Guyana Times October 31 ,2017

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Issue No. 3378

PRICE

Teachers promised interim salary increase of 6-8%

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Sod turned for construction of $130M Food & Drug complex P10

Page 3

– strike called off following meeting with President Executive members of the Guyana Teachers Union making their way out of State House on Monday following a meeting with President David Granger and other top Government officials

147lbs cocaine found during drug bust

Page 2

…cocaine found in sealed rice bags in container destined for Belgium Border controversy with Venezuela

Guyana recommits to Good Officer Process Page 5

– agrees to another meeting

Rockstone Fish Festival tragedy Page 7

– body of Gavin Moses still missing

Sex workers, 2 others remanded for robbery P8 2000 to P9 graduate from UG in Nov

Accountant charged with forging tint permit P8

Lindener P14 dominates Rockstone Fish Festival 2017

2 news

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

147lbs cocaine found during drug bust ‌cocaine found in sealed rice bags in container destined for Belgium

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he interception of an outgoing shipment over the weekend has led local authorities to the discovery of some 147 pounds (66.8 kilos) of cocaine, randomly hidden in sealed 45-kilogram bags of rice destined for export to Belgium.

Guyana Times understands that city businessman Andre Poonai, of Golden Grains Investments Limited, has since been arrested and taken into custody to assist with the investigation.

According to reports, the

The parcels containing cocaine that were unearthed in the rice consignment

raid commenced at the John Fernandes Wharf, Water Street, Georgetown since Friday, October 27, 2017.

However, the narcotics were uncovered just before lunch the following day. The containers were scheduled to leave Guyana Friday evening During the exercise, the officers unloaded and searched the five rice-filled 20-foot containers, and discovered taped parcels containing a white powdery substance in some of the rice bags.

The suspected cocaine was weighed. The bust was a collaborative effort between agents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and the Guyana Revenue Authority’s Container

Control Programme (CCP).

According to CANU, the broker responsible for the rice consignment remains in custody. The businessman reportedly gave a Barr Street, Kitty, Georgetown address on the shipping documents, but it turns out that no operations were being carried out there.

Back in August, Narcotics Police in Jamaica found cocaine with a street value of over J$100 million in a shipment of rice that travelled from Guyana through the Dominican Republic.

It was reported that the Police, accompanied by members of the Customs Contraband Enforcement Team, conducted a snap operation at the Kingston Container Terminal and

One of the rice bags in which the cocaine parcels were concealed

immediately trained their focus on cargo from specific containers. During the examination of a 40-foot container, a total of five leather bags were revealed to be hidden among the shipment.

The bags had a total of 78 parcels, each containing the white powdery substance.

news

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tuesDAY, october 31, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

Tuesday, October 31 – a night-time closure of 02:00h and a day-time closure of 14:30h-16:00h and Wednesday, November 1 – a night-time closure of 02:30h and a day-time closure of 14:30h-16:00h.

Tuesday, October 31 – 13:30h-15:00h and Wednesday, November 1 – 14:10h-15:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions interrupted by heavy rain showers in the mid-morning and early afternoon hours, with partly cloudy skies and thundery showers in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from East North-easterly to South Southwesterly between 0.89 metre and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 13:48h reaching a maximum height of 2.42 metres.

Low Tide: 07:16h and 19:44h reaching minimum heights of 0.82 metre and 0.78 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, October 28, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS 02 04 08 16 27 28 06 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017

DAILY MILLIONS 10 14 15 16 19 LUCKY 3 1 2 7 Afternoon Draw

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– strike called off following meeting with President

By Samuel Sukhnandan

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

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Teachers promised interim salary increase of 6-8%

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Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

03 04 10 11 12 14 18 DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

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eachers will receive an interim salary increase ranging from six to eight per cent, retroactive to January 1, 2017.

This decision was made following a meeting between officials of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), President David Granger and several top Government officials at State House on Monday.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to the establishment of a high-level task force comprising representatives from the Ministries of Education, Finance, Communities, Public Service and Presidency and representatives of the Union.

GTU President Mark Lyte disclosed that the first meeting of the Task Force was set for Wednesday, November 1, 2017 after which a decision would be made on the timeline for the work of the Committee. He said the meeting also led to the planned two-day teachers’ strike being called off.

“We would like to say now coming out of this meeting and fruitful discussion, the way forward on this…the President exhibited a lot of interest in what was going to be happening and we believe that we have reached a point where we can safely say that the Union will no longer be going forward with the strike that was planned for Thursday and Friday,” the top GTU official told media operatives.

Asked whether he thought that the stand taken by the Union helped to fast track this meeting with the President and led to the setting of the committee, Lyte responded in the affirmative. “We believe that the action taken was one that was needed, because it seems as though no one was really paying attention to the interest of the teachers other than talk in public forum (about) teachers’ interest, but we feel coming out of today’s meeting, the President has been made aware of several things that were decided at different forum that in our view never went to the level that we thought it would have been placed.”

In a joint statement issued on Monday, it stated that Education Minister Nicolette Henry has consented to taking the issue of the composition of the Task Force to Cabinet today, Tuesday, October 31, 2017. Apart from that, the Task Force will hold its first meeting to establish timelines for its meetings and the completion of its work.

The Union has also agreed to provide a complete dossier of its financial and non-financial submissions

by Wednesday, November 1, 2017.

Executive members of the Guyana Teachers Union making their way out of State House on Monday following a meeting with President David Granger and other top Government officials

It was also noted that President Granger proposed that the discussions take a holistic view on the improvement of the education sector. The Task Force will, therefore, also take account of the findings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Education Sector in Guyana and other matters relating to the well-being of teachers and students. The intention is to have these issues addressed.

During a meeting on Thursday, October 26, a delegation from the GTU staged a walkout during discussions about a proposed multi-year agreement. Present at that meeting were Education Minister Henry, Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson and team, while the Union had its President, General Secretary Coretta McDonald and other union

members present.

According to the Ministry in a statement

after the meeting, the walkout was prompted by Minister Henry informing the Union that Government could only offer teachers the same increases it offered all public servants.

Dissatisfied with the response, the GTU President decided that the meeting should not continue and together with his colleagues left the boardroom.

According to the Ministry, the GTU had informed them it had no problem with the Government’s approach to non-financial issues, based on the last meeting the Union had with officials. The problems reportedly arose from the financial aspect of discussions which included salary increases, debunching, allowances and duty-free concessions. turn to page 7

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tuesDAY, october 31, 2017

Views Sunlit Dive

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, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Chinese leader A

little more than a week ago, there was a seismic event in China that did not register on Guyana’s radar significantly enough, probably because of the fallout from President Granger’s bombshell of unilaterally appointing former Justice James Patterson as GECOM Chairman. But the event in China -- the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) 19th National Congress confirming President Xi Jinping for another five-year term -- will certainly have a far-reaching effect in global politics, and probably will in the end outweigh the infelicitous act of Granger here in Guyana.

China has already replaced the United States as the largest investor in Latin America and the Caribbean, and with the bold strategy outlined by President Xi Jinping, that country will play an increasingly powerful role, with its trillions in foreign reserves, in a region that is heavily dependent on Foreign Direct Investment. Only last week, Jamaica announced it is contemplating using the Chinese currency as its reserve.

The individual at the helm of China is, therefore, by definition an individual the world needs to become familiar with. Xi had long been identified as a future leader -- when he was selected while in his fifties to become a member of the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), the party’s and the country’s highest ruling council. Today, with no younger leader placed there who may be considered as his successor, analysts are convinced he would be selected for a third term in 2022.

Many had expected Xi to pack the PSC with his loyalists, but Xi has evidently decided to increase his standing within the CPC by allowing a wide range of interests to be represented. The members of the Politburo (18) and the Central Committee (207) are also cast in the same mould.

But the most far-reaching decision, which demonstrated the reach of Xi’s influence, was the unanimous decision of the 2300 delegates representing the 90 million members of the CPC: to elevate “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” into the CPC’s Constitution.

This was an almost unprecedented move, since only Deng Xiaoping and Mao Zedong have been accorded such an honour. Deng, of course, rescued China from the disastrous policies of Chairman Mao, and was the architect of the post1978 China that is now the second largest economy in the world, and which moved more people out of poverty than at any other country in the world.

Deng’s plan was based on the “24-character strategy”, which demanded the Chinese to: “observe calmly, secure our position, cope with affairs calmly, hide our capacities, bide our time, be good at maintaining a low profile, never claim leadership.” More concretely it embarked on what was called the “four modernisations” – of agriculture, industry, science and technology and defence. At that time, the struggle was originally to overcome poverty and backwardness.

The “thoughts” of Xi will now guide China at least until 2035, when it is projected that China would become “a great, modern socialist country”; and, not so incidentally, the largest economy in the world. During this time, the goal would be to not necessarily focus on the double-digit growth rates that may careen out of control, but to ensure that regional disparities are reduced. By 2050, China would become “a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced country with Chinese characteristics”.

While not spelt out in the Constitution, the “Chinese Characteristics” include a growing role for Buddhist values, exemplified by Xi’s rehabilitation of thousands of monasteries. According to Xi, this would make China “a global leader in terms of composite national strength and international influence”.

Through all of this, however, while it was explicitly stated that market forces would be allowed to play the “decisive” role in resource allocation, and supply-side structural reform will be pursued, to the consternation of some in the West, President Xi has recommitted to ensuring that the CPC will guide all changes, and remain in firm control of the powerful People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Sunlight shines into the water as a diver swims in a cenote in Mexico. “It’s an amazing and unique experience in the life of an underwater photographer,” says National Geographic ‘Your Shot’ photographer Fabrice Guerin. “The mysticism, beauty, and exuberance of these underwater landscapes make me feel like I discovered another world”

Patterson’s appointment an affront to our democracy and social cohesion Dear Editor, In the face of an encroaching dictatorship, there is no place for subtleness and diplomacy; the time for political correctness has elapsed.

From my interactions, while a few in the media and APNU/AFC apologists have no qualms or misgivings in defending the indefensible and dividing our country, the majority of right-thinking Guyanese view the President’s decision as a rejection of democratic and constitutional norms.

To unilaterally appoint a retired Justice as GECOM Chairman or anyone else for that matter outside provisions of the Constitution and the long-valued, accepted Carter/Price formula is to contaminate the electoral machinery and process, thus casting a shadow of distrust and suspicion ahead of Local Government and General Elections to be held in 2018

and 2020 respectively.

There could be no justification for the President’s deviation from his promises of social cohesion, transparency, and accountability when the discussion around this illegal appointment has become one of the candidate’s “blackness” and affiliation as reasons for his suitability for the position of GECOM Chair.

It is time we reject the injection of race and ethnicity in every discussion; it serves to further polarise our society as is being done by the APNU/AFC’s proxy groups.

It is disgusting to denigrate the GECOM controversy into a choice of race over the Constitution, law and principles of good governance.

To see in the days that followed Granger’s unconstitutional act, a group claiming to represent the interest of Rastafarians and the black community issue a statement

glorifying his deviation into dictatorial terrains, by basically stating that it was time for an Afro-Guyanese to be elevated to the position of GECOM Chair could not be more catastrophic to social cohesion and race relations in Guyana. That statement was dishonest since it failed in recognising that Rudy Collins, an Afro-Guyanese, served as GECOM Chairman in 1992.

But more than that, there were several Afro-Guyanese on the list submitted by the Opposition Leader, many of whom are fittingly qualified with appropriate managerial and technical skills over Patterson yet they did not win the confidence of the President. It leaves right-thinking Guyanese to speculate that the President had some hidden criteria, if not sinister motive.

I, therefore, agree with the Opposition Leader and other

right-thinking Guyanese who have posited that the issues is not whether retired Justice Patterson is black, white or blue, but it is the manner in which his appointment was done. It was expeditious, lacked transparency, consultation and input from members of society and political parties aligned with the coalition Government. No other president since 1992 had abandoned the Constitution or the Carter/ Price formula the way President Granger did. No other decision taken by President Granger has the potential to undo our democracy as his unconstitutional appointment of retired Justice Patterson as GECOM head. It is an affront to our democracy and social cohesion and warrants condemnation in the strongest possible language.

Sincerely, Attiya Baksh

Heaven help the citizens of Georgetown Dear Editor, Here we go again! City Hall in the news. Do you think it is for something positive like fixing the roads, or improving street lighting, or commissioning a new state of the art Abattoir and meat processing facility? Of course not. It is about them facilitating, condoning and attempted a cover up of a dreadful crime against a juvenile.

