CWG 2026: Putul Sonowal stuns world champion Ryan Bester in lawn bowls thriller

NEW DELHI: India made a sensational start to their Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign as lawn bowler Putul Sonowal pulled off a stunning upset 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 biggest names in the sport, 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 calm when it mattered most, edging the tie-break to complete a memorable victory in his opening match of Section D.The win was particularly significant given Bester's decorated career. The Canadian has won multiple Commonwealth Games medals, including a bronze in Men's Singles in 2006 and silver medals in 2014 and 2018. He also boasts seven World Outdoor Championships medals, including a Singles gold in 2023, and was inducted into the inaugural World Bowls Hall of Fame class in 2025.Sonowal will next face Cecil Alexander of Falkland Islands on Friday.Rupa Rani-Pinki survive thriller in Women's PairsIndia'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 began brilliantly 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 deciding tie-break. In a tense finish, India found themselves trailing before Pinki delivered a brilliant final bowl to seal victory.In lawn bowls, the skip is the team captain who decides strategy and plays the final two bowls of an end, while the lead delivers the first bowl and focuses on positioning near the target.The Indian Women's Pairs 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 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. However, the Fours events have been removed from the Glasgow edition, leaving only Men's and Women's Singles and Pairs competitions.India had also won a silver medal in the Men's Fours event at Birmingham, and Sonowal's stunning opening victory has raised hopes of another strong lawn bowls campaign.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.