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ISL: Pune get another win, and revenge on Goa
Pune, Dec 11 (IANS) FC Pune City continued with their resurgence as they produced a spirited display to register a 2-0 win over FC Goa in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium here on Tuesday.
A terrific striker from Marcelinho in the 74th minute and a late penalty from Marko Stankovic (90+4′) separated the two sides as Pune kept consecutive clean sheets.
With only one point from three previous games, FC Goa’s struggles after the international break in November continued and they find themselves in the fourth spot with 17 points.
Pune, meanwhile, have climbed to the seventh spot with their second consecutive win, and more importantly avenged their 2-4 hammering in Goa when interim coach Pradyum Reddy had just taken charge.
Goa dominated possession in the early stages of the game as Pune willingly dropped deep and set themselves up for quick counters. Hugo Boumous initiated a good move in the 12th minute as he picked out Seriton Fernandes’ run on the right flank.
The full-back returned the favour with a cross into the centre but Boumous, who got on the end of it, sent his effort wide.
Pune had an excellent chance to take the lead in the 17th minute when Iain Hume’s long diagonal over the top for Marcelinho caught Goa’s defence off-guard. Seriton tracked back and nicked the ball off the Brazilian with a last-ditch tackle.
With the match turning out to be an end-to-end affair, Goa threatened again in the 22nd minute. Edu Bedia’s lob allowed Brandon Fernandes to dribble into the box and force a good save from Kamaljit Singh.
With three minutes left for the end of the first half, Mandar Rao Dessai’s cut-back from the left found Ferran Corominas in the centre of the box and the forward laid the ball off for Edu to send a powerful effort that hit the crossbar.
Goa pulled the strings again after the break but Pune had no plans to sit back despite Goa’s dominance. In the 55th minute, Ashique Kuruniyan sneaked towards the byline and chipped a good cross for Nim Dorjee Tamang whose close-range header was parried away by Mohammad Nawaz.
Ahmed Jahouh took it upon himself to take the Pune defence out of the equation with a swerving strike from outside the box in the 70th minute but Kamaljit produced an exceptional save to tip the ball away.
A minute later, Mourtada Fall’s failure to clear the ball allowed Marcelinho to dribble into the box at the other end but the Brazilian forward’s shot was brilliantly saved by Nawaz.
The Brazilian worked his magic to give Pune the lead in the 74th minute. Sarthak Golui’s pass found Marcelinho in space outside the box and the latter unleashed a beautiful curling strike that kissed the back of the net.
Jahouh hit the post with a similarly outstanding effort at the other end two minutes later as Goa sought an equaliser.
Despite Goa pouring forward in attack, Pune held them off well and won a penalty late on when Marko Stankovic was held by Mohammed Ali. The midfielder stepped up and converted from 12 yards to seal a hard-fought victory for Pune City.
–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.