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By Newzyy Staff — 5h ago
In a pre-match gesture, Glasgow curry restaurateur Mohammed Ayub Qureshi, known as "Chico" to the local bowls community, has extended an invitation to a potential dinner companion from Australia's lawn bowls team, despite having already secured a spot in the men's pairs match at the Commonwealth Games. The catch, according to Qureshi, is that if Pakistan loses to the Australians, he'll likely serve them a spicy vindaloo as revenge.
Despite facing off against three-time world champion, Corey Wedlock, and teammate Aaron Teys, Qureshi is undeterred. He views the opportunity as a chance to learn from the best and gain valuable experience playing against a top-ranked team. "I feel excited, I feel excited to be playing with the best," Qureshi said, alongside his teammate Maqsood Waseem Khan.
Khan's journey into bowling was not traditional, as he created his own wooden bowling balls due to a lack of equipment in his native Pakistan. The secretary of the Pakistan Lawn Bowls Federation has since made it his mission to promote the sport in his country, training young people and lobbying for better facilities and recognition.
Qureshi, a Glasgow resident for decades, credits a business relationship for introducing him to the sport nearly 30 years ago. He began by sponsoring his local bowling club and eventually joined the Glasgow Indoor Bowling Club, where he trains alongside Khan before joining forces for international competitions. Despite the geographical distance between them, the pair has managed to make their long-distance partnership work, with Khan traveling to Glasgow for matches.