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A star-studded line-up of veteran footballers is set for a nostalgic showdown this Sunday as the Oliver Hinckson Memorial Knockout Over-40 Football Tournament takes centre stage at the GFF Artificial Turf, National Training Centre in Providence.

Organised by Thomas United Masters, the one-day event on May 25 promises a blend of memories and competitive action. It kicks off at 10:00 AM and runs until 8:30 PM local time.

Thirteen teams packed with experienced campaigners will battle it out for top honours and many attractive prizes.

The teams involved include Beacon FC, Charlestown United, Club 45, Guyana Defence Force Masters, Heat of Oak (Berbice), Linden Elite Masters, N.T.C Masters, Park Squad, hosts Thomas United Masters, Mainstay Masters, Campton FC Masters, One Love Masters, and Westside Masters.

The stakes are high, with the winners set to pocket a significant GYD$200,000, generously donated by The Hinckson Family, alongside a trip for 20 to the Koriabo Island Adventure Resort.

The runners-up will receive GYD$75,000, while third place, sponsored by Guyana Breweries, will take home GYD$50,000. The fourth-placed team will also receive GYD$30,000.

Individual awards are also up for grabs. The tournament’s Most Valuable Player will receive a GYD$ 20,000 voucher from Tami’s Online Store.

The Best Goalkeeper and the Most Goal Scorer will each win an ATV ride from The Off Road Experience and Savannah Tours, plus a Sunset ATV Tour for two.

The tournament has received significant backing from the local business community, with sponsors including the Guyana Football Federation, Banks DIH (Banks Beer), Full Works (Blue Spring Water), Guyana Breweries Inc. (Rockstone Hard wine), Richard Hing, Ryan Fung, Alpha 7 mini mart, Sigma Digital, and 3S Legacy Enterprise.

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Over 286 athletes, including returning US-based scholarship holders, will compete at the ninth edition of the Guyana Overseas-Based Sports Association (GOBSA) Independence Track and Field Classic on May 24 at the National Track and Field Facility, West Coast Demerara.

The meet, David Thomas’s brainchild, promises a full day of competition, scheduled to commence promptly at 09:30h.

Altethics Association of Guyana (AAG) First Vice-President, Mark Scott, confirmed the strong registration numbers and highlighted the presence of returning talent. “So far, we have 286 athletes registered for this meet.

We have overseas-based Guyanese on scholarships; they’re here for the meet. For example, we have Cassie Small and Revon Williams, two names who will be competing on Saturday.”

Scott also elaborated on the introduction of the hurdles events, “This is the brainchild of what we had recently with the training programme with Mr Sanchez, the two-time Olympian. It was not initially on the programme, we thought it best that it should be included in this programme.”

The inclusion of the men’s 110m hurdles and the women’s 100m hurdles will be a major highlight of this year’s event.

This decision follows a successful elite training programme conducted by former Olympic champion Felix Sanchez, a camp supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Competition will be fierce across four categories: Under-12, Under-15, Under-18, and 18 and older.

While younger athletes in the U-12 and U-15 divisions will be vying for medals, the U-18 competitors will be rewarded with cash vouchers and prizes such as electronic tablets.

The senior athletes in the 18 and older category will compete for significant cash prizes, with $30,000 awarded for first place, $25,000 for second, and $20,000 for third.

Spectators are encouraged to attend, and the admission fee is $500 for children and $1000 for adults.

The post Over 280 athletes show interest in GOBSA Track and Field Meet appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Global footwear icon BATA is making a stylish return to the Guyanese market with the opening of its flagship store at Giftland Mall, East Coast Demerara.

This exciting re-entry marks the revival of a beloved brand that holds deep sentimental value for many Guyanese. The relaunch not only rekindles those nostalgic connections but also introduces a new generation of Guyanese consumers to the brand’s modern, stylish, and diverse collections.

