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ARCHIVES FOR SEPTEMBER 15, 2009

Lula pledges to help Guyana build hydro-power plant
BRAZIL’S President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva yesterday pledged to help Guyana build an 800MW hydro-power plant in the Middle Mazaruni, identified as a priority by President Bharrat Jagdeo.

PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo and Luiz Inacio da Silva at the Takutu Bridge

His announcement came at the historic formal opening of the border Takutu Bridge which President Jagdeo said opens new vistas for the two neighbours and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Lula and Mr. Jagdeo were chief guests at the ceremony witnessed also by members of Brazil’s Congress, the Governor of Roraima State, which borders Guyana, and other top officials from both countries.

President Jagdeo warmly praised Lula for taking time off to be at the ceremony and for his support for including Guyana and Suriname more in the integration of South American countries.

Guyana sees the bridge as the gateway for the Caribbean Community to South America and Lula announced that Brazil will host the first Brazil-CARICOM summit next year, noting that a strong Caribbean presence is needed in South American integration.

He said the two sides are “indispensable partners” in building greater integration in the region.

The Takutu Bridge is one of 335 projects identified by the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA), an initiative by South American governments to build a new infrastructural network for the continent, including roads, waterways, ports and energy and communications interconnections.

Also on the cards with the new bridge link are a quality highway from Linden to Lethem and a deep water harbour on the Berbice River, which will offer Brazil a cheaper and faster route through the Atlantic Ocean for exports from its northern regions, including Roraima.

In tandem with the new bridge, Guyana and Brazil have been discussing plans for the hydro-power project in the Middle Mazaruni with support from the Brazilian government.

President Jagdeo recently met Charge d’ Affaires of the Brazilian embassy here, Minister Rodrigo Fonseca, and two representatives of Andrade Gutierrez Construction, Gianfranco Miceli, Commercial Director, and Pablo Arruda, Business Director, to discuss the possibility of establishing the hydro-power station.

Lula yesterday said Brazil is ready to have Brazilian firms finance construction of hydro-power plants here and announced that a Brazilian Minister will be in Guyana on October 3 or 4 for further discussions.

He said electricity from hydro-power stations here can also be used in Roraima State and Guyana can benefit from the success of that state in producing soya bean and rice.

At the ceremony, President Jagdeo said the bridge marks the fulfillment of a dream long held by Guyanese, pointing out that its completion faced many obstacles.

Noting that Guyana and Brazil share a common continental and hemispheric destiny, he said the bridge has implications for greater trade and economic activities and opens new vistas to be explored between the two countries and the Caribbean.

The bridge opens the way for CARICOM, through Guyana, to one of the top 10 economies of the world, the President pointed out.

“The message is clear”, he said, adding that despite recent improvements, there is vast room for improvement in trade between Guyana and Brazil and between Brazil and CARICOM.

The bridge link is to be complemented by an improved Lethem-to-Linden road, better air links between Guyana and Brazil, a deep water harbour, hydro-power projects and a fibre optic cable between the two countries, he said.

Mr. Jagdeo declared that Guyana’s vision is clear and its political will is resolute for advancing ties with Brazil.

He welcomed the statement of support from Lula and said Guyana is committed to finding the resources and partnerships to develop other aspects of the deeper integration plans.

The President said Guyana sees its future and prosperity tied to that of Roraima State and vowed to do whatever it takes to improve relations between the two countries.

He also promised that improving consular services in Lethem will be given priority.

On the proposed hydro-power plant, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said that during the recent meeting here, Miceli explained that some of the energy would be integrated into Guyana’s national power grid with the rest being purchased by Brazil for consumption by the state of Roraima.

“As soon as we develop all the necessary agreements with the Guyana authorities and the Brazilian authorities, this project should most probably start some time next year to be completed in 2015 when the first turbine should be generating,” Miceli stated.

Many climate change costs seen avoidable
-- Guyana impact assessed in study
By Nina Chestney
LONDON (Reuters) - Climate change could cost some countries, including Guyana, up to 19 percent of their gross domestic product by 2030, a panel including major insurance, banking and consulting companies as well as the European Commission said yesterday.

Developing nations will be most vulnerable to the effects of climate change but a lot of their economic loss could be avoided, a report by the Economics of Climate Adaptation (ECA) Working Group said.

Together with prevention and mitigation measures, risk transfer like insurance or catastrophe bonds can play an important role by capping losses from catastrophic events, increasing willingness to invest and providing price signals to financial markets, the working group said.

The ECA working group is a partnership between reinsurance group Swiss Re, consulting firm McKinsey & Co., the Global Environment Facility, ClimateWorks, the European Commission, the Rockefeller Foundation and Standard Chartered Bank.

Current adaptation measures like sea barriers, improved drainage and building regulations could prevent 40 to 100 percent of risk to 2030, from current and future climate conditions, the working group said.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has estimated that the world will spend an extra $36 billion to $135 billion each year by 2030 to address the impact of climate change.

"If current development trends continue to 2030, the locations studied will lose between 1-12 percent of GDP as a result of existing climate patterns," the report said.

When future threats and the effects of economic growth are taken into account, the total potential loss rises to as much as 19 percent of GDP.

The group's research focused on vulnerable areas in northern China, Georgetown in Guyana, Maharashtra in India, Mopti in Mali, the island of Samoa, Tanzania's central region, Hull in Britain and South Florida in the United States.

The group calculated that Maharashtra alone could lose between $370 million and $570 million a year from drought by 2030, but climate resilience measures could reduce that by 80 percent.

Hull could suffer an annual loss of over $50 million from flooding, storms and rising sea levels. This could be partially avoided by new engineering and policy measures, as well as insurance.

GDF SOLDIER EXCELS AT MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING IN CHINA
Thirty-four year old Guyana Defence Force Corporal Aluko Venture is now a certified Martial Arts Instructor, after he earned his Diploma at the Chinese PLA Advanced Institution of Physical Education, Guangzhou, in China. Demonstrating a high capacity for learning, exemplary discipline and dedication to his studies, Corporal Venture successfully completed an eleven month course of study in martial arts training and has returned to serve the people of Guyana.

Cpl.Venture with his souvenir and medals.

Venture was selected to pursue the training after he excelled at a local martial arts training programme which was held for members of the Joint Services, and departed Guyana in September 2008 for Guanghou. According to comments recorded on his Course Report which covered a total of 14 subject areas, the Chinese authorities note that Corporal Venture “…successfully completed all his courses with outstanding achievements…and showed excellence as a serviceman. We have no doubt that he will certainly be an asset to his country.”

The Corporal said that he was elated when he received the news of his selection for the programme. He added that it was difficult to be away from his family for 11 months, but he knew that it was an opportunity, not only for his development, but also for a chance to make a larger contribution to the GDF and Guyana as a whole. He said that he was motivated to do his best in order to make his superiors and Guyana proud. There were 41 students from various developing countries around the world in his class, with a large number being from the Caribbean.

Venture explained that training sessions lasted for at least five hours per day with the rest of his time being divided between intensive personal practices, rest, and a bit of sight-seeing.

Cpl. Venture with officials from the Institute.

The sessions were tough but rewarding. It was important for me to practice constantly to ensure that my fitness and skill levels were always at their best. The training has made me physically and mentally stronger and has also helped to strengthen my self-esteem,” he said. “Although there was a significant cultural difference, the Chinese people were warm and welcoming and the authorities ensured that we were well taken care of. Our safety and security was of major importance at all times. I was even able to stay in touch with my family back here in Guyana,” he added.

Corporal Venture joined the Guyana Defence Force in 1992 and was promoted to his current rank in 2008. He is an avid sportsman who was a former boxer and also currently plays rugby. Back on duty for Guyana, he is expected to play a role in training of his fellow soldiers in martial arts.

New Horizons Task force Commander says it was just great
By Vanessa Narine
As the New Horizons Guyana programme officially ended yesterday, the Task Force Commander, Lt. Col. Patrick Keenan, said that individual connections made between the New Horizon volunteers and the Guyanese people were the most rewarding.

‘The individual connection’

The New Horizons Guyana programme is a three-month initiative designed to strengthen U.S. ties with partner nations in Central and South America, through combined quality-of-life improvement projects.

In Guyana’s case, the quality-of-life improvements projects are being done at a total cost of US$9M.

Facilitating these projects are American volunteer soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen participating in the New Horizons Guyana, a U.S. Southern Command exercise, on two week rotations.

The volunteers arrived in Guyana on June 15th and, and while most of them have already returned, the last few will leave today.

A total of 650 persons were in Guyana on five separate rotations to undertake the various projects.

The projects undertaken include:

* The renovation of a school building Timehri on East Bank Demerara;

* The construction of the East La Penitence Health Centre;

* The construction of the Bel Air Nursery School; and

* Eight medical assistance initiatives that saw their support at Timehri Primary School and the Diamond Secondary School, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), and Linden hospital and Skeldon Hospitals.

Task Force Commander, Lt. Col. Patrick Keenan, interacting with some of the children from Joshua House.

Individual Connection
“With all the projects and all the different people, each volunteer had his own unique experience to remember. For everyone it was different,” Keenan said.

For him, he explained, that one touching experience was meeting a Guyanese man, one of the team’s drivers, whose two children were attending the Bel Air Nursery School that New Horizons built.

