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FRIDAY 7th May, 2021

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Over 154,000 persons No.106353

vaccinated against COVID-19 –– President Ali alludes to procurement of more vaccines

– over 60 per cent of persons 60 years and older vaccinated A QUIET AFTERNOON: Calm waters and cool weather were all the right conditions for this apparent master of ‘seine throwing’ to enjoy what he does best, while at the same time staying safe by wearing a mask (Delano Williams photo)

SEE PAGE 03

$1.1B in medical supplies dumped 04 PAGE

Arrivals at CJIA top 05 60,000 since reopening PAGE

Guyanese appointed vice-president of global 15 software company PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

Statement from His Over 154,000 persons Excellency, Dr Mohamed vaccinated against COVID-19 Irfaan Ali, President –– President Ali alludes to procurement of more vaccines of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana –– high vaccination uptake recorded among elderly people 60, older By Vishani Ragobeer

AS of Thursday, more than 154,000 people were able to receive their first dose of one of the three COVID-19 vaccines being administered locally, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who assured Guyanese that the local authorities will be working assiduously to procure more vaccines to immunise the targeted adult population. On Thursday morning, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony highlighted that 150,694 people had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, while 6,037 have received both their first and second doses. That vaccination tally accounts for about 31 per cent of the targeted population since, Dr. Anthony had previously said that the local health authorities were targeting 500,000 adults in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout. On Thursday night, however, President Ali highlighted that the number of people who received their first dose has increased even further. Importantly too, he noted that eight of Guyana’s ten administrative regions have recorded between 30 to 36 per cent coverage of the population above 18 years old. The other two regions, Regions Eight and Ten, have not seen so many people coming forward to get their vaccines. In fact, in Region Ten, the President said only 8.9 per cent of the population above 18 years took the vaccine. Though there have been recent efforts to increase vaccination uptake in this region, including a ministerial outreach on Sunday last, the President says more work has to be done to encourage vaccine acceptance. PROCUREMENT While addressing the nation on Thursday night, President Ali

A nurse at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, preparing to administer a dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to a local healthcare worker on Thursday (Vishani Ragobeer photo)

also alluded to the government’s intention to procure additional COVID-19 vaccines to ensure that they can be administered to each adult. “Our plan is to ensure that we take this country and economy back to normalcy as soon as possible,” President Ali said, underscoring that the government will invest significant resources towards achieving this goal. He also addressed concerns that were raised about the unavailability of the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines. To this end, he explained that the vaccination rollout was strategically planned to ensure that the corresponding second dose would be available to each person who already received a jab. Dr. Anthony related that the population segment of people aged 60 years and older has recorded the highest uptake of the vaccines. Their uptake was pegged at 61.3 per cent. This group of elderly people was the first age group to be offered the vaccines, following the initial administration to frontline healthcare workers. And, Dr. Anthony said that the aim is to vaccinate at least about 85 per cent of this population segment. Meanwhile, in the 40 to 59 age group, he said that the vaccination uptake has been recorded at around 28.6 per cent. In the 18 to 39 age group, this figure stood at 20.9 per cent. YOUNGER PEOPLE AT RISK With the younger population recording the lowest vaccination uptake of the lot, the Health Minister addressed the false perception that younger people are less susceptible to the adverse effects of the disease, COVID-19. “We are now seeing in the hospitals and so forth, younger patients coming in to get treatment, and in the Intensive Care Unit,” he said, adding: “Unfortunately, you see more severe cases of people between the ages of 40 and 50… We had a lot of deaths in this age group as well.” During a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Adviser to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy highlighted that the country is experiencing a third wave, or surge, in COVID-19 cases. This, he explained, is attributed to a deadlier form of the novel coronavirus circulating locally. Since March, when the first case of COVID-19 was recorded, there have been higher infection rates among younger people. Previously, Dr. Anthony reasoned that the prevalence of the disease among the younger population could be attributed to how active they are.

Dear Guyanese,

President Dr. Irfaan Ali Dr. Anthony, however, stressed that younger people are no longer just affected with the milder form of COVID-19 as before. To protect against this worse form of the virus, the Health Minister on Thursday sought to remind members of the public that all of the COVID-19 vaccines are effective against preventing the severe forms of COVID-19. As such, the vaccines can prevent hospitalisations and deaths. He also noted that avoiding crowds and social distancing, wearing masks and maintaining sanitisation habits are crucial. The COVID-19 vaccines used in Guyana are: The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute in India, the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, and the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. These vaccines are available across the country to all individuals aged 18 years and older, but they are not mandatory. Since the launch of the vaccination campaign, the Health Ministry has been partnering with several faithbased and non-governmental organisations, along with the private sector to take the vaccines to the people. Though some of Guyana’s regions present unique accessibility challenges due to their geography and size, Director of Primary Healthcare Services, Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton underscored that there have been efforts to ensure that there is equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across Guyana. Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony also noted that there are several COVID-19 hotspots, including: Tuschen (Region Three), Sophia and Kitty (Region Four), Bartica (Region Seven), and Aishalton (Region Nine). In Bartica, specifically, he noted that there can be increased collaborations for the vaccine outreach.

IN my statement on Arrival Day, I sought to put forward a message of common values, of common struggles, and ultimately what I hope would lead to reconciliation among our people. In that message, I stated that every group that came here did so for a better life for themselves and their descendants. I was not and could not ever have been referring to our African ancestors, who did not come here of their own volition but were captured, brought to our country in chains, and brutally enslaved. Indeed, it is their sacrifice and struggle for freedom and against oppression that should inspire us to continuously secure our freedoms and democracy for a better Guyana. To my fellow Guyanese who felt offended by the way in which the language was structured, you have my unreserved regret and assurance that the struggles of our enslaved African ancestors would never be understated and unappreciated. They gave their lives for our freedom and as a nation, we must be forever grateful. I affirm and repeat the thrust of my personal and public mission in reconciling this country after a very divisive period in our history. As I expressed in my Arrival Day message, we must find deeper, more meaningful ways of celebrating our collective diversity, of pooling our collective wisdom; moreover, we need to begin and sustain the practice of speaking openly and honestly with each other. This year as we celebrate Arrival Day, we do so with a greater sense of purpose that as a collective we stood together for a free and democratic Guyana. With respect to our ancestors, our National Anthem reminds us that we are “born of their sacrifice, heirs of their pains.” I invite you once again to join together, to forge the unity of voice, of purpose, and of our people that would make them proud.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

$1.1B in medical supplies dumped –– following audit of regional health facilities

By Vishani Ragobeer ANOTHER $1.1 billion in expired medical, laboratory, and diagnostic supplies have been dumped following the completion of an audit of the medical supplies sent to all the administrative regions, according to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony. Recently, it was reported that the ministry dumped $3 billion in expired drugs and medical supplies from its Materials Management Unit (MMU) and other health facilities, following audits done by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government. In total, Dr. Anthony previously related that, based on available records, about $10 billion in drugs and supplies were dumped over the past five years under the previous administration. The newly discovered $1.1 billion in expired medical supplies, according to Dr. Anthony, also expired before the PPP/C assumed office,

last year. The prevalence of these expired supplies led to shortages in drugs and supplies, with many of the regional authorities being unable to meet the drug needs of their constituents. “While we have been able to validate what has expired in those regions, we have been working hard to ensure that we have adequate supplies for those regions,” the minister said via a video statement on Thursday. He also added: “We have not stabilised the situation… not everything that the regions want they can get right now (because) there are still a few drugs that would be short and as we get those crates coming into the MMU, we’re trying to manage that.” To remedy the drug shortage situation, Minister Anthony reminded the public that emergency tenders were issued to procure much needed medical supplies. He noted that about $11.5 billion in supplies have been distributed to regions; this

Friday May 7, 2021 02:00hrs - 03:30hrs

includes: pharmaceuticals worth $5.6 billion, medical supplies worth $877 million and laboratory and diagnostic supplies worth $5 billion. He also noted that additional orders made through emergency procurement are now coming in. Meanwhile, as he related before, the Health Minister said that the wastage of the drugs and supplies has been worrying due to the exorbitant amount of money spent on the supplies. As such, he underscored that the audit would inform where the issues occurred and how the situation could be remedied. It was previously not-

ed that efforts have been made to fix the previously defunct modern warehouse Management Information System (MIS) at the MMU and install pharmaceutical

monitors in each administrative region to reduce future shortages. Additionally, Dr. Anthony also said, before that, he expects that rec-

ommendations from the audit will inform efforts to hold the persons responsible for mismanagement of the drugs and supplies accountable.

SEVEN mothers who are serving parole sentences, were, on Thursday, presented food hampers by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security in honour of Mother’s Day and quite a few of them responded that the kind gesture made them feel happy and special. Some of the parolees have been incarcerated for a long period of time and hence were away from their children and the love and support of a family. “They were unable to have that love and attention

from their children and to be able to connect with them,” said Senior Probation and Social Services Officer, Sherilene Joseph. The Prison Aftercare and Reintegration Services Section of the Ministry, among other things, deals with reintegrating and rehabilitating parolees. A parolee refers to a prisoner who was released prior to their originally assigned sentence and who has agreed to abide by certain conditions. It’s the first time that the parolees were honoured

in this way, although there is a similar arrangement in place for women who are in prison. “They said to me they felt touched because they were away so long and they haven’t received this kind of pampering for a long time,” Joseph further mentioned. Meanwhile, the initiative was conducted at the ministry’s Cornhill Street location. Also present at the event was Deputy Director of Social Services, Hamwanttie Bisesar. One of the parolees expressed gratitude for all that the ministry has done for her

and called attention to the fact that she continued to be helped even after she “back slided” on one occasion. “This ministry has done so much of things for me. For years I have gone through hell with my ex-husband and I come here to the ministry and in every step, they guide me,” she expressed. She urged her fellow inmates to always listen to the social workers. “Do what they say and you will get where you need to go. If wasn’t for them, I would not have been here today.”

