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Coach Edmonds expects Guyana to do well at U20 World Championships Aug 13, 2024 Sports Coach Julian Edmonds By Rawle Toney Kaieteur Sports – With ten athletes set to represent Guyana at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships, coach Julian Edmonds has high expectations for the team as they head to Peru for the event, which will take place from August 27 to 31. Tianna Springer Malachi Austin This marks Guyana’s largest contingent at the Championships, which first took place in 1986 in Athens, Greece. “Everyone has earned their place on the team,” Edmonds told Kaieteur News yesterday, noting that all athletes have met the qualifying standards set by the global governing body for track and field. Leading Guyana’s team is Tianna Springer, the world’s top-ranked U18 athlete in the 400m category. All eyes will be on the Youth Commonwealth Games champion and two-time CARIFTA Games 400m champion. Malachi Austin, currently ranked as one of the world’s fastest U18 athletes in the 400m, has also secured his place in his specialty event. Joining them are Narissa McPherson, Nalica Glen, Ezekiel Newton, Kaidon Persaud, Dh Neilson Gill, Enoch Munroe, and Jackson Clarke. Athaleyha Hinckson, who made history by winning Guyana’s first-ever 100m gold at the CARIFTA Games, has also met the qualifying standard for the World U20 Championships. On the relay front, Guyana’s 4x400m Mixed Relay team, with a blistering time of 3:23.51 at this year’s CARIFTA Games, currently holds the world’s second-fastest U20 time, just behind China (3:22.46). Additionally, Guyana’s 4x400m relay team’s time of 3:14.05, achieved at the recently concluded CARIFTA Games, ranks them as the ninth-fastest in the world. Athaleyha Hinckson Edmonds expressed his satisfaction with the progress made by the country in relays, stating that Guyana is well-positioned to reach the podium. “I expect them to go a far way and getting through every round. I’m a bit concerned about the lateness we’re getting into Peru. Some countries will arrive around the 20th to get acclimatize,” Edmonds said. Edmonds noted that for athletes like Springer, Austin, and Hinckson, returning to Peru this time will be a different experience compared to their previous outing at the South American U20 Championships in Athletics. Austin won the men’s 400m during his last visit to Peru, while Hinckson made history by becoming the first Guyanese to win gold in the women’s 100m at the event. Springer, who previously secured gold in the 400m at the South American U20 Championships, had to settle for bronze in Lima. Although the athletes previously struggled with the altitude and cold, Edmonds believes this time will be different, as the weather will be warmer now than it was in July. “The people with the advantage is the home team. But everyone else will be on the same page. However, I think we could’ve gotten more athletes. We lost Javon Roberts to injury. He should’ve been there,” Edmonds reasoned. With regards to keeping the athletes grounded, Edmonds said, “I’ve been talking to them, letting them understand they have to narrow down their circles and distraction. Whatever they would’ve achieved is in the past. All that matters now is the U20 Championship and doing well.” “They have to look forward in the future. This Championship is a defining moment in their development. It’s the highest level of competition for their age group. Nothing will be given to them. The medal wouldn’t be handed to them, they have to work and earn it. The talent is there,” the usually candid coach stated. Since the inception of the U20 World Championships, Guyana holds only one medal, courtesy of Kadecia Baird in the women’s 400m. Baird crossed the finish line in 51.04s, claiming the silver medal behind the USA’s Ashley Spencer and ahead of another American, Erika Rucker. Baird’s remarkable time remains the fastest U20 performance by a South American athlete. Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who later achieved distinction as a two-time Olympic gold medallist and World Champion in the 400m, finished fourth in the same race. Related Similar Articles

Winning the Guyana Cup means everything – says new Guyana Cup champion Aug 13, 2024 Sports Olympic Kremlin won the 16th running of the Guyana Cup in fine style, coming from the back to outdistance the field. Kaieteur Sports – Javid Ali is on top of the world after his newly imported Brazilian horse, Olympic Kremlin pulled off a remarkable upset win in the feature event of the 16th running of the Guyana Cup at Rising Sun Turf Club, on Sunday last. The Slingerz Racing Stables, after three attempts in the Guyana Cup feature, finally came to the victory party. The Guyana Cup winner, Olympic Kremlin had arrived in Guyana less than four days before race day. According to Ali, the horse was unable to walk for a few days after the intense traveling but less than 48 hours before race day, the horse began to acclimatize. “Finally, after a third try in the Guyana Cup. I still can’t believe the horse just win. It is a feeling you cannot explain, to win the most prestigious horse racing in Guyana, the Guyana Cup. This is my third-year racing, but I have been coming to horse racing in Berbice since I was a kid. Racing in the Guyana Cup is not easy, it is a lot of work and sacrifices. Credit must be given to the entire team and Nasrudeen Mohamed Jr. especially,” Ali said. “Winning the Guyana Cup is everything for