Issuu

TUESDAY 24th August, 2021

No. 106463

Guyana receives 34,000 single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, another 5,000 second dose of Sputnik V vaccine

SEE PAGE

Children going back to school must be fully vaccinated

SEE PAGE

― says Minister Anthony; Education Ministry appeals to unvaccinated teachers to get vaccinated

Regus ‘ready offices’ a game changer for tourism sector SEE PAGE

Stuart May, Regus Operations Caribbean Director giving Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond (right) a tour of the facility on Monday (Delano (Delano Williams photo) photo)

Guyana to receive 100,000 doses of Pfizer 2 vaccine today SEE PAGE

Drilling for oil 3 commences at Kawa-1 well in the Corentyne Block SEE PAGE

GTT wants to move to 4.5G LTE ‘as fast as possible’ 9 SEE PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Guyana to receive 100,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine today ― will be administered to children, as Guyana looks to reopen schools By Rehana Ahamad

GUYANA will, today, receive 100,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, which has been earmarked for children 12 – 18 years old. The much-anticipated shipment is expected to arrive at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) during the afternoon hours, and the official handing over will be done by Charge d’ Affaires of the United States Embassy’s Security Office in Georgetown, Mark Cullinane. On behalf of Guyana, the shipment will be officially accepted by Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, and Education Minister, Priya Manickchand. The Pfizer vaccines given to Guyana is part of a donation of 5.5 million doses that the United States government has given to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in an effort to lend support to the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, had promised that once the US-manufactured vaccines arrive, all of it will go towards the inoculation of children from the deadly virus. In May, US President, Joe Biden, announced that he will share 80 million vaccines with the rest of the world. Last month, he disclosed that of the first 25 million tranches of

doses to be sent overseas, seven million of those will go to Latin America and the Caribbean. The White House had stated that the initial 25 million doses will be shipped from existing federal stockpiles of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.

children ages 12 through 15. In late 2020, the FDA allowed emergency use of the vaccine from age 16. This year, the vaccine was given to children in the US from ages 12 to 15. As it is, of the 20,000plus COVID-19 cases in Guyana, almost 1,600 have been children under the

“If they agree then they really don’t have to do anything but if they disagree, then they would fill the form and send it back to the school [which would indicate] that they don’t want their child getting the vaccine, and the ministry will have to respect those wishes,” Dr. Anthony said.

to make sure that when we send the health team to that school, they would have enough vaccines for the children.” ALTERNATIVE For parents, who do not wish to have their children vaccinated, Minister Anthony said the Ministry

the vaccines are safe for the children to take as the relevant clinical trials have been conducted. Making reference to the United States, Dr. Anthony said a large number of children have already been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. He noted that there

It was only on Monday that the Pfizer vaccine received full FDA approval

It was only on Monday that Guyana received its first batch of the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which has been earmarked for persons residing in the Hinterland regions. FULLY APPROVED Nonetheless, the arrival of the Pfizer coincides with its status as the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A research from a 2000-plus sample size in 2020 had shown that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 100 per cent effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus in

age of 14. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is hopeful that improved and increased vaccinations among teachers, and now, children, will pave the way for the safe reopening of schools in September. The Health Minister had recently said that his ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Education in preparation for the roll out of the vaccines. Minister Anthony also noted earlier in the week that the Education Ministry had already commenced the distribution of consent letters to parents seeking to have their children vaccinated.

It is hoped that the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine will pave the way for the safe reopening of schools

He noted that, once the consent forms are returned, the ministry’s health team will then be able to ensure that it has enough vaccines to accommodate the children at the various locations. “So, what we are now trying to do is to see which school, how many children would be at that school to get the vaccine. So, we are working out these things in advance

of Education will have to explore alternatives, so that those children can continue learning. “So, we’ll see what happens, but so far from my discussions with Minister Manickchand, I understand that a lot of schools have sent out these letters. They are coming in back and most of the parents have agreed,” Minister Anthony noted. He emphasised too that

have not been reports of significant issues. The minister is cautioning parents that once the vaccine is administered, children may experience some of the common side effects like fever and some aches, which are often associated with all vaccines. It is hoped that the FDA’s seal of approval would see significant uptake in the Pfizer vaccines.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Drilling for oil commences at Kawa-1 well in the Corentyne Block ― CGX, Frontera mull spudding of second well with Maersk Discoverer drillship DRILLING for oil at the Kawa-1 well, presumably one of the “most exciting” exploration wells in the world, started on August 22, according to operator, CGX Energy Inc. CGX and its joint venture partner, Frontera Energy Corporation, announced on Monday that the Kawa-1 well was spudded by Maersk Drilling Holdings’, Maersk Discoverer, a sixth-generation, semi-submersible which, prior to arriving in Guyana’s waters, was working in Trinidad for another operator. The Kawa-1 well is located in the north-east quadrant of the Corentyne Block, approximately 200km offshore Georgetown. The water-depth is approximately 355 metres (1,174 ft), and the expected total depth of the Kawa-1 well is 6,575 metres (21,700 ft). Co-Chairperson of CGX’s Board of Directors and Chairman of Frontera’s Board of Directors, Gabriel de Alba, was quoted by the company as saying: “Today [August 22] is an important day for CGX and Frontera as we continue to make substantial progress in realising the value of our investments in Guyana. The joint venture has spudded the Kawa-1 well, which we believe is one of the most exciting exploration wells in the world.” It was reported recently that the estimated cost for the Kawa-1 project is close to US$85 million. The well is expected to reach total depth in the first half of December 2021. According to CGX, with multiple opportunities based on internal geological studies, the Kawa-1 well targets light oil, in combination with structural-stratigraphic traps in large Santonian and Campanian slope fan complexes. The primary target is a Santonian sand with ‘up-dip’ and lateral ‘pinch-out’ of the reservoir, as well as counter-regional dip and structural closure. The Kawa-1 well is also expected to penetrate secondary objectives in a shallower

The Maersk Discoverer

Campanian sand and a deeper Santonian sand, with the expectation of targeting additional hydrocarbon potential. CGX said the stacked targets in Kawa-1 are considered similar to the discoveries immediately adjacent to the Corentyne Block, in Block 58 in Suriname. Further, the Kawa-1 well is expected to de-risk multiple other prospects on the block, which also have stacked reservoirs, and similar structural geometries. Considering the potential of the Corentyne Block, CGX and Frontera said that they will be drilling a second well offshore Guyana under conditions and terms similar to that of Kawa-1. “The joint venture has also exercised its option to drill a second well offshore Guyana under similar terms and conditions,” de Alba said. The Maersk Discoverer will be used for this second project, which is yet to be named. “I am pleased with this major operational milestone for CGX and Frontera, and

appreciate the ongoing support of the Guyanese government, our employees, and our other various partners as we work together to maximise benefits for all of our stakeholders,” de Alba was quoted as saying. Back in April, it was reported that Frontera Energy Corporation has injected US$19 million (approximately G$4.1B), in the form of a loan into CGX. Frontera Energy Corporation, which, together with CGX, holds Petroleum Prospecting Licences for the Corentyne and Demerara Blocks, has announced that it has entered into an agreement with CGX for a US$19 million loan, which will enable the company to continue financing its share costs related to the Corentyne, Demerara and Berbice Blocks, the Berbice Deep-Water Port (BDWP), and other budgeted costs, as agreed to by Frontera. It was reported in February that an independent

prospective resource study has affirmed the world-class prospects of the Corentyne and Demerara Blocks. “As confirmed by the independent resource evaluation commission, the Guyana Basin offers the joint venture access to a leading offshore oil opportunity. We expect a robust Guyana work programme with the advancement of our exploration wells, as we continue executing on our plan to realise this value for our shareholders. “The independent prospective resource study reaffirms our excitement about the world-class prospectivity of the Corentyne and Demerara Blocks offshore Guyana,” former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Frontera, Richard Herbert said. The independent prospective resource study and report captured the Corentyne North Area, Corentyne Main Area, and Demerara Block offshore Guyana.

Map showing Guyana’s blocks (Photo courtesy of CNW Group/Frontera Energy Corporation)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Children going back to school should be fully vaccinated – said Minister Anthony; Education Ministry appeals to unvaccinated teachers to get vaccinated

By Jared Liddell WITH the Ministry of Education moving forward with having schools reopen for face-to-face learning, the Ministry of Health has advised that all students, ages 12 to 18, should be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus before returning to the classrooms. Government has already procured 100,000 doses of the US-made Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine which have been set aside for children ages 12 to 18. The Pfizer vaccine, on Monday, became the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive the US Food and Drug Administration approval. In addition to the advice on vaccination, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony has also indicated that students are expected to remain masked during the day to minimise chances of contracting

the virus. He noted that social distancing and sanitisation are also requirements that must be met to facilitate the safe reopening of schools for the new school year. “We’ve been working with the Ministry of Education and advising them the technical things as it relates to reopening. We’ve had joint meetings between the technical staff there and the staff of the ministry and some of the advice that we’ve given relates to masking so students returning to school should have their masks on, they should also keep their distance was also advised that since vaccines are going to be available that children going back to school should be fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Anthony. The Health Minister noted that these guidelines must be met at both private and public schools that intend to

12 to five age group is right now not available, and the vaccine so far has not been licensed for that age group. Once the reviews are done and the vaccine is available for emergency use in this age group, then Guyana will be able to do that,” the Health Minister explained.

