COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Fiji’s Rajnesh Prasad strengthened his bid for a place in the semi-finals after edging home favourite Jason Banks of Scotland 2-1 in a dramatic Section C Round Three men’s singles lawn bowls clash at the Siti Zalina Ahmad Rink, National Centre for Bowling, Scottish Event Campus (SEC), at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games this morning (local time).
By Muhammad Bin Salim
Prasad made an assured start, displaying excellent draw bowling and consistent accuracy to claim Game One 6-2. Although Banks remained within striking distance throughout the ends, the Fijian consistently delivered the more decisive bowls to take an early 1-0 lead.
Backed by a vocal home crowd, Banks responded strongly in Game Two. The Scot opened a 5-2 advantage after five ends, extended his lead in the sixth end and added two more shots in the seventh to complete a convincing 9-2 victory, levelling the match at 1-1 and forcing a tie-break.
The deciding tie-break tested Prasad’s composure after his opening three bowls lacked their usual precision. Recognising the shift in momentum, the Fijian requested a timeout to regroup with his coach, reassess his tactics and regain his focus.
The timeout proved decisive as Prasad returned to the rink with renewed composure, producing a superb draw shot that finished closest to the jack to secure the winning shot and complete a memorable 2-1 victory over Scotland’s Jason Banks.
The highly anticipated encounter was witnessed by Fiji’s Minister for Youth and Sports, Jese Saukuru, and Team Fiji Chef de Mission, Ajay Ballu, who were courtside to lend their support to the Fijian contingent.
The victory not only ended Banks’ unbeaten run in Section C but also handed Prasad a valuable advantage in the race for one of the two semi-final places, with two sectional matches remaining.
Prasad’s ability to remain composed under pressure, particularly in the decisive tie-break, underlined his experience and mental resilience, reinforcing his credentials as one of Fiji’s strongest medal contenders in the men’s singles competition at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The match brought together the only two unbeaten players in Section C. Following the completion of Round Two yesterday, Banks led the standings while Prasad occupied second place, with both players having collected six points from two victories, separated only by the competition’s ranking criteria.
Under the Glasgow 2026 competition format, each player contests five sectional matches, with the top two finishers in each section progressing directly to the semi-finals. As a result, the outcome carried significant weight in the race for one of the four semi-final berths.
