On Arrival Day...
President stresses equal importance of diverse groups
THOUSANDS of Guyanese reflected Wednesday on the period when 239,919 immigrants, the first 128 of whom stepped onto the wharf at Plantation Highbury, East Bank Berbice, arrived in British Guiana.

Among the celebrants was guest of honour President Bharrat Jagdeo, himself a descendant of the immigrant group who journeyed here.

The occasion was the 166th anniversary of the coming of East Indians to this country, on a national holiday approved by Parliament to mark the arrival of various ethnic groups under different circumstances.

The function took place at the Highbury monument site, with the theme 'From India to Guyana'.

The programme, organised by the East Berbice East Indian Immigration Commemoration Committee, captured the rich undying culture which came with those who arrived first and carefully preserved it from generation to generation.

Even though the historical overview painted a sad picture of betrayal, struggle, injustice, the atmosphere was one of accomplishment as the throngs celebrated rather than grieved.

Some people travelled from as far as Georgetown to make the pilgrimage to the location 12 miles from New Amsterdam, also in Berbice, on bicycles and in cars, buses and trucks.

Many dancers, singers, models and actors rendered a variety of performances on a stage draped in the colours of the Guyana and India national flags.

President Jagdeo, who was accompanied by Minister of Housing and Water, Mr Shaik Baksh, said descendants of the Indian immigrants have every right to be proud that they were at Highbury where the first batch of Indians landed.

The Head of State mentioned the cultural values brought by their foreparents and added: "Within each of you is part of that 5000-year civilisation that you brought from India and you must be extremely proud of that."

He said the values emphasise virtues such as tolerance, hard work and respect for knowledge in a civilisation characterised by some of the finest arts and sciences.

"You each brought that and it is your contribution to this nation," Mr Jagdeo observed, lauding the pioneering spirit of the immigrants.

"Whether they were fooled through the lure of a wonderful life here or they came voluntarily, they all had the same pioneering spirit, "he contended.

Recalling his recent State Visit to India, President Jagdeo reported that he was privileged to see from where his grandfather came, "a village stuck in time where nothing has changed."

"The story of my grandfather is not unique, because each of your foreparents had to face the same conditions and, despite those uncertainties, they stuck it out here and their descendants today are making such a huge contribution to the development of this country," Mr Jagdeo acknowledged.

President Jagdeo said one of the characteristics he admired in their foreparents was the ability to overcome hardship, flogging, unjust imprisonment, atrocious living conditions and discrimination, through all of which they persevered.

He encouraged the descendants to learn from those lessons, pointing out that today, when confronted with minor difficulties, "sometimes we want to give up, we are worried and become negative."

"That is not the spirit of the foreparents we are so proud of," he urged.

Mr Jagdeo said 50 years ago, when conditions were hard, the Indian immigrants were treated by the colonial masters as strangers and second class citizens in this land.

Many, including former President Cheddi Jagan, succeeded in the face of overwhelming difficulties, his successor asserted.

"We will not be true to that culture if we are intolerant or disrespectful to the contribution of other groups. We must recognise those equally," he said, declaring that, although he is proud of his ancestry, he remains loyal to this country and there is no conflict of loyalty.

Speaking about developments in the 'Ancient County' of Berbice, President Jagdeo listed:

* The new New Amsterdam Hospital, being built through a Japanese grant at a cost of approximately US$13.2M, that will be the most modern hospital in the country;

* The G$100M GUYSUCO expansion project at Skeldon that will secure the future of the sugar industry and produce 20 megawatts of electricity from bagasse;

* The award of a US$22M contract for paving the road from Mahaica to Rosignol;

His stay in Berbice ended with attendance of the International Mela and Fun Day at Albion Sports Complex, where crowds overspilled the ground, as well.

President Jagdeo, in brief remarks there, said when he sees the display of such enthusiasm he is invigorated to continue his work.

He challenged the gathering to use the lessons of their ancestors and make better life for themselves and not forget that this country has diverse groups which are equally important.

Mr Jagdeo also thanked the international artistes for participating.

Kidnapped Iranian was alive about a week ago
-- sources
THE Iranian cleric kidnapped in Georgetown early last month in a case that has baffled police here was possibly alive up to about a week ago, sources said yesterday.

Mohammad Hassan Ebrahimi was executed and his body found in a shallow grave off the Linden/Soesdyke late Tuesday afternoon.

Results from the post mortem done Wednesday morning indicate that he was "only recently shot", a top source told the Chronicle yesterday.

Senior Iranian police and intelligence officials have been here working with local police on the mysterious case and investigations are continuing, sources said.

A colonel and another senior officer from the Iran police force, who travelled to Guyana last week with two Iranian intelligence officials and the Iran Ambassador based in Venezuela, Mr. Ahmad Sobhani, have remained here to help in the probe, the Chronicle understands.

"Indications are that Ebrahimi may have been alive up to about one week ago", a source said.

The Iranian arrived in Guyana about 22 months ago and sources said investigators are trying to find our more about what he had been doing here.

He was kidnapped on the night of April 2 from outside the International Islamic College for Advanced Studies (IICAS), on Brickdam, Georgetown where he worked as Director.

Reports said Ebrahimi, 35, was forced into a getaway motorcar after gunmen discharged a volley of bullets at his car, which was parked outside the college.

His Administrator Raymond Halley was shot in the foot but escaped the kidnappers.

Police are baffled by the abduction because Ebrahimi's captors did not contact his family and made no ransom demand.

His wife, also Iranian, who is pregnant with their first child, had been anxiously awaiting word on her husband.

The wife and relatives want to take the body back to Iran for burial.

A member of the Muslim community close to the Ebrahimi family yesterday told the Chronicle that Iranian officials were working out the mechanics to take back the body as soon as possible to Iran.

The body was transported to the city and handed over to relatives after the post mortem examination which was witnessed by relatives, members of the Muslim community and the police.

Police said Ebrahimi was shot twice in the head and buried in a grave about three feet deep, some 400 yards off the St. Cuthbert's Mission trail and about three-and-a-half miles in from the Linden/Soesdyke highway.

The partly decomposed body was found after residents told police there was an unbearable stench from a point on the trail leading to the Amerindian settlement at St. Cuthbert's.

Police said they dug up the grave at about 18:15 hrs Tuesday and found the body lying face down with the mouth taped, hands tied behind the back and feet tied.

There were two gunshot wounds to the head, police said in a statement.

The body was positively identified by Abdul Kadir of the school, which Ebrahimi headed, and a close friend of the family, police said.

"A silver cap on one of the lower left dentures and finger ring aided the identification process", the statement said.

Residents in the area said they became aware of the shallow grave after the stench became unbearable while traversing the trail on their way to the Amerindian settlement.

Police said the Iranian scholar was wearing the same clothes he had last been seen alive in.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Islamic Trust (GIT) has sent condolences to the family of Ebrahimi and the IICAS.

Head of GIT Mr. Wazir Baksh yesterday said, "we are very saddened at the situation, we expected the police would have found him alive".

GIT also said it was concerned about the negative image the kidnapping and execution of a foreigner who came here could have on Guyana.

This incident could detract others from coming here and this is not an encouraging sign for the country's development, it said.

The Guyana Police Force has also extended apologies to the ISA Islamic School in Georgetown for the unprofessional conduct of one of their ranks when the police raided the school during the kidnapping probe last month.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Commander of 'A' Division, Mr. Clinton Conway met the Parent Teachers Association and senior executives of the school located at East Street, South Cummingsburg, for a closed door meeting yesterday afternoon which lasted some 90 minutes.

After the meeting, the GIT Head Baksh told reporters they were very impressed with the outcome of the meeting and confirmed that the police did apologise for the behaviour of one of their ranks.

Responding to a query on what the rank actually did, he said, "He behaved unprofessionally".

Baksh added that an initial call for the Police Force to publicly apologise for the raid was withdrawn based on discussions with Commissioner of Police, Mr. Winston Felix last month.

The results of that meeting were also satisfactory, he added.

Conway said of yesterday's meeting, "We had some issues we wanted to clear up" but did not go into details.

Guyana willing to fast-track extradition of drug suspects to U.S.
-- Luncheon
By Mark Ramotar
THE government yesterday confirmed it has received a formal request from authorities in the United States for a number of Guyanese suspected to be involved in major drug trafficking and money laundering operations to be extradited and put before the courts in the U.S.

The confirmation was given by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon at his regular post-Cabinet media briefing at the Office of the President.

He said the government has responded to this request by the U.S. authorities in a “principled” manner and has given the assurance that it will support and even expedite such an extradition process once the necessary procedures are followed and the facts presented.

“The request of the American authorities and their justice system has been received by the Guyanese authorities,” Luncheon told reporters, adding that this is “not a novel intervention”.

“There is a legal procedure that needs to be followed and the government has clearly indicated its support to having those procedures given effect in implementing the wishes or requests of the American authorities to extradite these Guyanese,” he said.

“We haven’t the benefit of all of the information that would allow the process to be unveiled and to be put into effect, but one would have to believe that the American authorities have some awareness of the procedures and some recall of the procedures that were implemented in earlier extradition cases…that have not been changed and indeed, they would be pursuing the request in the most formal of ways,” Luncheon stated.

