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The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) on Tuesday evening announced a pool of players selected for a series of practice matches under the Guyana Harpy Eagles programme as preparations intensify for the upcoming regional season.

“The programme forms part of the Board’s strategic preparation for the next edition of the West Indies Championship, with the selected players given the opportunity to showcase their readiness for possible selection to the Guyana Harpy Eagles senior team,” the GCB said in a release.

The players selected for the preparation matches are Tevin Imlach, Veerasammy Permaul, Raymond Perez, Kemol Savory, Kevlon Anderson, Nial Smith, Isai Thorne, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Ronaldo AliMohamed, Matthew Nandu, Sylus Tyndall, Junior Sinclair, Jonathan Van Lange, Richie Looknauth, Antony Adams, Brandon Jaikaran, Keemo Paul, Mavendra Dindyal, Zeynul Ramsammy, Thaddeus Lovell, Shamar Apple, Golcharran Chulai, Afraz Ali Budhoo, Tomanni Ceasar, Sachin Balgobin, Chanderpaul Ramraj, Micah Amsterdam, Darwin Joseph, Navindra Persaud, Yudestir Persaud, Kevin Sinclair and Nityanand Mathura.

The Board further highlighted that Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Veerasammy Permaul, Afraz Ali Budhoo and Sylus Tyndall will join the squad following the completion of their commitments in the Berbice Cricket Board Two-Day Final scheduled for this weekend.

The release added: “Junior Sinclair will join the squad upon recovery from an injury sustained recently. In the interim, Aryan Persaud, Bruce Vincent, Joshua Jones, Richard Ramdeholl will replace the aforementioned players during the initial phase of the preparation matches.”

A total of three practice matches will be played as part of the preparation programme.

Matches will be played at Everest Cricket Club Ground and Georgetown Cricket Club Ground, with all matches scheduled to bowl off at 09:30h.

The first match will be played on March 12-14 at Everest. The second match will be played on March 17-19 at the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground, Bourda, while the third match is scheduled for March 22-24 at the same venue.

The GCB release concluded: “The preparation matches also form part of the Guyana Harpy Eagles’ build-up for a three-match bilateral series against the Windward Islands Volcanoes in St. Vincent and the Grenadines under a new competition structure confirmed by Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Thursday, March 5, 2026.”

The post Regional Four-Day Prep: Harpy Eagles to play three practice matches starting March 12 appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The National Top Flight Golf League continues to deliver exciting competition at Lusignan Golf Course with another closely contested round that saw Videsh Persaud emerge as the day’s top performer.

Persaud produced a solid round of Gross 85, and with his 18 Handicap converted that into an impressive Net 67 to secure overall honours and 10 valuable points. His strong finish also earned him the back nine title, highlighting a composed performance down the stretch.

The front nine competition proved equally dramatic, with Ian Gouveia edging Persaud in a tie-breaker to take the honours.

The decision came down to the final stretch, where Gouveia finished two under par over the last six holes, narrowly beating Persaud’s one under over the same closing segment.

In second place overall, the in-form Keshan Bacchus continued his strong run, returning a Net 71 to collect five points and remain firmly in the hunt as the league standings tighten.

Another highlight of the round came in a three-way tie-breaker involving experienced competitors Patrick Prashad, Brian Hackett and Patanjilee Persaud.

After the countback was applied, Prashad secured three points, Hackett collected two, and Persaud picked up one, ensuring the race for points remains extremely close.

The developing storyline of the league continues to be the intense battle between Patanjilee Persaud and Hackett, who remain locked together on 14 points as they chase the leader.

Meanwhile, Chet Bowling, popularly known as ‘Smoking Chet’, returned to action but endured an uncharacteristic outing, finishing the round without registering a point, a rare occurrence for one of the league’s consistent competitors.

Current Standings

• Videsh Persaud- 17 points
• Patanjilee ‘Pur’ Persaud- 14 points
• Brian Hackett- 14 points
• Chet ‘Smoking’ Bowling- 10 points

With several rounds still to be played, the League is shaping up to be a thrilling contest, with players battling fiercely each week and the leaderboard remaining tightly packed as the tournament progresses.

The post Videsh Persaud latest winner in National Top Flight Golf League appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Ministry of Natural Resources hereby advises that its intensified enforcement exercise against illegal mining activities continues to yield considerable results across Guyana’s mining districts.

