'Winning gold in World C'ships is like winning an Olympic medal': BAI Vice-President

Nagpur: Comparing her feat to an Olympic medal, Badminton Association of India (BAI) vice-president, Arun Lakhani on Sunday lauded Indian shuttler PV Sindhu for winning a gold medal in the BWF World Championships.

Speaking to ANI, Lakhani said, "This is the proud moment for the badminton fraternity and the whole country. Winning the World Championships in an extraordinary feat and it is like winning an Olympic medal."

He continued, "This is due to her rigorous practice and her passion for the game. The way she played today has shown Sindhu supremacy in the world badminton."

Sindhu trounced Japan's Nozomi Okuhara 21-7, 21-7 in the final of the tournament and became the first Indian shuttler to win a gold at the event. She outclassed her opponent in a one-sided game in 36 minutes.

Other than Sindhu, Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth won the bronze medal after he suffered a loss in the semifinal on Saturday. He became the second Indian after Prakash Padukone to get a medal at the tournament after a gap 36 years.

"The performance of our players like Sindhu and Sai Praneeth showing that they are back in form and will perform better in the coming time. I'm sure that they will bring many more golds and many more laurels to the country," Lakhani said.

By winning the title, Sindhu, who was born in Hyderabad, has become the first Indian to clinch a gold medal at the World Championships.

Earlier, the 24-year old has four medals at the World Championships as she bagged bronze in the 2013 and 2014 while in 2017 and 2018 she claimed silver medals.

Sindhu has also won the silver medal at the Rio Olympics 2016. This year she appeared in the final of the Indonesia Open where she faced a defeat at the hands of Akane Yamaguchi.