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Davis Cup preparations in full swing at South Club

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Kolkata, Jan 22 (IANS) As the Indian team arrived in the city on Tuesday for their Davis Cup World Group qualifier rubber against Italy, preparations at the South Club — which is hosting the competition after a gap of 16 years — were in full swing with a tubular gallery being constructed.

The grass courts of South Club were chosen as the venue only after the All India Tennis Association (AITA) secured two key exemptions from the International Tennis Federation (ITF), one being the seating capacity of 4,000 which is required.

Non-playing captain Mahesh Bhupathi, who is scheduled to arrive in the city on Wednesday, was keen to play on grass considering that Italians are solid hard court players.

The South Club — which has previously hosted 14 Davis Cup ties — has a seating capacity of 3,000.

“We had to construct tubular gallery on the centre court as there are synthetic courts around that and we had to make that arrangement. Work is going on at good pace and we are ready,” said Giri Chaturvedi, secretary of the club which is in its centenary year.

“We are expecting a good crowd and the ground conditions are also good. India wanted to play here and they won’t be disappointed,” he added.

Ticket prices have been kept at Rs. 1,000 for general spectators and Rs. 500 for club members, club president Rajat Majumder said.

While 1,620 tickets will be printed for the Rs. 1,000 general category, there will be 1,000 member tickets available.

The Italian team is set to arrive on Republic Day, January 26.

The last time India hosted a tie on grass was in 2016 when India played Korea in Chandigarh.

A total of 24 teams will play in the knockout qualifiers on February 1 and 2 to decide which 12 teams will play the year-end finals. Twelve winners in February will join these six teams for the 18-team finals in Madrid in November 2019.

According to the new format, only four semi-finalists from the 2018 season along with two wild cards — Argentina and Britain — have a direct entry. India lost their World Group play-off to Serbia while Italy lost their quarterfinal to France.

Since India are ranked 20, they again got a shot at the World Group.

Indian squad: Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Divij Sharan, Rohan Bopanna, Saketh Myneni and Sasi Kumar Mukund.

–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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