Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveSwing Queen Renuka Singh Thakur named ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year

Swing Queen Renuka Singh Thakur named ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year

Compiled by: Amrita Priya

(February 26, 2023) When prime minister Narendra Modi was congratulating the Indian women’s cricket team after they won the Asia Cup 2022, he had special words of praise for the Himachal girl Renuka Singh Thakur. “Renuka’s face might ooze the peacefulness of Shimla, and the innocent smile of the mountains but her tough bowling on the field defeats the confidence of even the seasoned batters,” he said in his speech. Popularly known as the Swing Queen of Indian cricket, Renuka was also commended by the PM for being an inspiration for girls in the remotest corners of India.

Impressing everybody with her magnificent displays of seam and swing bowling, the ICC Emerging Women's Cricketer of the Year had a great 2022 👌#ICCAwards2022

— ICC (@ICC) January 25, 2023

Renuka was named the Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2022 by ICC. The decision came after ICC conducted a poll for the specialist panel of media representatives, the ICC Voting Academy, and cricket lovers around the world.

India’s newest cricket star, who is known for her extraordinary swings while bowling, left behind Australia’s Darcie Brown, England’s Alice Capsey and her Indian colleague Yastika Bhatia garnering maximum votes. ICC announced the names of the winners last month. Global voting categories were based on overall performances and achievements of the nominated cricket stars throughout the calendar year.

From village grounds to international cricket

Hailing from Parsa village in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh, Renuka was raised by her mother. She had lost her father at the tender age of three. He wanted both his children to take up sports and it was to fulfil her father’s dream that the youngster took up cricket, finding it the most interesting game.

While Renuka’s mother was busy working as a class IV employee in the Himachal Pradesh’s irrigation and public health department, Renuka would play cricket with her elder brother Vinod (who is named after cricketer Vinod Kambli) and his friends at the village grounds. Sometimes Renuka would even travel with them to other villages to play her favourite game.

Indian Cricketer | Renuka Singh | Global Indian

Renuka Singh Thakur

In 2009, Renuka enrolled herself in Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association’s Women’s Residential Academy in Dharamshala, following the advice of her uncle who is a physical education teacher in a government college. Later, she was selected for the Australia tour of the national women’s cricket team, followed by tours in Bangladesh and Thailand. She performed exceptionally in all the tournaments.

Turning heads

In 2019-20, the cricket star won hearts by taking a total of 23 wickets in different tournaments, establishing herself as leading wicket-taker of the Indian women’s cricket team. The following year, she won the BCCI Senior Women’s One Day Trophy for taking nine wickets against Australia.

“All I do is step on the field with confidence and bank on the energy of the fielders to throw the balls in most challenging manner, enjoying the process all along,” she said. Renuka also remarked, in the conversation with Jemima Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma, “I love the spectators during the match. When I am on field, looking at them fills me up with confidence.”

Renuka was selected to represent India in the International T20 Cricket Series in 2021. The Global Indian went on to represent India in Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2022 and played a pivotal role in helping her team lift the trophy, leaving behind 15 teams from across the world. Renuka also became the first Indian pacer to take five wickets in T20 World Cup.

Mesmerised by her power-packed performances, cricket lovers and experts voted her as the Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year title from amongst an impressive list of high performing international cricketers nominated by the ICC.

With the coveted title that Renuka has earned right at the beginning of 2023, and her recent selection for ₹ 1.5 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore, the year has already started on a promising note for the Swing Queen.