The Task Force Commander said, “When we did the Bel Air opening ceremony I got to meet his children who were there singing…”

Keenan noted that doing something charitable was good but getting to personally meet the beneficiaries was much more fulfilling.

“It’s one thing to say that you came here to help the Guyanese people and that makes this a big thing; but it’s the individual experience that really matters. Seeing him and how happy he was to have his children there and how happy they were to be at the new school was great,” he explained.

Charity Work
An additional source of fulfillment, Keenan explained, was the charity work that the volunteers got involved in while they were here.

In the time they were here, the New Horizons team took the time to visit the Joshua House Children Center, Thomas Street, Georgetown; and the Shaheed’s Boys’ Orphanage, Alexander Street, Kitty.

Centre, holding the cricket bat, Task Force Commander Lt. Col. Patrick Keenan, with members of the New Horizons Guyana team.

The Task Force Commander explained that the charity initiatives were overseen by the team’s Civil Affairs Unit which does charity works in the United States.

“The Charity work is something that took on a lot of momentum…The Unit, that’s what they do. They go into the community find out what the needs are and try to help,” he said.

At the Joshua House Children Centre, the volunteers managed to spend a few Sundays with the children, during which time the children engaged them in a game of cricket and the volunteers treated them to various goodies; they also threw a birthday party for seven of the children who had had birthdays in the month of August; and assisted the home with many items that would improve the lives of the children.

In like fashion, the boys from the Shaheed’s Boys’ Orphanage were also privileged to spend time with the volunteers. They were treated to a day at the Pegasus Hotel, were given a tour of the Hotel and also had lunch with the team.

Keenan explained that the team did not exactly expect to do the many things they did but were glad to be able to touch the lives of approximately 100 children.

Impressions of Guyana
Apart form the children, during the programme the New Horizons team encountered Guyana’s tourist attractions, Guyana’s healthcare system, Guyanese people and their hospitality and, of course, Guyanese food.

“Kaieteur Falls was amazing. I am so glad I got to see that,” Keenan said when asked about the tourist site.

US volunteers with boys from the Shaheed’s Boys’ Orphanagee.

However, on a more serious note, he explained that while he was not a medical expert, his impression of Guyana’s healthcare system was that it was a good one but there seemed to be a need for enhanced awareness.

“We saw hundreds of people in the outreaches we did and there were lots of people, for example, who didn’t even know they needed eye glasses,” he said.

As to the Guyanese people, Keenan said that the common thing the volunteers reported to him was how appreciative the people were.

“The volunteers do a lot of these exercises in other places and it’s an expectation of the part of the people that I am here to be helped and you (the volunteer) need to give me something. We didn’t get that sense here,” he asserted.

Keenan also lauded the partnerships which, according to him, were developed easily between the Ministries of Health and Education and the Guyana Defense Force.

For example, he cited the referral systems which were established during the medical outreaches.

“There were people who came that we didn’t have the expertise or the tools to help or weren’t able to help in the time frame we had, so we were able to refer them to the health care providers here,” He said.

Keenan added that the Guyana experience can only be termed one of satisfaction, and the food was “wonderful.”

My favourite was curry,” he quipped.
The Task Force Commander explained that for the volunteers to be able to come to Guyana and assist in the way they have was, for all of them, a terrific experience.

He said, “This is the best deployment that I’ve ever been on and normally when I get deployed, I get to fly airplanes, and there’re no airplanes to fly down here but this was just so much fun.”

In retrospect, Keenan said sharing experiences with the Guyanese people and knowing that they make a difference along, with the willingness of the Guyanese people to partner with New Horizon was “exceptional.”

Police nab five robbery suspects, unearth arms cache
By Michel Outridge
Police have nabbed five suspects who they believe perpetrated several robberies in Berbice.
Following up on investigations into several robberies committed in Police ‘B’ Division, Berbice, diligent enquiries coupled with sound intelligence have led to the arrest of five suspects and a cache of arms Investigators were taken to an area on the Port Mourant foreshore on Sunday where one 12 gauge single barrel shotgun, three improvised 12 gauge shotguns and face masks were dug up and lodged in Police custody.

One of the suspects was shot in his leg on September 8, 2009 during a robbery committed on two fishermen at Albion.

In that incident, Police said that one of five bandits who robbed a Berbice fisherman and held three others hostage may have shot himself during the robbery.

At about 20:30h on September 8, five men, four of whom were armed with guns and cutlasses, robbed Brijanand Carpen, called “Rakesh”, 35, a fisherman, of Chesney Front, Corentyne, of a fishing boat, an engine and other articles at Albion Foreshore, Corentyne, Berbice.

Police said the victim and a crew member came in from sea with their catch when the suspects held up and robbed them.

Three other fishermen who were in the area were held hostage by the bandits who took them all to another location where they were subsequently freed.

Charges will be instituted shortly as investigations are continuing.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, at about 14:00h Saturday, Police in

Berbice conducted raids on several houses at Tain, Corentyne, Berbice, during which one .32 revolver, three .32 rounds of ammunition, six 12 gauge cartridges and a quantity of .44mm pellets were found.
Several persons are being sought as investigations are continuing.

Caribbean Ministers meet to shore up position for Copenhagen
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has stepped up its meetings as it continues its negotiations process in the run up to the 15th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) set for December 7-18 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The series of meetings forms part of the Community’s strategy to highlight its priorities and position itself to ensure that the Region’s issues are fully addressed at Copenhagen.

Small Island Developing States (SIDs), including the Caribbean Region, are among the most vulnerable to the threats and challenges of Climate Change and although they contribute less than one percent of global Green House Gas Emissions, they are already experiencing the adverse effects of Climate Change, including sea level rise and natural disasters. The outcomes of this land mark Conference therefore is of vital importance to CARICOM as the Community will need to ensure that the targets in the new Agreement at COP15 are favourable to its Member States.

Against this backdrop, the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) are hosting another slate of meetings, this time at the Ministerial Level, for the Region’s Foreign Affairs Practitioners and Technocrats yesterday, and a Ministerial Meeting today in Saint Lucia, to further define the Region’s Climate Change priorities for the negotiations leading up to, and at Copenhagen.

One of the strong calls that the Community had been making since the start of preparatory activities for negotiations is that the Caribbean should go into the negotiations with a common position on Climate Change, particularly in relation to six critical building blocks that the Community feels must be addressed in the negotiations: a shared vision on Climate Change; the reduction of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions; mitigation and adaptation; the transfer of technology; capacity building and Finance.

The ministerial Conference in Saint Lucia therefore is a significant step in the journey to Copenhagen as it provides a platform on which the political directorate and other policy makers within the Region can become intimately involved in the negotiations processes; appreciate a better understanding of the key issues at stake and be able to give strong support to the positions of the negotiating teams.

Not only that, but the input of the Region’s major policy movers will prove invaluable as the Caribbean prepares itself for the much anticipated High Level Meeting on Climate Change with the United Nations Secretary-General on 22 September in New York, where they will seek to build the political will and momentum for the political discussions at the Copenhagen Conference.

Leading this charge is the Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS) comprising forty-three small island and low-lying coastal developing countries which is the main body representing the concerns of Small Island Developing States at the UNFCCC meetings, and as such, this Ministerial Meeting will provide for the AOSIS, further recommendations for its upcoming Consultations in New York on 21 September.

The Ministerial meeting at Bay Gardens Hotel in Saint Lucia on Tuesday will also clarify, among other issues, the Region’s strategic and policy issues in the Negotiations and will examine carefully, the challenges facing the region in the negotiations process. An analytical review of the positions of developed countries such as the United States, European Union, Japan; and major developing countries such as China, India and South Africa will be done to get a feel of the synergies as well as disparities between those countries’ and the Region’s positions. This will give the region a distinct advantage in fine-tuning its negotiation strategies.

The Ministerial Meeting will be addressed by Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, the Hon. Stephenson King, who has lead responsibility for Sustainable Development in the Quasi-Cabinet of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government and the CARICOM Secretary-General, HE Edwin W Carrington.

It is expected that all stakeholders will come away from this meeting with more clarity, stronger resolve and a more unified approach to the Region’s position for Copenhagen.

At COP15, Heads of State and Government from the 191 Member States of the United Nations will try to reach a new global climate change agreement to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol which sets targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

During the first round of the negotiations held in Bonn, Germany in June of this year, Caribbean negotiators emerged quite optimistic that based on the UNFCCC Text of the Draft Declaration for the New Agreement, significant common understanding had been built to facilitate the negotiations, when the UN Conference of Parties (COP15) meet in Copenhagen.

Since then, the Caribbean has been working assiduously to build and sustain momentum even while advancing the dialogue for consensus around the six key issues. (CARICOM Secretariat)

The correlation between electricity supply and economic and human development
The correlation between a cheap, stable, reliable and efficient supply of electricity and economic and human development is unquestionable as empirical evidence has attested to this fact.

This has been demonstrated in both the ndustrialised/developed world and in developing countries such as China, India and Brazil.

According to the World Coal Institute the global energy system faces many challenges and these challenges include widening access to affordable energy supplies. Over 1.6 billion people (25% of the world's population) do not have access to electricity. Affordable, secure and reliable electricity supply enables economic development which is a prerequisite for poverty alleviation.

