MATTHEW DE GAZON died on 16th July,2018. Husband of Denise De Gazon. Father of Anthony De Gazon, Josephine Beverly Martin, Deborah Corbin, Sharmaine De Gazon , Michelle De Gazon, Dianne De Gazon and Daniell Sheldon De Gazon. Funeral Service will be held Monday 23rd July 2018 at 10am from The Church of God, 41 8th Street Barataria Thence to the St. Joseph Public Cemetery.

ALLOWSING: CAMILLA “GOPAUL” passed away peace-fully on Sunday, July 15, 2018. Daughter of Archibald Gopaul & Bernadine “Akim” Lewis. Wife of Arthur “Choy” Allowsing. Mother of Avis Auguste. Grandmother of Avis “Cherrie Ann” Braggs and Dr. Gillian Lynch. Great Grandmother of Kirk (Brittany) and Corey. Aunt of Ricardo Charles, Wendy Charles Davenport, Marcia Wagg, Wendy Kissoon (deceased), Christine Lewis, Debbie Wirtjes, Russell Charles, Cindy Awai, Dane Awai (deceased) and Kevin Awai. Sister of Martin Lewis (deceased), Rupert Charles (deceased), Maurice Charles, Burnelle Charles and Vilma Awai. Friend of many. Funeral Mass for the late Camilla “Gopaul” Allowsing takes place at 10:30 a.m on Monday, July 23, 2018 at the Church of the Assumption, 70 Long Circular Road, Maraval. Cremation at the St. James Crematorium, Long Circular Road, St. James. No flow-ers by request. A Collection will be taken up for the L’Hospice on Observatory Street, Belmont. For enquiries please contact R. M. de Souza Memorial Chapel Limited at 223-2007/ 637-2009.

It was so close as T&T cyclist Teniel Campell was edged out of climbing the podium when the 23rd Central American and Caribbean Sporting Organisation (CACSO) Games continued in Barranquilla, Colombia, yesterday.

Competing over a distance of 21.2 kilometres in the Women’s Time Trial, Campbell, the reigning Caribbean Road Race and Time Trial champion crossed the finish line in 29 minutes and 13.17 seconds.

The top three finishers were Cuban Arlenis Sierra (28:08.97); followed by Colombian duo, Ana Sanabria (28:41.51), and Serika Guluma (29:06.28) while Alexi Costa, T&T’s other entrant, was tenth of the 14 competitors to complete the event in 32:05.73.

This was the first time T&T was being represented by women’s cyclists at the CACSO Games.

Last night, Olympic swimmer, USA-based Dylan Carter went after a podium finish in the men’s 100m freestyle in the A-Final. This after Carter won heat six of the morning heats in 49.24 seconds ahead of Venezuelan Alberto Mestre (49.69) and Jhonny-Rose Perez of Dominican Republic (51.19) while T&T’s Joshua Romany was fourth in 51.26 but did not make the final cut.|

Kael Yorke also contested the B-final of the 200m butterfly after he was fifth in his first heat in 2:06.07.

Honduras blanks Under-20 footballers

Honduras scored two first-half goals to hand T&T a 2-0 defeat in their opening match.

Denil Maldonado opened the scoring in the 31st minute and Eduardo Cruz doubled the advantage in the 41st for a 2-0 lead at the break.

There were no more goals in the second-half but T&T ended the match with ten men after Jerrin Jackie picked up yellow cards in the 63rd and 86th minutes.

Calypso Stickwomen clobber Guatemala 12-0

Dana-Lee De Gannes scored a beaver-trick to lead this country’s senior women’s hockey to a resounding 12-0 defeat of Guatemala in their Pool B opener.

De Gannes netted as early as the first, third, 33rd and 60th minutes for the “Calypso Stickwomen” while Brianna Govia (sixth and 32nd), Gabrielle Thompson (37th & 55th) and Shaniah De Freitas (41st pen & 54th) added two each in the lopsided win.

The pair of Kimberly Young (17th) and Felicia King (32nd) were also among the goals for T&T who will next face Barbados tomorrow from 12 noon and Jamaica to end round-robin play on Tuesday from 2 pm to end pool play.

Barbados beat Jamaica 1-0 in the other Pool B match while in Pool A, Dominican Republic defeated Guyana 4-0 and Mexico thumped Cuba 3-0.

Puerto Rico outplays Calypso Spikers

This country’s senior women volleyballers began their campaign with a 25-19, 17-25, 16-25, 20-25 loss to Puerto Rico in Pool B.

The duo of Channon Thompson and Sinead Jack both tallied 15 points for the “Calypso Spikers” in the loss while Krystle Esdelle added 12, and Darlene Ramdin six.

Overall it was a very even contest between both teams with T&T enjoying a 40-37 edge on spikes while Puerto Rico outscored T&T, 9-8 on blocks, and 5-4 on aces.

The Puerto Ricans cause was also helped by a whopping 43 unforced errors from T&T as compared to their 26 made.

Today, T&T meets Colombia in its second match.

Squash quartet fall at first hurdle

The local squash quartet of Kale Wilson, Patrick Nku, Alexandria Yearwood and Charlotte Knaggs were all beaten in the opening singles matches.

In the men’s round-of-32, Wilson fell to St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Jason Doyle, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11 and Nku went under to Guyana’s Jason-Ray Khalil, 9-11, 5-11, 6-11.

The women’s tournament served off with round-of-16 matches but still, Yearwood was ousted by Colombian Laura Perez 3-11, 1-11, 1-11 and Knaggs was beaten by Guyana’s Mary Fung-A-Fat, 3-11, 5-11, 3-11.

Today, they will be back on the floor to compete in the mixed doubles competition.

Ping-pong women end winless

France-based Rheann Chung was again the lone T&T player to taste victory as the national women’s table tennis team ended with a 0-3 pool record after a 1-3 loss to Colombia.

Two-time national champion Brittany Joseph was beaten by Paula Medina 7-11, 6-11, 10-12 but Chung overcame Louisa Zuluaga 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 7-11, 14-12 to even the best-of-five series at 1-1.

Reigning T&T women’s champion, Catherine Spicer and Joseph then suffered a 5-11, 5-11, 8-11 doubles defeat to Zuluaga and Manuela Echeverry before Spicer was beaten again, 3-11, 7-11, 5-11 by Medina.

The Colombians won the four-team pool with a 3-0 mark ahead of Dominican Republic (2-1) which edged Mexico (1-2), 3-2 in their virtual battle for second place.

T&T was beaten by Dominican Republic 3-1 and Mexico, 3-2 on Thursday. Today the local players are back on court for the singles competition.

In action today also are sailor Kelly-Ann Arrindell, who is currently in eighth place, takes on her next three races in the laser series, rower Felicia Chow while the national hockey men face Cuba.

