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Gujarat thwart UP’s late fightback to enter PKL-6 final
By Tridib Baparnash
Mumbai, Jan 3 (IANS) Gujarat Fortunegiants overcame a late resurgence from UP Yoddhas to beat them 38-31 in the second qualifier on Thursday and make it to their second consecutive Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) final where they face the Bengaluru Bulls here on Saturday.
Captain Rishank Devadiga turned out to be the handicap for the Yoddhas as the star raider failed to rise to the occasion in the do-or-die clash at the NSCI Indoor Stadium here.
Srikant Jadhav led the Yoddhas fightback with seven points while Nitesh Kumar and Prashanth Kumar Rai got six and five points, respectively.
For the Gujarat franchise, raider Sachin was the top scorer with 10 points while K.Prapanjan scored five while captain Sunil Kumar, Hadi Oshtorak and Sachin Vittala got three points apiece.
Sachin got Gujarat the early lead before a two pointer raid from Prashanth Kumar Rai reversed the scoreline to 2-1 in favour of the UP Yoddhas after the initial couple of minutes.
Gujarat got their lead back to 4-2 by the eighth minute before Shrikant Jadhav scored a touch point in the do or die raid to cut the slender deficit for the UP side.
The pendulum shifted either way with both the sides stealing a couple of bonus points before Gujarat’s K.Prapanjan was super tackled twice, which helped the Yoddhas square the scores at 11-11.
But minutes before the end of the first half, the Gujarat side bounced back in style by inflicting the first All Out of the match to stretch their lead to 19-14 at the breather.
Coming back, Gujarat rubbed salt into the hapless UP Yoddhas’ wounds by immediately inflicting another All Out and double their lead to 28-14 with merely 15 minutes to go.
Dejected but not the ones to give up easily, the Yoddhas managed a couple of points in the next few minutes, thanks to Prashanth stealing a bonus point as the scoreline read 16-30 before extending it further to 22-32.
The Yoddhas continued their strong comeback by inflicting their first All Out that further swelled their score to 27-34 and went on to add a few more.
But with time running out of UP’s hands, and Gujarat preferring to play the waiting game with a slender lead, the match ended in favour of last season’s runner-up side 38-31.
–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.