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The Maid Marian Wheat Up Women’s Cup 2024 has reached a pivotal stage as four teams have officially advanced to the semi-finals, continuing their quest for championship glory.

Leading the charge are Guyana Defence Force A, Fruta Conquerors FC, Guyana Defence Force B and Police Force A, each proving their strength and resilience in the competition so far.

The excitement on the field was palpable during the quarter-final clashes. Fruta Conquerors FC showcased their tenacity with a 1-0 victory against Herstelling Raiders FC in a closely contested match. Their goal was scored by Fiona Gibbs.

In another nail-biting encounter, Anastasia Horsam of the Guyana Defence Force B netted a goal as they triumphed 1-0 over the Junior Lady Jags, solidifying their position as strong contenders for the title.

The tournament, which has brought together some of the best talents in local women’s football, has also provided a platform for players to share their voices.

Reflecting on the experience, many players expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete while emphasizing the need for continued investment in the women’s game.

Aliyah Christie of the Guyana Defence Force B shared, “We’re looking for furthermore sponsors to invest in women’s football (and) we’d like to thank NAMILCO and GBI for making this tournament possible.”

As anticipation builds for the semi-finals, the focus shifts to the rivalries ahead. With each team bringing unique strengths to the competition, fans are promised an exhilarating continuation of the tournament.

The semi-finals and finals of the Maid Marian Wheat Up Women’s Cup 2024 are scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at the National Training Facility in Providence.

Fans are invited to witness the culmination of the tournament. (GFF Press Release)

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India will play their Champions Trophy 2025 matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The decision, though widely expected, was finalised after Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, met with Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak in Pakistan.

Sheikh Nahyan is a senior UAE minister and also the head of the Emirates Cricket Board.

“The PCB has picked the UAE as a neutral venue for the Champions Trophy,” PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said.

The Pakistan vs India league match will be played on February 23, a Sunday. Apart from Pakistan, the other two teams in India’s group are Bangladesh and New Zealand.

India will face Bangladesh on February 20, and New Zealand on March 2. All these games are likely to be held in Dubai.

Pakistan, the defending champions, will kick off the tournament on February 19, against New Zealand in Karachi.

Pakistan’s last league match, against Bangladesh, will be played in Rawalpindi on February 27.

The second group has Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa. The matches for both groups- apart from the India games- will be played across Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.

The two semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 (without a reserve day) and March 5 (with a reserve day). The final on March 9 also has a reserve day.

The first semi-final, if India make it to that stage, will be played in the UAE. If India don’t qualify, the game will be held in Pakistan. The final is slotted for Lahore, with the provision of holding it in the UAE if India make it that far.

The hybrid model was finalised after the parties involved agreed that, in return, Pakistan’s matches at ICC events hosted by India till 2027 will also be at a neutral venue.

In all instances, knockout games such as the semi-final and the final will also be held at neutral venues.

The agreement begins with the Champions Trophy, and will apply to the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in India, and the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

It will also apply to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, the first tournament of the next events cycle that has now been awarded to Pakistan. (ESPNcricinfo)

 

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Former President David Granger on Sunday claimed that he never declared victory in the 2020 General and Regional Elections but a video captured days after the elections contradicts his assertions.

In a letter in Sunday’s edition of the Stabroek Newspaper, Granger said, “I affirm that I have never ‘declared victory’ in the General and Regional Elections 2020 and I never hosted a victory party.”

He further added: “I wish to point out that the APNU+AFC’ Coalition’s campaign headquarters was located on Lamaha St. and the witness might have mistakenly assumed that the persons who had assembled there to await the elections results were at a victory party.”

In a video from March 5, 2020- just two days after voting day- Granger could be seen thanking hundreds of supporters who gathered on Lamaha Street, Georgetown, to celebrate what was described as the coalition’s victory.

“Tonight, the APNU and AFC have come to tell you thanks. We worked hard and we covered all of the regions. You know what we stand for and you have supported us,” Granger told the supporters in the video.

