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Aug 22                        the Yangphel Archery Committee has declared the winners of the league based prizes, which is the most of the prizes. Except for the Finals Most Valuable Players, all of winners for the individual prize categories have been announced. Along with Finals MVP, the three best team prize categories are yet to be decided which would be during the final match of Sat Aug 31.

Since all of the tournament participants would play three league matches despite the team performance, so most of the prizes are based on league in order to provide the same level of opportunities to all.  These are winners and the prize items:

One other prize category and winner not mentioned beforehand is that of Record Bull’s Eye Hits that has been made this year by Jigme Norbu as he totals 14 bull’s eye in 3 league matches.  He would be given the prize during the next year’s tournament for the record. This year he would be receiving the prize for record he set last year of highest league score ever (46 kareys in 45 rounds)

For the Best Team Prize, there is Apple IPAD2 with Whirlpool Washing Machine (for each player of the team), the 2^nd Best Team would win Apple IPAD Mini and Haier Refrigerators while the third best would take Lenovo Lap Top and Godrej Microwave Oven. The only individual prize left to be won is Ngultrum 15000/- for the Finals MVP. These are the cream of the prizes.

The 3 best teams would be decided during the finals and Finals MVP would also be decided during the Finals even though potential winners have started counting from the ongoing stage of the quarterfinals.

With one more quarter final match to be completed, we have 8 winners – the 2013 semi finalists and we will see tomorrow (Aug 23) whether last year’s team champion ‘Pelden Group’ will join them or not, as they battle Phuentsholing’s Penden Tsi Wa and Trashigang’s KDS.

20^th Aug 2013           the end of the knockout today could have marked beginning of the inset competitions had it been last year or before. But this year, two days before the end of the knockout, the seeded (chani) shootout and Best of Bhutan (the Top 15) shootout was held on the Aug 18 and the winners declared.

It was surprise when 7^th league ranked Sherab Tharchen surpassed all of the big names like 2012 Best Archer Tshewang Dorji, Record Holder Jigme Norbu, 2008 Champion Gem Tshering, or 2012 Seeded Gold Sigay Phub to hit 13 kareys in the Best of Bhutan 15 round shootout and become the Best Archer of the 2013.

The closest total to Sherabs was 11 kareys hit by 3 archers, like Pema Dorji, Jigme Norbu, Gem Tshering and Tenzin Namgay. But Tenzin Namgay had 1 sa-ka (one pointer) against none of the others, so he was eliminated in the 1^st tie breaker. Then in the 2^nd tie breaker of Bulls eye (3 pointer), Pema Dorji had the highest number of 4 bulls against 3 of Jigme and 2 of Gem Tshering. As such, Pema Dorji became the 2^nd Best Archer followed by Jigme Norbu.

Before the top 15 shootout, the chani shootout between the seeded archers for the year was conducted in which Sonam Tshering became the Seeded Gold, Namgay Dorji became the Seeded Silver and the Seeded Bronze was Karma Tenzin.

The top 15 archers and the seeded shootout winners were given medal by Rtd Col. Rinzin and his team mates, who constituted the team with senior most players in the tournament and called for the shootouts as Chief Guests.

Before these shootouts, some notable knockout matches took place and one of them was when Samyued Bhutan Tours hit 55 kareys – the highest one match total of the ongoing tournament on the 15^th of Aug. Then the next day, on the 16^th, the strong 2011 champion Phoja had a scare as they went into penalty shootout with T.Tobgyal Construction from Trashigang. The last arrow of the penalty shootout (shot by Sonam Lhagyel) won them the match. The 2012 Champion Pelden Group showed teams from outside Thimphu, – the Gelegphu’s Ngalam and Phuentsholing’s 5 Idiots out.

Yet there are several teams outside of Thimphu are into the quarter finals like Druk Yoesel of Monggar, Mongdeps of Gelegphu, Penden Tsi Sa , Phuntsholing Akazati, Demon COnquerers and Ganapati of Phuentsholing, or KDS and Dungsam Yongthrab of Trashigang or Pel Druk of Punakha. It comes to many as surprise, since they expect less from the teams outside of Thimphu.

Yet many of these teams are but two more wins away from the final match on Aug 31.  Could there be more surprise and a surprise team champion as well?

10 Aug 2013             the opening score of the 15^th round during the Aug 8 afternoon match at the lower Changlimithang by Kezang Jigme marked the 50^th karey of Phoja and the surpassing of the ongoing tournament’s one match high of 49 kareys. By the end of the 15^th round, Phoja totaled 53 kareys sealing their 3^rd consecutive victory to book a place in the elimination round. The above average performance of one of their opponent Samyued Bhutan Tours of 37 kareys were dwarfed by such a total.  The 2011 Champion Phoja also has the highest league (3 match) total of 145 kareys.

