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In the heart of South America, where table tennis has traditionally taken a backseat to more popular sports, one woman is rewriting the narrative.

Chelsea Edghill’s journey from an accidental introduction to table tennis to becoming Guyana’s flag bearer at two Olympic Games represents a blueprint for sporting transformation in the Caribbean nation.

Edghill’s path to the Olympic stage began with a twist of fate. What started as a summer programme called “Teach Them Young”—a replacement for the family’s usual vacation plans—became the foundation of an extraordinary career.

The natural talent that emerged during those early sessions caught the attention of coaches who recognised something special in the young player.

“It just clicked for me,” Edghill recalls of those formative moments. “Once I started playing, I never wanted to stop.”

That initial spark ignited when she was just 10 years old during a trip to the Dominican Republic, where she witnessed the serious level of competition that existed beyond recreational play.

The realisation that table tennis was more than just a casual pastime marked a turning point in her approach to the sport.

Edghill’s Olympic journey began at Tokyo 2020, where she earned her place through the Tripartite Commission’s universality invitation- a pathway designed to provide opportunities for athletes from smaller nations.

Her selection was bolstered by a strong showing at the Latin American qualifier, where she advanced to the quarter-finals.

Guyanese Olympian Chelsea Edghill

The honour of carrying Guyana’s flag at the Opening Ceremony represented a culmination of years of dedication and sacrifice.

Despite the unique circumstances of competing during a global pandemic, the moment remained deeply meaningful for the athlete who had become her nation’s table tennis pioneer.

Paris 2024 brought another flag-bearing opportunity, cementing Edghill’s status as one of Guyana’s most prominent sporting ambassadors.

Edghill’s role model remains Aliann Pompey, Guyana’s four-time Olympic track and field athlete whose career spanned from 2000 to 2012.

Their interactions over the years have provided valuable guidance, demonstrating how established athletes can inspire and support emerging talent within their sporting communities.

While many athletes focus solely on competition during their playing careers, Edghill has taken a different approach.

Her background as a chemistry graduate has informed her analytical perspective on sports development, leading to the establishment of Edge Sports Management in April 2024.

The company combines her international athletic experience with innovative strategies to provide services in athlete representation, event planning, and sports consultancy.

The venture addresses opportunities for enhanced sporting infrastructure development. Edghill’s company aims to create additional frameworks while elevating public perception of sports as professional pursuits with significant career potential.

In a recent interview with Caribbean Sports Club, Edghill shared details about Edge Sports Management’s flagship initiative, the Edge Series.

The series features three sports- table tennis team competitions, 3X3 basketball, and criterium cycling- chosen specifically because they are short, scalable, and exciting.

The strategy aims to get the Guyanese public more involved and interested in sports by ensuring events are entertaining and accessible.

The table tennis component features team competitions rather than traditional singles matches, promoting team spirit and community among athletes while providing a different viewing experience for spectators.

Edghill’s goal is to establish Edge Sports Management as the premier sports management company in Guyana within five years.

She envisions that “every National Federation, sports organisations, athletes, managers, coaches” will turn to Edge when they need sports-related work done.

Success for Edghill means two key things: player satisfaction—having athletes say “it’s something that’s never been done” and that “they were thought of in every instance”—and audience engagement, with people in the stands supporting their favourite teams.

Chelsea Edghill represents a unique approach in modern sport—maintaining an active competitive career whilst simultaneously building the infrastructure for others to follow.

Her chemistry background provides an analytical approach to sports development, whilst her Olympic experience offers valuable perspective on elite competition.

As she continues competing and developing Edge Sports Management, Edghill is creating pathways that didn’t exist when she began her own journey.

Her work demonstrates how athletes can leverage their sporting experience to drive meaningful change within their home countries. (ittf.com)

The post From Flag Bearer to Game Changer: Chelsea Edghill’s mission to transform Guyanese sport appeared first on News Room Guyana.

