Chronicle 12 30 2015

ILLICIT VENDING No. 104417

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 30, 2015

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- killing lawful businesses in Bartica

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“It was a royal experience …”

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- Lisa Punch speaks about representing Guyana on world stage

Hope residents ‘red’ on rates hike Page

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New Year’s 11 to ignite Jubilee celebrations

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Haags Bosch still on 15 fire Page

The cost of the SUNDAY CHRONICLE will increase from $120 to $140 from January 3, 2016. (VAT INCLUSIVE)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Neshan wanted by police

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) has issued a wanted bulletin for Jagmohan Neshan, who escaped from lawful custody at the New Amsterdam Prison on Monday.

He was a remand prisoner, charged for the murder of Devindra Deodath, which occurred on October 07, 2013.

The police, in a release, has said that anyone with information

Jagmohan Neshan

that may lead to the arrest of Neshan can contact them on telephone

numbers 333-3876, 333-2191, 333-2151 to 3; 226-9941, 225-6411, 911, or visit the nearest police station.

All information, the police said, will be treated with strict confidence.

Neshan, 25, is of East Indian descent.

His last known address is Belvedere Squatting Area, Corentyne, Berbice.

OUR featured personality today is 32-year-old Aquarius-born Jacy Archibald, who’s an attorney-at-law by profession, but works with the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) as a Corporate Secretary.

Jacy, who readily admits that he’s still “a kid at heart”, lists as being among his hobbies a good game of cricket and basketball, and watching cartoons.

Besides fooling around a bit with video games, Jacy likes reading, and prides himself on being “a big sports fan.”

His favourite quote is: “In life, you will always have choices; even when it seems like there is none.

“Always choose the thing that’s the hardest, ‘cause that’s usually the right thing to do,” he disclosed.

ILLICIT VENDING

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

- killing lawful businesses in Bartica

By Alva Solomon THE authorities in Bartica may soon act against illegal vending at the foreshore of the mining community, as persons have vented their disgust at the actions of those who rob the community of fees from vending and other activities.

In recent days, Barticians have, on social media, voiced concern regarding illegal vending, wherein boats laden with vegetables, fruits, and even meat would ‘pull-up’ at the seawall area, in the northern section of the mining community, and trade items with willing customers.

The situation occurs mainly on Mondays, and residents say the legitimate businesses, such as the stallholders at the market and shops in the area, suffer as a result. Pushcart vendors as well as other businesses in the community support the illegal act.

Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that while the responsibility for markets and vending falls under the purview of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the municipality, he has received numerous complaints from persons in the community.

Efforts to contact new IMC Chairman Gilford Marshall yesterday were futile.

PAYMENT OF FEES Bradford said he has discussed the issue with the new IMC, and he explained that the items brought to the foreshore by the boats are sold cheaper, compared to those already on the market in the mining community.

“It definitely will put a dent on our municipal markets,” he said. Market vendors pay a monthly fee as well as stall rental fees.

Bradford said he has already discussed the issue with the IMC. He noted that there are certain conditions which have to be met before an area or place can be

up of additional stalls at the market, so that the process can be legitimised.

Another resident recounted that, in years gone by, boats laden with items

commodate the traders. “If we are talking about curbing the present situation, it must be done with these people’s interest at heart as well,” one resident suggested.

materialised.

She said stallholders informed her that the spots are reserved for persons from outside of the community.

She expressed hope that

A picture taken by a resident last week near the seawall where the trade in items was ongoing deemed a market.

According to a resident, there are some market vendors who purchase items from the “laden boats” and re-sell at the market at very high prices. She contended that the boat owners, as well as the pushcart vendors who purchase from the boats, are not residents of the community. She suggested that the IMC discuss the setting

would arrive from the island of Wakenaam on certain days. “The boat vendors used to sell on them empty stalls and pay a fee to the Municipal. I remember going out on those days to buy, because things were cheaper,” she said.

Persons have suggested that, if the trade is completely banned, alternatives must be put in place to ac-

Some residents told this newspaper yesterday that there has been an unfair system as regards the allocation of stalls to persons at the market. One resident said she had approached the authorities in the past for permission to sell in front of the market during the mornings, but her plans never

the system would change under the recently installed IMC, and noted that, in recent years, persons from Bartica appeared to have been sidelined as regards being permitted to vend legally.

PRICE RANGE But while persons have

criticized the illegal act, others have said the situation has resulted from the high cost of items at the market. One vendor noted yesterday that the prices of commodities and food at the market can be very expensive. She said it is for this reason that persons would prefer to buy goods at cheaper prices from the boats at the seawall.

Meanwhile, the Regional Chairman informed yesterday that business became brisker as the Christmas season materialised.

“Indeed, it didn’t pick up earlier in the season, but I did see an increase near Christmas Eve and later,” Bradford said.

He said that business at Bartica revolves around mining, and if the industry is not “doing well,” the businesses experience difficulties in getting sales.

Meanwhile, Barticians are preparing for township status, which is expected to be officially declared on April 23, 2016.

President David Granger made the promise during the elections campaign. In June this year, the Head of State made good on his promise when he announced that the township status will be concretised.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, December 30, 2015

IS regulates sex slaves ISLAMIC State (IS) theologians have issued an extremely detailed ruling on when “owners” of women enslaved by the extremist group can have sex with them. This has been done in an apparent bid to curb what they called violations in the treatment of captured females.

The ruling, or fatwa, has the force of law, and appears to go beyond the Islamic State’s previously known utterances on slavery, a leading Islamic State scholar has said.

It sheds new light on how the group is trying to reinterpret centuries-old teachings to justify the rape of women in the swaths of Syria and Iraq it controls.

The fatwa was among a huge trove of documents captured by U.S. Special Operations Forces during a raid targeting a top Islamic State official in Syria in May. Reuters has reviewed the document, which has not been previously published, but couldn’t independently con-

firm its authenticity.

Among the fatwa’s injunctions are bans on a father and son having sex with the same female slave; and the owner of a mother and daughter having sex with both females.

Joint owners of a female captive are similarly enjoined from intercourse, because she is viewed as “part of a joint ownership.”

The United Nations and human rights groups have accused the Islamic State of the systematic abduction and rape of thousands of women, and girls as young as 12, especially members of the Yazidi minority in northern Iraq. Many have been given to fighters as a reward, or have been sold as sex slaves.

Far from trying to conceal the practice, Islamic State has boasted about it, and has established a department of “war spoils” to manage slavery. Reuters reported on the existence of the department on Monday.

In an April report, Human Rights Watch interviewed

20 female escapees, who recounted how Islamic State fighters separated young women and girls from men and boys and older women.

They were moved “in an organised and methodical fashion to various places in Iraq and Syria.” They were then sold or given as gifts, and repeatedly raped or subjected to sexual violence.

DOS AND DON’TS Fatwa No. 64, dated January 29, 2015, and issued by Islamic State’s Committee of Research and Fatwas, appears to codify sexual relations between IS fighters and their female captives for the first time, going further than a pamphlet issued by the group in 2014 on how to treat slaves.

The fatwa starts with a question: “Some of the brothers have committed violations in the matter of the treatment of the female slaves. These violations are not permitted

by Sharia law, because these rules have not been dealt with in ages. Are there any

Militant Islamist fighters hold the flag of Islamic State (IS) while taking part in a military parade along the streets of northern Raqqa province, in this June 30, 2014 file photo (Reuters)

warnings pertaining to this matter?”

It then lists 15 injunctions which, in some instances, go into explicit detail. For example: “If the owner of a female captive, who has a daughter suitable for intercourse, has sexual relations with the latter,

he is not permitted to have intercourse with her mother, and she is permanently off limits to him. Should he have intercourse with her mother, then he is not permitted to have intercourse with her daughter, and she is to be off limits to him.”

Islamic State’s rape of female captives has been well documented, but a leading IS expert at Princeton University, Cole Bunzel, who has reviewed many of the group’s writings, said the fatwa went beyond what has previously been published by the militants on how to treat female slaves.

“It reveals the actual concerns of IS slave owners,” he said in an email.

Still, he cautioned that not “everything dealt with in the fatwa is indicative of a relevant violation. It doesn’t mean father and son were necessarily sharing a girl. They’re at least being ‘warned’ not to.

But I bet some of these violations were being committed.”

The fatwa also instructs the owner of a female slave to “show compassion toward her, be kind to her, not humiliate her, and not assign her work she is unable to perform.” An owner should also not sell her to an individual whom he knows will mistreat her. (Reuters)

Paris-linked IS chiefs ‘died in strikes’ TARGETED US-led coalition air strikes have killed 10 Islamic State

commanders in Iraq and Syria in the past month, a US military spokesman

has said.

Some were linked to last month’s attacks in Par-

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is, while others were planning further attacks on the West, he added.

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The US-led coalition has been targeting IS in Iraq and Syria for over a year.

Russia recently began its own air attacks against armed opponents of the Syrian Government.

“Over the past month, we’ve killed 10 Isil [IS]

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leadership figures with targeted air strikes, including several external attack planners, some of whom are linked to the Paris attacks,” said US Army Colonel Steve Warren. “Others had designs on further attacking the West.” (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Hope residents ‘red’ on rates’ hike SEVERAL Hope Estate tenants took to the streets early yesterday in protest of the exceedingly high rent they’re now being asked to pay by the new Board of Directors.

From around 08:30hrs, some 20 or more Hope Estate farmers bearing placards calling for his resignation assembled just outside the office of Board Chairman Iamei Aowmathi,

whom they say is solely to be blamed for their predicament.

They told the press that while they do not disagree with an increase in the rates, they believe the current asking rate is too high. According to one tenant, who said that farming is the only trade he knows, he is finding it difficult to pay the $15,000 now being asked per acre of land. He currently has two-

and-a-half acres under rice.

Noting that the former government had promised some of them land for farming and dwelling after relocating them from the floodprone Mahaica Creek, he said they eventually had to buy land off other people, since the promise was false.

He said that, in the eight years he has been at Hope, he has had only two “good crops”, as the land he was

Some of the farmers protesting at Hope Estate yesterday

given was semi-forested and very costly to clear.

A notice issued farmers by the Hope Estate Board indicates that, effective January 1, 2016, they will now have to pay $15,000 per acre of land, and not the $2000 to which they were accustomed. They were also advised that a $100,000 charge is now applicable for between one and ten acres of permanent crops.

Mexican soldiers have been deployed to Michoacan in an effort to defeat the cartels

CARLOS Rosales Mendoza, the founder of one of Mexico’s most violent drug cartels, has been killed.

Rosales Mendoza’s body was found, along with three other bodies, by a motorway in western Mexico. All four victims had been shot dead, forensic experts said.

Rosales Mendoza, 52, was one of the founders of La Familia Michoacana, a drug cartel with a reputation for extreme violence. That cartel claims to defend family and religious values.

Mendoza was on the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)’s most wanted list. The four bodies were found in the

car park of a toll booth on a motorway in the western state of Morelia.

Forensic experts said the four had been tortured and killed somewhere else, before their bodies were dumped in the car park. It is not clear who may be behind the killing.

Rosales Mendoza is believed to have got involved in drug trafficking in the 1980s in the western state of Michoacan. He rose through the ranks of local drug gangs, and forged key alliances with members of the Gulf and Zetas cartels.

In 2000, he founded his own organisation, which he named La Familia Michoacana (The Michoacan Family) after the

pointed by the Ministry of Agriculture as “Administrative Manager on contract/ gratuity terms within the Hope Coconut Industries Limited, in the first instance for a period of one year with effect from 2015-12-01 to 2016-11-30…”

However, Aowmathi claims that he is not aware of any such appointment by the Agriculture Minister.

A farmer displays the sheet with the new rental rates

Mexico drug cartel founder killed state that was his power base.

La Familia became a powerful criminal force in Michoacan. Cartel members trafficked in drugs, but were urged not to use drugs themselves. The cartel claimed to protect the poor, and said it defended traditional family values. Its hit-men said they had the “divine right” to kill and dismember their enemies, which included members of rival gangs.

Rosales Mendoza is believed to have trained some of the men, who later became powerful drug lords in their own right, including Servando “La Tuta” Gomez, Enrique “El Kike” Plancarte, Nazario Moreno and Dionicio “El Tio” Loya Plancarte.

In 2004, he organised an armed assault on a maximum security prison to spring a jailed ally from the Gulf cartel.

