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Davis Cup: This is our best chance to beat Italy, says Bhupathi
Kolkata, Dec 13 (IANS) Davis Cup non-playing captain Mahesh Bhupathi on Thursday said this will be India’s best chance to beat Italy in the qualifiers for the finals as they are playing on grass.
India has had a recent spate of positive results on grass and Bhupathi feels that will hold them in good stead in the two-day tie beginning on February 1 at the South Club.
“It’s the best chance we have. That’s why we chose grass,” Bhupathi told reporters on the sidelines of the Premjit Lall Invitational Tennis tournament at the Jaidip Mukerjea Tennis Academy here.
“Now the team we have, grass suits lot of the players and we are happy to be back,” said Bhupathi.
Ramkumar Ramanathan finished as the runner-up in his first final on the ATP World Tour, a grass court tournament in Newport earlier this year while Prajnesh stunned World No. 23
Dennis Shapovalov on grass in the opening round of the Stuttgart Open.
The Italians, led by world No 13 Fabio Fognini are superior to India on hard and clay courts but India would be looking to repeat their 1985 heroics when they got the better of Italy in the World Group first round here.
Asked about the new Davis Cup format consisting of a six-player squad playing three-set matches over two days, Bhupathi said: “The format is altered so regardless of what anybody says, it is what it is today.
“As captain I take the rules and our team tries to win by the rules, that is the bottomline.”
The premier team competition in men’s tennis will return to the South Club after a gap of 16 years and Bhupathi said he made his debut here and therefore it is always special to be back.
“We are just happy to be playing a big match at home and obviously Calcutta for me is a special place, where I made my debut. There is so much amazing tradition of tennis here.
“I am excited to play here at the South Club, put the Italians on grass and see what we can give them.”
Bhupathi was asked about the lack of ATP and WTA tournaments in the country.
“We were fortutious about the timing of our WTA event. We went and chased WTA event and brought it to India because of Sania’s (Mirza) breakthrough. And when Sania was playing, there were a lot of people watching. In any sport, you need to have a champion to champion the sport.
The multiple Grand Slam champion cited the example of badminton, saying India does not have a female player in the top 50 in tennis right now to draw enthusiasts.
“In badminton, Saina (Nehwal) did well, now (PV) Sindhu and P Kashyap and all are doing well. We don’t have a girl in the top 50 to champion a WTA event. So if we bring it, I don’t think it’s going to be a big success,” Bhupathi said.
On Sania Mirza, who recently gave birth to a baby boy, making a comeback Bhupathi said: “She will comeback when and if she is ready. When you have a baby, priorities are different. When I had a baby, priorities were different. It didn’t come out of my stomach, I can imagine it’s harder for her. So she has to take her time and decisions as they come.”
Bhupathi, 44, added that Swiss ace Roger Federer cannot be ruled out despite his age ahead of the Australian Open.
“Four years ago, lot of people told me Federer can never win a Grand Slam again and then he won three.
“The genius of Roger Federer, you can never write him off. Of course he is 37 years old, its going to be tougher for him with every year. But you should never write him off in my opinion.”
–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.
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