Issuu

FRIDAY 25th June, 2021

' No.106402

Over 100,000 persons fully vaccinated against COVID-19

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Multidimensional approach to crime-fighting SEE PAGE 03

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali

–– President Ali emphasises is key to maintaining security across the country

Visa-free travel for Haitians quashed 02 PAGE

–– as Guyana moves to address concerns of being a transshipment destination for human smuggling

Afro-Guyanese account for 36.6 per cent of COVID-19 deaths 04 PAGE

–– preliminary study finds even as Harmon maintains suspension call against Sputnik V vaccine

21 homeless in separate fires

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05&08

Appetizers served at the launch of Guyana Restaurant Week 2021 at Bistro Café and Bar at Movietowne on Thursday. Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Oneidge Walrond, opened the 12th season of the event which has seen an increase in the number of restaurants participating in the 10-day culinary showcase at standardised prices (DPI photo).

Canada 03 donates $8.9M to CDC for flood relief PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Visa-free travel for Haitians quashed –– as Guyana moves to address concerns of being transshipment destination for human smuggling

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali on Tuesday last signed an Immigration Revocation Order which essentially quashes visa-free travel once enjoyed by Haitians coming to Guyana. The order, which has been officially gazetted, stemmed from concerns that Guyana is being used as a transshipment destination for human smuggling. Two Thursdays ago the authorities discovered 10 undocumented persons claiming to be Haitian nationals at the Swiss Hotel, Skeldon, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). Of the five females and five males, only one person spoke English. That person told Guyanese officials that they were brought from Suriname by speedboat,

relieved of their documents and personal belongings, and left at the hotel at least four days before they were found. With President Ali’s order, Guyana will now be joining the majority of other Caribbean countries that have already made the decision to impose visa requirements for not only Haitians, but for Cubans as well. According to the website called VisaIndex, only three Caribbean countries, namely, Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Montserrat, have a visa-free immigration policy in relation to the Haitians. A recent statement issued by the Ministry of Legal Affairs, on behalf of the Government of Guyana explained that “It has long been suspect-

ed that there is a huge trafficking in persons and human-smuggling ring, including children, taking place in the Region and Guyana is being used as a transit point in this racket, which includes Cubans, Nigerians and Haitians, among others.” “This is the latest manifestation of this nefarious racket at work which seems to be operating on a daily basis,” the press statement said, as it referenced the Berbice discovery. Added to that, the Surinamese Government has shared intelligence which suggests that the racket extends to that neighbouring republic. The Dr Irfaan Ali Government has also engaged the Cuban Ambassador to Guyana on this issue. It

Haitian nationals who wish to enter Guyana will now have to apply, be interviewed, and wait for their visa applications to either be granted or denied (Photo released by CANU) is believed that these persons, including children, are being trafficked to various parts of the world, with Guyana being used as a transshipment point. It is unclear as to whether the government will consider similar restrictions for Cubans. The week prior to the

Berbice discovery, police in Guyana arrested a number of Haitians, Nigerians and Cubans in close vicinity to Lethem, Region Nine; many of those persons did not possess Guyana’s entry stamps in their passports. The government in its statement said that given the discoveries, it felt

compelled to inform the relevant international agencies dealing with human trafficking and smuggling of persons, including children. To this end, authorities have committed to engaging the United Nations Human Rights Council, the International Organisation for Migration and INTERPOL to request their urgent intervention and assistance. As an immediate move to curb the suspected trafficking, President Ali took an immediate decision to review the country’s immigration protocols and impose lawful restrictions such as the visa requirement. Additionally, with the new order in effect, Haitians will no longer benefit from the six-month automatic stay that is being afforded to all other member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Guyana Chronicle recently reported on immigration data which shows that from 2015 to June 2021, Guyana has seen an unusually large influx of Haitians who have entered Guyana, but failed to leave; at least through legal channels. More specifically, records for the aforementioned period point to the arrival of 42,100 Haitians, with some 38,187 of them unaccounted for. Only 3,913 have been registered to have legally departed the shores of Guyana. In addition to other Caribbean countries, the Brazilian Government has also expressed concerns relating to the questionable migration of Haitian nationals.

Multidimensional approach to crime-fighting

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

–– President Ali emphasises is key to maintaining security across the country

By Rehana Ahamad WITH Guyana firmly en route to prosperity, the government will be modernising and specialising its approach to fighting crimes and maintaining security across the country. This is according to President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, who emphasised the importance of having specialised regional crime-fighting units established across the country. “A more prosperous country becomes a target for more sophisticated criminals,” Dr. Ali recognised. The Head of State related that the specialised regional outfits are intended to have a “multifaceted menu” of skillsets, capable of effectively and rapidly responding to a variety of situations. Dr. Ali pointed specifically to inclusion of civilians, officers trained in Special Forces, and ranks from Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) as members of the regional

outfits. “Because, in dealing with these criminals and criminal type activity, a variation of skills is required and that skills would be merged into one unit so that you can have quick reaction, quick understanding from a multidimensional approach to crime-fighting,” President Ali said in his address to those present at a handing over ceremony for several computers donated to the Region Four Police Headquarters at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara. The equipment was donated by the Jay and Sylvia Sobhraj Foundation. In expressing appreciation to Mr. and Mrs. Sobhraj for the donation, the Head of State said that it was such partnerships that help to solidify the country’s regionalisation efforts. He said, “The best way to fight crime is to have as much people on your side as possible.” President Ali also un-

derscored the importance of the private sector in tackling crime and security-related issues in the country. “We throw out the challenge to the private sector that the government is willing to give duty-free concessions on vehicles, and the Police Force is willing to put people in those vehicles to do 24-hour surveillance,” Dr. Ali noted. He said that so far, only one business entity has taken up the offer to provide monitoring of areas in the vicinity of Kingston, Main Street and Carmichael Street, Georgetown. The Head of State related that the partnership with the private sector has to be one that takes the Guyana Police Force to the people, and expose the institution beyond its current narrow definition of crime-fighting. NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS In admitting that the

The newly established ICT centre at the Cove and John Police Station, East Coast Demerara

Guyana Police Force is victim of negative perceptions, Dr. Ali emphasised the importance of creating an environment where police officers are able to work alongside members of the communities they serve, in an effort to create positive linkages that can add to the overall development and security of the various regions. “If we can train the police officers as trainers in computer science and technology, and then have those officers go and volunteer an hour every week in a school to impart that training on students…so when you go out into the schools, you create a different mindset; people see the Police Force beyond the narrow definition of crime-fighting,” the President posited. He acknowledged that the Guyana Police Force has many properly qualified persons who have obtained solid tertiary qualifications in various fields such as Information Technology, Management and Sociology, etcetera. But the President explained that the integration of police officers into the communities adds to the government’s efforts of regionalisation, which has been an important component of the country’s security strategy for the past decade. “What is different now is that we are putting a lot of resources into this regionalisation,” Dr. Ali indicated. The Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces also underscored the importance of utilising technology to foster intelligence gathering and improve the overall efficiency of the Guyana Police Force.

“We ourselves are now working on the expansion of the ‘Smart City’ programme…to aid crime-fighting,” Dr. Ali said. He said that the donations from the Sobhraj Foundation of the Zara Group of Companies, will help the force to strengthen its technological capacity. MODERN AND INNOVATIVE APPROACH Similar sentiments were shared by Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, who expressed the administration’s commitment to ensuring a more modern and innovative approach to crime-fighting in Guyana. “We have retained some attention to issues in relation to developing software… having software which can be used across the country, across divisions, to have almost instantaneous reaction, information, and response to criminal activity,” minister Benn said. Outside of technology, the Home Affairs Minister stressed the need for police officers to also be more empathetic in their dealings with both victims and perpetrators of crimes. Also delivering remarks at the handing over ceremony was Commissioner of Police (ag.), Nigel Hoppie, who said that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) remain an integral part of the police force’s operations, particularly at the level of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). He related that shortly after 2010, the Sobhraj Foundation has been providing important support to the Guyana Police Force, especially as it relates to the development of its ICT

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali capacity. Over the years, the foundation’s collaboration with the Police Force has seen at least 13,626 persons being trained at four computer training centres established around the country; of that figure, 2,834 trainees were members of the GPF, while 10,792 of the beneficiaries were civilians. The Cove and John Police Station will now be added as the fifth ICT centre to benefit from support given by the Sobhraj Foundation. Sylvia Sobhraj in her brief remarks said that the Cove and John centre is of particular importance to her, since it is her way of giving back to a community that helped to raise her. She expressed her Foundation’s commitment to providing continuous support to Guyana and its people. Nonetheless, in going forward, President Ali said that the mission to develop the Guyana Police Force rests on the three ‘E’s equip, evolve and emerge.

Canadian High Commission donates $8.9M to CDC for flood relief THE Civil Defence Commission (CDC), on Thursday, received $8.9 million from the Canadian High Commission to boost its flood relief efforts. CDC Director-General, Lieutenant Colonel, Kester Craig, received the donation from High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, Mark Berman, at the Canadian Embassy. The Director-General said the donation will go towards, among other things, shelter management and providing potable water for those affected by the flood. “We recognise now that because of the flooding there could be water contamination; having drinking water is essen-

tial to prevent any outbreak. So, we place a lot of emphasis on ensuring that there is potable water for residents in those communities,” he stated. He highlighted that the Canadian Government has, over the years, assisted Guyana during times of disaster, lending critical support in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020. With that, he said the funding would help tremendously in the CDC’s response effort. High Commissioner Berman said the Government of Canada is pleased to be assisting Guyana in combating the flood situation. “I want the Government and you the people of Guyana to know that Canada stands firmly with you during the

CDC Director-General, Lt. Col. Kester Craig and High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, Mark Berman following the signing ceremony crisis… Canada recognises the impact of an effective human-

itarian response, protects the lives and wellbeing of those

affected by the crisis,” the High Commissioner said. He said through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), more support will be provided such as personal protective equipment, safe drinking water and shelter management support. Added to that, Mr. Berman said Canada is committed to working with Guyana for the relief recovery in the months ahead. “I have to commend President Ali, the Government of Guyana and particularly the CDC for their leadership and coordination of relief efforts throughout the crisis, and I am looking forward to continued partnership as we help to rebuild Guyana from this disaster,” he said. The CDC since the begin-

ning of the national disaster has been receiving assistance to aid its flood relief efforts from the private sector and Non-Governmental Organisations. Additionally, the National Assembly recently approved $10 billion in supplementary funding to bolster Government’s ongoing flood relief efforts nationwide. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday began its ‘Detailed Disaster Sector Assessment’ in Regions Two, Five, Six, Seven and 10. The exercise is estimated to be completed within a month after which a damage and loss estimate report will be prepared. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Afro-Guyanese account for 36.6 per cent of COVID deaths –– preliminary study finds, even as Harmon maintains suspension call against Sputnik V vaccine By Jared Liddell

THE Ministry of Health said Thursday that based on the recent findings of a preliminary study done here, the Afro-Guyanese community accounts for the largest demographic of COVID-19 fatalities, pegged at 36.6 per cent. Coming a close second at 28.2 per cent is the Amerindian community, followed by the Indo-Guyanese community at 23.3 per cent. Bringing up the rear at a mere 11.4 per cent are those persons classified as mixed race. The foregoing conclusion, the ministry said, was drawn after a preliminary analysis was done on 202 of the 458 persons that have died here so far since the virus was first discovered on these shores. Other statistics from the study also show that an overwhelming majority of those who died while in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) had not received any of the COVID-19 vaccines being offered here.

