New Delhi: Badminton Association of India (BAI) President and MP, Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta was elected to the Badminton World Federation’s Executive Council body by a record number of votes in the quadrennial election of the world body at Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the Sudirman Cup on Saturday.


Dr Gupta, a former National player, bagged a record number of votes in the election history of the BWF Executive Council body. The BAI President, who was the former doubles partner of Indian ace, the late Syed Modi, received the highest number of votes amongst all the elected members of the 2013 BWF Executive Council body, registering 259 votes out of a maximum of 262 votes.


On this occasion, Dr Gupta said, “It’s a matter of great pride and responsibility to represent India in the BWF Executive Council body. I’m humbled to receive the overwhelming support of my colleagues in the international fraternity and thank them for giving me this opportunity to serve world badminton. My election also proves that Indian badminton is now perceived as a strong player by the international community. It will be my endeavour to promote and espouse the cause of world badminton in general and Indian badminton in particular.”


Meanwhile, in a change in the power echelon of the BWF, former Olympic champion in the men’s singles in the 1996 Atlanta Games, Denmark’s Paul-Erik Hoyer Larsen was elected as the new BWF President. The former world No.1 received 145 out of 262 votes in the race for the BWF top post.