Simbo Banjoko, a professor in the faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos notes that poor power supply has been described as one of the major threats to industrial development in Nigeria and he recommended that reliable cheap and stable electricity remains the only catalyst to a more resourceful manufacturing sector. According to him, Nigeria is far from meeting the targets of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, or the Vision 20:2020, which is the timeline, set by the Nigerian government to become one of the 20 most-industrialised nations in the world by the year 2020 largely due to the moribund state of its power distribution and consumption.

"Adequate power supply is undoubtedly the most vital infrastructure necessary to move the economy and the manufacturing sector forward," he said. "Due to the erratic and inadequate power supply, many businesses have collapsed and many are ailing. Many promising business initiatives have been frustrated and discouraged," he said

He noted that industries operating in Nigeria continue to face rising costs of production, especially in the purchase and maintenance of generators. As a result of which some of them have been forced to move a substantial percentage of their operations to Ghana, where electricity supply is more stable.

Here in Guyana too we have been faced with a similar situation and despite continuous efforts the situation with respect to power supply from the sole supplier the Guyana Power and Light company is far from satisfactory.

However, it must be borne in mind that the decline in the power supply situation did not happen overnight but actually began in the late 1970s and by the 1980s the then power company, the Guyana Electricity Corporation (GEC) was on the verge of collapse causing the administration to mount an inquiry into its operations. But that did not help very much and the situation remained very much the same until the early 1990s.

Therefore when this government took office in 1992 it was faced with the herculean task of overhauling the power company and indeed there has been much improvement but soaring oil prices and decrepit power generating machines and equipment have not made the task an easy one.

Recently the West Demerara has been hit by daily blackouts causing severe discomfort to residents. In addition, when there is a blackout water supply is also cut off.

However, what was just as disgusting was the fact that up until recently GPL was mum on the cause of the blackouts leaving residents in further state of darkness.

This totally unacceptable and GPL should get its public relations act together and when there is a difficulty residents must be properly informed up front and do not wait until a situation nears breaking point to hold a press conference to provide an explanation.

Nevertheless, with the new Kingston power generation plant coming into operation soon and additional power being supplied by the Skeldon co-generation plant there should be significant improvement in the power supply situation in the short and medium terms.

In the longer term the Amaila hydro project holds the key to our power supply dilemma and the entire nation would hope that its construction would begin early next year as planned, and from what President Jagdeo has recently hinted it seems that we are safely on that road.

OBSERVER
Freddie’s failed-state absurdity
Facts are facts and cannot be disputed. Still, some will use their command of the language to present unsubstantiated and irrelevant information in an effort to challenge facts. Being unsuccessful in these attempts, the challengers’ arguments often degenerate into absurdities. The sun is hot. Grass is green. Winters are cold. Snow is white. These are facts. Any challenge to dispute this would be absurd. However, this does not prevent some from dwelling in the realms of such absurdity. Locally, there are a few, most notably, Freddie Kissoon.

He is a known anti-government activist operating under the guise of a journalist. His vile uncorroborated accusations against the administration is a daily fixture of a local tabloid; the Kaieteur News. Much has been written about that newspaper’s open support for the Opposition. As such, Freddie has easily found comfort given the commonalities. For some time now he has been trying to ram-shod readers with his self-coined “elected dictatorship” fallacy.

In any dictatorship, and I dare Freddie to prove otherwise, freedom of expression is non-existent. Any attempt to defy a dictator in this regard is crushed, sometimes with fatal consequences. Freddie has experienced some of the consequences of defying a dictator. His banishment under Burnham’s brutal regime is well documented. The fact is, today, Freddie enjoys the freedom of expression, as testimony in his rants, in this young democracy; a democracy made possible following the unrelentless pursuit of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan and the People’s Progressive Party.

The absurdity is, despite the freedom that permeates and despite his daily columns in an independent newspaper, he shamelessly professes an “elected dictatorship”. He uses his columns to tarnish the administration and its officials and to assassinate the character of reputable citizens. This can only be possible in a free society. Anyone challenging his mischievous tirades becomes the subject of his poisonous pen. He avoids the issues and targets those who expose his blatant absurdities. The question, which has now become a cliché, must be asked again of a free Freddie: where is the “elected dictatorship”?

His publisher’s newspaper was established under this administration. The newspaper is free to import newsprint and other materials to facilitate its daily publishing. The internet is not restricted in Guyana, thus allowing thousands in the Diaspora to be kept abreast of the newspaper’s content. Despite its pro-Opposition position, the newspaper receives a substantial amount of government advertisements. These are facts which Freddie and his publisher cannot dispute. What they have resorted to, is absurdity. Just as the cliché mentioned, the “elected dictatorship” seems a figment of Freddie’s disturbed imagination. Given the facts, it is not absurd for anyone to so conclude.

His absurdity has no boundaries. Of recent he has been propagating that Guyana has become a “failed state”. This has to be the zenith of ludicrousness coupled with acute visual impairment. Space would not permit the chronicling of the numerous developments in every sector of government’s administration this country has undergone since the PPP/C took Office in 1992. The facts are evident in the social and physical infrastructure which were either repaired or new ones implemented over the last seventeen years. The intention of today’s column is not to provide the known details. However, provision would be facilitated if requested.

In making the point, maybe two areas can be cited; transportation and housing. Prior to 1992, the fact was that all major roadways were impassable. Vehicles were few and traffic-jams non-existent. Today, traffic-jams are an integral part of the landscape so much so that road-rage is now a challenge. All major roadways are now immaculate. Drives from Georgetown to Molsen Creek, from Georgetown to Patentia and Parika, from Georgetown to Timehri and from Supenaam to Charity, are just a few testimonies of the commitment of this administration to developing the physical infrastructure of this country.

Anyone traversing these and other roadways can so attest. Guyanese now import close to one thousand vehicles per month! Just check the numbering series. Ordinary folks can now own a car. Some families have a car for each member! Young people are now driving to work or to attend learning institutions. A parking spot is like finding a needle in a haystack, testimony to the large number of vehicles in Guyana. In terms of housing, government has provided close to 80,000 house lots to Guyanese who only dreamt of owning real estate prior to 1992.

With an average family of four, some 320,000 Guyanese now have access to their own homes. This distribution of house lots is ongoing. The thousands of houses in the many schemes developed within the last seventeen years are evidence to this housing boom. The absurdity is trying to cajole Guyanese to think otherwise. Freddie now lives in an upscale residential neighbourhood. His immodest house easily blends with the seemingly required building code reflective of that bourgeoisie locality. He drives a SUV which is beyond the reach of the average man. His publisher has a successful newspaper with real estate in an industrial site and in the capital city, a successful business in Regent Street and drives an exceedingly expensive vehicle.

This is good. It shows that Guyanese have improved. Freddie and his publisher’s successes are just a miniscule representation of the large volume of Guyanese who have found it easy to acquire assets since 1992. This is the result of the economic advancement seen over the years following prudent management by the administration, the accessibility to such goods and services and the freedom that a democracy brings. How then can a successful Freddie whose tirades are published by an extremely successful businessman, deem Guyana to be a “failed state”? The fact is that Freddie didn’t fail to acquire assets. The fact is that his publisher didn’t fail to acquire his wealth. How come then Guyana is considered “failed” by Freddie and, by extension, his publisher?

The latest edition of the National Geographic magazine has shown, based on facts, that Somalia is the world’s most failed State two years in a row. Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq are some other countries mentioned. The various international news agencies have provided much related information. The fact is that Guyana was not even mentioned in the report alluded to. The fact is that Guyana can no way be compared to these countries. Guyana has an effective functioning government, a free society, a vibrant private sector and a change of economic classification from poor to developed with a growing economy.

These are just a few indicators of a successful State. These are facts. Freddie’s economic success is testimony to this country’s development over the years. To consider anything else will be absurd. However, it would not be absurd to consider that Freddie’s Freudian thinking, or lack thereof, is a combination of political machinations channelled through the newspaper in an effort to disparage the administration. His unsuccessful attempts to dispute the facts have led him to degenerate into promulgating gross absurdities.

Clousseau
Temerity unadulterated brazenness is the way Clousseau described the fanciful statements that are issued by the main opposition PNC/R when trying to criticise the governing administration. The most recent, shamelessly, claiming that the water sector is in a crisis only serves to remind the entire population that for almost three decades the PNC/PNCR held this country in perpetual crisis. Not a single sector escaped the agony of squalor brought on by inefficiency and an uncaring ruling administration.

The near thirty years of catastrophic mishandling by PNC administrations recued this country to complete ruin, a bankrupt economy without any funds to pay bills resulting in national deficiency in providing basic social services and perpetual scarcity of essential items needed for everyday living. It is, therefore, not in the mouths of the PNCR to talk about crisis in the water sector of today when the reality is a million times better to the traumatic days of their misrule. Generally, today throughout the country, thousands of house holders are receiving potable water within their homes for the very first time. A joyous experience thanks to the PPP/C administration. This kind of success in providing amenities cannot easily be overlooked by present day Guyanese. The truth is that the quality of life is a joy to behold and no amount of bad talking the efforts of the PPP/C administration will resonate with the populace.

The PPP/C and its governing administration have produced satisfactory, but yet concedes that much more has yet to be done, but tangible evidence is everywhere to be seen and experienced, be it roads, water, electricity, housing, health care, hospitals, schools and education, bridges, transportation, communication, housing and every other sphere of activity. The PPP/C has delivered; the PNCR decades of despair produced nationwide roads of potholes, rundown schools, and woeful health care services, no housing sector, electricity night and perils, transportation woes. In fact, Guyana was in a sorrowful state of disrepair, rivaling Haiti as a failed state.

