Top News
I-League: Churchill beat Chennai to keep title race alive
Fatorda, March 2 (IANS) Churchill Brothers FC dampened Chennai City’s plan of securing their maiden I-League title with a dramatic 3-2 win over the table toppers at the Tilak Maidan here on Friday.
Chennai City drew the first blood in the 29th minute through Sandro R before Willis Plaza (38′) restored parity for the hosts. The Red Machines took the lead through Christ Remi (50′) once again but it was Pedro Manzi (69′) who made no mistake in converting from the penalty spot.
Their efforts were wasted as “Hero of the Match” Willis Plaza completed his brace (71′) to help his team secure victory.
With this win, Churchill elevated to the third spot with 34 points while Chennai City FC continued to lead the table with 40 points, 4 points ahead of second-placed Quess East Bengal who have played one match less.
East Bengal will need to win their next match against Minerva Punjab FC on March 3 to stay afloat in the title hunt. Anything except a win for the Red and Golds would seal the title for the Southerners, courtesy their superior head-to-head record.
Chennai City, with the urgency to clinch their maiden Hero I-League title with a win against Churchill Brothers, started on a safe note on Friday. Unlike their normal attacking style, it seemed like they were trying to soak in the pressure as Churchill Brothers went pressing hard right from the start.
Willis Plaza, Khalid Aucho and Nicholas Fernandes were combining well to breach the Chennai City defence time and again but somehow couldn’t find a way to finish their attempts. A foul by Wayne Vaz on Nestor Gordillo earned the visitors a free-kick at the top of the box.
Spanish midfielder Sandro’s free-kick, after a deflection from Plaza, gave Chennai the lead in the 29th minute. Churchill Brothers thereafter went on attacking in regular intervals through the combination of Nicholas Fernandes and Khalid Aucho to feed Plaza time and again.
Their efforts soon yielded result when Plaza successfully tapped in from an inch-perfect cross by Fernandes in the 38th minute.
The first half ended with the scoreboard locked at 1-1.
The second half began with Chennai pressing hard for the lead but it was again Churchill Brothers who turned the game Willis on its head. Following a clever interception, Churchill Brothers took the lead soon through Christ Remi.
Churchill Brothers never really stopped trying hard to score their insurance goal but timely interceptions by Chennai City kept them at bay. Chennai City, who played a lot around the midfield, tried a lot from counter-attacks.
Owing to a handball by Wayne Vaz inside the penalty box, Chennai City were awarded a penalty and Pedro Manzi made no mistake to restore the parity in the 69th minute. But Churchill cut their joy short by scoring the winner within two minutes.
–IANS
dm/arm
Top News
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.