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Press Release from the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club

It is with a heavy heart that we announce to you that Terrence ‘Duckling’ Clarke has passed away.

Duckling, as he was fondly called, took his final checkered flag peacefully on Saturday evening at the age of 74.

Clarke was well known and well loved amongst the motor racing community, especially the motor cycle racers and mechanics.

It was motorcycle racing that was his true love, having started racing 50cc bikes in the 1960’s and then 125cc bikes in the decades to follow.

Even as he aged, his love for racing never diminished and he continued to compete in recent years, winning his final championship on the 125cc bikes in 2019.

Clarke has also been one of the pioneers in grasstrack racing in Guyana.

But he wasn’t just a racer. He was an excellent mechanic and mentor to many of the younger generation of motorcycle racers, always there to help fix an issue or offer solid advice.

As if his commitment wasn’t already tremendous, Clarke often gave his time to us as a corner marshal and was always ready to grab a flag.

The legacy of Terrence ‘Duckling’ Clarke will forever be etched into the memory of the motorsport community in Guyana and the Caribbean.

The entire motor racing fraternity extends our sincerest condolences to the friends and family of Clarke.

R.I.P…Race In Peace Clarke!

The GMR&SC will be hosting a wake for Clarke on Tuesday (November 26) at 19:00h at the GT Motorsports Hall, GMR&SC premises, Thomas Lands, Georgetown.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

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Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, recently launched the construction of the $215, 802, 200 George Tancredo Nappi Secondary School in Nappi, Region Nine.

This new educational institution is a transformative project aimed at advancing the quest for universal secondary education in our country and particularly in Guyana’s hinterland regions.

The school will cater to 300 students from the villages of Nappi, Hiawa, and Parishara, offering Grades 7 to 11 and eliminating the need for children to travel to St. Ignatius for secondary education.

The school, named in honor of the late toshao George Tancredo, reflects the community’s desire to commemorate his dream of bringing a secondary school to Nappi. Tancredo tirelessly championed the cause, envisioning a future where children in his village could access quality education close to home.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Manickchand highlighted the significance of this development.

“When you can have a school in this village where your children can be educated safely and comfortably, today the Tancredo dream is coming true. Today, we know the cries and the pleas of George Tancredo will not go in vain, because that’s how we lead. We hear you, we listen to you, and we never fail to take into consideration what it is you want.”

The contract for the project has been awarded to Beerdat Harrinandan through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), following all regulations outlined in the Procurement Act. Construction is scheduled to be completed within nine months.

In her address to the contractor, Minister Manickchand emphasized the importance of timely delivery and high-quality work.

“For you, this is a project, but for us, this is changing lives for the children of Nappi, Hiawa, and Parishara. We want to see good work, which is what you’re being paid to do, and why you signed a contract. We want to see it on time and at cost. Don’t overrun your time, don’t overrun your cost, and give us solid work.” For his part the contractor said he had enough material on the ground to have him continue the works at a pace that would see him finishing as per contractual date.

The construction of the school is also providing employment opportunities for the village, as labor is being sourced exclusively from within the community. This approach ensures that the project benefits local families beyond education, fostering economic growth and community empowerment.

During a meeting with villagers, teachers, parents, and students, Minister Manickchand underscored the government’s commitment to providing the necessary resources for the holistic development of hinterland communities. She described the potential of Nappi and its surrounding villages, emphasizing the importance of education as a pathway to limitless possibilities.

“Your village has the capacity to produce the president of this country, to produce doctors, to produce lawyers, farmers, accountants—anything your children want to be. But you can only achieve that if you have the resources. What are those resources? You need to have a school to sit in. And when you sit in that school, you need a strong, solid, high-quality education with trained teachers. And then we must support your parents and the students to ensure they can benefit fully and enjoy the experience thoroughly.”

The George Tancredo Nappi Secondary School will stand as a symbol of the community’s determination to provide better opportunities for their children. It is part of the Ministry of Education’s larger initiative to achieve Universal Secondary Education in Guyana. In Region Nine alone, seven secondary schools are currently under construction, including Karasabai, Maruranau, Tabatinga, Massara, Yupukari, and Katoka.

