Guyana Times Saturday February 1, 2020

P12 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4183

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

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Coronavirus…

Persons arriving from China could be denied entry, subjected to quarantine

See story on page 3

See story on page 7

Guyana’s first crude lift for February – Dr Bynoe

Importance of Diplomatic Service highlighted at inaugural fair

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

ERC calls on politicians to put end to supporters’ provocative behaviour P13

Brazilian charged for murder of Guyanese miner

P8

See story on page 14

Farmer shot twice by P15 Police ranks during arrest – victim allegedly threatened cops with cutlass

Indian-funded drainage P9 pumps expected soon Members of the Chinese Embassy in Guyana in discussion with two officers at the Diplomatic Fair on Friday, which was held at D’Urban Park, Georgetown

Bank teller critical after being stabbed by husband – suspect ingests poison after committing act Page 2

Corentyne rice farmer shot dead in backdam Page 7

Mother seeks justice for P10 son’s murder

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bank teller critical after being stabbed by husband ꟷ suspect ingests poison after committing act

A

22-year-old employee attached to Republic Bank is now battling for her life after she was stabbed to the neck with a knife by her husband who subsequently consumed a poisonous substance.

The stabbing reportedly took place on Thursday evening in a church yard on Timehri Base Road, East Bank Demerara.

The 24-year-old man, identified as Clifton Richmond also called “Steve”, is currently in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The victim, Sheria Khalil also called “Sherry” a teller at the banking institution is also critical.

Reports are that Khalil and her husband had an arrangement to meet at her place of employment at about 09:30h on Thursday night. The man, who is a minibus conductor, finished working and went to meet his wife but she was not at her office.

He reportedly returned to their Lot 25 Timehri Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home but she was not at home.

However, at about 21:15h, Khalil disembarked a route 42 mini-

Injured: Nalicia Ragoonauth

Somattie Keosoram

bus. Richmond, who was in the yard, went to greet his wife on the public road but that turned into an argument.

During the argument, Richmond lifted his wife off the ground and took her into the nearby Elim Christian Fellowship Churchyard.

Khalil’s family reported that they heard her screams and rushed to that location where they noticed the 22-year-old bleeding profusely from a stab wound at the left side of her neck.

Upon realising that his in-laws had arrived at the

crime scene, Richmond then allegedly consumed a poisonous substance and jumped into the Demerara River.

He was subsequently taken out of the water in an unconscious state.

Both Khalil and Richmond were rushed to the Diamond Diagnostics Centre where they were treated but due to the severity of Khalil’s injury, she was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for emergency surgery.

Meanwhile, a knife and bottle with suspect-

ed poison were retrieved

by Police ranks from the Elim Christian Fellowship Churchyard. An investigation was launched into the incident.

On Friday, last, a Corentyne man committed suicide at his family’s Lot 426 Bush Lot Village, Corentyne, Berbice home, after first attempting to kill his wife.

The woman, Nalicia Ragoonauth, 24, a mother of one, of Bush Lot Village, Corentyne, Berbice, was in a critical condition in the New Amsterdam Hospital before being discharged after she was chopped to her neck, wrist and forearms by her reputed husband.

It was reported that the 27-year-old Ganesh Narine, a carpenter, dealt his wife several chops to her body with a cutlass just before he grabbed a length of rope and hanged himself on a beam in the bedroom of the house.

The incident reportedly occurred after the man and his wife returned home from a birthday celebration.

One day prior, a 16-year-old girl and her two younger brothers witnessed their father delivering fatal stabs to their mother’s neck and body

Sheria Khalil and her reputed husband, Clifton Richmond, who attempted to murder his wife before attempting to take his own life

in their Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home.

Forty-four-yearold mother, Somattie Keosoram, died before she arrived at the Mahaicony Cottage hospital, ECD. In this case, it was reported that Keosoram’s husband, identified as 56-year-old Terrence Jackson, arrived home

from work on Thursday, intoxicated, and an argument commenced between the couple.

After committing the act, Jackson went into hiding but hours after, Police arrested the man who had been in the process of committing suicide at a backdam in the Cane Grove village. (Kristen Macklingam)

NEWS

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Saturday, February 1 – 09:30h – 11:00h and Sunday, February 2 – 10:30h – 12:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, February 1 – 08:20h – 09:50h and Sunday, February 2 – 09:20h – 10:50h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine is expected throughout the day.

There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 19 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 09:17h and 21:46h reaching maximum heights of 2.31 metres and 2.26 metres.

Low Tide: 02:50h and 15:16h reaching minimum heights of 0.91 metre and 0.91 metre.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020

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07 11 14

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Friday, January 31, 2020

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Coronavirus…

Persons arriving from China could be denied entry, subjected to quarantine

W

ith coronavirus now declared a global health emergency, Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has announced strict travel measures, warning that persons arriving from China could be denied entry or subjected to quarantine protocols.

The Ministry informed that persons in China who plan to travel to Guyana to defer those plans until further notice is given, as they are likely to be denied entry into the country.

Those in Guyana who plan to travel to China are also advised to postpone those plans.

Persons arriving in Guyana from China will be subject to quarantine protocols and may be quarantined in a health facility or at home, depending on the outcome of the risk assessment.

All recent travellers from China, specifically those who arrived this year, are asked to contact their nearest health centre or hospital urgently.

The Ministry in a statement noted that should flulike symptoms arise within 14 days after return to Guyana from China or another highly affected country, persons are asked to call the hotline on 592-227-8683 ext 215.

“Those who must travel to and from China are advised to take precautions against contracting the virus by avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections, crowds and the consumption of uncooked food; universal precautions to take include the frequent washing of hands, especially after direct contact with ill persons or their environment,” the advisory further stated.

Moreover, travellers with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should also practice cough etiquette, that is, maintain distance from others, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissue or clothing, and also frequently washing their hands.

At a press conference a few days ago, health officials, including those from the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), assured that Guyana is on alert for a possible outbreak of the virus here.

The country’s main public health facility, the Georgetown Public Hospital, has already established an isolation area for suspected cases and officials at the various ports of entry have been trained to detect symptoms.

The Caribbean Public Health Agency had earlier stated that the region’s risk of getting the virus remains low.

Nearly 10,000 people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus, with more than 100 cases reported outside of China – where the disease originated.

In fact, the virus has reached at least 22 countries, including the United States – where a large percentage of persons travel to and from Guyana.

Cases of coronavirus outside of China

In China, over 200 persons have died as a result of the coronavirus.

The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed that of the Sars epidemic, which spread to more than two dozen countries in 2003.

There were around 8100 cases of Sars – severe acute respiratory syndrome – reported during the eightmonth outbreak.

Most cases outside China are in people who have been to Wuhan. But Germany, Japan, Vietnam, the United States, Thailand and South Korea have reported person-to-person cases – patients being infected by people who had travelled to China.

The UK, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand are expected to quarantine all evacuees for two

weeks to monitor them for symptoms and avoid contagion.

Australia plans to quarantine its evacuees on Christmas Island, 2000km (1200 miles) from the mainland in a detention centre that has been used to house asylum seekers.

Russia said two Chinese citizens had been placed in isolation after they tested positive for the virus. Russia also decided to close its 4300km (2,670-mile) far-eastern border with China.

Singapore closed its borders to all travellers from China. Italy declared a sixmonth state of emergency after two Chinese tourists in Rome were diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Thailand confirmed its first case of human-to-human transmission. Mongolia suspended all arrivals from

China until March 2. It also banned its citizens from travelling to the country.

In the US, Chicago health officials reported the first US case of human-to-human transmission. Japan raised its infectious disease advisory level for China.

Some 250 French nationals were evacuated from Wuhan. India confirmed its first case of the virus – a student in the southern state of Kerala who was studying in Wuhan. Israel barred all flight connections with China. North Korea suspended all flights and trains to and from China, said the British Ambassador to North Korea.

Guatemala announced new travel restrictions, saying anyone who had been to China in the past 15 days would be prevented from reaching the country.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

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

Completing envisaged projects

T

he Government continues to bask as it completes a few projects which were envisaged and commenced by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration just prior to the May 2015 general elections. Despite serious accusations of not delivering the initial intended expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), the Government takes credit for the new structure now in place as it has done with the Indian Arrival Monument.

Nothing is wrong with this or any Government continuing developmental projects and policies started by its predecessor.

Since benefits are intended for the people, it becomes difficult for arguments to be made against continuity. While that is what the people would expect, what makes the current situation in Guyana a bit different?

First, the context must be taken into consideration.

During the PPP/C’s minority Government of 2011-2015, many transformative projects were already on the table with some at different stages of implementation. These included the Amaila Falls Hydro, the said modernisation of the CJIA, expansion of the East Bank and East Coast thoroughfares, the Specialty Hospital and plans to materialise a new Demerara Harbour Bridge, and the West Coast Demerara and Sheriff Street road extensions.

These visionary projects, like the Berbice Bridge, the National Stadium and the Marriott Hotel, were not only designed to further advance the country’s then ongoing unprecedented development but to better position it to meet new demands faced by every developing nation, especially one where oil will play a major part in its future economy.

Having witnessed Guyana’s unprecedented transformation as it moved from a highly-indebted poor country to a developing one within the 23-year tenure of the PPP/C Administration, Guyanese were very expectant of further advancement as they saw their standards rapidly improve.

That expectation was rooted in the fact that their lives were positively impacted during the PPP/C’s tenure with many only familiar with modernity.

All would have wanted a state-of-the-art airport with protection from the elements of the weather. All would have wanted reliable, cheaper and cleaner electricity which the Amaila Hydro would have provided and which would have led to a reduction in manufacturing costs and by extension, cheaper local products. All would have wanted the services of a modern hospital with treatment in specialised areas.

The only set of people who appeared not wanting these positively impacting projects is the current Government when in Opposition. Then, Guyanese were flabbergasted to know that 33 people would have then not wanted their motherland to further progress. The answer as to why can only be found within the confines of selfish and vindictive politics to the detriment of Guyanese, including their own supporters.

The reality is, that set of Guyanese lawmakers squashed those transformative projects of the PPP/C Administration.

One may objectively not deny some of their concerns as they claim but despite being afforded all the information regarding feasibility studies, recouping revenue and benefits to the nation, even interaction with major players as in the case of the Amaila Hydro, they refused to see the value in these undertakings.

An astonished nation was at pains of trying to understand as to how the Amaila Hydro and the Specialty Hospital were scuttled by the said 33, who also severely criticised the CJIA and Marriott projects. Many attempted to unearth some semblance of rationality for those decisions but were unsuccessful. Again, the answer lies in politics rather than in objectivity, rationality and concern for Guyanese welfare.

Politically, the power of the combined one-seat majority of A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC), while in Opposition, was ruthlessly wielded to demonstrate the belief of who controls the seat of power.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just about whom but about the assumed power itself, and the brandishing of it with scant regard if it compromised the future.

But what has changed since? Why would the said set of 33 people, officially in the seat of power, now boast of some of these projects which they had previously blanked?

How, suddenly, these projects make sense to them? Politics seems most plausible as, in their minds, support for such transformative projects while in Opposition would have made the then PPP/C Government look good.

Such thinking can only be seen as a transgression into the realms of unbridled hypocrisy. On the flip side, why not execute sound projects so as to look good while now in Government?

This obviously is in the context of them once killing and burying those projects and now unashamedly taking credit.

One positive is that Guyanese can eventually benefit from what was originally intended.

As the Children Mashramani Competitions continue at the National Cultural Centre on Friday, this jubilant young lady of St Gabriel’s Primary School displays a costume depicting Guyana’s natural resources on the rise [Shaconeil Burnette photo]

Guyana is still a secular state, not a “religious country” as Granger contends

Dear Editor, Campaigning at Golden Grove, Mr David Granger rebutted criticism from the PPP/C General Secretary about his going to church and praying. He called Mr Bharrat Jagdeo “Pharaoh” and said that Pharaoh should “know this is a religious country.”

The PNCR leader declared: “I exercise my religious freedom as a Christian…I am praying for you Pharaoh…that you see the light and turn from your ways.”

Mr Granger is partially correct. He has a right to freedom of religion. No one including Pharaoh took this right by filing frivolous lawsuits. What if Mr Granger was prevented from praying until March 2?

When Mr Granger used his status as Head of State to repeatedly misrepresent the events of 2001 to 2006 or refused to call timely elections last year, no one including Pharaoh prayed for Mr Granger to “turn from his ways.”

Mr Granger enjoys his rights today, while others have to wait for theirs. Some are denied outright. Indeed, eligible voters who were alive on September 18, 2019, but who have since died will, therefore, never enjoy their right to vote following the 2018 NCM. Prayer will not make them whole. Prayer is not a substitute for constitutional rights.

Incidentally, Pharaoh has a right to pray as Pharaoh sees fit, or not pray at all.

The law never rendered to believers any more protection than non-believers. Thus, Mr Granger arguably discriminated against non-believers when he stated in New Amsterdam: “I pity godless people who cannot pray to a higher being.”

The Constitution does not require a voter to be religious, married, or a parent to vote or hold public office. Mr Granger seems to be promoting a corrupt form of “integrity” in order to soften voters given his

errors and strong-arm tactics over the past two years. Deny a man’s vote one day, and then tell him how you care about his “pickney” the next. Vote in Parliament and then say voting was all “nonsense”.

No amount of gospel will alter these facts. On the contrary, Mr Granger has displayed poor judgment regarding a fundamental right, and at times sounds like a preacher at the pulpit. Religious dogma, however, cannot replace cornerstones of law that provide equal protection to believers and non-believers. Guyana is still a secular state. It is not, as Mr Granger said, a “religious country.”

The distinction is important, especially at election time. Surely Mr Granger knows this but he seems willing to ignore the distinction to gin up votes from a certain quarter. However, if the distinctions start to disappear, so too will rights. This is the reason for having a Constitution, in addition to religious texts.

A politician that “prays” for Pharaoh today will want to vote for Pharaoh tomorrow.

Politicians should, therefore, stick to politics. Rallies which are meant to educate voters about political attributes of candidates and topical issues ought not to be a platform for religious dogma in exchange for votes.

However, religious rhetoric is on a rise under the six-legged big tent.

In 2015 and again, biblical references have become prevalent. For example, the story of David versus Goliath has been a metaphor of comparison for the main presidential candidates. Mr Joseph Harmon, for example, told supporters at the Palm Tree Cinema in Wismar that Mr Granger (ie, “David”) prays for Guyana. He said having an APNU/AFC coalition in office in 2015 was a “spiritual revival.”

But there is a lot of smoke with all of this religious talk.

The smoke is meant to hide or

limit a proper inquiry by voters of the APNU/AFC coalition’s time in office. Further, it helps to hide a violation of key rights voters have. For example, the right to free political speech in the form of campaign symbols.

