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Chase’s Academic Foundation capped off a flawless season on Sunday by successfully retaining the Republic Bank Under-18 Secondary Schools Football League title, securing a coveted berth in the upcoming KFC International Goodwill Football Series.

They will be joined by West Ruimveldt Secondary, who delivered a decisive victory in the final round to clinch second place and the final qualifying spot for the international tournament, which takes place in Guyana from December 14–21.

Already confirmed as champions before the final whistle, Chase’s Academic Foundation put an exclamation mark on their campaign by easing past Dolphin Secondary 3-0. The result marked their seventh straight victory and sealed an unblemished record.

Goals came from Isaiah Ifill (22^nd), Bryan Wharton (30^th) and Shaquan David (33^rd).

Chase’s dominance extended to the individual honours, with David claiming the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award and goalkeeper Flavio La Rose taking home the Golden Glove.

The day’s most high-stakes match saw West Ruimveldt Secondary effectively contest a ‘virtual final’ against Charlestown Secondary for the second qualifying spot.

West Ruimveldt delivered a stunning display of attacking football, winning 6-1 via goals from Jeremiah Griffith (8^th, 14^th , 56^th ), Donovon Welcome (52^nd) and Dellon Philadelphia (60^th, 66^th) netted for West while Cambie Deangelo scored a penalty for Charlestown in the 12^th minute.

The commanding victory ensured West Ruimveldt secured their place alongside Chase in the international series, where they will face top youth teams from Suriname, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, and Brazil.

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Santa Rosa Primary secured their place in the MVP Sports Girls’ Under-11 Pee-Wee final after a dramatic penalty shootout win, setting up a clash with a dominant Waramuri Primary on Saturday, December 6.

The semi-final round, held at the Ministry of Education Ground on November 29,  delivered contrasting victories for the two finalists, setting up an early-anticipated clash between the two Region One schools.

Santa Rosa was forced to endure a grueling encounter against Marian Academy in the second semi-final. Marian Academy took the lead early through a moment of brilliance when Ella Fernandes scored a stunning ‘Olympico’ goal—a direct corner-kick conversion—in the 12th minute.

The Carifesta Avenue outfit held onto the narrow lead until late in the second half. However, a defensive lapse allowed Rovena Johnson to level the contest for Santa Rosa in the 46th minute, just before regulation time expired.

With neither team able to break the deadlock in extra time, the match went down to kicks from the penalty mark, where Santa Rosa held their nerve to prevail 5-4, securing their ticket to the final.

In the first semi-final, Waramuri Primary enjoyed a far more straightforward path, cruising past St John the Baptist Primary 2-0.

After a goalless opening half, Waramuri took control in the 37th minute when Alina Lewis broke the deadlock. Alita Marks sealed the victory just three minutes later, confirming Waramuri’s status as a formidable contender for the title.

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The trial into irregularities during the March 2020 General and Regional Elections is set to continue in February 2026.

New dates for the continuation of the case have been set for the weeks of February 16–20 and February 24–27, 2026. The dates were given during last week’s Friday proceeding at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The trial is being conducted under case management guidelines. This structured approach aims to streamline the process and ensure all parties are adequately prepared for each stage.

Last week, the trial continued before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, though most of the proceedings were void dere.

New evidence was presented, including testimony from Inspector Junior Blair of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, who detailed the extraction of videos from the phones of party agents Bibi Aneishaw Mohamed of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Sasenarine Singh during the elections.

Nine individuals are currently before the court, charged with conspiring to manipulate the election results in favour of APNU+AFC in an attempt to deny victory to the PPP.

Those charged include former government minister Volda Lawrence, former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, and former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers, among others.

The controversy surrounding the March 2020 elections delayed the official results for five months, until PPP candidate Irfaan Ali was sworn in as President on 2 August 2020.

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Former Australian cricket star Michael Slater has been removed from the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame and had his life membership revoked after domestic violence offences.

As reported by Fox Cricket earlier this year, Slater’s status was to be reviewed by the state body following a series of incidents.

They included pleading guilty to seven charges for a series of domestic violence offences that related to a woman in the Noosa region between December 2023 and March 2024, including two counts of choking, stalking, assault, and burglary, for which he received a suspended four-year prison sentence.

Slater, who represented Australia in 74 Tests and 42 ODIs from 1993 to 2001, was also convicted in 2022 of domestic violence offences. Five women in NSW have taken out protection orders against him since 2016.

On Monday night Slater was voted out by members and delegates at a Cricket NSW ordinary general meeting, according to Nine papers.

Slater had made a written submission arguing he should keep his life membership.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 and given life membership in 2016, after a long career both on and off the field, moving into broadcasting after retirement, most recently with Seven.