Defending champions Udecott North Starblazers continued their winning ways in the second annual Courts Women’s T20 Extravaganza as they defeated LCB Central Sharks by 21 runs at the National Cricket Centre (NCC) in Balmain, Couva on Thursday night.

Batting first, Starblazers got a brilliant hand from Natasha Mc Lean who scored a powerful 72 not out. She faced just 47 balls, striking five fours and four sixes on a good batting strip at the NCC.

She was well supported by the inform Rachael Vincent who made 42 off 41 balls with four fours and a six. Vincent banged an unbeaten 83 in the first game against Tridents Sports Phoenix. Bowling for Central Sharks Kamara Ragoobar took 2/29 and Leandra Ramdeen 2/18.

Down at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tecu Southern Stars which had to sit and watch the rain stopped its opening match from playing on Wednesday evening, finally got into the action and won, as they had the better of struggling Tridents Sports Phoenix by 60 runs.

Titans were bowled out for 149 with skipper Britney Cooper scoring an unbeaten 76 and Windies standout Deandra Dottin making 27. Cooper needed only 43 balls to score her half-century and struck eight of them to the fence and another three over it. Dottin was her normal brutal self, using only 13 balls and smacking two fours and two sixes.

Karishma Ramharack 3/28 and Stacy Ann King 2/27, kept them in check. When Tridents Sports Phoenix replied they struggled from early and made 89 all out. Reneice Boyce top-scored with 27 as they found the bowling of Rosemary Samaroo 3 /5 and Patrina Walcott 2/12 too hot to handle.

Scores

At NCC: Udecott North Starblazers 155/6 (20) (Natasha McLean 72no, Rachael Vincent 42no, Kamara Ragoobar 2/29, Leandra Ramdeen 2/18) vs LCB Central Sharka 134/7 (20) (S Cambelle 43, C Henry 43no, A Thompson 21, A Collins 2/23, J Morgan 2/23) - Starblazers won by 21 runs.
At Brian Lara: TECU Southern Titans 149 all out (19.3) (Britney Cooper 76no, Deandra Dottin 27, Karishma Ramharack 3/28, Stacy Ann King 2/27) vs Tridents Sports Phoenix 89 all out (18.4) (Reneice Boyce 27, Rosemary Samaroo 3 /5, Patrina Walcott 2/12) - Titans won by 60 runs.

T&T’s Jereem “The Dream” Richards crossed the finishline in fifth place in a competitive men’s 200 metres event at the Herculis EBS Meeting in Monte Carlo, Monaco, yesterday. This was at the 10th stop of the IAAF Diamond League Track and Field Meet.

The Commonwealth 200m champion, running out of lane three was in contention early on in the dash but faded to go across the line in a time of 20.16 seconds in a race dominated by world leader American Noah Lyles.

The 21-year-old American bettered his previous world-leading time of 19.69 he achieved some two weeks ago in Lausanne, Switzerland, clocking 19.65, also setting a new meet record and personal best (PB).

Following him to the line in second place was World champion Ramil Guliyev of Turkey in a time of 19.99 and in third was Alex Quinonez of Ecuador in 20.03. Panama’s Alonso Edwards was also ahead of the T&T athlete in 20.15.

The others finishers were Commonwealth silver medallist Aaron Brown of Canada in sixth in 20.17, South African Luxolo Adams was seventh in 20.65 and eighth was American Ameer Webb (20.77).

The Monaco meet had a number of exciting finishes including an incredible run by Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who become the world leader while simultaneously beating the Diamond League record, meeting record, national record and her PB with 48.97. Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain) was second also beating her personal best with 49.08 and USA’s Shakima Wimbley (50.85) was third.

The women’s 100m was won by Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou, who was the only sprinter under 11s, winning at 10.89, followed by another Ivorian Murielle Ahoure (11.01) and Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson (11.02).

Walter Debysingh can land today’s feature event with his one-race filly Nuclear Power. The Shivam Maharaj owned daughter of Mission Impazable won impressively on debut when racing over 1,750 metres. That day she defeated Hurricane Harry and though going up in class, she has improved in the interim and will take all the beating in the Modified Benchmark Handicap for three-year-olds and over horses weighted 80-60 over 1,300 metres on the main track at Santa Rosa Park in Arima.

The United States-bred filly will be expected to remain unbeaten after this event for jockey Jorge Brancho.

O’Brien sends out the talented top-weight Desert Dancer which will be partnered by Dillon Khelawan with 57.0 kilos. Desert Dancer has been campaigning with better and top weight may not stop him from entering the winner’s enclosure, if my selection fails to fire.

Glenn Mendez whose stable is in tremendous form has a two-pronged attack in the event with Valorous and Golden Choice.

The Merlin Samlalsingh-owned Valorous will be ridden by Ricky Jadoo in the $41,225-purse event. Today, Valorous could go close once again over a distance shorter than which he raced last time out. He only weakened in the final 100m last time out and this shorter trip can play to his strength.

The consistent Golden Choice is expected to run another good race.

John Leotaud has Rocket Wheels entered and this filly is expected to go close with Kerron Khelawan in the saddle. This is her optimum trip and she could prove troublesome.

Post time is 1.05 pm.

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Newly recalled West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell and swashbuckling opening batsman Chris Gayle both had little impact as Bangladesh trounced a Vice Chancellor’s XI by four wickets at Sabina Park on Thursday.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, the Vice Chancellor’s XI could only muster 227 for nine off their 50 overs. In reply, Bangladesh eased to 230-6 in 43.3 overs.

Bangladesh’s efforts were led by Litton Das (70) and former captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who smashed an unbeaten 75 as they romped to victory with 39 balls to spend.

Known for his usual aggressiveness, Gayle made 29 from 44 balls while Russell scored just 11 as the Vice Chancellor’s XI crumbled to 89 for six at one point.

A fightback was led by Kavem Hodge, who made 44 and Yannik Ottley, who scored 58, during a 91-run seventh wicket stand, after Musaddek Saikat had ripped through the Vice Chancellor’s XI top order.

Andre Russell was unimpressive playing for the Chancellor’s XI. Saikat finished with the impressive figures of four for 14 from 10 overs and Rubel Hossain snagged 3-40 from his nine overs.

In their turn at the crease, Bangladesh lost an early wicket, that of Anamul Haque Bijoy, lbw to Russell for nought.

Das and Nazmul Shanto then enjoyed a 90-run partnership, before Das was forced to retire hurt on 43 after getting hit on the hand by Powell.

However, with the score on 156 for five, Das resumed his innings and together with Rahim steered Bangladesh to relative safety through a 52-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Rovman Powell was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 2-32 from his seven overs, while Russell took one wicket for 22 runs in his five overs.

