By Delwin Neblett | HGP Nightly News|
Guyana MMA Contingent Bags 3 Gold Medals at Invictus Open in Suriname
PARAMARIBO, SURINAME — The Mixed Martial Arts Association of Guyana (MMAAG) put on an exceptional display of combat sports dominance at the 2026 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Invictus Open Invitational, hosted at the Chinese Sporthal in Paramaribo.
The Guyanese fighters clinched three gold medals, a silver, and a bronze against tough continental opposition. In the Male White Belt division, Ryan Cox systematically worked his way through the brackets to capture gold in the 88.5kg category, while teammate Craig Harlequin put on a powerhouse display to secure gold in the heavy 100kg division. Teressa Menezes added to the gold rush by claiming the highly competitive Female Blue Belt title.
Joshua Giddings fought his way to a silver medal in the 94kg Male White Belt class, while Maheen Scott rounded out the team’s podium finishes by securing a bronze medal in the 85.5kg Blue Belt tier. Following their stellar performances in Suriname, the national squad has immediately turned its focus to preparation for the upcoming Roraima Open Internacional, scheduled to take place across the border in Brazil from August 29–30, 2026.
Pitamber Edges Couchman on Tie-Breaks in Tight Junior Chess Championship
LILIENDAAL, GREATER GEORGETOWN — The leaderboard remains tightly packed following the conclusion of Round 5 at the Guyana Chess Federation’s (GCF) 2026 National Junior Chess Championships, currently underway at Olympic House in Liliendaal.
GCF National Junior Leaderboard (Through 5 Rounds)
- 1st Place (Tie-Break Lead): CM Sachin Pitamber (Unbeaten)
- 2nd Place: Kyle Couchman (Defending Junior Champion, Unbeaten)
- 3rd Place (4.0 Points): WCM Aditi Joshi (Defeated Javier Davenand)
- 4th Place (3.5 Points): Alexander Zhang (Defeated Matthew Singh)
The tournament chief arbiter confirmed that both Pitamber and Couchman have played flawless tactical chess, holding onto joint leadership of the open bracket. Further down the ranks, Kataleya Sam earned a vital psychological boost by logging her first win of the tournament against Nicholas Zhang. The victory moves Sam to 2 points, tying her with Jeremy Cole as the tournament enters its final four rounds of high-pressure play.
Joy Adams’ 38-Point Masterclass Not Enough as USVI Hands Guyana Third Straight FIBA Loss
MANAGUA, NICARAGUA — Despite an extraordinary, elite-level individual performance from team captain Joy Adams, Guyana’s senior national women’s basketball team suffered their third consecutive group-stage defeat at the 2027 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup Centrobasket Qualifiers.
Playing at the Polideportivo Alexis Argüello in Managua on Wednesday, Team Guyana fell 87-71 to a well-drilled United States Virgin Islands (USVI) unit. Adams single-handedly kept the Guyanese women within striking distance throughout the first three quarters, racking up a stunning game-high 38 points and pulling down 11 rebounds to register a commanding double-double.
Unfortunately, defensive lapses and turnover struggles hampered Guyana’s transition play. Outside of Adams’ offensive explosion, only Ruth Adams (10 points) and Amisha Ramlall (9 points) managed to break into significant scoring columns, leaving the national side winless heading into the tournament’s classification fixtures.
GBF Selects 3×3 National Squads for 2026 CAC and Commonwealth Games
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The selection committee of the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) has officially finalized the male and female 3×3 rosters designated to represent the Golden Arrowhead at two upcoming international multi-sport events: the 2026 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
For the highly anticipated Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the GBF has selected an athletic men’s core featuring Amisha Ramlall, Travis Belgrave, Christian Hinckson, and Kevin Mickle. Due to specific structural qualification parameters, no female 3×3 team was selected for the Commonwealth tournament.
However, both genders will field competitive rosters at the CAC Championships in Santo Domingo. The men’s CAC selection re-retains Christian Hinckson, who will be joined by the explosive backcourt of Travis Burnett, Nikoloi Smith, and Akil Hughes. Meanwhile, the national CAC women’s 3×3 unit will be spearheaded by the overseas and local combination of Anaya Clemons, DeAngelique Waithe, Jamaicy Ogle, and regional standout Ruth Adams.
Hetmyer’s Half-Century in Vain as Barbados Hands Guyana U-19 Third Straight Defeat
ST. GEORGE’S, ANTIGUA — Guyana’s under-19 cricketers suffered another frustrating setback in their regional campaign, slumping to their third consecutive loss in Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) 2026 Rising Stars Men’s U-19 50-Over Championship. Facing off against traditional rivals Barbados at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Wednesday, the Guyanese juniors fell 63 runs short of their target.
After winning the toss and electing to set a target, the Bajan opening pair laid a solid foundation. Half-centuries from Jordan Graham and Justin Parris anchored the innings, pushing Barbados to a competitive total of 258 runs before being bowled out in 49.5 overs. Guyana’s bowling attack showed glimpses of discipline during the death overs, with Romario Ramdehol (3-42) and Gilbert Griffith (3-45) chipping in to clean up the tail.
In reply, Guyana’s batting order collapsed under intense powerplay pressure. Promising young batsman Adrian Hetmyer offered a lone fortress of resistance, playing a composed, fluent innings of 61 runs. However, Hetmyer lacked stable partnership support at the other end. Barbados’ opening batsman Justin Parris proved to be just as lethal with the ball, returning devastating figures of 4 for 19 to dismantle Guyana’s middle order and bowl them out for 195 in 44.1 overs.
