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Barca edge Real Madrid 1-0 in bad-tempered Clasico
Madrid, March 3 (IANS) FC Barcelona got a first-half goal from Ivan Rakitic in a 1-0 La Liga victory over Real Madrid, who lost for the second time in four days to their arch-rival.
The league-leading Catalans’ victory in the Matchday 26 contest at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium here on Saturday night, which was marred by an incident involving Blancos defender Sergio Ramos and Barca superstar Lionel Messi, gives them a whopping 12-point lead over the third-placed Madrid side with only a dozen games remaining in the season, reports Efe news.
The hosts got off to a promising start and had some chances in Barcelona’s area in the early going, but Karim Benzema was off the mark with one attempt on goal before a shot by Luka Modric was cleared away by Barca defender Gerard Pique.
But Barcelona started asserting their superiority soon afterward, creating more and more danger with every foray into the hosts’ area until getting on the board with a goal by Rakitic in the 26th minute.
The Croatian international produced a Messi-like finish on the play, receiving a pass on the right side from Sergi Roberto and then dinking a shot over a sliding Ramos and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who had hit the turf trying to prevent a low shot from getting past him.
But the biggest drama at the close of the first half involved the ever-controversial Ramos, who beat Messi to a loose ball and in the process hit the Argentine in the face with his left arm.
Messi reacted furiously and the two players stared each other down forehead-to-forehead, but no yellow card was awarded.
After the break, roughly 25 minutes went by without a clear scoring opportunity.
Real Madrid, for their part, failed to score against Barcelona for the third straight time in front of their home fans.
Messi, meanwhile, went home without a goal.
Afterward, Pique hailed the atmosphere at the Bernabeu.
“There are other matches where it’s hard to get motivated. When we come here, it’s in the right conditions and to get the three points.”
Referring to the big lead that Barcelona (60 points) enjoy over Atletico Madrid (50 points) and Real Madrid (48 points) in La Liga, Pique expressed cautious optimism.
–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.