a horseman, to get this trophy means a lot.” Sharing his challenges, Ali said: “There was a lot of investment in getting the horse in Guyana. The horse came from Brazil, but logistics was difficult this time. There was some problem in Lethem. Two days ago, the horses were not able to walk, and I called the organizers saying I may not be able to run the Guyana Cup.” The Slingerz brand is known for music, but this Guyana Cup win gives a significant boost to the new stable. With the likes of the newly crowned Guyana Cup champion, John Bull and Ritorna Vencentori in Slingerz Racing stables, Ali said fans should expect great things. Olympic Kremlin pulled the trigger at the right moment, with a come from behind win against a strong and mostly experienced field of horses. The defending champion, Easy Time had a lead in the majority of the race, but Olympic Kremlin stormed past the field to claim a famous win in front of a packed Rising Sun Turf Club. Ali and his Slingerz racing stables walked away with G$6 million. The feature event had a purse of G$11,625,000 which was shared between the top five finishers. Horsemen will now be gearing up for the next meet, which is the Presidents Cup at Rising Sun on September 22, 2024. Related Similar Articles

Athena Chess set to stage Master of the Guianas 2024 online tourney Aug 13, 2024 Sports Kaieteur Sports – Athena Chess proudly presents the second edition of the Master of the Guianas fixed for this Saturday, August 17th, 2024.  This thrilling online chess tournament kicks off at 6:00 PM local time and is open to all chess players from Guyana and Suriname. With a prize pool of USD650 up for grabs, the competition is bound to be fierce. The first edition in 2022 was a success, with Imaan Kalidjo taking the top spot and WCM Victoria Kaslan being crowned the best female player. The tournament will be hosted on lichess.org, a popular free and open-source chess platform supported by volunteers and donors. With an average of three million games played daily by chess enthusiasts worldwide, it’s the perfect stage for our players from Guyana and Suriname, who are already active on this platform. The format will be a 9-round Swiss system, with each player having 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment per move. The prizes are as follows: 1st place: USD 250 2nd place: USD 100 3rd place: USD 50 Best Woman: USD 100 Best U18: USD 75 Best U16: USD 50 Additional consolation prizes will also be available. The entry fee is GYD 1000 or SRD 125. The organisers said, they eagerly anticipate the enthusiastic participation of our chess players and look forward to strengthening our chess ties. Join us for an unforgettable chess showdown. For more information and registration got to: https://athenachess.com/motg. Related Similar Articles

GBA assures parents of their children’s safety and comfort Aug 13, 2024 Sports PARENTS’ PARTICIPATION: Attending parents pay rapt attention to the briefing of their children’s safety by Terrence Poole in the presence of some of the children. Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys/girls Boxing Extravaganza Kaieteur Sports – It’s merely 4 days to the first bell of the 7th edition of the Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys and Schoolgirls Boxing Extravaganza and the executives of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) have intensified their efforts to, not only produce a qualitative tournament but to secure the security and comfort of the ‘Simon Pures’ contesting for honours. The Guyanese contingent is scheduled to open camp at the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis Boxing Gym and Sunday afternoon, the parents of those boxers were summoned to a meeting where the Director of Bouts, Terrence Poole, briefed them on measures in place for their children’s safety and comfort. Mr. Poole painstakingly brought the parents up to date on crucial matters relevant to the security process as well as the children’s responsibilities and those of the management team. Several parents attended the briefing and were asked to confirm their approval of their children’s participation. Those parents were then asked to affix their signatures to a corresponding document.  Mr. Poole thanked the adults for their interest and assured them that the GBA had installed all protocols for the children’s safety and comfort. “You can all rest assured that your children are going to be okay,” assured Mr. Poole. The Technical Director said that he was especially delighted by the enthusiastic participation of the parents. He also said that such support can only redound positively on the youth’s performances and by extension, contribute positively to Guyana’s retention of the prestigious championship at stake. Meanwhile, the participating boxers from the Ancient City, Berbice, arrived in Georgetown late Sunday afternoon and have already opened camp at the ALBG, under the tutelage of former local boxing champion, Jeff Roberts, also a Berbician. The former lightweight pugilist is brimming with confidence and assures that his charges are ready to represent Guyana with pride. “We are also hungry for victories,” pronounced Roberts. The championship is staged in honour of another top local boxing stalwart, Winfield Braithwaite, a retired Guyanese light-welterweight boxer, who represented his country at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, winning the gold medal in the light-welterweight division after victories over Alec Leatherday of Australia, Baba Sumaila of Ghana, Michael Mwangi of Kenya and James Douglas of Scotland, by knockout in the first round. The traditional opening ceremony will be held at the tournament venue, National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, immediately followed by the highly anticipated fistic fury on Friday. Related Similar Articles