Clousseau is recounting what an accurate historical review will disclose of our Guyana under the illegitimacy of PNC rule and to say to that party that their sordid history makes whatever they now attempt to say will be regarded as completely insipid. Their claim that the water sector is in a crisis is a clear case of insipidness.

NJASM expresses gratitude for support received
ON behalf of The Board of Directors, Executives and Members of the New Jersey Arya Samaj Mandir, Inc., (NJASM)Humanitarian Mission and its Guyana Chapter, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the members of the Guyanese Women in Development (Guywid), Minister of Finance Dr. Ashini Singh, Dr. Beri Ramsarran in the Ministry of Health and all other Government Agencies, Food for the Poor Guyana, Inc., , Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha, Regional Chairman, Region Six, Rotary of New Amsterdam, Anthony Ameerally of Amaco Inc., Glen Seubarran of Memorex Constructions, M. Deonarine , Ally & Sons, Pearl Dindial of LRTV Channel 10, DTV Channel 8, all News paper Media and all other individuals for your efforts in support of our 2009 Humanitarian Mission project in Guyana.

Although we cannot change the world overnight, while in Guyana I have personally observed the world of difference that our combined efforts have had on the men, women and children that our mission serves with a passion and it’s all due to your involvement.

I am deeply moved by and will never forget what you have done in support of The New Jersey Arya Samaj Mandir, Inc.'s Humanitarian Mission in Guyana. We are blessed to have dedicated partners and friends like you, who share the same passionate drive to come to the aid of our brothers and sisters in God. Because of you, there are individuals who now enjoy and experience an improved standard of living.

We hope to continue our partnership with your organization for many years to come so that together, we can continue to make a measurable difference in the lives of others.

Your example of caring and leadership is a profound source of inspiration to me personally and to each of the members of my organisation.
PANDIT SURESH SUGRIM
President, NJASM, Humanitarian Mission
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Nation waiting for Kaieteur News to name the Peeper
THE nation is waiting patiently for Kaieteur News to name the Peeper. Reliable sources say that Kaieteur has about a dozen people involved in the non-transparent and unethical practice of writing under cover. The time has come for Kaieteur News to name these individuals. This would demonstrate the transparency that the newspaper calls for every day. If KN does not want to divulge the entire list, then it might help us all if we get a peep at a short list.
RANDY PERSAUD
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Stabroek News’ continues its negative reporting
STABROEK NEWS continues to report negatively on .the developments in Guyana, despite the significant progress that is being made. This time they have used the World Bank’s Doing Business report to paint an ugly picture. The article I am referring to is on page three of the September 11th edition of the newspaper and is entitled, “Doing business in Guyana still tedious”.

No one will deny that it takes some time to get things done in Guyana, especially when it comes to doing business. However, things have been getting much better. No mention was made in the article of the US$6.7M USAID-Millennium Challenge Corporation project that was started in 2007 that seeks to, among other things, reduce the costs and the days to start a business nor the legislation that is pending that will make this a reality.

Leading with such a headline is pretty poor taste. A lot of people do not actually read a newspaper article but rather look at the headlines as such those people would not read that Guyana’s ranking actually improved year over year, and if some of those individuals are, say, businessmen in New York who were considering investing in Guyana, they might just decide not to based on that headline.

What Stabroek News continues to do is to paint a bad picture of the country to sell papers.

Government is working to improve a lot of areas in Guyana but everything cannot be done at once. Guyana is getting better over time and I am sure that the next edition of the Doing Business report will show that Guyana has made a big jump in the rankings.

However, it is likely that such a story will not be reported by Stabroek News. When Heritage House, who is not a big fan of this Administration, released their report that classified Guyana as a free country in terms of its press, there was no coverage of that story by Stabroek News.

Such actions points to their chicanery and their lack of responsibility when it comes to what they publish. They should be ashamed of themselves.
QUACIE GALLOWAY
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Total disrespect for the Ministry of Education
I read an article ‘Total disrespect to a Senior Public Servant” on page 12 in the Kaieteur Newspaper dated Friday, September 11, 2009 to which I feel I must respond.

I am deeply troubled by the actions of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) to stage a protest in front of the Ministry of Education, to express their dissatisfaction of the non- appointment of Ms. Genevieve Whyte-Nedd as Chief Education Officer (CEO).

This act is totally unacceptable, because I thought that matured, professional individuals would comprise the GTUC.

The union is claiming that Ms. Whyte-Nedd is over-qualified for the position of the CEO and should have been given that designation after so many years of service, and is holding the Ministry of Education accountable for the failure of this.

However, the Minister of Education said (and I read it in the same article) that the appointment is outside his purview; he is not and was not responsible for the displacement or placement of any individual to fill the post of CEO.

So why then must Ms. Gillian Burton disrespect Minister Baksh by saying that he is shirking his responsibility and that he is hiding behind the curtains of the Public Service Commission (PSC)?

Doesn’t Ms. Burton know that the PSC is responsible for the appointment of individuals in the Public Service?

Ms. Burton should give Jack his jacket and not blame the Ministry of Education; more so, the Ministers of Education, and she should understand that she cannot go around instigating people to protest and cause corruption.

The protestors are not only being misled, but they are misleading the public and blaming innocent people just because they cannot have things their own way.

If the GTUC is not satisfied with the decisions made, then they should take it up with the relevant authorities.
STEFANNA SANKAR
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Collaboration on East La Penitence Health Centre shows partnership
THE construction of a health care centre in the La Penitence area is a welcome gesture for the many residents of the community.

The idea of the Guyana Government collaborating with the United States to provide this intervention shows great partnership and strong ties between two countries, a living testimony to good relations which could not have been possible without the established relations years ago between the two countries.

As a resident of La Penitence I am grateful since the structure is constructed in proximity to many people’s homes making it more convenient for them to receive attention much faster as opposed to travelling long distances for medical attention.

The establishment of this facility will also aid in reducing the burden at the current David Rose Health clinic which is usually over crowded with patients who would visit the center for services.

My Heart felt thank you to the Governments of Guyana and the US for their outstanding cooperation and joint venture in making the centre a reality.
SIMONE ROBERTS
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Positive change will come with an open, objective discussion.
IF every Guyanese could read and reflect on what Eusi Kwayana has written in his book "No Guilty Race", I believe he/she would have a better insight to evaluate certain perceptions that are presented in the press by some columnists and letter writers. Mr. Kwayana who was associated with both major political parties at different times and then parted ways with each when he was not prepared to compromise his principles, tells us these days how each of the two major race groups in Guyana sees the "truth" through their own lenses. In my view, positive change will only come when there is an open, honest and objective discussion. Unless each of the two major race groups is able to walk in the other's shoes, the future will be as difficult as the past.

In his letter captioned "It's hard to get past the leader" in the September 3, 2009 issue of the Stabroek News, Frank Fyffe writes "I have stated before that one of the big differences between our two main ethnic races is that Africans – intellectuals, middle class, but mainly the masses – have known how to constantly express disagreement and show defiance by open demonstration against their own on the question of right/wrong, justice/injustice, as we saw was done against Burnham’s PNC time and time again. Indians on the other hand are more tenacious in their support for their own, excepting for a few".

What Mr. Fyffe's statement is missing in relation to defiance by Africans against Burnham's PNC is timing, a factor that is very critical in any analysis. Eusi Kwayana is one of the few African Guyanese who very early on challenged the PNC when he made a complaint to the Ombudsman against two ministers of the government.

In 1973 when most Guyanese knew the elections were rigged, African intellectuals were offering commentaries on radio praising the PNC for its voter gains in Indian dominated areas. If tapes of those broadcasts are available, many would now hang their heads in shame. What caused the change among the masses of Africans is "bread and butter" issues. The tide turned when the "collar and tie" brigade had to go and do field work as the ordinary labouring class in the hot tropical sun; when line-up for basic foodstuff took hours, if not days; when school children and office workers could not reach their destination in the city before midday; when Christmas was de-emphasised and church officials were seen as the enemy, and so on.

As for Indians being "more tenacious in their support of their own", timing is again important. Prior to 1992, the PNC was in power for 28 years, with every election after 1964 being fraudulent, yet shortly after its first term in office, the PPP (after winning democratic elections) was confronted with hostility aimed at bringing down the government. And the marches in the city by the opposition parties in those days always resulted in beatings of Indians and closing down of businesses. Whether they were responsible or not, opposition marches in the city ended in violence against Indians. Is it surprising then that Indians would be "tenacious in their support of their own"? The point is that Indians were not given the time to develop their dislike for the PPP, in fact they were forced by the opposition parties to stay with PPP.

