New Delhi: India got off to a sensational start at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Thursday as lawn bowler Putul Sonowal defeated Canada’s reigning world champion Ryan Bester in the men’s singles event.The Assam-born bowler, making his debut at the Commonwealth Games, showed remarkable composure to defeat one of the sport’s biggest names, winning the match in a tense tie-break after the two players had tied in the opening two sets.Sonowal, the defending Asian champion, won the first set 5-4. Best responded strongly and won the second set 7-3 to force a decider.However, the Indians kept their cool when it mattered most and secured a memorable first-game victory in Section D in the tie-break.This win is particularly important considering Best’s illustrious career. The Canadian has won multiple Commonwealth Games medals, including bronze in the men’s singles in 2006 and silver in 2014 and 2018. He also has seven World Outdoor Championship medals, including a singles gold in 2023, and was inducted into the inaugural World Bowling Hall of Fame in 2025.Sonowal will next face Falkland Islands’ Cecil Alexander on Friday.
Rupa Rani-Pinki survives women’s doubles thriller
India continued their strong start in the women’s doubles event, with veteran Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinky Singh beating Malta in another dramatic tie-break.The Indian pair got off to a brilliant start at the Scottish Events Campus (SEC) Hall 3, defeating Malta’s Rebecca Louise Rickson and Connie Leigh Rickson 7-1.But the Maltese team fought back in the second set and won 4-3, sending the game into a decider. At the end of a tense match, India found themselves trailing until Pinky struck a brilliant final ball to seal the victory.In lawn bowls, the team leader is the captain and is responsible for deciding the strategy and playing the last two bowls, while the team leader is responsible for the first bowl and focuses on getting closer to the target.The Indian women’s doubles team will take on South Africa in the second Group B match on Friday.Both Tirkey and Pinki were part of India’s historic gold medal-winning women’s fours team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. However, the four-a-side competition has been removed from the Glasgow event, leaving only the men’s and women’s singles and pairs competitions.India also won a silver medal in the men’s fours in Birmingham, with Sonowal’s stunning maiden win raising hopes of another strong bowling campaign.
