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Delhi beat Hyderabad in PBL tie
Bengaluru, Jan 9 (IANS) P.V. Sindhus brilliant victory went in vain as former champions Delhi Dashers grabbed a 4-3 win over defending champions Hyderabad Hunters in a Premier Badminton League (PBL) clash at the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday.
The loss, however, could not make any difference for the Hunters, who continue to enjoy the top position in the table standings, with 24 points. As for Delhi, this was their first victory in six matches in what has been a season to forget.
World No.32 Evgeniya Kosetskaya of the Dashers was no match for BWF World Tour Finals winner Sindhu. The World No.3 was in no mood to relent and effortlessly claimed a 15-11, 15-9 win.
In the first game, the Russian was able to keep it competitive till 7-7 after which Sindhu wrested control of the proceedings. Sindhu’s pinpoint smashes helped her jump to 10-7 in the second game and she never allowed her opponent to come closer before wrapping up the match.
Earlier, H.S. Prannoy, who has struggled with a knee injury and breathing issues this season, made a winning return as he edged Hyderabad’s World No. 146 Rahul Yadav Chittaboina 15-10, 9-15, 15-12. Prannoy’s blistering backhands were on song right from the word go and he opened up a 10-6 lead in the first game in no time.
However, with a few errors creeping into his game, the 2018 Asian Championships bronze medallist fell behind 4-8 in the second game. The lower-ranked Chittaboina seized this opportunity to set up a decider, where Prannoy found his form again. With his smashes finding their mark, the Delhi shuttler raced ahead to 7-3 before closing out the match.
Delhi rightly selected their men’s doubles pair of Chai Biao and Maneepong Jongjit as their Trump for the day. Against the Hunters duo of Bodin Isara and Arun George, the pair looked slightly off-colour and conceded the first game 8-15.
However, that was a wake-up call for the Trump pair. They rebounded strongly in the second and the third games to grab an 8-15, 15-8, 15-8 victory.
Tommy Sugiarto and Mark Caljouw had never met on the international circuit before. But there was no surprise in their first-ever meeting as World No. 9 Sugiarto made short work of the Hyderabad player 15-6, 15-11 in a performance that was one of the very best from the Indonesian.
Hyderabad, however, were not disheartened by the smashing display from the former champions. They made up for it by finishing the tie on a high with a win in mixed doubles. Kim Sa Rang and Eom Hye Won teamed up to get a 15-7, 15-12 win over Delhi’s Wang Sijie and Chia Hsin Lee.
–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.