He even went further to state that the APNU+AFC government would make life better for Guyanese during its second term in office, that is from 2020 to 2025.

“Over the next five years, we are going to make life better for you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. The APNU thanks you. The AFC thanks you,” the former President said.

It wasn’t only Granger who declared victory. Several other prominent APNU+AFC members claimed victory, though Statements of Poll (SOPs) indicated otherwise. It was the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) that had won the elections.

In the weeks and months that followed the elections, it was apparent that several actors, be it from the APNU+AFC coalition or the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) attempted to rig the elections in favour of the coalition.

In so doing, votes for the APNU+AFC coalition were inflated, and those for the PPP/C, deflated.

After several local, regional, and international observers including the diplomatic corps and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) voiced strong objections and a national recount showed a victory for the PPP, the coalition walked back its claim of a victory and started a campaign to discredit the elections.

Former APNU+AFC Minister and son-in-law of Granger, Dominic Gaskin, was one of the persons who condemned the rigging and called on the coalition to concede.

It was only after five months, in August 2020, that it was officially announced that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) won the elections and Irfaan Ali would be sworn in as President.

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The second power ship that the Government of Guyana brought to the country is expected to be fully connected and operational before Christmas, thus eliminating power outages during the holiday season.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips toured the ship on Sunday morning in company of Guyana Power and Light (GPL) officials.

While providing an update to the media at the ship, docked at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) terminal at Ruimveldt, he shared that power will be available, as planned, for Christmas.

“In keeping with our promise to the people of Guyana, we said we are going to bring additional power for Christmas. Based on the briefing that I received this morning, we are on target. Soon we will be connecting to the ship,” he said.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips being updated on the work of the power ship on Sunday. (Photo: Kirth Cadogan/News Room/December 22, 2024)

He appealed for patience on the part of those people who are suffering from power outages as a result of this project.

“It’s a controlled power outage to ensure that we connect and test, so when we are ready to evacuate, it will be a smooth evacuation of power and everybody will have more electricity, more power for Christmas.

“This is the hard part. We are asking the people to bear with us. We know the inconvenience being caused by this project. All things being equal, there will be no blackout for Christmas; no need for low shedding,” he added.

Head of Executive Management of GPL Kesh Nandlall said no major issues are anticipated in starting up the ship.

“We are here at the shipping terminal where the interconnection from the power ship has already been done from the new transmission line we have built. We have to do some testing… we are doing our protection testing and we have to do some capacity testing on the vessel,” he explained.

Bharat Harjohn, Deputy CEO Strategic Operations at GPL informed that the length of the line that is connecting the power ship to the substation is about 3.5 kilometers.

“We have about 22 structures. We have also a double circuit coming from the power ship to the substation. This power will be injecting at the new Georgetown substation and the remainder would go to our Sophia location which will interconnect to the entire grid.”

According to him, the final connection of that line should be completed today and testing will commence. They are also hoping to start up the engines and do all the preliminary checks to ensure readiness.

This power ship will add a crucial 60 MW of power to the national grid. Kalpataru Projects International, one of India’s largest engineering and construction companies, has been contracted to manage the power ship.

Initially, the power ship will contribute 60 megawatts of generating capacity to the grid. In its second phase, an additional 15 megawatts will be added, bringing the total to 75 megawatts.

The power from this ship will add to electricity already being supplied by another power ship.

In May, a 36-megawatt (MW) power ship was sourced to feed power into the GPL grid to help supply extra power needed locally and already. Already though, the demand for power has grown; as such, this second power ship was sourced.

Beyond these power ships, which are more temporary power supply options, a major natural gas project is being developed. That project is expected to supply about 300MW of power, an amount nearly equivalent to current supply.

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In a thrilling finale to the One Guyana President’s Cup Squash Championships, Nicollette Fernandes and Jason-Ray Khalil clinched the Men’s and Women’s singles titles.

In a captivating women’s final, Fernandes, the former world number 19 and 2006 CAC Games gold medallist, showcased her enduring talent against Mary Fung-A-Fat.

