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Ramos will be sorry if we win: Ajax’s De Jong
The Hague, March 2 (IANS) The illegal efforts to force a second yellow card by Real Madrid’s captain and defender Sergio Ramos were ill-advised and should Dutch team Ajax prevail in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 he will rue his actions, midfielder Frenkie de Jong has said.
The Netherlands international De Jong, 21, who is set to join Barcelona in the summer, called out Ramos’ hubris as the Spanish forward was penalized and will have to sit out of the Tuesday match and also any second match the Spanish powerhouse may advance to if Madrid were to beat Ajax, reports Efe.
“Maybe Sergio Ramos will regret it if Ajax pulls off an upset Tuesday at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium or if Ramos finds himself unable to play in the first leg of the quarter-finals,” the Dutch midfielder told the daily Netherlands newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.
With just one minute to go on February 13 before the end of the match, after Spain winger Marco Asensio had sealed the 2-1 Madrid victory over host Ajax, Ramos deliberately earned a yellow card by blatantly fouling Ajax and Denmark forward Kasper Dolberg.
“Looking at the result, I would be lying if I said I didn’t force it,” Ramos said after the match.
Ramos, 32, clearly did force it, hoping that by sitting out of the second leg round of 16 match, he would clear all former yellow cards against him and be ready to play in in the first leg of the CL quarterfinals without any risk.
“It is not to underestimate the opponent nor to think that the series is over, but in football, you have to make hard calculations,” Ramos added.
What Ramos could not foretell was that UEFA looked at the event and ruled that the famed Spanish captain had cheated and dole out a two-match suspension.
In discussing the upcoming game, De Jong acknowledged that Ajax, the squad he joined in 2016, is the underdog in the lead up to the second leg.
“Real Madrid is obviously the favourite,” the rising Dutch star said.
Yet, De Jong stressed that he refused to throw in the towel as the team is intent on battling forward as long as it has life and a chance to play.
The Dutch football federation decided to postpone the league match Ajax was due to play against PEC Zwolle this weekend, so the players could focus on the Tuesday Champions League clash with the famed Iberian club.
De Jong said it was the right decision for the federation to make as his side would have been exhausted had they had to play Zwolle before the trip to Madrid.
–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.