“This is more than just the launch of another shoe store – it’s a homecoming,” said Francis Cumberbatch, CEO of the franchise. “Generations of Guyanese have grown up wearing these shoes, and now we’re excited to showcase how the brand has evolved — blending its legacy of quality with today’s fashion-forward styles and comfort.”

Pankaj Gupta, Head of International Franchise at BATA, added: “We’re thrilled to reestablish BATA’s presence in Guyana. The brand has always enjoyed strong emotional equity in the Caribbean, and this launch is a reflection of our strategy to grow in markets where we see long-term potential. Our focus is to offer Guyanese customers a world-class retail experience and access to our latest global collections.”

BATA operates in both emerging and established markets, adapting to local needs without losing sight of its global approach. From Europe to Asia, Africa, and the Americas, the brand has earned the trust of millions of customers by offering products that combine comfort, durability, and design. With a wide variety of styles, brands, and categories, the company offers a broad range of products, including casual, athletic, formal, and specialized footwear.

Its associated brands — Bata Red Label, Bata Comfit, Power, North Star, and Bubblegummers — cater to the specific needs of men, women, and children. Every product reflects BATA’s commitment to excellence and attention to detail. The new BATA stores in Guyana will carry a curated mix of these collections, offering stylish, high-quality footwear for every occasion and every generation.

Following the Giftland Mall opening, BATA plans to expand its footprint across Guyana with additional stores in New Amsterdam, Linden, Bartica, and Lethem.

Founded in 1894, BATA has grown into the world’s largest footwear company, with a strong global presence in over 90 countries and more than 5,000 retail stores. Over the decades, BATA has evolved with changing consumer needs while staying true to its core values of durability, affordability, and innovation.

 

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[BBC] – Out of 186 countries, only Guyana produces enough food to self-sufficiently feed all its citizens without foreign imports, according to new research.

The study, published in Nature Food, investigated how well each country could feed their populations in seven food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, plant-based protein and starchy staples.

Worldwide, the study found that 65 per cent of countries were overproducing meat and dairy, compared to their own population’s dietary needs.

It also found that Guyana, located in South America, was the only country that could boast total self-sufficiency, while China and Vietnam were close behind, being able to produced enough food in six out of seven food groups.

Just one in seven of the tested countries were judged self-sufficient in five or more categories.

At the same time, there was a global shortfall in nutrient-dense plants, with less than half of countries involved in the study producing enough plant-based protein – such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts and seeds – or starchy carbs, and only 24 per cent growing enough vegetables.

Europe and South America were generally closer to being self-sufficient than other countries. But small island states, countries on the Arabian Peninsula and low-income countries were more likely to rely on foreign imports for food.

And six countries – Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Macao, Qatar and Yemen – did not produce enough of any food group to be considered self-sufficient in that category.

“Low self-sufficiency is not inherently bad,” Dr Jonas Stehl – researcher at Göttingen and first author of the study – told BBC Science Focus. “There are valid and often beneficial reasons why a country may not produce the majority of the food it needs.”

For instance, a country might not have enough rain, good-quality soil or stable temperatures to grow enough food for its population.

Stehl said it could be cost-effective, too, to import food from regions better suited to producing it.

“However, low levels of self-sufficiency can reduce a country’s capability to respond to sudden global food supply shocks such as droughts, wars or export bans,” he said.

To find this out, a team at the University of Göttingen, Germany and the University of Edinburgh, UK measured how much food each country produced.

Then they compared this to what was needed to meet their citizens’ nutritional requirements, according to the World Wildlife Fund’s Livewell diet.

The Livewell diet describes itself as “a flexible diet that involves rebalancing our protein consumption toward plants, eating more vegetables, pulses and wholegrains, and fewer foods high in fat, salt and sugar.”

Debates about the advantages of self-sufficiency have risen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic or the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war – when instability disrupted the reliable supply of food to importing countries.

Stehl added that the “resurgence in interest” in national food self-sufficiency might also reflect broader political shifts, “including growing nationalism and a desire among some to reduce dependence on foreign countries.”

Stehl said: “Building resilient food supply chains is imperative for ensuring public health.”

