1971 war hero, Maha Vir Chakra awardee Lt Gen Raj Mohan Vohra dies of COVID-19
New Delhi: Lt Gen (retd) Raj Mohan Vohra, who was a 1971 war hero and a Maha Vir Chakra awardee, has died due to COVID-19, senior officials said on Tuesday. He was 88.
The decorated officer breathed his last on June 14, they said.
"He was admitted initially to a private hospital for stent procedure. He died on June 14 due to COVID-19 infection," a senior official said.
His cremation was held on Sunday, the officials said. Then a lieutenant colonel, Vohra commanded the elite Hodson's Horse in the Shakargarh Sector during the Indo-Pak War of 1971 and was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his conspicuous bravery and leadership.
During the Battle of Basantar, the regiment came under heavy fire from the enemy and faced huge resistance, but 27 enemy tanks were destroyed under his able command, the officials said.
The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) is the country's second highest gallantry award. It is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of enemy whether on land, at sea or in the air.
Vohra had received the coveted award in 1972.
In his long and illustrious career, he tenanted many prestigious appointments, including GOC-in-C Eastern Command and GOC 31 Armoured Division, the official said.
Born in 1932 in Shimla, the veteran officer was from the pioneer course of the National Defence Academy, and was commissioned into the 14 Horse in December 1952, they said.
An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the officer fought in the Punjab sector during the Indo-Pak War of 1965, the officials said.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
