Khuru and Archery

Both khuru and archery are commonly played sports in Bhutan. Archery, known as “Da” in Bhutan’s official language of Dzongkha, was made the national sport in 1971 and is the country’s most popular sport. Khuru is a traditional game similar to darts. Archery is promoted extensively by the Bhutanese government and played on national holidays and official occasions. Archery festivals and tournaments are common, with one of the largest, the Yangpel Open Archery Tournament, attracting hundreds of teams and lasting three months. Khuru is also played as a team sport, with around ten players on each team. It is played with large wooden darts, called “khurus,” which are thrown around 98 feet (30 m) to a wooden post that serves as a target. Khuru matches are usually accompanied by traditional singing and dancing, and are often run as part of an archery tournament.

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