What first aroused their curiosity, the Health Ministry said, was the “slight reduction” in the number of persons taking their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines. And the obvious conclusion was that the decline had to do with the recent floods; but now that the floodwaters have begun to recede, and vaccination rates are still noticeably down, they have no alternative but to reassess the situation. During a press conference he hosted on June 17, Leader of the Opposition Joseph Harmon called on the government to suspend administering the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, claiming that it could be “fake.” He also seized the opportunity during the said press conference to dissuade persons from taking either of the vaccines, in keeping with his preposterous claims, but the irony of it all was that he had already had both of his ‘shots’, and as such has been fully immunised against the deadly virus. Several government of-

Friday June 25, 2021 04:00hrs - 05:30hrs

Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony ficials and members of the private sector have since called out Harmon for his claims, which they believe are politically motivated. The opposition leader’s utterances also drew a stern response from President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who, in a special broadcast to the nation on the evening of the said June 17, condemned Harmon’s move as “shamefully reckless, selfish, and against the interest of Guyana and Guyanese.” As the world continues to grapple with the devastating effects of the deadly coronavirus, almost every country has been working overtime to acquire the life-saving vaccines; fortunately, Guyana is one of the few nations that have been able to acquire enough vaccines to sufficiently

immunise its entire adult population. POLITICAL FOOTBALL President Ali spared no effort in reprimanding Harmon for playing with people’s lives, and for using the country’s efficient vaccination efforts as a political football. “Countries are fighting desperately to get these vaccines; these vaccines are not easily procured. We have tried every single measure, and for Mr. Harmon to discredit those efforts; for Mr. Harmon to try to dissuade Guyanese at this important public health juncture of our country is reckless and shameful,” President Ali posited, as he proceeded to highlight Harmon’s duplicity. “He himself took

the Sputnik vaccine,” Dr. Ali said, adding: “There’s a limit to which one’s selfishness can go. In this case, the limit must be to issue a statement that put the lives of Guyanese families and communities at risk. That is what Mr. Harmon has done.” On June 22, the Ministry of Health released a document from Director-General of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIV), Alexander Chistyakov, dismissing Harmon’s claims that the COVID-19 vaccines entering Guyana from Russia could be inauthentic. The document, in the form of a letter issued by Chistyakov, head of the Human Vaccine Limited Liability Company (LLC), which is a subsidiary of the RDIF, confirmed the authenticity of the shipments of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines sold to Guyana by an authorised company called Aurugulf, by providing batch numbers, certificate of analysis, and the packing list, along with the vaccine shipments. Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony has noted that while persons all across the country have become hesitant about taking the vaccines, the ministry intends to continue on its aggressive drive to get people vaccinated. He noted that the min-

istry plans to continue engaging persons through the use of innovative initiatives, such as the recently launched ‘drive-thru’ vaccination campaign which has had significant success in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). “We are getting closer to herd immunity; we estimate that we will have to get at least 80 per cent of our adult population vaccinated with both doses, so this is a step in the right direction,” Dr. Anthony said, adding: “We’re now at approximately 21 per cent; we still have a far way to go, but I think if we work with people and get them to come and get both doses, Guyana would be much better off.” In closing, Minister Anthony encouraged persons to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, noting that in the past few months, the number of hospitalisations has been on a steady increase. The health minister reminded persons that the COVID-19 vaccinations could significantly reduce their chances of serious complications, if they were to come into contact with and contract the COVID-19 virus.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

18 homeless, millions lost in D' Urban Street blaze — two buildings destroyed, Pawn Shop damaged

AN early morning fire, suspected to be the work of arsonist (s), on Thursday, completely flattened two buildings at D'Urban and George Streets, Georgetown. According to reports, the fire left 18 persons homeless, including 12 Venezuelan migrants, and the owner of the vulcanising shop from which the fire is believed to have started. The shop is owned by Kevin Phillips. According to Phillips, he was awakened around 01:00 hrs by the incessant barking of his dogs. Upon investigation of the commotion, he saw two male cyclists making their way from the side of his property. “I decide to check it out by looking through a lil vent in the wall, and I saw two persons riding away from the side of my yard, mounting on the bicycles, riding away from the side of my yard. And then, as I’m watching them leave, I heard the neighbour hollering, ‘Fire! Fire! Fire!’ Because she’s right next door to me. From my room, I could see on her step, and she’s hollering fire, so I open my window to see where the fire is, not

knowing that it’s at the side of the building that I’m occupying,” Phillips related, to the News Room on Thursday morning. “From then, we tried to contain the fire, and we couldn’t contain it. We tried to save some things, which we didn’t get to do, really. Everything burnt,” he added. The distraught man said that he had lost everything in the fire, including a series of brand new electric bicycles, which were credited in order to be sold. One of the Venezuelan migrants, a woman, explained in broken English that once they got up, they just “ran out”. “No collect clothes, no collect shoes, no collect nothing. Everybody gone out. Document papers, burnt. Everything burned down,” she explained, looking distressed. “ID card, passport, clothes… everything burn down,” one of the men pitched in. While the firefighters managed to contain the blaze after arriving on scene, the fire damaged the western wall of the Elegance Jewellery and Pawn Shop, located

The charred remains of the two houses, and the scorched western wall of Elegance Jewellery and Pawn Shop (Adrian Narine photo) on Durban Street, between Camp and George Streets. While the value of the damage sustained to the building is difficult to estimate, a figure will be available by this morning. However, owner of the enterprise,

Hardat Muniram, called ‘Ravi’, explained that some household appliances including stoves, refrigerators and washing machines were damaged from the heat of the blaze. He reassured customers of the pawn shop, though,

that it is currently open for business transactions. All in all, millions of dollars are estimated to have been lost in the blaze. Haimchandra Persaud, the Divisional Officer-in-Charge of Opera-

tions at the Guyana Fire Service, as well as Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo, have both indicated that investigations are underway, and more information will be disseminated as soon as it is made available.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

Democracy as the basis for rule

IT is a taken-for-granted fact that democracy should at all times be the basis for rule. The principle of ‘one man, one vote’ has long been enshrined in the constitutions of all democratic countries in the world and has now become an entrenched governance norm. This principle expresses the idea that individuals should have equal rights in terms of electing a government of their choice in free, fair and certified elections. The term democracy first appeared in ancient Greek political and philosophical thought in the city-state way back since the early days of Greek civilisation. Democracy is a necessary and indispensable ingredient for the proper functioning of society that few could argue against it as the best tool to ensure accountable and good governance. Yet there are several countries where democracy is under stress and where attempts are being made to undermine democracy and the rule of law. The situation in Myanmar is a case in point, where an elected government was de-

nied the right to govern by the military establishment in clear violation of the democratic principle of one man, one vote and the expressed will of the people of Myanmar. Closer to our Region, the people of Peru are still to have the winner of a presidential run-off officially declared, even though elections for a new president and government took place on June 6, nearly three weeks ago. Leftist candidate Pedro Castillo has claimed victory but his rival, right wing candidate Keiko Fujimori is challenging the results of the poll which gave Castillo a slim margin of victory. Castillo, a 51-year old school teacher has a lead of around 44,000 votes garnering 50.12 per cent of the votes as compared to Fujimori’s 49.87 per cent. She is now demanding the annulment of thousands of votes cast in favour of her rival, despite the fact that she is unable to substantiate any of the allegations made. Fujimori is the daughter of imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori who was President from 1990 to 2000.

The situation in Peru bears some resemblance to what took place in our own country when the then David Granger administration refused to concede defeat and insisted on a recount of the ballots, despite the fact that the Statements of Poll (SoPs) indicated that his party lost the elections by over 15,000 votes. It took over five months before the elections were finally declared by the Guyana Elections Commission in favour of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, but not before a long and protracted court battle and interventions by local and foreign observer groups, the diplomatic community and other stakeholder groups urging that the will of the electorate be respected. A not dissimilar situation obtained in the recent elections in the United States where former President Donald Trump and his Republican supporters challenged the results of the elections in several battleground states, which resulted in some ugly and unprecedented attacks on Capitol Hill. One lesson from all these experiences

is that democracy should not be taken for granted. In this regard, the importance of strong and independent national institutions must not be underestimated in ensuring that the will of the electorate is not hijacked by those who refuse to play by the democratic rules. The role of the judiciary, the Guyana Elections Commission, civil society and the diplomatic community is critical in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral processes and preventing the will of the people from being subverted by unscrupulous power-hungry elements. It remains to be seen how the situation in Peru will unfold. One thing is clear, however. The days when the fundamental rights of people could be trampled upon with impunity are now becoming a thing of the past. The winds of democracy are blowing with much greater intensity and any attempt to subvert the will of the electorate will not be tolerated by democratic forces both within the country and by the international community.

Moses Nagamootoo’s ship has long floated away Dear editor, MOSES Nagamootoo’s otiosity continues. This wastefulness of a now ‘mere shadow of a man’ was adumbrated as far back as 1895, when Anton Delbrück’s clairvoyance spotted the likes of him, and now Guyanese are experiencing Nagamootoo’s tendencies to mythomania and pseudologia fantastica. His recent article, “Vaccines, Vultures and Victims” leaves a lot to be desired and smacks of a schoolboy, who ‘cusses out’ instead of making a point. I will only address his first two complaints. Nagamootoo says, “Serious allegations have been raised that the Guyana Government has run afoul, by overspending public funds, to buy vaccines, and mis-directing flood-disaster relief.” Let me address these, since Nagamootoo, for sure, could not have been following recent developments. A March 15, 2021 Managed Healthcare article notes, “So far, governments around the world have been the only purchasers of the COVID-19 vaccines, so the price has been set by government contracts. But different countries are paying different prices. The EU is also paying less for the Pfizer

BioNTech vaccine than the US, $14.70 per dose versus $19.50. On the other hand, the U.S. is paying less for the Moderna vaccine (about $15) than the EU (about $18). The contribution governments have made toward vaccine research is the explanation for the price differences. Moderna is charging the U.S. less for its vaccine, because the U.S. government funded research that led to the vaccine’s development. Similarly, the EU supported research that led to the development of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, thus the lower price for that vaccine for the EU.” In other words, the vaccines, irrespective of the type, can run to approximately US$20 and so far, we can surmise that some 250,000 in Guyana have received vaccines, at least the first dose, and around 100 the second dose. This means, on the average, some 300,000 vaccines have been used, which means using up some six million dollars. Remember, we are not tallying accompanying expenses here, such as shipping and storage. So, when Nagamootoo talks about “… deals with questionable foreign sources, as red-lighted by the Sputnik V vaccines controversy, in which private operatives in

Saudi Arabia and Norway were named,” we are shell-shocked, and I am sure I speak for the majority. This kind of wild saying runs parallel to Joseph Harmon’s outbursts, when, just a few days ago, he railed that the vaccines were not authentic, yet he himself took both doses of the said ones he was smearing. Now concerning his blast that there is a ‘mis-directing of flood-disaster relief,’ Nagamootoo is a lone wolf baying in the dark. All he needs to do is visit the many news outlets and note what is taking place. The situation in Guyana is of such, that President Dr. Irfaan Ali, had to officially declare “… a disaster in Guyana due to flooding.” The proclamation notes that as of June 7, 2021, a total of 28,228 households were affected by flooding, some with water entering their homes, domestic animals and livestock in distress or farmlands inundated.” This tragic emergency inspired external bodies to lend aid in a most unquestionable manner. The situation is so dire that there is no room for even contemplating anything untoward. Just a few weeks back, the Government of Guyana was forced to intensify distribution of food and sanitary supplies to flooded

households and persons who have been relocated to shelters. On one occasion, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, visited the National Gymnasium to lend aid, as truckloads of supplies were being packaged for distribution by ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), with critical support from civilian volunteers. Just this weekend, the French Red Cross’ Regional Intervention Platform for the Americas and the Caribbean rushed 9.45 tonnes of various items aboard a French military vessel, Dumont d’Urville, to Guyana to assist with flood relief. We can see then, that Nagamootoo’s nauseous ramblings manifest a deeper condition. He needs a lot of help. He is still to recover from the toppling of the APNU+AFC. His ship has long floated away. Guyana is rapidly moving far away from the world of Moses Nagamootoo, and it seems as though he will end his time on earth, steeped in ‘mythomania’ and ‘pseudologia fantastica.’ Yours faithfully Matthew Hendrix

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

COVID-19 widens gap between extreme wealth and extreme poverty –– Regional Human Development report finds

LATIN AMERICA and the Caribbean (LAC) is a region where wealth and prosperity co-exist with pockets of extreme poverty, backwardness, and vulnerability. This is according to the 2021 Regional Human Development Report which argues that the region is “caught in a trap of high inequality and low growth,” where concentration of power, violence, and inefficient social protection policies fuel a vicious circle and limit human development. The report, which analyses “the trap” that hinders achievement of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and was launched virtually on Monday. It indicated that “despite the progress of recent decades, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Guyana, are more unequal than countries in other regions with similar

levels of development, and their social indicators are still below those expected for their average income level.” “While the 105 billionaires in LAC have a combined net worth of US$446.9 billion, two people in 10 in LAC still do not have enough food to eat. While some inherit property and networks and attend prestigious universities, others struggle in the labour markets with a precarious education. While some own thousands of hectares of land, millions remain landless and homeless. The list of contrasts is long and well known in the region,” the report posited. According to its outline, the report explores critical factors that underlie the mutual reproduction of high inequality and low growth: concentration of power, violence in all its forms -political, criminal and social, and poorly functioning social protection policies. The document points specifically to the fact that concentration of power in the

hands of a few who defend their private interests is one of the factors that connect high inequality with low growth. Through its political influence, the misuse of power tends to distort public policies and weaken institutions. “One example explored in the report is the role of economic elites in blocking fiscal reforms that would support a more progressive form of redistribution. To balance the distribution of power, UNDP suggests exploring lines of action such as lobbying regulation and financing of political campaigns,” a press release from UNDP Guyana noted. It is a common belief that the financing of political parties without transparency and accountability can lead to corruption. RECOMMITTED As Guyana remains on the cusp of transformation, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government had recommitted to ratifying comprehensive