His men managed to free 25 inmates, but Rosales Mendoza was arrested on suspicion of masterminding the jailbreak, and he spent the next decade in prison.

While Rosales Mendoza was in prison, the men he had trained founded their own cartel, which they called the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar, which claimed to

Meanwhile, newly appointed Administrative Manager, Aseef Balmacoon, has been barred from taking office, with Board Chairman Aowmathi claiming that Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder does not have the power to make appointments because that authority rests solely with the Board.

Balmacoon produced a letter dated December 1, declaring that he was ap-

follow in the footsteps of the Christian military order of the Middle Ages of the same name, soon became one of the main targets for the Mexican Government.

Police say the cartel has been dismantled after all four of its main leaders were arrested or killed in the past two years.

The security forces feared that Rosales Mendoza was trying to re-organise his drug-trafficking empire after his release from prison in 2014. (BBC)

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Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial The Presidential Pardons

THE recent pardoning of 11 women for the Christmas Holidays -- all mothers who were incarcerated for minor offences -- has attracted from some quarters criticism, most of which was coated with the usual political hue.

One section of the media even went as far as to pronounce in a screaming headline that President David Granger has pardoned more criminals. The President, on assumption to office following the historic May 11 elections, had pardoned 60 youths who were all minor offenders.

In his defence, the Head of State, in exercising the powers vested in him in Article 188 of the Constitution, differed with the views expressed, contending that he acted out of compassion. And for many, the women needed to be with their children, as the crimes they had committed were not that grave as to make any of them a menace to society. The views in regard to the young men were not different, since it was felt that they would better serve society if they were given a chance to reform, rather than being wasted away in prison.

Of course, there were some who held strongly to the view that ‘if you do the crime, you must do the time.’ Seldom would one disagree that reprimand must accompany illegal acts; but, in Guyana, like any other society, without condoning an act of wrong, it would be more than prudent to examine the crime committed in context. No society in the world is free of crime; and here, there is a discernable pattern of those who pass through the courts for crimes factually or allegedly committed, particularly minor offences. From a cursory glance of reports from the many local news sources, the vast majority of the offenders are between ages 18 and 30, a significant number of whom are unemployed; are school dropouts, or did not have a sound education; and are from the lower strata of society.

Many are from broken homes; had an unsupervised upbringing; and though they doubtless know what’s right from wrong, because of their lack of education, they exhibit a notable lack of appreciation of proper mores and values. This problem, coupled with bad company and lack of opportunities to earn a living, inevitably makes it difficult for some to resist the temptation to walk the straight and narrow path in life.

And with the absence of a strong family support system, they eventually become ensnared in the world of crime and naturally contravene the law. But sadly, the punishment meted out to them, especially minor offenders, do little -- if anything at all -- to reform them.

This is not to say that persons should not be punished for crimes committed, but sentences of more than a year for minor offences seem more focused on exacting punishment than influencing reform.

In fact, their placement with seasoned offenders of the law, taken together with the stigma of being imprisoned and their frustrations in life, do little to change them positively. And worse yet, from all indications, the lengthy sentences - that is, sentences of more than a year for minor offences -- appear to do little to deter persons from committing petty crimes.

From the look of things, it appears that there is a clear need for some reform in the law in dealing with these matters, as more attention should be paid to reforming petty offenders, rather than punishing them by locking them away for a lengthy period when they can be of some meaningful service to communities.

But this must be done in a way to get these persons to understand the wrong they committed, while at the

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Let us unite for the good of Guyana Dear Editor, I TRUST that each and every one of us had an enjoyable Christmas, especially since great effort has been put in place by this new Government in providing access to young children at Merriman Mall.

I would like to point out the fact that ‘united we stand and divided we fall’ is an indisputable fact. Therefore, it is our duty in 2016 to become more united, as, in just over six months, we can see with our own eyes and realise in personal experience the wisdom of unity.

The municipal elections are coming up shortly, and I urge you to demonstrate as best as you could in voting

the correct way. One ought to note very seriously that he who tries to ride two asses at the same time soon falls on his own.

May I explain that there are many ways to deal with, and express our disapproval of the behaviour of those close to us? One of the things I would urge is not to use violence, but show love instead. Love can easily be demonstrated by voting for unity. This will bring out the good that is in most of us, and in doing so, we will achieve unity in abundance.

We, as a people, may not fully realise the interesting point at which Guyana is poised for major development.

God has blessed us with a solid oil find, which will be explored shortly. Many, many jobs will soon be available, and it would not be surprising to see many persons journeying from overseas in search of jobs in Guyana. We must therefore be prepared, mentally and physically, to meet this challenge. So, do you see how necessary it is for us to work together in unity?

The New Year’s message to everyone in Guyana is to give up hate and envy and work towards love and unity. This is what will take Guyana along the road to prosperity. So let all and sundry put aside silly and childish behaviour and work

towards love and unity, and we all will have a happy and prosperous 2016.

One of the things I would like to see is that we should have a special place in the city for a bus park, so that the overcrowding next to Parliament and Stabroek Market could be solved.

My suggesting is that the old train line along Lamaha Street is ideally suited to house all the buses, whether one is going to Berbice, Linden or Essequibo, as well as to various parts of the city. This, I believe, would assist in the better use of our roadways.

Regards JONAS M.F. CODDETT

The death penalty Dear Editor, I WOULD like to know why the European Union wants us to get rid of capital punishment so badly. I was able to find an article which answered my question. It is entitled: “Religion and the Death Penalty,” by Walter Berns.

According to Mr Berns: The best case for the death penalty -- or, at least, the best explanation of it -- was made, paradoxically, by one of the most famous of its opponents, Albert Camus, the French novelist. Others complained of the alleged unusual cruelty of the death penalty, or insisted that it was not, as claimed, a better deterrent of murder than, say, life imprisonment; and Americans especially complained of the manner in which it was imposed by judge or jury (discriminatorily or capriciously, for example), and sometimes on the innocent.

The death penalty, Campus said, “can be legitimized only by a truth or a principle that is superior to Man,” or, as he then made clearer, it may rightly be imposed only by a religious society or community; specifically, one that believes in “eternal life.”

Only in such a place can it be said that the death sen-

tence provides the guilty person with the opportunity (and reminds him of the reason) to make amends, thus to prepare himself for the final judgment which will be made in the world to come. For this reason, Campus said, the Catholic Church “has always accepted the necessity of the death penalty.”

This may no longer be the case. And it may no longer be the case that death is, as Camus said it has always been, a religious penalty.

But it can be said that the death penalty is more likely to be imposed by a religious people.

According to the philosopher Immanuel Kant -- who said it was a “categorical imperative” that a convicted murderer “must die.” In a word, religious people are more likely to demand that justice be done. Whatever the reason, there is surely a connection between the death penalty and religious belief.

European politicians and journalists recognise or acknowledge the connection, if only inadvertently, when they simultaneously despise us Americans [and Guyanese] for supporting the death penalty and ridicule us for going to church.

We might draw a conclusion from the fact that they

same time appreciating the values of honestly, dedication to service, and the importance of an upright society.

Given the shortcomings of the justice system, the branding of the minor offenders as criminals -- along with the suggestion that the President is soft on criminals -- is wholly misinformed and out of place.

This matter aside, the high number of young offenders engaging in illicit activities is a matter of serious concern, and points to the need for the administration to focus extensive attention on the vulnerable and de-

do neither. As for the death penalty, it is not enough to say that they [EU] (or their officials) are opposed to it; they want it abolished everywhere [including Guyana].

They are not satisfied that it was abolished in France, as well as in Britain, Germany and the other countries of Old Europe. Mr. Berns continues, according to a protocol attached to the European Convention on Human Rights, it will have to be abolished in any country seeking membership in the European Union. Thus the European Union adopted a charter confirming everyone’s right to life and stating that “no one may be removed, expelled, or extradited to a State where there is a serious risk that he or she would be subjected to the death penalty.”

They even organized a World Congress Against the Death Penalty, which in turn organized the first World Day Against the Death Penalty.

Mr. Berns asked what explains this obsession with the death penalty. Hard to say, but probably the fact that abolishing it is one of the few things Europeans can do that make them feel righteous. Nowhere in the new European constitution--some

300 pages long, not counting the appendages -- is there any mention of religion, of Christian Europe, or of God. God is dead in Europe [and the EU wants to kill God in Guyana]. Punishment has its origins in the demand for justice, and justice is demanded by angry, morally indignant men; men who are angry when someone else is robbed, raped, or murdered.

This anger is an expression of their caring, and the just society needs citizens who care for each other and for the community of which they are part. One of the purposes of punishment, particularly capital punishment, is to recognise the legitimacy of that righteous anger and to satisfy and thereby to reward it. In this way, the death penalty, when duly or deliberately imposed, serves to strengthen the moral sentiments required by a self-governing community.

Editor, I was very pleased to see the new government pass laws for the death penalty for terrorists, and I strongly recommend that they don’t abolish the death penalty by bowing to pressure from the EU, no matter how much they try to bribe or bully them.

ANTHONY PANTLITZ

pressed segments of society. As simple as it may look, the President’s Three Bs Initiative (boats, buses and bicycles), initiated to ensure every child goes to school, is a significant step in minimising the problem of young offenders in the long run. But religious institutions, community leaders, social organisations and the opposition also have to play a more vibrant role in tackling the issue.

Sitting on the sidelines and sniping will do little to address a problem that will affect all in society, regardless of political persuasion, race, creed or religion.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Police Commissioner hosts maiden press briefing today – after 22 months in office

By Leroy Smith COMMISSIONER of Police Seelall Persaud will today hold his first press conference since being appointed acting Commissioner of Police in March 2014, and subsequently being confirmed in that post in March 2015 by former President Donald Ramotar.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday invited the media to this press conference, slated for the Commissioner’s Conference Room at Force Headquarters Eve Leary.

Information coming out of the Guyana Police Force suggested that the press conference would also be shared

by Assistant Commissioner, Administration, Balram Persaud; Assistant Commis-

sioner, Operations, David Ramnarine; Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum; and all other divisional commanders.

This event, the first of its kind in the recent history of the Force, is expected to touch on the issues which have been affecting GPF operations over the past year, even as projections for 2016 are expected to be addressed briefly.

Additionally the police top command, especially the Crime Chief, is expected to inform media operatives of the challenges facing investigators and police prosecutors when the photographs of suspects in high-profile and other matters are plastered in the print and electronic media before those persons

are charged and placed before the court.

The issue of relocating Police ‘F’ Division is also expected to be raised at the press conference following claims that the decision might have been politically motivated and/or influenced, according to former Minister of Home Affairs and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Clement Rohee.

The National Suicide Helpline and the Police Social Crime Prevention programme, which were all launched under the Seelall Persaud administration, are also expected to be in focus, and progress reports are expected to be given.

SHORTLIST FOR PROMOTION Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission is final-

Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud

ising its list of persons who have been shortlisted for promotion, as recommended by the Commissioner of Police.

Presently, the Guyana Police Force has eight Assistant Commissioners of Police in the persons of Brian Joseph, Christopher Griffith, Leslie James, David Ramna-

rine, Balram Persaud, Clifton Hicken, Winston Cosbert and Marlon Chapman. Chapman, Hicken and James were all promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police in December last year.

At the moment, the Force has provision for 134 Assistant Commissioners of Police, but there are those within the system who are of the view that given the size of the Guyana Police Force, that number is way too high and the organisation would do well with nine Assistant Commissioners of Police.

The makeup of the Force also provides for four Deputy Commissioners of Police, but again the size of the organisation does not warrant that number of Deputy Commissioners, and there is the general view by security experts that the Guyana Police Force could do well with

a maximum of two Deputy Commissioners of Police.

“The Simmons Report”, compiled in 2000, recommended that the Force has no more than nine Assistant Commissioners of Police and two Deputy Commissioners of Police, but it is unclear if that report was given any serious consideration by the previous administration.

At the moment, the Guyana Police Force has what analysts call the “Upside down triangle”, where there is an overkill of senior officers at the top of the Force when in fact the organisation should be structured in such a way that the bottom is very broad-based and sturdy in terms of subordinate officers and other officers, while the administration is properly and equally levelled off.

The life and influence of Jesus Dear Editor, THE life and influence of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, throughout history has always produced great changes in the lives of men and women, and of all nations.

Wherever His teachings and influence have gone, there has been a multitude of other changes that have been made for the good of mankind. Individual lives are also dramatically changed through teachings of Jesus Christ. His works throughout His own time as teacher, healer, and His overall purpose for existence have influenced many.

