Newcomer Downes wins latest round of National Top Flight Golf League – News Room Guyana

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September 30, 2026

The lush greens of the Lusignan Golf Club provided the perfect setting on Sunday, September 27, as the National Top Flight Golf League (NTFGL) continued Tour #3 with an exciting Round Two, sponsored by Promotech and Genuine Auto Spares and Tools.

Under bright sunshine and ideal playing conditions, golfers took to the course eager to test their skills, sharpen their games and build momentum as the tournament progresses.

The course was in excellent condition, providing a challenging yet enjoyable test for the players, with the dedicated ground crew, led by Brian Hackett, receiving special thanks for their continued work in maintaining the playing surface.

The competition produced some impressive scores, with newcomer Oliver Downes emerging as the day’s top performer. Downes carded a net 71, including a net 32 on the back nine, to claim top honours and collect 10 valuable points.

Another new member to the league, George Bulkan, finished with a net 72, but endured two tiebreakers during the day. He first lost the front-nine tiebreaker to Joseph Szeplaki, who secured two points with a net 35.

Bulkan later faced another tiebreaker for second place after matching Mike Mangal’s net 72. Mangal prevailed to claim second place and five points, while Bulkan settled for third and three points.

The battle for fourth and fifth was equally competitive, with Patrick Prashad and Ian Gouveia both posting net 74. Prashad’s net 35 on the back nine secured the tiebreaker and earned him two points, while Gouveia collected one point.

With 10 players already earning points in the third round, the standings are beginning to take shape. Downes leads with 10 points, followed by Chet Bowling and Mangal on eight each, while Videsh Persaud has five.

The excitement continues on Sunday, October 4, when golfers return to the lush fairways for the next round, with players expected to step up their practice and competition as Tour #3 intensifies.

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Greaves to miss West Indies second ODI against India with calf injury – News Room Guyana

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September 30, 2026

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West Indies opener Justin Greaves has been ruled out of the second ODI in Guwahati with a calf injury and is in doubt for the third game, which will be played on October 3 in New Chandigarh.

Greaves picked up the injury during the first ODI in Thiruvananthapuram. He was seen struggling with his running quite early, often limping, with the physiotherapist tending to him on more occasions than one.

He fought through the pain to record his maiden ODI century, finishing with 101 off 108 balls, before falling lbw to Kuldeep Yadav. He did not take the field in the second innings.

Greaves’ injury comes as a big blow to West Indies, who are already down 1-0 in the three-match series. He is West Indies’ third-highest run-scorer in ODIs since the start of 2025 with 528 runs in 19 innings. Greaves has also picked up seven wickets with his medium pace.

In his absence, Jewel Andrew could be pushed up the order to open the innings with John Campbell. Sherfane Rutherford, who had missed the opening game due to personal reasons, is likely to slot into the middle-order.

West Indies lost the opening ODI by eight wickets. They had scored 295 for 7 in their 50 overs but India hardly broke a sweat in chasing down the target in 41.4 overs.

The second ODI will take place on Wednesday, with the third ODI scheduled to be held on October 3. The two teams will then play a five-match T20I series, starting October 6, of which Greaves is not part. (Cricinfo)

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Immigrant workers among those facing sexual harassment and exploitation – News Room Guyana

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September 30, 2026

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Immigrant workers in Guyana are among those experiencing sexual harassment and exploitation, with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security reporting a trend involving both male and female workers.

Dr Cona Husbands, Head of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit disclosed the concern while outlining findings on gender-based violence, workplace harassment and discrimination.

“We also know that men also are affected and we have seen a trend where immigrants are being sexually harassed and exploited,” Husbands said.

Dr Husbands was at the time speaking at the launch of the Gender Equality and Empowerment Seal.

According to Dr Husbands, sexual harassment has also been increasing more broadly over the past year with some victims turning to social media to publicly share their experiences.

“Over the recent year we have seen an increase in sexual harassment, you also have seen that on social media where some persons would have reported their issues publicly.

We have seen also labour exploitation and abuse so we know that it’s here and it’s prevalent,” she said.

While men are also affected, Husbands said women continue to be disproportionately affected by sexual harassment and sexual violence. She said some victims may refrain from reporting incidents because they fear losing their jobs or their source of income.