While Fung-A-Fat displayed tenacity and skillful drop shots, the 41-year-old Fernandes demonstrated exceptional court coverage, precise shot selection, and powerful backhand drives, ultimately winning in straight sets: 11-5, 11-7, 11-1.

The men’s final provided a similarly intense contest. Khalil overcame a first-game deficit to defeat Shomari Wiltshire 3-1.

Wiltshire took the opening game 11-8, but Khalil responded strongly, winning the next three games 11-6, 11-7, and a closely fought 13-11 to secure his second men’s singles title.

Other notable results:

• Emily Fung-A-Fat claimed titles in both the Girls’ U15 and U19 categories.
• Zion Hickerson won the Boys’ U15 final.
• Demetri Lowe secured the Boys’ U19 title.
• Ashley Khalil and Ashley DeGroot won the Women’s Doubles.
• Alex Arjoon and Jason-Ray Khalil won the Men’s Doubles.

FULL RESULTS: https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Presidents-Cup-Squash-2024

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: https://www.facebook.com/newsroomgy/posts/pfbid02qm9b2n3jvLN9SNYUY2RV6MsxZakByribUPybL6Qh99TR6JQrBiKzwmHrNSuzqdnWl

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Dr. Irfaan Ali, Guyana’s President and member of the People’s Progressive Party Civic’s (PPP/C) Central Executive Committee, strongly believes that the party will win the next elections, doing so with a substantial margin.

The President opined that many more individuals and communities are embracing the party, even in spaces that may have traditionally been perceived as ‘resistant’ to the PPP. And so he believes that growing support will be reflected in the polls.

“That resistance is completely gone.

“I’ve seen tremendous changes and it is going to be reflected in the votes in 2025. Let me tell you, very frankly, it’s going to be reflected huge. We’re gonna win the elections with a huge margin,” the President said in the yearend interview.

Dr. Ali, who was interviewed by five women journalists, said the growing support for him and the party has been humbling.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali engaging five women journalists in a yearend interview (Photo: Office of the President/ December 20, 2024)

“That is not being egotistical in any way. That is being honest and I am very humbled by this because I am humble by the love and support that the people across every community (are) giving us, (that) they’re giving me and the People’s Progressive Party Civic,” the Head of State shared.

He added, “They are seeing for themselves the changes taking place in their communities. People can’t be fooled easily anymore.”

Still, the President explained that his goal is not merely to win the next elections and be re-elected. For him, the focus is on guaranteeing that Guyana is a more united, prosperous country wherein citizens uphold the provisions of the constitution and democracy.

Guyana’s next General and Regional Elections will be held in 2025. The PPP/C secured the most votes at the last elections, held in March, 2020. Dr. Ali, the party’s Presidential candidate, was sworn-in as President in August 2020.

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India’s dominance was on full display in the first One Day International (ODI) against the West Indies Women on Sunday, as they cruised to a commanding 211-run victory.

India posted a formidable total of 314 for 9, with key contributions from Smriti Mandhana (91) and Harmanpreet Kaur (34), while Renuka Singh’s exceptional 5-29 dismantled the West Indies’ batting line-up, sending them crashing to just 103 all out.

India’s innings had a slow start, particularly with debutant Pratika Rawal (40) struggling early in her partnership with Mandhana.

The pair added 110 runs for the opening wicket, but Rawal had plenty of fortune on her side.

She survived a clear caught-behind opportunity off Hayley Matthews when the West Indies failed to review, and then later escaped a run-out chance that could have seen her dismissed in the powerplay.

Despite her early struggles, Rawal found some rhythm, supported by Mandhana’s consistency at the other end.

Mandhana, after a cautious start, powered through to her 28th half-century, guiding India to a more comfortable position. However, her dismissal on 91—lbw to left-arm spinner Zaida James—halted her progress just shy of a well-deserved century.

James, in fact, was a standout performer for the West Indies, finishing with career-best figures of 5 for 45.

