Gold Coast (Australia), May 25 (IANS): Rio Olympics silver medallist P.V. Sindhu on Wednesday became the second Indian after her compatriot Saina Nehwal to be inducted in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Athletes' Commission.
Sindhu emerged the highest voted player in the BWF Athletes' Commission election that took place on the sidelines of the Sudirman Cup here.
The Hyderabad shuttler topped the ballot with 129 votes and will be joined by Marc Zweibler of Germany and Kristy Gilmour of Scotland for a four-year term.
The trio will be joined by Lithuania's Akvile Stapusaityte, who will be serving a two-year tenure after replacing China's Tan Yuanting, who retired after serving just two years on the panel.
Elated at the development, Badminton Association of India (BAI) President Himanta Biswa Sarma congratulated Sindhu on the achievement.
"It is a proud moment for us and on behalf on the entire BAI, I would like to congratulate Sindhu for being elected to the Athletes Commission," Sarma said in a statement.
"Her finishing at the top of the voting charts just shows how popular she is within the fraternity and how much the players across the world believe in Indian badminton."
"We are confident that just like how she gives 100 per cent on the court, her level of efficiency will be the same when she dons her new hat," Sarma added.
The new Athletes' Commission will join Saina, Japan's Shintaro Ikeda and Koen Ridder of the Netherlands, who are already on the players' body.