Further, Eric Phillips in a letter captioned "It's a moral imperative that these two imbalances be addressed" in the Kaieteur News of September 13, 2009 writes, "If Indians did not vote for Desmond Hoyte who was very pro-Indian and who engaged the REFORM to bring about fundamental change in the PNC...why would they vote for the PNC or the AFC now". Again, the impression is conveyed that Indians are more apt to vote on the basis of race. Well, Mr. Phillips seems to have missed the story that Africans in the PNC did not elect Mr. Murray recently as the leader of that party, although Mr. Murray is seen as an outstanding party member with all the requisite qualities to be leader. And if we go further back to 1992, why did Africans stick with the PNC after all the years of food lines, Walter Rodney's murder, etc? Putting aside the PPP, why did they not vote for the WPA?" Could it be that they did not want to split the African vote, the same charge that is often levelled against Indians? Seems to me that this "tenacious" factor is common to both race groups.
HARRY HERGASH
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NACTA, UWI polls had similar findings in Trinidad
A failed academic (who has never conducted a poll but claims to be an expert on polling just like he is an expert in everything else) from UG claims that NACTA does not conduct polls anywhere. Yet, a recent poll conducted by Ansa McAl Psychological Research Centre of the University of the West Indies, Trinidad, has revealed similar findings to a poll conducted by NACTA on the popularity of political leaders and parties in Trinidad. Both polls were conducted around the same time and the findings were remarkably close.

The NACTA poll, which interviewed 670 individuals, was conducted in late July and early August while the Ansa McAl poll, which interviewed 503 individuals, was also conducted in late July and early August. The NACTA poll was conducted by New York-based pollster Vishnu Bisram while the Ansa poll was conducted by Psychologist Derek Chadee of Trinidad. The findings of the NACTA poll were published on Aug 9 in all of the Trinidad dailies (Guardian, Express, Newsday) while the findings of the Ansa poll were published in the Guardian Newspaper on Aug 22.

Both polls found that the PNM would easily win re-election if a snap election were to be called. The NACTA poll projected the PNM winning a minimum 29 seats and a chance to pick up at least 10 more seats, all traditional Indian constituencies. The opposition had a very good chance in two seats and faced an uphill battle in 10 others according to NACTA. The Ansa poll did not give numbers but said: “The ruling PNM is on easy street should a snap general election be called, doing handsprings in the lead while rivals COP (led by former UNC leader Winston Dookeran) and UNC (led by Basdeo Panday) toil in their wake”.

The NACTA poll found that 73% of the respondents felt that the PNM would win re-election while Ansa found 66% saying the PNM would win. Both NACTA and Ansa polls found only 4% saying the UNC would win an election. NACTA found that only 7% felt COP (a breakaway faction of the UNC) had a chance of winning an election while Ansa gave COP 8%.

With regards to approval rating, NACTA gave Prime Minister Patrick Manning 39% while Ansa gave Manning 43%. Panday received an 18% approval rating from the NACTA poll while Ansa found Panday’s approval rating to be higher at 28%.

It should be noted that both polls were independently conducted with Ansa funded by the giant business conglomerate Ansa McAl while NACTA was self-funded.

Polls conducted around the same time without bias and done professionally should reveal similar results as was consistently found in the US in 2008 for the Presidential elections by dozens of pollsters; there were minor differences among them and almost all turned out to be on target. So there we have it above the findings of the most recent NACTA poll in Trinidad showing results (published before the Ansa poll) that are almost similar to another poll done from the prestigious University of West Indies.

Incidentally, for the 2007 elections in Trinidad, Ansa and NACTA had different findings with Ansa projecting a possible win for COP while NACTA projected no seat for COP and a landslide victory for PNM. The actual results saw COP got zero seat, UNC 15 seats and PNM 26 seats as projected by NACTA. These findings can be verified from the Trinidad dailies of October 2007.
VISHNU BISRAM
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Education Month should be observed in October
IT’S a brand- new academic school year once again signaling a fresh start for education in Guyana. One of the things I strongly oppose is Education Month being observed in September. Schools are barely catching themselves after the hustle and bustle of reopening for the new term, getting things in order, admitting and dealing with the new student population not to mention planning athletic sports among other pressing issues regarding reopening of schools for the Christmas Term. Hence, I believe that schools would find it very difficult to organize and execute meaningful activities for Education Month. Also, Amerindian Heritage is being celebrated in September. I think that Education Month should be moved to October, which would coincide with the month’s celebrations with that of World Teachers’ Day as well. Agriculture Month in October can be moved to November—end of story.

But let’s get back to the fresh start I was talking about. I believe the September reopening of the education system as it were should bring fresh perspectives, decisions and plans along with it especially towards those who hand down policies in the Ministry of Education. One thing has certainly not change this new school term: record keeping by teachers. We are still demanded upon to produce large bundles of paperwork, while not much is being done with regards to what actually goes on in the classroom. We have to get this and that and the other to show that certain things have been done and achieved—in black and white. I am therefore calling again for teachers to have assistants to do the cumbersome paperwork. The work of teachers nowadays involved preparing more paperwork and records than the actual teaching of people’s children itself! How shocking.

I would’ve readily welcomed a theme for Education Month which goes like this: “Education delivery: first priority; records and paperwork come after”.

There are a few recommendations that I have for the education sector in Guyana so I would appreciate a listening ear at this time. Firstly, I would like to see more counselors in schools. So many Welfare Officers are being employed by the Ministry of Education but they are hardly seen in schools. Dealing with issues and matters pertaining to students is another hindrance that teachers should not be dealing with. A teacher should not have to stop teaching a class because he or she has to deal with a parent or a serious offence which a child has committed. So, please, something has to be done to get these Welfare officers themselves in the schools. Maybe visits two times a week to each school may suffice. Even twice a week may not be enough but the Ministry must also address the shortage of these officers.

The Ministry, I would like to believe, is concocting a strategic plan to deal with the high level of indiscipline in the schools across Guyana. What is being done with regards to the legal and lawful use of Corporal Punishment in schools? Indiscipline has resulted in the habit of students being late for school and many of them missing the first half of the morning lesson. Maybe we need to look at arming teachers too in the future as well as police officers having a few offices in schools.

This age- old problem of tardiness, which is not only restricted to school children and teachers, must be nationally addressed by all stakeholders. Teachers are pretty much caught between a rock and a hard place in dealing with late children. You don’t know if they will go straight home if they are sent home; keeping them in the sun by locking the gate is physical and psychological abuse; whipping is out of the question and even if done requires you to prepare more paperwork by recording it so you might as well not whip; cleaning the school yard is slavery, and the parent is always busy to visit the school to discuss the problem.

I do not know what it is with parents these days that seem to have zero interest in the well being of their children at school. I hope their attitudes change for this new school year 2009-2010. You don’t see them at all after they have brought their children to register and attend orientation-- that’s the last of the parents. You don’t see them again until or unless something serious happens at the school involving their children. The Regional Education Officer in Region Six, Ms Bhajan, in her delivery to teachers and students a few days ago urged parents to be more active in the partnership with teachers of the education of their children. It certainly feels as if educating people’s children these days are a one- sided deal with no active interest or participation from and by the parent or guardian. We know people today live busy and tedious lives, but goodness, can’t more sacrifices be made by parents and guardians to check on their children at least once per month in school—to discuss matters with the teachers, and even make surprise visits to the child?

Maybe, too, PTA meetings should be held in the mornings because I’ve heard many complaints by parents that the sun is too hot to leave home in the afternoon (which is very true), and that earning a living prevents them from attending and/or spending much time at the meeting. I think parents should bring their children to school and sit with them during the PTA meetings. It certainly is a venture worth trying out.

Another thing is that many extra-curricular activities planned by schools are executed with zero or little involvement, too, by parents.

If it is one thing which needs the attention of the Department of Education is the monitoring of school sports activities, especially those which will be held during this term. School sports especially the ones where many schools meet together have in the recent years been a gathering place for those who relish in vulgar behaviour. How alcohol is permitted to be sold on the grounds of Inter school sporting events is beyond me. Strangers also see it fit to be present at these “educational” events and may even start fights after the beers start working in their systems. These things should be looked at very seriously by those in authority. There needs to be a revised policy with regards to the holding of school athletic championships, which should at least involve a heavy police presence at the venues if strangers are going to be permitted to enter and rum and beer are going to be sold.

If the Ministry of Education keeps dishing out billions of dollars each year on the education sector without even feeling the pulse beat of the system in all corners right down to the grass root level, then taxpayers’ monies are surely being wasted or misspent.
LEON SUSERAN

GUYOIL, Akbar Auto Sales and Nigel’
Supermarket join forces with ‘Caribbean Fury’
By Calvin Roberts
AS time draws near before the first bell is rung in the S and S Promotions and Holland Enterprise Promotions (HEP) organised Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) sanctioned ‘Caribbean Fury’ which is slated for Saturday, September 26 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), three business entities threw their support into same, in order to make it a success.

Flanked by head of Holland Enterprise Promotions (HEP) Carwyn Holland (left) and GUYOIL Company Secretary Abdool Kadir, CASTROL brand manager Leonard Khan (second right) presents the sponsorship cheque to president of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) Peter Abdool. (A Calvin Roberts photograph)

At three simple handing over ceremonies held yesterday in their respective offices, the Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL), Nigel’s Supermarket and Akbar Auto Sales joined forces with the promoters of this prestigious boxing card which promises to be the best card ever held here locally.

GUYOIL’s Company Secretary Abdool Kadir told those gathered that his company is pleased to be associated with the promotion of this card, hence they were making the contribution of $200,000 towards the main bout which features Canada’s Corrine De Groot facing our very own Shaundell Alfred for the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) bantamweight title.

“Over the years, GUYOIL has played a big role in the development of sports in Guyana, having been a part of cricket, motor racing, chess and most recently scrabble, hence we had no hesitation in coming on board with this card, as we intend to make it a successful event here in Guyana.”