Zaida James finished with 5 for 45 in eight overs•Dec 22, 2024•BCCI

Her efforts with the ball in the latter stages of India’s innings helped keep the score manageable, despite the middle-order hitting from Harleen Deol (40), Harmanpreet Kaur (34), Richa Ghosh (26), and Jemimah Rodrigues (31).

The final flourish from India’s lower order—guided by Ghosh and Rodrigues—pushed their total past 300, a daunting challenge for the West Indies to chase.

Despite a series of wickets towards the end, India’s late acceleration brought them 160 runs in the final 20 overs, setting an imposing target.

In reply, the West Indies Women never looked like mounting a serious challenge, with only four batters reaching double figures. Renuka Singh was the star of the show, claiming five wickets, including a crucial spell that saw her take 5 for 29.

Afy Fletcher (24), Shemaine Campbell (21), Aaliyah Alleyne (11), and Karishma Rahmarack (11) were the only batters who showed any resistance against the Indian attack.

The West Indies’ chase got off to a poor start as they lost early wickets, with only a handful of partnerships lasting long enough to keep them in the game.

Fletcher and Campbell fought briefly, but India’s bowlers, spearheaded by Singh, made regular breakthroughs.

Singh’s superb performance marked the beginning of the end for the West Indies as they were dismissed for just 103 in only 36.2 overs, falling well short of the mammoth target.

Renuka Singh’s 5 for 29 were her best figures in ODIs • BCCI

While Zaida James’ bowling had earned her a maiden five-wicket haul, it wasn’t enough to lift the West Indies.

India’s ability to find wickets at key moments, coupled with a lack of depth in the West Indies’ batting order, ensured a comfortable win for the visitors.

India’s comprehensive win, which came off the back of a strong middle-order showing and a devastating spell from Renuka Singh, has given them the early advantage in the series.

The West Indies Women will need to regroup and find a way to counter the Indian attack if they are to mount a challenge in the remaining ODIs. (SportsMax) 

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A young footballer competing in the KFC Goodwill International Tournament in Guyana is set for a life-changing opportunity: a fully-funded, three-month training stint at Brazil’s Academia de Futebol Real.

The prestigious placement, sponsored by the Brazilian organisation itself, will see one talented player immerse themselves in a professional football environment.

Talent scout and sports consultant Narada Wilson, who works with the Brazilian academy, has been closely watching the tournament.

At a press conference announcing the opportunity, Wilson explained the benefits of the programme: “We bring top players into our professional environment in Brazil, where they receive intensive training. This exposure to a high level of professionalism has consistently shown positive results in player development.”

Troy Mendonca, Co-Director of the Petra Organisation, which is involved in organising the tournament, spoke of his pride in facilitating the opportunity. “Over the years, this tournament has provided a platform for young players to showcase their talent,” he said. “Having someone like Narada Wilson select one player for this incredible opportunity is a testament to what we’ve built.”

The lucky player will travel to Brazil next year.

 

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St Benedict’s College from Trinidad and Tobago, the Intercol champions, will face Chase’s Academic Foundation, the U18 league champions, in the fifth KFC International Under-18 Secondary Schools Goodwill Football Series.

The match, dubbed the “Clash of the Champions”, will occur on the Ministry of Education ground.

On Saturday, players and coaches from both sides gathered at a KFC restaurant in Vlissengen Street for a pre-match event.

Chase’s Academic Foundation coach Orande Chase and captain Bryan Wharton met with St Benedict’s coach Lewis and captain Darrel Garcia.

Representatives from KFC, football scouts, and tournament organisers were also present.

Both teams have performed strongly throughout the six-day tournament to reach the final.

St Benedict’s College remains unbeaten, while Chase’s Academic Foundation is looking for a victory after previous encounters.

The two sides have played each other three times before.

Naranda Wilson, a scout from Futebol Real Brazil, praised the standard of the tournament.