Expired drugs being dumped (DPI photo)

Parolees touched by ministry’s gesture of love and support

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

Arrivals at CJIA top 60,000 since reopening By Jared Liddell

OVER 60,000 passengers have entered Guyana through the country’s main port of entry, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), since the local airports were reopened on October 5, 2020. This was according to Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, at the commissioning of new screening equipment at the CJIA, last Saturday. Guyana’s main ports of entry were closed for seven months, from March 18, 2020, to October 05, 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ports were closed as part of an effort to reduce the spread of the disease. The airports were initially scheduled to close for a two-week period; however, as cases in the country significantly increased, the closure continued to be extended. But the new government, after an analysis of the situation, thought it best to reopen the airports under strict conditions aimed at reducing the possibility of Guyana recording imported cases of COVID-19. According to available information, there have been 35 imported cases from the 60,000 arrivals at CJIA, since reopening of the airport. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, global passenger travel by air had shrunk to between 59 and 62 per cent since 2019. Minister Edghill said that the closure of airports has adversely affected aviation operations; this is reflected by the estimated loss of close to $104 billion in global business revenue, last year. Nearly 12,000 Guyanese jobs are supported by the aviation industry, the majority in either transportation or tourism. This accounts for nearly one in 20 jobs in Guyana. Air passengers contribute roughly $1.7 billion in travel tax revenue. Even with the proliferation of COVID-19, the government, through a controlled and informed approach, continues to advance efforts to make Guyana a hub that links the Caribbean and other countries with South America. Minister Edghill said that the government is working to ensure a smoother and more efficient service for all passengers entering the country, whether they are seeking business and

An external view of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) investment opportunities, or just travelling here to experience Guyana’s unique eco-tourism. “Because of the expansion and the modernisation that we are doing in Guyana, our study and our intent for CJIA was to be a hub that links the Caribbean with south America. We are being proactive here at the CJIA by putting in modern facilities to ensure that our travelling passengers experience comfort, and adequate security screening, while we’re protecting aviation security,” Edghill said. To this end, the government, as part of plans to make Guyana a more accessible tourism destination, granted approval for several new airlines to operate with-

in the country. Those are Caribbean Airlines carrier, InterCaribbean Airways, Fly All Ways and JetBlue. The modernisation of CJIA has played a pivotal role in ensuring that there is increased air travel to Guyana. This is being facilitated through the ongoing expansion project. Already, the boarding corridor has been expanded to accommodate two more passenger boarding bridges, taking the total number of bridges to six. According to Edghill, this move is in keeping with the government’s commitment to the modernisation and transformation of Guyana. He said that the change in the physical infrastructure

of CJIA must be complemented by the technology to support innovative advancement. Further, he said that the government understands the need for linkage between modern infrastructure and economic growth, and is working strategically to ensure that infrastructure, especially at the country’s main port of entry, is modernised. “If we are going to be able to have that, we have to have the capacity to move passengers along quicker and safer, and once you’re enlarging and expanding, you have to ensure that you

take care of possible risks. “We as a government, while we’re a peace-loving developing country, we don’t take anything for granted, so in our modernisation layout, while we’re inviting the world of investors, attracting foreign direct investment, bringing in the international companies, we are thinking about ensuring our own safety precautions are being taken,” the Public Works Minister said. He further said that since the reopening of the airports, the country has seen a steady increase in foreign investors visiting Guyana, using corporate jets and commercial airlines, all with the aim of exploring investment opportunities. The country has since taken strategic steps to improve the security systems at the CJIA. Among the recent steps is the procurement of four new pieces of screening equipment costing $400 million. The new scanners are intended to help detect threats to civil aviation quickly and aid law enforcement in its fight against narco-traffick-

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill ing at Guyana’s main port of entry. The new machines have automatic detection capabilities and will allow the screener to manipulate and further examine anomalies detected in passenger luggage. Further, aligning with government’s mission to boost security at the country’s main port of entry, management of the CJIA is in the process of procuring body cameras for its security staff.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

Richness in diversity

ARRIVAL Day (May 5th) has emerged as a major calendar event and a national holiday in Guyana. The day was initially observed as ‘Indian Arrival Day’ by the Indo-Guyanese community to commemorate the arrival of the first batch of Indian indentured labourers on board the SS Whitby on May 5, 1838. Within recent years, the meaning of the day has certainly broadened, both in context and scope, to fittingly include all ethnic groups who came as indentured labourers, ostensibly to fill the void created by the exodus of ex-slaves from plantation labour, following the abolition of the despicable system of slavery in 1834. After all, it was the planters’ woes of a labour shortage that led to the importation of indentured labourers in this crucial period of ‘crisis, change and experimentation’ in Guyana’s history. In the initial post-Emancipation years,

a small number of European immigrants, including those of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, German and Maltese nationalities, were brought, but these failed to make an impact on the plantations. As early as May 1835, Portuguese indentured labourers were introduced from Madeira. This scheme lasted until 1882, by which time approximately 32,000 Portuguese immigrants had arrived here. Many of them eventually ended up in various commercial activities. The British Government encouraged immigration of Liberated Africans, and between 1841 and 1863, a total of 14,060 of them, mostly from Sierra Leone and St Helena, came to colonial Guyana. Creole immigrants were also tried, and a steady stream of Barbadians, numbering 40,656, were introduced between 1835 and 1893. This type of labour had ‘qualitative advantages,’ as it provided a relatively cheap source of experienced labourers.

Chinese immigration was another experiment. Between 1853 and 1879, the colony was the recipient of 14,002 contract labourers, and a further 1,718 Chinese came as free immigrants during the 18801913 period. The importation of Indian indentured labourers from the Indian sub-continent was part of the continuing search to meet the labour needs of the powerful plantocracy. It ended up being the largest scheme, and lasted from 1838-1917, during which time a total of 238,909 immigrants landed in Guyana. Undoubtedly, all ethnic groups and their descendants have persisted to make their unique and sterling contribution to the overall development of this nation. Arrival Day is of tremendous significance. It is a day when we appreciate, recognise and honour the arrival and contribution of all our ancestors from all parts of the world. In the face of numerous

adversities, they were able to preserve their cultures, traditions and values. Arrival Day embodies the richness of diversity in the context of the pluralistic and multi-cultural mosaic it creates. Through the struggle, trials and tribulations of our foreparents, we today live in a free, democratic society governed by the rule of law. Their unyielding sacrifices have paved the way for us to live in an age of greater enlightenment, with greater tolerance, understanding and appreciation of a common history of struggle towards a unified nation and a common destiny. Let us remember the varied ways in which our ancestors collectively endured and prevailed to create joint endeavours for enhanced lifestyles and upward social mobility. Let us give true meaning to our country’s motto of ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny.’

Time for Granger and his self-appointed surrogate leader to exit the political scene Dear Editor, THIS is an appeal to all the PNC/R executives and members and to the former Army Officers of the Guyana Defence Force to demand that former President Granger resign from the leadership of the PNC/R immediately. All of us have worked tirelessly to help get him elected leader of the PNC/R and eventually the President of Guyana. During his presidency, he has not only failed his supporters, but he also had absolutely refused to relate to them. Therefore, he must do the honourable thing and leave immediately and allow the party to flourish under new, young and dynamic leadership. Whether or not he chooses to resign, one thing is for sure, he cannot remain the leader of the party. It will be a colossal mistake for the executive members of the PNC/R and all of us ex-army officers to allow him to remain the leader of the PNC/R. This will no doubt do irreparable damage to the party to the extent that it will not survive as a viable and robust alternative to the heavy-handed and oppressive PPP/C cabal.

Having spoken with several ex-army officers and senior members of the PNC/R, the conclusion is that they all felt betrayed by Mr. Granger’s wobbly and inept leadership. Once Mr. Granger became President, he simply isolated himself permanently from the people and we, the former officers and party supporters and members. None of us could have reached him or offered him help or advice. Mr. Granger’s aloof and elitist posture and ludicrous behaviour were responsible for his abysmal failure on bringing criminals to justice for the barbaric murder and disappearance of hundreds of black youths including activist Ronald Waddell and Courtney Crum-Ewing. Most importantly, Mr. Granger did not follow through on many of the party’s development initiatives to bring about change, reduce unemployment and improved the lives of the masses. For five years, he presided over a non-responsive and introverted administration that did not care about the people, much less his supporters. In fact, Mr. Granger was so naïve and silly that at one point he appointed five advisers. They are Dr. Clive Thomas as

national development adviser; Brigadier (Ret’d) Edward O. Collins as national security; Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Gary Best as environment; PNC/R executive member, Aubrey Norton, as youth empowerment; and former leader of the PNC/R, Robert Corbin, as political adviser. Although these advisers were contracted for two years, Mr. Granger did not seek any advice from them. The truth is he made absolutely no contact with any of them. We must admit that we did not intervene or ask questions his unsound actions earlier because we wanted to give him more time. We were wrong! As Mr. Granger’s mistakes grew and multiplied, he did not seek any advice, instead, he retreated and isolated himself from the public. The fact that Mr. Granger had arrogantly ignored or deliberately underutilised his advisers shows that he did not care about anyone but himself and his image. The ex-army officers who worked assiduously to help get Mr. Granger and the Coalition elected to office in 2015 were totally ignored. Many, if not most of them, believed that the APNU+AFC Administration had a

better philosophical approach to Guyana’s development than that of the PPP/C. The APNU +AFC was more even handed and tolerant. That said, we were completely disappointed at his dreadful leadership. Having failed to deliver a decisive victory in 2020 after being only five years in office compared to 23 years of PPP/C rule, the time has come for all of us in Guyana and the voiceless and muffled PNC/R supporters in diaspora to do some soul searching as to what went wrong and the circumstances surrounding Mr. Granger’s lackluster, abysmal, and ineffective leadership, irrational behaviour, and overly poor judgment. He has divided the party and the reality is that 2025 is just around the corner and a divided PNC/R cannot defeat the PPP/C. It is time for Mr. Granger and his self-appointed surrogate leader to exit the political scene and be replaced by a more progressive and young leadership. We in the PNC/R must act now! Yours sincerely, Group of Ten (10) ex-Army Officers

