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India won a historic first-ever Commonwealth Games in Lawn Bowls, bagging the coveted gold in women-four team with a 17-10 victory in the final against South Africa at the Victoria Park in Birmingham, England today.
The four women who clinched the sensational gold were: Rupa Rani Tirkey, Pinki, Lovely Choubey and Nayanmoni Saikia. They were guided by Team Manager Anju Luthra.
Among the four women, two are former physical education teachers, one is police constable and the fourth is a forest department official. The unheraled team, guaranteed the nation at least a silver medal in the event by beating New Zealand 16-13 in the semifinals on August 1.
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The journey of the Indian women team towards a Commonwealth Games medal started with the National Games in 2007, in preparation for the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games.
In the women triples at that edition, the country lost by one point in the semifinal against Australia. That defeat gave Pinki and Rupa, ex-physical education teachers, countless sleepless nights. In 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games too, the campaign of the Indian women team ended in the quarterfinals.
According to Sunaina Kumari, deputy president of the Asian Bowls Federation and board member at the Bowling Federation of India, the CWG medal in lawn bowl augurs well for the future of the sport in India.
“It has always been more of a sport for the elderly. But we are working each day to popularise the sport, with new programmes for schools. Even the men team defeated England in 2022 Commonwealth Games. So, overall, we are in very good shape and hope to do better every day,’’ she said.
Indian women started campaign with a 9-18 loss to England. But the unputdownable Indian team won four matches in a row to clinch the gold medal in their favour. They won beat Cook Islands 15-9 and Canada 17-7 to reach the knock-out stage.
In the quarterfinals, the Indian Women got the better of Norfolk Island 17-9 to reach the semifinals, wher the prevailed over New Zealand 16-13.
INDIAN WOMEN-FOUR TEAM:
* Nayanmoni Saikia, 33 years, Assam Forest Department employee official.
* Pinki, 42 years, Physical Education Teacher at DPS RK Pura, Delhi.
* Rupa Rani Tirkey, 34 years, District Sports Officer at Ramgarh in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
* Lovely Choubey, 42 years, employee of Jharkhand Police.
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TOP: Players of Indian women-four team (L-R), Rupa Rani Tirkey, Nayanmoni Saikia Pinki and Lovely Choubey celebrate their gold medal triumph at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on 2 August 2022.
RIGHT: Indian women-four team manager Anju Luthra (Centre) with her wards at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on 2 August 2022.
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