In a game where 475 runs were scored, it came down to Seattle Orcas needing nine from the last six balls to beat MI New York. And they almost failed to get them, with Kieron Pollard bowling three dots.

But, with six needed off the last ball, Shimron Hetmyer got on one knee to a full delivery on off stump and walloped it over square leg. Just like that, Nicholas Pooran‘s 60-ball 108 and Tajinder Singh‘s 35-ball 95 went in vain.

It was Orcas’ first win of the season, under new captain Sikandar Raza and without an official head coach in place. And also the highest successful chase in the two-and-a-half-season-long history of MLC.

Chasing 238 isn’t easy in the best of times, and Orcas came into the game having lost all five of their earlier games, to which they reacted by parting ways with head coach Matthew Mott and replacing Heinrich Klaasen (who had stepped down) with Raza as the captain.

Wickets fell early, which is normal when Trent Boult has the new ball. In his first over, the second of the innings, Boult sent back Josh Brown.

And in his next, Boult got rid of Shayan Jahangir too. but Jahangir and Kyle Mayers had made sure that the runs were coming too. Quite a lot, in fact.

If MINY had scored 62 for 2 in their powerplay, Orcas got to 86 for 3, and that was down to Raza, who walked out, faced just nine balls, hit six of them for fours and one of them for six, and was dismissed for 30. Impetus gained, that too from the new captain.

The old captain wasn’t bad either. Klaasen scored 26 from 13, and Orcas had their 100 by the eighth over and were 137 for 4 at the halfway stage.

It shouldn’t have been tough from there, with just over 100 to get, but wickets fell, and it came down to Hetmyer, who appeared to have hurt his groin not long after walking out.

That didn’t stop him, though. Orcas were always in touch with the asking rate, and Hetmyer stepped it up in the 16th over, taking Delano Potgieter for 18 runs.

MINY hit back via Rushil Ugarkar and Boult, who gave away just three and seven in the next two overs. The equation was now 32 from 12.

Hetmyer hit three sixes off Ehsan Adil to bring the game down to nine needed off six.

But Jasdeep Singh missed connecting with the first two balls from Pollard, both slowers, and after a couple of singles and a double off the fifth ball, it was all or nothing. And for once this season, Orcas avoided coming up with nothing.

Nicholas Pooran scored his fourth T20 ton (Photo: MLC)

Earlier, the start was far from ideal for MI New York after they were asked to bat, Quinton de Kock falling in the first over to Mayers.

Monank Patel did partner Pooran for a stand of 56 runs, which took their powerplay score to 62, but it wasn’t one of Monank’s better days, as he got his 20 from 14 balls, Pooran doing most of the scoring.

Monank’s slowness was shown up big time by his USA team-mate, Tajinder. In fact, Tajinder showed up Pooran too. Their partnership for the third wicket was worth 158 runs, and it came in 68 balls.

Of the 158, Tajinder scored 95. In just 35 balls. How quick was that? He fell trying to pull Gerald Coetzee over deep square leg, but holed out at the ropes. Better connection, and he would have had a 35-ball century.

The MLC record is 34 balls, scored by Finn Allen earlier this season. Of course, Pooran was slow only in comparison. He contributed 60 to the partnership off only 33 balls.

Tajinder Singh made a 35-ball 95 (Photo: MLC)

By the time Tajinder fell, his 95, scored at a strike rate of 271.42 comprising eight fours and eight sixes, Orcas were gasping. The scoreboard read 218 for 3, and three overs were left. And Pooran was still there.

But it unravelled for MI New York from there. Over No. 18, from Mayers, went for just four runs, and included the wicket of Pollard for a two-ball duck. No. 19 went for eight – with Pooran bringing up his century – and the last went for just seven.

That’s 19 from 18, only one of those balls going for a four. Looking back, MINY will know that’s where it went wrong for them. (ESPNcricinfo)

 

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A house and a car were destroyed by fire in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne) on Wednesday, and authorities are treating it as a case of arson.

