Commonwealth Games 2026: India beat South Africa in Lawn Bowls women's pairs event to notch second win on trot

India beat South Africa in a dominant display to notch their second consecutive win in Lawn Bowls Women's Pairs event in the Commonwealth Games here on Friday.

The Indian pair of Rupa Rani Tirkey (lead) and Pinki Singh (skip) beat the South Africans 2-0 (6-4, 7-5) in their second match in section B at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Hall 3.

The South Africans Thabelo Muvhango (lead) and Jacqui Janse van Rensburg (skip) made a gritty fight but found the Indians too good on the day.


The Indian pair currently tops section B standings.

On Thursday, the Indians had beaten Malta in a tense tie-break in their opening match. They won the first set 7-1 but the Maltese duo of Rebecca Louise Rixon (lead) and Connie-Leigh Rixon (skip) fought back to take the second set 3-4.

In the nervy tie-break, the Indians were lagging behind their opponents before Pinky sent down a fine effort in the last bowl to win the match.

In Bowls, 'Skip' is the team captain, and usually the most experienced player. He or she determines the game plan, and also plays the final two bowls of one 'end'. There are five ends in a set.

'Lead' is the first player to bowl, responsible for placing the mat. He or she sends the bowls as close to the target as possible, before the 'Skip' comes in.

Both Tirkey and Pinki were part of the Women's Fours team that won gold in the 2022 Birmingham CWG. But the Men's and Women's Fours events have been excluded in the Glasgow CWG from the Bowls competition features.

The Men's and Women's Singles and Pairs events have been included in Glasgow.