“Women who experience violence, for fear of loss of empowerment or wages, they may not report it,” Husbands said.

She explained that some women may need time away from work for counselling, court appearances or other support but may instead choose to endure what they are experiencing because they want to keep their jobs and earnings.

She further noted that findings revealed that gender-related challenges in the workplace affect both sexes.

“We found that women and men, not just women only, they face gender issues ranging from discrimination, gender biases, sexual harassment,” Dr Husbands said.

According to Dr Husbands, the concerns extend to the treatment of workers with family responsibilities, including childcare and reproductive health needs.

“A woman being late to drop off her child to school, asking for time to attend clinic, we do understand that we do have that also to deal with,” she said.

The comments were made as Dr Husbands outlined the ministry’s work between 2021 and 2025, during which it conducted more than 30 engagements with public and private sector organisations on gender and development, gender-based violence and workplace harassment. Almost 1,000 people were reached through sensitisation and consultations.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Courts told to expect more applications to freeze, seize criminal assets – News Room Guyana

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September 30, 2026

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Attorney General Anil Nandlall says Guyana’s courts should prepare for a significant increase in applications seeking to freeze bank accounts, detain property and ultimately confiscate assets believed to be connected to criminal activity.

Nandlall made the remarks on Tuesday while reflecting on the just concluded 27th Regional Conference of the Americas for INTERPOL, held in Guyana on September 23 and 24, where the focus on tracing criminal money and assets featured prominently.

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza highlighted the growing links between drug trafficking and illicit mining and the need for law enforcement to move beyond simply seizing illegal commodities and instead “follow the money” and identify criminal assets.

According to Nandlall, this approach is increasingly becoming a focus across regional and international law-enforcement and criminal-justice institutions.

“Repeated applications will now be made to the various courts across the judicial spectrum for orders such as freezing orders to freeze bank accounts, detention orders to detain properties, as well as forfeiture orders to confiscate properties that are implicated in or are considered proceeds of crime and criminality,” he said.

He said prosecutors are being trained to pursue these types of cases while Guyana is also working on amendments to its anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism framework, with greater emphasis on forfeiture of assets and proceeds of crime.

Nandlall said magistrates and judges must also become familiar with the developing legal framework.

He acknowledged that some of the statutory measures may be viewed as restrictive, but argued that they form part of the legal framework being developed to tackle increasingly sophisticated criminal enterprises.

“The successful combating of crime requires the participation of many organs and agencies,” Nandlall said, identifying the Guyana Police Force, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit, Guyana Revenue Authority, Financial Intelligence Unit, Special Organised Crime Unit and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission among the agencies involved.

He said those agencies must be supported by personnel capable of conducting sophisticated forensic, ballistic and financial analysis, while prosecutors must be equipped to present such evidence before the courts.

Nandlall said the criminal justice system must adapt because criminal organisations are investing heavily in technology and exploiting new innovations.

“The criminals are investing heavily in technology, in equipment, and they’re exploiting every new innovation available,” he said.

The Attorney General said the INTERPOL conference was therefore timely and reflected what he described as a more unified approach to fighting organised crime across the Americas.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Police probing Vigilance-Buxton fires, truck burning – News Room Guyana

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September 30, 2026

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Police are investigating a series of incidents in the Vigilance-Buxton area, East Coast Demerara, including road blockages, fires and the burning of a sand truck on Tuesday afternoon.

Ranks were proceeding to a location at Vigilance at about 4:40 p.m. when they encountered several persons blocking access points with burning tyres, wood and other debris, according to police.

The Guyana Fire Service was summoned, but police said persons in the area threw debris at firefighters and continued adding combustible materials to the fires.

During the incident, police received a report that a sand truck along the Railway Embankment at Buxton had been set on fire.

Ranks responded and found the vehicle with extensive fire damage to its front cabin. The fire was subsequently extinguished by firefighters.

Police also received information that several loud explosions, suspected to be gunshots, were heard in the area shortly before the truck was observed on fire.

CCTV cameras have been identified in the surrounding area and footage will be reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation.

