CARICOM QUIZ COMPETITION MOVES INTO ITS ZONAL KNOCK-OUT ROUND

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Team Guyana is all set to defend their title against other formidable teams from eleven Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as the CARICOM Regional Quiz Competition moves into its zonal knock-out rounds set to take place next week.

Sponsored in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) the CARICOM Regional Quiz Competition, which has been organized in four stages – the preliminary rounds at the national level; the zonal rounds; the semi finals and the regional finals – is being conducted to mark the 35th Anniversary of the Signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.

It is aimed at increasing the knowledge of students about the Caribbean Community and the integration movement in areas such as the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ); ongoing work in Human and Social Development such as the Pan Caribbean Partnership (PANCAP) against HIV/AIDS; the development of strategies to cope with climate change; CARICOM in the Information Society and CARICOM’s interface with the international community. Participants for the Quiz will be drawn from among middle grade students of secondary schools.

In the first Zonal Round scheduled for 12-13 June at the Haddon Hotel in St Vincent and the Grenadines, six countries – Barbados, Guyana, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines – will vie for the two places in the Semi- finals of the Quiz.

In the second Zonal Round to be played on 17-19 June, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago will play off at the National Library in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago to determine which two teams in that Zone will make it to the Semi- finals.

The play-offs for the national competitions were conducted in May in order to determine those students who would proceed to the zonal rounds. Those competitions were organized and conducted by relevant national agencies in tandem with quiz masters who were trained by the CARICOM Secretariat.

At the zonal level, the Region has been divided into two geographic zones. Each grouping comprising six countries will compete against each other on a round-robin basis over four days, between 12 -19 June.

The Semi-Final and Final Rounds of the Competition are scheduled to take place in late June 2008, in order for the winners to be presented at the Twenty-Ninth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in July 2008.

The Winners and Runners-up in this year’s Quiz are in for a treat of prizes and trophies donated by a number of Guyana based organizations including: ANSA MCAL, Citizen’s Bank Guyana Inc, Hand-in Hand Mutual Fire and Life Insurance Company, Frandec Travel Service, Giftland Office Max, Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Fire and Life Insurance company, Laparkan Holdings Limited, Medi-care Pharmacy, Le Meridien Pegasus, Neal and Massy Group, Scotia Bank, Topaz Jewellers.

The first Regional Quiz Competition took place in 2004, and climaxed the activities of the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Then, Guyana, on its own turf, defeated St. Kitts and Nevis to gain the coveted top position in the competition and its captain Nicolette Boatswain, a student of Bishop’s High School earned the title of Best Team Player in the Competition.

The schedule of matches are attached below.

CARICOM QUIZ COMPETITION 2008 – PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES AND SCHEDULE

ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (venue) – 12 & 13 June

Participating Teams :

• Barbados
• Guyana
• Montserrat
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Sub Group 1 – Barbados, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Sub-Group 2 – Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Montserrat

Opening: 12 June at 9.30 a.m.

Schedule for Matches:

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO (venue) – 17 and 18 June

Participating Teams:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Jamaica
• Suriname
• Trinidad and Tobago

Sub-Group 1 – Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, and Suriname
Sub-Group 2 – Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and Dominica

Opening:  17 June at 9.30 a.m.

Schedule for Matches: