Shillong, May 11: Tanushree Das Gupta, a student of Class X, has been selected to the Indian table tennis team taking part in the US Open at Las Vegas in July.

Tanushree, ranked 25th in the country, is the only northeasterner and one among the seven Indians in the competition, which is expected to attract more than 1,000 players from around the world.

"It's great. I feel nice and I am grateful to all those who helped me get to this level - my parents, coaches and God," the shy All Saints student said when asked about her feat.

Tanushree has had a long run at the top of Meghalaya table tennis; she is the state champion in the under-28, under-21 and senior women's events since 2008.

"Balancing her studies with her passion for table tennis has not been easy though. But her dedication and discipline, not to mention the understanding of her school, has helped where she is today," Meghalaya Table Tennis Association president R.G. Lyngdoh said.

"She is a source of great joy for us, the pride of our state," Lyngdoh, a former Meghalaya home minister and also the current State Olympic Association working president, said. "We try to make a mark for us in table tennis, but it has been hard for the students as many tournaments clash with their exams," he added.

Coach Lamphrang L. Nonglait described Tanushree's success as the product of years of hard work and training, adding that her success will motivate and inspire other youngsters to achieve greatness.

The young girl, who has been playing table tennis since the age of eight, will leave for Baroda on Wednesday to attend a training camp ahead of the July 6-11 tournament in Las Vegas.