Issuu

FRIDAY 12th April, 2019

No.105605

ECLAC projects 4.6% growth for Guyana 03 PAGE

–– lowers overall regional projections due to ‘complex external scenarios’

Reg. 4 awards more 14 than $68M in contracts PAGE

… millions more to be awarded in coming weeks

Students getting ready for NGSA PAGE

Ali questioned about alleged fake degrees

… talks about experience instead

PAGE

US$20M signed to strengthen oil sector

PAGE

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan and World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean, Tahseen Khan following the signing ceremony

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Unfounded and malicious –– Hamilton flagged for spreading misinformation about President THE Ministry of the Presidency has rejected “malicious statements” made by Opposition member, Joseph Hamilton, which suggest that the nation is not kept informed about the whereabouts of President David Granger. He also suggested that the nation is unsure of who is running the country in the President’s absence. Hamilton made the claims at a People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) press conference on Thursday, in the presence of the party’s presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali. “Irfaan, in his presentation, the earlier part of it, pointed to the despair that is upon this land at the moment and the question the media and the Guyanese people should ask ourselves at this juncture is, ‘Where is the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana?’ Is it a fair thing that we as citizens, are unable to even have the necessary information? A man is leading a ship, he is the captain and we are on the vessel and we don’t know where the captain can be found,” Hamilton told reporters. The Ministry of the Presidency, in a statement following the press briefing, said it takes umbrage at Hamilton’s remarks and views them as yet another absurd attempt by the opposition to spread fake news, to deceive the public and to foster distrust in the David Granger-led administration. The Ministry of the Presidency said it wishes

PPP Parliamentarian, Joseph Hamilton to remind Hamilton that on every occasion President Granger leaves the jurisdiction, the nation was informed as well as when he returns. Last October, President Granger was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and since then has been undergoing medical treatment at the Centro de Investigaciones Medico Quirurgicas (CIMEQ) in the Republic of Cuba. The Ministry of the Presidency, on April 2, 2019, indicated that President Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger departed Guyana for the Republic of Cuba, so that the President can continue his treatment. MENDACIOUS PROPAGANDA “Therefore, for Mr. Hamilton to tell the media today, ‘We don’t know See page 8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

ECLAC projects 4.6% growth for Guyana … lowers overall regional projections due to ‘complex external scenarios’

THE Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has projected a 4.6 per cent growth rate for Guyana this year even as it updated its growth projections on economic activity for this year for the Region’s countries. In the updated projections, ECLAC slightly lowers its estimate for the regional average to 1.3 per cent compared with the 1.7 per cent foreseen in December 2018, when the institution released its annual report ‘Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean 2018’. Recently, in an interview with this newspaper, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, said that, despite the political fallout following the no-confidence motion, there has been no disruption to the economy which grew by 4.1 per cent last year. Describing the nation’s economic performance as “solid”, Minister Jordan said the sectors responsible for the “better than expected performance” were sugar, livestock, forestry, gold, diamonds and the wholesale and retail trades. The private sector has been saying that due to “uncertainties” economic activities have slowed. It (the private sector) however, has not produced actual data and method used to arrive at the claims. Last year’s growth came on the heels of a less than 3 per cent GDP growth rate in 2017 and bettered the 3.4 per cent growth which was initially projected in November of 2018. The latter was based on figures at hand and projections, explained the minister. He recalled some of the challenges of the previous year such as the reforms implemented to stop the “haemorrhaging” of the sugar sector. Those in the gold mining sector included ore quality, fluctuating international prices and poor quality access roads. Minister Jordan noted that forestry, for example, gained as the government had allocated funds to rehabilitate many hinterland access roads. This, he said, enabled the forestry sector to benefit. The sector also gained from the move to redistribute lands, formerly controlled by the BaiShanLin Company to smaller operators who seized the opportunity to utilise the tracts of forests. COMPLEX EXTERNAL SCENARIO Meanwhile, ECLAC’s new estimate for 2019 was released on Thursday, through a press release, and was influenced by the complex external scenario as well as domestic dynamics that are being observed in the countries of the Region, ECLAC

said in a statement. As in past years, ECLAC projects growth dynamics that vary in intensity between countries and sub-regions, and that reflect not only the differentiated impacts that the international context has on each economy, but also the behaviour of the components of expenditure – mainly, consumption and investment – which have been following different patterns in the economies of the north and the south. According to ECLAC, economic activity in South America will rise from 0.5 per cent growth in 2018 to 1.1 per cent in 2019. Meanwhile, Central America will grow 3.1 per cent in 2019, with slight downward revisions in the majority of countries. This is the consequence of the greater deceleration forecast for the United States this year, which affects trade as well as the remittances destined for the sub-region, among other factors. ECLAC adds that for Central America, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, growth will be 2.0 per cent. Likewise, the economies of the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean will also notch 2.0 per cent growth in 2019, near what was forecast in December. According to the organisation, the main risks to the Region’s economic performance this year continue to be a lower rate of global growth, reduced dynamism in global trade, and the financial conditions faced by emerging economies. In addition, the trade war between the United States and China has yet to be resolved, which entails risks not only to global trade and the world’s growth rate in the medium term, but also to financial conditions themselves, since they tend to be linked to agents’ perception of greater or lesser risk. Meanwhile, prices of commodities may also be negatively affected by an increase in trade restrictions, ECLAC adds. As of now, a slight decline in the level of average prices for basic products (of -5 per cent) is forecast for 2019, with energy products showing the steepest fall (-12 per cent). But since the level of global activity and global trade is worsening more than expected, this projection could be revised downward. In addition to all this, as in past years, concerns persist regarding the evolution of China’s economy: it is expected to decelerate once again in 2019, to 6.2 per cent growth. Finally, there are the habitual geopolitical risks, compounded by on-going uncertainty regarding certain processes that not only have geopolitical importance, but also economic significance on a global level, such as Brexit.

Ali questioned about … talks about alleged fake degrees experience instead PEOPLE’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate Irfaan Ali on Thursday shied away from answering question about allegations that he faked his qualification, but rather talked about his experience as a former government minister. Ali made the comments at a press conference held at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Church Street, Queenstown, Georgetown on Thursday. Questioned about his qualifications, which he allegedly faked the PPP presidential candidate chose to tell reporters about his experience. “I believe I have the experience, I believe I have the competencies, I have managed large-scale projects. I have been integral in policy-making, I played an integral part in economic policies, I have shadowed the economic sector in Parliament, I’ve chaired the PAC, I have worked in the housing sector, I have worked

in project planning, so I think I possess a wide array of experience and in terms of my qualifications, as I have said before, I have put all my qualifications out there, my certificates are out there, these are things that I stand by and I have worked hard for, every one of my academic qualifications and anyone can scrutinise them.” According to Ali, his qualifications includes an International Business Management Post-Graduate Diploma (2002), a Masters in Human Resource Planning from the Guru Gobind Singh India Prastha University (2003), a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management from the University of Sunderland (2006), and a Post- Graduate Certificate in Finance from the Anglia Ruskin University (2018). Further, Ali said he is completing studies See page 5

PPP/C presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali, flanked by parliamentarian Joseph Hamilton and communication officer Kwame McCoy at the press briefing on Thursday

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Guyana gets US$20M to strengthen capacity in oil and gas sector

GUYANA has signed a US$20M loan agreement with the World Bank to build human resource capacity and strengthen institutional frameworks in the oil and gas sector. The signing occurred Thursday between Minister of Finance Winston Jordan and World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean, Tahseen Khan. According to a release from the ministry, Minister Jordan noted the timely nature of the loan agreement, stating that it would provide much-needed technical assistance to the emerging sector.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan and World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean, Tahseen Khan Khan said the loan will aid in building the capacity of key institutions such as the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the

Ministry of Finance, for prudent management of the oil revenues. Minister Jordan was accompanied by Governor of Bank of Guyana,

Dr. Gobind Ganga; Guyana’s Ambassador to the USA, Dr. Riyad Insanally and Alternate Representative of the Embassy of Guyana, Jason Fields.

Second edition of National Quality Award launched

Friday 12, april,2019 09:30hrs–– 11:00hrs

THE Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) launched the second edition of its National Quality Awards at the National Exhibition Centre, Sophia on Thursday. The launch was attended by representatives of agencies within the Ministry of Business and key private sector organisations such

as the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce (GCCI), the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), and the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA). The National Quality Awards (NQA) programme is Guyana’s first quality system based award programme, which seeks to recognise

local businesses that demonstrate commitment to implementing quality systems and best practices in the production of goods and services. GNBS Public Relations Officer, Lloyd David, said the NQA is based on an impartial and comprehensive assessment of the operations of participating businesses and is geared towards promoting competitiveness of local products and services. He noted that the awards will help businesses to strive for excellence, be at a competitive edge, enhance growth and development, and encourage their sustainability. In 2017, David said 16 companies vied for the first National Quality Awards in the categories of manufacture and services. The companies were assessed and evaluated based on the seven ISO Quality Management Principles. These principles are Customer Satisfaction, Leader-

ship, Engagement of People, Use of Process Approach, Improvement, Evidence-Based Decisions and Relationship Management. For the 2019 awards, in addition to the aforementioned principles, companies will also be assessed for their adherence to basic environmental requirements (sustainable business practices) and safety requirements. The categories of awardees were revised. The new categories are manufacturing, services, small business (manufacturing and services) and agro-processing. In addition to other specific requirements, participating companies must have a Valid GRA Tax Compliance, a Valid NIS Compliance and be registered with the Deeds Registry. The GNBS is encouraging companies that can fulfill the entry requirements to participate.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Contract signed for design of hospitality institute

THE Ministry of Education (MoE) on Thursday signed a US$250,000 contract with Deen + Partners in association with CEP and Leverage Consulting Limited for the design of Guyana’s first modern Hospitality Training Institute. Deen Kamaludeen signed on behalf of the contracting company while MoE Permanent Secretary, Adele Clarke, signed on behalf of the ministry. Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, noted the importance of the project, particularly with oil and gas coming on stream in 2020. Funded through collaboration between the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of Guyana, the institute is being constructed in response to the growing demand for services in the hospitality sector in Guyana. The design phase is expected to take some five months. Once completed, the institute is expected to mimic a mini-four star hotel with provision for fine dining, banquet halls, classrooms and recreational facilities such as a tennis court and swim-

Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, (left) watches on Permanent Secretary Adele Clarke (second from left) and Deen Kamaludeen (third from left, sitting) sign the contract on Thursday ming pool. already putting measures The students would be “One of the problems in place to ensure the able to undergo certified that persons have been school will have the nec- vocational examinations complaining about for essary human resource. while also preparing to sit a long time is that the Four persons have subjects at the Caribbehospitality sector in Guy- already signed on for an Secondary Education ana is very poor and this scholarships to attend the Certificate (CSEC) examhopes to resolve that by Barbados Community inations. formalising the way how College, with two per“It’s a five-year projwe do things. So no lon- sons pursuing degrees in ect. The loan was signed ger we will have a lot of hospitality management, in 2017 and work started untrained persons in the while the other two will be in January 2018. The projhospitality sector. When doing degrees in fine arts. ect has six components. they are trained, they will Siebs is coordinator The emphasis is universal receive accreditation. of the Guyana Skills De- access to technical and This would allow them velopment and Employ- vocational education. to practice anywhere in ability Project, of which Thus, the hospitality the Region. Waitresses, construction of the hospi- focus apart, the institute tour guides, bartenders, tality institute is one of six is expected to build cayou would now be cer- components. pacity and offer technitified,” explained MoE Another component cal and vocational trainProject Coordinator, Ther- includes the upgrading ing at the CVQ Level 1 on Siebs. of some six secondary and two. So, apart from Siebs noted that even schools to provide voca- writing your CXC you as the ministry is looking tional training to students, can write an occupationat the structural compo- along with regular aca- al area at the secondary nent of the institute, it is demic programmes. level,” Siebs explained.

GPHC patients asked to be patient as power disruption is addressed SEVERAL sections of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) were thrown into darkness on Thursday when a power outage triggered an electrical breaker at the hospital and caused it to trip. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GPHC, Brigadier (Ret’d) George Lewis, told the media, in an invited comment, that the situation was under control. “We have spoken to the patients. We have advised them of the situation and we have asked them to be patient with us”. Lewis said, in light of many areas of the hospital being out of light. He said that, as a precautionary measure, a unit of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) and GPL were summoned.