When asked, specifically, whether the U.S. made any ‘formal request’ for extradition to the Guyana Government, he replied: “This is the understanding…the American Government has submitted these sealed requests for extradition purposes and they would kindly invite the competent authority here to deal with same”.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that there were 14 sealed interventions by the U.S. authorities indicating the names of Guyanese suspects they want extradited.

Luncheon said although he is aware of these sealed interventions, he is not aware of the names of the people the U.S. want extradited.

Several Guyanese have been busted in the U.S. recently on drugs and money laundering offences and officials say they are closing in on rings that have established networks here and in the U.S.

A delegation comprising legal and security officials from the U.S. was in Guyana last week to conduct investigations and ascertain the extradition procedures for a number of Guyanese who are likely to be put before the courts in the U.S.

Asked about surveillance mechanisms, if any, that are in place to monitor or observe the ‘suspects’, Luncheon said he was not in a position to respond.

Asked whether these suspects can be arrested, he said they certainly can but that on the basis of information that has been provided so far, it is not enough to do so at this point in time.

“One would have to go and establish that unlawful and illegal activities within the jurisdiction of this state have taken place for us to move to the state of arrest on the basis of the requisition for extradition and establishing, again, those facts presented by the U.S. authorities,” Luncheon posited.

He said that the basis for the extradition request has “considerable legal antecedent in the requesting state”.

“I am saying that is the information that generally allows a receiving state to respond favourably (and) we surely would not be dealing with, especially with the experiences that the American justice system has, spurious requests not being substantiated by reliable, consistent and facts that for all intents and purposes are incontrovertible,” he said.

Speed blamed for Mabura fatal crash
ONE of the injured in the Mabura accident in which four persons died early Wednesday morning, yesterday said passengers had pleaded with the driver to reduce speed minutes before the truck crashed.

Lisa Charles, 26, of Aubrey Barker Street, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, is a patient in the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the Georgetown Hospital Public Corporation suffering from broken ribs, fractured ankles, a ruptured lung and internal bleeding.

She told the Chronicle from her hospital bed that she was sitting in the tray of the vehicle with the other passengers when the accident occurred.

Charles said she was hurled from the tray and ended up in a tree; a bag of rice and onions also came down on her.

The injured woman said the truck was speeding when the accident occurred and that passengers had minutes before pleaded with the driver to slow down.

Shortly after, she said, the gearbox of the Model M truck failed and the vehicle careened off the road because it was wet and slippery. It toppled downhill and ended up in a creek, she said.

Charles was a passenger travelling to Lethem with her friend Quinciana-Ann Franklin, 24, of Lethem and her cousin, Meryl Bennette, 23, of Fourth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown, who both died minutes after the accident.

The driver of the truck, Deighton Melville, 42, of Drysdale Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, also a patient at the hospital, was sedated yesterday and was sleeping.

He sustained major injuries to his back, chest and body.

His son, Damian Melville, 20, died in the accident. He was also sitting in the tray of his father's truck and was hurled several feet away in the crash.

The labourer on the truck, Jermaine Oseffo Collins, 25, also of Drysdale Street, Charlestown, was also injured in the accident and is a patient in the hospital.

He suffered a broken leg, lacerations about the body and internal injuries in the back and chest.

The other passenger on the truck who died has been identified as Roberson Hope, 58, of Farm, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.

The truck was transporting seven persons and goods to Lethem when tragedy struck.

The injured were flown to the Ogle Aerodrome, East Coast Demerara and transported by ambulance to the hospital. (MICHEL OUTRIDGE)

Flood watch team appointed
THE government has, in response to the seasonal rainfall and threats of flooding, appointed a team to do daily and regular assessments of the flood situation in the administrative regions of the country and to organise flood responses where necessary.

According to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, the team of officials will be headed by Minister of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock, and Agriculture, Mr. Satyadeow Sawh.

He said weekly reports for the regions are being circulated by the Regional Administration, the Police Divisional authorities and the Drainage and Irrigation Unit.

These weekly reports are submitted to Cabinet and Luncheon said the most recent report (submitted on Tuesday), reveals overall good functioning of the flood control system on the coast.

“In the main conservancy, water levels are below capacity while maintenance work on outlets continue,” he reported.

Seasonal flooding in the hinterland and riverain areas has been problematic in the past and these monitoring mechanism will contribute to early warnings, Luncheon said.

Cabinet reviews fuel prices situation
CABINET has reviewed the evolving situation related to increasing fuel prices in Guyana and the proposals for providing relief, including a focus on lowering the Consumption Tax on fuel.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, said Cabinet has also critically examined the pricing mechanism in the entire industry in both the wholesale and retail sectors and has taken notice of calls for relief, particularly from the operators of the transport and productive sectors.

He told a post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday that this review has not been completed and that meetings with the finance sector and target groups of consumers are continuing during the current week.

The Ministry of Finance earlier this week indicated that it was considering the possibility of lowering the Consumption Tax applied to fuel after taking serious note of recent increases in the world market price for fuel, the associated impact on the price of fuel products in the domestic market, and the implications of these increases for the consuming public.

The ministry said it was also considering policy responses to fuel price increases and this included an adjustment to the rate of Consumption Tax applied to fuel.

"The Ministry of Finance has taken serious note of recent increases in the world market price for fuel, the associated impact on the price of fuel products in the domestic market, and the implications of these increases for the consuming public," the ministry said in a statement.

It assured that it was monitoring the effect this was having on the domestic economy and was considering "possible policy responses".

Assurances were also given by the ministry that the situation will continue to be monitored closely.

Suspected food poison victims recovering
TWO of the four brothers suffering from suspected food poisoning were reported in stable condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday.

Another brother who was also a patient there has left the hospital, officials said.

Their youngest brother, Lildar Motie, 23, of Fairfield, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, died after they had eaten a meal of curried fish and rice.

His three siblings, Totaram, Parmanand and Parbo Motie were taken to the GPHC after they were found in their home frothing from the mouth on Tuesday night.

Totaram and Parmanand Motie are recuperating in a stable condition in the Male Medical Ward of the GPHC.

The brothers yesterday said they went to work Monday leaving a prepared meal of curried banga and rice and upon their return home ate the food without knowing that it was poisoned.

They had found their door broken but nothing was missing.

Police are investigating.

President approves appointments
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo has approved the appointment of Mr. Joseph Singh as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce; Mr. Kenneth Jordon as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Works and Communication; and Ms. Juliet Sattaur as Registrar of the Land Registry.

This announcement was made by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon at a news conference yesterday at the Office of the President.

Jordon was the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works and Communication, but according to Luncheon, he resigned the post and went overseas.

He has subsequently returned to Guyana and re-applied for the position and was given the approval by President Jagdeo.

Luncheon said the new PS for the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce is a former official at the Finance Ministry.

DFC hands over final report
DISCIPLINED Forces Commission (DFC) yesterday officially handed over its final draft report, which would soon be presented to the National Assembly.

Chairman of the DFC, Justice Ian Chang, handed over the document to Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Ralph Ramkarran at his Parliament Buildings office.

The document will be presented to the Assembly after sufficient copies are printed, Mr. Ramkarran said.

Justice Chang said the report was compiled over a 10-month period and took this amount of time due to inadequate clerical and secretarial support staff.

The report was compiled based on contributions made by persons who attended public hearings countrywide.

Justice Chang reported that there were difficulties with some people coming forward to make their contributions at the hearings despite publications.

After the DFC interim report was presented, the Commission revisited some areas in Berbice to allow more people to make presentations.

Justice Chang said that in certain areas the Commission expected a larger turnout, but although there was no significant increase in the number of persons who requested to make contributions, it was a matter of quality rather than quantity.

The Disciplined Forces Commission was established to look in to the operations of the Guyana Police Force.

In Region Two…
Road link being built between Mashabo, Essequibo highway
WORK has begun to build a 1.73 miles road leading from Essequibo Coast highway at Huis T’Dieren to Mashabo, one of the Amerindian communities in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam).

A release from the Regional Administration said the link, being built with sand, loam and crusher run, will cost $10.6M.

Captain of Mashabo, Mr Francis Charles told the Chronicle his villagers are thankful to the Government for the project.

He said it will facilitate the easier transportation of sawn lumber from Mashabo to the public road.

The Regional Chairman, Mr Alli Baskh, accompanied by a high level delegation, inspected the route last Wednesday and he disclosed that funding for it is also being provided by the International Fund for Agricultural Development through the Poor Rural Community Support Service Project (PRCSSP).

The construction is scheduled to be completed within three months.

Boost for seed paddy production
GOVERNMENT is spending $3.6M on the construction of a modern laboratory and drying floor at Anna Regina on Essequibo Coast to enhance the production of quality seed paddy for Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam)/

The Rice Producers’ Association (RPA) said a new automated paddy dryer and a 90 horse power standby generator have also been installed at the Anna Regina bond to boost the production for 2,500 acres of cultivation.

Regional Chairman Mr Alli Baskh said, after a visit to the construction site Thursday, that Government is committed to making the Region self-sufficient in seed paddy.

PS at Amerindian officers' graduation...
Training essential for development
By Shawnel Cudjoe
A THREE-DAY Results Based Management (RBM) Programme mainly for Amerindian Community Development Officers and staff members of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs concluded yesterday at the office of the CHF- Partners in Rural Development.

The participants of the programme, titled BCCP 2 (Building Community Capacity Project Phase 2), all received certificates of participation.

