CWG 2022: India wins historic gold in lawn bowls, defeat SA with 17-10 lead

India’s lawn bowls women’s fours team on Tuesday made history by winning gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. This was the country’s first medal in the lawn bowls event. 

The team, Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, Pinki and Nayanmoni Saikia won the title after beating 2018 silver medallists South Africa.

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Earlier, South Africa won the toss and set the jack after which it was India that took the opening round with a point. The South African team came back in the second, with their skipper Johanna Snyman ensuring with the last bowl that her team fetched two points.

South Africa seemed to have the advantage to equalise the scores while trailing 2-3 during the fifth end. But captain Rupa Rani Tirkey turned things around with her last bowl which meant that it was India India that ended up taking a two-point lead.

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South Africa then started fighting back after the seventh end. India didn’t get a point in three consecutive ends and the South Africans managed to level proceedings at 8-8 at the 10th end.

Snyman ended up pushing three Indian bowls closer to the jack in her first attempt and could not disturb the formation after that, which meant that India went into the final end with their five-point lead restored. They held their nerve and won two more points to win the match 17-10.

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Coming together from as diverse fields as police, teaching and administration, the quartet of Choubey, Tirkey, Pinki and Saikia, finally have something to answer back to naysayers. The team had earlier defeated New Zealand 16-13 in the semi-final to earn a maiden final appearance in the women’s fours format of the competition.

Against New Zealand, the Indian team had made a massive comeback. After end-9, they were tied 7-7 but after end-10, India had taken a 10-7 lead. It was a close contest between the two sides, as New Zealand were marginally 13-12 ahead after end-14. A brilliant shot from Tirkey helped India seal the game with a 16-13 scoreline.