys’ Championships: from 4th-12th August 2019, to be held at the IMG Academy; CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championships: from 21st 25th August; and the Caribbean Football Union Boys’ Under-14: scheduled for September 2019.

Preparations, which began in May, saw teams engaged in a weekly schedule of training at the GFF National Training Centre at Providence.

“The preparation is taking the form of two weekly sessions for all the youth teams,

utilising weekdays from 16:00hrs-18:00hrs; and weekends, when available, for an additional two hours,” said Bryan Joseph, GFF’s Youth Development Officer. “We have been implementing or applying the new strategy relative to how we prepare national teams, so we’re not doing short, compressed preparation anymore; we’re doing preparation over a longer period. While the number of sessions do not increase, what increases is the period of time that we are actually spending in preparing the groups,” Joseph added.

Commenting on the composition of the technical squad, Joseph said this is being led by the Technical Department.

“We haven’t yet been able to confirm the staff for the various groups, even though respective individuals have been identified and have been working with the various groups. There is some overlapping taking place, but as we get closer to tournament date and encampment, we’ll finalise the respective staff,” he has said.

Players are being taken from the various academy training centres (ATCs) as well as from scouting activities and from those identified by the various technical development officers (TDOs).

For the CONCACAF Women’s Under 20 Qualifiers, Guyana has been placed in Group ‘A’ along with Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname and St. Lucia. Matches are scheduled for the National Track and Field Centreat Leonora (Guyana), and at the Warner Park in St. Kitts & Nevis.

erbice Cricket Board (BCB) President, Hilbert Foster, recently advised the trio selected to represent G u y a n a Under-17 in the Cricket West Indies ( C W I ) Regional Under-17 tournament to be role models.

Those players: Tu c b e r P a r k ’s Zeynul

Thursday July 4, 2019, to participate in the tourney, which is slated to be held on July 6, 2019.

Foster, speaking on behalf of the BCB, relayed the mportance of discipline and the importance of upholding the high standards that Guyanese legends such as Rohan Kanhai and Basil Butcher have set in the past.

E a c h of these players was given $10,000 from the BCB’s

Sarwan Chaitnarine

Ramsammy, Blairmont’s Marvan Prashad, and Albion’s Sarwan Chaitnarine, will depart Guyana’s s h o r e s t o d a y, Marvan Prashad

D r Puran S i n g h National Player Stipend Fund, and each also received a trophy.

Foster has wished them success on and off the cricket field, and has said in a social media post, “We are very proud of the

Zeynul Ramsammy (Brandon Corlette photos)

three boys, but we are frustrated that the likes of Gourav Ramesh, Jonathan Rampersaud, Isai Thorne and Rampertab Ramnauth could not gain selection when their cricketing skills are far more superior to some of the players selected from Demerara and Essequibo.”

Ramesh, the Albion leftarm spinner, has given a good account of himself; while Rampersaud has been a good performer overtime, having played for Guyana Under-15.

Thorne and Ramnauth are the rising talents who are in the West Indies U-15 team to tour England.

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thursday, JUly 4, 2019

Afghanistan’s chance to give coach Phil Simmons a send-off gift – Gayle to play final WC match

Chris Gayle

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ifteen months ago, Afghanistan and West Indies faced off in the finals of the World Cup Qualifiers in Harare. It was a landmark day in Afghanistan’s young cricketing history, as they toppled the two-time World Cup winners to make a statement that they deserved to be here.

Unfortunately, the only statement that the world seems to remember from their 2019 campaign is Gulbadin Naib’s “Hum to dube hai sanam, tujhe bhi lekar dubenge (we are already drowned darling, but we’ll take you with us)” quip ahead of the match against Bangladesh.

Beyond that, of course, there are those who would say Afghanistan should

Jason Holder

have beaten India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In each of those games, their lack of experience and poor tactics were exposed. However, the bigger question still stares at them: Did they give themselves the best chance to compete? Should they have tinkered with their leadership?

Then there was also the controversy over Mohammad Shahzad’s injury, even as the wicketkeeper-batsman claimed to be a victim of board politics. Public differences between the sacked Selection Committee chief and outgoing Head Coach Phil Simmons haven’t helped them either.

Now in their final game, they would want to give Simmons a fitting farewell.

For West Indies, this World Cup promised much more. Their battery of young players - Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer - are being hailed as some of the best talent to emerge in recent times. Chris Gayle wanted it to be his swansong, Andre Russell brought with him the threat that made him IPL’s MVP. Shannon Gabriel’s fire, Oshane Thomas’s pace, and Jason Holder’s bounce all brought with them a fine fast-bowling cocktail. They had Australia tottering at 38 for 4, posted 300+ against Bangladesh, came within one blow of victory against New Zealand, and then squandered a winning position against Sri Lanka.

How it could all go wrong is a question they would do well to answer, although they will be the first to admit that they have underachieved.

Ahead of their flight back for a Home Series against India, they’d want to carry back some happy memories.

