Bhutan is a culturally rich country with high respect and value for old culture, traditions that are immaculately carried from one generate to another and this attachment and appreciation can be experienced in country’s sport also.

The popular sports in the country are:

Archery
Archery is the most popular sport in the country and a favourite pastime for locals. It was declared the national sport in 1971 when Bhutan became a member of the United Nations Organizations. Archery is in fact one of the seven national symbols of Bhutan and an expression of the Bhutanese way of life, and the country’s identity & sovereignty. Archery competitions and tournaments form an important part of major celebrations such as religious festivals and public holidays.

Although Archery became Bhutan’s national sport only in 1971 but love for the sport dates to 600 B.C. Since then and throughout history, the bow and arrow have aided the Bhutanese in battle, ushering in an era of peace and welcoming archery as a symbol of festivity and competition. It has also served as the most important weapon during conflicts and wars especially during the theocratic rule between 1616 and 1907. The history of archery in Bhutan actually exemplifies fire and the bow and arrow as an important means of survival during war and on hunts thus bow and arrow play a significant role in many Bhutanese myths and legends. Since 1984, Bhutan’s Archery team has been participating in the Olympic games also.

During traditional archery tournaments and matches, using bamboo bows (although modern compound bows are now common in cities) team of archers shoot at targets only 30 centimetres in diameter from a distance of 130 meters. The standard game consists of two teams of 11 players each who try to hit the maximum number of bull's-eyes on a fixed target. Each team has a noisy crowd of supporters who, as well as encouraging their own side, try to put off the opposition. Archery competitions are among the most picturesque and colourful events in the country and are an integral part of all festivities and special events. Inter-village rivalry is common throughout the Kingdom and this rivalry is no more fiercely expressed than during annual archery tournaments. They are generally held at 'Losar' (Bhutanese New Year) and festive occasions but smaller competitions are held throughout the year and even on weekends.

Though nearly every village in Bhutan has an archery field - The Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu - one of the Kingdom’s most prominent archery fields. Witnessing Archery Competitions is one of the most interesting experiences while touring Bhutan.

Degor
Degor is another popular traditional sport played with a pair of spherical flat stones that are hurled at two targets fixed in the ground at a distance of about 20 meters. There is no fixed number of players in this game and it can be played as an individual or team sport. This sport is traditionally played by village men throughout the country while these days the game is played for social reasons, mostly at annual religious festivals.

Pungdo
It is the Bhutanese version of shot-put, and a popular traditional sport, played by throwing a stone, as far as possible. Like shot-put, in this game also the throwing movement is from the shoulder, with the stone held flat in hand.

Soksom
This game resembles the track and field javelin, involving the hurling of a spear (or simply a bamboo stick) across a distance of 20 metres. Unlike javelin however, the goal of soksom is to hit a target instead of covering the longer distance. The game was popular in the past among cow herders who passed their time throwing spears while their cows grazed. 

Modern sports such as soccer, golf, tennis, basketball, boxing, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, taekwondo & cricket also gaining popularity in the country and national teams from these sports participating in various international tournaments.