Black Immigrant Daily News

The 2022 Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) schoolboy football season begins today with the official opening scheduled for Sabina Park in Kingston.

The official opening at Sabina Park will feature a triple-header.

Garvey Maceo High will start the defence of the rural area daCosta Cup against Kemps Hill High in the opening game of the triple-header at 2:30 pm.

Reigning urban area Manning Cup champions Kingston College (KC), now taking orders from new coach Raymond Watson, will face archrivals Calabar High in the second game at 5:00 pm following an official opening ceremony at 4:30 pm.

St George’s College and Ardenne High will contest the final game of the triple-header at 7:30 pm.

Garvey Maceo High School footballers celebrate with the 2021 daCosta Cup. (PHOTO: Marlon Reid).

Only two games are scheduled for the Manning Cup while the daCosta Cup will feature 16 matches.

Once again, it will be Digicel and Wisynco as title sponsors as last month both renewed their commitments to schoolboy football for another three years.

Digicel will invest $84 million for the new three-year period in the Manning Cup and Walker Cup knockout competitions. Wisynco announced a sponsorship package of $108 million in the rural area daCosta Cup and Ben Francis knockout.

SportsMax TV will be the official broadcast sponsor. CEO, Nicolas Matthews, announced a deal that will see SportsMax TV carrying 65 fully produced games for the season, up from 55 last season.

“We provide our viewers with easy accessibility to our content through our wide array of linear and digital broadcast platforms granting them the opportunity to watch anytime, anywhere, and on any device,” said Matthews. Our viewers are passionate sports fans who can access our content on our channels, SportsMax, SportsMax2, SportsMax+, the SportsMax App, and of course by steaming on the SportsMax YouTube channel.”

The format of the Manning Cup and daCosta Cup will remain the same.

The Manning Cup will feature 35 following the withdrawal of Pembroke Hall High and Eltham High earlier this month. The schools have been placed into six groups.

Sixteen of the 35 schools will progress from the first round to the second round. This means that the first and second-placed teams from each group along with the four best third-placed teams will contest the second round.

The second round will be played on a home and away basis. For that round, the teams will be seeded. The eight winners on aggregate will then advance to the quarter-finals with two zones of four teams. The first and second-placed teams in each zone will advance to the semi-finals. The winners will then contest the final.

Eighty-one schools will contest the daCosta Cup.

Thirty-two of the 81 teams from the first round will advance to the second round, meaning the first and second-placed teams from each group along with the two best third-placed teams.

The second round will be played on a home and away basis. The 16 winners on aggregate will then advance to the Round of 16, with four zones of four teams. The first and second-placed teams from each zone (8 teams) will then advance to the quarter-finals, with two zones of four teams.

The first and second-placed teams (4 teams) will advance to the semi-final and the two winners will then contest the final.

TODAY’S GAMES

Manning Cup

Group A

5:00 – KC vs Calabar at Sabina Park7:30 – St George’s vs Ardenne High at Sabina Park

daCosta Cup

Zone N2:30 – Garvey Maceo High vs Kemps Hill High at Sabina Park

Zone DBlack River High vs Godfrey Stewart HighGrange Hill High vs Manning’sBelmont Academy vs Petersfield High

Zone ELacovia High vs BB Coke HighMaggotty High vs Munro CollegeSydney Pagon vs STETHS

Zone JHorace Clarke High vs Wycliffe Martin HighSt Mary Technical vs Annotto Bay HighTacky High vs St Mary High

Zone KEnid Bennett High vs Charlemont HighEwarton High vs Dinthill HighGuys Hill High vs McGrath High

Zone LRobert Lightbourne High vs Paul Bogle HighMorant Bay High vs St Thomas TechnicalSeaforth High vs Yallahs High

All daCosta Cup games except Garvey Maceo vs Kemps Hill will start at 3:30 pm.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

In light of damning allegations against Police to cover up evidence in the murder investigations of Ricardo “Paper Shorts” Fagundes, the Regional Security System (RSS) had pronounced that there is no such evidence to substantiate the claims made by Police Sergeant Dion Bascom.

The Government had solicited the assistance of the Regional Security System (RSS) to investigate the claims made by Bascom via two live broadcasts on his Facebook page after he was busted with cocaine by CANU in a house at Norton Street, Georgetown.

However, the main objectives of the investigation among others were to determine whether there is any evidence to support any wrongdoing by Deputy Superintendent Mitchell Caesar and inspector Nigel Stephens as alleged by Sergeant Dion Bascom.

In this regard, the RSS found that the bribery allegations made by Sergeant Bascom against Caesar and Stephens were hearsay and have no provenance.

The team also found that the two live recordings made by Bascom was in contravention of Section 19 (5) (a) of the Cyber Crime Act No 16 of 2018 of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana where he used a computer system to transmit electronic data with intent to humiliate, harass or cause distress to several senior officers including Mitchell Roach, Chabinauth Singh and Kester Cosbert among others.