The Town Clerk would like the citizens to believe that one day, whilst conducting an unrelated meeting in his office, someone sent the juvenile victim in the ‘Sex and the City’ case without prior notification to see him, who was allowed in without any let or hindrance, and all he ̶ the Town Clerk

did, was ask the youngster his name and age and then sent the boy on his way. Oh boy, Oh boy!

Has any member of the public ever tried to meet with the Town Clerk? And was that person successfully able to meet with him just like that?

Or did they have to try and try and try again? Is having the victim visit him in his office and interrogating him even if it were just two questions, not a meeting and an interview?

But the question is why did it take approximately three weeks to bring the matter before the Legal Affairs Committee and two months before bringing the matter to the attention of the Police. And he has the audacity to say that

he finally contacted the police in order to “preserve the good name and image” of the City Council. Yes you read correctly, to “preserve the good name and image” of the Georgetown City Council. Now this is no time for the Town Clerk to be making sick jokes like that.

The Georgetown Municipality must have the worst reputation in the world.

This is the same man, the Town Clerk who objected to a City Councillor approaching and asking one of his children a question about him, but he is free to question other people’s children who are victims of a sex crime. How funny?

The depravity of the Council came out in the suggestion by the Mayor that the

whole of the downstairs needs reorganising. One has to assume that she is referring to the lower level of staff occupying the ground floor. But what about the upstairs? Does the Town Clerk not need to go on his accrued leave? Those preventing an effective audit being carried out at the Council don’t need to be gotten rid of? Do the Human Resource Department officials who failed to interdict the offending Lance Corporal but who kept him on the job, not need to have disciplinary measures taken against them?

Heaven help the citizens of Georgetown!

Sincerely, Jermain Johnson

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guyanatimesgy.com

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News

Border controversy with Venezuela

Guyana recommits to Good Officer Process – agrees to another meeting

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ollowing an over-theweekend meeting between officials representing Guyana and those representing Venezuela in examining the border controversy between the two neighbouring nations, a mutual position has emerged that, in the near future, another meeting between the sides would be convened as part of ongoing talks to resolve the border controversy between the two neighbouring South American states.

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge met with his Venezuelan counterpart on October 28 and 29 to discuss the controversy. Their meeting was held at the United Nations (UN) Head Office in New York.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that Mr Dag Nylander, Personal Representative of the United Nations Secretary-

General, had facilitated those discussions, organised within the framework of the Good Officer’s mandate entrusted to the Secretary-General under the Geneva Agreement of 1966.

The Foreign Ministers and their delegations exchanged views on issues related to the controversy with the aim of exploring options for a full agreement for its solution, the release noted.

“They also reaffirmed their commitment to the Good Offices process, and reiterated that their Governments will remain actively engaged with the Personal Representative.

The parties (have) agreed to meet again, to continue discussions within this framework and to explore options for the resolution of the border controversy,” the missive from the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

Relations between

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

Guyana and Venezuela have worsened ever since oil giant ExxonMobil announced in 2015 that it had found oil in Guyana. Venezuela has staunchly been against oil exploration in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, where multiple oil deposits were found

by ExxonMobil. In fact, the Venezuelan National

Assembly had, in March 2017, approved an agreement to reject the oil exploration activities.

Venezuela, with almost 40 times the population of Guyana and a territory that is several times bigger, claimed, in 1968, the entire territorial sea of Guyana by means of the Leoni Decree, which has never been withdrawn.

In 2015, the Government of Guyana had requested then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to take steps aimed at resolving this controversy. In 2016, as a consequence of a stalemate on the matter, the outgoing Ban Kimoon agreed with his successor, António Guterres, to continue using the Good Offices Process until the end of 2017 as a means of arriving at a settlement.

It is with this intention that Guterres appointed Nylander as an envoy to

resolve the border spat. The mandate of the Personal Representative is that, “If, by the end of 2017, the Secretary-General concludes that no significant progress has been made toward arriving at a full agreement for the solution of the controversy, he will choose the International Court of Justice as the next means of settlement, unless the Governments of Guyana and Venezuela jointly request that he refrain from doing so.”

Meanwhile, Venezuela, once an economic powerhouse in the region because of its oil revenues, has been dealing with issues such as a spiralling economy and civil unrest.

And despite the border spat, there have been several instances when Guyana has either been called on to render Venezuela assistance, or has offered such assistance.

Back in May of this year, Venezuelan Ambassador

to Guyana, Her Excellency Reina Diaz, had called on Guyana to support her government’s efforts to end the unrest ongoing in Venezuela.

While there have been varying reports, most have put the death toll from those unrests at over 100.

Ambassador Reina Diaz noted that at the international level, Guyana can support the actions taken by the Venezuelan Government to resolve the situation in that country; and in this regard, Venezuela has already seen support from the region, including from CARICOM governments and CILAC. However, Guyana’s assistance did not stop there, as Government announced in September that it would be providing medical assistance to Venezuelan nationals following an outbreak of measles in that Spanish-speaking country.

This party is history Dear Editor, Undoubtedly, the AFC is ‘dead meat’, the former Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan should take solace in the fact that his clairvoyance skill is now indisputable.

The AFC’s 12th anniversary was advertised extensively on the Internet and a man from the Diaspora went abroad and collected funds to ensure that the event, which was slated for the Whim Cricket Ground, would somehow convince the few remaining AFC members that the party is alive and well. There was supposed to be such a celebration that Dr Ramayya who lived a couple hundred yards away would rue the day he fled from the AFC. A massive crowd was envisaged according to the ‘invitation’ circulated.

The theme for this celebration was “Reflection, Evaluation and Projection”, recognising 12 years of “robust, strategic and successful representation… as part of the Coalition Government”. It further added that, “let us show our appreciation for each other for the sincere support throughout the years by celebrating with our families whose support we could not have done without”. The ‘invitation’ promised “lots of entertainment and fun activities such as singing, dancing, Bar-B-Q and novelty games”.

According to the ‘invitation’, free transportation was to be provided and a ‘motorcade’ would have left the AFC headquarters in Kitty at 7:30h (7:30 am) heading for the Whim Community playground where they would ‘prepare for each other…cater for each other…

share with each other…and celebrate together’.

But at 18:00h (6 pm) on that day, 29th October, 2017, no motorcade showed up at the Whim Community Centre Ground.

There were only about 40 persons present of whom 23 were CORE workers from the Government taken there by an AFC executive member to ensure a ‘massive crowd’.

However, only the Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Ms Valerie Garrido-Lowe found the time or was instructed to be there. This is real ‘social cohesion’ in action. The Prime Minister, Mr Moses Nagamootoo, who took great ‘pride’ in being born at Whim, was notably absent as was the Minister of Public Security, Mr Khemraj Ramjattan, whose ‘navel string’ is buried in Berbice; therefore, it will be a waste of time to question the absence of the Minister of Natural Resources, Mr Raphael Trotman, another Berbician, and those other AFC Ministers such as Mr Holder and Mr Patterson.

Even the MPs were also in hiding, two of whom are from Berbice.

Apart from the notable handful of persons who attended and the absence of the ‘fat cats’, there is now a big scandal. Many prominent businessmen, after seeing the few attendees, are now questioning what happened to the huge amount of donations they gave towards the event. One businessman gave $350,000 in cash, and it was reported that huge amounts of chicken, liquor, soft drinks, and cash were collected from businesses yet the few attendees had to buy food

and drinks according to an AFC Executive member, Mr Gladwyn Abdulla. According to him, it was a shame and disgrace to watch the RMC members eating and drinking to their fill while the few invitees and their families’ mouths were ‘dripping’. He concluded that it was ‘a great shame on our AFC leaders’.

Certainly what happened at Whim was not what the ‘invitation’ had promised. It promised to ‘prepare…cater… share and celebrate’. But now it must be concluded that the ‘invitation’ was more likely setting the stage for ripping off businessmen. I have always said it as a former member of the AFC that ‘corruption and cronyism’ pervade and Guyanese must never expect it to be any better.

Moreover, there were no ‘entertainment and fun activities such as singing, dancing, Bar-B-Q and novelty games’. One AFC member said that a ‘wake house’ was better than the 12th anniversary ‘celebration’.

This now brings me to the theme: “Reflection, Evaluation and Projection”, recognising 12 years of “robust, strategic and successful representation…as part of the Coalition Government”.

It is clear that at this ‘celebration’, the theme was ab-

sent just like the leaders of the AFC. If the AFC is doing any ‘reflection’, then it would have been apparent that they made a huge blunder by coalescing with the PNC and any ‘evaluation’ would have allowed them to ‘project’ their demise. Ramjattan was absolutely correct. The ‘projection’ of ‘dead meat’ aptly describes the AFC’s status right now. The compelling facts that the CORE workers from the Government made up the core of the audience, compounded by the absence of the AFC leaders are conclusive evidence to support this. Most of their members and supporters are back with the PPP. Names such as Dr Ramayya and Erwin Abdulla immediately come to mind.

In conclusion, repeating platitudes such as ‘robust, strategic and successful representation…as part of the Coalition Government’ will not convince anyone that the Cummingsburg Accord is not even worth the paper it’s printed on. The AFC has failed to represent any one of its members and supporters and the fact that it was not ‘consulted’ on such a vitally important decision as the appointment of the GECOM Chairman speaks volumes. There are many issues such as the Public

Procurement Commission which the AFC was adamant about and failed to address when they became part of the Government, resulting in the corrupt practices which resulted in the drugs scandal. These will vitiate any ‘robust, strategic and successful representation’. Furthermore, it would be extremely difficult to convince anyone that the AFC is free from corruption; it’s the reverse. They are so steeped in corruption that they are

unable to keep their hands clean even from any forms of donations. However, no one man is capable of stemming this tide of corruption within the AFC, I tried and I was unceremoniously expelled.

If I am wrong, I would like the AFC to convince me about the veracity of the theme.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf RDC Councillor – Region 6

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Foundation

Courageous parents, smart children

– new research shows how your attitude toward life can make your child smarter

By John D Rich, PhD

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Continued from Monday

hen there is a failure or mistake, the external LOC has an easy excuse for why it happened ("It wasn't God's will"; "I guess it wasn't meant to be"; "This is what my life is like –it's like the fates are stacked against me."), and the internal LOC looks for reasons why the failure or mistake occurred, so that they can improve their chances for success in the future ("I guess I need to practice more"; "Next time, I'm going to practice my interview skills in the mirror"; "Time to go back to the drawing board and revisit my goals.")

How this impacts your children

According to two recent studies, a parent's internal LOC, measured at that parent's child's birth, is predictive of that child's cognition at ages 4 and 8. Specifically, parents’ internal LOC is related to increased IQ scores, GPA, and academic test scores. Let's pause for a minute and think about that. Your beliefs about your life are connected to your child's intelligence!

Why might this be? Let's think this through. What kinds of behaviours might you see from a parent that would affect his child's ability to reason, think about the future, or use perspective taking (some major components of intelligence)? According to the authors of these studies, there are an amazing number of answers to this question, which help make sense of the pathway from LOC to child cognitive ability: 1) Parents who believe their actions impact the future are more likely to take parenting classes before their baby is born, to read about pregnancy and parenthood, and to reflect on and communicate with others about the

attitudes and strategies that they want to take when their baby arrives.

2) Parents with an internal LOC, perhaps as a result of all of the education they are pursuing about their baby, are more likely to eat healthy foods, and avoid alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes while they are pregnant.

When a mother is pregnant, everything she takes into her body passes through to her foetus. Vitamins and minerals benefit mother and baby. Alcohol, drugs, and tobacco smoke act as teratogens, and poison the developing foetus in dangerous and irreversible ways.

3) Parents with an internal LOC tend to have a higher socioeconomic status (SES), which brings with it the economic resources to pay for healthcare, books, classes, and enrichment activities for their young children. People with a higher SES are also more likely to be surrounded by other people with an internal LOC, which provides opportunities to brainstorm and discuss solutions to parenting problems with other parents. In turn, having this access to other parents who are invested in intentional parenting practices is a source of support that can help overcome life stresses and other challenges.

4) After the baby is born, mothers with an internal LOC are more likely to breastfeed, which is known to be related to higher IQs. As I've written on my website, breastfeeding passes on a tremendous number of health, social and cognitive benefits to a baby. When a mother understands this, and she is able to breastfeed, she is incentivised to offer these gifts to her baby, and in turn experience the bonding that can occur as a result of the closeness, eye contact, and nonverbal communication that accompany the breastfeeding

experience.

