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00:00:00 ♪ Look how the sun now raising up ♪
00:00:02 ♪ And the crowd now waking up ♪
00:00:04 ♪ The atmosphere have vibes ♪
00:00:06 ♪ And nothing can break it up ♪
00:00:08 ♪ The girls never wind on stop ♪
00:00:09 ♪ We have the drinks, they have in a mic up ♪
00:00:12 - And a very special good morning,
00:00:14 Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the world.
00:00:15 I'm Marlon Hopkinson, and welcome to the Morning Edition.
00:00:18 It's Friday, 14th July, 2023.
00:00:22 Did I say it's Friday?
00:00:23 Let me say it again, it's Friday
00:00:26 in Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the world.
00:00:29 Thank you very much for joining us this morning.
00:00:32 We do appreciate you being here with us.
00:00:35 And as I always say, get your cup of tea ready,
00:00:38 your coffee ready, and get something to eat
00:00:40 because it's going to be a very interesting day
00:00:43 on the Morning Edition today.
00:00:45 All right, so let's check out what's happening
00:00:47 in the Daily Express.
00:00:48 On the front page today,
00:00:50 Heinz distances government from CPAP projects
00:00:53 following surge in gang warfare.
00:00:55 No contracts from cabinet.
00:00:57 And there's a picture on the front page.
00:01:01 And what does it speak about?
00:01:03 Unsettling, members of the Maloney Police Station
00:01:06 oversee the removal of body parts by undertakers
00:01:09 from the roadway along Mausica Road
00:01:11 off the Churchill Roosevelt Highway yesterday.
00:01:16 Gruesome find, severed limbs found off Mausica Road.
00:01:19 What kind of hell is this?
00:01:22 This was a question posed by a resident of Mausica
00:01:25 after the discovery of two severed arms
00:01:27 on the road yesterday morning.
00:01:29 Around 6.34 a.m., residents of the area observed
00:01:32 the two arms which had been cut at the shoulders
00:01:35 of a road off Mausica Road South
00:01:38 near the Churchill Roosevelt Highway.
00:01:40 And murder in Cocorete, suspects held on Wrights Road.
00:01:43 Two men were arrested shortly after they allegedly shot
00:01:45 and killed a Cocorete man just after midday yesterday.
00:01:49 The victim has been identified as Dylan DeSilva.
00:01:55 He was 40 and was standing in the yard of his home
00:01:58 off the Western Main Road when he was ambushed
00:02:01 by two gunmen to the right.
00:02:03 That's the getaway vehicle that was subsequently
00:02:06 intercepted by police.
00:02:09 Heinz, gangs don't get CPEP contracts from government.
00:02:14 Government does not issue CPEP contracts to gangs,
00:02:17 but if any state enterprise does so,
00:02:20 they will be held accountable,
00:02:21 National Security Minister Fitzgerald Heinz has said.
00:02:25 In a telephone interview with the Express yesterday,
00:02:26 the minister confirmed that he met
00:02:28 with law enforcement officials yesterday
00:02:30 and they gave the assurance that they would get control
00:02:33 of ongoing gang warfare, which has resulted in two murders
00:02:37 and the firebombing of a Mova house in the past few days.
00:02:42 Heinz admitted that the information coming to him
00:02:44 was that the incidents were as a result
00:02:46 of ongoing gang activity involving people in the area
00:02:49 and those who might be elsewhere.
00:02:52 Criminologist says successive governments
00:02:54 guilty of glorifying gangs with contracts.
00:02:57 Successive governments are guilty of glorifying gangs
00:02:59 over the years through legitimate state contracts,
00:03:02 which is a major factor in fueling crime,
00:03:04 according to criminologist, Dr. Randy Ciposad.
00:03:09 Yeah, we're moving on.
00:03:11 We have some sports for you.
00:03:13 Into the final, TNT Under 19 spinner,
00:03:16 Samara Ramnaff left to celebrate
00:03:18 with teammates Wicked Keeper, Anaya Roberts-Wright
00:03:21 and Zakia Harlal.
00:03:23 Wendy's suffer.
00:03:25 Indian batters keep Wendy's in the field.
00:03:29 West Indies had little reward
00:03:30 after enduring a long hard grind,
00:03:33 while the Indian opening pair of Yashasvi, Jaiswal.
00:03:38 Yashasvi, did I get it right?
00:03:42 Yeah, I'm sure that people who love cricket
00:03:48 they're saying, look at how he's butchering
00:03:50 the man's name, yeah?
00:03:52 Yashasvi, Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma made merry
00:03:56 and carved out monumental hundreds
00:03:58 to put their side firmly in control
00:04:00 of the first test yesterday in Dominica.
00:04:04 Yeah, Jaiswal.
00:04:07 It's time to remind you of a Trinbago Unites feature.
00:04:09 To participate, WhatsApp your videos, images to 737-3778,
00:04:14 displaying the beauty, talent and uniqueness of Trinbago.
00:04:18 And here's this image.
00:04:20 Is that an iguana?
00:04:23 It is?
00:04:24 Yeah, you have some people licking their lips
00:04:27 this morning, you know?
00:04:29 (laughs)
00:04:31 And the picture comes from, is that Anjali?
00:04:34 Paris Ram Singh.
00:04:36 Anjali, thank you very much for your photo, yeah?
00:04:39 So again, we do have a packed show for you today.
00:04:42 A number of issues that we are going to be discussing.
00:04:46 So stay with us, we are coming back.
00:04:48 ♪ With thousands of chicken feet ♪
00:04:51 ♪ Everywhere you look is just food ♪
00:04:52 ♪ And everybody in a real nice mood ♪
00:04:55 ♪ We gonna party all night, all night ♪
00:04:59 Instant, it's what gave us the Polaroid,
00:05:02 the microwave, video calls
00:05:04 and who doesn't like instant replies?
00:05:06 With our new Hub TV service,
00:05:08 you can now enjoy all your favorite movies,
00:05:10 sports and shows, simply say it and see it in an instant.
00:05:14 Get Hub TV with our everything plans.
00:05:17 We invite you to rediscover flow,
00:05:20 inspired by our harshest critics, you.
00:05:23 (upbeat music)
00:05:26 (dramatic music)
00:05:40 - Buck off, the Oreos belong to us.
00:05:41 - No, they belong to whoever finds them first.
00:05:44 - Get the Oreo Transformers limited edition
00:05:46 and awaken the beast.
00:05:48 - Participate in TAT's art competition
00:05:52 titled Leveraging ICTs for Road Safety.
00:05:55 Entries may be either two dimensional or digital.
00:05:57 This competition is open to kids five to 10,
00:06:00 teens 11 to 16, youths 17 to 25,
00:06:03 or 26 to 59 and seniors 60 plus.
00:06:06 For details, visit www.tat.org.tt
00:06:10 or email WTISD2023@tat.org.tt.
00:06:15 Competition closes 12 noon, Friday, 21st, July, 2023.
00:06:19 - ScreenDot continues to deliver internet connectivity
00:06:22 to a wide range of communities in Trinidad.
00:06:24 With our combination fiber and wireless network,
00:06:27 you get the service you need wherever you live.
00:06:29 Stream your favorite shows, enjoy online tuition,
00:06:32 stay in touch with your work team
00:06:34 and connect with friends and family
00:06:35 with internet service at a price you can afford.
00:06:38 As communities continue to grow, we continue to deliver.
00:06:41 Call 224-GDOT or visit gd.tt today.
00:06:45 ScreenDot, improving and simplifying lives.
00:06:47 ♪ Do you feel it ♪
00:06:49 ♪ I can feel it ♪
00:06:50 ♪ Come in the air ♪
00:06:52 ♪ Come in the air ♪
00:06:55 ♪ Come in the air ♪
00:06:57 ♪ You can't run ♪
00:07:03 ♪ Who knows ♪
00:07:06 ♪ You remember the time ♪
00:07:08 ♪ How could I ever forget ♪
00:07:10 ♪ You remember the time ♪
00:07:12 ♪ Who knows ♪
00:07:14 ♪ You remember the time ♪
00:07:16 ♪ How could I ever forget ♪
00:07:19 ♪ You remember the time ♪
00:07:21 ♪ Who knows ♪
00:07:23 ♪ Wake up ♪
00:07:25 ♪ I need a jet plane ♪
00:07:27 ♪ So take me nonstop ♪
00:07:29 ♪ I can't stay in New York City ♪
00:07:32 ♪ When the sun shine ♪
00:07:34 ♪ I'm planning my country ♪
00:07:37 ♪ Lyons is the place where the jamming ♪
00:07:40 ♪ With Carrie Anne and Charlie's roots clashing ♪
00:07:45 - And welcome back.
00:07:46 Two cases of monkeypox have been discovered
00:07:47 in Trinidad and Tobago, but the Ministry of Health
00:07:50 is telling the public not to panic.
00:07:51 Joining us this morning is geneticist, consultant,
00:07:55 associate professor of biotechnology at the UTT,
00:07:59 Dr. Nicole Ramlachan.
00:08:01 Doctor, good morning.
00:08:03 - Good morning, good morning, everyone.
00:08:04 - Yes, well, doctor, I think that since we got the news
00:08:08 over the past few days, there has been a level of anxiety
00:08:12 and panic because of us just gutting out
00:08:16 of the pandemic now.
00:08:18 So the question is, is it going to be a similar situation
00:08:24 as what we experienced during the pandemic?
00:08:27 - Well, good morning, viewers.
00:08:29 And we always have to understand
00:08:32 when there's a outbreak of a virus,
00:08:35 there's going to be panic, right?
00:08:37 People don't know what it is, they're unsure.
00:08:40 And there's no need to be in this case because of one fact.
00:08:44 The fact is the way that the mpox, we call it now,
00:08:48 we don't call it monkeypox anymore, right?
00:08:50 Because we have to follow the lead of the WHO.
00:08:54 They're trying to standardize everything.
00:08:56 So the mpox virus first showed up in humans in 1958.
00:09:01 Well, I shouldn't say that,
00:09:03 first showed up to the world in 1958.
00:09:05 And through testing and being able to isolate the virus
00:09:10 around the world, the first known case in humans was 1970.
00:09:15 So first of all, mpox, which is part
00:09:18 of the pox viridae family, which is similar
00:09:19 to all the different other types of pox viruses
00:09:24 that you've heard of.
00:09:25 It's similar in that it's structure is similar,
00:09:28 but nothing else really.
00:09:29 So it's known and it's been known for a few decades.
00:09:32 That's the first thing.
00:09:34 So it's not a novel virus in a way that COVID-19
00:09:36 causing virus SARS-CoV-2 virus was.
00:09:39 That was completely new to the humans,
00:09:42 even though it came over in a similar way
00:09:45 of a zoonotic virus that comes over from animal
00:09:47 through animal contact with humans
00:09:49 and eventually can adapt by mutations
00:09:52 to be able to infect from human to human.
00:09:55 So that's where it became, when I say it appeared,
00:09:57 it means that it was able to mutate to be able to get
00:10:02 that entry into human cells, which it didn't have before.
00:10:05 But it's been around for decades.
00:10:07 The transmission and the way it's transmitted
00:10:09 is also different.