Bangladesh will now turn their attention to the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against West Indies starting in Guyana on Sunday. (CMC)

T&T’s two Boy’s teams (Team 1 and 2) and the country’s number#2 Girls team have earned the right to contest the final of the ITF/COTECC 12 &Under Development Tournament scheduled for August 20 in Mexico, by virtue of winning the boy’s competition and finishing second in the girl’s play.

On the final day of the Sub Region 4 playoff yesterday at the National Racquet Centre (NRC) in Tacarigua the country’s boys teams of Team 1: Nathan Martin, Beckham Sylvester and Jace Quashie, and Team 2- Luca Denoon, Jaylon Chapman and Daniel Jeary claimed the top two positions respectively, while the country’s girls team of Jordane Dookie, Cameron Wong and Zara Ghuran settled for the second behind the eventual winners Curacao.

On a day of finals, T&T boys 1 produced a flawless 3-0 victory over their compatriots in team 2, with Sylvester whipping Denoon 7-5, 7-5 and Quashie dismissing Chapman 6-0, 6-1 in straight sets. However, the pair of Martin and Quashie were made to work hard for their doubles victory despite claiming the first set 6-3. Instead of a sweep, the pair of Chapman and Jeary stormed back to level the game at one apiece with a 6-4 win.

But the T&T top team showed why they are unbeaten in the tournament by clinching the final set 10-8 for the title and to advance to the finals.

Earlier Curacao boys also pulled off a 3-0 win over Antigua &Barbuda on court 7 for their overall third place finish. Both Cody Ritter and Kyan Henriquez set up the win with respective victories over Justyn Raeburn 6-1, 6-1 and Jaydon Marcano 6-3, 6-0, before the pair of Henriquez and Zahyd Josepia then returned to the court to beat Marcano and Xaveek Toppin in the doubles 7-5, 1-6, 10-8.

T&T’s first girl’s team also thrashed Curacao 3-0, after Ghuran held off Angelina Maduro 6-3, 6-1: Wong defeated Sarah Nita 6-3, 7-5 and the team of Dookie and Wong outplayed Maduro and Nita in the doubles.

Results

GIRLS - Position 3 - 4
Court 2 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 2 vs. ANTIGUA & BARBUDA 0 - 3
No.2 Singles Inara Chin Lee Ariel Kelsick 1-6, 3-6
No.1 Singles Jaeda-Lee Daniel-Joseph Brasha Dyer 4-6, 1-6
Doubles Jaeda-Lee Daniel-Joseph Brasha Dyer 1-6, 2-6
Kiera Youssef Ariel Kelsick
Position 1 - 2
Court 5 CURACAO vs. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 1 3 - 0
No.2 Singles Angelina Maduro Zara Ghuran 6-3, 6-1
No.1 Singles Sarah Nita Cameron Wong 6-3, 7-5
Doubles Angelina Maduro Jordane Dookie 6-1, 6-4
Sarah Nita Cameron Wong
Position 5 - 7
Court 7 BARBADOS vs. GUYANA 1 - 2
No.2 Singles Zahria Trotman-Gibson Menikshi Jaikissoon 0-6, 1-6
No.1 Singles Shonte Sargeant Reshida Hardy 7-6(4), 6-4
Doubles Faith Moore Reshida Hardy 1-6, 2-6
Shonte Sargeant Menikshi Jaikissoon
BOYS - Positions 3 - 4
Court 1 CURACAO vs. ANTIGUA & BARBUDA 3 - 0
No.2 Singles Cody Ritter Justyn Raeburn 6-1, 6-1
No.1 Singles Kyan Henriquez Jaydon Marcano 6-3, 6-0
Doubles Kyan Henriquez Jaydon Marcano 7-5, 1-6, [10 - 8]
Zahyd Josephia Xaveek Toppin
Positions 5 - 7
Court 3 GUYANA vs. GRENADA 1 - 2
No.2 Singles Jadeon Vieira Rayvon Alexander 0-6, 1-6
No.1 Singles Hayden Mentore Khayden McQueen 7-5, 6-2
Doubles Hayden Mentore Ruel Hypolite 3-6, 3-6
Jadeon Vieira Khayden McQueen
Position 1 - 2
Court 6 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 1 vs. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 2 3 - 0
No.2 Singles Beckham Sylvester Luca Denoon 7-5, 7-5
No.1 Singles Jace Quashie Jaylon Chapman 6-0, 6-1
Doubles Nathan Martin Jaylon Chapman 6-3, 4-6, [10 - 8]
Jace Quashie Daniel Jear

WALTER ALIBEY
 

Attaining a medical degree after five years of hard work was supposed to bring financial rewards.

However, this is not the case for hundreds of newly-qualified doctors in T&T who are now battling unemployment, exploitation and hopelessness.

A three-week investigation by the T&T Guardian revealed that an estimated 680 qualified young doctors have been facing unemployment and underemployment since 2014 after graduating from the University of the West Indies.

Many of the unemployed doctors, having acquired registration from the Medical Board of T&T, are now seeking employment abroad in countries like Canada, United Kingdom, United States and Australia, although an estimated $150 million of taxpayers’ funds were spent on tuition fees over a five-year period for the recent batch of 2017 graduates.

With no work available, some of the qualified doctors are even working for free at private hospitals in the hope of acquiring medical experience.

“It is pure exploitation and nobody is doing anything about it,” one medical student, who did not want to the identified for fear of victimisation, said.

A qualified doctor who has been awaiting placement as a house officer said he has even been working part-time in a pharmacy.

“Some people are still being supported by their parents, so taking up a job in a private hospital with no pay is not a problem.

I cannot do this because I have a loan to pay,” he said.

“Some of my friends say I should be doing better for myself after six years of study. There is always the option of taking up a post abroad but I have my mother to care for and I cannot leave her.”

He explained that as a child he noticed how their village doctor always commanded respect and admiration and this was what led him to pursue medical studies.

“I wanted to be in a position to help others but after working so hard, there is no job for me at the hospital.”

Another doctor who requested anonymity said the medical field has become so saturated that prior to 2017, there were even problems finding placements for interns who were completing their final year of medical school.

But this has since been rectified with an additional 75 intern placements becoming available.

It takes between five to six years to complete medical studies, depending on specialties.

After medical school, students are mandated to do a one-year internship at a public institution.

They are hired by the Ministry of Health as an intern and during this time they are given a temporary license to practice medicine in public institutions under the guidance of fully licensed medical practitioners.

After completing the internship and rotations, the medical student gets certification by the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Asif Ali This certificate is then taken to the Medical Board of T&T to get full registration to practice medicine.

Under the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE), the Government pays $1 million in tuition fees for T&T nationals studying medicine at the University of the West Indies’ Mona campus over a five year period and a subsidised fee of approximately $500,000 per student studying at St Augustine over the same period. This means a total of $150 million was paid to educate doctors in 2017, half of whom are likely to migrate because there are not enough jobs for them in T&T.

