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Marathon champ Kirui undecided on world title defence

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Nairobi, Dec 19 (IANS) Former marathon world champion Geoffrey Kirui of Kenya said that he will wait until April to decide whether he will feature at the 2019 World Championships.

With a change in program seeing the 2019 World Championships coming later in the year than usual, Kirui is unsure if he will defend his crown in Doha, Qatar, or pass it up in order to compete in other lucrative big city marathons, reports Xinhua.

The 25-year-old told Xinhua that he is gaining more experience at the marathon distance, and hopes to turn around his fortunes in 2019 and return to the winner’s podium.

“It was a very tough year for me in 2018. I entered two marathons and was unlucky not to win. But it was part of the campaign and I will pick it up again and focus on improving on my performance,” he said on Wednesday in Nyahururu.

In October, Kirui was frustrated as he came in eighth in a race in Chicago, won by Britain’s Mo Farah. But he noted that a good performance in 2019 would stand him in good stead to defend his title at that year’s World Championships.

For now, running in early 2019 in Boston or London will be his focus, as he immerses himself in training.

“I’m ready for the task ahead of me and I’m looking forward to a good season in 2019. I want to be on the podium,” he added.

Kirui won the 2017 Boston Marathon, and said the allure of trying to reclaim that title after narrowly losing out this year is more appealing, adding that he would do everything to see that he finishes the race on top of the leaderboard.

“Boston is a good city to run in. But I want to win the race, because this year it was really hard under the rain and windy conditions. Many people gave up and I struggled to finish second. I hope to do well and see what other plans are up for me,” 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

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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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