A few minutes before Mr Harmon talked about his praying party leader, a female APNU/AFC politician spoke about a PPP/C MP who urinated in two cups in Parliament. Then she did the unthinkable (see video on APNU/AFC Facebook page, January 17). She told the crowd: “When they come to you with the cup, put it in a certain place and pee in it.”

The audience roared. Mr Harmon enjoyed the moment. This kind of “integrity” and “decency” is unique to the APNU/AFC coalition. Even Mr Granger has to admit that no amount of prayer will help here.

Dear Editor, I wish to draw attention to a topic which has garnered increasing attention and interest over the past week.

The recent announcements of the first significant offshore oil discovery in Suriname have further cemented the Guyana-Suriname Basin’s global reputation as an oil hotspot. The discovery in Block 58, just next door to the Stabroek, has prompted great international interest and skyrocketed the stock prices of the companies involved.

This discovery should serve as a reminder to Guyanese that offshore territorial borders are merely theoretical constructs of the modern nation-state. The po-

tential for significant oil reserves does not simply stop at Guyana’s border. Suriname’s offshore territory has much of the same geologic promise and potential as Guyana’s.

This first discovery likely signals more to come.

But the increased reputation of the GSB may not be all good news for Guyana. The reality is that our neighbour is vastly more prepared and established when it comes to oil industry governance.

They have a history of production, albeit small, which has led them to build a refinery and establish their very own national oil company, Staatsolie. Leaders and citizens are familiar with the industry and have built up the

knowledge and experience that comes with managing it over time.

This forces me to ask the uncomfortable question of what would happen should Suriname enter a similar streak of exploration success as we have enjoyed here in Guyana? Might we not suffer a decrease in status and appeal as a result? It is no secret that the international community now regards Guyana with a wary eye. The United States was sufficiently concerned by our political stability to send a congressional delegation urging our leaders to hold free and fair elections and, most importantly, to respect the results.

Sincerely, Rakesh Rampertab

Suriname’s discovery should be wake-up call for Guyana

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

5

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

No forest area giveaway before election Dear Editor, Please allow me a small space in your newspaper so I can voice my concerns and the concerns of many of my friends who are operating in the forestry sector in Guyana. Over the months there were countless letters by concerned citizens in the different newspapers of Guyana talking about the challenges facing the forestry sector in Guyana.

These challenges range

from what is taking place internally at the Guyana Forestry Commission and what is happening in the forests. Almost all of these concerns went unnoticed by this Government. It has reached a stage where the concerned citizen of Guyana has no place to voice their concern.

Many of my friends in the forestry sector would have written letters to Minister Trotman and

the Chairwoman of the Forestry Board, concerning many problems but to date have not received a reply.

I myself attended many meetings in Kwakwani where there are a number of problems being faced by citizens, however, Minister Trotman just sat, listened and used his famous line “I will take note of your concerns and investigate.”

To date, there has been no action or solution to

Waiting to hear from Minister Ally Dear Editor, The GAWU has been actively following the latest chapter in the struggles of the workers of BCGI to be treated with respect and for their rights to be acknowledged. Our Union has recognised several remarks by officials of the workers’ union expressing dim views about the action/s of the Ministry of Social Protection and more so, Minister Keith Scott.

The GAWU also saw, according to a January 30 Demerara Waves report, that Minister Scott announced that the Company has been summoned by the Ministry to account for its actions.

According to the report, the Minister is quoted as saying that the Company did “not properly notified us [the Ministry]” and the Union about its decision.

Indeed, the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (TESPA) has outlined very clearly the procedure an employer must adopt in instances of making workers redundant. Quite clearly,

based on statements from the workers’ union, that procedure has been disregarded. We agree with sentiments from the Union that we should not allow the workers’ rights to be transgressed and our laws violated”.

While we will continue to pay keen attention to the unfolding situation, we cannot fail to recognise that like in the instance of the BCGI workers, the Ministry is also failing in its responsibilities to safeguard the rights of other sections of the Guyanese working-class. Earlier this year, the GAWU by a letter which was copied to Minister Scott drew his attention to an almost identical practice to employees by an enterprise where our Union enjoys bargaining rights.

In our correspondence, we sought the Ministry’s assistance to arrest the situation and to ensure that the law was followed.

We did not even receive an acknowledgement from Minister Scott or even the Chief Labour, Occupational

Suriname’s discovery...

FROM PAGE 4

Our political leaders have also failed to signal stability in the oil space, prevaricating on vital questions. For example, it seems that the opinion of various leaders regarding how to treat the ExxonMobil Stabroek contract shifts as frequently as the wind. One day, we recognise that it reflects ExxonMobil’s unique status as a pioneer explorer here in Guyana. The next, we plan to force a renegotiation of the contract.

Meanwhile, plans and proposals for how to spend oil revenues remain vague and opaque.

While I share the opinion of my fellow Guyanese that the current contracts for our offshore blocks are poor, the unfortunate reality is that our leaders have squandered our considerable lead. This sentiment is comprehensively addressed by a Kaieteur

News editorial from January 26, “The Exxon oil contract”. International investors and companies may see Guyana as a risky investment and Suriname, should they see a few more successful discoveries, will surely be beckoning.

We are now forced to acknowledge that any decisions to hold up or halt development offshore will not occur in a vacuum. Our international reputation matters now more than it ever has before. I implore our leaders to fight the urge to shift with the political winds when it comes to our oil industry.

Rather, we must endeavour to make measured and well-communicated decisions. This is the only way to protect our status and future.

Yours respectfully, Gregory Lynch

Safety and Health Officer.

A few days ago, among other things, we drew the matter to the attention of the senior Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally. We are waiting to hear from Minister Ally.

In the meantime, the Union, on its own, given the silence from the Ministry, has been forced to pursue a certain course of action.

We find it dismaying that though workers’ rights are enshrined in our statutes, workers and their organisations must still go to extraordinary lengths to receive the respect they deserve. Indeed, it appears that the workers of Guyana can have very little confidence in Minister Scott, who holds a critical post in the Administration.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

our problems. What has been observed is that after many of these meeting, the Minister and his team are seen socialising with the same people guilty of and involved in many forestry wrongdoings.

Editor, forestry in Guyana is in a mess. We the poor people living in the forest suffer daily and only the rich are getting richer. They are the ones who can pay their way through the forestry system. This clearly shows this Government does not care about our forest and the role it plays towards national development. It is so heartbreaking to hear the talk of sustainable forest management, and good forest governance being a big joke on the streets of Guyana. Today, we as loggers can see the lawlessness which has been going on in our forests and at the places where forestry operations are being carried out (sawmill, lumber, export ports, etc).

Before this Government came into power, forestry in Guyana was so highly praised. Now I realise the system then allowed for everyone to be able to make an honest living from the forest, and also respect the laws of Guyana.

Today what we are seeing is that the one who can pay their way or who is well acquainted with someone in Government or the GFC Board can do what they want in the forest.

Editor, right now there is a lot of talk on the streets about the Forestry Commission giving out more forest concessions before election. Persons are saying those forests lands are already air marked for individuals and companies who are friends of this Government or friends of members of the Forestry Board and persons in high office in the Forestry Commission.

We the poor hard-working loggers think this is unfair and we should be given equal opportunities to have access to these newly available forest areas. In order to understand our concerns l would like to highlight these few points and ask a few questions so our readers can understand our situation: 1.

The forest area identified for allocation before the election in March was supposedly taken back by the Government from big investors. Maybe the areas were taken back to give to their friends.

2.

There are noticeable changes to the requirements for forest area.

These changes were made by the Forestry Board.

Maybe to justify their bias allocation approval at the end of February.

3.

The areas will not be advertised for one month as per the norm over the years by the Forestry Commission. Maybe a rush for time to allocate the areas to chosen people before

the election in March.

4.

Can the Minister and Cabinet legally allocate any State forest areas before the election in March, knowing there is no Parliament in Guyana?

5.

Are international bodies like DFID, EU, FAO, ITTO, etc who would have provided millions to the Guyana Forestry Commission to help develop good sustainable forests management system and support good governance in Guyana forestry sector going to sit back and remain quiet whilst the biggest fraud in the history of Guyana forestry sector is happening?

6.

Are the NGOs in Guyana going to sit back and watch corruption and lack of transparency in the Forestry Commission?

7. Is this what Norway is supporting in Guyana?

As a small logger living in Kwakwani who voted in 2015 for this Government, I will never again be persuaded to vote for them due to the mass destruction of the forestry sector. In closing, I am calling on all the honest hard-working staff of the Forestry Commission and law-abiding stakeholders to reject the fraud which is ongoing at the Forestry Commission. The Guyana forest belongs to all and not a chosen few. No forest area should be distributed before elections.

Sincerely, Terrence Nedd

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

Page

Foundation

...the positive effects of Star Wars and fantasy games on children and adolescents

By David Schwartz

F

inding something they can be passionate about can be extremely rewarding for children and adolescents.

Whether it’s fantasy game tournaments like “Magic: The Gathering”, immersing themselves in movie worlds like Star Wars, or other activities they get excited about, finding that special “something” that they identify with can be an extremely positive experience.

As children develop, it is important they develop their own interests. One of the reasons that adolescents stop listening to their parents’ music at a certain age and adopt their own musical tastes is that they’re forming their own identities. They are aligning themselves with their friends and peer groups, and this is a normal part of child development. However, when children align themselves with unstable peer groups it can also be dangerous.

When adolescents prioritise their friends higher than their parents in terms of tastes and interests, it’s important that those friends are responsible enough to be a positive influence.

For example, if children start hanging out with reckless friends who experiment with drugs and alcohol, they may follow suit. After all, fitting in with their friends is often more important for an adolescent than relying on their own values. Many times, one or two adolescents who don’t have good boundaries can influence other children to

disregard theirs as well. This can lead to experimentation with drugs or sex long before the child is ready to make those decisions.

Passion and interest in activities are important This is where your child’s interests come in.

When children develop passions for activities, whether it’s fantasy card game tournaments, collecting action figures or something else that captivates their imagination, they are going to seek out other people with the same interests. When a child who loves science fiction starts collecting Star Wars memorabilia, chances are that’s what he or she is going to concentrate on and will maintain their focus. It also means the money they have will more likely go to working on their collecting interests rather than illicit substances.

A couple of decades ago, roleplaying games and comic heroes were seen as “nerd” activities.

Other kids would o f t e n make

fun people

of who

played “Dungeons and Dragons” or other fantasy games. Nowadays, with the proliferation of superhero movies and other fantasy driven properties, these “nerd” activities have become mainstream attractions.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the public generally looked down on anyone over the age of 12 who read comic books. People who indulged in graphic fiction of this type were often seen as having substandard intelligence and were the subject of negative judgments. Yet today, many of those same people are at the forefront of creating the blockbuster fantasy movies the entire world is watching.

George RR Martin, the creator of “Game of Thrones”, originally was a comic book fan who contributed to fan magazines called fanzines when he was a child.

These amateur publications w e r e done

by adolescents and distributed to adolescents with the same interests, often

with circulations of less than 50 copies. Now he has a worldwide following with his best-selling series of books and TV series. His love for science fiction and fantasy when he was a child helped him develop a unique voice that fuelled his future success.

Inner motivation Generations of children and adolescents today have become so absorbed in the shows they love that they can’t help but delve deeper into those fantasy worlds. Whether it’s completing a collection or competing in a fantasy game tournament, it makes sense that these activities can keep a child focused on their passions and away from dangerous activities. This can make them more likely to save up their money to buy the latest set of “Magic the Gathering” cards rather than spending it on drugs or alcohol.

Passion and interest in activities are important.

Children and adolescents who grow up bored, without focus and ambition often turn to drugs and alcohol just to feel something other than their boredom.

Adolescents who have passion for something in their l i v e s , whether it is a fantasy game, sports trivia, or anything that keeps them focused and excited, can help a child develop the inner motivation they will need to move themselves forward as adults.

Often parents don’t understand the reasons a child is interested in a specific activity. They think fantasy games or action figures are a waste of time and money. What they don’t often realise is that it doesn’t matter what the activity is, the importance is that they have a focused interest. The actual content of the passion is less important than the drive to be a part of something greater than themselves. The need to collect; to gather; to become an expert at something; these are all skills that can help a child later in life. It can help with their focus, their motivation and instil in them an understanding that they have the power to accomplish their goals.

D

Diving deeper into an activity they feel passionate about helps creates a context where children are developing their own inner sense of excitement and wonder. When adolescents find a community of friends that have similar interests and passions, they develop bonds and connections that can last a lifetime. More importantly, their passion for their activities demands their focus and leaves them less vulnerable to the pitfalls of boredom. When they have a focus that moves them forward, they are less likely to indulge in dangerous behaviours that can get in the way of their goals. (psychologytoday.com)

oes your child have a favourite author? Here’s a great way to engage kids in a conversation about books they love and wonder about the real person who wrote those books. Here’s some advice from children’s writer Mary Amato on how to write to an author: Write a thoughtful, personal letter. Tell the author something about yourself and why you enjoy her books.

Ask thoughtful questions, like how did you come up with the setting for a particular book, or why did a character behave a certain way in the story. (Your child might also share that she, too, wants to be a writer, and what was the path the author took to get there?)

Learn the five parts of a formal letter: heading (address and date), greeting, message, closing, and signature — and where each of those parts are placed on the paper.

Which punctuation mark follows the greeting and the closing?

Write a rough draft of the letter using the letter format. Help your child edit the letter by checking spelling, sentence and paragraph construction, and capitalisation.

Write the final draft. A handwritten letter is especially personal!

Send the letter to the writer “in care of” her publisher.

Here’s how to find that: look for the publisher’s address inside the book. Usually, the mailing address will be listed in the first few pages of the book. (If the complete address is not shown, you can always find it on the publisher’s website.)

Include an envelope with your name and address and a stamp, ready to go. Make it easy for a busy author to respond. (readingrockets.org)

7 Guyana’s first crude lift for February – Dr Bynoe I NEWS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

n a matter of a few days, the Government of Guyana will lift its first share of crude from the Liza Phase One Development, according to the Energy Department’s Director, Dr Mark Bynoe.

“I am sitting here and I can definitively say that Guyana’s first million-barrel entitlement will be shipped in February. You can call that what you wish but that’s a reality,” Dr Bynoe said during an on-air interview on Thursday.

The Energy Head was at the time responding to questions surrounding the deal Guyana has with ExxonMobil

and its co-ventures Hess and CNOOC. Dr Bynoe used the opportunity to shed some light on Guyana’s Public Sharing Agreement (PSA).

Guyana’s PSA states that the country receives two per cent royalty in addition to 50 per cent of profit oil. This means, after 75 per cent of the investment cost has been recovered, Guyana will receive 12.5 per cent of the remaining 25 per cent with ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC receiving the other 12.5 per cent.

