Newsday was told the medical report is the final part of the investigation. An earlier report stated that a nurse employed at the Port of Spain General Hospital was questioned by investigators of the Child Protection Unit over her alleged involvement in the beating of the twoyear- old. She maintained she did not hit the child and claimed the child fell and had complained about being constipated.

The toddler is still in a critical condition at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Centre in Mt Hope.

Last week the child complained about feeling unwell and her father took her to hospital where an examination revealed her colon had been ruptured as a result of blunt force trauma.

She underwent surgery but the injuries were so extensive the child was put on life support.

Beleaguered captain Jason Holder was choking for words at the post-match conference as he called for “more belief.” As the plane landed in England for this three-Test series, Holder would have known that the last time West Indies won a Test match in England was in 2000 and the last time we won a Test series in England was in 1988.

Out of this squad of 15, only three players had played Test cricket in England.

To add insult to injury, the West Indian batsmen were facing a pink ball in this day/night encounter — the first ever Test match of this type in England.

The cluster of inexperienced West Indian batsmen had no answer to the high-class pace and swing bowling of England’s Stuart Broad and James Anderson with a combined Test tally of close to 900 Test wickets.

Our senior and experienced players, for one reason or the other, continue to sit on the sidelines.

No longer is there the thrill of victory but the constant agony of defeat — West Indies has lost its last six Test series.

I am appealing to Dave Cameron, the current president of the newly-formed Cricket West Indies, to speedily get back the senior and experienced players on board or else the slaughter of the lambs in the lion’s den, barring a miracle, would continue unabashedly.

REZA ABASALI El Socorro

We keep sending our young people into battle under-prepared, under-funded and expect miracles from them. They give up their youth and earning capacity at the peak of their earning potential to represent the red, white and black, but it’s like giving them a penknife to go to war.

I have long suggested that we either have a sport lottery or use part of the NLCB Lotto to fund our athletes, as is done in other countries.

The funny thing is, sport is always there as a rally to raise us up and give us a reason to cheer (remember 2006 with the World Cup football team), but are we fair to our sportsmen and women or just bandwaggonists? So please, let’s treat our athletes right.

R PATINO via email

At a press conference on Friday at the Ministry of Education’s head office, St Vincent Street, Port of Spain, Garcia criticised Gopeesingh’s claim that the means test to access GATE denied a large portion of the population access to tertiary funding.

Gopeesingh, he said, was deliberately spreading “misinformation, untruths and blatant attempts to misguide the general population.” He said a 2016 comprehensive study revealed numerous vertical inefficiencies within the previous structure.

Of the $700 million spent annually on the upkeep of the GATE programme prior to 2016, 22.4 per cent of recipients were from middle to high earning households, that is, households with income ranging from $9,000 to an excess of $30,000 while, in the minority, lower-earning households with income below $9,000 accounted for only 4.7 per cent of recipients.

Garcia reiterated the criteria for the amended GATE programme.

Drawing on the example of the Social Sciences faculty at the University of the West Indies, whose yearly tuition averages $12,000, he said when calculated monthly, recipients required to pay 25 per cent do not have to pay substantial sums.

On statements made by former minister of tertiary education and skills training, Fazal Karim during the 2011/2012 budget reading, he said, they contradict Gopeesingh’s claims that the new GATE structure is “pauperising the nation.” Karim had said, Garcia claimed, that the GATE programme was problematic and that it “led to the lowering of standards because of the easy access to tertiary education” with many students using the free education as an excuse to programme hop, fail courses and repeat at the expense of the government.

Addressing concerns about the state of unaccredited private institutions such as the School of Business and Computer Science, he said, many of them were in existence long before the introduction of GATE and were not solely dependent on GATE for the provision of tertiary education to students.

He believes the squad in England comprises the best the region has to offer and said this is as a result of a lack of incentives for regional cricketers to play the longest format of the game.

West Indies suffered an embarrassing defeat in the first Test by an innings and 209 runs in three days at Birmingham on Saturday. The regional side lost 19 wickets in one day after starting day three 44 for one in their first innings.