No arrests had been made, and police patrols remained in the area as investigations continued.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, commenting on the incident, reminded that obstructing police officers in the discharge of their lawful duties is a criminal offence. He said other offences could also arise depending on the facts established by investigators.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

No compensation offer yet for MV Barima survivors, Nandlall says – News Room Guyana

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September 30, 2026

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Attorney General Anil Nandlall says no financial offer of compensation has been made to survivors or relatives of victims of the MV Barima tragedy, despite claims circulating publicly that specific sums have already been offered.

Nandlall said “inaccurate and malicious allegations” were made about the government’s handling of compensation.

He said the government established the H.E.A.R.T. initiative as a national framework to respond to the tragedy and provide assistance to affected persons.

According to Nandlall, a team of independent lawyers has been assigned responsibility for the legal aspects of the process, led by former Belize Attorney General and Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay.

He said the lawyers have already met with affected persons and relatives in Region Four and travelled to Region One, including Mabaruma and Port Kaituma, where he said many of the affected persons are located.

Nandlall said the lawyers had advised him that people who met with them were informed in writing that their participation in the process is voluntary and that they remain free to obtain independent legal advice.

They were also told that the terms and conditions applicable to any eventual payment would be contained in an agreement, should such an agreement arise.

“At this stage, no financial offer of compensation has been made to any survivor or family,” Nandlall said.

He said reports claiming that specific sums had already been offered to individuals were “wholly untrue.”

Nandlall also stressed that the government is not directly involved in negotiating compensation with affected persons.

He said responsibility had been given to the independent legal team in an effort to keep the government at arm’s length and avoid allegations of undue influence or coercion.

The Attorney General said the wider H.E.A.R.T. initiative includes legal, medical and counselling services for affected persons.
He also warned survivors and relatives to be cautious of lawyers who may seek to solicit their business, referring to what he described as “touting.”

Nandlall said the government’s objective was to assist affected families and help them reach closure following what he described as an extraordinarily painful period.

He said reports of purported compensation offers could create “confusion, anxiety and mistrust” among people already dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Three Guyanese players earn new chess titles at 2026 Olympiad – News Room Guyana

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September 30, 2026

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Team Guyana wrapped up its performance at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, following two weeks of intense competition. Across 11 gruelling rounds, the team delivered a strong effort, highlighted by three newly earned conditional chess titles.

Kyle Couchman and Keron Sandiford both reached the requirements for the Candidate Master (CM) title, while Ciel Clement earned the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title, pending official FIDE confirmation.

The Open Team (seed 137) placed 132nd out of 206 participating teams, beating its seeding by five places and ranked fourth of 23 Caribbean teams, ahead of Suriname, Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago. The Open team won all five matches against lower-seeded teams and lost all six against higher-seeded teams.

Standout individuals were CM Sachin Pitamber, who scored 4.5 points out of nine, with a Tournament Performance Rating (TPR) of 2150 and a +58.8 rating.

Pitamber’s shining moment came after he drew with Grandmaster Kelires (2532) against Cyprus in Round 3. FIDE Master (FM) Anthony Drayton finished with 4.5 points out of 8, and a TPR of 2150, gaining 28 rating points. Kyle Couchman finished with 4.5 points out of nine, gaining 5.6 points, while CM Taffin Khan gained 2.5 points out of eight and Keron Sandiford gained 3.5 points out of nine rounds.

The Women’s team placed 152nd out of 189 participating teams, making for a stable performance. The Women’s team beat four lower-seeded teams convincingly (St Vincent and the Grenadines, Somalia, Mali, and San Marino) but lost to Laos (seed 166), the one match against a lower seed. Against higher seeds, it lost all six, including 0-4 defeats by Hong Kong and Guam and a 1-3 loss

to Bahamas in the final round. The only close match was 11⁄2–21⁄2 against Japan.

Summary of Rounds

In Round One, the Open Team suffered a 0-4 defeat to Slovenia, with Kyle Couchman unable to play due to flight delays. The team bounced back in Round Two with a 3:1 victory over New Caledonia, anchored by wins from CM Pitamber, FM Drayton and Sandiford. In Round Three, Guyana fell 0.5 to 3.5 to a higher-rated Cyprus team, though CM Pitamber secured a draw on Board one.

