For 81-year-old Dengo from Paro, age is certainly no barrier to his lifetime passion of archery.
He is still able to keep up with his younger counterparts and has often led the teams at various archery tournaments in the country.
Dengo along with his young team mates also participated in the ongoing Druk Wangyel National Archery Tournament in the capital.
His first-ever archery match was played when he was 27. But even today, he firmly pulls back the string of the archery bow and intensely eyes to hit a Karey.
He says at 81, his vision has blurred a little but he is still leading his team at every tournament.
Besides his endless passion for traditional archery, Dengo was the first to have drafted the rules and regulations on traditional archery in the country.
“In 1977 and 1978, Lhengye Zhungtshog ordered to start traditional archery. Those days, Goonglen Lam Dorji instructed me to come up with rules and regulations on traditional archery. And accordingly, I drafted a copy and submitted it,” recalls Dengo.
He knows that some rules have been altered over the years. But he has no qualms with that since changes are inevitable with modernisation.
Despite trying hard, Dengo and his team was defeated during a match yesterday and hence eliminated from the Druk Wangyel National Archery Tournament.
However, the defeat hasn’t dampened their spirit. Instead Dengo and his young team mates are more spirited to come back stronger in next year’s tournament.
