NEW DELHI: Indian women's lawn bowls fours team created history by winning the country's first ever medal in the history of the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.
The women's fours team comprising Lovely Choubey (lead), Pinki (second), Nayanmoni Saikia (third), and Rupa Rani Tirkey (skip) defeated South Africa 17-10 in the final to clinch gold medal.
Here's a quick refresher about the rules of this largely little-known sport:
LAWN BOWLS - RULES AND HOW THE SPORT IS PLAYED
Matches are played on a Lawn Bowls Green within a 'rink' area - there are usually six rinks per green. The match begins with a coin toss, giving one competitor the option to roll a small ball called the 'jack' at least 23 meters down the green. Competitors take turns bowling, aiming to ensure they are closer to the jack than any of those of their opponents. Points are awarded for each bowl that is closest to the jack.
In singles competition, the first to score 21 points will win, whereas in pairs, triples, and fours competitions, the team that has amassed the most points in total will secure the victory. (INFO: Birmingham 2022)
General view of the bowls and jack. (Reuters Photo)
FORMAT AND RULES
Lawn Bowls is played in three formats essentially -- singles, doubles and fours, depending on the number of individuals pitted against each other. The player/team which manages to place its balls closer to the stationary target, called 'The Jack', are awarded the points.
The balls need to be rolled on the floor from a distance. In the fours, or four-player, format, each team gets eight throws, or rolls, in one 'end'. One 'end' means completion of one round. One team has to bowl 18 ends to complete the match and it happens in a circular manner.
The team with more points after 18 ends of throws will take the contest.
General view of the bowls. (Reuters Photo)
HOW ARE POINTS AWARDED?
The number of points awarded is determined by the number of bowls a team has managed to place closer to the 'Jack' compared to its opponent. For example: If team A places two bowls closer to 'the Jack' compared to team B's closest bowls, it will win two points in the end. In case team A had managed to place three bowls closer to the target than team B's closest bowls, it would have been awarded three points.
(With agency inputs)