Over 100,000 COVID-19 tests conducted in first half of 2021

HEALTH MINISTER, Dr. Frank Anthony, has reported that the ministry has recorded over 100,000 COVID-19 tests during the first half of the year, even as the countrywide vaccination campaign is ongoing. During Wednesday’s COVID-19 update, Dr. Anthony said that Guyana’s testing capacity has significantly increased since the PPP/C Government took office. This, he said, has led to the detection of more positive cases. In 2020, only 38,000 tests were conducted, when compared to 100,000 in the first half of 2021. Minister Anthony said there are three types of tests that detect the deadly disease. In addition to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, point of care testing using gene expert machines and antigen testing are also being used to diagnose positive cases. The National Public Health Reference Laboratory has the capacity to conduct 2,000 PCR tests per day, with approximately 96 samples processed every three hours. “We have improved the capacity tremendously from when we were struggling to do about 21 tests per day and

Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony you use to get that back in seven to eight hours. “We are now able to increase the processing time and also the number of tests we can do because we have automated that process. Most of the time, we get between 300 to 400 PCR per day and we are able to comfortably handle that,” the minister said. He also noted that the full capacity of the laboratory has not yet been utilised. In addition to the Government, several private institutions have been granted permission to offer PCR testing. These include the Eureka Medical Laboratory, Coastal Diagnostics and Sherriff Medical. The regional testing capacity has also been boosted with the installation of point-

of-care testing at regional hospitals in Regions One, Six, Nine and 10. “We are able to do testing, rather than wait until the next day to send the sample in. If there’s an emergency that you need to know what’s happening with this patient, you can run those tests. So those are point-of-care testing and there’s PCR testing so they’re extremely accurate,” the minister said. At some sites, particularly in hinterland areas, antigen tests are conducted for faster results, as the process takes approximately 20 minutes. However, these tests are not as accurate as the PCR which is the global gold standard for COVID tests. (DPI)

campaign finance laws. Meanwhile, the UNDP report also pointed to the prevalence of various forms of violence, and the need for greater equality among the people of the region. Some of the lines of action proposed in the document include the strengthening of local justice systems and the expansion of mental health care for victims of violence. The report also looks at the fragility of the region’s

social protection systems, evidenced by their limited response capacity during the pandemic. “The linking of risk insurance systems with formal employment has motivated governments to create parallel systems, of lower quality, to cover the people who are excluded, who are the majority in the region.” Further, the report indicated that countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have segmented labour markets and social protection systems that reproduce inequalities and encourage the organisation of production in very small and unproductive businesses. To tackle this issue, the document suggested the “rethinking of social protection to ensure universality”. Finally, the report recommends that the solutions undertaken must lead to greater growth with environmental sustainability, and to greater inclusion and social mobility. “These solutions require balancing power by defining rules and policies, eradicating violence in all its forms and redefining the institutional environment that

constitutes the essence of the social contract: opportunities in the labour market, taxation and social protection,” the UNDP press statement noted. Assistant Administrator and UNDP’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Luis Felipe López Calva, said that the report calls on Latin Americans to understand the connection between the aforementioned factors, and “highlights an entry point that can serve to break free from low growth and high inequality: the implementation of universal social protection systems that are redistributive, fiscally sustainable, and more favourable to growth”. This fourth Human Development Report for Latin America and the Caribbean is an independent editorial publication commissioned by UNDP. The report was prepared with the financial support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperation.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Fire guts mechanic’s home, leaves three homeless By Mesha Sealey

A FIRE, on Thursday morning, completely destroyed a house which served as a living quarters and mechanic shop, in the Squatting Area of Go Slow Drive, Tucville, Georgetown. The tragic occurrence has left the property’s owner, who managed to escape with his two-year-old son, devastated, traumatised and counting his losses. When the Guyana Chronicle arrived on the scene, the mechanic, 36-year-old Deon Richards, called “Cuckle” was seen sitting on the grass in a disoriented state, unable to communicate effectively due to his immense distress. His wife and two-year-old son, who reside with him, were nowhere to be seen. Guyana Fire Service Division Officer-in-Charge of Operations, Haimchandra Persaud, related that reports of the fire were received

Neighbour of the mechanic, Carlton Prince around 08:57 hrs on Thursday, prompting firefighters to rush into action. “We received a call at the Central Control Room, about the fire… and two appliances from the Central Fire Station: West Ruimveldt, along with Campbellville, would have responded. Upon arrival, the first arriving officer would have noticed that the building was engulfed in flames, and he

would have notified us, and they went into action,” he explained. As neighbours had managed to contain the blaze until the emergency services arrived, quick work by the team of firefighters in sourcing water from the nearby canal subsequently extinguished the fire. “[The victim] indicated that he was awakened by the smell of smoke and upon checking, he noticed fire in his room, or the living room. He exited with his two-yearold son, and he had thought initially that his wife was inside or perished, but she was subsequently found on the road,” Persaud continued. A team of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) was on standby, to check Richards’ medical state, but subsequently departed after noting stable vitals, leaving the devastated man seated on the grass. Carlton Prince, a neighbour of the mechanic, told

The charred remains of the mechanic’s residence in the Go Slow squatting area (Adrian Narine photo) the Guyana Chronicle that he and a friend, Bert, were sitting on chairs in front of their residence, when Richards burst forth from his house, seemingly in a panicked state. “He approached this gate here, with his son in his hands, claiming that, ‘hold me son! Hold me son! I get a fire in my house!’ But it’s like he ain’t get an idea where the fire start from in de house. Like he just get de heat, and run out with he son,” Prince detailed. He said that after col-

lecting the child from his father, and taking him into his (Prince’s) house, he then went back to the house with Richards to see how he could assist. “The first thing we do, we try to get the vehicle out the yard. We get it out the yard. We was trying to get this other one out the yard, but when we do approach the house, the fire was more than we. So we had to leff everything, because same time people start stepping in, and giving we assistance, where the

fire is concerned for this building,” he continued, while gesturing to the roof of his own house. He added that residents of the surrounding homes used buckets to dip water from a trench opposite the house to keep the fire at bay until the arrival of the Guyana Fire Service on the scene. While neighbours speculated that a gas tank may have exploded and caused the fire, investigations into the cause of the blaze are still ongoing.

‘Short Boss’ not keen on doing ‘life’ –– moves to the courts TRAVIS Evans, also known as ‘Short Boss’, who had confessed to killing a man in 2018, has moved to the Court of Appeal to challenge his life sentence. Evans is arguing that the sentence is manifestly excessive and severe in all the circumstances of the cases. He was sentenced in April by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court. Evans was indicted for murder, but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. The convict had confessed that on August 2, 2018, at a ‘C’ Field, Sophia, Georgetown shop, he unlawfully killed Ronsley Clarke. Justice Kissoon had sentenced Evans to life imprisonment, with the possibility of parole after serving 25 years. According to reports, on the day in question, Clarke

was at a birthday celebration in Sophia, and was standing in front of a shop with some friends, when Evans walked right up to him and shot him thrice before making good his escape. According to the autopsy, Clarke died of haemorrhage and shock due to gunshot wounds. When Evans was arrested sometime later, he allegedly told the police that he and Clarke had had an altercation prior to the incident, and he decided to shoot him out of revenge. Seems like 2018 was not a good year at all for Evans, as he was also implicated in another murder, this time around all the way up on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, and again in the month of August, for the murder of Kuru Kururu resident and legal clerk, Gregory Frank. He was reportedly placed

Travis Evans at the scene of the crime between July 31 and August 2, 2018, and is said to have committed the act while in the company of others during the course of a robbery. He is currently on remand awaiting trial for that incident. According to reports, Frank, 46, of Lot 686 Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, was found dead in a pool of blood in his house on August 2, 2018, and it was suspected that he might have been killed during a burglary. An autopsy revealed that Frank died from asphyxiation due to a compression injury to the neck, compounded by blunt trauma to the head. The statement had noted that the rear door to Frank’s house was found ajar, and the entire house was ransacked. Valuables were also reported missing from the house.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Legislative agenda agreed to address kinks in anti-money laundering system

ATTORNEY-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., said Thursday that a legislative agenda has been identified to remedy the deficiencies in the current Anti-money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing system. He made the observation during the course of a virtual two-day workshop following the completion of Guyana’s second National Risk Assessment (NRA) on Anti-money Laundering and Combatting

the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing. Minister Nandlall acknowledged that this type of risk assessment is especially important with Guyana’s emerging oil-and- gas sector, in that it is critical to ensure that the Anti-money Laundering and Combatting the Financing apparatus is adequate in addressing the risks and threats that Guyana may face. He said that one of the major undertakings of the government in ensuring the effectiveness of the current

system is boosting the country’s prosecutorial capacity, which would improve the effectiveness of investigations, prosecutions and convictions. The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has recently recruited additional staff in the areas of law, forensic audit, accounting and investigations, in aid of this transition. Further, the government is taking steps to foster improved inter-agency cooperation between SOCU and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP),

leading to an increase in the conclusion of money laundering-related cases. The Attorney-General noted that in order to create a well-oiled machinery to protect Guyana’s financial sector, Guyana also has to improve its supervisory framework, as well as its financial and commercial sphere, in order to bring unregulated entities under the sphere of compliance. World Bank representative, Mr. Klaudijo Stroligo, congratulated Guyana for the methods employed

during the NRA, given the challenges faced globally by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also expressed gratitude to the European Union for their financial contribution in funding the World Bank’s participation in the NRA process. Day One of the workshop consisted of presentations on the money laundering threats faced by Guyana, and also encompassed assessments of the oil-and-gas sector, illegal wildlife trade, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing risks.

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. There was also an assessment of the overall national vulnerability of Guyana in relation to ML/ TF risks.

Over 100,000 persons fully vaccinated against COVID-19 HEALTH MINISTER, Dr. Frank Anthony, said that some 103,029 persons or 21.2 per cent of the adult population have received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. He was speaking during the COVID-19 update on Thursday. The minister said that, to date, 229,846 persons have received their first dose, representing approximately 47.2 per cent of the country’s adult population. Minister Anthony said the increase in second dose vaccination moves the country closer to beating the pandemic. “This is pretty good, because, by people having both doses, we are getting closer to herd immunity. We es-

Image courtesy of CARICOM timate that we will have to get at least 80 per cent of our adult population vaccinated with both doses, so this is a step in the right direction.” He said more work needs to be done to ensure the country’s adult population is vaccinated against the deadly

disease. While the number of persons taking their second dose has increased, there has been a decline in first dose uptake. Minister Anthony is assuring the population that there are enough first doses and urged individuals to get

vaccinated. “Initially we thought perhaps because of the flood people were not coming forward but in some of those areas, the flooding has eased up and we’re not seeing people coming out. So, we will do some assessment. We have been talking to the Regional Health Officers (RHOs) in those regions and they have been reporting that people are a little bit more hesitant.” He said an assessment will be conducted to determine the contributing factors

of the hesitancy. Meanwhile, Region One continues to lead the vaccination campaign with almost 60 per cent of its adult population receiving the first dose of the COVID vaccine. Region One is at 58.6 per cent; Region Two 43.3 per cent; Region Three at 46.7 per cent; Region Four at 48.7 per cent; Region Five 49.9 per cent; Region Six at 55.1 per cent; Region Seven, 46.2 per cent; Region Eight, 31.7 per cent; Region Nine, 45.7 per cent, and Region 10, 14.3

per cent. For the second doses, 24 per cent of Region Four’s adult population has been vaccinated followed by Region Six at 22.2 per cent. Region Five is at 22.1 per cent; Region Two at 21.7 per cent; Region One at 20.9 per cent; Region Three at 19.8 per cent; Region Seven at 16.8 per cent and Region Nine at 16.6 per cent. Regions Eight and 10 continue to lag behind with 11.4 per cent and five per cent respectively.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