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

Treasured piece of history

Dear Editor,

SORRY to be late. In 1983, when I was at the University of Guyana, I did a research paper on an aspect of Indian immigrants in British Guiana. I posted it on my Facebook page today (May 5). At page three of my research paper, I mentioned the Calcutta firm Gillanders, Arbuthnot, which played a key role in the early transfer of Indian labour to Brit-

ish Guiana, from 1838 onwards. Since writing that paper, I did not give a second thought to Gillanders; but, if I had, I would have assumed that the company had long ago disappeared into the mists of history. Imagine my surprise – astonishment really – when I encountered the company in the heart of commercial New Delhi during a trip to India in March of 2000! While walking in New Delhi’s Connaught Place (sometimes called Connaught Circle) I glanced upward and saw a sign which read “Gillanders Arbuthnot and Co Ltd”. I immediately

took the three photos attached here. The first photo shows the exterior of the building, badly in need of a face lift. The second one is of a board affixed to the wall of Gillanders’ office, within the building. The board lists the activities of the company. The interior of the office is shown in the third photo. Inquiries to Gillanders staffers confirmed that it was one and the same company. Serendipity was in play. As it happened, Gilland-

ers was soon to leave the Connaught Place location, to relocate to a less central and expensive area of New Delhi. Had my India trip been made a month later, the encounter would not have happened, these photos would not have been taken and this treasured piece of history would have been lost. I guess, a higher power orchestrated what happened so that the memory could be preserved and shared with others. Yours faithfully, Sieyf Shahabuddeen

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

GLDA to get new vehicle for animal treatment, disease control

THE services of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) will soon be enhanced through an injection of $9 million, in the form of a contract between the Ministry of Agriculture and Marics and Company Limited, for the supply and delivery

a vehicle to be used for animal treatment and disease control. This contract is one of 12 that were signed recently by the Ministry of Agriculture to enhance the services offered by the sub-agencies within the ministry. The vehicle, acquired

through the recent contract, will be used by GLDA’s Epidemiology Unit to provide services to all 10 administrative regions of Guyana. Currently, the epidemiology unit carries out active and passive surveillance activities countrywide for several dis-

GLDA officers during a recent outreach eases such as classical and African swine fever, foot and mouth disease, avian influenza, Newcastle, avian leucosis, equine infection anemia, equine encephalitis rabies, duck viral hepatitis, and others. Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, in a recent statement, said that the acquisition of the vehicle will help GLDA to be more responsive. “These diseases can have a devastating effect on the livestock industry and food security. They can also have a negative effect on trade, which will ultimately affect farmers and the country as a whole, financially. The vehicle that will soon be acquired by the GLDA will help in the response to disease outbreaks should they occur. “It will also assist with reports of disease outbreak investigations, vaccination for things like rabies, and blackleg. This vehicle will also help our officers to re-

spond quickly to reports of unusual deaths in livestock, as well as any suspected incursion of foreign animal diseases into Guyana territory. The contractor has also indicated that this vehicle will be handed over to GLDA within the next two months, which is almost three months ahead of schedule,” Minister Mustapha said. He further said that the government will continue to inject resources into the sector to ensure effective border and import quarantine policies and programmes are implemented. “The aphorism ‘prevention is better than cure’ is very relevant when dealing with transboundary animal diseases. This is why government will continue to devote appropriate levels of resources to ensure effective border and import quarantine policies and programmes to prevent the introduction of these disease. “This will be comple-

mented with an active animal disease surveillance programme geared at early detection of any exotic pathogens,” Minister Mustapha said. For 2021, GLDA’s quarantine officers have already carried out several operations which resulted in 96 interceptions of animals, and livestock products at some of Guyana’s major ports of entry. Following those activities, several actions were taken which included the quarantine of illegally imported animals, sanitary disposal, and in some cases, euthanasia. The Epidemiology Unit of GLDA, which is a sub-unit of authority’s Animal Health Unit, is responsible for all disease prevention, control, and eradication measures in the 10 regions. It also serves as the first line of defence against instances of incursions of foreign animal diseases from neighbouring countries.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

11 die of COVID so far for this month TWO more COVID-19 deaths recorded by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday have pushed the toll to 310, a figure which is reflected in the daily dashboard for May 6, 2021. The latest fatalities are a male and a female, aged 57 and 62 respectively, from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). They both died while receiving medical care at a Ministry of Health facility. There have now been 11 deaths recorded for the month of May, 2021. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has recorded 128 new cases of COVID-19 from 781 tests conducted for May 5, 2021. Of these, Region One (Barima-Waini) recorded nine, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), five; Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara),

30; Region Four, 58; Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), eight; Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), four; Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), four; Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), two; Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), one, and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), seven. The newly infected persons were 52 males and 76 females. There are currently 16 persons within the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 99 in institutional isolation, 1,745 isolated at home, and eight in institutional quarantine. Guyana has confirmed a total of 13,957 cases of COVID-19 since its arrival in Guyana. Of that number, 1,868 are currently active; and of the 11,787 recoveries, 115 were recorded within the

past 24 hours. All Guyanese are urged to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home, the importance of maintaining the six-foot physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of

COVID-19. If anyone you know is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit the Ministry of Health at www.health.gov. gy.

International food prices continue to rise

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

–– price index now 30.8 per cent higher than it was in April 2020

INTERNATIONAL food commodity prices rose for the 11th consecutive month in April, with sugar leading the increase and cereals re-

suming their upward trend, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported on Thursday.

The FAO’s “Food Price Index” averaged 120.9 points in April, 1.7 per cent higher than March and 30.8 per cent higher than its level in the

Loading sugarcane in Nigeria (Photo courtesy of the FAO) same month last year. April, reversing a short- for coarse grains, then T h e i n d e x , w h i c h lived drop in March to rice and lastly wheat. tracks monthly changes stand 26 per cent above The FAO also offered in the international prices its April 2020 level. its first supply and deof commonly-traded food Maize prices rose 5.7 per mand outlook for wheat commodities, reached its cent to reach a level 66.7 in the season ahead, highest level since May per cent higher than a 2021/22, forecasting pro2014, and in nominal year earlier; this is driven duction at 778.8 million terms is 12 per cent below by smaller-than-antici- tonnes, or 0.5 per cent its all-time peak in Febru- pated planting intentions more than the 2020 estiary 2011. in the United States of mate, buoyed by an anticThe FAO Sugar Price America, as well as con- ipated six per cent yearly Index increased 3.9 per cerns about crop condi- increase in the European cent during the month to tions in Argentina, Brazil Union (EU)’s output. reach levels nearly 60 per and the U.S. Wheat utilisation is cent higher than in April International wheat predicted to increase by 2020, with concerns over prices were generally 0.9 per cent to 770 milslow harvest progress in steady, while quotations lion tonnes in the new Brazil and frost damage for rice, barley and sor- season while the prelimin France heightening ghum softened. inary forecast foresees concerns over tighter Global cereal produc- world wheat stocks growglobal supplies. tion in 2020 is forecast at ing 3.0 per cent to reach The FAO Vegetable 2,767 million tonnes, a a record level of 293 milOil Price Index rose 1.8 2.1 per cent increase from lion tonnes by the close per cent in April, as in- the previous year. of seasons in 2022, led ternational palm oil quoWorld cereal util- by inventory expansion in tations rose on concerns isation for 2020/21 is China, even as stocks in that production growth in pegged at 2,783 million the rest of Asia and Afrimajor exporting countries tonnes, an increase of 2.7 ca could reach their lowwould be slower than ex- per cent, led by coarse est levels since 2012/13. pected. Soy and rapeseed grains, with the growth Global wheat trade in oil values also climbed mostly reflecting great- 2020/21 (July/June) is further, while sunflower er-than-earlier-anticipat- forecast to contract by 1.8 oil prices contracted mod- ed feed uses in China and per cent year-on-year to erately. the U.S. 185 million tonnes, with The FAO Meat Price T h e F A O r e v i s e d expectations of reduced Index rose 1.7 per cent down its forecast for shipments from Australia, from its March value, world cereal stocks by the Canada, the Russian Fedwith bovine, ovine and close of the 2021 seasons eration and the U.S. more pig meat quotations un- to 805 million tonnes than offsetting expanded derpinned by solid de- on likely drawdowns of exports from Argentina mand from East Asia. maize inventories in Chi- and the EU. Poultry meat prices re- na and the U.S., repreEarly prospects for mained steady, reflecting senting a 2.3 per cent de- global coarse grains generally balanced global cline from their opening production in 2021 inmarkets. levels. dicate a likely third conThe FAO Dairy Price The global cereals secutive year of growth, Index increased 1.2 per stock-to-use ratio is ex- led by increased plantcent from March, with pected to stand at 28.3 per ed areas anticipated in quotations for butter, cent, a seven-year low. Brazil, China, Ukraine cheese and skim milk World trade in cereals and the U.S., as well as powder rising due to sol- in 2020/21 is forecast to recovering yields in the id import demand from reach 467 million tonnes, EU. Sizeable production Asia. a year-on-year expan- increases are also foreThe FAO Cereal Price sion of 5.9 per cent, with cast in South Africa and Index rose 1.2 per cent in growth foreseen as fastest neighbouring countries.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

517 grams of cannabis found in lorry –– male suspect in custody

POLICE at an Itaballi checkpoint, inspecting a motor lorry on its way to a place known as “Pappy Show Landing,” on Thursday morning, found a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems, suspected to be cannabis sativa. The items were wrapped in transparent plastic and concealed in a navy-blue jacket, in the lorry’s tray. According to police reports, there were five other persons in the tray of the lorry, all of whom were arrested and taken into custody at the Bartica Police Station. The suspect, a 34-year-old man, who was among of the five persons arrested, eventually admitted ownership of the suspected narcotics. The narcotics were weighed, and amounted to 517 grams. The suspect is now in custody, pending charges.

The suspected cannabis found by ranks of the Guyana Police Force

Decomposed body found in Buxton trench THE partially decomposed body of 46-year-old Shelton Henry, of Lot 202 Area ‘G’ Strathspey, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was, on Thursday, found floating in a trench on the eastern half of Company Road, Buxton, ECD. The discovery was made around 09:00 hours by villagers in the area, according to

a statement from the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The body was subsequently identified by Henry’s uncle, Gavin McPherson. Investigations revealed that Henry, who was unemployed, was last seen by a relative of his around 15:00 hours on May 4, 2021, lying on Company Road, Buxton, ECD, allegedly in a drunken state.

