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I-League: Neroca, East Bengal play out 1-1 draw

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Kolkata, March 8 (IANS) Manipur debutants Neroca FC held city football giants East Bengal to a 1-1 draw in a crunch last-round I-League match here as league leaders Minerva Punjab FC beat relegation-threatened Churchill Brothers to win the I-League title on Thursday in Panchkula.

Felix Chidi (42nd) gave Neroca the lead with Dudu Omagbemi (73rd) equalising but to no avail in the end at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.

East Bengal needed to beat second-placed Neroca and then hope table-toppers Minerva Punjab FC (32 points) don’t triumph against relegation-threatened Churchill Brothers.

Arch-rivals Mohun Bagan also had to not win at Gokulam Kerala FC as they have a better head-to-head record against East Bengal.

But at Panchkula, Minerva saw off Churchill 1-0 to bag their maiden title defying all odds while Mohun Bagan were held to a 1-1 draw by Gokulam Kerala FC at Kozhikode.

East Bengal thus finished fourth in the points table with 31 points, same as Mohun Bagan who ended third owing to better head-to-head record.

Neroca (32 points) finished second while Churchill were relegated.

Neroca, on their part, needed Minerva to lose in order to harbour hopes of winning the league for the first time.

The visitors made three changes to their starting XI from the last game. Goalkeeper Lalit Thapa, Nicholas Ward, and Govin Singh came in place of Bishorjit Singh, injured Gouramangi Singh and suspended Aryn Williams.

East Bengal ringed in as many as six changes from their 2-2 draw against Shillong Lajong. Samad Ali Mullick, Arnab Mondal, Eduardo Ferreira, Mohammed Rafique, Yami Longvah, and Joby Justin replaced Mehtab Singh, Salam Ranjan Singh, Gurwinder Singh, Cavin Lobo, Brandon Vanlalremdika, and Ansumana Kromah.

The first chance of the match fell to Neroca when Subash Singh dribbled inside the box but his meek effort was easily collected by East Bengal keeper Ubaid C.K.

At the other end, Syrian midfielder Mahmoud Al Amnah found the side-netting after Yusa Katsumi set him up from a short free-kick.

In the 15th minute, at Panchkula, Minerva took the lead riding Willaim Opoku’s goal denting East Bengal’s charge.

The Red and Golds then got three gilt-edged chances but Dudu spurned couple of them while Justin put too much on the shot with a wide-open net in front of him.

Al Amna also missed a good opportunity to take the lead as the Khalid Jamil-coached side saw matters going from bad to worse for them when Neroca took the lead.

Chidi outfoxed Arnab Mondal inside the area after being fed by Australian Nick Ward. At halftime, the hosts trailed 0-1.

Just after the break, East Bengal appealed for a penalty when Dudu’s shot struck the hand of a Neroca defender, but referee Rowan Arumughan waved play on.

Dudu then came close to equalising but smashed wide of the far post. The 32-year old finally atoned for his flurry of misses by heading in Lalram CHullova’s cross after the hosts exchanged four passes.

Both teams pushed for a winner towards the dying minutes of the match but with Minerva not winning their game, the motivation also seemed lacking.

–IANS
dm/pur/dg

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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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