CWG 2026: India's Putul Sonowal Defeats World Champion In Opening Lawn Bowling Match

India made a strong start to its Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign as Putul Sonowal stunned 2023 world champion Ryan Bester of Canada in a thrilling tie-break victory in the Lawn Bowls Men's Singles event. Making his Commonwealth Games debut, Sonowal won the opening set 5-4 before Bester, a multiple Commonwealth Games medallist, fought back with a dominant 7-3 win in the second set. The contest went to a tie-break, where Sonowal held his nerve to pull off a major upset.