Officers of GPF examined Henry’s body, but no marks of violence were seen on the exposed areas. Henry was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was pronounced dead, then to the Lyken Funeral Home, where a Post-Mortem Examination will be conducted.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

Over 2,000 'pink-slip' applicants in Reg. 2 receive COVID-19 cash grant

SOME 2,000 of the 2, 264 households in Region Two have already received the Government of Guyana COVID-19 $25,000 cash grant in Phase Two of the project. The grant was made available to those persons who were part of multi-family households, and had registered during the last distribution exercise. Many Essequibians had filled up the “pink slip” after they were unable to access the grant. On that query form, they had to indicate that they were part of a family living with another family, or families under the same roof. This was disclosed by the region’s Coordinator, Iqbaul Khan, who said that distributors are working assiduously to ensure that the process is smooth and transparent. Thus far, over 230 persons from the Good Hope/ Pomona Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC); 247 from Annandale/Riverstown NDC; 172 from Abderdeen- Zorg-en-Vlught; 733 from Three Friends to Walton; 210 from Charity/ Ursara; 210 from Evergreen/ Paradise NDC; 93 from the Upper Pomeroon; 110 from Lower Pomeroon; and 75

and that she will be using the money to send her children to extra lessons. At Mainstay, another beneficiary, Marry Williams said she was excited to get her COVID-19 cash grant. She related that she had been checking the media to find out when the dates would be published. Williams lost her job due to the pandemic, and

Persons in Region 2 waiting to collect their COVID-19 cash grant from Mainstay/Lima Sands. One such person is KuKhan said staffers who marie Persaud, of Three worked during the first phase Friends Village, who is livare back on task for the sec- ing with her parents. Perond phase, and noted that so saud, who uplifted her monfar, there has been no major ey at the Anna Regina Town hiccup, and many persons Council, said the staffers are thankful. there were very courteous,

she is thankful for the grant, which will help purchase groceries for her family. At Charity, Lewis James was overjoyed after receiving his $25,000. James is living with his parents, but cooks separately. He has four children, and all the monies he uplifted will be expended on them. Regional Execu-

tive Officer, Devanand Ramdatt had said that the region received $50,600,000 from the Bank of Guyana for the recommencement of the second-phase COVID-19 cash grant. Many Essequibians have expressed gratitude to the Government of Guyana for this timely initiative.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

Region One gets new centre for health training

REGION One (Barima-Waini) will for the first time have a facility to train persons interested in becoming community health workers, as Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips commissioned a new centre for health training at Central Mabaruma, on Tuesday. The building is equipped with two furnished classrooms, including one smart classroom, an administrative office space, air conditioning and a furnished sitting area. The first batch of 58 prospective community health workers will spend the next 14 weeks training at the facility before returning to their respective communities in the region. Prime Minister Phillips encouraged the trainees to take advantage of

the opportunities, so that when they return to their communities they could contribute to improving the level of healthcare in the region. “You have a role to impart knowledge and place your community on a path to good health practices. If you are successful in this, it will mean that there will be less work for the doctors, because everybody will be moving towards practising good health measures, which is a form of preventative medicine and that itself is a success story for a programme like this,” the Prime Minister said. He also encouraged the prospective community health workers to focus on their personal growth and career development. “The next thing you must do after you have

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips cuts the ribbon to officially commission the centre for health training at Mabaruma, Region One, on Tuesday (DPI photo)

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips (centre) in conversation with Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal (right) and Regional Chairman of the RDC of Region One, Brentnol Ashley at the new centre for health training at Mabaruma, Region One (DPI photo)

graduated this course, is to start and build your career in the health profession… many times, when I address young people, I realise that they are full of enthusiasm but when it comes to focus, they are a bit confused. So, I’m taking this opportunity to ask you to stay focused in your approach to career development,” Prime Minister Phillips said. Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, who was also present at the opening of the facility, told the trainees that not only will they be required to serve upon returning to their communities, but also that they will be seen as a part of the leadership of the region. “You will all be required

to go back into your community [sic] and serve, and when you go back into your community and serve, you will not only be seen as just a health worker, and that’s the uniqueness of hinterland communities: once you hold certain positions within the village, you are also seen as leaders of those villages. So, you will have villagers who will depend on you and ask or appoint you to represent them and their issues,” Minister Croal said. Trainee, Rihanna Thomas of Wanaina Village, said that she is pleased that the training opportunity is available in her region, because she will get a chance to be trained in a field she loves. “I got involved in the training because this is

what I love and having a training centre here will ease a lot of expenses for me, because if I were to be further [sic] away from home and my family, I would have to spend more money,” Thomas said. Another trainee, Timaul Ruffino of Morawhanna Village, said that after leaving school, he had several jobs, but his passion was always healthcare. “When I left high school, I was in a number of jobs and I kept leaving them because I never found it interesting. I was doing it because of the money and it is a great pleasure for this programme to be introduced into the region, because it is a great development for our health sector,” the trainee said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

Guyanese appointed vice-president of global software company OVERSEAS-based Guyanese Chris Latesh Singh has been appointed Senior Vice-President of Customer Success at Blackbaud, and will now oversee global customer success functions, including management and support, services, operations and technology. Blackbaud, the world’s largest cloud software company powering social good, announced Singh’s new office last Monday, and in an invited comment, Singh told the Guyana Chronicle that he could not be happier with his new job, as it will allow him to serve more people. A former resident of Ocean View, Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, Singh migrated to Canada more than 30 years ago.

At his previous job, he was one of the persons who ran a $30+ Billion a year business as the Senior Vice-President and Global Head for Customer Success Management at a company called SAP, which has over 94,000 full-time employees globally, and is the world leader in Enterprise Application, with over 413,000 customers worldwide, and a market cap of over $126B. Consulting, business development, head of innovation and engineering, software and development, cloud computing and services are some of the key positions that Singh has held. Explaining why he’s now decided to get on board with Blackbaud, he said: “When this opportunity at

Singh (first left) back in the day with friends

Blackbaud presented itself, I initially had no intention of leaving SAP and disrupting a 19-year-career. However, when I learnt of Blackbaud’s work in the social-good space, and the impact they had on humanity, it completely resonated with me.” He added: “It was staggering to know their software generated over $100B per year in social-good causes. This means people all over the globe benefited in a meaningful way from their existence.” Singh has taken a Sustainable Business Strategy course at Harvard University, and he said everything he learnt there was put into real-life practice by the team at Blackbaud. “The decision to join was a great way of me fulfilling my purpose on this earth,” he expressed. A Blackbaud statement published on Yahoo Finance said Singh is a proven business leader with over 17 years of experience leading customer-delight-focused teams. “His strong track record and passion for social good will be an asset in helping our customers achieve their business outcomes to help good take over.” According to the statement, Singh has deep expertise in enterprise customer success, business transformation and cloud commercial business models, public and private clouds, experience management and sustainable business practices. He has demonstrated success

in achieving significant gains in customer satisfaction, references, renewals and incremental cloud subscription revenues. Singh has held key

Chris cannot wait for post-COVID-19 to get back to some of the things he loves doing

leadership roles in product and software development, innovation, engineering and customer success. He serves on several boards as an advisor. He is a social media influencer and thought leader on customer success, innovation and value-based technology trends. He has been a keynote speaker at various global events such as The Customer Conference, TSIA, SAPPHIRE NOW and the ASUG Annual Conference. Singh is deeply passionate about people and making communities stronger, and he supports many social good causes. Meanwhile, having lived in the USA for a while and relocated to Canada, Singh said he cannot wait for postCOVID to be able to connect with his family and friends here in Guyana. He also

Chris Latesh Singh loves playing hockey and cricket. “The pandemic has disrupted so many things in our lives and I pine for the days of being on a cricket ground in the sweltering heat or stick handling on the ice whilst playing hockey; however, this cannot be the case. I’m so glad that I can still get lost in books. This pandemic has allowed me to re-read some classics like Grapes of See page 16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

‘Lorha and sill’, ‘belna and chowki’ –– tools of the flavour

By Rehana Ahamad WHEN our East Indian foreparents came to Guyana in May 1838, they brought with them much more than colourful fashion and captivating music; they brought a vibrant culinary culture, from curries and chutneys to rotis and chokas. The bold taste of India remains ever-present in the day-to-day lives of all Guyanese. Furthermore,

these flavours existed long before the advent of technological gadgets such as blenders and food-processors. As a matter of fact, these tastes were perfected by the use of ancient pieces of treasures, such as the infamous and muchsought-after lorha and sill. The Lorha, as many Guyanese would know, is a flat piece of stone, while the sill is a much smaller, handheld stone; the two

further add to the unique taste of traditional dishes. “By grinding your species and seasoning the traditional way instead of using electrical grinders and equipment, you can also save on electricity costs,” Prasad surmised. She further reasoned that manually grinding your ingredients with a sill and lorha allows you to choose the texture of your chutney or spices. The taste of your food is also determined by the texture of the ingredients.”

are used to crush cooking ingredients such as onion, garlic, ginger and thyme leaves, etc. In all the 26 years of my life, I have never seen these priceless grinding stones being sold; they are traditionally passed down from generation to generation of Indo-Guyanese households, more often to the best cooks in the family. As my great-grandmother used to say, “Certain things, yuh

A resident of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, shows off her skill at using a piece of the ‘lorha and sill’ she inherited from her family does gaffuh earn.” In some families, the stones are carefully broken, so that it can be shared. Unfortunately, neither of my parents have managed to earn a smidgen of the lorha and sill, so that bit of tangible heritage remains missing from my family’s kitchen. But we don’t seem to be missing out much, because most families who possess these prized tools hardly ever use them. The lorha and sill, once used in the daily preparation of fresh ingredients and spices, are often kept in a corner, much like the decorative wine and champagne glasses that are to remain in the cabinet, unused. In some families, the lorha and sill are only used for the occasional indulgence of coconut choka, because even the leading kitchen gadgets are unable to grind the magic into this

beloved dish. The blogger, Sarika Prasad, in her research, found that in Marathi, the lorha and sill is “called the pata-varvanta, ammi in Tamil and sila puaa.” She further explained that the Nepali name of the device is silauto-lohoro, which has been shortened to what we now know it as today. In South America and the Andean culture, these stone tools are called the batan (Sil) and una (Lorha). It is also a traditional grinding tool in countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia. It has been found also that the use of tools such as the lorha and sill helps to retain the nutritional values of the spices and ingredients. It is believed that the use of the lorha and sill in food preparation produces natural, rustic flavours that

BAYLAYING THE ROTI Meanwhile, with roti being a major component of the Guyanese cuisine, the belna and chowki remain key utensils of any local kitchen. To put it simply, the belna is basically a rolling pin, while the chowki is what many know to be a pasta board. These utensils are traditionally made of wood, and used in the rolling of dough, more often for rotis and bakes, and, unlike the lorha and sill, the belna and chowki are widely available at any Guyanese marketplace. There is also the tawa, which is the flat instrument that is placed on the stove for the bread to be baked on. Another key utensil in an Indian kitchen is the ‘dhal ghutni’, which is often used to ‘mash’ or soften the chickpeas when making ‘dhal’. These instruments continue to be used to tantalise the tastebuds and satisfy our cravings for Indo-Guyanese foods.