Minster of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony facilitate physical learning in the new academic year. Parents of children between the ages of 12 to 18 are required to indicate their willingness to have their child or children vaccinated through the Ministry of Education’s COVID-19 vaccination permission form. Minister Anthony reminded that only children between the ages of 12 to 18 are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccines. “Currently, clinical trials are ongoing to look at children from ages five to 12; however, the data on the

RESPONDING POSITIVELY Minister Anthony stated that according to the Ministry of Education, parents have been responding positively to the idea of vaccines to protect their children from the effects of COVID-19. “Well, so far what I’ve heard from the Ministry of Education is that it’s going well. Parents are responding, and I hope that this trend continues because if we are going to reopen school in a very safe environment and protect the children, then you will have to get vaccinated, and I’m very happy that a lot of parents understand that. And they are eager to get their child immunised, as you know with the Delta variant which is more infectious,

where you see it affecting children more adversely, so it is important that children get vaccinated,” said Minister Anthony. APPEAL Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education, in a release, urged those teachers who have not yet taken a vaccine to use this period before the reopening of schools to visit a vaccination site and be administered one of the available COVID-19 vaccines. The Ministry of Health currently has the Astra Zeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Sinopharm and Sputnik V vaccines available for the adult population. “If any of our teachers have questions on these vaccines or any related question, the Ministry of Education has solicited the assistance of three doctors to provide responses and they can be reached on telephone numbers: 650 2289 (Dr. Farah December), 650 2308 (Dr. Oneka Scott) and 650 2312 (Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton). This is to provide teachers with an opportunity to speak with medical professionals and have their concerns addressed. “Teachers who do not wish to be administered any

of the above-mentioned vaccines will be required to submit a negative PCR test once a week. This test is to be done at an approved private facility. Teachers who do not report for duty will be marked absent,” the release said. These measures, it said, also apply to the ancillary staff of each school (cleaners, administrative and other support staff). These measures will be captured in the next Gazetted Order for the new month. The Ministry of Education will also provide, to all teachers, face masks, face shields, sanitising agents (environ) and spray bottles to assist in ensuring they are safe upon their return to the classroom. As the ministry has said on previous occasions, the reopening will not be the same for every school. Based on the space and circumstances at each school, individualised measures will be applied to ensure the safety of all. Schools will be ready for reopening and parents, along with teachers, will be informed of the individualised reopening measures for the respective schools in the coming days, the ministry said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Pfizer becomes first COVID vaccine to gain full FDA approval Pfizer’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccine has received full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - the first jab to be licensed in the nation. The vaccine had initially been given emergency use authorisation. Its two jabs, three weeks apart, are now fully approved for those aged 16 and older. The approval is expected to set off more vaccine mandates by employers and organisations across the country. It comes amid lingering vaccine hesitancy among many Americans. In a statement, the FDA said its review for approval included data from approximately 44,000 people. The vaccine, which will

Photo courtesy of BBC/ GETTY IMAGES) now be marketed as Comirnaty, was found to be 91 per cent

effective in preventing COVID disease. Acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock said that the public “can be very confident” the vaccine meets high safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality standards. It still has emergency use authorisation for children aged 12 to 15. Following the announcement, the US military said they would officially require all 1.3m active duty US troops to get vaccinated. The jabs are being provided at no cost to Americans. The FDA initially gave Pfizer temporary authorisation - a clearance given if the agency determines the benefits of a product outweigh potential risks

during a public health emergency. This full approval is essentially permanent. The licensing process requires companies to provide the FDA with information on how and where the product is made, as well as other clinical testing data. Critics had been calling on the FDA to speed up this approval process as the nation struggled with dropping vaccination rates earlier this year. The spread of the contagious Delta variant has already given some hard-hit regions a bump in vaccination rates in recent weeks. While the agency took steps to increase staff and resources, it had previously said it would take six months to get the required data.

The approval ultimately came less than four months after Pfizer-BioNTech filed for licensing in early May - the fastest vaccine approval in the FDA’s more than 100 year history. Polling data released at the end of June by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that about 30 per cent of unvaccinated American results said they would be more likely to get a vaccine if it received full FDA approval. The number rises to nearly 50 per cent among Americans taking a “wait and see” approach to vaccines. In a televised address on Monday, President Biden spoke directly to the “millions” of Americans he said were waiting for full and final FDA approval. “The moment you’ve been

waiting for is here,” he said. “It’s time for you to go get your vaccination. Get it today.” Additionally, Biden called on private sector companies and nonprofits to require employees to get vaccinated or “face strict requirements”. Companies, healthcare systems, universities and other organisations are now expected to announce vaccine requirements as the country embarks on a return to normalcy. The US military has also said the vaccine will become mandatory for 1.3 million active-duty troops upon FDA approval. To date, more than 92 million vaccinated Americans - more than half of the total - have received the Pfizer vaccine. (BBC)

-- is famous for having successfully fought off invasions, including from Soviet forces during the Soviet-Afghan war from 1979 to 1989, and the Taliban in the 1990s. Now, the region is still under the control of the NRF, which was founded by Ahmad Massoud - the son of Afghan

resistance hero Ahmad Shah Massoud. Ahmad Shah Massoud was a powerful guerrilla commander who led the resistance against the USSR, and then went on to lead the Afghan government’s military wing against rival militias in the 1990s. After the Taliban gained control, he was the main opposition commander against their rule, until his assassination in 2001.

Nazary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Panjshir had had a recent influx of local resistance forces from across the country, who have joined fighters they had already trained locally. He said the group had “thousands of forces ready for the resistance” - although the BBC has not independently verified this claim. “However, we prefer to pursue peace and negotiations before any sort of war and conflict,” the spokesman added. The NRF’s ultimate goal is a decentralised form of governance in the country. “The NRF believes that for lasting peace we have to address the underlying problems in Afghanistan,” he continued. “Afghanistan is a country made up of ethnic minorities, no one is a majority. It’s a multicultural state, so it needs power sharing - a power-sharing deal where everyone sees themselves in power.” (BBC)

Resistance group says ready to take on Taliban An anti-Taliban resistance group in Afghanistan says it has thousands of people ready to fight. Ali Nazary, head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), told the BBC they want to pursue peaceful negotiations.

But, he added, “If this fails... then we’re not going to accept any sort of aggression.” Meanwhile, the Taliban say they have surrounded the group’s Panjshir valley stronghold and put them under siege. Resistance figures have also said the Taliban are now advancing in the region, north-

east of the capital Kabul. Amrullah Saleh, who was vice-president in the government ousted by the Taliban and is now based in Panjshir, tweeted that the Taliban had massed forces near the entrance to the valley. The Panjshir region -- in particular the Panjshir Valley

Gov’t pathologist testifies, as hearing into Ruby businessman’s murder gets underway

GOVERNMENT Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh gave testimony about a post-mortem examination he performed on 76-yearold Ruby, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) businessman, Habiboodean, who was murdered in 2008. Bibi Nazeela Habiboodean and the man she allegedly hired to kill her father are currently on trial before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a jury at the Demerara High Court. The woman and Linden Lewis, called “Bullet”, have both pleaded not guilty to murdering the elder Habiboodean on February 15, 2008 at Ruby, East Bank Essequibo. The State is being represented by Senior State Prosecutor Lisa Cave, while Attorneys-at-Law Latchmie Rahamat and Roger Yearwood are on record for the accused. During Monday’s hearing, Dr. Singh told the court that the elderly man died from multiple injuries to the head, chest and neck as a result of blunt trauma. He also said that the victim sustained several broken ribs, and was haemorrhaging in the brain.

The NRF says it wants to pursue peaceful negotiations before fighting (BBC/Reuters photo)

Linden Lewis and Bibi Nazeela Habiboodean The matter has been adjourned until Thursday, August 26. It is alleged that Bibi not only hired Lewis to kill her father, but also helped him to gain access to her father’s house on February 15, 2008. Reports are that when the “hitman” entered the businessman’s home, he found the elderly businessman sitting in a chair, and proceeded to strike him repeatedly, causing him to later succumb to his injuries at a hospital. Bibi was charged along with another man shortly after the murder was committed, but they were both discharged by a magistrate due to insufficient evidence. Lewis, who had fled to the “interior”, was arrested by the police two years later. Word is that the police

got a breakthrough in the case after Lewis and four others were detained for the murder of one Mohamed Munir, 75, and his wife Bibi Jamila Munir, 69, who were reportedly burnt to death at their Good Hope, East Bank Essequibo home in 2016. While in custody, someone tipped off investigators that Lewis had vital information about Habiboodean’s death. He allegedly confessed and told the police that he was paid by Bibi to kill her father. S h o r t l y a f t e r, B i b i turned herself in to the police, and reportedly provided investigators with a statement that was consistent with that given by her father’s alleged killer. Bibi and Lewis were later charged.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

The Guyanese Diaspora NO one can downplay the contribution of the Guyanese diaspora in the socio-economic and political development of Guyana. This is true of Guyanese in every corner of the world but moreso in the United States and Canada which are now home to a countless number of Guyanese who left the country of their birth for new opportunities and the hope for a better life. The reasons for leaving their homeland and their subsequent contributions have a long history, dating back to the dark period of PNC authoritarian rule. Many Guyanese began to lose hope for a comfortable and secure life for themselves and their children as the economy deteriorated and living standards plummeted. The situation was made even worse in the late 1970s which saw the ban-

ning of essential food items such as wheaten flour, split peas, potatoes, milk, cheese, sardines and a host of other items. Political and racial discrimination, imposition of compulsory national service, nepotism, bribery, corruption and a host of other vices created fertile ground for a mass exodus of Guyanese to foreign shores. One consequence of the indiscriminate ban on basic food items was the emergence of what became known as the ‘underground’ economy where banned items were smuggled into the country and sold at exorbitant prices. Only those with money could have afforded to purchase those items, at considerable risk of being caught by law enforcement officers and hauled before the courts. At a more fundamental level, however, was the

mass exodus of Guyanese to the neighbouring countries such as Suriname, Venezuela, the Caribbean as well as North America, especially the United States of America, which is today home to the largest number of overseas Guyanese. Most of them have adapted well in their new homeland. Only recently, the City of New York conamed an avenue ‘Little Guyana’ in recognition of the contribution of Guyanese to the growth and development of the City. It is hard to imagine what life would have been without the diaspora. Many in the diaspora contributed to their loved ones at home by way of remittances and the sending of barrels of food items, clothing, footwear and other items. That provided an important safety net for many Guyanese who were unable to survive

on their meagre incomes. The contributions by the diaspora to Guyana were not confined to sending money and barrels. It was the love for country and the passion for change that became a defining characteristic of diaspora involvement in the political life of the country. It was the lobbying efforts of the diaspora communities in several countries that was partly responsible for the heightened attention by governments to the plight of the Guyanese people which culminated in the restoration of democratic rule on October 5, 1992 after over two decades of PNC dictatorial rule. With the restoration of democratic rule, the focus of the diaspora has now shifted to one of renewal and rebuilding. The diaspora, with access to capital and expertise, has a

key role in the rebuilding process. And, as pointed out by Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, during a recent meeting with the diaspora in New York, there is an abundance of investment opportunities in the country, especially in the private sector which is now a key player in the growth trajectory. Despite our newly found oil riches, we are still relatively poor in terms of per capita income even though this is likely to change in the coming period ahead as our revenues from oil and gas kick in. The economic tide is changing in favour of Guyana. This will lift all boats and our Guyanese diaspora can be a significant player in this new and exciting period in our economic and social transformation. President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, during a virtual address

to a recent Diaspora Conference, organised by the Guyana Government, was high in praise for the contribution made by overseas Guyanese and lauded their role in securing our democratic values. He charged the Diaspora to use their influence, finances and expertise to help develop the country and the lives of their fellow Guyanese. The President pointed to a number of important pillars of diaspora involvement including influence, investment, information, identity and integration, all of which are important elements in the way forward in terms of a prosperous and cohesive Guyana. The President’s call could not have come at a better time as the country continues to explore new pathways to sustainable development.