320 DOCTORS GRADUATE EVERY YEAR

When the T&T Guardian contacted the University of the West Indies, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Terrence Seemungal, estimated that 320 doctors graduate every year.

Data obtained from UWI’s Marketing and Communications assistant Deena Daniel revealed that each year across its four campuses UWI graduates approximately 280 doctors who are T&T nationals; 200 from the St Augustine campus, 50 from Mona and approximately 30 from Cave Hill, Barbados.

“If we add these to the 40 who graduate from St Georges College we have approximately 320 new doctors for whom internships must be found annually,” Daniel revealed.

Asked how many were absorbed into the RHAs as interns, Daniel said there were about 360 internship posts across the regional authorities.

Asked whether there was also a delay in placing medical students as interns in the public hospitals, Daniel said, “There may be a delay due to a gap between the graduation dates and when intern posts become available in January and June annually. The wait, however, is usually no longer than six months.”

She said recommendations were made and internship posts were increased about one year ago.

Asked whether UWI was aware doctors who complete their oneyear internships were forced to stay at home for a year and more as they await placement, Daniel said, “The UWI is not responsible for the placement of doctors.

We acknowledge that the postinternship placement system is not without challenges and with only 150 House Officer positions available each year we all need to be thinking about alternatives; prospective students, graduates and policy influences alike.”

As to what alternatives the students had, Daniel, said, “There is a huge training demand from persons wishing to pursue medical careers in Trinidad and Tobago but the public health system can only absorb a percentage of graduates into permanent positions postinternship.

We need to decide as a people if we want to satisfy the demand for medical training, which is high, or the demand for work placement which is smaller.”

With regard to migration, Daniel said, “Understandably, some of our qualified doctors do emigrate postinternship but their training is an investment the country has made so this also needs to be a part of the wider conversation.”

HEALTH MINISTRY RESPONDS

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, when asked about the mass unemployment in the medical fraternity, referred questions to his team.

A meeting was set up for the T&T Guardian to direct questions to acting permanent secretary Asif Ali, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr Roshan Parasram, deputy permanent secretary Charmaine Jennings, health sector advisor Brenda Jeffers, Northwest Regional Health Authority CEO Wendy Ali, North Central Regional Health Authority CEO Davlin Thomas and Southwest Regional Health Authority CEO Dr Albert Persaud.

Ali said the intake of medical students at The UWI had increased by 300 per cent between 2001-2002 to 2015 while the number of vacancies remained the same.

“The intake has tripled at UWI,” Ali said, adding that more positions will be made available when the Point Fortin and Arima hospitals come on stream.

Asked how many doctors will be employed, Ali said he did not know because they were still finalising the manpower plan for the two hospitals, which are to be completed by June next year.

Asked why training was being offered for a surplus of students when there were only vacancies for 150 house officers, Parasram said this question should be addressed by the Ministry of Education. He added that the Ministry of Health was trying to accommodate the young doctors by sending off contracted house officers with accumulated leave and allowing house doctors a one, two or six-month contract. He also said qualified doctors can open up private practice once they are fully registered.

“When you get your full medical certificate it means that you can practice as an independent medical practitioner and it means there is no supervision and you can work privately or work in the public sector,” Parasram explained.

Asked why the MoH was hiring foreign doctors when there was a surplus of qualified local doctors waiting to be hired, Parasram said this stopped in 2017. He said the foreigners were being hired only if there were no locals to fill the posts.

Once the various regional authorities advertised the posts and no locals applied, the ministry then sources foreign doctors, Parasram explained. He noted that there were some specialist fields in need of staff but first preference is being given to locals.

“Some of the specialties are retinol surgeons, which we have not been able to fill for a number of years, plastic surgeons and maxillofacial surgeons,” Parasram said.

Maxillofacial specialists treat many diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. It is an internationally recognised surgical specialty and Parasram said paying these specialists is a problem.

“It is difficult to compensate these specialties,” he explained.

Asked why there was no training locally in these specialties, Parasram said most specialists are trained in the UK and US and few ever come back home to work because of a range of issues, including compensation. He also said it was not true that newly minted doctors get a stain in their career because of unemployment.

“Remember you have finished your internship and you are now taking a few months off, perhaps before you decide to go abroad because you are fully registered. We have collaborated with the UWI and the TTMA in the past to find solutions for the pool of unemployed doctors, so we are still actively working with them to fill positions,” he said.

However, some of the doctors who commented on Parasram’s statements said their license to practice medicine is not valid in other countries and they have to go back through the entire medical process once abroad. With regard to opening up private practice, the doctors said this was unheard of because someone with only a year of experience is not qualified to work independently.

“Thirty years ago, probably that was acceptable but nobody opens up a private practice after completing your studies with one year of experience. With medicine you learn from other doctors. You usually have to do a post-graduate programme like family medicine before opening up your practice. If you get a job at a private hospital they refuse to pay you, so many of us chose to work voluntarily by shadowing experienced doctors at our expense,” the medical source said.

In 2017, a total of 145 house officers were hired by the MoH, 17 in the Eastern Regional Health Authority, 60 in North Central Regional Health Authority, 21 in the Southwest Regional Health Authority and 47 in the Northwest Regional Health Authority.

This means 175 doctors ready to enter the field locally last year are still waiting for jobs.

Despite twice being rejected for the substantive post of Police Commissioner by Parliament, Stephen Williams, the man who has been acting in the post for almost the last six years, has signalled his intention to now proceed on pre-retirement leave.

Williams is scheduled to go on vacation in two months’ time in preparation for retirement in 2020. August 7 will make it six years since he has been acting as CoP following the retirement of former top cop Canadian Dwayne Gibbs.

On Friday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley piloted the latest notification of Williams for the CoP post. The Government then rejected the notification.

More than 10 years earlier on July 4, 2008, Williams also had his notification for the post rejected by a margin of 22-10 in the House of Representatives.

Contacted by the Sunday Guardian yesterday on the latest decision by Parliament, Williams said: “They made a choice and I have no difficulties in whatever choices they made.”

However, Williams said he will be going off on vacation in the second week of September with plans to retire. But he believes he has served the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service well and will continue to do so.

“I have not stopped doing what I am supposed to do. I am operating as a police officer and I operate and distinguish myself as a professional police officer,” Williams said.

“I have been doing that from day one and it has taken me to lead the police service.”

He challenged anyone to deny this.

Williams joined the TTPS when he was 18-years-old and has been in the organisation for the past 39 years. He said he had regional and international recognition in policing, which not many police officers can point to having. Williams was admitted to the bar in T&T in 1995 and has several post-graduate certification in policing.