Former Guyana youth player Ricardo Peters slams 95 not out in Canada for Pegasus Aug 13, 2024 Sports Ricardo Peters Kaieteur Sports – Pegasus ruled supremacy in the 2024 season after recording a gripping, 10-run victory over Masters last Saturday at the Emancipation Park, Mississauga in the Ontario Round-Arm Softball Cricket Association (ORSCA)/Adana Homes 10-10 knockout Elite final. Their win was inspired by a pugnacious, unbeaten 95 from opener Ricardo Peters. They rattled up a competitive 174-2 from the allotment of 10-overs while Masters responded with 164-4 at the completion of the 10-overs. Peters, the former Guyana youth player, cracked 11 nonchalant sixes and three fours during his electrifying, 34-ball entertainment. After Pegasus were inserted to bat first, they capitalized effectively on the opportunity. They certainly relished an opening stand of 95 from 29 balls between the rampant Peters and Kandasammy Surujnarine, who also wore national colours at the Under-19 level for Guyana. Both right-handers batted with supreme confidence reaching and clearing the boundaries with frequency. Surujnarine hit a blistering 42, an innings characterized with six effortless sixes and a four spanning 19 balls. After Surujnarine was deceived and bowled by a slower-ball from the experienced Riaz Kadir, Adrina Sukhwa joined forces with Peters and they continued the flamboyant show. Sukhwa, another player with representation for Guyana’s junior side, clobbered four sixes in his cameo 26. Recently Pegasus also emerged victorious in the ORSCA/Imran Ali Real Estate test format dethroning Sunshine in the final rubber at the same facility. When Masters began their chase, they started off aggressively too with Azam Haniff and the inform Rajkumar Budhram. Haniff became the first victim having contributed 14 while Budhram and Kadir posted up a threatened, 76-run second-wicket partnership before Kadir and Budram fell in quick succession. Kadir smacked six sixes in his 44 while Budram scored a fighting 38 which contained 5 sixes. Seasoned campaigner Damodar Daesrath departed for 1 shortly before Abdool ‘Bird’ Samad came to the party providing some highlights. The ex-Canada International player Samad slammed seven sixes to score a pulsating, unbeaten 50. Peters proved his all-round capability by snapping up two wickets for 27 runs from his maximum two overs and Nishal Narine also with 2 wickets but he conceded 32 runs in his two-over outing. Peters was adjudged the player-of the-match for his scintillating batting performance. Meanwhile, at the post-match presentation ceremony, President of the ORSCA Mitch Bacchus congratulated the winning team and also shared similar sentiments to Masters for participating in the championship encounter. He acknowledged the sponsorship of Satishwar Persaud, Managing Director of Adana Homes again for the fourth year in succession. Persaud was also on hand to witness the final and he expressed delight to be associated with the ORSCA. Related Similar Articles

Calvin Moore leads North East to ‘One Guyana’ Futsal title Aug 13, 2024 Sports Part of the action of Saturday between Street Vibez and Bent Street Futsal team. Kaieteur Sports – The North East football team claimed the ‘One Guyana’ President’s Games Futsal title on Sunday at the National Gymnasium, marking the end of the inaugural President’s Games organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports in partnership with the National Sports Commission. The 2024 champions, North East Ballers, secured their victory by defeating the Futsal powerhouse Bent Street in a thrilling 5-4 sudden-death penalty shootout, after a tightly contested final that ended in a 1-1 draw. North East’s impressive performance throughout the two-day tournament culminated in them lifting the One Guyana trophy. Director of Sports, Steve Ninvalle (left) and Assistant DoS Franklin Wilson (right) share photo-op with representatives of the top four teams, marking the conclusion of the ‘One Guyana’ Futsal Cup. North East’s journey to the title saw them easily advance to the final four, thanks to a walkover win in the quarterfinals against Team Ex Pro. In the semifinals, they dispatched Team Unstoppable which eventually finished fourth with a comfortable 2-0 victory, setting the stage for their dramatic final triumph. In the third-place playoff, Team Sparta dominated Team Unstoppable with a 4-0 victory, with Ryan Hackett scoring all four goals. Hackett’s impressive performance earned him the Highest Goal Scorer award with a total of five goals. Captain of North East Ballers, Calvin Moore (left) receiving the winner’s purse from DoS Steve Ninvalle. Bent Street’s journey included a nail-biting 6-5 sudden-death penalty win over Pouderoyen in the quarterfinals after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Other quarterfinal matches saw Team Unstoppable defeating Team Lash Up 3-1, while Team Sparta cruised past Shattaville Gunners of Stewartville with a 7-0 victory. Additionally, North East’s Samuel Vandyke and Calvin Moore were recognized with individual accolades, winning the Best Goalkeeper and Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards, respectively. Related Similar Articles

