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India set for confident start at BWF World Juniors (Preview)
Markham (Canada), Nov 4 (IANS) World Junior No.4 Lakshya Sen will be shouldering the responsibility for India at the Li Ning BWF World Junior Badminton Championships 2018, which begins here on Monday.
The 23-member squad will look up to Lakshya, the reigning Asian Junior champion, to spearhead the Mixed Team’s podium charge for the first-ever medal from the Worlds since it was included in the year 2000.
The 14-day championships, starting with team action, will continue till November 10 and will be followed by the individual events from November 11-18.
Understandably, China, who won the title in the last edition, have been seeded No.1, followed by Indonesia at No.2, while South Korea and Thailand share the third spot, having entered the semi-finals. The remaining four teams that finished among the top eight have been accorded the No.5 seeding positions.
India, who are seeded No.5 and placed in group E, are clubbed with Algeria, Faroe Islands, Kenya and Sri Lanka, giving the Indian squad a great opportunity to make it to the quarter-finals, their first priority. However, they will be wary of the only other seeded team in the group Algeria, four places behind them at No.9.
The Canada world event is the opportunity that most of the current junior crop, including Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat, Alap Mishra among boys and Malvika Bansod and Gayatri Gopichand in girls, would like to use as the springboard to enhance their reputations.
Teenager Lakshya said he was aware of the task at hand and he would give his one hundred percent to live up to expectations.
“I know how important the world championships are for all of us. Personally, I have a lot of responsibility and I would do all that is possible to give my best shot at the medals, both at team event as well as in individuals,” he said.
There are 41 teams in the fray and they have been divided into eight groups of five teams each with the top group split into A1 and A2, each having three teams. The group matches will be played on a round-robin league basis with the group leader making the cut for Stage II, which is the knockout round.
India’s best show so far at the World Juniors has been Saina Nehwal winning the only gold at the 2008 edition when it was held in India.
The squads:
Boys: Lakshya Sen, Kiran George, Alap Mishra, Priyanshu Rajawat, Dhruv Kapila, G. Krishna Prasad, K. Manjit Singh, K. Dingku Singh, Sai Krishna Sai Kumar, P. Vishnuvardhan Goud, Navneeth Bokka, Akshan Shetty.
Girls: Malvika Bansod, P. Gayatri Gopichand, Purve Bhave, Sahiti Bandi, R. Thanusree, Aditi Bhatt, Tanisha Crasto, K. Ashwini Bhatt, Shrishti Jupaddi, Rashi Lambe.
–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.