“This tournament provides excellent opportunities…offering competitions of the highest level,” he said. He added that he hoped to give players the chance to experience South American football.

 Wilson also commended the organisers, the Petra Organisation, and sponsors KFC, saying the tournament was “undoubtedly the best in our region”.

Nafeeza Latif-Boston from the Petra Organisation thanked KFC for their five years of support.

She highlighted the international nature of this year’s series, with teams from Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Suriname competing.

The final will be from 19:30h, while the third place playoff – Calrendon College from Jamaica and Annai Secondary –  will be from 17:30h.

The stakes are high for this year’s tournament, as the winners will take home a cash prize of US$5,000 and a hand-sculpted wooden trophy.

Notably, this trophy will be a lien, meaning a team must win the competition at least three times to claim it permanently.

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Andre Coley says that while he is disappointed he wasn’t given a longer run as head coach of the West Indies Test team, he accepts that recent unfavourable results blighted his chances.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced on Monday that Coley’s tenure, which began in 2023, is to end with the two-Test tour of Pakistan in January 2025, months before his contract is set to expire in June.

Daren Sammy, the West Indies white-ball head coach and former two-time Twenty20 (T20) World Cup-winning captain, is to take over the red-ball team ahead of the three-Test home series against Australia in mid 2025.

The West Indies Test team — ranked eighth in the world — has been without many of the Caribbean’s more talented players in recent years, predominantly because they have opted to compete in lucrative T20 and T10 franchise leagues.

Under Coley’s guidance, an inexperienced West Indies team pulled off a stunning 1-1 result away to heavyweights Australia at the start of the year.

But series defeats to India, England and South Africa, and the recent disappointing 1-1 result against visiting Bangladesh mounted pressure on the former Jamaica wicketkeeper.

“I would have wanted to continue in the role but I’ll do whatever I need to do to get the boys motivated and ready for Pakistan,” Coley told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday, his first public comment on the impending coaching change.

“At this level it’s solely [about] performance; if coaches don’t do well it’s ultimately the coaches who are responsible.

“Being eighth on the table with two Test matches to go [in the Test Championship cycle] is ultimately not where we would want to be as a team and not where we had planned to be,” he said.

He noted the current core group of Test players has been a work in progress, something that should have weighed more heavily in the minds of the CWI decision makers.

“In our team, though, based on how we started in Australia there is always going to be an element of development because of the level of inexperience in the squad. From that standpoint, we needed to, I believe, take that into consideration… we had to give the players a bit more time to learn more,” the 50-year-old Coley said.

A reflective Coley said the result in Australia was the standout achievement of his head coaching stint.

“In terms of results that would have been a highlight — I don’t know if anything would have [surpassed] that, even if we had beaten England in England. And then because of the low expectation in the air at the time about the team going to Australia from people on the outside it was a really significant achievement by [Captain] Kraigg [Braithwaite] and the team,” he said, while explaining that the West Indies A team tour to South Africa at the end of 2023 provided a solid base for the successes in Australia.

Looking back on the Test series which followed the Australia tour, the West Indies coach said that while they were swept 0-3 in England, the 0-1 loss to South Africa and the draw with Bangladesh were more damaging.

“For different reasons there were disappointments against England, South Africa and Bangladesh, where results could have been different.

“Those series against South Africa and Bangladesh were the most disappointing, even though we had opportunities in England to win at least one of those Test matches too.

“The difference between where we are now in the [world ranking] table and where we should have been below [fifth-rated] New Zealand, that’s 140 runs because we lost by 40 runs to South Africa and just over 100 runs against Bangladesh in that second Test,” Coley reasoned.

Aside from coaching at the West Indies academy and A team levels, Coley had prior experience with the senior side, serving as assistant for a number of years, spanning tenures of men’s team head coaches Ottis Gibson, Phil Simmons and Stuart Law.

Coley guided the West Indies Under-19 team at the 2010 World Cup, and at one stage had a role as assistant to Sherwin Campbell, the regional women’s team’s former head coach. (Jamaica Observer) 

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