A coordinated operation conducted by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Police Force, led to the discovery of two illegal mining sites along the Puruni River in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

On March 6, 2026, between 08:00 hrs and 12:00 hrs, a GGMC mining officer along with police ranks, conducted an exercise at Kumung Kumung along the Puruni River during which six Brazilian nationals and one Venezuelan national were found working illegally.

Following the operation, the GGMC instituted several charges against the land owners. These charges are as follows:

• breaching the buffer area of the river bank,
• diverting or altering the natural flow of the river,
• operating without a licence or permit,
• operating without permission to mine,
• unable to produce a production book or any form of declaration,
• employing workers without work permits or certificates of registration,
• unable to produce a register of labourers,
• unable to produce a register of poisonous substances.

The foreign nationals were escorted to the Bartica Police Station for processing while an excavator, dragger and other equipment used in the illegal operations have been placed in the State’s possession. The ministry has taken the necessary steps to ensure all costs for environmental reclamation are covered by the unlicensed operators.

The discovery of these two illegal mining operations, among others which have been dismantled over the past few months, is a testament to the importance of His Excellency, President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s call to ensure greater compliance in the mining sector.

As the ministry continues to fulfill the mandate set by President Ali, all miners and claim holders are urged to take the necessary steps to ensure their operations conform with Guyana’s mining laws and regulations (Ministry of Natural Resources press release) 

The post Two more illegal mining operations dismantled, equipment seized appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Motorists are being reminded that failing to carry a physical driver’s licence or update their address on it can lead to penalties.

Refusing to declare a present address is also a ticketable offence.

Inspector Naresh Khanoo, who oversees traffic in Regional Division Three (Essequibo Islands–West Demerara) recently made this disclosure on the ‘Road Safety and You’ programme.

According to Inspector Khanoo, the law requires drivers to have their licence in their possession at all times while operating a vehicle.

“If you are driving your motor vehicle, at all times you must have your driver license on you so that when you are being stopped by the Police in uniform and you are being asked to produce that document, you must produce it,” Khanoo said.

The driver’s license is one of the documents requested by the Police when motorists are stopped. Driving without a valid licence in hand is a ticketable offence under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act.

Police have also been encountering drivers attempting to show digital copies of their licences on phones.

However, Khanoo clarified that officers may sometimes exercise discretion if they previously verified a driver’s licence, but motorists should not rely on this.

“Producing that document on the phone is not applicable… it’s just a form of flexibility,” he explained.

“If I would have stopped you prior to that date, when you produce the driver’s license on your phone and I am aware that you have a driver’s license and it is in force… shortly after, let’s say a week after I would have stopped you again and you don’t have it, then I could verify that I would have stopped you prior to this and you would have produced that document to me,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Ali attached to the Den Amstel Police station stressed the importance of updating licence addresses.

“If a person is a holder of a valid licence and he or she moves from one address to another, it is required for them to update the same at the Guyana Revenue Authority,” he said.

Authorities are urging motorists to ensure their physical driver’s licence is on hand at all times and that their address is current to avoid consequences during traffic checks.

The post Drivers must keep licence in possession at all times – Police Inspector appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Concerned about a rise in amputations among diabetic patients, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony said the government is strengthening efforts to improve diabetes management and kidney care in Guyana.

Speaking at a conference in observance of World Kidney Day, the Health Minister said the complications emerging are worrying. As such, he encouraged healthcare providers to go beyond basic treatment and ensure that patients are consistently monitored to prevent complications.

“We have noticed that there has been an increase of amputations for diabetic patients and this is something that during this year, maybe in the first quarter of this year, we want to have a discussion… we believe that some of these limbs can be saved,” he said.

In the interim, the ministry is working to tackle kidney care by ensuring that diabetic patients are properly treated. Guyana currently has some 650 patients receiving dialysis. Many diabetic patients soon find themselves on dialysis as the illness causes kidney failure.

The ministry introduced a voucher programme about a year ago to help patients access key diagnostic tests, including the HbA1c test, which measures blood sugar control over time. The vouchers allow patients to access testing at private laboratories across Guyana.

“That has worked very well, and through that programme we have seen a lot more persons coming forward to get their HbA1c because they can use the voucher to go to any one of the private sector entities,” Dr. Anthony said.

With new public hospitals coming on stream, dialysis chairs will be activated at those facilities, while an additional 15 dialysis machines have already been procured to be placed strategically across regional hospitals. Dr. Anthony said expanding dialysis services is necessary given the increasing number of patients requiring treatment. He explained that in the past, patients received a one-time payment of $350,000 in assistance and were not eligible for further support. That policy has since been revised.