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Published on 26, Feb 2023

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Indian talent Aria rides the Hallyu wave as second K-Pop star

(September 20, 2024) The Hallyu Wave, a cultural movement from South Korea, has captured the world's attention with its catchy music, impressive dance moves, and powerful storytelling. This wave, led by the global popularity of K-Pop, has made a strong impact in India. From the busy streets of Mumbai to the peaceful areas of Kerala, Indians have embraced K-Pop with great enthusiasm, turning it into a cultural craze. The energetic performances of K-Pop groups, blending music, dance, and fashion, have connected with Indian youth, creating a passion that crosses borders. In the growing K-Pop craze in India, Gauthami, known by her stage name Aria, has become a shining example of determination and dreams. Coming from Kerala, Aria is the second Indian to join a K-Pop group, following Sriya Lenka’s groundbreaking success. Her story reflects the hopes of many Indian fans who have passionately followed K-Pop and dreamed of being part of its exciting world. It was in April 2023 that Aria made a stunning debut with the girl group X:in that released its first album Keeping the Fire. Getting attention for her nationality, she said, "I thought people from India would be giving me all the attention but it turned

l the attention but it turned out that people from all over the world are showering with me love and support. I was surprised but at the same time feel grateful."

[caption id="attachment_39352" align="aligncenter" width="610"] Aria[/caption]

Born in 2003, Gauthami was always interested in the performing arts. It was this love that led her to the big screen. As an eight-year-old, she appeared in the 2011 Malayalam court drama Melvilasom, where she played the role of an adopted daughter of a Dalit soldier who is accused of killing another soldier on duty. While she was in awe of her first tryst with the cinematic world, growing up, like many Indian teenagers, she too fell in love with K-Pop. It was BTS that prompted her to pursue her journey in K-Pop. "Their songs are very meaningful and there is this one song Tomorrow that resonated with me. That song inspires you to do what you want to do," the Global Indian said in an interview.

Keen to try her luck in K-Pop, she applied for online auditions. For a two-minute clip (vocals plus dance), she prepared for two months because she wanted to give her all. Explaining the process, she reveals that one can find the links to the auditions on the Instagram page of the K-pop companies. She emphasises the need to focus on the quality of the audio and video while submitting online auditions. Being a professionally untrained singer, it was pure love for music that kept her listening to music and singing more of it.

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Upon her selection, she flew down to Seoul in October 2022 to train for six months. "I was terrified as I was now part of an entirely new world. Also, I was given my debut song on the very first day of the training, so we jumped right into practicing our debut song," she said. It was during one such practice session that her producer realised that she was good at rapping, and that's how she moved from being a vocalist to a rapper in the band.

Moving from the known comfort of her culture and home to Korea was a little overwhelming for this K-Pop star initially. But over some time, she started enjoying the Korean lifestyle and culture. "At many times, I found things harder to be than I thought but never did I think of returning to India as I had come so far for nothing." Interestingly, she became the first Indian to have hit the Korean live stage, which is nothing short of historic. "It was my dream and I am so grateful that I could realise it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxunv8l446U

The 21-year-old, who has begun her K-Pop journey with X:in, wants her girl band to enter the Billboard Charts in the near future. But as an individual artiste, she wants to do a lot of music and also try acting. "I'm open to offers from K-dramas and Bollywood."

Aria's achievement not only marks a new chapter in the story of the Hallyu Wave in India but also represents cross-cultural unity, where music and rhythms go beyond language barriers, bringing fans together in joyful celebration and admiration.

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All the right moves: Indian chess prodigy Prraneeth Vuppala journey to grandmaster status

(June 8, 2023) Prraneeth Vuppala’s parents introduced him to a variety of sporting activities when he was just six. Tennis interested him and so did football. Like most children, he loved swimming too. But it was chess that fascinated him the most. He only took about a week to learn the basics and how to make the right moves. The young Indian chess prodigy and his early passion for the game led him to a chess academy where he sharpened his skills in no time. Thereafter, he went about checkmating his opponents across the globe, winning national and international tournaments one after the other. All of 16, he recently became the India’s 82nd Grandmaster after he achieved the required 2,500 FIDE rating points. “Despite all the wins, I don’t think one can still master the game of chess,” smiles Prraneeth in an exclusive chat with Global Indian. The Indian chess prodigy defeated Grandmaster Hans Niemann of USA in the penultimate round of the Baku Open 2023 held from May 4 to 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan. “I don’t get distracted by anything during a game and remain focused on it completely. Without bothering about winning or losing, I just go out there and play. The

n. “I don’t get distracted by anything during a game and remain focused on it completely. Without bothering about winning or losing, I just go out there and play. The grandmaster title is part of the process and I feel great about it,” says the teenager, who has become a role model for many budding chess players not only in his home state of Telangana but across the world.