The workshop was hosted by The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs (MOAA) in collaboration with the CHF - Partners In Rural Development and was declared open on May 4 by the Minister of Amerindian Affairs Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues.

Permanent Secretary of MOAA Reginald Brotherson, in brief remarks yesterday, noted that the Ministry recognises that training is essential for development and urged the participants to use their newly gained knowledge to make a difference in their various jobs.

He also pointed out that they look forward to a continued working relationship with CHF.

Country Director Ms. Jean Lowry told the gathering that they would continue to work with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to build communities and address issues in those communities.

She said it was her hope that they were now equipped with the technical knowledge to carry out their designated tasks efficiently.

She said CHF is also hoping to be partners with various Government Ministries.

The three-day workshop, which concludes Friday May 07, aims to provide participants with the ability to:

*Plan with monitoring and evaluation in mind

* Generate baseline data for use in monitoring

* Develop and measure indicators of success

* Identify and monitor risk

BCCP 11 is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and aims to build the capacity of rural and hinterland NGO's to devise and implement programmes that are compatible with the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.

The DIALOGUE
WHEN Guyana's two major political parties began dialoging in 1998, after poll fraud claims and post-election violence had threatened to subvert the rule of law and ravage an economy already reeling from the effects of domestic and international factors, most Guyanese cheered.

It was the dawn of a new era, they hoped.

And they had good reason for optimism.

After an election campaign that fueled ethnic cleavage, the victory of the PPP/C and the assumption of the presidency by Ms. Janet Jagan seemed too much for some members of the main opposition, PNC.

They deemed the poll fraudulent, faulted the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for being ill equipped to run and therefore compromising the running of a free, fair and transparent election, and unleashed a spate of violence against supporters of the ruling party.

For the victims and all Guyana, January 12, 1998 was one of history's worst moments.

Amid the crisis, CARICOM brokered a compromise. On January 17, 1998, the regional grouping got President Jagan and PNC leader Desmond Hoyte to sign the Herdmanston Accord, a two-page document that, among other things, committed the two leaders to the start of inter-party dialogue, to work toward constitutional reform and to the return of the PNC to parliament.

CARICOM also agreed to a request by the two parties for an audit of the December 15, 1997 election results, and the parties agreed - by their signing of the Herdmanston Accord - to abide by CARICOM's findings.

But in June 1998 when CARICOM Chairman Dr. Kenny Anthony announced the results of the audit as affirming the election victory of the PPP/C, the PNC not only refused to accept those findings; protests and violence erupted once again.

It took another Herculean effort by CARICOM, through what emerged as the Saint Lucia Statement later in June 1998, to secure the commitment of the parties to abide by the terms of the Herdmanston Accord and bring some level of political stability to Guyana.

We've seen the inter-party dialogue resumed and suspended on at least two other occasions and the international community, as is once again the case, having to intervene to get Government and Opposition to continue to talk.

It's amazing that international community members, some of which are sometimes criticized for "interfering in Guyana's internal affairs," have to intervene so often to get our leaders to confer, when they are aware that dialogue is critical to the country moving forward!

We expect the Government to assume that the PNC/R is serious about putting Guyana first and take the initiative, in the interest of peace, security and national growth, to have the inter-party dialogue resumed.

And we expect the PNC/R to substitute the public interest for partisan political mileage and reverse its suspension of the consultation process, guided by its commitment - in the words of late President Hoyte - to "creating a better Guyana that is free from ethnic insecurities, social injustice, poverty, crime and sectarianism."

CDB governors target region's agriculture
By Rickey Singh
BRIDGETOWN -- Agriculture and rural development will be the focus of a special session organised for next week's annual meeting in Tobago of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Prior to the ceremonial opening Wednesday of the two-day meeting of governors, among them some Caribbean Prime Ministers who are also Ministers of Finance, the session on agricultural and rural development will take place with a particular emphasis on food security.

Agriculture remains a vital sector of national economies and a major source of employment for a number of member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), including Guyana and Jamaica.

President of the CDB, Dr. Compton Bourne, in reviewing sectoral developments in 2003 and prospects for 2004, has noted a "general decline" in agricultural output last year.

And Dr. P. I. Gomes, Chief Technical Adviser of the Port-of-Spain-based Caribbean Food Security and Food Safety Project of the Food and Agricultural Organisation that is funded by the Italian government, has welcomed the CDB's planned special session on agriculture and rural development.

"If this were to receive the attention it deserves", Gomes told the `Guyana Chronicle’, “after the many years of neglect, then the growing pockets of rural poverty, dislocation of farming communities that are heavily dependent on a regular, though meagre income from farming, will begin to reduce the movement into the already over-crowded urban ghettoes and towns of the Caribbean region".  

Gomes said that governments and regional institutions like the CDB and the CARICOM Secretariat, would be aware of how the urban ghettoes and towns of a number of Caribbean states and territories "have become the breeding grounds of criminal violence, narco-trafficking, gang warfare and prostitution".  

The programme for promoting food security and food safety is a regional/international partnership venture which Italy -- a non-regional member of the CDB -- is supporting with grant funding of some US$5M, to help small farming communities across the region in areas such as improved management of water resources for production of vegetables and fruits, and to generally strengthen human and institutional capacity.

According to an assessment prepared for next week meeting of the CDB's Board of Governors, the contribution of regional agriculture to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been declining over the years.

This mainly reflects, according to the CDB, "diseconomies of scale and the attendant problems of competitiveness, as well as increasing unwillingness on the part of developed countries to support preferential arrangements in an era of trade liberalisation..."

Meanwhile, arrangements have been completed for the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Rex Nettleford, to deliver the fifth William G. Demas Memorial Lecture on Tuesday evening, May 11 in Tobago prior to Wednesday's opening of the 34th annual meeting of the CDB's Board of Governors.

Nettleford’s topic for the lecture, which is being held in association with the Trinidad and Tobago Central Bank, will be `Culture and Economic Development’.

Demas was a former Secretary General of the Caribbean Community and President of the CDB.

Before bail grant…
Defence alleges co-accused was sent for kidnap victim
ONE of the two women charged with conspiracy in the kidnapping of a six-year-old girl from Agricola Primary School, East Bank Demerara, last month, was allowed pre-trial freedom yesterday.

Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen, before whom the duo made their third Court appearance since the victim was rescued, granted Chunwantie Ramlojan, of Sisters, West Bank Demerara, $30,000 bail, following a renewed application by her Defence Counsel, Mr Vic Puran.

The lawyer alleged that Ramlojan, a waitress and a mother of six, was sent by her employer, who is the child’s uncle, to collect the last during the lunch break.

Police Chief Inspector Gordon Peters, prosecuting, did not object to the grant for Ramlojan.

But, when other attorney-at-law, Mr Paul Fung-A-Fat applied on behalf of co-accused Suies, of La Grange, another West Bank Demerara village, saying the latter does not understand English and that he has not yet been fully instructed, the Prosecutor said she is the person who locked Lai Lay Hai Foo in a room at the La Grange restaurant where the rescue took place.

The Police case against the two, who are facing the joint indictable charge, is that they abducted the pupil from her school and took her by car to Yan Yan Restaurant at La Grange.

Fung-at-Fat is to renew his bid for Suies’ liberty when the case is called again Monday.

Arrested rape accused also granted bail
AN accused rapist, taken to Court on an arrest warrant yesterday, was granted $75,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen.

Dustin Sampson (no address given) shared the same fate as co-accused Sterndale Wills, who made his appearance before another magistrate last April 30.

Sampson and Wills are alleged to have had forced sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old girl on November 27, 2003.

The two men will be back in Court on June 19.

Vergenoegen Old Year's Night murder re-trial ...
Voir dire being held to determine oral confession
JUSTICE Jainarayan Singh, the trial judge in the Vergenoegen Old Year's Night party murder re-trial, yesterday began holding a voir-dire (a trial within a trial) to determine the issue of admissibility of an alleged oral confession said to be made by the 22-year old accused, Shazim Baksh.

At the opening of the re-trial last week, State Prosecutor Faith Mc Gusty had assured the mixed jury that she would lead evidence to show that the accused was the person who committed the crime.

The jury had disagreed on a verdict at the original trial before Justice Winston Moore resulting in a new trial being ordered.

He has pleaded not guilty and is being represented by Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Hukumchand.

According to the Prosecutor, the accused and the late Sean Vancooten had attended a party on the West Coast of Demerara on the night in question.

The first witness to testify was Eran Gordon, a mechanic of Uitvlugt Estate.

He recalled attending an Old Year's Night party at Met-en-Meerzorg Nursery School about 2 a.m. on January 1, 2001.

Witness said that while he and others were drinking beers that night, he saw someone lying on the floor in the dance hall. He later recognized the person on the floor to be Sean Vancooten, who was bleeding from a wound in the region of the chest.

With assistance he took Vancooten to West Demerara Hospital where he was pronounced dead by the doctor.

Corporal Melroy Stephenson, who testified yesterday, said he was the promoter of the dance that night. He and others were drinking beers when someone told him something. Witness said he rushed to the platform where he saw Vancooten lying on the said floor with his head resting on the lap of a woman who was in a stooping position. Vancooten had a wound in the region of his left side chest.

