Mohammed ‘Chico’ Qureshi, the 67-year-old restaurateur playing bowls for Pakistan at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, had a seriously tough start, losing his opening match in straight sets to Wales’ Ross Owen. The scores? A brutal 12-5 and 17-0. Oof.
The Dream to Play, Again
Chico Qureshi, who has called Glasgow home for over 50 years, is back on the portable rink at the SEC Centre, representing Pakistan. He’s a local legend, running the Alishan Tandoori and a member at Glasgow Indoor Bowling Club, just around the corner from his restaurant. This isn’t his first rodeo either; he competed in the 2014 Games, and going again in a second home Games was apparently a dream for him. He’d been putting in the hours, trying to get ready for the tough conditions.
“Worst Game Ever” Hits Hard
Unfortunately, all that prep didn’t quite translate to the opening match against Ross Owen. That 12-5 and 17-0 drubbing was rough to watch. Chico himself didn’t mince words after, telling BBC Scotland, “That’s the worst game I’ve ever played. It was very tricky to get going. The more I was trying, the worse I was getting.” You just gotta feel for the guy. His supporters were there cheering him on, but even he joked, “I had a few here. But, with my performance, I don’t think they’ll come back again!”
Next Up, and What’s at Stake
All is not lost though. Chico still has four Group C games left to play on the carpet, so there’s plenty of time for improvement. His next big test is against Scotland’s Jason Banks on Friday. Banks, a former world number one who held world indoor singles, pairs, and mixed pairs titles last year, has even eaten at Chico’s restaurant before. But this week, he’s steering clear. Banks joked, “I’m a bit scared to go back this week in case he puts something in my food. So I’ll stay away just now.” Hopefully, Chico can turn things around in those remaining Group C games and give his supporters a reason to cheer louder.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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