We see the effect of His teachings from the Bible, and how His morality has shaped the minds of many good people.

Jesus began His ministry by announcing, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

His calling was based on the

vision of the Kingdom of God. He shared this vision with ordinary people, fishermen and tax collectors; and seeing their potential, shaped twelve of them into a team.

Jesus demonstrated His character as a servant leader, and when faced with opposition and conflict, responded with humility and integrity.

Was that His mission?

His mission was to guide us and to let us know Him. It also was to show us a better path, full of truth, so that no one who believes in His Father is lost. It also was to show and to remind us of the love of His Father and what He wants for us.

Jesus Christ came to redeem humanity from sin.

Jesus came to deliver truth in a world of false beliefs. Our greatest need is a spiritual need, which we cannot fulfill with the gain in this life, such as profits or pleasure.

His mission was to change our way of thinking, so that we would know the

love of God. He came, driven by an immense love, to suffer for us and to purge our sins, showing us how to live.

He came to live in this world to complete His mission, which was to suffer and die for our sins on the cross.

Right now, He is in us so we can follow His path, full of love, like He showed us, to have a better life, to obtain the glory in the eternal life, and to follow the commandments that He left us.

Jesus’s life and teachings influenced some of the greatest men that ever lived.

His Sermon on the Mount influenced the great Mahatma Gandhi. In the words of Gandhi about Jesus, he said: “A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including His enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.” — Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political leader (1869-1948) Mother Theresa said the

following about Jesus: “I believe in person-to-person. Every person is Christ, for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the one person in the world at that moment.”

— Mother Theresa “Jesus Christ was an extremist for love, truth and goodness.” — Martin Luther King Jr., These are just a few people. The illustrious Billy Graham preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to over one billion people around the world face to face. He, as one of the greatest preachers and international scholars, is still alive today at age 97.

One of the greatest scientists of our time, who is widely studied universally, said the following about Jesus: “I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrase-mongers, however artful”. He further added: “No man can read the gos-

pels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life. Theseus and other heroes of his type lack the authentic vitality of Jesus.”

— Albert Einstein – Scientist and Mathematician.

Today the Gospel of Jesus Christ has produced over one billion followers and believers of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to teach us the philosophy of love and forgiveness for all. Charles Dickens, one of the greatest English novelists, said these profound words about Jesus: “I commit my soul to the mercy of God, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I now most solemnly impress upon you the truth and beauty of the Christian religion as it came from Christ Himself, and the impossibility of going far wrong if you humbly but heartily respect it.” — Charles Dickens, British writer, 1812-1870 The illustrious William

Shakespeare wrote his Epitaph with the following words using Jesus’s Name: “Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare, To dig the dust enclosed here.

Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.”

Shakespeare also mentioned this magnificent statement in his Will.

“First, I Commend my Soul into the hands of God, my Creator, hoping and assured believing through the only merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour to be made partaker of life everlasting And my body to the Earth whereof it was made.”

As we commemorate another Christmas, let us be reminded that Jesus’s teachings are for all Mankind from all walks of life.

God bless you all.

Yours truly, REV. GIDEON CECIL

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Return and serve Guyana - President urges overseas students

PRESIDENT David Granger, last evening at the residence of the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, encouraged an eager group of young Guyanese students studying abroad to return home.

The Head of State, in an impassioned presentation to the students, sold them the benefits of returning home to serve their country.

“We are going to move mountains to enable young Guyanese to come back and have a stake in their native land,” he said.

Speaking at the first international student networking event, which was organised by the Minister of State and Simona Broomes Jnr, daughter of the Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, the President said the ‘good life’ in Guyana beckons people who are entrepreneurial, adventurous, and committed to this country.

Speaking with obvious love for his country, the President spoke of Guyana’s natural resources and mineral wealth, and told the students, most of whom are visiting Guyana for the holidays, that they would be welcomed to return to Guyana to serve their country.

“We need people who are going to build roads, build aerodromes, and develop this country. I wouldn’t have been here had I not believed in this country. When we look at the prospects of Guyana, I believe that there is a future for every Guyanese…. Guyana is the new frontier in the Caribbean; it is a land of hope and promise, and we want to guarantee that promise to the next generation,” he said.

Noting that many Guyanese have not had the opportunity to see the beauty of Guyana’s hinterland, the President took the opportunity to speak on the beauty of Guyana’s natural resources.

“Guyana is the biggest, the most blessed, the most beautiful, the most bountiful Caribbean country of all, without exception. There is nothing that a country could want that Guyana does not possess; and I hope when you visit that you have the opportunity to move around and see what this country is like, and you will see something else. You will say this is your country. This country has got the most exciting flora and fauna in the world; not in the Caribbean, in the world!

We have the most powerful eagle, the biggest ant-eater.

There are more species of birds in the Kanuku than in the whole of Europe…. There is nothing we need that we cannot produce,” the Presi-

Ministers of Government, so that they can be informed of the plans the administration has for the young people and be encouraged to return home after their studies would have concluded.

FUTURE

President David Granger addressing the gathering at the home of Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, last evening (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

“We want you to understand that you are the future of Guyana. We are basically setting the ground work for you to come and take over and move Guyana to where it has to be.

Guyana is the place of the future, and irrespective of where you study, Guyana is your home and…you can apply what you have studied abroad to solve the problems in Guyana. That is what we look forward to doing and having you do.

“We welcome you here, and I hope that next year we will have a larger gathering.

Our President has said that

dent said.

COME TOGETHER The Head of State added that as Guyana approaches its Jubilee Independence Anniversary, it is important that all Guyanese, at home and abroad, come together to repair a nation which was broken at birth, so that it can be positioned for growth and development.

“We had tremendous difficulties. Next May is a very important event, because it is a time for national unity; for coming together; for the realisation that we are one, and we either swim together or sink together…. Next year we must, more or less, celebrate a second Independence. You being here is an important step we are taking towards that goal. I have always said that Guyana is divided into two -- one half in South America and the other in North America; and part of my mission is to reunite the two halves and to let those in the diaspora know that they are Guyanese…. This country beckons for them, the country needs them. We need human power to exploit those resources. We need people like you…,” President Granger said.

The President assured the students that his administration will put systems in place to ensure that they can return to serve their country, once their studies would have been completed.

Also speaking on the occasion, Minister Harmon said the event was aimed at giving students who live and study abroad the opportunity to interact with the President and

The President also took the time to autograph some of his publications on the request of some attendees (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

there must be a good life for all Guyanese, and you must all contribute to that good life,” Minister Harmon said.

In the meantime, some of the students, in invited comments, praised the initiative even as they committed to returning to the country to serve, especially in the areas of business and medicine, the Ministry of the Presidency said in a release.

“I think it is important that we, students who are studying overseas, have the opportunity to interact with each other, because we are so spread out. So it is really good that we have this opportunity, not just to interact with each other, but the government officials, so that we can share our ideas and hear what is happening,” Ryan Duff, a student at Howard University, said.

Martin Massiah, an International Business graduate, said he was happy to be home for the holidays, and will be making his contribution to Guyana in the development of several business ideas.

“Guyana is a land of many resources. I will be coming back to Guyana, and I will be developing a number of businesses, developing proposals to really enhance the infrastructure in Guyana, especially in the area of technology, because it would allow us to raise the bar for Guyana,” he shared.

The event was also attended by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson; Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes; Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry; and a number of young professionals based here in Guyana.

President David Granger shares a light moment with Simona Broomes Jnr, one of the overseas-based Guyanese students who was at the event on Monday evening (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Dismissal

SAVITRI Chandrabose, staff nurse at the Leonora Diagnostic Centre (left), gestures while speaking to President David Granger, as Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton; Director of Regional Health Services, Dr Kay Shako; and Centre Administrator Dev Hira listen during a guided tour of the old maternity wing of the hospital (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

Diamond, Leonora diagnostic centres in spotlight - to benefit from improvement in capacity

PRESIDENT David Granger has pledged to develop the capacities of the Diamond and Leonora diagnostic centres, following a tour of those facilities on Monday. The President also used the opportunity to observe the maternity care capabilities of the institutions during the ‘fact-finding’ mission.

President Granger was accompanied by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton, and other senior medical officials. In an invited comment, he said the objective of the exercise was to assess the capabilities of both institutions.

“We wanted to see the challenges that face the ordinary patients who came in off the road, mothers particularly; and we wanted to see what measures (were) needed to be put in place in order to provide a better quality health care,” President Granger said.

These two visits followed closely on the heels of the President’s visit to the maternity ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Christmas Day. During that visit, the President saw first-hand some of the challenges facing both nurses and patients, and promised improved

conditions.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Health, Dr Norton, said that while the tour of those facilities has highlighted various challenges -- which will be addressed -- one of the aims of the visit was to look at opportunities to build capacity in maternity care. The minister noted it is unfortunate that, at both facilities, there is capacity for a vibrant maternity unit but this potential has not been developed.

Speaking on overall challenges, the minister noted it is critically important that the issue of nursing shortage be addressed. He added that plans are in train to provide better conditions for nurses as well as patients in the maternity ward at the GPHC, a release from the Ministry of the Presidency said.

“They are hardworking nurses. I think they like their work, and they all seem enthusiastic; but we must give them the materials and facilities that they need to work,” Dr Norton said.

According to him, while expansion works are ongoing at the GPHC’s maternity ward, the government also plans to bring the maternity wards outside of the city up to standard.

Dr Michael Pereira, GMO, Medical Superintendent, Obstetrics/Gynaecologist (second from left) takes President David Granger and his team on a guided tour of the main operating theatre at Diamond Diagnostic Centre, during the President’s visit there (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

THE Rohee-Ramnarine saga took an interesting turn, and continued to be a topic of great interest after the Guyana Police Force stated that, contrary to Rohee’s claims, there are no outstanding disciplinary matters against Ramnarine.

Oops, which Police Force were you in charge of during your time as Minister, Rohee? It looks like the PPP/C just wants to deter others from getting the recognition they deserve. After all, if they aren’t in the spotlight, then no one should be in their books.

All’s fare Thanks to a subsidy agreement between the Government and the Berbice Bridge Company, those who ply the Berbice Bridge will, for the New Year, enjoy a reduced toll of $1900, instead of $2200. There were lots of talk about this, with most persons calling the reduction anti-climactic. After all- $300 is not much of a drop, is it?

Yet, some are hopeful that this will still be enough to effect a respective reduction in fares.

But who are we kidding, folks? Have we ever really seen bus and taxi fares drop? There is no gravity when it comes to such things; so, unfortunately, fares that go up never come down.

Beacon of… misinterpretation?

The Guyana Times came under mass criticism after publishing what the Ministry of the Presidency has called a “ deliberately misleading headline” in which they claim President Granger said there was “No evidence of corruption against PPP/C”.

What the President said, however, was that once there is evidence to bring in the guilty persons being pointed out, then (and only then) will those persons be taken to court. The Guyana Times instead took this to mean that, because there has not yet been any evidence, no one is guilty. Many persons had a good laugh, calling the pro-PPP publication the Beacon of Lies, instead of what it claims to truly stand for.

However, I’d go a little easy on them. After all, a drowning man would clutch at a straw, right? It’s not our fault that, at this point, the opposition is looking for any smidgeon of silver to line their cloud. I call it wishful thinking via convenient misinterpretation. Carry on.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Compensation inadequate - mother of scissors-attack victim moving to High Court

THE mother of a 16-yearold student of the Patentia Secondary School, who was stabbed in his skull with a pair of scissors by another male student in the school compound, is moving to the High Court because she is dissatisfied with a magistrate’s ruling.

Over two years ago, on February 13, then 14-yearold Neil Miggins of 79 Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara was struck by an older student, who threw at him a pair of scissors that became lodged in his head.

Miggins, at the time, was running down a flight of stairs in the school when he brushed his attacker on the left hand, and as he continued on his way, he felt an impact to his head, which was caused by the scissors that was thrown at him.

Earlier this month, Wales Magistrate Clive Nurse fined 17-year-old Olatungi Wilson $100,000 after the defendant was found guilty of inflicting the grievous wound to Miggins on February 6, 2013.

Wilson, who is a student of the Leonora Technical Institute, was convicted in November, but sentencing was deferred to await a probation officer’s report.

The probation report revealed that Wilson had been before the court a few years ago on a charge of simple larceny, and was placed under statutory supervision for two years after being found guilty.