These investments reflect the government’s belief that education is the foundation for national progress and individual empowerment. By addressing disparities in access and quality, particularly in hinterland regions, the government aims to create a more equitable education system where every child has the opportunity to thrive.

The George Tancredo Nappi Secondary School will not only provide access to education but also honor a visionary leader whose dream of uplifting his community through education is finally being realized (Ministry of Education press release)

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India completed a stunning 295-run win over Australia in the first Test in Perth to continue their extraordinary run in the country.

They bowled Australia out for 238 in the final session on day four to take a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series.

It means India have now won five and lost only two of their past nine Tests in Australia dating back to their 2018-19 tour.

West Indies are the only other team to have won a Test in Australia in that time.

Australia resumed on 12-3 after a devastating new-ball spell from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj late on day three – and that soon became 17-4 when the latter had Usman Khawaja caught behind off a top-edged pull.

Steve Smith was then superbly set up by Siraj, caught behind for 17 off one that straightened.

Travis Head (89) and Mitchell Marsh (47) counter-attacked but both fell in quick succession in the afternoon session to Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy respectively.

Off-spinner Washington Sundar had Mitchell Starc caught at short leg and bowled Nathan Lyon, before a superb Nitish Rana slower ball deceived Alex Carey to seal the comprehensive win.

India must win three of the next four Tests to guarantee their place in a third successive World Test Championship final.

Australia need five wins across this series and a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka to reach the final.

The second Test is a day-night game in Adelaide and starts on 6 December. (BBC)

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West Indies maintained their control of the Antigua Test despite Bangladesh ending the day on 269 for 9 at stumps on the third day.

The home side hold a lead of 181 runs after Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales and allrounder Justin Greaves nearly did enough to enforce a follow-on on Bangladesh.

A late resistance helped the visitors avoid it, but they remain well on the backfoot after three days of play.

Bangladesh looked to bat steadily on a slow surface, but despite starts, couldn’t find one batter to go big like West Indies achieved in their first innings. Jaker Ali and Mominul Haque got out soon after reaching their fifties, while Litton Das fell for 40.

Jaker and Taijul Islam added 68 runs for the seventh wicket to get Bangladesh closer to the follow-on mark of 251, which they crossed in the day’s last hour.

The visitors started the third morning quietly, with Mominul getting a pair of boundaries off Shamar Joseph. Shortly afterwards, Kemar Roach removed Shahadat Hossain for 18, for which he played 71 balls.

It was an innings going nowhere before he edged to first slip where Kavem Hodge took a low catch.

Mominul and Litton saw to the end of the first session, continuing to bat obdurately.

The usually free-flowing Litton started off with an easy square-cut boundary off Alzarri, but then mostly played within himself. Only in the over before the lunch break, Litton freed his arms to get another cut four, this time off Shamar.

West Indies however got the breakthrough shortly after the lunch break when Seales trapped Mominul lbw after the left-hander reached his 21st fifty.

Stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz then endured a test of bouncers from the West Indies attack, with Alzarri even hitting him on his shoulder. Seales chipped in with his share of bouncers and verbals.

File photo: Mominul Haque struck his 21st Test fifty • Associated Press

Litton also got bogged down, resulting in getting bowled by a slightly short delivery from Shamar that he dragged onto his stumps.

Litton made 40 off 76 balls with three fours, but it was a disappointing exit for one of three experienced Bangladesh batters.

Mehidy struck a couple of boundaries off Greaves and Shamar later in the second session, but the short ball kept bothering him.

After surviving 66 balls, Mehidy finally popped an Alzarri bouncer to short-leg where Mikyle Louis took a comfortable catch.

Then came the unlikely revival act by Taijul and Jaker. The pair did take advantage of a tiring West Indies attack while also being disciplined with their choice of shots.

They had to scavenge for scoring opportunities but were always looking for the odd boundary. They survived a dropped chance apiece too.