5) As a baby grows into a child and then an adolescent, the parent with an internal LOC is more likely to use positive parenting practices that involve more consistency, responsiveness, and stimulating activity than parents with an external LOC. They are also more likely to emphasise their child's independence and autonomy, and use warmer, more emotionally secure, and communicative interactions. When a child does something noteworthy, this parent takes the time to express her pleasure and pride, and uses conversation to talk about what the child has just accomplished. When a child does something that needs correction, these parents also use conversation and discussion about why the child's behaviour was not appropriate, and then models brainstorming practices to strategise what the child could do differently when he is in similar situations in the future. In short, parents with an internal LOC pass on their internal LOC to their children, by showing them how to think about the connections between their actions and the outcomes of the choices they have made.

6) The parent with an internal LOC is more likely to provide enrichment activities for their child, that expose her to new situations and require her to learn how to interact with other children and adults in prosocial ways. These activities include parent-child classes, going to the library, reading to the child, singing to the child, and arranging play times with other children.

Changing your LOC

The good news here is that people are able to switch their LOC, with introspection and hard work. If you are reading this, and you resonate with the

external LOC more than the internal, I would highly encourage you to take a look at the parenting practices that the internal parents use, and then add one or two of them to your schedule this week. Even if it feels artificial at first, your child won't know. Instead, she will experience your positive regard, enjoy the time you are spending with her, and benefit from you sharing your wisdom about how to overcome obstacles. Just mimic what the internal LOC looks like, and pretty soon, you may find that your life seems more under your own control. It's a powerful feeling, to go out each day and feel confident that you can accomplish what you set out to accomplish, and to know that after you have achieved, you can pat yourself on the back and give yourself the credit for your hard work.

Your child may also gain from your decision to act more in line with an internal LOC. Longitudinal research indicates that children who grow up with an internal LOC mindset (given to them by their parents) are likely to

pursue more education, delay having children, and choose romantic partners and friends who have an internal LOC. They are also more likely to have regular sleep patterns, healthy eating patterns, and to respond to frustration with proactive behaviours like communication and problem-solving thoughts, as opposed to whining, weeping, and tantrums.

It's all up to you. Truly. Your actions, words, and beliefs matter. You are the main source of information that your child has about how to think about and live in the world. Show them that they are powerful, by recognising your own power. Teach them the importance of lifelong self-improvement, by modelling your interest in growing as a person as you get older. Show them how to be organised and efficient, by following a schedule yourself. We want strong, courageous children, who have the guts to pursue their dreams. Your strength and courage, and your pursuit, are the keys to their success. Believe it! (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

Adolescence and the positive power of mistakes

– as the poet said, “to err is human,” and in adolescence it is necessarily so

P

arents of adolescents, witnessing the teenager’s mix of progress with regress, can often feel frustrated and fatigued by this halting trial and error journey of growing up.

“When will you just do things right for a change?”; “When will you ever learn?” ;“When will you stop making mistakes?”

In response to this last question, I would like to suggest the best answer is: “hopefully never”.

Mistake-based-education is simply part of everybody’s learning curve all their life. Responsibly profiting from the unwise choice/ unhappy consequence connection, we all have a chance to maybe do something differently the next time, or simply not to do it again.

How parents treat mistakes is educationally important once an eager, curiosity-seeking child becomes a more selfconsciously learning adolescent. Consider the kindergarten child who is frantically waving both hands to get to answer a question, calling out “Me! Me! Me!” Now fast forward to early middle school and you find the same student truly dreading being called upon and silently praying, “Please, please don’t let it be me!” What’s going

on? The innocent joys of gathering knowledge have now become complicated by the risks of learning that are self-consciously setting in.

Consider five possible risks of classroom learning for many adolescents. To learn, you may have to: Declare ignorance: “I don’t know,” Make mistakes: “I messed up,” Feel stupid: “I’m not getting it!”

Look foolish: “This feels embarrassing!”

And get evaluated: “Suppose I fail?” It often takes more courage to learn for the adolescent than the child. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

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7

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Rockstone Fish Festival tragedy – body of Gavin Moses still missing

By Bhisham Mohamed

I

t has been more than one day since 50-yearold Gavin Moses disappeared in the murky waters off Golden Beach, Essequibo River on Sunday, and his body has not yet been recovered.

Reports coming out of Rockstone on Monday afternoon have indicated that several search parties continue to traverse the waterways in hope of finding Moses’s body.

Moses’s disappearance occurred as he went to rescue his niece, Kineanda Prince, also called “Yasha,” from the prospect of drowning, but she also died in the incident.

An official from the Rockstone Tourism Association told Guyana Times that conflicting reports have been circulating in respect to the unfortunate incident, but, at this point, everyone is hoping that Moses’s body is found soon.

He noted that for the past 12 years the event has been staged without unfortunate incidents, but acknowledged that this has been the first year that certain precau-

Dead: Kineanda "Yasha" Prince

tionary measures have not been put in place.

He admitted that there were no lifeguards at the beach at the time the two people drowned; and there were no systems in place to cater for any emergencies. In light of this incident, he noted, the group will meet with the relevant authorities to review the safety measures that are presently in place.

Guyana Times understands that on the day of the incident there were no boats at the beach. “At all times there were supposed to be boats; if not boats, at least ONE should (have re-

mained) at the beach in case of an emergency… This must be considered in the absence of a mobile service provider,” he added.

A meeting has been planned with Business Minister Dominic Gaskin and other officials to determine what protocols had not been followed on the day of the tragic incident.

The Rockstone Tourism Association has expressed condolences to family members of Prince and Moses; and is firmly of the view that such an incident should never be repeated, especially because it has put a taint on what has been a 12-year-old incident-free event.

The association has emphasised in a release that precautions and safety are priorities, and as such, it would be working closely with the Guyana Tourism Authority and other agencies to ensure that visible demarcation barriers and signs are erected, and efficient training in first response/aid is done with all staff in preparation for other events.

The RTA has said it recognises the magnitude of the impact the Fish Festival has on the economy of Rockstone, and its significance to the future of that village, “and will

Teachers promised interim...

From page 3

Lyte stated that the walkout resulted from the Government not addressing the Union’s substantive proposal. While noting that they remained open to talks with the Government, Lyte revealed that the Union would have commenced a countrywide strike from this week.

The GTU President had said that after more than two years, officials at the Education Ministry remain reluctant to have a sit-down with the Union and discuss debunching payments. He had noted that the teachers were becoming more

frustrated by the day, and warned of the consequences if the teachers decided to down tools to make their voices heard.

The issues of concern to the Union include the stagnated negotiations between the GTU and the Education Ministry. The negotiations focused on, among other things, increased teachers’ remuneration and outstanding payments.

Additionally, the Union had expressed concern about a memorandum that could see teachers having to work during their designated

lunch period.

Earlier this year, the GTU contended that teachers across the country were anxious to know when they would receive benefits of the proposed five-year agreement.

In the previous agreement, the GTU managed to get a five per cent increase over the course of five years for teachers countrywide, but was hoping to see implementation of 45 per cent in 2017 and 50 per cent for the following three years (2018-2020) for all categories of teachers.

Dead: Gavin Moses

be engaging stakeholders locally, nationally and internationally as it commences a full review and eventual preparation for Rockstone Fish Festival slated for October 27 and 28, 2018”.

Thirteen-year-old Kineanda ‘Yasha’ Prince of Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara and 50-year-old Gavin Moses, formerly of Goed Bananen Land, East Canje Berbice, met their demise on Sunday during the 12th Annual Fish Festival.

It was reported that Moses and other relatives had hired a private boat to transport them to Golden Beach -- minutes away from

the main event area -- to indulge in swimming. Whilst there, Prince and two cousins, one being Thalia Clarke, experienced difficulties in navigating through the deep waters.

Moses, who couldn’t swim, went to their aid, but instead went under the water and never resurfaced.

The now dead teen was celebrating her birthday on Sunday, and her now dead uncle had celebrated his on Saturday.

Attempts to contact the relatives of the dead man proved futile. An investigation has been launched into the unfortunate incident.

8 NEWS

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

Sex workers, 2 others remanded for robbery Epiphany…

W

ith their trial for the alleged armed robbery of two presidential security guards still pending, Kevin Forester and Godfrey Cox have once again found themselves before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a similar charge.

The charge was read by principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, stating that on October 24, 2017, Forrester, 21, of Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and Cox, 19, of High Street, Kingston, robbed Virtual Complainant (VC) Victor Bess, at Croal Street, Georgetown of $158,000 in

cash.

Forrester and Godfrey appeared just as they were arrested on the job – attired in skimpy female clothing.

The defendants alleged being mistreated by Police following their arrest, as they did not disclose what they were being arrested for and denied them telephone calls to their family in breach of their fundamental rights.

Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves objected to bail being granted, citing the seriousness and prevalence of the offence and the penalty attached to same. Moreover, the two defendants were out on bail pending the outcome

of the aforementioned robbery trial.

According to the Prosecutor, the probability of the defendants committing further offences or absenting themselves from court in the event they are released on bail is quite high under the circumstances.

This case will be called again on November 20, 2017 and the pair will spend time in prison in the meantime.

Meanwhile, Dwayne McCloud, 23, and Lindon Benjamin, 30, both of Albouystown, Georgetown were slapped with a similar charge of armed robbery. It is alleged that the men while

armed with an offensive weapon – a pair of scissors – robbed VC Gary Dickenson of a cellular phone and a quantity of items valued at $23,000 at King Street, Georgetown on October 27, 2017.

McCloud told the court of Magistrate Judy Latchman that he was a labourer by trade, while Benjamin was a 30-year-old father of five, employed as a mason with no previous or pending matters before the courts.

Prosecutor Gonsalves objected to bail and the Magistrate remanded both defendants to prison until November 20, 2017.

Accountant charged with forging tint permit

O

ne month after several employees of the Public Security Ministry and Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) were hauled before the courts for conspiring to commit fraud, yet another offender was on Monday brought before city

Magistrate Fabayo Azore to answer to a similar charge of forging a tint permit and uttering same.

The charge against Lyndon Forde read that between May 1, 2017 and October 20, 2017, at Georgetown with intent to defraud, he conspired with

person/s to forge one motor vehicle tint permit in favour of himself, purporting to show that same was issued by the Public Security Ministry.

It is further alleged that the accused uttered to Police Constable Sheldon Haygar, the forged tint per-

mit, with intent to defraud, on the same day at the said location.

The unrepresented accused pleaded not guilty to both charges and was released on $75,000 bail on each charge. He returns to court on November 29, 2017.

P

…by Prezzie rezzie’s unilateral choice of Justice Patterson as GECOM Chair business isn’t only working like a Rorschach Test to uncover the mindset of Guyanese society as a whole, it’s also producing epiphanies for the political players. Take Prezzie’s pronouncement on Jagdeo’s third list: “I realised at that stage that after the submission of three lists that there was an intention on the part of the Leader of the Opposition to submit a list that is not going to be acceptable.”

Really?? If this isn’t an epiphany rivalling the one dropped like a boom on Saul on his way to Damascus, what is? The question is “What exactly was the “booming voice” producing Prezzie’s revelation? After all, that third list had been submitted fully 51 days before and Prezzie hadn’t displayed any wrestling with demons in his conscience.

The Court had already cleared up Prezzie’s misconceptions on the guiding Article 161 (2) about only Judges and those qualified to be Judges needing apply for the position. And in any case, the AG now had a battery (a bench?) of five eminent ex-Justices – including one James Patterson – to advise him to advise Prezzie on any remaining cobwebs.

In fact, Prezzie was so clear on the way forward, he’d even suggested a Joint Committee be put together by him and Jagdeo to cut the Gordian Knot if he couldn’t make up his mind on the third list. This implied the matter was more of a technical application of the criteria that he’d crafted and given to Jagdeo. That the criteria were very specific – like the applicant/nominee must have “wide experience” in electoral matters and so on.

Your Eyewitness believes Prezzie’s epiphany was connected with Diwali – since it was on Diwali night he made his “about turn” – as they say in the army. The problem was, Prezzie had once again not been properly advised – this time by his Minister of Public Security.

Unlike what most devotees of the Goddess in Guyana had done, Prezzie lit his light the night before, while darkness was still growing!! And, as is now very clear, the message in his epiphany became all murky and he reversed himself on every point he had made on the GECOM affair.