The 2^nd highest league total is 125 kareys by Druk Adventure Gear and 3^rd of 123 kareys is by Vajra. From the team Phoja, Sonam Lhagyel entered both the top ten one day (1 match) score and league (3 match) score. Sonam Lhagyel’s 14 kareys on Aug 8, found him the 10^th position in the one day high score and which when added to his earlier two match total of 23 kareys, secured him 5^th position in top twenty league score charts.

Sonam Lhagyel’s  team mate Gem Tshering (2008 Best Archer) then entered into the 10^th position in the top twenty chart, but now he has been pushed down to 12^th as next day on Aug 9, Tenzin Namgay of Lingpas and Sherab Tharchen of Mepham Construction entered the charts. The same day, Sonam Jamtsho also entered the charts but lower to Gem Tshering, now at the 14^th position. From those that entered that day, many were on watch for Tenzin Namgay who has the one day highest of the ongoing tournament, but he could only 8 kareys, which though lesser than his high score, it has fetched him a place among the top 15 archers of the tournament. He is currently at the 9^th position.

From among those that entered the top charts on Aug 9, Sonam Jamtsho of the team ‘Sonam Auto’ is at most vulnerable position of the 14^th. At least, he has one more position to be pushed to before he becomes ineligible to compete in Best of Bhutan (top 15) shootout on the Aug 18. At the 15^th position, rests the Paro team Rigsar’s Sangay with 31 kareys. He could most probably get pushed out as last year’s Best Archer Tshewang Dorji shoot in afternoon tomorrow (i.e. Aug 11). Tshewang Dorji has 23 kareys and adding 8 more would push Sangay out. Tshewang has an average rate of 12.4 kareys. If he makes his average, he will be well above the danger 15^th rank.

Tshewang Dorji is still part of team Pelden Group of Co. – the last year’s team champion. Pelden Group, this year, has quietly collected two winning six points and is almost assured of place in the knockout as they meet Tshenden Darla with 19 karey average and Bhutan Majestic with 30 karey average. Pelden Group in earlier two matches average 38.5 kareys.

But you never know what the day will bring, as there are plenty of champions who have been shown out as well. The 2011 Best Archer Tshering Gyeltshen  is not even among the top twenty. Playing for Sonam Auto, he could only total 28 kareys, after he added dismal 6 kareys to his earlier 2 match 22 kareys. Or like 3 time champion Talop Namgay Wangchuk (playing this year for HHH of Paro) has only 21 kareys from the whole league. And from today’s matches, Karma Tenzin of Gyelyong Gaki, the 2002 champion has only 17 kareys.

Is it passage of time that makes this great archers fall? It does not seem so, as Dorji Gyeltshen – the champion of year 2000 proves it. Playing for Dra-Gyel this year, he is now among the top 15 (8^th position/ 33 kareys) with assured place during the Best of Bhutan shootout on Aug 18. It could be just transient change in skill, as for sometime veteran Dorji Gyeltshen was out of radar.  Likewise, the 2007 champion Kinley Tshering, who could not make it to top 15 shootout last year is also in contention as of now. 

We never know which titans will fall and rise.

3 Aug 2013                the 2011 team champion ‘Phoja’ led by HRH Prince Jigyel U. Wangchuck had to prove themselves all over again as one of their opponents at the lower changlimithang range this moring – the ‘Druk Adventure Gear’ stepped up to give them one of their toughest matches since team began in 2008 . Phoja and Druk Adventure Gear shared the winning points of 5 each, with Druk Adventure Gear taking the winning point for karey and Phoja for team score. Druk Adventure Gear hit the highest one match total of the ongoing tournament of 49 kareys.

The 2^nd highest of 48 kareys in a match is by Druk Shopping Complex, which would remain to be the highest of Paro venue in 2013 since league there has been completed. But it could change for overall and in Thimphu, since there are nine more days of league in Thimphu. The Phuentsholing league was completed this morning.

A total of 10 teams qualify from Phuentsholing to the knockout stage at Thimphu Changlimithang. In order of ranking,  Penden Tsi Sa, Thonglay Do Ri Ri, Penden Matram Rutra, Ganapati, A.R. Pinsum, Phuentsholing Akazati, Sichey, Crouching Tigers, Demon Conquerors and 5 Idiots will become ten of the of the 72 teams that will play the knockout stage beginning Aug 13.