Meanwhile, Williams said he will always abide by the law when it comes to promotions within the TTPS.

Last year while promotions were planned an injunction was granted preventing him from promoting 75 police corporals to the rank of sergeant. The matter was taken before Justice Margaret Mohammed by attorneys representing 12 corporals who were denied promotion.

The officers were Audie Moona, Jerry London, Curt Douglas, Rene Katwaroo, Ramweshwar Gopaul, Darryl Dedier, Wrenwick Theophilus, Jimmy Marcano, Dirk John, Anslem Knott and Terrence Salandy.

But on Friday that injunction was lifted by Justice Joan Charles.

Yesterday, Williams said he read of the injunction being lifted but said he had not as yet seen official court correspondence on the issue. However, he said the country and officers could rest assured whatever the court decides with respect to the issue he will abide by the decision.

Just because the issues of the decriminalisation and legalisation of marijuana are not a priority for the Government at this time it doesn’t mean the matter cannot be dealt with, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has said.

Rowley made the statement in a WhatsApp conversation with Guardian Media Limited following his receipt of a petition by cannabis activists calling for marijuana to be legalised in T&T.

On Friday, head of the Caribbean Collective for Justice Nazma Muller delivered a petition to Rowley with 10,000 accompanying signatures calling for the legalisation of marijuana here.

Rowley assured Muller that a meeting, which will include Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, will be scheduled to discuss the way forward on the matter.

At a recent post-Cabinet press conference, however, Rowley had stated that the issue of the decriminalisation and legalisation of marijuana was not a priority for his Government.

The Government had also previously denied a request by a Caricom-appointed group to have a national consultation here on the issue of the reform of marijuana laws.

Similar requests across the region were accommodated and the committee subsequently produced a report which suggested other Caribbean countries where the issue has not already been addressed were ready to support amendment to laws to allow for the legalisation of marijuana.

But with Rowley receiving cannabis activists with open arms on Friday, was this a sign that his position on the situation had softened?

Guardian Media Limited reached out to Rowley to find out.

“It is a clearer approach and I never said that we will not address it. I said Trinidad and Tobago’s position is the position as agreed to in the written communiqué issued after the Caricom meeting in Montego Bay,” Rowley wrote.

“It not being a priority, given all that we are grappling with now, does not mean that it cannot be dealt with. I will put a Government team in place to open a simple straightforward dialogue in the country and after we inform a wider national community we then take a policy position and act upon it.

“There is no need to fight over it, there is a need to talk about it. We will do that engaging all the inputs from all quarters. Many lives are affected and/or influenced by it so we will make provisions to engage it going forward.”

The communiqué referenced by Rowley was issued by Caricom following its Heads of Government meeting at Montego Bay, Jamaica, earlier this month which was chaired by Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

At that meeting, the Caricom heads welcomed the Report of the Regional Commission on Marijuana chaired by Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine.

“Heads of Government recognised that the current classification of marijuana as an illicit drug presented a challenge in the conduct of research to fully understand and ascertain the medicinal benefits to be derived.

“They agreed that action should be taken at the national level by the relevant authorities to review marijuana’s current status with a view to reclassification taking into account all international obligations,” the Caricom communiqué stated.

“They also expressed concern about the effect of marijuana use on young persons given the conclusive evidence that existed,” the communiqué added.

Heads of Government recognised that Member States would need to review the report in more detail to determine action at the national level in relation to law reform models as proposed by the commission.

Muller referred to the 132-page report by the Caricom Marijuana Commission in the petition presented to Rowley.

The petition called on Rowley to, among other things, use retro-activity “as a tool to correct past injustices, such as expungement of criminal records.”

“We hope you will be guided by compassion and reason and move to right the historical wrongs inflicted on our own people by unjust, discriminatory laws,” the petition stated.

“Among the experts on the commission was a criminologist and it was noted that ganja is the most lucrative black market commodity and is the motive for many of the murders and violent crimes committed annually because of its inflated price.

“We ask you to suspend arrests for possession of cannabis immediately and to instruct the Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh to write the regulations for the issuing of licences to those who need cannabis for medical reasons as quickly as possible, especially cancer patients, as outlined in the amendment of 2000 that gives the Minister the power to issue licences for the use, sale, cultivation import, manufacture and exportation of cannabis.”

It added: “We hope that you will see the extraordinary opportunities that legalisation of cannabis offer in terms reducing crime, saving police time and resources and the creation of jobs for our people.

“The report of the Caricom Marijuana Commission contains extensive data and scientific evidence about the efficacy of cannabis in treating a range of diseases.”

The recommendations the petition is calling for Rowley to adopt are:

Cannabis/marijuana should be declassified as “dangerous drug” or narcotic, in all legislation and reclassified as a controlled substance.

n Caricom states should act to remove “prohibition” status from cannabis/marijuana, substituting the current prohibitive, criminal sanctioned regime with legal and social policy that emphasise public health, education and human rights; Caricom states should have a margin of appreciation as to how to achieve this ultimate goal by complete and immediate removal of all prohibitive legal provisions, thereby rendering cannabis/marijuana a legal substance, which is regulated only in strictly defined circumstances.

n As a preparatory step, the decriminalisation of cannabis/marijuana for personal use in private premises and medical purposes.

n Full prohibition for children and adolescents with an appropriate age limit should be maintained except for medical reasons; however, young people who use marijuana will be directed to treatment and diversion programmes rather than being prosecuted or criminalised.

n The law should enact legal definitions of hemp based on low THC levels and make clear distinctions between hemp and other varieties of cannabis and ensuring that all legal sanctions be removed from hemp and hemp production.

n Legislation should provide for the protection of seeds, strains of cannabis, through intellectual property mechanisms.

n Customs law should be amended to make provision for the import and export of cannabis and cannabis products, as appropriate.

n Commercial cannabis activities should be decriminalised or legalised to avoid the implications of anti-money laundering legislation and Proceeds of Crime legislation.

n Cannabis/marijuana use should be banned in public spaces.

n Small farmers and small business persons should be included in production and supply arrangements with appropriate controls limiting large enterprise and foreign involvement.

n An equitable land use policy for marijuana cultivation should be formulated.

n Distribution points for cannabis and its products should be limited.

n Special provision should be made to protect religious rights in the new regime.

n Retroactivity should be used as a tool to correct past injustices, such as expungement of criminal records.

Trash for cash.
This is the incentive for Massy Stores’ customers and other citizens from the general public who bring in used bottles and other disposable items to be used for recycling purposes.

This initiative was the brain child of businessman Joseph Rahael, director, Kansmacker Recycling, who spoke to Business & Money on Tuesday at Massy Stores, Westmoorings.

Kansmacker is based in Michigan in the United States and has been in existence for almost 40 years but the local joint venture with Rahael in T&T is almost three years old.