In Round Four, the Open Team delivered a dominant 3.5–0.5 victory over Macau, China. Board One set the tone with a solid draw from CM Pitamber, while Kyle Couchman, FM Anthony Drayton, and Keron Sandiford secured decisive wins on their respective boards. Guyana Open team faced tough opposition in Rounds Five and Six, falling 1-3 to both Luxembourg and Wales. Against Luxembourg,

Couchman and FM Drayton secured draws on Boards 2 and 3, while against Wales FM Drayton earned the sole win on Board Four.

The team rebounded strongly in Round Seven with a 3-1 victory over Togo, with wins from CM Pitamber and Couchman, alongside draws by Khan and Sandiford on Boards Three and Four. The team had a setback in Round Eight, losing against Nigeria 0.5- 3.5, with FM Drayton securing a draw on Board 3. Guyana Open team posted an impressive 3-1 win over Mali in Round Nine, with victories from Couchman, Khan and Sandiford.

In a closely fought Round 10, Guyana went down 1.5 to 2.5 to their Caribbean counterparts, Jamaica. Pitamber won on Board One, and FM Drayton secured a draw on Board Three. In Round 11, the team concluded the tournament on a high note by defeating Jersey 2.5 to 1.5 with wins from Couchman and Drayton and a draw from Pitamber.

Competing on Board One, CM Sachin Pitamber (1991) delivered a strong performance, scoring 4.5 points across Nine rounds. Pitamber earned victories over New Caledonia’s Nicholas Douyere (1818), Togo’s Yakini Tchouka (2012), and Jamaica’s FM Joshua Christie (2216). He also secured impressive draws against higher-rated opponents, including GM Andreas Kelires of Cyprus (2532), CM

Tong Kuan Mak of Macau, China, and CM Jem Gurner of Jersey (2108).

Making his Chess Olympiad debut on Boards One and Two, Kyle Couchman (2003) delivered an outstanding performance, earning the coveted Candidate Master title despite missing the opening round due to travel delays. Couchman secured 4.5 points across 10 games. His tournament highlights were victories over Macau China’s CM Seak Hin Leong (1914), Togo’s Kokou Ballebako (1820), Mali’s Oumar Keita (1892), and Jersey’s Paul Carpenter (1858), as well as a credible

draw against Luxembourg’s FM Philippe Linster (2230).

CM Taffin Khan (2005), playing on Boards Two and Three, secured 2.5 points over eight games. Khan secured wins against Macau, China’s De V R Joao Car Bartilotti (1545), and Mali’s Baba Moulaye Abdalla Maiga rated 1845, as well as a draw against Togo’s Lumen Paco Semeko (1744).

FM Anthony Drayton (2003), playing on Boards Three and Four across eight rounds, secured 4.5 points as one of the Open team’s most successful players. FM Anthony Drayton delivered a strong individual performance, securing wins over New Caledonia’s Titouan Bellier Pontais (1657), Wales’ CM Alex Bullen (2096), and Jersey’s Gary Clarke (1831).

He also earned solid draws against higher-rated opponents, including Luxembourg’s Christian Jeitz (2155), Nigeria’s Bartholomew Okhipo (2246), and Jamaica’s FM Raheem Glaves (2127).

Rounding out the Open team, Keron Sandiford (1874) scored 3.5 points across Nine rounds, earning him the prestigious Candidate Master title. Sandiford recorded victories against Christian Brotons of New Caledonia, David Sun (1591) of Macau, China, and Niare Youssouf of Mali (1729), while securing a draw in round 7 against Togo’s CM Mikhail Strovskiy, rated 1760.

The Guyana Women’s Team posted a stable performance in the tournament, gaining valuable experience and insight along the way. In Round One, the team lost 0-4 to Colombia. Boards One and Two were forfeited because Kataleya Sam and Ciel Clement arrived late due to flight delays. In the second round, they lost 1-3 to a higher-rated Andorra team, with WCM Aditi Joshi winning on Board One.

In the third round, the team bounced back with a 3.5 -0.5 victory over their Caribbean counterparts, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with WCM Joshi, Clement, and WCM Shariff securing wins while Sam secured a draw. The team fell 0:4 in Round Four against a higher-rated, more experienced Hong Kong, China team.