Corruption in high places Aug 13, 2024 Editorial Kaieteur News – If only Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo and this government were worthy to be trusted, we would have been happy to hear of the administration’s determination to stamp out corruption. If only, we could actually believe some of the headlines especially coming from the state news agencies like “Dr. Jagdeo reaffirms zero tolerance for corruption in public.” On almost every occasion that Guyanese open the newspapers, watch television, listen to the radio, or follow developments on official Facebook pages, they are bombarded by announcements of building in many regions, and involving numerous State Agencies. These are for public works projects that run into the tens or hundreds of millions and, sometimes, even into the billions. On the surface, these are all positive things. On paper, these projects represent improvements that have been missing from numerous communities for a long time.  They are good things, on paper, and must be so recognised, for all the benefits that they can mean for the people in urban and rural areas, be they schools, health clinics, fires stations, and such. But there is another side of these infrastructure projects, a very long, dark, and ugly side which must be presented and re-presented. Because it cannot be repeated and emphasized enough, given the culture and practices that now have a stranglehold on this country. Recently at one of his press conferences, the VP emphasised that public officials must comply fully with procurement regulations to preserve the government’s pledge to a transparent and fair bidding process. He even called on officials to declare any conflicts of interest and refrain from participating in bids involving their close associates, warning that any attempts to exploit the system for personal gain would be met with strict measures. He declared, “This will not be tolerated,” noting public concerns about officials involved in procurement processes while companies managed by their relatives or friends were bidding. Not long after he spoke the darkness emerged out of the Guyana Police Force where top officers there are allegedly laundering money through the credit union and are involved in other bribe-taking schemes, which have drawn the ire of Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn. But it is not just in the Guyana Police Force these malpractices are happening. Not to say that corruption has not always blighted the public sector over the years, but since the return to office of the PPP/C in 2020 with all of the oil money at their disposal, the problem has intensified. What we now have with deep roots across the length and breadth of Guyana is a culture of roguery and skullduggery. This is as coming from the clever minds of Guyanese political leaders, ministers in government, and those senior public servants (mostly) who are the hands that implement what comes down to them from budgets, policies, and programmes. We now live with a horrible and costly reality that has infected almost everyone that is near to its presence.  To be clear and straight, no government has been vaccinated against the corruption virus that sweeps across this land at endemic proportions.  There may be a politician or two, and a few public servants, who have not been bitten by the corruption and skullduggery bugs, but to locate them is an ordeal, such a rarity they are. Whenever the news surface of the building of a school, or a small clinic, or some other necessary structure, men and women in this country lick their lips and rub their hands in anticipation, for it is party time.  It is one big, endless season of partying with the people’s monies that are earmarked for these expensive projects.  The ring is big, and the net is wide, and inside of both can be found people making a bid, public servants reviewing a tender, state engineers providing an estimate, contractors doing the work on the ground, and those overseeing the integrity of the project.  It goes without saying, that the politicians are a big part of these crooked exercises since they determine who is to get, or who is not to get, a contract to do a public works project.  Everyone is part of the great swindling game going on in Guyana, and all of them have good ideas on how the criminal game works, because they have been so long in this dirty way of doing the business of the people. Everybody knows how to rig the numbers, from estimates to cost and quantity of materials needed and supplied, all heavily padded.  It is a huge and well-established system of give and take and mutual backscratching, with rich reciprocal rewards all around.  Some of the contractors are aware that they are untouchable due to the donations they have made, and their loyalty to leaders over the years.  So, they know that when they shortchange and under deliver on project specifications that they will get more contracts, and even supplementary provisions to do over jobs, or to get things right this time. Nobody is called to account, none penalized, with the taxpayers made fun of, while the Treasury is pillaged and plundered. The bottom line is that all those around the millions and billions are having a real good time picking the people’s pockets.  Projects are the place for Guyana’s many financial perverts to practice their trade, the now pervasive national culture. Related Similar Articles