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Ruparani Tirkey is an Indian lawn bowler who was the skipper of the Indian quartet that won the gold medal in the women’s four lawn bowl event at the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Wiki/Biography
Ruparani Tirkey was born on Sunday, 27 September 1987 (age 35 years; as of 2022) in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Her zodiac sign is Libra. She did her schooling at St. Anne’s Girls High School, Ranchi. She attended Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Sciences, Delhi and Gossner College, Ranchi. Ruparani started her career with kabaddi but later switched to lawn bowl.
Physical Appearance
Height: 5′ 5″
Weight: 70 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Ruparani’s father worked in a post office. Her mother secured the job of her father after his death.
She has one sister, Reema Rani Tirkey.
Husband
Ruparani got married to Amrit Minj, an engineer on 29 January 2022.
Religion
Ruparani follows Christianity.
Career
Commonwealth Games
In 2010, she participated in the Commonwealth Games that were held in India and stood on 4th position in triples. In 2014, she again took part in the Commonwealth Games, held in Glasgow, Scotland and stood on 9th position in triples and 14th in fours. In 2018, she participated in the Commonwealth Games which were held in Queensland, Australia, but the Women’s fours lost to Malta in the quarter-finals. In 2022, she qualified for the finals at Commonwealth Games. In the semi-final held between India and New Zealand, India won by 17-9. She works as the Director of Sports & Youth Affairs in West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand.
Asia Pacific Bowls Championship
In 2009, she played the Asia Pacific Bowls Championship, held in Malaysia, and won a bronze medal in triples and fours. In 2019, she again won a bronze in triples at Asia Pacific Bowls Championships that was held in Australia.
World Outdoor Bowls Championship
In 2020, she participated in triples and fours in World Outdoor Bowls Championship which was held in Queensland, Australia.
Facts/Trivia
- Rupa was a kabaddi player before she became a lawn bowler. In an interview, she said that she started gaining interest in lawn bowl when she received a good stipend after winning her first game. She also said that one of her relatives suggested she take up an individual game.
- In an interview, she expressed her feelings after winning the semi-final in CWG 2022, and said,
We cannot express our feelings in words. We have fought as a team and now our journey doesn’t end here. We have to play in a similar fashion against South Africa and do what hasn’t been done before.”
- In an interview, their team manager Anju Luthra talked about how proud she was of her team and said,
I am like their mother, I am attached with them since 2009. It’s a long journey, they’re like my daughters, my family. Getting a medal is important, because when we go back to India, the federation always says ‘what have you done?’, so we want to prove that we are not less than any other game.”
- In a statement that she gave after qualifying for the final in CWG, she expressed her disappointment and said that even after winning a gold medal at CWG 2022 she wasn’t as popular as MS Dhoni in their hometown Ranchi.