CWG ’22
India’s women lawn bowls team on Tuesday scripted history after winning the gold medal in the Women’s Fours event after defeating South Africa in the final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The team comprising Lovely Choubey, Pinki, Nayanmoni Saikia and Rupa Tirkey registered a convincing 17-10 win over last editions silver medallist South Africa in the final at the Victoria Park in Royal Leamington Spa to clinch its first medal in the discipline.
South Africa won their second straight silver medal in the women’s fours at the CWG.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded the Indian team in a tweet and wrote: “Historic win in Birmingham! India is proud of Lovely Choubey, Pinki Singh, Nayanmoni Saikia and Rupa Rani Tirkey for bringing home the prestigious Gold in Lawn Bowls. The team has demonstrated great dexterity and their success will motivate many Indians towards Lawn Bowls.”
The in-form Indians had a fine start and surged ahead to an 8-2 lead by the seventh end. Then, South Africa bounced back by levelling the scores 8-8 after the 10th end as India could not score a single point over the next four ends.
In the 11th end, South Africans held 10-8 lead before India drew level 10-10 in the 12th end.
In the next end, India took a 12-10 lead. With the jack rolling shorter than normal, the bowlers had to measure their rolls accordingly and a South African bowl hit the jack, taking it closer to two Indian bowls.
The 14th end saw India open up a 15-10 lead as South Africa tried, and failed, to get closer to the jack or push any Indian bowls away.
The distance between South Africa’s closest bowl and India’s farthest was barely a few centimetres but the Indian bowl was adjudged to be nearer to the jack, giving them three crucial points.
The 15th and final end saw India’s bowl getting closer to the jack and when South Africa’s final bowl missed the jack, that gave India two more points and confirmed a historic gold medal.
