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Sandesh Prasannakumar creates new landmark for Indian racers

Published

6 years ago

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By Ajeyo Basu
New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) Having broken new ground by becoming the first Indian to participate in the Thailand Superbike Championship, Sandesh Prasannakumar is now focussed on finishing on the podium in the remaining two phases of the competition. The Bengaluru racer made it a memorable debut by finishing second in the first phase of the competition.

“It was one of the toughest race of my career. In fact, I was badly dehydrated in the few last minutes and it was really difficult to stay strong and fight for the title. But trust me, to be on that podium was the best feeling I have ever experienced. It was worth the effort and had something very positive about it,” Sandesh told IANS.

“This was a long-awaited podium and the journey to reach here has demanded a lot from me. I had to struggle hard to start from the scratch and get back in the form. As of now, I need to focus on winning the next two rounds.”

Sandesh, who had made elaborate preparations before flying off to Thailand, said the tournament offers a lot of lessons for Indian racers.

“I have been doing a lot of supermoto practice before I head to race in Thailand. Keeping myself fit in the gym as well.

Thailand track luckily suits my riding style as well and I have got a really good bike and setup to ride there. So everything is syncing in well,” the 27-year-old said.

“Lot of learning to be done in Thailand. The way the country works for motorcycle racing and how riders are fast and how they give their 100 percent. This championship is a big learning curve for anyone from India.

“I’m the first Indian to participate in Thailand Superbike Championship. It wasn’t an added pressure I would say, but I was nervous so was my team because it was all new from both the sides. But once on the bike it all turns off and I focus only on my riding and following faster riders to learn more. I wish to get more practice there and win more races,” he added.

The achievement is all the more laudable since Sandesh is making a comeback from a long injury lay-off. He had broken his collar bone in January last year and was only able to return to competitive racing earlier this year.
“I crashed in January 2017 which broke my collar bone in two pieces and I have a rod and nine screws fit in to my Clavicle. I thought it would be easy to get back in to form after this as I have seen all Moto GP riders coming back from injuries very easily and stronger. But that was not the same for me,” he said.

“I was mentally not strong to go 100 percent on the bike as even my bike had damaged in the crash and superbike racing required utmost precision for a rider to go 1000 percent and be confident on the bike which also depends on rider to rider. It took me a good one and a half year to gain that confidence back and get back my form. Hopefully this stays for a long time and I’ll work hard for it.”

Apart from his formidable battles with form and injury, Sandesh also had to overcome personal tragedy as one of his friends had committed suicide a few days before the tournament.

In his friend’s honour, Sandesh had participated in the race with a sticker on his helmet which read ‘say no to suicide’.

“I was disheartened to know about a very good friend named Varna, who committed suicide two weeks before the race. All I wanted to do was to raise awareness about the same. I dedicate this victory and the podium to her,” he said.

(Ajeyo Basu can be contacted at [email protected]).

–IANS
ajb/vm/tb

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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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3 months ago

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September 3, 2024

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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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