India Clinch Overall Title as Bhutan Grand Prix III 2026 Concludes in Thimphu

India Clinch Overall Title as Bhutan Grand Prix III 2026
Concludes in Thimphu

The Bhutan Grand Prix III 2026 concluded today in Thimphu, bringing four days of competitive, high-quality archery to a close. While India lifted the overall Rolling Trophy, the story of the tournament was equally about the strong and steadily rising presence of Bhutanese archers on home soil.

Organised by the Bhutan Archery Federation in collaboration with the Bhutan Olympic Committee, with support from the Embassy of India, Thimphu, the championship once again showcased Bhutan’s commitment to developing world-class archers in both compound and recurve disciplines.

India secured several gold medals across individual and team categories to claim the overall championship. However, the margins in many finals reflected how closely contested the competition has become — and how strongly Bhutanese athletes are closing the gap.

The Compound Men Team final was one of the highlights of the tournament. Bhutan’s Tandin Dorji, Tshetum Gaytshey and Kezang Norbu delivered an impressive 230, narrowly finishing behind India’s 233. It was a performance built on composure and consistency, drawing loud support from the home crowd.

In the Compound Women Team, Sonam Dema, Dorji Dolma and Dorji Dema fought hard throughout the match, continuing to build valuable international experience against seasoned opponents.

Bhutan also made its mark individually. Sonam Dema secured bronze in the Compound Women Individual, while Sonam Penjor delivered a determined performance to take bronze in the Recurve Men Individual after a tight contest.

The Compound Mixed Team pairing of Tandin Dorji and Sonam Dema added another silver medal to Bhutan’s tally with a strong 144-point finish, once again demonstrating the country’s growing depth in compound archery.

In the Special Category, Chogzang Thai stood out with a gold medal performance, adding further pride for the host nation.

Although India finished as overall champions, Bhutan’s performances throughout the tournament signaled progress, confidence and technical improvement. Reaching multiple finals and pushing matches to narrow margins reflects a programme that is steadily strengthening.

As the tournament wrapped up in Thimphu, the takeaway was clear: the competition may have gone India’s way on the scoreboard, but Bhutanese archers are increasingly becoming a dominant presence on the field, poised, competitive and firmly on the rise.