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Awadhe beat North Eastern in PWL clash
Bengaluru, Jan 9 (IANS) World No.10 Beiwen Zhang made a remarkable comeback to beat Saina Nehwal as the Awadhe Warriors beat the North Eastern Warriors in a Premier Badminton League (PBL) tie at the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday.
Awadhe needed a minimum of four points to move up to the top position and tie with the defending champions Hyderabad Hunters. And they got exactly that as Zhang cancelled the North Eastern Trump Nehwal while Ashwini Ponnappa and Mathias Christiansen got themselves the Trump victory. Lee Dong Keun also contributed a win but World No. 5 Son Wan Ho was shocked.
The women’s singles face off between the North Eastern Warriors’ Saina Nehwal and the Awadhe Warriors’ Beiwen Zhang had a surprising outcome. The World No. 9 Nehwal was the higher ranked player in this encounter and even led 3-1 on the international circuit, but the 10th ranked Zhang refused to be intimidated by Saina’s strong start and came back to win 11-15, 15-11, 15-7.
Given that the former World No. 1 was the Trump for the night for the team from the north-east, whatever little hopes they had of upsetting the Warriors were dashed.
While Saina’s smashes were on point in the opening game, she went off the boil in the second. The American managed to lift her game from an 8-8 tie and did just enough to thwart a Saina comeback.
In the decider, she was pretty much unstoppable. The Zhang juggernaut rolled on uninterruptedly, building a 12-6 lead before finishing off the big win.
Former World No. 1 Son Wan Ho had won his last three BWF matches against Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk. But just like going against the norm was the trend of the evening, Son Wan Ho too fell 8-15, 10-15 to the North Eastern shuttler in a tie full of surprises.
Tanongsak never relented in his attack and Son found it hard to tackle him. At one point in the first game, the Korean trailed 5-12. In the second, Son fought till 7-7 after which the game slipped away from his grip.
Lee Dong Keun of the Awadhe Warriors had never beaten Tian Houwei in two meetings on the international circuit. But the World No. 27 did not let his past record bother him and came thoroughly prepared to get a 15-10, 15-13 win.
The two were involved in some marathon rallies in the first half of the game. It was after the break that Keun made his move as Tian started erring, racing ahead to 11-8 and holding on it. The North-eastern shuttler kept it all even until 7-7 after which Lee’s sharpness and mental fortitude helped him bag the win.
Mathias Christiansen and Ashwini Ponnappa have shown their wonderful chemistry this season, triumphing in three out of the five matches they have played. The Awadhe pair lived up to the expectations by securing the 15-7, 15-14 Trump win over Liao Min Chun and Kim Ha Na.
While the first game was a cakewalk for them, they had to dig deep in the second to come back from 9-11 down.
–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.