Glasgow restaurateur 'Chico' invites Australia to dinner ahead of Pakistan’s Commonwealth Games pairs match

Mohammed Ayub Qureshi, the Glasgow curry-house owner widely known in the local bowls scene as "Chico", has extended an invitation to Australia to join him for a meal regardless of the result of their men’s pairs match at the Commonwealth Games. The offer remains standing even if Pakistan lose, Qureshi confirmed with a grin.

Qureshi has spent decades serving food at Alishan Tandoori while also becoming Pakistan’s most recognisable lawn bowler. The invitation to Australia has already been extended and is intended to welcome opponents after the contest in Glasgow. “If we lose, they are still invited to the restaurant, but I will probably give them a spicy vindaloo as revenge,” Mohammed Ayub Qureshi says with a smile. His dual life as restaurateur and international bowler has made him a familiar figure around the city’s bowls community.

On Wednesday the restaurateur swaps the shirt and tie for Pakistan colours as he and his teammate Maqsood Waseem Khan prepare to meet one of the sport’s strongest sides. The match is part of the Commonwealth Games programme in Glasgow and pits Pakistan against Australia in the men’s pairs. Qureshi’s participation underlines his role on and off the green in representing his country.

The dinner invitation is framed as a gesture of hospitality irrespective of on-field outcomes, with Qureshi emphasizing camaraderie even when competitive stakes are high. Australia have been named as Pakistan’s opponents for the men’s pairs encounter at the Games, and the post-match meal would follow that fixture. The promise of a spicy vindaloo, delivered in jest, underscores Qureshi’s personality within the bowls community.

Chico’s profile in Glasgow combines a long-standing presence at Alishan Tandoori with recognition in national lawn bowls circles. His visibility has grown through both his culinary work and his sporting appearances, making him a notable figure at this Commonwealth Games. Teaming with Maqsood Waseem Khan, he will take the green in a contest described as one of the toughest assignments in the sport.

The match will proceed in Glasgow as scheduled, and Qureshi’s open invitation to the Australian team remains in place after play. Regardless of the result, the restaurateur has made clear his intention to host his opponents and to mix hospitality with a touch of competitive humour.