The incident involving a parliamentarian struck by an arrow has sparked an intense debate on the need for, or on the lack of, safety standards or regulations in our national sports. It is indeed a good debate but something that we could have prevented. Meaning, the issue was raised over and over again in the past and had we heeded to those voices, we won’t be discussing this issue today. But like every public issue, we are only responding to an aftermath of an event or a crisis. But what’s wrong with our favourite past time? Actually nothing. What is really not okay is everything surrounding the game itself - our refusal to alter a culture that has become a habit, which now suits us in many ways.
True, archery is not just a sport. It is a great socializing exercise. In the past, villages organised annual archery matches to patch up their differences or settle their disputes. No matter who won, the result was accepted, some ara shared and everyone went home happy and little tipsy. The game has certainly evolved - but not for better. It has now become great lobbying operation. Suppliers and contractors organise archery matches to keep work orders and bills flowing fluidly. Subordinates take bank loans to be able to play with their bosses and keep their careers going. Only few are there genuinely for the game.
Ours is also the only national sports in the world where drinking is tolerated. You could also be forgiven from staying away from your office duties for weeks. I remember once going for a signature at the archery ground because the inter-ministry tournament was going on. The civil "servant" grudgingly signed the paper only because I was a journalist. Had I been an ordinary being I am sure I would have been rebuked. These are things we can’t be really proud of. Why can’t the BAF matches be held on weekends like the European football leagues?
In the name of preserving our culture thousands of people live with a constant fear of being hit by stray arrows. In the past year, more people have died from arrow injuries than HIV-AIDS. A life of an innocent child has been forever ruined. We are quick to badmouth any minor wrongdoings but a death at an archery range does not even attract a proper investigation. If it is really the culture we are trying to preserve, we should then revert back to bamboo products. Importing American bows meant to hunt bears may be okay but then the equipment should be used in safer grounds - not in populated urban areas. In Europe, one needs a firearm license to own such equipment. But in Paro, some villagers disown their ancestral land in exchange for the latest Hoyt model. Even in Thailand, golf centres are required to put up wire mesh as high as 300 feet. Here we even don’t have a system of certifying archery ranges. The outflow of foreign exchange is perhaps not even an issue.
How do we reconcile all these? Just asking. Not questioning the essence of our national sport.
I am the same person who gave second comment on the last article of half tunnel idea of yours.
ReplyDeleteI thought of recommending you to write some on this archery and what a coincident!
These are i thought of archery!
Archery game is our national game!
I think playing with a traditional bow and arrow is our national game. The new compound bow and arrow is NOT!
Though i don't play archery, i like when people play with the traditional bamboo bow. It is interesting!
The new compound bow, i think shouldn't be consider as our national game . It is risky and boring too. Every Tom Dick and Harry hit the bull.
Like any other game football, volleyball,cricket, baseball, basketball,hockey, and all. They don't change the hockey stick, bat, ball and ground but their skill. We must indeed improve our skill playing with traditional bow.
So that, we can play archery as our national game like we did in olden days.
NO RISK, SAME OLD TRADITION, FUN, DRINK, TEASE. and hit no karey.
Then we can survive our national game. Compound bow should be OUT! If not, Archery is not our national game. There will be many cases like the arrow hit the MP in the future if compound bow is considered as our national game.
Yoeser
its high time there is some sort of regulation for archery matches. People should not play it drunk (which happens a lot). I think individuals should have licence to be an archer (almost like a driving license). Gee! these accidents are scary esp. the recent case with our parliamentarian.
ReplyDeleteBut why in the first place should importing 'American bows meant to hunt bears' be okay?
ReplyDeleteI think one should not refer to it as the 'national sports' unless it involves the usage of traditional bows and arrows.
Organizations have every right to conduct any kind of tournaments, but they should not mislead people by calling it a national game.
Or maybe we should re-write some definitions. Afterall we are susceptible to change with time. Just like the western shoes and stockings that have become a part and parcel of the bhutanese dressing etiquette.
But then, all these are way off from the main talk here...accidents. Sorry about that.
very well written and so true.
ReplyDeletewell i totally agree with you, that we need some rules and regulations for archery matches. its totally useless to make any individual around it to feel scared simple because there is archery tournament going on. archery has now become so unsafe. and with the advent of these compound bows and arrows, esp in thimphu everywhere there is archery match going on, esp during weekends, and its kind of increased the wake of safety and fear among the spectators, people moving here and there.
there should be proper rules and regulations. its high time that bhutan frame strict rules.
well, sorry for this one, but still. while reading your articles, and after finishing reading it, i find it quite difficult to look at other things, perhaps its because you use black colour background...i request if you could to change your background colour to little bright..