“As a precautionary measure, we did call in the fire service to ensure that safety is maintained. We also called in GPL so that they can provide support to our internal electricians who are seeking to rectify the problem”. The CEO said. Lewis explained to the media that the hospital experienced a GPL power outage which caused one of the breakers within the main control room of the hospital electrical network to fail. He said the hospital was unable to utilize its standby generator to power the AC/DC building but was however able to maintain electricity in the theater because of the UPS systems that operate in that area. The hospital CEO said that alternative arrangement for important services such as CT scans, x-rays,

ultrasound and so on were made for same to be done at the Cancer Institute of Guyana (CIG). “So patients who need to receive those services, will still receive them”. He said. The hospital CEO said that the situation is not a planned activity, “these kind of things happen, you don’t ever know when it is going to happen but some things do happen in an unplanned manner”. He said. When this publication arrived at the hospital, officials and a team of technical workers were on the ground attending to the situation. It is not clear how long the situation will take to be rectified but workers are working against the clock to bring the situation back to normalcy.

Ali questioned ... From page 3 for a doctorate while pursuing a Master’s in International Commercial Law. He explained that during his outreaches over the last few months, thousands of young people from all political persuasions have shared their experience and offered their help in campaigning. “You will see when the PPP/C launches its campaign, you might be shocked to see how many that believed in the failed and false promises of the APNU/AFC will be joining us on this journey for a better Guyana,” Ali said. He continued: “My Guyanese brothers and sisters, we are in all of this together and we will build a Guyana where you will feel that you have a stake in Guyana, so in the next five years, we will see tremendous transformation.” The PPP presidential candidate said that during his tenure, per capita GDP will be doubled, energy sustainability will reach 90 per cent from renewable energy, growth in disposable income, massive annual investment, the elimination of extreme poverty, the creation of 50,000 new jobs, universal secondary education, a reduction in crime, housing expansion and the doubling of international reserves, among others. Ali said he has visited almost every region and many persons are in a state of despair, especially with policies and actions of the current government. The presidential candidate noted that when he is elected to office, he will surround himself with a high-powered team to deliver the party’s campaign promises. “I would surround myself with the best team. I am a team person. I’m team-oriented. I think that we will achieve everything through a great team effort,” he said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Addressing littering

HE problem of littering is one that has plagued Guyana — particularly the country’s urban areas — since time immemorial. Despite countless anti-littering campaigns, public service announcements in the media, direct appeals from local government councils, central government officials, environmental activists, media personnel, and other prominent persons and entities, the practice continues unabated. Even in the face of by-laws applicable to the Georgetown municipality that impose fines on violators, as well as regulations enforceable by the Environmental Protection Agency, Guyanese continue to engage in the unacceptable habit. Obviously, the penchant for littering is ingrained in the minds of too many Guyanese to such a great extent that it will take more than laws, campaigns, and appeals to remove it. Littering is defined as the act of disposing of garbage in places that it does not belong. As time passes, the garbage may accumulate, creating a dump. Littering includes leaving rubbish on the ground from overflowing bins, failing to pick up refuse that spilled from recep-

tacles while they were being emptied, tossing waste from moving vehicles, and abandoning unwanted items in parks or other places after a picnic, for example. Littering is against the law for several reasons: it imposes unnecessary costs on the authorities that have to clean it up, it is unsightly, and degrades the aesthetics of communities; and litter can cause diseases of many kinds as well as injuries to people and animals. Litter may consist of a variety of refuse, the most common stuff include food packaging, cigarette butts, used drink bottles, chewing gum wrappers, broken equipment parts, unwanted toys, broken glass, food scraps or food waste. Research conducted by experts has proven a correlation between the presence of litter in an area, and the subsequent intentional disposal of litter at that same spot. Such research concludes that when people see garbage already accumulated at a spot, it is more likely for other persons to dispose their refuse in the same location. This is a phenomenon with which Guyanese are all too familiar; when one person dumps garbage somewhere, it appears that the whole neighbourhood sees that as a licence to dump refuse there. Evidently,

the solution to this particular aspect of the issue is to prevent or avoid the first act of dumping or, failing that, arresting the accumulation of garbage in any particular spot. Scientific research into the problem has identified some key factors and causes of littering involving small items. First, laziness and carelessness head the list. In other words, people become habituated to the lazy practice of carelessly dropping their refuse wherever they happen to be, instead of keeping it until they reach a bin. Second, too many people are simply unaware that their actions have environmental and health implications. And third, many people think that there are no major consequences. But, of course, there are severe consequences. Litter can contain objects such as needles, blades or broken glass, any of which can cause injury. Throwing cigarette butts into dry vegetation can spark destructive or fatal fires. Additionally, cigarette butts contain arsenic and other poisons that may contaminate streams or other supplies of water. Improperly discarded containers can collect rainwater and become a breeding spot for mosquitoes. Marine animals can be killed by plastic bags dumped in water-

ways. Another significant consequence is the high cleanup cost; the money spent on cleanup is money that may be better spent on community development projects. The list is endless. Clearly, littering and dumping have major ramifications. So, what can we do about it? Obviously, in Guyana, laws at the local and national levels, aggressive campaigns, ubiquitous signs, numerous appeals and other measures have not worked. And, considering that government’s plans to establish capital towns in every region may result in ever-increasing development and urbanisation — a fact which may cause the problem to spread — a new approach may be indicated. Evidently, the issue’s origin lies in the mindset and culture of Guyanese, and it is at that level that a solution should be identified and implemented. In addition to the updating of outdated laws and increased enforcement, systematic education at the primary school level may be considered, as well as other measures that experts may devise. In any case, Guyanese, particularly adults, should know better. Throwing garbage on the streets, into trenches, on the sidewalks and parapets is simply unacceptable.

Our plight as pioneer exploration workers

Dear Editor,

I WRITE seeking permission for use of space in your newspaper to highlight our plight as pioneer exploration workers with Aranka. We have been facing hardship from financial difficulties for the past year with non-payment of severance package for exploration workers. Cellphone and telephone calls to persons at the Aranka head office either go

unanswered, or to voicemail. Camp cook, Herman Welcome, mechanic/driver Felix, and Exploration Supervisor Dexter Felix have all repeatedly expressed their frustration about not being able to have formal discussion with Violet or Patrick about their payment package. Actually, it has come to our knowledge that Dexter Felix was recalled to the Aranka projects, and he is now working at Warudi, supervising exploration activities there.

We are poor men who worked tirelessly in the rain, sun, swamps and bushes, cutting lines and fetching samples long distances for exploration activities at Aranka. Please say something about severance payment for pioneer exploration employees with Aranka projects. The last information we got earlier this year from the management of Aranka projects, is that we will be paid after the new board is formed following the May

22 board meeting in Canada, when Scott and his team will be thrown out, and Violet and Patrick will have control over the new Board’s affairs. We have been waiting long enough. Pioneer exploration employees of Aranka project need our payment now. Regards John Boucher Merza Miller

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

The government has been vindicated

Dear Editor,

THE recent meeting between representatives of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the United States Ambassador to Guyana has further exposed the political crookery and deception of this umbrella business organisation, while it has vindicated the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (AFC) government. Of course, as a new envoy now acquainting herself with an entirely new posting, she would have been meeting with key stakeholders, both from political and civil society, with a view to listening to their concerns. All this would have been taking place at a time of some historical occurrence that has evolved from an opposition-led treachery of a no-confidence vote that had been designed to sow disaffection among certain sectors, with the aim of removing the duly elected coalition government from office. Editor, it is obvious that the PSC that had not so long ago cited “uncertainties” within the business and commerce sector while further claiming “investment hesitancy” and the decline of ‘business activity”, could not have presented such a contention without presenting hard evidence during their engagement with the Madame Ambassador. Thus, for this organisation to be now mentioning concerns about “security’’ as it relates to a stable business climate, an organisation that had deliberately, since 2015, hitched itself to the Bharrat Jagdeo-led racist campaign against the government, is both duplicitous and deceptive, as it is pretentious and hypocritical, given the central role that it had played since 2015 as part of a grand national conspiracy against the president David Granger–led coalition government.

One is certain that the diplomat has by now been able to fully piece together all the inputs as it relates to the role that the business and commerce entity has played in its perceived worry about “security’’, for they have become victims of their own perceived fears, real or imagined; frightened by their own ghosts! Again, I repeat, with no apologies, that this business collective should be patently ashamed to be now expressing concerns about “security”, after having done so much as part of the Jagdeo–led bandwagon to incite the public peace, with the aim of causing social unrest. Editor, these people whose businesses continue to discriminate against hiring Afro Guyanese on their staff, although the latter comprises a significant purchasing segment of their daily customers would be aware of the very negative forces that such racist policies, coupled with its glaringly unfair attacks on the government, as part of the grander PPP/C plot, would have started to usher in. It would seem therefore that they have finally woken to the perceived dangers which their recklessly dangerous politicking could cause. Except that the social peace has been maintained and continues to be so, as Guyanese see their daily lives, being impacted positively by the socio economic programmes of the government that are bringing meaningful changes and benefits. It was very good for the envoy to have observed that, “The democratic process is being followed. The democratic institutions are being used”. This vindicates the Coalition government for the principled position it took in following due process in its challenge to the results of the No-Confidence Motion. It was its right to seek redress at a higher judicial level, with the understanding that such a pathway is a process that takes time. But did the PSC, as part

of the conspiratorial phalanx accept that government was entitled to such a right, and that it was fair for it to exercise such? Absolutely Not! Instead, this body, the Bar Association, the Christopher Rams, the Ralph Ramkarrans et al, through their yellow newsprint, the Stabroek News, began the accusations against the government of a creeping “dictatorship”, “illegal government” and “authoritarianism”. One got the distinct impression that the government had ordered the Armed Forces to surround the National Assembly; that basic freedoms were being gradually removed, and that the State’s existence as

a democratic entity had become imperiled. Of course, this had been the intended end result as a response, which, perhaps, the PPP/C and its politically dishonest chorus had intended to achieve. But they have ALL BEEN DISAPPOINTED, as they will continue to be, since Guyana is being led by a government, the executive of which, not only respects democracy, but practises its time honoured tenets, placing Guyana on its irrevocable course since 2015. Regards Earl Hamilton

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Women in Essequibo benefit from skills Training programme SIMULTANEOUS training sessions being conducted in three remote locations in Essequibo by the Guyana Foundation are assisting persons to learn

skills which can generate income for their families. Noting that poverty is still real in many communities around Guyana, the foundation, in a media re-

lease, on Thursday, stated that it has been offering free, extensive training programmes in a variety of disciplines over the years. The effort is directly im-

pacting residents in Mashabo, Wakenaam and the ZorgEn-Vlygt. According to the foundation, in the village of Mashabo on the Itiribisi Lake, a fabric design programme has been started and is being taught by accomplished craft maker and agriculturalist, Abiola Ulele Garraway. “Products that have already been produced by students will be sold in the Cayman Islands to be made into beach towels, beach wraps and garments,” the release stated. Meanwhile, on Wakenaam Island, Home Economics teacher, Glynis

Streete, is the facilitator for the catering course where she trains many students to set up their own micro enterprises. The release indicated: “Her course in Wakenaam is full and students are very grateful for this opportunity to learn a valuable skill.” Over at the village of Zorg-En-Vlygt on the Essequibo Coast, a beautician and business owner, Gem Britton, is teaching a cosmetology course to 24 young women who are learning the skills of pedicures, manicures and facials. “The students will be hosting a free beauty make-

over for persons in the Anna Regina market area a few days before Mother’s Day. They are all committed and excited about this training,” the foundation added. Founder of the Guyana Foundation, Supriya Singh-Bodden, commented on the developments, stating: “If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you. Our mission is to bring a ray of light into people’s lives; it is up to them to make it burn bright to uplift themselves and their families.”

