Culture of Bhutan - Sports

Sports

Archery is the national sport in Bhutan, and competitions are held regularly in most villages. It differs from Olympic standards in technical details, such as the placement of the targets and atmosphere. There are 2 targets placed over 100 m apart and teams shoot from one end of the field to the other. Each member of the team shoots 2 arrows per round. Traditional Bhutanese Archery is a social event, and competitions are organized between villages, towns, and amateur teams. There is usually plenty of food and drink complete with singing and dancing. Attempts to distract an opponent include standing around the target and making fun of the shooter's ability. Darts (kuru) is an equally popular outdoor team sport, in which heavy wooden darts pointed with a 10 cm nail are thrown at a paperback-sized target 10 to 20 m away.

Another traditional sport is the digor, which resembles the shot put and horseshoe throwing. Cricket has gained popularity in Bhutan, particularly since the introduction of television channels from India. The Bhutan national cricket team is one of the most successful affiliate nations in the region. Football is the most popular sport in Bhutan. In 2002, Bhutan's national football team played Montserrat, in what was billed as The Other Final; the match took place on the same day Brazil and Germany in the World Cup Final, but at the time, Bhutan and Montserrat were the world's 2 lowest ranked teams. The match was held in Thimphu's Changlimithang Stadium, and Bhutan won 4-0.