Rather than keeping his word to Jagdeo and waiting “as long as it takes” to select a suitable candidate, Prezzie then suddenly picked someone, whose CV he hadn’t even seen but hours before, someone who didn’t have ANY experience on electoral matters, someone who’d been advising the AG on the job for which he was hired etc…etc…

Your Eyewitness hopes Prezzie will now appoint five eminent astrologers/astronomers to advise Minister Ramjattan on the Diwali date henceforth!! …by PM But it wasn’t only Prezzie who had a muddied epiphany because of the Diwali snafu. Seems his Prime Minister had also suffered from the syndrome when he weighed in on the derailed teachers wage negotiations (And while he may be a POLITICAL lightweight, our PM certainly isn’t advoirpoidally challenged!!).

Asked about the Minister of Education giving short shrift to teachers’ wage requests, the PM – who boasts about once being a teacher – intoned, “They are the ones who I believe deserve our commendation of a thank you from the bottom of our hearts. They have done well in these difficult times.” Done well?!! A “thank you”??!!

What’s this man talking about? As the Americans would say about “thank yous” when they’d asked for something concrete, “That and a dollar would get me a coffee!” Meaning, the “thank you” ain’t worth squat when you need money to buy something.

Is the PM proud to remember how low teachers have been brought from when they were pillars of the community? …on GEA SOCU’s been investigating the GEA and asked for some documents. Told they can come over to look since they were too voluminous, SOCU swoops down with a highly-publicised search warrant!!

Was this misdirection for its GMC’s case been thrown out?

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

News

9

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

2000 to graduate from UG in Nov ral arm of the university, is scheduled to hold its graduation ceremonies for its four centres as fol-

Flashback: A scene from a previous UG graduation

By Ashraf Dabie

S

ome 2000 students are expected to graduate from the University of Guyana during the 51st Convocation at the Turkeyen Campus, which is slated for Saturday, November 11.

The UG graduation this year will see a number of developments, including for the first time in the history of the university, graduands emanating from certificate, diploma and degree programmes being awarded at two separate ceremonies.

This is as the graduation ceremony for students attached to the Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Technology, will be held at the National Cultural Centre on the said date, while for those from the Faculties of Education and Humanities, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences, the ceremony is set for the Turkeyen Campus, also on November 11.

Booked to deliver the feature address at the first ceremony is Dr Dhanpaul Narine, who is a distinguished educator and jour-

nalist based in New York while Ambassador Rudolph Michael Ten-Pow, who studied Modern Languages, will give the keynote address at the ceremony set for the Turkeyen campus.

In commenting on this significant change, Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith relayed that, “Our graduating classes have grown tremendously over the years, and having one ceremony has meant having extremely long ceremonies, with some graduates and guests leaving before the ceremonies conclude.”

Griffith, who lobbied for the enhancement, further noted, “Creating two ceremonies allows us to maintain the tradition of having every graduand cross the stage and shake the hand of the Chancellor, and maintain the solemnity of the occasion, while reducing the length of the ceremony.”

Additionally, the Vice Chancellor pointed out that unlike previous years, all students graduating with diplomas will be adorned with academic robes, along with those graduating with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees.

Another new feature at

this year’s Convocations will be the use of ceremonial gonfalons, which are banners, often shield-shaped, that hang from crosspieces on top of poles. These banners are usually carried at the head of the Convocation procession and identify the different Faculties within the university from which students are graduating.

On this note, Professor Griffith highlighted that the “adoption of this feature, which is found at mature universities across the world, will enhance the elegance and pomp of the ceremonies”.

Ever since the University held its first graduation in 1968, the institution has become a leading provider of tertiary education in the country, producing on a yearly basis, a number of professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills ready to venture into the local, regional and global job markets.

UG graduates have gone on to assume senior positions in major Public and Private Sector agencies, both in Guyana and across the world.

Meanwhile, the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education, the extra-mu-

lows: Georgetown Centre on November 25; Linden Centre on November 26; Anna Regina Centre on

December 2 and the New Amsterdam Centre on December 9, 2017.

10 News

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Sod turned for construction of $130M Food & Drug complex

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence and UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, turning the sod ahead of construction of the new GA-FDD complex

By Vahnu Manikchand

C

onstruction of a modern, multi-million-dollar complex to house the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) is set to commence in the near future. Officials on Monday conducted the ceremonial sod-turning exercise at the site earmarked for the building -- within the compound of the University of Guyana (UG) Turkeyen Campus. The completed project is expected to cost $130.7 million.

The project entails con-

struction of a laboratory and administrative building to the tune of $110 million, and procurement of laboratory supplies, quality control aids and proficiency testing materials to the tune of a further $20.7 million. These include fume hoods and a steam digester -- both for the Excise laboratory – to be procured at a cost of $11.2 million; two incubators and a hot-air oven for the Microbiology laboratory, to be procured at a cost of $2 million; and five analytical balances for all the laboratories, to be procured at a cost of $7.5 million.

The initiative, a collaborative effort between the University’s Faculties of Natural Sciences and Health Sciences and the Ministry of Public Health, aims at facilitating the GA-FDD to be better positioned to fulfill its mandate through accreditation of inspection, analysis and testing.

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence emphasized the importance of the new complex, noting that it would greatly enhance and expand the services that the FAFDD presently offers. She noted that its present facili-

ty falls short of international standards, being housed in the IAST building. The space, she added, is grossly inadequate and disjointed, presenting hazardous conditions of work; compromising the quality of service; and limiting the capabilities of the GA-FDD. “The GA-FDD, along with (the Faculties) of Natural Sciences and Health Sciences, is keen to have this new Laboratory Complex operational as soon as possible, so that the various aspects of (its) work can be efficiently and effectively managed…

It is imperative that our international trade is not jeopardised. Further, we recognise that with this new complex, our dependence on external laboratories to conduct analysis on Guyana’s behalf, which have restricted our access to some international markets, (would be lessened) and we (would) be in a better position to monitor, regulate and meet the international standards required to penetrate these markets,” she stated.

Minister Lawrence also said that the Public Health Ministry’s mandate is to ensure the health and well-being of citizens as consumers, and this is being carried out through the GA-FDD. As such, she said, GA-FDD personnel must be provided with the requisite tools and facilities to establish the safety and quality of their service.

On this note, she added that the international arena is rapidly changing, and Guyana does not want to remain obsolete. In fact, she

Officials of the Public Health Ministry, UG and the Food and Drug Department at the site where the new complex will be constructed

noted that the country cannot afford to lag behind.

“We must be competitive, we must be robust and be able to respond to challenges such as those soon to be presented because of the US Food Safety Modernization Act and new export requirements to European markets, particularly for seafood products.

“The overarching principles that emerge are that we must have an efficient and effective laboratory that provides service of the highest quality to all clients, and precise and accurate analytical results that (would) withstand international scrutiny, cement our credibility, and engender customer satisfaction,” she asserted.

Vice Chancellor of UG, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, noted that the functions of the UG Natural Sciences Faculty would be significant-

ly improved with the construction of this new complex.

The Government Analyst Food and Drug Department is currently housed at the Institute of Applied Science and Technology at the Turkeyen Campus. As part of its mandate, the GA-FDD facilitates analysis, licensing, and certification of locally produced export commodities such as rice, sugar, rum, seafood, processed foods and pharmaceuticals.

The GA-FDD is also responsible for ensuring that the distribution, marketing and production of commodities (local and imported) meet the highest standard of quality and safety.

Announcement of the new complex was made by Minister Dr. George Norton during the 2017 budget debates.

news

11

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana preparing for possible oil spills – Trotman A

lthough Guyana is poised to become a large oil-producing nation by mid-2020, experts have advised Government to make all the necessary preparations from now, so as to prepare the industry to become safe and efficient.

One such piece of advice concerns making preparations to prevent an oil spill.

As such, Government has taken the advice and is moving ahead with these preparations. Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman has disclosed that this process has started with several major governmental agencies that would come up with a comprehensive plan to deal with any such issues.

Trotman revealed that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is the lead agency that is formulating the national response plan. But the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC); the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) are also assisting.

In addition to that, Guyana will receive assistance through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). But most importantly, Guyana will also receive assistance from the United States Government through the Energy Governance Capacity

Initiative.

Although US oil giant ExxonMobil has not made any commitment to cover the cost for any possible oil spill, Trotman claimed that the company has a responsibility to prevent accidents and to respond to any such incidents that put Guyana at risk or that proves dangerous.

However, just last week, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said Guyana was currently unprepared for the possibility of an oil spill the likes of which was currently afflicting neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago, but the Administration was acutely aware of its shortcomings and was actively

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

working with partners.

“I would not say that we are ready; we are not ready for that as yet, but I believe we are in the process of acquiring sufficient information that will (enable us) to put processes and structures in place to deal with the eventuality of an oil spill,” Harmon had told media operatives.

Speaking to Guyana’s drive to become prepared for the eventuality of an oil spill, Harmon drew reference to an upcoming conference at which the Director of the Department of the

Environment would be participating, and said “these are some of the issues being dealt with”.

According to the Minister of State, “We are still in the early stages of preparation.

We have been getting the advice of best practices from countries around the world.”

He told the press that oil spills were the result of accidents, and as such, “it is the way how you prepare for these accidents that are important”.

According to Minister Harmon, the Department will be using the caucus to focus on the processes, and it was going to look at the processes for dealing with oil and the environment.

He said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was gearing up for that and gave his assurance that there would be increased focus on environmental protection as 2020 neared.

Environmental activist Annette Arjune-Martins has, in recent weeks, been at the forefront of questioning the absence of, and calling for, policy/policies related to

oil and its impact on the environment.

Questioned on the need for a single person to be identified for singular responsibility for the sector, Minister Harmon pointed out that the Natural Resources Ministry was responsible for all of the country’s natural resources, including oil and gas.

Harmon said that an environmental study undertaken by the EPA has found there was a 10 per cent likelihood of an oil spill occurring offshore Guyana, as part of the ExxonMobil exploration activities, reaching shore. The report concluded that an oil spill was possible.

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) has conducted oil spill modelling to evaluate the range of likely spill trajectories and rates of travel.

The location of the project at 190 kilometres (120 miles) offshore, prevailing northwest currents, the light nature of the Liza field crude oil, and the region’s warm waters would all help minimise the severity of a spill.

12

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017 | guya

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Y

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14 news Lindener dominates Rockstone Fish Festival 2017 tuesDAY, october 31, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

he has participated in the event every year. He feels more persons should participate in this fish-catching competition, as this would make the event more competitive.

Several ancillary events were held during the course of the day. The water mel-

By Bhisham Mohamed

R

avin Persaud of Amelia’s Ward, Linden was adjudged the winner of the 12th Annual Rockstone Fish Catching Competition, held on Sunday.

Accompanied by two relatives, he and his boat captain, Ryan, ventured out into the Essequibo River at about 5:00hrs on Sunday in their bid to cop the prize for the largest catch.

It definitely paid off, and he was awarded the cash prizes for the biggest catch of the day -- also the biggest catfish caught -- weighing approximately 65 pounds and measuring approximately four feet in length.

Upon being awarded the prizes, Persaud thanked his

on-eating competition, for instance, drew a large crowd of spectators, each cheering on his/her favourite contestant. One Mario won that contest, for which there was a cash prize and a trophy.

Ravin Persaud and his team upon winning the top prizes

team for the efforts they had put into the trip, and

praised the boat captain who had taken them around

to fish.

Described as a fanatic for fishing, Persaud has been participating in this competition for years, and would previously have won similar prizes.

Fishing, he noted, had become part of his life from an early age. Now that the 2017 festival is over, he will commence preparing for the 2018 event.

However, another competitor, “Fish Brow,” received prizes for the biggest lukanani caught, and also for the second largest catch. Speaking with Guyana Times, an elated “Fish Brow” disclosed that

Ravin Persaud displaying his catch

continues on page 15

news

15

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Matarkai education sector bolstering amid challenges – DEO

T

he education sector in the Matarkai Subdistrict, Region One (Barima-Waini) has seen significant improvement in the last year. This is according to District Education Officer (DEO), Ignatius Adams.

In an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Adams highlighted that the Region recently benefited from two new buses for transport-

ing children from far-flung communities to and from school in Baramita and Port Kaituma, and for other educational purposes. He added that the bus already located at Matthews Ridge was meeting these demands for that community.

Adams related the other riverine schools such as Canal Bank Annex Nursery and Primary Schools were provided with a boat and en-

gine. He also reported that the students were also now benefiting from the hot meal programme and efforts were underway to have it implemented in other schools.

According to the DEO, Matarkai is the smallest sub-district as it relates to enrolment with 14 schools, including one district secondary school – the Port Kaituma Secondary School and the largest prima-

ry school – Port Kaituma Primary.