Taijul kept using the pace of the West Indians, guiding the ball behind square on the off-side, while Jaker tried to force the issue. Jaker got his four boundaries with the pull shot and the hoick, one of which helped him bring up his fifty.

Joseph separated the pair after they had batted along for 19 overs when he bowled Taijul. Jaker fell to a Seales catch in the deep midwicket boundary, as he tried to clip Greaves for a big one.

There was a bit of by-play between Joseph and Taskin Ahmed towards the end, particularly after the fast bowler hit the Bangladeshi tail-ender on the head.

The two exchanged words, but Joseph couldn’t knock off the tenth Bangladesh wicket against the fading light.

West Indies came into the third day on the back of a fine batting performance on the first two days.

They continue to have control of proceedings at North Sound going into the penultimate day and will want rain to stay away in pursuit of a result. (ESPNcricinfo) 

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In an extraordinary conclusion to the Super50 Cup one-day tournament in the West Indies, the finalists – Barbados Pride and Jamaica Scorpions – decided not to turn up for the toss and forfeit the final in Tarouba instead.

This came after heavy spells of rain reduced the match to a 20-overs-a-side contest. As a result of the teams’ no-show, the trophy went unawarded.

The game was scheduled to start at 1pm local time on Saturday but, as the tournament organisers explained in a statement, “scattered showers began at the ground around midday, forcing the first indefinite delay to the start of proceedings”.

Elaborating on the sequence of events, the statement said: “Match referee Reon King, in conjunction with the umpiring team, informed both teams that the latest possible start time was 6.17pm, at which point the game would be played as a 20-overs-a-side contest.

However, around 5.45pm, the officiating team determined that the game could proceed at the latest possible start time of 6.17pm.

They informed the players of this and that the toss would be conducted at 6pm.

“Despite assurances from the umpires and match referee that the conditions were safe for play, both captains failed to be present for the toss, allowing time to elapse past the latest starting point.

As a result, both teams failed to take the field, effectively refusing to play. This resulted in a double forfeit, with no champion being declared.”

Cricket West Indies will now review the tournament regulations, with a double-forfeiture being an unprecedented occurrence.

Barbados got to the final having beaten defending Super50 champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force by 153 runs in the semis, while Jamaica Scorpions beat Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 107 runs to earn their ticket to the final.st deal. (ESPNcricinfo)

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In the wee hours of Sunday, Police swooped in on a group of persons in front of a popular nightclub on Middleton Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, and nabbed Jason Carmichael with an illegal gun.

Police said ranks went to the location at about 03:15 hours, acting on information received.

“The Police team disembarked a force vehicle where they saw a group of persons gathered on the roadway outside the bar,” the statement said.

Police approached the group and Carmichael, a 38-year-old businessman of Lamaha Park, was found nabbed with a .38 revolver which contained one .38 spent shell. The serial number was filed off on the firearm.

Carmichael was asked if he was a licensed firearm holder and he reportedly told Police, “I got the firearm from another Rasta man.”

He was subsequently arrested and escorted to the Kitty Police Station.

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Police are investigating an alleged shooting committed on a 17-year-old labourer of ‘B’ Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

The shooting occurred about 02:30 hours Sunday at ‘A’ Field, Sophia Access Road by two unidentified males dressed in dark-coloured clothing, wearing face masks, on a black XR motorcycle.

Investigations have so far revealed that the 17-year-old victim and another 17-year-old male from ‘B’ Field, Sophia were on a red motorcycle bearing registration #CP 24, heading south on ‘A’ Field Access Road when the two suspects approached them from the opposite direction.

“The 17-year-old, who was riding the motorcycle, tried to divert the suspects, after which he and his 17-year-old pillion rider heard two loud explosions which sounded like gunshots. The 17-year-old pillion rider felt a burning sensation in his left lower thigh, and upon checking, observed what appeared to be blood,” Police said in a press statement.

The two Sophia teens then proceeded to the Georgetown Public Hospital where the pillion rider received medical attention.

The area was canvassed for CCTV cameras, but none was found. Several persons were questioned, but no useful information could be obtained.

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