Stephenson said he was driving his car from the scene that night when he focussed his headlights on a crowd in time to see three men bringing the accused from the burial ground at Met-en- Meerzorg.

He said he cautioned the accused and told him that it was alleged that he had stabbed Vancooten, when the accused blurted out something to him. The witness was about to tell the judge and jury the nature of the conversation, which was in the form of an oral confession, when defence counsel Hukumchand objected.

This sparked off a voir dire, which is continuing.

The judge warned the jury not to pay attention to a story in Stabroek News about the case, which he said had given a different account to what transpired in Court. According to the judge, "I did not see the reporter in Court and what is reported to have transpired never occurred.

"I see the Chronicle's reporter here and I know from his experience he would not have made such an error, which could only succeed in misleading the jury," the judge told the jury. (George Barclay)

Residents urge extension of doctors' term
WE THE residents of Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) congratulate the Government of Guyana, the Ministry of Health, especially Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, for the vast improvement to the medical services at the Suddie Public Hospital.

Much of the success hinges around the Cuban surgeon, Dr. Felix Machado Escalona who has performed more than 600 surgical operations successfully.

Residents who were ailing over the years and could not afford to have surgery were able to have the services of the God-sent Dr. Felix Escalona.

People have been living renewed lives. Even people from as far as Berbice and Demerara come to Suddie Hospital for surgery, because of the expert and successful surgeries Dr. Felix has been performing.

This doctor has been here for over one year and has saved countless lives and has been described by the residents as a blessing from God.

Because of his outstanding services we are asking that Dr. Felix Escalona remain another term at the Suddie Public Hospital.

A similar request is also made for Dr. Veronica Pinillo who has also been doing a great job with Dr. Felix.

The residents would like to thank the doctors of the Suddie Public Hospital for the great job they have been doing. May God bless them.

They are really committed to their jobs.

We the residents are truly happy and satisfied with their service and once again plea for the extension of their contracts.
RESIDENTS

Move to reap peace
CORRUPTION is used most times in referring to financial and other mundane transactions wherein lies fraud, bribery, underweighting, poor quality, underpay, exploitation etc.

However, in the higher Divine connotation it refers to people who reject God, for such persons conceal by their disbelief, which is inherently in their nature and embalmed in their souls.

People's nature is instinctively imbued with Divine attributes and these are revealing when beset with tests, trials and adversities for all cry out in some way or the other for this unseen power to help and console those who are intrinsically connected to it.

Because his whole body, every cell and each atom functions in obedience to that instinct and everything on the outside world also similarly functions, man who denies God nor serve Him becomes indeed really corrupted perverted, vision blurred and therefore would make life miserable for his associates.

Such men will destroy the peace and calm of life on earth, for tyranny, arrogance, destruction and decimation will be the result.

Those who deny the existence of the One who created us will be deprived of the Divine intelligence and reason and will therefore through their desires and evil insinuations further corrupt every facet of society.

This nation by nature is `Godly'.

Do let us return to His obedience and reap peace, contentment and quality in our everyday lives.
SHAFFEEK KHAN

Longstanding problem
WE ONCE again witnessed the annual Labour Day parade through the streets of Georgetown and it was good to see the workers of all races and political persuasions marching under their union banners.

None of us can help being discouraged, however, by the continuing wrangling among the trades unions, as we all want to see a united and stronger trade union national body.

The main bone of contention, of course, is that the Guyana Trades Union Congress [GTUC] which is supposed to be the overall umbrella body, continues to refuse to put itself in order by embracing democratic rules and procedures and ensuring free and fair elections for delegates and the national executives, and providing financial accountability.

This is really a longstanding problem, which is causing discouragement and dismay among the rank and file members, who realise that their interests maybe receiving adequate attention at their branches and by their individual unions, but their overarching concerns are not receiving the representation these deserve because of the lack of a truly national, strong cohesive and respected Trades Union Congress.

It is the hope of many workers that before the next Labour Day marches, the efforts being made by several trade union leaders and executives on behalf of the unions which they represent will bear some fruit, and perhaps all workers will be able to see a unified Labour movement at that time.
DANIEL PERSAUD

Shifting blame
A TACTIC of the main opposition party and its spokespersons is to attribute to the governing PPP/Civic administration many of the wrongdoings and much of the maladministration committed under their regime.

In order to foment racial strife, for example, the PPP/Civic is accused of retrenching thousands of workers in the public service and in the bauxite industry.

The fact of the matter is that between 1985 and 1992, under the PNC, the number of public sector workers was reduced by about 1,400.

In the bauxite industry, where problems started from as early as the 1970s, there were several massive retrenchments, so that by 1992, the remaining workers were just a fraction of what they were at Independence.

But, of course, the PNC/R tried to blame the present government for the reduction of employment in these two sectors, massive retrenchments that they themselves had carried out.

The PNC had plans also to reduce employment even further, but these were blocked when the PPP/Civic came to office, and more concern was shown for the workers and their dependents.
BARBARA SUKLALL

Instructive quotation
I VISITED the Indian Monument Gardens at the corner of Church and Camp streets in Georgetown Wednesday afternoon (May 5) for the observance, commemoration and celebration of the arrival of Indian indentured labourers to the shores of Guyana 166 years ago.

Although the majority attending were Indo-Guyanese as expected, there were a good number of the other races represented.

The proceedings commenced with prayers by members of the Muslim, Hindu and Christian religions, followed by splendid cultural entertainment.

Among the several excellent and touching speeches by the Honourable Prime Minister Sam Hinds, Minister Reepu Daman Persaud, Mr. Yesu Persaud and others, there was also an address by His Excellency the Indian High Commissioner Mr. Gupta.

In Mr. Gupta's address, he referred to the visit by His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo to India in January this year on the occasion of the Second Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and quoted from the President's Speech there -

"Love of one's country of origin is natural.

Pride in one's ancestry is wholesome and essential. There ought not to be, therefore, a conflict between national identity and ancestral pride.

"However, one must always be careful to distinguish between ancestral pride and national loyalties."

I thought that the quotation from President Jagdeo's speech used by the Indian High Commissioner was suitable and instructive.

It was an excellent occasion, enjoyed by all.
JOHN DA SILVA

Proceeding with promotions
WITH the long-delayed appointment of the Teaching Service Commission, due to the actions of the main Opposition PNC/R, the commission was able to proceed to regularise the filling of vacancies, and proceeding with promotions.

There was the absence of the commission for a period of three years, which created problems for many teachers.

Since the appointment of the commission earlier this year, steps have been and are being taken to correct the many problems that arose and affected appointments, promotions and disciplinary action in some cases.

Although some teachers have left, many others are joining the profession and pursuing training to take up positions in the expanding educational sector.
VANESSA WILLIAMS

Appropriate responses needed
THE British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, owing to the upsurge of violent crimes in Tobago, has issued an advisory warning to their nationals, tourists and other visitors of the danger.

They have been warned not to walk around with large sums of money or wearing eye-catching jewellery, and to avoid lonely and secluded spots.

Trinidad and Tobago officials while regretting the necessity for such an advisory, accept that it is understandable in the light of the upsurge in crimes in recent times.

The Trinidad and Tobago Police have responded with several measures, which they have put in place to reduce crimes and provide greater protection, which have met with the approval of the British High Commissioner there.

Crime and security are problems not only for Guyana but in other territories in the region as well and must be met with the appropriate responses by the law enforcement agencies, not only to protect tourists and other visitors but citizens as well.
MELISSA RAMBARRAN

Experience it, not debate it
THERE is a third interpretation of me that Mr. Roger Williams (Guyana Chronicle May 3) failed to consider, that I may be a multi-faceted non-dualistic individual who cannot be pigeonholed into anyone's neat simplistic stereotyped categories of the insecure Indian and African (not Black, sir, African).

Is he insecure in using the term "African"?

Unless a person is fully aware of his cultural biases and prejudices, he cannot perceive or understand a reality outside of his cultural experiences. To him such a reality is alien and confusing.

When my father was a student in Georgetown in the 1960s he used to receive money from his parents in North West through a bank. The first time he went to uplift his money the Portuguese teller could not believe that his name was Hackett until he produced indisputable identification.

He muttered unprintable things about her under his breath.

During the disturbances in the 60s, he was mistaken for an Indian and was almost beaten. Upon a closer look, his attacker stopped and said, "Go home, buckman, but first look in that trench and behave yourself."

He saw the body of an Indian man floating in the trench.

A few years ago an African headmistress once asked me, "How come you get that name Hackett?"

In Georgetown, Indians and Africans are often left surprised when I tell them I am from Berbice.

At the recent Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) hearing I sat for half-an-hour right in front of Bishop Edghill. When my name was called to make my presentation, I sat for a few seconds to see the reaction.

The good Bishop looked everywhere around the room, except at me. Then I got up and made my presentation.

After I had finished, an African told me that I don't know the reality of the African in Guyana. That just might be true, but let me speak of the reality I know from first-hand experience.

As a youngster I used to listen to the radio quite a lot and for some reason I had thought that the broadcasters - James Sydney, Matthew Allen, Pat Cameron, Ron Robinson, Clem David, Roger Moore, Ayube Hamid, Rovin Deodat and others - were all Indians. Later I was disabused of my misperception.

I was taught by African, Indian and Portuguese teachers. An Indian primary school teacher borrowed a science book from me and never returned it.