But before profits are divided, Guyana’s two per cent royalty is calculated on the overall 25 per cent of the prof-

it oil. The royalties are paid to the country by ExxonMobil and its covertures, making Guyana’s share of the crude 14.5 per cent or 52 per cent of profit oil.

“Within the petroleum industry, we have what we call a royalty and tax regime or you can have net production-sharing arrangements plus royalties which is what Guyana has or you can have Gross Production Sharing agreements and royalties. The beauty about what Guyana has is that from day one, you start receiving benefits. If you were to go with the Tax Royalty Regime, which is what Suriname has,

Corentyne rice farmer shot dead in backdam

F

orty-year-old Parmanand Lakeram, also called “Bachan” or “Fancy”, a rice farmer of Lot 53 Section B Number 58 Village, Corentyne, was on Thursday evening shot dead in his farm.

The incident reportedly took place at about 22:00h on the man’s farm at Number 68 Village, Corentyne Berbice.

However, the Police and the family of the dead man are giving a different account of what transpired.

Family members told Guyana Times that the nowdead man left home to go into the backdam to check on his tractor which was pumping water into his rice field, while the Police claim that he was in the backdam to collect stolen cows.

According to reports, Lakeram and two men were in his vehicle travelling into the backdam when they saw a light approaching. As such, the farmer stopped his vehicle and disembarked to make

Dead: Parmanand Lakeram

inquiries but instead, he was shot in the process.

Police stated that the now-dead man instructed his two friends to hide as he approached the oncoming motorbike.

After the incident, the friends told Police that they heard Lakeram screaming to them, “run boy, run, Chunic just shoot me’.’

At that point, the men left their hiding places and went in different directions but as they ran for their lives, they heard other gunshots.

The two men quickly informed the family of what transpired and without hesitation, they went to the scene in the company of the dead man’s brother. There, they saw Lakeram sitting in a pool of blood next to his vehicle.

From all indications, the body bore about eight gunshot wounds to his hand, two to his head, and two to his abdomen. Both of the man’s friends had their hands tested for gunshot residue but none were found.

Police are on the hunt for the suspect.

Meanwhile, the dead man’s mother, Mother Kuntie Hulosie, told Guyana Times that her now-dead son was trying to get water into his rice field and left a tractor pumping water and had gone back to check on it.

Dr Mark Bynoe

that is what they have been comparing and neglecting in its totality, the discussion around profit oil,” Dr Bynoe explained.

Additionally, the Energy Department Head said his agency has been pursuing effective contract administration among other things. He further reiterated President David Granger’s position that Guyana would not be pursuing a renegotiation of the contract with ExxonMobil.

“We are under the sanctity of a contract. We see to provide investor confidence and let them understand that the rule of law will always be observed. We are conscious of the fact that there are areas within the existing contract from which Government can be able to extract greater value,” he admitted.

He noted that they are also hiring qualified experts to hone the skills of Guyanese so that they can position themselves to be leaders in the oil and gas industry.

ExxonMobil lifted its first

million barrels of oil earlier this year.

In December last year, the DoE announced that Shell Western Supply and Trading, which is Barbados’ branch for Shell International, will be selling Guyana’s crude.

According to the Department, Shell was one of the nine international oil companies it invited to bid for Guyana’s crude. It was explained that the companies had faceto-face meetings with the Energy Department to pitch their proposals and answer questions.

Just Monday, ExxonMobil announced its 16th discovery offshore Guyana.

Northeast of the producing Liza field lies the Uaru exploration well, the company’s latest discovery on the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

In its announcement on Monday, the supermajor revealed that the well, its first for the year 2020, encountered approximately 94 feet of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir.

Uaru, drilled in 6342 feet (1933 metres) of water, is located approximately 10 miles (16 kilometres) Northeast of the Liza field, which began producing in December 2019.

In addition to this latest discovery, ExxonMobil announced that it also upped its estimated recoverable resource base to more than eight billion oil-equivalent barrels.

Production from the Liza Phase 1 development is currently ramping up and will produce up to 120,000 bar-

rels of oil per day in the coming months, utilising the Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO).

The Liza Unity FPSO, which will be employed for the second phase of Liza development and will have a production capacity of 220,000 barrels of oil per day, is under construction and expected to start production by mid-2022.

Pending Government approvals and project sanctioning of a third development, production from the Payara field north of the Liza discoveries could start as early as 2023, reaching an estimated 220,000 barrels of oil per day.

In the meantime, four drillships in Guyana continue to explore and appraise new resources.

A fifth drillship is expected to be deployed later this year.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block. Hess Guyana Exploration Limited holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds 25 per cent interest.

Guyana’s other explorer, British-owned Tullow Oil, has made three oil finds to date at its Joe-1 exploration well, the Jethro-Lobe and the Carapa-1. However, the quality of the oil finds might not be commercially viable.

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Brazilian charged for Woman charged murder of Guyanese miner with Christmas Day fatal stabbing D

S

haleza Ellis, 23, of Charlotte Street, Georgetown, was on Friday charged with the murder of Latoya Haywood, a mother of two who succumbed to her injuries one month after she was stabbed during a party on Christmas Day. Ellis appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty and was not required to plead to the indictable charge. She was remanded to prison until February 3, 2020, and will appear before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

It was reported that the mother of two was at a party on Christmas Eve Day in the company of her cousin and sister-in-law.

While at the party which lasted until Christmas Day, Haywood approached her cousin’s child father and asked him to buy her a drink.

However, this reportedly angered the suspect, who is the man’s current girlfriend.

As a result, an altercation ensued between Ellis

Murder accused: Shaleza Ellis

and Haywood’s cousin during which Ellis attempted to stab the cousin but ended up stabbing Haywood. The now dead woman received injuries in the region of her heart.

The injured Haywood was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where she was admitted but succumbed on January 23. The murder accused was only recently arrested and charges were instituted.

eon Jonas, a Brazilian national, on Friday appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty charged with the murder of David Atkinson, a miner of Kuru Kuru, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

The 23-year-old was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on October 26, 2019, at Guana Sand Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), he murdered Atkinson.

As such, he was remanded to prison until February 13, 2020, and had his matter transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

It was reported that on the day in question, Atkinson, along with two of his co-workers, went to their employer’s “washing down”, where they were seen partying.

According to Police, while Atkinson and his two colleagues were returning to their camp, the Brazilian man, who was in the company of another male alleged to be his stepfather, pointed a gun in their direction, threatening

to shoot them.

However, Atkinson’s two friends claimed that they managed to grab the Brazilian and disarm him of the gun he was carrying. In the process, the other man fled the scene.

The trio reportedly took the suspect to their camp and handed over the firearm to their employer but the bandit managed to make good his escape while the men were distracted.

It was unclear how Atkinson became severely wounded but when investigators visited the camp, he was discovered alive, with an incised wound to his left wrist and multiple lacerations about his body.

Atkinson, before his death, told Police Officers that it was the Brazilian, who he identified by name, and the man’s stepfather who “chopped him up”.

Nevertheless, while being transported for medical attention, he succumbed to his injuries and was later pronounced dead on arrival at the Bartica Regional Hospital.

Singing…

M

…for his pension

oses Nagamootoo’s greatest betrayal is not to the memory of the man he cringingly insisted on calling “Pa” – Cheddi Jagan – but to the people of Guyana. The betrayal is that he keeps insisting with his forked tongue – from a straight face!

– that the PNC’s in a “six-seat coalition”. In accepting his rubber stamp status, he singlehandedly destroyed the idea of coalitions as a mechanism for dealing with Guyana’s fractured politics.

A couple of nights ago, at an Essequibo Coast PNC Rally, he insisted that the “one-party rule is a recipe for dictatorship”. He was referring to the PPP and, of course, contrasting it to the “PNC’s six-party coalition”.

But as a fella who boasts about being in politics for five-plus decades – and is now in bed with the PNC – he should know better. What did the “coalition” that Burnham formed with the UF in 1964 to throw out the PPP lead to? Wasn’t it the dictatorship that lasted for 28 long years?? Which Nagamootoo claims to have fought?

As usual, Nagamootoo has his argument half-assed backwards. In Guyana, it hasn’t been the single party Govt that led to dictatorship. It’s the “coalition” the PNC cobbles together to sneak into government – like a wolf in sheep’s clothing – which they subvert into the dictatorship!! The Machiavellian Burnham left the PNC with his credo: tell them whatever they want to hear, but keep power in the party!!

The PPP had two stabs at forming the Government.

In their first go between 1957 and 1964, did they form a dictatorship?? In their second go between 1992 and 2015, did they form a dictatorship?? Did they rig elections to hold on to power? Did they assassinate their political opponents? Nagamootoo shamelessly said “the corrupt PPP” made Guyana the killing fields of the Caribbean and those are days that should never return”!!

Was it the PPP that protested the 1997 elections and “wuk pon Janet” to force the woman under whose skirts he’d worked for donkey’s years, truncate her term of office and resign?? Was it the PPP that launched “mo fyaah; slow fyaah”? Was it the PPP that broke out of Camp Street jail and held up in Buxton to create mayhem on the East Coast?? The “killing fields” ran red with blood between 2000 and 2008, when Nagamootoo was an Executive Member of the PPP and would’ve participated in every decision the party made. Is he saying that he helped orchestrate the mayhem?

But we return to the present, where, for a mess of pottage, Nagamootoo is telling the Guyanese people he was in a “coalition”.

But couldn’t say “coo”!!

…anti-foreign investment

The bauxite union under Lincoln Lewis is prone to extreme xenophobic language when it comes to dealing with the Russian corporation RUSAL and their relationship with their workers. Now your Eyewitness has no problem with trade unions representing workers as strongly as they can: that’s their mandate. But on the cusp of opening up our economy to foreign corporations because of our imminent oil revenues, we can’t afford to sunder our relations with global supply chains.

RUSAL is the second-largest aluminium company in the world. Does Lewis know of another company that would pick up our high-cost bauxite – deepest overburden; smallest cargo ships etc - without RUSAL economies of scale? What does RUSAL have to do with “Russia rolling into Ukraine with tanks and guns to seize Crimea”? Or with the Palestine/Israel fight? So if Guyanese workers on the FPSO run by Exxon, Hess and CNOOC Lewis will invoke the US invading Vietnam? Or China suppressing the Uighurs??

It is high time Lincoln Lewis be made to understand he can harm our national interests when he enters the realm of foreign policy!

…for citizenship absolution

Two dual-citizen, small-party Presidential Candidates say only the High Court – not GECOM – can disqualify them.

So, like the PNC, they’re violating a constitutional provision that needed “no gloss”??

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

NEWS

9

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Indian-funded drainage pumps expected soon G

uyana’s flood prevention efforts will soon be boosted as the 14 mobile and fixed water pumps that are being funded via a US$4 million line of credit (LOC) from the Indian Government are expected to arrive here in two weeks’ time.

The LOC agreement was signed back in February 2017 between Finance Minister Winston Jordan and an official from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India. The contract was subsequently awarded to India-based Apollo International Limited (AIL) which had submitted a US$3.6 million bid for the project. The deal was signed in August 2018 for the Indian company to procure and supply the drainage and irrigation equipment that will aid in local flood prevention efforts.

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa, told Guyana Times on Friday that the pumps will arrive in Guyana sometime in mid-February.

“Drainage pumps for helping the people of Guyana when it is flooded [are] on the way. As we speak, they are en-route in the container,” he stated.

The project falls under

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa

the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and includes the design, supply, installation and commissioning of nine fixed and five mobile high-capacity pumps and associated structures and equipment.

The five mobile pumps will provide drainage services to Georgetown and its environs including La Penitence South, Cummings Canal, Church Street, Sussex Street and South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

These mobile drainage pumps will be assigned to various locations close to existing sluices in the city and its surrounding areas and will also be deployed to other areas to alleviate flooding, whenever necessary.

Meanwhile, residents in Hampton Court and Devonshire Castle in Region

Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Den Amstel in Region

Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); Hope and Nooten Zuil in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Mora Point in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), and Rose Hall in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will benefit from the placement of eight fixed pumps within their communities which will help to restrict flooding there.

In addition to procuring and installing the 14 pumps, the agreement also catered for the provision of associated spares and institutional

strengthening related to the use and maintenance of the equipment.

The acquisition of these pumps is expected to reduce the risks of flooding in low-lying areas and will bring relief to residents and farmers whose economic activities are usually disrupted by flooding caused by intensive rainfall and overtopping of the sea defence.

They will provide flood relief to approximately 25,000 acres of agricultural and residential lands.

This Dollar Credit Line is one of many such agreements between Guyana and India over the years. The Indian Government has been keen on supporting its Guyanese counterpart to achieve its socio-economic development goals.

10 NEWS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mother seeks justice for son’s murder

J

acqueline Bobb, the mother of Nicolas Perion Bobb, who was killed in April 2019, has vented her frustration at the slothfulness of the Guyana Police Force in dealing with her son’s case.

The 32-year-old man was murdered at Kuribrong Trail, Potaro River.

It was reported that Bobb was employed as a driver and on April 21 last, he and his boss, Emanuel Jeffery, were shuttling dredging equipment when they observed a green truck proceeding in the opposite direction at a slow rate.

As such, Bobb stopped his vehicle on the left side of the trail for the truck to pass. Two loud explosions were subsequently heard, thus causing Jeffrey to take cover. Jeffrey said he heard a strange voice which ordered him to jump into the truck; he complied and entered the tray of the lorry where he saw about eight other men.

He further told Police ranks that he managed to escape by jumping off the moving truck. He made his way back to the area where Bobb had stopped, only to find him dead.

A bullet wound was seen over the right-side chest.

During an interview with Guyana Times the grieving mother stated that she is frustrated.

“Nothing them ain’t doing because pure lies from the time the story happened to now is pure lies because number one, the first time they said the file gone to DPP and I get the woman from the Mining Association and the lady write the DPP and find out and when we write the DPP and the DPP replied, the DPP said the file was there since when my son dead in April and them

said the file go in May and it never returned.”

She added that her family has been “pushed around” by the police every time they attempt to bring closure into her son’s death. She believes that her son’s boss was responsible for his demise.

After not getting justice, she reportedly made a post on social media about the incident but she was served with a lawyer’s letter from the man’s attorney refraining her from making any comments.

The police had finally issued a wanted bulletin for Farouk Khan for question-

ing into the murder of Bobb.

He was arrested but was subsequently released.

“I reach with Commissioner three times and all three times he tell me he is calling up the Commanders. I had to be begging for them to put out bulletin and then we went to the Crime Chief and the Crime Chief say he got these two people hay Fred Khan they [call him] Pak Persaud but he ain’t really showing me but he just say that however the man that was with my son how he got so much paper report for the man, but is what the man say because when they get the man them said the man give contradicting story.”

The heartbroken mother is contending that the Police have been giving her contradicting stories as it relates to her son’s case.

