Sonowal stuns world champion Bester in Commonwealth Games lawn bowls opener

By Ananya Iyer — 23 July 2026 — 3 min read

India has commenced its Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign with notable performances in lawn bowls. Putul Sonowal secured a significant victory against reigning world champion Ryan Bester of Canada in the Men’s Singles competition. Sonowal, making his Commonwealth Games debut, defeated Bester in a tie-break after the first two sets were split.

The Assam-born bowler, who is also the reigning Asian champion, won the first set 5-4. Bester responded by taking the second set 7-3, forcing a decider. Sonowal maintained his composure to win the tie-break, marking a memorable start in his Section D opening match.

Bester has a distinguished career, including multiple Commonwealth Games medals such as a bronze in Men’s Singles in 2006 and silver medals in 2014 and 2018. He also holds seven World Outdoor Championships medals, with a Singles gold in 2023, and was inducted into the World Bowls Hall of Fame in 2025. Sonowal is scheduled to compete next against Cecil Alexander of the Falkland Islands.

Indian women’s pairs also secure victory

The strong start for India continued in the Women’s Pairs event, where the team of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh triumphed over Malta in another tie-break. The Indian pair began strongly at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Hall 3, winning the opening set 7-1 against Malta’s Rebecca Louise Rixon and Connie-Leigh Rixon.

Malta then secured the second set 4-3, leading to a deciding tie-break. In a close finish, Pinki delivered a crucial final bowl to seal the victory for India. The Indian Women’s Pairs team is set to play South Africa in their second Section B match.

Both Tirkey and Pinki were part of India’s gold medal-winning Women’s Fours team at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. However, the Fours events have been removed from the Glasgow edition, with only Men’s and Women’s Singles and Pairs competitions remaining. India had also won a silver medal in the Men’s Fours event at Birmingham.

Pilot Navneet Singh competes on unpaid leave

Navneet Singh, a silver medallist in the Men’s Fours event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, is competing in Glasgow after taking unpaid leave from his job as a commercial pilot. Singh, who secured a pilot position last year, has been balancing his flying schedule with his lawn bowls training and competitions.

Singh was part of the team that achieved India’s first lawn bowls medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. He has continued to win medals in the sport, including two gold medals at the Asian Lawn Bowls Championship in New Delhi earlier this April. These victories contributed to India securing the Overall Men’s Champion Trophy, Overall Team Trophy, and Challenge Trophy.

Navneet Singh will be competing in the Men’s Pairs category in Glasgow alongside Dinesh Kumar from Jharkhand. His participation highlights the dedication required to balance a professional career with elite sports, with his employer granting him unpaid leave to represent the country.

The Bowling Federation of India supports its athletes, but individual players sometimes face challenges with state associations. Sonowal’s victory has generated optimism for another strong performance from India in lawn bowls at the current Games.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com