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CWG: Manu Bhaker, Heena, Ravi strike medals (Shooting Roundup)
Gold Coast, April 8 (IANS) India’s Manu Bhaker and Heena Sidhu won the gold and silver medals the women’s 10m Air Pistol event respectively, while Ravi Kumar took bronze medal in the men’s 10 metre air rifle event of the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Sunday.
Haryana’s 16-year-old Bhaker produced a spectacular performance, setting a new CWG record with a total of 240.9 points in the final round.
Bhaker was in fine form coming into her maiden CWG appearance, having won 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed event gold medals at the ISSF World Cup earlier this year in Mexico.
Experienced Sidhu registered 234 points to make it 1-2 for India at the top of the podium. It was her first medal at the CWG. She made her CWG debut in 2010 New Delhi edition.
Australia’s Elena Galiabovitch took bronze with 214.9 to bring some cheer for the hosts.
During the qualifications, Bhaker topped the qualification stage with a total of 388 points. Sidhu qualified at the second spot with 379 points.
“I am very happy… it is my first Commonwealth Games and I won with a qualification record also. The gap between me and the second competitor, that was a huge margin. So it was a pleasure winning this medal for India and I am very, very happy,” Bhaker said.
Ravi’s bronze medal in the 10 metre air rifle event ensured that India bag its third medal on the opening day of the shooting competitions here.
Ravi shot a total of 224.1 to finish behind Australian Dane Sampson (245) and Bangladesh’s Abdullah Hel Baki (244.7), who won the gold and silver, respectively at the Belmont Shooting Centre here.
He survived a shoot-off in the final to finish with a score of 244.7.
He had taken bronze in this event at last month’s International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, as well.
Deepak Kumar, the second Indian in the fray, also qualified for the finals but eventually finished sixth. Deepak registered a total of 162.3.
The Indians had started their campaign on a promising note.
They had qualified for the final by by securing the top two positions in the qualification stage.
Deepak created a Commonwealth Games record by shooting a total of 627.2 while Ravi secured his place in the final by totalling 626.8.
Another Indian shooter, Saniya Sheikh qualified for the final of the women’s skeet event. She shot a total of 71 to finish the qualification stage in the third place.
But it was a disappointing outing for her compatriot Maheshwari Chauhan, who finished eighth after shooting a total of 68.
–IANS
pur/vd
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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.