Round Five saw the team bounce back against Somalia, winning 3.5 to 0.5, with WCM Joshi, Clement and WCM Callender winning their games while WCM Shariff drew on Board Three. In Round Six, the Women’s Team put up a strong fight against a higher-rated team from Japan before narrowly falling 1.5–2.5.

Highlights included WCM Shariff’s impressive victory over Kanako Kinoshita (1783) and a valuable draw earned by WCM Callender.

In Round Seven, the team lost 1-3 to Laos, with WCM Shariff recording the team’s only win on Board Four. In Round Eight, Guyana completed a 4:0 sweep of Mali by winning on all four boards. In a challenging ninth round, the team fell 0-4 to Guam.

In Round 10, the team bounced back with a strong 3-1 victory against San Marino. In the final round, the team fell 1-3 to their Caribbean counterparts, The Bahamas, with WCM Shariff securing the team’s only win.

WCM Aditi Joshi secured four wins in ten rounds on Board One, defeating Andorra’s Andrea Henderson De La Fuente (rated 1982), St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Ronnia Durham Balcombe (rated 1601), Somalia’s Mohamed Ali Sabrin (rated 1519), and Mali’s Adama Diakite (rated 1673).

Playing in her first Chess Olympiad, thirteen-year-old Kataleya Sam(1525) secured 3.5 points across 10 rounds on Boards One and Two, after missing the opening round due to flight delays. She recorded victories against Japan’s Kanako Kinoshita (1783), Mali’s Bintou Diallo (1575), and San Marino’s Mariane Biodri, along with a draw against Stacy Baptiste King from St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Playing on Boards Two and Three, Ciel Clement secured four wins from eight rounds of play after missing the opening round due to flight delays, earning the title of Woman Candidate Master in the process. She won against Molissa Ashton of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Mohamed Ali Samiro (1504) of Somalia, Terena Diallo of Mali and Cristina Giannini of San Marino.

Competing across Boards Three and Four, WCM Sasha Shariff earned 3.5 points in seven rounds. She won against St. Vincent’s Kazene Pierre, Laos’s Bouavone Kessouvanh, and Bahamian WCM Daijah Johnson (1607), while holding Somalia’s Ali Jimale Mariya to a draw.

Competing on Board Four, WCM Jessica Callender delivered a dependable performance, scoring 3.5 points over nine rounds. She claimed victories against Somalia’s Mohamed Ali Ramla, Mali’s Fatim Maiga, and San Marino’s Dorina Capicchioni (1447), while also securing an impressive draw against Japan’s higher-rated Ami Kato (1755).

Official title certificates and recognitions are finalised and published in the subsequent FIDE (International Chess Federation) rating and title lists following administrative processing. Serbian Grandmaster Aleksa Strikovic served as captain for the Open Team, while Slovenian Grandmaster Georg Mohr captained the Women’s Team.

The Guyana Chess Federation is proud of the achievements of our national players and extends its warmest wishes for their safe journey home. We express our sincere gratitude to Mrs. Tanya Warren-Clement for her dedication as Head of Delegation, as well as to our valued sponsors: ENet and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for their unwavering support.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

WORD OF THE DAY: EPISTEMIC

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September 30, 2026

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EPISTEMIC

adjective | ep-uh-STEE-mik

What it Means

Epistemic means “of or relating to knowledge or knowing.”

// He’s a brilliant teacher who has the epistemic humility to know that there is always more to learn.

Epistemic In Context

“Is a novel’s primary purpose to entertain or to deepen our experience of being alive—to offer escape or epistemic enrichment?” — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 8 July 2026

Did You Know?

If you’re not in the know about the history of epistemic, allow us to enlighten you. The term’s root is the Greek word epistḗmē, meaning “skill, expertise, knowledge,” and specifically “scientific knowledge” (as opposed to practical skill). Epistḗmē in turn comes from the verb epístamai, meaning “to have the skill, to know how, to have knowledge of, to understand.” Epístamai itself combines the prefix epi-, meaning “upon” or “attached to,” with the verb hístēmi, histánai, meaning “to cause to stand.” (Tidbit: histánai is also an ancestor of the English words system, stand, and, of course, understand.) The study of the nature and grounds of knowledge is called epistemology, and one who engages in such study is known as an epistemologist.