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I-League: Churchill Brothers seek first win in first home game (Preview)
Panaji, Nov 14 (IANS) Churchill Brothers FC is all set to face Shillong Lajong in their first home game of the I-League football tournament at the Tilak Maidan here on Thursday.
Churchill will be seeking their first win, after creditably remaining unbeaten on the road so far in three games and against some top sides.
Shillong, who, after a bright start are on a three-game losing spree, will have their task cut out, given their young all-Indian squad, will be playing their third consecutive away game and have been on the road for the past two weeks.
Churchill also lead the head to head stats 6-3 with three other games ending in draws, however in the last two Hero I-League editions Lajong have won two of the four games with one ending in a draw.
The homeside’s Romanian coach Petra Gigiu will be a relieved man after a 10-man Churchill managed to come away with a point from cold Kashmir following a goalless draw.
But his major worry will also be the fact that his is the only side to have played two goalless draws in the league. His striking mainstays, Dawda Ceesay and Willis Deon Plaza have obviously not fired and they have made up for a lack of goals through sheer grit.
That grit was in the fore against league leaders Chennai when they went behind initially only to fight back and even go ahead briefly, before returning honours even against one of the most dominant sides of the league.
Petra Gigiu, Churchill’s Romanian coach was in a jovial mood on match day eve saying, “I am happy because we didn’t lose but also not happy because we could have won a minimum of two of those games.”
“Churchill Brothers will be better step by step in every game. I am happy because we played good and we created many opportunities to score. Hope tomorrow will be revenge time for my strikers and they will score to win the game,” he added.
Shillong on the other hand, after an impressive opening game win literally on home ‘turf’ against Aizawl, have only gone downhill from then on.
Their slide began at home against a more accomplished Quess East Bengal, followed by an uninspiring loss to the Indian Arrows before finally being overwhelmed by Gokulam Kerala at Kozhikode.
They would be yearning to return home with some good news in the bag and would be looking to coach Alison Khasytiew and captain and midfielder Samuel Lalmuanpuia for inspiration and leadership.
They did finally show some spark in the Gokulam game, as they finished strongly and the move that involved Sheen and finally had Buam get one back, reiterated the potential the side possessed and was in ample display in their opening clash.
“We are here to win every match,” said a confident Alison in the pre-game conference.
“Every game is difficult. Churchill Brothers is an experienced team, so we need to take care of our attacking line. They have home advantage but we are looking forward to play a good game,” he added.
–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.