00:10:11 It's not a purely respiratory virus,
00:10:12 the way that SARS-CoV-2 viruses,
00:10:14 even the way that influenza viruses,
00:10:16 which makes them much more highly contagious.
00:10:18 It requires bodily fluid contact.
00:10:21 So through sexual contact, through kissing,
00:10:24 through touching contaminated material,
00:10:26 like sheets, towels, if you shake someone's hands,
00:10:30 those kinds of things.
00:10:32 Those are the kinds of way that you get infection
00:10:35 through monkeypox or mpox.
00:10:37 So that's one of the things that you have to be considering
00:10:40 when you think about how you transmit
00:10:42 and how it's contagious.
00:10:44 Now, did it come from an animal?
00:10:45 Yes.
00:10:46 Is it probably through that wildlife situation
00:10:51 that we have with illegal trading and so on?
00:10:53 Maybe in the beginning it has,
00:10:55 but now that it's already in the human population,
00:10:58 it's not novel.
00:10:59 There's a certain degree of immunity and so on
00:11:02 that we would have, that we would transmit.
00:11:04 So it's not the same on any of the scales
00:11:07 of being able to judge it
00:11:10 as a possible pandemic-causing virus.
00:11:13 - But doctor, I think the question is now,
00:11:15 so how do we prevent ourselves, rather, from getting it?
00:11:19 - Well, there are vaccines available,
00:11:22 and there's been available for a while,
00:11:24 but they will only vaccinate
00:11:26 what they call ring vaccination.
00:11:29 So that's like, this is the person
00:11:30 who's shown the infection,
00:11:31 lets us do contact tracing,
00:11:33 and lets us determine everyone
00:11:34 who's been in contact with him,
00:11:36 and his sexual partners or her sexual partners,
00:11:40 people who live in the same household,
00:11:42 those kinds of things, people who work with them,
00:11:44 and that those would be the individuals or travel with them.
00:11:47 Those would be the individuals who'd be vaccinated,
00:11:49 in part because it's not that contagious,
00:11:51 and in part because we don't have many vaccines.
00:11:53 It's not the mass production of vaccines that we've had.
00:11:56 We don't have a big backstock,
00:11:58 like we do with a lot of the other respiratory-related
00:12:00 viruses, and even on the other very infectious viruses,
00:12:02 or even the children viruses that we immunize for.
00:12:06 So it's that way that, first of all,
00:12:09 we have that initial idea for vaccine for prevention.
00:12:13 Next thing, of course,
00:12:15 because it can be transmitted sexually,
00:12:17 safe sex is always something that has to be considered.
00:12:21 For all the other viruses, I mean, HIV,
00:12:23 and all those things as well,
00:12:24 and even bacterial infections and STDs,
00:12:27 but in part because of monkeypox,
00:12:29 it has that bodily fluid transmission,
00:12:32 you know, indicative situation going on.
00:12:35 We have to practice safe sex.
00:12:36 Also, you know, the multiple partners
00:12:40 and unknown partners reduction,
00:12:42 that whole scenario as well as using condoms,
00:12:46 those kinds of things.
00:12:47 In addition to, of course, basic hygiene,
00:12:50 always washing your hands.
00:12:51 You know, wearing masks, of course, is always recommended.
00:12:54 If you're in a place with a lot of unknown individuals,
00:12:57 if it's a large crowded area, if you're traveling,
00:13:00 you know, a lot of the pox is being,
00:13:02 those pox viridae family gets transmitted through contact.
00:13:06 So you have to think about basic contact.
00:13:08 If I'm going out somewhere and I'm gonna contact people,
00:13:11 I'm gonna see people, I'm gonna shake their hands,
00:13:13 I'm gonna talk to them, you know,
00:13:14 on a normal day-to-day basis, wear a mask.
00:13:16 There's nothing to prevent you from doing that.
00:13:19 Or, you know, situate yourself so that you're a far,
00:13:22 if you're in an outdoor party or something like that,
00:13:24 don't, you know, be very close to people.
00:13:26 Don't jam up to people, as I always say,
00:13:28 you know, before Carnival,
00:13:29 when we were talking about these things.
00:13:31 You know, don't, have your personal space, you know,
00:13:33 have your five feet, six feet around you.
00:13:37 Also try to practice hygiene, you know,
00:13:41 the normal things we normally tell you.
00:13:43 'Cause, you know, COVID-19 is still out there.
00:13:45 Respiratory viruses are still out there,
00:13:47 like RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, flu.
00:13:50 There's a horrible flu going around in Toronto and Tobago,
00:13:53 especially with children, back at school and so on,
00:13:56 before we close for summer.
00:13:59 And I mean, it comes back down to the same basic idea
00:14:01 of what you need to do to keep your family safe
00:14:03 and you safe.
00:14:05 - Yeah, so I guess the message there too,
00:14:07 is don't throw away your mask and your sanitizer as yet.
00:14:11 - No, well, I mean, you know,
00:14:12 I went through this too with the,
00:14:15 the first SARS that appeared in the early 2000s
00:14:18 and a lot of the influenza pandemics through Asia
00:14:21 and through other parts of the world,
00:14:24 over the last, I would say 20 to 30 years,
00:14:28 even more than that, actually 40, 50 years.
00:14:30 We have always gone to the stage
00:14:32 where we've dropped precautions
00:14:35 and then gone back to the way that things were,
00:14:37 or lost kind of, you know,
00:14:39 the protective mechanisms that we built in.
00:14:43 And I always tell people, try to keep it to the forefront,
00:14:46 that we are still technically at the tail end of a pandemic.
00:14:50 Things are gonna come circulating around again,
00:14:52 even more related to COVID-19, even more related to flu,
00:14:56 even more related to all of these other things.
00:14:58 And like monkeypox is circulating,
00:14:59 has been circulating since 2022.
00:15:02 So there's lots of reasons why we need to not only
00:15:05 wear a mask, but in crowded areas,
00:15:08 and especially when you're traveling on planes
00:15:10 and those kinds of things, and practice safe sex.
00:15:12 I mean, and wash your hands and protect your children
00:15:16 when it is you're going out and you're trying,
00:15:18 if it is that you're showing symptoms in particular,
00:15:21 and you know somebody who's showing symptoms,
00:15:23 albeit monkeypox, albeit a respiratory virus,
00:15:25 albeit any of these, stay away from them,
00:15:28 keep them isolated if they're in your family.
00:15:30 Try to go through that period of time,
00:15:32 which is usually six to 16 days in the case of monkeypox.
00:15:37 Of course, you know, two weeks or so in the case of,
00:15:40 and most of the other respiratory viruses,
00:15:41 where you're no longer infectious.
00:15:43 Monkeypox and a lot of the pox,
00:15:45 the scabs have to fall off for you to be able to get
00:15:48 into that period where you're no longer infectious.
00:15:50 It has to dry and fall off.
00:15:51 Can it still kill people? Yes.
00:15:54 Is there a mortality rate? Yes.
00:15:55 As with all other viruses and bacteria,
00:16:00 it can immunocompromise individuals,
00:16:02 people who are elderly, young children,
00:16:04 those kinds of things, and cause severe illness
00:16:07 and possibly death.
00:16:08 So there is a rate of mortality that is associated
00:16:12 with mpox as well as the other viruses.
00:16:15 However, it's nothing to panic about.
00:16:18 It's nothing to worry about.
00:16:19 Just remember to just practice your normal family hygiene.
00:16:24 Make sure you wash your hands, make sure you wear a mask.
00:16:27 And in particular, if you are having multiple
00:16:30 sexual partners, practice safe sex,
00:16:33 try to, you know, kind of withdraw from unsafe practices
00:16:38 at this point in time, especially with the outbreak
00:16:40 of these kinds of things going on.
00:16:42 And with the knowledge that they're always out there.
00:16:45 So try to stay safe as much as you can.
00:16:47 Is there a particular group that is most susceptible?
00:16:52 Is it children? Is it elderly people?
00:16:55 Well, it's seen a lot in homosexual males.
00:16:59 However, in terms of the transmission,
00:17:01 that's where it was transmitted a lot
00:17:04 when it initially came out of Africa
00:17:06 because of that sexual contact
00:17:09 and that bodily fluids scenario.
00:17:12 However, in terms of susceptibility,
00:17:14 it's the same normal immunocompromised individuals
00:17:17 that are always at risk.
00:17:19 So people who have HIV, of course,
00:17:21 people who have any other kind of illness
00:17:24 that immunocompromises them, people who are on chemotherapy,
00:17:28 people who have immunosuppressive drugs
00:17:30 because of transplants, and of course the elderly,
00:17:33 you know, children to a lesser extent.
00:17:36 But definitely there are pockets of individuals
00:17:39 who are more susceptible.
00:17:41 Transmission kind of occurs, again,
00:17:42 because of that exchange of bodily fluids
00:17:45 in certain populations around the world.
00:17:47 And it's been isolated a lot, as I said,
00:17:51 those kind of proban and the ring around that individual
00:17:55 that we see infection.
00:17:57 So it's not a kind of situation
00:17:58 where SARS-CoV-2 virus can spread in the air
00:18:03 and stay there for eight hours.
00:18:04 And we're not in that kind of scenario at all.
00:18:07 You more or less have to be in direct contact
00:18:09 with the individual or the bodily fluids of that individual
00:18:12 in a short space of time
00:18:13 when it's come out of that individual.
00:18:15 So as in sexual practices and kissing and hugging
00:18:19 and those kinds of things.
00:18:20 It's not something that it's the same transmission.
00:18:22 So, I mean, it's there,
00:18:24 those individuals are immunocompromised, are at risk,
00:18:27 as they are with all the other viruses and bacteria
00:18:30 that circulate that cause disease.
00:18:32 And we have to take precautions.
00:18:34 And be safe.
00:18:35 But again, don't panic.
00:18:36 It's not something to lock down about
00:18:40 and all of this kind of stuff.
00:18:41 It's not that kind of scenario at all.
00:18:43 And nor should you think of it like that.
00:18:46 However, still always, I always tell everyone,
00:18:49 try to understand that there's certain scenarios
00:18:52 where you as a family head, or you as a mother or father,
00:18:57 or you as somebody who's responsible for somebody else,
00:18:59 if you're a caregiver, a caretaker, a teacher,
00:19:03 a boss of a particular office, those kinds of things.
00:19:06 Always have that safety idea in the back of your head.
00:19:10 How do I keep my employees safe?
00:19:12 How do I keep my family safe?
00:19:13 How do I keep people around me safer?
00:19:15 And again, make sure that you have sanitizer available.
00:19:20 People have kind of dropped off that now, right?
00:19:22 A lot of times you go into the offices
00:19:24 and you go into the stores and so on,
00:19:26 you no longer see the hand washing thing outside.
00:19:29 That's fine.
00:19:30 But try to refill your sanitizer units.
00:19:34 Try to keep people distanced in terms of not large groups
00:19:39 of individuals that are close contact.
00:19:42 Those are the kinds of things that we have to consider.
00:19:44 If you are a family at home, try to make sure
00:19:48 as you come in and out of the household,
00:19:50 you do things like change your clothes right away.
