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Serie A: Fiorentina trip title-chasing Napoli
Florence (Italy), April 30 (IANS) Argentine striker Giovanni Simeone scored a hat-trick as Fiorentina prevailed 3-0 over Napoli, who fell four points behind leaders Juventus with three rounds of games left in the Serie A football championship.
Simeone on Sunday found goals in the 34th, 62nd and 90+3rd minutes to dash the hopes of a desperate Napoli, who were reduced to 10 men with the sending off of central defender Kalidou Koulibaly in the sixth minute.
Koulibaly fouled Simeone in the sixth minute when the Senegalese was the last Napoli player to block the Argentine just outside the box at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
The sending off shook Napoli, who were desperate to keep up with Juventus after the defending champions won 3-2 over Inter Milan.
Fiorentina took the lead when Simeone caught a long ball from Cristiano Biraghi before employing a left foot shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal.
Simeone got the second goal as he poked home a corner which was poorly cleared by goalkeeper Pepe Reina.
He completed his hat-trick after Federico Chiesa’s through ball caught the Napoli defence off-guard and Simeone charged inside the box before beating Spanish keeper Reina.
Napoli took only a single shot at goal in the entire match as Fiorentina ended their three-match winless streak.
“We needed real conviction, enthusiasm and personality to take on such a great side,” Fiorentina chief coach Stefano Pioli was quoted as saying by the club’s website.
“We did well to win the foul that led to the sending off, then we really took advantage of our man advantage. There was good character to our play. We came close to perfection — there are no perfect games, but this came very close in my opinion.
“We’re delighted and it’s right that we’re pleased because we hadn’t beaten Napoli at home in nine or ten years. That said, as of Tuesday we need to get our feet on the ground and focus on our recovery because we need a good run-in. We’ve done a fantastic job so far so now it’s all about staying focused.”
Napoli head coach Maurizio Sarri told his club’s website: “The sending off and their first goal knocked our confidence. I don’t know what happened, because in the past we’ve always stuck together as a team and fought back. We lost our unity today and let the adversity get the better of us.”
–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.