PV Sindhu nominated for Padma Bhushan, says 'thank you'

New Delhi : Elated at being nominated for the country's third highest civilian honour -- Padma Bhushan -- Rio Olympics silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu on Monday thanked the Sports Ministry for the recommendation.

The 22-year-old Sindhu now joins former India cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the second sportsperson to be nominated for the prestigious award this year.

"I am very happy that my name has been recommended for the Padma Bhushan. I would like to thank the government and the sports ministry," Sindhu told IANS over phone.

The Hyderabad player was conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award -- the highest sporting honour in India -- in 2016 and the Padma Shri in 2015. 

Sindhu, who was also a silver medallist at the World Badminton Championships in Glasgow last month, recently beat Japan's Nozomi Okuhara to become the first Indian shuttler to clinch the Korea Open Superseries title. 

Sindhu, who recently scaled to the No.2 spot in women's singles of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings was, however, stunned by Nozomi in the pre-quarterfinals of the Japan Open Superseries last week.