His contract was not extended with the network in 2021. (Fox Cricket)

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The Demerara Badminton Club (DBC) secured a notable silver medal in the Women’s Doubles, marking the highlight of their strong showing at the 2025 Gokarn Ramdhani Memorial Tournament.

The standout performance came from the newly formed partnership of Amande Low and Anna Pereira.

The experienced players teamed up for the first time in the competition and successfully navigated the draw, powering their way into the final, where they secured the well-earned silver medal for the club.

DBC athletes competed impressively across numerous categories, signalling the club’s growing strength in the national circuit.

In the Mixed Doubles, the pairing of former national players Grandison Robinson and Amande Low showed immediate promise, reaching the semi-finals in their debut outing as a duo.

For the Men’s Under-23 Singles, Raah Russell and Jonathan Robinson both featured in the later stages of the draw, with both athletes pushing their opponents through intense three-set battles in the quarter-finals.

Additionally, in the men’s Doubles, former national junior champion Nicholas Ali (partnered with Javid Rahaman) and former national champion Grandison Robinson (with Troxley Cutting Jnr) delivered fast-paced and spirited performances in their respective quarterfinal matches.

The club’s consistent presence in the deep stages of the tournament indicates a rising profile for the Demerara Badminton Club. (Modified Press Release from Demerara Badminton Club)

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President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced that the government will soon unveil a landmark five-year national blueprint geared toward rapid economic expansion and transformative infrastructure development.

The President said this in his feature address at the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) Awards on Friday evening, where he stressed that a comprehensive programme of citizen upliftment and empowerment must match Guyana’s economic transformation.

The upcoming blueprint is linked to the Government’s broader national development agenda—one that combines industrialisation, energy security, manufacturing growth, and major public infrastructure with policies designed to ensure all Guyanese meaningfully benefit from the country’s progress.

Over the past two months, President Ali has repeatedly signalled that before year-end, the Government will announce a substantial suite of measures aimed at improving household welfare, expanding economic opportunities, and strengthening social resilience. In early November, he stated that the package will extend well beyond cash grants, emphasising empowerment across all demographics. As reported by the News Room on November 5, 2025, the President said:

“I am going to announce, before the end of the year, a series of measures, not only looking at cash grants, but looking at the total empowerment of every Guyanese—whether someone living with a disability, the elderly, children, women, small businesses, farmers—every category.”

Cash grants for individuals, vulnerable groups will be announced before year-end – President

The forthcoming measures form part of the PPP/C Administration’s established track record of fulfilling commitments and advancing people-centred policy. Since taking office in 2020, the Government has delivered a series of direct support initiatives, including the restoration and expansion of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant, the introduction of the Newborn Grant, the $25,000 COVID-19 household relief payment, annual increases to old-age pension and public assistance, tax reductions, broad cost-of-living support, and targeted assistance to farmers, sugar workers, fisherfolk, frontline workers and vulnerable communities.

A key pillar of this record is the PPP/C’s longstanding position that cash grants are continuous, structured, and developmental—rather than ad hoc or politically motivated. That stance was reaffirmed at the start of 2025 by both President Ali and Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

In his New Year’s Address, reported by the Guyana Chronicle on January 3, 2025, President Ali stated, “This is not a one-time payment. We are committed to making future direct cash transfers to our citizens. This is the beginning of a sustained programme of direct economic transfers aimed at empowering Guyanese households.”

On the same day, the News Room reported Vice President Jagdeo reinforcing the policy, noting, “The cash grant is not one-off; it will continue periodically.”

These clear, early statements demonstrate that the government’s commitment to continued cash transfers predates recent political debate. According to the Administration, the programme forms part of a larger socio-economic strategy designed to expand opportunity, boost disposable income, and ensure all families share in the country’s development gains.

At the opening of GuyExpo 2025, President Ali addressed attempts to misrepresent these initiatives. As carried by the Guyana Chronicle in November 2025, he cautioned:

“You don’t need to remind us about our commitments—whether it’s cash grants, incentives, subsidies. We know what our commitments are, and we are going to deliver on every one of them—faster, better, greater.”

As Guyana enters what is expected to be its most accelerated period of economic transformation, the soon-to-be-released five-year blueprint, combined with the planned empowerment measures, aims to ensure that the country’s rapid growth translates into broad, equitable, and sustainable improvements in citizens’ lives.

The post ‘We know what our commitments are’ – President says expanded citizen support in five-year blueprint  appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Barbados was crowned the overall champion of the 2025 ENet Senior Caribbean Squash Championships, bringing an end to host nation Guyana’s dominant run of four consecutive titles.

The final result at the National Racquet Centre on Saturday came down to the narrowest of margins, with the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) forced to implement a tie-breaker after both nations finished level on points.

