Bhutan may not have spiked its way into the international volleyball scene just yet, but it’s getting closer. With its first-ever international friendly match played recently, the Bhutan Volleyball Federation has taken a step closer toward building the country’s first official senior national volleyball team.
The Bhutan Volleyball Federation has never had an official national team representing the country internationally. But that is changing.
Last year, the federation selected 14 U-19 players from club and school matches to groom them to become future national athletes.
To give them much-needed exposure, the federation organised its first-ever international friendly match against the U-20 team from the Sikkim Volleyball Association earlier this month at Changlingmithang. Though Bhutan lost 1-3 to Sikkim, the federation hailed the team’s performance.
Sixteen-year-old Tshering Drukpa from Punakha is the youngest player in the squad. A class 11 student at Motithang Higher Secondary School, he has also competed in the CAVA Beach Volleyball Championships 2024.
“This is like an investment for the future senior teams, and we, the U-20s, have performed well. We showed that we are going to soon represent the country at international levels just like this, and we wish to perform very well like that,” said Tshering Drukpa, U-20 National Volleyball Team.
20-year-old Dorji Penjor from Zhemgang is the oldest player on the team. He began playing the sport at 16 and was active in club-level competitions before joining the national squad.
“I was really happy when I got selected for the national team because it means we get to represent our country. And representing our country is a big source of inspiration for all of us,” said Dorji Penjor, U-20 National Volleyball Team.
According to the federation, such events help the young athletes gain valuable match experience.
“Through this, we also plan to select future national players. Most of them are under 20, and in two to three years, we are confident we will have a strong senior team,” said Ugyen Dorji, Programme Officer, Bhutan Volleyball Federation.
The Bhutan Volleyball Federation has also been conducting seasonal coaching camps and talent scouting in schools to identify promising players.
International exposure matches and trainings will continue in the future to form a competitive senior national team.
With consistent training and exposure, the dream of forming Bhutan’s first senior national volleyball team is no longer a distant goal, but a future in the making.
Karma Wangdi
Edited by Kipchu
