Glasgow: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sport Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has expressed his happiness at the country making a thrilling start in the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as the Indian bowls squad excelled on the opening day Thursday.
The Indian women’s pairs combination of Pinki Singh and Rupa Rani Tirkey battled past Malta in a dramatic tiebreak to open their Commonwealth Games 2026 Bowls campaign with a hard-fought victory in the sectional Group Play stage Thursday.
“A thrilling start to #Glasgow2026! Witnessed an absolute edge-of-the-seat thriller today as our athletes clinched a spectacular victory on the very last delivery against Malta in the Bowls Women’s Pairs event,” Dr Mandaviya wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Thursday.
Competing in the discipline’s new indoor format, now officially called Bowls for the first time in Commonwealth Games history, the Indian pair overcame a spirited challenge from sisters Rebecca Louise Rixon and Connie-Leigh Rixon, recovering from a tense second set before Pinki produced the decisive bowl in the tiebreak to seal the contest.
India made an assured start, taking control from the opening end. After Rupa Rani Tirkey settled into her rhythm, Pinki capitalised with accurate deliveries that earned India two points for an early 2-0 advantage.
Later in the day, Putul Sonowal continued India’s superb start in the bowls competition in Glasgow Thursday, pulling off a major upset on his Commonwealth Games debut by beating reigning World Champion and World Bowls Hall of Fame inductee Ryan Bester in men’s singles sectional play.
Sonowal started his campaign in Section D of the preliminary competition, defeating Canada’s Bester in a thrilling encounter that went down to the wire and was decided in a tiebreaker. Sonowal won the tiebreaker after Match 2 in Round 1 of Section D had ended 1-1 in regulation time.
In the tie-breaker, reigning Asian champion Sonowal’s opening attempt landed close to the kitty, which ultimately proved enough to seal the win. Sonowal will next face Cecil Alexander of Falkland Islands in his next Section D match Friday.
