Beyond Birmingham: Ravi Bengani on the next chapter of Indian lawn bowls

Rohan Chowdhury

India’s historic lawn bowls gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 was one of the biggest stories of the Games. Four years later, the sport has undergone a remarkable transformation in India, according to Ravi Bengani, President of the Bowling Federation of India and Deputy Chef de Mission of the Indian contingent for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Speaking ahead of the Games, Bengani reflected on how Birmingham changed the perception of the sport, improved the lives of athletes and laid the foundation for a stronger grassroots structure.

“Leaps and bounds”: How Birmingham transformed Indian lawn bowls

For Bengani, there is little doubt that the watershed moment in Birmingham altered the trajectory of the sport in India.

“The sport has developed by leaps and bounds, really leaps and bounds,” he said.

“The boost which we got in Birmingham has helped us reshape our sport and place us in a zone where now we are not scared of anyone. We know it’s possible for us to win against anybody.”

That belief, he says, is now one of the team’s biggest strengths.

“With that kind of confidence, and with a team brimming with self-esteem, we know that at any point of the day we can defeat anybody. The only thing we need now is consistency.”

To ensure that the players continue to progress, the federation has expanded its support system beyond technical training.

“We have worked really hard this time. We brought in specialists to counsel our players and make them mentally much stronger than before.”

The emphasis has been on a three-pronged approach.

“We focused on fitness, practice and mental strengthening.”

Success beyond the greens

The impact of the Birmingham Games, Bengani says, extends far beyond medals.

Government recognition, promotions and prestigious honours have changed the lives of several members of the historic squad.

“It has brought massive changes,” he said. “One of our players started in a very junior government position and has received multiple promotions since then. She went on to win the Arjuna Award.”

He also pointed to another player who now serves in a senior civil administration role in her home state, while another member of the gold medal-winning team continues to balance family life with her sporting ambitions.

“It has changed the lives of everybody involved in this great journey.”

Why lawn bowls suits India

Bengani believes India possesses natural strengths that make lawn bowls an ideal sport for sustained international success.

He credited his father with taking the sport beyond its traditional home at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club and expanding it across the country.

“My father should be credited for spreading this game in India. Earlier, it was largely confined to the bowling section of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club. He had the vision to take it across the country.”

According to Bengani, India’s competitive advantage lies not in physicality but in mental attributes.

“He always believed this game is ideally suited for Indians. We may not have the physical strength of some of our Western counterparts, but we have focus and IQ, and those qualities are extremely important in lawn bowls.”

States driving the sport forward

The growth of lawn bowls is no longer limited to a handful of traditional centres. While India historically relied on eight strong states, Bengani says the competitive landscape has widened considerably.

“Now we have at least 14 states knocking on the door and threatening to replace those traditional strongholds.”

He highlighted Uttarakhand, Odisha, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab as among the fastest-growing regions in the sport.

One state, however, remains an exception.

“Bengal has unfortunately not progressed the way it should have. I’ll be frank. The game has not really gone beyond the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, and that’s something we seriously need to address.”

The next frontier: Schools

Despite the progress, Bengani believes grassroots development remains incomplete.

Introducing lawn bowls into schools is the federation’s next major objective. “That is something we really need to work on, and I promise we will focus on it immediately after these Commonwealth Games.”

A bigger player base

India currently has more than 2,000 registered lawn bowls players, a figure Bengani considers healthy given the sport’s relatively niche status.

But he expects another successful Commonwealth Games campaign to trigger another wave of growth. “We have more than 2,000 registered players now,” he said.

“After our team comes back with another strong performance, if not two extra zeros, you can certainly add one more zero to that figure.”

The players for CWG 2026:

Putul Sonowal – Men’s singles

Nayanmoni Saikia – Women’s singles

Navneet Singh and Dinesh Kumar – Men’s pairs

Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh – Women’s pairs

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