The findings also revealed that Bascom was found to be living rent-free in a furnished property in Essequibo belonging to a prominent businessman and gold dealer.

As was previously reported, the team also found that Bascom was working as a personal security officer for the said Essequibo businessman without the consent of the Commissioner of Police (COP).

This was in clear violation under Section 31 (1) which prohibits any rank from holding any other office or employment for hire or gain.

With respect to leaking information to the media, the RSS found that there is evidence that Bascom contacted the media where he released information regarding the murder investigation.

With respect to the cover-up allegations, the RSS found that there is evidence that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has diligently sought Regional and International assistance in solving the murder of Fagundes.

In addition, during the investigation it was pointed out that a close associate of Fagundes, who was in his company prior to his death, gave investigative officers inaccurate statements relating to the events on the night of the incident.

The evidence obtained by the investigators revealed these inconsistencies.

“An example of this is the fact that, the close associate said that Fagundes was driving the vehicle on arrival at the location of the incident. However, CCTV records show that the said associate was the one driving. CCTV also show that his description of the movement of the vehicle, whilst in the area, was also inaccurate and he neglected to tell officers about the third person who arrived at the club with them in the vehicle,” the RSS pointed out.

Bascom has also alleged that there was a device in the possession of the Police which identified Mark Richmond’s cell phone as being at the scene of the murder of Fagundes but the GPF’s technical officer ASP Rodwell Sarabo confirmed that the Force does not have any such technology and more so, confirmed that Bascom was never at the crime scene with him.

Further, the findings stated that the Guyana Police Force has done extensive work with regards the murder investigation.

“There is no evidence to suggest that there was any attempt to cover-up this case and there is also no evidence of corrupt practices as alleged by Sgt. Bascom.”

Nevertheless, the RSS also recommended support to the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory from a regional laboratory to assist in analysing some samples of interest related to the investigations.

Meanwhile, investigations both nationally and internationally are actively ongoing to bring this matter to finality.

Bascom, apart from Caesar and Stephens, had implicated prominent businessman, Azruddin Mohamed who has since slapped a $200 million lawsuit on him.

According to the statements of claim, Mohamed is seeking a judgement for damages in excess of $100 million, exemplary, punitive and/or aggravated damages in excess of $100 million and an injunction restraining Bascom or anyone acting on his behalf from repeating the defamatory statements he had made about him.

In addition, Mohamed through his attorney referred to a press conference where certain utterances were made against him and his company.

“These words, statements, and utterances made by the defendant are all untrue, false, dangerous, disingenuous, malicious, irrational, unfair, unsubstantiated, unfounded and baseless, thereby tarnishing and lowering the reputation of the claimant,” the court document stated.

Another person implicated was Mark Richmond, who is expected to file legal proceedings shortly. But according to information received, the latter has an alibi for the night when “Paper Shorts” was gunned down and is available to the detectives.

In addition, Caesar had threatened to take legal actions if the post was not removed and an apology offered.

Ricardo “Paper Shorts” Fagundes was killed execution-style in March 2021 outside a popular Main Street, Georgetown night spot.

Reports are the man was partying with a group of friends at the bar when his phone rang and he exited the club to take the call, but soon after, several gunshots were heard.

Reports are that the now dead man’s friends rushed out to enquire, but found Fagundes lying motionlessly in a pool of blood close to his motor car.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Companies with large cohorts of male employees are being invited to participate in several interactive online prostate cancer awareness sessions, scheduled throughout September.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, made the call in his message to mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, being observed under the theme ‘The More You Know, You’ll Go’.

“Through the various channels, we will be able to reach, teach and inspire. Our varied planned activities will further drive home the message – that of the most common risk factors, treatment options, access to care, and the need for regular screening as recommended by your healthcare provider,” he indicated.

The sessions, which are being hosted by the Ministry, aim to increase awareness of the disease, which Dr. Tufton noted “so badly affects males and their families”.

He pointed out that prostate cancer, which is treatable, is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Jamaican men. Further, it is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among the male population.

The Minister emphasised, however, that with regular screening and the expert cancer care that is available in Jamaica, “we will better control the severity of this disease in our nation”.

For her part, the Ministry’s Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Risk Factor Programme Development Officer in the NCD and Injury Prevention Unit, Dr. Cathi-Ann Williams, explained that the corporate public- education sessions are expected to heighten awareness among men about the availability of screening.

“We reach out to companies that have significant male populations and we invite them for virtual sessions, led by urologists or specialists in the area of prostate cancer. They will talk about prostate cancer and field questions from the audience,” Dr. Williams explained.

She indicated that sessions have been confirmed for several organisations, including the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

The Programme Development Officer advised, however, that all entities are welcome to join the one-hour sessions.

Interested persons or entities are encouraged to visit the Ministry’s social media pages and website for additional information.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

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