Keith Chester, a resident of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, told reporters that he left his home at about 20:00 hrs on Wednesday to attend a wake nearby. Just 30 minutes later, he received the shocking news that his property was engulfed in flames. He rushed back immediately.

“When I meet home, my neighbour and them run and out the car and the fire reel come and out the house. So them burn up the car and the fire burn up the ceiling, all upstairs burn up,” Chester stated.

The car was torched too

The New Amsterdam Fire Station was alerted, and firefighters responded swiftly to control the blaze.

Chester recalled a similar incident from three years ago when someone attempted to set his house on fire while he was away. He disclosed that he was contacted about that fire as well, but found his property completely destroyed upon his return.

“Is nah nobody far, is somebody from right around the area because nobody far wouldn’t come and do this Is somebody from not far, is right around here try to burn down me house because they see I progressing all the time,” he said.

Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald told News Room that it is believed that the fire was intentionally set, and investigations are ongoing.

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A fisherman was remanded to prison this week following a murder charge stemming from an incident at a wedding house in Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne), over nine years ago.

On Thursday, 28-year-old Dave Ramnauth, known as Shandy, of Lot ‘B’ 21 Portuguese Quarter, Port Mourant, Corentyne, appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Michelle Mathias.

The court heard that sometime between January 16 to 17, 2016, in Williamsburg Village, Corentyne, Ramnauth committed the murder of Surendra Nauth, also known as “Sham.”

Ramnauth was not required to enter a plea for the indictable charge, and Magistrate Mathias remanded him to prison.

The grave incident unfolded shortly after midnight at a wedding house in Williamsburg, where Nauth and his brother-in-law found themselves in a confrontation over a slashed tire on their vehicle.

In the ensuing altercation, Ramnauth attacked both men with a knife, delivering a fatal stab wound to Nauth’s abdomen and inflicting an additional injury to Bhola’s forehead. Both victims were hastily transported to the New Amsterdam Hospital, but Nauth tragically succumbed to his injuries.

According to police reports, Ramnauth was identified as the prime suspect. Initially believed to have escaped to Suriname after the 2016 incident, he was located and arrested by law enforcement on June 23, 2025, in Stanleytown.

Dave is scheduled to return to court on July 17, 2025, with the case transferred to the Albion Magistrate’s Court for further reports and statements.

The post Berbice fisherman remanded for 2016 wedding house murder appeared first on News Room Guyana.

People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo announced that if reelected, the party will continue its heavy focus on transforming education and roll out new ventures like individualised learning plans backed by artificial intelligence (AI).

“Because with AI…you can have a personalised programme for every single child in primary and secondary schools that will cater for their strengths and weaknesses… this is an exciting thing for the future,” Jagdeo said during his Thursday press conference.

He also noted that the PPP plans to expand financial support for schoolchildren and make the necessary investments to ensure that Guyana has universal secondary education.

“We’ve already made university education free and other tertiary education free, we’re paying for the exams, we’re now going to assist with transportation for children through a grant in the next term so that we can remove the burden from the parents so they can get to school,” Jagdeo, who is also Guyana’s Vice President, noted too.

Next PPP gov’t to introduce transportation grant for students -Jagdeo

The government already covers exam fees for children writing up to eight subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) levels. It has also removed tuition at the University of Guyana, benefiting thousands.

Public investments in the education sector soared from $53 billion in 2020 to $185 billion in 2025.

This year alone, an impressive $36.2 billion was allocated for the construction and rehabilitation of educational facilities across the country. This allocation facilitates major enhancement works on nursery, primary, and secondary schools countrywide, contributing 20,000 additional spaces for students.

The Ministry has also invested heavily in developing smart classrooms in schools across Guyana, while placing renewed focus on technical and vocational education.

The children’s ‘Because we Care’ cash grant and uniform allowance – totaling $55,000 per child – was also reintroduced after it was discontinued by the former APNU+AFC government.

