Archery

Archery is today proclaimed to be the national game of Bhutan. While it is difficult to date when playing archery became a popular sport in Bhutan, bows and arrows were certainly used as hunting tools and weapons in war since ancient times. In the past, archery matches were played mainly between villages as annual contest and during public holidays. There are many rituals, songs, chantings and stories associated with archery matches. Men played archery while women often danced. During inter-village matches, even village deities are invoked to come to support the archers. Today, archery is commonly played in town in many tournaments, many of them using important compound bows and steel arrows.