Magistrate Nurse disclosed the report stated that Wilson had lost his temper on the day of the incident,

but has begun making positive changes in his life.

He has also disassociated

as Miggins. The ruling also took into account that Wilson had shown remorse and had apologised to the court and the victim’s mother, Barbara Miggins.

OFFER REJECTED

NEIL MIGGINS himself from delinquent company.

In light of the mitigating factors, the magistrate made his ruling based on the report, and considered that Wilson was young and attended the same school

The magistrate also pointed out that Wilson’s family had offered to compensate the victim, but Miggins’s mother had rejected the offer since the two sides could not agree on a favourable sum. Miggins’s mother had opted for $1.8M on account of her son’s suffering, but this was later lowered to $1.5M. Wilson’s offer had been only $200,000.

The convicted teenager was not given a custodial sentence, but was instead ordered to pay the fine with

an alternative of six months’ imprisonment, and was also placed on a bond to keep the peace for one year.

T h e i n j u r e d l a d ’s mother, Barbara Miggins, considers the magistrate’s ruling disappointing, and contends that her son was made a victim twice, since she said no justice was served.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday via telephone, Mrs Miggins explained that she was asked to consider a sum of compensation, which she initially set at $1.8M and later reduced it to $1.5M; but the boy’s mother opted to pay only $200,000, which she found disrespectful.

“My son only turned out back to school last September, and has to undergo

another surgery since he is bleeding from his brain, while he also had a hole in his skull because of the scissors. And when I told the magistrate that in court, he urged me to compose myself,” Mrs Miggins related.

She also told this newspaper that her Attorney, Bernard DeSantos, has since appealed the matter in the High Court. The woman further said that, since the incident, her son has been suffering from psychiatric episodes, and would often relapse, lashing out in violent behaviour.

A distraught Mrs Miggins also noted that her son is a patient of Senior Government Psychiatrist Dr Bhairo Harry, since, according to her, “My son can never be himself again”.

‘We have nothing on Ramnarine’ - Guyana Police Force THE Guyana Police Force has said it is unaware of any pending disciplinary matter against Assistant Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine, contrary to statements made by former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee.

“Cognisant of statements publicised in the media and which have been attributed to the People’s Progressive Party General Secretary and former Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee, concerning disciplinary matters relating to police officers that have not yet been addressed, and in which reference was made to Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine, DSM, the Guyana Police Force wishes to state that it is unaware of any disciplinary matter pending against Assistant Commis-

sioner David Ramnarine, DSM.” Rohee, who while being Minister of Home Affairs had a public confrontation with Ramnarine, targeted the officer again on Monday, ahead of the impending promotion of ranks of the Guyana Police Force.

Speaking at his party’s weekly news conference on Monday, Rohee talked about the many unaddressed disciplinary matters relating to police officers, and singled out Ramnarine, long seen as a prospect to lead the GPF, as one of those officers whose matter has not been determined.

“It is to be recalled that a disciplinary matter concerning Assistant Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine is among several disciplinary matters slated for

consideration at the level of the disciplinary authority.

“Concerns have been

Asst. Police Commissioner David Ramnarine expressed about persons whose disciplinary matters are yet to be heard, and who have not been subjected to

integrity tests (before) being promoted in 2016,” Rohee told the news conference.

Back in March 2012, while being the Minister of Home Affairs, Rohee had declared a loss of confidence in Ramnarine, and had urged then Police Commissioner Leroy Brummell to discipline him over public statements. “…the Minister of Home Affairs hereby declares that he has lost confidence in the Guyana Police Force’s Commander at ‘C’ Division and, as a consequence, has written to the Commissioner of Police (ag), drawing to his attention his concerns about the conduct of Assistant Commissioner Ramnarine, and has requested that action be taken at his level, in accordance with the Police (Discipline) Act,

Chap 17:01.”

Rohee’s ire had been raised when Ramnarine had responded to criticisms triggered by his public statements made in relation to a $90 million allocation to the GPF for the 2011 elections activities. Rohee had accused Ramnarine of breaching the Guyana Police Force’s Standing Orders by making the information public. However, Ramnarine, who had said he had spoken out because of concern over the welfare of the ranks, had argued that the Standing Orders do not supersede his fundamental right to freedom of expression.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs stands firm in its view that all members of the Guyana Police Force, without exception, from Constable to Commander,

must uphold the Standing Orders of the Guyana Police Force,” Rohee had said in his statement, adding that Ramnarine was wrong in seeking to make himself an exception from a long established “custom and practice”, and to cover that exception “under the guise of his constitutional rights” as a citizen.

Rohee had further noted that Ramnarine, given his powers under the Police Act, was no ordinary citizen, while noting that he serves at the highest level of the Force.

According to Rohee, Ramnarine had chosen to set “a bad example” for the Force under cover of his constitutional rights, and Rohee had declared that Ramnarine’s actions were “careless, mutinous and unlawful.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

New Year’s to ignite Jubilee celebrations

By Ravin Singh THE YEAR 2016 will mark 50 years since Guyana was rebranded as an independent nation, and the Golden Jubilee celebrations will be launched formally at midnight on January 1 at the historic Independence Arch, which was recently renovated.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, Minister within the Ministry of Education and Co-chair of the National Commemorative Commission, Nicolette Henry, explained that this time was chosen to user in the celebrations, since Guyana’s 50th anniversary is not limited to one day, but would be celebrated for an entire year.

Commenting on what can be expected at the launch of the highly anticipated celebrations, Minister Henry disclosed that the combination of jubilant sounds of sirens, bells and horns would envelope the atmosphere as the New Year breaks, and there would also be the traditional fireworks display at midnight.

CULTURAL PERFORMANCES This will be preceded by prayers made by the three main religious groups in Guyana and a message by President David Granger. Cultural performances will follow, and one of the headliners will be the internationally acclaimed Guyanese Lisa Punch.

The launch of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations will be open to the general public.

In regard to the necessary infrastructure, human capacity and the will to successfully execute this monumental task in 2016, the minister was keen to

note that the Ministry is quite equipped with those resources, and support will be rendered by other ministries and by agencies such as the private sector.

TOTEM POLES One of the major activities planned to coincide with the celebration is the erection of Totem Poles in all ten administration regions.

Through a collaborative effort, the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry will be responsible for this initiative, which aims to integrate every region into the celebrations. Smaller poles will be erected in outlying areas, and the team will make its way to Georgetown to complete the last stop and erect the largest Totem Pole in the country.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES Minister Henry disclosed that there will also be 50 days of health-oriented activities which will be spearheaded by the Ministry of Public Health.

“There will be activities which promote healthy lifestyles in every region…activities will also seek to promote changes in behaviour to prevent non-communicable diseases,” she said.

She added that the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) has already signalled its support for such an undertaking.

And the activities will by no means be limited to Georgetown, the Minister said, as she reassured that the government has an interest in every corner of the country.

“We want to get the people who live outside of Georgetown involved, and have an integrated system.

There will also be some

Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry competitions and promotions geared towards promoting behavioural change. We, the Government, believe that we need to work on behaviour to promote better outcomes,” the minister said.

She noted that some of these activities speak to etiquette and a sense of national pride and patriotism.

She accordingly hinted at a possible movement to encourage Guyanese to put on their houses or vehicles a national symbol which directly highlights a sense of patriotism.

In an effort to underscore the role of behaviour change at all levels, Minister Henry revealed that one of the competitions to be held next year will be a courtesy one, wherein persons who use minibuses can access an application on their phone and can rate a bus driver as courteous or law-abiding in some way or the other.

REFLECTION, CELEBRATION, INSPIRATION And while noting that all the events will be public ones, given the need for citizens to unite under a common banner, the min-

ister highlighted that the three pillars upon which the activities are built are Reflection, Celebration and Inspiration.

She noted that 2016 must be a year in which Guyanese reflect on Guyana’s past and recognize what the journey was like.

During this time, she said, there must be celebration, which is an acknowledgement of Guyana’s achievement.

And while Guyanese celebrate, Minister Henry deems it necessary to inspire particularly the youths to “dream bigger” and work towards further developing a country they can call home.

At this point, she reflected on a recent experience in which she was touring the popular beverage company Banks DIH and noticed two headlines standing out in their ar-

11

chives from newspapers dating back to 1965. The first, she revealed, was one which purported that, with British Guiana approaching independence, it is expected that the division in the colony would cease. The second dealt with the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.

While noting that these two issues are very relevant today, the minister, who has responsibility for culture, offered that whoever sits in her chair, assuming responsibility for youth, culture and sport, and perhaps organizing the 100th year anniversary, should not be in a position to have to face these issues.

“I hope that we use the next 50 years to unite as a people. I wish we could get there faster than 50 years,” she said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Brutally chopped farmer air-dashed to GPHC FORTY-FOUR-year-old Phillip Williams of Five Star, Barima River, Region One was last Thursday brutally chopped by a man who was reportedly intoxicated and ‘out-ofcontrol’.

Hours later, he was air-dashed to the city and admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) with his arm literally hanging by a piece of flesh.

The farmer recalled that, on Thursday evening, he was walking past the popular Stone Hill Junction Shop at Bay Creek when he saw a man called ‘Popeye’ and another person drinking alcohol in the shop. Together, the three began walking home, but without an argument, ‘Popeye’ whipped out a sharpened cutlass and began ‘broad-siding’ Williams.

Williams said he tried to block the blows with his hand, but the aggressor applied even more force, and he was severely chopped across the arm, resulting in serious injury.

Williams said he fainted and was left lying on the roadway. Towards dawn, he regained consciousness and struggled home, about one mile away.

“Is sheer lash I get lash,” Williams recounted. “That is the nature of the man, whether he high or not. He is violent. He beats his own mother and all, much less another person,” Williams lamented.

Police are investigating.

Phillip Williams has been brutally chopped

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Blood bank needs O Negative, Positive blood THE National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) is in dire need of blood to satisfy the ever growing demand for this “lifesaving” product.

At this time of the year, the demand is high and the blood bank is short of all types, but especially O Negative and O Positive.

According to a statement from the NBTS, “the goal of the NBTS is for all the blood supplied in Guyana to be collected from voluntary, healthy donors. The unit of blood you donate is screened and delivered through a network of Blood Banks countrywide, and used as needed. Every day, pregnant women, children, youths, adults and the elderly need blood in both our public and private hospitals.”

The release advises that if you are 17 years or older, in generally good health, free from any blood-borne disease, and weigh at least 110 pounds you can become a voluntary blood donor.

The donation process is very simple, the release says, and requires the following steps: Registration of donor; mini health check comprising: body weight, pulse, blood pressure, temperature and HB (Iron) level. The donor’s blood type will also be identified at this stage.

A brief interview will follow, the release said, to determine if your sexual lifestyle and medical history permit you to donate blood. This session is very private and confidential.

The actual blood donation stage is where a unit (less than a pint) of blood will be taken and refreshment given the donor.

The entire blood donation process takes 20 minutes, the release said. A person who fits the criteria can donate blood every two months, the release said, as blood donation allows the body to produce new red blood cells which carries oxygen around the body.

Once these new cells are replicated, it allows the individual to feel more rejuvenated and healthier. Blood cannot be stored for long periods. One unit can be processed into three component parts, each of which has the potential of saving a life when used to treat separate medical conditions.

The NBTS is appealing to all voluntary donors and new donors to “give a pint” at any one of the blood donation facilities at New Amsterdam, West Demerara, Suddie or Linden hospitals, or one of their mobile units. The NBTS is notifying the public that its facilities will be open from 08:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs from Monday to Friday, and on Saturdays from 9:00hrs to 15:00hrs.

Pedestrian’s leg broken in two places

13

A road-safety-conscious security guard stood patiently under a traffic light on Church Street, between the Bank of Guyana and the National Library, last Saturday (Boxing Day) at about 14:00 hrs, and began crossing the road only after the ‘green man’ had come on.

A route 45 minibus driver on his way to the Stabroek bus park is reported to have driven through the light which had allowed for pedestrians to cross and knocked down this 46-year-old security guard.

The victim, Imran Khan of 139 Waterloo Street, Georgetown, an employee of Richard Kanhai’s, suffered two fractures to his left leg, and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he remains warded.

Khan recalled that, after he was struck down, security guards from the Bank of Guyana reported the accident to the police, who turned up soon after. He said the guards also stopped a taxi and dispatched him to the GPHC. Khan’s step-father, Hussein Baksh, who works at the Demerara Harbour Bridge, was meantime alerted about Khan’s plight and arrived on the scene, but the guards had already dispatched the injured man to the hospital.

