Top News
Rallyist Gaurav takes lead on Day 1 Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare
Davangere (Karnataka), Sep 3 (IANS) Indias ace rallyist Gaurav Gill came up with a powerful performance to race ahead of the pack on the opening day of the 10th edition of the Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare here on Monday.
The Mahindra Adventure driver, along with his trusted co-driver Musa Sherif, was fast and aggressive in all the three special stages of the day, finishing them in 2:25:47 minutes, according to a statement.
He was a good 5 minutes faster than his teammate Philippos Matthai (with navigator VVS Moorthy) who came in second after clocking 2:30:19 minutes.
Amittrajit Ghosh (with Ashwin Naik) stayed right behind his Mahindra Adventure teammates by clocking 2:30:24, just 5 seconds more than Philippos.
In the two-wheeler category, Yuva Kumar took the opening day’s honours, with a time of 1:43:30. Vishwas SD finished the day second with 1:48:22 while Akash Aithal took the third position with a total time of 1:49:29.
The round one of Dakshin Dare saw the car compete in three special special stages (dirt/gravel) with a total distance of 129 kms while the bikers covered a total distance of 86.42 kms for their two special stages.
Gill began the first special stage on a slow note and got better as the day progressed to set the tone for the rest of the week. He, however, admitted that it was not easy driving out there and that the terrain posed a challenge initially.
“We were not aware of the terrain and there was lot of gravel on the tracks. I usually scorch the track but here I had to be cautious and slide through the corners rather than coming in fast,” Gill explained.
Defending champion Suresh Rana of Team Maruti Suzuki suffered an initial setback but showed great fighting spirit and verve to finish the day not too far behind the lead pack.
He picked up a puncture in SS1 itself which cost him seven minutes and put him behind while he seemed to be cruising ahead. He finished the day on fourth position to underline that he will be the one to beat over the next four days.
The 2,000-kilometre long Dakshin Dare will traverse through Karnataka and Maharashtra before concluding in Goa.
–IANS
gau/sed
Top News
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.