CWG 2022: Indian Lawn Bowl Team Led By Rani Tirkey Creates History, Wins Gold

Tuesday's gold-winning lawn bowls women's team performance by India at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham created history. The team, led by Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, Pinki, and Nayanmoni Saikia, earned the nation's first lawn bowls medal, and after defeating the 2018 silver medalists in South Africa, they went on to win the championship.

India won the first round with a point after South Africa won the coin toss and set the jack. However, they fought back in the second, and their captain Johanna Snyman used the final bowl to ensure that her side earned two points. While behind 2-3 in the fifth end, South Africa appeared to have the advantage in tying the game. But with her final bowl, captain Rupa Rani Tirkey reversed the situation, giving India India the victory by two points. After a spectacular three-point End 6, it increased to a five-point lead.

CWG 2022 Lawn Bowl

Following the seventh end, South Africa then began to fight back. South Africa managed to tie the game at 8-8 in the tenth end after India failed to score in three straight ends. In the following round, they were ahead of India with 10-8 as this pattern persisted. After that, Tirkey managed to give India a two-point end once more, and after the 12th end, the score remained 10-10.

India then gained a 12-point advantage after another two-point end. Johanna Snyman was ultimately successful in moving three Indian bowls closer to the jack in her initial try but was unable to change the formation moving forward, giving India a five-point advantage going into the final end. They maintained composure and scored two more points to win the game at 17-10.

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The group of Choubey, Tirkey, Pinki, and Saikia, who have backgrounds in the police, education, and business, now have something to counter the doubters. For their first appearance in the women's fours final, the team had earlier defeated New Zealand 16–13 in the semifinal.

The Indian team battled back against the New Zealand team of Selina Goddard (lead), Nicole Toomey (second), Tayle Bruce (third), and Val Smith after giving up a 0-5 advantage after the second end (skip). After end-9, the score was level at 7-7, but India led after end-10, 10-7. The score after end-14 was New Zealand 13-12, but it was a close game between the two teams. Tirkey's outstanding shot gave India the victory with a 16-13 final score.