NewsIndia

By Ishaan Kapoor — 24 July 2026 — 3 min read

India achieved their second consecutive victory in the lawn bowls women’s pairs event in Glasgow. The pair of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh defeated South Africa 2-0 in their second match in Section B at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Hall 3. The Indian duo won the sets with scores of 6-4 and 7-5.

The South African team, consisting of Thabelo Muvhango and Jacqui Janse van Rensburg, offered a strong challenge but India ultimately prevailed. This win places the Indian pair at the top of the Section B standings.

Previous Match and Event Details

Prior to their match against South Africa, the Indian pair had secured a win against Malta in a tie-break during their opening match. In that encounter, India won the first set 7-1, but the Maltese duo of Rebecca Louise Rixon and Connie-Leigh Rixon fought back to take the second set 3-4. The tie-break was closely contested, with Pinki delivering a crucial final bowl to clinch the victory for India.

In lawn bowls, the ‘skip’ is the team captain, responsible for determining the game plan and playing the final two bowls of an ‘end’. The ‘lead’ is the first player to bowl, aiming to place the bowls close to the target. There are five ends in a set.

Both Tirkey and Pinki were part of the Women’s Fours team that won 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 events included in Glasgow are the Men’s and Women’s Singles and Pairs.

India had also earned a silver medal in the Men’s Fours event at the 2022 Birmingham Games.

Men’s Singles Performance

In the Men’s Singles competition, Putul Sonowal of India also had a notable performance. Sonowal, an Assam Police officer, had previously defeated reigning world champion Ryan Bester of Canada in the opening round on Thursday. This victory was achieved in a tense tie-break after both players had shared the first two sets. Sonowal won the first set 5-4, while Bester secured the second set with a 7-3 victory, leading to the decider. Sonowal maintained composure to win the tie-break, securing a significant victory in his opening Section D match.

On Friday, Sonowal faced Cecil Alexander of the Falkland Islands. Sonowal won the first set 7-5 after recovering from a 3-4 deficit. Alexander then won the second set 8-6, taking the match to a tie-break. Sonowal held his nerve in the tie-break to secure the decisive point and win the match.

Bester, a decorated athlete, has multiple Commonwealth Games medals, including a bronze in Men’s Singles in 2006 and silver medals in 2014 and 2018. He also holds seven World Outdoor Championships medals, including a Singles gold in 2023, and was inducted into the inaugural World Bowls Hall of Fame class in 2025.

Sonowal’s initial victory against Bester and his subsequent win against Alexander have contributed to a strong start for India in the lawn bowls campaign at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Source: theprint.in