Glasgow: India secure second win in lawn bowls women’s pairs event

By Arjun Nair / 25.07.2026

By Arjun Nair — 24 July 2026 — 3 min read

India has achieved its second consecutive victory in the lawn bowls women’s pairs event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Indian duo, comprising Rupa Rani Tirkey (lead) and Pinki Singh (skip), defeated South Africa with a score of 2-0 (6-4, 7-5) in their second Section B match. This contest took place at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Hall 3.

The South African pair, consisting of Thabelo Muvhango (lead) and Jacqui Janse van Rensburg (skip), demonstrated a determined effort but were ultimately overcome by the Indian team. Following this win, the Indian pair currently holds the top position in the Section B standings.

Previous Victory and Player Roles

The recent triumph against South Africa follows India’s initial victory in their opening match against Malta. That encounter also concluded in a tense tie-break. In the match against Malta, the Indian pair secured the first set with a score of 7-1. However, the Maltese team, represented by Rebecca Louise Rixon (lead) and Connie-Leigh Rixon (skip), rallied in the second set, winning it 3-4.

The tie-break against Malta was particularly close, with the Indian team initially trailing. Pinki Singh delivered a crucial final bowl to secure the win for India. In lawn bowls, the ‘skip’ is the team captain, often the most experienced player, responsible for determining the game plan and playing the final two bowls of an ‘end’. An ‘end’ consists of five bowls. The ‘lead’ is the first player to bowl, tasked with placing the mat and aiming to position their bowls as close as possible to the target before the ‘skip’ takes their turn.

Both Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh 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 current games in Glasgow include the Men’s and Women’s Singles and Pairs events.

Putul Sonowal’s Performance

In other lawn bowls action, Putul Sonowal, an officer with the Assam Police, also secured a hard-fought victory. Sonowal, who had previously defeated reigning world champion Ryan Bester of Canada in the opening round, faced a challenging match against Cecil Alexander of the Falkland Islands. This second-round match in Section D also went to a tie-break.

Sonowal, who is 43 years old, 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, defeating Sonowal 8-6 and bringing the match score to 1-1. The contest then proceeded to a tie-break, where Sonowal maintained his composure to claim the decisive point and seal a difficult victory.

Sonowal’s initial win against Ryan Bester in the Men’s Singles competition on Thursday marked a significant upset. Bester, a decorated athlete with multiple Commonwealth Games medals and World Outdoor Championships medals, including a Singles gold in 2023, was inducted into the inaugural World Bowls Hall of Fame class in 2025. Sonowal, making his Commonwealth Games debut, won the first set 5-4 against Bester, who then responded with a 7-3 victory in the second set, leading to a decider. Sonowal ultimately edged the tie-break to secure a memorable victory in his opening match of Section D.

India had also previously won a silver medal in the Men’s Fours event at the 2022 Birmingham Games. The strong performances by both the women’s pairs team and Putul Sonowal have set a positive tone for India’s lawn bowls campaign in Glasgow.

Source: theprint.in