Baramita and Matthews Ridge are the two rapidly growing communities in the district. For the first time, 20 candidates from Matthews Ridge are registering to write Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams right in Matthews Ridge.

Further, teachers now have the opportunity to write CSEC as private candidates, plus they can also participate in the Associate Degree (AD) programme at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) then proceed to the University of Guyana (UG).

Thus far, four teachers were successful in the AD programme, one was attending UG, and another was transferred into another region while other two were working in the Region.

“There’s avenue for upward mobility,” Adams explained.

These improvements, along with the Mathematics intervention programme,

Matarkai Sub-District (Region One) District Education Officer, Ignatius Adams

are a major boost for the education department; however, there are still some challenges facing the Region.

These include lack of adequate and quality infrastructure, lack of potable water, and inadequate furniture.

“Our vision is to go upward academically. The Government has been supporting us, especial-

Lindener dominates...

ly with the roads and the CORE group. The NDC [Neighbourhood Democratic Council] is also helping us and as we continue this way and get the necessary assistance, we will see Matarkai advance,” Adams posited.

The DEO is urging residents to look out for each other and ensure children within their communities attend school regularly.

from page 14

Participants of the watermelon competition

Apart from the various competitions, the ‘deejay’ did an excellent job in mixing the tracks, causing everyone to gyrate to good music. Games for the kids were a challenge, since there was only the trampoline.

Some expressed the view that since the event is family-oriented, more activities should have been planned for all ages.

Whilst some were busy catching fish, some were having a ball in the sun and heat. President of

the Rockstone Tourism Association, Ms Lynette Benn, told Guyana Times that a lot of work had been invested in the success of the event. She said that at one point the committee had reportedly even considered cancelling the event because of the deplorable state of the road.

She also noted that with direction from the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), the association was able to regroup and continue planning for the event. She ex-

plained that the heavy downpour on Saturday caused a number of planned activities to have been cancelled.

Ms Benn was, however, happy with the turnout, and promised to work harder for greater success of the festival next year. Those who stayed at the event until the sun set were treated to live stage performances.

The 2018 Annual Rockstone Fish Festival is billed for October 27 and 28.

16

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017

Regional

Barbados gets IDB loan Colombia’s ELN rebels admit killing Indigenous leader to strengthen global A tourism presence Marxist rebel group in Colombia says its members killed an Indigenous leader in the north of the country last week.

The man’s death came less than a month after National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels declared a ceasefire as part of peace talks.

In a statement [in Spanish], the ELN accused the leader, Aulio Isarama Forastero, of having links to the intelligence services.

The ELN said that the killing had not been ordered, but was in “self-defence”.

The rebels said that they had seized Isarama “to question him” about his

W

on encouraging more spending by visitors on its unique heritage and cultural products, enhancing the digital visibility of Barbados in the global tourism market, and

in rural areas.

The ELN leadership said that it had neither ordered nor given authorisation for the killing of Isarama.

It also said that it remained committed to the ceasefire which came into force on October 1.

But Juan Camilo Restrepo, the chief Government negotiator at peace talks with the ELN, called the killing “deplorable”.

Restrepo wrote on Twitter that it would be up to those monitoring the ceasefire to take a stand on the matter, as well as the judiciary, as the killing was “a terrible crime”. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

Rowley calls on CoP to note rabble-rousers

A US$20 million loan will finance the implementation of three components linked to tourism development and governance

ith support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Barbados will increase the appeal of its tourism attractions, with a focus

alleged links to military intelligence services.

While he was being taken to an interrogation site, Isarama tackled one of the guerrilla fighters, the ELN alleged, “leading to the tragic outcome”.

The guerrilla group was founded in 1964 to fight against Colombia’s unequal distribution of land and riches, inspired by the Cuban revolution of 1959.

Over the decades, the group has attacked large landholders and multinational companies, and repeatedly blown up oil pipelines.

To finance itself it has resorted to extortion, kidnappings and drug trafficking. It has been strongest

increasing the country’s international aviation connections.

A US$20 million loan approved by the IDB will finance the implementation of three components linked to tourism development and governance in Barbados.

The first component will finance the development of new tourism venues with an emphasis on uniquely Barbadian cultural and heritage assets, including: a new Visitor Centre in Bridgetown’s Old Town Hall Building; the enhancement of an urban tourist route through historic Bridgetown; and improvements to the National Museum at the Garrison and the Oistins Waterfront.

The second component will increase the digital visibility and market awareness of Barbados as a cultural tourism destination in coordination with the Private Sector.

The third component will fund the design and implementation of a new mechanism to select operating airlines to reinforce air connectivity between Barbados and new markets.

“It is anticipated that this project will help the Government of Barbados by increasing the resilience of the country’s tourism sector, enhancing the appeal of the Barbados tourism brand, and connecting Barbados with various new markets,” the IDB said.

The programme will be executed by Barbados Tourism Investment Inc (BTI), which is the official Government agency responsible for facilitating infrastructural development for tourism. Several tourism entities will collaborate with BTI in the execution of the project in their respective areas of expertise. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

T

rinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley is calling on acting Commissioner of Police (CoP), Stephen Williams “to take careful note of what happened in the Parliament” when casino workers disrupted the Senate’s sitting on Thursday.

Speaking at the People’s National Movement (PNM) public meeting at the San Fernando City Hall on Friday night, Rowley called the casino workers “rabble-rousers” that created “mob rule” in the Parliament.

During Thursday’s sitting of the Senate, casino workers who were seated in the public gallery created havoc while Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Allyson West was speaking.

They were eventually escorted out of the Parliament building by Police.

The Parliament also banned Maxine Gonzales, the spokesperson for the Members Clubs and Lottery Workers Union, and Robert Sagramsingh as a result of the situation.

Rowley said the country needed to begin regulating the gambling industry as it threatened to derail the banking system.

He accused a “member of the Opposition who is a high priced and high paid consultant to the gaming industry” for mobilising the casino workers to create “as much mayhem in the country as possible”.

Maxine Gonzales, the spokesperson for the Members Clubs and Lottery Workers Union

Rowley said even elected officials have to abide by the rules of the Parliament.

The Members Clubs and Lottery Workers Union signalled that it has referred the Parliament ban to its Attorney for an opinion and once advised, would not hesitate to take legal action against the Senate President.

Gonzales was not given “an opportunity to be heard which natural justice demands” before the ban was imposed, it stated. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Grenada: Opposition NDC leader re-elected, promises victory at polls

N

azim Burke was re-elected political leader of the main Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Sunday, predicting an election victory at the next general election and vigorously defended the decision of the party to expel “cancerous elements” ahead of the 2013 general election.

Burke, a former member of the last NDC Government, said that the expulsion of the 12 prominent members, elected legislators, Peter David, Joseph Gilbert and Glynnis Roberts was done with the understanding that the ac-

tion could have affected its possibilities to regain power in the 2013 general election.

Burke told party supporters at a rally, the highlight of the party’s convention, that in 2012, the NDC was facing internal challenges from some people who had decided that they were prepared to destroy the party if they were unable to control it.

“The stark choice in our party, brothers and sisters, back then was whether to go to the party seeking a mandate under false pretences that we were a united organisation or whether we should immediately rid ourselves of those can-

cerous elements in our party knowing full well that it will reduce our chances of winning the next election and it will weaken our organisation,” he said.

“Face with that choice, sisters and brothers, we chose to expel, we elected to expel them from our party, we did so confident of the fact that even though we ran the risk of losing the election we knew that we were going to protect the NDC brand, we knew that we were going to protect the face of our party and that we will live to fight another day and to contest future elections,” he told the supporters. (Excerpt from CMC)

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

warns against 2 ex-Trump aides charged in China attempts to contain Russia probe, 3rd pleads guilty Beijing before Trump visit C P

aul Manafort, a former campaign manager for President Donald Trump, was charged on Monday with money laundering and another onetime aide pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in a sharp escalation of a federal probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

Manafort, 68, a longtime Republican operative, and associate Rick Gates were arraigned at a federal courthouse in Washington.

Both men pleaded not guilty to a series of charges in a 12-count indictment, ranging from money laundering to acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine’s former pro-Russian Government.

Former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort

Neither Trump nor his campaign were mentioned in the indictment against the pair. Many of the charges, some of which go back more than a decade, have to do

with Manafort’s work for Ukraine rather than the Trump campaign.

But in a separate development directly related to Trump’s 2016 election cam-

paign, it emerged on Monday that former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty earlier this month to making false statements to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.

Investigations by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and several congressional panels into alleged Russian efforts to tilt the election in Trump’s favour and potential collusion by Trump aides have cast a shadow over the Republican President’s first nine months in office.

Manafort ran the Trump campaign from June to August of 2016 before resigning amid reports he might have received millions in illegal payments from a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Kenya election: Kenyatta re-elected in disputed poll

K

enyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has been declared winner of a controversial re-run of the presidential election.

He won 98 per cent of the vote with turnout at just under 39 per cent – less than half that recorded in August’s vote, according to the election commission.

The Opposition Leader,

Raila Odinga, pulled out of the re-run and urged his supporters to boycott it.

Kenyatta was also declared the winner in the August vote, which was annulled because of “irregularities”.

The unprecedented decision from the Supreme Court cancelling the result did not attribute any blame

to President Kenyatta’s party or campaign.

The re-run was suspended in 25 constituencies which are all Opposition strongholds amid security fears. The election commission said those results would not affect the final outcome so it could proceed with its announcement.

Commission Chairman

Wafula Chebukati described the latest vote as “free, fair and credible”.

Last week, before the election re-run, Chebukati had cast doubt on the credibility of the poll. He was speaking after one of the election commissioners fled the country, saying she feared for her life. (Excerpt from BBC

hina’s Ambassador to Washington said on Monday US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing next week was a historic opportunity to boost cooperation between the world’s two largest economies, but warned against attempts to “contain” Beijing.

Cui Tiankai also stressed the urgency of efforts to find a negotiated solution to the crisis over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes and warned of a “more dangerous” situation if tensions between the United States and Pyongyang continued.

Cui sought to play down differences over China’s massive trade surplus with the United States, saying Beijing was looking for ways to cut this and he was confident of “significant outcomes” from Trump’s November 8-9 visit on the trade and economic fronts.

Speaking after senior US officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, outlined an Asia-Pacific strategy involving greater cooperation between Japan, India, and Australia in the face of China’s rise, Cui said relationships should not be seen as a “zero-sum game” at the expense of another county.

“I don’t think it will really serve the interests of these countries if their aim is to sort of contain China ... I don’t think anybody would be able to contain China,” he said.

Cui said Washington should not try to “interfere” in regional efforts to resolve disputes in the South China Sea, a vital strategic waterway that China claims, most of which is contested by several Asian countries.

“Maybe it would be better for the US to let the regional countries ... find a way, a way of managing the situation.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

Spain prosecutor files charges against Catalan leaders

News)

Danish inventor Madsen admits dismembering journalist

Kim Wall went missing after boarding Peter Madsen’s submarine

T

he Danish inventor Peter Madsen has admitted dismembering the body of Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard his submarine,

but denies killing her.

Danish Police said in a statement that he also admitted dumping her body parts in the sea.

He told Police she had died in August from carbon monoxide poisoning inside the submarine, while he was up on deck.

Madsen had previously denied cutting up her body and said she died when a heavy submarine hatch fell on her head.

Divers found bags containing her head, legs and clothing earlier this month. Police said they had been weighed down with pieces of metal.

Wall’s torso was found on August 21. A post-mortem examination revealed knife wounds to her genitals and ribcage, which were believed to have been caused “around or shortly after her death”.

Police said on Monday they were extending the charges against Madsen.

The inventor denies the charges against him. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Convoy rolls into Damascus suburbs with aid for 40,000 – UN

A

convoy from the United Nations and Syrian Arab Red Crescent entered towns in the besieged Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta on Monday, bringing aid to 40,000 people for the first time since June 2016, the United Nations said.

A tightening siege by Government forces has pushed people to the verge of famine in the eastern suburbs, residents and aid workers said last

Smoke rises at a damaged site in Ain Tarma, eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria, September 14, 2017

week, bringing desperation to the only major rebel enclave near the Syrian capital.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Twitter they had entered the towns of Kafra Batna and Saqba.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent said in a separate tweet that the inter-agency convoy had 49 trucks.(Excerpt from Reuters)

Spain’s Attorney General Jose Manuel Maza said the charges will include sedition and rebellion [Susana Vera/Reuters]

S

panish Attorney General Jose Manuel Maza has confirmed he will file criminal complaints against the dismissed Catalan Government.

