Three Bhutanese Athletes Reach Quarterfinals at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

Kinley Tshering and Lam Dorji reach the Asian Games archery quarterfinals as Kinga Wangmo records a first for Bhutanese women’s boxing.

Bhutanese archers Kinley Tshering and Lam Dorji have advanced to the men’s individual recurve quarterfinals at the 20th Asian Games in Japan, each securing three consecutive victories against several higher-ranked opponents.

Their progress follows a significant result in boxing, where Kinga Wangmo became the first Bhutanese woman to win an Asian Games boxing bout. She reached the women’s 54kg quarterfinals before her campaign ended against China’s Zhao Xuan.

The performances have placed three Bhutanese athletes among the final eight in their events at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. Kinley and Kinga also carried Bhutan’s flag during the opening ceremony on 19 September.

Kinley Tshering Defeats Two Higher-Ranked Qualifiers

Kinley entered the elimination rounds ranked 37th after scoring 655 points in qualification at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square.

He began with a 7-1 victory over Tajikistan’s Dilshodi Bakhtiyor before facing Indonesia’s Ahmad Khoirul Baasith, who had qualified fifth with 686 points. Kinley won the match 6-4.

His place in the quarterfinals was decided in a closer contest against China’s Li Mengqi, the 13th-ranked qualifier. The match ended level after five sets and went to a single-arrow shoot-off, which Kinley won to take the contest 6-5.

Individual recurve matches use a set-point system. Archers shoot three arrows in each set, with two points awarded to the winner and one point to each athlete when a set is tied. The first archer to six set points wins. A 5-5 tie is settled through a single-arrow shoot-off.

Kinley’s three victories included wins over athletes who had qualified fifth and 13th, despite beginning the elimination stage outside the top 30.

Lam Dorji Advances With Three Straight Wins

Lam qualified 31st with 659 points and opened his elimination campaign with a 6-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan’s Ulukbek Kursanaliev.

He then faced Iran’s Mohammadhossein Golshani Asl, who had qualified eighth with 682 points. Lam won 6-4 to advance.

His third opponent was Hong Kong, China’s Kwok Yin Chai, the 11th-ranked qualifier with 678 points. Lam recorded another 6-4 victory to secure his quarterfinal place.

Like Kinley, Lam progressed by defeating two opponents who had placed considerably higher in qualification. His results also show the importance of the elimination format, where qualification scores determine the bracket but do not carry into the head-to-head matches.

Archery has a distinct place in Bhutanese culture, although international recurve competition differs substantially from the traditional form practised across the country. Olympic-style recurve uses standardised equipment, 70-metre ranges and internationally regulated scoring.

Quarterfinals Scheduled for 3 October

Both Bhutanese archers will return to competition on 3 October.

Kinley will face Korea’s Lee Woo Seok, who qualified fourth with 687 points. Their quarterfinal is scheduled for 1.15pm Japan time, or 10.15am in Bhutan.

Lam will compete against India’s Neeraj Chauhan, who placed 20th in qualification with 676 points. Chauhan reached the quarterfinals after defeating Indonesia’s Riau Ega Agata Salsabilla 6-4.

Lam’s match is scheduled for 1.45pm Japan time, or 10.45am in Bhutan.

The quarterfinals present different challenges. Kinley faces one of the competition’s leading qualifiers, while Lam meets an opponent who entered the elimination rounds 11 positions above him.

Kinga Wangmo Makes Bhutanese Boxing History

Bhutan’s progress in archery comes after Kinga Wangmo completed her Asian Games debut in the women’s 54kg boxing competition.

Kinga defeated Bahrain’s Maryam Khamis by a unanimous 5-0 decision in the round of 16 at Nishio Gymnasium on 25 September. She became the first Bhutanese woman to win a boxing bout at the Asian Games.

Four judges scored all three rounds 10-9 in Kinga’s favour. The fifth awarded her the first two rounds before giving the final round to Khamis. The completed scorecards were 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27.

The victory sent Kinga into the quarterfinals, where she faced China’s Zhao Xuan on 27 September. Zhao won by a unanimous 5-0 decision, ending Kinga’s campaign before the medal rounds.

“Being able to represent my country on such a big stage is an honour and a truly memorable experience. Competing at such a high level gave me the opportunity to test myself against experienced and strong opponents and learn from them,” Kinga said.

She described her performance with mixed emotions, saying she was proud of her preparation and effort while recognising that she still had areas to improve.

Limited Opportunities for Female Boxers

Kinga was the only woman among Bhutan’s three Asian Games boxers. Migma Dorji competed in the men’s 55kg division, while Kinley Phuntsho entered the men’s 60kg category.

Kinga said the limited number of female boxers and role models in Bhutan had presented challenges, but had also encouraged her to work harder.

“As a female boxer from Bhutan, I have faced challenges such as limited opportunities and a lack of female role models in boxing. However, instead of viewing them as limitations, I now see them as opportunities. Every challenge has pushed me to work harder and become stronger. They have shaped me not only into a better boxer but also into a stronger person who wishes to aim higher and inspire young girls in Bhutan to believe that they, too, can dream big and achieve their goals,” she said.

Her result builds on a gold medal in the women’s 57kg division at the 2025 Four Nations Boxing Championship in Thimphu. At the Asian Games, she competed at 54kg against a larger and more experienced continental field.

Bhutan’s Campaign Continues in Japan

Bhutan sent 13 athletes to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, competing in archery, athletics, boxing and taekwondo.

Kinga’s boxing campaign has ended, but her first-round victory established a new result for Bhutanese women’s boxing. Attention now turns to Kinley and Lam as they prepare for their quarterfinals on 3 October.

Their results so far have shown that qualification rankings do not always determine the outcome of elimination matches. The next round will test whether either archer can carry that form into the final four of the competition.