“Now every year we are seeing a lot more persons coming forward to get assistance,” he said.

Patients are now receiving government assistance of $600,000 annually to help offset the cost of treatment

The post Gov’t moves to strengthen kidney care as amputations rise appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The new executive of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) lifted off its 2026 season on a high with the hosting of the National Sports Commission and Fitness Express sponsored Novices and Juniors Championship at the St. Stanislaus College Auditorium on Sunday last, when the world celebrated International Women’s Day.

There was one female amongst the 14 lifters who competed, Charlotte Charles. She competed in the 69kg Women’s Master 1 Raw as well as the 69kg Women’s Open Raw classes where she copped gold medals in both.

Ruling the roost in the Novice Classic to take the Best Lifter trophy was Andrew Bailey, who took the gold medal in the 83kg Men’s Open Raw division ahead of Brandon Joseph. Bailey started off the squat with a 5kg deficit to Joseph as his best was 155.0kg to his opponents’ 160.0kg.

The two strongmen registered equal scores in the bench press of 107.5kg, but it was in the deadlift that Bailey stamped his authority with a best of 225.0kg, whilst Joseph could only manage, 165.0kg.

Eighteen year-old Omar Satar, competing in the 83kg Men’s Junior Raw category, was named the best lifter as he totalled 525.0kg made up of a best Squat 182.5kg, Benchpress 132.5kg, and Deadlift 210.0kg.

A total of seven gyms fielded athletes, namely Essequibo’s Hulk Fitness Gym and Roy’s Gym; Total Fitness of Berbice, Primal Fitness, Anub Barbell Company, Akbar Gym and Exodus Gym.

Following are the full results:

Females

1 69kg Women’s Master 1 Raw – Charlotte Charles, Squat 130.0kg, Benchpress 55.0kg, Deadlift 157.5kg, Total 342.5kg
1 69kg Women’s Open Raw – Charlotte Charles, Squat 130.0kg, Benchpress 55.0kg, Deadlift 157.5kg, Total 342.5kg

Males

1 93kg Men’s Sb-Jr Raw – Aryan Bhagoo, Squat 175.0kg, Benchpress 90.0kg, Deadlift 180.0kg, Total 445.0kg
1 66kg Men’s Junior Raw – Omari Kewley, Squat 137.5kg, Benchpress 77.5kg, Deadlift 175.0kg, Total 390.0kg
1 74kg Men’s Junior Raw – Shafeek Case, Squat 135.0kg, Benchpress 82.5kg, Deadlift 152.5kg, Total 370.0kg
1 83kg Men’s Junior Raw – Omar Satar, Squat 182.5kg, Benchpress 132.5kg, Deadlift 210.0kg, Total 525.0kg
1 120+kg Men’s Junior Raw – Premindra Paul, Squat 237.5kg, Benchpress 120.0kg, Deadlift 250.0kg, Total 607.5kg
1 74kg Men’s Master 1 Raw – Bisram Sukhram, Squat 170.0kg, Benchpress 97.5kg, Deadlift 187.5kg, Total 455.0kg
1 66kg Men’s Open Raw – Joshua Hopkinson, Squat 130.0kg, Benchpress 90.0kg, Deadlift 157.5kg, Total 377.5kg
2 66kg Men’s Open Raw – Khristian Mcdonald, Squat 120.0kg, Benchpress 77.5kg, Deadlift 132.5kg, Total 330.0kg
1 74kg Men’s Open Raw – Bisram Sukhram, Squat 170.0kg, Benchpress 97.5kg, Deadlift 187.5kg, Total 455.0kg
2 74kg Men’s Open Raw – Shafeek Case, Squat 135.0kg, Benchpress 82.5kg, Deadlift 152.5kg, Total 370.0kg
1 83kg Men’s Open Raw – Andrew Bailey, Squat 155.0kg, Benchpress 107.5kg, Deadlift 225.0kg, Total 487.5kg
2 83kg Men’s Open Raw – Brandon Joseph, Squat 160.0kg, Benchpress 107.5kg, Deadlift 165.0kg, Total 432.5kg
1 93kg Men’s Open Raw – Johathan Griffith, Squat 167.5kg, Benchpress 102.5kg, Deadlift 205.0kg, Total 475.0kg
2 93kg Men’s Open Raw – Aryan Bhagoo, Squat 175.0kg, Benchpress 90.0kg, Deadlift 180.0kg, Total 445.0k
1 120+kg Men’s Open Raw – Premindra Paul, Squat 237.5kg, Benchpress 120.0kg, Deadlift 250.0kg, Total 607.5kg
2 120+kg Men’s Open Raw – Sheik Ariff, Squat 215.0kg, Benchpress 110.0kg, Deadlift 200.0kg, Total 525.0kg