Kadir further stated, “I want to thank the promoters and the boxing board for bringing this title fight here to Guyana and putting us back on the map. We know that boxing is a popular sport here and I do hope that the boxing public out there throws their support behind this event next Saturday, just as GUYOIL who has been a very supporting business towards sports in Guyana, has done.”

CASTROL brand manager at GUYOIL, Leonard Khan echoed the sentiments of his employer and wish the GBBC and the promoters all the best in hosting the card which will be having six titles up for grabs, including the WIBA bout.

While GUYOIL offered support for the main bout, Nigel’s Supermarket and Akbar Auto Sales threw theirs behind one of the support bouts on the card which will also see our very own Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore opposing Colombia’s Mauricio Pastrana for five titles in the bantamweight weight division.

Both president of the GBBC Peter Abdool and head of HEP Carwyn Holland expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the various sponsors, who saw it fit to come on board at such a critical time in the staging of this bout.

In an invited comment with Chronicle Sports, Holland stated that while he was happy with the response being shown to the card from corporate Guyana, there is still a far way to go in order to make it a fruitful and very successful one.

“If you look closely at this card, you will see six titles up for grabs, a pugilist making a visit to the hometown of her parents and another making his professional debut. We sat down and carefully looked at ways in making this card, which will be televised on CMC and IBN Sports fight channel, following recordings from our very own NCN, a success.”

He further stated, “In order to do so, the assistance of corporate Guyana is needed in a big way. We set ourselves a target and at the moment, we are way off the half way mark of that target, despite the contributions which have been pouring in our way from corporate Guyana and I would like to take this opportunity to invite other business entities to come forward and throw their support behind this bout, as Guyana will be showcased to the international boxing world through this.”

Apart from the De Groot/Alfred and Moore/Pastrana bouts, world renowned Howard ‘The Battersea Bomber’ Eastman will be facing Trinidad and Tobago’s Kevin ‘The Fighting Policeman’ Placide, with the latter stating clearly during his training in the Twin Island Republic, he will be using Eastman as a stepping stone for his climb to fame in the sport.

Dexter ‘Goldteeth’ Collins, who holds a 7-3 amateur record with five of his wins coming by way of knockout, will be making his professional debut in the heavyweight division when he steps into the ring to face the unbeaten Mitchell Rogers.

Dexter Marques will touch gloves with Hewley Robinson, Paul Lewis Jnr will face Shawn Pile and Iwan ‘Pure Gold’ Azore will match skills with Wayne Briggs, on the supporting card of the bout which can be certainly be described as a ‘Caribbean Fury’ indeed.

Rosignol United head points standing in GFF Super League
---register second tournament victory.
By Michael DaSilva
ROSIGNOL United recorded a 2-0 win over Buxton United on Sunday at the Blairmont ground and now head the points standing of the Guyana Football Federation’s Super League.

Having secured their second victory in as many matches, the Berbice team now has six points.

Gladwin Johnson and Rawl Scott netted the winning goals in the 30th and 51st minutes respectively.

On Sunday also, the `powerful’ Alpha United was held to a 1-1 draw by the little known Seawall FC of West Demerara in a match that was played at the Uitvlugt Community Centre ground.

For the draw, both Alpha and Seawall FC will receive one point each.

At the GFC ground, Victoria Kings earned their first points (three) from a 2-0 win against GDF, while up at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground in Linden, another little known team, Liquid Goal of Bartica edged five-time Kashif and Shanghai champions Topp XX by a 1-0 margin to earn their first point from their opening fixture and city side Sunburst Camptown were held to a 1-1 draw by the Upper Demerara champions Milerock.

Both teams also received one point each for the draw.

When the tournament got underway on September 6 at the GCC ground, Rosignol United inflicted a surprise 1-0 win over former Kashif and Shanghai champions Victoria Kings while Alpha United beat Sunburst Camptown by a 3-1 margin.

Meanwhile, playing at the GFC ground on Sunday, both GDF and Victoria Kings went at each other from the start, but the soldiers looked a better unit, putting together a number of clean, precise passes which their strikers failed to convert, allowing Kings’ defenders to look good.

The game was played at a fast pace and there were many instances when the referee had to caution players from both teams. But in the 67th minute, Kings’ Rashliegh Morrison received his second yellow card for tackling the opposing team’s captain and national midfielder Warren Gilkes dangerously, and was given marching orders in the 67th minute.

Thereafter, the two teams continued to battle for midfield possession with neither of them finding the back of each others net until the 88th minute of the 90 minutes match when Kings’ national under-20 player Calvin DeSouza, dribbled the ball down the right flank and squared it to Orin Elias who was in the opposition’s 18-yard box and he (Elias) took a clinically executed first time shot that caught the soldiers’ two last backs Keon Adams and Ryan Morrison flat footed, watching the ball sail past them and into the net.

At the Uitvlugt ground, Anthony Harding sent Alpha United into the lead with a 24th minute run of play goal, but Seawall United found the equaliser in the 89th minute through a Darrius Garraway goal from the penalty spot.

Kings will next play Seawall FC which is being coached by former Technical Director of the GFF, Canadian Based Guyanese Claude Bolton. This match is set for Sunday at the Plaisance ground. Kick off time is 15:30h

.On Sunday also, Alpha United will face Buxton United, Sunburst Camptown is down to meet GDF, Bakewell Topp XX will oppose Rosignol United and Liquid Goal will take on Milerock.

Johnson, D’Andrade excel in T&T
GUYANA’s Kelvin Johnson and Lionel D’Anrade excelled in back to back 5K races on Sunday in Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking to Chronicle Sport by telephone from Trinidad, D’Andrade informed that Johnson and himself participated in two 5K races on Sunday and they were both among the top finishers.

He said on Sunday morning they contested the Ventures 5K Road race and Johnson placed third with a time of 15 minutes 10 seconds (15.10) while he (D’Andrade) finished fourth in 15.17.

The event he said which attracted 800 starters, was won by Trinidad’s Richard Jones in a time of 15.03 while St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Pamenous Ballentyne (15.05) finished second.

D’Andrade one of Guyana’s top middle distance runners said later the same day, both himself and Johnson entered the Tucker Valley 5K Trail Run and Johnson beat the field of 62 runners, winning in a time of 20.26 and he (D’Andrade) placed second in 21.06, 17 seconds faster than the third place finisher George Smith of Trinidad, while Ballentyne could do no better than sixth place.

The national middle distance athlete said he would be in action once again on Sunday, as he would be defending his Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health 5K title.

Both D’Andrade and Johnson are currently based in the Twin Island Republic, training and competing with the aim of bringing more glory to Guyana (Michael DaSilva).

GASP working hard to attend World Scrabble Championships
By Storme Moore
THE Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) is currently kicking up a storm in its efforts to raise funds so that National Scrabble Champion Abigail McDonald can properly serve her post by representing Guyana at the World Scrabble Championships in Malaysia come November.

National Champion Abigail McDonald receives the sponsorship cheque from CASTROL Brand Manger Leonard Khan in the presence of GASP Treasurer Colin Chichester and Abdool Kadir GUYOIL’s Administrative Manager and Company Secretary.

GASP and by extension McDonald received two corporate gestures of support yesterday when the Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL) through their CASTROL extension donated an undisclosed sum of money and Evergreen Adventures put up the first prize for GASP’s raffle in support of McDonald’s cause.

Abdool Kadir the Administrative Manager/ Company Secretary at GUYOIL expressed his pleasure on behalf of his organisation for partly sponsoring McDonald’s trip to Malaysia to compete in the World Championships.

He said that GUYOIL has always been a good corporate citizen in terms of sponsoring Cricket, Motor and Boat Racing and Football among other sporting disciplines but he said this is the first time they have ventured into Scrabble territory.

Leonard Khan the CASTROL Brand Manager congratulated McDonald on her recent accession to her National Champion respect; he reiterated that his company is pleased to be associated with such a noble cause.

Evergreen Adventures in fulfilling their corporate duty presented GASP with the first prize, of an overnight trip for two to the Baganara Resort, for their ongoing fund raising raffle.

Marsha Narayan Evergreen Adventure’s Tour Operations Supervisor said that her entity likes to support such local initiatives. She disclosed that Evergreen Adventures has no history of prior relations with local Scrabble but they happily answered their call for support. Narayan also wished the national Champion the best in her overseas campaign.

McDonald, who recently attained her status as champion said that she has stepped up her preparation in terms of word knowledge and strategy. She said that she is aiming to do the best that she can do, “I just want to play my best game, and I’m not focusing on my competition because I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”

GFF Super League..
Bartica’s Liquid Gold stun ToppXX 1-0, Milerock, Camptown play to 1-1 draw
By Joe Chapman
BARTICA’s Liquid Gold football club stunned football fans when they put away Linden’s Bakewell Topp XX 1-0, while the other Linden club, Milerock, came away with a 1-1 draw against Georgetown’s Sunburst Camptown, when the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Super League continued with two more matches played on Sunday at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground..

Playing at home in the first game the home side Bakewell Topp XX ‘s new look side was unable to use their home advantage, as the Barticians found their rhythm early and were able to make a match of it with some spirited plays throughout the encounter.

The first half saw both sides unable to dominate and the game was even with a 0-0 half- time score.