Twice was I beaten (very mildly) in secondary school: first by an Indian mathematics teacher, then by an African headmaster.

My school friends were Africans, Indians, Portuguese, Amerindian, Chinese, regular Guyanese.

A fat Indian boy, son of the mathematics teacher, once challenged me to fight. I declined, as I was fatter. In arm-wrestling few could have beaten me - one was a powerful African youth we used to call `Slaughter', another was a strong Amerindian we called `Samsi'.

Some of them - Africans and Indians - used to borrow money regularly from me and to this day they still owe me.

An African schoolmate - a former national cricket player - borrowed a science book from me and never returned it. An Indian schoolmate used to bully me to show him how to solve certain problems.

At UG an African student borrowed my assignment to have a look. Next thing I knew, he photocopied it and the guys from Technology who were doing that course, Africans and Indians, duly copied it and submitted it.

My major colleagues duly castigated me. I grinned and said, "Give them a chance. Some of them will still fail." A few did.

I heard an Indian girl defend the intellectual ability of Africans when an Indian man of the ISKON persuasion told her that Africans couldn't study the natural sciences. He soon shut up.

As an adult I have regularly walked some streets in Georgetown considered dangerous and I have never been robbed.

An African teacher was so concerned for my safety that she warned me not to walk along certain streets. I still did.

My Indian brother-in-law once walked along a certain street. He was robbed at knifepoint.

Only once was I ever robbed: my pocket was picked of $ 2,000 by an African man on the Berbice ferry during the crush to exit. Maybe he needed the money more than I did.

On a few occasions in Georgetown, Africans verbally insulted my wife for absolutely no perceptible reason.

An African once told me that he resents it when he goes into Indian businesses and salespersons follow or watch him as if he were a thief.

An African family friend, who worked with the then GEC, told me that he was checking for rotted light posts in an Indian area when he was threatened by Indians. I saw him being assaulted by an African policeman during an arrest. He cuffed the policeman to the ground and is still alive today to tell the tale.

I saw a former Indian student of mine firing away diligently with a cutlass at another Indian.

At a school athletic meet that same former student threatened to beat me. I roared in his face, "I beat you when you were small and I can beat you again." Happily, we were prevented from harming each other.

In Georgetown an African student-teacher told me that he felt that he was being discriminated against by his Indian supervisor.

I have been told of Africans discriminating against Africans in favour of Indians and of Indians discriminating against Indians in favour of Africans.

There are some Christian Indians who hate the sight of my very shadow because I dared to tell them that their church is preaching false doctrines. There are others who would lay down their lives for me, as I would do for them.

At a funeral service at a Buxton church in 1986, I saw Africans weeping for an Indian pastor who was brutally murdered by bandits.

Former African and Indian students tell me that I was the best teacher they had; yet I used to beat some of them. I can well imagine how much worse they were beaten by their own.

In fact I have witnessed some sickening beatings: an Indian teacher diligently applying the whip to the skin of Indian students, an African teacher diligently hauling away on the ears of an African student. I no longer believe in the efficacy of corporal punishment.

I have seen poverty-stricken Indians and Africans. Sometimes when I travel to Georgetown some poor Indian, African, Portuguese or Amerindian, never a Chinese, would solicit me for alms.

I have seen malnourished African and Indian school children in the 1985-1992 era.

At a school orientation I stated that the poor academic performance of our students was caused by poor brain development due to the lack of a high-protein diet during the food shortages of the 1980s.

One Indian supporter of the PNC got up and vehemently disagreed with me.

When I was a student in Georgetown in the 1980s, my African accounts teacher asked me to pay for my extra lessons with wheat flour. I took the risk and became a flour smuggler to help put protein on the table of an African.

I even smuggled wheat flour bread for a now deceased Indian High Court judge.

Indian and African taxi drivers were scared to take me to Georgetown if I was carrying bread or flour. I had to lie.

During the great flour ban (effectively it was a ban, make no mistake about that), my mother tried to make pastries using rice flour.

African and Indian customers refused to buy them. I think we ended up pelting one another with those pastries.

With the help of two African policemen we were able to smuggle wheat flour from an Indian sawmiller at Crabwood Creek. My education was literally funded by smuggled flour.

One of those Africans was like Serpico the honest cop.

He told us he once stopped and searched a car fetching PNC members. A party card was flashed in his face.

He replied to the card carrier, "What you showing me palm tree for? I have plenty palm trees in my backyard." He died as a corporal.

In the 1980s I once witnessed his hot pursuit of an African bandit who had robbed an Indian woman on Regent Street. The bandit got away inside the Metropole cinema yard.

My maternal grandfather, whose father was a mulatto and mother an Indian, was the first businessman in Rose Hall Village to employ Africans to work in his shop.

He was a staunch United Force (UF) member and would open his shop front to UF meetings. PPP supporters boycotted his business.

He said, "A good coolie is a dead coolie." His mother told him, "You curse coolie and you come from one." He retorted, "Yes."

When the UF joined with the PNC in 1964, he cursed Peter D'aguiar, left the UF and politics. He later became a Lutheran minister.

He warned us to never trust a politician. So far I have seen no reason to disregard his wise advice.

In the 1985 elections I witnessed the entrance of African soldiers into a polling place to remove ballot boxes. I saw one of them knock an Indian man against a nearby church fence because he refused to move back.

I witnessed the stoning of a polling place in 1992 and the desperate efforts of an African youth leader to curb the violence. It eventually petered out.

Later that night a large cup was burnt in the middle of the public road.

I was told by an Indian headmaster that coming down to the close of polling in the 1997 elections he allowed Indians without ID cards to vote.

I was given two firsthand accounts of the violence that almost burnt down the Albion police station. They varied somewhat from the official version published in the media.

I have seen Indians and Africans hugging and laughing and crying together. I have also seen them cursing and fighting each other.

I have seen the love-hate relationship that they share. Both Indians and Africans have stolen from my parents business and both have supported it.

I have been a firsthand witness to African oppression and Indian oppression. I know the tribulations and trials of both Indians and Africans.

I would not have been where I am today without the help of both Indians and Africans.

And Mr. Williams is disappointed that I cannot come to some artificial sociological conclusion about Dr. Gibson's book?

The biggest failure of Dr. Gibson's book is that she has a theory for Indian oppression, but none for African oppression.

Her 78-page book simply cannot fully encapsulate the complex ethnic dynamism of Guyanese society. No book can; you have to experience it, not debate it.

What I have described above is only the tip of the iceberg.

I am not a trained social scientist but I am a trained teacher and I do know about human relations, cultural anthropology and the way science should work.

I can safely say that what Dr. Gibson describes in her book does not fully describe the Guyanese experience.

The elites from both sides of the ethnic divide don't like to hear this, but I will repeat it: Africans and Indians have been evil to each other.

The PPP and the PNC have been evil to each other.

I will not offer false comfort to either side that their group suffered more than the other. I refuse to think in stereotypes. Mr. Williams, the IAC, GIHA and others are free to do so.

The ethnocentrism of the major ethnic groups is why many Africans and Indians cannot feel the suffering of the other; they can only feel the suffering of their own; the suffering of the other is an alien thing.

To prove this assertion, I ask Mr. Williams a culturally relative question: Which religion is the true religion? See page 28 of "The Cycle of Racial Oppression in Guyana" for Dr. Gibson's answer.

Nowhere in my November 14th letter to the Chronicle did I say that Dr. Gibson was wrong.

In fact I clearly stated, "Right or wrong, Dr. Gibson's book now forces Indians, Hindus and the PPP to answer this vital question: Do you believe that Africans and the PNC are inherently and incorrigibly evil and thus unfit to rule? Africans and the PNC must also ask themselves the same question about Indians, Hindus and the PPP. The political parties must stop calling each other evil, as this implies that the accused party and its supporters are intrinsically and irredeemably evil and thus unworthy to rule."

Throughout her book, Dr. Gibson criticises dualism. Yet Mr. Williams wants me to change gear into a dualistic mode and conjure up a mythical conclusion one way or the other.

No sir, I refuse to be a dualistic mythmaking conjurer.

At the DFC hearing in Berbice last October I was asked by one of the commissioners (an Indian), "If you were to go into a police station and there were three policemen inside - an African, an Amerindian and an Indian, whom would you first approach?"

At first I didn't know how to answer. I told him he was trying to get me to say "the Amerindian."

He insisted that I give a direct answer to his question, "Whom would you instinctively approach?" I told him I don't believe that humans operate by instinct.

He glared at me. I glared back.

Then the answer came to me in a flash: "The one nearest the door."
M. XIU QUAN-BALGOBIND-HACKETT

American amateur boxers coming in August
… Two professionals from Santo Domingo for July card
By Isaiah Chappelle
THE exchange of boxers between USA Metro and the Upper Demerara Amateur Boxing Association(UDABA) will definitely come off in August.

This was announced, yesterday, at a press conference hosted by UDABA at Waterchris ahead of tonight’s finals of the 3rd Carryl Golden Gloves amateur boxing championships initiated by USA-based boxing personality Michael Carryl.

Carryl’s associate Gary Stephens declared: “It will come off.”

Some seven boxers from New York, accompanied by three coaches and two officials will tour here to start the exchange whereby each year boxers from each body will alternate visits.

“We’re here to promote amateur boxing,” Stephens said.