Last week, Kansmacker set up a recycling machine at three Massy Stores in Trinidad, Alyce Glencoe, Westmoorings and Maraval.

“It is called a reverse vending machine and it is a tool where the end goal is to eradicate plastic bottles and aluminium cans from the trash cycle in T&T. I know that might sound like a bold claim but that is the intent. It can be successful because it is meant to be a self sustaining system where we are incentivising citizens of T&T to dispose of their trash. We want to bring a recycling solution to all of T&T,” he said.

He said trash in T&T is a significant contributor to floods and general malaise in the country and he wants to make his contribution to a cleaner and more developed society.

“I came across this opportunity presented by other local entrepreneurs and I think that it is a fantastic opportunity for us to tackle and possibly eradicate plastic beverage containers and aluminium cans in our trash cycle. We have to try as it is worth a shot.”

When asked, how much it costs to set up the machine, he declined to say.

Benefits to customers

He said that a person puts a bottle inside the machine, it reads the bottle, and then crushes it and places it in an internal bin and later on disposed of in an environmentally safe way.

“When you put in your bottles and your cans and you are finished, you press the green bottle and then the customer gets a receipt. The receipt has bar code. Currently, people can use the bar code in Massy Stores and redeem that bar code for Massy points. You are essentially converting your trash into cash. It is sustainable because if you are incentivising people to do this, it will be long term.”

According to Rahael, each machine can hold up to 2,000 bottles after which it is emptied before it is ready to be refilled again.

He added that these machines use the latest technology and transmits data via wifi.

“This machine stores data like how many bottles, how many cans, what brand of can and so on. It is also a wifi spot so that in head office we can enter bar codes as we get them because part of the success of this is predicated on manufacturers and importers of bottles sending us their bar codes so we can upload these barcodes into the machine. The machine reads the barcodes so that is how it knows it is a bottle or a can.”

These recycled items will be then exported internationally to countries like the United States where manufacturers there take these items and make them into new products.

Expansion plans

He explained that it is a pilot programme that they are doing with Massy Stores and he hopes to include other members of the corporate community soon.

‘The goal is to expand the network of this machine in all Massy Stores and eventually is to have these machines in many locations. For example, when you put your bottles and cans in and you get your receipt you can scan this receipt onto an app that is on the phone. Once I get points, I then go to rewards and I can go to KFC and redeem it for a free Pepsi. Of course they are not on the programme but it what we would like to see in the future. Only Massy Stores has committed to the programme so far.”

He also hopes to have these machines in schools as he believes that the younger generation must be inculcated with the values of recycling at a young age.

He added that the pilot programme with Massy will be fully operationalised in a week’s time

“We have not launched it fully yet because we are still integrating with the Massy points programme. It actually should come online in a week.”

He said he wants all stakeholders in the country—from private citizens to businesses to the Government—to be part of the programme.

Massy’s green project

Derek Winford, CEO, Massy Stores, also spoke to Business & Money during the interview about the pilot project.

“This is just another step in our Get to Green initiative. We spoke about our plastic bags and the 34 million plastic bags that we were using annually. Now we have transitioned to the re-usable bags. It went quite well. The old bag was called a ‘single use plastic bag’ because it was used once. Then it disappears and a lot of it ends up in the ocean. Now customers have the re-usable bags which cost $10. We also gave away over 60,000 bags.”

He said the installation of the recycling machine is another step in their “Get to Green” project.

“We cannot get rid of all the plastic as we still use a lot, so that which we use we want to recycle it. That is what this is about. So you can put in an empty bottle that was a bottle of water, it is plastic and has a barcode. Depending on how customers react to it, you we may have to empty it every hour. We will see.”

He said Massy Stores looked at what is going on internationally and the removal of the single use plastic bag from supermarkets.

“We said that locally we have to make our contribution and we were using 34 million plastic bags annually. We cannot just use these bags and not have consequences for the environment.”

He added that they are starting with bottles and cans but eventually want to expand into other items as well.

Ever heard of spirulina? How about spirulina popcorn?

Spirulina is one of the oldest life forms on earth. It is a blue-green microalgae that is partly responsible for producing the oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere that billions of years ago allowed originating life forms to develop.

It is the world’s first superfood and one of the most nutrient-rich foods on earth, packing more protein than beef, chicken or soybeans. It’s also contains eight essential and ten non-essential amino acids, as well as high levels of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), beta-carotene, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, phosphorus, nucleic acids RNA & DNA, chlorophyll and phycocyanin, a pigment-protein complex found only in blue-green algae.

This superfood has been harnessed by well known local lifestyle chef Abigail “Abi” Bodington, who is using spirulina to create mouth watering, fluffy popcorn—air popped, of course.

Not only is this a popular snack but it’s one of Bodington’s many offerings for healthy eating—a movement that is quickly gaining momentum in T&T.

Bodington leads a healthy lifestyle through fitness to achieve the endurance she requires for running marathons. Her other passion is preparing tasty, nutritious meals.

While the spirulina is imported, Bodington uses fresh, local ingredients in her dishes.

Originally from Point Fortin, Bodington always had a love for the culinary world. She grew up always being outdoors, especially in the garden with her grandmother, planting and harvesting herbs and vegetables.

Seeing the hand-picked produce transformed into mouth watering dishes sparked Bodington’s fascination with cooking from an early age. Her renowned cooking skills, the result of those early experiences, were fine tuned through professional training locally and internationally.

A graduate of the Italian Culinary Academy of New York, Bodington’s distinctive cuisine landed her in the privileged profession of lifestyle chef, enabling her to travel to more 25 countries extensively. On her journeys, she explored cuisine from every location, visited local street markets and learnt about different food cultures, each country inspiring and fostering her unique style of cooking.

Recalling the start of her food adventures, Bodington said: “Ten years ago, I started working as a chef. I’ve travelled to Europe, France, Italy, to many Caribbean islands and everywhere I went I would see what food they ate a lot and try it out.

“In the Bahamas, for instance, they eat a lot of conch and salads. There is also fried food but I try a different version which is more on the grill or roasted side. Many of the dishes I also do include a lot of fish which is always fresh.”

The mother of one, who has now settled back in T&T although she still does some travelling, wants to share what she has experienced, such as transforming food in interesting and healthy ways.

She also to encourage consumption of local produce.

“Not everything has to be fried. We have an abundance of local foods and there’s so much we can do with it apart from using tonnes of oil. That’s my objective,” she explained.

That desire led to ABI&U—a collaboration between Bodington and U The Caribbean Health Digest, a local publication focused on creating awareness of health issues affecting T&T and the wider Caribbean.

Bodington’s recipes are published in the quarterly magazine which is also available online.

“Now that I’m back I’m pushing ABI&U more than what it was before. The response has been good so far.”

