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World Cup: Belgium beat England 2-0 to finish third (Lead)
St Petersburg, July 14 (IANS) A slick Belgium produced a spirited performance befitting their pre-tournament reputation to get past England 2-0 and finish third in the FIFA World Cup here on Saturday.
Goals from Thomas Meunier (fourth minute) and Eden Hazard (82nd) helped Roberto Martinez’s “golden generation” of footballers to their best-ever finish in the competition after losing the third-place playoff in the 1986 World Cup.
England, seeking their best-ever finish since 1966 when they lifted the trophy, were guilty of spurning a flurry of chances.
While Belgium lost to France in the first semi-final, Croatia got the better of England in the second last-four clash.
Belgium were off to a perfect start when in the opening exchanges Romelu Lukaku’s pass sliced open England’s napping defence and found Nacer Chadli. He crossed for Meunier who had ghosted past England full-back Danny Rose and stabbed home from close past past in-form goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
It was the earliest goal ever scored by Belgium in a World Cup match, and it made Meunier the 10th player to score a goal for Belgium in the competition, matching a record held by France in 1982 and Italy in 2006.
Bearing a look as if they are still licking their wounds of the semi-final heartache, England looked the second best outfit for some time after the goal as Belgium turned on the heat.
Midfielders Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Eric Dier put in industrious shifts to bring England back in the game by keeping Belgians at bay as the game neared its half hour mark.
England’s best chance came when Raheem Sterling set up top-scorer Harry Kane nicely but the Tottenham Hotspur striker could not connect properly and shot wide of target.
Leicester City stopper-back Harry Maguire also came close from a corner while Loftus-Cheek showed enterprise.
Meanwhile, after setting up the goal, and scoring that famous winner against Japan, Chadli’s World Cup ended in disappointment as he limped out and was replaced by Thomas Vermaelen.
In the second half, England got their best chance when Dier was clear on goal but his chipped attempt beat goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois but Toby Alderweireld cleared off the line near the right post.
Maguire also came either side of Dier’s opportunity but his headers were wide. Kane also failed to get on the end of a perfectly weighed pass from substitute Jese Lingard in the 70th minute.
Hazard then capped the scoring in the 82nd minute with his third goal of the World Cup when he collected a pass from the excellent Kevin De Bruyne that deflected off Phil Jones’ right heel and calmly finished past Pickford in the bottom left corner.
Lukaku had a good chance to increase his tally but the Manchester United forward failed to grab it. However it hardly mattered as England could not find their opening goal till the end of the match.
–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.