Students involved in the cosmetology course

Some of the individuals participating in the catering course

Unfounded ... From page 2

whether he is here or somewhere else. Is it fair to this country? We must ask ourselves that question as citizens,’ demonstrates clearly the mendacious propaganda of the People’s Progressive Party and its members. “Further, on every occasion prior to his return from treatment in the Republic of Cuba, Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba, Halim Majeed, issues a press statement, updating the nation on the President’s treatment and any engagements or activities that he undertook while in that country. All such statements are shared by the Ministry of the Presidency on one or more of its platforms. The last such statement was issued on March 23, 2019,” the Ministry of the Presidency noted. In that statement, Ambassador Majeed reported that the President has successfully completed the first phase of his medical treatment in Cuba. The ambassador also relayed that the Cuban medical specialists who are overseeing President Granger’s medical care for that disease, have expressed their full satisfaction with the President’s response

to chemotherapy and his overall physical well-being. The statement also said that “President Granger is expected to commence radiotherapy in early April 2019”. Moreover, the Ministry of the Presidency, from the time of the President’s diagnosis last year, has updated the nation of his departure and arrival to and from Cuba for treatment. Additionally, as is customary, when the Head of State is out of the jurisdiction, the next in command is the prime minister. In the event the Prime Minister (Mr. Moses Nagamootoo) is out of the jurisdiction at the same time as the President, then the Second Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge, would perform the functions of President while the third Vice-President and Minister of Public Security, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, would perform the duties of prime minister. “The ministry, therefore, views Mr. Hamilton’s remarks as malevolent and strongly encourages him to be truthful when making utterances in the public domain,” the Ministry of the Presidency statement concluded.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Kites for Sophia Care Centre

YOUTHS from the Sophia Care Centre, on Thursday, were all in smiles following the delivery of kites for the Easter season by local contact centre, Emerge BPO Services Inc.. The kites, handed over to the children through Administrator of the institution, Roxanne Blenman, were handmade by employees of the contact centre. Speaking with this newspaper at the Centre, Emerge BPO Services Inc. Chief Executive Officer, Heidi Solomon-Orlick, said: “One of the big parts of our company’s DNA is giving back to the community and, so, every month we have a community outreach event that we do and given that it’s Easter and kite-flying and kite-making is a big part of Guyana’s culture, we implemented an internal competition to have all of our employees participate in making their own kites. They broke in to teams and they had to use all-natural materials – that’s a part of our sustainable initiative – and they got, super, super creative.”

Some of the Emerge BPO Services Inc. employees who won the kite-making contest

“The children were so excited and they’re going to be doing their own competition on Easter, so they’re very excited to see whose kite can fly the highest,” Solomon-Orlick added. Describing the response of the youths, Social Service Assistant Margaret Elgin said: “All kites and whatever gifts they receive means a lot for them because these are children who don’t normally receive these things. So when you give these gifts to them, they cherish it; they enjoy it; they play with it.” Meanwhile, Vice-President (VP) of Operations and Diversity at the contact centre, Dalgleish Joseph, reminded: “Our culture is not just about creating jobs and opportunities for young professionals, but we also want to make a tremendous impact in the communities that our employees and their extended families live.” Emerge BPO Services Inc. is no stranger to the Centre and has served in Guyana for 10 years with an employee count of some 600.

Emerge BPO Services Inc. Chief Executive Officer Heidi Solomon-Orlick (right) and Administrator of the Sophia Care Centre, Roxanne Blenman share a light moment.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday April 12, 2019

Students getting ready for NGSA EVEN as Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson has indicated that the 2019 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) test papers are already in the country, many teachers and pupils are conducting the last phase of preparation before the big days. “We’re all set and ready to go. The children would have received their timetables; the papers are in the country and we’re all set to execute the examination in the education districts in Guyana from Regions one right down to ten which is inclusive of Georgetown,” Hutson told media operatives on Tuesday. The examination, to last for two days, will begin on April 17, 2019. Hutson stated that much has been done through the Ministry and other stakeholders to ensure that the pupils are prepared for the period. “We’ve done a number of things. We had lots of training sessions done with our Education officers who are responsible for supervising schools; we’ve had what we call Mathematics Camp for our children and we’ve also had special classes for some children in all the core subject areas. We’ve done training for our teachers [while] for our education officers we’ve had extensive professional development sessions and many of us, including the Minister, myself and many other officers, actually travelled throughout the Regions giving the students and teachers tips as to how they could move forward,” he said. He also noted that Television programmes such as the Learning Channel have helped children learn what they need to do to prepare for the NGSA. “We’ve also encouraged parents to be supportive of their children and to ensure that they study and ensure that time is marked out for them to actually do revisionary work,” the Chief Education Officer said, adding: “Many of our teachers are working assiduously to ensure that we actually see an improvement in terms of our performance when compared to last year and if you look at our trend you can see that we have been

Pamela Phillips, headteacher of St. Gabriel’s Primary School (Samuel Maughn photo) improving. We’re not where we want to be but certainly we are on the move and this train is not stagnant.” Speaking with Headteacher at the St. Gabriel’s Primary School, Pamela Phillips, she attested that teachers have been doing their best to prepare the Grade Six pupils. She stated that the pupils at her school are so eager and excited to write the examinations that they are already picking out the top schools they hope to attend. In 2018, a boy from the school secured placement at Queen’s College, the country’s top school. Phillips also noted that, in the remaining days, work will be done to ensure that the 145 children to write the examination and their environment are well-prepared. “We have study groups with them from after three o’clock to five-thirty or six in the evening; we have our auditorium that we have to set up by Friday; we have everything like the First Aid kits, water and whatever is

Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson (Samuel Maughn photo) necessary for them for those days,” she said. While she noted that there is a group of children who are exceptionally good in all the subject areas, she left an encouraging message to parents to play their role in preparing their children for academic success. “When parents are involved in their children’s education you have a greater performance from them,” Phillips said, encouraging: “Spend time with them, study with them and you will get good results.” Meanwhile, over at the Christianburg Primary School in Linden, teacher of the only Grade Six class there, Verionne Emanuel, stated, on Wednesday that her 24 pupils who will be writing the examination have been given the skills to excel. “They’re confident but they still need to apply themselves more in terms of being more vigilant when they’re working their papers to be able to answer the questions properly and interpret what exactly the question is asking

in order to answer correctly,” she said. Some of the strategies being utilized by the school include diagrams to help with Mathematics and assisting the students to memorize formulas that can help them easily solve a problem. Last year the school produced one pupil for a top school in the capital while others gained top schools in the Region. The pupils are presently and temporarily attending school at the St Aidan’s Primary School as the Government is working to rebuild their school. Emanuel said: “I know the amount of work that we would have done and covered so far and the children have good ability and potential; it’s just that they have to push out the work to match that potential.” At the Leonora Primary School, one teacher told the newspaper that the 133 Grade Six pupils there are working on mock examination papers; past test papers and are also being advised on how to behave during the examination. Meanwhile Grade Six Teacher, Leroy Mitchell, at the New Amsterdam Primary School, told the newspaper, on Thursday, that the teachers have been preparing the 43 pupils to write the examination by means of mock examinations. He also noted that the pupils have been involved in Mathematics Camps and are being tested through past examination papers. “They are feeling prepared,” Mitchell said, adding: “Some of them are eager to learn and some of them have some challenges but we’re working to overcome them. [To parents] speak to your kids and go through their notes step by step with them. Even if they don’t know the children can read to them and special lessons help.” Meanwhile, to all the children gearing up to write the examination countrywide, he urged them to be “driven and motivated” which he said would see everything eventually falling into place.

Seventh-day Adventists elect new executives PASTOR Exton Clarke was on Thursday elected President of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists capping an eventful day at the church’s Fifth Quadrennial Session being hosted at the Central SDA Church in Georgetown. He replaces Pastor Avert James who served two terms as president of the religious body. Clarke the immediate former Executive Secretary has pledged to build on the foundation set by former leaders even as he committed to give of his best service to the church. The day also saw the electing of Pastor Jumoul Sancho as the Executive Secretary and Mrs. Rovena Harrinaugth as Treasurer. Sancho is the immediate

former Personal Ministries and Community Services Director. Clarke was elected by delegates representing the over 60,000 members of the local church. He holds a Masters in Pastoral Theology with an emphasis in Family Life from the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) and is the husband of Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education Adele Clarke. Earlier, on Wednesday, Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton had urged the executives to elect persons willing to protect social cohesion; promote equality and work towards a future where the difference of all Guyanese are respected.

From left-right: New Treasurer of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, Rovena Harrinaugth; President, Exton Clarke; and Executive Secretary, Pastor Jumoul Sancho

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday April 12, 2019

Father, son to be sentenced on May 7

A father and son were on Thursday, April 11, 2019, found guilty of killing Suresh Nandkishore, called ‘Ravo,’ who, in 2015, was beaten to death over a plot of land located in the Mahaica Creek. Sukhdeo Dharamdat, 54, called “Toney” and his son, 25-year-old Eshwardat Dharamdat called “Bruddow” were on trial before Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member mixed jury, at

while the father and son were represented by attorneys-at-law Pamela DaSantos, Brandon DaSantos and Alanna Lall. On Thursday, the jury, after more than two hours of deliberation, found Sukhdeo Dharamdat guilty of the charge while his son, Eshwardat was found guilty of manslaughter. Sentencing for the accused was deferred to May 7, 2019, to facilitate a pro-

Eshwardat Dharamdat (left) and his father Sukhdeo Dharamdat the High Court. The duo was on trial for the murder of Suresh Nandkishore, who was killed on February 3, 2015, at Handsome Creek, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara. The state was represented by prosecutors Tuanna Hardy, Abigail Gibbs and Teriq Mohammed,

bation report after which father and son will be sentenced. Several witnesses were called during the trial, including the victim’s brother, Parmanand Nandkishore. Parmanand explained that, on the day in question, his brother and fa-

ther, Bhopaul Nandkishore, were repairing a fence on a plot of land. The witness explained that during that time there was a dispute with his family and the Dharamdat family over the land. However, as they were working on the fence, Sukhdeo came and asked his father what they were doing. The witness recalled that his father told Sukhdeo that they were repairing the fence on their side of the land. Parmanand explained that Sukhdeo made no objection and left. Sukhdeo however later returned with his son, Eshwardat, who was armed with a cutlass. The witness said that the Dharamdats subsequently ended up in a heated argument with his father and brother. As a result, his father told Suresh ‘let us leave and go home’, but the Dharamdats pushed Suresh and he fell to the ground. Parmanand told the court that Sukhdeo and Eshwardat picked up a wooden post that was meant for the fence and dealt several lashes to his brother’s head, blows that cracked open his skull. He recalled that his father went to his brother’s aid, shouting, ‘Y’all don’t kill me son.’ The witness added the Dharamdats then turned their attention to his father and him; his father was beaten with a post by Eshwardat, while he was beaten by the same attacker

with a cutlass. In court, Parmanand showed the 12-member mixed jury his wounds sustained from the attack, as he explained that he played dead to survive the onslaught.

As he pretended to be dead, the witness recalled hearing Sukhdeo telling his son ‘we got to kill all them man or we gon go jail.’ Parmanand explained that the Dharamdats pushed his father and brother into

a muddy trench and left on their tractor. The witness explained that because of the injuries his father received at the hands of the Dharamdats, he suffers from seizures and memory loss.

UGSS supports ‘Free UG’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

–– calls for wide-ranging measures to support youth development THE University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) has formally said that it supports the growing movement to make education at the tertiary institution free of cost, as it also called for sev-

eral measures to support youth development. “Given that Article 27 of the Guyana Constitution states: “Every citizen has the right to a free education from nursery to university as well as at

non-formal places where opportunities are provided for free education and training”, it is our belief that UG should be tuition free,” a statement from the UGSS, provided by its President Devta Ramroop.

