CHANDIGARH: Chandigarh rower Manjeet Singh, who qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was given a warm welcome by the Executive Members of Chandigarh Rowing Association here Thursday.

Association  president TC Gupta and secretary Parmod Kumar Singla, Lake Sports Complex coach Arvind Sehgal and many other senior members of the association gave a reception of garlands and flower bouquets  to Manjeet Singh on his arrival at the Chandigarh Railway Station after participating in Shanghai.

Manjeet Singh has brought laurels to the City Beautiful by qualifying for 2008 Beijing Olympics at the Pre-Olympic Regatta held at Shanghai (China) from April 25 to 27 in the lightweight Coxless Double Sculls (LM2x) with his partner Devender Kumar Khnadwal from Army. By this outstanding achievement, Manjeet has got the distinction of becoming the first civilian in India who ever qualified for the Olympics.

He is the first rower from Chandigarh having qualified for the Olympics.  Bajrang Lal of Services also achieved the 2008 Olympic qualifying standards  in single scull.

Some of his outstanding achievements of Manjeet are: Won two silver in Coxless Pairs (JM2-) and Coxless Fours (JM4-) in  12th Junior Asian Rowing Championship held at Singapore from July 12-15, 2006.  Won gold in Coxless Fours (JM4-) in 10th South Asian Games held at Colombo, Sri Lanka from 18-28 August 2006. And won silver and bronze in Coxed Eights (M8+) and Coxless Pairs (M2-), respectively, in the  12th Senior Asian Rowing Championships, held at Chung Ju, South Korea from 14 – 19 Oct 2007.