Sports Ministry recognises Bowling Federation of India as official governing body for Lawn Bowls

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has officially recognised as the Bowling Federation of India (BFI) as the governing body for Lawn Bowls in India.

In a letter dated 20 April, 2026 the Ministry wrote, “This recognition to Bowling Federation of India (BFI) means granting a major role to the Bowling Federation of India (BFI) for promotion and development of the sport of Lawn Bowls in India. The recognition has been granted after relaxation of following provisions of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.”

The Bowling Federation of India was formed decades back in 1985. It was affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and World Bowls, the global federation, in 1990.

Lawn Bowls gained prominence in India four years ago when the Indian women’s fours team comprising of Rupa Rani Tirkey, Nayanmoni Saikia, Lovley Choubey, and Pinki Singh clinched a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The Indian men’s fours team of Sunil Bahadur, Navneet Singh, Chandan Kumar Singh, and Dinesh Kumar had also bagged a silver medal in what was a double delight for the country.

Lawn Bowls, or Bowls, is a sport where players try to roll their balls closest to a smaller ball. It was first played in the 13th century.