00:19:52 If it is that you've gone out and you're in the public
00:19:55 and you're touching people, if you're in your healthcare,
00:19:58 in particular, those individuals usually are very
00:20:01 cognizant of that fact.
00:20:04 But just general hygiene, wash your hands
00:20:06 as you enter the house, wash your hands as you go to,
00:20:09 touch it before you touch anybody.
00:20:11 If you come home from school,
00:20:12 make sure your kids wash their hands,
00:20:14 wash their faces, blow their nose, those kinds of things
00:20:16 before they go hug up granny.
00:20:18 Those are the kinds of things that we have to practice.
00:20:20 - My doctor, what are the symptoms?
00:20:22 - With monkey pox, it's the typical sore throat
00:20:27 kind of cold like viruses symptoms.
00:20:31 However, you have this rush in particular with mpox
00:20:34 that is very typical of mpox.
00:20:38 And once you go to a doctor or something,
00:20:40 they could diagnose that very easily
00:20:42 and with suspicious cases and then send it away
00:20:45 for PCR testing, that's usually how Crawford does it
00:20:48 and other labs.
00:20:49 And the idea is that it kind of crosses over.
00:20:52 It doesn't look like chicken pox exactly,
00:20:55 but it's very similar to it.
00:20:57 And I mean, you get your lymph nodes kind of swell,
00:21:01 you get kind of that kind of tauntolitis kind of feeling
00:21:05 and just general malaise, tiredness,
00:21:08 that kind of stuff as well.
00:21:09 Again, it reflects and very similar to the basic,
00:21:13 as we call it in Trinidad, I have a flu.
00:21:15 Everybody says that, I have a flu, I have a cold.
00:21:18 It's a general kind of idea that you have that general
00:21:21 feeling of malaise, bad feeling, sometimes fever,
00:21:25 but that telltale sign with the mpox is going to be the rash
00:21:29 and the rash is very typical in terms of how it spread,
00:21:32 how it appears and in terms of the progression.
00:21:35 As I said, usually six to 16 days.
00:21:38 What is problematic too with the mpox is that
00:21:41 it doesn't show necessarily symptoms,
00:21:43 even though it's been incubating in your body for a few days.
00:21:46 So symptoms don't show up sometimes as long as four to six
00:21:49 days after exposure.
00:21:51 And that's something that you don't know.
00:21:53 So a lot of people might be walking around with it
00:21:54 and they don't even know they have it.
00:21:56 So that's why it's always really important to practice
00:22:00 the safe sex and practice the hygiene because you don't
00:22:03 know, and I always tell everyone this,
00:22:05 you don't know who you're meeting and what they have.
00:22:07 Right? I mean, visibly they don't look sick,
00:22:09 they don't feel sick.
00:22:10 And it's the same thing with COVID-19 and the same thing
00:22:13 with a lot of the respiratory viruses, flu and so on.
00:22:16 A lot of times when you are most infectious and you're
00:22:18 walking around and I see you walk into the house and you
00:22:21 kiss your spouse or again, your aunt or your uncle who
00:22:27 might be sick or your grandmother, your little child,
00:22:31 you're not realizing you're putting them at risk because
00:22:33 you yourself are infected and you don't know.
00:22:36 So it's not something that's deliberate.
00:22:38 It's not something that is done for spite, as we say.
00:22:41 However, you have to understand that everyone you meet,
00:22:44 including your family members at any point in time could
00:22:46 be carrying something like mPox or COVID-19 or influenza.
00:22:51 And that transmission time should be at a rate at which
00:22:56 it's transmitted.
00:22:57 The only way to reduce that is by this idea of hygiene,
00:23:02 practicing safe sex, being able to avoid individuals who
00:23:05 are sick and protecting yourself with a mask if you have to,
00:23:08 in areas that you know.
00:23:09 For example, if you're traveling in a plane, wear a mask.
00:23:12 There's nothing to stop you from wearing a mask.
00:23:14 I mean, it's not mandatory, but again, you know,
00:23:17 washing your hands is not mandatory either.
00:23:19 But that is just basic common sense, right?
00:23:22 And those are the kinds of things that we need to keep in
00:23:24 the forefront as we move forward through, you know,
00:23:27 this newer outbreak here in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:23:29 But doctor, if someone is confirmed to have mPox,
00:23:34 how do you deal with that, let's say, in the home?
00:23:36 How do we deal with that, let's say, in the school or
00:23:39 in the work environment?
00:23:42 Well, isolation is number one, right?
00:23:43 It goes back down to the same idea.
00:23:45 It's kind of the same thing with chickenpox or with any of
00:23:48 these other illnesses that we, you know,
00:23:52 diseases that are spread through contagion and through
00:23:56 contagious particles.
00:23:58 You would have to obviously, if they were calling from work
00:24:01 and they would tell you like, you know, I had it or whatever,
00:24:03 that is where the contact tracing goes into place.
00:24:07 The Ministry of Health, who I do not work for and I'm not
00:24:09 associated with, would have to advise further on what happens
00:24:12 in the workplace and the home and those kinds of things.
00:24:14 But what they do around the world is they do contact
00:24:17 tracing to make sure that individuals' contacts have been
00:24:20 vaccinated if they've been exposed and can be vaccinated
00:24:24 in certain cases.
00:24:25 And of course, isolation is the number one.
00:24:27 And then the time period for it to pass through, right?
00:24:30 You have to, if you have, if you're showing the rush,
00:24:34 you have to wait until the little pustules
00:24:38 crest over and fall off.
00:24:40 That's the only time that you are, you're not contagious,
00:24:45 right?
00:24:46 Once you have pox on you, as in the little pustules,
00:24:51 and it's visible and you're seeing that rush and it looks
00:24:53 like it's active and you are contagious and you are
00:24:56 considered to be contagious up until they dry off
00:24:58 and they fall off.
00:24:59 So they have to go through the whole gamut of questioning
00:25:03 those individuals, trying to find out where they've been,
00:25:05 where they've come from, who are their contacts,
00:25:08 do that ring vaccination idea around them where the available
00:25:12 individuals are given vaccines and also isolated if they can,
00:25:18 right?
00:25:19 And kept away for at least those four to six days
00:25:22 to see if symptoms show up.
00:25:24 And then after that, if symptoms do show up,
00:25:26 they have to go on for another four, I think,
00:25:29 16 days in total is usually when everything usually dries up
00:25:34 and that kind of stuff.
00:25:35 But again, you have to go by that visible check
00:25:37 for yourself personally before you get back into circulation
00:25:40 if you've been infected.
00:25:41 Yeah.
00:25:43 Doctor, let me say thank you very much for speaking with us
00:25:47 this morning.
00:25:47 And also thank you for your advice and guidance
00:25:52 throughout the pandemic.
00:25:54 We have not been seeing too much of you on the program
00:25:56 because we're heading to the end of the pandemic.
00:25:59 But throughout that exercise, you
00:26:01 have been with us all of the way.
00:26:03 And we do thank you very much for that.
00:26:06 Thanks a lot.
00:26:07 And I mean, again, genetic testing is the way to go,
00:26:10 right?
00:26:10 That's the way that we were saved
00:26:12 with isolation and identification
00:26:16 of the pandemic.
00:26:16 Same thing with the monkey box.
00:26:18 That's on the inbox.
00:26:19 That's how we were able to know what it was
00:26:21 and how it came in and where it came from
00:26:23 and trace those strains and those kinds of things.
00:26:26 So always remember that genetic testing is something
00:26:29 that we need to consider for all our diagnosis.
00:26:31 And give us a call at Genetics Diagnostics.
00:26:34 Go to any of these other labs.
00:26:36 If you see a rash on your family member,
00:26:38 if you suspect that something might be happening,
00:26:40 even in one of the respiratory viruses.
00:26:42 And COVID-19 as well, too.
00:26:44 If you want to find out if what you have is that,
00:26:46 please call one of the labs.
00:26:48 And go to the health centers and try to get tested if you can.
00:26:53 Yeah.
00:26:53 Doctor, thank you very much again.
00:26:55 We do appreciate it.
00:26:56 Bye for now.
00:26:56 Have a great day, everyone.
00:26:58 Bye bye.
00:26:58 Bye bye.
00:26:59 So it's time now for a quick break.
00:27:02 But we do have this image for you from Yarra Bay.
00:27:06 We're coming back.
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00:29:06 I see charity deplored.
00:29:10 Equal rights totally ignored.
00:29:15 Wisdom and ingenuity working in the--
00:29:19 And welcome back, everyone.
00:29:21 So there continues to be concern over the proliferation of guns
00:29:25 in Trinidad and Tobago, and more so,
00:29:27 the use of automatic weapons.
00:29:30 On the line now is retired Assistant Commissioner
00:29:32 of Police and former--
00:29:34 well, yes, and former police armorer, Mr. Leroy Brebner.
00:29:40 Mr. Brebner, good morning.
00:29:42 Good morning to you, Marlon.
00:29:43 Yes.
00:29:44 Well, Mr. Brebner, thank you very much for joining us
00:29:46 this morning.
00:29:47 And I think what we will do today
00:29:51 is to rely on your extensive experience over the years
00:29:57 in the TTPS, and also being an armorer,
00:30:01 former armorer for the TTPS.
00:30:04 Mr. Brebner, my first question, are we
00:30:06 giving this enough attention, the use of automatic weapons,
00:30:11 and the dangers in Trinidad and Tobago?
00:30:15 Certainly not.
00:30:16 We are not.
00:30:18 Mr. Brebner, as I said, let's deal with your experience
00:30:22 as it relates to these automatic weapons.
00:30:24 They have been called weapons of war.
00:30:27 We have seen the damage here locally and internationally.
00:30:33 Tell us a little bit more about this, sir.
00:30:36 Well, this didn't just happen like this, Marlon.
00:30:40 The question we ought to be asking
00:30:42 is, how did we get here?
00:30:44 Because this didn't start today.
00:30:52 Over the years, if we could take a walk down memory lane,
00:30:56 the early-- late '60s, early '70s,
00:31:01 we had the revolvers, which was the Colt, the Webley,
00:31:06 Taurus, Ruger, Smith, Wesson, and me.
00:31:10 And then we moved on to the sort of shotguns.
00:31:16 And then we moved on to the MAK-TEC and the TEC-9s.
00:31:23 And then we move on to pistols.
00:31:27 And then we move on now where we are
00:31:30 seeing that the pistols and the MAK-TEC and all of these
00:31:36 firearms have taken a back seat.
00:31:39 When I started doing exhibits in 2013,
00:31:46 when it came back to the Toronto-Bagel Police Service,
00:31:50 my observation was, I am starting to see AK-47.
00:31:58 I am starting to see armor lights.
00:32:03 And I did make recommendations to the Deputy Commissioner
00:32:07 Crime then.
00:32:09 And nothing was done about it.
00:32:13 Marlon, in this country, we don't manufacture firearms.
00:32:20 But yet still, we have plenty of guns in this land.
00:32:30 I sat in a committee for two years
00:32:34 where we would have planned how we would approach
00:32:40 to deal with this firearm issue in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:32:44 And if you could remember, I appeared before the Joint
00:32:47 Select Committee.
