New Delhi: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) President Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta hailed badminton teen sensation PV Sindhu on clinching her maiden Grand Prix Gold title, the $120,000 Malaysian Open badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

The 17-year-old Sindhu, ranked 13th in the world, lived up to her top billing in the tournament, beating Singaporean fifth seed and world No.27 Juan Gu in the women's singles final. The Indian shuttler won 21-17, 17-21, 21-19 in one hour and 11 minutes at the Juara Indoor Stadium.

Congratulating the Hyderabadi shuttler, Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta said here on Saturday, “This is a proud day for Indian sports and our country’s badminton. I congratulate PV Sindhu for bringing great laurels for India. Sindhu had come close to winning a Grand Prix Gold in the finals in Lucknow last year but I’m thrilled she has clinched her maiden GP title on foreign soil. She is capable of achieving much more and I’m sure her victory will boost Indian shuttlers to aim higher at the World Championship and Superseries tournaments.”

Meanwhile, Sindhu thanked the BAI President and her coaches for their support and contribution in enabling her to clinch her first Grand Prix Gold title. She said, “This is a dream come true for me. I would like to thank the BAI President Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta and chief coach Pullela Gopichand for motivating me and pushing me to excel.”