In the spotlight Not too many selection committees gamble on a batsman with just one ODI under his belt ahead of a World Cup. Yet, as they leave, Nicholas Pooran’s

Linden basketball to resurge with new backboard ...Clubs and Association to decide way forward tonight

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fter a long wait, and no sign of assistance forthcoming for the return of competitive basketball to the mining town and Linden, the Linden Amateur Basketball Association has located the old metal backboard which was replaced by the fibreglass ones donated by the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation some years ago.

Today (Thursday), at 18.30hrs at the MSC Pavilion, the LABA meets with affiliated basketball clubs, and LABA President Lawrence Simon will inform the affiliates of the plans to once again have basketball played in Linden after one of the two fibre glass backboards which were donated by the Kashif and Shanghai years ago became damaged when personnel from another promotion sought to have it shifted.

The LABA and the NSC had gone about seeking to have a replacement fibreglass backboard, and quotation of one to be bought locally was done, but of recent that situation had not changed; thus the association has decided to re-invent one of the

batting has been among the biggest positives for West Indies. His 118 against Sri Lanka is the highest by a West Indies player this World Cup. He’s the only West Indies batsman to average above 40 this tournament. Against Sri Lanka, he fell with his side needing 31 in three overs. If he gets into a similar situation, he’d be itching to finish it off and prove it to be his next step of learning.

Gulbadin Naib may have well replayed the 46th over against Pakistan many times over in his head.

He’d perhaps do things differently if he could warp back in a time machine. Could he have bowled Samiullah Shinwari? Would that have left Pakistan needing 18 or 20 off the final over?

Could they have won? Now Naib has a final opportunity to leave his mark on the world stage.

Team news Kemar Roach trained fulltilt, a hint that he could be back for West Indies. Hamid

Afghanistan Head Coach Phil Simmons

Hasan’s injury for Afghanistan could mean a debut for leftarm medium pacer Sayed Shirzad.

Chris Gayle

Pitch and conditions Forecast is for a bright start, with cloud cover and possibly some rain towards the evening.

This could make the toss tricky. Do you then play for DLS, or go with the tried-andtested mantra of batting first, batting big and choking the opponents? As such, both sides have chased poorly.

They may as well bat first when the surface is at its best.

Strategy punt Three matches at No. 5, five games at No.

and an underage competition, have the clubs involved in weekend playoff games, and target the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation’s National Club Championships, even though none of the clubs was active since late last year.

The clubs are therefore reminded that they must register players for the planned competitions, and ensure they attend this evening’s meeting.

6.

Afghanistan haven’t maximised Mohammad Nabi’s utility. Branding him a finisher has meant he’s largely batted when games have all been decided, the India clash being an exception. They need to find a way to slot him a spot higher.

Gayle isn’t comfortable against spin upfront.

Not if the bowler at the other end is Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Remember the qualifier final last year? A googly that drew him forward, only to rip away and crash into the stumps.

Since then, of course, Gayle and Mujeeb have been team-mates at the IPL. Can Afghanistan look to play on his ego once again?

Stats and trivia Sheldon Cottrell’s seven wickets are the most for a bowler inside the first 10 overs this World Cup. Afghanistan have used five opening pairs, the most by any team this tournament.

West Indies average 11.1 for the first wicket, the lowest among all teams.

Mujeeb’s economy rate of 4.3 is the best among spinners who have bowled at least 20 overs. (Cricinfo)

Jamaican hurdles champion headed to AP Invitational

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urrent Jamaican National 400m hurdles champion, Rushell Clayton, will be at the Aliann Pompey Invitational meet set for Saturday, July 6th at 15:00h at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, WCD. Clayton recently won the 400m hurdles at the Jamaica National Trials with a time of 54.73s, and is also the defending 400m hurdles champ

of the AP Invitational.

With Guyana now developing its 400m hurdles potential, having the Jamaican national champion in attendance is definitely going to be a big boost for the meet.

Clayton is also ranked number 29 in the world, and is improving as she competes. A big win could mean rising in the world ranking for Clayton.

Guyanese athletes now have a chance to compete

The backboard being mounted at the MSC hard-court

two metal ones and have the MSC mount it at the facility.

This follows approaches made to the National Sports Commission and the Regional Democratic Council for assistance. In the end, these steps are being taken to re-use the old metal back board until that situation changes.

The clubs will tonight be informed of the plans for the rest of the year, which should include having an inter-ward

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A preliminary list of this weekend’s participants

against a class performer, and the ability to pick the brain of Clayton will foster development for that particular event.

This International talent will add to the presence of Ghanian Sprinter Joseph Amoah, who has also confirmed his participation in this weekend’s competition.

Amoah is expected to compete in the 100m and 200m against some of Guyana’s best over that distance.

thursday, JUly 4, 2019

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

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Afghanistan’s chance to give Coach Phil Simmons a send-off gift – Gayle to play final WC match

Bairstow, Wood put England in semi-finals

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Jamaican hurdles champion headed to AP Invitational

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