According to the student society that represents more than 7000 students across its two campuses, making UG free could remedy many of the nation’s problems. Moreover, it opined that this move

could potentially help to increase the number of students that possess a Bachelor’s Degree, which currently stands at 2.3 per cent, according to the Bureau of Statistics “We are ready to propose systems that can support Free UG,” the society stated. The support indicated was part of a wide-ranging statement crafted by the UGSS, a democratic body of representatives elected by the students of the institution. “The aim of this paper is to inform and influence decision makers, particularly those crafting their manifestos in political parties, about some issues affecting our young people,” the UGSS explained. “We do believe that tackling these issues can regain the confidence of youth in the Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and remove the apathy in political and civic engagement.” The body called for university branches to be set up in Linden and Essequibo and provide the same services as the centralized Georgetown branch. “Education should be accessible in most sections of the country,” the body reasoned. Furthermore, it said that facilities should be provided for students with disabilities and youths, and there should be more opportunities to students inland to pursue their education. It was requested that there be patrol by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) at the back entrance of UG’s Turkeyen campus; this comes at the heels of security threats made to the institution in recent months. Additional and improved dorm facilities for students, was another request. The incorporation of a curriculum that would prepare young people “for life and the real world of work”, is another request the body deemed “vital for young people’s growth and development”. It also indicated that career advice and guidance offices be set up in institutions to assist un-

decided youths. And it stressed that counsellors should be placed in all Government institutions to ensure good mental health of youths. Greater attention and funding should be given towards the development of youth sports and arts, according to the body also. The UGSS also proposed that voter registration should be done in tertiary education institutions to facilitate and encourage the inclusion of youths during elections, and that youth representation in Parliament and control of the youth budget should be youth led. “We believe that young people should be consulted in order to feed their views of National matters of importance and close the generation gap existing between youths and current policy makers,” the body said too. Also geared at fostering youth development, the body called for: greater opportunities to foster entrepreneurship; internships; a larger youth budget; and strategies and working plans to combat youth unemployment. It highlighted that more attention should be paid to eliminating child labor especially, in rural areas, and in curbing cyber-bullying by extending security services to social media. Aside from the measures detailed to directly foster youth development, the body also called for: attention to be placed on unregistered businesses and businesses that do not pay employees’ tax; a raise of salaries for public servants particularly the disciplined forces; equal maternity and paternity leave of absence- as was suggested in the recent Women and Gender Equality Commission (WGEC) report; the implementation of a “carbon tax” on businesses, and focus on using renewable energy sources. “We also advocate for constitutional reform that is necessary as our country grows and develops from the Guyana we once lived in, to [the] ‘Oil and Gas’ Guyana,” the body said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Councillors are integral to crime prevention

–– MoC permanent secretary

CRIME does not occur in a vacuum and local democratic organs need to develop capacity over time to address issues of youth, crime and violence in communities, as mandated under the Local Government Act. This is according to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communities (MoC), Emil Mc Garrell, during his address to local government councillors on social crime prevention on Thursday at the Racquet Centre, Woodford Avenue, Georgetown. The two-day workshop is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Communities and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Community, Family and Youth Resilience Programme (CFYR). The permanent secretary said the workshop will make a continued thrust towards re-defining the functions of the local government system and taking it to the level that is needed. Adding that it is within the local democratic organ’s function to preserve law and order, Mc Garrell said councillors can give advice, encouragement and support to members of their communities, in their daily activities, while leading by example. He explained that the CFYR programme will benefit the first batch of councillors to be the catalyst of change for crime prevention. “The workshop is about social crime prevention and training for councillors, so that you will be in a position to competitively interface with immediate and targeted sections of your community for which this skillset is needed,” he said. Underscoring that crime does not occur in a vacuum, Mc Garrell said the problem starts within communities for which elected councillors have responsibilities. He contended that councillors must be able to effectively reach solutions with residents in order to maintain law and order through social crime prevention.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE In aiding the justice system, Mc Garrell said that councillors must also address issues of domestic violence along with partnering with the authorities. “The workshop will empower you councillors and leaders of local democratic organs to better prepare yourselves to manage such issues in the communities… it is our continued effort to support you while being mindful that you have the mandate to carry out these responsibilities, being mindful that you are also constrained by the limited financial resources as well as local capacity,” Mc Garrell told attendees of the workshop. He explained that cooperation and social development are needed to safeguard the well-being of all communities, since all residents deserve a safer community. “Local councillors are important to social crime prevention efforts, especially where our women in general and youths are concerned. We must be a part of the peace-making process and develop an understanding at the level of the community,” he explained. The CFYR programme aims at supporting family networks, communities, service providers and government agencies to implement successful approaches that reduce violence and increase opportunities for youth. Creative Association International has received funding from USAID to implement the CFYR in target communities in Guyana. It said while drug transit has abated in recent years, crime and violence have persisted. High youth unemployment and a lack of psychosocial support resources for youth have exacerbated the problem and contributed to a cycle of violence. The Community, Family and Youth Resilience programme is set to identify and work with families and their youth who are empirically at the highest risk of becoming involved in crime

and violence. This programme will assess youth risk through the Youth Service Eligibility Tool (YSET) which measures risk across nine factors at a family, peer and individual levels.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communities, Emil Mc Garrell, addressing councillors at the local government workshop on Thursday

Reg. 4 awards more than $68M in contracts

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

… millions more to be awarded in coming weeks CONTRACTS for eight major projects totalling $67M were awarded by the Regional Executive Officer of the Demerara-Mahaica Administration on Wednesday. In a statement, the Regional Democratic Council explained that the multimillion dollar contracts were for the upgrade of

roads, and the extension and rehabilitation of public buildings and structures. Based on the awards, River View Drive, Smith Estate, located on the East Bank Demerara, will be upgraded at a cost of $7.4M by Guyana Construction and Engineering Services. That company was also awarded $8.8M for the rehabilitation

of Supply Old School Street located on the East Coast Demerara. Noel Joe’s Construction Service won the award for the construction of Duplex Living Quarters at St. Cuthbert’s Primary School, Linden-Soesdyke Highway for $11.046M while Linton Nicholl’s Enterprise secured the contract for

REO Lucas and Regional Vice Chairman, Earle Lambert along with the successful contractors and senior Regional Officials the construction of a foot- School on the Linden/Soes- accounting officer, no one path bridge linking Buxton dyke Highway for $11.8M will allow me to be embarWestside line to Eastville while SKI Construction rassed and or disciplined for Housing Scheme, East secured the contract for the their inefficiencies because Coast Demerara for $5.7M. construction of a culvert on it will not be tolerated. For A contract was also award- the western end of Josiah too long we see taxpayers ed to Royal Contracting Street, Haslington, East in this country not getting Services for the extension Coast Demerara at a cost of what they truly deserve and, of Kuru Kururu Nursery $4.1M. SKI also secured the as a Public officer, I will do contract for the upgrading my part so that you can do of Two Friend’s Dam, Ann’s your part,” a stern Lucas Grove, East Coast Demer- said. ara at a tune of $11.6M. The Regional Executive The projects form part Officer reminded the conof the region’s 2019 bud- tractors that it was the level get for civil works which of inefficiencies and substanamount to a total of $507M. dard work that resulted in her The contracts were signed terminating the construction in the RDC’s boardroom at of the Supply Health Centre Triumph, East Coast De- and if she is faced with a merara. similar situation she will do REO Lucas, though ex- it again. “As long as I am the pressing congratulations, REO things will be done at warned the contractors that a very high standard; if you she will continue her 2018 are a contractor, you must be trend of a no-nonsense ap- able to deliver quality work, proach to contracts being and, let me say, in a timely issued by the region. She manner, because many times urged them to recognise we see contractors not taking their responsibility to the deadlines seriously. Let me region, noting that the re- say this publicly and you gion would accept only the can quote me, it will not be highest quality of work in a tolerated. You have a contimely manner. “I have no tract and you are expected reservations in terminating tp provide quality work in contracts as if you cannot a timely manner and I urge deliver what you’ve signed you to be cognisant of your to then allow someone else contract and what is expected to do it because the region of you,” she declared. has no intention of paying REO Lucas disclosed for substandard work. I that in another week some am Pauline Lucas REO 10 more contracts would for this region and as the be awarded.

Woman remanded for possession of narcotics FORTY THREE-YEAR-OLD Natasha John was remanded by Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on April 11, 2019, for having a quantity of narcotics in her possession. Particulars of the charge alleged that, on April 9, 2019, at 131 3rd Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown, she had, in her possession, 477 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. She pleaded not guilty to the offence. The accused, who resides at 131 3rd Street Alexander Village, was represented by Attorney-at-Law, George Thomas, who made a bail application for his client under whatever conditions the prosecution saw fit. He also noted that the narcotics was found in the general area of the yard and not solely on the defendant. Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield objected to bail being granted to the defendant. He told the court that, on the day in question, ranks from the naracotics division went to the home of the accused, where a search was carried out in her presence. During the search the drug was found in the hallway of the upper flat of the building. John was then told of the offence and apprehended. At the station, she told the ranks that she had bought the cannabis for her son- in- law. After listening to both the prosecutor and the defence attorney, the magistrate remanded John until her next court hearing on April 30, 2019.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Things ‘looking up’ at Karasabai

RESIDENTS of Karasabai, South Pakaraimas District, continue to benefit from government support in the areas of youth empowerment; Information and Communications Technology (ICT); entrepreneurship; and women empowerment. Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on the most recent developments, Karasabai Sub-District Development Officer (DDO), Marlon Edwards, said that, through the Social Protection Ministry, seven youths from the community were being trained to operate heavy-duty ma-

istry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, recently donated 200 Black Giant chickens to three women’s groups in the community. The groups will now be rearing the chickens for financial returns to support their business ventures in Region Nine. In the coming week, the minister is expected to return to the community to hand over a number of grants to individuals as a part of the Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) Programme. “The HEYS programme

Some of the 200 Black Giant chickens which were handed over to three women’s groups chinery. The three-month training, which began in March, will see the youths learning to drive regular vehicles and heavy-duty machinery, giving them an opportunity to find jobs in the agriculture, infrastructure or public transport sectors. “We brought out seven youths from the Karasabai Sub-District to Lethem and they are undergoing training in heavy-duty machinery operation. They will receive a certificate in heavy-duty machinery operation and they will also be assisted, through this programme, to get their driver’s licence so they can get jobs maybe as drivers,” Edwards said. Minister within the Min-

in Karasabai is a big success… our objection is to expand on it [the current businesses] and these grants that are coming will help them to expand and grow,” Edwards said. Meanwhile, government has since set up an ICT hub at the Karasabai Primary School, while another is in the process of being set up by the National Data Management Authority (NDMA). According to Edwards, residents of that community have been utilising the Internet to receive information which was previously inaccessible. In addition, the donation of a generator from Minister Garrido-Lowe is supporting

Edivan Xavier, 18, undergoes training to operate heavy-duty machinery

Internet provision to the community. Three other individuals from the community are expected to be employed through the setting up of the additional hub. Regarding infrastructure, the DDO said road upgrades from the junction leading in to Karasabai are progressing well. The government has stated that main internal roads in Karasabai will be constructed. In the area of health,

The handing over a portable generator to a women’s group in Karasabai thanks to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), a 4x4 pickup truck will be purchased for the area’s health centre, providing an alternative for emergency

transport for medical care. Edwards told the Guyana Chronicle that persons are utilising bicycles or their own transport in cases of emergencies.

