Neymar shows swollen ankle, plans to return at World Cup
Doha (AP): Neymar is planning a World Cup comeback despite posting a photo of his ankle still looking very swollen.
Neymar is undergoing treatment for damaged ligaments in his right ankle after getting hurt in Brazil's 2-0 opening win over Serbia on Thursday. Team doctors said Neymar will miss Monday's match against Switzerland but did not elaborate on a timetable for his return or say whether he will be able to return at all.
Neymar wrote on Instagram he was enduring "one of the most difficult moments" of his career, but seemed optimistic about his chances of returning. He showed two photos of his swollen ankle in an Instagram story.
"I'm injured, yes, and it's a pain, and it will hurt," he said. "But I'm sure that I'll have the chance to return, because I'll do anything possible to help my country, my teammates and myself."
He said he's been waiting too long for this World Cup to go out like this.
"Nothing in my life was easy or given to me," Neymar said. "I've had always had to go after my dreams and my objectives."
Neymar also got hurt at the 2014 World Cup, when a back injury sustained in the quarterfinals against Colombia took him out of the tournament his country hosted. Brazil ended up losing to Germany 7-1 in the semifinals.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward has been undergoing physiotherapy treatment since getting injured. He also had a small bone trauma in the same foot after being roughed up by the Serbia defense from the start. He was fouled nine times, the most by any player at the World Cup in the first set of matches in the group stage.
The 30-year-old Neymar is second on Brazil's scoring list with 75 goals, two behind Pel 's record with the national team. He helped the "Sele o" win the 2013 Confederations Cup and its first Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, but has yet to win a major title with Brazil.
Brazil coach Tite has yet to announce who will replace Neymar while he is unavailable. Tite also will miss right back Danilo, who hurt his ankle against Serbia.
Brazil, seeking its first World Cup title in two decades, faces Cameroon in its last group match. It can reach the round of 16 with a win on Monday if Cameroon doesn't defeat Serbia in the other group match.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Odisha govt halts salaries of 5 teachers after school fire injures 4 students
Bhubaneswar (PTI): The Odisha government on Tuesday halted the salaries of five teachers and issued show-cause notices to other staff of a state-run high school in Rayagada district, a day after four students sustained severe burn injuries in a fire incident on the premises of the institute.
School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond told PTI that he has directed the department secretary to submit a detailed report on the incident and ordered a departmental inquiry to ascertain negligence, if any.
The students suffered burn injuries while playing around a fire during school hours.
ALSO READ: Kerala to launch school health programme to promote child well-being
“The department has stopped the salaries of five teachers and issued show-cause notices to other staff members in connection with the incident,” he said.
The minister said that further action would be taken against teachers or staff if negligence in duty was established.
School and Mass Education Secretary N Thirumala Naik said three of the injured students were undergoing treatment at a hospital in Rayagada, while one critically injured student has been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
The school headmaster had lodged a complaint at Muniguda police station on Monday. Police have recorded statements of the injured students, officials said.
According to preliminary findings, the incident occurred when a classmate of the injured students allegedly threw colour thinner, an inflammable substance, onto a fire that had been lit by the students on the school building’s balcony.
Muniguda police station in-charge inspector Saudamini Behera said the students were playing on the school roof around 2 pm on Monday when they found a bottle of thinner stored there.
They allegedly poured it on the floor and set it on fire using a matchstick. One of the boys later added more thinner, causing the flames to flare up and injure four students, she said.
