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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Bageshri Savyasachi

How Canberra became a target for this age-old cultural practice

Archery from the Kingdom of Bhutan is not like in the Olympics.

Bhutanese archers not only know the thrill of hitting two separate targets 145 metres away, but they also have the moves to assert wins over their opponents.

"If we hit the target, we celebrate by dancing in front of it," Passang, the president of the Australia Bhutanese Association in Canberra, said.

"And we also get a scarf each time we hit the target, so by the end of the day anyone can make out who is a good shooter and who is not."

While celebratory dancing is no doubt good for team morale, the president, affectionately known as alu paasa, "little brother" in Bhutanese, said it's an age-old practice to preserve their culture.

Passang, president of the Australia Bhutanese Association in Canberra. Picture by Keegan Carroll

Although archery is officially Bhutan's national sport, he said the people saw it as more than just a game.

Every festival and important occasion in the community is always marked by decoration, dance and an archery competition.

Each Bhutanese village has an archery field for these events.

While the men showed off their skills to win commemorative scarves, women would cook delicacies and cheer on their partners in field with traditional songs.

But for those living in Australia, Mr Passang says there is only one such place that could match such a "rich display" of sport and culture - Canberra.

The range at Tuggeranong Archery Club is known to Bhutanese archers across Australia to be the only place capable of accommodating their traditional set up.

This is why about 15 teams with 85 archers from cities including Perth, Brisbane, and Armidale are flying down to the capital for this year's Druk Hybrid Archery Championship.

Yeshi Pelzang, Passang and Kinley Wangchuk dressed in the traditional Bhutanese dress 'Gho'. Picture by Keegan Carroll

"Archery is deeply rooted in our society and culture," Yeshi Pelzang said. He is one of the 200-odd archers in the ACT.

"We take it seriously," he said. "Whoever has a the team has selects the best of the best and they work towards winning the game."

It will be a week-long community affair, between March 9 and 16, with 7am starts and late evening finishes.

Mr Pelzang said meeting interstate Bhutanese communities and showcasing their traditions to young archers every year brought him great joy.

"We have many Aussies who are interested in the culture and they come to watch our match and support us, so it is also a matter of pride for us," Mr Pelzang said.

Mr Passang (centre) opening the Druk Hybrid Archery Competition in 2023. Picture supplied

The competition also means the world for the youngest of Canberra's Bhutanese archers, Kinley Wangchuk.

He grew up playing archery after school in Bhutan and continues to rush to the Tuggeranong range after work on most days.

The 21 year old also said the sport helps him keep fit, sharp and also de-stress from the worries of daily life.

"It's one way of appreciating the rich culture of my home country in a faraway country like Australia," Mr Wangchuk said.

"As a young player, I feel like very proud to be included and to participate with all my friends of all age groups across states."

While Mr Wangchuk would love to win the competition this year, if his team did lose he maintained he would be happy to simply enjoy the spirit of the event.

Meaning there are no sore losers in Bhutanese archery.

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