'Fab Four' of lawn bowls revel in their new-found fame

Bavla (Gujarat): "This is what we have earned. Respect," a beaming Lovely Choubey told TOI as the 42-year-old from Jharkhand was given a warm welcome by fellow team members and rival challengers at the bowling greens of the Kensville Golf and Country Club, the venue for the men's and women's lawn bowls competitions at the National Games here, a two-hour drive from Ahmedabad.

The same admiration was reserved for Rupa Rani Tirkey, Pinki and Nayanmoni Saikia - members of the famous quartet which led India to a historic women's four lawn bowls gold at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Birmingham two months ago.

Call them the 'Fab Four', 'Golden Girls' or 'Bowlingwood Queens', they will always be remembered as the path-breakers, trend-setters and history-makers who put the Indian lawn bowls on the world map, and offered the recreational sport a fresh lease of life in the country. They are competing at the National Games as rivals - Lovely and Rupa Rani are representing Jharkhand, while Pinki and Nayanmoni arw turning up for Delhi and Assam, respectively. But they are united by a common cause to bring more medal glory to the nation.