Over 200 Bartica residents benefit from spectacles distribution

OVER 200 residents in Bartica, Region Seven benefitted from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s spectacles distribution exercise in the community. On Monday, Subject Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud spearheaded an outreach to the community where 237 residents received spectacles after previously being tested by Optical Works, Revision Optical, and Miracle Optical. During brief remarks, she noted that the ministry has been working tirelessly with various entities to ensure citizens across the country can access and benefit from basic services. Additionally, the minister presented a wheelchair,

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud engaging a resident in Bartica during her visit there on Monday along with walking aids empower citizens, regardand talking watches to less of their backgrounds. persons living with dis- She said the government abilities. is committed to investing Speaking to the resi- in its human capital. dents, Minister Persaud “We’re investing in highlighted the ministry’s you, and we want you to numerous projects and invest in yourself, using programmes, which are your skills, your talents, all designed to educate and your training that you will

receive to innovate,” Minister Persaud said, adding: “And then when you were all in the programmes, wherever you are, you will network with each other at WIIN, and from start to finish, commit, finish the programme, so that when you’re finished, you can use this accredited certificate to be employed. More than that, I want you to start thinking about owning your own businesses.” The Human Services Minister further encouraged Barticans to take full advantage of the opportunities being presented to them, and urged that they network and form groups to support each other. Several beneficiaries shared their thoughts on the initiative, among them Yvonne Braithwaite, who

Mr. Joseph Gonsalves, one of the many beneficiaries (DPI photos) said: “I cannot see to thread the needle, and I have two other young ladies in my group I have to ask them. Sometime they doing something, and I had to disturb them to please thread this thing. So, now I put on the glasses, and I

can see really good, so I don’t have to bother anyone. So, I am thankful for this, as I can see now to thread my sewing machine needle, and to sew more accurate. So, thanks again for this.” Another beneficiary, Joseph Gonsalves expressed similar sentiments. “I am very happy to receive this gift that the government is giving; I feel very happy about receiving it. I thank the government for doing something like this for me, because I really needed a glasses for a number of years now, but I cannot afford to buy it,” Mr. Gonsalves said. Minister Persaud also used the opportunity to engage citizens, and listen to their concerns. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

M&CC’s ‘admin’ building slated for year-end completion

By Rehana Ahamad

THE multimillion-dollar four-storey building being constructed to house the administrative department of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year, according to Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall. Appearing on a programme aired by the National Communications Network (NCN), Dharamlall said that works on the project are moving apace, with a large sum of money already expended on the project. It was only recently that the Dr. Irfaan Ali-led Government presented the M&CC with a $30 million subvention to aid in the completion of the building, which is being erected in the compound of City Hall. Given the deteriorating condition of City Hall, orders were given for the staff to be relocated. The new building is intended to improve accessibility for customers and provide a better working environment for employees. “This is part of government’s commitment to support the construction of the ‘admin’ building. The

Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall (Delano Williams photo) President himself, with the Ministers of Local Government and Regional Development, as well as the Mayor and the Minister of Finance, agreed that $30 million would go towards the construction of the ‘admin’ building,” Minister Dharamlall said previously. In 2019, $75 million was given to the M&CC for the first phase of construction of the building, which will face the south-eastern corner of

City Hall’s compound. Once completed, the spanking new building will boast an elevator and a room for the holding of statutory meetings, in addition to all of the other vital administrative departments. In his NCN interview, Dharamlall said that efforts were also moving apace to rehabilitate the iconic City Hall building. A subvention of $100 million had already been allocated for restoration of the landmark. Referencing the City Hall repairs, Dharamlall said government will not be handing City Hall the monies earmarked for the project, or any capital works for the City. “We are not going to give City Hall money directly. Because they have not been very forthcoming with how they spend taxpayers’ monies. So, we are going to be doing a lot of the funding. While we agree on what projects will be done, the Government will be spending the resources directly with the concurrence of City Hall on the projects,” Dharamlall related. He added: “The President met with City Hall, myself and other Ministers of Government met with them. And the greater plan for our country, George-

Flashback: The pre-fabricated frame for City Hall’s new administrative building (Delano Williams photo)

town, is included in that plan,” Dharamlall said. He also reminded of President Ali’s position to not only build and rebuild the physical infrastructure of Georgetown, but do so in a manner that maintains the country’s architectural heritage. “We have met so many times with City Hall, outlined our plans for infrastructural development. We will do the heavy lifting,” the Local Government and Regional Development Minister asserted. Dharamlall has often said

that while the M&CC is responsible for maintaining the City, the government will not allow the residents to suffer as a result of the municipality’s neglect. “Despite this being the responsibility of the City of Georgetown, the Ministry of Public Works has been heavily involved in road construction and, likewise, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development in terms of other issues of the City,” Dharamlall said. He added, too, that the

Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, had also been involved in ensuring adequate drainage measures were installed in the City. “They [the Ministry of Agriculture] have been involved in practically all of the drainage infrastructure maintenance and even upgrades. Even the situation where we had the floods recently, the pumps were actually being supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture,” Dharamlall posited.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Guyana receives 34,000 single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine – another 5,000 second dose of Sputnik V vaccine

H E A LT H M i n i s t e r, D r F r a n k A n t h o n y, on Monday, disclosed that Guyana has received 34,000 doses of the US-manufactured Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and they will be ready for roll out in various communities across the country. The Minister made that statement during his daily COVID-19 update with the Department of Public Information (DPI). Government, through CARICOM, brokered an initiative with the African Union for the purchase of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In May, the government was said to have made a down- payment

to the African Union, for 150,000 doses of the vaccine. “It took us a while to

FOUR persons were on Monday remanded

to prison for the fatal shooting of 24-year-

A batch of the Sputnik V vaccine that Guyana received on Monday

get all the elements sorted out, but I am pleased to say that by today (Monday) we will be getting

those vaccines, and once we receive those vaccines, we will then be able to roll it out into various

communities,” said Dr. Anthony. The Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine would be the only single-dose vaccine that Guyana has been able to purchase. Currently, government is offering first and second doses of the Russian-produced Sputnik V vaccine; the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine; and the AstraZeneca vaccine. Dr. Anthony had previously related that once the vaccine arrives, its use would most likely be directed to persons residing in the hinterland regions of Guyana, since many of those communities are more difficult to reach. Government has been aggressively rolling out its COVID-19 vaccination programme, which allows

for persons 18 years and older to receive a vaccine to protect themselves against the virus. On Monday, Guyana also received 5,000 second doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. Minister Anthony had noted that, over the past few weeks, the Health Ministry has seen a “general uptake” in the number of persons being administered COVID-19 vaccines. Some 301,368 Guyanese or 58.7 per cent of Guyana’s adult population has received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Of that number, about 153,840 or 30 per cent of the adult population have received both doses of the vaccine, or are fully vaccinated.

icle was made to understand that Nurse is McPherson’s mother-inlaw, while the three male co-accused are her son’s friends. It is alleged that on August 14, McPherson and his in-laws were in-

the morning of August 15, he was found dead in a yard at ‘C’ Field, Sophia Georgetown. Police said an unknown woman telephoned the police command centre and reported seeing a man lying mo-

Mother-in-Law among four charged for killing Sophia man old Keon McPherson, whose lifeless body was

found in a yard at ‘C’ Field, Sophia Georgetown. Nicholas Hercules, called ‘Bucko’; Brenna Nurse; Devon Harry, called ‘Beer’; and Peter Lam appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s

From left are: Nicholas Hercules, called ‘Bucko’; Brenna Nurse, Devon Harry, and Peter Lam (Photos courtesy the Guyana Police Force)

Court before Magistrate Alisha George, but were not required to plead to the charge which alleges that on August 15, 2021, at ‘C’ Field, Sophia, they murdered McPherson. Magistrate George remanded the defendants to prison until September 17 for reports. The Guyana Chron-

volved in an altercation, during which he was beaten by Nurse and the three men. He somehow managed to escape the beating and went home, but around midnight, he reportedly received a call from a female and left. Four hours later, at around 04:00 hours on

tionless in a yard at ‘C’ Field, Sophia. According to the woman, the man appeared to have blood on his skin. Subsequent investigations by the police revealed that the man had a gunshot wound in the left side of his chest and another on his right hand.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

GTT wants to move to 4.5G LTE ‘as fast as possible’

THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) is awaiting wider spectrum in order to upgrade the 4.5 LTE (Long Term Evolution) for its mobile network and is “ready to go” once all necessary approvals are given. In a recent exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, GTT Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Damian Blackburn, shared that the company is “desperate to invest” in upgrading its mobile network, and is in discussion with the government to procure the necessary approvals to move forward with the upgrade.

GTT CEO, Damian Blackburn “We want to take the network that we’ve got now to 4.5 LTE as fast as possible. [But] we have to have

enough spectrum awarded to us by the government, so there’s an ongoing consultation around that. As soon as the government gives us the spectrum rights that we need, we’re ready to go. The cheques have been written, so we would be doing that as fast as we can,” Blackburn explained. The 4.5G LTE or LTE Advanced, as it is sometimes referred to, is the next-generation cellular standard that offers enhanced capabilities over the 4G LTE. The 4G LTE is currently the highest broadband level being offered in Guyana by both of the country’s two mobile

telecommunications providers. The 4.5G LTE is considered a stepping stone to 5G and will make it easier for an eventual upgrade to 5G. GTT had last upgraded its mobile network to 4G in 2019, offering faster download and upload speeds on mobile devices for photos, videos, improved mobile application performance, higher definition of online gaming videos and reliable connectivity to maximise the potential on consumer mobile devices. Now the company wants to strive to higher heights in keeping with the fast pace

of the telecommunications sector. “The 4.5G LTE is fantastic for what people generally need to do in Guyana; it revolutionises your mobile experience. I just came from The Bahamas where we introduced that technology in 2016. It’s amazing,” Blackburn stated. A telecommunications veteran, prior to coming to Guyana, Blackburn was most recently Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ALIV, a telecommunications provider in The Bahamas, which came into being when the telecommunications monopoly in that country was dissolved

in 2016. Blackburn said having understood what 4.5G LTE will mean for consumers in Guyana, he is excited to introduce it here. “The data speeds that you get now you can truly use for Internet access, and I can’t wait to see everybody on that spectrum; however, to do it we have to have the right things in place. Some of the things are in our control, some are not. Where they are not in our control it’s not an excuse, we still have to try hard with the older stuff,” he noted.

harm to his wife, he went into his house and armed himself with a knife, which he used

to stab the teenager in the stomach. The teen did manage to

run a short distance, before collapsing in a clump of bushes.

