India's CWG 2026 Day 1 recap: Putul Sonowal stuns world champion Ryan Bester on Commonwealth Games debut

Putul Sonowal stunned 2023 world champion Ryan Bester of Canada in tie-break in Lawn Bowls Men's Singles as India began their Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2026 campaign on a confident note on Thursday. Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh also won their Women's Pairs opening match against Malta in tie-break as Lawn Bowls competition kicked off the Games.

Sonowal, who was making his Commonwealth Games debut, clinched the first set 5-4 before Bester, also a multiple Commonwealth Games medallist, came back with a dominating 7-3 win to take the contest to the tie-break.

The Assam player, the reigning Asian champion, kept his cool to clinch the tie-break for a remarkable win in his opening match in Section D. He will face Cecil Alexander of Falkland Islands in his second match on Friday.

Bester won a bronze in the Men's Singles in 2006 CWG before pocketing a silver each in 2014 and 2018 editions. He has also won seven World Outdoor Championships medals in Singles and Pairs, including a gold and a bronze in Singles and Pairs in the 2023 edition.

He was inducted into the inaugural World Bowls Hall of Fame class in 2025.

Indian women overcome Malta challenge

In the Women's Pairs, India beat Malta in a tense tie-break. The Indian pair of Rupa Rani Tirkey (lead) and Pinki Singh (skip) dished out a dominant show in the first set, winning it 7-1 and going up 1-0 in the opening round match in section B at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Hall 3.

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 and won 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. The Indian Women's Pairs team faces South Africa in their second match of Section B on Friday.

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.

Only the Men's and Women's singles, and the Men's and Women's Pairs events have been included. India had also won a silver in the Men's Fours event in the 2022 Birmingham Games.

India already assured of a medal at CWG 2026

Not to forget, India are already assured of a medal in boxing after Lovlina Borgohain got a bye in the women's 75kg quarterfinals to enter into the semifinals directly without breaking a sweat. Boxing at the Commonwealth Games awards two bronze medals in each weight category, with both losing semifinalists receiving a bronze. As a result, reaching the last four guarantees a medal, according to Olympics.com.

Lovlina's direct entry into the semi-finals came due to the small size of the women's 75kg draw, which features only five boxers. The category has just one quarterfinal bout scheduled for July 28, between England's Mary Kate Smith and Nigeria's Patricia Mbata. Borgohain will take on Tuvalu's Tarona Taafaki in the semis.