Glasgow: India secure second consecutive win in lawn bowls women’s pairs
India has achieved its second consecutive victory in the lawn bowls women’s pairs event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Indian duo of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh defeated South Africa with a score of 2-0 (6-4, 7-5) in their second match in Section B. The match took place at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Hall 3.
The South African pair, consisting of Thabelo Muvhango and Jacqui Janse van Rensburg, offered a determined challenge but were ultimately overcome by the Indian team. Following this win, the Indian pair currently holds the top position in Section B standings.
Previous Victory and Event Details
This recent success follows their opening match on Thursday, where the Indian pair secured a win against Malta in a tie-break. In that match, India won the first set 7-1, but the Maltese duo of Rebecca Louise Rixon and Connie-Leigh Rixon rallied to take the second set 3-4. The decisive tie-break saw Pinki Singh deliver a crucial final bowl to clinch the victory for India after trailing their opponents.
In lawn bowls, the ‘skip’ acts as the team captain, often the most seasoned player, guiding the game plan and delivering the final two bowls of an ‘end’. An ‘end’ consists of five bowls. The ‘lead’ is the initial player to bowl, responsible for placing the mat and aiming to position bowls as close to the target as possible before the skip’s turn.
Both Tirkey and Pinki were members of the Women’s Fours team that earned a gold medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. However, the Men’s and Women’s Fours events have been excluded from the bowls competition features at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. The Glasgow event includes the Men’s and Women’s Singles and Pairs events.
India had also secured a silver medal in the Men’s Fours event during the 2022 Birmingham Games.
Sonowal’s Performance in Men’s Singles
In the men’s singles competition, Putul Sonowal also secured a hard-fought victory. The Assam Police officer, who had previously defeated reigning world champion Ryan Bester of Canada in the opening round, faced Cecil Alexander of the Falkland Islands in the second round of Section D.
The 43-year-old Indian player won the first set 7-5 after overcoming a 3-4 deficit midway through the contest. He managed to level the scores at 4-4, gaining momentum to close out the set. However, Alexander controlled the second set, handing Sonowal an 8-6 defeat and leveling the match at 1-1.
The contest proceeded to a tie-break, where Sonowal maintained composure to secure the decisive point, sealing a challenging victory. His initial win against Ryan Bester, a player with multiple Commonwealth Games medals and World Outdoor Championships medals, including a Singles gold in 2023, marked a significant start to India’s campaign. Bester was also inducted into the inaugural World Bowls Hall of Fame class in 2025. Sonowal, the reigning Asian champion, won his opening set against Bester 5-4 before Bester responded with a 7-3 victory in the second set, leading to the tie-break.
These performances highlight a strong start for India in the lawn bowls events at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Friday.
Source: theprint.in
