Indian athletes are making history at the Commonwealth Games 2022. Among them, the women’s team stands out, having won India’s first-ever Gold Medal in the “Women’s Four Lawn Bowls” tournament.
Understanding the Sport of Lawn Bowls
Often compared to Ten-pin Bowling and Curling, Lawn bowls requires players to get the ‘Bowl’ (Ball) closest to a target known as the ‘Jack’. The spherical, flat-sided bowls used in the game are typically made of wood, rubber or plastic resin.
The playing process involves players taking turns rolling these bowls from a 600mm long and 360mm wide mat, aiming to get closest to the Jack, which is always either white or yellow and significantly smaller and lighter than the bowl. In the fours event, players sequentially roll their bowls, and each team member gets two bowls per round. To determine the distance between the jack and the bowls, umpires use a box measure featuring a string.
A Glance at India’s History in Lawn Bowls
Lawn bowls became a part of the Commonwealth Games right from its inaugural edition in 1930, with England, Australia and South Africa being the top contenders so far. As for India, it has participated in the lawn bowls events at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games, with its previous best being fourth place in both the 2010 women’s triples lawn bowling event in Delhi, and the 2014 men’s fours event in Glasgow.
About the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is a multisport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), headquartered in the UK and active across 72 member nations and territories, oversees the Games’ organisation. The idea for such a competition first came from Australian-born Astley Cooper in 1891, aiming at demonstrating the unity of the British Empire. The event evolved through multiple iterations from an Empire celebration festival in 1911 to its current form where even non-British Empire countries participate.
Like the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games commence with an elaborate opening ceremony incorporating the raising of the host country’s flag, performance of its national anthem, an artistic performance and a parade of athletes.
Understanding the UPSC Civil Services Examination and PYQs
The Union Public Service Commission organises the Civil Services Examination. A typical question from the previous year’s paper might make you consider statements about a recent significant event, like the 32nd Summer Olympics. In this case, the official motto was ‘United by Emotion’, while sports like Sport Climbing, Surfing, Skateboarding, Karate and Baseball were indeed included in the event, contrary to the question’s statements. So, statement 2 is correct while statement 1 is incorrect. Therefore, the option (b) would be the correct answer for this particular question.