[caption id="attachment_30877" align="aligncenter" width="487"] Chess prodigy Prraneeth Vuppala[/caption]

The Baku Open

In the Baku Open, Grandmaster Niemann’s attack on the kingside did not work out the way he wanted and Prraneeth scored a win. “Prior to the game, I do prepare against the opponent, try to analyse their moves and check their opening lines. But when the tournament actually starts, I don’t think about the opponent at all. I just play,” says the young grandmaster. He is the sixth from the state of Telangana to have achieved the title.

Prraneeth was among the 119 players, including 32 Grandmasters, 29 International Masters, 11 World Grandmasters and Women International Masters) from 14 countries who took part in the Baku Open. The nine-day, nine-round Swiss League tournament was organized by the Azerbaijan Chess Federation and the Ministry of Youth & Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Upon his return to Hyderabad after winning the grandmaster title, Prraneeth was accorded a grand welcome by the Telangana state government.

He was felicitated by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and announced a reward of Rs 2.50 crore. “Meeting the Chief Minister along with my parents was a matter of great pride. He congratulated me and wished me well for my future tournaments and assured all support,” says Praneeth, whose intelligent moves on the chess board in a short span of time surprised many.

Earning his grandmaster norms

[caption id="attachment_30878" align="aligncenter" width="535"] Prraneeth with Telangana CM, K. Chandrashekar Rao[/caption]

Prraneeth has achieved three Grandmaster norms during the course of his chess career. In March 2022, he earned the first one and achieved the International Master title in Hungary. In July the same year, he achieved his second norm at Biel Master Tournament in Switzerland. He achieved third GM norm at the second Chessable Subway Formentra Open in Spain, Sunway Sitges and Lorca tournaments in Italy.

“The tournament in Hungary was tough. I lost the first round but that did not bother me. I kept my focus on the game, analysed where I was going wrong and improved it. I won other rounds to win my first grandmaster norm,” recalls the chess prodigy, who also participated in world chess tournaments held in Armenia and Budapest earlier besides Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. He also achieved his second International Masters norm in the Vergani cup in Serbia.

The prodigy’s journey

Hailing from Allagapada village in Miryalaguda Mandal of Nalgonda district of Telangana, Prraneeth’s father V Srinivasa Chary works as Assistant Commissioner in GST while his mother Dhanalaxmi is a junior lecturer at a Government college. “They encouraged me all through which made me what I am today,” says Prraneeth, a Standard XI student of Viswa Chaitanya Junior College, Tarnaka in Hyderabad.

Prraneeth held the titles of national champion (under- 7 to under-14) before he earned the international masters and grandmaster titles. Till 2021, he trained with noted chess coach Rama Raju at the RACE academy. Now, he trains with Israel Grandmaster Viktor Mikhalevski.

Earlier, the 16 year old used to do yoga and meditation. “Now I mostly rely on normal workouts in between the tournaments which helps me remain focussed on the game and agile to all the moves by opponents,” informs Prraneeth, an admirer of Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen.

What’s next

The chess Grandmaster says his next target is to reach 2,600 rating points and is already working towards it. “My ultimate goal is to become the world champion by achieving 2,800 rating points,” says the youngster who is all focused on his next tournament — the Asian Continental tournament in Kazakhstan which starts this month.

While he regularly practices in chess to fine tune his skills, Prraneeth likes to read books about chess and chess players. “It not only motivates me, it is also interesting to read and analyse their moves which helps me in my game as well,” explains the prodigy who puts in 8 to 10 hours of practice everyday. He even plays chess online with multiple players.

In between his academics, which he also excels at, Praneeth makes it a point to indulge in football and tennis with his friends. “There are many more tournaments to come and I constantly prepare myself for them,” he says.