“When I ask back the Commissioner if you can please move the case from Bartica and put it to Major Crime so they can look into it, he said okay I am going to move it now the day he told me that so when we went to the Crime Chief he had the file on his table and he was telling me it going go down

Dead: Nicholas Bobb

to cold case me ain’t know the case in cold yet and it going down to cold case and they would look and see and whatever.”

The woman is calling on someone to intervene as her son’s first death anniversary is approaching.

“Just now in couple months is going to be a year since my son death and not a soul has been charged.”

This newspaper made several attempts to reach to the Divisional Commander and other authories which proved futile. (Shemar Alleyne)

NEWS

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Liberalisation of telecoms sector remains in limbo ꟷ Jagdeo says “secret MoU” signed between Govt, GTT cause for concern

A

fter many years of delay and assurances by the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Government that Guyanese would benefit from a liberalised telecommunications sector, its realisation remains in limbo.

Liberalisation has been delayed for some time to cater for the ironing out of Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) approx-

cess of liberalisation but in the same breath, he stated that a “secret” MoU was later signed.

“What intrigued me a lot is that the Demerarawaves story said that GTT, which wanted a $US44M tax debt settled before moving ahead with liberalisation last year May, signed a secret MoU with Government, committing both sides to settle all outstanding issues. A secret MoU. So, we don’t know

Digicel Guyana

imately US$44 million in taxes owed to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and for other discussions.

Commenting on the issue, Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo recalled that the Government and telephone company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 6, 2019, signifying the beginning of the pro-

what’s there…”

Jagdeo explained that the Order for Liberalisation should have already been passed a long time ago.

“They promised to liberalise the sector. You would recall, we had the legislation read, both parties had promised this in the period before the elections and they are supposed to by now have a liberalised sector. The

The Guyana Telephone & Telegraph (GTT) Company

Order should have been issued etc.”

According to the Opposition Leader, if another MoU was signed after March 2019 between the Government and the GTT without public knowledge, then it leaves many questions to be answered.

“But now we hear about the secret MoU and the country should ask about that…so we should all ask about this issue…Where is this MoU that was signed secretly by the Government with the telecommunication company?”

In July 2016, the Government passed the Telecommunication (Amendment) Bill to liberalise the telecoms sector by ending the monopoly which the Guyana Telephone Telegraph (GTT) had enjoyed for over 25 years.

Meanwhile, Digicel recently made a public claim that Guyanese people have been exposed to poor choice of services in the telecommunications field.

“Guyanese have been left with an extremely limited choice of services; Poor broadband coverage – a shameful 90 per cent of Guyanese still have no access to broadband services at home; Poor quality of services – even when they do have access to services, speeds are slow and unreliable; Poor response time – any issues are resolved at a snail’s pace,” it had said.

According to the media statement made by Digicel

(Guyana) Communications Manager Vidya Sanichara, “The stakes couldn’t be higher. Bringing Guyana’s communications into the 21st century won’t just improve lives, it’s essential to developing the economy – especially now that oil production has begun with the first million barrels recently sold.

As things stand, Guyana’s communication services are nowhere near ready to take

full advantage of this development.”

Digicel Guyana had launched a petition #LiberalisationNOW in light of the loth in the liberalisation process. This petition has been receiving massive traction and to date, has managed to secure the signatures of over 4000 Guyanese, who declared themselves fed up with poor telecommunication services.

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

New CPCE branch in Kwakwani to 99.9% pure gold medallion for Guyana’s 50th Republic Anniversary tackle shortage of trained educators

E

T

he Ministry of Natural Resources in partnership with the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) will be unveiling a golden medallion to commemorate the country’s 50th Republic Anniversary.

Each medallion is 99.99 per cent pure gold, with a diameter of 30 millimetres and a nominal metal weight of 31.10 grams, equivalent to one troy ounce, the Ministry said in a statement.

The medallions have been expertly struck by the Royal Canadian Mint and have a limited mintage of 100 medals worldwide.

In its statement to the media, the Ministry did not reveal the cost of this initiative.

However, it noted that the medallions have been crafted to depict the theme “Continuous development – committing to a Green Guyana through sustainable mining”.

The artwork portrays the growth of the mining industry through a green state.

The symbols used are a stock of gold, a batel, a pickaxe, the map of Guyana, leaves and a patch of land.

The pile of gold depicted represents the large gold and mineral deposits in Guyana. The pick-axe and the batel are two very im-

The 99.9% pure gold medallion

portant tools used to conduct mining.

The ‘M’ symbol is an indication of the country’s rich lands. The two leaves were placed to represent unity and togetherness between the Gold Board and the Ministry.

The map represents green Guyana while the gold flowing from the batel speaks to the growth of the gold stocks as the years progress.

In 2018, the Ministry and the Gold Board extended an invitation for the creation of the design for the face of the medallion through a competition.

Artwork submitted were judged on the clarity of the theme, creativity and orig-

inality, quality of composition and design and effect of the project on the first look.

The winner emerging from the competition was Dillon Craig, a young and talented 21-year-old artist from Melanie Damishana on the East Coast of Demerara.

At the time of the competition, Craig was a student at the ER Burrowes School of Arts.

The medallion is set to be presented to President David Granger prior to its unveiling to the public in conjunction with the Department of Culture’s Central Mashramani Committee events.

A limited number will be made available for sale to members of the public.

ducators in the Sub Region Two District of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), will now be afforded the opportunity to become trained teachers as the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) has opened a branch in Kwakwani, with the aim of tackling the shortage of trained educators in the region.

The region’s former Vice Chairman, Elroy Adolph has deemed the new development as significant, stressing that within the next three years, the regions and its communities will have an increased number of qualified and trained teachers.

“Our education level will certainly increase within the next three years as with increased qualified and trained teachers, it’s obvious that our students would also see an improvement in their academics.

Parents within the region can expect more students going to MacKenzie High, Bishops’ High, Queen’s College, Presidents College, St Roses among other top schools in this country,” Adolph said.

Elroy Adolph

The former regional authority further shared that the current trainees will continue classes during the Easter and August holidays to ensure they are covering the programme’s courses within the stipulated time, since they hail from far end communities such as De Veldt, Sandhill, Kimbia, Wiruni and Calcuni.

“Because these teachers are coming from long distances that they have to travel and it’s very difficult to take them out of

school for long periods, the tutors have agreed to work during the holidays to ensure that they can get the work done,” he said.

In addition, Adolph pointed out several achievements that were made within Kwakwani.

He listed the rehabilitation of the Government guest house, a club house, the construction of a library among others which, according to him, where among its latest achievements.

Miner charged for robbing man during fight

P

rincipal Magistrate Faith McGusty on Friday granted a 23-year-old miner his pre-trial liberty after he pleaded not guilty to robbing a man during a physical altercation.

The defendant, Donnel Todd, denied that on January 30, 2020, at 111 Miles, Mahdia, Essequibo Magisterial District, he robbed Michael Peters of $5000.

Police Prosecutor Delon Sullivan in presenting facts told the court that on the day in question, the men were involved in a disagreement and Todd dealt the victim several cuffs about his body and took his money.

A police report was later made and the defendant was arrested. A search conducted on his person by Police officers revealed the cash in his possession.

Prosecutor Sullivan made objections to bail on

Charged: Donnel Todd

the grounds of the prevalence of the offence and the penalty the charge attracts.

However, Magistrate McGusty declined the sub-

mission and released the defendant on $50,000 bail.

The matter was adjourned on February 3, 2020.

13 ERC calls on politicians 2nd phase of Humanitarian to put end to supporters’ Mapping Course wraps up NEWS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

provocative behaviour

I

n light of the many cases involving hostile interactions between the supporters of contesting political parties, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) is calling on political leaders to urge their supporters to immediately stop any inclination to taunt, confront and intimidate others of opposing sides.

In a statement on Friday, the Commission condemned the conduct of these persons stating that such behaviours have resulted in heated confrontations in different parts of the country, such as at Wismar and Non Pariel.

“The Commission calls on political leaders to urge their supporters to immediately stop and reject any inclination by their supporters to taunt, confront and intimidate others of opposing sides. The ERC is engaging political leaders on those developments and its proposed code of conduct as well,” ERC stated.

As such, political supporters are being encouraged to desist from these

Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission, Dr John Smith

provocative behaviours and instead concentrate on issues being put forward by the candidates. But even so, the Commission committed to monitoring the political campaigns with vigilance and play its role in promoting harmony, good relations and peace in our society.

Earlier in January, Former parliamentarian Harry Gill along with with other members of the People’s Progressive Party/

Civic (PPP/C) were attacked while erecting elections campaign flags at Number 10 Village, West Coast Berbice.

The incident, which was captured on camera, shows persons verbally abusing and physically blocking the team as they attempted to place the flags on the utility poles.

Also, during that time, a PPP/C organised public meeting at Mocha, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was disrupted by supporters of the coalition Government, which resulted in the meeting being cancelled.

At a recent press conference, the Commission revealed that some political parties are yet to sign on to its code of conduct even after it engaged them on what it entails.

ERC’s code of conduct is a pledge to ensure these parties’ messages are free of any form of discrimination and that politicians campaigning for the upcoming March 2 elections are held accountable for their actions.

Port Kaituma man remanded for rape

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orty-five-year-old Alvin Robinson, a machine operator of Citrus Grove, Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini), was on Friday arraigned and remanded to prison for the indictable charge of rape when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Robinson, also called “Big Joe”, appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith

McGusty and was not required to plead to the charge which stated that between January 26 and January 27, 2019, at Port Kaituma, he engaged in sexual penetration with a 20-year-old woman.

The accused was remanded to prison until February

3, 2020, and will reappear before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Eastern Airlines to begin flights from March 5

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astern Airlines, which was re-branded from Dynamic Airways, has announced that it will start direct flights between Guyana and New York on March 5, 2020.

"Eastern Airlines is going all out to help its customers meet their travel needs by offering several affordable options to commercial travel between GEO-JFK. We are scheduled to commence travel on March 5th, 2020. This venture will open all doors for travel in the Guyana market," the company said in a statement on Friday.

Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority Egbert Field had previously remarked that "Eastern Airlines is a reborn Dynamic Airlines that went through the bankruptcy court and they now have this offi-

cial name of Eastern Airlines.

We carried out our standard process in evaluating the documents presented to us for safety, security and economics and we gave our analysis, confirming that the documentation presented to us was authentic and followed the standards set out by the home state, the United States. It is more or less a verification of those documents that the GCAA does."

Dynamic Airways quit the Guyana market in October

2017, following some three years of service characterised by frequent delays and cancellations.

As such, when Eastern Airlines applied to fly the New York-Guyana route, it was asked to post a US$450,000 bond before commencing operations.

Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon had explained that this measure had to be put in place to safeguard Guyanese passengers.

Participants of the Humanitarian Mapping Course workshop after Friday’s session

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he Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and MapAction wrapped up the second part of a Humanitarian Mapping Course workshop.

The initiative, which is being funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) saw participants selected from the various administrative regions of Guyana being prepared to support the regional disaster response mechanism.

The first stage of the mapping exercise – an online modular course facilitated in a google classroom – was hosted in December 2019. The training covered mapping for humanitarian response, data collection using smartphones and Global Positioning Systems (GPS), updating the CDC’s caseload map using QGIS and several other areas.

Following the training exercise, the participants can now produce various

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) related deliverables.

The second segment of the training commenced on January 27 and over five days focused on using QGIS for mapping purposes. This programme allows the user to visualise, manage, edit, analyse data, and compose printable maps.

CDC’s Senior Response Officer, Captain Salim October told DPI the organisation has “been engaged on a journey to develop human-

itarian mapping as a key thematic area to enhance and improve the work of the CDC.” He explained that the main aim of the exercise is to have participants become familiar with the various tools used in mapping and to simplify data visualisation.

After completing the exercise, participants will be able to use the skills gained in developing maps which will be used in disaster risk management.

14 NEWS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Importance of Diplomatic Service highlighted at inaugural fair

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n an effort to highlight the roles and functions of the Foreign Service in Guyana as well as showcase cultures from around the world, the Foreign Affairs Minister on Friday hosted a diplomatic fair.

The event was held at D’Urban Park in Georgetown and saw participation from several foreign missions and international organisations that are residents here. The

Foreign Affairs Ministry is aiming to demystify the Diplomatic Service.

The diplomatic fair also served as a curtain-raiser to the month of activities planned to commemorate Guyana’s 50th Republic Day Anniversary in February.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Foreign Secretary Carl Greenidge stated that the importance of Guyana becoming a Republic cannot be

Students from Bishops’ High School shared their experience at the fair

overstated and is certainly worthy of celebration.

“That republican status bestows upon a nation and its people great power but also great responsibility. The freedom from the rule of a monarch, the promise of self-governance and the ability to forge our own path of prosperity are key in this, and it is with this in mind that the Government felt it crucial to deservedly and appropriately commemorate our Republic Jubilee not just on the 23rd of February but with a month of events,” he posited.

According to Greenidge, it is against this backdrop that the Foreign Affairs Ministry decided to make its own contribution by giving the public a window into the world of diplomacy and into the work of the ministry, diplomatic missions and international organisations here.

“It is our hope that this event will serve to educate the public on the important role of the diplomatic service and will even give our young people that ability to envisage themselves in a career they might have thought not within their reach. I’m also

A section of the audience at the opening of the diplomatic fair at D’Urban Park

delighted that this event will also provide a glimpse into the rich cultures of nations across every region of our globe,” he noted.

Friday’s diplomatic fair was lauded by many of the heads of foreign missions here in Guyana as well as international organisations. Many of them had materials on their work in Guyana along with their native food and drink, among other things, on display.

“For us, this is great opportunity to showcase the various level of cooperation between India and Guyana.

But at the same time, this is also showcasing the functions of any embassy or any High Commission in Guyana.

It’s a great educative experience because, as you can see, all the embassies accredited to Guyana are participating. They are showcasing their culture, their traditional wear and also their food,” the High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Dr K J Srinivasa,

about programmes in terms of governance, assistance and economic development. We’ve been getting a lot of questions about our Peace Corps programme… We’re getting a lot of questions about some scholarship programmes. So people are learning about some leadership activities that we have that they can apply for, learning a little bit about US universities and colleges…,” Ambassador Lynch stated while adding that there were also questions, naturally, about the visa process.

Meanwhile, some of the lesser-known missions are hoping to use this opportunity to highlight their countries and peak the interests of Guyanese.

“We are trying to let people know that there is an Embassy of Argentina because not a lot of people know that there is one. We are trying to promote Argentine tourism and business in different sectors. Also, we are also promoting our wine and some of

lic. So that is why we are here with our tourist broachers and pamphlets, as well as samples of our snacks. We want the public to know about Indonesian culture a little bit and for them to know too that Bali is part of Indonesia, not the other way around,” Hanggorono Nurcahyo, a Counsellor at the Indonesia Embassy in Suriname, stated.