However, before that exchange, the second Stephens/Carryl professional card will be staged on July 16 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Two pugilists from the Dominican Republic will trade punches with Leon ‘The Lion’ Gilkes and Mark Dummett.

Female boxers should also be on display, with names such as Shondell Park, Sharon Ward and Da Silva being touted.

Stephens explained that the card, which includes amateur bouts, is necessary to raise funds to support the amateur programme because, apart from getting help from the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) in officiating, the use of the ring and advice, UDABA does not get financing.

The cost of staging this three-night Golden Gloves is about half a million dollars, the biggest budget to date.

The promoter, who prefers to be labelled boxing developer, said that the input of sponsors Michael Carryl, North American Airlines, Carryl Car Rental (formerly Budget Car & Truck Rental), newcomers BWIA and Byass Furniture Establishment has been most helpful.

“Without equipment Everlast donated, this would not be possible.”

Stephens pointed out that the effort in promoting amateur boxing, with the establishment of UDABA in 2002, has been bearing fruit with some 15 fight nights being staged, translating into one such event every two months.

For this present Golden Gloves championships some 88 boxers registered and so far, some 25 bouts were carded for the two nights already staged.

“It was a success. It showed in the improvement of skill, turnout and cooperation with the coaches.”

The promoter envisions the Golden Gloves to grow, referring to the success of the Kashif & Shanghai Organisation in football, but was peeved that detractors are saying that the football duo were not ploughing back into the community.

“But they are. However, there are several foreign companies coming into the country and exploiting our resources and do not put back anything into sport.”

Stephens said that should Berbice and Essequibo follow suit, Guyana could produce Olympic gold medallists in the near future.

Already young Delon Allicock is aiming for a gold medal in the Olympics.

“I’m training hard from now to get a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics.”

Another young boxer Earl Sobers called on the public to support amateur boxing and promised to put up an exciting fight in tonight’s finals.

Rain dampens Sevens World Cup preparation
THE persistent rain is dampening the preparation of the national Sevens rugby squad now training for the World Cup qualifiers.

President of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) Kit Nascimento, yesterday, said the team in training since March has achieved a “high level of fitness” but now needed game practice.

“The team is now severely handicapped by the continuous flooding of the National Park ground over the past three weeks with no let-up of the rains in sight.”

GRFU has approached the Ministry of Sport for the use of the Carifesta Sports Complex ground, which has escaped serious flooding and is not waterlogged.

The qualifiers for the North American & West Indies Rugby Association (NAWIRA) region will be staged in the Cayman Islands June 8 and 9.

Winner of the NAWIRA qualifiers will join 14 other winners of six regional tournaments around the world in the finals billed for Hong Kong in March, next year.

Meanwhile, the GRFU had to suspend the fixtures of the present Sevens League championships because of the ground condition at the National Park.

England's success built on work ethic, commitment
… says skipper Michael Vaughan
By Simon Cambers
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (Reuters) - England's success on their 10-week tour of the Caribbean was built on the team's solid work ethic and commitment, according to captain Michael Vaughan.

The five-wicket win over West Indies on Wednesday left honours even at 2-2 after the seven-match one-day series, which followed England's Test series victory -- their first since 1968.

"Obviously in the Test series, we had a fantastic series," Vaughan said before the squad returned to England. "To win 3-0 -- no one probably expected us to do that.

"It's been a long, hard tour. If you look at every game we've played, they've all been tough games of cricket so to lose only two games all tour takes a lot of mental strength."

Under Vaughan's leadership, England have instituted an enhanced fitness regime, something the captain said had been pivotal to their efforts.

"They've given everything all tour," Vaughan said. "Obviously there's been a new training regime but they have shown a real mental strength in the way they've kept going.

"The way the bowlers have kept running in, it shows they have a great attitude."

Vaughan had particular words for the three players who, along with himself, played in each of the four Tests and seven one-dayers -- left-hander Marcus Trescothick, fast bowler Steve Harmison and all-rounder Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff.

"I am pleased for Marcus," Vaughan said after Trescothick's 82 set up victory on Wednesday. "But Harmison and Freddie can definitely put their feet up on the couch when they get back. They have been fantastic."

The squad flew home to England yesterday and will have a two-week break before they reassemble to prepare for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's on May 22.

"The short time off could be good," Vaughan said. "Obviously (New Zealand) have had a bit of time to get used to the conditions in England, but it could be good for us too because we're on a bit of a roll.

"A week on Sunday when we report back, we will just have to get right back and focus on New Zealand."

WINNING NOTE
Vaughan said the one-day squad, which rebounded from back-to-back defeats in St Lucia last weekend to finish the tour on a winning note, was improving all the time.

"We've showed we're a match for anyone on our day," Vaughan said. "Probably a year ago, we might have fallen short here. There was a lot of inexperience in the team but to chase 262 in the manner we chased them is excellent.

"We're improving but we're nowhere near the finished product."

Vaughan said criticism of the one-day team for being light in the batting department was justified.

"It's no secret that we're looking for a frontline batsman," he said. "There's been a lot of talk that we're a bit light in batting. It's just trying to find the right character.

Lara confident Windies can succeed in England
By Simon Cambers
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (Reuters) - West Indies captain Brian Lara says his team can win the forthcoming Test series in England but must find the mental strength to back up their ability.

"We lost 3-1 in England in 2000 so we know it's going to be tough," Lara said.

"But I still think the West Indies team, this West Indies team, can beat England. We just have to be mentally strong and keep working hard.

"When we lose a match, we seem to be in a bit of disarray. We need to change that."

England's 3-0 victory in the Test series which ended last month was their first triumph in the Caribbean since 1968, and West Indies' poor record overseas in recent years will make Michael Vaughan's side strong favourites to retain the Wisden Trophy.

"It's pretty evident that in the last six or seven years we have performed better at home than away," Lara said.

"That (winning overseas) is something that West Indies teams in the 1970s and 1980s were able to do, and we have to find that same thing, whether it be physical or mental."

West Indies bounced back in the one-day series against England, winning back-to-back games in St Lucia last weekend to take a 2-1 lead, only to lose the final game in Barbados on Wednesday.

Lara said he believed their improved one-day performances could help their Test form.

"What is good is that most of the guys in the one-day squad play in the Test team so maybe we can take some confidence from that," he said.

"Maybe that will carry over into the Test series against Bangladesh and England."

In four Tests, West Indies were twice bowled out for less than 100, including a humiliating collapse to 47 all out in the first Test in Trinidad and Tobago.

Lara, who made a world-record 400 in the final drawn Test in Antigua, said the more experienced players must shoulder much of the blame.

"The senior players -- myself, Sars (Ramnaresh Sarwan), (Shivnarine) Chanderpaul -- we know we didn't get enough runs in the first three matches.

"But we have six matches (including two against Bangladesh) in the rest of the year to make amends for it."

Lara said there were some positives to take to England.

"We have some young fast bowlers -- Tino Best, Fidel Edwards, who did really well in the Test series.

"We just didn't get the runs on the board to help them. When we did get the runs, in Antigua, they bowled really well and showed their ability.

The four-Test series begins at Lord's on July 22.

Carryl Golden Gloves semis …
Captivating bouts from first gong
By Isaiah Chappelle
RONDEL Douglas peppered the much-touted Dexter Jordan in one of the many brilliant exchanges during the semifinals of the 3rd Carryl Golden Gloves amateur boxing championships at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Wednesday night.

From the first gong of the 18 bouts to the last gong, the action in the ring was captivating, as the mostly junior boxers delivered a high quality of performance.

However, one decision nearly tainted the card when a clearly beaten Michael Jordan of Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) was awarded the fourth fight, a 65-69 lb encounter, over the dominant Marlon Darrel of Ricola. Darrel was the aggressor from round one, getting in some solid overhand rights. He continued carrying the fight, with Jordan countering. Jordan got in a straight right and Darrel went down but the referee ruled a slip.

Darrel dominated the opening of the third round, landed a solid glancing left and down went Jordan to be counted, with a cut over his left eye. Darrel got the better of a toe-to-toe exchange to the end of the round. Then came the surprising decision.

Thus in bout six, it appeared that Douglas set out to avenge his gym mate’s unlucky decision, hammering Jordan’s brother. Jordan started with body and headshots, but Douglas persisted and got the better of toe-to-toe exchanges towards close.

Some five bouts did not go the distance. The fist was bout eight in which Ryan Jeffers of Carryl Boxing Gym (CBG) had Alex Sobers of Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis gym, counted twice, with powerful uppercuts and the corner threw in the towel in the first round.

The following bout, Royston Warde (CBG) did not answer the bell for the second round, after Carlton La Fleur (FYF) had him counted twice with crisp combinations to head.

In bout 15, the referee stopped the contest after Odwin David (FYF) was counted four times, one time each in the first and second rounds and twice in the third. Edward Skeete (Harpy) started with a combination to head to have David counted in the first round. He continued with crisp jabs, followed by hooks, adding uppercuts as the fight continued.

Bout 17 ended in the second round as Kevin David (Ricola) landed solid left-right combinations, following up with hooks and Antonio Wallace’s (FYF) corner threw in the towel.

The night climaxed with Earl Sobers (Ricola) going for two quick attacks in the first round for which Joel Hackett had no answer and the corner threw in the towel.

