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Sports inBhutan comprise both traditional Bhutanese and modern international games.Archery is the national sport in Bhutan.[1] Competitions are held regularly in most villages.[2][3][4] Other traditional Bhutanese sports includekhuru,soksom,pundo anddigor.
International sports enjoy considerable popularity in modern Bhutan. Besides archery, many people in Bhutan playbasketball.[1] Other popular sports includefootball andfutsal.Cricket has gained popularity in Bhutan, particularly since the introduction of television channels from India.
Traditional Bhutanese sports includearchery first and foremost. Traditional archery has been historically prominent in Bhutanese religion, ritual, and recreation, and enjoys modern popularity and practice intsechus (festivals) and matches. It differs from modern international archery in rules and metrics; players shoot at comparatively small targets at great distances. Bhutan also participates in modern international archery competitions, and maintains an Olympic archery team.
Khuru is an indigenousdart game, and like traditional archery, requires players to strike relatively small targets at long distances. It is played especially during festivals, along withsoksom, akin to thejavelin throw; anddigor andpundo, akin to theshot put.
Archery is anational and most popular sport in Bhutan[1] and is organized nationally within theBhutan Archery Federation.[5] TraditionalBhutanese archery differs fromOlympic standards in technical details such as the placement of the targets and atmosphere. The distance to thetarget is about 130 metres (430 ft).[6] The relatively small targets are cut from wood and brightly painted, usually measuring about 3 feet (91 cm) tall and 11 inches (28 cm) wide.[4] Bullseyes are calledkaray.[7] Traditionally, Bhutanese bows are made ofbamboo, and arrows from bamboo orreeds, fletched with feather vanes. Arrows may be painted and tipped with metal arrowheads. Thequiver may be wooden, with an animal hide covering and a woven strap.[4][6]
Bhutanese archery teams number at 13 players; teams take turns shooting two arrows at a time first in one direction, then in the opposite direction. The first to score 25 points wins, however because the scoring system is complicated, winning can take a very long time.[4] For example, a second hit by an opponent can invalidate the other player's score.[3] In addition, the interplay of wider socializing and festivities, with archery as the nominal focus, give Bhutanese archery competitions an excruciatingly slow pace. In the past, the most traditional matches could last for as long as a month, though modern matches tend to span a number of days.[4]
Traditional Bhutanese archery is a social event and competitions are organised between villages, towns, and amateur teams. There is usually plenty offood anddrink complete with singing and dancing. Attempts to distract an opponent include standing around the target and making fun of the shooter's ability.[3][4][6] The most notable archery competition in Bhutan is the Yangphel tournament.[8][9] Other major archery competitions are held duringLosar, the Bhutanese and TibetanNew Year.
Increasingly, Bhutanese archery has modernized even in traditional matches. Compound bows,[4] corporate sponsorships,[9] copious cash and material winnings,[10][11][12] injuries, and occasional fatalities[13] have become established features of archery. The popularity of archery has also raised questions of Bhutan's susceptibility todoping, including by alcohol, in the sport.[11] It has also drawn attention to the danger in the sport, especially to spectators, residents, and passers by near archery ranges.[13][14] Since 2010, Bhutan has held the LyonchenJigmi Y Thinley Archery Tournament, encouraging the use of traditional bows and the development ofgewog teams.[15]
Khuru (darts) is a popular outdoor team sport often played during festivals and archery tournaments. When playing khuru, heavy wooden darts pointed with a 10 centimetres (3.9 in) nail are thrown at apaperback-sized target 10 metres (33 ft) to 20 metres (66 ft) away.[16][17]
Soksom, akin to thejavelin throw, is a sport in which players throw ajavelin a distance of 20 metres (66 ft).[17]
Digor is a game resemblingshot put,horseshoes, andpétanque. It is played with a pair of spherical flat stones that are hurled at two targets (pegs) fixed in the ground about 20 metres (66 ft) apart. It can be played one-on-one or in teams of up to seven players. Digor is played all over Bhutan, though most often by men in rural areas.[17]
Pundo is a traditional Bhutanese game most resemblingshot put. It is played by throwing a stone weighing over a kilo as far as possible. The throwing movement is from the shoulder, with the stone held flat in the hand. It is usually played by laymen.[17]
Bhutan participates in modern international sports in three main areas.Archery, the national sport, is played internationally as well as domestically using modern equipment, and the kingdom maintains anOlympic archery team. Further, Bhutanese basketball, football andfutsal teams compete at national, international, and Olympic levels.Cricket also enjoys a considerable following in Bhutan.
TheBhutan Olympic Committee was formed in 1983 and recognized by theIOC the same year.[18] For eachSummer Olympic Games since 1984,Bhutan has fielded male and female archers to compete in the kingdom's national sport.[19] They have never competed in theWinter Olympic Games nor the other events of the Summer Olympic Games; they also have never won an Olympic Medal.[20] Bhutan sent only one athlete to the2010 Summer Youth Olympics but lost in the quarterfinals of the athletics event.
The sport of football inBhutan is run by theBhutan Football Federation. The association administers theBhutan national football team as well as theA-Division.
In 2002, Bhutan'snational football team playedMontserrat, in what was billed asThe Other Final; the match took place on the same day Brazil and Germany in theWorld Cup Final, but at the time Bhutan and Montserrat were the world's 2 lowest ranked teams. The match was held in Thimphu'sChanglimithang national stadium, and Bhutan won 4–0.
TheBhutan national cricket team represents the kingdom in international cricket matches and is one of the most successful affiliate nations in the region. Bhutan became an affiliate member of theICC in 2001. They made their international debut at the 2004ACC Trophy, where they made the quarter-finals. They again competed at the ACC Trophy in 2006 but were eliminated in the first round after a series of heavy defeats. Their only win came against newcomersMyanmar.
Following the 2006 ACC Trophy, the tournament was split into two divisions, Elite and Challenge. Bhutan took part in the 2009 ACC Trophy Challenge, where they were runners up. This result qualified them for the next ACC Trophy Elite as well as Division eight of theWorld Cricket League.
TheBhutan women's national cricket team made its international debut at the2009 ACC Women's Twenty20 Championship. It has played regularly since then.
The Bhutan Basketball Federation joined the international basketball federationFIBA in 1983. Its national team has played many qualification games for theFIBA Asia Championship but still waits for its breakthrough.
TheBhutan national futsal team representsBhutan in internationalfutsal competitions and is controlled by theBhutan Football Federation.
As of 2023, baseball is the fastest growing sport in Bhutan.[21] The Bhutan Baseball and Softball Association reports that more than 6,000 children consistently play baseball.[21]
Bhutan was introduced tokho kho, a traditional game of India, in 2019, and participated in the inaugural2025 Kho Kho World Cup in India.[22]
Changlimithang Stadium inThimphu is the main venue for major sporting events in Bhutan, including archery and football. With a capacity of 25,000, the stadium has also hosted theatrical performances and celebrations as part ofnational holidays and major events such as theroyal wedding in 2011.[16][23][24]
As archery is especially popular, every village has a field for the sport.[16]
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