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Shanya Gill: Indian American innovator working on making world a safer place

(November 9, 2023) A thought-provoking yet unfortunate statistic from the World Health Organisation reveals that fire-related incidents claim an estimated 180,000 lives each year on a global scale. And one such accident gave California-based innovator, Shanya Gill the motive to build an affordable fire alarm using thermal imaging and software-based occupancy detection. It was a late summer afternoon when the kitchen of a restaurant in San Jose had a fire accident. Even though the staff on the spot tried their best to contain the fire, the restaurant was eventually destroyed. "It was right behind my house," said the 13-year-old in a recent interview, "Since then, my mother became increasingly cautious, always asking me to double-check that the kitchen stove was turned off before leaving our house." A few days later while studying, the young innovator stumbled upon the intriguing capability of thermal cameras to identify heat loss in homes during the winter season. This newfound knowledge sparked her curiosity, leading her to research more about whether these cameras could potentially expedite the detection of house fires compared to conventional smoke detectors. "With an early warning system, we could save thousands of lives every year,” the Global Indian said. And that

e about whether these cameras could potentially expedite the detection of house fires compared to conventional smoke detectors. "With an early warning system, we could save thousands of lives every year,” the G lobal Indian said.

And that is where it all changed for her. The innovator's fire alarm design recently received top honours in the foremost middle school science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competition sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Society for Science. Shanya also won a prize award of $25,000 for her innovation. "It's a very proud moment for me. I plan to continue working on projects that will help make society a safer place," the innovator said after winning the award.

Towards a better world

An outstanding student, Shanya has been a dedicated contributor to various school projects since her first-grade year. Currently, a sixth-standard student at Stratford School – Sunnyvale Raynor Middle School in San Jose, this young innovator devoted countless hours to refining the theory behind her fire alarm design. To create her fire-detection system, Shanya linked a budget-friendly thermal camera to a compact computer. She then skillfully programmed the system to identify individuals as warm, moving entities and heat sources, such as an active gas burner, as stationary hot objects.

The innovator coded the system to dispatch a text message if it detected a heat source but no human presence for a continuous period of 10 minutes. Subsequently, the prototype device was affixed to the kitchen wall. She conducted numerous tests at different times of the day, with individuals entering the camera's field of view from diverse angles to ensure its reliability. "It took me some time to conduct all these experiments, however, it was a lot of fun," she shared. Her system has been able to consistently identify human presence with a 98 percent accuracy rate and detect heat sources with a 97 percent precision.

Ultimately, Shanya's system demonstrated an impressive accuracy rate, successfully identifying human presence 98 percent of the time and detecting heat sources with a 97 percent accuracy. Furthermore, it reliably dispatched text messages 97 percent of the time in cases where a heat source was left unattended. "With further improvements," the innovator believes, "this device has the potential to outperform traditional smoke detectors in terms of accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and speed of emergency response."

She might have won the award, but the innovator hasn't stopped testing the reliability of her device. "In order to deploy at a large scale, I am doing experiments where the device would be placed on the ceiling like a smoke detector. There, the device can draw power from existing electric lines and view a wider area," she said.

Colourful feathers in her cap

But, if you thought this innovator was all about books, you are very wrong. A champion swimmer, water polo, and table tennis player, Shanya is an all-rounder. "I thoroughly enjoy engaging in sports, as it has been a passion of mine since a young age,” she expressed. Interestingly, that's not all. Shanya also has a passion for crafting, coding, and sharing her knowledge with younger children. Looking ahead, she aspires to pursue a career as a biomedical engineer. “By combining my love for biology, desire to make a difference, and passion for innovation, biomedical engineering is the perfect fit for me,” the innovator said.