GBTI staffers donate 22 units of blood

Godwin Fernandes was among the repeat donors

STAFFERS of the Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI) donated 22 units of blood when the bank held its 9th annual blood drive at its Water Street branch in partnership with the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) on Thursday. “The drive began in 2012 by then Branch Manager Terry Gopaul

to coincide with World Blood Donor Day and targeted both staff and customers,” Raymond Forde, Officer-in-Charge, Water Street Branch said. He said that the initiative has grown over the years with more staff members coming on board. Last year the bank donated 50 units of blood from two drives at the branch and altogether in excess of 300 units were donated since the drive started. Only recently, in observance of World Blood Donor Day, the Minis-

try of Health through the NBTS recognised GBTI as a donor partner with the presentation of an award. “I always give because we know of the need for blood from the media,” said Tonia Griffith, GBTI Enterprise Risk Manager, adding: “It’s an easy process and I feel good. We know that it’s healthy for your body too.” Among repeat donors were Christopher Mackintosh, Randir Ramkisson, Yuvraj Bhagwandeen, Adeeb Bacchus, Mercedes Low-Koon, Tonia Griffith

and Godwin Fernandes and among the first- time donors were Latifa Harris and Colleen MacKintosh. Tonza Bamfield, supervisor NBTS, said it is always a good feeling to be working with GBTI, noting that there is always a need for blood and often the demand is greater than the supply. The bank expresses its gratitude to all the staff who donate and to its partnership with the National Blood Transfusion Service and the Ministry of Health.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Steve’s Jewellery: From goldsmith to GNBS-certified jeweller

STEPHEN Naraine has always had an interest in arts and craft. At a tender age he would rush home from school to join his uncle – a goldsmith – in his workshop at Alexander Village, Georgetown, and it was these moments that led to the origin of Steve’s Jewellery World. “My uncle had a basic workshop and when we came home in the afternoon, I tend to fall in as I was interested in arts and anything done by hand,” he recalled. After many afternoons and weekends at the workshop, Naraine eventually became versed in making gold jewellery, and in later years, he was left in charge of the business after his uncle migrated. In 1992, Steve’s Jewellery was established with its first location at King Street, Georgetown. Since then, the business – now located at 301 Church Street, Georgetown – has been manufacturing a wide range of jewellery and custom-made patterns requested by clients. Confident that the products sold by his business were ready for the next step, Naraine soon began pursuing certification from the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) to the Guyana Standard (GYS 50:2010) – Specification for gold articles. “At that time, I thought it would be a good thing to be certified for myself and my business and I was very much interested… although the road to certification was a bit challenging,” the businessman noted.

other such uses. The businessman thanked the GNBS for its support during the first assessment period and every year thereafter. “The support was excellent, no complaints,” he asserted. Naraine noted that certification led to customer growth and subsequently the expansion of his business, which now serves persons living overseas as well. “With certification, we found that our business just went to another level in terms of growth, in sales, in customer service, because we would have had to follow a certain direction guided by the GNBS and we follow those steps. “I found that the customers were so satisfied, they send their families and relatives specifically to us and they had no worry about quality because our quality has been consistent,” he proudly stated. Stephen Naraine with his GNBS Certificate at his business Church Street, Georgetown location Following several tests requirements for findings and retests, Steve’s Jewel- and solders to be used in the lery was certified in 1998 to manufacture of gold articles; manufacture gold articles in methods for assaying gold, accordance with the require- alloyed gold, solder, findments of the national stan- ings and gold articles. It also dard. Since then, the busi- stipulates requirements for ness has remained under the marking and labelling of gold GNBS Product Certification articles. programme and its products The standard does not are re-certified annually. specify requirements for deThe GYS 50:2010 spec- sign of gold articles and does ifies requirements for the not apply to gold articles inmanufacturing, alloying and tended for industrial purposes testing of gold articles of 23, such as dentistry, electronics, 14, 12, 10 and 9 karat gold; official coins, gold bars and

Steve’s Jewellery won the 2017 National Quality Awards (NQA) in the Small Business Category

Because of its consistency, Steve’s Jewellery persisted to win the 2017 National Quality Awards

(NQA) in the Small Business Category. The NQA is See page 13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

35 complete photovoltaic training to bridge digital gap THIRTY-FIVE men and women from hinterland communities from Regions One to 10, on Thursday afternoon, completed a fourday photovoltaic technician training exercise, facilitated by Danish sustainable energy company GSOL, in a bid to bridge the digital gap between hinterland and coastal communities. The training, a collaborative effort between the Office of the Prime Minister’s Industry and Innovation Unit,

and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, kicked off on Monday and saw participants learning how to install, maintain and troubleshoot the solar PV (photovoltaic) system, which converts the sun’s radiation, in the form of light, into usable electricity. “They have learned, basically, how to completely assemble the entire system. They have learned basics on battery, and invertor and Solar PV, so that when they come out, they can safely

assemble the battery, they can safely connect the battery to the invertor, and they can programme the invertor directly to run normally, shut down when it’s supposed to, and restart when it’s supposed to. If there is an available grid, they have also learned how to connect to this grid, and disconnect from the grid,” Business Development Engineer of GSOL, Oscar Ditlevsen, who assisted in the training process, explained, on the side-lines of the event.

Participants of the training programme showing Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, what they have learnt (DPI photo)

The training falls under the OPM’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) Access and Services for Hinterland Poor and Remote Communities Project, and is part of a much bigger project for connectivity, totalling 17M USD. The project was conceptualised in 2014 by the then PPP/C administration, and is designed to provide government services to Guyanese in their own homes, particularly those in far-flung and rural communities. Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, in her closing remarks at the ceremony, stated that hinterland communities would no longer be denied connectivity, and noted that the participants would return to their communities with valuable knowledge, which will also contribute to the country’s overall development. “We are excited to ensure

that this project is executed and executed very quickly. It will bring quite a lot of benefits to the hinterland and to those poor and remote communities across our country. “The possibility exists that this project may also be able, at some point in time, to lay the foundation and the training for hinterland young people who need jobs and who, one day, may be employed within those sectors where jobs are outsourced to countries like ours.” The project will also see some 200 ICT hubs being established across the 10 administrative regions. Consult Coordinator on the project, Ronald Harsawack, said that, to ensure people are connected, there needs to be a stable energy source. As such, participants were trained in the field. “We want to either rehabilitate or construct 200

hubs in those communities, we will retrofit those hubs to include 20 laptops, we will include a VSAT type satellite dish for internet connectivity. Our goal is to power the ICT hubs from the systems you see here today,” he told the Department of Public Information (DPI). Harsawack stated that the project does not just stop at establishing ICT hubs in communities as it will also see persons being trained in computer literacy. Participants will be trained in computer operation, software application and Microsoft office, among other basic computer programmes. Participants in the training programme hailed from Mabaruma, Matthew’s Ridge, Santa Rosa, the Essequibo Coast, Mainstay Lake, Santa Aratak Mission, Saint Cuthbert’s Mission, Moraikobai, among others.

Consult Coordinator on the project, Ronald Harsawack

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Region Four Health Dep’t connected to over 10,000 COVID-19 patients –– GTT continues mobile plan support

GTT has extended its provision of a complimentary mobile plan to support the Region Four Health Department as essential workers there continue their efforts to remain connected to COVID-19 patients. According to a media release, the plans that consist of 30 days unlimited calling to patients with GTT numbers, 200 minutes to make contact with patients on the other network and 3 GB of data to

facilitate WhatsApp calling has allowed the department to connect with over 10,000 COVID-19 patients over the past six months. GTT’s Marketing and Communications Manager Nicola Balram, said the company continues to live up to its promise to strengthen its community. Its support to the department is steadfast as everyone works together to flatten the curve of the novel coronavirus in Guyana.

Steve’s Jewellery: From goldsmith ...

Stephen Naraine, owner of Steve’s Jewellery, received his first certificate from former Executive Director Dr. Chatterpaul Ramcharran in 1998 From page 11 hosted by the GNBS every two years to award competitive businesses in the manufacturing and service industries for consistently maintaining quality and standards. To anyone considering the certification of their products or services, Naraine said “go right ahead and get the certificate,” as he also extended a helping hand to jewellers who

require assistance. Apart from gold jewellery, the GNBS certifies other locally manufactured products including PVC pipes, gold jewellery, concrete hollow blocks, bathtubs and shower units. To access the certification programme, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 2190069, 219-0065, 2190062 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org. (GNBS feature)

An employee of Steve’s Jewellery making a signature piece of jewellery at the business’ 301 Church Street, Georgetown location

“Since the start of COVID-19 in Guyana, GTT has committed its support to frontline workers. This is just one of the ways we continue to lend our support to the fight against COVID-19,” Balram said. Noting that the mobile-plan support has been of great aid to the department, Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr. Gavin Nash Persaud commended the telecommunications company

for its dedication over the past months. “It was a really great initiative to provide support in this regard and we remain grateful to the company for its commitment in making our jobs easier during this

pandemic,” Dr. Persaud said. Since the COVID-19 pandemic reached Guyana, GTT has made a range of donations to the health care sector, including a Ministry of Health toll-free COVID-19 hotline, free mobile services

for doctors and nurses, stipends to COVID-19 hotline volunteers, data SIMs to connect COVID+ mothers to their newborns through technology to name a few. The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company is a fixed Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) based in Guyana, South America. It is the largest provider of telecommunication services in Guyana with a subscriber base exceeding 300,000 in a country with an average population of 700,000.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Canterbury’s passing a ‘national loss’ –– President Ali

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali said that the passing of Lennox Albert Canterbury, who dedicated his life in service to his country, is a “great national loss.” The Head of State made these remarks as he delivered a tribute to the former Director of the Mashramani Secretariat during his funeral service on Thursday morning at the National Cultural Centre tarmac. President Ali joined friends and family members gathered to celebrate the life of their beloved friend, father, and husband. “‘Canty’ belonged to Guyana. He belonged to Guyana in life; he belonged to Guyana in action and in commitment. He was not only an outstanding Guyanese, but he was a Guyanese who sought to leave [sic] positive change. He created positive vibes and created positive energy in

President Ali expressing sympathy to Mrs Canterbury everything he dedicated his life to.” President Ali recalled the close bond cultivated over the years, both professionally and personally, between him and “Canty”, as he is popularly known. The Head of State had worked side by side with Canterbury over the years during his tenure as Minister of Housing and Water and as Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce. Canterbury sat on organising committees for many national projects, including the Building Expo, GuyExpo, the Guyana Festival and Mashramani, among others. “I have had the privilege to learn from him. I have had the privilege to work with him on many occasions, to experience his calmness when things become difficult; to experience his wealth of knowledge when things become complex and huge in size to manage and handle; to experience his winning way of bringing people together in a team to accomplish a task.” He also recalled Canterbury’s calm demeanour and his commitment to bringing out the best in situations. “Everything that seemed gloomy came out bright and beautiful.” “I enjoyed his company. I enjoyed his knowledge. I enjoyed his simplicity. I enjoyed his commitment. I can truly say, as President, I felt his love in good times and in not-so-good times.” The President said too that Canterbury’s legacy will live on as he took the time to nurture and impart his wealth of knowledge and experience to those who came after. In addition, he ensured the seamless continuity of projects in which he was integrally involved in planning. These projects include the 55th independence activities, as well as the Guyana National Day celebrations at Expo2020, Dubai. “That was a man who was fearless in sharing his ideas. You know, sometimes people guard their ideas and knowledge, not ‘Canty.’ For me, he was not an employee; he was much more than a public servant, he was a friend, a brother, someone who I admired, someone who I looked up to, someone who I am thankful I was able to meet and share time within my lifetime. I pray that his soul finds everlasting peace.” President Ali expressed profound gratitude to Canterbury’s wife Karen and his family members for giving him the latitude over the years to share his time, his talent and his love to Guyana and the people of Guyana (Public Information and Press Services Unit)

Mother of six missing

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

THE relatives of 38-year-old merchant Waletta Rigby are appealing to the general public for information concerning her whereabouts, following a reported boat incident on the Takutu River. Her mother Wavney August told reporters at her East Bank Berbice home on Wednesday afternoon that reports received indicated that her eldest child was in a boat with other passengers, when an incident occurred , which resulted in her daughter’s goods being thrown overboard . The items included bottles of Blackstone rum and fish. Reports from the Brazil

border reveal that a small boat ferrying passengers had capsized. A suspected survivor reported that she held on to a tree for over 10 hours before being rescued. However, she does not know about the whereabouts of Rigby or the captain of the boat. But August is of the opinion that the stories related to her are untrue, as there should have been evidence on the waterway. She believes her daughter may have been held against her will. According to her, Rigby, a mother of six, among between Brazil, Venezuela, and Guyana and three years ago started a relationship with one “Jason.” Together

Wavney August

they bought and sold items and about two years ago, they moved to Venezuela, where they continued their trade. August claimed that after contact was made with the police, she was

told that the water level is extremely high, and as such, it is impossible to conduct a riverain search. What is also worrying is that Rigby during a visit to Berbice just over a year ago had sneaked off with her 14-year-old daughter, who, from birth, was being cared for by her maternal grandmother. The whereabouts of that child is unknown, although it is suspected that she is in the company of “Jason.” Anyone with information about Rigby can contact her mother, Wavney August, on 6631937.