Penitent Yarrowkabra man gets ‘life’ for killing ‘teen’ peacemaker

THREE years after 19-year-old Nyron Vyphuis was fatally stabbed while protecting a woman from being abused, her husband was, on Monday, sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole in the next 20 years after he confessed to the crime. Anthony Jones, formerly of Circuit Ville, Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, was sentenced by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Georgetown High Court. Jones was last week arraigned for murder, but he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. He admitted that on October 13, 2018, at Yarrowkabra, he unlawfully killed Vyphuis. The State was represented by Senior State Prosecutor Lisa Cave, while Jones was represented by Attorney-at-Law Stanley Moore, SC. During his sentencing hearing on Monday, Jones pleaded with the judge for leniency, and also begged the family of the deceased for forgiveness. Justice Kissoon, in arriving at his decision, considered the background of the case and the plea of mit-

Anthony Jones igation, while also placing by Jones, and witnessed weight on the fact that the Jones abusing his wife. The teen lost his life due to Jones’ young man, upon realising what was happening, insenseless actions. The Judge also consid- tervened and attempted to ered the element of domestic stop Jones from harming the violence involved in the case, woman. Jones, however, became as Vyphuis, at the time of his death, was attempting to annoyed and armed himsave Jones’s wife from being self with an axe, which was eventually taken from him abused. According to reports, on by other persons who were the day in question, Vyphuis at the shop. So incensed was was at a liquor shop owned Jones that he didn’t get to do

Man stabs drinking partner

A resident of Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara, is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) nursing stab wounds after his drinking partner, who has so far only been identified as “Banga”, dealt him several stabs while they were imbibing on Sunday. According to Police Headquarters, the victim and

the suspect were consuming alcohol at Belle West, West Bank Demerara, at approximately 19:40hrs when an argument ensued. “Banga” allegedly armed himself with a glass bottle and dealt the victim several stabs about his body causing him to receive injuries, before making good his escape. The victim raised an alarm which caused persons

in the area to take him to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was treated by a doctor on duty and referred to the GPHC where he was further treated and admitted a patient in stable condition. Police reported that checks were made to locate the suspect but to no avail. Police are investigating the incident.

Battered man found at Moleson Creek road corner

A male, of East Indian descent, was discovered lying at the corner of the Moleson Creek Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice, with marks of violence about the body. Police reported that an unknown caller contacted the Springlands Police Station, Corentyne, Berbice, and reported that the man was seen lying on the road. As a result of the call, police visited the location where they discovered the man, who is known to have

no fixed place of abode, lying in a conscious state on the road surface. According to police headquarters, the man was checked and marks of violence were seen about his body. He was then escorted to the Skeldon Public Hospital, where he was treated and admitted a patient for observation. Police have since launched an investigation into the matter surrounding the circumstances of the incident.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

25-year-old arrested for four grammes ‘ganja’

A 25-year-old of Tu s c h e n H o u s i n g Scheme, East Bank Essequibo was, on Monday, arrested and placed into police custody after ranks, carrying out a search operation within the vicinity, discovered four grammes of cannabis in his yard. According to Police Headquarters, between 10:00hrs and 14:00hrs, ranks carried out a raid exercise in the #1 Sub Division for guns, ammu-

The four grammes of substance suspected to be cannabis

nitions, drugs and stolen articles at several addresses. Police reports that one bulky transparent plastic containing a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems, suspected to be cannabis, was found in a small storeroom at the back of the suspect’s yard. The suspect was cautioned about the offence committed, and, according to police, subsequent to being cautioned, he replied: “is just lil weed, please for a chance.” He was arrested and escorted to the Leonora Police Station, along with the suspected cannabis which amounted to four grammes when weighed. The suspect re m a i n s i n c u s t o d y pending charges.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Regus ‘ready offices’ a game changer for local tourism sector – Minister Walrond says

By Jared Liddell MINISTER of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond has said that the “ready offices” service provided by Belgium company, Regus, will be a game changer for the local tourism sector. The company, which is located on down-town Waterloo Street, offers its clients physical, private and dedicated office and work space, as well as virtual offices that could be used in the short, medium and long term as a base for operations. According to the experts, “ready offices” are similar to traditional offices or office

tremely beneficial” not just to international companies looking to invest in the country, but also to local businesses looking to set up professional business spaces. In short, this is a timely solution, since, in her view, many start-up businesses do not have a physical space, and cannot immediately construct their own professional spaces. For this reason, this type of professional environment would not only enable them to reach more customers, but also allow them to explore more opportunities for partnership with international partners and investors. Company Operations

The Regus building on Waterloo Street, Georgetown (Delano Williams photos) date two, four, six, 16 or 22 persons each. May further explained that clients could contract spaces from Regus

Stuart May, Regus Operations Caribbean Director giving Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond (right) a tour of the facility on Monday buildings, but are fully-furnished, fully-equipped, and managed by a company with the ability to rent individual rooms or floors to other companies. Minister Walrond reasoned that this type of service will enable growth in the tourism sector, as it will give international investors a level of comfort as they explore investment opportunities within the country. She noted that with this type of service, investors now have the option of renting a physical space to set up operations, instead of operating out of their hotel room, a café or other public spaces. “This is quite an important solution, especially to start-up businesses, and people who are coming to do fact-finding missions. As investors, they have a temporary space they can come to that’s professional; that’s secure, and this is an exciting solution to many of our investors that are coming in,” Minister Walrond said. This type of business, she said, would also be “ex-

Director, Stuart May, who has responsibility for the Caribbean region, said that although they have been in operations in Guyana for just over a year, they expect continued growth over time. He said that the company brought its services to Guyana to cater to the influx of investments that they expect the country to garner from the oil-and-gas sector. He related that the company expects to see investors from large franchises, inclusive of fast-food ones, that would need office spaces while assessing ways to “set up shop” in Guyana. “We saw the opportunity to come into Guyana and provide this service, given not just that there are developments in the oil and gas sector, but also because the mining and many other businesses and economic areas are seeing significant development,” May said. He related that the company, at its Waterloo Street facility, houses 19 office spaces of five different sizes, which could accommo-

for flexible timelines, starting from one hour to one day, a month or a year, and can continue extending as they

so desire. The company also provides each client with amenities such as free Internet

access, kitchen and washroom facilities, and free parking space in the company’s compound.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Fruits, vegetables key to transforming food systems, maintaining healthy diet

FRUITS and vegetables will play a key role in transforming agri-food systems, due to their considerable contributions and benefits to human health, and to achieving the balanced diet that more and more consumers demand, in addition to their contribution to the socioeconomic and rural development of the countries of the Americas. These were the conclusions drawn by international experts and agro-industry leaders convened by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) at a roundtable with the aim to share current knowledge on the sector’s role in sustainable agri-food systems. The dialogue was moderated by Manuel Otero, Director-General of IICA, and the panelists included Cristián Allendes, President of Chile’s National Agriculture Society (SNA); Miguel Curiel, Vice-President and General Manager of Driscoll’s Mexico; Jorge Sauma, General Manager of Costa Rica’s National Banana Corporation (CORBANA); and A.G. Kawamura, former Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (2003-2010) and current owner/partner of Orange County Produce, LLC. The event analysed the contributions made by fruit and vegetable farmers in the Americas to global exports and to food and nutrition security, particularly to promoting a balanced diet, as well as the

road that must be taken to reconnect modern consumers with farmers. The event also underscored the need for all levels to recognise the importance of the agricultural sector, which was made evident by the COVID-19 pandemic.

attributes to meet these demands”, stated Allendes. In this context, the president of Chile’s National Agriculture Society summarized the American continent’s production and export potential: “For example, our exports account for 52 per cent of

and vegetable sectors to continue moving toward more sustainable production, using natural resources more efficiently, implementing science-based practices and adopting new technology to ensure product traceability and safety.

Fruits and vegetables will play a key role in transforming agri-food systems due to their considerable contributions and benefits to human health and to achieving the balanced diet, experts from IICA say

“Consumers today are looking for produce that is grown sustainably; they are more aware of what they are consuming and demand more and more fresh fruits and vegetables. Thanks to our experience and climate, our continent has all the necessary

oranges, 37 per cent of pineapples, 29 per cent of apples, 58 per cent of table grapes, 32 per cent of pears, 62 per cent of cherries and 60 per cent of bananas in the world,” he added. The specialists further emphasised the need for the fruit

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION “We must double down and ensure both short and long-term sustainable production, but we cannot do that without the support and coordination of the government. Today, in light of the

pandemic, we have seen a shift; an increase in awareness and education towards a healthy consumption and lifestyle. Consumers are moving towards a more balanced diet; they are concerned with the origin of their foods, where they come from and how they are produced,” stated Miguel Curiel, General Manager of Driscoll’s Mexico. The panelists also underpinned the importance of production for the countries’ economies, in terms of foreign currency, jobs and the positive aspects involved in consuming fruits and vegetables. “Banana is Costa Rica’s leading export crop; it generates jobs in rural areas—140,000 direct and indirect jobs—and is a source of fiber, serotonin, potassium, magnesium and lecithin. In 2019, Latin America and the Caribbean was responsible for 19 per cent of all fruits produced worldwide. Given our share in production, we can contribute a lot to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and to reducing hunger, poverty and climate change through more sustainable production techniques and modern, environmentally-friendly agriculture,” said Jorge Sauma, General Manager of CORBANA. Throughout the roundtable, the panelists dived deeper into the challenges they are facing in terms of production, including climate change and the need for vigorous public

policies and communication tools to reach and educate consumers, underlining the sectors’ importance as well as their social, economic and environmental contribution, in which farmers play a key role as the guardians of biodiversity. They also recognised that academia plays an essential part in raising awareness. “We recognise that we need new crops, new varieties, different seeds and plants that are drought, flood, and heat-resistant. These are the challenges we are facing now; we need the government’s support to help farmers and the farming community instead of calling us out,” commented Kawamura, former Secretary of California’s Department of Food and Agriculture. The Director-General of IICA concluded that the time has come to “unite and to defend agriculture, which has an enormous future for our countries as a generator of jobs and foreign currency for exports”. “We need to revive agriculture; these are difficult times and we need to reach a consensus, to demonstrate to the world that our agriculture, even with its faults and imperfections, is still standing and willing to fulfil what the rest of humanity expects from the continent in terms of food production. Without us, all hope of food and nutrition security would be lost,” concluded Manuel Otero. (FAO)

