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FIH to hold Junior Hockey World Cup every two years
Bhubaneswar, Dec 15 (IANS) The International Hockey Federation (FIH) said on Saturday that the Junior Hockey World Cup will be held every two years.
It also said that the five-a-side format and a new simple FIH ranking system will be introduced in 2019.
FIH CEO Thierry Weil said the junior players should get better international exposure to prove their mettle.
The FIH CEO, however, was clueless on the exact timing of the next Junior World Cup and the host nation.
As per the earlier practice, the FIH used to hold the Junior World Cup every four years since the inception of the tournament in 1979.
The last Junior World Cup was held in 2016 at Lucknow. Indian team was the champion in the tournament.
Weil also said that FIH has decided to introduce the five-a-side format to attract more youth from different countries to hockey.
The FIH CEO informed that it is not a new format and the traditional 11-a-side format will continue to enjoy its usual importance.
Several FIH affiliated countries are already playing the five-a-side format. In this context, FIH will floor the new format in February next year.
A simplified ranking system will also be introduced soon, Weil said.
He also informed that the federation will try to reduce the Hockey World Cup schedule from three weeks to two weeks.
With the Indian team coach Harendra Singh alleging that umpire’s decision led to their defeat in the quarterfinal match against the Netherlands on Thursday, the FIH CEO Thierry Weil strongly refuted the allegations.
He also asserted that the questions raised on some of the decisions by umpires during the ongoing World Cup here are unacceptable.
“I think the beauty of sports lies in the principle that you have a winner and a loser. The day you win, you are happy. The day you lose, you are sad, which I understand. Respect for fair play is such a nice thing. When you lose, what do you do? You have to look forward to playing better and win next time,” the FIH CEO said.
“When you lost the match, we should gracefully accept the fact. The FIH would not accept such allegations in any manner,” he added.
FIH president Narinder Batra said: “I reserve my comments in this regard and I will give it on December 17 after the completion of the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup.”
–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.