Barbados and Guyana were tied at 44 points apiece in the overall standings, prompting organisers to turn to match and game differentials from the team segment.

It was here that Barbados edged ahead, securing the title by winning 10 more games than Guyana throughout the competition.

Bermuda finished third overall.

Guyana’s men claimed their title in a tense 3-2 victory over Barbados. The final saw the lead shift back and forth before the hosts secured the decisive point.

Guyana’s Sunil Seth lost the opener, but Samuel Ince-Carvalhal immediately levelled the score, defeating the experienced Shawn Simpson in four games (11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6).

Men’s individual champion Khamal Cumberbatch put Barbados back ahead with a 3-0 win over Guyana’s top seed, Daniel Ince.

The reliable Shomari Wiltshire dominated Rhett Cumberbatch (11-3, 11-7, 11-3) to tie the match at 2-2.

Jason-Ray Khalil delivered the crucial final point for Guyana, sealing the Men’s Team title with a straight-games victory over Alex Stewart (11-6, 11-3, 11-9).

In the Women’s team event, Barbados, led by their strength at the top of the individual rankings, secured the title with a 3-2 win over Guyana.

Barbados are the champions of the 2025 ENet Senior CASA (PHOTO: News Room/Davin Ramnarine/November 29, 2025)

Margot Prow defeated 2022 Caribbean champion Ashley Khalil 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 11-6). Women’s champion Megan Best secured another vital point for Barbados, overcoming Mary Fung-A-Fat (11-7, 11-3, 11-5).

Guyana showed resilience to claim two points, with Kirsten Gomes defeating Eboni Atherly (12-10, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8) and Larissa Wiltshire battling hard to win in four games against Sumairaa Suleman (6-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-5).

FULL RESULTS: https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Caribbean-Senior-Championships-CASA-2025-GUYANA

At the presentation ceremony, held at the Aiden Hotel, Minister Steven Jacobs applauded the teams on their performance and welcomed them to return to Guyana and experience more of the hospitable atmosphere.

Minister Jacobs was in high praise of the Guyana Squash Association for ensuring the tournament was well run, on just two weeks’ notice, following a late change in venue from Jamaica due to Hurricane Melissa.

Bermuda, Jamaica, and the British Virgin Islands have qualified for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, alongside Barbados, Guyana, and the host, the Dominican Republic.

2026 Junior CASA will be in Trinidad and Tobago in July, while Senior CASA will be in November, with Jamaica as the likely host.

INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS

Veterans

OPEN

TEAM CHAMPIONS

Veterans

OPEN

OVERALL STANDINGS

FIRST – Barbados (44 points)

SECOND – Guyana (44 points)

THIRD – Bermuda (34 points)

FOURTH – Cayman Islands (28 points)

FIFTH – Dominican Republic (21 points)

SIXTH – Trinidad and Tobago (16 points)

SEVENTH – Jamaica (14 points)

EIGHTH – British Virgin Islands (nine points)

PHOTOS: 

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The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has unveiled a transformative plan for the sport following its Ordinary Congress on Saturday, headlined by a landmark G$150 million investment into youth development over the next four years.

The investment targets the establishment of national leagues for the Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 age categories, aiming to close critical gaps in the nation’s football development pathway.

The Congress, held in Georgetown, ratified the GFF Strategic Plan 2025–2028, titled “The Final Third,” which focuses heavily on professionalisation, governance, and aligning the local game with international standards.

One of the most significant decisions approved by delegates was the radical restructuring of the domestic calendar.

To synchronise with FIFA match windows and global transfer periods, the GFF Elite League will shift its season to run from August to April, beginning with the 2026–2027 season.

This move is designed to enhance player availability for the senior national team and improve the professional viability of local clubs.

The Federation also confirmed the introduction of two new knockout competitions to ensure year-round activity:

• Elite League Cup: Scheduled for February–March 2026
• Federation Cup: Scheduled for April–May 2026
• Senior Men’s Regional Member Association leagues will also adopt the September to April schedule, while the Women’s Division One League is set to run from September to December.

Significant progress was also reported on infrastructure development, crucial for supporting the GFF’s long-term ambitions: Blue Water Shipping Stadium: FIFA has approved the final design for the proposed national stadium at D’Urban Park.

National Training Centre (NTC): Ongoing upgrades at the Providence facility include a newly outfitted gym and modern dormitory facilities.

Finally, the Congress adopted a new Match Integrity Policy. This formalisation of ethical standards includes procedures for education, reporting, investigations, and whistleblower protection, aiming to safeguard the game from match manipulation and corruption.

The decisions made at the 2025 Congress are expected to usher in a new era of structural stability and competitive growth for football in Guyana. (Modified GFF release) 

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