Re-investing flood-relief grants will generate finances ― Minister tells Region Six farmers Hundreds of elated farmers in Region Six, who suffered losses due to the unprecedented flooding, turned out on Sunday at various locations to receive the government’s flood relief grants. Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, led the distribution exercise at the J.C. Chandisingh and Central Corentyne Secondary Schools. Minister Singh told the recipients that government has made provisions to assist farmers to immediately restart production. A few months ago, the government passed a supplementary paper in the National Assembly, of which $10 billion was allocated to immediately drain farmlands and provide relief to farmers. President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali also announced that some $7.3 billion of the $10 billion will be used to provide direct relief to farmers. Minister Singh said farmers can also re-invest the monies to generate finances. “I’m appealing to you and I’m appealing to both men and women farmers and households, this flood relief is intended to give you a little

brace to return to productive activity to strengthen your livelihood; use it wisely. I’m urging you to use this flood relief wisely, to ensure that you get a few plants back in the ground, you get your paddy back in the ground if you’re a rice farmer, you get a few animals to breed again and you help to return to where we were in agricultural production, and where you were with income generation; that is very important,” the minister said. Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Madanlall Ramraj, noted that the assistance is not enough to compensate the farmers for all their losses, but will assist them to restart production. “I’m not saying to compensate farmers; I’m saying to assist farmers, to bring some sort of relief to farmers so that they can get back to the land. Our primary objective is to assist the farming community, household so that they can relieve some of the burden they have encountered during the flood,” Ramraj said. NOT YET REGISTERED Chairman of Region Six, David Armogan, also pointed

out that Sunday’s distribution is just the first of the exercise in the area, as there may be persons who were affected by the floods but have not yet registered with the Ministry of Agriculture to benefit from the initial disbursement. Meanwhile, the recipients are grateful for the money which will assist them to return to some level of normalcy. Davenand Sawh, a rice farmer who lost 500 acres of rice, received $10 million. He said: “It is very, very important to get back from the previous losses and you know with rice, sometimes you don’t only loss from the crop, you have machineries. You have some deterioration because of the weather condition, machines gone in some state that it gotto repair. So, it is a lot of money spending and this will be a great move on behalf of the government to support farmers.” Another rice farmer, Ezekiel Khotiah, said he will use the money to clear all debts from the previous crop and restart cultivation. “It’s very important for use for the next crop to resow and plus expense for this

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, presents a cheque to cash crop farmer, Oliver Giddings (DPI photo)

This farmer signs to receive his flood-relief cheque (DPI photo)

past crop… I think the President is doing a good job, especially for farmers for the time in office” Khotiah said. “I feel very good receiving this money because it will go back to planting right now…I appreciate this money from the government so I could go back and plant again,” said cash crop farmer, Oliver Giddings. Zafiel Yusuf expressed similar sentiments. “I’m pretty much elated because the cash grant, I’ve received it in a very timely manner in which I could get back on the grounds of agriculture, and I could replant. This is really a big boost for me since during the COVID and so forth, there’s not much money coming in my pocket. So, this here is a major boost so that I could invest, and plus you know, recuperate in the home.” He also expressed gratitude to President Ali: “I would really thank the Excellency, Mr. President, Irfaan Ali for, you know, for bringing in this grant, so that we could be able to focus on agriculture, right, which is a main means of importance in this country.” Over $970 million is being distributed in Region Six. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Shane Samaroo, aka Travis Cortis and Tanta Bai

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Shane Samaroo wanted for questioning in relation to Rosignol murder THE Guyana Police Force has issued a wanted bulletin for Shane Samaroo, also known as Travis Cortis, whose last known address is Railway Line, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, for questioning in relation to the murder committed of Feroze Khan also known as “Eggy”. Khan, 48, of Carriage Road, Rosignol was mur-

dered on August 19, 2021 at Bennet Dam, Rosignol. An eyewitness account indicated that the suspect, who was at the time unknown, had visited a grocery shop at Bennet Dam to purchase a bottle of water and subsequently left. Shortly after, the suspect was seen armed with a piece of wood, charging towards Khan who was

walking on the dam. The suspect dealt Khan several blows about his body causing him to collapse on the ground. The eyewitness told the police that the suspect whipped out a knife from his pants waist, inflicted several stabs to Khan’s body and then fled the scene. Police Headquarters has since issued a wanted bulle-

tin for Samaroo, commonly known as ‘Tanta Bai’; he is 27 years old and of East Indian descent. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Shane Samaroo, aka Travis Cortis, is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 3302222, 232-0313, 221-2296, 911 or the nearest police station.

Drunk driver crashes into tree

A driver, under the influence of alcohol, who has since been identified as Mitchell Debideen, 37, of Hosororo Hill, North West District, lost control of his motor car in the vicinity of Wanina Public Road, Mabaruma, North West District, on Sunday, causing the vehicle to drive off the road and into a tree. According to Police Headquarters, at approximately 13:00hrs, Debideen was proceeding west in his white Toyota Wagon bearing registration number, PNN 1366, along the Wanina Public Road with

The motor vehicle, a white Toyota wagon, bearing registration number PNN1366, which ran off the road and crashed into a tree

one other occupant of the vehicle, Edger Adams, age 54, also of Hosororo. Enquiries revealed that while proceeding along the thoroughfare, Debideen lost control of the said vehicle, which ran off the southern side of the road and collided with a tree. Adams received injuries to his head as a result of the collision. He was picked up in a conscious condition by police and medical personnel and taken to the Mabaruma Regional Hospital where he was seen by a doctor on duty and admitted as a patient suffering from head injuries. His condition has since been listed as stable. Police reports that Debideen has since been placed in custody as investigations are in progress.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Safeguarding water resources to build resilience faster THE world needs to produce an estimated 60 per cent more food by 2050 to ensure global food security, and it must do so while conserving and enhancing the natural resource base. Water is a major input in the provision of food – from production in the field through all the steps in the value chain. Water is also required to meet personal and household needs, for energy and industrial production, and to maintain important water-dependent ecosystems and ecosystem services. With demand and competition for water on the rise, however, the planet’s water resources are under in-

creasing stress due to climate change, poor management and pollution. Agriculture holds the key to successfully achieving the objectives and aspirations articulated in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change. It is also crucial to the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers and rural communities worldwide. Farmers must be at the centre of any process of change in agriculture. Through appropriate policies that provide incentives and ensure effective governance, farmers can be empowered to

conserve biodiversity, protect ecosystems and minimise environmental impacts. Irrigation institutions must respond to the needs of farmers. Ensuring the reliable delivery of sufficient water, increasing the transparency of irrigation management, and achieving efficiency and equity in access to water is likely to require changes in attitudes in institutions and among farmers, as well as targeted investments in infrastructure modernisation, institutional restructuring, and the upgrading of the technical capacities of farmers and water managers. Countries have identified

Don’t hesitate, get vaccinated

– Local Government Minister tells Region Six residents MINISTER of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, has urged residents of Region Six to treat COVID-19 seriously, as government aims to achieve herd immunity. The minister made this call on Sunday, during the distribution of the flood-relief grants to farmers, who were severely affected by the unprecedented nationwide flooding. He told the gathering that the misinformation being peddled by the opposition as it relates to the COVID-19 vaccination programme should be ignored. The Local Government Minister assured residents that the government is committed to ensuring the population is protected against the deadly disease. “There are many Members of Parliament who are going into villages and telling people not to get vaccinated but our country cannot develop with such levels of democracy… people are dying while thousands are in hospitals.” Minister Dharamlall reminded the residents that the fight against COVID needs to be a collaborative effort between government and the people. Adherence to the COVID-19 measures outlined by the Ministry of Health is also important. “Please continue to use your mask, to sanitise regularly and practise social distance, but the most potent

defence against COVID is the vaccination and the first vaccine is the best vaccine. It doesn’t matter the brand, just get vaccinated. And so far in this country, no one who has been vaccinated has died as a result of COVID. No one

been relatively good; however, it can be better with the support of residents. Close to 47,900 persons in the region have received the first dose of a COVID vaccine, which is about 63.6 per cent of the population

Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall who was vaccinated, end up on life support as a result of COVID,” the minister said. Minister Dharmalall added that “COVID doesn’t spare anyone. COVID does not spare anyone based on their race, class, or even based on their economic status so please get vaccinated.” He said the government will soon receive vaccines for children between the ages of 12 and 17 to be inoculated, so that they can return to school in September. Meanwhile, during his COVID-19 update on Monday, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, said the response from the region had

there, while only 23,628 persons returned for their second dose. This accounts for 31.4 per cent of the region’s population, which Dr. Anthony pointed out to be slightly above the national average. “Looking at what remains to be done for second dose, we already need about 51,674 persons in the region to get vaccinated. We are still a long way from achieving herd immunity in Region Six, and, therefore, I would like to urge everyone to make sure you come and get the vaccine.” T h e re g i o n ’s a d u l t population stands close to 75,000. (DPI)

agriculture as a major sector of intervention in their nationally determined contributions to the mitigation of climate change, and many have placed water at the top of the list for envisaged adaptation measures. Shaped by these new challenges, FAO’s water programme is responding decisively to the needs of its member countries. (FAO)

Photo courtesy of FAO

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Lights 11:35 hrs Available Angel

South Africa Racing Tips Vaal 08:45 hrs Code Zero 09:15 hrs Burmese Tiara 09:45 hrs Ideal Jet 10:15 hrs Lady Of The Flames 10:45 hrs Suited Connector 11:15 hrs El Romiachi

English Racing Tips Yarmouth 08:30 hrs Epheata 09:00 hrs Oriental Art 09 :30 hr s My stic Dragon 10:00 hrs Farhh To Shy 1 0:30 hr s Pur ple Power 11:00 hrs Stage

Musselburgh 08:50 hrs Rosie's Return 09:20 hrs Zwift 09:50 hrs Zeimaam 10:20 hrs Monaadhil 10:60 hrs Bellevue Lad 11:25 hrs Greenhage 12:00 hrs Triple Jave Irish Racing Tips Bellewstown

11:20 hrs Chicago Soldier 11:55 hrs Great Realisation 12:25 hrs Crystal Dawn 12:55 hrs Kudbegood 13:25 hrs Noble Seal 13:55 hrs That's Mad 14:25 hrs Cycladic 14:55 hrs Majestic Jewel American Racing Tips Colonial Downs Race 1 Untuttable Dpeex

Race 2 Xy Time Race 3 Beach House Race 4 Luna Belle Race 5 Fredisaten Race 6 Highly Noted Race 7 Street Copper Race 8 Aug Lutes Canadian Racing Tips Fort Erie Race 1 Kozy Kat Race 2 Penniesfromanove Race 3 H is Just A Number Race 4 Grkn N' Bear

Aggressive Pakistan set up... (From back page) Ali came out swinging and helped the tourists race to 1-70 in the 10th over before he was caught in the gully off Alzarri Joseph for 29. Fellow opener Imran Butt scored 37 off 44 balls and captain Babar Azam chimed in with a rapid 33, declaring when he holed out to long-on. Pakistan's 176 second innings runs came off only 27.2 overs at a run rate of 6.43, the fastest in their Test history for an innings of 25 overs or more. With a further 138 overs

left in the Test, they have given themselves ample time to bowl out the Windies and square the series. Shaheen continued his heroics near the end of the day's play with a direct hit that ran out Kieran Powell for 23 as the visitors lost the first wicket of their second innings. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite (17 not out) and nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph, fulfilling the role for a second successive day, will resume today.

