10 July, 2009 Gem Tshering, 2008 Best Archer has for now made to the top of the Top Twenty list. He hit 9 Kareys in the morning match at lower Changlimithang range. He totals 19 Kareys from two matches. In the third match scheduled on July 13, the reigning champion has to hit 25 Kareys in 15 rounds to match his last year’s high of 44 Kareys. Can he? Most think not and yet some say that if anybody can – he could be one. People are eagerly awaiting

the July 15 match of the last year’s Best Archer’s Runners Up and a three time champion Talop Namgay Wangchuk and to compare the totals. Or would there be a new name for the title?
Gem Tshering and his team Highlanders were able to wrest one game set from Kurtoe CC Puen Sum. Kurtoe C.C. Puen Sum completed three game sets with 39 Kareys – six more than the Highlanders. Chakey, one of the teams during the match, was almost lost between two giants – they managed 13 Kareys. Kurtoe C.C. Puen Sum matches the 39 Karey team high of the present tournament so far. Another champion but of year 2007, Kinley Tshering played was playing the afternoon at the same bacho. He ended the match with 6 Kareys, while the team he is in – Nazhoen Charo totaled 33 Kareys against 19 of Gunners and 23 of Bja Tshas. The two teams with lower total each took three points while Nazhoen Charo the full six points.

But the champion of the day remains to be Phub Dorji of Chigen Jakpa who hit 12 Kareys – which is highest in a single match so far. Lieutenant Kuenlay Gyeltshen is the only other person so far from among the more than 300 archers who have played their first match. Phub Dorji’s team Chigen Jakpa hit 30 Kareys in total against 24 and 13 of Norzang Nga and Dorjee Nam Gay, easily winning the six points.

In the afternoon, the team ‘Camp Outdoor’ hit 32 Kareys to take the six points from Tenphel and Pelden Group – the teams that hit 26 Kareys each during the match. It was second match for Tenphel and it was better performance than their 18 Kareys in the first match.

The performances or accurately – the underperformances of the well known names have also gained more limelight than individual accomplishments of the day. For example, Pema Namgay of Pelden Group and Kinzang Wangdi of Kurtoe CC Puendru have each hit 11 kareys. There are more names that have hit 10 kareys. (Check ‘Individual Performance’ page).