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ISL: Chennaiyin record first win of season, beat Pune 4-2
Pune, Nov 6 (IANS) Defending champions Chennaiyin FC tasted victory for the first time this season with a convincing 4-2 victory against FC Pune City in their Indian Super League (ISL) tie at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium here on Tuesday.
Ashique Kuruniyan’s early goal in the ninth minute gave Pune the lead but a strong second-half from Chennaiyin allowed John Gregory’s men to seal three points. Mailson Alves equalised with a header in the 53rd minute and Gregory Nelson completed the comeback two minutes later. Inigo Calderon and Thoi Singh helped the visitors increase their lead and Jonathan Vila’s late goal was nothing more than a consolation.
Brazilian striker Marcelinho was given marching orders after a dangerous tackle on Germanpreet Singh as Pune ended the game with 10 men to compound interim coach Pradyum Reddy’s woes since another striker, Diego Carlos de Oliveira, also remains suspended for another red card against FC Goa.
A tentative start by the defending champions was punished by Pune City less than 10 minutes into the match. An audacious cross-field diagonal ball by Robin Singh allowed Kuruniyan to race past Inigo Calderon on the left flank and beat Karanjit Singh from a tight angle inside the box.
John Gregory’s men had the lion’s share of the ball but struggled to create clear-cut chances with it. The visitors were content to use the turnovers to good effect whenever they sensed an opportunity from them.
Chennaiyin came out of their blocks quickly after the restart and scored the equaliser in the 53rd minute. Martin Diaz fouled Anirudh Thapa outside the box and the young midfielder picked out Mailson Alves at the far post from the resulting free-kick. The skipper’s looping header hit the back of the net, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
The match turned on its head as the champions took the lead two minutes later. The scorer turned provider as Mailson’s long ball found Nelson on the right flank who ran behind Lalchhuanmawia Fanai before chipping the ball over an onrushing Kamaljit Singh.
Chennaiyin doubled their lead in the 69th minute from Thapa’s corner-kick. Pune’s defence failed to tackle the delivery from the corner and Raphael Augusto managed to push the ball into the path of Calderon who tapped the ball into the net.
The visitors grew in confidence as the second-half progressed and scored their fourth goal three minutes later. Augusto played a delightful ball across the face of goal for Jeje whose shot was kept out by the goalkeeper. The rebound fell perfectly for Thoi who made no mistake from handshaking distance.
Augusto almost wrote his name onto the scoresheet with a dipping effort on goal but the swerving effort full of Brazilian flair hit the crossbar.
Pune grabbed a consolation goal in the 90th minute when Jonathan Vila rose the highest at the near post to head in Marcelinho’s well-taken corner kick. Marcelinho, however, jumped into a dangerous tackle to steal the ball off Germanpreet Singh with just seconds left on the clock and the forward was punished with a straight red card.
Pune are now at the bottom of the league ladder with just two points from six matches while Chennaiyin moved up to the eighth spot with four points from seven matches.
–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.