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Badminton association hands cash awards to CWG medallists (Lead)
New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Saturday handed out cash rewards to the tune of Rs 1.30 crore to the medallists of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) held in Gold Coast, Australia last month.
BAI President Himanta Biswa Sarma and chief guest, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra, presented all the cheques at a grand ceremony here, attended by the BAI top brass, chief coach Pullela Gopi Chand and the entire team, including the support staff.
The team which made history by winning India’s first ever gold medal in the mixed team event was presented with a cheque for Rs 50 lakh (Rs 5 lakh to each of the 10 players).
The BAI awarded Rs 20 lakh to Saina Nehwal for winning the gold medal in the individual event, while P.V. Sindhu — who lost to her in the final — was given Rs 10 lakh.
Kidambi Srikanth was also awarded Rs 10 lakh for winning the silver medal in men’s singles.
The young men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who etched their name in history books by becoming the first ever men’s doubles team from India to win a medal in the CWG, were awarded Rs 15 lakh (Rs 7.5 lakh each).
The women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy were also given Rs 7.5 lakh (Rs 3.75 lac each) for their bronze medal winning feat.
The entire coaching staff was also honoured for their contribution towards the historic achievement. Chief national coach Pullela Gopichand was felicitated with Rs 10 lakh while doubles foreign coach Tan Kim Her was given Rs 3 lakh.
Assistant coach Siyadath Ullah Siddiqui was given Rs 1.5 lakh while the trio of KIran, Johnson and Gayatri (all physios) were awarded Rs 1 lakh each.
Congratulating the shuttlers, after giving away the awards, BAI President Sarma said: “It gives me immense pleasure to be here to celebrate the heroics of our players in the Commonwealth Games. They have not only created history but have once again underlined India’s reputation as one of the top performers globally.”
–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.