Sales didn’t immediately kick off given the Trinidadian palette but as awareness grew about fitness and nutrition, more people have started to purchase the items produced by Bodington.

“People would ask what is that green popcorn but when they tried it they liked it. It’s new and different and it’s a healthy alternative to all the butter.

“People are definitely more conscious about what they put into their bodies, including what they drink, than they were three years ago when I first started off. They are exercising more and eating healthier, using more greens for instance,” she said.

Bodington’s version of “spees”— fried and season split peas—is roasted lentils grains which are seasoned.

“Lentils are so good because it has a lot of protein, so I came up with a recipe and tried it. Being a vegan I would always have spirulina in my shakes at breakfast and I decided to try it in popcorn because it’s a good snack and a popular item,” she explained.

Snacks aren’t her only speciality. Bodington also makes a variety of juices and lemonade. In fact, her turmeric and beet lemonades are top sellers.

“It’s something that not otherwise available. It’s refreshing and turmeric has a host of benefits which a lot of people are into,” Bodington said.

She also offers her own spin on salads, one of which has an Asian flare incorporating rice noodles.

“I do kale salad with avocado using local ingredients,” she said.

What’s next for ABI&U? The business is currently based at Bodington’s Petit Valley home but she has grand plans, including having her products available in stores nationwide and eventually establishing her own restaurant.

“In the meantime, I want add to whatever that’s taking off. The juices for instance. If that’s taking off I will create other lines of juices. If people are not into the snacks too much I will hold back on that so I can determine what’s selling better,” she said.

For more information on her products and business, Bodington can be reached at abodington@gmail.com

It’s one of the most common questions financial advisers hear: should I prioritise paying down debt or building up savings?

Debt can help advance your life, for example by paying for an education to get a job or buying a car to get to work. But paying it back also uses up money that could be set aside for emergencies, retirement or other expenses. Research shows most people are ill-prepared to face a minor financial hiccup, let alone the cost of retirement.

So how do you meet these competing demands? We talked to a few financial experts for their tips.

Assess

First, take a good look at what you’re up against. How much debt do you have and at what interest rates? How much savings do you have? Other questions to consider, according to SoFi certified financial planner Alison Norris, include: are you only making minimum payments? Are your finances a source of stress in your life?

Then look at your budget—knowing how much money you have to work with will help you figure out what is feasible moving forward, said Charlie Bolognino, a certified financial planner in Bentonville, Arkansas.

The budget is the key to unlocking solutions.

“We hear we are supposed to do all these things with money—save it, spend it, invest it and get out of debt—but there’s only so much money to go around,” said Bolognino.

Plan

Come up with a strategy you can stick with.

A successful plan will address both debt and savings in concert, to make the most of the money you do have. It’s not about focusing on one issue then moving on to the next, but rather a matter of determining where your spending priority is, said Bruce McClary of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

A rule of thumb is to allocate 20 per cent of your take-home pay to savings and debt payments. How you divvy that up will depend on your priorities.

One thing the experts agree on: make emergency savings a top priority. Don’t worry about getting several months of savings set aside. Even US$500 can provide peace of mind. This allows you to handle life’s unexpected emergencies, like a car repair or lost cell phone, without further running up debt.

Tackling your highest interest rate debt needs to be near the top too. The average interest rate on credit cards is around 17 per cent and more interest rate hikes are anticipated in the near future, according to McClary. Compare that to the single-digit interest rate you might get from a standard savings account and it’s an easy decision.

“It’s the best time ever to not carry a balance,” he said.

Calculate how long it will take to pay off your debt; knowing that date will remind you there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Then think about your lower-interest rate debt like federal student loans. While it may be tempting to turn your back on longer-term savings, don’t; that is just trading today’s financial ruin for another down the road.

If you find you simply cannot make minimum payments on your debts or have exhausted your financial options, reach out for help through a credit counseling organisation.

“There’s a point when you can’t go it alone anymore,” McClary said.

Social entrepreneurs are individuals with creative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. Social entrepreneurs create new organisations, new markets, and new ways of thinking and behaving in solidarity with poor communities to provide basic services, such as renewable energy, clean water, healthcare technologies, education, and access to financial services. Social entrepreneurs provide highly affordable products and services that can be bought by people living on a few dollars a day and can distribute these to poor communities.

One of the key characteristics of social entrepreneur is that of exemplifying a socially supportive culture. This is a culture of friendliness, supportiveness, co-operation, and helpfulness to provide a solution either in a product or service to those deserving. This power of socially supportive culture is particularly important for several reasons.

1 It serves as a model of co-operative and caring behaviour, which should influence more individuals within a society to choose social entrepreneurship as an occupation. Therefore, it affects the motivation and supply of potential social entrepreneurs in a country.

2 Social entrepreneurs face requirements similar to those of commercial entrepreneurs in terms of gaining access to and assembling resources. In this regard, social capital can lower transaction costs by enabling resource access through collaboration and co-operation (Meyskens et al, 2010; Meyskens et al, 2010).

3 In order to achieve social impact and introduce social change, social entrepreneurs need to build collaborative relationships with numerous diverse stakeholders (DiDomenico, Haugh, and Tracey, 2010; Mair and Marti, 2009).

4 The socially supportive culture provides an invaluable resource to social entrepreneurs for advice, human resources, innovative ideas/capabilities, financial and emotional support (Greve and Salaff, 2003; Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998).

What does this mean for sustainable development?

Since 2015, when the United Nations established a set of shared goals and targets for achieving sustainable development around the world.

Yet, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, fuelled by technological advances, is moving faster and faster with the potential for new growth, benefits and new opportunities but as well the impact on the world’s poorest could be disastrous.

In essence, to combat the future distress on the bottom of the pyramid, we will need more social entrepreneurs displaying the socially supportive culture in order to achieve the scale and sustained impact we need to see in an increasingly complex world.

In conclusion, the power of socially supportive culture displayed by social entrepreneurs cannot be dismissed. There is a real opportunity for all of us to generate value for those in society who cannot provide for themselves. Are you ready to be socially supportive?

Nirmala Maharaj is a doctoral candidate at the UWI-Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business. Her research is in social entrepreneurship. Mobile: 689-6539/E-mail: socialprogressinst@gmail.com

Patience is the key

However strong or tough we might consider ourselves to be, the fact is that none of us are indestructible. As amazing and adaptable as it is, the human body is vulnerable. Even those of us in perfect health will at some time experience loss, illness, or injury that throws us off our game plan. How do we hold on? How do we pull ourselves up and struggle through the pain, disappointment and despair? How do we face those unexpected challenges that hit us without giving up? How do we deal with injury and still maintain focus?