Fans seemed unaware of the fact that the Bartica side was able to hold their own against the more fancied Linden opponents, and as the minutes ticked away it brought confidence to the

visiting Liquid Gold unit.

The visitors certainly grew in confidence and it showed in their play: and in the 80th minute their efforts brought them the deciding goal of the match. Liquid Gold ‘s substitute striker Witney Welcome was probing forward after he was brought on to replace winded fellow striker Handel Norton, who did not have a bad game either.

But the change saw a more determined effort by the visiting side through the middle and the 17 year- old national Under -19 player showed poise in getting the lone goal of the match.

He received a diagonal pass from Mark Richards on the left flank and was able to spilt two defenders inside left then pointed goal-wards before unleashing a rasping right foot shot with one other defender caught napping, and the Topp XX goalkeeper Reynold Arthur was stranded on his line.

Welcome then placed the ball to the keeper’s left without a chance of saving it ten mniutes before the final whistle.

Topp XX tried desperately to level the scores but was unable to do so and two minute later another shot by Liquid Gold’s John Joseph that was headed to the Topp XX goal was barely cleared by Ruel Williams with the goal keeper Arthur well beaten.The Bartician’s citadel was held together by the dogged defence and courageous goalkeeper Karza Baksh

Head Coach of the Bartica side Devon Bissoon said he had only recently gotten the appointment to coach the senior side after returning from Suriname with the National Under 15 side, saying “to come out victorious in the first game in the super league is a wonderful feeling for me. The team has worked and they have earned it.”

In the other game Camptown came from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw against a side which found themselves down by one player when Milerock’s forward Ray Bobbsemple was given marching orders by referee Roy McArthur as early as the first minute of the game.

It was for a serious foul play as in the opinion of the man in the middle he used excessive force after the Camptown goalkeeper Richie Richards had gathered the ball.

With one man down early Milerock fought their way back and this never affected their focus even thought they were not looking as dangerous as they should have been.

But Milerock got the go-ahead goal after they countered in the 30th minute as they responded to the challenge from the City side. In that counter attack Milerock’s experienced defender Marlon Maxius was able to bend a free kick from outside the 18 yards box from the left side which rushed into the hands of Camptown goal keeper Richie Reynolds.

Apparently, Richards collected the ball but in the process the force of the shot allowed the ball to enter the goal and the referee assistant Franklyn Brisport in the position signalled with his flag suggesting a goal was scored for which referee McArthur sounded his whistle for play to

restart at centre field . The goal saw persons amazed just as when Bobbsemple was shown the red card very early in the match. With one minute to half time Camptown’s Thelston McKinnon was also red carded when in the opinion of the referee he attempted to strike another player and was penalised for violent conduct and the first half ended with Milerock enjoying a 1-0 advantage, as both teams now were down to ten men.

Fifteen minutes after play resumed Quacy LaFleur brought the game back on even keel with a banging shot which scored in the 65th minute after a nice buildup from the left orchestrated by Nigel ‘Powers’ Codrington. The battle remained even to the end as neither could produce the winner and the game ended 1-1.

Woods cruises to 71st PGA tour title
By Steve Keating
LEMONT, Illinois, (Reuters) - Tiger Woods coasted to an eight shot victory at the BMW Championship on Sunday, to capture his sixth title of the season.

Woods, who began the day with a seven shot cushion over American Brandt Snedeker and Australian Marc Leishman, closed with a three-under 68 to win for a fifth time at Cog Hill.

It was Woods 71st PGA Tour title leaving him just two short of tying Jack Nicklaus for second on the all-time list.

"If you would have asked me at the beginning of the year, you guys probably wouldn't have predicted I would have had the year like I have," Woods told reporters.

"To have the opportunity to win just about every tournament I have been in...to come off knee surgery and have this type of year and be this consistent is something I'm very proud of.

"Absolutely this is one of my best years, no doubt about that."

There was no hint of drama during the sun-kissed final round, as Woods' challengers were unable to mount a charge against a workmanlike performance by the world number one.

American Jim Furyk, who held off Woods to win at Cog Hill in 2005, returned a bogey free five-under 66 to finish second alongside PGA Tour rookie Leishman (69) at 11-under 273.

Sean O'Hair (66) was alone in fourth, one shot further back at 10-under followed by fellow American Zach Johnson (68) at eight-under. Ireland's Padraig Harrington (73) and Spain'sSergio Garcia (71) finished in a tie for sixth on six-under 278.

"My whole goal at the end of the day was to shoot under par," said Woods.

"I knew if I shot under par today it would force the guys to have to shoot what I did yesterday to force it into extra-holes."

Woods, who shot a course record 62 on Saturday, mixed a bogey at the fifth with birdies at the seventh and ninth to reach the turn at one-under and his seven-shot lead intact.

He then played error free on the back nine with an eagle on the par-five 15th receiving roaring approval from the gallery.

"It was kind of a tournament for second place," said Furyk. "I was just trying to grind it out."

The victory moved Woods into top spot in the FedEx Cup standings going into the season-ending Tour Championships in Atlanta in two weeks, where he will play for a $10 million bonus.

Snedeker missed a chance to join the 30-man field in Atlanta after carding a triple bogey on the final hole.

The American needed only to two putt from 15-feet to secure a spot at the Tour Championship but he twice missed tap ins to finish with a seven, which dropped him to 33rd in the FedEx standings.

Majestic Tendulkar, Harbhajan win it for India
COLOMBO, (Reuters) - Sachin Tendulkar hit a superb 138, his 44th one-day international hundred, to power India to a 46-run victory over Sri Lanka in the tri-series final yesterday.

Sri Lanka put up a tremendous fight to stay in the game before being dismissed for 273 in the 47th over.

India scored 319 for five after Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid (39) laid a solid platform with an opening stand of 95.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, promoting himself up the order, played second fiddle to Tendulkar in a second-wicket partnership of 110 off 115 balls.

Dhoni fell to Lasith Malinga for 56 but Yuvraj Singh continued the momentum, adding a further 71 with Tendulkar who was handicapped by a thigh strain and needed a runner.

He scored two successive boundaries by reverse-sweeping Ajantha Mendis but was trapped lbw attempting a third.

Sri Lanka snapped up the wickets of Yusuf Pathan for nought and Suresh Raina for eight before Yuvraj, in a final flourish, completed his 41st one-day fifty to give India a formidable total.

Sri Lanka were given a flying start by openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya with 64 off 47 balls but the introduction of Harbhajan Singh cut the run rate and changed in the pattern of the game.

The off-spinner bowled Dilshan for 42 and completed figures of five for 56 as Sri Lanka tried desperately to stay in the chase by switching their batting order.

Thilina Kandamby top-scored with 66.

INDIA innings
R. Dravid c Dilshan b Jayasuriya 39

S. Tendulkar lbw b Mendis 138

MS Dhoni c Kandamby b Malinga 56

Y. Singh not out 56

Y. Pathan c Kapugedera b Thushara 0

S. Raina c Kulasekara b Thushara 8

V. Kohli not out 2

Extras (b-1, w-18, nb-1) 20

Total (five wickets; 50 overs) 319

Fall of wickets: 1-95 2-205 3-276 4-277 5-302

Did not bat: Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh, A. Nehra, I. Sharma

Bowling: Kulasekara 8-0-38-0, Thushara 10-0-71-2, Malinga 10-0-81-1 (1nb), Mendis 10-0-70-1, Jayasuriya 9-0-43-1, Mathews 3-0-15-0

SRI LANKA innings
T. Dilshan b Harbhajan Singh 42

S. Jayasuriya c Nehra b Pathan 36

M. Jayawardene c & b Harbhajan Singh 1

K. Sangakkara hit wicket b Singh 33

T. Thushara b Sharma 15

A. Mathews c Raina b Yuvraj Singh 14

T. Kandamby b Harbhajan Singh 66

C. Kapugedera c Dhoni b Raina 35

N. Kulasekara not out 9

L. Malinga c & b Harbhajan Singh 0

A. Mendis st Dhoni b Harbhajan Singh 7

Extras (lb-3, w-11, nb-1) 15 Total (all out; 46.4 overs) 273

Fall of wickets: 1-64 2-76 3-85 4-108 5-131 6-182 7-252 8-264 9-264

Bowling: Nehra 7-0-43-0, Sharma 7-0-51-1, RP Singh 5-0-34-1 (1-nb), Harbhajan Singh 9.4-0-56-5, Pathan 4-0-36-1, Yuvraj Singh 6-0-24-1, Raina 8-0-26-1

Serena apologises for expletive-laced tirade
NEW YORK, (Reuters) - Serena Williams apologised yesterday for her expletive-laced tirade at a lineswoman during her U.S. Open semi-final loss to Kim Clijsters.

"I want to sincerely apologise first to the lineswoman, Kim Clijsters, the USTA (U.S. Tennis Association) and mostly tennis fans everywhere for my inappropriate outburst," she said in a statement.

"I'm a woman of great pride, faith and integrity, and I admit when I'm wrong."

Williams was fined $10,500 on Sunday and could face further sanctions after an investigation was launched into her angry tirade when a foot fault was called on her during the semi-final on Saturday.

That put Williams match point down and she was handed an automatic penalty point for her outburst, giving Clijsters victory.

Pakistan confirms New Zealand series in Abu Dhabi, Dubai
KARACHI, (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi and Dubai will co-host Pakistan's limited-overs series against New Zealand in October and November, the Pakistan Cricket Board said yesterday.