The RDC is also assisting with the provision of food items to parents in need to ease the financial burden of providing for their school-aged children.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

‘Ducky’ remanded for wounding woman REVELANA Smith, called ‘Ducky’, was, on April 11, 2019, remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lenann at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for wounding a woman with intent to commit murder. The 25-year-old vendor was not required to plead to the indicatable charge which read that, on March 26, 2019, she wounded Renata Bharat with intent to commit murder at Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown. She was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Adrian Thompson, who pleaded with the magistrate to give his client bail at a reasonable sum, since she was not a flight risk. He also added that Smith did not have any problem with lodging her documents or reporting to the station every week. According to Prosecutor Neville Jef-

fers, the act committed was life-threatening. He stated that Bharat received fractures to the hand and head. As such, he objected to bail being granted to the defendant. Jeffers told the court that, on the day in question, Baharat’s boyfriend had wanted to see her in Kitty, so she went to visit him. While the two were walking, the accused pulled up in a car with a cutlass and began chopping her about her body. She was rescued by public-spirted persons and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. Smith fled the scene. After a few searches, Smith was found in Sophia, on April 9, 2019. She was then apprehended and taken into custody. The accused will make her next appearance in court on April 24, 2019.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

‘Gabriel Noble’ --making a name through Dancehall mu Young face of Dancehall Music in Guyana, Gabriel Noble

Gabriel Noble

sic

USIC is an avenue on which a lot of young people in Guyana trod. Across the country, we find young people being very fond of either writing, playing instruments, or making some contribution to the art of musical composition. They all do it for varying reasons, ranging from finding comfort to becoming a superstar. This week’s personality is a 21-year-old who realised his lyrical ability at a very young age and committed to his talent, and is now a recording artiste. Today Premier Academy presents an afternoon of fun, food and fashion at their el Noble describes “Birds of Paradise Hat Show and Tea Party” at Aracari Resort. Eighteen as one of the best girls will compete in three categories, displaying hats and apparel that repreGuyana. He not only sent Birds of Paradise. Flowers of paradise will also be on display. Featured sings, records, and Artistes are: Delisha Wright and Colayn Delph. music. Let’s Play a Game! Gigsaw presents “Escape Room Experience” on Cumview with ‘The Buzz mings Street, Georgetown (you have to call for directions: 678-6889). Do young man said that he you have what it takes to solve the puzzles and riddles and make your escape a love for Dancehall, as it in 30 minutes or less? Then head out and experience Guyana’s first Escape sic to come deep from his Room. Be the first to try it out and spread the word. Cocktails will be on sale. resent the things people are

IT’S time for the weekend again people, and it’s time to keep you in the loop with what’s ‘buzzing’ in and around Guyana.

Gabrihimself lyricist in writes, but he performs his I n a n i n t e rMagazine’, the has developed allows his muheart and repmost afraid of. “In my early childhood, I was always fond of music in all different genres, but I became most fond of the Dancehall genre and decided to make that my niche in the entertainment business,” he said. Noble shared that he began writing lyrics since he was 14, and by 18, he was already recording and producing his own records. “Whilst at Morgan Learning Centre, where I completed my high school studies, I balanced music and the groundwork of a solo career by recording music in and around local studios whenever I got the chance,” he said. From the age of 16, Noble said, he produced songs that have been recognised around the world, and it has been opening many notable opportunities. “My most empowering was ‘In this world’ that spoke of the prevalent issues of crime and poverty in Guyana. Ongoing with my career, I have been pleased to perform at several shows throughout the country. I have also been privileged to share the stage with iconic artistes such as Spice, Govana and Masicka. My music has reached to the level that it has been acknowledged by famous producers and a wide fan-base in countries such as Jamaica, France and Germany,” the young artiste said. He told ‘The Buzz Magazine’ that he is working on new music and videos to release, and he intends to travel soon, as he prepares to do great things with other producers and artistes. The ultimate goal for Noble is to be in a position where he can provide a good life for his family. “Growing up, I was not as affluent and privileged as many others may have been. One of my long-term goals is to be successful enough to give my family the life that I was not able to have. I also wish to be an inspiration to the youths out there as my career grows,” he said.

Head down to the Pegasus Poolside, Ignite Bar and Grill every Friday and Saturday for fun, food, and entertainment! The Vintage Wine Bar, Restaurant and Lounge presents “Latin Night”. Get two Desperados Tequila Beers for $1000.

Tomorrow

Linden, are you ready? New Era Entertainment, in collaboration with Guyana Carnival, presents Stink and Dutty J’Ouvert at the Christianburg Hard Court in Linden. It’s going to be water, paint, powder, and an experience like no other. Win tickets and costumes for Guyana Carnival. Music by Gully Ras and Diamond, DJ Energy, DJ Akelo, DJ Denzil and DJ Pelham. DJ Shizzle presents his birthday celebration, called “Toast”, at Palm Court! There’s going to be bottles popping, vibes flowing, ladies wining and fellaz balling. Music by the Boom FM DJs. Appreciation tokens will be available all night. Early-bird tickets: $2000. The Gospel Herald Choir presents, ‘Songs in the Night’, Diamond Jubilee Edition, at the National Cultural Centre. It’s going to be a night of ministry as they celebrate under the theme, “Through the years in total praise”. Admission: $1000. It’s time to show off your talent. Aracari Resort presents, Karaoke and Dance this and every Saturday. Enjoy karaoke, dance and dinner, featuring Reyaz Rafeek and Group. Aura Sky Lounge presents Seductive Saturdays! Doors open at 8pm!

Sunday

704 Sports Bar presents it’s “Game of Thrones Viewing Party”. Now you can finally find out the ultimate fate of Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and the rest of the Westerosi. The Vintage Wine Bar, Restaurant and Lounge presents, “Dinner with 70s and 80s music”. Sundays were meant for the 70s & 80s!

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

‘Static’ aiming to make it big in the entertainment industry

‘Static’

OR young Lindener Roderick Allicock, whose stage name is, ‘Static’, being a one- dimensional artiste is boring. The 21-year-old singer is aiming to create waves in the arts and entertainment industry by not only singing, but by being a person of interest in almost every genre of music. The 2019 Soca Monarch finalist is currently reading for his degree in Communication Studies at the University of Guyana, and the knowledge that will be garnered over the four years will significantly aid him in becoming one of the biggest names in the Performing Arts. “In the next five years, I want to be more recognised, not only as an artiste, but as a person of interest. This goes for music, drama, a major promoter and a senior person in which ever career I find myself in,” Static said. He is also a teacher at the North Georgetown Primary School. Reminiscing on how it all started, Static said that singing was always in his blood, and this was recognised by his Watooka Day School teacher, Charis Joseph, who placed him in the school’s choir. He was soon competing in singing competitions. He continued to sing at Mackenzie High School, where he was also a part of the school’s choir. He, however, didn’t realise that eyes were on him, and this was when he got his first break. “In Fourth Form, at the age of 15, I met Devin Sears, who gave me the opportunity to write the nerd song, ‘I’m a nerd’, which featured three other Linden artistes. It turned out to be quite recognised. After such, I wrote and recorded by first single, ‘Company’, with Producer Jamal Alexander (Code Red Records),” the budding artiste related. His biggest hit thus far, which has received lots of traction is “All Out”, which he performed for this year’s Soca Monarch competition. It was well received on both home soil at the semi-finals, and in Georgetown. While he did not cop any of the top spots, Static said, “Now I can’t even walk in the streets without compliments and motivation.” In this regard, the young artiste said his biggest support team is his community, and pointed out names such as Chris Noel, Dominique Blair and Miss Enid Joaquin who kept pushing him for greatness. For him and other young budding local artistes to reach their goals, Static believes that more recognition should be given to them by local promoters and the local media. “We need more opportunities to promote our talent. Systems need to be put in place to ensure that Guyanese music and artistes are protected and promoted.” Despite these hurdles, Static is calling on other young artistes to push themselves to the limit if they are destined for greatness.

‘Beenie Man’

to spice up Berbice Easter weekend B EENIE Man, the King of Dancehall, will on April 20 perform at the New Amsterdam Steeling Road, all compliments of Set 4 Life Entertainment and Candy Boss Promotions. The show will mark the first time Moses Anthony Davis, better known as ‘Beenie Man’ in Dancehall circles, will be performing in New Amsterdam. ‘Beenie Man’, who is expected in Guyana on Good Friday night, will be making a few

promotional stops around New Amsterdam, so fans can just rock over to Club Privilege on the very night to meet and greet the Dancehall King. Also performing that weekend in Berbice will be Calvin Burnette, with juggling by Gully Ras and Diamond, Green Dungs, DJ Dellon, DJ Keifer, Delly Ranks and Thunda, backed by Crown Vibes International Sound, Lights and Stage Company. Host will be Kody out of Ruff Kutt. Early- Bird tickets cost $2000 and VIP $10,000. Tickets available at J’s Supermarket, and Candy Shop on Pitt Street, New Amsterdam. For further information, contact 602-1600 or 612-8387.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Comedy Fun Fest for Belle West this weekend President of the PTA Paul ‘DJ Stress’ Bonar

Some of the comedians billed to perform at Comedy Fun Fest.

--to help raise funds to buy computers for nursery school

HIS Saturday, hundreds of residents are in for a treat that they will never forget! Laughter is always great for anyone, so residents of Belle West and many other villages of Canal #2 will come together to watch six of the best comedians in Guyana, all on one stage at the Comedy Fun Fest being held at the Belle West Nursery School. This is a fundraising event to help purchase several computers for the Belle West Nursery School. The event starts at 4pm, so that parents could bring their children to enjoy the funny clown, face-painting, Igloo Ice Cream bar, Banks DIH beverage bar, trampoline and the bouncy castle. A food bar with tasty puri and chicken curry, pastries and more will be in place, but no alcohol will be on sale. The show starts at 7pm, and tickets cost $500 for adults, and $300 for children. There will be lots of chairs in place, but the organisers are asking that persons go early to secure the best seats for the comedy show. Lyndon ‘Jumbie’ Jones, Leza ‘Radica’ Singh (the Parika Back-Dam Gyal), Michael ‘Credit’ Ignatius, Chris Gopaul, Mark ‘Chiney Man’ Kazim, and Rajin Tiwari, are some of the performers for the comedy show.

Paul Bonar, popularly known as ‘DJ Stress’, was voted in as President of the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA). He told The Buzz on Thursday that the PTA took its time to plan this highly-anticipated fundraising event, which was strategically planned for the weekend before Easter. “It was an easy plan, but took lots of work from all the parents, teachers, headmistress and the sponsors. It took the much-needed permission and support of the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Police Force, which were both granted. This is a template that could be used by other schools across Guyana,” Bonar expressed. All of the comedians and Starr Party Rentals have agreed to provide their services at a reduced cost, since, according to Bonar, no fundraising event should demand artistes/comedians to work for free unless they want to. “Fundraising events must be treated as if they are a private event, but you can request a discount to go towards the cause. This way, you are still guaranteed the optimum performances of those performers,” he said. The sponsors of the event include Riaz Computers, Starr Party Rentals, Jai Signs, Banks Malta, Aquamist, Icee, Igloo Ice Cream, Payless Variety Store, Elegance Jewelery &

Pawnshop, “It is very important to understand that the individuals behind the sponsorship from these companies such as Lennox Cush, Ramsay Ali, Uncle Joey, Ravi Muniram, Mortimer Stewart, Carlton Joao, Riaz could have refused to assist the event. However, the school, which is located in the deep part of Belle West, in Canal # 2, was assisted by companies in Georgetown, showing that the furthering of children’s education was the key, and location of the school was not,” Bonar said. Massy Distribution donated all the Sadia Franks and Anchor cheese for the Hotdog Sale. Hopkinson Mining and Security Services covered the cost for Natasha the Face painter. Jai Signs covered the cost for the popular Guyanese clown, Mr. Khan. Payless Variety Store covered the cost for Lindon Jumbie Jones and Rajin Tiwarie, while Elegance Jewellery and Pawnshop covered the fees for Mark Kazim, Michael Ignatius and Chris Gopaul. Starr Party donated the portable toilets, while Nicky’s Entertainment printed all the tickets at a very low cost. Massy Distribution provided boxes of Betty Crocker’s Cake Mix and Betty Crocker Frosting for the grand cake sale.

‘Talk De Tingz’ for Bartica this Sunday

ocal entertainer Odessa Primus is all set to take the stage by storm this weekend when she will host her first ever comedy show in Bartica, being her hometown. Primus has collaborated with the Bartica Regatta Committee to host the “Talk De Tingz” comedy show as part of the calendar of events for the regatta. It is the first time that a show of this sort is being put as part of the regatta events, and she couldn’t be happier! As such, Primus started her planning since last January, and has expended herself so far in the planning and preparation so as to ensure that she puts on a great show. The show is billed for the Bartica Community Centre Ground this Sunday, beginning at 8 pm, and some of the biggest names in local entertainment are set to perform. Along with Primus, these include Michael ‘Credit’ Ignatius, Mark Luke-Edwards, Mark ‘Chiney Man’ Kazim, and Kunchi ‘Miss Pepper’ Reynolds. Along with standup comedy, a number of skits have been prepared for the show, which Primus said she wants to be “different and interesting.” Primus told The Buzz on Thursday that Bartica hardly sees any stage performances of this kind because it would be expensive to do

so. However, with this opportunity, she wants to ensure that the people of Bartica are treated to the best show ever. “I want people there to get a feel of what we have in Georgetown; that level of performance,” she said. Ansa Mc Al Trading has been especially helpful in getting the show off. Primus said the show is not

a political one and that the topics being discussed in the skits and comedy will be across the board. “People don’t like too much of one thing, so the jokes will not be limited to one topic,” she said. By means of the skits and comedy, she is hoping to be able to take her fellow Barticians back in time about different things that have happened in the town.

