An all-women team from Bhutan made a winning international debut at a compound archery match in Sikkim, India, earlier this week. The exhibition match, part of the 23rd Chief Minister’s Open Compound Archery Gold Cup, saw the Bhutanese team defeat a predominantly male team from Sikkim with a 23–18 score. The eight archers, who have already made a name for themselves in Bhutan by regularly competing against men, won a cash prize of Nu 50,000 from their win. The event promoted cultural exchange, with warm hospitality extended to the Bhutanese team by their hosts.
It is a historic moment, as it is the first time a women’s archery team from Bhutan has competed outside the country. The archers said the experience was not only valuable for them as a team, but also served as a platform to empower women.
Tandin Pem, an archer said, “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved. There’s nothing women can’t do if we put our minds to it. We feel like we’ve helped pave the way for other women who might be interested in taking up archery. When opportunities like this come along, we have to seize them.”
Karma Samten Wangda