Friday’s diplomatic fair was well-attended, particularly by young Guyanese, including students.

Two fourth-form students from Bishops’ High School told this newspaper that the fair was not only eye-opening but also educative.

“It’s been a learning experience for us because we have visited, like the Trinidad and Tobago booth and they taught us the University [of West Indies] etc. We have visited a numerous set of booths and its basically teaching us about their cultures and diversity, which we are happy to learn

A performance by the Embassy of China during the formal opening ceremony

The Embassy of Mexico's display at the Diplomatic Fair on Friday

said.

Additionally, the fair also allowed foreign missions to highlight some of the projects and programmes they have available to benefit Guyanese. In fact, United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, told Guyana Times that persons have shown keen interests in the work of the embassy.

“We’ve been getting quite a few questions on US commercial interests in Guyana. Now with the incredible oil discoveries, there is a lot of interest on behalf of potential investors. A lot of people are asking

our dishes so people can get a little understanding of certain things in Argentina,” representative from the Argentine Embassy, Moallim Kareem, related.

Another such foreign mission keen on educating Guyanese about their country and culture is Indonesia – which has non-resident accreditation status here.

The Indonesian Embassy in Suriname has oversight of bilateral relations with Guyana.

“Basically, we are showing our existence in Guyana since I believe that the name of Indonesia is not too familiar with the Guyanese pub-

about,” Ms Wright stated.

Adding to this, Ms Sanicharra said that, “visiting the different booths caused me to have an open mind and its inspiring because I’ve always had my mind made up on one country or one place that I wanted to go to further my education but now that I’ve been exposed to a wide variety of places, and scholarships and colleges, I have a better opportunity to make a smarter decision”.

In addition to the exhibition, the one-day fair also included cultural performances from the various foreign missions as well as local artistes.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Farmer shot twice by Police ranks during arrest

ꟷ victim allegedly threatened cops with cutlass

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27-year-old farmer of Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), is currently nursing gunshot wounds to his stomach and foot after he allegedly attempted to assault Police ranks with a cutlass while they were responding to a disturbance call.

The injured man has been identified as Ravindra Sugrim.

Reports are that on Thursday afternoon, the

man had just returned to his residence after planting cassava at his farm, and was in front of his yard with relatives when he allegedly began hurling insults at his neighbours.

According to a video captured by one of the neighbour’s devices, Sugrim was armed with a cutlass while verbally abusing them. He then ventured to their fence and began shaking the gate while forcefully hitting his

cutlass in an attempt to enter their premises.

The police were subsequently called in for assistance and as the ranks arrived at the scene, the man continued his verbal assault; this time directed at the policemen.

As the ranks approached him, they warned him of his conduct and threatened to take him into custody for attempting to evade apprehension.

According to a source, the man rushed towards the police with the cutlass in his hand, which prompted at least one rank to discharge a round in his direction. The man allegedly continued to “fight off the police” and another round was fired.

However, according to Sugrim’s relative, the now injured man, upon seeing the police and realising that they were about to

arrest him, questioned the ranks.

“He told them to shoot him with their blank bullets but he didn’t have anything in his hand,” the woman stated.

She alleged that the policemen fired two shots in Sugrim’s direction, which resulted in his two male cousins “throwing” him overboard.

However, the woman also stated that the police

continued to shoot at the farmer, hitting his body twice after he climbed out of the trench.

He was subsequently taken to the hospital and was admitted.

Meanwhile, Police Commander of Region Three, Assistant Police Commissioner Simon McBean when contacted by this publication stated that the matter is currently being investigated.

basically expanding our portfolio in this market which has never been done before.”

He noted that the training in this new process will be spearheaded through the company’s university.

Joseph further explained that the company is always looking for ways in which it can capitalise on the market.

“The reason why we are adding this to our portfolio and basically transiting our whole business model is because the future is now, and automation is taking over the industry.

It does not mean we will have less frontline representative; we still need human interaction to create

the bots, train the bots and to manage the bots and that is what we are doing right now. We have implemented several artificial intelligence and bot creation courses through our Emerge University and we even partner with a leading automation company in the United States that is going help us really amplify the plans we have for 2020.”

Joseph added that the company recently launched its Emergework-at-home programme, while noting that the company is looking to expand its operations within the Caribbean.

“We are expanding our geo-diversity, so we just

don’t have operations in Guyana. We have workat-home business model in the United States and Canada, and coming soon we will be expanding into the Caribbean and Latin America region. This is to show that we have confidence in the skillset that you can find in Guyana and we think that with the leadership we have, which is 100 per cent Guyanese, it has what it takes to expand what we have to offer in those other regions and markets.”

Emerge BPO was founded by Adrian Collins and his wife Carole Fletcher.

Their vision was to create a world-class contact centre in the heart of their

native Guyana, performing a variety of outsourced services to clients and their customers in North America. After working in the BPO industry for nearly ten years stateside, Collins decided to combine his operational expertise with his knowledge of quality process delivery and in 2008, established Emerge BPO in the capital city of Georgetown.

Since Emerge BPO opened its doors over 10 years ago, it has experienced significant growth, both in terms of client base and number of employees, making it a near shore leader in customer management, back office, and transaction processing.

Emerge BPO to invest in automation and bot creation

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ocal Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company, Emerge BPO is diversifying its business operations to include automation and bot creation.

This is according to Emerge BPO’s VicePresident of Operations, Dalgleish Joseph, in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times.

He posited that Guyana is rapidly changing and with that, the company is on the verge of introducing new services to its clients along with being the first contact centre in Guyana to diversify its operations.

“We want to transition that into automation, bot creation, journey-mapping

Emerge BPO Vice-President of Operations, Dalgleish Joseph

Region 10 forestry stakeholders benefit from Sustainable Livelihood Symposium

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orestry and other related key stakeholders in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) were given an opportunity to vent their concerns on record as well as to put forward recommendations for an improved sector as the Natural Resources Ministry hosted a Symposium on Sustainable Livelihoods for Forest Dependent communities.

The initiative was organised by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) in collaboration with the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)(REDD+Readiness) Project and was held at the Watooka Complex, Linden, on Friday.

Subject Minister, Raphael Trotman engaged the participation of numerous Community Forestry Organisations (CFOs) across the region, including the Aroaima Forest and Agricultural Producers Association, Rockstone Loggers Association and Ituni Small Loggers and Chainsaw operators Association amongst others.

Presently, there are about 19 CFOs in Region 10. Minister Trotman noted that Friday’s engagement stemmed from a promise which was made to CFOs last year.

“It’s really [in keeping with] a promise we made last year to just come and sit with them to discuss not

Acting Commissioner of the GFC, Gavin Agard; Minister Trotman and Project Coordinator for FCPF REDD+ Project in Guyana, Clayton Hall

only logging but how can they associate themselves through logging, out of logging...tourism, farming, sustainable harvesting, preserving the forests...“, the Minister said.

Trotman highlighted that coming out of the exercise he has heard of issues such as those relating to penalties and fines. The Minister explained that the Forestry Commission, as the regulatory body, has a duty to ensure that loggers and other forestry stakeholders stay in line but at the same time should not be oppressive.

“We want a partnership, and that is something I’m going to look at. I’m also going to look and see how we

can have more value-added done so that we’re not only cutting logs and sending it to Georgetown to be shipped but we can do wood, we can use the waste...what we call sawdust...all of these have value and we’re exploring today how some of those can be used as well...Personally, I’m excited about agriculture, not just in this region but throughout the country”, the Minister continued.

Trotman said he was heartened by the turnout, responses and exchange of ideas at the event, noting that he was confident that fruitful recommendations will be made in moving forward. The Minister also took 200 fruit plants which he noted is in an effort for the region to be able to seize

Some of the participants at the event

opportunities which are being offered. In this regard, he said a company, Topco, has already expressed interest in the region becoming a supplier as he noted that it is very much poised to do so.

“It’s a good exchange and we’re happy that the Chairman of the region, the Mayor, the REO and others were here to participate”, Minister Trotman said.

Organisers of the event noted that part of the aim was to identify key elements of a plan for achieving sustainable livelihoods in forestry-related communities as well as to provide an opportunity for CFOs and other key stakeholders including State agencies to partner in an effort to build sustainable livelihoods.

Presently, there are

over 70 Community Forest Organisations (CFOs) in Guyana, some of which are Indigenous.

The CFO members are allowed access to GFC tags, training and other inputs to facilitate their forestry activities which include felling trees and conversion of logs to lumber. It was noted that the profitability of CFOs has dwindled over the years with current CFO business models and approaches straining forestry resources and jeopardising prospects of sustainable livelihoods being generated from community forests.

It was also noted that given the imperatives of the Forest Law, Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) process, there are genuine fears that CFOs

will be forced to exit the forestry sector as they may not be able to produce legal timber profitably.

According to organisers, CFOs during a recent REDD+ organised event expressed that improvements and changes are needed at a business level as well as for interventions which would assist in diversifying and strengthening their business.

It was noted that the FCPF project is strategically positioned to assist with the CFO request. The Natural Resources Ministry has asked for the GFC to work with the REDD+ Project to develop a proposal for engaging the CFOs on ways and means of ensuring sustainable livelihoods for forest-dependent communities.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

REGIONAL

Nicaragua: 6 Indigenous people 2 persons suspected of coronavirus in Antigua quarantined reportedly killed in attack

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rmed men have attacked an Indigenous community in Nicaragua, killing at least six people and kidnapping another 10, rights groups say.

Police confirmed two deaths and said they were investigating. The reason for the difference in the toll is unclear.

The attack on the Mayagna group took place in a protected nature reserve in the north of the country.

The Bosawás Biosphere Reserve has been the focus of land disputes between Indigenous groups and new settlers.

A Mayagna leader last year accused the government of doing nothing while his community was gradually "exterminated".

The men reportedly attacked the Mayagna commune deep inside the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve, the second-largest rainforest in the Americas after the Amazon.

The attack on the Mayagna group took place deep in the jungle in Nicaragua

Mayagna lawyer Larry Salomon told the Reuters news agency that the raiders were part of a group of non-Indigenous "settlers" in the area.

"This is a land conflict.

They want our lands for cattle farming and to destroy our forests," he added.

Environmental group the Rio Foundation called the attack a "massacre".

Tensions have been rising in recent years between Nicaragua's Indigenous communities and newcom-

ers who move to the region in search of fertile land, timber and gold. There have been reports of armed groups seizing Indigenous land.

Gustavo Lino, the highest-ranking Mayagna leader, said last year: "They're exterminating us little by little and the state is doing nothing."

The 30,000-strong Mayagna make up around 0.5% of Nicaragua's population. (BBC News)

More drought warnings for the Caribbean

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he Barbados-based Caribbean Drought and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CDPMN) says the entire Caribbean basin should monitor their water supply and adopt conservation measures as much as possible as drought situations continue to worsen throughout the region.

In its February edition of the Caribbean drought bulletin released here Friday, the CDPMN said with rainfall varying across the Caribbean

during December 2019, the impacts of the current dry season are likely to play out differently across the region.

For example, with record low rainfall in Barbados for 2019 at its two main stations, there is much concern that long term drought can again impact its groundwater supply by the end of the dry season in May. “Similar water availability concerns exist over other islands of the southern and south-eastern Caribbean,

Antigua, Cayman Islands, and parts of the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Belize by the end of May. The entire Caribbean basin should monitor their water supply and adopt conservation measures as much as possible,” CDPMN warned.

It said that mixed conditions were seen throughout the islands of the eastern Caribbean in the month of December. CDPMN said a shorter-term drought situation by the end of April is evolving in Tobago and might possibly develop or continue in the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao), Barbados, Belize, Cayman, central Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Puerto Rico, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent, Sint Maarten/St Martin, Trinidad and the US Virgin Islands. (CMC)

US travel to Brazil jumps 39% with visa waiver

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he number of Americans booking flights to Brazil has jumped 39% since the government of President Jair Bolsonaro waived a visa requirement for US citizens in June, according to its official tourism agency, which is devising plans to draw more.

“Brazil is much more than the land of caipirinhas and tiny bikinis. We want to focus on ecotourism and our vast natural resources, from the Amazon rainforest to the Pantanal wetlands,” Embratur President Gilson Machado told Reuters on Thursday.

Machado said he spoke to US airlines last week about adding direct flights to more cities in Brazil.

With an annual budget that was increased by Bolsonaro to $120 million from just $8 million, Embratur will launch a publicity campaign to sell Brazil as a new country - and a much safer one.

Violent crime in Brazilian cities dropped by 25% in Bolsonaro’s first year in office and public security has been reinforced at tourist hot spots, Machado said.

Safety concerns, along with inconvenient flights,

poor infrastructure and high costs have long held back Brazil’s tourism industry. International tourism represents just 2.5% of Brazilian export revenue — compared with 7.5% in Argentina and nearly 17% in Uruguay, according to World Bank data and the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Brazil eliminated tourist visa requirements for visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan in June and is planning to do the same for India and China to boost tourism.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

n the same day the novel coronavirus was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO), Antigua and Barbuda health officials placed two individuals arriving Antigua on Thursday under quarantine upon their arrival to the VC Bird International Airport.

The two individuals are unrelated, but shared similar travel history as they both left Beijing and Gansu provinces in China, respectively, on Wednesday and made transit through France, the United States, Trinidad and ultimately to Antigua.

Health Minister Molwyn Joseph announced that “Neither of the two exhibited any signs of illness and we anticipate that they are well people and they’ll be no manifestation over the next ensuing days that will conclude after 14 days.”

“As a result of the screening, we were able to ascertain that there was no evidence of any illness whatsoever,” the Minister added.

The individuals, officials described, were anticipated

Medical Officer of Health, Dr Oritta Zachariah; Minister of Health, Molwyn Joseph and Medical Officer with responsibility for Epidemiology and Surveillance, Dr Anju Smith

into the country well in advance of their arrival and the necessary quarantine protocols were activated to receive them upon arrival.

Medical Officer with responsibility for Epidemiology and Surveillance, Dr Anju Smith, lead the team comprised of medical doctors, immigration and airport officials that saw to the transport and testing of the suspected individuals.

A series of questions were asked of the travellers followed by a battery of tests conducted by Dr Smith’s medical team.

“Thankfully, these indi-

viduals were well,” said Dr Smith.

“But it doesn’t stop there.

We do need to follow up with them. So, that means health observations. So we need to know if they are experiencing any signs or symptoms such as fever, cough, headaches, weakness, difficulty in breathing… and what are some of the ways to find out if something is happening with them,” Dr Smith added.

During the 14-day observation period, the reporting will be done on a twice-daily basis. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Mexico aims to boost business with Brazil's “very closed” economy

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exico is negotiating with Brazil to expand economic cooperation and believes it can find areas of mutual benefit even though the Brazilian economy is “very closed,” Economy Minister Graciela Marquez said on Friday.