Thanks Sogyel,
ReplyDeleteWill work on a new home page this week end,
cheers
The Bhutan Archery Federation should not promote compound bows. By that I mean no organising national tournaments or official archery matches. Leave that to Yangphel who is doing a perfect job.
ReplyDeleteInstead, BAF should promote traditional archery with bamboo stuffs and of course the Olympic archery. If that is take up, then BAF would be killing two birds with one stone - uphold our tradition on one hand and produce medallists in the Olympics
Archery is our national Game and it has evolved & progressed just like how we have progressed from riding horses to motor cars. We are doing a lot to curb speeding motor cars by bringing in rules of the game like speed detectors, drivers license checking, refresher courses to drivers, cops being put around to alert defaulters etc etc to minimize accidents & casualties. Similarly, the Organizations in-charge should now work with the archers for the safety of the game. Perhaps come up with rules like shoot only one way with spectators behind the archer, reduce the poundage of the bow drastically from the average 70 pounds used just now, encourage use of trigger release that enables safety while drawing the bows so slip from finger release can be curbed, allow related safety gadgets to be used that comes along with the compound bows, ensure archery range that is safe from pedestrians, and stop alcohol being associated with archery etc etc. We are confident that all archers put together can come to a brain storming platform and draw a consensus to make this a much safer game archery - our national sport.
DeleteDear Sir, first of all, the tournaments are being organized by BIGSA and not BAF. The BAF specifically looks only after National Archery Team that plays on 'Recurve' bows to represent Bhutan in international competitions, including olympics. The traditional archery matches (compound or cane bows) are looked after by BIGSA, who are to regulatory authority. Secondly, the reason that drinking is not allowed in international archery is because it actually helps in performance, by calming and being relaxant. Most of the accidents in Bhutanese compound archery is caused by unintended release (accidental release), which is not because one has been drinking but because this powerful bows are meant to be released mechanically with trigger and not finger. Thirdly, not considering compound bow to be part of the national game (because it is not traditional) is like saying that because traditionally we carried our loads on horses, we should not consider putting loads on powerful trucks. Even trucks go off the road. Fourthly, even in traditional archery and for centuries, but back then there were not many journalists hankering for news or social media or television or blogs (!), as such the attention now through these channels may give un-proportionate notice or wrong idea of increased frequency to the number.
ReplyDeleteBut while frequency could be same as in the past during the time of ONLY cane bows, the bows were not so powerful so the injuries may not have been as intense.
So the accidents, even on the cane bows would happen! But in order to reduce the intensity of the injuries, the poundage of the compound bows may be regulated.
And then in order to curb unintentional or accidental release, the mechanical ('trigger') release maybe allowed (currently being disallowed by BIGSA). The finger release causes the accidental release.
Dear Sir, first of all, the tournaments are being organized by BIGSA and not BAF. The BAF specifically looks only after National Archery Team that plays on 'Recurve' bows to represent Bhutan in international competitions, including olympics. The traditional archery matches (compound or cane bows) are looked after by BIGSA, who are to regulatory authority. Secondly, the reason that drinking is not allowed in international archery is because it actually helps in performance, by calming and being relaxant. Most of the accidents in Bhutanese compound archery is caused by unintended release (accidental release), which is not because one has been drinking but because this powerful bows are meant to be released mechanically with trigger and not finger. Thirdly, not considering compound bow to be part of the national game (because it is not traditional) is like saying that because traditionally we carried our loads on horses, we should not consider putting loads on powerful trucks. Even trucks go off the road.
ReplyDeleteFourthly, there were accidents even in traditional archery and for centuries, but back then there were not many journalists hankering for news or social media or television or blogs (!), as such the attention now through these channels may give un-proportionate notice or wrong idea of increased frequency to the number of accidents.
But while frequency could be same as in the past i.e. during the time of ONLY cane bows, the bows were not so powerful so the injuries may not have been as intense.
So the accidents, even on the cane bows would happen! But in order to reduce the intensity of the injuries, the poundage of the compound bows may be regulated.
And then in order to curb unintentional or accidental release, the mechanical ('trigger') release maybe allowed (currently being disallowed by BIGSA). The finger release causes the accidental release.
Why are you not publishing my comments?
ReplyDeleteKISA, apologies. I update my blog only once in a while and go through the comments little more often.
ReplyDelete