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AFC Cup: Bengaluru lose to New Radiant
Male, April 25 (IANS) Goals from Ali Fasir and Ali Ashfaq consigned Bengaluru FC to their first defeat in the 2018 AFC Cup campaign as New Radiant beat the visitors 2-0 at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
The win for the Maldivian side leaves Group E tantalisingly poised as both teams sit on 10 points with two games to play.
In the other Group E game, Abahani Dhaka were held to a 1-1 draw by Aizawl FC which leaves all to be played for in the final two rounds of the South Zone.
Eduard Gasol took charge in the absence of the suspended Albert Roca as the Blues made seven changes to the starting XI with Juanan, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Victor Perez, Lenny Rodrigues, Udanta Singh and skipper Sunil Chhetri all returning to the team.
Bengaluru, who looked jaded and a shadow of the team that triumphed in the Super Cup back home last week, went behind in the 30th minute after Fasir finished a move down the left with a strike past Lalthuammawia Ralte to make it 1-0.
Chhetri had a chance to level things in the 36th minute when he found himself through on goal. But ‘keeper Mohamed Imran made himself big to deny the Bengaluru skipper.
With a suspended Roca passing instructions to the bench from the stands, Bengaluru started the second half with two changes. Paartalu and Lenny were pulled off for Malsawmzuala and Boithang Haokip as the Blues looked to find a way back into the game.
But the charge suffered a heavy dent soon after the restart when striker Ali Ashfaq capitalised on a defensive blunder to give the hosts a two-goal cushion. Struggling to keep possession of what seemed like a routine pass, Bheke was stolen by Ashfaq who wasn’t going to squander the chance to score.
Bengaluru continued to toil under the sun and looked like in danger of falling back further if it hadn’t been for some brave goalkeeping from Ralte. The Bengaluru ‘keeper kept lending his attack an opportunity to claw back into the tie, making some vital saves in the second half.
With a little more than ten minutes to the end of regulation time, Bengaluru made their final change, bringing Daniel Lalhlimpuia on for Thongkhosiem Haokip who didn’t have a game to shout about.
The last 10 minutes didn’t produce much chances for the Blues who suffered their first defeat in the competition since the 1-0 away loss to FC Istiklol Dushanbe in the first leg of the Inter-zone Final in the 2017 AFC Cup.
Bengaluru will go on to host domestic rivals Aizawl FC in their next game on May 2 at the Kanteerava Stadium.
–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.