00:32:50 To date, nothing that we planned--
00:32:54 because I sit there with the Customs, the Army,
00:32:56 the people from SAS--
00:33:00 and nothing was done to do anything
00:33:06 about what was happening.
00:33:09 So in fact, Mr. Brebner, I think what you are saying
00:33:12 is that we have been pussyfooting
00:33:14 on this entire issue.
00:33:16 And what we are seeing today, it is
00:33:20 because there has never been this rigid approach
00:33:26 to the problem.
00:33:29 There has not been.
00:33:31 We have not taken this issue as seriously
00:33:36 as we ought to have taken it.
00:33:37 And then what happens?
00:33:42 Every shooting incident that you see today,
00:33:50 people are using automatic firearms.
00:33:57 Every incident.
00:33:58 So it has really been a graduation
00:34:05 from the smaller weapon to this large, very powerful weapon
00:34:09 now.
00:34:10 Yes, it is.
00:34:11 And the thing about it, people in this country
00:34:18 know, and in fact know, that there are gangs.
00:34:24 How long we talking about gangs in this country now?
00:34:27 What have we done to suppress gang activity in this country?
00:34:33 When I could sit and look at a video
00:34:37 and watch two men walk up a street
00:34:44 with automatic weapons in their hand,
00:34:48 and no one pays attention to that.
00:34:53 I am looking again, and I'm seeing 11 young men walk
00:35:00 up a hill carrying a carry box with a molotov cocktail,
00:35:07 walk up some steps.
00:35:10 That was over a five-minute incident.
00:35:14 Not one soul in that neighborhood
00:35:18 saw anything and contact 999 or contact a police friend
00:35:23 or did anything like that.
00:35:25 For a couple of minutes, young fellow just
00:35:27 pelting molotov cocktail at a house,
00:35:30 lighting it back, picking it up, pelting it.
00:35:32 And that went on for over five minutes,
00:35:35 and no one would call the police.
00:35:40 And I suspect-- but I suspect the obvious argument here
00:35:44 would be fair.
00:35:45 People are afraid.
00:35:46 Fear of what?
00:35:49 How the person could stand up in their house and flame it?
00:35:53 The person who flamed that was stand up in their house
00:35:56 and watching down the road.
00:35:59 So the time you take to make sure and cover
00:36:01 all that activity, you couldn't for one second
00:36:06 say, let me call 999.
00:36:11 So don't tell me that people are afraid.
00:36:14 Where is the incidence of these things happening?
00:36:18 In certain areas in Trinidad and Tobago,
00:36:21 it is not that the police ain't working.
00:36:23 The police working, the police burnout for the last four years
00:36:27 from COVID to now.
00:36:30 You run a survey and see how much people are before the court
00:36:35 for firearm offenses.
00:36:37 You make a check and see how much firearm
00:36:41 was found for the year.
00:36:44 So it's not that the police ain't working,
00:36:46 but yet still you have an outcry in this country
00:36:50 that we are fearful.
00:36:51 Something is wrong.
00:36:55 Something is wrong.
00:36:57 Where is the population to work with the Trinidad and Tobago
00:37:02 Police Service, the defense force,
00:37:04 for us to take back this paradise called Trinidad
00:37:07 and Tobago?
00:37:09 Mr. Brebner, what's your take on how certain incidents have
00:37:16 become so brazen?
00:37:18 People are not waiting for 2, 3 o'clock in the morning
00:37:21 if they have to attack.
00:37:24 They are doing it at 9 o'clock in the morning,
00:37:26 12 o'clock, 1, 2.
00:37:27 As we saw yesterday, you had this shooting in Kokoreet.
00:37:31 Yes, the police would have arrested two persons later.
00:37:35 But these incidents are becoming more and more brazen.
00:37:40 What does that say?
00:37:42 Well, that say that somebody was paying attention yesterday
00:37:47 and observed what was happening.
00:37:51 Marlon, what is frightening in this country?
00:37:55 And I heard only one person share my concern.
00:38:01 There was an article in a newspaper on the 14th of May
00:38:06 which said that within 2016 to 2022,
00:38:15 57 million rounds of ammunition entered this country.
00:38:23 If that is not cause for concern,
00:38:27 then what is happening would always happen in this country.
00:38:31 Because Marlon, 57 million rounds of ammunition
00:38:38 in this country, nobody could tell us the caliber.
00:38:42 But yet still, you are seeing shootings on a daily basis
00:38:46 where men running out of car and just shooting wantonly.
00:38:51 Where are they getting all those ammunition?
00:38:54 They say the police and the defense force
00:38:55 are accounting for the ammunition.
00:38:57 So where is this 57 million rounds of ammunition?
00:39:05 How did it come in the country?
00:39:08 So someone is feeding them.
00:39:12 So the problem is, where is this quantum of ammunition?
00:39:19 And Marlon, you're talking about 57 million rounds.
00:39:24 If that amount of ammunition was used up between 2016 and now,
00:39:35 then I would be a rich fellow now
00:39:36 because I would have plenty of work
00:39:38 to do with the people in this country who own guns.
00:39:45 I would get a lot of work.
00:39:47 But you know what?
00:39:49 That 57 million rounds is somewhere out there,
00:39:55 and there is not a concern in this country about that.
00:40:01 That says a lot about us, Marlon.
00:40:03 So don't worry yourself too much about people being afraid
00:40:07 and afraid and afraid.
00:40:08 Afraid of what?
00:40:11 When there is absolutely nothing being done
00:40:15 to deal with these situations?
00:40:20 How could 11 young boys just run up a street armed with guns
00:40:26 and nobody does anything about it?
00:40:29 But Mr. Bremner, why does a young man, a woman,
00:40:34 an individual feel that they can pick up a weapon, a gun,
00:40:41 whether it's a handgun or an automatic weapon,
00:40:46 why do they feel so comfortable in Trinidad and Tobago
00:40:51 that they can do that and carry out an attack?
00:40:55 Is it that they believe that there are no repercussions?
00:41:01 What is it?
00:41:03 It's not that.
00:41:05 Marlon, pop-up parenting is lacking in this country.
00:41:10 If you as a young fella in your early days did something
00:41:18 or responded in a way that your mother and father did not like,
00:41:26 that was a free opportunity of an extraction
00:41:32 because you would have gotten such a lash in your mouth
00:41:38 your teeth and them would have come out,
00:41:42 not being violent about anything.
00:41:45 But when you have--we as young--in our young days
00:41:49 in the '70s, '80s, '90s, we would have done a lot of things
00:41:55 like go to Heritage 67, up a level across the streets,
00:42:00 and we had a purpose.
00:42:02 We would go into a school bazaar and look for the nicest
00:42:05 young girl in class.
00:42:08 What are these young boys doing today?
00:42:12 You see all of them get up, it's whiskey, brandy, punchings,
00:42:19 and there is no parental control.
00:42:24 You could not go out and stay out all night
00:42:27 without your parents accounting for you.
00:42:32 So we have lost the parental upbringing,
00:42:37 and these fellas, they're talking about work.
00:42:41 Look at all these programs that they have available.
00:42:44 How much of the young people today are interested?
00:42:47 They don't want to work.
00:42:49 They want fast cash.
00:42:51 - But Mr. Bremner, this parenting that you are speaking about,
00:42:57 that has to happen from a very, very young age.
00:43:00 You can't come at this stage of the game
00:43:05 when a young man is already involved in criminal activity
00:43:11 and try to do parenting now.
00:43:14 - I agree with you 100%.
00:43:17 What is happening between his primary school
00:43:21 to his secondary level of learning?
00:43:25 You weren't paying attention?
00:43:28 So he just pop up?
00:43:30 He didn't.
00:43:32 He didn't.
00:43:35 - So how do you get these weapons from the hands of these young men?
00:43:41 That's one.
00:43:42 And how do you transform their thinking?
00:43:47 How do you reverse that?
00:43:49 That is not an easy task, you know.
00:43:51 - It's very easy, Marlon.
00:43:53 - It's very easy?
00:43:54 - Yes.
00:43:56 - Tell us. We're very interested.
00:43:59 - Because this is me, and I have my way of doing it.
00:44:06 The murder rate in this country would be very high for one year.
00:44:10 And I could take bets after that, it would never be this high again.
00:44:17 I can safely tell you that.
00:44:21 You cannot have people running wild, a handful of people running wild,
00:44:28 shooting willy-nilly, doing all kinds of things,
00:44:32 and no one is doing anything about it.
00:44:35 The police doing their work, you know.
00:44:37 The police doing their work, but they cannot be everywhere and every given time.
00:44:44 But you want to tell me that them fellows don't come outside?
00:44:47 They're coming out morning, noon, and night.
00:44:49 Even now.
00:44:51 You want to tell me that people don't know them?
00:44:53 We know them.
00:44:55 We know who they are.
00:44:58 - But Mr. Brebner, how does the TTPS push back?
00:45:04 When the TTPS pushes back, there are claims of police brutality.
00:45:12 There are claims of extrajudicial killings.
00:45:17 Certain organizations, they do have the history of putting pressure on the TTPS
00:45:26 or the country as a whole when they feel that police are involved in killings.
00:45:40 - Well, this is one thing that is enshrined in the Constitution,
00:45:44 is freedom of speech.
00:45:47 That is something we can't stop.
00:45:49 But once you can defend your action--
00:45:52 because these young fellows aren't afraid to offload on police these days, you know.
00:45:56 They're not afraid to do it.
00:46:00 And they have a use of force policy that once you can defend yourself and it's justified,
00:46:06 we don't have a problem.
00:46:07 The police service doesn't have a problem.
00:46:10 - Gentlemen, we are taking too long to deal with these young--
00:46:16 handful of young men in certain areas in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:46:23 It's not that they are not known.
00:46:26 Everybody knows them.
00:46:31 Let's do it.
00:46:34 - So then, Mr. Brebner, what are you suggesting?
00:46:38 Are you suggesting that you are supporting the police's calls?
00:46:44 If you see something, say something.
00:46:47 Of course, that has been a call, an incessant call by the police service.
00:46:52 Members of the public have been trying to help the police.
00:46:55 But I don't think that the police service or Trinidad and Tobago is getting the results
00:47:04 that is really wanted from this entire exercise.
00:47:09 So then something more has to be done.
00:47:12 - Is the entire exercise really getting the support of seeing something, saying something?
00:47:19 When people are benefiting from these things, do you expect them to really say something?
00:47:26 And the people who are seeing something and saying something,
00:47:30 remember there's other aspects to this that they are saying that some of the members
00:47:37 of the Trinidad and Tobago police service are in call with these people.
00:47:41 Yes, you have to be careful of that.
00:47:44 You must be careful of that also.
00:47:46 So it's only--okay, let's look for the last two months.
00:47:54 Look how much people have been shot.
00:47:58 Where is the protest? Where is it?
00:48:00 Look at the shooting in Mova sometime there or Malik or somewhere there,
00:48:05 where the guy came up behind the fellow, shot him.
00:48:11 What happened?
00:48:12 People came out, they looked at him.
00:48:16 It even looked like the shooter revisited the scene, and then everybody walked away.
00:48:25 If that--let's turn it around.
00:48:28 If that was a police-involved shooting, you think you could have gotten people to walk away off the street?
00:48:36 You think you would have gotten them to do that?
00:48:39 You feel them in the war early going?
00:48:42 They see something, they're saying nothing, but it's going to reach home to them.
00:48:48 And it's only when it reaches home to them, then you would hear them saying something different
00:48:54 that the police are walking and the police are walking.
00:48:58 But Mr. Bremner, isn't this a very untidy situation, a very messy situation,
00:49:05 and it's going to take some time to pick apart and unravel for us as a country to really get the results that we want?
00:49:14 We can get the results as we want by dealing with the gang activity.
00:49:21 Our intelligence services must now kick in and kick in in full force.
00:49:30 Our intelligence on the ground is lacking.
00:49:36 How come these things are happening in villages and people know,
00:49:41 and the police and the defense forces know and the security agencies know?
00:49:46 You keep saying that, you keep saying a lot of things, but where is the effective action to be taken?
00:49:58 In other countries, my lad, this will be dealt with differently, you know.
00:50:04 This will be dealt with.
00:50:07 But I'm sure that you're not suggesting that whatever has to be done would not be in agreement with the laws of Trinidad and Tobago.
00:50:20 I am suggesting, Marlon, that everything be done within the laws of Trinidad and Tobago to deal with this kind of violence that we are seeing in this land.
00:50:38 Violence breeds violence. And you have to conquer violence with violence.
00:50:50 Legally.
00:50:53 That's the legal thing. We all, we operate in, the police always operate outside the law, no?
00:50:59 The police operate within the law. If the police operate outside of the law, they are placed before the Tribunal of the Court.
00:51:09 Mr. Brebner, I think what you're suggesting is the police has to match force with the force that it is seeing out there.
00:51:19 However, the risk could be a very nasty situation, you know, and in some cases a bloody situation, you know.
00:51:31 You think that Trinidad and Tobago is ready for something like that?
00:51:35 Well, the greatest risk is not taking one.
00:51:40 And when they predict that there is a storm coming here, we don't know what will happen when the storm passes.
00:51:49 If it hits us, it leaves devastation.
00:51:55 So there may be a fallout?
00:51:58 It has to be. There's always a fallout.
00:52:03 There's always a fallout in incidents like this. But the authorities must now come and deal with the whole situation, Marlon.
00:52:14 Marlon, the time has come when all the people in Trinidad and Tobago who are holders of FUL must account.
00:52:29 We are giving people three and four and five guns. They could control all of them?
00:52:37 I have a serious, serious concern in this country right now.
00:52:42 Where I am seeing civilians matching the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Defense Force with weaponry,
00:52:53 I am seeing where the security forces, the type of weapons that I am seeing them carrying,
00:53:01 why did we give them permission to have that? Why?
00:53:05 Why did we do such a thing?
00:53:08 It's time that we have a national registry, that every firearm that comes into this country from dealers,
00:53:17 the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service must know about it.
00:53:23 The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service only knows what is sold to someone when they issue an FUL. Nonsense.
00:53:32 Nonsense. Are we keeping account?
00:53:36 Mr. Brebna, it was a pleasure speaking with you this morning, sir.
00:53:40 And more so based on your experience in the TTPS.
00:53:47 And we thank you very much for your views this morning.
00:53:50 I think it's much to think about, a lot of food to think about.
00:53:54 And I thank you very much again.
00:53:57 You're welcome. And we need the authorities to get FUL with things in this land.
00:54:02 That's all. We just need to take FUL action with everything.
00:54:06 Thank you very much again, sir. Have a good day.
00:54:10 We are heading to another break, but first, here is a traffic update from the Betham Highway.
00:54:15 No one can deny that the price of progress is high.
00:54:20 Really, really high, high, high.
00:54:29 By 1966, the Better Village Competition, as it was known, increased its scope to include a farm and food segment
00:54:36 in order to encourage innovation using homegrown produce.
00:54:40 Community cooks were given the chance to demonstrate their culinary mastery.
00:54:44 And with so many sweet hands involved, there was a grand display of local dishes, homemade wines and desserts.
00:54:50 In addition to competition, this fair also presented individual practitioners and community groups
00:54:56 with the opportunity to earn an income from their culinary works.
00:55:00 Groups from vastly different regions across the country converged to exchange culinary ideas, thus inspiring each other to improve.
00:55:08 This camaraderie still exists today in the new Food and Folk Fair.
00:55:12 While faces and names have changed, the bonds formed through the exchange of cultural ideas continue to endure,
00:55:19 as we mark the 60th anniversary of the Prime Minister's Best Village Trophy Competition.
00:55:25 [Music]
00:55:30 [Music]
00:55:34 [Music]
00:56:00 Introducing the all-new TV6 app.
00:56:03 The TV6 app gives you access to breaking news in TNT, the Caribbean and the world.
00:56:09 Get notified whenever a story breaks, so you won't miss a thing.
00:56:13 Use the app to watch the TV6 news live, or if you miss it, access the archived version later on.
00:56:20 Find exactly what you're looking for with the fast and easy search feature.
00:56:24 Listen to articles with the text-to-speech function.
00:56:28 Participate in the latest TV6 promotions and more.
00:56:31 It's all possible with the all-new TV6 app.
00:56:34 Download it for iOS or Android today.
00:56:37 [Music]
00:56:40 Did you know that vaping with nicotine can permanently affect brain development in people under the age of 25?
00:56:46 [Music]
00:56:51 Did you know that e-cigarettes are associated with increased risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease?
00:56:57 [Music]
00:57:02 Did you know that for some people, vaping with or without nicotine disrupts your normal lung function in otherwise healthy people?
00:57:10 [Music]
00:57:13 Consider the consequences and don't vape.
00:57:16 [Music]
00:57:26 [Music]
00:57:30 Good morning, I am Ansel Gibbs with a news update.
00:57:34 Troubling findings in the latest Auditor General report pointing to discrepancies in development projects of the present Tobago House of Assembly.
00:57:44 This from the PNM Tobago Council's political leader.
00:57:48 Procurement procedures were not presented for audit examination, therefore the Auditor General was not able to verify whether proper procurement procedures were followed for the development program projects.
00:58:06 [Music]
00:58:09 Investigators are now working to determine the motive behind the murder of Dylan De Silva and Coco Reet.
00:58:16 Police say on Thursday afternoon, De Silva was at a house on the Western Main Road when two gunmen entered the yard and shot De Silva multiple times.
00:58:26 The gunmen escaped in a black Toyota Yaris.
00:58:29 Police later intercepted the car in Porto, Spain and held the suspects.
00:58:33 [Music]
00:58:36 And in the weather forecast, predominantly sunny, hazy and breezy conditions can be expected, despite one or two brisk afternoon showers under partly cloudy skies.
00:58:47 Spring tides will be in effect from today.
00:58:50 All marine users are asked to exercise caution, especially during high tides and scattered showers, over the next few hours.
00:58:59 [Music]
00:59:05 Cars, sports, careers, food.
00:59:09 We men always talk about these things, but not about our health.
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00:59:20 With low testosterone, we may not achieve our potential.
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00:59:32 Jameson, here for your health.
00:59:35 Plumbing problems? Don't guess.
00:59:39 Call Plumbing Solutions at 628-4646.
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00:59:47 We do it all.
00:59:49 Maintenance and repairs, new construction, sewer lines, inspection, drain cleaning, leak detection.
00:59:59 We are licensed and insured. So call Plumbing Solutions at 628-4646.
01:00:06 Are you ready to grow your small or medium sized business?
01:00:09 The Ministry of Trade and Industry is offering grant funding for qualified registered businesses.
01:00:15 The general grant fund facility covers up to $250,000 to acquire machinery and equipment,
01:00:22 and in some instances, software, tools and patents for new technology in eight sectors.
01:00:28 For companies producing alternatives to wheat flour,
01:00:31 you can now access up to $340,000 to purchase new machinery or equipment.
01:00:37 For steel pan manufacturers and pan tuners,
01:00:40 the Ministry offers a steel pan manufacturing grant fund facility,
01:00:44 where you can access a maximum of $250,000 per tranche for new equipment, software tools, raw materials and training.
01:00:53 As we rebuild our local yachting sector, micro and small service providers can access funding to cover costs for machinery, equipment, utilities, rent and raw materials.
01:01:04 To learn more about how the Ministry can support the growth of your business, visit our website at www.tradeind.gov.tt.
01:01:15 [Music]
01:01:40 Maybe you could afford to pay up to $22,500 in fines and lose your license permanently.
01:01:48 No? Then don't drink and drive.
01:01:52 A message from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
01:01:56 [Music]
01:02:06 You know, welcome back. You know we always hear these songs, these calypsos,
01:02:11 and sometimes we don't really focus on what the calypsonian is saying.
01:02:16 Sparrow just said, "Blockhead like a mule," you know. I never hear that in the song.
01:02:22 So it's a first time for me, and I've listened to the song over and over and over.
01:02:27 But, you know, thank you, studio, very much for that song and a special good morning to Sparrow.
01:02:34 So the Ministry of Education is back with another installment of its Vacation Revision Program.
01:02:40 This time for primary schools.
01:02:42 Now the program caters for students entering Standards 4 and 5 in September.
01:02:47 To tell us more is Dr. Peter Smith, Chief Education Officer at the Ministry of Education.
01:02:53 Doctor, thank you very much for joining us this morning.
01:02:56 [Silence]
01:02:59 Is Doctor here?
01:03:00 Good morning and thank you for having me. Yes, I am.
01:03:04 Okay. All right, Doctor.
01:03:05 Thank you for having me.
01:03:06 Of course. Well, Doctor, let's get right into the program.
01:03:09 What's the rationale for the program?
01:03:13 Okay, so the Vacation Revision Program is one of 10 initiatives under the reengaging of our students following the pandemic.
01:03:27 Essentially, what we are looking at with this program, and let me just state, the program will operate both at the primary level and at the secondary level.
01:03:39 And it's designed to provide support to students, to parents, to teachers, in order to address whatever learning loss or achievement gap that may exist at this point in time.
01:03:56 So it's really about supporting our students, supporting our teachers and principals as they seek to address educational challenges.
01:04:06 Yeah. So I suspect, Doctor, and I think it is safe to say that the program is aimed because of a concern that there may be some challenge being experienced by pupils, by students.
01:04:23 You are correct in that regard. So we are trying to address that. Yes, you are correct.
01:04:29 What are some of the challenges being faced by the students at this time?
01:04:34 Okay, so it's basically in two categories. One, we can look at the achievement.
01:04:40 There are some key subject areas that we need to really seek to address.
01:04:45 That's like your numeracy, your literacy, your writing as the case may be.
01:04:51 So we want to address those areas, especially the area of mathematics, where if you are aware, we would have seen a relatively low score.
01:05:01 Although we saw an improvement from last year to this year, but we still recognize there are some challenges in the area of mathematics at the primary level.
01:05:11 In addition, we are also trying to address those social and behavioral challenges that we are now seeing at our primary and secondary schools.
01:05:25 And let me say this, when we do a slight comparison with term two and term three, we are seeing some improvements already, but we want to continue in that line.
01:05:40 Doctor, is it because of the pandemic that we are seeing some of these challenges and some of these shortfalls and this program is aimed at addressing them?