Maza said the charges would include sedition and rebellion, both felony offences with penalties of between one and 30 years in prison.

The Attorney General said the charges will be filed against dismissed Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, Vice President Oriol Junqueras and others who “have produced an institutional crisis that ended the unilateral declaration of independence with total disregard of our Constitution last October 27”.

Later on Monday, Catalan daily La Vanguardia reported that Puigdemont had travelled to Belgium.

The report came a day after Theo Francken, Belgium’s Migration Minister, told local media that it would be “not unrealistic” for his country to offer Puigdemont political asylum if he asked for it.

The Catalan Parliament voted to declare indepen-

dence on Friday after an extended period of proposed negotiations between Madrid and Barcelona.

Puigdemont initially declared an independent republic on October 10, then suspending the effects to encourage dialogue with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

No direct talks are known to have taken place.

The Spanish Government subsequently chose to enact Article 155 of the Constitution, which allows for control of the regional government.

The regional government, including Ministers and high-ranking officials, were dismissed on Saturday after Article 155 came into effect.

Rajoy has called for elections on December 21.

Sergi Sabria, a parliamentarian from the Catalan Republican Left party (ERC), to which dismissed Vice-President Junqueras also belongs, said he does not view the elections as legitimate, but still plans to participate. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017

ARCHIE

Money will come from an unexpected source. Accept (March 21the rules and be prepared to April 19) take advantage of a chance to join forces with someone you respect.

ARIES

You’ll be given privileged in-

TAURUS formation that will help you (April 20- make critical decisions regarding May 20) your relationships. Consider all

dilbert

the angles and think about how much you are willing to contribute before signing an agreement.

Expect someone to try to GEMINI (May 21- limit what you can do. Be preJune 20) pared to fight back with intelligence and enthusiasm. A positive attitude will be difficult to say no to.

(June 21July 22)

Ask for a raise or revise your resume and send it out to companies you’d like to work for. Market what you have to offer. Enjoy time with friends, family and children.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Take a closer look at yourself and what you have to offer, as well as what you are up against.

If you want something, be willing to put in the work.

CANCER

Peanuts

Express your feelings and VIRGO find out where you stand.

(Aug. 23Honesty will help you find out Sept. 22) how you fit in to situations and the best way to move forward. Rely on your intuition and smarts.

Calvin and Hobbes

Getting along with the peoLIBRA (Sept. 23- ple you must deal with regularly Oct. 23) will make a difference to the out-

come of something you are trying to accomplish. Embrace new methods and technology.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Approach whatever job SCORPIO you take on with imagination.

(Oct. 24Learn as you go and don’t Nov. 22) worry so much about sticking to a format. Uniqueness will give you a competitive edge.

Be willing to meet someSAGITTARIUS one halfway. If you are stub(Nov. 23- born, you will end up making Dec. 21) little progress. A change of attitude will result in positive feedback. Don’t avoid personal situations.

Choose to use your skills in CAPRICORN new ways. A conversation you (Dec. 22- have with someone you feel Jan. 19) emotionally drawn to will spark an idea that will help you diversify.

solution for LAST PUBLISHED Puzzle Do your best to bring about AQUARIUS a positive change geared to(Jan. 20- ward helping you save money, Feb. 19) put a settlement or legal concern to rest or improve your daily health routine.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

A money matter can be PISCES (Feb. 20- resolved if you discuss your March 20) concerns. Your thoughts and suggestions will help you gain respect and your just reward.

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017

L

ewis Hamilton sees Max Verstappen as added motivation for next season after recognising Red Bull’s 20-year-old Dutch driver as one of the big threats to his bid for a fifth world championship.

The Mercedes driver, now Britain’s first fourtimes champion, is a big fan of the Dutch prodigy and said he looked forward to great battles with a resurgent Red Bull as well as Ferrari.

Verstappen, the sport’s youngest ever winner, celebrated his third career victory and second of the season at Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday.

“I want to be better next year, the challenge is even bigger from Red Bull and Ferrari,” Hamilton, still buzzing with excitement, told reporters after finishing ninth to claim the title. ”Formula One doesn’t

Lewis Hamilton (left) and Max Verstappen will have lots to celebrate in 2018

sleep, it doesn’t stand still.

And there’s always someone waiting to take my position.

“I’ve got that Max just sitting there waiting to take it. So I’ve got to raise the game another level in order to stay ahead of him. And that motivates me. I already have my motivation for next year.”

Hamilton hailed Verstappen as “an exceptional driver” and enthused about his race craft at the

start on Sunday.

“You’ve got for sure a potential world champion within Max and he’s only going to get stronger with age,” he said.

“He’s a lot of raw talent at the moment and has got a long way to go but these wins, these experiences he’s having are only adding to his great potential. I’m looking forward to battling with that.”

Verstappen has signed

a new contract keeping him at Red Bull until 2020.

Sebastian Vettel has signed a similar deal with Ferrari.

Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes expires at the end of next season but he has been relaxed about what looks to be no more than a formality.

“It’s quite an easy process for us, I think,” he said.

“We’ve already got something great in place and it’s really just about enhancing it, working on what more I can do for them – sponsors or whatever it is for the brand – and vice-versa.

I might miss Thursdays,” he joked.

Thursday is the day when drivers carry out the bulk of their media activities before a race weekend.

“I hope in the next month or so we’ll have had time to sit down. Now the pressure is kind of off, we can go and enjoy these next couple of races,” said Hamilton, who

Woods to return at Hero World Challenge in November A

Tiger Woods

fter nine months a w a y f r o m c o m petitive golf, Tiger Woods will return at the Hero World Challenge in November.

Tiger Woods will return from a ninemonth absence to play the Hero World Challenge, the 14-time major winner has announced.

The competition in Albany, Bahamas, is not a PGA Tour event, but all eyes in the world of golf will be watching as Woods makes his long-awaited comeback from a persistent back injury on November 30.

The 18-player field will be a good benchmark for the 41-yearold to measure his progress, with six of the top eight in the world rankings - Dustin

Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas, Jason Day, and Rickie Fowler - scheduled to play.

Woods said: "I am excited to return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge.

"Albany is the perfect setting and it will be great to join this outstanding field. I want to thank Pawan Munjal and Hero MotoCorp for their continued support of this tournament and my foundation.

"I would also like to thank the fans for their unwavering support during my injury."

After undergoing a fourth back surgery in April, Woods, who spent 16 months out due to injury from August 2015, recently received clearance from his doctor to play with no restrictions.

He has not played competitively since he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic after one round last February.

The announcement comes days three days after Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving in relation to his May 29 arrest and agreed to enter a pre-trial diversion program. He was also put on probation for 12 months.

(Sportsmax)

wrapped up the championship with Brazil and Abu

C

19

Dhabi yet to come. (Reuters)

Head coach Gibson to take on bowling Coach role

harl Langeveldt will not be retained as South Africa's bowling coach with Ottis Gibson expected to take over the role alongside his duties as head coach. Although he did not confirm whom he has been scouting, Gibson is expected to appoint the rest of his support staff over the next few weeks, which will include an assistant coach, a batting coach, a fielding coach and a spin-bowling coach.

ESPNcricinfo understands former Natal and Durham batsman Dale Benkenstein, who last held a coaching role with Hampshire, is frontrunner to become Gibson's assistant with Adrian Birrell, the incumbent moving on from his role. While there is no clarity over the future of Claude Henderson, the current spin-bowling consultant, batting coach Neil McKenzie is likely to be retained.

There is also the possibility of foreign consultants being employed as the need arises.

Langeveldt has been South Africa's bowling coach since Allan Donald left the post after the 2015 World Cup. Although he and the other assistants who served under Russell Domingo were kept on to work with Gibson in his first assignment against Bangladesh, a new panel will be put in place before South Africa's fourday pink-ball Test against Zimbabwe, which begins on Boxing Day. Langeveldt, however, will not be lost to South African cricket. Gibson has also floated the idea of appointing elite bowling and batting coaches, who will work the domestic circuit to help feed players to the national side. "I am also in discussion with CSA about a few key positions that I think can make a difference

in this country in terms of having elite coaches. So if there is an elite fast bowling coach for CSA, not just for the team, and an elite batting coach when we are on tour, and we have a couple of injuries and I want to know who is the next best fast bowler in the country, I have a person I can go to," Gibson said. "At the moment, if I ask that question, I will be asking it to the selectors, and the selectors are doing a great job but the selectors are not coaches. Sometimes you want a coach."

While South Africa have a high performance set-up led by former national bowling coach Vincent Barnes and an academy coach in Shukri Conrad, Gibson appears to be in search of someone who can work with all the cricketers on a more consistent basis. For now, he is keen on establishing relationships with the six franchise coaches, with whom he met last Friday to discuss what sounds like a national coaching strategy, specifically designed for the 50-over game and the 2019 World Cup. Gibson will see plenty of the franchise coaches in that time as he plans to attend as much of the domestic T20 tournament as possible. "I am going to go around watching and try and see what there is."

Thereafter, he has extended an open invitation to the franchise whenever the national team is in their town.

"For example, if we get to Port Elizabeth and there is no franchise cricket, then the two preparation days we have is an open invitation to the franchise coach to come and see how we do things," Gibson said. "Wherever we go in the country, there is an open invitation to the franchise coaches to be a part of our preparations." (ESPN Cricinfo)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017

Paul plotting course to Windies "A" team

– consistency is main focus

By Akeem Greene

G

uyana Jaguars all-rounder Keemo Paul is seeking to build a high level of consistency which can hopefully earn him a spot on the West Indies ‘A’ team in the near future.

In just four First-Class matches, Essequibian player has been one of the standout performers with both bat and ball and even produced some brilliances in the field.

“I want to be consistent, just don’t want to score one century here and after that make low scores, I want to get a good average and hopefully move on from there because I want to make the [West Indies] A-team sometime so I’m working towards that” he stated.

On Saturday, he re-affirmed his glowing potential as one of the better all-rounders in the region when he blazed to his maiden First-Class century against Jamaica Scorpions at Providence in the 2017/2018 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Digicel 4-Day championship.

The man from Saxacalli smashed 12 fours and four sixes in his pugnacious 107. An amazing aspect of the feat is that he reached the first fifty from 89 balls

Keemo Paul is using his maiden First-Class ton as the stepping stone for greater accomplishments (John Ramsingh Photo)

but took just 34 more balls to reach the 100-run milestone.

“It is a great feeling to go out and score my first ton for Guyana.

I just want to continue building from that and be consistent. Just score a lot of runs and get wickets so I can cement my space in the

team.”

The scintillating innings left Scorpion’s bowlers lacking confidence as all their ideas only resulted in long jogs to recover the ball.

He added, “I knew we had to declare at tea so I had at least an hour to get the next fifty and my

attacking instinct just kicked in and I played my natural game.

I chose the right balls to hit and went for it.”

Last season with ball in hand, he swung his way to career-best figures of 6 for 28 against the Windward Island Volcanoes at

Tucville, Sophia top GRFU Schools tournament

T

Sophia Guiding Light Boys Team

ucville and Sophia Guiding Light were the top winner when the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) staged their under 16 schools’ rugby football tournament at the national park over the weekend.

The rugby union first schools’ competition of 2017, saw a squad from Sophia Guiding Light Church coming out as victors after a solitary try from Joel Blacks in the last minute of the final played at the national park ground to take the title against a Queen’s College mixed

team 5-0.

Meanwhile, Sophia reached the final after wins over Tucville and St John's College. The Sophia side beat Tucville 20-0 after top scorer and tournament most valuable player Joel blacks registered two tries with one each from Jermaine Floy and Nikhil Carter They defeated St John's 15-10 with Blacks again coming to the fore with three tries. QC however reached the final after wins over St John's and Tucville.

Top Sophia player James Osborne says he

used his experience to help his side to victory.

“It’s basically our first tournament, now getting out and I was put just to guide the team basically and they showed a splendid performance today.”

He added, “Next year we have the under 18 tournament coming up so, I do hope that most of the player that we saw today could come out and continue training for next year, to further the scope of Guyana under 18 rugby.”

Meanwhile, on the distaff side Tucville got some

success to take the winning trophy, the final contest saw them (Tucville) having to play St John's in a best of three series for the title.

The first game Tucville battered St john's 15-5 with Aliyah Alleyne delivering all three tries for the win. In the second contest Tucville turned up the head to win that match 250. Most valuable player Aliyah Alleyne showed her skill scoring another three tries couple with tries from Ashanti Woodroffe and Aiesha Deweeder for the imposing victory.