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Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said there is no special treatment for any group, and sought to debunk claims that the government is embracing more Chinese businesses and operations than any other group.

At his weekly press conference, Jagdeo debunked claims that the Chinese are dominating quarry and sand production activities. He acknowledged that the number of operators in the sector increased owing to the growing demand; there are now 16 quarries as opposed to six in 2020, and production surged from 740,000 tonnes annually to 3.3 million tonnes.

However, Jagdeo emphasised that the new licensees are Guyanese, not Chinese.

“It’s a fallacy, it’s fiction,” he said.

For sand production, there are now 67 holders compared to 18 in 2020. There has been a similar surge in sand production and Guyanese are involved in this venture.

The demand for these materials increased significantly over the past several years as the government’s facilitates and pursues robust development. Though Chinese are involved in some large publicly-funded projects like the new Demerara Harbour Crossing and a mega solar farm in Linden, Jagdeo explained that many of the publicly-funded projects go to locals and other nationalities.

In the private sector, there are Chinese companies executing projects and Chinese workers assisting. The construction of many new hotels, Jagdeo said, involved the Chinese.

“They contract them because the Chinese may be able to do it faster and in some cases, cheaper,” he noted but emphasised, “There must be no special treatment for anyone.”

Previously, Jagdeo spoke about the number of Chinese supermarkets opened all across the country. He again spoke about this at Thursday’s press conference, reiterating that the government is serious about ensuring that the Chinese comply with all regulations and get the licenses they need- such as liquor licenses- before they engage in any of these operations.

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Businessman – 39-year-old Randy Jagdeo of Alexander Village – has been charged with inciting persons to commit treason, following a controversial Facebook post and inflammatory signage at his retail business. The charge stems from an alleged violation under Section 314 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01.

Jagdeo was arrested on Wednesday by detectives and brought before the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court this morning, where he faced Magistrate Bess. The court heard that Jagdeo’s actions, both online and in physical signage, were considered by authorities to have potentially seditious implications, particularly relating to the sensitive territorial issue of the Essequibo region.

During the hearing, the Prosecutor strongly objected to bail, citing the gravity of the charge and the broader implications for national security. However, the Magistrate granted Jagdeo bail in the sum of $350,000, imposing strict conditions: he must report to the head of the Police Cyber Crimes Unit at Eve Leary on the third Friday of every month, refrain from any activity on social media platforms, and lodge his passport with the court. The case has been adjourned until June 16.

Jagdeo has faced intense backlash from the public following a Facebook comment in which he declared that Essequibo belongs to Venezuela—a highly provocative and factually incorrect statement, given that the region is internationally recognised as part of Guyana. Public outrage intensified after it was revealed that his business, the ‘Thousand Dollar Store’ located on the East Bank of Demerara, had displayed signage featuring the official ‘One Guyana’ logo paired with a map that conspicuously excluded the Essequibo region.

The post Businessman Randy Jagdeo on $350K bail for inciting treason  appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Anthony Drayton has emerged victorious in Guyana’s inaugural Chess 960 Freestyle Tournament, recently held at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre in Georgetown.

The event, hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) and sponsored by Brava Solutions, introduced a creative variation of classical chess.

Drayton, a familiar face at the top of the podium, played unbeaten through nine intense rounds, securing first place with an impressive 8.5 points.

His only draw came against long-time teammate CM Taffin Khan.

Khan, the defending champion of the upcoming National Open Championships, finished in second place with 7.5 points. His sole defeat was to current Junior Champion Ricardo Narine, with his draw against Drayton.

Fourteen-year-old CM Sachin Pitamber secured third place with 7 points, further cementing his reputation as a rising talent in Guyanese chess.

Other notable performances included:

• Kyle Couchman (15): Fourth place with 6 points.
• Ricardo Narine (20): Fifth place with 6 points, including a notable win against Khan.
• Woman Candidate Master Jessica Callender: Best female prize with 5 points.
• Alek Ubaldo-Singh: Also gained 6 points.
• Matthew Persaud: A newcomer, scored 5.5 points.
• Joshua Gopaul and Kishan Puran: Rounded out the top ten with 5 points each.