Mexico’s powerful automotive industry has for years been seeking to improve access to Brazil’s car market, while Brasilia has sought to protect local industry. In March, the two reached a deal to liberalize trade of light vehicles.

Marquez said Mexico was talking to Brazil, as well as its second-biggest Latin American trading partner, Argentina, to broaden existing economic cooperation agreements.

“Brazil is a difficult country, it’s the opposite of Mexico,” she told a government news conference.

“Mexico is a very open economy, Brazil is very closed.”

However, Marquez said she believed there were areas ripe for growth where the two economies complemented each other.

“We’re sitting at the table with Brazil to expand (our) complimentary agreement and see the possibilities of making a broader, more ambitious agreement,” said Marquez, whose government assumed power in December 2018.

Total trade between Latin America’s two biggest economies was worth $14.7 billion in 2018, ac-

Mexico's Economy Minister Graciela Marquez

cording to Mexican data.

Bilateral trade volume fluctuated significantly under the previous government of Enrique Pena Nieto and has yet to surpass the $15 billion peak reached in 2013. (Reuters)

Jamaicans who served time being deported, says British envoy

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ritish High Commissioner to Jamaica Asif Ahmad is insistent that a charter flight with deportees, scheduled to arrive in Jamaica from England early next month, will contain only individuals who served time for criminal offences in the United Kingdom.

In confirming media reports in the United Kingdom (UK) that a charter flight with deportees is sched-

uled, Ahmad moved to allay fears that members of “the Windrush generation” — immigrants who migrated to the UK after World War II to address labour shortages — are among those to be sent back to Jamaica.

“I can say explicitly that Home Office ministers are poring over the names to make sure that there are no Windrush-eligible people.

The people have rights to permanent settlement un-

der the Windrush criteria, or due to their citizenship, no question whatsoever.

“And also, unlike in the past, the people who are going to be deported are not immigration offenders, they are all people who have served sentences in the UK beyond 12 months — that’s the criteria,” Ahmad told the Jamaica Observer yesterday. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

17

Around the World

UK flag lowered in Brussels Coronavirus: Worldwide cases as Britain cuts loose from EU overtake 2003 Sars outbreak

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he United Kingdom leaves the European Union on Friday with a mixture of joy, anger and indifference, casting off into the unknown in one of the biggest blows yet to Europe’s attempt to forge unity from the ruins of World War Two. The EU’s most powerful leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, cast Brexit - due at 2300 GMT - as a sad moment that was a turning point for Europe. The EU warned that leaving would be worse than staying.

In the United Kingdom’s most significant geopolitical move since its lost its empire, it turns its back on 47 years of membership and must begin charting its own course for generations to come.

At the stroke of midnight in Brussels, the EU will lose 15 per cent of its economy,

A woman waves a British flag on Brexit day in London, Britain January 31, 2020

its biggest military spender and the world’s international financial capital London.

Brexit supporters burned an EU flag outside Downing Street, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson lives.

In Brussels, Britain’s Union Jack was lowered at the EU council building and the bloc’s circle of 12 stars on a blue background was removed from outside the British embassy.

Leaving the EU was once far-fetched: the UK joined in 1973 as “the sick man of Europe” and less than two decades ago British leaders were arguing about whether to join the euro.

But the turmoil of the euro zone crisis, fears about mass immigration and a series of miscalculations by former Prime Minister David Cameron prompted the 52 per cent to 48 per cent vote to leave. (Excerpt from Reuters)

he number of coronavirus cases worldwide has overtaken that of the Sars epidemic, which spread to more than two dozen countries in 2003.

There were around 8100 cases of Sars - severe acute respiratory syndrome - reported during the eight-month outbreak.

But nearly 10,000 cases of the new virus have been confirmed, most in China, since it emerged in December.

More than 100 cases have been reported outside China, in 22 countries.

The number of deaths so far stands at 213 - all in China. In total, 774 people were killed by Sars.

On Thursday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global health emergency over the new outbreak.

The UK on Friday confirmed its first two cases of the virus.

In another development, the US also declared a public

health emergency and said it

city should have taken mea-

Chinese travellers wear protective masks and goggles after getting off a train in Beijing [Kevin Frayer/Getty Images]

would bar any foreign nationals who have visited China in the past two weeks from entering the country.

Most cases outside China are in people who have been to Wuhan. But Germany, Japan, Vietnam, the United States, Thailand and South Korea have reported person-to-person cases - patients being infected by people who had travelled to China.

Wuhan’s Communist Party chief said on Friday the

sures sooner to contain the virus.

As Governments around the world acted to contain the virus, WHO spokesman Chris Lindmeier warned that closing borders could, in fact, accelerate its spread, with travellers entering countries unofficially.

He said the best way to track the virus was at official border crossings. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Australia fires: State Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan say of emergency declared final agreement on Blue Nile for Canberra region dam ready by next month A

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inisters from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan said on Friday a final agreement will be signed by the end of February on the giant Blue Nile hydropower dam that sparked a years-long diplomatic crisis between Cairo and Addis Ababa.

The countries have been at odds over the filling and operation of the $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), under construction near Ethiopia’s border with Sudan on the Blue Nile, which flows into the Nile River.

The three regional powers convened in Washington for what were

supposed to be two days of meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday to complete an agreement after talks earlier this month, but negotiations dragged into Friday and disbanded without a final accord.

In a joint statement with the United States and the World Bank after the talks, the nations said they had agreed on a schedule for staged filling of the dam and mitigation mechanisms to adjust its filling and operation during dry periods and drought.

The United States has hosted several rounds of talks in Washington with Ministers from the three regional powers and the

World Bank after years of trilateral negotiations failed.

The dam is the centrepiece in Ethiopia’s bid to become Africa’s biggest power exporter but has sparked fears in Cairo that Egypt’s already scarce supplies of Nile waters, on which its population of more than 100 million people is almost entirely dependent, would be further restricted.

Even without taking the dam into account, largely desert Egypt is short of water. It imports about half its food products and recycles about 25 billion cubic meters of water annually.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

uthorities in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) have declared a state of emergency as massive bushfires rage south of Canberra.

It is the worst fire threat to the territory in nearly two decades, officials said.

The main blaze, in the territory’s south, is burning over more than 18,500 hectares.

Residents in suburbs of Canberra have been urged to “remain alert” for potential evacuations.

“The ACT is now facing the worst bushfire threat since the devastating fires of 2003,” Chief Minister Andrew Barr told reporters on Friday.

“There’s now no higher priority for the ACT Government at this time than the bushfire threat.”

The small territory, located between Sydney and Melbourne, has about 400,000 residents.

In 2003, bushfires in the

Since September, bushfires in Australia have killed at least 33 people and destroyed thousands of homes. More than 11 million hectares of land has been scorched

suburbs of Canberra killed four people, injured another 500 and destroyed or damaged 470 homes.

Similar weather conditions were being recorded on Friday, authorities said.

Barr warned the fires “may become uncontrollable” as temperatures climbed to 40C and were fuelled by strong winds.

He said the worst blaze was just south of the district of Tuggeranong, a 20-minute drive south of Parliament House in Canberra.

He added the state of emergency - which gives extra power and resources to fire authorities - would be in place for “as long as Canberra is at risk”.

Fires have raged near the city for weeks. Last Thursday, Canberra’s airport was shut down when a blaze threatened to breach its perimeter.

Three US firefighters died on the same day after their aircraft crashed over a fire zone near the city, in the Snowy Mountains region.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

US forces will now be free to use the weapons across the world “in exceptional circumstances”, the White House said.

The US is not a signatory to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which restricts the development or use of anti-personnel land mines.

The Obama-era ban applied to the US military everywhere but on the Korean Peninsula. That exception was made under pressure from military planners, to protect US troops based across the de-militarised zone from the North Korean military.

Obama also ordered the destruction of landmine stockpiles not made to defend South Korea. But the Trump Administration has now scrapped that policy, stating that the President was “rebuilding” the US military.

Trump has given the allclear for the use of “non-persistent” landmines that can be switched off remotely rather than remaining buried beneath the ground.

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said landmines were vital to its military.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Cold and humiliated, Syrians displaced Trump lifts restrictions yet again by new Assad campaign on US landmine use

B

acked by heavy Russian airstrikes, President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have recaptured dozens of towns since last Friday in a major campaign that has stoked tensions between Ankara and Moscow and raised the spectre of a new refugee crisis.

At the camp outside Maarat Misrin, a northern Idlib town about 20 km (12 miles) south of the Turkish frontier, dozens of families sheltered in plastic white tents, many unsure of where they would wind up.

Jennah, 10, said it was the second time her

family had been displaced.

Like many others, they had sought refuge in Idlib after being ousted from other areas earlier in the war.

A United Nations report on Thursday estimated that 390,000 people have fled northwest Syria from Dec 1-Jan 27, 80 per cent of them women and children.

Moscow and Damascus say they are fighting jihadist militants who have stepped up attacks on civilians in Aleppo in northern Syria, but rights groups and rescue workers say airstrikes and shelling have demolished hospitals, schools and homes.

Turkey, which fears a fresh wave of migrants piling into its territory, adding to the more than 3.6 million Syrians already there, said on Friday it would not tolerate new threats near its border and would act militarily if needed.

“Today we are homeless, humiliated, oppressed and cold. We want to be returned to our homes and towns,” said a woman who called herself Um Abdallah, or Abdullah’s mother, 30, from Maarat al-Numan. (Excerpt from Reuters)

U

S President Donald Trump has lifted restrictions on the deployment of anti-personnel landmines by American forces.

The decision reverses a 2014 Obama Administration ban on the use of such weapons, which applied everywhere in the world except for in the defence of South Korea.

The Trump Administration said Obama’s policy could put US troops “at a severe disadvantage”.

Thousands of people are injured and killed by landmines every year.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

You are overdue for a change. Shake things up and be the one to make the first move. A positive attitude and intelligence, coupled with enthusiasm, will get others on board.

Gather information before you expose your true feelings. Be sensitive to how your words will affect your listeners. A creative project will raise your awareness and change your plans.

Address matters that concern your home, life and property. Be honest about your feelings, set the record straight and find out where you stand. Don’t take a financial risk.

Listen and learn.

Partnerships will develop if you and someone close to you take an interest in a common goal. Personal gain, love and romance are encouraged.

A competitor will underestimate your ability.

Speak up and present your thoughts with passion and dedication. Focus on improvements that will enhance your home or community.

Mental or physical travel will result in a change to the way you live, the people you hang out with or how you earn your living. Romance is in the stars.

Update your papers, change your routine or do something that will make you happy. The help you offer someone in need will lead to a surprising payback.

Embrace what life has to offer. Consider who you enjoy spending time with and make plans that will bring you closer together. Personal growth, romance and physical improvement are featured.

Concentrate on what’s SAGITTARIUS important to you and steer (Nov. 23clear of anyone who makes Dec. 21) you feel uncertain or confused. Choose what works best for you instead of trying to please others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Engaging in social activity and getting involved in unusual forms of entertainment will lead to all sorts of new possibilities for partnerships.

Someone will help you develop an idea.

AQUARIUS

Leave nothing to chance. If you want something done correctly, do it yourself. Look at a change someone is making from every angle before you decide to get involved.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Keep the ideas flowing until you come up with a plan that you feel comfortable implementing. Any proposals you make will draw attention, support and controversy. Romance is in the stars.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

19

NBA round-up: Raptors defeat Cavs for 9th straight win S

Jerami Grant added 15 points, Torrey Craig scored 13 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Michael Porter Jr. added 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for Denver, which overcame a huge fourth quarter from Jordan Clarkson.

Clarkson scored 24 of his season-high 37 points in the final quarter to nearly rally Utah from 17 down. Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points and Georges Niang had 10 points for the Jazz, who have lost three in a row.

erge Ibaka scored 26 points and the visiting Toronto Raptors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115109 Thursday night to extend their season-best winning streak to nine games.

Kyle Lowry added 23 points — 14 in the third quarter — for the Raptors, who completed a three-game sweep of the season series with the Cavaliers. Norman Powell scored eight of his 16 points in the final 1:02 of the game for Toronto to help repel a Cleveland rally.

Pascal Siakam contributed 19 points for Toronto, Chris Boucher had 10 points and Fred VanVleet had eight points and a season-best 12 assists.

Kevin Love and Collin Sexton scored 23 points each for Cleveland. Darius Garland had 16 points and eight assists, Kevin Porter Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. added 13 points each, and Tristan Thompson had two points and 12 rebounds.

Sacramento Kings 124 Los Angeles Clippers 103 De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 34 points with eight assists and four steals, sparking Sacramento to a surprising win over host Los Angeles, which played without Kawhi Leonard.

Buddy Hield added 19 points off the bench for Sacramento, which set a franchise record with 21 3-pointers. Hield converted 5 of 11 from behind the arc. The

LA Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell tries to score between Sacramento Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica and guard De Aaron Fox (USA Today Sports)

Kings also made 50 percent of their shots from the floor compared to 38 percent for the Clippers.

Paul George was back in the lineup for Los Angeles after being sidelined for nine

games with left hamstring tightness. However, George managed just eight points on 2-of-10 shooting. Leonard was a late scratch after being ruled out with lower back tightness shortly before tip-off.

Denver Nuggets 106 - Utah Jazz 100 Nikola Jokic had 28 points and 10 assists, Will Barton scored 18, and host Denver held on to beat Utah.

Boston Celtics 119 - Golden State Warriors 104 Gordon Hayward scored 25 points, Marcus Smart added 21 and Boston beat visiting Golden State.

Jayson Tatum had 20 points in his return from a three-game absence (groin), and Jaylen Brown chipped in 18 as the Celtics won for the fifth time in their last six games. Tatum was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve earlier in the day.

D’Angelo Russell had 22 points and Alec Burks 18 for the Warriors, who have lost five straight and 15 of 16.

Atlanta Hawks 127 Philadelphia 76ers 117 Trae Young exploded for 39 points and a career-high 18 assists and host Atlanta stunned visiting Philadelphia

with a 39-point first quarter en route to a dominant win.

John Collins accumulated 17 points and a season-high 20 rebounds for the Hawks, who avenged an earlier 105-103 home loss to the 76ers. Ben Simmons paced the 76ers with 31 points.

Young had 14 points and 10 assists while De’Andre Hunter 10 of his 15 points in the first quarter, as the Hawks took a lead they never relinquished in winning their third straight at home. Young finished the first half with 29 points and 11 assists, becoming the first player since Kobe Bryant in 2013 with 25 points and more than 10 assists in a half.

Washington Wizards 121 - Charlotte Hornets 107 Bradley Beal scored 34 points and Washington put together a strong second half to defeat visiting Charlotte and snap a two-game skid.

Thomas Bryant added 21 points, Isaiah Thomas tallied 18 points, Troy Brown Jr. supplied 12 points and Ish Smith had 11 points.