Guyanese appointed vice-president ... From page 15

Wrath and even my old Hardy Boys collection,” he remarked. He is happy about the attitude of some youths in Guyana at the moment who are showing greater interest in career, education and experience versus a casual outreach on social matters. “This is a very good sign. I’m always eager to help anyone seeking to find their purpose so it is truly heart-warming to see this. When I had announced that I was

leaving SAP, the CEO of Canada-Guyana Chamber of Commerce, Natalia Seepersaud contacted me trying to help see if I needed a job. It was a great feeling because she also probed my fit for companies or opportunities in Guyana. All of these examples signal that people are connecting outside of merely transactional ways and are now trying to grow themselves, help others and expand Guyana professionally,” Singh said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

Signature Comedy to soon put out new ‘Something like Life’ production LYNDON ‘Jumbie’ Jones and his team at Signature Comedy will stop at nothing to get their new sitcom out – a brand new production called ‘Something like Life’ that they are determined to release soon irrespective of all of the challenges involved. The Coronavirus pandemic has put a damper on the operations of Jones and his team and fans are no longer able to look forward to their signature events like ‘Nothing to Laugh About’ and ‘Uncensored’ at the National Cultural Center, among other top quality, hilarious productions. But the team has been trying its best to keep their fans entertained through other means like posting videos of previous shows

camera crew and because it’s hard to monitor the activities of people, we are working with a small group who has committed to taking precautions.” The team has already written quite a few episodes and filmed one to show potential sponsors. Apart from this, the team has been uploading videos on their various social media platforms, which have been receiving very positive feedback. It proves to them that their work is missed and quite valued in the entertainment field.

The new show will feature some of the most talented local actors The one-bedroom in the house is separated by a sheet so that most of the time, everyone has to share the same space. “Motherin-law, daughter, friend, friend’s boyfriend in the yard and a very fast neighbour who is also a loyal neighbour at the same time,” Jones continued. The neighbour is over too often but he doesn’t realise it. He also inadvertently ‘shows up’ Jumbie, the head of the family, by showing a lot of love and kindness to ‘Something like Life’ will feature day- Jumbie’s wife and other family members. to-day situations that a regular family However, he and Jumbie are very good friends. encounters The show will also feature a great mix in and filming and releasing new skits on social terms of ethnicity. “We are doing this show media. “We’re always trying new things. Life is so uncertain these days so everything doesn’t always unfold the way you planned,” Jones expressed in an interview with Buzz this week, adding, “But we’ve been hitting the internet really heavy.” While things have been improving workwise for a bit, Jones said the team’s finances are not close to where they should be, but that this will not deter them from putting out their latest production. The new sitcom features real-life situations that are at times exaggerated and made funny. “It’s about a family that lives in a very small home who is bombarded by The team has already written quite a other family members who come to stay,” few episodes and filmed one to show Jones informed. potential sponsors no what, even if it’s with minimum sponsorship. We’ve already spoken to the actors and

Lyndon ‘Jumbie’ Jones and Leza ‘Radhika’ Singh entertaining fans some time back

Mark ‘Chiney Man’ Kazim and Lyndon ‘Jumbie’ Jones in a scene

In some developed countries, uploading videos in this manner can earn the producers some money. So Jones and team are trying to figure out how the system would work here in Guyana so that they too may be able to cash in on something. Although many businesses have reduced the amount of sponsorship that they give for television and radio programmes, Jones had said that he is grateful to those businesses who continue to support them.

Burchmore Simon: Leading the music industry for more than 30 years

Music teacher and producer Burchmore Simon

BURCHMORE Simon, a local music teacher and producer with more than 30 years in the industry, recalls that his love for music dates back to when he started playing the piano at just six years old. Having achieved many impressive accolades in the field, Simon can reflect on his life and say that he’s proud of how far he’s come and would only wish that the youngsters of today would ‘take the baton and run with it.’ His vast experience and expertise in the field include teaching music for many years, touring with bands; arranging, producing, writing, and publishing music, and running his Kross Kolor Records Company on Duncan

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021 Street, Georgetown. “I always had a passion for music since very early in my life; I then realised that music has so many arms. There are no less than 50 areas in which you can branch-off and do things and I realised that it’s possible to live off of music but not in the traditional way,” Simon expressed in an interview with Buzz this week. While most people may feel that to be a musician they must perform on stage, Simon reflected on the fact that he can make a comfortable living being in music when it comes to managing artistes and so forth. Simon has enjoyed the limelight for 12 years when he was the leader of the EC Connection Band which was one of the top bands emerging in Guyana. But being at the forefront of everything is not exactly Simon’s cup of tea.

Simon prefers to operate mainly out of the limelight but his accomplishments are too many to miss

Simon (second, left) with some of the artistes he has worked with “I like to achieve stuff and just move on to the next thing. There are still so many more things to achieve,” he said. He’s been able to accomplish a lot of impressive work even behind the scenes. It was him who had put Jumo and Adrian together and who produced many of their songs that made waves locally, including Tik Tok, Crazy and Push it Back. As for competitions in Guyana, Simon has won 57 first places from when Kross Kolor started in 2002 to now. Of those, 53 of them have been through the Soca and Calypso Road March Competitions. “One of my most notable accomplishments was when I wrote the song ‘Mamma I don’t want to be born’ and it was used at the University of Guyana as part of their final examinations. I think that was a fantastic honour,” he reflected. Burchmore said if he had a choice, he would choose music all over again, al-

though there are some things that he would make a few changes to. “I have great hopes for music in Guyana. I think a lot of the young people should realise that we, the people who have gone before them, want them to thrive and excel. They seem to miss the bus by thinking that we are somehow envious of what they’re doing. I am not because before me, there were a plethora of people who set the foundation for music in Guyana for me to start at a higher level,” Simon said. According to him, he, along with other producers like Bonny Alves, Brutal Tracks, and Vision Sounds are aiming to lay the foundation at a higher level for the youngsters to jump on. “I am fulfilling my duty as a musician but we have to pass the baton on to the younger folks. They have to take it and run with it but they seem not to get the whole concept of continuity; they read it the wrong way.”

Simon has won dozens of first-place awards since he started Kross Kolor Records in 2002

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

Sardar Ka Grandson for May 18 Netflix release

“SARDAR Ka Grandson isn’t just about bringing back a house; it’s about bringing back a home,” Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor told his Instagram fans lately with regards to his new movie release that is slated for May 18. The more than two hour long Netflix film follows how a devoted grandson’s mission to reunite his ailing grand-

make him the owner of her business. But when he doesn’t get permission to take Sardar to Lahore, he decides to move the ancestral home to Amritsar. According to the Indian Express, Neena Gupta is excited to know the audience’s reaction to her character as a grandmother. “This is a heartwarming story filled with lots of emotions and laughter. It’s the perfect

Arjun Kapoor with the female faces of Sardar Ka Grandson mother with her ancestral home turns into a complicated, comic cross-border affair. Apart from Kapoor, the family entertainer film stars National Award winner Neena Gupta, Rakul Preet Singh, John Abraham and Aditi Rao Hydari. It was directed by Kaashvie Nair and scripted by Anuja Chauhan. In the film, Arjun, who returned from the United States, will go to any lengths to fulfill his grandmother’s last wish. In the trailer, Neena Gupta is introduced as Sardar who wants her grandson, played by Kapoor, to take her to her ancestral home in Lahore and if he does so, she will

family watch as you embark on a journey with my grandson as he fights all odds to fulfill my last wish. This is the first time I am playing a character like this one and I am excited to see how the audience reacts to it,” Neena is quoted as saying. For Arjun, signing on Sardar Ka Grandson was the perfect opportunity to work with a talented, experienced cast. “Working alongside such a talented ensemble cast was an enriching experience for me. We are hoping that the story will resonate with people across the globe with the raw & real emotions that it shows through a loving grandmother-son relationship,” he said in

a statement, according to Indian Express. The publication said Sardar Ka Grandson was shot last year amid the pandemic. The film was originally scheduled to hit the

theaters but producer Bhushan Kumar decided for a digital release since he believed, “the film should reach the audience for whom it is made. The medium doesn’t matter.”

Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 7, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2021

Concern over starlet Hetmyer ... FROM BACKPAGE

However, Harper said CWI were committed to partnering with the Guyanese left-hander to ensure he was able to get the best out of his potential in coming years. “Naturally when you have that sort of potential available, we want to see it reach the sort of level that it is capable of reaching,” Harper told an online media conference on Thursday. “So yes, we are concerned. Yes, we will continue to work with Shimron and yes, we will try to get him to give the sort of focus that we think is required for him to maximise his potential.” Hetmyer was fast-tracked into the West Indies senior squad after leading West Indies Under-19s to the capture of the ICC Youth World Cup in Bangladesh in 2016. He subsequently made his debut in all three formats the following year, having the biggest impact in OneDay Internationals where he lashed the first of five career hundreds in only his third game. Hetmyer averages 36 in ODIs but has not played since being dropped after scores of six and eight in two matches against Ireland last year January. He has not played a Test – where he averages just under 28 – since November, 2019 after opting out of last year’s tour of England and the tour

of Bangladesh earlier this yer due to COVID-19 concerns, and has not featured in a T20 International since the tour of New Zealand last November. To compound matters, Hetmyer was ruled out of the white-ball phase of the recent Sri Lanka series after failing to attain the minimum fitness standards set out by CWI. However, Harper said he still backed Hetmyer to become one of the best in the world, but warned it would require improved focus to reach those heights. “I still think that Shimron is the sort of player with the ability to be a world class player in every format going forward but I think that needs a particular kind of focus and that’s what we want to see from Shimron,” Harper stressed. “We just think he needs to be a little more focussed and try to maximise his skills he’s been blessed with as best as he could.” Harper assured though that Hetmyer was not completely lost to the CWI retainer system. “If you lose your CWI contract, then you fall onto the franchise contract so it’s not that you’re completely out of the system and left to your own devices,” he noted. There has been some criticism aimed at CWI for their axing of several players from the contracts list, especially when COVID-19 restricted the number of games which could be played during the eligibility period. However, Harper argued that most players featured in the minimum number of games required for assessment but Hetmyer had been thwarted by his lack of fitness. “In Hetmyer’s case, Hetmyer had the opportunity to play the required number of games but his fitness issues did not allow him to,” Harper said. Hetmyer has continued to ply his trade in the lucrative Indian Premier League where he turned out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019 and Delhi Capitals since.

GUYANA CHRONICLE FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2021

IPL failed by ignoring stark warning signs of India’s COVID-19 crisis By Anand Vasu in Bangalore IT’S better to leave people asking why you have stopped something rather than what took you so long. This is the rule of thumb applied to people retiring from public life, sports people mainly, but occasionally politicians, singers, actors and others similarly in the limelight. Timing is everything. And the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was suspended for the season on Tuesday, comprehensively failed on this count. When it began, the clock was ticking, the warning signs were written large, and yet they were ignored. To put together a tournament of this scale – eight teams with bulging squads of players, coaches, support staff – and have it run without a hitch is difficult in the best of times. These are the worst of times in India, with death and destruction all around. To pull off a tournament of this scale without serious collateral damage was impossible. This is something that should have been acknowledged even by the most powerful and ambitious people running cricket. And yet it was not. There are obvious reasons for this. The powers that be in India wanted to show that anything could be overcome. The money involved meant that, literally, everyone involved directly or indirectly had to say all was well to justify undertaking an exercise that was this year estimated to generate £318M for Indian cricket. But, if the 2021 IPL had to be staged, was there a better way to do it? The starting point would have been to hold the tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as had been done in the previous year. Protocols in the region are far more stringently enforced than in India, and the rate of infections and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic was far more encouraging there. If the tournament had to be held in India, and there was no compelling reason to do so, given that matches would be played in empty stadiums anyway, what was the best way to do this? As early as March, those overseeing the logistics suggested the tournament be played in

Mumbai and Pune only. Mumbai has two grounds that host international cricket, the Wankhede Stadium and the Brabourne Stadium, and the DY Patil Stadium which has hosted IPL matches. Additionally, there are numerous grounds that can

see the International Cricket Council (ICC) courting a repeat of what happened at the IPL: cancellation or suspension if you will, in the middle of the event. The IPL is the BCCI’s baby so it can do as it pleases, even if the outcomes are

The Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended on Tuesday.

be used as practice and training facilities. The ground in Pune, actually in the suburb of Gahunje, is perhaps one hour by road from the DY Patil Stadium. The same caravan system of two venues could have been accommodated in a much tighter bubble, with no need for flights. But those suggestions were ignored. The opaque BCCI has not said why this happened, but it is possible to venture a guess. The ground allotted the most matches in IPL 2021, including the play-offs and the final, was the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This is the home ground of BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, in the home city of the current prime minister, after whom the stadium was recently renamed. How would you justify giving the most matches, and the most important ones, to this stadium, if you played the rest of the tournament elsewhere? That said, it seems this roll of the die has not paid off for the BCCI. The next Twenty20 World Cup is set to be played in India in October and November this year. Successfully staging the IPL at home was meant to be a way of proving all was well or as well as can be in these times. All is not well. While it is unlikely there will be any news forthcoming on the Twenty20 World Cup immediately, it is difficult now to

far from ideal, but a world event such as the Twenty20 World Cup does not belong to one country alone. You can be sure Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will be weighing in strongly, especially as the BCCI has now given them a stick to wield. For the moment, the end of the 2021 IPL means India’s cricket-loving population will have to find something else to occupy themselves each evening. Only last week, Hemang Amin, the IPL chief executive, was telling teams they were playing for “humanity” and that the bio-bubble they were in was the safest possible. The problem with bubbles, though, is that they are not made to last. The higher they go, the more likely they are to burst. All that is left now is to see how the foreign players who came to the IPL – eyes wide open, heads full of dreams and millions – deal with the fallout and get back home safely. The IPL says it will do all in its power to ensure repatriation – but, at the end of the day, even the IPL is not as powerful as it thinks it is. Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting. (PA Media: Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2021

Australian players, coaches and commentators fly to Maldives

AUSTRALIAN players, coaches and commentators have left the Indian Premier League (IPL) and

flown to the Maldives after the Twenty20 tournament was suspended. Australia has closed its

borders to travellers from India until May 15 after a surge in COVID-19 cases. The group will stay in the

Maldives until the travel ban is lifted. Chennai Super Kings batting coach Mike Hussey has remained in India after

Chennai Super Kings batting coach Mike Hussey

testing positive for the virus. A Cricket Australia (CA) statement said the former batsman is experiencing “mild symptoms” and will undergo 10-day quarantine. The Australians involved at the IPL will have to quarantine for 14 days when they return home. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

unanimously decided to postpone the tournament after a meeting on Tuesday. Two Kolkata Knight Riders players and one from Sunrisers Hyderabad tested positive on Tuesday. Former Test batsman Hussey is the only Australian to have tested positive for the virus so far. “His symptoms are relatively mild,” said Australian Cricketers’ Association boss Todd Greenberg. “He has good support systems around him and he is in pretty good spirits.” The Australian government has said it will fine or jail any individual returning home from India while the travel ban is in place. Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s interim chief executive, reiterated that they were not seeking “any kind of special exemptions” from the government, with Australia restricting the number of international arrivals allowed in each week. “Any kind of quarantine arrangements would be over

and above the cap,” Hockley said. “Our main priority is we would work with the Australian government and the relevant state governments to make sure that we’re not taking spaces of anyone else that’s available.” Australian trio Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson and Andrew Tye flew home in late April to avoid the ban. Pace bowler Pat Cummins said the travel ban had added “a bit of anxiety” for the players. “We knew we’d signed up for 14 days quarantine, but when the hard border shut no-one has ever experienced that before,” Cummins told Fox Sports. “(It has) added a bit of anxiety for the Aussies over here but we signed up to play the tournament until the start of June so hopefully it all reopens on May 15.” There were more than 355 000 new cases of COVID-19 in India on Tuesday. (BBC Sport)

Ganguly claims there was no bio-bubble breach THE BCCI is looking to conduct the remaining matches of the 14th IPL edition during the month of September this year. So, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had no option but to postpone the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Varun Chakravarthy, Sandeep Warrier (both from Kolkata Knight Riders), Amit Mishra (Delhi Capitals), and Wridhimann Saha (Sunrisers Hyderabad) were affected with COVID-19, and the BCCI decided that it was the last straw and suspended the IPL. And now, the president of BCCI, Sourav Ganguly, has opened up on the suspension

of the 2021 edition of the IPL. Ganguly stated that the BCCI had got a report which stated that there was no breach of the bio-bubble. The BCCI president even added that it was very difficult to determine how COVID-19 entered the bio-bubble and concluded by stating that it is also difficult to determine how many people in the country have been infected with the coronavirus. “The report we got is that there’s no breach of the bubble. How it happened is very difficult to say. How so many people are getting (infected) in the country is also very diffi-

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday May 07, 2021) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Charles Bannerman-165 (AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1876-77) (2) Clifford Roach-122 (WI vs ENG, Barbados, 1930) Today’s Quiz: (1) Which bowler has the distinction of claiming the first five-wicket haul in Tests? (2) Which WI was the first to snatch a five-wicket haul in Test cricket? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

cult to say,” said Ganguly in a chat with The Indian Express. And now, BCCI is looking to conduct the remaining matches of the 14th IPL edition during the month of September this year. At the time of suspension, the Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals (DC) side is occupying the top place in the IPL points table. The Delhi side have won 6 out of the 8 matches that they have played in IPL 2021. The 2nd and 3rd places in the points table are occupied by the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) side. Both CSK and RCB have won 5 out of the 7 matches that they have played in the tournament at the time of suspension. Shikhar Dhawan is the current holder of the Orange Cap, while Harshal Patel is the owner of the Purple Cap at the time of suspension. Only 29 out of the 60 matches in IPL 2021 have been completed thus far. (CricTracker)

GUYANA CHRONICLE FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2021

Laureus World Sports Awards:

Gonsalves fulfils sponsorship cricketers over the years. As promise to ACCC we all are aware cricket is a

AFTER making a promise always a pleasure for me to very expensive game and I more than two weeks ago, assist and I will continue to do must thank Mr Gonsalves for former Guyana batsman so. It is very likely that I will this sponsorship. “It is a clear testimony of his continued Andrew Gonsalves has ful- do this annually.” filled same. On Wednesday, While thanking Gonsalves commitment towards AlbiGonsalves, who was known for his tremendous contribu- on’s cricket, which he had also demonstratfor his explosive ed during crickbatting, presenteting days,” ed a cheque for Walter pointed $100 000 to the out. Albion CommuWednesnity Centre Crickday’s presentaet Club (ACCC), tion/sponsorship the entity where was witnessed it all started for by Dularie the no-nonsense Lachminarright-hander. Gonsalves was Henna Rupnarine, niece of Andrew Gonsalves, ine and Henna Rupnarine – the not there to hand hands over the sponsorship cheque to ACCC sister and niece president Vemen Walter, in the presence over the sponsorof other members of the club. (News Room respectively ship cheque, but picture) of Gonsalves his niece Henna along with curRupnarine did the honours at a simple cere- tion, ACCC president Walter rent top Albion cricketers mony in the Main Hall of reassured all that the sponsor- Devendra Bishoo, Veerasamthe ACCC, whose president ship, which is mainly for the my Permaul and Gudakesh Vemen Walter accepted on club’s Under-21 team, will Motie. The donation marked behalf of his club. also greatly assist the overall Speaking via Zoom, Gon- development for Berbice and one of many which ACCC salves who is the owner/ West Indies cricket. “As we has received recently inmanager of the Cell Towers all know, Albion is a major cluding another from GonBuilders Inc, USA, pointed player in Berbice, Guyana and salves, who has been a conout that “I am delighted to West Indies cricket, having sistent contributor to the give back to my club. It is known to produce top quality ACCC.

