SHILLONG: Meghalaya’s lawn bowls fraternity has a new reason to celebrate as 16-year-old Nikjagring Ch Marak from South West Garo Hills scripted history by winning the state’s first-ever national medal in the sport at the National Lawn Bowls Championship 2026.
Nikjagring clinched the bronze medal, marking a landmark achievement for Meghalaya and signalling the emergence of young talent from the state on the national lawn bowls stage.
The historic podium finish is also being seen as a significant milestone in Meghalaya’s efforts to strengthen its sporting ecosystem through grassroots development, sustained investment and high-performance coaching.
The progress of the state’s lawn bowls programme has been supported by Malaysian High Performance Coach Ramble Dallan Rice-Oxley, in association with the Meghalaya Lawn Bowling Association (MLBA), whose efforts are focused on nurturing and preparing athletes for national-level competition.
At just 16, Nikjagring’s achievement offers a glimpse of the potential emerging from Meghalaya’s grassroots sporting structure and provides a significant boost to the state’s ambitions in lawn bowls.
For Meghalaya, this is more than a bronze medal. It is a historic breakthrough that could inspire a new generation of athletes to take up the sport and aim for national honours.
