Sports and Pastimes.

The national sport of archery constitutes one of the chief amusements of the Bhutanese. The marks generally shot at during archery consist of pieces of v-shaped wood about eighteen inches in length and seventeen inches in width. These are placed in a reclining position on the ground at a distance of about 160 yards (175 meters). In almost every village, there is a spot particularly set apart for this manly exercise.

The bow is held in the left hand. A belt behind the back slings a quiver of arrows. The arrows are drawn commodiously from it over the left shoulder. The bow is commonly six feet long, made of a special type of bamboo called zhushing, and when unstrung, is perfectly straight. The bow string (zhuthang) is a small cord of hemp of appropriate length, its tension and the consequent curvature of the bow depending on the degree of twist given to it before the bow is bent. The arrow is shot at a high degree of elevation and the rapidity of its flight is a testimony of the physical power of the Bhutanese. The arrow is generally made of a very small species of bamboo (seim), which is remarkable for its extreme straightness and strength. The head used on ordinary occasions is a plain–pointed iron one. In ancient times, the Bhutanese used barbed and poisoned arrows during warfare.

In national tournaments, a team comprises of thirteen members and the winning number of points is twenty-five. Matches are decided on a best-of-three-games basis. However, in the village matches, there are no fixed rules regarding the number of contestants. Interesting features of an archery contest are the antics and exploits of the Daphotami and the Batemi. The former attempts to distract the opponent by placing himself directly in front of the target.