Kinley Tshering and Lam Dorji Deliver Remarkable Performances to Reach Asian Games Quarterfinals
By Victor Gurung
Press Attaché | Team Bhutan
20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026
OKAZAKI, Japan | 29 SEPTEMBER 2026
It has been a remarkable day for Bhutanese archery at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, with Kinley Tshering and Lam Dorji both advancing to the quarterfinals of the Recurve Men’s Individual competition after producing three successive victories each at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square.
The quality of their performances is reflected not only in the results but also in the level of opposition they have overcome. Both archers entered the elimination rounds outside the top 30 in qualification, with Lam finishing 31st on 659 points and Kinley 37th on 655. Since then, both have produced a series of strong performances against opponents who had qualified considerably higher in the field.
Kinley began his elimination campaign with a convincing 7–1 victory over Tajikistan’s Dilshodi Bakhtiyor. He then faced Indonesia’s Ahmad Khoirul Baasith, who had qualified fifth with 686 points. In a closely contested match, Kinley held his composure to secure a 6–4 victory over one of the highest-ranked archers in the competition.
His third match brought another major test against China’s Li Mengqi, who had finished 13th in qualification with 678 points. The contest went down to the final set, with Kinley winning 6–5 to complete three consecutive victories and earn his place in the quarterfinals. In the space of three elimination matches, Kinley had overcome the fifth- and 13th-ranked qualifiers.
Lam Dorji has produced an equally impressive run. After qualifying 31st with 659 points, he opened his campaign with a 6–0 victory over Kyrgyzstan’s Ulukbek Kursanaliev. His second match was a considerably tougher examination against Iran’s Mohammadhossein Golshani Asl, who had entered the elimination rounds ranked eighth with 682 points. Lam responded with a composed 6–4 victory to move into the next stage.
Lam then faced Hong Kong, China’s Kwok Yin Chai, who had qualified 11th with 678 points. Another closely fought contest ended 6–4 in Lam’s favour, giving him three victories from three matches and a place in the quarterfinals. His run has included wins over the eighth- and 11th-ranked qualifiers, underlining the level of opposition he has overcome at Okazaki.
For Bhutan, the progress of both archers is particularly encouraging because their advancement has come against opponents who entered the elimination rounds with significantly higher qualification rankings. Kinley has defeated the fifth- and 13th-ranked qualifiers, while Lam has overcome the eighth- and 11th-ranked qualifiers. Their performances have shown composure under pressure and the ability to raise their level when facing some of the strongest names in the field.
Their progress also forms part of the wider development of Bhutan’s high-performance archery pathway under the Bhutan Olympic Committee’s BEAST program. Competing against experienced international archers at major events provides valuable exposure, but at Okazaki, Kinley and Lam have gone beyond gaining experience; they have converted that opportunity into results on the shooting line.
The quarterfinal schedule has now been officially released, with both Bhutanese archers set for another major test on 3 October 2026.
Kinley Tshering will face Lee Woo Seok of Korea, who qualified fourth with 687 points. Their quarterfinal is scheduled for 13:15 Japan time. Lee entered the competition as one of the leading qualifiers and has also progressed through the elimination rounds, setting up another demanding contest for Kinley.
Lam Dorji will take on Neeraj Chauhan of India, who qualified 20th with 676 points. Their quarterfinal is scheduled for 13:45 Japan time. Chauhan advanced after defeating Indonesia’s Riau Ega Agata Salsabilla 6–4.
The two quarterfinals will give Bhutan another opportunity to see both archers compete on the same stage against some of Asia’s leading recurve archers. After three wins each, Kinley and Lam have earned their place in the last eight through performances that have combined accuracy, patience and composure when the pressure was at its highest.
For Team Bhutan, having two archers progress together into the quarterfinal stage is a moment of considerable pride. More importantly, their performances have shown that Bhutan’s archers are capable of challenging athletes who entered the competition with significantly higher qualification rankings.
The next shooting line awaits on 3 October. Kinley will face Korea’s fourth-ranked qualifier, Lee Woo Seok, at 13:15, followed 30 minutes later by Lam’s quarterfinal against India’s Neeraj Chauhan. After what they have produced at Okazaki so far, both Bhutanese archers will enter the quarterfinals with the confidence that they have earned their place among the final eight.
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