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I-League: East Bengal desperate to get back to winning ways vs Minerva (Preview)
Kolkata, Dec 3 (IANS) Smarting from back-to-back defeats against Chennai City FC and Aizawl FC, under-fire East Bengal would be desperate to get back to winning ways when they take on defending champions Minerva Punjab FC in an I-League encounter here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Tuesday.
East Bengal, now languishing eighth on the points table with six points from four games,
kicked-off their league campaign with two wins on the road at Imphal and Shillong.
But surprise league leaders Chennai City FC beat them at home followed by Aizawl FC who, at home, came back from a goal down to scrape past the red and gold brigade 3-2.
On the eve of the crunch tie, East Bengal’s Spanish coach Alejandro Menendez remained bullish, saying his side have played well despite the poor results.
“The team is playing well I think. We lost our last two matches but now our priority is to win tomorrow against Minerva Punjab.
“Sometimes there are longer breaks and sometimes the breaks are short. Not sure if this is good for the team or not. We got some time to prepare the team. We are building the team for future,” he said at the pre-match press conference.
On their rivals, coach Menendez said, “Minerva is a good team. They are difficult to play and defend against them. But we are playing at home we have to win. We have to play in our own style and win the game.”
East Bengal have been porous at the back and have utilized fringe players in midfield such as Kamalpreet Singh and Lalrindika Ralte.
Menendez said he is not worried about the defence or midfield although admitted that there is some scope for improvement.
“We are trying to correct our game overall by watching the previous matches but not particularly focusing on defence and midfield.
“It is always better for us to play in front of our home crowd. No pressure at all. The team has to do well. It is a long league. We have to try to win the home match tomorrow,” he concluded.
Menendez had rotated the goalkeepers with Ubaid CK playing ahead of Rakshit Dagar.
But the former Minerva custodian Dagar is likely to come back in the starting lineup.
Coming to Minerva, they were off to a poor start to their title-defence this season having collected just a point from their first two fixtures.
But coming to this game on the back of a 1-0 win over Indian Arrows, they will fancy their chances.
They are currently at the sixth position on the league table with eight points from six matches.
The Sukhdev Singh transfer saga earlier this season has certainly spiked the tension between the two sides.
The Kolkata club had received a transfer ban over their approach to sign Sukhdev Singh.
–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.