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Happy families and happy football for Sweden captain Granqvist
Samara, July 6 (IANS) Andres Granqvist is a busy man at the moment: not only is the 33-year Sweden captain putting the finishing touches to preparations for his side’s World Cup quarter-final against England on Saturday, but he also became a father for the second time in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Granqvist’s wife, Sofie, gave birth to the couple’s second child, although Granqvist was not there for the happy event after she had told him to stay in Russia to help Sweden’s World Cup prospects, reports Xinhua news agency.
“It’s quite simple, getting a daughter is the most beautiful thing you can get as a human being and for a footballer, it’s a dream to play in the quarterfinal of the World Cup, so I am just trying to enjoy the moment,” Granqvist said in a press conference on Thursday.
“It was good timing, I didn’t sleep much last night, my wife did a great job back home and both her and the baby are doing very well,” added the Sweden skipper, who also spoke about Saturday’s game and his side’s team spirit.
“Our strength is that we are a collective and we have our own style of play. Maybe we are not the best team as individuals, but we are a team, everyone helps and that is what symbolizes us,” he noted, adding that Sweden and England have one thing in common.
“We are both very dangerous at set pieces. We will have to be very strong in the area to ensure they don’t get the service they want,” said Granqvist, who will probably have the job of marking England captain and the World Cup’s leading goalscorer, Harry Kane.
“He’s very skilful. Not just at penalties but in everything he does, and we’ll have to work hard to stop him,” he cautioned.
The Swede is not the only player to become a father during the current World Cup. England midfielder Fabian Delph’s wife gave birth to their third child after the group stage. Unlike Granqvist, Delph made the trip home and was unable to play in England’s last 16 clash with Colombia in order to be at her wife’s side.
–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.