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Sindhu, Saina, Srikanth, Satwik-Chirag in finals; Ashwini-Sikki get bronze (Badminton Roundup)
Gold Coast, April 14 (IANS) Indian star shuttlers P.V. Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth and the men’s doubles pair of Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty reached the finals while the women’s doubles combine of Ashwini Ponnappa and N. Sikki Reddy bagged the bronze medal at the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Saturday.
Ashwini, however, failed to grab a bronze medal in the mixed doubles partnering Satwik, even as H.S. Prannoy suffered defeat in the men’s singles bronze-medal playoff.
Otherwise, it was yet another superb show from the Indians, with at least a gold medal assured as World No.3 Sindhu will meet seasoned compatriot and World No.12 Saina in an all-Indian women’s singles final on Sunday.
While Olympic 2016 silver medallist Sindhu thrashed Canada’s Michelle Li in straight games 21-18, 21-8 in the semi-final, Saina overcame a stiff contest from Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour, winning by 21-14, 18-21, 21-17.
Both Sindhu and Olympic 2012 bronze medallist Saina kept their unbeaten run alive and their victories over lower-ranked opponents went on expected lines.
In the men’s singles, World No.1 Srikanth set his date with World No.7 and Malaysian legend Lee Chong Wei in the summit clash .
While Srikanth registered an easy 21-10, 21-17 straight games victory over England’s Rajiv Ouseph, Chong Wei overcame World No.11 Prannoy 21-16, 9-21, 21-14.
Prannoy then lost to World No.22 Ouseph 21-17, 23-25, 9-21 in the men’s singles bronze medal match at the Carrara Sports Arena here.
In the men’s doubles, Satwik and Chirag thrashed Sri Lanka’s Sachin Dias and Buwaneka Goonethilleka 21-18, 21-10 to enter the final, where they will take on English pair of Chris Langridge and Marcus Ellis on Sunday.
In the women’s doubles action, Ashwini and Sikki bagged the bronze medal, beating Australians Setyana Mapasa and Gronya Somerville 21-19, 21-19.
The Indian duo earlier had lost to Malaysia’s Mei Kuan Chow and Vivian Hoo 21-17, 15-21, 4-21 in the semi-finals.
Ashwini and Satwik had a poor day in the mixed doubles. They first lost 22-20, 18-21, 16-21 to England’s Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith in the semi-final. The Indian pair then lost 19-21, 19-21 to Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh of Malaysia in the bronze medal playoff.
–IANS
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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.