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I-League: Lajong host Indian Arrows in battle for pride (Preview)
Shillong, Jan 12 (IANS) Laggards Shillong Lajong and Indian Arrows will lock horns with little more than pride to play for in an I-League clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Sunday.
Shillong, who chose not to go with foreign recruits this year and instead play a young in-house side with Alison Kharsyntiew in charge, find themselves at the bottom of the 11-team pile, suffering nine losses and conceding a whopping 33 goals – by far the highest in the league, in their 11 games so far.
Their only win at home came against Aizawl in October last year, and they have been at the receiving end of two 1-6 scorelines and also went down to their Sunday opponents in the first leg away from home.
The Arrows, on the other hand, have already matched their debut season three wins record and look hungry for more, presenting a wholesome challenge in every game to the strongest of teams.
Credit must go to coach Floyd Pinto for shaping a resilient and competitive side. The drafting of U-16 youngsters Vikram Pratap Singh and Rohit Danu has added a lot of zest in attack to go with their organised game at the back and midfield.
Ahead of the tie, Floyd said, “Shillong Lajong play good attacking football. Any game between the two elite youth clubs is going to be tough. Both the teams will be giving their 100 per cent.”
“We scored in our last game but it was pretty close. Our aim will be to get the three points. The game tomorrow will be totally different because both the teams are having young players.”
“These kinds of matches give them a platform to play with good players and bigger football clubs,” he added.
Not only have they beaten sides like Aizawl, Gokulam and Shillong, but they have also given stronger sides like Quess East Bengal (QEB) and Minerva a run for their money.
But it is not as if it has been all gloom and doom for Shillong. You only have to look at the statistic which says that Shillong have scored 13 goals to the Arrows five, to know that there is talent at their disposal.
In fact, midfielder Phrangki Buam is amongst the highest scorers in the league with four goals and has probably been one of the finds of the season.
The Shillong youngsters play with a lot of passion and will surely remember their loss to the Arrows at the Barabati and will be itching to have a go at them on home turf.
Speaking to the media on matchday eve, Alison Kharsyntiew said: “We have scored 13 goals and conceded 33. The most important thing for the boys is to attack in the defence.”
“If our defence is good we can defeat any team. The boys are ready for tomorrow’s match they will go all out and give their 100 percent.”
“The players have worked really hard in the training and our aim is to get the 3 points. Indian Arrows is a good team they have good players like Boris. Their game is very intense with immense speed, our defence and mid field have to cope up to their speed,” Kharsyntiew added.
–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.