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Woman athletes prominent at Rio Olympic parade
Rio de Janeiro:Whether it was a wheelchair-bound archer leading her country’s contingent, or one who stood out by dying her tresses in national colours, woman athletes were in the forefront as the Rio Olympics got underway at a glittering ceremony on Friday night.
Zehra Nemati, who not only became the first-ever Iranian woman to win a gold medal at an top international competition (2012 Paralympics at London), but also made history by qualifying for both the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, led her country’s contingent.
The 31-year-old Nemati had started of in taekwondo in which she had reached the black belt level before she was left paralysed in her legs after being injured in the 2003 earthquake. She then trained herself in archery.
An equally inspiring story is of 10-member Refugee Olympic Team’s flag-bearer, athlete Rose Nathike Lokonyen, who had fled South Sudan with her family in 2002 and arrived in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, where she used to train in bare feet.
Also part of the team, which comprises five runners from South Sudan, two swimmers from Syria, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a marathon runner from Ethiopia, is 18-year-old Yusra Mardini, who helped to save the lives of 20 fellow refugees when their boat started to sink whilst crossing between Turkey and Greece.
Standing out was Jamaican flag-bearer Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, pegged to become the first athlete to win three Olympic gold medals in the 100m event, who had dyed her hair in consonance with the national colours.
“I got my hair dyed green and yellow for the team,” Fraser-Pryce said before walking into the stadium, according to the Rio Olympics website. “My friend in Miami did it and it took about three hours.”
Greece, the first team to enter the arena in consonance with established custom, was led by Sofia Bekatorou, of sailing, and well over a third of the 207 contingents were led by women.
Prominent among these were of Algeria (judoka Sonia Asselah), Australia (cyclist Anna Meares), Cambodia (Seavmey Sorn of taekwondo), Canada (gymnast Rosannagh Maclennan), Bhutan (archer Karma Karma), United Arab Emirates (swimmer Nada Albedwawi), Indonesia (athlete Maria Londa), Italy (swimmer Federica Pellegrini), Nepal (judoka Phupu Lamu Khatri), Palestine (athlete Mayada al-Sayed), Kenya (archer Shehzana Anwar), Sri Lanka (athlete Indrajith Cooray), and Uruguay (Dolores Moreira Fraschini, sailing).
Coming last, but not the least, was the Brazilian contingent itself, led by Yane Marques, a promising contender in the modern pentathlon, and otherwise a sergeant in the army.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.