Dr Sammy says it is unfortunate to see the way West Indies are losing, but knows the regional team is at a rebuilding stage. “Clearly it is disappointing, but remember it is a top team against an emerging new squad who has been blooded against the best. We will get licks in all (the matches), but I don’t see it as licks, I see it as blooding young fellas and making do with what you have,” he said. Dr Sammy knows citizens of the Caribbean are calling for changes on the West Indies Cricket Board, but believes the lack of support for the territorial boards is the main concern.

“I am saying if you criticise (Cricket West Indies boss) Dave Cameron in the morning that is not solving anything. If you fire everybody that is not solving nothing. The sociology is deeper, it is rooted in territories – that is where the problems are.

The territories are not receiving support.” With the number of lucrative T20 leagues around the world, the TT CB official says players are not making themselves available for four-day regional cricket.

“It is really the competition with T20 that is causing a lot of the issues, the fellas are not available for the four-day competition and it is out of the fourday competition where the Test team is selected. That is not just for Trinidad and Tobago, that is for all the territories, that is the source for the Test team.” Dr Sammy understands why players will be drawn to T20 cricket, and therefore incentives must be given to encourage players to compete in four-day cricket. “If you say you want to be a specialist in T20 you have that option. Not everybody must play all forms of the game, I am not saying that. Fellas are looking at the incentives players receive in the T20 format and saying ‘In three to five years I could become independently self sufficient.’ When you play four-day cricket there is no incentives.” The former WICB Director hopes that with more monetary rewards, players may show more dedication to four-day cricket, which will help the Test team. “If you really think that four-day cricket is central to the survival of Test cricket in the Caribbean, then you need to offer them monetary incentives for them to dedicate themselves to that format of the game.”

The question of the audit into Pan Trinbago in particular, came after there was much upheaval within the movement when panmen marched to its head office for non payment of money owed to them from the 2016 Carnival season.

The association eventually handed out $1,000 cheques but those bounced at the banks leaving panmen furious with the body and its president Keith Diaz.

Panmen also wanted answers concerning alleged questionable financial transactions by Pan Trinbago heads.

Under pressure, the National Carnival Commission (NCC) stepped in and stated it will take control of income from the gates of all national 2017 Carnival shows, but the groups will be allowed to manage their shows. However that was met with disdain by the groups.

TUCO president Lutalo Masimba said his organisation was not happy with the NCC’s approach while Pan Trinbago labeled the move as a hostile takeover. However Gadsby-Dolly denied the accusation back then.

Pan Trinbago in turn demanded a NCC probe and even threatened to take NCC to court. But in recent developments, the Pan Trinbago president has claimed NCC hasn’t given his organisation any money from gate receipts from the 2017 panorama competitions and thus couldn’t pay staff, nor has the players’ remittances been paid for 2017. But via a subsequent newspaper advertisement earlier this month, the NCC stated: “Although the full 2016 Government allocation of monies for pan was paid to Pan Trinbago, which included the players’ stipend for 2016, Pan Trinbago failed to pay the stipend to the steelband players.

Pan Trinbago subsequently informed NCC that it had no funds from which to settle the stipends.

Notwithstanding, in order to ensure that steelband players received their monies, the NCC agreed to advance $3.9 million to Pan Trinbago, on condition that these monies would be deducted from the revenue from 2017 ticket sales and their 2017 Government allocation.” The NCC also agreed to and has advanced money to Pan Trinbago to make its necessary payments but on the condition that the money would be deducted from the 2017 revenue. And regarding the players’ stipends for 2017, that money will be disbursed at the end of August.

Having learned about the “culturally rich vacation destination” that is TT during presentations in Martinique and Guadeloupe, 19 people from Martinique subsequently chose to visit.

The ministry said the road show also gave travel industry personnel and consumers a chance to get more information on tour operators, accommodation, restaurants and experiences, which would “come together to make their stay an enjoyable one.” “The TT delegation enticed the group of 19 persons from Martinique into booking an all-inclusive package which included meet and greet, return airport transfers, accommodation and ten days of activities inclusive of a one day tour to Tobago in the month of July 2017. While visiting TT, the group stayed at Coblentz Inn Boutique Hotel located in Cascade, Port-of-Spain,” the ministry stated.

During a farewell dinner for the group, held on July 19 at Coblentz, Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe shared her vision for the tourism industry and highlighted why it was critical that the ministry fully supported the road show.

“The economic benefits to be derived through inter-island tourism is manifold especially as it pertains to retaining foreign exchange within the Caribbean region, as well as sustainability of the tourism sector.” Cudjoe also said initiatives such as the road show are important in setting the foundation for new and emerging markets, and also underscores the importance of public– private partnership to the growth and development of the tourism sector.

During their visit, the Martinique group enjoyed a diverse program which included a trip to Tobago, the Gasparee Caves, Paramin, La Brea Pitch Lake and the National Academy for the Performing Arts.

“The group expressed pleasure at the hospitality and professional service extended to them and have promised to return for Carnival 2018. The group departed on July 20.” The TT contingent to Martinique and Guadeloupe also included representatives from the Trinidad Hotel Restaurants and Tourism Association, Coblentz Inn Boutique Hotel, the Small Tourism Operators Association, Tourism Development Company marketing specialist Carla Cupid and pannist Daryl Reid.

Vasquez told the media last week at a Ministry of Education press conference held at the ministry’s head office, St Vincent Street, Port of Spain that repairs undertaken on 144 primary and secondary schools will be completed in time for the new school year which begins in September. Vasquez said the schools are being repaired on a “phase system” and repairs undertaken based on priority.

“A school may have sewer and electrical issues and require painting, (however) we would focus on the more critical jobs and defer the painting for a later date,” he said. Vasquez admitted that many contractors are still being owed money but they have continued to work to ensure a smooth transition into the new term.

“Contractors would be paid when the necessary funds become available,” he said.

When asked what the EFCL does during the school year, he said they work on repairs and other issues when contacted by the ministry.

Minister of Education Anthony Garcia said the EFCL fully cooperates with the ministry and they work well together.

The name change will reflect the school’s connection to the Belmont Parish and the Church of St Francis of Assisi, and also helps to distinguish it from Belmont Secondary School (formerly Belmont Junior Secondary).

The Christian brothers originally opened the school in 1923 under the name Belmont Boys Intermediate. It has a rich history and its alumni include the late Archbishop Anthony Pantin and his brothers, Bishop of St Georges, Grenada Clyde Harvey, calypsonian David Rudder, retired judge Melvin Beard, politician Fitzgerald Hinds, former Port of Spain mayor Louis Lee Sing and current Mayor Joel Martinez and athlete Jehue Gordon.

The chosen samples originated from the San Juan Estate, Gran Couva and the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries’ Rio Claro Demonstration Station.

In a release, the ministry quoted county officer Florencia Beckles who heads a 15-person team at the station which includes station manager Sashtri Doon and quality officer Roger Polia. She said it was an experimental six-week project to teach farmers how to do drying.

“About 75 per cent of the estates in the county are abandoned. We wanted to show the farmers that given the microclimate of this area the quality of the beans was excellent. We wanted to give them a reason to get back into production, show them they could produce quality dried beans themselves and get a good price on the market,” she said.

Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat said this country’s cocoa is not generic.

“It’s plant, soil, and geography-specific.

Farm practices create the bean. It is not accidental at all. Rio Claro is such a small team; I think that is what makes this a remarkable accomplishment,” he said.

The ministry said with almost 30 acres in Ecclesville under cocoa cultivation, the Rio Claro project team harvested pods that were predictably sweet and consistent in quality with other varieties of “trinitario” beans native to Trinidad and Tobago.

The ministry noted that just this week, Tobago Cocoa Estate’s ‘Laura’ milk bar, also made from the finest trinitario beans, won gold in the semifinal round of another competition, the International Chocolate Awards.

The Salon du Chocolat is a celebration of the excellence of quality and diversity among cocoa producers worldwide.

Held in Paris from October 28 to November 1, the Salon du Chocolat will host 500 participants from more than 60 countries including 200 world-renowned chefs and pastry chefs.

To qualify for the finals of the International Cocoa Awards, one of the Salon du Chocolat’s marquee events, the top 50 bean samples will be processed into chocolate following which they will undergo sensory evaluation through September by a panel of 40 experts.