The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have already delivered memorable moments for Team Singapore — Shanti Pereira on the track, swimmers in the pool, 3×3 basketball making history. Now, attention turns to a discipline with a long and proud history in Singapore’s Commonwealth Games story — and one that is about to take a landmark step forward.
When Para Bowls competition begins at the SEC Centre in Glasgow on Friday, 24 July, Singapore will be competing in the discipline at a Commonwealth Games for the very first time. It is a milestone years in the making, carried forward by athletes who have overcome extraordinary challenges to reach this point.
The Man Carrying Singapore’s Flag — and Its Para Bowls Story
At Team Singapore’s Commonwealth Games Flag Presentation Ceremony in Singapore on 6 July, two athletes were given the honour of leading the nation’s 53-strong contingent: swimmer Gan Ching Hwee and para bowler Mawjit Singh s/o Gurmet Singh. The joint flag-bearing role symbolised the inclusive spirit that Glasgow 2026 is committed to embodying.
Mawjit’s journey to this moment is nothing short of remarkable. A bronze medallist at the 2023 World Bowls Championships in the Para Men’s Pairs, he has built an impressive international record despite the challenges that followed a life-changing accident. Speaking at the flag presentation ceremony, he was candid about what this moment means.
“If you had told me years ago, after my accident, that I would one day be leading Team Singapore on the Commonwealth Games stage, I probably would not have believed you,” Mawjit said. “This moment means a lot to me. It is not just about carrying the flag — it is also about representing Singapore, the para sport community, and everyone who has supported me along the way.”
“My teammates and I have worked hard to get here, and we are incredibly proud to wear the Singapore colours. I hope our story reminds people that no matter what challenges life throws at you, there is always a way forward if you refuse to give up.”
Para Bowls: What to Expect at Glasgow 2026
Para Bowls follows the same fundamental principles as lawn bowls — players roll biased balls towards a small white target ball known as a jack, seeking to land as close as possible. The para classification system accommodates athletes with a range of physical impairments and visual disabilities, with competitions structured to ensure fair competition between athletes of similar ability levels.
At Glasgow 2026, Para Bowls events are divided into two phases at the SEC Centre:
- Mixed Pairs B2-B3 (visual impairment classification): 24–28 July
- Men’s Pairs B6-B8 and Women’s Pairs B6-B8 (physical disability classification): 28 July – 2 August
Singapore is one of eight nations confirmed for Para Bowls at Glasgow 2026, alongside Australia, England, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Wales. The competition from Australia, England, and New Zealand — nations with deeply rooted bowls cultures — will be formidable. But Singapore’s athletes arrive with genuine credentials and a hunger to make their mark.
The SEC Centre: A Home Worthy of the Occasion
In a first for the Commonwealth Games, both Bowls and Para Bowls at Glasgow 2026 are being held entirely indoors — at the SEC Centre on the banks of the River Clyde. The venue, one of Scotland’s largest and most flexible event spaces, provides consistent playing conditions free from the wind and weather variability that can affect outdoor bowls.
For Singapore’s para bowlers, the indoor environment removes some of the variables associated with outdoor competition and places the focus squarely on technique, consistency, and tactical awareness. These are qualities the Singaporean contingent has demonstrated at the international level, and Glasgow provides the biggest stage yet to display them.
Singapore’s Proud Bowls Tradition at the Commonwealth Games
Singapore’s involvement in bowls at the Commonwealth Games stretches back decades, with lawn bowls a consistent feature of the city-state’s Games programme. The addition of Para Bowls extends that tradition into new territory, giving athletes whose stories might once have gone untold the opportunity to represent their country on the world’s most inclusive multi-sport stage.
At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Singapore fielded 66 athletes across nine sports and claimed 12 medals — four gold, four silver, and four bronze. With Para Bowls now part of the programme and a broader contingent competing across nine disciplines, there is cautious optimism that Glasgow can build on that haul.
A Historic Week Begins
For Team Singapore in Glasgow, the journey continues on Friday with the opening of Para Bowls competition. Whether or not medals follow, Singapore’s participation in this discipline marks an important step — a statement about inclusion, resilience, and the ever-expanding ambition of sport in the city-state.
Mawjit Singh and his teammates have already achieved something significant simply by being here. What happens on the green will be the next chapter in a story that began long before they set foot in Glasgow.
