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I-League: Churchill aim to revive campaign against Arrows (Preview)

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Bhubaneswar, Dec 29 (IANS) Former champions Churchill Brothers will look to return to winning ways when they take on All India Football Federation’s developmental side Indian Arrows in the first ever I-League game at the multi-purpose Kalinga Stadium here on Sunday.

The young Arrows side coached by Floyd Pinto have adopted the state of Odisha as their home and were playing their home games of this season’s campaign at Cuttack’s Barabati stadium till now.

The game on Sunday will be crucial for Goan giants Churchill in particular, given their campaign has got a bit derailed in the last couple of matches after being quite impressive for most parts of this year’s edition.

While Churchill go into the game on the back of two consecutive defeats, the Arrows have picked up four points in their last two matches and will be looking to sustain the momentum as they keep making strides in the Indian footballing landscape.

Churchill’s Romanian coach Petra Gigiu has admitted in media reports that the team morale has dropped a little after the two defeats and with injuries to key players and suspensions to deal with, the game against Arrows will not be easy.

“We are not happy with our performance,” he said in a press conference on matchday eve. “We have lost two matches but we hope to win tomorrow. Indian Arrows is a young team but we should not take any team lightly,” he added.

The Arrows, on the other hand, are a cohesive unit and have this uncanny knack of picking up wins to disrupt the plans of the more professional club setups. They won thrice last season, which was their debut season and have already picked up two this season in their eight games.

However, coach Gigiu will know that if his attacking duo of Dawda Cessay and the league’s top goal scorer Willis Plaza are on song, Arrows can be rolled over and he will do well to charge them up sufficiently for Sunday’s game.

The Arrows have had huge problems scoring goals and Floyd Pinto will have to find a way to get his team to score many more than the three they have so far, to nurture bigger hopes.

Speaking at the pre-game presser, coach Pinto said, “Judging how the season has gone, I think we are in the best mood, because we got four points in the last two games. We hope to continue the same performance against Churchill, who are probably one of the best attacking sides in the league.

“They have the top goal scorer in the league. To keep them quiet and get another clean sheet will be an achievement for us,” he said.

They will not get a better opportunity to do well against Churchill given their defensive formation is severely depleted due to injuries and suspension.

The Arrows are gradually hitting the right chords and Pinto seems to have settled down with some of his experimentation in the beginning.

In Deepak Tangri, Pinto has a resolute defensive midfielder, whereas he has Anwar Ali at the back, who can organise and marshal the defence. The two back-to-back clean sheets will boost the confidence of his back-line and it is time that they concentrate on becoming more clinical in front of the opposition goal.

For Churchill to have any hopes of a shot at the title, Sunday is a must win game, but the result is by no means a given.

–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

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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.

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