GCF President Anand Raghunauth praised the tournament for challenging players to think unconventionally. The top twelve boards were live-streamed, showcasing the innovative format.

Chess action in Guyana continues with the National Open Chess Championships, set to begin on Saturday, May 24, at the David Rose Special School.

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Gulf Valve and Piping proudly handed a sponsorship cheque to the University of Guyana Trojans.

The contribution will enable the team to participate in a highly anticipated basketball exchange in St. Lucia from June 2 to 9.

The Trojans, known for their dedication and competitive spirit, will represent Guyana internationally, fostering camaraderie and athletic development through this exchange programme.

This generous support from Gulf Valve and Piping ensures that the team can focus on its game and seize the opportunity to elevate its skills and showcase its talent.

The University of Guyana Trojans extend their profound gratitude to Randy Huntley, Managing Director of Gulf Valve and Piping, and his dedicated team for their timely and invaluable assistance.

Their commitment to youth sports development in Guyana is commendable and deeply appreciated.

As the team prepares for this exciting opportunity, they remain hopeful that additional sponsors will come forward to support their journey.

With responses from other potential partners still pending, the Trojans continue to seek further assistance to ensure a successful and enriching exchange.

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Years after they were sentenced to death and long after their appeals were filed, attorney Nigel Hughes is pressing the Court of Appeal to continue hearing the case of two Bartica massacre convicts, despite their deaths.

Hughes’ efforts are particularly focused on Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie,” whose name he hopes can be cleared and whose reputation he hopes to restore, even posthumously, with a final determination of the appeal.

Williams was shot dead by members of the Joint Services in June 2023 following his escape from the Mazaruni Prison. His co-appellant, Dennis Williams, known as “Anaconda,” has also since passed away. Both men were convicted in February 2017 of the brutal 2008 Bartica massacre in which 12 people, including three police officers, were killed during an hour-long rampage.

Attorney Nigel Hughes

Despite their deaths, Hughes argues that justice still demands that their appeal be heard—at least in the case of Royden Williams.

Hughes suggested that there is a matter of reputation and fairness that does not die with a person, implying that the court has a role to play in posthumous vindication if warranted.

However, the State, represented by Prosecutor Diana O’Brien, firmly opposed continuing the appeal. O’Brien argued before the Court of Appeal on Thursday that proceeding with the matter would amount to a waste of state resources and judicial time.

The case was called before Justices Dawn Gregory, Rishi Persaud, and Joanne Barlow. Notably, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who had previously presided over the matter, recused herself in an earlier hearing due to prior involvement in the case during its time in the High Court. She was replaced by Justice Gregory.

The original convictions stemmed from a night of terror in February 2008, when gunmen stormed the riverside town of Bartica, executing a deadly assault that left police officers Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne, and civilians Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian, Irving Ferreira, Deonarine Singh, Ronald Gomes, Ashraf Khan, Abdool Yasseen, Errol Thomas, and Baldeo Singh dead.

Following their conviction, Royden and Dennis Williams filed notices of appeal on February 16, 2017, claiming their trials were unfair and that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.

Another co-accused, Roger “Goat Man” Simon, was acquitted of all charges. Two others, cousins Clebert Reece (“Chi Chi”) and Michael Caesar (“Capone”), pleaded guilty to lesser charges of manslaughter and received sentences of 35 and 60 years, respectively. They too have appealed their sentences.

During Thursday’s hearing, attorney Dexter Smartt, representing Reece and Caesar, requested more time to file submissions on their behalf. While the State has made it clear that the deceased appellants should not tie up the court, it acknowledges that Caesar and Reece still await judgment on their appeals.

The Court of Appeal has adjourned the case to July 17 for final arguments and submission of any outstanding documents. Whether the appeal for the deceased Williams will proceed remains uncertain—but Hughes’s push to clear his client’s name continues.

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