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His brother’s keeper: Yash Gandhi Foundation leads the way in I-Cell disease research

(December 7, 2022) Yash Gandhi was eleven months old, the much-adored firstborn son of Ash and Sonal Gandhi, when he was diagnosed with a rare, terminal disease. He wouldn't make it past the age of five, doctors said, and there was nothing anyone could do. Shattered, his parents scoured the internet for information and answers, finding none. Their search for solace led to the creation of the Yash Gandhi Foundation in 2001, which has, over the years, given out sizeable grants for I-Cell research and has reached hundreds of thousands of people across over a dozen countries. In 2016, their younger son, Kavi Gandhi, took over the foundation and has been running it since, determined to keep his brother's memory alive. To fight another day What they did find, however, was stories - hundreds of them, all similar to their own. The internet was full of devastated parents who, instead of allowing grief to debilitate them, were determined to fight for their kids instead. In some cases, these struggles even resulted in a miracle cure. That was how the idea for the Yash Gandhi Foundation first came about. "With the clock against us, we knew that any work we did

rmined to fight for their kids instead. In some cases, these struggles even resulted in a miracle cure. That was how the idea for the Yash Gandhi Foundation first came about. "With the clock against us, we knew that any work we did was unlikely to benefit Yash, but to us, it didn't matter," Ash and Sonal Gandhi write, on the Yash Gandhi Foundation website. "What was most important was that we could make a difference and prevent another family from going through what we were at the time."

[caption id="attachment_25140" align="aligncenter" width="1620"] The founders of the Yash Gandhi Foundation, Kavi Gandhi with his family. Photo: Twitter[/caption]

Handing over the reins

Today, the Foundation is run by their second son, Kavi Gandhi, now a student at Davidson College. In three years, they raised $460,000 to aid I-Cell research, to prevent the disease that claimed his brother's life from taking another. I-cell disease is caused by a genetic mutation and is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder "characterised by coarse facial features, skeletal abnormalities and mental retardation," according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders. Children with I-cell disease show delayed development of gross and fine motor skills, hearing loss, lack of muscle tone and growth delays.

The Gandhis ran their foundation, the only one in the world for I-Cell, for 15 years. In 2013, they even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for their cause. Three years later, however, they believed the time had come to close the foundation. Their 13-year-old son, Kavi, was not happy to hear the news. After giving it a few days of thought, he announced to his parents that he was going to revive the foundation and run it himself, in memory of his brother.

Growing up with Yash

Only two years younger than Yash Gandhi, the family's trauma impacted Kavi too. He recalls a slew of hospital trips, and watching his brother hooked up to oxygen tanks and walkers. "We were really close like a lot of siblings are at that age," Kavi said. "A lot of my memories are from playing with him and spending time together. Those six years, I've definitely cherished and still retained a lot of those memories."

When Yash passed away in 2009, the family created the Yash Gandhi Foundation. "Losing my sibling was probably one of the most formative experiences for me... the foundation is a way to transform the grief I felt with my brother into really honouring his memory and preserving that," Kavi remarked.

[caption id="attachment_25141" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Kavi Gandhi was named the 2018 Global Genes RARE Champion of Hope for Teen Advocacy[/caption]

At the frontier of I-Cell disease research

Since he took over the foundation in 2006, Kavi has worked to connect with other families who have been impacted by I-Cell and has raised nearly half a million dollars towards ML II research. In 2020, Kavi interned at the Greenwood Genetic Center to study the disease in human and zebrafish cells. The young Global Indian is a 2021 John M Belk Scholar at Davidson College, where he is doing his undergraduate degree in Public Health, with a Minor in Hispanic studies. He's also a member of the university's jazz ensemble.

In 2018, Global Genes named Gandhi the 2018 Global Genes RARE Champion of Hope for Teen Advocacy. Every year since 2012, the Yash Gandhi Foundation has issued research grants - in 2020, a smiling Kavi, standing with his parents, announced a $130,000 grant, their largest to date, to Dr Richard Street at the Greenwood Genetic Centre and Dr Stuart Kornfield of Washington University.