Odessa Primus with Michael ‘Credit’ Ignatius.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

ELC confab deemed a huge success

RGANISERS and attendees at last Sunday’s Spring Fashion and Empowerment Conference organised by the Empowering to Lead with Confidence (ELC) and held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, at Liliendaal, on the lower East Coast. The event, which included a panel discussion, a fashion show and a networking cocktail session, was held with the aim of enabling the creative growth of persons through education, empowerment and development of brands which will better equip them to compete internationally, sustain themselves, and contribute to

Guyana’s economy. The initiative is led by overseas-based Guyanese designer, Nadia Thomas Winter, the founder of ELC. ELC comprises a group of persons who volunteer their time and passion for the promotion of the arts among Guyanese. The event was attended by a number of young women, who took away a lot from the talks. “My friend’s sister encouraged me to come, and I’m really glad that I came. It was pretty empowering,” said 20-year-old Prudence Iam, who was touched by the panel’s presentation. “First, going in,” she said,

“it seemed a little boring, but as I got into it and really listened and paid attention to what they were saying, there was a lot to take away from what they were saying. “I am into motivational and inspirational books, but going in there and seeing those empowering women doing something great with their lives really made me want to go out and put some action on the things that I want to do.” Talks at the conference were delivered by Akola Thompson, along with writer and motivational speaker Krystal Tomlinson from Jamaica, Ain Earle from Trinidad and Tobago, and Serbina

TV Personality Nuriyyih Gerrard was the host of Sunday’s panel discussion held by ELC (Samuel Maughn photo)

Sumrah Kelly from the USA. Participants were particularly moved by Tomlinson’s feature on overcoming fear. “Overcoming fear is most important. Most persons have goals, and in achieving those goals, often, fear is what’s

keeping them back, and they taught some ways to overcome that fear, and that stood out to me,” said Ian Smith, who was one of a few men who attended the conference. He believes the talks met its mark in encouraging and

empowering those in attendance. “I think the young women would feel empowered seeing these women on top and doing it and coming back to teach them,” he noted.

It’s High Tea and Fashion come April 28 --At the Promenade Gardens

Crystal Lam

By Vanessa Braithwaite

HE hottest event for the Easter season is just around the corner, and patrons are urged to get their fashion gear in tack to attend in sass and style. Local designer Crystal Lam will be holding her annual high tea and fashion event at the Promenade Gardens on April 28. This time around, however, the proceeds will be used to establish her boutique in Georgetown. The event starts at 14:00hrs, and 25% of the sales will go towards the charity,Guyana Golden Lives. Tickets cost $5000, and the package will include wine, cocktails and finger foods. The event is also geared to showcase other local boutiques. Those participating are Pieces and Things, Little Black Dress, Makeda, Crystal Lam Designs, London’s Kloset, and the New Step Boutique. Tickets can be purchased at all participating boutiques. Promoter of the event, Crystal Lam, is a 26-year-old up-and-coming Linden designer who has already made her name in the local fashion industry with her concoction of wickedness, sass and glamour in her designs. Lam has launched several creative and unique clothing lines such as Eye Candy, Debonair, Flame and Epiphany. These are a mixture of beautifully-created evening gowns, bridal wears, bathing suits, fashionable, casual and formal clothing for men, women and children. Her latest line that is turning heads on social media is ‘RISE’. This constitutes of flashy work wear for females.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Kids Fashion Zone returns for Easter

ith the aim of providing fun activities for the children during Easter, Kids Closet has brought back its ‘Kids Fashion Zone’, slated for April 21 at the Promenade Gardens. For the second time in Guyana, Senobia Butcher, owner of Kids Closet, is hosting this event where parents can bring their children and enjoy a day filled with fun activities tailored specifically for the kids’ enjoyment. Butcher said that this idea sparked from the love she has for children. Opening a children’s clothing store, just was not enough to bring the happiness she wants to bring to

children’s lives, so in 2018, she organised an executed the first Kids Fashion Zone, on Easter Saturday. Because of its success, it will now be an annual activity that parents can look forward to, to bring the entire family to have an enjoyable time. Some of the attractions that will be available this year are bouncy castles, face painting, giant ball pit, egg hunt, obstacle course and much more. Additionally, there will be the fashion show and hat show segment, where children will be modeling and displaying clothing from Kids Closet, and some local designers. Butcher told ‘The Buzz Magazine’ that this year the

event is powered by I-CEE, and through sponsorship from several companies, six orphanages were invited and the children from the orphanages, will take part in all the fun activities, free of cost. This she said is a way of giving back to charity and including those who are not fortunate to be with a family, to have them enjoy the fun and excitement that comes with Easter. Tickets for the children are $1000, with $500 being redeemable in chits to pay for the games, and $1000 for adults. Tickets can be purchased at Kids Closet on North Road and Tons of Fun Party Service.

Linden men reminded of their role in society By Vanessa Braithwaite

T a recently-held men’s conference, men residing in the mining town of Linden were urged to remain a pillar of strength at home, school and in the community. In Linden, there is a noticeable amount of divided homes, and men who are more caught up with the mundane things of life rather than creating a stable home circle for their families. In an effort to break this cycle, the Pine Street Nursery

School last week held its fifth annual men’s conference under the theme, ‘Strong men leading the way with a vision”. The objective of the conference was to enable the men of Linden to see the need for them to play an integral role in family, school and community development; to accept that the onus is on them to break the trending cycle, where many mothers are left to play multi-roles in the lives of their children. The conference, which was held at the Egbert Benjamin

Conference Centre, saw in attendance approximately 60 men, who were lectured and participated in interactive discussion. Pastor Dennis Hamilton presented on spirituality, Doctor Selwyn Joseph presented on health, Principal Cleveland Thomas presented on Education and businessman Denis Mohammed presented on business. The men were charged by Pastor Leroy James and were serenaded by Mr. Lincoln King. At the end, the participants received a certificate.

Attendees of the Men’s Conference

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Nipsey Hussle – ‘sent off like a King’

- Thousands gathered in Los Angeles to honour the rapper, who was gunned down in his neighbourhood.

(LA Times) – The coffin, adorned with white and violet flowers, sat centre stage. Three large photographs of the slain rapper were projected overhead on giant television panels, rendered in hues of pink and blue. A thick wall of flowers, a piano, and a harp on stage softened the atmosphere of the cavernous sports arena.

Hussle’s Marathon Clothing store became a potent symbol of black entrepreneurship and was transformed into a makeshift memorial last month after Hussle was gunned down outside its doors over a “personal dispute,” according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The majority of mourners at the

Scenes from Nipsey Hussle’s funeral (Photo: Davi McNew/Getty Images)

Choking back tears as they danced, family, fans and hip-hop luminaries gathered on Thursday in Los Angeles to honour Nipsey Hussle, the rapper who was gunned down in South Los Angeles last month. The bittersweet memorial to a local hero melded deeply emotional tributes with arena-filling musical interludes from his debut album. “This is a celebration. The marathon continues,” shouted DJ Battlecat over the loudspeaker before the beginning of the service at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, which included Hussle’s family along with prominent figures like Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg and YG. Before the service began, Hussle’s voice boomed from the speakers and thousands of fans sprung to their feet to sing along, the bass shaking the ground, giving the event the feel of a concert. The outpouring reflected the depth of admiration for Hussle, who incorporated his upbringing and experience as a gang member into his music, which spoke powerfully too many who live in the city’s poorest neighbourhoods and well beyond. As his musical success propelled him in recent years, Hussle funnelled investments to the South Los Angeles streets on which he had grown up, earning devotion from fans, neighbours and local leaders.

event were African-American and Latino, largely in their 20s and 30s, many wearing the famous “Crenshaw” shirts that were sold in Hussle’s store. Members of the Eritrean community wore traditional clothing, some adorned with national flags. As the service drew to a close, a D.J. played several songs from Hussle’s album, including “Hussle & Motivate.” Attendees danced and sang along, some chanting Hussle’s name as they left the arena toward the procession, which ran through Watts, Inglewood and South Los Angeles. Angelique Smith, Hussle’s mother, stood up to the microphone dressed entirely in white, with a tulle veil covering part of her face. She spoke at length of her own spiritual beliefs, calling on Hussle’s ancestors to “lead him on his journey.” “I have perfect peace,” she said. “I am happy, I am complete. I am strong, and if I can feel this way, so can you.” With the help of Hussle’s father, Dawit Asghedom, who was at her side,

Ms. Smith named several ancestors by name and led mourners in a call and response. She spoke of a deep spiritual connection to her son, using his given name of Ermias. “He’s intelligent. He’s radiant. He’s a superhero,” she said. Lauren London, Hussle’s long-time partner and mother of his 2-year-old son, also

took the microphone in a white dress. She quoted what Hussle had often told her: “The game is gonna test you. Never fold. Stay 10 toes down. It’s not on you, it’s in you, and what’s in you they can’t take away.”

Nipsey Hussle

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Turtle Festival set for this weekend in Yupukari Village

he eighth turtle festival will be happening this weekend at Caiman House in Yupuk a r i Vi l l a g e . S i n c e 2011, Yupukari village and the Caiman House Field Station in the Rupununi, have been the

base for a community led turtle monitoring project. The goal of the project is to celebrate, sensitize and promote turtle conservation with community members. The project focuses on two species of river turtles which are prized

for their meat and eggs by local people. The giant river turtle (Podocnemis expansa) and the yellow spotted river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) are ecologically and culturally important to the Makushi and Wapishana. Over the past 8 years,

the Yupukari turtle project has head started, marked and introduced over 1240 yellow spotted turtles to the local environment. The field station continues to receive great support from WWF Guianas, Iwokrama International Centre and other

conservation agencies to build on work they do in the Rupununi and Rewa River. The 8th turtle festival which take place on April 13 and 14 willÂ provide local youths and wildlife club members from 12 riverine communities with the opportunity to understand the importance of resource management, scientific techniques of turtle research, to affirm the importance of turtles in Indigenous culture, and exchange local traditional knowledge in a fun and interactive

manner. It is hoped that this will lead the way for the development of long term, community-based management plan for the species in the North Rupununi. Wo r l d W i d e l i f e Fund (WWF) Guianas â€“ Guyana Office Community Engagement Expert, Patricia Fedricks and Communications Consultant, Dionne Cush- Barnwell will be at the Festival to interact with the youths and handover some educational resource materials.

Some of the turtles that will be at the festival

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

IAAF ethics board clears Coe after investigation

LONDON, England (Reuters) - The world athletics governing body (IAAF) has closed an ethics investigation into its president Sebastian Coe, after finding there was no basis on which “any disciplinary case could be established” that he had “intentionally misled” a British Parliamentary Committee in 2015.