Minister Mustapha condemns hacking of cattle in Region Six

CATTLE farmers in Region Six have appealed to the relevant authorities for help, after persons in the region reportedly hacked several of their animals. Some farmers who were forced to move their animals to the front lands after their designated grazing areas in the backlands had become inundated, reported that several of their animals are nursing life-threatening injuries inflicted allegedly by other farmers. After learning of the incidents, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha condemned the acts and urged persons to desist from harming the animals. “Over the past few days, cattle farmers from Berbice have been reaching out to me about the issue. I’ve instructed the regional agriculture officers to meet with the farmers. Farmers have also engaged regional law enforcement. I’m hoping that things do not escalate further. I know these are very troubling

Missing: Waletta Rigby

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha times for farmers who are trying to preserve whatever cultivation and livestock they have left. I’m urging farmers to work together and be their brother’s keeper because this flooding is a national issue that has affected us all. This is time for us to demonstrate compassion for life and our fellow farmers,” Minister Mustapha said. According to a release, the minister also said the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and the Regional Agricultural Coordinator for Region Six, Dennis Deroop, are currently working with farmers

to determine the reason behind the heinous attacks and to amicably resolve any conflict that exists. He added that the GLDA and regional agricultural officers are working with farmers to ensure that animals brought from the backlands remain housed in secure areas and away from farms and rice fields. He further stated that the GLDA has been providing feed free of cost to farmers. Cattle farmers have been forced to relocate their animals to higher ground following the onset of the rainy season back in May, which resulted in the flooding of savannahs in Regions Five and Six and many other agricultural and residential areas across the country. So far, over 20,000 animals have been relocated to higher ground in the front lands. The GLDA has been using a pontoon to transport animals from the flooded savannahs to higher ground in the front lands.

-- urges farmers to exercise compassion during national disaster

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

‘Don’t forget about animals during the floods’ -- animal activist urges Guyanese By Naomi Parris RECENTLY, Guyana’s head of state had declared the country to be in a state of disaster because of the ongoing floods. Since May, Guyana has been experiencing above-normal rainfall which has resulted in severe flooding across the country. Homes are flooded, crops and livestock have been damaged and some families have been forced to evacuate their respective homes. While persons’ livelihoods have been affected by the floods, animals too have been affected by the ongoing disaster. Animal activist and founder of the Rosewood foundation, Donna Lam, is urging Guyanese to be considerate of the homeless animals, as they too are suffering during these times of flooding. “They are suffering from the effects of the flood too. Not only are they being displaced from their homes, but now they face possible starvation,” she said, questioning: “People are struggling to make ends meet. And if they’re struggling to place food on the table for their families, what about their pets or the strays on the streets?” Lam in a recent interview with the Guyana Chroni-

Several pups that were recently rescued by the Rosewood Foundation

A kitten that was recently rescued and nursed back to health during the floods

cle said that many animal activists and foundations have been struggling to provide assistance to animals, since they too are struggling to make ends meet during the floods. STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP “We as animal activists have been struggling just to keep up. Less work, less [sic] jobs, less[sic] people on the roads means less food for the

strays. Less [sic] people are able to contribute food regularly to feed strays daily,” she said, adding: “And with less [sic] people contributing towards animal welfare, there are more strays on the roads now more than ever before… animal welfare organisations are struggling just to procure foods for their fosters and are limited in the ways they can have fundraisers.” The animals, she said, do not understand that there is

an ongoing disaster; hence, people should be considerate of them. During this time, Lam noted that her foundation has received several calls about stray animals being dumped at odd places. She said that persons have also made calls about snakes and other reptiles surfacing due to high floodwaters. “Since the flooding we’ve gotten hundreds of calls about snakes too. With the rising waters, they are being displaced too. We’ve been urging people not to kill them, but to make contact with the Guyana Wildlife Commission to have them safely removed. They’ve lost their homes too. “ She added: “We’ve had many, many calls about animals being tied near trenches, near kokers, over the sea-

DISEASES Lam explained that animals are currently at a high risk of contracting diseases as flooding continues to persist. For example, the activist said that animals like stray dogs can be easily exposed to leptospirosis, a bacterial disease which is caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected rats, which often are carriers of the disease. She further explained that unvaccinated dogs can contract this disease and spread it to other animals and humans. Additionally, stray animals are at risk of contracting heartworm disease,

which is a serious parasitic condition caused by a worm commonly known as dirofilaria immitis, which lives in the blood vessels and hearts of infected pets. According to Lam, the disease is spread by mosquitoes. She explained that when an infected dog is bitten by a mosquito, the blood that is withdrawn can contain heartworm offspring. When the mosquito bites a second dog, the offspring are passed on. Inside the host, the heartworm can grow into a parasite up to a foot in length. The parasite can cause injury to the lungs, arteries and the heart. This, she said, is very concerning since the rising flood waters are breeding grounds for these diseases and more.

virtual training begins in September. The EDIA will provide up to 30 agro-processors in Guyana with training and hands-on technical assistance, in collaboration with our international partners. They’ll also vie for non-reimbursable grants, awarded to five of the most promising companies, to help them grow. We’re looking for the best products, with the greatest chance of driving export growth,” stated Oslene Carrington, CEO of the Guyana Economic Development Trust. “To get notified when applications open, we invite agro-processors to join our mailing list at www.theguyanatrust.org,” she added in a joint release. The time has assuredly

come for Guyana’s agro-processors as Guyanese have known for decades, agriculture, particularly products high on the value chain, have the potential to transform the country. For almost 40 years, USAID has provided development assistance to the Caribbean region to advance: “Safer, more prosperous Caribbean communities.” In an effort to address these critical issues, USAID provides assistance that reduces youth involvement in crime and violence, increases epidemic control of HIV/ AIDS, strengthens local nongovernmental organizations, and supports environmental resilience. USAID/ESC implements activities in Anti-

gua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, the Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, and Guyana. The Guyana Economic Development Trust is an independent U.S. and Guyana-based initiative that supports early-stage scientific -- technology -and agriculture-oriented enterprises in Guyana. Through venture philanthropy -- a business-minded approach involving long-term investments and strategic management support -- GEDT incubates and accelerates small firms that help contribute to Guyana’s development and creates jobs

walls. Why people would do such a heartless cruel act is beyond our comprehension. “

Economic development incubator launched for agro-processors

THE U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Eastern and Southern Caribbean Mission and the Guyana Economic Development Trust (GEDT), a U.S. and Guyana-based initiative that supports innovation in science, technology and agriculture, have announced the launch of the Economic Development Incubator and Accelerator (EDIA) for Guyanese agro-processors. Processing agricultural outputs (agro-processing for short) is an increasingly important source of employment. It can also contribute to wealth-building for smallscale operators and marginalised groups in Guyana. In 2019, Guyana’s agriculture

sector contributed 18 per cent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, according to international data, production and export of processed foods such as fruit preserves, sauces and seasonings, ground spices, snack foods, cocoa processing, and herbal teas were negligible relative to the agriculture sector’s overall contribution to GDP. “We see the EDIA as catalytic, an innovative private-sector project that will support development in the Region, while ushering in

economic prosperity. Small and growing businesses (SGBs), while they are succeeding, need more capital and technical assistance. This is important as SGBs are the future of economic development, and particularly in this Region where climate resilience is a significant issue,” said Regional Representative, USAID Eastern and Southern Caribbean, Clinton White. “We’re beyond excited to work with USAID to support Guyanese agro-processors. Applications for the accelerator will open shortly, and

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Local creatives combine fitness and dance to stay healthy and have fun

LOCAL creative Melessa Payne and some of her buddies in the entertainment world found that they missed dancing together when the

pandemic started in Guyana and social distancing became the new norm. So deciding to come together and dance just for the fun of it, the friends

came up with another brilliant idea. Payne, 35, has been a dance instructor for the past eight years, teaching all types,

and specializing in contemporary dance moves. With dancing activities coming to a halt due to the pandemic, Meleesa told Buzz this week that life became hard for her and the rest of creatives in her circle. “The pandemic took away our livelihoods and so we would from time to time check up on each other. And Kelton (a friend) said we should just meet and dance. So I thought, why not include other people and have some fitness done?”

And that’s when Meleesa got Zumba Areobics and Brukwhine (ZAB) started, along with other creatives and fitness specialists Kelton Jennings, Fiano Spencer and Tristana Roberts. “We all worked at separate gyms and they were closed at the time so we thought we can put people in

Dance Instructor Meleesa Payne

open spaces and help them take care of themselves,” Meleesa explained. “Brukwhine is a Caribbean term for waistline; the way we dance and move to exercise the lower abdomen and legs, etc.,” she added when explaining why such a business name was chosen. She and her friends have decided to use ZAB as a way to re-introduce dance. So while they are helping people to care for their physical health through exercise, they also incorporate dance into the sessions. And this is in keeping with the slogan for their business, which is, “A happier, healthier you.” The dance instructors meet at the D’Urban Park stage in Georgetown, from Wednesday to Saturday of each week and carry out their sessions from 5 to 6:30 pm. “Zum ba is a

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

The team missed dancing when the pandemic broke out and decided to bring it back using ZAB

group of dances to help people work out and keep them active. We do formulation, choreography and synchronization which are movements to help persons to remember what they have to do,” Meleesa explained. Helping others in this way, at a minimal fee for each ses-

sion, allows her and the rest of her friends to dance. “So we used ZAB to bring back dance because we missed it over the past year. We get to add a few dance moves to the exercises, so we’re having a good time with it.” The team aims to provide a well-rounded service to par-

ticipants as Spencer is the Brukwhine instructor, Meleesa is the aerobics instructor and also a nutritionist, Kelton does motivational talks and is also one of the Zumba instructors, and Roberts is a Latin Zumba instructor and does talks on mental health. The team chooses to work

Meleesa and Fiano were recognised at the Guyana Cultural Association Youth Award Ceremony in 2019

Guyana Day in the USA in 2019

with just 12 persons for a session as they want to comply with COVID restrictions. Anyone, Meleesa said, can turn up and enjoy a workout with the team. With everything shutting down due to COVID-19, Meleesa could not carry out her usual productions, but she was

still able to do some choreography for Carnival, Soca Monarch and other productions for Theatre Guild and the National Cultural Center. She first started at the National School of Dance and then went on to other dance schools, even winning awards for her work in the arts and

touring the Caribbean and USA. Meleesa said the intention is to launch a dance company under the ZAB. “Once the pandemic is over, we can always get back to dancing. We’re never going to abandon dance,” she expressed.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Queen Yasmin gearing up for Toronto’s Chutney competition

POPULAR Guyanese Chutney artist Yasmin Khan, well known as ‘Queen Yasmin’, was the hottest thing around in

the ’90s when her band, De Originals, ruled parties and concerts countrywide, and even overseas. Today, Queen Yasmin

who looks nothing like 62 years old, is living in Canada and still very much active in the music industry. Occasionally she’d come

back to Guyana for promotions, but hasn’t done so for the longest while. She is however assuring her fans here though, that she will be back for next year’s chutney competition.

every week, be it at nightclubs, weddings, parties,” she recalled. The pandemic has however put a damper on her activities though, and she hasn’t been performing since it broke out. “But I can never stop singing,” the ‘Canal Gyal’ singer, who has been in the music industry since 1975, said. This means that she started off in the industry at 16 years old. “After I started, I met my husband ‘King Birdee’ and he had the ‘Originals’ band; we ran it for many years. We were the top band, but when I came to Toronto, I had lots of events to perform at too,” the ‘Bahar More Raja’ singer recalled.

The veteran singer and performer will also be participating next year in Trinidad and Tobago’s Chutney Monarch competition. She plans to come to Guyana in January and then leave for Trinidad for the competition which may be in February. “I am looking forward to this. This is really great for me and something that I really want to do after a long time,” she said. The ‘Keraway Meh Raja’ singer noted that her band is also present in Guyana, but has not been very active since the pandemic. “But as soon as the pandemic is over, we will get back to it; we will start our own promotions.”

