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ISL: Pune City FC aim to end winless run (Preview)
Pune, Nov 1 (IANS) FC Pune City will look to put an end to their winless start in this edition of Indian Super League (ISL) when they host Kerala Blasters FC at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium here on Friday.
Pune City started off with an away draw against Delhi Dynamos and have since lost all three of their fixtures. Coach Miguel Angel Portugal has also lost his job and the onus of turning around their fortunes is now in the hands of interim coach Pradyum Reddy.
Reddy’s attempt to get the team back on track ended in a 2-4 defeat at the hands of high-flying FC Goa. To make matters worse, Diego Carlos Oliveira was sent off in the second half and will miss the match against Kerala.
“With our league position, every game is a must-win game for us. If you pick up a win, you can make a significant jump up the table. Fortunately, other teams haven’t picked up too many wins. So that gives us some hope,” said Reddy.
The visitors aren’t too well off either, with three consecutive stalemates affecting their playoff aspirations, even though they are still unbeaten.
“Kerala are unbeaten and are definitely going to be tough to break down. I think we’ve got some plans for them,” claimed Reddy.
Kerala Blasters coach David James’ task will be to ensure that his side leaves the pitch with nothing less than three points. After a good start against ATK in the season opener, the Kochi-based team has failed to grab a win in their last three matches.
“Pune City have got some talented players. They have one of the best Indian goalkeepers in the ISL (Vishal Kaith). If you look at their strike force, they have a lot of potential. So we need to score more than one. It is important for us to score more goals and hopefully, keep a clean sheet,” said the former England goalkeeper.
The English coach will want to convert the draws into wins sooner rather than later after a difficult campaign last season that saw Kerala register the most numbers of draws (seven) and ultimately finish sixth on the table.
Pune’s trump card is their lethal attack but both Marcelinho and Emiliano Alfaro have struggled in front of goal. Both players scored their first goal of the season against Goa in their last match which could be seen as a sign of a turnaround in fortunes for Reddy’s men.
At the other end, the foreign strikers of Kerala Blasters, Slavisa Stojanovic and Matej Poplatnik, have impressed with three goals between them from four games and CK Vineeth has made a considerable impact off the bench with two goals so far.
–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.