Khan is expressing gratitude to the security guards at the Bank of Guyana and to others who came to his rescue.

The errant driver has reportedly been arrested and charged.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Fire Service had busy Christmas weekend

WHILE many were drinking and having a merry time, some members of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) were not that fortunate, as they were kept on their toes during the Christmas weekend.

Fire Chief Marlon Gentle told the Guyana Chronicle that there were a few incidents which put the Fire Service in high gear. Six major fires were recorded during the holiday season, and several buildings were destroyed, leaving 13 persons homeless. He is, accordingly, admonishing the nation that children should not be left unsupervised; kitchen appliances, including electrical ones, should be turned off before householders retire to bed; eating houses and private homes

should dispose of garbage in a proper manner; and everyone should desist from burning garbage.

Gentle said that, at about 03:35 hrs on Christmas Eve Day, a fire consumed two shacks aback of the Botanical Gardens, leaving three persons homeless. The cause of this conflagration is still being investigated.

The Fire Chief reported that, at about 05:06 hrs on Christmas morning, the GFS responded to a fire call wherein the kitchen area of Chicka D, formerly Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), was ablaze. The unit managed to extinguish the fire, which was started after an electrical deep fryer was left on after the restaurant had closed for

business. As a result, the entire kitchen area was damaged by fire.

Gentle said that, at 22:15 hrs on Christmas night, a dwelling house was destroyed by fire at Lot 52 Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara while the occupants were not at home.

The edifice had, however, been secured, and, so far, a probe by fire officials points to arson as the cause of that fire. That fire has displaced two persons.

The Fire Chief related that on Boxing Day, at about 11:30 hrs, a house at Middle Street, Buxton, East Coast Demerara was destroyed by fire, leaving eight persons, including children, homeless. He noted that children were playing with matches, and that had ignited a mattress in a

bedroom; and the resulting fire ripped through the en-

en area of Subs and Salads restaurant at Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara, at about 11:20 hrs on Boxing Day. He reported that GFS members had to force their entry into the secured building, after which they discovered that an electrical food processor had been left on when the place was closed for business.

HAAGS BOSCH

Chief Fire Officer, Marlon Gentle tire edifice.

Gentle said the GFS had also put out a fire which destroyed the entire kitch-

Gentle described the fire at the Haags Bosch landfill site aback Eccles, East Bank Demerara as not an easy one to contain, but he said the GFS was working with the operators of the site to control the fire, which has been burning since last Sunday.

He explained that toxic/ waste materials are burning

underground, and for the GFS to be more effective in combating that blaze, earth-moving equipment have to turn up the materials at the landfill to enable firemen to see what is happening underneath the dump.

Gentle said dumping at that landfill has ceased, and, as was reported in some sections of the media, the GFS is working with the operators of the site to extinguish the fire; but they cannot be out there at nights, since, from previous experience with the Mandela dumpsite, it is quite hazardous to firefighters.

Because it is difficult to source water from canals, which are far from the landfill site, Gentle explained, two GFS pumps have been damaged.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Haags Bosch still on fire

By Ravin Singh THE Ministry of Communities is closely monitoring a fire which has been consuming the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill Site (HSLS) since Sunday, and has effectively rendered it inoperable.

The Ministry of Communities has said that firefighters and the contractors managing the site - BK International Inc and Puran Brothers Disposal Services – have been unable to extinguish the blaze, which has adversely affected neighbouring communities.

The Ministry of Communities is consequently partnering with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure in an effort to bring urgent relief to affected communities.

Up to yesterday, heavy grey smoke was polluting the atmosphere as a result of the burning of disposed unsorted waste.

“The site, which has been operating as a dumpsite from day one, is closed; and can only be reopened when the situation is addressed,” a statement from the Communities Ministry advised.

According to the Minis-

try, the fire resulted primarily because of the contractor’s failure to adhere to operations management requirements as stipulated under Section 15.6 of the signed agreement regarding fire prevention and fire-fighting.

Additionally, poor management techniques and inadequate security measures were among the practices employed by the contractor, and these

may very well have contributed to the current situation at the site.

“The aforementioned factors, together with the landfill not being vented and the failure to provide daily earth cover, have contributed to the significant buildup of methane gas; which when ignited continues to burn in an uncontrollable manner,” the statement added.

It was further disclosed that during the initial stages of the fire, the contractor was assisted by the Guyana Fire Service, which requested the contractor to provide, in accordance with the conditions of the contract, additional resources needed to enhance their capacity to control the blaze.

These resources included three high-capacity pumps (six

Smoke was still emanating from the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill Site yesterday

inches in diameter) to enhance the flooding of the site in several locations where the fire exists; two heavy-duty crane, dragline or long boom excavators to excavate the waste pile in an effort to reach the bottom, where the fire may be located; and water hoses (six inches diameter and 450-ft in length).

HAMPERED However, despite numerous engagements with the assigned contractor, the supply of the items was delayed, and this reportedly “hampered” the Guyana Fire Service’s capacity to arrest the fire.

The Communities Ministry has sought to assure the general public that it is currently monitoring the situation closely, since it is aware that residents of the neighbouring communities are being affected by this existing situation.

Meanwhile, the Ministry also noted that a temporary holding area located at Haags Bosch has been identified to accommodate waste generated within the municipality of Georgetown and its immediate environs.

And while this is expected to be operational shortly,

Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green yesterday told reporters at a press briefing that an agreement has been made between officials to immediately use a site located at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

The readiness of the site was dependent on repairs which need to be done to the access road, and the agreeableness of weather conditions.

Prior to this, however, he noted that an area east of the Le Repentir Cemetery was being utilised to store garbage over the last weekend. And while this, according to Green, is a “backward step”, that operation will come to an end immediately.

Mayor Green is pleading with citizens not to illegally dispose of solid waste on parapets or in waterways, given the adverse effects of such practices.

“We are asking persons to burn or bury your garbage to avoid causing environmental threats,” the mayor said. This development comes at the height of a massive clean-up campaign embarked upon by the Government upon its assumption to office, earlier this year.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, December 30, 2015

‘It was a - Lisa Punch spea

By Shauna Jemmott MISS Guyana World, Lisa Punch, has returned home with a greater love for her country after having one of the best experiences of her life – “Surreal,” she says -representing Guyana on the Miss World stage in Sanya, China.

The Miss Guyana World Queen received a plaque and special bouquet from the Mayor and City Council yesterday when she paid a courtesy call on Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green at his office.

Mayor Green said he presented the plaque to the Miss Guyana World Queen as an appreciation. “Here’s a young woman who has done us proud at the international level, and we hope it would be an encouragement to others to do likewise. And we believe in the whole thesis of a sound mind and a sound body, a beautiful mind and a beautiful brain and a body; it’s a combined effort,” he said.

In response, Punch said: “I want to say thank you so much. I am so honoured, and I feel so blessed to be able to be in this position to represent Guyana and to be called Miss Guyana on the world stage.

So I’m very thankful for this opportunity, and I’m grateful to be receiving everything that I’ve received thus far; and I am so proud to be Guyanese.”

The Miss Guyana Queen, who has won the coveted talent competition, described her participation in Miss World as “One of the best experiences of my life -surreal… It was one that I would cherish forever,” she disclosed.

Miss Guyana World, Lisa Pun Mayor Hamilton Green and Ci

“I really wish that many persons can get to experience something as grand as that, so that they will be able to appreciate their country more, and people.”

She said the journey has given her a feel of “royalty”, and being the individual she is, she was able to “fit in perfectly.”

Sanya City hotel was built for the staging of Miss World, and being among more than 100 queens was a unique experience, she disclosed.

“You learn a lot when you’re with 114 girls from around the world. There are some things that you say and somebody wouldn’t take offence to it; (but) the same thing you’d say, they would take offence to it, and you just

Parika man luc FORTY-EIGHT-year-old Richard Fredericks of Parika, East Bank Essequibo left Bartica, the gateway to the gold mining interior, to return home last Wednesday, but somewhere between the two points tragedy struck.

Six days later, he still has not reached home, since he is now warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), suffering multiple fractures to his right leg.

As he was in the vicinity of Toparo, Fredericks was

struck off the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) he was driving and ended up on the roadway, narrowly missing a ravine.

At 1:00 hr. on Christmas Eve morning, he was picked up by a passing land cruiser and taken to the Bartica Hospital.

He is expected to remain hospitalized for the New Year.

Speaking from his hospital bed yesterday, Fredericks recalled that he was riding his ATV Rancher along the Toparo main roadway when another motorist, driving an

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, December 30, 2015

aaks about royal experience…’ representing Guyana on the world stage

nch, receives a beautiful vase of flowers from Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, while ity Councillors stand by, along with the Beauty Queen’s brother (Samuel Maughn photo)

have to be very careful what you say (and) how you say it.”

Speaking about the talent competition which placed her in the spotlight, the Queen said it was amazing.

EVERYONE CRIED “When I sang for the audition first, the judges cried and everyone in the room cried. Then the second round they cried again, all the girls (Queens) were crying. That was an experience and a half, and I realized then that that is my purpose -- to inspire people and to keep writing things to inspire.”

Punch said that although she understood that talent is a strong quality of hers, she had never, at any point, underestimated her opponents, as they

all had talents worthy of being a winner.

“All the girls, they’re very talented, and everyone was there to win. I was there to win as well, and I didn’t take anybody for granted. Even though I believed in myself that I’d win, I didn’t take anybody for granted -saying ‘oh I’m gonna ace.’ I worked hard and I made sure I asked them what I needed to perfect on (as) a technical part for me to be better.”

She giggled over a slight error during the pageant, in which she reportedly said her grandmother was a slave.

With a burst of laughter, she asked, “How can I ever say that my grandmother was a slave? What?! I grew up with my grandparents.”

She said that although she learnt that she was negatively criticized on social media by some fellow Guyanese, she thanked God that she was in a place of peace, not having access to social media.

“In China, there was no social media – no Facebook, no Twitter, no Instagram – I had no access to it, thank God, and He knew why He placed me there.”

All she had access to was positive information, and with the negatives being said too, “I didn’t allow it to distract me from what I was there to accomplish,” she told the press.

She said beauty queens lack enough support, and she encouraged Guyanese to give all they can to local queens, so

Miss Guyana World, Lisa Punch, and Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green were equally excited, as he handed her a plaque in recognition of her success at the Miss World pageant in Sanya City, China (Samuel Maughn photo)

that they can be more empowered to represent the country with confidence.

BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE “A lot of our young ladies they go up there and they are all very beautiful and they are all very intelligent, but we just don’t give them the chance; and if we can just give them the chance to represent us, it would benefit us; and backing our girls is one of the best things you can do for them to build their confidence,” she said.

Miss Guyana World hopefuls, she said, must “be prepared for anything! You have to work very hard, because, if you don’t work hard, you will not see the result of it. You

can’t sit down and think that it’s all for the glitz and the glamour, because you have to put in a lot of work, and trust your team, because they know what they are doing.”

She credits her own Miss Guyana World Committee for being among the driving forces behind her success, as they worked tirelessly, with little sleep, just to ensure things were going right.

As a beauty queen, she said, “Always remember to be yourself, and remain humble! People will love your personality…. Whether it’s an introvert or an extrovert, just be yourself, and people will love you for who you are.”

She has returned to continue the mission she had started with her ‘Prevention

of teenage suicide Guyana’ organization, which was launched in 2014.

Guyana, at Miss World, had also placed fourth in the ‘beauty with a purpose’ campaign because of the work which Miss Guyana World had done here in support of suicide prevention.

Punch said she is seeking to build a “safe haven” and to continue school tours, talking to kids “to inspire them and to let them know that believing in yourself takes you a far way.”

“So we’re just spreading positivity and being a living example of what believing in yourself does, and that’s what I want to do -- to continue to inspire,” Lisa Punch stated.

cky to be alive Man ATV, drove out of a yard and collided with his vehicle.

Fredericks said the impact knocked him off his vehicle onto the roadway, but the motorist who had collided with him sped away without rendering any assistance.

By dint of good luck, a Brazilian miner drove up in a land cruiser moments later; picked him up and transported him back to the Bartica Hospital. Thereafter, everything happened rapidly. He was stabilized, given initial treatment,

and by dawn was transferred to the GPHC. Fredericks is thankful to God for divine intervention.