Yasmin Khan, known as Queen Yasmin

“Tell the Guyanese people I love them and I am coming back,” she expressed in an interview with Buzz this week. All set to participate in Toronto’s chutney competition on July 24 and 25, Queen Yasmin has been living in Canada for the past 20 years. She reflected on the time when De Originals reigned in Guyana and was on top in the entertainment industry. But moving to Canada did not stop her from continuing to do what she loves. “When I first came to Canada, I had a friend with a band here and I sang

Queen Yasmin is coming home to participate in next year’s Chutney competition

Queen Yasmin and her husband have been running ‘De Originals’ Band for decades

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Guyanese musician takes

‘leap of faith’ to pursue Meridian Concepts DOMINIC Remar Weekes couldn’t be happier at his life choices so far and feels tremendously proud, blessed and privileged to be able to start up and run an impressive consultancy agency even in the face of a raging pandemic. With a deep inner drive for success that was present with him since childhood, Dominic, 29, celebrated the first anniversary of his creative consultancy agency called ‘Meridian Concepts’ last Saturday. “It goes without saying that taking a leap of faith to start a new venture during a global pandemic, where most businesses were taking measures to downsize and cut costs, was a daunting task,” Dominic told Buzz this week. However, reflecting on his accomplishments one year later, he is pleased to see how things turned out. Meridian Concepts now has several notable clients which it has serviced including Exxon Mobil, GT&T, Beepat’s, Modern Optical Service and most recently, the Ministry Of Human Services and Social Security. “In a more structured and corporate setting, I feel blessed and privileged to

earn from what I love and him apart. His agency provides a have a burning passion to do, which is create,” Dominic host of services including expressed, adding, “I was es- creating television and radio pecially happy at being able ads, voiceovers, writing jinto start a business and doing gles, conceptualizing ideas something that I love and that for billboards, posters and other printed marketing mais right up my alley.” Dominic worked at Re- terial, public relations and public Bank for a while and brand image consultancy. so feels like he has garnered “Listening to, translating, enough experience to deal supporting, and ultimately with the corporate aspect executing the creative ideas of things. “I feel like I am of brands and businesses is able to combine the creative what we do.” aspect and the corporate aspect. A lot of times people aren’t able to speak both languages. Bridging that gap is very important because a lot of businesses have ideas but putting them out to the world is where the challenge comes.” So being able to speak both the creative and corporate languages fluently is definitely something that Dominic celebrated the first anniversary he believes sets of Meridian Concepts last Saturday

Being a true creative, Dominic has a strong and incessant need to create whether it has to do with writing songs for himself or others and mapping out video treatments or brainstorming ideas. At the age of seven, he had an inclination to poetry and by age nine, he was exposed to Hip Hop through TV and fell in love with the music, attire, and the lifestyle. Despite certain challenges in his childhood, he managed to secure a place at the prestigious Queen’s College. Realising that his ‘calling’ was music, he began pursuing the field even though he knew that doing so would be high risk. “Many would consider a decision to pursue music in Guyana high risk as there are no copyright laws protecting music, or a stable industry, but sometimes one cannot stop passion and its pursuit.” Dominic had the opportunity to open for Rick Ross as well as Dancehall superstar Konshens on their visits to Guyana and his reputation as a rapper and versed writer gained him the recognition of the US embassy in Guyana where he was requested to create a song for the then US Ambas-

sador to promote the efforts of the embassy in Guyana. Today, Dominic said his experiences and culture have blended to make the perfect brew of Hip Hop Dancehall and Reggae music for his fans.

Local creative Dominic Remar Weekes

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

GRFU signals interest for 2021 RAN 7s Championship THE Guyana Rugby Football Union, (GRFU), has signalled its interest in participating in this year’s Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens tournament, to be held in the Turks and Caicos Islands, October 16–17. The event is open to all RAN members and will also act as a qualification tournament for the World Rugby Challenger Series, which is scheduled for 2022. The Guyana Rugby team, popularly known across the Caribbean as the ‘Green Machine’ will be looking to exact revenge on archrivals Jamaica, who bested them in the last tournament. President of the Rugby Football Union (GRFU), Ryan Dey, in a release, said preparation is being made for training to commence for eligible players. According to Dey, the GRFU looks forward for the

National COVID-19 Task Force to green-light local competition, in preparation for the much-anticipated regional tournament. Presidents and coaches of the local clubs are asked to submit the names of five eligible players to the GRFU, by next Friday. The event marks the first international competition hosted by RAN since the Women’s 10s and Men’s Under-19 in Barbados in July 2019 and the 2020 RAN Beach 5s in Hollywood Beach Florida last January. The 2019 RF Group RAN Sevens was held in Georgetown, Cayman Islands and also acted as a qualifier for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games (Men) and repechage (Men and Women). In the men’s competition, Canada defeated Jamaica while Mexico narrowly edged Jamaica in the women’s event.

Sha’Carri Richardson ... a heart-wrenching week; the athlete shared that her biological mother passed away just a week prior to her Olympic-certifying win. “My family has kept me

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grounded,” Richardson told NBC, per ESPN following her sprint. “This year has been crazy for me. Going from just last week, losing my biological mother, and I’m still here. … Last week, finding out my biological mother passed away and still choosing to pursue my dreams, still coming out here, still here to make the family that I do still have on this earth proud, I’m highly grateful for them. Without them, there would be no me. Without my grandmother, there would be no Sha’Carri Richardson. My family is my everything - my everything until the day I’m done.” Twitter was quick to praise Richardson not just for her athletic skill but also for her emotional bravery in being able to compete just days following her mother’s death. Others chimed in expressing that they admired Richardson’s unique and unapologetic style as she ran her way to victory complete with her fiery orange hair, statement acrylic nails, tattoos, and piercings. Richardson is currently the frontrunner to win in this week’s 200-metre race where she currently has the fastest qualifying time at 22.11 seconds. If she goes on to win gold in Tokyo next month, she’ll be the first American woman to do so since Gail Devers in 1996. In another post-race interview with NBC, when asked what she wants viewers at home to know about herself, Richardson responded, “I just want the world to know that I’m that girl ... and every time I step on the track I’m going to try to do what it is that me, my coach, my support team believe I can do and the talent that God blessed me to have. ... I’m never going to take an opportunity to perform in vain.” (NBC Sports)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

‘Finals are one-off games’ games’ ― Michael Vaughan

INDIAN captain Virat Kohli batted for best-of-three final to decide the champions of the World Test Championship (WTC) going forward. Kohli’s statement came after India lost by eight wickets in the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship against New Zealand at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Wednesday.. The rain-marred summit clash headed into the reserve day with all three results possible but New Zealand emerged on top to become the first-ever World Test champions after thrashing Kohli-led India. The final saw two days getting washed out completely due to rain and just when it looked like a result is unlikely, New Zealand produced their best at last to clinch the trophy. Speaking after his side’s loss, Kohli said he was not in complete favour of deciding the world champions in Test cricket over the course of just one game and said there should be a three-match series for the

final to test both teams. “I am not in absolute agreement of deciding the best Test side in the world over the course of one game. If it is a Test series, it has to

India captain Virst Kohli

be a test of character over three Tests – which team has the ability to come back in the series or totally blow away the other team,” Kohli said after the game.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has reacted to the Indian skipper’s statement and said finals are one-off games where the best teams/ athletes know they have to deliver. Bringing Indian Premier League (IPL) into the debate, Vaughan also pointed out how will ICC schedule three Tests which would require at least a month. “Where in the schedule would it fit in? Are the IPL going to reduce the year of the final tournament by 2 weeks so it could fit in? Doubt it ..: Finals are one-off games where teams/individuals know they have to deliver … that’s what makes them so great,” Vaughan wrote in a tweet. After missing out on the World Test Championship mace, India will now shift focus towards the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Having lost the Test series 4-1 on their last tour of England, India will be hoping to script history under Kohli this time around.

Young leads Atlanta Hawks to victory over Milwaukee Bucks

TRAE Young scored 48 points as Atlanta Hawks beat Milwaukee Bucks 116-113 in the opening game of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals.

onds left and Young then netted four late free throws to shock the hosts. Game two in the best-ofseven series is scheduled for today in Milwaukee.

Trae Young joined Atlanta Hawks in 2018

The Bucks missed five late shots as Hawks come from four points down to win. Clint Capela put Hawks 112-111 ahead with 29.8 sec-

Young had 11 assists while Capela and John Collins also recorded double-doubles for the Hawks. Capela had 12 points and

a game-high 19 rebounds, while Collins added 23 points 15 rebounds. For the Bucks, who were unbeaten in five home games in their first two series, Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 34 points 12 rebounds while Jrue Holiday had 33 points 10 assists. Young’s most impressive stretch came after Antetokounmpo had given Milwaukee a 65-58 lead in the second minute of the third period. Over the next eight minutes, he had two three-pointers, three two-pointers and three assists in a 28-13 flurry that turned the score 86-78 Atlanta’s way. The Bucks chipped away, finally drawing even at 98 through Antetokounmpo with five minutes 25 seconds to go - but it was Hawks who held their nerve late on.

Colombia wants referee axed after ball hits him before goal REUTERS: The Colombian Football Federation (FCF) has asked Copa America organisers to suspend the referee from their 2-1 defeat by Brazil, saying he prejudiced the result by not halting play when the ball hit him in the lead-up to a goal. Nestor Pitana, the Argentine who refereed the 2018 World Cup final, waved play on when the ball bounced off him outside Colombia’s box and Brazil continued passing for Roberto Firmino to head in an equaliser. Rubbing salt into the

wound, long protests by Colombian players led to an added 10 minutes of stoppage time, with the home side netting a winner in the 100th minute. Colombia had led after 10 minutes through Luis Diaz. “Even the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) indicated to the referee that the pass from the Brazilian player that rebounded off the referee was going to a Colombian player,” the Colombian federation complained. It urged South American Football Confederation CONMEBOL to suspend the match officials.

CONMEBOL took the unusual step of publicising the conversations between Pitana and the VAR officials yesterday. The organisation said that the incident “did not lead to a promising attack” and so play should not have been stopped. Even though they lost, Colombia still qualified for the last eight of the tournament, along with Brazil. The Copa America features 10 South American teams and ends on July 10 with the final in Rio de Janeiro.

… Kohli calls for best-of-three final in WTC

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Windies cricket great Michael Holding calls for better education on racism WEST INDIES great Michael Holding says he suffered “barbaric” abuse as a player in England and has called for better education to help tackle racism.

The 67-year-old former fast bowler was part of the legendary Windies attack of the 1970s and 1980s and played county cricket for Lancashire and Derbyshire.

He says he received letters containing racist abuse when he played in England. Holding says there is a need to “understand why racism came about and exactly

why it has continued”. Talking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Holding added: “Until we learn that and we understand that, we will not be able to tackle it and get rid of it.” Holding, who took 249 wickets in 60 Tests, was widely praised last year after speaking eloquently about racism following the death of American George Floyd in police custody.