01:05:54 Right. So you are correct in a sense. So one, it is the pandemic because remember, students have been away from physical school for quite a period of time.
01:06:04 But apart from the pandemic, the July, August holidays, if related to what takes place in other countries, the summer vacation, under normal circumstances,
01:06:17 we do see what we refer to as learning loss, whereby all the learning from the previous year or the previous term for that two months where sometimes some of our students may not take up a book or revise,
01:06:34 we do see some loss in learning there. So it's one, the pandemic, and two, it's the normal loss in learning that occurs during July and August.
01:06:47 Yeah. And Doctor, this is not the first time that this program is being held, eh?
01:06:53 You are correct. So last year we had the secondary version in our 33 centers. This year we have targeted 80 primary schools and we are looking to really address some of those challenges that we would have spoken about prior.
01:07:12 Yeah. Doctor, let's get into the components of the program because I have a document here this morning and it speaks about the program and it speaks about a wide ranging, multi-pronged approach and it deals also with the factors which affect a student achievement and so on.
01:07:36 So we are trying to create what would be known as an education camp where we are trying to develop that learning experience and education experience to address some of those challenges.
01:07:52 So we are looking at, as you indicated, key areas. We have your mathematics, your English language arts, your writing component, but it's more than just those subjects.
01:08:04 We are also looking at creating a very fun and engaging environment for our students. So we have music, dance, and drama.
01:08:13 We also have the involvement of student support services personnel. So the guidance officers, the school social workers, they would also be out there in our schools working not just with our teachers and students, but also with our parents.
01:08:31 In addition, what we have, we have created what we refer to as a tune-up caravan whereby we get persons from the community to interact with our students.
01:08:44 And this year, as you would know, we have the Commonwealth Youth Games being hosted in Trinidad. We are also considering an education field trip experience to one of these centers.
01:08:58 So it's an all-encompassing program that's designed to really create a really memorable education experience for our students.
01:09:09 Doctor, when does the program kick off?
01:09:12 Right. So the primary version would have started this week, and it runs from July 10th to August 11th. So it's five weeks.
01:09:22 The secondary version commences on July 17th and runs until August 18th. And that time is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on each day. We want to let parents know that breakfast and lunch meals will be provided to all students.
01:09:44 Yeah. And Doctor, at what schools?
01:09:47 Right. So we have 80 primary schools and 33 centers. If one visits the Ministry of Education website, you will see a listing of both the primary schools as well as the secondary school centers.
01:10:04 And these are our schools of focus, whereby we are placing special emphasis, increased focus to really help our students to achieve their full potential going forward.
01:10:20 Doctor, how many students are you all catering for?
01:10:25 Right. So at this point in time, at the primary level, I can tell you we have approximately 3,800-plus students at our 80 primary schools.
01:10:39 The enrollment for the secondary component is still ongoing. To date, we have probably a little over 1,100 students. So we want to encourage, especially our secondary school students, parents, to avail themselves of this important program.
01:11:00 Yeah. I'm also seeing that this is part of an ongoing program currently benefiting over 25,000 students in 106 schools. And the ministry is also saying it is not a knee-jerk plan or reaction.
01:11:21 Correct. That is definitely correct. If we look world over, we will see that summer, what we refer to as our vacation revision program, is often referred to as summer programs in other educational jurisdictions.
01:11:37 What we are seeing now is that many countries are using programs such as these to really address any achievement gaps that may arise. And if I may put it in context, so for example, we know the movement from Standard 3 to Standard 4 and 4 to 5 are significant milestones in the life of our students.
01:12:06 As well as from Standard 5 to Form 1. So the program will help with that transition. It will also help students who perhaps during the term or the year may have had challenges with certain subject areas.
01:12:20 It will help with smaller classes and individualized attention. As I indicated before, there is also the psychosocial support. So it's not a knee-jerk reaction. It's a well-thought-out program whereby we put the student at the center and then we provide support all around.
01:12:42 So even the teachers who are providing the instruction would have benefited from remediation training by one of our tertiary level providers. So that we have a cadre of well-qualified persons who are well-positioned to assist our students at this time.
01:13:04 Is it also safe to say that because of this program, it is responsible for some of the success that we have seen in the SEA for this year in the results?
01:13:23 So most definitely. And one of the programs that would have come before this would have been the after-school support education program. Whereby we would have provided additional instruction for our students at the AT schools.
01:13:39 When you do look at the results, we have seen improvements in both mathematics as well as English language arts. And let me state this. Reports coming back to us from principals at the secondary school level indicated that those students who have participated in the VRP 2022 at the secondary level,
01:14:03 the students were much more settled when they entered Form 1. Again, helping with that transition as well as improving achievement.
01:14:15 Yeah. And Doctor, let's not fail to tell people this morning that this program is free, eh?
01:14:23 It is totally free. All we ask parents to do is simply to dress them, kiss them goodbye, and send them to us. Breakfast is provided, lunch is provided. As I indicated, there are a number of additional fun-related activities, even possible field trips that our students will benefit from. So it's totally free as indicated.
01:14:51 Yeah. Doctor, anything else you'd like to add before you leave us this morning?
01:14:57 Right. So I want to encourage parents, especially at the secondary level, to go on the Ministry's website and apply, enroll your child, your children to be part of this program.
01:15:13 You can go to moe.gov.tt/vacation-program-2023. Please let us take the opportunity to really ensure that we address those achievement gaps while at the same time engaging our students in fun activities for the July-August vacation.
01:15:38 Chief Education Officer Dr. Peter Smith, it was a pleasure speaking with you this morning, sir. I think it's a win-win situation for the students.
01:15:47 Thank you very much.
01:15:48 You're getting things to eat, you're getting education, you're getting entertainment. So it's a really win-win situation and we do appreciate the information that you have given us this morning. Thank you very much, sir.
01:15:59 Thank you very much for having us.
01:16:02 All right. Bye for now. So it's time for another break. We are coming back, I believe, with your calls.
01:16:08 [Music]
01:16:15 [Music]
01:16:19 Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me, sir.
01:16:25 You dropped this.
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01:17:39 [Music]
01:17:48 Welcome back, everyone. So you're calling us on 623-1711. The extension is 9095.
01:17:55 All right. So you can please call us now just to tell you that at around 730, we are going to begin our segment with Sergio Dufour concerning cricket and the CPL.
01:18:10 So be ready for that at around 730 today.
01:18:15 I got kind of a kobo sweat today.
01:18:17 Yes, I'm not going until 8 o'clock.
01:18:19 Kobo sweat, you run on and as soon as you get hot, you say, "Hey, my boy, time to go."
01:18:25 All right. So you're calling us on 623-1711. The extension is 9095.
01:18:31 We just have a few minutes. So you're going to have to call now. You know what I'm seeing here?
01:18:35 Apparently, there's another murder. You know, it has occurred in St. James.
01:18:40 Yeah. San Fernando, good morning.
01:18:42 Hi, good morning.
01:18:44 I would like to talk about the issue with the – what I heard on the news yesterday, they are going to open the education system to the Venezuelan children, children of Venezuelan immigrants.
01:18:57 What I would like to say is there's an institution called Trinidad and Tobago. They cater for teaching English to Spanish. And I think the Ministry of Education should be liaising with them,
01:19:12 maybe opening up the doors to take applications from persons who are bilingual or who can thrive in this environment of English, Spanish, teaching English to the Spanish, and make centers for them.
01:19:26 Because our classrooms are already pretty much where we should only have 15 to 20 children. We have like 25 to 35 children in a class.
01:19:35 So what are you going to do? Are you going to add the children to the already existing, or are you saying you are taking away the option for locals to get in the class to accommodate them?
01:19:48 Then you have to look at the teachers. Are our teachers capable of teaching children whose first language is not English? I think they should look the other way and liaise with Trinidad.
01:20:01 All right. Thank you very much, ma'am, for your comment. You're calling us on 623-1711. The extension is $19.95.
01:20:07 The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association says it has no objection to the integration of migrant pupils into the school system.
01:20:16 The announcement of migrant children being allowed into the primary schools was made yesterday by Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister Dr. Amory Brown at a breakfast meeting hosted by United States Ambassador Candace Bond at the Hilton Trinidad.
01:20:32 All right. So we only have time for one more call. So Maloney is on the line. Good morning, Maloney.
01:20:38 Good morning, Maloney. I've been here. The gentleman from the Ministry of Education said where the lessons will be held for these children.
01:20:55 All right. What you can do, because it's a lot, a lot of schools. So what you have to do is to go up on the Ministry of Education's website or maybe Facebook page and you will find all of that information there.
01:21:10 All right. Because it's a lot, a lot of schools, over 100 and something schools. Yeah.
01:21:16 OK. All right. So get someone to go up on the on the ministry website, the ministry's website, and you'll get all of that information.
01:21:23 Is that going to do it for calls? And that's going to do it for me for today on the Morning Edition.
01:21:29 Have a safe weekend, everyone. I will see you back here on Monday.
01:21:34 Sergio Dufour comes up next. Bye bye.
01:21:38 The Prime Minister's Best Village Trophy competition presents the 2023 Village Olympics Community Sports Festival.
01:21:58 Rip your district, showcase your skill and win prizes and community sporting events, including dance past athletics, seven aside football, wind ball, cricket, netball and the ever popular folk games.
01:22:09 So don't wait. Visit MSCD.gov.tt to register your team before your district sports day arrives.
01:22:15 It's the Prime Minister's Best Village Trophy competitions. Village Olympics Community Sports Festival. Forging community spirit through healthy competition.
01:22:24 This July, our stay and play packages will bring the fun kids, stay free and play all day and night with our exciting daily lineup of fun filled activities, which include pool parties, movie nights, scavenger hunt, sip and pain sessions, bouncy castle parties and fun days with sports and games.
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01:23:24 Cricket fans, here's your opportunity to win two tickets to the Republic Bank CPO final in Guyana, inclusive of airfare and hotel accommodation in the TV six Republic Bank CPL trivia contest.
01:23:36 There are also weekly prizes of tickets to the Republic Bank CPL matches and branded merchandise from TV six and the Caribbean Premier League to enter.
01:23:45 Simply download the TV six app from the Google or Apple store.
01:23:49 Click on the TV six RBL CPL contest tab.
01:23:52 Answer the weekly trivia question and submit your electronic entry form.
01:23:56 It's that easy.
01:23:58 So what are you waiting for?
01:23:59 Download the TV six app to be a winner.
01:24:03 .
01:24:28 This segment is brought to you by Republic Bank, title sponsor, an official bank of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League.
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01:25:10 Good morning.
01:25:23 Welcome to the sporting edition of the morning edition with a focus on the Caribbean Premier League.
01:25:28 I am Sajid Ufo.
01:25:29 I know it's the first time on a morning that you're actually seeing me.
01:25:33 What can I say?
01:25:34 I'm not a coffee person.
01:25:35 I'm not a tea person.
01:25:37 I'll more drink water on a morning.
01:25:39 And of course, I like cricket.
01:25:41 So I'm here.
01:25:42 We're going to talk CPL.
01:25:43 And having said that, here's what we will be looking at this morning.