He is also very grateful to the Brazilian miner who rescued him, and to the staff of both the Bartica and Georgetown public hospitals for their efficient medical care.

Asked says he has no idea what had become of his ATV, and even though he would like to know that it is somewhere safe, he is thankful to God for saving his life.

held in ‘Fluffy’ murder probe

SELF-EMPLOYED 45-year-old Mark Trevor Greaves of 171 James Street Albouystown, Georgetown was yesterday remanded by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan when he appeared before her to answer the indictable charge of mur-

der, committed on Christmas Day. The charge stated that on December 25 at James Street, Albouytown, he murdered ‘Fluffy’, whose complete name is unknown.

He has been remanded until January 18, 2016.

The two men were reportedly involved in a heated argument on Christmas Day when Greaves allegedly whipped out a knife and dealt Fluffy several stabs to the neck and chest.

Greaves then attempted to escape, but was detained by public-spirited citizens.

Fluffy was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The defendant was handed over to the police, who have since recovered the blood-stained knife suspected to be the murder weapon.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Christopher Barnwell in process of presenting the gifts to Sophia Care Centre Administrator Roxanne Blenman

Digicel, Barnwell spread Christmas cheer SCORES of children residing at the Sophia Care Centre had smiles plastered on their faces after West Indies cricketer Christopher Barnwell visited them, last week, to distribute toys, books, a microwave oven and a DVD player.

They were also treated to a sumptuous meal, complete with beverages and other goodies, all compliments of Digicel Guyana and Barnwell and friends.

Barnwell said he was very pleased to be there to spread Christmas cheer to the children, and he hoped to make the activity an annual feature. The national cricketer has, over the years, been participating in many charitable activities. He intends to continue in that stride, even if he has to pitch in to make it happen, especially for children.

As a Brand Ambassador of Digicel Guyana, Barnwell presented the gifts to the Administrator of the Sophia Care Centre, Roxanne Blenman, in a simple handing over ceremony.

He and his helpers, among whom was Santa Claus, presented toys to the smaller children and books to the teenagers.

On behalf of the residents, staff and management of the Sophia Care Centre, Administrator Blenman thanked Digicel Guyana and Barnwell and friends for the gifts received.

She said the gesture was very pleasing, and the centre would ensure the DVD player and microwave oven are taken care of and used for their intended purposes.

According to Blenman, when she was asked what the home needed, she did not hesitate to state, because the girls needed a DVD player upstairs and the place did not have a microwave oven.

Children housed at the location are between the ages of two and 16 years, and they all are there under various circumstances, including their being in protective custody.

All 86 of the Sophia Care Centre children attend school full-time, and transportation is provided them by the Government. Moreover, all are involved in indoor and outdoor activities, and are managed and supervised on a 24-hour basis.

The children were all engrossed in playing with the toys they each received from Santa Claus, as they consumed ice cream and other eatables, including a meal.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Three weeks after headlining at the inaugural G-Jazz Festival, Ruth Osman will once again be teaming up with local musicians for HOPE: The Concert.

The event, carded for Saturday, January 2, at the Theatre Guild, will highlight the talents of Sean Bhola, Circle of Love, Collage: The Band and Osman, herself. The performers will be backed by a stellar band including veteran jazz musician Trevor John and Mark Hall.

Tickets for HOPE: The Concert cost $2,500 and are available at Nigel’s Supermarket, Oasis CafÊ and Paper Craft. All proceeds will go towards the Nehemiah Comprehensive School.

For more information, call 225-4033, 231-5460 or 610-6724.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Be alert

- Traffic Chief urges road users TRAFFIC Chief Dion Moore is calling on all motorists and road users to be alert, and to look out for each other when using the roadways.

He made this appeal on Monday, following the holiday weekend’s accidents which left four persons dead.

He told this publication that, on the roadways, even one death is too many; and four is not a good reflection of citizens’ adhering to the rules of the road. He disclosed that two of the drivers have since been charged.

As the New Year approaches, the Traffic Chief is appealing to all drivers to reduce speed and be attentive; and to pedestrians, pedal cyclists and motorists, he is appealing that they adhere to the basic rules of the road.

The Traffic Chief opined that some drivers seem not to realise that they have to drive at a moderate speed, so that, in the event that they need to stop suddenly, they can bring their vehicles to a halt in time to save lives.

Moore is admonishing all drivers to desist from drinking and driving, and to have available a designated driver who is not consuming alcohol if and when they must consume alcohol. He said some drivers need to be responsible, since being in control of a vehicle involves the risk of causing injury and death.

He also called on drivers to stop texting while driving. He described the practice as very dangerous, because, he said, if a driver takes his/her eyes off the road for a split second, it can result in an accident, or even a fatality.

The Traffic Chief said all motorists must be equipped with a safety helmet, since protection is paramount; and, in any eventuality, this act can save a life or lives.

As Guyanese look towards the dawning of a New Year, he is asking all road users to kindly portray a better attitude on the roadways, and to look out for each other.

The Police Traffic Department has, for this year, tallied 123 deaths from 105 road accidents; while for the corresponding period last year, 146 deaths from 135 road accidents were recorded.

Statistics, however, indicate a 22.2 per cent increase in road accidents and a 60 per cent decrease in deaths this year.

Wednesday December 30th, 2015 - 08:30 hrs Thursday December 301st 2015 - 09:00 hrs Friday January 1st, 2016 - 10:00 hrs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

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Yesterday’s Result

Yesterday’s Result

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Hurricanes seal win despite Lynn 101 Australia seal 20 years ...

IN May this year, Dan Christian traded the Brisbane Heat for the Hobart Hurricanes. One week ago, as the Heat batted against the Hurricanes, he made a nuisance of himself, taking two vital wickets and four catches, one a spectacular effort to dismiss Chris Lynn.

This time, he played a key role again, but with the bat, providing his old side (and their 30 000 partisan and noisy fans) with a third uncomfortable reminder of what they are missing.

Christian’s 56 not out helped

the Hurricanes to 4 for 194, setting up a 15-run win that propelled them to fourth place on the points table.

The Heat, with the exception of their outstanding captain Lynn, who scored a brilliant 101 to take his tournament tally to 212 runs from 132 balls, looked callow and raw in losing their fourth consecutive game.

The loss cemented their place at the bottom of the BBL ladder.

No team in the competition is as inexperienced (Hurricanes had a combined total of 969 T20 appearances

the deep, and when Lynn charged the same bowler and feathered through to Tim Paine, the game was up. The Heat unravelled, losing four wickets in the final eight balls, including a pair of run-outs.

Earlier, coming in to bat in the 14th over, after a series of fast top-order starts for the Hurricanes were curtailed, Christian bludgeoned three fours and four sixes in his 24-ball 56. Mark Steketee was bunted over point for six then ramped for four.

Christian sent the second ball of the penultimate over

Dan Christian smacks four sixes, including one onto the roof of the Gabba, during his 24-ball 56. to the Heat’s 512) and no team is more reliant on one player. Unsurprisingly, their tournament is all but over.

Even after losing their openers in the first eight balls for a combined total of 1, the Heat never looked out of it when Lynn was at the crease. Chasing 194, Lendl Simmons was bowled by a hooping full toss, before Jimmy Peirson sent Jake Reed straight to square leg.

Lynn beat a diving midon with a perfectly timed, checked drive first ball and struck it stunningly until he fell in the 18th over. Twice he sent Shaun Tait - whom he took for 46 runs in 14 balls - for consecutive sixes, as he peppered the boundary from long-off to deep square-leg.

Lynn, the first player to score a BBL century in a losing cause, did his international prospects no harm ahead of the World T20.

National selector Mark Waugh said on Channel Ten later that “he’s got to be in the top six (Australian T20 batsmen)”.

He was joined for a productive partnership of 79 by the composed 20-yearold debutant Sam Heazlett, who got off the mark with a stylish six over long-on and followed it with a sliced slog for four. When Heazlett faintly edged Darren Sammy behind and walked, Lynn continued the Heat’s charge, but was short on fluent partners.

Nathan Reardon became the superb Cameron Boyce’s first victim, pulling a short ball to Clive Rose in

of the innings, bowled by Luke Feldman, 117 metres over cow corner and onto the Gabba roof.

Christian’s partner Sammy, who suffered a bad night with the bat (7 off 14 balls), could only laugh, offer a high-five and inspect his partner’s bat. Christian’s mouth was momentarily agape, but he recovered his composure to take two more sixes - one over backward square-leg (this one travelling 112 metres) and the other straight down the ground - from Feldman’s torrid 25-run over.

In large part due to Christian, both Feldman and Steketee conceded more than 50 from their four overs.

After Tim Paine and Ben Dunk, who appeared to re-find his touch after a sluggish start to the competition, made fine starts to the match, the introduction of Samuel Badree’s legbreaks for the final over of the Powerplay slowed the Hurricanes. Badree had Dunk caught at deep midwicket in his first over, then Paine stumped with the last ball of his second.

Kumar Sangakkara and George Bailey came together with the score on 58 and doubled it, the former flat-batting Steketee and tracking Badree for sixes before a Feldman yorker bowled him.

Bailey ran hard and manipulated the field for 31, but miscued a pull off Feldman just as he looked set to motor. Never mind, Christian would take care of that. (ESPN Cricinfo))

From back page the debutant Carlos Brathwaite, who ended a memorable first Test appearance by having his off-bail fall after it was grazed ever so gently by an offbreak.

C. Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Holder and Denesh Ramdin all had something to take from the match, which showed that this young West Indian side may not be beyond all help.

They have been awfully short of experience and confidence in recent months, but there were signs of promise over the past two days that will be cause for optimism in the mind of the coach Phil Simmons.

Kraigg Brathwaite and Rajendra Chandrika made a reasonable start, trying to score wherever possible and seeing off the opening spells of Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood.

However, Lyon has been a dominant performer for Australia in this match, and in his third over he coaxed K Brathwaite into an ill-advised cut at a ball too straight and too full for the shot. Duly cramped, K Brathwaite skewed a chance to slip, where Smith held it sharply.

Following his first-innings resistance, Bravo began with similar intent to frustrate Australia, and with Chandrika also obstinate, the Australians were unable to go on to further exploit Lyon’s initial break. Fifteen minutes before lunch, Pattinson thought he had Chandrika lbw, and after Marais Erasmus declined the appeal, the Australians shaped to review the decision.

However they lingered in their deliberations and were overruled from referring by Erasmus on the basis that they had taken more than the allotted 15 seconds to decide.

This was perhaps a blessing in disguise, as replays showed a shuffling Chandrika had been struck outside the line of the off stump.

Moments before lunch, Hazlewood procured an edge from Bravo, but replays showed that Hazlewood had none of his front foot behind the line and a no-ball was ultimately called.

Hazlewood’s transgression followed two by Pattinson on day three that also robbed Australia of wickets.

The assistant coach Craig McDermott doubtlessly will be keeping a close watch on the crease line in training for the third Test in Sydney. Peter Siddle was more disciplined when he repeated the trick soon after the resumption, ending Bravo’s occupation after facing a total of 265 balls in the match.

Pattinson followed up by defeating Chandrika, pinned lbw in front of the stumps and consigned to walking off the ground after his review showed the ball to be clipping the bails.

Marsh’s impact was then felt when he found a way through Marlon Samuels, who was beaten on length to edge behind.

Holder and Ramdin then combined for a stand of 100 that looked to be taking the Test into a final day - untold riches given how the match seemed destined to finish on day three after a first-innings batting collapse.

However, Marsh’s persistence was to be rewarded with an edge from Ramdin, and the end followed swiftly. Australia deservedly celebrated two decades of dominance, but they had at least been made to work for it. (ESPN Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA 1st innings 551 for 3 decl. (U. Khawaja 144, S. Smith 134 n.o., J. Burns 128, A. Voges 106 n.o.)

WEST INDIES 1st innings 271 (D. Bravo 81, C. Brathwaite 59; N. Lyon 4-66, J. Pattinson 4-72) AUSTRALIA 2nd innings (o/n 179-3 declared (U. Khawaja 56, S. Smith 70 not out) WEST INDIES 2nd innings (Target: 460 runs) K. Brathwaite c Smith b Lyon 31 R. Chandrika lbw b Pattinson 37 Da. Bravo c Nevill b Siddle 21 M. Samuels c Nevill b M. Marsh 19 J. Blackwood lbw b Lyon 20 D. Ramdin c Nevill b M. Marsh 59 J. Holder c Hazlewood b M. Marsh 68 C. Brathwaite b Lyon 2 K. Roach c Warner b Pattinson 11 J. Taylor c Pattinson b M. Marsh 0 J. Warrican not out 4 Extras: (lb-7, nb-2, w-1) 10 Total: (all out, 88.3 overs) 282 Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-83, 3-91, 4-118, 5-150, 6-250,7-253, 8-274, 9-278.