The Jamaican also revealed some of the abuse he faced in the game. “When I first came to England to play, we would get letters in the dressing room. Some of the letters were nice kind letters, but some of the letters were barbaric,” said Holding, who works for Sky Sports as a commen-

Michael Holding has written a book - Why We Kneel, How We Rise - about racial discrimination

A number of prominent sports people, including Arsenal legend and World Cup-winning France striker Thierry Henry and eighttime Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, have since shared their stories of racial discrimination with Holding and feature in his new book on the subject - ‘Why We Kneel, How We Rise’.

tator. “They would write those letters in red ink. They would write them outside of the lines going up and down to pretend, or to try to create the impression that it’s kids that are writing these letters. “And we know kids don’t think that way. It’s big, responsible people writing those things and sending

them.” Holding says education is key in the fight against racism. “As far as I’m concerned, the education that I and a lot of people - not just black people, but white and black people - got when they were growing up is not correct,” he said. “We need to re-educate people so that they learn the true history of the world and the true history of mankind, so that they can understand why racism came about and exactly why it has continued.” The issue of racism in cricket was highlighted most recently when the England and Wales Cricket Board suspended fast bowler Ollie Robinson pending an investigation after racist and sexist posts from 2012 and 2013 were shared online. Holding said he “totally agreed” with the action taken by the ECB. “You have got to suspend him and do your investigation quickly,” he said. (BBC Sport)

Track and field legend Veronica Campbell-Brown hangs up her spikes after a race well run

AFTER a stellar career spanning more to go along with three Olympic gold medals, than two decades during which she won three silver and two bronze medals. 49 international medals, Jamaica’s beloved She also won two gold medals at the track queen Veronica Campbell-Brown has World Indoor Championships. decided to hang up her spikes for good on “As I climbed, I passed the rung of hurt, the eve of her country’s national champi- of injuries and rejection, not to mention tears. onships to select a team to the Olympic However, they quenched my aspiration to Games in Rio this summer. grasp the fruits of success and satisfaction. “As I take off my spikes never to put For that I must venture to say that I am them on again, this girl from Clarks Town, proud and grateful,” she said in her farewell Trelawny, walks away happy and contented message. with a race well run,” the two-time Olympic “I want to thank the persons and com200m champion and one of the most deco- panies who contributed to my success; rated female athletes in history, posted on my family, especially my husband Omar Instagram earlier today. Brown who in the latter years served as As a junior, the now 39-year-old Camp- my coach. bell-Brown won gold medals for Jamaica “I must mention friends, fans and in the 100m and 4x100m relay at the supporters, sponsors, coaches and inaugural World U-18 Championships my agent @ontrackmgmt. I could in Bydgoszcz. The following year, she not have done it without your won the sprint double at the World help and support. Thank you U-20 champions and with the perfrom the bottom of my heart.” formance, the hearts of her fellow VCB, who gave birth to Jamaicans. a daughter, Avianna, two Also, among the 27 gold years ago, did not indicate medals she has won during why she decided to retire an outstanding junior and at this particular point in senior career, VCB, as she time. was affectionately known She competed in to her millions of adoreight 100m races this ing fans, became the first season, the last at the Jamaican woman to win a NACAC New Life In100m world title, in Osaka, vitational in Miramar, Japan. It was only one of Florida where she ran three gold, seven silver and her fastest time of the Veronica Campbell-Brown won 49 a bronz which she won season - 11.20 - to finat those championships international medals during her stellar ish fifth. (Sportsmax) career spanning more than two decades

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Former Guyana Scholar and cricketer Keith Aaron passes away FORMER Guyana youth cricket captain Keith Aubrey Aaron, who was also a distinguished Guyana scholar, passed away over the last weekend in New York. Aaron represented the Guyana Colts against England at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda in March 1968. He also led the Guyana Under-20 team to victory in the annual regional British American Tobacco youth competition in Trinidad & Tobago in 1969. The wicketkeeper-batsman was also a staunch member and player of Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) and after migrating to the USA, featured prominently as an executive and player of Atlantis Cricket Club, serving as treasurer in the club’s executive committee. After attending Central High School, Aaron moved to Queen’s College from 1965 to 1968, making an immediate impact. His departure was described as a “noble one” in the prestigious school’s magazine. Aaron was the Form Prize Winner in 5RB and also served as captain of the Queen’s College Wight Cup team and later vice-captain of the Northcote side. In 1966-1967, he was Corporal in the Queen’s College

Holder toppled from top spot, Roach closes in on top 10 Keith A. Aaron

Cadet Corps and was later promoted Company Sergeant Major. As Deputy Head of Percival ‘A’ House, he was also vice-captain of the athletics team while being House and School Prefect. According to former president for the Queen’s Chapter in New York and Chairman of the Queen’s College Board, Alfred Granger, “Aaron was a giant in many ways. Unless you were there when he arrived in 1965, you would have no idea that he was not an original Queen’s College boy. He was loved and revered by our community as any student.” In a Facebook post, colleague Mark Kirton described the late Aaron “as a gentle giant – caring, humble and always willing to offer sound advice while Gordon Williams pointed out that he was “a brother who had a quality to wine and dine with the higher echelons, prince and princes and at a moment be down in the trenches with you. Oh that smile could charm a cobra!” Following a wake on Thursday, July 8, there will be a viewing and service on Saturday, July 10 in New York. A repast will be held immediately after. (Frederick Halley)

England win second Twenty20 to seal series

ENGLAND recovered from 36-4 to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the second Twenty20 and win the series with a game to spare. After a 40-minute rain break at 69-4, the hosts completed a revised chase of 103 with 11 balls remaining in Cardiff. Liam Livingstone finished 29 not out after Sam Billings - his partner in a fifth-wicket stand of 54 - fell for 24. Sri Lanka earlier limped to 111-7, with Kusal Mendis making 39 and Mark Wood taking 2-18 and Adil Rashid 2-24. Although England were not as ruthless as in Wednesday’s eight-wicket triumph, victory was rarely in doubt after they limited Sri Lanka to the lowest total they have conceded in a T20. Livingstone - batting at six rather than the opening spot he occupies for Lancashire - and Billings had lifted England ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern target by the time rain arrived, and Sam Curran capped a successful 24 hours for England with a straight six to seal the win. The final game in the three-match series takes place at the Ageas Bowl on Saturday. England impress with the ball England made two changes from Wednesday, with Jos Buttler resting a calf strain and David Willey, playing

his first T20 international in more than two years, replacing Chris Woakes. Curran got the early breakthrough as he ran out Danushka Gunathilaka with some nifty footwork, before Avishka Fernando picked out deep square leg.

130 with the minimum of fuss 24 hours earlier, had to overcome an early wobble with the bat. Jonny Bairstow, driving ambitiously, was bowled by Binura Fernando in the second over before Dawid Malan was lbw playing back

Liam Livingstone was unbeaten as England got home after a wobble (AFP/Getty Images)

Mendis and Kusal Perera put on 50 for the third wicket, but it took them nine overs as Sri Lanka became only the 16th team in history not to hit a boundary in the six-over powerplay. Rashid had Perera, reverse-sweeping, caught at cover before the impressive Mark Wood dismissed Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella in successive balls. Until Isuru Udana hit Chris Jordan for a four and a six in the final over, Mendis was the only Sri Lankan to find the boundary as England fielded superbly. Billings & Livingstone strengthen World Cup case England, who chased

to Dushmantha Chameera. Malan is the number-one ranked T20 batsmanin the world and averages 48, but he has struggled against India and Sri Lanka and his average this year is 26.50. Captain Eoin Morgan cut Adana to point and Jason Roy danced down the track to pick out long-on to leave them four down inside seven overs. Billings and Livingstone, who are likely competing for one slot in England’s squad for the T20 World Cup due to take place in India in October, showed maturity to calm England’s nerves. Both manoeuvred the ball before the rain delay,

then broke the back of the revised target of 34 from six overs with a boundary apiece. Although Billings was bowled as he looked to cut Wanindu Hasaranga, Curran’s sprightly unbeaten 16 off eight deliveries made sure of victory. ‘We want see guys backing themselves’ - what they said England captain Eoin Morgan on BBC Two: “Our bowling was right on point. The wicket played similarly to yesterday and batters on both sides struggled to get it away. You want to see batters entertain a bit more, especially with crowds back, but it ended up a good tight game anyway. “We seemed to lose a wicket every time we took a risk which is a shame, but it was a good partnership between Sam Billings and Liam Livingstone. We want to see guys come in and backing themselves.” Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur: “It’s about learning from every game and getting better and better as we go along. “We talked about taking the handbrake off, and we need to be a bit more pro-active, but our batters are learning all the time, especially in these conditions. “I am excited by the bowling unit and we have a good batting unit in our country. It’s about transferring that to different conditions.” (BBC Sport)

Kyle Mayers has leapt 51 places to 53rd in the bowling rankings

LONDON, England (CMC) – Jason Holder has been dislodged from the top of the all-rounders charts but both Jermaine Blackwood and Kemar Roach, have enjoyed upward movement in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) Test player rankings announced Wednesday. The 29-year-old Holder has slipped to second behind new leader, India’s Ravindra Jadeja, after losing 28 rating points, following his lack-lustre showing in the just concluded Test series against South Africa in St Lucia. As part of an overall disappointing performance by the home side, Holder managed 34 runs from four innings and took six wickets at 24 runs apiece with his fast medium pace. Kyle Mayers has leapt 51 places to 53rd in the bowling rankings. However, he remains the highest ranked West Indies bowler at number 10 but has slumped to 49th in the batting rankings. Roach, meanwhile, was West Indies’ leading bowler with nine wickets at an average of 17, an effort which saw him jump one place to 12th in the bowling rankings. The 32-year-old now has 223 Test wickets, eighth

on the all-time list of Windies wicket-takers and now only 12 behind the legendary Sir Garry Sobers in seventh. Blackwood, who endured a poor first Test against the South Africans with one and 13, rebounded somewhat in the second Test to make 49 and 25 and jump 12 places to 44th. The right-handed Jamaican passed 2 000 Test runs during the first innings of the second Test. Despite enduring a miserable series with the bat, there was some joy for Kyle Mayers who claimed six wickets with his medium pace in the second Test to storm 51 places up to 53rd in the bowling rankings. Shai Hope, who returned to Test cricket for the series after being dropped last year, moved up three places to 82nd while Kieran Powell, a concussion substitute in the first Test for Nkrumah Bonner, has jumped six places to 94 following his 51 in the second innings of the last Test. We s t I n d i e s w e r e swept in the series, losing the first Test by an innings and 63 runs and the second by 158 runs. Australian Steve Smith tops the batting rankings while his countryman Pat Cummins is the topranked bowler.

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ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S: Chris Gayle & Kemar Roach (10 Tests) Jayawardene, Marali, Sangakkara (12 Tests)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

Which WI has scored most Test runs versus SL to date? Which SL player has made most Test runs against the WI to date?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

Short-handed Guyanese to face USA today at Women’s Pan Am Indoor Hockey

GUYANA’s female hockey team will face the USA today, from 11:30hrs to start their quest for qualification to participate in the Indoor Hockey World Cup scheduled for Liege, Belgium in February 2022. However, before the team could take the court for their first game, Guyana suffered two significant setbacks with the late ankle injury of prolific striker Sonia Jardine and the contracting of COVID-19 by captain Gabriella Xavier. According to team’s head coach, Philip Fernandes, the loss of two of the team’s top players will leave a huge void on the forward line and midfield as their experience will be difficult to replace. “These girls have put in so much time and effort that it is unfair for them to be left out at this late stage. As far as the team goes, we will have to now rely on our young inexperienced players. While they are skilful and energetic, you cannot rush experience and it will be a challenge for them to play with the discipline and consistency under pressure that is required for this level of

competition,” Fernandes said. Following the team’s first practice session upon arrival on Wednesday, Fernandes said the “tactical changes, especially among young players need time and repetitive practice to be successful. This means that we will make a few structural changes by moving players around the floor in different roles from what was originally intended.” Fernandes indicated that although the loss is great, team morale remains high and the players are excited to apply what they have learnt and trained against foreign competition. The global pandemic had prevented international hockey competition for over a year and this is a welcome return for the players. The competition is being held under strict COVID-19 protocols which include no spectators at the facility and the team being confined to a bubble with no outside contact for the duration of the competition. The USA are the topranked Pan American team at 12 in the world and will further benefit from com-

peting on their home court where the team have been encamped. Guyana are the lowest-ranked team in the competition at 31, with Argentina at 16, Canada 18 and Uruguay 22. After their clash with the USA, the Guyanese ladies then face Argentina at 18:00hrs the same day before Canada and Uruguay the following day. Goalkeeper Alysa Xavier, Trisha Woodroffe, Marzana Fiedtkou, and Aliyah Gordon are the only players returning from the team that contested the last IPAC held for the first time in Guyana in 2017. Added to the team will be defensive-stopper Makeda Harding, the young Spartan trio of Abosaide Cadogan, Madison Fernandes and Sarah Klautky, experienced defender Ashley DeGroot and the baby of the team, Saints striker Clayza Bobb. The team has benefitted from the support of major sponsors GTT, the Ministry of Sport, the Guyana Olympic Association, Bounty Farm Ltd and received a donation of training vests from MVP Sports.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in talks with Mercedes over new contract

LEWIS Hamilton says he has started negotiations with Mercedes over a new contract to stay with the team beyond this season. The seven-time champion signed only a one-year deal last winter but has indicated several times that he is keen to race on. “Not a lot to say too much on, but we have had discussions and things are positive,” he said. Hamilton also indicated he would be happy for Valtteri Bottas to stay. The Finn is out of contract this season and team boss Toto Wolff has yet to decide whether to keep Bottas or replace him with Williams driver George Russell, who starred on a one-off appearance substituting for Hamilton at last year’s Sakhir Grand Prix. “Valtteri is my team-mate now,” Hamilton said, “and both of us have had ups and downs in our careers but he is a fantastic

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team-mate and I don’t necessarily see that it needs to change. “We have worked well for many years. Valtteri has been my best team-mate overall and when I say team-mate it’s not just driver performance, it’s about team morale and how you work in the teammate environment.” Asked whether he would welcome the prospect of Russell at the team, Hamilton said: “He’s not my team-mate currently so no need to say anything on it.” Wolff said at last weekend’s French Grand Prix that he wanted to spend more time observing Bottas and Russell this season before making a final decision which of them would be signed. “Two drivers for one seat and two who can still have a great career in F1,” Wolff said. “I want to just see Valtteri’s full potential this year and continue to observe George driving for Williams and handling the

situation.”