Only one boxer did not turn up for his ring date so Shaquille Bowen (Ricola) got a walkover from Kevin Blake (CBG).

At the end of the night, Ricola had five victories including the walkover, FYF four, CBG and Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis gym three each and Harpy Eagles two.

Some 14 finals are carded for tonight at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, with another four for female clashes. However, should the rain persist, the finals will be staged at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Monday.

Results:
45-49 lb - Dexter Ray (Ricola) beat Kevin Allicock (FYF);

55-59 lb - Jamal Henry (CBG) defeated Imran Khan (Harpy) and Shaquille Bowen (Ricola) got a walkover from Kevin Blake (CBG);

65-69 lb - Michael Jordon (FYF) got a controversial decision over Marlon Darrel (Ricola), Kellon Peters (CBG) defeated Romario Grandison (CBG) and Rondel Douglas (Ricola) beat Dexter Jordan (FYF);

70-74 lb - Calvin John (Ricola) defeated Devon Charles (‘Sixhead’);

80-84 - lb Ryan Jeffers (CBG) stopped Alex Sobers (‘Sixhead’) and Carlton La Fleur (FYF) put away Royston Warde (CBG);

90-94 lb - Andrew Murray Jr (‘Sixhead’) beat Carlton Scott (Ricola);

101-105 lb - Jemion Barker (FYF) defeated Jamal Jabbar (‘Sixhead’) and Mark Austin (‘Sixhead’) took care of Roy Lepps (CBG);

114-119 lb - Quacy Craig (‘Sixhead’) beat Clinton Blake (CBG) and Romeo Norville (Harpy) defeated Jamal Easton (CBG);

Cadet 101lb - Edward Skeete (Harpy) stopped Odwin David (FYF) and Delon Allicock (FYF) turned back Clinton Atwell (Ricola);

Cadet 114lb - Kevin David (Ricola) stopped Antonio Wallace (FYF) and Earl Sobers (Ricola) put away Joel Hackett (Young Lions).

St. Kitts tour pushed back because of inclement weather
By Leeron Brumell
GUYANA’S tour to St Kitts to engage that country’s national basketball team in a goodwill series has been further pushed back due to inclement weather.

The national team, coached and managed by Robert Cadogan and Robert Archer respectively, was scheduled to leave yesterday, but according to president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) (Ret.) Colonel Godwin McPherson, the national federation in St Kitts has asked that the tour be pushed back to a date to be announced.

McPherson said unlike Guyana, St Kitts does not have an indoor basketball facility so they have decided to wait out the week before making a decision.

McPherson said that his federation would be contacted in the coming week to know where the tour stands and to set a new date.

The national team is scheduled to remain in training in the meantime ahead of the hosting of the DC Jammers basketball team from Washington DC.

The Jammers are expected here in June for a week of intense action at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).

When they last visited, Jammers completely dominated the Guyanese winning all three games.

With the delay of the St Kitts tour and the team going back to training, it is hoped that the national team will be further boosted with the inclusion of more players from Linden.

It is not clear if they will be included in the team to travel to St Kitts since that team has already been named but they can make the team to challenge the DC Jammers.

A number of Linden players were put on suspension, following the Linden semifinal walkout of the National Inter-ward tournament earlier this year, and the suspension ended a few days before the Surinamese national teams visited here over the Easter weekend.

Linden boasts a number of talented players in Steve Neils Jr, Rockcliffe Joseph, Louis James and Neil Marks, among others.

Meanwhile, the final and third place playoff in the National Club Championship is set to conclude on May 15 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with Linden powerhouses, Kashif and Shanghai Kings meeting Amelia’s Ward Jets in the third place playoff, while it will be an all-Georgetown final when Bounty Colts tackle Courts Pacesetters.

Jets lost to Colts 70-76 in the first semifinal last weekend, while Pacesetters hung on for a narrow 73-72 victory over the Kings in the other semifinal.

The top team carts off $75 000, second $50 000 and third $35 000 while there will be other individual prizes at stake in the tournament.

GVF double competition this weekend
THE Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) will stage its first national competition for women this weekend, while another competition, All Fours, will also be contested.

Both competitions are scheduled for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on Sunday and the women’s competition dubbed the DDL Mineral Water Female Round Robin tournament will be played inside the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Eight teams are expected to participate.

Among the teams will be defending champions Linden, Mocha Arcadia, Castrol, CPCE and All Stars.

The DDL All Fours competition, a brainchild of GVF president Lennie Shuffler is expected to attract some 40 teams nationwide, with at least 20 teams coming from Demerara.

The All Fours is an exciting version of volleyball that caters for the all-round exhibition of skills of volleyball players and this competition will be played on the tarmac of the Sports Hall.

Teams will be competing for cash incentives with the national finals set for early in June, weather permitting.

Berbice and Essequibo are also scheduled to hold their preliminary competitions.

Formula One racing towards brave new world
By Alan Baldwin, motor racing correspondent
BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Formula One is racing towards a brave new world and the promise of much more excitement for far less money.

It will be back to the future, shedding much of the space-age technology and highlighting old-fashioned driver skill. The headlines have been set out and now the small print has to be agreed.

But how quickly it all happens remains to be seen, despite optimistic noises this week after teams gave the nod to probably the most radical revamp in the sport's history.

Max Mosley, calling the shots as president of the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA), hopes that the revolution will start in 2006.

Yet he had to admit that it could be 2008, when the confidential 'Concorde Agreement' governing the sport expires and the FIA has a free hand, before some key measures can be implemented.

As ever in Formula One, the devil is in the detail and there remains plenty to chew over.

The first is what sort of engines the cars should have.

Mosley says seven manufacturers -- Ford, BMW, Mercedes, Renault, Ferrari, Honda and Toyota -- are spending a billion euros ($1.21 billion) a year at the moment on engines and that mind-boggling outlay has to be halved.

All are agreed on that.

But while the FIA has suggested reducing capacity from three litre V10s to 2.4 litre V8s, the manufacturers believe it would be more economic to retain the V10s but build them to last for much longer than one race each.

They agreed in Monaco on Tuesday to come up with proposals, to be approved by the FIA's world motor sport council on June 30, within 30 days.

SPANISH TALKS
Talks will start at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, the fifth round of a championship so far dominated by Ferrari and Michael Schumacher.

But what if the engine people fail to come up with a solution within the time frame?

"If they don't agree then it gets a little bit more difficult because we can't, before 2008, impose an engine formula," conceded Mosley.

"But it is very much in their interests to agree and I think they will agree.

"I believe we will definitely see a new engine rule for 2006, whether we get our standard ECU (electronic control unit) in 2006 I can't guarantee.

"I can't force them to do that in 2006 but I'd be surprised if we don't get it in the end. I think it will all come together," said Mosley.

The ECU is the electronic 'brain' of a car that runs so-called driver aids such as the traction control systems that help a driver accelerate smoothly out of corners.

Any ban on such systems can only go ahead once there is a standard ECU, provided by the FIA to cut costs and ensure there is no cheating, but there is likely to be resistance from carmakers.

"They don't like the standard ECU because it puts a constraint on engine design and of course on lots of other aspects of the chassis," said Mosley.

NO CONCORDE
The five major European carmakers also remain publicly committed to preparing for their own championship from 2008, however moribund the idea now appears to many commentators.

Contractual commitments with tyre suppliers Bridgestone and Michelin must be resolved before Formula One can move to just one provider. That too is supposed to happen for 2006.

There will also have to be more debate on the sale or loan of cars between teams, a key measure to help new entrants to Formula One.

"There is a strong desire to encourage new teams to come in but understandably existing teams do not want to give up money or privileges as a result of that," said Mosley.

The ace in Mosley's hand however is that in 2008 the FIA can impose what it wants.

By then the Concorde Agreement, set up in 1981 to bring stability to a warring paddock, will be dead and it will not be resurrected. The future lies in individual deals.

"I started the meeting by saying that as far as we are concerned the Concorde Agreement was obsolete and we didn't intend to have another one," said Mosley of his discussions with the team bosses.

"There was no dissent.”

Morocco criticises FIFA inspectors
By Nazvi Careem
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Reuters) - FIFA's assessment of the five African countries bidding to host the 2010 World Cup is riddled with discrepancies, the chief of Morocco's bid committee claimed yesterday.

Saad Kettani, president of Morocco's World Cup 2010 Bid Committee, told Reuters he was disappointed at several conclusions reached in the report, which ranked Morocco only third behind rival bidders South Africa and Egypt.

FIFA, world soccer's governing body, published its technical assessment on Tuesday after its inspection team visited the five bidding countries.

The winning candidature will be announced in Zurich on May 15 following a final FIFA executive meeting on the issue.

Kettani said: "I can say we are a bit angry because there are many discrepancies in the report.

"I urge FIFA executive committee members to read the factual part of the report and ignore the subjective conclusions at the end. I am confident that Morocco can host an absolutely fantastic World Cup."

South Africa, which lost out by one vote to Germany in the race to stage the 2006 finals, is facing strong competition for 2010 from Morocco, with Egypt, Tunisia and Libya also vying for the hosting rights.

Representatives from Morocco, South Africa and Egypt are in Kuala Lumpur to present their bids to the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) executive committee today. Asia has three votes on the FIFA Executive.