Additionally, the Education Ministry has expanded its national school feeding programme through which close to 90,000 students – particularly those from hinterland regions – receive breakfast and hot meals with a beverage.

 

The post Sweeping education reform, AI-powered learning on cards for next term of PPP gov’t appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), the political party currently in office, will officially launch its election campaign and manifesto sometime in early July, according to its General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.

Jagdeo confirmed this on Thursday during his weekly press conference. He also said the party’s List of Candidates is being finalised.

“We are in the process of vetting candidates.

“This is a major undertaking in a party where you often have for every list maybe 400-500 people more who want to get on the list, than you have space for….everyone wants to be on the list, and you have to disappoint some people….but we are doing this in a democratic way, consulting with activists, the party activists, and supporters on the ground across all 10 Regions,” he explained.

Jagdeo noted that, unlike some political parties struggling to find candidates, the PPP/C faces the opposite challenge with the huge number of persons interested in being candidates.

“Some political parties can’t get people to go on their list. They are having a hard time getting candidates and backers,” he opined.

Jagdeo also revealed that the PPP/C’s manifesto is not being withheld for a single event, as he has been sharing tidbits from it for quite some time now.

He also voiced support for the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) new nomination form, which places the declaration of support at the top of the page.

Nomination Day is scheduled for July 14, 2025. Guyana’s General and Regional Elections are set for September 1, 2025.

The post PPP to launch manifesto, election campaign in July  appeared first on News Room Guyana.

By Kurt Campbell in Abuja

kurt@newsroom.gy 

Standing before African heads of state, policymakers and global financiers on Friday, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett delivered a powerful call for ‘progressive unity’ to steer Africa and the Caribbean towards shared prosperity.

Speaking on day three of the 32nd Annual Afreximbank Meetings at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, Barnett reminded the packed hall that while globalisation promised wealth and stronger ties, the reality for many in the Global South remains a fight for fairer terms.

“Africa is poised for growth,” she declared, “but we must harness our diversity, manage our risks, and speak with one voice in global arenas.”

Barnett urged African and Caribbean leaders to deepen their common cause, saying both regions must overcome the legacies of colonisation and stand together on issues ranging from trade to climate change.

“We are bound by history and values. Let us also be bound by action and common purpose,” she said.

The Secretary-General pointed to clear pathways for meaningful cooperation, stronger trade links, targeted investment, more people-to-people connections and an unwavering push for affordable development financing.

She praised Africa’s recent strides, including the African Union’s seat at the G20 and the operationalisation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, describing these as “signposts on the road to building a truly global coalition for development.”

Her remarks follow mounting calls throughout AAM2025 for the Caribbean to play a bigger role in Africa’s economic future — and vice versa.

“Our challenges are real: trade tensions, policy shocks, and a system that too often leaves us behind,” Barnett said. “But unity is our most powerful currency.”

CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett delivered a powerful call for ‘progressive unity’ to steer Africa and the Caribbean towards shared prosperity. (Photo: Afreximbank/ June 27, 2025)

The Afreximbank’s deepening footprint in the Caribbean, backed by billion-dollar facilities and new partnerships, is widely seen as proof that this once-theoretical Atlantic Bridge is taking real shape.

Barnett’s message is that the future hinges not just on bold ideas, but on bold, shared action.

“If we are to write our own story of development, we must do it together — Africa and the Caribbean, side by side.”

The post CARICOM Secretary General rallies Africa-Caribbean coalition in Abuja appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Guyana is implementing a new biometric electronic identification system, a venture that the country’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, said will help the government track foreigners who are in the country.

“Everyone else who is not Guyanese will have to have a residency card with the same security features with their biometrics too,” Jagdeo said during his Thursday press conference.

The new system involves the issuance of electronic ID cards. In 2023, the government inked a US$34.5 million contract with Veridos, a German-based provider of integrated identity solutions, to implement the system.

