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Authorised Neutral Athlete status of five race walkers revoked by IAAF
Taicang (China), May 4 (IANS) Five race walkers from Russia lost their status of Authorised Neutral Athlete on Friday and were expelled from the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships slated for May 5 to 6 in Taicang.
The world governing body of the sport announced on its website that the decision was made pending further investigation into a number of serious issues arising from their participation at the training camp in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan last month, including the involvement of the coach, Viktor Chegin, who has been banned from the sport for life, reports Xinhua news agency.
The five race walkers include Sergei Shirobokov, who won a silver medal in the men’s 20km event of the 2017 World Championships in London, Sergey Sharypov, Klavdiia Afanaseva, Olga Yeliseyeva and Yuliya Lipanova. Their names have been removed from the entry list of the team worlds and the Doping Review Board of the IAAF will review their status for future competitions in 2018.
A total of seven athletes from Russia enrolled in the biyearly tournament as authorised neutral athletes. The remaining two walkers, Vasiliy Mizinov and Yana Smerdova, are still eligible to compete as the Doping Review Board can confirm that the duo were not present at the training camp in Karakol.
The two-day competition in Taicang is set to feature a total of 379 athletes from 46 countries and regions, with individual and team titles on offer in each of the six races, including men’s and women’s 20km, 50km and U20 10km events.
It will be the first time that all events at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships will be conducted using a pit lane area. If an athlete receives three red cards, they will be required to enter the pit lane and remain in there for the relevant time period — one minute for the 10km races, two minutes for the 20km races and five minutes for the 50km races. They will then be able to rejoin the race but a fourth red card will lead to disqualification.
It will be the second time for the tournament, formerly known as the IAAF World Race Walking Cup, to be held in Taicang as the eastern Chinese city also staged the 2014 edition of this event.
–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.