From Phuentsholing, Tshewang Namgyal of ‘Penden Matram Rutra’ became the latest to join the top twenty group with his 32 kareys at sixth rank .  He has the highest individual karey total from Phuentsholing. Joining little earlier and ranked higher is Tashi Dorji of team Vajra, who has now the 2^nd highest karey total of 37 kareys just after Jigmi Norbu’s high of 43 kareys.

As of now, those individuals with 30 kareys are within the top 15 rank, but few top archers of Phoja has just started counting. And they have started at 12, like Sonam Lhagyel. Then there is Sigay Phub of Druk Adventure Gear, who has added 12 to his earlier 14 karey total. His next match tomorrow should push some individuals out of the top 15 ranks. The top 15 that will shoot 15 rounds on Aug 18 to decide the best among them and become the Best of Bhutan.

We will know who would be among this top 15 (for the shootout) when the league in Thimphu ends on Aug 12 (all of the other leagues in different regional venues are now completed). But before the league end, we have to look out for Phoja’s match on Aug 5 & 8, not to mention third matches of Druk Adventure Gear tomorrow (Aug 4) and of last year’s champion Pelden Groups on Aug 11. Pelden Group’s Tshewang Dorji – the 2012 Best Archer has 23 kareys from two matches – and during the Aug 11 match, it would be decided whether he would be shooting on Aug 18.

The best is yet to come. The stage is being set with the best.

28 Jul 2013                 the league in Paro has ended today, and so the seven teams qualifying for the knockout stage in Thimphu is set. Among them, ‘Rigsar Construction’ is ranked the top with their 17 league points from 99 kareys. Interestingly, their karey total of 99 kareys is only the fourth highest of Paro while team with the highest total of 110 kareys – the ‘Pema Tshongkhang’ is ranked the 4^th according to league points.

‘Rigsar Constructions’ karey total is lower than that of team ‘HHH’ which has not qualified at all. The team ‘HHH’ has 105 league kareys and highest from the non qualifying teams (as of now, from among those that have completed league). As of now, they are the best contenders for the single wild card entrant into the knockout stage, which is based on karey total (the highest) from among those that have not qualified through points.

But whether ‘HHH’ will make it to the knockout will be decided only after the ongoing leagues in Phuentsholing, Punakha and Thimphu (two venues) are completed. Just before Paro, Trashigang had completed their league on Jul 26 and from there comes five teams (U. Noks, Dorji Bhari B, T.Tobgyal Const, KDS & Dungsum Yongthrab) to be part of those 72 teams that will play knockout.

Just a day after Trashigang completed their league, Tenzin Namgay of team ‘Lingpas’ hit 18 kareys – the highest one day individual score of present tournament at Thimphu Upper bacho. It was surprise performance, since virtually unknown Tenzin had hit only 7 kareys in his first match. To prove himself further, Tenzin has match on Aug 9 (and to add to his 25 karey total and perhaps become part of top 15 shootout). The highest one day score ever of the tournament history is 20 kareys by Tshering Gyelsthen in 2010. Last year’s highest was 19 kareys that was hit by Tshewang Dorji of Pelden Group.

And it was in very first league match last year that Tshewang Dorji had hit 19 kareys while this year, in his first league match today (Jul 28) he hit only 11 kareys. But then last year, he had also hit only 6 kareys in one of the league matches and still makes it to the top 15, to then finally win the Best Archer title. He could do the same and prove further, but he has to earn his place in Aug 18 top 15 – ‘Best of Bhutan’ shootout, with his subsequent matches of Aug 1 and Aug 3.

For this top 15 shootout, there would definitely be Jigme Norbu (last year’s 2nd best archer), who has 43 kareys – the highest league individual score of the ongoing tournament. Jigme Norbu’s team ‘Druk Shopping Complex’ has the highest one match karey total of the tournament with 48 kareys – as of now.

Druk Shopping Complex is also one of the seven teams from Paro that will become part of the 72 teams that will qualify for Knockout stage. They would be contending with 4 teams from Gelegphu (Jampeling Const., NCCPL, Ngalam and Kuenga Dhendup), 2 teams of Moggar (Zhonggarling United and Druk Yoesel), 5 teams of Trashigang (U. Noks, Dorji Bhari B, T.Tobgyal Const, KDS & Dungsum Yongthrab), 4 teams of Trongsa (Mangdeps, Kiblung, Gangteps and Sherig), along with 32 teams from Thimphu, 10 teams from Phuentsholing and seven teams of Punakha that are yet to be decided.

And these are best teams of their regions, having proven themselves from among 267 teams that started off the tournament and set to prove more at the Changlimithang starting Aug 13.