Jagdeo acknowledged that the project has been delayed, explaining that integrating the e-ID card system with the passport database has taken more time than expected. Nevertheless, the project should be completed within the next 12 months.

The system, once fully implemented, will also help the government with its issuance of work permits and other necessary documentation for resident identification.

The focus on using this system to help track foreigners comes amid concerns over increasing migration, particularly from Venezuela.

Jagdeo addressed this, stating, “At any given moment, we will know of all of the people who are in our country who are not Guyanese and wherever they’re from. We will have their biometrics too so when we put in the 3,000–4,000 security cameras around the country, we will be able to tell you exactly where they are.”

However, Jagdeo emphasised that hile security is a top concern, compassion remains essential.

“We also want to be compassionate too because at various times in our history, our people sought economic refuge in Venezuela and Suriname,” he said.

He reaffirmed that Venezuelans with Guyanese heritage would not be penalised under the new system. “That’s the Constitution of Guyana. The PPP can’t change that, APNU can’t change that. That’s in our supreme law,” he said.

The ID system will also be used to control access to employment and financial services.

“There would be a prohibition on your opening a bank account without that card. Employers here would have to ensure that people have that card,” he stated.

The electronic ID initiative is part of a broader modernisation push to digitise national services, enhance border control, and improve transparency in public administration.

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President Dr. Irfaan Ali met with residents of Hubu, Region Three on Thursday, where he outlined a number of projects the government will support to boost productivity, improve infrastructure, and diversify income opportunities in the agriculture sector.

The Head of State stated that increasing agricultural productivity requires targeted investments in land development, drainage, and irrigation systems to help farmers produce the best quality crops.

“We will have to invest in your productivity, in your yield, in helping you to reduce your cost in transportation,” he said.

Already, a programme has started that provides every farmer with 35 hours of machine work for drainage and irrigation. Due to high demand, a second machine was acquired, but even that has proven insufficient. The government is now considering bringing in a third machine to serve approximately 70 farmers or subcontracting the service.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali met with residents of Hubu, Region Three on Thursday. (Photo: Office of the President/June 26, 2025)

President Ali also proposed bringing farmers together to create a management company or corporation. Once this is done, the government will invest in and provide machinery that the farmers themselves will manage.

In terms of diversification, President Ali urged farmers to get involved in additional income-generating opportunities.

He referenced the brackish water shrimp industry in Berbice, which earns over $1.5 billion annually. Farmers with swampy lands in Hubu can receive help to develop those lands for brackish water shrimp production. Other opportunities include the government’s caged fishing project.

“Villages like Capoey, for example, they are earning between $5 to $7 million every year now because of the fish cages we placed there,” the President added.

He also shared plans to rejuvenate the coconut industry in the area. And so, the high-yielding Brazilian dwarf coconut trees will be introduced and distributed free of cost.

A major cold storage facility and a central packaging hub was also touted during the meeting.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali met with residents of Hubu, Region Three on Thursday. (Photo: Office of the President/June 26, 2025)

“Everybody who plants coconuts doesn’t need their own plant to do the bottling, we can co invest with you in developing one bottling plant that will service the entire area. And this comes from the same corporation. Then we will have direct export from Parika all the way to the Caribbean,” the President explained.

Another lucrative opportunity highlighted was packaged crab meat. President Ali noted the high demand of this product and said the government is ready to support land conversion for crab production.

A facility will also be built to process all crab meat locally and the farmers could contribute to this.

“We are importing crab meat now, and we have a massive demand because of all the hotels that are being built,” the President said.

President Ali also addressed the current duck shortage in the market. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture started a duck breeding programme.

The head of state explained that participants in the programme will be required to sell hatching duck eggs back to the ministry.

Honey production was also highlighted as a profitable and sustainable venture. “…not only the price but honey doesn’t spoil,” Ali said.

The government is prepared to support any person interested in starting with five hives, offering training and safety equipment to them.

In addition to these agricultural initiatives, 20 high-breeding rams will be made available to farmers in the area to support livestock improvement.