SCOREBOARD PAKISTAN 1st innings 302-9 decl. West Indies 1st Innings (overnight 39 for three) *K Brathwaite b Shaheen Shah Afridi 4 K Powell lbw b Shaheen Shah Afridi 5 N Bonner c wkp Mohammad Rizwan b Mohammad Abbas 37 R Chase b Faheem Ashraf 10 A Joseph c Babar Azam b Shaheen Shah Afridi 4 J Blackwood c Fawad Alam b Shaheen Shah Afridi 33 K Mayers c wkp Mohammad Rizwan b Mohammad Abbas 0 J Holder c wkp Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen Shah Afridi 26 +J Da Silva lbw b Mohammad Abbas 6 K Roach c Babar Azam b Shaheen Shah Afridi 8 J Seales not out 0 Extras (lb10, w1, nb6) 17 TOTAL (all out, 51.3 overs) 150 Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Powell), 2-9 (Brathwaite), 3-34 (Chase), 4-45 (Joseph), 5-105 (Bonner), 6-105 (Mayers), 7-109 (Blackwood), 8-116 (Da Silva), 9-143 (Holder), 10-150 (Roach) Bowling: Mohammad Abbas 18-6-44-3, Shaheen Shah Afridi 17.3-7-51-6 (w1, nb1), Hasan Ali 8-1-30-0 (nb3), Faheem Ashraf 7-4-14-1 (nb1), Nauman Ali 1-0-1-0 (nb1) PAKISTAN 2nd Innings Imran Butt c Bonner b Mayers 37 Abid Ali c sub (Shai Hope) b Joseph 29 Azhar Ali c Blackwood b Brathwaite 22 *Babar Azam c Bonner b Joseph 33 Hasan Ali c wkp Da Silva b Holder 17 Faheem Ashraf lbw b Holder 9 +Mohammad Rizwan not out 10 Extras (b5, lb6, w7, nb1) 19 TOTAL ( 6 wkts decl., 27.2 overs) 176 Fall of wickets: 1-70 (Abid Ali), 2-90 (Imran Butt), 3-107 (Azhar Ali), 4-145 (Hasan Ali), 5-160 (Faheem Ashraf), 6-176 (Babar Azam) Bowling: Roach 3-1-11-0 (nb1), Seales 3-0-32-0, Holder 6-0-27-2, Joseph 4.2-0-24-2, Mayers 7-0-43-1, Brathwaite 4-0-28-1. WEST INDIES 2nd Innings (target: 329 runs) K Brathwaite not out 17 K Powell run out 23 A Joseph not out 8 Extras (lb1) 1 TOTAL (1 wkt, 19 overs) 49 Fall of wicket: 1-34 (Powell) Bowling: Mohammad Abbas 5-1-18-0, Shaheen Shah Afridi 5-3-5-0, Hasan Ali 5-2-20-0, Faheem Ashraf 4-35-0. Position: West Indies require a further 280 runs for victory.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Afghanistan-Pakistan ODI series postponed indefinitely AFGHANISTAN’s threematch ODI series against Pakistan has been postponed indefinitely after talks between the two boards concluded that logistical challenges were making it tough for the Afghanistan contingent to travel to Sri Lanka and the situation in Afghanistan would not have left their players in a good mental space. The PCB also tweeted that both boards will try to reschedule the series in 2022.* Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Hamid Shinwari confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they tried to move the series to Pakistan, but eventually decided to postpone the series considering the situation around Afghanistan. No commercial flights are taking off from Kabul following the Taliban takeover of the country, and Sri Lanka announced a 10-day lockdown on Friday, two days after the country reported 3793 new Covid-19 cases and a highest-ever single-day death toll of 187. The Afghanistan contingent was supposed to travel to

Pakistan by road, then fly to Dubai, and then on to Colombo for the series, but the circuitous route is throwing up logistical challenges because of the Covid-19 protocols. "Until this evening we had principally agreed to play the series in Pakistan and we are thankful to Pakistan for all the support they offered," Shinwari said. "But then considering all the situations, especially our players' mental readiness, we found that that they are not prepared. We needed a camp and we needed time for them to acclimatise to the weather and conditions. "But with all the delay in making efforts to play in Sri Lanka, we have lost enough time and now making a trip to Pakistan without preparation in such a short time isn't working for our players. Pakistan is a good team and playing them at home you need to be fully prepared which, unfortunately, we are not so we have decided to postpone it indefinitely. It was supposed to be a "home" series for Afghanistan and was originally scheduled to be played in the UAE. ESPNcricinfo

The the two boards are yet to announce the new venues for the series (Getty Images)

had learnt that the PCB had offered to host the series in one venue in Pakistan when the UAE plan fell through, but the ACB had declined then. Afghanistan's 17-member squad for the tour had assembled in Kabul last week to train amid the Taliban's takeover of the country. Pakistan have, however, delayed the announcement of their squad - which was originally set to happen on August 21 - because of lack of clarity around the tour.

In the meantime, a pre-season camp of Pakistan's 26 white-ball players started at Lahore's High Performance Centre on Sunday under the supervision of Saqlain Mushtaq. It was only known that Pakistan's four premier all-format players - Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali - were expected to be rested for the series to manage their workload ahead of the T20 World Cup. (Cricinfo)

Afghan cricket star says players 'fear' competing under Taliban rule ONE of the stars of Afghanistan’s cricket team has spoken of players’ fears of competing under the Taliban – which has said the sport could continue during its hard-line rule. Naveen-ul-Haq, who played for Leicestershire in the T20 Blast this summer, said many of his team-mates were struggling to come to terms with the return to power of the Islamic fundamentalists whose brutal rule between 1996 and 2001 saw most forms of entertainment banned. Taliban leaders confirmed cricket could continue in Afghanistan after meeting members of the country’s national team, who have been preparing in Kabul for a one-day international series against Pakistan next month.

Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq.

Haq, currently in the West Indies where he plays in the Caribbean Premier League(CPL), said he had spoken to his team-mates about the crisis to engulf his country. “The fear is there in their eyes, in their voices,

even in their messages,” the fast bowler told the BBC. “The Taliban have said [they] won’t be troubling any sportsman, but nobody knows.” According to former England star Kevin Pietersen, the family of Rashid Khan – Afghanistan’s biggest cricket star – has been unable to leave the country since the Taliban seized power. Pietersen, who said the pair had spoken last week while Khan was playing for Trent Rockets in The Hundred, told Sky Sports: “We had a long chat here on the boundary talking about it and [Khan] is worried: he can’t get his family out of Afghanistan. Afghan cricketers last week marked the country’s independence day – days after the fall of Kabul – by posting on Twitter pictures

and emojis of the tri-colour national flag, which the Taliban have replaced with their white banner in areas under their control. All-rounder Samiullah Shinwari had earlier tweeted a photo with the date of the takeover of the capital – August 15 – and the words: “The day Afghans lost their country and the whole world just watched.” Cricket was previously allowed under the Taliban – albeit only for men to play and watch – before flourishing in the 20 years since the previous regime fell. Haq said: “If you find positive news, if you see people happy together, it’s only cricket… that brings it to the country. It’s that important to Afghanistan. It’s more than a game for Afghanistan’s people.” (The Telegraph)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

New summer schedule planned by ECB to stop Hundred harming England’s Test team

From left: Mahela Jayawardene, Chris Jordan and Jos Buttler.

By Ben Rumsby PLANS were being drawn up on Monday night to stop The Hundred wrecking England’s bid to become a winning Test team again. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed it was looking at ways to avoid a repeat of a summer schedule that saw the County Championship take a six-week-plus break to make way for the new limited-overs competition at a time when England were trying to prepare for and compete in their Test series against India. The lack of first-class red-ball cricket in that period has been heavily criticised amid England’s struggles in the first two Tests, which culminated in last week’s stunning collapse at Lord’s. Speaking to mark the end of the first edition of The Hundred, ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said: “It’s something that’s been highlighted this year because we have had issues like losing the Test match at Lord’s and because we’ve

had a difficult start to the Test series against India. “There is not a silver-bullet solution that solves all the problems that a schedule will raise. We have to get to a place where we provide opportunities for players to get into good form and players to continue to play red-ball cricket when they are out of form. That’s not an easy thing to solve. We are hard at work at that.” The ECB has long argued The Hundred was necessary to save Test cricket and Harrison continued to do so on Monday after the governing body published figures it said proved the new competition had attracted new fans to the game – fans he said would ultimately be drawn to its longer formats. That remains to be seen but one goal of The Hundred that has already been achieved in spectacular fashion is the boost it has provided to women’s cricket. Women’s matches across the tournament drew crowds totalling 267,000 – almost double that for any women’s cricket event anywhere in

the world. Ex-England captain Charlotte Edwards, whose Southern Brave side were beaten by Oval Invincibles in Saturday’s final at Lord’s, said: “The Hundred has singlehandedly changed women’s cricket in this country. I never thought it would have the instant impact that it’s had.” Much of the credit for that has been apportioned to the staging of the majority of men’s and women’s matches as double-headers, something the ECB was forced into doing due to the coronavirus pandemic. It plans to retain that format for next year – Edwards said it should be the “permanent way forward” – and was on Monday night considering whether it could be adopted for some England matches. Harrison also said there would be a narrowing of the pay gap between Hundred men and women’s players, which this year saw respective salaries start at £24,000 and £3,600. (The Telegraph)