Osaka, Nadal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Egypt Lewis Hamilton win striker Mohamed Salah won JAPAN’s Naomi Osaka has been named Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards, with fellow tennis player Rafael Nadal the men’s winner. Osaka won the US Open in 2020, while Spaniard Nadal equalled Roger Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam men’s titles by winning last year’s French Open. German football champions Bayern Munich, who won last season’s Champions League, were named Team of the Year. Tennis legend Billie Jean King received the Lifetime Achievement award. Laureus cited the “powerful statement” made by Osaka at the US Open, where in each round she came on to court wearing a face mask bearing the name of a different African-American victim of alleged police or racist violence. “Regarding my activism on the court, I think it is important to use my voice, because for me I feel like I often hold back a lot and worry about what people think of me, but you know if you have a platform it is

Naomi Osaka

very important you use it,” said Osaka, who won the Breakthrough of the Year award in 2019. “My main hopes for the future would be just to have helped or impacted as many people as I could and, hopefully be a better person.” Briton Lewis Hamilton claimed the inaugural Athlete Advocate award, which has been brought in to acknowledge the wider impact on society made by athletes. During the 2020 Formula 1 season, Hamilton took a knee on the grid and wore anti-racism slogans as he won a record-equalling seventh drivers’ title, while his Mercedes team also adopted a black livery for the campaign in a stand against discrimination.

the Sporting Inspiration award for “his unique contribution over many years to those in need and for those less fortunate”. Nadal’s win was his fourth Laureus award, having previously won the Breakthrough, Comeback and main men’s awards. Laureus award winners: World Sportswoman of the Year Award: Naomi Osaka World Sportsman of the Year Award: Rafael Nadal World Team of the Year Award: Bayern Munich World Breakthrough of the Year Award: Patrick Mahomes World Comeback of the Year Award: Max Parrot Sport for Good Award: Kickformore by Kickfair Lifetime Achievement Award: Billie Jean King Athlete Advocate of the Year Award: Lewis Hamilton Sporting Inspiration Award: Mohamed Salah Sporting Moment of the Year Award: Chris Nikic(BBC Sport).

GUYANA CHRONICLE FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2021

County Championship round-up:

Bowlers dominate on rain-affected day BOWLERS felt the benefit of damp and rainy conditions as wickets tumbled on the opening day of the fifth round of the County Championship. Hampshire (79), Essex (99), Sussex (106) and Middlesex (210) were all bowled out before close of play as batsmen were made to look rather foolish with dark clouds overhead. There was also a first wicket of the summer for England and Lancashire paceman James Anderson, who removed Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne in one of the day’s many rain-affected fixtures.

In the group’s other game few would have argued with Worcestershire captain Joe Leach’s decision to put leaders Warwickshire into bat after winning the toss at Edgbaston. His plan looked to have backfired as the hosts built their innings around promising opener Rob Yates’ 104 - his second century of the summer. But the 21-year-old then tickled behind a Brett D’Oliveira delivery after tea and two more late dismissals left the game evenly poised on 271-7 at stumps.

Group Two Sam Evans and Marcus Harris’ 195-run partnership was the highest of the day There were also plenty of wickets to fall in Group Two as Somerset bowled out Hampshire for just 79 in Southampton. Lewis Gregory (4-26) led the charge as the hosts collapsed in their first innings for the second game running. In response, Somerset lost both openers early to slip to 11-2, but captain Tom Abell dug in. He finished unbeaten on 52, guiding his side to 142-5, a lead of 63. Meanwhile, leaders Gloucestershire hardly put a foot wrong against struggling Middlesex, skittling the Londoners for 210. Spare a thought though for Middlesex’s Robbie Sam Evans and Marcus Harris’ 195-run partnership White. Still yet to better his top score of 99, White was the highest of the day. dragged his side past the 200 mark and was eventually left stranded on 76 not out. Group One In reply, Gloucestershire closed on 19-1, with Chris Dent Last time out Nottinghamshire emphatically beat Der- run-out after a horrendous mix-up with Kraigg Brathwaite. byshire to record their first County Championship win since Winless Leicestershire are currently bottom of Group June 2018. Two, but they took control of their match with Surrey, closing And it looks like Notts may have found a winning on 306-6. formula as they dominated Essex thanks to career-best Sam Evans scored his third County Championship centubowling figures from Luke Fletcher. ry in as many matches for the Foxes and put on 195 for the Fletcher took 6-24 as Essex were bowled out for just 99 second wicket with Australian Test batsman Marcus Harris, following a lower-order collapse after lunch. who also reached a first Championship ton. In reply, Nottinghamshire reached stumps at 188-4, a lead The fixture is far from over though, as Surrey fought back of 89 runs with Steven Mullaney top-scoring with 63 not out. with five wickets after tea.

South Africa to tour West Indies in June SOUTH Africa will tour the West Indies next month at the start of an intensive build-up to the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled for India in October, the national federation announced on Thursday. Cricket South Africa director of cricket Graeme Smith said South Africa would play two Test matches and five Twenty20 internationals in the Caribbean during a tour which will start in early June at venues which had still to be finalised. The South African whiteball players will then travel directly to Ireland for a previously-announced tour in July. After a short break further white-ball tours are planned to Sri Lanka and India, leading in to the World Cup.

Cricket South Africa director of cricket Graeme Smith

Smith acknowledged that the tour of India in September could clash with a possible resump-

tion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which was paused in mid-tournament on Tuesday after outbreaks of Covid-19 in three of the franchise camps. “With what’s happening in India with Covid and the IPL, we need to give the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) time to gather their thoughts,” he said. “The challenges India are facing as a country are immense.” Smith said he wanted South Africa to field their best possible team at the World Cup. That could include AB de Villiers, if he comes out of international retirement, and free agents such as Imran Tahir and Chris Morris, who are no longer contracted to be

available for South Africa. “We have seen the success the West Indies has had in bringing back free agents,” said Smith. “But there are many factors involved, including team dynamics. Our focus has always been on trying to get our best squad together for an extensive time.” Smith praised the Indian board for their handling of the Covid outbreak. “The duty of care they have shown in getting everyone home has been exemplary,” he said adding that all of the South African players and coaching staff involved in the IPL would be back in South Africa by Friday. (SuperSport Cricket News)

For the second consecutive game Hampshire failed to reach three figures in their first innings.

England hopeful Amar Virdi removed both centurions, taking his 100th first-class scalp in the process. Group Three And the ball was also dominant in Group Three as 15 wickets fell in Northamptonshire’s match with Sussex. Northants look set for a substantial first-innings lead as Gareth Berg (5-18) and Ben Sanderson (5-28) ripped Sussex apart, reducing the visitors to 25-7. Ollie Robinson (49 not out) led a recovery to 106 all out, before taking four wickets with the ball as the hosts reached 214-5 at stumps. Elsewhere, England batsman Zak Crawley made 90 for Kent before Yorkshire’s bowlers countered at Emerald Headingley. Crawley was on for a sixth first-class century when he mis-timed Steven Patterson to Joe Root at cover. Kent were well set at 206-4, but Jack Leaning (47), Ollie Robinson (38) and Darren Stevens all fell quickly to leave them on 224-7 at the close. And finally, England paceman Jimmy Anderson won the headline battle as he had Australian star Marnus Labuschagne caught behind for just 12 in their first ever duel. Just 39 overs were bowled as Lancashire took on Glamorgan on a grey and blustery day at Emirates Old Trafford. An aggressive 78 from David Lloyd helped Glamorgan to 117-3 between the showers. (BBC Sport)

RACING TIPS

English Racing Tips Ascot 08:20 hrs Hiroshima 08:55 hrs Get Ahead 09:30 hrs Stowell 10:00 hrs Aldaary 10:30 hrs Jonah Jones 11:05 hrs Whittle Le Woods 11:40 hrs Orgetorix

Irish Racing Tips Cork 11:35 hrs Amalfi Coast 12:10 hrs Roses Blue 12:40 hrs Loch Lein 13:10 hrs Real Appeal 13:40 hrs Tipperary Moon 14:10 hrs Golden Valour 14:40 hrs Mc Pherson

Chester 08:45 hrs Dulas 09:15 hrs Armory 09:45 hrs Hochfeld 10:15 hrs El Astronaute 10:45 hrs Fox Tal 11:20 hrs Grandmaster Flash 11:50 hrs Heart Of Soul

South Africa Racing Tips Fairview 08:10 hrs Time Off 08:50 hrs Meercat 09:25 hr Waldorf Astpria 09:55 hrs Earth Hour 10:25 hrs Falling For You

American racing Tips Market Rasen Belmont 08:00 hrs Harry The Norseman Race 1 Wasp 08:30 hrs Hats Off To Larry Race 2 Risk Profile 09:00 hrs Forgot To Ask Race 3 Breadman 09:35 hrs Ballyhome Race 4 Mamma Kin 10:05 hrs An Tailliur Race 5 Cazilda Fortytales 10:35 hrs Mount Oliver Race 6 Shadow Boat 11:10 hrs Mexican Bou Race 7 My Lips Are Sealed Race 8 She Throws Heat

