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Benfica, Dynamo Kiev, Ajax reach final round of Champions League qualifiers
Istanbul/ Moscow/Amsterdam, Aug 15 (IANS) Benfica, Dynamo Kiev and Ajax Amsterdam advanced to the final round of qualifiers for the 2018-2019 UEFA Champions League, while Fenerbahce and Celtic were among the football clubs eliminated.
Leading 1-0 after the first leg in Lisbon, Benfica took a 1-0 lead on Tuesday in Istanbul on a goal by Gedson Fernandes, though Alper Potuk equalised for Fenerbahce just before the break. But the hosts couldn’t get the second goal they needed to force the contest into extra time and Benfica prevailed 2-1 on aggregate, reports Efe.
Their opponents in the next round will be PAOK Salonika, who held Spartak 0-0 in Moscow to advance 3-2 on aggregate.
Benjamin Verbic and Artem Biesiedin led hosts Dynamo Kiev 2-0 over Slavia Prague for a 3-1 aggregate victory.
The Ukrainian squad will square off in the next phase against Ajax, who got goals from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Matthijs de Ligt and David Neres in a 3-0 home win over Standard Liege after the sides drew 2-2 in the first leg.
In Athens, hosts AEK bested Celtic 2-1 for a 3-1 win on aggregate. Rodrigo Galo and Marko Livaja scored for the hosts and Scott Sinclair responded for the Scottish champions.
Next up for AEK will be MOL Vidi, who stymied Malmö 0-0 on Tuesday to advance by virtue of scoring an away goal in the 1-1 first leg in Sweden.
Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag FK managed a 1-1 draw with Bate Borisov in Belarus, but lost 1-2 on aggregate after falling 0-1 at home in the first leg. Bate will face PSV Eindhoven in the final qualifying round.
Red Star Belgrade needed a goal in extra time from Nemanja Radonjic to edge hosts Spartak Trnava 2-1 and advance 3-2 on aggregate.
The Serbian side can look forward to a match-up with Salzburg, who beat Shkëndija 1-0 to complete a 4-0 aggregate victory.
Dinamo Zagreb blanked Astana 1-0 in the Croatian capital on Tuesday and advanced 3-0 on aggregate to a clash with Switzerland’s Young Boys.
–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.