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Barça trounces Sevilla in Copa del Rey final
Madrid, April 22 (IANS) FC Barcelona saw stellar performances from superstar striker Lionel Messi and star midfielder Andres Iniesta in a 5-0 rout of Sevilla in the final of the Copa del Rey, Spain’s annual football cup competition.
Ernesto Valverde’s men delivered a much better performance during Saturday night’s final than they did in the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this month, when they were eliminated by AS Roma after being stunned 3-0 in the second leg, reports Efe news agency.
Sevilla, by contrast, put up much less opposition than they did in the 2016 Copa del Rey final, when the Catalans won 2-0 on the strength of two extra-time goals.
On Saturday night at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Barça essentially put the game out of reach in the first half with two goals by Luis Suarez and another by Messi.
Barcelona opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Philippe Coutinho gathered a long goal kick by Jasper Cillessen, dribbled the ball nearly to the Sevilla goal line and put the ball on a tee for Suarez, who scored into an empty net.
Messi then got in on the action at the 31-minute mark, receiving a back-heeled pass from Jordi Alba and scoring at close range.
Nine minutes later, the Argentine superstar set up the third goal with a perfectly placed pass to Suarez, who nosed his way in front of a trio of defenders and then scored past Sevilla goalkeeper David Soria.
The Sevilla head coach tried to inject some life into his team after the intermission by inserting striker Sandro Ramirez for midfielder Joaquin Correa, but Barça’s domination continued over the final 45 minutes.
Messi also assisted in the fourth goal in the 52nd minute, finding Iniesta on a pass that the Spanish midfielder corralled inside the area before manoeuvering around Soria and sending a shot into the back of the net.
Barça then got one final goal on a penalty converted by Coutinho in the 69th minute.
A long 20 minutes still remained on the clock for Sevilla, which at least was able to keep its opponent scoreless over that stretch.
With the win, Barça extended its record haul of Copa del Rey titles to 30.
Afterward, FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu said that Messi was the club’s best player but that Iniesta, the team’s captain, was its most important member.
The 33-year-old Iniesta is weighing whether to remain at Barcelona or make a lucrative move to the Chinese league, although he is expected to choose the latter option.
–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.