GUYANA CHRONICLE FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2021

English counties offer to host remainder of IPL 2021 in September … MCC, Surrey, Warwickshire and Lancashire part of group; existing schedules remain a challenge THE MCC, Surrey and Warwickshire, who are based at Lord’s, The Kia Oval (London) and Edgbaston (Birmingham), respectively, have written ECB to offer alternative opportunity to the BCCI. The plans would see the tournament completed in around two weeks in the second half of September. It is further understood that Lancashire’s home of Emirates Old Trafford (in Manchester) could be utilised for the tournament if the offer was accepted, though Lancashire have clarified that, although there were aware of the letter, they were not signatures. The subject is likely to come up at a virtual

Sam Curran and Moeen Ali celebrate a breakthrough. (BCCI/IPL)

ICC meeting of the national chief executives scheduled for today. Apart from simply completing the tournament, the counties point out that it would help top players to high-quality cricket heading into the T20 World Cup and ensure that pitches in the

UAE - where the T20 World Cup could be played if it is moved from India - are fresh ahead of the global tournament. It might also broaden the UK market for the IPL. However, from the ECB’s perspective, a spokesperson said: “We speak to the BCCI regu-

Prasidh Krishna likely to be surprise choice for WTC final WITH the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 14th edition being halted abruptly, all eyes are on India’s next assignment, the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand, to be played at Southampton from June 18. It has been learned that the selectors are likely to pick a jumbo squad comprising no less than four openers, as many middle-order batters, two to three wicketkeepers, eight or nine fast bowlers, and about five spinners. All squad members are expected to leave early to acclimatise with the English conditions. Meanwhile, the understandable reason behind selecting a large squad is BCCI’s plan to conduct a couple of intra-squad matches to compensate for no warm-ups. The squad announcement, which is expected in the next two days, is unlikely to have any surprise inclusions as the Chetan Sharma-led committee is expected to retain all members who were a part of the recent Test series at home versus England. That, however, in no way means that either the selectors or the management will not have to scratch their heads. The crucial question remains around the inclusion of Hardik Pandya, whose back injury has not let him play an all-round role in the

team for a considerable time now. Given Prithvi Shaw’s recent form in the domestic season, he holds a chance, although an abundance of openers (Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Mayan Agarwal, and Shubman Gill) slightly weakens his case. The only surprise pick might come in the form of quick Prasidh Krishna, who shone against England in the limited-overs series. Other pacers include familiar options: Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, while Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur are expected to hold their spot. Both Shami and Umesh missed out on the England series after being injured in Australia, but having regained fitness should mean their inclusion. In addition to the two pacers, India must be pleased with fit-again Ravindra Jadeja, who sat out for a long period after being injured in the same series as Shami and Yadav. Meanwhile, Hanuma Vihari ranks in contention increasingly as he is playing for Warwickshire in the County Championship. The spin twins, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel will secure their spot for the spinners, whereas Washington Sundar is likely to occupy a spot too.

Young pacer Prasidh Krishna

The middle-order will wear the set look with Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane being in alongside Rishabh Pant. Wriddhiman Saha and KS Bharat are expected to be the backup wicketkeepers. Meanwhile, New Zealand have already announced their squad for the final clash: Kane Williamson (c), Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Tom Blundell, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling (wkp.), Tom Latham, Daryll Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Neil Wagner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, Doug Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will Young. (CricTracker)

larly about tours and other matters and we’ll continue doing so, but we have received no indication that they are looking for alternative hosts for the IPL at the moment.” In its meeting on Tuesday - the day the IPL was postponed after an outbreak of COVID-19 cases across four franchises - the BCCI had not discussed the England option and it isn’t clear whether it has been considered since. The counties hope the games could be played in front of full-house crowds - though this is also a possibility if the IPL takes place in the UAE - with two (or possibly even three) games

being played on each day. There would also be no gap between the group stage and knock-out games. There are, however, numerous obstacles to the plan. For one thing, it is hard to predict the course of the pandemic, and there is still some time before any decision is made on the T20 World Cup being held in India. There would also be numerous quarantine issues in bringing players from around the world into the UK, although a number of Indian players being in the UK at the time for their Test series with England could be helpful. The other more challenging obstacle is the existing

schedule. The England-India Test series ends in Manchester on September 14, with England then likely to tour both Bangladesh and Pakistan for white-ball matches within the following month - they are due to play the second T20I in Pakistan on October 14. Most other sides have international commitments around the same time, with potential quarantine time to be factored in - though those final weeks in September remain less busy than most. The counties hope, however, that with some flexibility a window can be found to accommodate the tournament in England. (Cricinfo)

Reggae Girlz to kick off preparation for World Cup qualifiers in June … to play friendlies against USA, Nigeria

JAMAICA’S Reggae Girlz will play two international friendlies against Nigeria and the United States in June as the team begins preparations for the 2023 World Cup qualifiers that are scheduled to begin in November 2021. The Jamaican women will be hoping to qualify for a historic second consecutive World Cup. Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts made the announcement during a virtual press conference this morning. “I am pleased to announce that Jamaica’s Woman National Senior team will play two international friendlies in the United States as part of the US Soccer 2021 Women’s National Team

Summer Series. On June 10, the Reggae Girlz will play Nigeria at 16:30hrs and on June 13, they will play World Champions and hosts, the United States at 21:15hrs,” Ricketts said. Both games will be played at the BVVA Stadium in Houston, Texas. Ricketts said that Portugal will also be involved in the series and like Jamaica will play only two matches while the USA and Nigeria will play three games. The president said it is expected that of the other three teams, the USA and Nigeria will provide stern tests for Reggae Girlz, who have been inactive for more than a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “As we know, the USA

CWI offers increased... FROM BACKPAGE

Hector is one of the bright young fast bowlers who have been bowling with great aggression in the past few training camps. CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said, “I am delighted for all the players who have been awarded central contracts, especially those who are new to the contract list. We saw fit to expand the list of retained players by awarding additional development contracts to three young players whom the selectors strongly recommended for

inclusion.” The West Indies Women are currently in Antigua for their second high-performance camp of the year under newly appointed head coach Courtney Walsh. The evaluation period for the 2021-22 contracts covered performances and statistics from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 (this was also supported by statistics from the previous 2019-2020 evaluation period). This allows for all players to be appraised immediately after the evaluation period and provides a notice period before new

team are the best in the world and Nigeria, currently ranked 38th, are a historic powerhouse and the number-one team in Africa,” he said, adding that they have ensured that the players’ safety will be guaranteed. “Our agreement ensures that the team will play in a highly-controlled environment under very safe COVID-19 protocols.” In preparation for the four-team tournament, Ricketts said they are planning to have the players in a camp from June 4 to 8. In addition, Ricketts said, the JFF intends to have more camps and international matches before the World Cup qualifiers begin in November. (Sportsmax) contracts on the July 1, 2021. West Indies Women’s contracted players 20212022 Season: Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Shawnisha Hector, Chinelle Henry, Qiana Joseph*, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz*, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor. *denotes players offered contracts for the first time in 2021-2022.

Concern over starlet Hetmyer after CWI contract snub Shimron Hetmyer was one of 11 players not retained by CWI for the period beginning July 1

SEE PAGE 22

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Chief selector Roger Harper has admitted to being concerned about the future of Shimron Hetmyer, after the talented stroke-maker this week lost his Cricket West Indies central retainer contract. The 24-year-old Hetmyer was one of 11 players not retained by CWI for the period beginning July 1, following a difficult last 12 months which saw him feature in only a smattering of games for the Caribbean side.

CWI offers increased number of women retainer contracts …Five Guyanese among those in expanded list ST JOHN’S, Antigua - Cricket West Indies (CWI) has expanded the number of West Indies Women’s players who have been offered retainer contracts for the 2021-2022 season to a record number of eighteen. This is an increase of three (3) retainer contracts compared to the 2020-21 season with contracts offered for the first time to developing young players Kaysia Schultz and Qiana Joseph. The three players will join the 15 retained players from the 2020-2021 season, including captain Stafanie Taylor, dynamic all-rounder Deandra Dottin and the leading T20 International (T20I) wicket-taker Anisa Mohammed. Among those offered retainer contracts are Guyanese Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Kaysia Schultz and Sheneta Grimmond. This marks a continuation of CWI’s investment into Women’s and Girls’ cricket, which aims to

Shemaine Campbelle

Campbellville Community Development Organisation’s Secretary Dawn Primo, signs the agreement with GRFU president Ryan Dey, for the use of the Camptown ground for rugby.

strengthen and widen the talent pool available, as well as encourage greater participation into the women’s game. CWI’s Lead Selector for Women’s and Girls’ cricket, Ann Browne-John said “The last contract period did not see many international matches as we only played five (5) T20I matches against England. Despite this, the contracted players were able to keep themselves fit and matchready. It was therefore the fairest decision to return all fifteen (15) to contract.”

Additionally, it is really a positive that three (3) new development contracts have been awarded for the upcoming year. This will allow the requisite focus to be placed on these young players as they continue to progress their careers. There has been a lack of left-arm orthodox bowlers in the region, therefore Joseph and Schultz will hopefully help fill this void; with Joseph also bringing her lefthand batting skills which is also limited in the region. SEE PAGE 27

GRFU signs agreement for use of Camptown ground

THE Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) and the Campbellville Community Development Organisation (CCDO) on Wednesday signed a long-term agreement which allows rugby to access the Camptown ground. Ryan Dey, GRFU president, and secretary of the CCDO Dawn Primo, signed the agreement in the presence of other members of both organisations. This agreement, the GRFU said in a release, will provide an alternate facility to the National Park – the home of Guyana Rugby. Dey, who championed the GRFU’s search for another ground to further the development of rugby, says he is satisfied with the huge step the Union made, while being optimistic that with the support of the Government, rugby will grow exponentially. Already, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr pledged his support to the development of rugby, during a meeting with the GRFU back in January.

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See Story on Page 26 FRIDAY, MAY 07, 2021