Bowling J. Hazlewood 20-6-40-0 (nb-1, w-1), J. Pattinson 17-4-49-2, N. Lyon 23-7-85-3, P. Siddle 9-2-35-1, M. Marsh 17.3-2-61-4 (nb-1), S. Smith 2-1-5-0.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Finn strikes as England close on victory

By Mark Gleeson DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) – England’s Steven Finn took three wickets as South Africa, chasing an unlikely 416 for victory, struggled to 136 for four on the fourth day of the first Test yesterday and were staring at the prospect of likely defeat.

England snared openers Dean Elgar and Stiaan van Zyl as well as out-of-form captain Hashim Amla to give themselves a strong chance of winning the opening match of the four-Test

series against the world’s top-ranked side.

They added a key wicket in the penultimate over to boost their hopes greatly when a rising delivery from Finn forced Faf du Plessis to edge a catch to Alastair Cook at slip after a stonewalling innings of nine off 66 balls.

“We tried to apply pressure in the last session and I charged in as hard as I could. You have to hammer away on a good length and the odd one will jump up,” Finn told reporters.

England might have also had the prized wicket of AB de Villiers but wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow missed a chance to stump him off a viciously turning ball from Moeen Ali. de Villiers was 37 not out at the close with nightwatchman Dale Steyn on nought.

South Africa must bat through three sessions and 90 overs today to save the Test. They still require 280 runs to win.

“We are going to try our best to protect our wickets and stay in as long

as we can,” South Africa off-spinner Dane Piedt said.

Ben Stokes bowled van Zyl for 33 after South Africa had made a positive start in a fluent opening stand of 53. Amla (12) went cheaply again when he was caught

by Bairstow flashing at a short ball from Finn.Elgar, who made an unbeaten century in the first innings, was caught in the slips edging a full delivery from Finn for 40.

England were bowled out just after lunch for 326 in their second innings, Bairstow top-scoring with a quick-fire 79 off 76 balls in a display of perfect timing on a slow surface before he holed out in the deep to end the innings.

Bairstow was forced to take risks as he ran out of partners and Piedt claimed his first five-wicket haul.

England, resuming on 172 for three, lost four wickets before lunch and the last three inside the first hour of the afternoon session. Joe Root, unbeaten on 60 overnight, added 13 to his score before guiding a Kyle Abbott delivery to Van Zyl at first slip while James Taylor made 42 before being stumped.

South Africa had to do without the world’s best bowler Steyn in their attack after his shoulder spasm failed to clear up overnight.

Steve Finn led England’s victory push with three wickets on the fourth afternoon in Durban.

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND 1st innings 303 (N. Compton 85, J. Taylor 70; D. Steyn 4-70, M. Morkel 4-76) SOUTH AFRICA 1st innings 214 (D. Elgar 118 n.o.; S. Broad 4-25, M. Ali 4-69) ENGLAND 2nd innings (o/n 172-3) A. Cook lbw b Piedt 7 A. Hales c Abbott b Piedt 26 N. Compton c de Villiers b M. Morkel 49 J. Root c van Zyl b Abbott 73 J. Taylor stp. de Villiers b Piedt 42 B. Stokes c Elgar b Piedt 5 J. Bairstowc Duminy b van Zyl 79 M. Ali lbw b Piedt 16 C. Woakes c Duminy b van Zyl 23 S. Broad c de Villiers b van Zyl 0 S. Finn not out 0 Extras: (b-3, lb-3) 6 Total: (all out, 102.1 overs) 326 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-48, 3-119, 4-192, 5-197, 6-224, 7-272, 8-315, 9-315.

Bowling: D. Steyn 3.5-0-10-0, M. Morkel 20.3-5-38-1, K. Abbott 21.4-3-62-1, D. Piedt 36-4-153-5, D. Elgar 9-0-32-0, S. van Zyl 10.1-3-20-3, J. Duminy 1-0-5-0.

SOUTH AFRICA 2nd innings (Target: 416 runs) D. Elgar c Root b Finn 40 S. van Zyl b Stokes 33 H. Amla c Bairstow b Finn 12 A. de Villiers not out 37 F. du Plessis c Cook b Finn 9 D. Steyn not out 0 Extras: (b-2, lb-3) 5 Total: (for 4 wickets, 47 overs) 136 Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-85, 3-88, 4-136.

Bowling: S. Broad 11-4-25-0, C. Woakes 6-2-17-0, S. Finn 8-3-27-3, B. Stokes 7-1-26-1, M. Ali 15-3-36-0.

Russia unlikely to compete in Rio, European Athletics chief says LONDON, England (Reuters) - European Athletics president Svein Arne Hansen does not expect Russia to return to international competition in time for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Russian athletes were banned indefinitely by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) after a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report alleged widespread corruption and a state-sponsored drugs culture in a sporting superpower.

An IAAF inspection committee is due to visit Russia in January to oversee the country’s reform process and ensure the criteria set out by the sport’s ruling body are met.

The committee will report back to the IAAF Council at the earliest at its meeting in Cardiff, Wales, on March 27, less than five months before the Olympics.

“For the moment they have to fulfil the conditions, but I cannot really see them competing in Rio,” Hansen, whose body includes Russia as a member federation, told Athletics Weekly magazine yesterday.

“They must have a cultural change. They must get rid of all those people from before.”

European Athletics, which oversees the sport in Europe, works with the IAAF world governing body on doping and medical issues.

However, the organisation will have no influence on the decision to reinstate Russia as an IAAF member, which will only be made on the recommendation of the world ruling body’s inspection team.

Norwegian Hansen believes that Russia’s Athletics Federation (ARAF), which has confirmed it will cooperate fully with the inspection team, will work hard to change the culture.

“We know some good people in Russian athletics and I’m sure they will be elected.

We hope that some new people will come in who really understand that this must be changed,” he said.

Russian athletes will not be able to compete in the world indoor championships in Oregon in March.

Russia has also lost the hosting rights to next year’s race-walking World Cup and the world junior championships which were scheduled to take place in Cheboksary and Kazan respectively.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Pakistan rejects Azhar Ali’s resignation over Amir return

(REUTERS) - Pakistan has rejected one-day captain Azhar Ali’s offer to resign over tainted team mate Mohammad Amir’s presence at a Lahore training camp, the country’s cricket board said yesterday.

Amir’s return to the selection mix after serving a five-year ban for spot-fixing in the 2010 Lord’s Test has polarised Pakistan cricket with

several of his team mates resenting his reintegration.

Azhar, along with former captain Mohammad Hafeez, initially refused to join the camp ahead of next month’s limited-over matches in New Zealand but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the ODI skipper would stay on.

“Azhar Ali met the chairman PCB (Shaharyar

Blatter gives up on FIFA, says fighting for his honour - Bunte

By Joshua Franklin

ZURICH, Switzerland Banned FIFA president Sepp Blatter feels “abandoned” by the global football body and will now focus on clearing his name, the 79-year-old Swiss told German magazine Bunte.

FIFA’s watchdog last week banned Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini for eight years for ethics violations. Both men immediately

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denied any wrongdoing and said they would appeal to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“I now no longer fight for FIFA,” Blatter, who led football’s governing body for 17 years, said, according to a preview of an interview with Bunte. “They abandoned me. I am now only fighting for myself and my honour.”

Blatter had come out swinging against the ban, holding a news conference to tell reporters that he was sorry only that the president of FIFA was being treated as a “punching ball”, adding: “I will fight for me and I will fight for FIFA.” He told Bunte that he was re-energised by the “false claims” against him.

“After Christmas I will start to fight back,” Blatter said.

The inquiry by FIFA’s ethics committee began after the Swiss attorney general’s office opened criminal proceedings against Blatter over a 2 million Swiss franc (£1.M) payment to Platini in 2011.

Switzerland’s prosecutor is also investigating FIFA’s award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals to Russia and to Qatar, a small, wealthy desert country with

SEPP BLATTER no real football tradition.

The ethics committee said it had not found evidence that the payment, made at a time when Blatter was seeking re-election, constituted a bribe, which meant the men were spared potential lifetime bans.

In the United States, prosecutors have indicted 27 current or former football officials over allegations that they ran bribery schemes connected to the sale of television rights for football competitions. These include eight former FIFA Executive Committee members and the current heads of both the North and South American federations.

Blatter’s full interview with Bunte will be published today.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday December 30, 2015) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & the City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Carlos Braithwaite (WI vs AUST, Melbourne, 2015-2016) (2) 194 players (115 Tests)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Brian Lara played 131 Tests. How many did he play against Australia?

(2) Put these in order beginning with the man who has scored most Test centuries against Australia: Rohan Kanhai; Larry Gomes; Ritchie Richardson; Gary Sobers

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

AZHAR ALI Khan). He tendered his resignation,” PCB said in a statement.

“The chairman didn’t accept his resignation, Azhar Ali agreed and he will continue as captain,” it added.

Amir, fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif and former Test captain Salman Butt served jail sentences in Britain after being found guilty in 2011 of various offences of corrupt behaviour.

Former captain Imran Khan has backed Amir’s return to international cricket but Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq feared the bowler’s comeback would prove a big distraction for the team.

According to local media reports, former captain Shoaib Malik has been assigned to guide Amir on his comeback.

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Australia skipper Smith to seek explanation after DRS failure

By Ian Ransom

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) - Australia captain Steve Smith will seek an explanation from match referee Chris Broad over a Decision Review System (DRS) malfunction during his team’s march to victory over West Indies in the second Test yesterday.

Australia won by 177 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, sealing the series 2-0 with a game in hand, but a failure of the ball-tracking technology shone the spotlight on the often divisive DRS. With West Indies on 2105 and battling to keep the match alive, paceman Peter Siddle cannoned a delivery into captain Jason Holder’s pads and Smith demanded a review after umpire Marais Erasmus waved away the appeal.

The third umpire went through the usual protocols

of checking for a no-ball and a nick on the bat, but there was an awkward

play on the scoreboard.

Moments passed before the malfunction sunk in and

Australia were allowed to keep the review and play went on, but a few overs

Steve Smith talks with the on-field umpires on day four. Picture: Colleen Petch. pause as the ‘Hawk-Eye’ ball-tracking failed to dis-

a resigned Erasmus shrugged that the DRS had failed.

later the technology was back online. Its projection of

the delivery, beamed on the scoreboard and TV screens, endorsed Erasmus’s not-out decision. “We’ve made a few enquiries and we’re going to talk to the match referee later on,” Smith told reporters.

“But it’s not ideal if it’s shut down and not working.”

West Indies skipper Holder said he found the incident “quite surprising”.

“I think the quality of Test-playing nations like Australia is pretty much up there with all of the technology,” he added. “It was just unfortunate (it happened) at that stage.”

Smith was otherwise satisfied with the day and how his bowlers grinded out the win on an unresponsive pitch.

He felt they had made hard work of it, however, having let three wickets go a-begging due to noballs from stepping over the crease.

Paceman James Pat-

tinson reprieved Carlos Brathwaite twice on day three and the debutant paceman went on to score 59. Josh Hazlewood also over-stepped on day four, letting Darren Bravo off the hook on 12.

“We made it difficult for ourselves, overstepping, we had to take 23 wickets, not 20,” Smith remarked. The captain suggested bowling changes were afoot for the third Test, with paceman Peter Siddle nursing a sore foot and the possibility of a second slow bowler coming into play on the traditionally spin-friendly Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.

“Obviously we go to Sri Lanka later on in the year (2016) where there is a good chance we’ll see two spinners play, or in the touring party,” he said.

“It’d be good to see a second spinner play and see what he has got to offer.”

No goal at King Power for Leicester, Man City Spurs go 18-0 at home, Cavs win

By Justin Palmer LEICESTER, England (Reuters) - Leicester City went level on points with Premier League leaders Arsenal after drawing 0-0 with title rivals Manchester City at the King Power Stadium yesterday.

The clash between the division’s two top-scoring sides provided plenty of entertaining moments but keepers Kasper Schmeichel and Joe Hart were equal to everything thrown at them.

