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Pro Kabaddi: Tamil Thalaivas stun defending champions Patna Pirates in lopsided contest
By Debayan Mukherjee
Chennai, Oct 7 (IANS) Tamil Thalaivas stunned defending champions Patna Pirates 42-26 to end their winless run at home in the opening game of the Pro Kabaddi tournament here at the packed Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
Patna, aiming to pocket their fourth consecutive title, looked completely out of sorts in the first period, getting all out on two occasions as lacking offensive as well as defensive skill to trouble the home team who looked stronger in both departments.
India captain Ajay Thakur starred for the hosts with a total of 14 raid points, seven of the them in the first essay, as fellow raider Surjeet Singh also bagged seven to delfate their rivals from the outset.
Amit Hooda defended excellently while seasoned campaigners Jasvir Singh and all-rounder Manjeet Chhillar were also on song as Patna were first all out with the score reading 10-2 inside the first ten minutes, and then falling further behind 23-8 towards the end of the first half.
After the first all out, Patna skipper Pardeep Narwal recovered from a poor start where he was sent out of the mat in his first raid to grab two points and usher hopes of a revival.
From 11-2, the hot favourites going into the tie clawed back to make it 11-5 riding Pardeep Narwal’s efforts.
But Thakur was in the mood and continued to raid venomously to leave the visitors reeling at 26-8 during the break.
The script did not change in the second half as Patna were all out for the third time soon after the restart.
With the gulf between the two teams widening to 24 points after the all out, a comeback looked nearly impossible despite Pardeep Narwal’s (11 raid points) efforts.
Patna even managed to inflict an all out on their more superior rivals on the day, but it was little too late as the Tamil Thalaivas ended their barren run at home in style.
The three-month format – introduced last year – continues in Season 6 as the 12 participating teams are divided into two zones of six teams each.
Every team will play a set of 15 intra-zone and seven inter-zonal matches – in the ‘Inter-zonal challenge week’.
The top three teams of each zone will then head to the play-offs, comprising the qualifiers and eliminators, in which the top-ranked team from the two zones will get one extra opportunity to qualify for the final.
–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.