01:25:46 Of course, we'll be looking at women's Premier League.
01:25:49 We'll hear from what the women have to say.
01:25:51 And of course, is there a need for a full time women's professional players?
01:25:57 We'll see if that can happen in Trinidad and Tobago and well across the region as well.
01:26:02 And we also have to hear from the North Zone chairperson who believes that CPL should not be seen as the savior of Western cricket.
01:26:11 And before we get into that, a reminder that the men's edition of the CPL tournament gets underway on August 16th in St.
01:26:18 Lucia, while the women's leg begins on Thursday, August 31st, 2023, and ends on a Sunday, September 10th, 2023.
01:26:27 So we are going to look at some packages now, of course, with women's cricket.
01:26:32 And, you know, while we spoke about the women's team, so we'll hear from, of course, the chairperson of the Women's Association of Trinidad and Tobago.
01:26:42 And I'd like to say, you know, kudos to CPL and the organizers for starting the women's edition.
01:26:47 It was only yesterday that ICC announced that men's and women's teams will not receive equal prize.
01:26:54 Well, well, they actually receive equal prize money at its events.
01:26:58 So some would say things are moving in the right direction for women's cricket.
01:27:02 Back in TNT, we have a chairperson of the Trinidad and Tobago Women's Cricket Association that has been pushing for the sport.
01:27:09 Her name is June Bowen, and she is also the manager of the Hibiscus Cricket Club.
01:27:14 Quite a few players in the region have passed through the club, and here's why they remain very active in TNT.
01:27:21 At present, they are in Barbados competing.
01:27:24 I got a chance to catch up with her as she answered a few of my questions about the challenges developing women's cricket in the region and the role of the Women's Caribbean Premier League.
01:27:35 I'm June Bowen, manager of Hibiscus Cricket Club, and a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Women's Cricket Committee.
01:27:43 We are here in Barbados to play a tournament organized by the Hamilton National Human Development Foundation to play against two cricket teams from Barbados.
01:27:57 One is a UWI team, the other one is a Barbadian 11 that we're playing against.
01:28:02 And we're playing two T20 matches, one 40 overs, and one T6 matches.
01:28:12 The reason why we were chosen to come to Barbados is because at present we are the champions of the T20 competition in Trinidad and Tobago.
01:28:26 We also are the T10 champions, but that was in 2022.
01:28:32 But in 2021, we are the T20 champions, and we placed second in the 50 overs.
01:28:37 So Barbados took that opportunity to ask us to come to them to play.
01:28:43 Another reason why they won that competition to go on is because they want to foster a relationship between Trinidad women cricketers and Barbados women cricketers.
01:28:56 And they want their cricketers in Barbados the opportunity to challenge themselves against other cricket teams other than those within Barbados.
01:29:09 We also are quite happy to have that competition where we can challenge ourselves against other people rather than Trinidad cricketers.
01:29:21 We have been just winning and winning and winning, but we only play in Trinidad.
01:29:26 So we want to know how we fare against other countries.
01:29:31 So as I said, this is the inaugural tournament, and it's going to be on a yearly basis.
01:29:40 And we're hoping to be there every year.
01:29:44 And we're hoping to bring home the trophy when we come this year.
01:29:49 How do you feel about more financial opportunities being created for women's cricket in the region via tournaments like the CPL?
01:29:56 I am quite happy to know that at this point in time, the players are able to have some financial achievements with their playing.
01:30:08 Although it's not extended to all of them, and it's not as much as the men, but it is a start.
01:30:14 So once it starts, it will keep on growing, it will develop, and then there will be more and more players getting that financial opportunity.
01:30:21 We may reach a stage where, like the men, the women may only play cricket and not look outside of cricket for their financial support.
01:30:30 But it's going to take some time, but it's going to reach eventually.
01:30:33 And about my girls, it is so nice when I look at Karishma Ramarak. She's one of my players, and she's there on the West Indies team.
01:30:44 It gives you a sense of joy. It makes you feel that your effort was not wasted.
01:30:50 We have Leanne Kirby. Leanne Kirby is there on the West Indies team. She will be back soon.
01:31:04 And we had three of my players playing in the regional tournament.
01:31:09 We had Leanne Kirby, Karishma Ramarak, and Kabina Alexander. And it was a great pride.
01:31:19 So when you hear their name being called, especially in the first 11 to take the field, it really, really gives you a sense of joy.
01:31:28 And you want to go out now and do more for other players so that they could reach that level.
01:31:35 Has it been challenging finding and developing women cricketers?
01:31:39 It is very difficult now to find players to join the women's team.
01:31:45 They're more or less gravitated to football, which is more exciting to them.
01:31:51 But we're reaching out. And then again, too, you have no sponsors.
01:31:57 So hardball cricket is very expensive. And whereas parents, especially those of a low socioeconomic background,
01:32:05 when they have to put out for the bat and ball and helmet and all those things, it is difficult.
01:32:14 If, perchance, we have sponsors to help these people, we would have more girls playing cricket.
01:32:26 Because they are interested. It's just that some of them, most of them as a matter of fact, cannot afford the game.
01:32:33 So we want to reach out to corporates, to Atlanta Bagel and to the ministry, which we have done, but the response is very, very negative.
01:32:41 And if they could for us help, let us have a program where we can reach out to these people with no cost to get them involved in the sports.
01:32:50 Let us see if we can get them the equipment. We will have more girls in the game of cricket.
01:32:59 Well, let's hear from Jamaica women's cricketer Selena White.
01:33:02 Hello, my name is Selena White. I'm a member of the Women's National Senior Team for Jamaica. Right, I'm fast bowler.
01:33:10 The question is, how do you think women's CPL will impact upon the development of the game for the women?
01:33:17 I think it creates a platform for women to be more exposed and not only regional players get the opportunity, also the international players.
01:33:27 And it creates a different experience, different exposure. And it's great that the development players are involved.
01:33:37 So they get the opportunity from us earlier as 16, 17 years old and that builds a future for them there.
01:33:47 So, yes, I think it impacts upon the development of our game. And I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be playing for the Ibiscus team.
01:33:58 It gives me the opportunity to show my skills and different experience and everything.
01:34:07 So, yes, I'm truly grateful for this opportunity for playing.
01:34:13 Well, we also got the thoughts of a former Guyanese women's vice captain, Akasi Thompson, who has been moving around in the region just to keep her cricket career alive.
01:34:22 She gave some interesting thoughts on whether or not we can have a full time women cricketers.
01:34:27 Meantime, we also hear varying views on the benefits of the women's CPL.
01:34:33 Hi, my name is Akasi Thompson, former vice captain of the Guyanese national female side.
01:34:40 For me, I think there's still a long way to go, whereas female can become full time cricketers across the region.
01:34:48 I think contracts should be handed out to local players, to the local boards.
01:34:56 This would allow females to have more time to train, play more games while receiving a salary or stipend.
01:35:04 Hi, my name is Sabia Mohammed and I'm 18 years old.
01:35:07 I'm here in Barbados representing the Ibiscus Women's Cricket Club, a premiership team based in Trinidad and Tobago.
01:35:13 Mainly, I'm a medium pace bowler. I'm thankful and thrilled to be here to showcase my skill and to experience and learn from the local players.
01:35:20 I also hope that this paves a pathway to further opportunities at the regional and international level in women's cricket.
01:35:26 My name is Rosemary Samaru. I'm a part of the Ibiscus Women's Cricket Club.
01:35:30 I'm here in Barbados taking part in the Hamilton Lashley Human Development Foundation inaugural Women's Cricket Festival.
01:35:38 I think the CPL women's cricket impact a lot on women's cricket because it gives the girls more exposure within the Caribbean region.
01:35:45 You even get to learn all the different cultures about the international players and it was nice to see women getting the same CPL opportunity as the men.
01:35:54 The only thing I think is it should have more teams so more women could get the opportunity. Thank you.
01:36:00 Well, it's time for another break. When we come back, we will find out what the North Zone has to offer the CPL.
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01:39:30 Welcome back. Well, before we get to the North Zone, I should tell you, I should let you know of course,
01:39:35 that Major League Cricket began in the United States last evening.
01:39:39 Dwayne Bravo's Texas Super Kings defeated Sunil Narine's LA Knight Riders by 69 runs.
01:39:45 Bravo made 16 and took a wicket as his team successfully defended 181 for 6.
01:39:51 Andre Russell scored 55, but it was not enough to save the Knight Riders in front of a sold-out crowd.
01:39:59 It's a good run out for these guys who will of course be playing for TKR in the CPL.
01:40:05 So we'll see how that tournament goes along.
01:40:08 So, you know, the North Zone has produced big names, big name Caribbean Premier League players
01:40:14 like Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Joshua Da Silva among others.
01:40:18 Have you ever wondered how?
01:40:20 As young cricketers and parents, you must want to know the fastest route to the top.
01:40:26 Somehow players in the North Zone seem to know how to get there.
01:40:30 I spoke to Chairman of the North Zone, Winston Sobers, about the topic.
01:40:34 OK, so we are talking to Chairman of the North Zone Cricket Association, Winston Sobers.
01:40:39 Winston, how are you today?
01:40:40 I'm very good and you?
01:40:42 I'm doing great. I mean, well, you know, CPL is knocking on the door.
01:40:46 We have a lot of players to look out for, you know, a lot of performances this year
01:40:50 that hopefully we can expect from these different players.
01:40:53 And, you know, a lot of them came out from the North Zone.
01:40:56 So tell us, I mean, we have Dwayne Bravo, we have Kieron Pollard.
01:40:59 And who else do we have from the North Zone representing TKR this time around?
01:41:03 Aqil Hussain is the only one that should be added to that of the two names you just called.
01:41:08 So it's Bravo, it's Pollard and it's Aqil.
01:41:11 A lot of the other players like Sunil, Jaden Seals and so on would have played for Queen's Park,
01:41:16 but they're not North Zone players specifically.
01:41:18 They're imports from South and Central and so on.
01:41:21 Sunil Arain is also from East.
01:41:23 But, you know, they all play their cricket for Queen's Park.
01:41:25 So, you know, you can always allude to the fact that they're from North,
01:41:29 but they're not really home-bred North players.
01:41:32 Do you feel a sense of pride in knowing that so many players are coming out from the North Zone
01:41:37 that will be playing in the CPL this time around?
01:41:39 Of course, of course. Coming to mind immediately would be Joshua De Silva.
01:41:44 He's played all his cricket in the North, St Mary's and of course North Zone.
01:41:48 You have Kyrie Pair, who's now gone over to the Patriots.
01:41:53 He also is a North Zone player.
01:41:55 You have a few others. Of course, you have Amir Django.
01:41:59 I think he was a bit TKR now, was he? I'm not too sure.
01:42:03 But he is also a North Zone player.
01:42:05 So, yeah, I'm thinking that they're going to, of course, be a force to be reckoned with.
01:42:11 They're quality players coming out of the North and I expect good things from them.
01:42:16 So tell us, what's the secret recipe to be churning out such successful players over the years?
01:42:22 We pride ourselves in the North of having a very good developmental program.
01:42:27 Funds are not always there to continue that because grassroots, as you know,
01:42:32 is the pinnacle of any developmental program.