IAAF president Sebastian Coe

“The investigation has therefore not identified evidence of a potential breach of the code of ethics by Lord Coe,” it said. Coe has denied throughout that he misled the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee when he appeared before it in December 2015, four months

after being elected IAAF president. “I want to thank the ethics board for all the work they do,” said Coe in a statement. “When I became president of the IAAF, I promised greater transparency and integrity. I hope this demonstrates that no-one is above the rules and everyone in the sport is subject to the same scrutiny.” Coe, previously an IAAF vice-president, was questioned about what he knew about doping in Russian athletics before he took office. In its final report ‘Combating doping in sport’ in 2018, the committee criticised Coe’s answers as misleading. “It stretches credibility to believe that he was not aware, at least in general terms, of the main allegations,” the report added. The IAAF ethics board then opened an investigation in September into whether Coe’s conduct had violated its own regulations. Coe, a double Olympic 1500 metres gold medallist, insisted that he did not know the specific detail of an email sent to him by former London Marathon race director David Bedford in 2014. Bedford said the attachments contained details of

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how Russian marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova had sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to the IAAF to cover up positive doping tests. Shobukhova was banned for three years and two months, later reduced by seven months, for assisting with investigations. Although Coe confirmed receiving the email, he said he forwarded it to the IAAF ethics board without reading the attachments. The board said in its decision yesterday that Coe “behaved appropriately” by referring the matter. “Coe’s evidence is that his personal assistant forwarded the email with its attachments to the Chairperson of the Ethics Board and that he (Coe) did not read the attachments,” it said. “The investigation did not find any evidence inconsistent with that position.” Damian Collins, chair of the DCMS committee, said he stood by the report. “Lord Coe either knew more than he suggested he did when he gave evidence to the committee, or he knew enough about the Shobukhova (matter) to have asked more questions about it within the IAAF at the time,” he said in a statement. 08:50 hrs Getaway Trump 09:20 hrs Champagne Mystery 09:55 hrs Rhythm Is A Dancer 10:25 hrs Gold Present 11:00 hrs Boagrius 11:30 hrs Final Reminder 12:05 hrs My way Newbury 09:00 hrs Album 09:35 hrs Kick On Kick On 10:05 hrs Who Dares Win 10:40 hrs Beat OBon 11:10 hrs Headman 11:45 hrs Royal Star 12:20 hrs Fabulist 12:50 hrs Millicent Fawcett Kempton 11:35 hrs Hooflepuff 12:10 hrs Capofaro 12:40 hrs Merchant Of Venice 13:15 hrs Harry’s Bar 13:45 hrs Mawakib 14:15 hrs Sapa Inca 14:45 hrs My Girl Maisie 15:15 hrs Dawn Commando Irish Racing Tips Ballinrobe 11:50 hrs Andalusa 13:25 hrs Defy De Mee 13:00 hrs Ballynetty 13:30 hrs West Coast Time 14:00 hrs Barna Venture 14:30 hrs The Gabby Cabby 15:00 hrs Braeside

Reifer, Haynes named interim head coach, selection chairman respectively

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Cricket West Indies (CWI) has started to chart a new course for the coaching and selection of the West Indies team with the appointments of Floyd Reifer and Robert Haynes to interim positions of head coach and chairman of its selection panel respectively, new president Ricky Skerritt said yesterday. The widely-expected appointments of Reifer and Haynes followed a CWI board meeting on Tuesday. The two are expected to remain in the roles through the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 England & Wales and the Windies’ home series against India in July/August. As a result, Richard Pybus, who held the position of interim head coach for the team’s recent, highly-successful home series against England, is to return to his substantive role of high performance director, and the previous selection panel, headed by Courtney Browne, will be replaced. “In order to achieve a renewed sense of purpose and excellence, difficult choices and challenging decisions have to be made, and have been made,” said Skerritt during a media conference at the Coolidge Cricket Ground. “The changes that we have triggered this week are, therefore, more than a simple change in personnel or a shake-up among the ranks. This is a calculated, strategic move designed to reignite the passion for our culture – a West Indies cricket culture that is being put back where it belongs, at the very centre.” The moves come mere weeks after Skerritt and new vice-president Dr Kishore Shallow were swept to power, aiming to put “cricket first”, and embarking on a new and less contentious path for the regional governing body, when it was under the stewardship of their predecessors, Dave Cameron and Emmanuel Nanthan. Reifer, a former Barbados and West Indies captain, is the long-standing head coach of the Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners which won the CWI’s Super50 Cup One-day competition last October. He held a previous interim role with the Windies team on the Tour of Bangladesh last year, following the departure of previous full-time head coach Stuart Law for greener pastures with Middlesex in England. Reifer had emerged as a leading candidate for the position ahead of others, including former Windies star opener Desmond Haynes, Women’s head coach Hendy Springer and former bowling coach Roddy Estwick, among others, after he guided West Indies ‘A’ to a notable series victory over England ‘A’ two years ago in the Caribbean. Skerritt said the decision to effect the change in the head coaching position was rooted in one of the 10 points of the ‘cricket first’ plan – the utilisation of West Indian professionals over foreign experience. “It was not by accident that this policy resonated so strongly during our election campaign and in the past few days culminating in our board meeting this past Tuesday,” he said. “We have consulted with many on this subject and listened carefully to most. “While we may have had some differences in opinion, we all could agree that the move to promote the best coaches of our region is in the vital interest of West Indies cricket and the senior men’s team and their preparations for the upcoming World Cup. I can tell you first-hand that participating in a World Cup is a career-defining experience for West Indies players and support staff.” The former Windies manager said: “We, therefore, believe it is strategic and more beneficial for a West Indian coach with the proven skill-sets to have this exposure at CWI’s expense, rather than a foreign coach. Our West Indian first policy is no disrespect to foreign coaches. On Tuesday, our board set a new standard that of not less than four out of every five members of the coaching and support staff should be of West Indian origin. “This enables us to continue to have international participants still working for CWI in areas where there is no one of equal quality available in the Caribbean, but wherever there are foreign coaches assisting we will be undertaking a clear succession plan for a local replacement. Developing and exposing regional expertise in coaching is a high priority for us.” Haynes, a former Jamaica and West Indies leg-spinner, returns to the selection panel after he previously served under the chairmanship of Clyde Butts. He would have gotten a close-up view of some regional players, after he was appointed head coach of the Jamaica Scorpions during the West Indies Championship which ended last month. “We are pleased to confirm that we have terminated the old embedded selection policy which secretly and actively victimised some players and banished them from selection consideration,” Skerritt said. “To ensure that our new all-inclusive selection policy be implemented immediately and effectively, we have also found it necessary to make some personnel adjustments.” Haynes, Reifer and team captain Jason Holder, currently playing for Northamptonshire in the English County Championship, will form the selection panel for the Windies team that will take part in a Oneday International series next month in Ireland, ahead of the World Cup. Skeritt said Dr Shallow will head a task force to undertake a comprehensive review of the system of selection which is expected to be completed in the next three months. He said the intention was to identify the best possible practices that can lead to the best possible outcomes.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Regal Masters end Florida Cup preparation with crushing win

Stokes hit for six off last ball as Super Kings beat Royals

CSK registered their sixth win of VIVO IPL 2019 after they defeated the RR for 4 wickets.

The victorious Regal Masters team after lifting the title on Sunday at Malteenoes

REGAL Masters will wing out for Florida Cup 2019 full of confidence after winning a specially-organised four-team tournament at Malteenoes Sports Club ground, Thomas Lands last Sunday. After overcoming Fishermen Masters in the semifinals, thanks to a swashbuckling unbeaten 102 from Eric Thomas, the yellow and green army then disposed of Mike’s Wellman by six wickets in the final to add another title to their collection. Set an imposing 157 runs to win from 15 overs, Regal Masters’ run chase was off to a perfect stat with eventual Man-of-the-Match Throy Kippins and Eion Abel racing to 72 in seven overs, before the latter was bowled by Greg DeFranca for 28. Kippins, who was fourth to be dismissed, then added 35 with fellow Berbician, Rudolph Baker, who clobbered 32 (9 balls, 5x6) and 28 for the third wicket with Samuel Kingston (10). Rawl Reid (2-12) almost spoiled the fun for the Florida Cup champions when he accounted for Baker, Kingston and Kippins 40 runs (2x4, 2x6) in the space of two overs. When Kippins was spectacularly snapped up, by Reid running back to his own bowling at the end of the 13th over, Regal Masters still needed 18 runs to win from 12 balls with two new batsmen at the crease. However, in the very next over Mohendra Arjune took Latch-

man Kallicharran to the cleaners taking 21 runs to ease to victory with six wickets with an over to spare. Arjune finished on 18 not out from five balls (3x4; 1x6) and David Harper was one not out when the target was reached. Earlier, attacking right-handed opener Lloyd Ruplall played some attractive strokes to get Wellman to a competitive 156 for 4 from their 15 overs. Ruplall who carried his bat for 68 (4x4, 5x6) was supported by opener Greg DeFranca who made 31 (5x4, 1x6) and Eon Lovell with 31 (1x4, 4x6). All of the bowlers had their work cut out on the small outfield, but Arjune snared 2 for 46 and was ably supported by Kippins (1-28) and leg-spinner Tyrone Sanasie (1-29). The tournament, organised by Wayne Jones, gave Regal Masters much-needed match practice ahead of the Florida Cup which gets underway on Friday, April 12 and runs until Sunday, April 14 in Fort Lauderdale. It is the 15th edition of the international tournament and more than 30 teams from Canada, Guyana, New York, Florida, Orlando and Minnesota are expected to compete in three categories; AllStars, Masters Over-40 and Legends Over-50. Regal Masters are the defending champions of the Masters category and have ended their long period of intense preparation in perfect fashion, to head to North America gunning for a title repeat. They and Regal All-Stars are the only teams in the tournament from Guyana.

GBA/E-Networks Easter tournament commences today THE E-Networks B-Division Easter Badminton will commence today at the National Gymnasium at 17:30hrs. The tournament is for all upcoming players to get a chance to showcase their skills and at the same time a chance to medal, which will help in their development in the sport. National and A-players are not allowed to play in this tournament as it’s for B-players only.

The tournament involves both male and females. A consolation round will be played in order to give those players who were knocked out in the first round another chance at gaining medals. The Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) would like to thank E-Networks for coming on board and look forward to its continuous support towards the development of badminton players.

ENGLAND’S Ben Stokes was hit for six off the last ball as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by four wickets to register their sixth win in VIVO 2019 the Indian Premier League (IPL). Chasing 152, the Super Kings needed 18 off the final over in Jaipur. But Ravindra Jadeja hit the first ball for six and Mitchell Santner drove the final delivery back over Stokes’ head. Super Kings captain MS Dhoni walked on to the field earlier in the over to argue with the umpires after a Stokes ‘no-ball’ was overturned. Dhoni was fined 50% of his match fee for breaking the IPL code of conduct. Chennai were struggling at 24-4 in reply to Rajasthan’s 151-7. Ambati Rayudu made 57 off 47 balls and India wicketkeeper Dhoni struck 58 off 43 before he was bowled by Stokes off the third ball of the last over. The next delivery was a full toss to Santner that looked above waist-height. Although umpire Ulhas Gandhe signalled a no-ball, the decision was overruled by square-leg umpire Bruce Oxenford, and an incensed Dhoni returned to the pitch to remonstrate. All-rounder Stokes also conceded a front-foot no-ball before bowling a wide with the Super Kings needing four from the last ball. His next delivery was in the slot and New Zealand all-rounder Santner drilled it over long-on to secure a dramatic victory - Dhoni’s 100th IPL win as captain. Stokes was hit for four consecutive sixes in the final over of England’s World Twenty20 final defeat by West Indies in 2016. He took a stunning catch above his head at backward point to remove Kedar Jadhav off Jofra Archer and topscored with 28 off 26 balls in the Royals’ 151-7.

Seven GCA cricket matches billed for this weekend SEVEN cricket matches are billed for this weekend in the Capital City, as the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) continues to take full advantage of the current weather conditions. Three matches will be played in the Gise/Star Party Rentals/Trophy Stall first division two-day tournament while four second division matches are scheduled. In the first division segment, GCC will host DCC, UG face GDF at Camp Ayanganna and Malteenoes play hosts to Everest. Play commences at 09:30hrs both days. In the Noble House Seafoods second division competition, GNIC will host Malteenoes, DCC will clash with Everest at their Queenstown venue, GCC will play MYO at MYO and Transport will oppose Diplomats at GYO. Play starts at 11:00hrs both days. The GCA/American Youth Premier Cricket League Under-19 competition bowls off on Tuesday.

