Sports in Bhutan

Changlimitang Stadium Parade

The national sport in Bhutan is archery ^[1] . Most villages regularly hold competitions in this sport. It differs from Olympic standards in the placement of targets and the situation. Two targets are located at a distance of more than 100 m from each other ^[1] and teams shoot from one end of the field to the other. Each member of the team makes two shots per round. The traditional archery in Bhutan is a social phenomenon and competitions are held between villages, cities and amateur teams. During the competitions they use various dishes and drinks, they are also accompanied by songs and dances ^[1] .

In Bhutan, the Khuru outdoor team game is also popular, reminiscent of darts , in which players throw heavy wooden darts with 10-centimeter nails into soft targets located at a distance of 10-20 m.

Bhutanese playing degor

Another traditional sport in Bhutan is degor , similar to a sports shot put and a horseshoe throw. Cricket has also gained popularity in the country, especially after the start of broadcasting of Indian television channels. Cricket team of Bhutan is one of the best in the region. In 2002, the Bhutan national football team played with the Montserrat national team, about which the documentary “ Another Final ” was filmed. This match took place on the same day as the game between the national teams of Brazil and Germany in the final of the World Cup , at that time the teams of Bhutan and Montserrat occupied the two lowest places in the FIFA ranking. The match took place in Thimphu at the Changlimitang stadium and ended with the victory of the Bhutan national team with a score of 4-0 ^[2] .

Recently, such sports as basketball , volleyball , tennis and table tennis are gaining popularity in the country ^[3] .