The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Artillery Centre salutes havaldar

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Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Artillery Centre salutes havaldar

V.V. Subrahmanyam

Manjeet Singh finishes 19th in overall standings at Beijing Olympics

Jubilant: Manjeet Singh seen with Brig. C. Suresh

HYDERABAD: It is not very often that the big guns of the Artillery Centre stand up to salute a Havaldar. But Saturday was destined to be different in the life of rower Manjeet Singh, who has just returned from the Beijing Olympics.

Reason? He finished, along with his partner Devender Kumar, a creditable 19th in the overall standings.

What is so great can be the next logical query? But the fact that even this turned out to be the best ever by any Indian rower in Olympics history is what made the top brass of Artillery Centre headed by Brig C. Suresh, to put up a felicitation function in honour of this outstanding 20-year-old athlete.

The entire wing of Artillery Centre has every reason to be proud for the simple fact that Manjeet happens to be the first ever Olympian from amongst them. “He made the entire Regiment proud,” remarked Brig Suresh. “No doubt, we will seriously consider the option of giving him another out-of-turn promotion very soon,” he said amidst cheers from the select gathering.

Interestingly, Artillery Centre has won 44 gold, 52 silver and 46 bronze medals at various national and international water sports meets over the years.

“We are grateful to Col. (Retd) CPS Deo, president of Rowing Federation of India, for always encouraging the Service personnel in rowing,” he said. Manjeet recalled that the atmosphere in Beijing was a memorable and a life-time experience. “We are richer by experience of competing in Olympics,” he said. “Now, I am looking ahead for the 2010 Commonwealth Championship in Delhi to win a gold. We are confident of doing that,” says Manjeet even as he was basking under the accolades showered by the top officials of the Artillery Regiment.

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