The Bhutan Grand Prix, one of the country’s premier high-performance archery tournaments, will begin tomorrow in Thimphu. Official training sessions for the third edition of the competition were held today at the Babena Artificial Turf. Close to 50 archers from Bhutan and India will compete in the tournament.
Organised by the Bhutan Archery Federation in collaboration with the Bhutan Olympic Committee, the three-day competition will feature 19 Bhutanese and 27 Indian archers competing in recurve and compound categories.
In the recurve division, events include men’s individual and men’s team competitions. In the men’s recurve individual event, seven Bhutanese and ten Indian archers will compete.
Among Bhutan’s top contenders is 34-year-old Kinley Tshering from Paro. Having represented Bhutan in more than 20 international competitions, Kinley won gold in the foreign category at the Gyeyang Open Championship in South Korea last year. He also secured silver and bronze medals in the mixed team event at the 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal. Currently, he holds a world ranking of 133.
“When we get opportunities to compete, we gain many advantages. When top archers come here, we get the chance to connect with them and learn new skills and techniques.”
India’s Parth Salunkhe is another major attraction in the recurve category. Ranked 51 in the world, the 22-year-old has competed in 10 international tournaments and won 12 medals in the past five years. He was Youth World Champion in 2023 in Ireland and claimed bronze at the 2025 World Cup in China.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for the Bhutanese people and also for Indian archers. It’s a fun game. They are really keen to participate here and are very excited. Personally, I’m really looking forward to having conversations with the archers of Bhutan, exchanging information, and together becoming better archers as Bhutanese and Indian players.”
The compound men’s individual category features 18 athletes battling for a top cash prize of 100,000 ngultrum, while silver and bronze medalists will receive 30,000 and 15,000 ngultrum.
Thirty-five-year-old Tshetum Gaytshey from Thimphu is making his Grand Prix debut. Ranked 184 in the world, he represented Bhutan at the Asia Cup in Bangladesh last year.
“We are very honored to have our guests from India, who are among the world’s top archers. This is very beneficial for us, as we will get ideas and knowledge from them, and also see where we stand compared to their level. Personally, our expectation is that even if we can get close to their level, it will be very good for us.”
India’s Prathamesh Fuge, currently ranked 15 in the world, adds further strength to the competition. He won gold at the 2025 World Championship in Korea and has multiple medals from Asian Championships and other international tournaments.
“I feel like it’s a very good place to play archery because it’s slightly cold, colder than India right now. In India, it is very hot as it is the beginning of summer. So, it’s actually a really good thing for me. After this tournament, I will compete in the Vegas Shoot tournament. That is more important for me, as it is one of the biggest archery tournaments in the world.”
In the women’s compound category, three Bhutanese and five Indian archers will compete in individual, team, and mixed team events.
“I am very prepared for this match and I am very excited. The players are very amazing and they are shooting very well. This high-altitude environment is a rare and very good experience for shooting. I practiced here today and it was very good. The environment in Bhutan is also fantastic.”
The event is officiated by three experienced technical officials and judges from India to ensure international-standard competition.
Pema Tenzin, General Secretary of Bhutan Archery Federation said, “We identify talent and develop them so that the best archers can represent Bhutan in international competitions. In addition, for this year’s third edition of the Grand Prix, we have archers from India, including some of the top-level athletes. This gives Bhutanese archers the opportunity to compete with them—not only to compete, but also to learn from them and share experiences, so that they gain valuable exposure.”
To encourage and nurture emerging talent for long-term athlete development, a special upcoming archer category has also been introduced for Bhutanese compound archers with no prior international exposure.
The finals of the Bhutan Grand Prix will be held on Sunday at the Babena Artificial Turf in Thimphu.
Karma Wangdi
