Bhutan’s Compound Men Push India to the Limit in Asian Games Quarterfinal
Bhutan’s Compound Men’s Team produced a performance full of composure, pressure and belief at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, reaching the quarterfinals before falling just three points short against India in a tense contest at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square.
Tandin Dorji, Tshetum Gaytshey and Kezang Norbu entered the team competition after a strong qualification round that placed Bhutan 11th among the competing teams. Tandin delivered one of the standout individual performances, finishing fourth in the Compound Men’s qualification with a career-best 710 points, while Tshetum scored 693 and Kezang 687.
Their first elimination match came against Malaysia, represented by Mazuki Mohd Juwaidi, Mohd Tariki Muhammad Aiman Syafiq and Muhammad Ghazalli Alang Ariff Aqil. Bhutan started strongly and remained consistent across the four ends, shooting 57, 56, 57 and 59 for a total of 229 points. Malaysia finished on 228, with scores of 57, 56, 57 and 58. The one-point margin sent Bhutan through to the quarterfinals, where a much bigger challenge awaited in the form of India.
The quarterfinal quickly developed into a nail-biting contest. India came into the match as the third-seeded team and had three highly experienced archers in Kushal Dalal, Sahil Rajesh Jadhav and Ganesh Mani Ratnam. Bhutan, however, did not allow the difference in ranking to dictate the contest. India opened with 59 points, followed by a perfect 60 in the second end. Bhutan responded with 57 and 58, keeping the match within reach as both teams worked under increasing pressure.
The third end again went India’s way, 59 to 58, but Bhutan remained close enough for the final end to matter. With the pressure mounting and every arrow carrying greater significance, India finished with 57, taking its total to 235. Bhutan needed a strong final end and delivered exactly that.
Tandin, Tshetum and Kezang combined for 59 points in the final end, bringing Bhutan to 232. The final margin was only three points. India advanced to the semifinals, but Bhutan had made the quarterfinal far closer than the difference in team rankings might have suggested. For long stretches of the match, the Bhutanese trio stayed within striking distance, responded to India’s high scores and kept the contest alive until the final arrows.
The result also needs to be viewed in the wider development of Bhutanese compound archery. Bhutan finished 13th in the Compound Men’s Team competition at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and improved to 10th at Hangzhou 2022. In Aichi-Nagoya, the team moved further up the standings to finish seventh overall.
The seventh-place finish came alongside a significant individual performance from Tandin, whose 710 points placed him fourth in qualification among a field in which 21 archers surpassed 700 points. His score also placed him just three points behind the joint leaders, China’s Liao Jiahao and Liu Jinyi, who both recorded 712.
Bhutan has moved further forward, finishing seventh among the Asian Games field. The official team ranking lists Bhutan seventh, ahead of Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Mongolia and the United Arab Emirates.
The progress of these three archers is also part of Bhutan’s wider effort to strengthen its high-performance sports pathway. Tandin Dorji, Tshetum Gaytshey and Kezang Norbu are athletes under the BEAST program, an initiative of the Bhutan Olympic Committee focused on developing athletes and creating a stronger pathway towards international competition.
Their performance in Okazaki offered a glimpse of that development on one of the biggest stages in Asian sport. The three archers handled a closely fought elimination match against Malaysia, then stepped into a quarterfinal against one of the strongest compound archery teams in the region and stayed in contention until the final end.
The atmosphere around the field reflected the closeness of the contest. Each end brought another shift in pressure, with coaches and teammates watching every arrow closely and the archers taking their time before committing to each shot. Bhutan’s final 59 ensured there was no easy passage for India, even after the Indian team had built an advantage earlier in the match. India eventually finished on 235 and Bhutan on 232.
For Bhutan, the quarterfinal result adds another significant marker to the development of its compound archery team. The team has improved its Asian Games position from 13th to 10th and now to seventh, while its latest campaign has also produced a fourth-place individual qualification finish and a quarterfinal contest decided by just three points. At Aichi-Nagoya, the numbers are beginning to show the progress.
Meet Team Bhutan
Everything you need to know about Team Bhutan at the Asian Games 2026.