Charlotte was held to 47 second-half points after a big first half. Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 23 points and Terry Rozier pumped in 21.

PJ Washington had 15 points, Willy Hernangomez added 12 points and Devontae’ Graham, who was slow to get cranked up for the second game in a row, finished with 11. (Reuters)

Thiem beats Alexander Zverev to reach final D ominic Thiem will meet defending champion Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s Australian Open final after digging deep to beat Alexander Zverev.

Thiem, 26, won 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) in a match briefly interrupted by rain and a lighting failure.

The Austrian fifth seed said “it was an unreal match” and he will now look to win his first Grand Slam, after losing the past two French Open finals.

Djokovic is favourite to win a record-extending eighth title and 17th major.

The 32-year-old has lost just three matches in the past 10 Australian Open tournaments.

German seventh seed Zverev, 22, was bidding to reach his first Grand Slam final but instead, it his good friend who will play for the title.

“To reach the Australian Open final is unreal,” said

Thiem, who will bid to become only the second Austrian player - after Thomas Muster at the 1995 French Open - to win a Grand Slam.

“Two tie-breaks, so tough and so close, it was almost impossible to break him.”

Women’s final on today American 14th seed Sofia Kenin says she has “butterflies” at the prospect of playing in her first Grand Slam final against Spain’s Garbine Muguruza at the Australian Open.

The pair meet in Melbourne at 08:30 GMT on Saturday.

“I’ve pictured so many times being in the final. I’ve always dreamed about it,” Kenin, 21, said.

Unseeded Muguruza, who won the 2016 French Open and Wimbledon in 2017, is bidding for her third Grand Slam title.

After also losing at All

Sofia Kenin (left) and Garbine Muguruza meet today to decide the female champion

England Club in 2015, the 26-year-old will compete in her fourth major final.

“I’ll take into consideration my previous experiences, but it doesn’t guarantee anything,” the world number 32 said.

Kenin, who was born in Russia but moved to the

United States when she was a few months old, is the first American to reach the Australian Open final aside from the Williams sisters since Lindsay Davenport in 2005.

She was a child prodigy in the States, making numerous

television appearances and hitting with Grand Slam champions like John McEnroe, Kim Clijsters and Venus Williams when she was young and going on to reach the 2015 US Open girls final.

She won the WTA award for the most improved player in

2019 after winning three titles and climbing more than 40 places in the world rankings.

Now she is close to something even bigger.

Meanwhile, Muguruza is bidding to become only the third unseeded woman to win the Australian Open, after home player Chris O’Neil in 1978 and American great Serena Williams in 2007.

The Venezuelan-born Spaniard slipped to 36th in the world at the end of last year, a little over two years after she was ranked number one.

But she has looked close to her best in Melbourne, having reunited with former coach Conchita Martinez - the 1994 Wimbledon champion - at the start of the season.

The experience of winning the sport’s biggest prizes is something which Muguruza hopes she can use to her advantage.

20

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

2020 National Junior Table Tennis Championships…

Titans Coach happy with players’ performances

By Timothy Jaikarran

B

ased on the results of the 2020 National Junior Table Tennis Championships which ended last week at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the Titans Table Tennis Club -- operating from the Red Cross Building in Kingston, and being coached by the capable Dwain Dick -- dominated the proceedings to underscore their superiority over the local table tennis fraternity.

The competition was dominated by Jonathan Van Lange in the 15-years-and-under boys, and U18 men’s singles categories, and by Crystal Melville and Thuraia Thomas in the 18-years-and-under women’s, and U15 girls’ singles.

When Melville and Thomas were pitted against each other in the 18-years-and-under category, Melville won the matchup 3-2.

However, in the U15 girls’ contest, Thomas won her category 3-2.

In the Men’s U18 category, Van Lange blew away Kaysan Ninvalle 3-1, and clean swept the U15 category 3-0.

Deeply satisfied with the performance of his charges, Titans Coach Dwayne Dick is predicting greater achievements for this club in the future. Speaking with this publication, Dick said, “Well, I am very elated for them.

This is just a reflection of the level of the work that the club has put in; it just goes to show

that hard work pays off.

“In terms of Jonathan, he is a very smart player. He plays cricket as well, and that makes him very multi-talented. He is experienced, and has great mental composure, and that is why he came out on top (against Ninvalle),” Dick declared.

Dick also declared that the future for Van Lange and other club members is totally left up to the Guyana Table Tennis Association, because, as a club, the Titans can do only so much within its capacity.

Dick, further, is encouraging youths to join the Titans, saying it is within the club’s capacity to produce top players for the country.

“Our club has been in existence since 2011, and from then to now, more than 75% of the national team has been (derived) from the Titans Table Tennis Club. Our club has a structured programme, and we work with all ages. We take players from as young as 5 years old; we look at the long-term and holistic development of our players.

“It goes to show that while everyone is complaining that they don’t have the Titans Table funds, we having been making things Tennis Club Coach work with our system, and investing in Dwain Dick our players.”

Crystal Melville and Thuraia Thomas, the respective U-18 and U-15 Champions

Flying Ace Cycle Club holds 21st Annual Awards Ceremony today Play resumes on Sunday MYO/Trophy Stall Inter Jamaat Softball Cricket Competition…

T

he MYO/Trophy Stall 10 Overs Inter Jamaat Softball Cricket Competition resumes tomorrow, Sunday, February 2, at the MYO Ground on Woolford Avenue in Thomas Lands after the 2019 season had come to an abrupt halt because of the onset of inclement weather over the holiday period.

With the dry season in evidence, the masjids in this tournament are out to resume their battle for supremacy. Teams in this competition are: LBI ‘A’, LBI ‘B’, New Mosque, New Amsterdam, MYO, Cornelia Ida, Leonora, Tuschen Train Station, Hague, and Diamond New Scheme.

This competition is slated for resumption with four matches being played.

The first match, between Tuschen Train Station Masjid and New Mosque, will commence at 9hrs. The second match, between Diamond New Scheme Masjid and Hague Masjid, begins at 11hrs. Heading into the afternoon session, the third match, between Diamond New Scheme

The MYO team

Masjid and the ‘LBI B Team’, begins at 13:00 hrs; while the final game of the day, involving the ‘LBI A Team’ tackling their ‘B Team’ counterparts, will be played at 15hrs.

Tuschen will be aiming to move up the rankings despite having only six points, while New Mosque are in desperate need of a win to boost their confidence. Hague is expected to easily defeat Diamond, having so done on countless occasions.

The match between ‘LBI A’ and ‘LBI B’ is expected to be a thriller, since only two points separate these supremely competitive teams on the points’ table.

The points’ standings for 2020 see New Amsterdam on top with 12 points, while MYO and Cornelia Ida are tied in second place on eight points. Tuschen and Hague both have six points; LBI ‘B’ has 4 points; LBI ‘A’ and Diamond are each on two points, while New Mosque is yet to get off the mark.

This Inter-Jamaat Softball competition is being sponsored by Trophy Stall.

FACC Coach and Organiser Randolph Roberts receiving the trophy from Sentinel Security representative

T

he Randolph Robertsled Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) of Berbice will today, Saturday February 1, be hosting its 21st Annual Awards Ceremony at the New Amsterdam Town Hall.

Balram Narine, who had a good cycling season in 2019, is expected to be recognized as the club’s champion cyclist. Narine began 2019 with a win, and finished the year in similar fashion.

Besides Narine, the FACC has produced such top cyclists as Jeremiah Joseph, Ralph Seenarine and Mario Washington, who was the 2019 Juvenile Champion and will be awarded in that category, while Joseph will be awarded runner-up rider in the juvenile category.

Seenarine is the top junior wheelsman of the club, while Aaron Rajnarine is the club’s outstanding 1214 cyclist. Shazam Yacoob,

Shazim Karan and Ravi Mootoo are the other riders who turned in outstanding performances in the 12-14 category in 2019.

During the past week, when Sentinel Security donated the Champion Cyclist Trophy to the club, its rep-

Flashback: Balram Narine (left), on his way to a victory in 2019 over Andre ‘Padlock’ Green (Brandon Corlette photo)

resentative congratulated Narine on his performance and pledged the company’s support to the club in future cycling events. The club’s coach and events organizer, Randolph Roberts, has expressed gratitude to Sentinel Security for the donation received.

Besides Sentinel Security, the FACC has received assistance from Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) President Hilbert Foster, Trophy Stall, Ralph Felix, Eureka Labs, Senior Counsel Mursaline Bacchus, Pearl Arokium of the Arokium Funeral Parlour, and Romona Persaud, among others.

The FACC will host its first race of 2020 on February 16; followed by another meet on February 24.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

BCB/Lewison General Store Under-15 Tournament…

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5T teams advance to finals

he Berbice Cricket Boardorganised Lewison General Store Under-15 Tournament continued last week with the following five teams advancing to the finals: Albion and Port Mourant teams from Zone C; RH Canje and ASTROLOGY & Tucber Park teams from Zone B, SPIRITUALITY and Blairmont from Zone A. Work done by : Djuka. For all The Paradise and Bush Purposes: Healing, Upliftment for Business, Court Matters, Visa, Evil Lot teams will square off on Sickness, Togetherness for lovers, Saturday at Paradise to decide Pregnancy, Jobs, Money Readings, the other team that would Husband/Wife Seperation. 633- advance from Zone A. 4487 The third and fourth rounds of matches featured numerous for rent Disco/Night Club W.B.D Turnkey outstanding performances with Operation for rent. Contact: Gafoor both bat and ball. : 628-8619 West Indies Under 15 player Rampertab Ramnauth stroked FOR SALE two majestic centuries: 179 Lot 14 – 10,204 SQ FT. Price = $17M. not out and a record 265; while PH: 264-2948/615-2270 centuries were also registered One (1) Greenheart Wooden by Rashaad Gafoor, Romeo Building to remove. $220,000- Price Deonarain and Tulsieram Negotiable Contact 501-3706 Ramcharran.

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Port Mourant on a rampage Port Mourant demolished Rose Hall Town by 224 runs at the Area ‘H’ Ground. PMCC scored 295 for 2 from 40 overs, with Rampertab Ramnauth scoring 179 not out, and Romesh Bharatt scoring 47.

Rose Hall Town scored 71 all out in 26.3 overs, with Steven Reddi making 21 and Matthew Pottaya 16. Jaikishun Latchman

The Tucber Park U-15 Team pose with West Indies player Romario Shepherd

took 3 for 12.

Port Mourant destroyed #73 by 447 runs at the Jai Hind Ground. PMCC scored 448 for 2 from 50 overs, with Rampertab Ramnauth recording 265 and Romesh Bharatt 86. Extras contributed 66.

Number 73 could muster only 47 all out. Salim Khan took 5 for 25, Romel Budwah took 3 for 10, and Jaikishun Latchman took 2 for 11.

Albion defeated Rose Hall Town by 10 runs at the Area H Ground. Albion scored 81 all out, with Kumar Deopersaud contributing 21, Damion Cecil 13, and Afraz Ramphal 12.

Matthew Pottaya took 4 for 7 in 10 overs, Khemraj Tika took 2 for 14, and Steven Reddi 2 for

17.

RHT registered 70 all out from 26.5 overs, with Raphael Fraser contributing 13. Kumar Deopersaud took 5 for 17 and Afraz Budhoo took 2 for 21.

Blairmont triumphant Blairmont beat Bush Lot United by 261 runs at Blairmont.

Blairmont posted 348 for one from 43 overs, with Romeo Deonarain contributing 156 not out, while Rashaad Gafoor recorded 110.

Bush Lot United could muster only 88 all out, with Kenny Budhoo making 33, and A. Parmanand 21. Sajaad Ishmael incredibly took 5 wickets for 6 runs, and Romeo Deonarain took 3 for 18.

Circulation Department on

Phone: 223-7230 EXT: 55

RHC in breezing season Rose Hall Canje breezed past East Bank Blazers by 159 runs at Canje. RH Canje recorded 225 all out in 37.3 overs, of which Avishkar Persaud contributed 83, Romario Ramdehol 34, and Sanjay Algoo 19. Joash Sampson

Paradise in ‘Paradise’ Paradise defeated Achievers by five wickets. Achievers recorded 97 all out in 20 overs, with P. Mc Donald harvesting 3 wickets for 14 runs, and R. Wilson taking 2 wickets for 08 runs.

Paradise replied with 98 for 5 from 13 overs, with O. Fordyce recording 28 and R. Mc Donald 17. T. Connelly took 3 for 25.

Regal Masters triumph!

– through good bowling & batting efforts

GUYANA TIMES Contact our

Tucber Park recorded a 24- run win over Edinburgh at Edinburgh. Tucber Park made 142 all out, with Delon Endore scoring 37, Dravid Paladin 16, and C. Arokium 10. Troy Dover took 3 for 20 and Keyron George took 3 for 17.

Edinburgh were all out for 118 runs, with Jonathan Edwards scoring 37 and David Fraser 35. Delon Endore took 4 for 24.

took 5 for 42.

East Bank Blazers could muster only 66 all out in 16.4 overs. Shamar Semple made 16, and Deosarran Sookram 14.

A. Persaud incredibly took 5 wickets for 6 runs, and Romario Ramdehol took 4 for 24.

RH Canje breezed past Edinburgh by ten wickets at the Young Warriors Ground in East Canje. Edinburgh scored 149 for 7 from 40 overs, with L. Fraser making 32 and Darren George 28. Zadeem La Rose took 2 for 23.

RH Canje scored 150 in 26 overs, with Avishkar Persaud making 55 not out, and Zadeem La Rose 58 not out.

Achievers savaged Bush Lot United by 262 runs.

Achievers recorded 292 for 4 from 40 overs, with Tulsieram Ramcharran contributing 104 not out, Toussaint Consielly 55, and Javon Duncan 34.

Bush Lot United could muster only 30 all out, as Christopher Ogle tormented them with 5 wickets for 8 runs.

Trophy Stall T20 Softball Cricket Competition…

YOUR DAILY & SUNDAY COPIES OF THE

in your area?

21

on 40 off 34 balls, with one four and three sixes; while Eon Abel made seven not out as Regal Masters finished on 103-1 in 10.4 overs.

Kingston took 1-21. Yusuf was named man-of-the-match.

Khalid Haslim had earlier bagged five wickets and Yusuf had slammed an unbeaten half century to guide Regal Masters to a 10-wicket win over Success Masters. Haslim finished with 5-7, his maiden five-wicket haul in the Masters category as Success Masters were limited to 84-9 after taking first strike.

sixes, while Seekumar Budram scored 16 and Rafman Ali made 11.

Regal Masters responded with 86 without loss in 8.3 overs.

Yusuf struck two fours and six sixes in a top score of 51 made off 27 balls, while Chunilall made 29 not out with one four and three sixes off 20 balls.

