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Pressure on Valverde as Barca prepare to face Tottenham
Madrid, Oct 2 (IANS) The pressure is on FC Barcelona and coach Ernesto Valverde when they play Tottenham in the Champions League at Wembley on Wednesday.
Although Wembley has a place in Barca’s folklore after they claimed their first European Cup there in 1992 and defeated Manchester United in the rebuilt stadium to win the 2011 final, the trip comes at a bad time with players out of form and Valverde seriously questioned after a poor run of performances and results, reports Xinhua news agency.
Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Athletic Club Bilbao was Barca’s third consecutive Liga Santander without a win and followed a defeat away to bottom of the table Leganes and a 2-2 draw against Girona in the Camp Nou.
Valverde rotated his squad in all three of those games to deal with the busy fixture list with new signings and fringe players so far failing to convince, but it was his decision to leave Leo Messi and Sergio Busquets on the bench at the start of the game against Athletic which really angered fans.
Anyone who saw Messi’s performances in last summer’s World Cup should know that it is simply impossible for the Argentinean to play every game, but the fact is what he is so important to Barca’s cause, leaving him out is a risk for the coach and by doing so Valverde left himself open to criticism.
Messi will be back in the side in London as Barca look for a result which would give them six points from their opening two group games.
Busquets will also start alongside Ivan Rakitic and Philippe Coutinho in midfield, while Valverde may have to decide whether or not he continues with Ousmane Dembele in attack or decides to play and extra midfielder, such as Arturo Vidal.
Samuel Umtiti and Sergi Roberto are both out injured, so Clement Lenglet and Nelson Semedo will partner Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba in defence.
Tottenham cannot afford to lose after conceding late goals away to Inter Milan in their first group game and will be without England midfielder Dele Ali.
However, Harry Kane looks to be returning to top form and he and Cristian Erikson, often cited as a possible Barca target, will be two of the players Barca need to beware of on what promised to be an epic night in a legendary stadium.
–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.