BAI congratulates Sindhu

New Delhi: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Friday congratulated P V Sindhu for becoming the first Indian woman singles player to ensure a medal at the ongoing World Badminton Championship in Guangzhou, China.

"I congratulate Sindhu on reaching the semifinals and ensuring a medal. But she has the capability to go all the way in the tournament and I wish her all the luck in her endeavour," BAI President Akhilesh Das Gupta said. Playing in her maiden World Championships, 18-year-old Sindhu, seeded 10th, scored an upset win over local favourite Shixian Wang to enter the semifinals here. The Indian took just 55 minutes to get the better of her World No. 8 and seventh seeded Chinese opponent 21-18 21-17. Before Sindhu, Prakash Padukone won a medal in the World Championships way back in 1983 when he bagged a bronze in the men singles event in Copenhagen, while the women`s doubles duo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had claimed another bronze for India in the last edition of the tournament at London in 2011. PTI