Root says pain of former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq is ‘hard to see’ ENGLAND captain Joe Root finds the pain of former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq “hard to see” and has called on everyone involved in cricket to play their part in making cricket a more inclusive sport. Root will lead his team in their now customary ‘moment of unity’ when the third LV= Insurance Test against India gets under way at Headingley on Wednesday, standing together against various forms of discrimination. That in itself is likely to provoke plenty of conversation given the ongoing situation regarding Rafiq’s claims of institutional racism during his time with the club. Yorkshire last week apologised to Rafiq, accepting he had been a “victim of inappropriate behaviour” and indicating that “several of the allegations made by Azeem were upheld” by an independent investigation they commissioned last September. That report has been delivered to Yorkshire, along with a suite of recommendations, but has yet to be published or shared with the England and Wales Cricket Board in its role as national governing body. Speaking after completing a net session on his home

ground, Root said: “I can’t really speculate or comment too much on a report I have not seen but, as a former team-mate and friend, it’s hard to see Azeem hurting as he is. “More than anything, it just shows that there is a lot of work we have to do in the game. “It’s a societal issue in my opinion. We have seen it in other sports, we have seen it in other areas. “As a sport, we have got to keep trying to find ways of making sure this isn’t a conversation that keeps happening. “We have got to find ways of creating more opportunities, making our game more diverse, educate better. “I don’t think that just comes from players and administrators – that is from everyone in the game. There has got to be a want and a will to do that and it is something we have to prioritise as a sport. Root confirmed that the moment of unity, which began at the start of this season after the practice of taking a knee was controversially shelved midway through the 2020 campaign, would continue to form a visible part of the national side’s response. “I think it is really im-

Former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq

portant we do that. We have to keep showing that we need to create opportunities to show the sport is for everyone, that we are desperate to make everyone feel welcome to it. “Hopefully through small things we can do at the minute on the field and around the game, but we have to do more, I get that. “We are very keen on doing more. It has been quite difficult to force action with Covid and the restrictions around what we have been allowed to do with bubbles. “But as a team it is a big focus for us to make the game for everyone and to make it the best we can and as welcoming as we can. “I know we keep talking about it but I am desperate to do something about it and hopefully in time you can see that come into action.” (PA Sport)

Botham, the ‘Beefy’ baron, appointed Britain’s trade envoy to Australia CRICKET hero Sir Ian Botham will be the new face of British produce in Australia at the request of his Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Botham, who haunted the Australians with bat and ball during a record-breaking career, is one of 10 trade envoys appointed to boost British business in dynamic markets such as Australia, Brazil and Canada. The 65-year-old, universally known as “Beefy”, was among the first celebrity cricketers of the modern era, his face and name attracting front-page tabloid attention through a series of controversies including his extramarital affair with an Australian waitress and drug use. One of England’s greatest all-rounders with 5200 test runs and 383 wickets, he publicly supported the Brexit campaign, appearing alongside Johnson at public events. He was later given a peerage and was appointed

to the House of Lords in October last year as Baron Botham of Ravensworth in the County of North Yorkshire. “It’s a great honour to carry out this role in a country that I love and have come to know so well,” he said. “I have spent a significant amount of my career in Australia, and I am excited to have the opportunity to build on the UK’s longstanding relationship and promote UK trade.” His appointment follows a historic trade pact between Britain and Australia that was finalised at a meeting between Johnson and Prime Minister Scott Morrison in London in June. The country’s first post-Brexit trade deal with Australia was spruiked as bringing cheaper barbecue meats and wine to supermarkets, but also an opportunity for better access for British companies to invest

in and send their products to Australia. Vicki Treadell, British high commissioner to Australia, said Botham’s appointment as Trade Envoy to Australia comes at an exciting time in the relationship between the countries. “Lord Botham’s skills and experience, together with his market knowledge developed during his time spent in Australia throughout his career, will help us promote the exciting new opportunities for two-way trade and investment. “In the UK, Lord Botham will help us encourage British business across every part of the UK, and SMEs in particular, to look to export to Australia and so increase our market share and economic prosperity. For Australians this means greater choice with both existing brands and exciting new options too.” (The Sunday Morning Herald)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Auguste century the highlight of U19 high-performance camp match AKEEM Auguste made the most of excellent batting conditions to record a sparkling century as the West Indies Rising Stars U19s High-Performance Camp continued this past weekend. The tall right-hander played a captain’s knock of 104 to lead his team to 270 all out. They then bowled out the team led by Giovonte Depeiza for 227 to win by 43 runs at the Coolidge Cricket Ground,

on Sunday. Auguste looked in full control from the moment he stepped to the crease. He came in with two wickets down for 30 runs in the seventh over and went on the attack, making his century off just 81 balls and included six fours and six sixes. He shared a fourth-wicket stand of 74 in nine overs with Rivaldo Clarke, who made 22 off 23 balls. After Clarke departed, Auguste added a

further 76 in 11 overs with Justin Beckford, who scored 29 off 39 balls. The second half of the match was dominated by Onaje Amory, who took 4-47 off 10 overs. The tall off-spinner continued to show great control and skill as he made it difficult for the batsmen to score freely. He broke the opening stand of 81 between Shaq Parris (21) and Anderson Armudan (59) when he had

Akeem Auguste played a captain’s knock of 104

Parris caught at cover by Beckford. Armudan, the powerful opener, again played a wide range of shots and his top score came off 49 balls with nine fours and a six. Teddy Bishop looked in good touch with 38 off 49 balls before he was run out by Amory, while Kyle Kissoondath made 36 off 41 balls before he was bowled by Amory. The West Indies Rising Stars U19s High-Performance

Camp is a key part of CWI’s investment in developing and preparing the players for the ICC U19 World Cup to be played in the West Indies from January 4 to February 3, 2022. The West Indies Rising Stars U19 tour of England will feature six Youth OneDay Internationals at The County Ground, Beckenham and The Polo Farm, Canterbury from Saturday, September 4 to Friday, September 17. (Sportsmax)

BCB still eyeing next month as potential restart time for season THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), barring anything unforeseen, will be sticking to their projected September 2021 time frame for the restart of all their cricket-related activities, following the initial disruption caused by the Covid-19 outbreak early last year.

Speaking briefly with BCB public relations officer (PRO), Simon Naidu, on Monday, the executive said that plans are still in place to have action restart at least by the end of September, aiming to stick to the board’s previous announcement back in July regarding September being

the month that the ‘wheels’ recommence turning, action wise. As previously outlined a few months back, the board will be keen on monitoring a number of areas before they attempt to fully get back into action. Among those areas of concern/ watch was improvement in

the weather which has been spontaneous recently while ensuring that all of their players have been fully vaccinated. Following the Covid-19 outbreak last year, the BCB, like many other sports organisations, were forced to immediately halt action as the world waited

for a way forward amidst the pandemic. However, despite the virus still wreaking havoc, the world has come to find ways of staying safe and carrying out their daily tasks, especially with the introduction of the vaccine. The BCB had abandoned a number of their

annually-sponsored tournaments and events due to the lockdown protocols. With things a bit more under control at the moment locally, the BCB plans to restart things as their players have been keeping fit and training throughout the period of dormancy.

Pele brings sporting stars together for charity auction By Andrew Downie LONDON, (Reuters) - Want a Brazil jersey owned by Pele? An All Blacks shirt signed by Dan Carter? A New York Yankees photo autographed by Derek Jeter? David Beckham’s AC Milan shirt? Those items, plus others from Cristiano Ronaldo and

Kylian Mbappe, are among 229 that will be up for sale next month at an auction organised by Pele for the foundation he created in 2018 to help underprivileged children. The Brazilian, the only player to claim three World Cup winner’s medals and a man often called the greatest footballer of all time, said

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday August 24, 2021)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Courtney Walsh-5/1 (Sharjah, 1986) (2) Farveez Maharoof-6/14 (Mumbai, 2006) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who has captained the WI in most ODI games against SL to date? (2) Who has led SL in most ODI matches versus the WI to date? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

all monies raised will help Brazil's fight against and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. So far 575,000 people have died in Brazil from COVID-19, the second highest death toll in the world after the United States. “Pele is such a legend, he’s an icon and other sports stars look up to Pele,” Martin Nolan, Executive Director and CFO of Beverly Hills-based Julien’s Auctions, told Reuters. “Because he was at home in his bubble he had the time to focus on this project.” Pele has provided some of his own items for the Sept. 22 auction but he has also called in favours from friends in the sport and entertainment worlds. There are Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos jerseys and photos autographed

month, also contributed as did Neymar, Roberto Baggio and Roger Milla.

229 items will be up for sale next month at an auction organized by Pele for the foundation he created in 2018 to help underprivileged children.

by the 80-year-old Pele, and others signed by ex-Brazil team mates such as Rivellino, Jairzinho and Clodoaldo. Mario Zagallo, the coach of the revered 1970 Brazil World Cup-winning side, who turned 90 earlier this

PELE'S FOOT World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer signed a number of photographs from his New York Cosmos and West Germany days; there’s a match ball from the 2015 Champions League final; and shirts and equipment used in basketball, American football, field hockey and water polo are also up for grabs. One of the items expected to fetch a high price is a gold-plated bronze cast of Pele’s foot made by celebrity sculptor Dante Mortet. Outside of football, Justin Timberlake, Maria Sharapova, Mark Wahlberg and the NBA have all donated items. “Whatever people want

from Pelé, but you mention Ronaldo, you mention Mbappe, those icons will be wanted,” Nolan said of the Portugal and France forwards. “But because it’s a charity auction, people always show up, they’re always extremely generous and they pay more than in a normal auction because they know it’s going to a good cause.” Pele brings sports stars together for charity auction This is not the first auction organized by Pelé. In 2016, he auctioned more than 1,600 items from a collection he accumulated over six decades in the spotlight and raised 3.6 million pounds ($ 4.90 million). This latest auction will take place at the Mall Galleries in London and is also open to online bidders.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Guyana beat Bermuda in final round of FIDE Online Olympiad GUYANA defeated Bermuda to finish seventh overall in their Division Four, Pool E battle of the FIDE Online Olympiad. AFTER losing to the Netherlands Antilles and Haiti on Sunday, on the final day of their three-day event, the Guyanese players were able to bounce back to draw against Mauritania in Northwest Africa before they defeated Bermuda 4-2 to finish with 30 game points. Puerto Rico were crowned champions of the group with 58.5 points, while Trinidad and Tobago finished second on 48 points, Haiti third on 44.5 points, Netherlands Antilles fourth, Saint Lucia fifth on

(West Africa) 12th on 14.5 points.

Nellisha Johnson finished with 6.5 points for Guyana.

33 points, Cayman Islands sixth on 32.5 points, Bermuda eighth on 28 points, Antigua and Barbuda ninth on

Ricardo Narine finished with four points in the junior category.