The victorious female Tucville unit

Providence in just his second match which helped the Jaguars to seal their three-peat in titles.

Vice-captain of the West Indies U19 team that won the youth World Cup in 2016, the 19 year-old credited the enhanced system in domestic cricket for helping to improve his trade.

“It is tough being an all-rounder but being in the academy and getting the C-contract and having the opportunity to train every day where we place a lot of emphasis on fitness. So I’m always well prepared to work and I manage it very well.”

With little time to savour their success against Scorpions on Sunday, the Jaguars departed Guyana on Monday morning for their next battle against the Volcanoes in St Lucia starting on Thursday and for the Demerara Cricket Club player his and teammates focus is on winning.

“We have a very good team and we are going for a win and nothing else. The wicket offers more for the seamers so I will look to dig in, get some wickets and score some runs.

My main objective is for the team to win, so hopefully we play our best and be victorious.”

Danram smashes 133 to extend UG’s winning streak

I

t was a productive weekend for the University of Guyana (UG) as they were two out of two in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) New Building Society (NBS) Second division 40-over cricket tournament.

At the helm of the success was an attractive century from Omesh ‘Rampage’ Danram at the Eve Leary Ground where home side, Police came up against UG and the students thumped the lawmen by a massive 146 runs.

Police won the toss and inserted the students who amassed 350 all out in 39.5 overs. Former National youth Player Danram continued his good run of form and plundered the bowlers to all parts in his sublime 133, he was able supported

by Keron Sewnarine 59 and Suresh Dhanai 56.

For the law men Jason Heyliger took 3-50 bowling his off breaks and leg spinner Vishal Jaigobin 3-61. Police got off to a blazing start from National Youth Player Alex Algoo 30 who was severe on anything within hitting range, his innings lasted 10 balls and consisted of five (5) maximums. His dis-

missal set the host back and they were eventually dismissed in 28.1 overs for 204.

Andrew Lyght Jr. stroked 59 and Mark Gonsalves 43.

For UG Off spinner Dennis Heywood took 4-33 and he was ably supported by seamer Ray Newton 2-32.

On Sunday at The Demerara Cricket Club Ground, they remained undefeated when they registered a comprehensive 110 runs victory over minnows Diplomats Cricket Club. In a game reduced to 25 overs due to rain the students won the toss and rattled up 2317 when their overs expired.

Dwayne Dodson miss out on a well-deserved century when he was dismissed for 91. He was ably supported by Linden Austin 67 and Melroy Stephenson 24.

Diplomats struggled in their chase and were bowled out off 24.5 overs for 121. J. Stephens made a fighting 32 while Dennis Heywood took 3-17 and Dodson capped off a good all round performance by taking 3-15.

UG has thus far won all four of their matches in the competition and look well on their way to securing a berth in the semi-finals.

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Gayle wins defamation case in Australia

sports

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indies batsman Chris Gayle has won a defamation lawsuit against Australia media entity Fairfax Media.

A four-member jury of three women and one man took less than two hours to decide that based on the evidence presented the player did not expose his penis to masseuse Leanne Russell in a changing room during the 2015 World Cup in Australia.

The jury also found that Fairfax and its affiliates had acted with malice when it published a series of articles that carried the allegations made against the Windies cricketer last year. The articles were published in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Canberra Times.

Throughout the course of the week, a New South Wales court had heard testimony from Russell, who claimed that she had been left in tears after she encountered Gayle in a locker room during a training session at the tournament. According to Russel's account, she had entered the changing room looking for a sandwich where Gayle pulled down his towel to expose his genitals, asking her, “Are you looking for this.” Gayle had vehemently denied the claims, which he called “hurtful”. His teammate Dwayne Smith, who was also in the locker room at the time, denied Gayle had exposed himself to Russell.

Gayle’s barrister Bruce McClintock accused Russell of making the story up and Fairfax Media of deliberately attempting to tarnish the player’s reputation. Fairfax had defended the articles on two bases. One that the allegations were true and were defensible under qualified privilege. The jury rejected both. (Sportsmax)

East Strikers advance to Busta T20 festival semis

– Jailall punishes Enterprise B with masterful 92

Chris Gayle

Busta Champion of Champions Softball…

Grill Master defeats Spartan in championship thriller

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The winning Grill Master team pose with officials of the Guyana Beverage Company Inc

Hiradeo Jailall

L

usignan East Strikers continued their progression in cricket along the East Coast of Demerara when they advanced to semi-finals of the Enterprise Cricket Club’s Busta T20 cricket festival.

In their quarter final match on Saturday at the Enterprise Community Centre ground, the recently formed East Strikers beat seasoned campaigners Enterprise Busta B by 23 runs. East Strikers batted first and tallied 161 all out from their 20 overs with Hiradeo Jailall hitting seven fours and seven sixes in a commanding knock of 92.

He was supported by Roy Singh with 34. Singh and Jailall joined forces at 8 for 2 in the fourth over and put on a match-winning 135-run partnership. For Enterprise Busta B, R. Khan picked up five wickets.

In the run chase, D. Persaud (32) and Nishad Ulla (20) were the only batsmen to offer any resistance for Enterprise Busta B who labored to 138-8 falling short of the semi-finals by 23 runs. Ayube Sammy (2/17)

Travis Persaud

and Kevin McKenzie (2/12) were the most destructive East Strikers bowlers.

On their way to the quarter finals, East Strikers defeated Bee Hive by four wickets in the round of 16 on October 22 at the Fairfield Community Centre ground.

Bee Hive batted first and managed just 103 all out in 19.3 overs with Davindra Rooplall hitting the top score of 35. For East Strikers, Travis Persaud was unplayable with 4/14 from his quota of four overs while Ayube Sammy supported well with 2/15 from four overs. The target was never a threat and East Strikers chased it down with five overs to spare ending on 104 for 6 in 15 overs. Jailal made 26 and Khemraj Jailall 18 not out. Bowling for Bee Hive Marvin Stuart bagged 3 for 26 from three overs.

East Strikers will now meet Enterprise Busta A on Saturday for a place in the final while Fairfield and Better Hope will battle in the other semi-final on the same day. Both matches will be played at the Enterprise Community Centre ground.

rill Master defeated Spartan by one wicket to emerge the 2017 Champions of the Busta Champion or Champions Tournament on Sunday.

Playing in front of a large and colourful crowd at the Area ‘H’ Ground in Rose Hall Town in glorious weather, Grill Master held their nerves to clinch victory with two balls remaining with the last pair at the wicket.

Grill Master inserted Spartan who reached a massive 141 for 6 off their allotted 12-overs with Krishon Sukhai 43 (2x4s; 3x6s) David Lukenauth (18), Joshua Diaram (34) and Kishan Gangaram (14) being the principal scorers.

Bowling for Grill Master Vishal Phillips 1-18 and Kumar Thararhan 1-38 were the best bowlers. In response, Grill Master was fortunate that opener Keith Fraser was dropped by Kishan Gangaram off the first ball of the innings. Fraser and fellow opener Vishal Phillips then punished the Spartan Bowlers to all parts of the ground by adding 69 runs off just 5.3 Overs before Phillips was dismissed by Krishon Sukhai for 30.

Fraser went on to top score with 44 before he was second out at 85 for 2 in the 8th Over. Grill Master lost their way as Balram Samaroo 04, Roy Jaferally 15, Devindra Ramoutar 00, Oliver Giddings 03 were dismissed cheaply to leave their team needing 36 from 3-Overs.

Keon Sinclair (13) and Wahied Edwards (20) added 30 crucial runs in two overs before Sinclair was dismissed off the fourth delivery of the eleventh Over. With the dismissal of Edwards, Grill Master needed six runs off five balls but a composed No. 10 Steve Sampson struck a boundary to ease the tension.

John Percival was then run out for naught and the last pair was required to score two runs off two balls/ a nervous Joshua Diaram then bowled two successive wides to hand victory to the relieved Grill Master Team.

In the 3rd Place match, Hard Knock made easy work of Terry Grocery XI to beat them by 8 wickets. Terry Grocery reached 63 for 5 off their allotted 8 Overs before skipper Eldine Mendonca with 33 not out led his team to the 3rd Place prize package.

Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster hailed the 14th Edition of the Busta Champion of Champions Tournament as a resounding success and described the Final as the best ever witnessed in his twenty-six years at the Club.

General Manager of the Guyana Beverage Company Robert Selman, Commercial Manager Mr. Arjune and Marketing Coordinator Raymond Govindan all praised for the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club for organising a Tournament that properly represented the Busta Brand.

The Winning Team received $150 000.00 and the Busta Trophy, the 1st Runnerup $75 000.00 and trophy, 2nd Runnerup $50 000.00 and trophy while Fraser received a financial reward and trophy after being named Man of the Finals. Fraser and David Lukenauth received special trophies after being named best batsman and bowler in the Final respectively. Funds raised by the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club during the tournament would be used by its ten cricket teams to provide food hampers for less fortunate families during the upcoming Festive Season.

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017

GSCL Inc/ PM T20 Softball Cup 2017…

…Speedboat power away from Regal All-Stars

Regal Masters played masterfully well to lift the first-ever Prime Minister’s T20 Softball Cup

T

he curtains came down on the inaugural Prime Minister’s T20 Softball Cup with two exciting and highly competitive finals at the Everest Cricket Club ground on Sunday.

A colourful crowd, including Honourable Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and his wife Sita Nagamootoo, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Sport Dr. George Norton, witnessed the thrilling encounters that saw Regal Masters and Speedboat All-Stars winning their respective championships. In the first final of the day, Regal Masters defeated New York Hustlers by 24 runs in the Masters category.

A match-winning 68 from opener Mahase Chunilall and a fluent half century from Eric Thomas allowed Regal Masters to post a challenging 199-4, batting first. The in-form Chunilall and Mahendra Hardyal put Regal Masters on course with

an opening stand of 96 before Hardyal who hit one four and a six was removed by E. Dodson for 28. Chunilall and Thomas continued to frustrate their overseas opponents as they took the score to 172 with level-headed batting. Chunilall struck one four and four maximums before he was caught off former Guyana U19 player Troy Gobin. The left-handed Thomas continued to attack and clobbered one four and six sixes in scoring 53. Dodson claimed 2-56 for NY Hustlers who made a valiant effort to push for victory. D. Chumney and former Everest and Guyana First Class player Shameer Sadloo added 32 for the opening strand before Chumney was taken of Parsram Persaud for 19. Sadloo and Gobin, two of NY Hustlers most dangerous batsmen, steadied the chase fairly before Sadloo was removed by Thomas for 36 (3x6).

Gobin was then bowled by Laurie Singh for 23 (3x4,1x6) leaving the score at 88-3.

Regal Masters then picked

up a few quick wickets to restrict the scoring, but Chob Richmond and Roy Matura kept their team in the hunt with a seven-wicket stand of 49 before Matura was bowled

by Hardyal for 24 after hitting three sixes. Richmond remained unbeaten on 44 with two fours and three sixes as NY Hustlers finished on 175-8. Thomas was the pick of the bowlers with 3-23. NY Hustlers collected $100,000, medals and a trophy for their efforts while the champions pocketed $500,000 along with a trophy and medals.

In the All-Star grand finale, Speedboat registered a 55-run win over Regal AllStars in a gripping encounter.

Speedboat rattled up 182-9 after they were inserted. Anand Bharat and Lennox Marks put on 24 for the opening stand before Marks was bowled

by Amir Nizamudin for 15; Fazal Rafiek uprooted the stumps of Vikash Dhaniram (09) while Nizamudin bowled Greg Singh (15) before Esau accounted for Bharat for

24 leaving the score at 984. Speedboat then lost captain Wazir Hussain (02) who was bowled by his brother-in-law Safraz Esau, but Ricky Sargeant and Shazim Hussain propped up the total before Hussain was run out for 27 (1x4,3x6). Sargent made 21 as Esau claimed 3-38, Rafiek 2-40 and Nizamudin 2-42.

Regal Allstars were off to a terrible start when the in-form Sachin Singh (01) was bowled

by Greg Singh, Richard Latif (04) was removed by Kishore Smith, Rafiek (04) had his stumps disturbed by Singh, Esau (06) was bowled by Mark Harold while Patrick Rooplall was dismissed without scoring leaving the score on 395. However, Navin Singh and Sewchand Budhu attempted to keep their team in the hunt with a stand of 33, but the run out of Singh for 15 and the dismissal of Budhu for 25 cemented Speedboat hold on the game; no other batsman managed double figures as Regal All-Stars were bowled out for 127 in 17.4 overs. Smith had

The powerful and spirited Speedboat team played a good brand of softball cricket on their way to championship glory

"Evergreen" Smith hits 185* in drawn encounter

Devon Smith

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eeward Islands walked away with the majority of points in their drawn game against Windward Islands after taking a big first-innings lead. Set a fourth-innings target of 222, Leeward then played out the draw, but not be-

fore they had lost six wickets for 112.

