Carolina Marin wins 6th European badminton title on return from ACL injury

Carolina Marin clinched her sixth European Championship after defeating Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour 21-10, 21-12 in Madrid on Saturday.

The 2016 Olympic Champion was making her first appearance since sustaining a left knee injury that kept her on the sidelines for 11 months.

She was unable to defend her title at the 2020 Tokyo Games because of an injury, which involved a torn ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament) of both menisci in her left knee.

"What was gold was to compete again, and I've done it," Marin, 28, said after her 41-minute final played in Madrid.

"I'm here, I'm back and we're still here. The injury is forgotten."

"Now my feeling is happiness, not only for winning the championship, which is a consequence of what one does, but for all that it means," she added.

"We have had a difficult time with the injury and that is why now I want to enjoy myself () I want to start thinking about the Paris Games, in which I would like to get back on the podium," Marin concluded.

Meanwhile, across the globe, star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu on Saturday settled for the bronze medal after suffering a comeback defeat against reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi in the Badminton Asia Championships 2022 women's singles semi-final in Manila.

Sindhu's first Asian championships medal came in 2014 when she lost to former world No. 1 Wang Shixian of China in the semis. Sindhu's first Asian championships medal came in 2014 when she lost to former world No. 1 Wang Shixian of China in the semis.