The final match dates have yet to be approved but PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt said four one-day internationals would be played in Abu Dhabi while two Twenty20s would be held in Dubai.

"I have had fruitful and constructive meetings with the emirate cricket officials last week and we will be sending the final itinerary to cricket New Zealand for approval," Butt told reporters in Lahore.

"Once we get approval from Cricket New Zealand we will announce the final dates but the series will be held some time in October-November."

Pakistan were due to host New Zealand both in tests and limited-overs matches but the matches were moved because of ongoing security concerns.

The Test series will now be played in New Zealand from mid-November while the remaining games will be played in the United Arab Emirates, which also played host to Pakistan's matches against Australia earlier this year.

Tendulkar dazzles with his superb 138
By Jamie Alter at the Premadasa Stadium
SACHIN Tendulkar's 134 in Sharjah in 1998 set the bar for his centuries in one-day finals, but damned if yesterday’s effort doesn't at least nip at its skirts.

The biggest performers - and as Steve Waugh once emphasised, they haven't come any bigger than Tendulkar - invariably deliver on the big occasion and yesterday, with India looking to snap a run of five straight completed finals defeats to Sri Lanka, Tendulkar dazzled.

When Tendulkar bats like he did yesterday, he is as irresistible as he is artistic, and you can only sit back and enjoy it.

He had got starts in the previous two games, but India's decision to send Dinesh Karthik to open meant Tendulkar was under pressure from ball one.

When Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid walked out yesterday, there was a tinge of the 1990s layer of solidity. As it panned out, the innings that followed harked back to the Tendulkar of yore.

From the first ball Tendulkar faced, when he stood tall and punched Thilan Thushara wide of mid-off, he oozed confidence.

Batting wasn't too difficult in the first ten overs against a tidy bowling attack on a flat track, but he was intent on sticking around.

This wasn't the kind of pitch to chase the ball and apart from one delivery he flashed at and edged for four, Tendulkar was patient. A couple of deliveries beat the outside edge; Tendulkar bided his time and then pushed Nuwan Kulasekara superbly through the covers for four.

It helped that the opening bowlers didn't pitch the ball up enough, and when Kulasekara did, Tendulkar drove past extra cover and clipped past midwicket.

Between overs, Tendulkar twirled his left arm and tapped the track. These were the moments needed to gather his thoughts. Significantly, he drew on all his experience to upset the bowlers, especially when they tried something different.

Thilan Thushara veered his line to just outside off stump, and Tendulkar forced the ball through the off side for four. Lasith Malinga bowled a couple of testing deliveries, but when he held back the length marginally, Tendulkar glided back and forced the ball through the covers.

Tendulkar judged the line flawlessly and was lissome with his footwork as he turned length deliveries away at precisely the right moment. His cover and square-driving were of the highest quality: the balance was perfect, the weight transfer faultless and the ball seldom hit in the air.

On a surface where other batsmen often failed to work the ball off the square, Tendulkar's fluency was astounding. He struck the ball with grace, either when going back or working it across the line. Deliveries pitched on a length were turned through midwicket and square leg, others back of a length were crisply steered between cover and point.

As the ball got old in the middle overs, Tendulkar and MS Dhoni found the gaps and rotated the strike. Dhoni complimented Tendulkar beautifully, and the two never gave Sri Lanka any room to work with.

On 87, Tendulkar waltzed out and drove Mendis over extra cover for four. A punch off Mendis past mid-off took him to 99, and a single pinched through cover took Tendulkar to three figures for the 44th time. A raise of the arms, a wave of the bat to the dressing room, a lingering look at the heavens and a hug from Dhoni followed, and then he marked his guard again.

In terms of landmarks, it was yet another special occasion for an exceptional performer. "The conditions were tough, the heat drained us," Tendulkar said. "I had to fight it out, so I would not at all hesitate to rate this one up there with my best. It's definitely high up the order."

Dhoni tried to up the tempo in the batting Powerplay and fell for 56. Here Tendulkar's batting shifted down a gear as he batted with cramps, using Dravid as a runner, but he was no less determined.

His strike-rate slowed down as he worked the ball around to get Yuvraj Singh on strike, yet the shot selection was impeccable. Seemingly invigorated by not having to run, Tendulkar launched an onslaught against Mendis in the 45th over, when in three successive deliveries he smote a six over extra cover - the high elbow said much about the strength needed to execute the shot - and reverse-swept fours.

He fell for 138 attempting another, but his work allowed Yuvraj to smack a belligerent half-century that helped India set an unachievable target at this venue under lights, despite Thilina Kandamby's bravado.

The last time India played a final here it appeared they had forgotten how to play like a half-decent team. Yesterday they took a massive step toward, freeing themselves from a spectre that had haunted them for too long.

In Tendulkar - who has now scored nine international centuries and seven 90s since May 2007 - India have a batsman showing no signs of slowing down. With the Champions Trophy next week and the World Cup in 2011, this becomes especially relevant.

It was Larry Bird, the great basketball player, who said: "A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.

" Like Bird, Tendulkar has been touched by greatness but, after all these years, he still doesn't cease to amaze with his determination to achieve.” (Cricinfo)

Clijsters completes fairytale of New York
.. first wildcard to win U.S. Open women's title
By Pritha Sarkar
NEW YORK, (Reuters) - Her daughter Jada cradled in one arm and a silver trophy tucked under the other, Kim Clijsters proved motherhood and sporting excellence can go hand-in-hand when the Belgian won the U.S. Open tennis title on Sunday.

Never before had a curly haired 18-month-old toddler stolen the show on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but this was no ordinary day at Flushing Meadows.

It was a day when Belgian wildcard Clijsters beat Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki 7-5 6-3 to become the first mother to win a grand slam title since Evonne Goolagong achieved the feat almost three decades ago -- at Wimbledon in 1980.

"We tried to plan her naptime a little bit later so she could be here today. It's the greatest feeling in the world, being a mother," a glassy-eyed Clijsters told the cheering crowd after her heart-tugging comeback win at the hardcourt major.

Wozniacki, who had been bidding to become the first Danish woman to win a grand slam singles title, said: "She's such a great girl. Unfortunately she beat me today. She played a great match and deserved this trophy."

A journey that began with the Belgian taking baby steps back into top flight tennis only last month -- following a two-year sabbatical -- came full circle in just 35 days as she claimed her second U.S. Open prize.

"Amazing. For her to have this incredible run is fantastic. This is a great story for women's tennis, that's for sure," said Roger Federer, who, as the new father of twins, will try to prove that dads too can rule the world when he takes on Juan Martin del Potro in the men's final on Monday.

TOUCH OF MAGIC

World number one Federer relied on a touch of magic to make sure he was still on target to set a modern era record of winning six successive Open titles.

The Swiss top seed, with his back turned to the net, conjured an eye-catching crosscourt winner from between his legs to bring up match point as he beat Novak Djokovic 7-6 7-5 7-5.

"That's unbelievable. It was the greatest shot I ever hit in my life," Federer said in a courtside interview as he watched a replay of the point on the giant screen on Ashe Stadium.

Del Potro pulled off the greatest win of his life when he crushed Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-2 6-2 to reach his first major final but instantly knew he had turned dream wrecker by denying Flushing Meadows a Federer-Nadal final.

"I'm sorry," Del Potro told the crowd.

But as day turned to night, any lingering sentiment for the vanquished Nadal was quickly forgotten as Clijsters took centre stage under the floodlights.

Less than 24 hours after Tweeting "The fairytale goes on" following her semi-final win over Serena Williams, she penned a happy ending to her story.

Having been denied the chance to savour victory on Saturday -- when the contest against Williams ended bizarrely as the American was docked a point at match point down -- Clijsters made sure no one would steal Sunday's moment from her.

The contest was not a classic -- with fortunes wildly fluctuating in a first set that featured seven breaks -- but the tension was still palpable on a windy arena as almost 23,000 fans roared on Clijsters.

CAST SPELL

Harry Potter fan Wozniacki briefly cast her spell over Clijsters as she leapt to a 4-2 lead in the first set but she quickly ran out of tricks and surrendered the advantage with a double fault in the eighth game.

From them on, it seemed that the 26-year-old Clijsters could not be denied.

At 5-3 in the second set, a driving a forehand into the corner brought up championship point.

On the next exchange, Clijsters narrowed her eyes when she saw a Wozniacki backhand spin high into the air and raised her right arm to smash it to the other side of the net.

Victory was assured and Clijsters sank to her knees before leaning on to the cement in a foetal position -- struggling to believe what she had achieved.

When she showed her face to the world again, tears were streaming down the face of a woman who had completed the successful defence of her title -- having also won the trophy here on her last visit to New York in 2005.

She quickly clambered up the stands to kiss her husband Brian, a moment which set Jada into a fit of giggles as she watched her mum and dad on the big video screen.

"I don't have words for this. I'm just glad I got to come back and defend my title from 2005. It's so exciting for me," said Clijsters, who still does not own a ranking as her comeback is only three-tournaments old.

"I have to thank the USTA for giving me the wildcard to come back here. Just coming back here meant so much to me and seeing how warm everybody welcomed me and embraced me just to be back was a great feeling," said Clijsters, the first wildcard to win the Open title.

"It definitely helped me to keep fighting and stay focused out there. Especially in the last few matches where the opponents became a lot tougher."