Jamie Vardy waste d L e i c e s t e r ’s b e s t chance late in the first half while Manchester City, who have not won away in the league since mid-September, went close through Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Otamendi.

Leicester, who suffered their first defeat in 11 league games at Liv-

Leicester City’s Ngolo Kante and Manchester City’s Yaya Toure in action. (Action Images via Reuters/Carl RecineLivepic) erpool on Saturday, have “It was a pretty fair back end of last season, 39 points from 19 games result,” Leicester keeper and this season too, and and trail Arsenal on goal Schmeichel told BT Sport. we are right up there in difference.

“They had a few chances the mix.

M a n c h e s t e r C i t y and we had some chances. “ We a r e h a l f w a y leapfrogged Tottenham “It’s slightly disap- through this season, it is Hotspur to go into third pointing but we’ll take a still only December and place and trail the top point. We are a very good there is a long way to go two by three points. team, we proved that at the yet,” added Schmeichel.

THE Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs claimed hard-fought wins in the NBA on Monday. San Antonio Spurs maintained their perfect home record in the NBA this season with a 101-95 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kawhi Leonard had a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds as the Spurs improved to 18-0 at home.

Boban Marjanovic had 17 points off the bench for the 27-6 Spurs, while Andrew Wiggins had a team-high 18 for the Timberwolves.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was ejected and his team played the second half without him.

LeBron James moved up to 17th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list as the Cleveland Cavaliers edged past the Phoenix Suns 101-97.

The returning Kyrie Irving had a team-high 22 points for the Cavs, while James finished with 14 as he passed Alex English.

Michael Jordan paid tribute to Kobe Bryant, but the retiring Los Angeles Lakers great’s team suffered a 108-98 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

Bryant, facing the team that drafted and then traded him, had 20 points, while Kemba Walker scored 38 for the Hornets.

Steph Curry’s 23 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists saw the Golden State Warriors past the Sacramento Kings 122103.

The win was the Warriors’ 33rd straight win at home to finish 2015 with a calendar year record of 43-1.

Pau Gasol (22 points and seven rebounds) guided the Chicago Bulls past the Toronto Raptors 104-97.

Brooklyn Nets were 111-105 victors against the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers eased past the Washington Wizards 108-91.

Atlanta Hawks’ six-match winning streak was ended after a 93-87 loss to the Indiana Pacers and the Orlando Magic outscored the New Orleans Pelicans in every quarter in a 104-89 win.

The Utah Jazz overcame the Philadelphia 76ers 95-91 and the Dallas Mavericks claimed a 103-93 win against the Milwaukee Bucks. (Sportsmax.com)

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 30, 2015

Hurting Holder demands Windies players find belief

By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Deflated West Indies captain Jason Holder has demanded his players find the belief to win after their improved performance in Melbourne still ended in a draining 177run loss in the second Test and a 2-0 defeat in the series.

The West Indians were trounced within three days in Hobart but showed more pluck at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to push the match into the final overs of day four.

“It hurts,” the young captain told reporters after scoring a valiant 68 in the second innings to slow Australia’s charge.

“It’s not a nice feeling.

“I’m proud of the guys to show some fight in this game but I’m still disappointed we didn’t put up a better fight.”

“Not only to get to five: the goal is obviously to win,” he added of next week’s dead rubber Test in Sydney.

“It’s a situation where we just need to believe. We probably showed a lot more belief when we went in to bat. You could see guys really trying to apply themselves.

“We showed application and signs that we can compete, we just need that belief.”

All of the top seven West Indies batsmen made starts in the second innings but only wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and the captain surpassed 50.

Holder praised Darren Bravo for leading the batting amid the struggles of the much-maligned Marlon Samuels, who has managed scores of 3, 9, 0 and 19 from the series.

The skipper was also buoyed by the positive debut of paceman Carlos Brathwaite, who scored a 59 in the first innings and showed good control if not pace with his bowling.

The match was lost by West Indies’ bowlers, however, who could take only three wickets in each innings and were expensive

Record-breaking Shahzad propels Afghanistan to victory AFGHANISTAN took a 2-0 lead in their five-game ODI series with Zimbabwe thanks to Mohammad Shahzad’s record-breaking knock of 131.

Mohammad Shahzad re-

15 occasions, with his eight sixes the most by a batsman from an associate team in a single ODI innings.

Zimbabwe were all out for 82 in the opening encounter but a half-century from

over when the latter was caught at long-on off Sikandar Raza (1-37).

Mohammad Nabi was run-out for 33 and the wickets soon began to tumble, with Zimbabwe gaining four

Jason Holder lofts the ball on the leg side during his innings of 68 on the fourth day in Melbourne.

“Although the pitches have been very for the most part.

“Obviously our bowlers still need to be good for batting, we still have to find ways a lot more disciplined,” he said. “We need to contain. That’s one area we really need to tighten up on.” to find ways to control the game a lot more.

Motie eyeing NAGICO Super 50 tourney

By Rajiv Bisnauth AFTER being the leading wicket-taker at the conclusion of the first half of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Four-Day Professional Cricket League (PCL) tournament, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie has now turn his attention to the upcoming NAGICO Super 50 tournament.

The 20-year-old told Chronicle Sport

GUDAKESH MOTIE

Mohammad Shahzad plays a lofted shot down the ground in his record-breaking 131. corded the highest score by an Afghanistan batsman in a one-day international to inspire his side to a thrilling four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe.

The 27-year-old was in sensational form as he reached 131 not out as Afghanistan followed up Friday’s triumph to take a 2-0 lead in the ODI series at Sharjah.

Shahzad’s tally was aided by clearing the ropes on

Peter Moor got them off to a better opening yesterday.

Craig Ervine (73) helped power them forward before being caught at deep cover by Dawlat Zadran (3-57), while Luke Jongwe (13 not out) and Graeme Cremer (12 not out) saw out the remaining overs to take Zimbabwe to 253-7.

Shahzad and Noor Ali Zadran (31) opened with a stand of 82, but Zimbabwe broke through in the 17th

dismissals in just over eight overs as they looked to stifle the Afghanistan chase.

Elton Chigumbura (3-32) was key to the African side’s surge, but he could not find a way of stopping Shahzad setting the record tally off 133 balls.

Mirwais Ashraf (26 not out) entered in the final 10 overs and helped ensure Afghanistan reached the 56 runs required to secure the win.

recently that the new format will definitely bring new challenges, but having said that, he is ready to make the necessary modifications in order to continue his dominant performance this season.

In his debut First-Class season, the Albion spinner has taken 34 scalps, inclusive of four five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket haul, and was unquestionably the reason the Guyana Jaguars are leading the points standing after winning all their games to date.“Yes, I am definitely looking forward to the shorter version. I had a dream start to my First-Class career, and I want to continue from where I left off a few weeks back. It was a good experience for me playing with

the senior guys. I felt very comfortable and happy,” Motie said.

He added, “Playing one-day cricket is much more different, so I will need to adjust to that format. Currently I am working on the ‘arm ball’ in order to have more variations.”

The NAGICO Super50 tournament will be played between January 7 and 24, and will again be contested between eight teams, comprising the six territorial franchises, as well as the Marooners and an ICC Americas composite side.

The Jaguars have been placed in Group ‘B’ alongside Jamaica Scorpions, Windward Islands Volcanoes and Leeward Islands Hurricanes. Group ‘B’ will be played in St Kitts.

The preliminary competition will be played under a non-elimination format with the eight teams equally divided into two groups. Each side will play six matches during the preliminary rounds, with each playing the others in their group twice.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals at Queen’s Park Oval, where the group winners play the runners-up from the opposite group in a one-off match for a place in the Grand Final on Sunday, January 24, at the same venue.

This equals a total of 27 matches for the biggest, senior regional domestic 50 overs-a-side tournament ever staged by the WICB. Group ‘A’, which will be played in Trinidad and Tobago, comprises Red Force, Marooners, Barbados Pride and ICC Americas.

The final squad is expected to be selected at the conclusion of the two practice games.

The squad, along with the management unit, will depart for St Kitts and Nevis on January 4.

Guyana have not won a Regional OneDay title in nine years. Their last of nine titles was during the 2005-06 season when they defeated Barbados by seven runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method.

Hurting Holder demands Windies players find belief See story on page 31

Australia seal 20 years of Worrell Trophy dominance

SLOWLY but surely, Australia worked their way through the West Indies for a victory that kept the Frank Worrell Trophy in their possession for 20 unbroken years, stretching back to the triumph of Mark Taylor’s team in the Caribbean in 1995.

Having fought hard over the final two days of the Test, West Indies lost their final four wickets for 32 in ten overs, allowing Steven Smith’s team to enjoy success inside four days after they declared before play began to set Jason Holder’s men a target of 460.

With the benefit of more time in Australia, the visitors put up a better show than they managed in Hobart, though the hosts were never in any danger of losing the match. It was more a question of time, and Holder was despondent at a checked drive to mid-off that opened up the

tail to the second new ball with a handful of overs remaining in the day.

Mitchell Marsh claimed that wicket, and it was his fast-medium that did the majority of the damage for Smith.

At times touching speeds in excess of 140kph and getting the ball to climb off the seam, Marsh vindicated the national selectors’ commitment to keep an all-rounder in their XI despite a logjam further up the batting order that forced the omission of his brother Shaun after a record stand with Adam Voges in Hobart.

Nathan Lyon and James Pattinson also contributed strongly, the off-spinner’s seven wickets earning him the Man-of-the-Match garlands on a surface that remained good for batting throughout.

Lyon’s final victim was

Australia celebrate after retaining the Frank Worrell Trophy on the fourth day in Melbourne.

See page 27

GFF awaiting CFU confirmation on player/s selected to Adidas MLS Player Combine

... Somerset, Lanferman relish shot at MLS PELE FC’s Jumane Somerset and Delon Lanferman of Alpha United said that the MLS Combine is something every top Guyanese player should at least be given a chance to attend.

The two returned to Guyana last week after participating in December 17-20 MLS Combine in Curacao; an event organised by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) through their partnership with USA’s Major League Soccer (MLS).

After joining other players from within the confines of the CFU and competing in front of professional scouts, Somerset and Lanferman are now awaiting confirmation from the GFF, who will be informed by the CFU if one of, or both Guyanese players proved good enough to gain an invitation to the annual

Adidas MLS Player Combine in Florida on January 8-13, 2016.

“It was a wonderful experience and I hope other players will get a chance to at least be seen,” Somerset said in an interview upon his return.

Somerset, 22, is described as one of Guyana’s top defenders, but the player is also yet to make his Golden Jaguars debut.

Pele FC finished third in the STAG Elite League (Genesis) and conceded a total of 14 goals in their 16 matches played. Only league champions Slingerz FC (9) and Alpha United (11) conceded fewer goals.

“It wasn’t easy at all, and I think that I did my best. The coaches were hard on us and treated us like professionals.

Apart from doing drills, we

played a couple of games

Asked about the level of play, he added, “I honestly expected more but I think our league level was way higher because I had a

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday December 24, 2015)

Delon Lanferman and Jumane Somerset against a local side,” the Pele FC defender said.

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9

more difficult time marking

players like Lanferman, (Vurlon) Mills and Daniel (Wilson) but I think I did my best so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”

Meanwhile, for Lanferman, it was something he said that could not have come at a better time in his career.

Lanferman finished the League (Genesis) as the highest goalscorer (11), one more than Pele’s Gregory Richardson. He played a pivotal role in his club’s success this year, despite their finishing second behind Slingerz Football Club.

The 20-year-old Lanferman is yet to make his Senior National team debut, though he represented Guyana at the U-20 and U-23 levels.

“The level wasn’t all of that as I was expecting and I think it was good for me and Jumane because we were playing all the time so it was nothing new, but it was exciting,” Lanferman

said.

The CFU/MLS Combine caters to players between the ages of 18 and 22 years and is an annual showcase of Caribbean football talent, organised jointly by MLS and the CFU, with the inaugural Combine to be held in January 2014.

The Combine provides opportunities for Caribbean players to be observed by MLS scouts with the hopes of being invited to the MLS Combine, an invite-only showcase event held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida prior to the annual MLS SuperDraft.

The Combine is part of an agreement between the two entities as they try to promote football development throughout the Caribbean region Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson is the first and only Guyanese player so far to be signed by an MLS club following his 2009 deal with the Colorado Rapids

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2015