Follow Yash Gandhi Foundation on Twitter

Shafali Verma: The captain who led India’s victory in the Under-19 Women’s Cricket World Cup 

(February 8, 2023) “India, this is for you,” tweeted the overjoyed captain Shafali Verma after lifting the ICC Under-19 Women's Cricket World Cup on January 29, 2023. It was a landmark day in the history of women’s cricket in India, and Shafali was teary-eyed. With matches in the Twenty20 cricket format, the tournament organised by the International Cricket Council was the first in the women’s category, even though the Under-19 World Cup in the men’s category is being played since 1988. [caption id="attachment_27285" align="aligncenter" width="898"] Shafali Verma[/caption] Under Shafali’s leadership, the Indian team defeated England by seven wickets in the exciting finals held at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom in South Africa. India emerged a winner amongst sixteen teams that competed in the tournament. Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar tweeted, “the win would inspire a whole generation to take up sports". Not unlike other cricketers it was Tendulkar who had inspired Shafali Verma, the Haryana girl from small town Rohtak, to take up the sport. Global Indian  takes a look at the extraordinary journey of this brilliant, young player who is basking in the glory of bringing the maiden Under-19 Women's Cricket World Cup trophy home. Rohtak girl’s foray in the world of cricket She

n data-contrast="auto">Under Shafali’s leadership, the Indian team defeated England by seven wickets in the exciting finals held at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom in South Africa. India emerged a winner amongst sixteen teams that competed in the tournament. Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar tweeted, “the win would inspire a whole generation to take up sports".

Not unlike other cricketers it was Tendulkar who had inspired Shafali Verma, the Haryana girl from small town Rohtak, to take up the sport.

Global Indian  takes a look at the extraordinary journey of this brilliant, young player who is basking in the glory of bringing the maiden Under-19 Women's Cricket World Cup trophy home.

Rohtak girl’s foray in the world of cricket

She was quite young when she first stepped on a cricket pitch. Disguised as her brother, who was sick, Shafali Verma played at the under-12 national school championship and ended up winning the Player of the Match award. A first-class cricketer today, this Haryana girl has carved a niche for herself in the world of cricket. The youngest Indian cricketer to play in an international match, Shafali was just 15 when she was selected to play at the Women’s 20 International Series.

[embed]https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1619707207049953280?s=20&t=zcbTtZes5HpLmCD-LARwHg[/embed]

Interestingly, the teen prodigy became the youngest Indian half-centurion while playing against West Indies during her debut series. Her first international series turned out to be a great one. Scoring 158 in just five matches, she became the player of the series, garnering lots of attention for her fantastic performance.

By 2021, the 2004-born had built a good repertoire – becoming the youngest player to represent India in all three formats of international cricket at the age of 17. Her brilliant performances earned her a place in the Indian team for the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup and subsequently made her the strongest contender to be the captain of the Indian team at the under-19 world cup.

Off the bat

Daughter of a jewellery shop owner, Shafali has been playing cricket since she was just eight years old. The young cricketer was trained by her father, Sanjeev, who once aspired to be a cricketer himself.

[caption id="attachment_19207" align="aligncenter" width="825"] Shafali Verma in action[/caption]

A strict mentor, Sanjeev devised a rigorous training schedule for his daughter. However, he would also give her a reward of ₹5 whenever Shafali hit a sixer at the local ground. Recognising that Shafali could make an excellent cricketer, her father later made her join the Ram Narayan Cricket Club, Rohtak.

Crediting her father for her success, Shafali wrote on social media, “I am who I am today because of my father. He has always been the most supportive and friendly dad in the world.”

An eventful journey

The alumna of Mandeep Senior Secondary School, Rohtak has set quite a number of records. In June 2021, she became the youngest player, male or female, to represent India in all three formats of international cricket. In October 2022, she became the youngest cricketer to complete 1000 runs in T20 internationals. She also became the youngest cricketer ever to play in the final of the Women’s World Cup.

[embed]https://twitter.com/TheShafaliVerma/status/1621122087208488960?s=20&t=0hG6qZFhmaZmAqdq1wsfJw[/embed]

Even though she is quite busy, the sportsperson always manages to find time between matches and practice sessions, to connect with her fans through social media.

Like other cricketers, Shafali too idolised one of the greatest cricketers of all times, Sachin Tendulkar. “The reason I took up cricket is because of Sachin sir. My family has just not idolized but worshipped him,” she had once mentioned in a post.

Follow Shafali Verma on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

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