NEW DELHI: India made a sensational start to their Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign as bowler Putul Sonowal produced a stunning display against reigning world champion Ryan Bester of Canada in the Men’s Singles competition on Thursday.Making his Commonwealth Games debut, the Assam-born bowler showed remarkable composure to defeat one of the sport’s biggest names, winning the contest in a tense tie-break after both players shared the opening two sets.Sonowal, the reigning Asian champion, won the first set 5-4 before Bester responded strongly with a dominant 7-3 victory in the second set to force a decider.However, the Indian kept his cool when it mattered most, reaching the tie-break to complete a memorable win in his Section D opener.The win was particularly significant given Bester’s decorated career. The Canadian has won several Commonwealth Games medals, including a bronze in Men’s Singles in 2006 and silver medals in 2014 and 2018. He also has seven World Outdoor Championship medals, including a Singles gold in 2023, and was inducted into the first class of the World Bowls Hall of Fame in 2025.On Friday, Sonowal will face Cecil Alexander of the Falkland Islands.
Rupa Rani-Pinki survives a thriller in Women’s Couples
India’s strong start continued in the Women’s Pairs event, where the experienced duo of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh defeated Malta in another dramatic tie-break encounter.The Indian pair got off to a bright start at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Hall 3, winning the opening set 7-1 against Malta’s Rebecca Louise Rixon and Connie-Leigh Rixon.But Malta fought back in the second set, winning 4-3 to take the match into a decisive tie-break. In a tense finish, India found themselves trailing before Pinki produced a brilliant finish to seal victory.In lawn bowls, the skip is the team captain who decides the strategy and plays the last two bowls of an end, while the lead offers the first bowl and concentrates on positioning near the target.The Indian Women’s Doubles team will now face South Africa in their second Section B match on Friday.Both Tirkey and Pinki were members of India’s historic gold medal-winning women’s Fours team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. However, the Fours events were dropped from the Glasgow edition, leaving only the Men’s and Women’s Singles and Pairs competitions.India also won a silver medal in the Men’s Fours event in Birmingham, and Sonowal’s stunning opening win raised hopes of another strong bowls campaign.