New Delhi, July 13 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hailed sprinter Hima Das, who became the first Indian woman to clinch a gold medal at a global event -- the World Under-20 Championships in Finland.

"India is delighted and proud of athlete Hima Das, who won a historic Gold in the 400m of World U20 Championships. Congratulations to her! This accomplishment will certainly inspire young athletes in the coming years," tweeted the Prime Minister.

Das clinched the top spot in the women's 400m final race at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships in Tampere, Finland yesterday.

President Kovind too lauded Das' unprecedented feat.

"Congratulations to our sensational sprint star Hima Das for winning the 400m gold in the World Under-20 Championship. This is India's first ever track gold in a World Championship. A very proud moment for Assam and India, Hima; now the Olympic podium beckons!" he wrote on Twitter.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)