Male Guest

66kg Men’s Guest Lifter Raw – Kadeem Bowen, Squat 172.5kg, Benchpress 107.5kg, Deadlift 207.5kg, Total 487.5kg

The post Andrew Bailey, Omar Satar cop Novice and Junior Best Lifter accolades appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Health authorities have found that more than 100 children are battling kidney disease, and a passionate local doctor has helped Guyana secure a grant to enhance much-needed pediatric care.

Pediatric nephrologist, Dr. Areefa Alladin on Tuesday disclosed that the Georgetown Public Hospital was approved the grant which can over time hit a maximum of US$60,000 to support pediatric nephrology capacity.

“That grant is through the University of Calgary as the mentor centre, Georgetown Public Hospital will be the mentee centre and they will guide us through to the end goal,” Dr Alladin told the News Room.

Dr. Alladin is a passionate doctor working at the main referral hospital as the only pediatric nephrologist and she applied for the grant through the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), the global organisation responsible for guiding nephrology education and practice around the world.

Dr. Alladin noted that kidney disease care has been identified as a global priority by the World Health Assembly, with projections indicating that chronic kidney disease could become the fifth leading cause of death worldwide by 2040.

These are worrying global figures but there is much cause for concern in Guyana too. In fact, Dr. Alladin said about 120 children with kidney disease have been identified at the Georgetown Hospital.

With the new grant, care for these children should be enhanced.

“We want to become a centre of excellence where we will be providing that training and that service to the rest of the Caribbean,” Dr. Alladin said.

Additionally, the efforts to strengthen prevention and treatment of kidney failure go beyond support. The nephrologist said improving kidney care will also require greater investment in laboratory and diagnostic services, including kidney biopsies, immunology testing, virology studies, and imaging support, as well as ensuring access to medications for treatment.

Through a six-year plan, stakeholders hope to better address kidney disease through a multidisciplinary approach involving public and private partnerships, alongside support from organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The post More than 100 children battling kidney disease, new grant to boost healthcare appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Trinidadian Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes told the Guyana Court of Appeal on Tuesday that the extradition process involving U.S indicted businessmen Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed cannot be halted simply because one of the men being sought by the United States has since entered politics and is an opposition figure.

“We have come too far to say let’s stop extradition proceedings,” Mendes argued, as the appellate court heard the challenge against the Authority to Proceed (ATP) issued by Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond.

The panel— led by acting Chancellor Roxane George, alongside Justices of Appeal Rishi Persaud and Nareshwar Harnanan— heard arguments from both sides during the expedited hearing.

At the end of proceedings, George indicated that ruling will come by March 17.

The appeal stems from a February 4, 2026 ruling by acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh, who dismissed the Mohameds’ application to quash the ATP.

The businessmen contend that Walrond’s decision to authorise the extradition process was tainted by political bias, arguing that Azruddin Mohamed had contested the last general elections and is a political opponent of the government.

Trinidadian Senior Counsel Fyard Hosein, leading the defence, largely repeated arguments that were made before the High Court.

Appearing alongside him were attorneys Roysdale Forde, Siand Dhurjon and Damien DaSilva.

Hosein argued that because the minister is politically aligned with the governing administration, she should have delegated the decision-making authority to another official.

However, Chancellor George pressed him on how such delegation would work.

She pointed out that the defence’s pleadings suggested that even the President could be viewed as tainted, raising the question of whether any decision-maker could be accused of bias.

“Wouldn’t that person be infected by presumed bias?” the Chancellor asked during the exchange.

Hosein responded that the issue was not simply delegation itself but who performed the delegation, insisting that the process must avoid perceived political conflict.

He also asked the appellate court that it grant a stay of the magistrate’s court proceedings to allow the matter to be taken to the Caribbean Court of Justice, should it rule against the Mohameds.

Hosein argued that the extradition proceedings should not be “hustled to facilitate prosecution.”

