ACHIEVEMENT// Saina Nehwal made history as the first Indian woman to make it to the finals of the World Badminton Championships played on Sunday at Jakarta in Indonesia. However, she lost in straight sets to Carolina Marin of Spain and had to settle for the silver medal. Marin was the defending champion at the event. This is the second time in 2015 that the Spaniard has defeated Saina Nehwal in an important final. The Indian had lost the All-England Championships final to Marin earlier this year.

Nehwal said the loss was due to silly mistakes early in the game. Her nervousness at playing her first-ever World Championships final may have also contributed to her loss. Before Nehwal’s silver, India’s best performance at the World Badminton Championships was the bronze won by P V Sindhu in 2013 and 2014. No Indian — man or woman — has ever won the Championship.