Rupa, Lovely, Nayan, Pinki: Meet India's Lawn Bowls gold medallists who wrote history at CWG 2022

Four Indian women scripted history in Commonwealth Games 2022 by winning the first-ever gold medal in Birmingham on Tuesday (August 2). Their names - Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, Nayan Moni Saikia and Pinki - are been etched in history of the sport forever. The fact that India's first medal in Lawn Bowls is a gold is in itself a matter of huge pride. Below we bring the profiles of the four players who have made the country very proud. 

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Rupa Rani Tirkey

Born in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Rupa went to St. Aan’s Girls High School. Later, she pursued graduation from Gossner College and is currently employed as District Sports Officer in the Department of Sports, State Government of Jharkhand since 2020. Rupa has represented India at three Commonwealth Games in the triples at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the triples and fours at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and in the pairs and fours at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In the 2018 competition the Women's fours won section B and just failed to win a medal after losing to Malta in the quarter finals. In 2020 she was selected for the 2020 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Australia.

HISTORY CREATED _

1st Ever _ in Lawn Bowls at #CommonwealthGames

Women's Fours team win __ it's 1st CWG medal, the prestigious _ in #LawnBowls by defeating South Africa, 17-10

Congratulations ladies for taking the sport to a new level_

Let's #Cheer4India#India4CWG2022 pic.twitter.com/uRa9MVxfRs — SAI Media (@Media_SAI) August 2, 2022

Lovely Choubey

Like Rupa, Lovely too was born in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Dhe comed from a a middle-class family. Her father is a retired officer from from Coal India and mother is a housewife. She completed her high school from Jharkhand Board of Education. She is currently employed at the Department of Police, State Government of Jharkhand. She participated in her first lawn bowl nationals in 2008 and clinched a gold medal over there.

Nayan Moni Saikia

Nayanmoni comes from Assam. She was born in Golaghat distric of the state and she too comes from a middle-class family. Her father is a farmer and mother is a housewife. She had the bug of sports since she was a small kid. You won't believe but Nayan was a weightlifter earlier. But due to a leg injury, she had to quit the sport. Later she took to lawn bowls and excelled at it. With time, lawn bowls became her passion and she became the key player of the national team.

Goosebumps alert
History created #CommonwealthGames2022 Women's Team Wins #LawnBowls #GoldMedal, #Birmingham2022 #B2022 #CWG2022 #TeamIndia
Remember the name of warriors __
#LovelyChoubey #RupaRaniTirkey #Pinki #NayanmoniSaikia #GoldMedal pic.twitter.com/qgtKoxXSBG — ____ ________ (____) (@gauravtguru) August 2, 2022

She is married to a local businessman and has one daughter. She completed matriculation from Assam Board of Education and is currently employed at Assam Forest Department
since 2011.

Pinki 

Pinki is a Delhi girl, Raised in a middle-class family, she completed schooling from Salwan Girls Public School, New Delhi and did her graduation from Kamala Nehru College in the same city. She also pursued a sports degree from Delhi University and sports diploma from Sports Authority of India in Patiala. She is currently working in Delhi Public school RK PURAM as a physical education teacher and it is the place where she was introduced to the sport of Lawn Bowls as Delhi Public school had made a lawn bowl green as a practice venue for the Commonwealth Games 2010. She participated in the first lawn bowl nationals in 2007. And since then, it’s a never-ending process as a sport has grown up on her a lot.