27 points, Mauritania 10th on 25 points, the Bahamas 11th on 20 points and Togo

ADMIRABLE PERFORMANCE Guyana’s captain, Davion Mars, said that despite the final placement, he was impressed with the overall performance of the side. “Seventh is obviously not the result we would've wanted, however, the team performed admirably individually and as a collective. “We've had incredible performances on the female boards from Nellisha Johnson. Shazeeda Rahim and Jessica Callender stepping up when they were called upon as well as the male junior player, Ricardo Narine.”

School of the Nations latest addition to GGA/Nexgen Golf Academy ‒ Founder/Director O’Toole endorses sport for students SCHOOL of the Nations became the latest learning institute to become a part of the Guyana Golf Association (GGA) and their mission is to ensure that the sport is introduced into schools nationwide. Next month (September), the GGA will hit its one-year mark since they have set out to get more schools in Guyana and more students familiar with the sport, which is now on the CSEC curriculum as a subject, as well as a major part of the University of Guyana’s (UG) Sports Faculty’s subject focus. With UG, Texila, schools across Region 10 and 4, the

association has so far, on average, turned some 100 students into golfers of different calibers, but golfers nonetheless. Now the addition of School of the Nations, one of Guyana’s premier private learning institutions, which caters to kids, teens and adults, recently teamed up with the GGA to further keep golf and academics married. Founder and Director of School of the Nations, Mrs. Pam O’Toole, along with a number of her students visited the GGA Academy at the Woolford Avenue location, where they got in

a few drives and learned the importance of golf, which is renowned as the favorite ‘second sport’ for most athletes and sports icons globally. Mrs. O’Toole added that she was elated to have her school be inducted into the endeavor which is geared towards bringing more youths to the ‘Greens’ as golf has easily been one of the sports known for its calming aura, something she added is highly important in the world of education and eventually when one enters the business world. She thanked GGA president, Aleem Hussain, for

inviting School of the Nations to be a part of the ongoing school programme and further committed to being involved along with her students. Mrs. O’Toole said she was very happy to see more girls coming out to take up the sport and help further buff the potential of the endeavor. Meanwhile, Hussain lauded the school founder for her prowess with the golf club after pulling off a few classy drives. He noted that the support from School of the Nations will further encourage more schools and learning institutions to come and have their students be a part of the ever-growing Academy. (Clifton Ross)

Although the top boards had some difficult matchups, there were several standout performers, including Mars himself. “It was always going to be tough on the top boards but we still managed to give a good account of ourselves with individual performances against higher rated opposition. The most notable being Taffin Khan's performance against International Master, Mark Machin of Puerto Rico.” Candidate Master Khan, Guyana’s highest-ranked player at the Olympiad, was able to defeat the topranked Puerto Rican player in 29 moves during their clash. Overall, the current national champion, Khan,

Premier League confirms 16 new positive Covid cases in latest round of testing THE Premier League says 16 players and club staff have tested positive for coronavirus over the past week.

Chelsea's Christian Pulisic missed Sunday's win at Arsenal after testing positive.

Founder and Director of School of the Nations, Mrs. Pam O’Toole and GGA president, Aleem Hussain (3rd and 4th from left respectively) along with a number of her students, teachers and members of the Association

finished on three points (seven games) and Mars on 2.5 points from eight games. Johnson led the side with 6.5 points from nine games (three walkover wins), while Callender finished with 4.5 points from 10 games, Rahim four points from seven games and Narine four points from 10 games. Loris Nathoo, who claimed wins against the Netherlands Antilles and Bermuda on Sunday, finished with three points in five games, while Adia Alphonso (one game played) and Sherlyta Campayne (six games played) registered a win each. William Gilbert finished with half of a point from two games.

Across two rounds, the Premier League conducted 3,060 tests between 16 and 22 August, with 12 positive

cases recorded in the first round and an additional four in the second. The figure marks another increase after nine positive cases in the first week and 11 in the week ending 15 August. The Premier League will maintain its twice weekly testing programme. This season, it will use lateral flow tests in its weekly testing, and only those with a positive outcome will then take a PCR test to confirm the result. The league says the number of "core" individuals being tested at every club has increased from 85 to 100. Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic missed Sunday's win over Arsenal after testing positive for the virus, as did Arsenal defender Ben White. (BBC Sport)

Shaheen Afridi followed up two four-fours in the first Test with a six-for in the second. (Getty Images)

Aggressive Pakistan set up tense finish to second Test

(REUTERS)-Shaheen Afridi grabbed career best figures as Pakistan dominated with bat and ball on the fourth day of the second and final Test against West Indies at Sabina Park. Left-arm quick Shaheen took 6-51 as the visitors bowled West Indies out for 150 shortly after lunch to ensure a 152-run first innings lead. Pakistan then sped to 6-176 before

declaring their second innings to set the hosts a target of 329 to win the Test. West Indies were 1-49 at the close in a Test that has already lost a full day to bad weather yet still looks likely to produce a result. Pakistan still need nine wickets while the West Indies require 280 runs in what would be a record-breaking run chase at the venue. Pakistan, beaten by one wicket in

the first Test, applied an aggressive approach throughout the day as West Indies resumed on their overnight score of 3-39, with Shaheen ably supported by Mohammad Abbas, who took 3-44. Nkrumah Bonner, who was 18 not out overnight, top scored with 37. Pakistan then wasted no time looking to set their hosts an imposing target. A b i d TURN TO PAGE 20 ►

Flo Jo world record within reach, says confident Thompson-Herah EUGENE, Oregon, (CMC) – Reigning Olympic double sprint champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah, has placed Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 33-year-old women’s 100 metres world record squarely in her crosshairs, after clocking the second fastest time in history here last weekend. The 29-year-old sprint queen stormed to an astonishing 10.54 seconds to win the Diamond League meet on Saturday at Hayward Field, crushing a high-quality field which included the likes of fellow Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, along with Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou and American sensation Sha’Carri Richardson. The late Griffith-Joyner, popularly known as Flo Jo, stunned with an incredible 10.49 at the United States trials ahead of the Seoul Olympics in 1988 but the mark has never been viewed as attainable until now. “Yes [I can go after the world record] because I ran 10.61 and I ran 10.54 so that means that I am close of course,” Thompson-Herah said. “There’s some more work to do so it’s a target of course. Jamaican sprint superstar Elaine Thompson-Herah.

Pooran to captain Guyana Amazon Warriors in CPL 2021 …Griffith appointed lead coach GUYANA Amazon Warriors have confirmed the appointment of Nicholas Pooran as captain for the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season which gets underway on August 26 at Warner Park, St. Kitts. A release, on Monday, stated that Pooran has been part of the Amazon Warriors since 2018 and has scored 437 runs at an average of 31.21. The Trinidadian, who is also the West Indies Twenty20 International vice-captain, had a successful debut to captaincy this year when he led the West Indies to a 4-1 series victory over Australia in St. Lucia. Commenting on the appointment, Pooran stated: “I am really excited to be taking on this challenge with the Guyana Amazon Warriors and want to express my appreciation to the franchise for the confidence they have expressed in me. We have a great team unity going and we support each other fully. I am looking forward to getting our tournament off to a winning start.” Additionally, teammate Shimron Hetmyer, on Monday, expressed a vote of confidence in Pooran’s ability to lead, stating“As a teammate, he is very good to be around, he lends a lot of support and, as a captain, he does the same as well…he is really a calm guy to be around to give information and he also relays information.” Likewise, Operations Manager, Omar Khan expressed: “We have enjoyed watching Nicholas grow as a cricketer and a leader during his tenure with Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise and we are looking forward to

Guyana Amazon Warriors captain, Nicholas Pooran Guyana Amazon Warriors lead coach, Rayon Griffith

seeing this journey continue in his role as leader of our team for CPL 2021.” Additionally, Khan announced that Afghanistan’s wrist-spinner, Waqar Salamkheil, will not be joining the squad due to visa issues and the ongoing travel issues in his homeland. The Warriors will not replace him and will stick to the 15-man squad for the tournament which ends on September 15. Meanwhile, former National cricketer and current West Indies assistant coach, Rayon Griffith, has been appointed as the lead Coach. According to a release from the organisers, on Monday, Griffith is currently in Jamaica with the West Indies Test team and will join the Amazon Warriors squad at the conclusion of that series.

Griffith moves up from the rank of assistant coach with the Amazon Warriors after joining the franchise in 2018. He takes up the mantle from South African Johan Botha, who served as Warriors head coach from 2018 – 2020. Griffith will be assisted by Strength and Conditioning Coach, Clinton Jeremiah, while there is also trainer, Dr. Jason Pilgrim. The five-time finalists will play the opening match against defending champions, Trinbago Knight Riders from 10:00hrs. Guyana Amazon Warriors squad: Nicholas Pooran, Shoaib Malik, Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Mohammad Hafeez, Brandon King, Naveen-ul-Haq, Romario Shepherd, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Odean Smith, Nial Smith, Gudakesh Motie, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Ashmead Nedd.

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

She continued: “I have to give God thanks that I crossed the line healthy. I was a little bit tired after the [Olympics] and didn’t know I would come out here to get another PB. I am really excited and grateful at the same time.” Thompson-Herah has progressively lowered her personal best, clocking 10.61 seconds to win the 100 metres at the recent Tokyo Olympics, when she became the first woman to repeat as double sprint champion. And Fraser-Pryce and Jackson, who claimed silver and bronze respectively in the 100 metres in Tokyo, also followed home Thompson-Herah on Saturday here to sweep the podium spots. Thompson-Herah, who burst to prominence at the Rio Olympics in 2016, said the pressure from the quality competition on Saturday had played a key factor in her time. “Honestly they pushed me to the line because I knew everyone was coming [hard] after that championships (Olympics),” she explained. “They helped me to get that 10.5 and I am very grateful for those ladies because they ran their hearts out, so for me to go out there and win that race with a world-lead and a PB, I’m really grateful. To all those ladies, thank you for helping me do that.” Saturday’s Diamond League had been hyped as a showdown between the flamboyant Richardson who controversially missed the Tokyo showiece due to a suspension, after testing positive for marijuana. However, the 21-year-old Richardson finished last as Herah-Thompson emerged from a slowish start to reel in the leaders and sweep to the finish convincingly in the Pacific Northwest. And with the World Championship scheduled for the same venue next year, Thompson-Herah believes last weekend’s victory was good preparation. “Normally people always talk about the track is fast or spikes are fast but also we have to put in the work because if I was not putting in the work, therefore I could not get the result,” she stressed. “But the track feels good. It’s my first time competing here after the refurbishing of the track so it feels good to test it out before the World Championship.” TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021