Whether we are aiming to lose weight, striving to establish a consistent exercise routine or preparing for competition, when unexpected problems affect our fitness or training plans it is vital that we re-adjust your goals. The key is to be patient and realistic. Rather than concentrating on performance or results, we must make the first goal healing. By focusing our energy on recovery, we allow ourselves to feel encouraged by our progress rather than discouraged by how far we may have fallen back.

Stress is a major factor in the prevention of improvement after injury. It makes it more difficult for our bodies to heal. Stress hormones interfere with the removal of damaged tissue and impair the movement of healing immune cells to the site of the injury. It can also cause sleep disturbance, further hindering recovery. We must use our bad break as a chance to work on another part of our performance and train our minds to look at what we can do rather than what we can’t. This will give us a feeling of purpose and be of benefit when we are able to resume our training. This is an excellent time to work on such skills as balance and stability.

Vital to the recovery process is emotional healing. Time must be spent on relaxation, ensuring that negative emotions are kept at bay. Crucial to any healing process after injury is professional care and support, without which it is virtually impossible for the process to be completed.

So as we train and struggle to achieve our best in whatever field of endeavour we choose, as we fight back from disappointment, despair or injury the words of Sherrilyn Kenyon speak volumes: “The strongest steel is forged by the fires of hell. It is pounded and struck repeatedly before it is plunged back into the molten fire. The fire gives it power and flexibility and the blows give it strength. Those two things make the metal pliable and able to withstand every battle it is called upon to fight.”

Akeem Stewart has created history in T&T as a Paralympian. His is a journey of endurance. We applaud his skill and determination and are inspired by his commitment. “Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition, such as lifting weights, we develop our character muscles through overcoming challenges and adversity.” —Steven Covey

Keep training!

My name is Akeem Stewart. I am 24 years old and I am the first athlete in T&T to win Paralympic Gold in 32 years. My journey has not always been an easy one and has been a series of ups and downs.

I can remember when I was 14 and I started experiencing pain in my knees. My dad was my first coach and he was training me in shot-put and discus. The doctors described my knee pain as the result of a growth spurt. I had grown an additional six inches and my body was trying to adjust. I was frightened but my dad encouraged me to remain calm and positive. I had to lay off of training for one and a half years. Thankfully, when I got back on the field I was stronger in shot-put and discus and I qualified for the Carifta Games in St Kitts and Nevis.

My knee had improved and I was motivated, but misfortune struck again. When doing shot-put the ball rolled off my hand and fractured my right middle finger. Were it not for my dad and my close friends who encouraged me and my own spiritual strength, I would have wanted to give up. I had to stay out of participation for three years. I kept training and in my final year of being a junior athlete I qualified for the Carifta Games in Jamaica and won T&T’s first medal in that competition.

I moved up to the senior category and started doing really well in my favourite event—shot-put, breaking the national record for the first time in 19 years in the Open Championship with a throw of 19.34 meters. I was on a roll, but once again disaster struck. At the Hampton Games, I tore my meniscus, which is the most important cushion you have in your knee. It was the most terrible pain that I had ever felt. I had to stop throwing. This injury threw me back a great deal. I continued in the gym and with aqua therapy.

In 2015 and early 2016 I was at my lowest. I felt that I had no real technical support, no equipment, no facilities. Still, I held on and in 2016 while fighting off my knee injury, though I did not feel like going, I went to the Paralympics in Brazil. To my shock, I broke the world record in the javelin, a skill which I had just started in 2015, throwing 57 metres. The crowd support was amazing and really motivated me. Now I started to get recognition globally. I started training even harder, breaking the shot-put world record in Jamaica in 2017 and qualifying for the Paralympic World Championship in London.

Then once again misfortune struck. While off the field I injured my left metatarsal and had to sit out. It is part of the bones of the midfoot and is extremely painful. Despite the injury, I had to throw the javelin a few days later or I would have been disqualified. I feel that I took out my frustration, anger and disappointment on the javelin. I put everything into the throw. I broke the 25-year javelin world record as well as the world record in shot-put.

I now have to compete with the able-bodied group, the big guns and I am training for the CAC Championship in Colombia and the NACAC in Toronto. With all my injuries there have been times that I felt like giving up but I know that major setbacks bring major comebacks and that if you align yourself with positive people and have faith you will succeed. We must never, ever give up. I believe strongly in the Biblical word “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I want to thank my dad Wayne Stewart for always being there for me, my coach Wade Franklin, my Cuban coach Ishmael Lopez, who worked with me in Australia. Thanks to the Guardian Group, bpTT, Southern Sales, and MJP Michael Johnson High Performing Centre. I also want to thank Playable Caribbean for supporting my development over the last three years and the public for your continuing support.

The road is never easy but if you work hard and give it your all you will succeed.

This series of articles will cover inter-dog aggression. Readers must understand that these articles are for guidance only.

Aggression between dogs is a complex psychological condition requiring a professional dog behaviourist to evaluate and treat each case individually. In this article, we will continue to assess how and when inter-dog aggression develops.

Inter-dog aggression is fighting between dogs living in the same household. In the second article in this series, we started to discuss the two developmental stages of maturity in dogs. It is between sexual and social maturity that owners may first start to notice signs of aggression between the dogs. One of the most common scenarios involves brother fighting brother or sister fighting sister – this is why inter-dog aggression is often referred to as sibling rivalry.

As we looked at in the second article, the “alpha” concept is a myth. There is no absolute dominant dog. Rather, resources may be competed for and the winner most often depends on who wants the resource more. Dog A may be food-motivated and will guard a treat from Dog B who is less interested in the treat. In this scenario, Dog A is being more assertive over Dog B in the presence of food. On the other hand, Dog B may be very attached to the owner and will vie for the owner’s attention while Dog A is more independent and does not seek to be in the owner’s company all the time. In this case, Dog B is the one exerting the assertion when the owner is around.

Dogs who are unrelated will not share genes. Siblings, however, are more likely to have similar behavioural traits because they share not only the same DNA, but they have also shared the same womb. It is, therefore, possible that these dogs will naturally compete for similar resources instead of having vastly different preferences.

In addition, siblings grow up together and will attain both sexual and social maturity at the same stage. When there are two dogs in the same household who are likely to be interested in the same resource, and they are of similar temperament, and they are the same age–meaning that they start challenging at the same time–fighting can be quite likely.

Fighting also occurs between dogs that are not related. In these cases, it is most often that a younger dog attains social maturity and starts challenging the older dog. The natural canine social dynamic is that the older dog defers to the younger, fitter dog.

However, if the older dog has been the resident dog for years on his own and is accustomed to getting and having everything for himself, he may find it difficult to learn to share his resources–and even harder to give them up to the newcomer.

The owner may exacerbate the situation by feeling sorry for the older dog and punishing the younger dog while giving preference to the older dog. This increases the tension because it goes against the grain of nature and the result is a fight.