Bhutan’s recurve archer Kinley Tshering delivered a remarkable performance at the World Archery Asia President’s Challenge Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh, winning the gold medal in the Recurve Men’s Division. The achievement has provided a major boost to Bhutan’s preparations for the upcoming 20th Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026.
The five-day tournament, held from July 29 alongside the World Archery Asia Joint Training Programme, brought together 66 athletes from 19 countries. Kinley emerged as the standout performer among 20 competitors from 11 countries, topping the qualification round with an impressive score of 673 out of 720 points.
The 35-year-old archer from Paro maintained his form in the elimination rounds to secure the gold medal for Bhutan. Kinley, who has been competing in recurve archery since 2013, credited the achievement to the support of his coach and teammates.
He said the competition provided valuable experience, especially against strong archers from Bangladesh, and served as important preparation ahead of the Asian Games.
Other Bhutanese archers also produced encouraging performances. Sonam Penjor recorded a new international personal best score of 659 out of 720 points and finished fourth in the qualification round. Lam Dorji, Tshering Dema and Kezang Om gained valuable international exposure through the tournament and joint training programme.
According to the Bhutan Archery Federation, the Dhaka event was part of the team’s preparation for the Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4. Kinley’s gold medal has strengthened Bhutan’s confidence as its archers continue to improve on the international stage.