2^nd Sept 2012      it was after team ‘Pelden Group of Companies’ completed their 7^th straight win today that they became the 2012 Team Champions and received their prizes from Her Royal Highness Princess Dechen Yangzom Wangchuck, who graced the final match of the 16^th Yangphel Open Archery Tournament as Chief Guest.

Her Royal Highness also presented prizes and certificates to Team Champion Runners Up – the team Yul-Gyel – the surprise finalist and 2^nd Runners Up team ‘Dragon Roots’ from Phuentsholing.

From among the team champions – the Pelden Group, there was also the individual champion Read more…

26^th Aug 2012     everyone today at Thimphu Changlimithang range expected either Gyelyong Gaki or Druk Lhayul to win the last semi final match of the 16^th Yangphel Open Archery Tournament. But it was not to be, as Phuentsholing’s Dragon Roots quietly completed two game sets against none of Druk Lhayul and one of Gyelyong Gaki to be one of the finalists of 2012 tournament.  

Today’s semi final was one of the most competitive matches of the tournament, as the 3 teams matched each other karey for karey. It was only in the 8^th round that first game set of the match was completed by Dragon Roots. At the end of Read more…

24^th Aug 2012     it looked like that the single quarter final match today would be decided through penalty shootout at the Lower Changlimithang range. The last 2012 quarter final match of the 16^th Yangphel Open Archery Tournament was played between ‘Snow Lion in Style’, ‘Kencho Tshering Construction’ and ‘Tshamgar Construction.’ The team Kencho Tshering completed early game set in the 4^th round which was equalized by ‘Snow Lion in Style’ in the sixth round – and for the next 8 rounds till the 14^th no game set could be completed. And when all had resigned to penalty shootout, Snow Lion In Style hit Read more…

Since ancient times, she has been revered and worshipped by the archers and the locals of Changzamtog. Now, even soccer players, volleyball players or basketball players join archers to seek her divine intervention to help win games. She is known to bestow her blessings to all those who seek them. She does not discriminate. Though she is the local guardian deity or ‘molha’ or of Changzamtog, she helps all those who have come from far and from other villages. She is known as Aum Ja-She-Maam, the lady guardian who graces the small stupa in Changzamtog area of Thimphu. Read more…

Archery is the national sport of Bhutan, and every village has it own archery range. competitions, usually accompanied by a banquet, are a part of all festive occasions. Using bamboo bows (although modern compound bows are finding their way into the kingdom) teams of archers shoot at targets only 30 centimetres in diameter from a distance of 120 metres. Each team has a noisy crowd of supporters who, as well as encouraging their own side and try to out off the opposition. The game of archery is not exactly a sport that draws frenzied supporters out for a kill. There are no die-hard fans and no follow-the-team-to-kingdom-come fanatics. And no streaking hooligans.If anyone is all pumped up, it is the archers themselves… To the Bhutanese, it’s a tourist sport and a very saleable one at that too. It has tremendous tourist appeal. Archery is tradition; it’s songs and dances and jeers and near-primitive howls. It’s the works to someone seeking the unusual. All that could be just a facade. Read more…