01:42:35 And we are not able to do most of that because of funding.
01:42:39 But in the past two years, we have been able to, of course, acquire some funding
01:42:43 from the Sport and Culture, from the Prime Minister's Office.
01:42:46 And we have been, you know, putting in those kinds of developmental programs
01:42:51 that is necessary for growth.
01:42:54 Hopefully, coming in the next two years or so, we'll be able to, of course,
01:42:58 get our academy on stream and then we'll be able to, of course, churn out more players.
01:43:03 Or fine-tune the ones that we already have because we have some very young,
01:43:06 exciting players coming out of the North.
01:43:08 That is interesting. When you say developmental programs, what exactly are you referring to?
01:43:13 Cricket camps, teaching them how to bowl, to bat, or more fine-tuning, stroke play?
01:43:19 Tell us, what do you mean by developmental program?
01:43:21 A combination of all of that.
01:43:24 So in terms of grassroots, we have to get players for continuity.
01:43:29 So you bring in those who are coming in from primary schools, maybe Form 1s,
01:43:33 we get them into a program.
01:43:34 You have those who are existing in the U15, starting with U13, U15, U17, U19.
01:43:39 We continue their development by having sessions prior to the zonal competitions.
01:43:46 So this year, for instance, we had at least about 20 sessions or more
01:43:51 before they went in the competition.
01:43:53 Our U19 team has been in training for a while, our U15 team, U17,
01:43:58 and hence the reason they performed so well this season.
01:44:02 Our U19 team won the U19 zonal competition, U17 and U13 made it to the semi-final.
01:44:09 And of course our U15 didn't do as well as we would have hoped.
01:44:13 But yes, that is putting in the work in terms of pre-tournament preparation.
01:44:19 But of course, funding, as I said before, has a lot to do with how much you can do.
01:44:24 But we are hoping that we can get more funding and of course do more development.
01:44:30 You mentioned an academy. So what is included in that academy?
01:44:34 More development for younger players or do you have current players on the set-up
01:44:39 that are already on the senior teams that will be coming back and fine-tuning in that academy?
01:44:44 Well, our academy is an academy with a difference.
01:44:47 What we are hoping to do is bring those who are showing promise from under U15,
01:44:52 under U19, and put more into their development, fine-tune them,
01:45:00 so that when they reach a national level, they can perform among their peers.
01:45:04 So for instance, if you pick out two or three of our U15 team this year,
01:45:10 we fine-tune them, get them into programs year-round, not a brick and mortar really,
01:45:15 because they are already training for cricket, they are the Oval or St. Mary's or Fatima or whatever.
01:45:19 But we bring in people like psychologists, we bring in nutritionists, right?
01:45:24 And have sessions with them to make them aware, educate them on what is needed at the international level.
01:45:31 So what is happening with the other zones?
01:45:33 Would you consider North Zone the best zone when you look at the rest of zones in Trinidad and Tobago?
01:45:38 Of course I will have to say that.
01:45:41 We have been chaining out a lot of good players.
01:45:45 If you ask people around, they will tell you that North Zone is one of the better zones.
01:45:52 I don't want to say we are the best and toot our own horn,
01:45:56 but we are right there with the rest of them, and a little bit further.
01:46:02 Because just Sunday, the General Secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board
01:46:07 acknowledged the fact that we are a zone to follow.
01:46:12 And we have been putting in all that is needed to propel our players,
01:46:17 even show our zone in a good light.
01:46:19 And our T20 tournament that we held in Nega Martin is second to none.
01:46:24 I remember Darren Bravo, who played in it, saw me after the tournament and he said to me,
01:46:30 "This was the best tournament after IPL."
01:46:33 We took pride in putting together a proper tournament,
01:46:37 and we are trying to filter that down to all the other tournaments that we do have.
01:46:41 The 40-over tournament, we had it streamed, the opener in Santa Cruz.
01:46:45 And the Minister of Education was there because the two teams who opened the competition
01:46:50 was from her constituency, Santa Cruz and North Coast.
01:46:54 And she was there and she was very pleased with what she saw.
01:46:57 The final as well, we had it streamed.
01:46:59 And we are trying to showcase our players.
01:47:02 And this is one of the ways that people can see the quality that exists in our zone.
01:47:06 By having it streamed, this year with the T20 we had it on TV,
01:47:11 a local television station, every game, and it was very well received.
01:47:17 And what about your reward structure for players and stuff?
01:47:20 Well, at this point in time, we are not a professional league,
01:47:24 so we can't really pay players.
01:47:26 What we can do is give them the right atmosphere,
01:47:31 we can give them the kind of feeling that they are being taken care of
01:47:37 in terms of all the different tournaments.
01:47:40 This year we bought uniforms for all the teams in the T20,
01:47:44 provided balls, umpires, the venue, prizes.
01:47:49 So tell me.
01:47:51 So we are doing something right and the players are very, very happy
01:47:56 with what we have been doing and they are looking forward to 2024.
01:48:02 So the senior players like Pollard, Bravo,
01:48:06 do they come back and mentor players in the North Zone?
01:48:09 They always have. They always have.
01:48:11 I know Pollard and Bravo also try to get some of the younger players outside
01:48:17 to play for some of the lesser known clubs in England and so on.
01:48:20 So all of that has been taking place through Pollard and Bravo
01:48:25 and I'm sure Akeel when he gets to that Stage 2, he'll be able to give back as well.
01:48:30 I must say most of the players who would have gone on,
01:48:33 even Joshua De Silva, would come back and always go.
01:48:39 He goes back to his alma mater, St. Mary's, gives back to the players there.
01:48:43 So yeah, we have always been very happy to see that the players come back
01:48:49 and give back to them.
01:48:52 Is it easier to make the senior teams, whether it is West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
01:48:57 or even the TKR, if you come out of the North Zone?
01:49:03 There's a pathway, right? From the Zone, you can go on to play for Trinidad
01:49:08 and then you go on to play for West Indies, right?
01:49:11 Now CPL is a franchise tournament.
01:49:13 So once you're within the competition that you play in the West Indies,
01:49:18 you have a chance. And if your stats show that you are worthy of being picked
01:49:26 in a franchise tournament, then so be it.
01:49:28 So a lot of players are looking forward to being in that pool.
01:49:32 I know the Trinidad and Tobago T10 and so on.
01:49:36 Also, we have a lot of North Zone players playing in that as well.
01:49:40 So if scouts see them, players from different teams and so on,
01:49:45 it's wide open. And they can force their way into teams like the CPL teams.
01:49:52 Do you have a favorite team?
01:49:54 Actually, no. I actually look at cricket from the aspect of all the different attributes.
01:50:02 Who I expect to do this or expect to do that.
01:50:06 So I don't really pick a team.
01:50:09 TKL, however, is a very well-balanced team this year.
01:50:15 And I think they can do very well. They can actually go on to win it.
01:50:18 But cricket is not played off the field. It's played on the field.
01:50:22 So based on their performances, really in the competition,
01:50:26 you can gauge as to what can take place.
01:50:29 And it's a very exciting tournament.
01:50:31 And the movement of players is also very interesting.
01:50:35 You have players from Jamaica playing in Guyana, players from Barbados playing in Trinidad,
01:50:41 and vice versa and so on. And that works well for our cricket.
01:50:44 However, the CPL is not going to be the savior for West Indies cricket.
01:50:51 We need to start from grassroots.
01:50:54 We need to inculcate a more balanced player from all aspects.
01:51:00 And I think we are letting them down where that is concerned.
01:51:03 In the North Zone, we are trying our best to inculcate in our players the need for different forms
01:51:09 and the education that it requires to play at these different forms.
01:51:13 And I think that is the way to go.
01:51:15 Money alone would not help the restoration of West Indies cricket.
01:51:20 So while we're on the topic of grassroots,
01:51:22 what else can be done to have more consistent players coming out from the respective zones
01:51:27 to represent teams in the CPL?
01:51:30 Well, it's about reputation, right?
01:51:32 Because you're grooming players for a particular tournament or type of game.
01:51:38 Repetition, repetition, repetition.
01:51:40 And you have to get into their brain.
01:51:42 At the presentation function, we had as our featured speaker a psychologist, Dr. Nadine Sammy.
01:51:48 And she was saying the same thing, that you need to get into the brain of these players.
01:51:54 How you do it, right? You have to learn how to do it.
01:51:58 Because as you know, people learn in different ways by touching, by feeling, by seeing.
01:52:02 There are all different types of learning.
01:52:04 And if you are to excel at something, you need to find the secret for success in that particular area.
01:52:12 And each player is different.
01:52:14 So in the North, we try to look at each player and get the best out of them
01:52:20 by, of course, giving them the tools that they need.
01:52:25 And that's basically it. There's no one answer to that.
01:52:28 You know, scratch would say yes as a start.
01:52:31 But when you get to the cream, those good players, you then have to now bring them in
01:52:37 and give them that food, brain food, muscle food, memory food,
01:52:43 everything that is required to play at an international level.
01:52:46 And that is what I think is failing West Indies cricket now, right?
01:52:50 We are too ad hoc. We are reactionary more than anything else.
01:52:55 The plans that we have had, they are not working and we're still going back with them.
01:53:00 So, of course, in that definition is really madness, right?
01:53:03 So we need to look outside of that, right? Revisit what we are doing.
01:53:08 And it all comes down to treating with the players and what they require to perform at the highest level.
01:53:17 Do you think Guyana Amazon Warriors needs a psychologist in their team?
01:53:26 Every team needs a psychologist. All right.
01:53:30 I don't have the answer for Guyana, basically speaking.
01:53:34 They have all the talent. They have been bridesmaids on a number of occasions.
01:53:40 I don't know what will take them over the hill, but it's up to them.
01:53:44 And I think, you know, I'm not saying this season, but there will be a season when it will click for them.
01:53:52 And of course, you know, cricket as it is, you know, they will come out as victors.
01:53:57 But I really don't have the answer for them, honestly.
01:54:02 Well, thanks a lot, Mr. Sobers.
01:54:04 Well, tell me, do you think the West Indies team, do they need a psychologist as well?
01:54:09 Of course, India will resume today on 312 for two, of course, eight wickets in hand with Yashavi Jaiswal not out on 143.
01:54:20 It gives India an overall lead of 162 runs.
01:54:25 So what do you think will happen next?
01:54:27 Do you think India will score maybe 400 or 500 and send the West Indies into bat?
01:54:33 And do you think the match will be over today? Is it a possibility?
01:54:37 Or do you see West Indies winning this match a century from the captain?
01:54:44 Maybe Craig Brathwaite may come and score a double century and surprise everyone.
01:54:50 It's a possibility. Maybe I shouldn't laugh.
01:54:53 It's not that funny. All right.
01:54:55 But don't forget, we have a TV6 app. You can, of course, check it out on Google or Google Play.
01:55:01 You can download it and you have a chance to win an all expense paid trip to the final in Guyana of the CPL.
01:55:08 So be sure to check that out. I'm Sergio Dufour on behalf of the crew.
01:55:12 Have a good morning.
01:55:28 This segment was brought to you by Republic Bank, title sponsor and official bank of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League.
01:55:35 League.
01:55:35 [BLANK_AUDIO]