Kieron Pollard MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - Kieron Pollard last turned out for West Indies in a one-day international in 2016, but the burly all-rounder has not given up hope of making the squad for this year’s World Cup. Contractual disputes between the players and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have weakened the team for several years now with the frosty relations famously culminating in the 2014 tour of India being called off midway the series. There have been signs of a thaw recently however, with a new leadership team in place at the board and former captain Chris Gayle returning to the ODI side for the recent series against England is a big boost ahead of the World Cup. Pollard, like Gayle, famed for his six-hitting prowess, returned to the West Indies fold after a year out to join the Twenty20 team for the three-match series in India last year. “I am a cricketer, I am 31 years of age and I have lot of cricket left in me,” Pollard told reporters after smashing 83 off 31 balls against Kings XI Punjab to lead the Mumbai Indians to a thrilling last-ball win on Wednesday. “Every day I get the opportunity to play, I want to do my best. There has been a lot of turmoil in West Indies cricket over the last couple of years. But we have seen in the last couple of weeks there’s a change. “Pollard was one of the guys blacklisted. The most I can do every time I step on the cricket field is try to put runs on the board. There are people there who have the

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Pollard not giving up on West Indies World Cup hopes job to select and whatever and we’ll see how that goes. “As I said, I’m 31, Chris Gayle is still playing, he’s 39, and he’s still whacking it all around.” Leading Mumbai in the absence of injured regular captain Rohit Sharma, Pollard helped his side to an unlikely win, chasing Punjab’s 197-4, which was built on an unbeaten 100 from KL Rahul and a typically punishing 63 from Gayle. Pollard belted 10 sixes and three fours in his knock for Mumbai’s fourth win in six matches this season, after they needed 104 off the last eight overs. West Indies have proved in this year’s IPL that they have no shortage of short-form match-winners at their disposal in the likes of Pollard, Gayle, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. The twice world champions could therefore be a tough prospect for any opponent at the May 30-July 14 World Cup in England and Wales. “We know what we can do and I think Chris batted superbly,” Pollard said. “A fellow West Indian is (Andre) Russell ... he’s smacking the ball and it’s great to see the way he’s hitting the ball and (Sunil) Narine. “These guys are having a good tournament and again it’s just about enjoying cricket, when your mind is free, you just go out and enjoy cricket. “You don’t think about much, because there are a lot of opinions, there are a lot of things, but it’s people close to you and what they think matters.”

Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’

All roads lead to Haslington Market tarmac tonight ALL roads will lead to the Haslington Market tarmac tonight, when the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ East Coast Demerara edition commences with eight exciting elimination matches from 19:00hrs. In the opening match, Mahaica will oppose Liliendaal Hustlers at 19:00hrs, with Melanie-B taking aim at GWI East Coast from 19:30hrs and Belfield Warriors facing off with BV-B from 20:00hrs. In the fourth clash, Paradise-A battle Victoria from 20:30hrs, while BV-A oppose Plaisance-B at 21:00hrs and Victoria Church Yard engage Melanie-A from 21:30hrs. In the final two matches, Buxton Diamond take aim at Haslington Hypers at 22:00hrs and defending champions Uprising lock horns with Non Pareil from 22:30hrs. According to an official release, “The coordinators envision an exciting and memorable tournament, which is certainly tailored to make the fan experience an unforgettable one along the East Coast corridor for those hoping to get a glimpse of what has become the most electrifying outdoor event in the sport.” The correspondence added, “The early signs from the respective communities that will be competing in the threeday competition is that defending champions Uprising will not have it easy this time around, since teams have already begun preparations to challenge for the title.” “However, the reigning champs who had to qualify last year and subsequently became the only team to do so and win the title outright, have vowed to successfully defend their crown,” the release concluded. The tournament, which has grown both in terms of quality and crowd support, is expected to continue in that vein, while many are already touting that the turnout this year could exceed previous years.” Winners of the event will pocket $400 000 and claim the winners’ trophy. They will also earn an automatic berth to the Guinness National Championship. On the other hand, the runners-up will pocket $150 000 and the corresponding accolade, with the third- and fourth-place finishers receiving $100 000 and $75 000 respectively.

Titans TTC outreach at President’s College a resounding success By Michelangelo Jacobus GUYANA’S top table tennis club, the Titans TTC, recently concluded an outreach at President’s College in Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara following an invitation from the institution’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) in a bid to reintroduce the sport to the students. Speaking to Chronicle Sport, Titans’ founder and president, Dwain Dick, hailed the outreach as a success; “We were invited by the PTA to see if we could resuscitate some interest in the sport. The response was overwhelming. Two visits saw more than 80 students including more than 30 females indicating interest.” He revealed; “It is our hope that we can introduce the sport into the curriculum for those intending to write CSEC PE and use table tennis as their sport of choice. This ties in with our (Titans TTC)

goal of introducing 1 000 players to the sport by 2020 and pioneering a school league, which we can use as the basis for talent identification to benefit the national teams”. Meanwhile, Dick urged the public at large to support the school, as they seek to reinstitute the sport among the stu-

Titans TTC founder and president, Dwain Dick dents; “We hope that persons can come on board and support in terms of assisting the school with tables, racquets, balls and the necessary equipment needed

to help bring PC to the forefront of schools table tennis.” Zeroing in on Titans’ plans for the schools league, Dick explained; “We are looking to form clubs in several schools under the Titans umbrella, where we will be providing all the technical expertise in terms of coaching and other forms of support, we are focusing on implementing that this year, so by next year we hope to have those schools at a highly competitive level to form our league for which we will be seeking corporate sponsors.” “This initiative is so that table tennis can have the depth and longevity to always have an abundance of talent to choose from among our youths. We have already identified Mae’s Secondary and Westfield Prep school for our summer programmes. We are positive that this will take us in the direction of a strong base of talent available for the future”.

The Titans TTC have proved that they are head and shoulders above other clubs in Guyana and are heavily focused on youth development in the

… Dick eyes schools league for 2020

sport. This is heavily reflected in the fact that they provide almost the entire National Junior and Cadet teams with

players, in addition to having the male and female National U-13, U-15 and U-18 champions in Jonathan Van Lange and Thuraia Thomas.

Some of President’s College students going through drills during the Titans TTC outreach

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 12, 2019

Skerritt admits Guyana’s cricket riddled with uncertainty … National U-15 team departs for Antigua By Rajiv Bisnauth NEWLY-elected president of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Ricky Skerritt, has admitted that Guyana’s cricket at the moment is riddled with uncertainty, following a High Court ruling recently that the executives of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) are illegal. Skerritt made the comment during a CWI Press Conference yesterday which was streamed live from Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. “The Guyana situation is troubling; it is a little awkward and it is at the moment riddled with uncertainty. At our board meeting on Tuesday last it was made clear that we would continue to welcome Guyana aged teams and will do whatever we can to get the Guyana cricket teams involved in our cricket,” Skerritt, who is 62, said. Skerritt, a former West Indies team manager, who received eight votes to four in a secret ballot conducted during the CWI Annual General Meeting, added, “We have officials here from

the Antigua Cricket Association who will host the West Indies Under-15 championships and fortunately the Guyana Under-15 team would be one of those

contempt of court. “We will do everything we can to continue to facilitate youth development through cricket, but we will take it on

that deadline is still a little bit away.” Skerritt, who ended the sixyear reign of his predecessor, Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron, in

National Under-15 team, along with manager Latchman Yadram (far right) and coach Julian Moore (far left)

teams; so we will work as soon as we can get more details on the actual legal judgment, without in any way interfering or being in

the advice and we will take it one step at a time ... we are setting a deadline by which we need to have clarity and

the board elections in Kingston on March 24, has pledged that the job of his administration is to ensure that cricket continues.

Parika Defenders capture Ramesh Sunich birthday celebration softball

A smiling Kenrick Persaud, captain of Parika Defenders, receives the winners’ trophy from Devi Sunich, wife of Ramesh Sunich in the presence of his teammates and Ramchand Ragbeer, president of GFSCA.

PARIKA Defenders continued their rich vein of form when they captured a softball tournament, played in excellent conditions for cricket, under lights at the famous Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground, in honour of the birth anniversary of Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall. They defeated Mike’s Wellman in a five-over final. In semi-final number one, Wellman got the better of Floodlights by 27 runs. Wellman won the toss and batted first amassing a challenging 182 all out in their 20 overs. Sheldon Purch led the way with a solid 67 and got support from Greg DeFranca with 32 and E. Lovell 24. Bowling for Floodlights, Uniss Yusuf took 2 for 31 and birthday boy Sunich 2 for 41 off 4. In reply, Floodlights finished on 155 all out with Pat-

rick Khan 45, Khalid Baksh 31 and Anil Beharry 23. Doing the damage for Wellman was R. Ganesh with 2 wickets. In semi-final number two, Parika Defenders made a challenging 195 to defeat a Canadian-sponsored team with former Essequibo senior cricketer Ucil Armstrong leading the way with 66, Kabash 38 and Anthony Arjune 25. Bowling for the visitors, Ramo Malone and Anand took two wickets apiece. In reply, they made 122 all out with Malone returning to topscore with 63 - the only score of substance. In a reduced five-over final, Parika Defenders won by 20 runs. Bheesham Persaud and Ucil Armstrong were the outstanding batsmen for Parika Defenders while Rawl Reid took 4 wickets for Wellman. Several trophies donated by Trophy Stall were shared out as incentives.

“But (for) the people of Guyana, the cricket-lovers of Guyana … our job is to ensure cricket continues wherever we can in the interest of West Indies cricket. “We are going to do everything we can to make sure actual cricket can be played everywhere, and obviously the Guyana situation needs to sort itself out and we will do whatever we can to assist,” Skerritt stated. The High Court ruled that the executives of the GCB cannot hold themselves out to be office-bearers or to do anything as it relates to the operations of the GCB, because their last elections were unlawful, illegal, null, void and to no legal effect. The GCB has not had a proper constituted or what many observers have labelled “free and fair” elections for the past ten years, owing to the numerous court injunctions. The matter was brought before High Court Judge, Justice Fidela Corbin, by Attorney Arudranauth Gossai on behalf of secretary of the Berbice Cricket Board, Rabindranauth Saywack,

Ricky Skerritt

who claimed that the GCB was operating in contravention of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act established in 2014. He also challenged the appointment of Stephen Lewis as Cricket Ombudsman, to which the High Court also ruled that the appointment was also declared unlawful, null, void and to no legal effect. Meanwhile, Guyana National Under-15 cricketers departed yesterday morning to hunt for honours in this year’s Regional Under-15 tournament which will be played in Antigua. The squad, which benefited from exposure in the just concluded Under-17 Inter-county tournament, appeared high in confidence and well prepared for their competitive regional encounter. The 14-man team is coached by Julian Moore and managed by Latchman Yadram.

Reifer, Haynes named interim head coach, 28 selection chairman respectively Page

New interim head coach Floyd Reifer (left) and interim chairman of selectors Robert Haynes. (CWI photo)

On any given day, we could beat any team in CONCACAF

– Johnson

By Rawle Toney Seeing into the future? Guyana’s head coach Michael Johnson shares a moment with the CONCACAF Gold Cup trophy.

HEAD coach of the Golden Jaguars, Michael Johnson, has made it clear that Guyana will not be a walkover at this year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, when they face-off against defending champions USA and regional rivals Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Panama, in Group D of the 16-team tournament. “We’re going to enjoy it! Nobody really gave us a chance to be here, and I’d imagine that nobody would really give us a chance to get out the group,” Johnson boldly stated. Guyana’s first game is against USA on June 18 in Minneapolis, after which, coach Michael Johnson and his squad will travel to Cleveland to take on Panama on June 22 at the FirstEnergy Stadium, before playing their

final group game against Trinidad and Tobago on June 26 at the Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas. Speaking at the draw in Los Angeles, Johnson said that he’s banking on a profoundly skilled group of players he strongly believes in “and they believe that on any given day, we could beat any team in CONCACAF”. Meanwhile, president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde pointed out that “Guyana could not have been in a better group. We have everything to play for and absolutely nothing to lose. The earlier projection for national visibility has just doubled; this is simply a win-win for our beloved Golden Jaguars. T&T are old foes that will have all the pressure on them and USA are desperately trying to rebuild their confidence which will play into the strength of

our boys.” Ian Greenwood, the GFF’s Technical Director, pointed out that despite the group being strong, “we know what we can do against Trinidad - we played them recently and performed well. Obviously, it’s very, very strong with Panama just coming out of the World Cup, and USA as well, but we’re very excited about what we can do in preparation for these games.” The 2019 Gold Cup features an expanded field, with 16 teams for the first time, including first-time entrants Bermuda and Guyana. The United States will host the majority of the matches, but this year’s tournament will feature group-stage games in Costa Rica and Jamaica - the first time Gold Cup games have been hosted outside of the US, Canada or Mexico.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2019