Ariel Masters overcame Fisherman Masters by six runs.

Ariel Masters took first strike and scored 146-7. Mark Fung led with 51 while P. Gosiah made 30.

Stanley Mohabir grabbed 4-30.

Fisherman Masters managed

Regal Masters won the Trophy Stall T20 title on Sunday

A

spirited bowling performance led by Mahendra Hardyal, and a 74-run opening stand between Unnis Yusuf and Mahase Chunilall have led Regal Masters to a nine-wicket victory over Ariel Masters when the teams collided in the final of the Trophy Stall T20 Softball Cricket competition on Sunday.

Batting first, at the Ogle Community Centre ground on the East Coast of Demerara, Ariel Masters lost R. Kumar for one to bowler Tyrone Sanasie, and Samuel Kingston went for eight, caught off the bowling of

Hardyal, to be reduced to 12-2.

Harydal picked up two more quick wickets, including that of Shaheed Gittens for 17, which included one four and a six, to further peg back the Ariel Masters’ innings.

However, P. Gosiah propped up the total with a top score of 33, which came off 44 balls and included two fours and two sixes, before he was run out.

Sanasie, Khalid Haslim and Roy Persaud bowled out the Ariel Masters for 102 in 20 overs.

Hardyal finished with 3-33, Persaud with 2-17, Sanasie with 2-24, and Haslim with 1-13.

Openers Yusuf and Chunilall put Regal Masters on course for a win with determined batting. Yusuf was aggressive from the onset, striking three fours and four sixes off 20 balls before he was removed

by Kingston for 41.

Chunilall remained unbeaten

Unnis Yusuf

Hackim Majeed’s 23 consisted of two fours and two

140-9 in reply. Mohabir made 33; Alex Singh took 2-16.

22

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

RHT Namilco Thunderbolt Flour launches “Paying it Forward” programme M

anagement of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), MS, has, since 1995, mandated its different cricket teams to make a positive difference in the lives of youths, the elderly, and the less fortunate.

And in furtherance of this mandate, the teams have, over the last 25 years, hosted thousands of activities/ programmes under a series of sub-headings, including sports education, culture, charity, religious and social, among others.

On Wednesday last, the members of the Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour First Division Team launched another programme to add to the long list of activities they host under their sponsorship with the National Milling Company (Namilco).

That programme, “Paying it Forward”, was inspired by popular American television hostess Ellen DeGeneres, who encourages her worldwide audience to love one another and to make a difference in the world. Under the ‘Paying it Forward’ programme, the team would donate a large percentage of its financial

Financial donation being made to GVF President Levi Nedd

prizes to individuals, churches, NGOs, sports organisations and schools.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster, who encouraged the team to launch the programme, has said that since its formation in 1990, the RHTY&SC has operated

with a motto: The more you give, more blessings would come your way”.

The RHT Namilco Thunderbolt Flour have, over the last two weeks, clinched three First Division titles as they continue to dominate cricket in the Ancient County.

They defeated Tucber Park by 58 runs at the Port Mourant Ground to win the Stag Beer 50 Over title; edged Albion by 5 runs at the No69 Ground to take home the Ivan Madray Memorial 20/20 Title; and, last Sunday, they won a thrilling last-over final

match against Albion at the Port Mourant Ground to capture the Busta Champion of Champions tournament.

Additionally, Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Sheneta Grimmond and Shemaine Campbelle are currently with either the Guyana or West Indies teams.

The RHTY&SC membership, Foster has said, strongly believes that faith in their God is responsible for the club’s remarkable success story over the years.

The team, under the leadership of Eon Hooper and Shawn Pereira, distributed more than 15 Namilco food hampers to residents of the Rose Hall township, and made financial contributions to the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF); Flying Ace Cycling Club; and Govindra Sahadeo, a resident of Port Mourant, who received a financial contribution towards purchasing a plot of land to construct a house for his parents.

Cycling Coach Randolph Roberts collected a donation to purchase trophies for an upcoming Awards Ceremony, while the GVF, thru its president Levi Nedd, benefited from a donation towards

participating in an InterGuianas Under 21 Volleyball Tournament in French Guiana.

The longtime Secretary/ CEO has congratulated the cricketers for successfully launching the Paying it Forward programme, and announced that during the year, over $1M worth of educational materials, bicycles, footwear, cricket gear, clothing, food hampers and financial assistance would be shared out by the cricketers.

BCB Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu, who also serves as team manager, has said the team fully understands the need to give back and to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

He disclosed that Foster is a big fan of the popular Ellen DeGeneres Show, is inspired by her work, and accordingly encourages others to reach out to the less fortunate.

Team captain Eon Hooper has dedicated the triple championship victory to the Management of Namilco, especially Managing Director Bert Sukhai, Finance Controller Fitzroy Mc Cloud, and to Afeeze Khan and Jamie Schwiers.

LGC to host 2 tourneys along with honour ceremony category – a Seniors Flight - in honour of the awardees.

Maurice Solomon

Hemraj Kissoon

A

Hemraj Kisson

s mentioned in our previous issue, today and Sunday, the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) will devote activities to honour both the lifetime achievements of some of its outstanding members along with the celebration of birthdays of Maurice Solomon and Hemraj Kissoon.

This weekend’s activities will also feature two tournaments, with the first, on Saturday, teeing off from 12:30 hrs; and the other, on Sunday, teeing off from 8:30 hrs. As has become the norm, prizes will be awarded to the top two finishers in three categories, but this weekend will feature a special fourth

Kissoon, past President of the LGC, has been a leader in several industries, including banking and business. One of nine children, he took over Kissoons’ Furniture Company after his brother passed away, and built it into the major company it presently is.

Growing up in No. 60 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Hemraj has demonstrated that a person is a product of imagination and hard work, and not of their environment; as, today, the Kissoon Group of Companies is a distinct and prestigious conglomerate with a long history of successful operations in Guyana.

The Kissoon Group is a foremost example of astute business diversification, foresight, and longterm strategic planning, for which Hemraj has made a distinctive contribution.

Kissoons’ Furniture and subsequently the Kissoon Group have, for many years, been annual sponsors of the LGC, with Hemraj being an advocate of the expansion of the game to include more business leaders,

Maurice Solomon

diplomats and young people.

Always one to match his action with his talk, Hemraj, as President of this Golf Club, led it through a major transformation, the removal of the original Clubhouse from where it was, and the establishment of the current clubhouse some 300 yards away, placing it central to the golf course. He continues to offer good counsel to Club administrations of recent vintage.

As he celebrates his birth anniversary in February, members of the Club are pleased to have among themselves Hemraj’s continued presence, support, and cheerful disposition, and do look forward to enjoying his warm personality for many years to come.

Maurice Solomon has been a member of the Lusignan Golf Club for over 50 years, and was recently awarded life membership.

As head of Maurice Solomon & Co., a firm founded in 1998 with Maurice Solomon as the sole partner, this man’s astute ability to build a major business has amply been demonstrated.

The firm now comprises a staff of over twenty (20), including fully qualified Chartered Accountants, and offers professional services in audit assurance, taxation, corporate services, accounting and payroll, business advisory services, recruitment and management consulting services for many major companies, including several in the emerging oil & gas market.

An avid golfer who plays at least three times per week, Maurice is a living example of how good genes, a healthy lifestyle, and a strong, competitive spirit form the key to longevity.

Maurice also sponsors the annual Maurice Solomon & Co. Golf tournament, and has willingly contributed to the development of the club over the past years.

Robert Hanoman

A longtime member of the LGC, who has played a key role in securing sponsorship from Muneshwer’s Travel, Maersk Shipping, and Guyana Shorebase Inc. over the years, is Robert Hanoman.

One of the leading legal minds in the

Robert Hanoman

country, Robert boasts the distinction of possibly being the only Guyanese lawyer to be qualified in London, New York and California, and he has often expressed that those bar exams were much easier than the game of golf!

Robert has consistently provided legal advice and guidance, along with financial contributions, to the Club over the many years that he has been there.

In 2019, he was awarded life membership in recognition of his years of involvement and dedication to the growth of the Club and sport.

Robert will also celebrate another milestone in March, and is pleased that currently his game is at its best level…his having shot 63, his lowest net score in history, last February.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

23

ICC U-19 World Cup…

West Indies, South Africa lock horns in 5th place playoff A

fter a

Kevlon Anderson

heart-breaking defeat against the New Zealanders, West Indies will be playing for fifth place against hosts South Africa from 4:00h at Senwes Park Potchefstoom.

Both former champions - South Africa in 2014 and West Indies in 2016 – neither is any longer in contention for the title after respective quarter-final losses to Bangladesh (South Africa lost by 104 runs) and New Zealand U-19s (West Indies lost by two wickets).

They will each be looking to make amends, and hopefully give themselves the best chance to finish at #5. The winner of this game will lock horns with the winner of the second 5th playoff semi-final between Australia and the loser of Friday’s quarter-final fixture between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Both sides have thus far had in-form top-order batsmen; with South Africa’s Bryce Parsons and Windies’ Kimani Melius and Kevlon

Anderson racking up runs consistently.

Another good pick as captain could be Nyeem Young, who has chipped in with runs as well as wickets thus far.

It is expected to be a bright and sunny day in Potchefstroom on Saturday.

According to the weather report, spells of sunshine are set to be the order of the day. While the temperature is set to be between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius, the humidity would hover around 41%.

Chance of rain: minimal.

The past three games in Potchefstroom have seen a great balance between the bat and ball. While the teams batting first have managed to rack up totals in excess of 250, the teams chasing have found it pretty difficult.

Both sides will thus be looking to bat first and defend later on Saturday.

Kirk McKenzie was carried out of the ground following his cramps. There is no current update regarding his availability for the fixture.

Probable Playing XIs: South Africa Under-19s: Jonathan Bird, Khanya Kotani [WK], Bryce Parsons (C), Luke Beaufort, Tyrese Karelse, Tiaan van Vuuren, Jack Lees, Pheko Moletsane, Gerald Coetzee, Achille Cloete, Modi Khumalo.

West Indies Under-19s: Kimani Melius (C), Leonardo Julian (WK), Kevlon Anderson, Kirk McKenzie/Daniel Beckford, Antonio Morris, Matthew Forde, Nyeem Young, Matthew Patrick, Joshua James, Ashmead Nedd, Jayden

Seales.

BCB/Ramnaresh Sarwan U-17 tournament…

Karim’s half-century propels Albion to championship win over RHT

R

Player of the match, Reyad Karim, receiving his award

Top Picks

South Africa U19: Bryce Parsons [252 runs in 4 games], Luke Beaufort [201 runs in 4 games] and Jonathan Bird [132 runs in 4 games] have been the cornerstone of South Africa’s batting thus far.

Tiaan van Vuuren [4 wickets] and Achille Cloete [5 wickets] have been the leading wicket-takers for the home side thus far.

West Indies U-19: The duo of Kevlon Anderson [161 runs] and Kimani Melius [123 runs] will once again have to be the

The victorious Albion team

eyad Karim’s solid 50 and a four-wicket haul by Kumar Deopersaud have led Albion to a 42-run win over arch rivals Rose Hall Town Bakewell in the final of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Ramnaresh Sarwan U-17 Tournament.

In the match, played at the Area H Ground on Thursday last, Albion took first strike and scored 198-8 in 50 overs.

Batting at number four, Karin scored an even 50, which included three fours. He was supported by Berbice U-17 player Sarwan Chaitnarine, who scored 33, and Leon Cecil who made 23.

Leading the bowling for Rose Hall Town Bakewell U-17 was Jonathan Rampersaud, who had 2-51 in 10 overs, while fellow off-spinner Matthew Pottaya was the pick of the bowlers with 2-28 in 10 overs.

Lucas Arthur and Jeremy Sandia supported with one wicket each.

In reply, RHT Bakwell fell short of the target to end on 156 all out.

Deopersaud led the charge with the ball for Ablion, ending with 4-16 in eight overs. He was supported by Cecil who bagged 2-23 in 10 overs, and left-arm spinner Gourav Ramesh who ended with 2-10 in seven overs.

National youth player Rampersaud top-scored for RHT Bakewell with 41, while Sandia made 39 and Ricardo Ramdehol made 29 in a losing effort.

cornerstone of their batting unit, in case Kirk McKenzie, who racked up 99 runs in the last game, does not feature tomorrow.

Nyeem Young [130 runs & 7 wickets] could once again turn out to be the X-factor.

As far as bowling is concerned, Jayden Seales [8 wickets], Joshua James [2-45] and Ashmead Nedd [8 wickets] will be the ones to watch out for.

Average first innings score at this venue: 227 [In the last three games at the venue] Record of chasing teams: Won – 1, Lost – 2. (Crictracker)

6th edition of Kares Crossfit Tournament launched C

ross-fit action will return to the National Park tarmac in a few weeks’ time, as Kares Crossfit seeks to bring out the ‘beast’ in not only the host nation, but other Caribbean athletes in the sixth instalment of the Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge.

The tournament was officially launched on Thursday evening at the Kares Engineering Office at 77 Irving & Anira Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown. Speaking at the launch was event organsier Jordana Ramsay-Gonsalves, who said, “I just want to thank all the sponsors for coming on board. This is our third edition of this competition. This year, we have athletes from all over: Trinidad, Barbados, Suriname, as they will be coming to compete with our Guyanese athletes.

“The crowd can expect to come at 13:00hrs to see the athletes compete in 5 events fiercely. We have a total of 31 athletes, 10 out of the Caribbean and 21 Guyanese. There will also be an increase in the prize monies, as we have recognized the hard work of the athletes.”

Also sharing remarks was Manager of the Lucozade energy drink Brand, Triston Freeman, who stated that ANSA McAL is proud to sponsor this event, and will continue to sponsor it and youth development in Guyana.

He also noted that with the launching of the new brand, Lucozade Sport, it is his belief that this tournament would be the launch

Event organsier Jordana Ramsay-Gonsalves

pad for greater things to come.

The competition will see the likes of five-time male champion Dillon “The Beast” Mahadeo, Paul Meusa, Semonica Duke, and Omisi Williams, who will put their gladiator status to the test on a tarmac of exercises that will overawe participants and fans alike.

One thing that is for certain is the fact that athletes will have the opportunity to get their hands on some lucrative prizes.

With the top prize being $500,000, Mahadeo will be fiercely challenged as other competitors try to grab the Lotus Hardware-sponsored purse.

Should they fall short by a spot or two, there will be no worries with the runners-up prizes slated at $400,000, $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively.

Every other athlete will be given a ‘participation reward’ of $15,000.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

6th edition of Kares Crossfit Tournament launched Page 23

RHT Namilco Thunderbolt Flour launches “Paying it Forward” programme

ICC U-19 World Cup…

Page 23

Page 22

Some team members handing over Namilco hampers to residents

West Indies, South Africa lock horns in 5th place playoff

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