In terms of infrastructure, the design of an inland stelling is underway, and two additional extension officers will be deployed to the area to work directly with farmers.

Further, President Ali announced a new smart surveillance system aimed at giving farmers real-time information.

“By mid next year, all of you who have a phone will be extension officers,” he said.

All farm-to-market access roads in the area will also be upgraded into all-weather roads.

The post From drainage to coconuts: President outlines new support for Hubu farmers appeared first on News Room Guyana.

To ensure citizens with mental health issues who come into conflict with the law are treated with dignity, fairness, and empathy, the country’s first Mental Health Court was launched on Thursday.

There is no physical building designated for the court as yet, so it will be operating through the Georgetown and Bartica Magistrates’ Courts, for now.

Eventually, the aim is to have the service available in all 11 of the magisterial districts.

The overall goal is to decrease the likelihood of individuals reoffending after coming into contact with the criminal justice system.

A section of the gathering at the launch of the mental health court (Photo: AG Anil Nandlall FB/June 26, 2025)

The Mental Health Court was established with technical support and funding from United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF).

Gabriel Vockel, UNICEF area representative (ag) of Guyana and Suriname, said piloting this court is not just the beginning of a new judicial process but is the start of a new era.

Vockel said the court represents an important step forward in ensuring access to justice for all, including those with intellectual disabilities.

“This court is significant as it will recognise the complex intersection of mental illness, intellectual abilities and criminal behaviour. And by adopting a therapeutic model, it will transform the legal system into a real tool not just for correction but for healing and rehabilitation,” Vockel posited.

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall and UNICEF area representative (ag) of Guyana and Suriname, Gabriel Vockel engaged in a discussion (Photo: AG Anil Nandlall FB/June 26, 2025)

The Mental Health Court will add to the list of specialised courts introduced to improve access to justice, including the Family Court, the Drug Treatment Court, and the Juvenile Court.

According to Chief Medical Officer, Dr Narine Singh, the court represents a major step in the country’s efforts to address mental health in a humane, evidence-based, and integrated manner.

“The Mental Health Court is not just a courtroom. It’s a vision. One that recognises that mental health illness should be met with treatment, not punishment.

“Mental illness is not a crime and those who suffer it deserve care, not punishment,” Dr Singh said.

The initiative, Dr Singh said, aligns with the Health Ministry’s ongoing effort to transform its mental health response.

“For too long, individuals with untreated mental health conditions have been caught in the cycle of incarceration and neglect.

“This court is not just a medical or legal advancement. It’s a human rights achievement. It reaffirms our constitutional and moral responsibility,” he said.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall said the establishment of the court aligns with the government’s policy to improve mental health awareness, reduce the prison population, and recidivism.

He added that with the court in place now, the government may have to draft legislation that will outline how the court operates and implement rules that will regulate the court procedural aspect.

Persons at the launch of the mental health court in Bartica

“This court establishes a fact that we have matured significantly as a society.

“Within the mental health care context, access to justice is critical to ensure that persons living with mental illness have their voices heard, can exercise their rights, can challenge discrimination and overall ensure their full and effective role as participants in legal proceedings,” Nandall said.

Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Yonette Cummings-Edwards highlighted that the mental health court will resume operating with a focus on minor offences.

How will it work?

A person will be referred to the Mental Health Court if, after the commissioning of a summary offence, it is determined through assessment that his/her mental illness would have contributed to the commission of the crime.

Upon ensuring that the defendant is fit to plead to the offence, he/she will be required to enter a plea, either admitting or denying the charge. They will then be recommended to a Mental Health Court.

The defendant will meet with a team from the court and will be screened for participation in the mental health court programme. If accepted, a treatment plan will be devised.

Thereafter, if the participant follows through with requirements, including treatment, and is successful, they will be discharged.

However, if the participant fails with treatment and the outcome is not met, then he/she will have to return to the trial court for a penalty to be imposed.

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