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Australia says no to Blatter’s FIFA re-election campaign
Canberra: Football Federation of Australia (FFA) chairman Frank Lowy said he will not vote for besieged FIFA president Sepp Blatter in Friday’s presidential vote.
President of the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) for the past 17 years, Blatter is running for a fifth term.
He remains defiant in the face of growing pressure to step aside after seven high-ranking FIFA officials were arrested on corruption charges in Zurich on Wednesday.
After conducting a round of meetings in Zurich on Thursday, Lowy released a statement early on Friday, saying it was time for a change at the top of FIFA, a news agency reported.
“FFA believes that profound change within FIFA is needed as soon as possible to address issues of governance and transparency, ” Lowy said.
“This belief will be reflected when Australia casts its vote in the presidential election, should it proceed on Friday in Zurich.”
Blatter’s only opponent is Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, the head of the Jordan Football Association, and the founder of the West Asian Football Federation.
Prince Ali has remained a vocal advocate for the game in Asia and was instrumental in removing FIFA’s ban on the hijab, saying it would see “happy players returning to the field and playing the game they love.”
Lowy said having reviewed the candidacy of Prince Ali, FFA believes the Jordanian can lead the world football body into a new era.
“The Board of FFA has reviewed the manifesto for change proposed by Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein and believes it provides the basis for a fresh start for FIFA,” Lowy said.
FFA itself is under scrutiny for not informing the Australian Federal Police (AFP) about missing funds paid to suspected corrupt former FIFA executive Jack Warner.
The Federation gave $3,75,000 to Warner, ostensibly to fund new football facilities in his homeland of Trinidad and Tobago, but that money was allegedly siphoned off into one of Warner’s private bank accounts.
FFA defended itself on Friday by saying FIFA had warned it against reporting the matter to the Australian or US police.
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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.