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The national game of Bhutan is the archery and is played virtually all year around. Archery is an essential part of Bhutanese festivals. The traditional bow and arrows are made from a special variety of bamboo. Nowadays, people also use compound bows. Two targets are placed at each end of the archery range, which is usually not less than 200 meters long. The players use these targets alternatively. In a typical competition two teams, consisting of eleven players each, compete. A hit on the target is celebrated with a victory dance performed by the teammates. Women dance and sing to encourage their team and tease and mock the players of their opponents. Playing archery in Bhutan, especially during competition, is a serious business and involves a series of rituals. The local astrologers are consulted and offerings made to the local deities to seek their divine intervention. There are other kinds of traditional games played in Bhutan such as ‘Degor’, ‘Pungdo’, ‘Khuru’, and ‘Soksom’. Playing Degor involves throwing a flat pancake like stone at a target about 20 meters apart. The target is a small stick driven into the ground. The player who can get his stone closest to the stick gets the point. The Pungdo is similar to the western version of shot put. The Khuru is a dart game played outdoors with targets set at 20 meters apart. The Soksom involves throwing a long and slender bamboo spear to a target placed at a distance. Nowadays, with increasing western influence games such as football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, golf and most recently cricket are also played in the kingdom. Sports such as tae-kwondo and bodybuilding are taught in some schools and institutions in the country.
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