Leading the state’s case, Mendes rejected the defence’s position, arguing that the law does not provide for delegation of a minister’s authority on a case-by-case basis.

According to Mendes, any delegation must be general in nature and made beforehand, rather than in response to a particular matter.

He also argued that delegating the power to another minister would not solve the defence’s concerns.

“If another minister were to act, they too would be accused of presumed bias,” he told the court, adding that delegation would more appropriately be made to a public officer if it were contemplated at all.

Mendes stressed that the Authority to Proceed is purely procedural and does not determine whether the individuals will ultimately be extradited.

Importantly, he said the defence’s argument about political bias applies only to Azruddin Mohamed, and not to Nazar Mohamed.

“The request for extradition will impact on politics, but the case for Nazar has not been made out at all,” Mendes argued.

He further noted that the extradition request predated Azruddin Mohamed’s political involvement, telling the court that the process cannot be invalidated because he later entered electoral politics.

“Process of extradition cannot grind to a halt because one of thr men being sought is an opposition leader,” Mendes said.

He added that even if the court were to accept the defence’s concerns about bias, no alternative decision-maker has been proposed.

“They want to strike down the Authority to Proceed but cannot say who should now be delegated,” Mendes said.

“This is merely academic. To what end? What is the prejudice caused?”

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who is a respondent in the matter, also addressed the court after Mendes.

Nandlall said he fully endorsed Mendes’ submissions, arguing that the initial High Court challenge should never have been filed.

“The fixed date application in the High Court should have never been filed and consequently this appeal should not have been filed,” he told the court, describing both cases as “equally hopeless.”

Nandlall said Azruddin was well aware a request for extradition was pending when he contested the last elections and contended that Azruddin did so to make the very claims he now does.

He said the situation was deliberatedly created, consequently contrived and should be rejected out of hand.

While the appeal is pending, the substantial committal hearing in the extradition proceedings continues before Magistrate Judy Latchman.

Those proceedings are expected to move toward completion soon, with the hearing scheduled to resume on Wednesday.

During arguments, Mendes suggested that once the committal stage concludes, the defence could pursue other legal avenues such as habeas corpus.

However, he maintained that the court should not interrupt the process now.

“We have come this way,” Mendes told the judges. “We have come too far to say stop the extradition proceedings.”

With the matter now argued, the Court of Appeal is expected to deliver its ruling by March 17th at 14:00hrs, determining whether the extradition process against the Mohameds will continue without interruption.

The post ‘We’ve come too far’ – Extradition cannot grind to a halt because Azruddin is opposition leader, Court of Appeal hears appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The three-day Caribbean Women’s Match Officials’ Course, an initiative aimed at strengthening the pipeline of elite female referees across the region, officially concluded on Sunday (March 8, 2026), bringing a fitting close as participants joined the global community in celebrating International Women’s Day.

The course was a collaborative effort of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and the Guyana Football Federation.

Held under the theme ‘Give to Gain’, the course provided a dynamic platform for women match officials to enhance their technical knowledge and practical skills.

Over the period, participants engaged in intensive on-field training sessions, led by experienced instructors and complemented by classroom-based discussions covering key refereeing principles and technical topics.

The programme concluded with a closing ceremony and gala event, during which participants honoured women who have made significant contributions to the refereeing fraternity while also reflecting on the legacy of those who paved the way before them.

Special tribute was paid to former FIFA-accredited referee and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Warrant Officer Maurees Skeete, who passed away on January 8, 2026, following a battle with cancer.

Friends and former colleagues remembered Skeete as a trailblazer whose dedication to the sport continues to inspire the next generation of referees.

Head of Referees for Guyana, Lenval Peart, emphasised the importance of the programme in supporting the development of female match officials in the region.

“The ‘Give to Gain’ course represents a significant milestone for Guyanese football and for female referees across the Caribbean. For non-FIFA female referees in Guyana, it created an environment that allowed them to confidently apply their officiating skills during both classroom instruction and on-field training.

The initiative also fostered networking opportunities and helped build lasting professional relationships among participants, regardless of whether they ultimately achieve FIFA accreditation.”

The first programme of its kind to be hosted in Guyana, the Caribbean Women’s Match Officials’ Course brought together 29 participants from across the region, providing an opportunity for them to share knowledge, exchange experiences, and support each other’s development.

The course also reinforced an important message for women in football; while officiating presents challenges, it remains a vital role that must be carried out with professionalism, resilience, and integrity.

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