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PROSPECTS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S RACE Hamilton fell to 12 points behind title rival Max Verstappen in the championship after finishing second to the Red Bull driver in France and said he was expecting another close battle at this weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix at Austria’s Red Bull Ring. “We know how strong Red Bull are,” Hamilton said. “There are three long straights here, we saw how much time they were taking out of us in the straights in the last race - they were making up 0.35secs a lap - and it could be the same here. We will wait and see. “But we come here with an optimistic approach, that what we have learned will hopefully help us take a small step forwards. Even if we have made a small step forwards, it is a small step in the right direction.” (BBC Sport)

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TURN FROM BACK PAGE

key performer, rejected in South Africa and chasing his dream with New Zealand aged 29, must have wondered if this chance would ever come. Neil Wagner is another to have made the move from South Africa. Had he been in the English game he’d likely have been shunned for being ‘too slow’ but sits fifth in the Test bowling world rankings. How England would love a batter like Henry Nicholls. He averages more than anyone in England’s current XI bar Joe Root, but still even the most loyal cricket fan would struggle to pick him out of a crowded room. Williamson said it best at Wednesday’s post-match presentation. “We know we don’t always have the stars,” he said. “We rely on others’ bits and pieces to stay in games and be competitive. We saw a lot of heart and a lot of commitment.” New Zealand reached the final by churning out big batting totals on flat home pitches and then throwing the ball to their bowlers to do the rest. They may not make the headlines but they will do the basics better than anyone more often than not. No-one represents New Zealand’s understated quality better than Williamson. In a press conference he will answer question after

question politely and attentively without ever giving journalists drama to feed off. He exudes calmness when everything around him can be the opposite.

his chest to held behind his back. The comparison to his opposite number Virat Kohli could not be starker. Kohli is India’s livewire, the pounding

gives away nothing. Even when his side’s historic winning moment came, the biggest victory as a cricketing nation, Williamson’s reaction only broke character for

Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson celebrate the winning runs // Getty

There was a period in the field during Wednesday’s dramatic play that he rarely spoke to his bowler and seldom gave vocal encouragement to his team. Instead, he stood quietly observing from his fielding position, his arms occasionally going from folded across

heartbeat of the team. He is everywhere. Always in a batsman’s face and never still, in Southampton both dancing to the India fans’ beat and, having taken a catch, gesturing to the crowd with his finger on lips. In contrast, Williamson

a moment - a hint of a leap into the air - before hugging his experienced batting partner Ross Taylor. The slightest glimpse of emotion was the most Williamson had shown all day. New Zealand need wait no more. They are now the headline act. (BBC Sports)

INDIA 1st innings 217 New Zealand st innings Tom Latham c Virat Kohli b Ravichandran Ashwin 30 Devon Conway c Mohammed Shami b Ishant Sharma 54 Kane Williamson c Virat Kohli b Ishant Sharma 49 Ross Taylor c Shubman Gill b Mohammed Shami 11 Henry Nicholls c Rohit Sharma b Ishant Sharma 7 BJ Watling b Mohammed Shami 1 Colin de Grandhomme lbw Mohammed Shami 13 Kyle Jamieson c Jasprit Bumrah b Mohammed Shami 21 Tim Southee b Ravindra Jadeja 30 Neil Wagner c Ajinkya Rahane b Ravichandran Ashwin 0 Trent Boult not out 7 EXTRAS: (b-4, lb-16, nb-6) 26 TOTAL: (all out, 99.2 overs) 249 Fall of wickets: 1-70, 2-101, 3-117, 4-134, 5-135, 6-162, 7-192, 8-221, 9-234. Bowling: Ishant Sharma 25-9-48-3, Jasprit Bumrah 26-9-57-0 (nb-3), Mohammed Shami 26-8-76-4, Ravichandran Ashwin 15-5-28-2, (nb-1), Ravindra Jadeja 7.2-2-20-1 (nb-2). INDIA 2nd innings Rohit Sharma lbw Tim Southee 30 Shubman Gill lbw Tim Southee 8 Cheteshwar Pujara c Ross Taylor b Kyle Jamieson 15 Virat Kohli c BJ Watling b Kyle Jamieson 13 Ajinkya Rahane c BJ Watling b Trent Boult 15 Rishabh Pant c Henry Nicholls b Trent Boult 41 Ravindra Jadeja c BJ Watling b Neil Wagner 16 Ravichandran Ashwin c Ross Taylor b Trent Boult 7 Mohammed Shami c Tom Latham b Tim Southee 13 Ishant Sharma not out 1 Jasprit Bumrah c Tom Latham b Tim Southee 0 EXTRAS: (b-1, lb-8, nb-1, w-1) 11 TOTAL: (all out, 73.0 overs) 170 Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-51, 3-71, 4-72, 5-109, 6-142, 7-156, 8-156, 9-170. Bowling: Tim Southee 19-4-48-4, Trent Boult 15-2-39-3, Kyle Jamieson 24-10-30-2 (w-1, nb-1), Neil Wagner 15-2-44-1. NEW ZEALAND 2nd innings Tom Latham stp. Rishabh Pant b Ravichandran Ashwin 9 Devon Conway lbw Ravichandran Ashwin 19 Kane Williamson not out 52 Ross Taylor not out 47 EXTRAS: (lb-11, nb-2) 13 TOTAL: (two wkts, 45.5 overs) 140 Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-44. Bowling: Ishant Sharma 6.2-2-1-0, Mohammed Shami 10.53-31-0, Jasprit Bumrah 10.4-2-35-0, Ravichandran Ashwin 10-5-17-2, Ravindra Jadeja 8-1-25-0-(nb-2)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 25, 2021

Multan Sultans win Pakistan Super League for the first time ...beat Peshawar Zalmi

by 47 runs in the final

MULTAN Sultans won the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for the first time with a 47-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi. Multan racked up a commanding 206-4 in the final in Abu Dhabi thanks to Rilee Rossouw’s 20-ball 50 and Sohaib Maqsood’s 65 not out off 35 balls. Peshawar rarely threatened to pull off the highest chase in PSL history despite Shoaib Malik’s 28-ball 48. They were without Haider Ali and Umaid Asif after they were suspended for breaching their bio-secure bubble. The PSL was postponed in March because of rising Covid cases in Pakistan, but resumed on 9 June in Abu Dhabi, where players are still under restrictions. Haider has also been dropped from Pakistan’s limited-overs squad to tour England in July and been replaced by Maqsood. Multan openers Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan, who made 37 and 30

Multan Sultans finished top of the table in 2020 but failed to progress past the play-offs

respectively, put on 68 after Peshawar won the toss. But it was the third-wicket partnership of 98 from Rossouw and Maqsood that effectively settled the game, with South Africa batsman Rossouw hitting three sixes in his brutal half-century. Kamran Akmal dominated the early stages of Peshawar’s reply - he scored the first 36 runs - but was among three wickets to fall for 16 runs as they slipped to 58-3. S h o a i b l e d a c o u n ter-attack before he fell to a brilliant diving catch from 42-year-old former South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir, who claimed two wickets in his final over to finish with 3-33. There was no English involvement in the final after Multan’s Adam Lyth and James Vince and Peshawar’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Ravi Bopara and Saqib Mahmood did not return following the postponement. (BBC SPORT)

Sha’Carri Richardson Simmons views South Africa series as is now the fastest another rehearsal for World Cup T20 defence WEST Indies face South Africa in five Twenty20 Internationals from tomorrow in Grenada and it is the start of a minimum of 15 T20I matches before the October-November World T20, currently scheduled for India. The road to their title defence has started brightly with a 2-1 series success over Sri Lanka in March and with several of the seasoned T20 players set to feature for West Indies, head coach Phil Simmons wants the players to understand this is all a part of the preparation for the global event. “I think it is just our preparation and our understanding that we are heading into a World Cup and we got to start playing cricket the way we want to play in the World Cup and South Africa is our first test for that since they have a very strong T20 set up,” the coach expressed at a recent media interaction. Unlike the Test series where West Indies were ranked sixth, just ahead of South Africa, there is a bigger gulf with the two sides in the shortest format. South Africa are ranked sixth and the World T20 defending champions are tenth. “From an execution standpoint, we are looking

for players to do the things they do normally in a T20 game and we have so many players that play T20 cricket all around the world, so the skills are there. It is about coming together as a team and performing our skills individually.”

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons

The two sides who played the first match at the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, have contrasting fortunes of recent. While West Indies are entering the series on a high, the Proteas have lost their last four T20I series. After South Africa, West

Indies are set to play Australia and Pakistan at home in the five-match T20I series. We s t I n d i e s T 2 0 I squad: Kieron Pollard (capt.), Nicholas Pooran (wkp.), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

woman in America

IN just 10.64 seconds, Sha’Carri Richardson became a household name. The 21-year-old sprinter stunned the world last weekend after winning her 100-metre heat and securing a coveted spot as part of the U.S. women’s team for next month’s Tokyo Olympics. Following her domination of the trial and in a post-competition interview, Richardson revealed that her win follows TURN TO PAGE 26

Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson

New Zealanders celebrate after their World Test Championship triumph

WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

New Zealand defy resources to topple India By Matthew Henry IF good things come to those who wait, New Zealand had done their fair share of waiting. Ninety-one years since their first Test, having suffered heartache at the altar in the past two World Cup finals, the Black Caps are the inaugural Test champions of the world. A country with a population of five million, downed an opposition that boasts 1.4 billion. A cricket team with a turnover smaller than some English county clubs, against the sport’s ultimate superpower, backed with almost endless finances. After a week of rain and gloom, a new chapter was written into cricket’s history books - on a sun-drenched day in Southampton. As Indian wickets fell the roars were silenced. A drummer’s bhangra beat was replaced by the beer-fuelled chants from of a pocket of

New Zealand fans among those in orange and blue. A day earlier, those Black Caps fans had arrived wearing armbands and a snorkel but now, as the game’s pressure finally relented, they waved their shirts above their heads. New Zealand fans were heavily outnumbered by India’s during the Test championship final but celebrated wildly as their side closed in on victory. Not even England’s biggest fan would bemoan them for borrowing and adapting their favourite song as “cricket’s coming home” echoed around the emptying Hampshire Bowl. After a day of tension, of calculating and time-keeping, New Zealand - little New Zealand - the perennial bridesmaid, the team always kept away from cricket’s top table, had their big day. This was as much a clash of styles as a tussle between big and small - India, the epitome of a cricket’s modern-day superstars, against crick-

et’s quiet guys. A tussle between steadiness and flair, discipline and celebrity India captain Virat Kohli has an Instagram following that makes David Beckham look like David Brent, with sponsors at every turn. A trip to New Zealand captain Kane Williamson’s profile leaves you wishing you owned his dog. Although quiet in this game Jasprit Bumrah’s unconventional brilliance makes him one of the biggest names in cricket. The most unorthodox thing about New Zealand is the 6ft 8in frame of fast bowler, Kyle Jamieson. Opener Rohit Sharma can dominate, exuding the power of a dad playing with his kids. Tom Latham manages to deflect the spotlight as well as an 85mph in-swinger. Rishabh Pant, the India wicketkeeper who showed a glimpse of his attacking talent in this game, is as exciting a talent as there is right now, while his opposite number BJ Watling, who re-

tired after the game, built a career on a calmer and more patient approach. After their steady rise over recent years - a run that has culminated in this win after earlier this month inflicting England’s first home defeat in seven years - some had New Zealand as favourites for the final, at worst it was seen as a 50:50 shot. Underdogs as a nation, Williamson has ensured on the field this team can compete with anyone. They know what they can do and do it well. They play to their own strengths, never tempted to do otherwise by flashier opponents. Williamson is the stardust who makes the ‘who thing’ possible with his world-class batting. Jamieson is, on recent evidence, a bowler to be feared. Opener Devon Conway, the cast-off-turnedTURN TO PAGE 30

Short-handed Guyanese to face USA today at Women’s Pan Am Indoor Hockey SEE PAGE 33

SEE PAGE 26

GRFU signals interest for 2021 RAN 7s Championship (L-R) Abosaide Cadogan along with a representative from MVP Sports, Sarah Klautky and Madison Fernandes at a simple presentation before their departure this week

FLASHBACK! Guyana’s Avery Corbin (left) about to tackle his Jamaican counterpart during the2019 RAN 7s Championship

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FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021