Electing to bat first, Windward found themselves in a good position in the first innings, with Roland Cato (90) and Kavem Hodge (41) guiding the team to 213 for 3.

However, they went on to

lose seven wickets for 20 runs to be dismissed for 233. Seamers Jeremiah Louis and Mervin Matthew took seven wickets between them.

Leeward openers Chesney Hughes (89) and Keacy Carty (74) then set about putting together a

strong platform for the side with a 149-run opening partnership. Despite a slump, Nkrumah Bonner's 69 helped Leeward past 300 and they ended with a 110-run first-innings lead.

Windward's response in the second innings was much stronger.

Devon Smith scored a quick 185 and Hodge struck a rapid fifty as the side looked to push for a result with a declaration of 331 for 3 that left Leeward with a target of 222. Liam Sebastien, Audley Alexander and Shane Shillingford then all picked up two wickets each as Leeward reached 112 for 6 by stumps.

Scores; Windward Islands 233 (Cato 90, Louis 4-36) and 331 for 3 decl (Smith 185*, Edwards 64) drew with Leeward Islands 343 (Hughes 89, Lewis 3-51) and 112 for 6 (Carty 48, Shillingford 2-41)

3-20 and Singh 2-26.

The pumped up winners won $600,000, a trophy and medals while Regal All-Stars settled for $100,000 and similar silverware.

Also in the presentation ceremony, Chunilall who was named Most Valuable player of the Masters Tournament received a 55-inch television set while Safraz Esau won the

prize in the All-Star category and rode away with a Hero Motorcycle.

The tournament which was organized by the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc and ran under the patronage of Prime Minister Moses Nagamottoo started on Friday last with a total of 18 teams across the two categories.

Beaton to play OneDayers against Sri Lanka “A” G

uyanese speedster Ronsford Beaton has been included in a Windies “A” 13-member squad announced by the Selection Panel of Cricket West Indies for the three One-day matches against Sri Lanka “A”, starting this week.

Beaton is among four players that did not play in the preceding 3-mathc “Test” series which Sri Lanka “A” won 2-1. The others are: Windward Islands Volcanoes all-rounder Kyle Mayers, along with the Jamaica Scorpions pair of Andre McCarthy and Odean Smith, a member of the West Indies Under-19 side that won the ICC Youth World Cup last year in Bangladesh.

Commenting on the squad, Chairman of the CWI Selection Panel, Courtney Browne said: “The squad builds on our last President’s XI squad which played against England earlier this year with Jahmar Hamilton retained as captain.

“Players coming into the square are those to replace the players that have moved up to the senior team or those that are not available at this time.”

He added: “Our ‘A’ Team

programme is a stepping stone to our senior team and the panels want to encourage players to focus on consistent performances.

“With a full year of Oneday International matches coming up next year, including the ICC World Cup qualifiers next March in Zimbabwe, this is another opportunity, along with the Regional Super50 Cup next January, for players to present themselves for any places available in the senior team.”

Windies “A” squad reads; Jahmar Hamilton (Captain), Sunil Ambris, Ronsford Beaton, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Rahkeem Cornwall, Sheldon Cottrell, Montcin Hodge, Damion Jacobs, Reynard Leveridge, Kyle Mayers, Andre McCarthy and Odean Smith.

Graeme West is the Head Coach while the rest of the Team Management Unit is also unchanged. They are Graeme West (Head Coach), Dwain Gill (Team Operations Manager), Corey Collymore (Assistant Coach), Khevyn Williams (Physiotherapist), Zephrynus Nicholas (Fitness Coordinator) and Dinesh Mahabir (Video Data Analyst).

Schedule of matches: November Wed 1 1st One-day Match – Sabina Park (14:00h) Fri 3 2nd One-day Match – Sabina Park (14:00h) Sun 5 3rd One-day Match – Trelawny Multiplex (09:30h)

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, october 31, 2017

Bishoo takes 100th Test wicket – Windies making strong reply to 326 Z

imbabwe wicketkeeper, Regis Chakabva attempted a sweep shot but missed the ball and was bowled through the legs by Guyanese leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo to join the list of West Indian bowlers with 100 Test wickets.

The 31-year-old is playing his 28th Test and becomes the fourth Guyanese bowler to the milestone. The others are Lance Gibbs (309), Colin Croft (125) and Carl Hooper (114).

Bishoo ended with 2-82 as the hosts were bowled out for 326 on the second day of the second Test in Bulawayo.

Hamilton Masakadza and Sikandar Raza starred with the bat, but incisive bowling and attritional batting from West Indies ensured the honours were shared at stumps. Masakadza and Raza did enough to ensure that the hosts passed 300, which looked a long way off when they were 14 for 3 on day 1 on Sunday, but Zimbabwe's progress was stalled by openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell. They ground their way to an opening stand of 76 in almost 47 overs before Brathwaite was eventual-

ly prised from the crease, as nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo partnering Powell until the close.

The game had moved much faster in the morning, when Hamilton Masakadza cracked the first ball of the day through the covers for four, and then collected four boundaries in the space of seven deliveries before the first drinks break. He and Raza threatened to take the game away from West Indies with a stand that stretched to 90 runs, but with Masakadza's dismissal West Indies forced their way back into the game.

The spinners struck repeatedly with the old ball to peg Zimbabwe back, and after lunch, the quicks used the new ball to deal with the tail, as the wickets were shared around. Masakadza had looked set to surpass his Test best on the second morning, but Jason Holder's decision not to take the new ball when it was due slowed the game down, made scoring harder, and eventually helped West Indies break through. Three runs short of his 150, Masakadza attempted to force the pace with a slog sweep at Bishoo,

of slip. Raza, used ahead of specialist left-arm spinner Chisoro, also had a strong lbw shout turned down in his first over. Zimbabwe weren't helped by a couple of missed opportunities. Cremer missed two caught-and-bowled chances off Powell's bat straight after tea, but otherwise both

Windies speedster Kemar Roach picked up three wickets on a tough track

but the ball ballooned off the top edge to be caught by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich.

Malcolm Waller then went for a golden duck, flashing a drive over the top of an extravagantly flighted ball from Brathwaite, and Regis Chakabva never settled, missing a sweep at a Bishoo legbreak to be bowled for 10. Only Raza stood firm, going to fifty with a swatted pull for six over midwicket off Bishoo. Raza drove at Shannon Gabriel but edged to second slip for 80 - the first catch to be taken in the slips off a pace bowler for either team all series. An overly adventurous single saw

Cremer run-out for 11, and when Roach undid debutant Tendai Chisoro with a superb slower ball, Zimbabwe were all out for 326 midway through the second session.

The clouds that had engulfed Bulawayo on the first day parted in the afternoon, and West Indies' openers began their riposte under bright blue skies. There was a similar clarity to their batting, both men seeing the shine off the new ball ahead of stiffer challenges from Zimbabwe's spinners.

Cremer brought himself on as early as the 10th over, immediately finding the outer half of Powell's bat, though the edge fell short

23

Sikandar Raza stroked 80 to stake Zimbabwe over the 300-run mark

Powell and Brathwaite's knocks were studies of attritional, risk-free accumulation; 19 of the 49 overs West Indies faced were maidens.

(ESPN Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Zimbabwe 1st Innings (Overnight 169/4) H Masakadza c †Dowrich b Bishoo 147 SF Mire c †Dowrich b Roach 4 CR Ervine b Gabriel 0 BRM Taylor b Roach 1 PJ Moor b Chase 52 Sikandar Raza c KA Hope b Gabriel 80 MN Waller b Brathwaite 0 RW Chakabva† b Bishoo 10 AG Cremer (c) run out (Holder) 11 TS Chisoro lbw b Roach 9 CB Mpofu not out 4 Extras (lb-6, nb-2) 8 Total (All out, 109.1) 326 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-11, 3-14, 4-156, 5-246, 6-248, 7-267, 8-310, 9-319, 10-326 Bowling Gabriel 224-64-2 (nb-1), Roach

18.1-5-44-3 (nb-1), Blackwood 4-1-8-0, Holder 16-2-49-0, Bishoo 25-2-82-2, Chase 14-150-1, Brathwaite 10-0-23-1 West Indies 1st Innings KC Brathwaite c Masakadza b Cremer 32 KOA Powell not out 43 D Bishoo not out 0 Extras (b-2, lb-1) 3 Total (For 1 wicket, 49 overs) 78 Yet to bat: KA Hope, SD Hope, RL Chase, J Blackwood, SO Dowrich †, JO Holder (c), KAJ Roach, ST Gabriel Fall of wickets: 1-76 Bowling Mpofu 11-5-17-0, Mire 4-2-2-0, Cremer 12-2-31-1, Raza 13-6-10-0, Chisoro 9-4-15-0 Position: West Indies trail by 249 runs with 9 wickets remaining in first innings

CWI/ Digicel Regional 4-Day Championships 2017-18…

Everest CC Pride settle for draw acquires in heavy scoring match fielding equipment I Looknauth Persaud (left) hands over the fielding equipment to Coach David Harper in the presence of the young cricketers at the Everest Cricket Club

F

riends of Everest Cricket Club in New York, USA answered the call and donated a quantity of sporting equipment to the club during a simple ceremony last Thursday.

Former president, Steven Lewis and longstanding member, Looknauth Persaud initiated the assistance during a recent visit to the Big Apple where friends of the 151-yearold club donated a sidearm, a katchet and a coaching cricket bat.

Persaud who handed over the equipment on behalf of the friends in New York said that the fielding equipment is only the first of several donations. The former executive of the club stated that the intention is to improve every aspect of the club over time and they have started with fielding which Persaud noted is a very critical component of the game.

Accepting the donation on behalf of the club was Coach David Harper stated that the donation is timely and will be used immediately to improve the fielding skills of the club members especially the young ones. Harper thanked the former executive for the assistance and assured him that it will be used for the intended purpose for the betterment of the members and club at large.

n a Windies Professional Cricket League game where 987 runs were scored, it took a half-century from Barbados Pride’s Aaron Jones, to ensure his side earned a draw against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Kensington Oval on Sunday.

Sent into bat, the Red Force posted a testing 300, but watched as the Pride rebounded to overhaul the total, scoring 310-9 in their first innings.

Batting a second time, the Red Force, who were given a chance to put pressure on the Pride by a sporting declaration, were bolstered by half-centuries from Amir Jangoo, 63, Ewart Nicholson, 55, and Denesh Ramdin, 56 not out, to score 257-5, a lead of 247.

Ramdin added his unbeaten half century to his 101 in the first innings to make for a good outing with the bat.

Ewart Nicholson Bearing in mind the time left in the game, the total was formidable but the Pride would try to push for a win, but settle for a draw if things got dicey, and they did.

Set 248 to win, the Pride openers tried to push the

pace early, with Anthony Alleyne, who had scored 84 in the first innings, but the plan failed miserably, after Alleyne went for just three, the same as his opening partner, Shayne Moseley.

When Mario Rampersaud made a duck at number

three, the Pride changed modes, and went for the more likely draw.

Jones still scored at a good clip though, getting to 52 from just 82 deliveries, while his partner Jonathan Carter, who had scored 85 in the first innings, offered good support with 46.

Carter was dismissed moments before the game was called off but Kevin Stoute’s stayed with Jones and saw the hosts safely to the end at 117/4 from 28 overs when the game was called off. The Pride will host the Hurricanes while Red Force will be at home to the visiting Scorpions when round two bowls off on Thursday. Scores; Trinidad & Tobago 300 (Ramdin 101, Warrican 4-67, Greaves 4-67) and 257 for 5 decl (Jangoo 63, Ramdin 56*) drew with Barbados 310 for 9 decl (Carter 85, Imran 3-68) and 117 for 4 (Jones 52*, Primus 2-9)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Bishoo takes

Pg 23

100th

Test wicket

Devendra Bishoo is the fourth Guyanese bowler to pick up 100 Test wickets

– Windies making strong reply to 326

Paul plotting course to Windies "A" team

Pg 20

–consistency is main focus His nippy medium pace has become a main asset for the side either with old or new ball

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