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Asiad success will popularise bridge among youth, says India coach
Kolkata, Sep 1 (IANS) Bridge as a game will gain popularity among the youth of the country after the Bengal duo of Pranab Bardhan and Shibnath De Sarkar bagged gold in the men’s bridge pair competition at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, the teams non-playing captain and coach Debasish Ray said on Saturday.
“Dreams come true. I just cannot express the joy in words. We were waiting for the moment for many years. Their performance will motivate youngsters to involve with the game which is probably the most scientific mind game,” Ray told IANS over phone.
According to him, bridge is a “mind game” with a higher number of permutation and combinations compared to chess.
He, however, lamented that the game was never in the limelight as compared to cricket or chess as card games have a stigma of gambling.
“Asian Games success has attracted media attention which I have never noticed earlier. I keep on getting phone calls from your fraternity after the news surfaced and it will bring awareness among youngsters. This success will change the mindset of the people,” said Ray, one of the selectors of the national team.
Bardhan’s daughter Pratirupa Bardhan was excited. “We knew that my father is one of the leading players as he had won various competitions earlier but this victory at such a big platform is very special,” she said.
She further said that the support and encouragement Bardhan received from his wife was immense as her mother had never complained about his events for which he travels a lot.
“This is a huge gift for me. I have been facing a lot of questions for supporting my husband. I didn’t allow him to miss any of his tournaments as I knew that such a golden day was in store for him,” said Bardhan’s wife.
Former President Pranab Mukherjee too congratulated the team.
“Spectacular performance by the Indian Contingent on the last day of #AsianGames2018. A big congratulations to Amit Panghal for bringing home Gold in 49kg boxing as well as Pranab Bardhan and Shibhnath Sarkar for their Gold in Bridge Men’s Pair Event. Well Done,” the former President Pranab Mukherjee tweeted.
Speaking on their preparation running up to the Games, Ray said Bardhan (60) and De Sarkar (56) had spent over 10-12 hours a day on the online site and their combination was “excellent” as they know each other for about 20 years.
In fact, they won a tournament recently in Incheon, South Korea where countries from the Asia Pacific region competed.
India secured one gold and two bronze medals– men’s team and mixed team — in bridge from the 18th Asian Games where the game made its debut.
Ray said the game with the average age of players at 52-53 years in India would provide job security to youth as the Railways, Income tax and Central Excise have been offering jobs to performers.
He is also of hopeful of getting attraction of Indian corporates for setting up incubation centres and requisite infrastructure to groom budding talents in the game.
“Some funds from the Indian corporate sector are being offered. There is a Corporate Bridge Association of India organising the game. I believe the Asian Games Success will help securing more corporate funds towards development of the game,” Ray said.
–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.
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