Kettani said the bare facts of the evaluation report show that Morocco fulfils all FIFA requirements when it comes to stadiums, finance, health, security, government support and enthusiasm for the tournament.

FACTUAL EVIDENCE
However, he said the conclusions reached by the five-man inspection team, led by Belgian Jan Peeters, failed to tally with the factual evidence.

"If you look at facts only, it is clear that we have the best bid," said Kettani.

"We are the only candidate that fulfils all FIFA requirements. I can't believe that this has not come out in the conclusions."

Kettani said the report concluded that Morocco was lacking in stadiums though the facts show it has three completed stadiums, it has three under construction and another three are to be built should it win the bid.

"How can they say we are lacking when we are already ahead of the other countries?" said Kettani. "When Japan and Korea first bid for the World Cup they did not have any stadiums ready."

The bid chief said Morocco also has the strongest case in financial terms, a fact highlighted by the FIFA report.

He said Morocco's bid committee deposited US$160 million in escrow into Credit Suisse account on September 30 2003 to cover potential losses.

This means the FIFA grant usually given to host countries would be placed in a ‘Football Without Frontiers’ fund, together with money from private sponsors, for African humanitarian aid.

Kettani is also unhappy with the report's comments that Morocco would not leave a post-World Cup a legacy as well as suggestions that Moroccans lacked enthusiasm for soccer.

"They talk about South Africa and how symbolic it is 10 years after apartheid," said Kettani. "Yes, that is good. But they fail to talk about how we see the 2010 World Cup not as a Moroccan World Cup but as an African World Cup.

"The fact that we will set up a fund to help Africa in health, education and fight poverty I think is a good legacy.

"I congratulate the inspection team for carrying out their work with transparency and efficiency but I don't know how they reached some of their conclusions," he said.”

ECB not to force objectors to tour Zimbabwe
By Mike Peacock
LONDON, England (Reuters) - England's cricket chief said yesterday he would not force any individual player to tour Zimbabwe later this year.

But after last-ditch talks with the British government, which again said it could not order a halt to the tour, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) appeared to accept that an England team would probably play in Zimbabwe.

"The ... board will not force any individual player to tour if he does not wish to do so as a matter of personal conscience," ECB chairman David Morgan told a news conference after talks with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

The next ECB board meeting, on June 8, would make a final decision about the October tour, he said.

A sympathetic Straw said Morgan and his team had explained the potentially "severe damage" to the English game if the tour was cancelled and repeated that the government "would prefer the team not to go".

The International Cricket Council (ICC), cricket's governing body, said in March any country refusing to tour for anything but security reasons or governmental direction would face a minimum fine of $2 million and possible suspension from the international game.

"The British government has no such power to instruct people not to leave the country to play sport," Straw said.

The ECB has been in a prolonged political battle with the government and the ICC over the tour.

Zimbabwe cricket chiefs have consistently argued there is no sound reason to cancel. The England team refused to play there in the 2003 World Cup because of security concerns.

Straw wrote to the ECB earlier this year, saying the security situation in Zimbabwe had worsened since then with Robert Mugabe presiding over an "appalling human rights situation".

"We fully understand the government's position," Morgan said. "In no way do we seek state control of cricket."

Morgan said he would seek assurances about the players' safety before proceeding with the tour. "They, like the board, are in an invidious position," he said.

Leading England players like Graham Thorpe and Mark Butcher have already voiced their doubts about playing in Zimbabwe.

Australia bowler Stuart MacGill has made himself unavailable for the world champions' tour later this month because of moral concerns.

List of leading Test wicket-takers
LONDON, England (Reuters) - Leading Test cricket wicket-takers after Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan equalled Courtney Walsh's record of 519 against Zimbabwe yesterday (tabulated under wickets, matches (first Test-last Test), best performance):

1- Courtney Walsh (West Indies) 519 132 (1984-2001) 7-37

1- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) 519 89 (1992- ) 9-51

3. Shane Warne (Australia) 517 110 (1992- ) 8-71

4. Kapil Dev (India) 434 131 (1978-1994) 9-83

5. Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) 431 86 (1973-1990) 9-52

6. Glenn McGrath (Australia) 430 95 (1993- ) 8-38

7. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) 414 104 (1985-2002) 7-119

8. Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) 405 98 (1988-2000) 8-45

9. Anil Kumble (India) 397 84 (1990- ) 10-74

10. Ian Botham (England) 383 102 (1977-1992) 8-34.

Murali equals Walsh’s 519 Test wickets
HARARE, (Reuters) - Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan grabbed the headlines again yesterday when he became cricket's joint highest wicket-taker of all-time on the first day of the first Test against Zimbabwe.

On a momentous day, Muralitharan moved on to the 519 mark after taking six for 45 as Sri Lanka dismissed a second-string Zimbabwe for 199.

The visitors closed on 67 for no wicket with Sanath Jayasuriya 43 not out and Marvan Atapattu on 21.

Muralitharan had gone into the match with 513 wickets, needing seven more to pass the record held by former West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh.

On the way to joining Walsh he overtook Australia's Shane Warne who has 517 wickets from 110 Tests.

‘Murali’ has reached the 519 mark in only 89 Tests compared to 132 for Walsh who retired in 2001.

The spinner looks sure to break the record when Zimbabwe bat again - a huge boost for the 32-year-old whose bent-arm action continues under scrutiny.

Muralitharan struck after lunch when he trapped Alester Maregwede in front for a duck, before dismissing Mluleki Nkala for two in similar fashion six overs later.

Tatenda Taibu prodded the third ball of Muralitharan's 15th over to Mahela Jayawardene at silly mid-off to be out for a patient 40, and the over ended with Blessing Mahwire being bowled off his pads without scoring.

Muralitharan took his fifth wicket when Prosper Utseya misjudged the flight of a full delivery and was bowled for 45.

The innings ended when Muralitharan bowled Douglas Hondo round his legs for 19.

Zimbabwe had to field a makeshift team after 15 experienced players refused to make themselves available in a dispute with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union. Captain Taibu, at the age of 20, is the youngest skipper in Test history.

The rebels want binding arbitration to resolve their grievances with the ZCU, who have offered mediation, which is not binding.

The morning's play had belonged to left-arm paceman Nuwan Zoysa, who shared the new ball with Chaminda Vaas and took three for 16 as Zimbabwe slipped to 57 for four at the interval.

ZIMBABWE first innings

S.Matsikenyeri c M.Jayawardene b Zoysa 10

B.Taylor c and b Maharoof 19

D.Ebrahim lbw b Zoysa 1

T.Taibu c M.Jayawardene b Muralitharan 40

E.Chigumbura c Muralitharan b Zoysa 14

A.Maregwede lbw b Muralitharan 0

M.Nkala lbw b Muralitharan 2

P.Utseya b Muralitharan 45

B.Mahwire b Muralitharan 0

D.Hondo b Muralitharan 19

T.Panyangara not out 32

Extras: (b-4, lb-6, nb-7) 17

Total: (all out, 71.2 overs) 199

Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-32, 3-35, 4-57, 5-69, 6-85, 7-118, 8-118, 9-149.

Bowling: Vaas 19-6-39-0 (nb-1), Zoysa 17-6-53-3 (nb-2), Maharoof 10-3-45-1 (nb-4), Muralitharan 24.2-10-45-6, Jayasuriya 1-0-7-0.

SRI LANKA first innings

M.Atapattu not out 21

S.Jayasuriya not out 43

Extras: (lb-1, nb-1, w-1) 3

Total: (for no wicket, 16 overs) 67

Bowling (to date): Hondo 5-1-18-0 (nb-1), Panyangara 8-1-28-0, Mahwire 3-0-20-0 (w-1).

Indian Olympic chief joins chorus for Pillay's recall
NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) - The Indian Olympic Association has joined a chorus of appeals to the country's hockey federation for the inclusion of Dhanraj Pillay after the striker was left out of the probables for the Athens Olympics.

Past players and the media have slammed the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) for its exclusion on Sunday of Pillay, the country's most capped player.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi added pressure by asking the federation to allow Pillay to make his fourth Olympic appearance.

"I've made a strong plea (to IHF president K.P.S.Gill) for the inclusion of Pillay," Kalmadi said in a statement yesterday.

"I have now requested Gill to reconsider the decision and if necessary take a fitness test of Pillay at the earliest."

The 35-year-old Pillay, regarded as the face of Indian hockey, was also dropped from an 18-player squad for the pre-Olympics qualifiers in Madrid in March.

At the time, the IHF said he had not recovered from a knee injury but the mercurial forward said some of his younger team-mates made him feel unwanted on the pitch and coach Rajinder Singh did not fully back him.

Hockey experts believe outspoken media comments, disputes with coaches and resentment among team-mates of his special status have taken their toll on the veteran of over 400 caps.

Gill, while naming 30 probables on Sunday, did not explain why Pillay was being kept out but said only players fit to last the full duration in all the games will be in the final 16.

Kalmadi said Pillay's experience could improve the medal chances of the eight-time champions.

Former captain Pillay, who led India to their first Asian Games title for 32 years in Bangkok in 1998, has won the backing of several former hockey players and former cricket captain Bishan Singh Bedi.

Ashok Kumar, member of India's 1975 World Cup winning side, said differences with the coach had led to Pillay's plight.

"The IHF can't declare him unfit because they have not even tested his fitness," he said.

The Olympics get under way on August 13.