Arya News - The final phase focuses on technique, fitness, tactics and mental preparation, while recovery, nutrition, equipment and other practical arrangements are also being addressed ahead of the team’s departure for Japan.
THIMPHU – With two days to go before the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Bhutan’s athletes have entered the final phase of preparations, focusing on fine-tuning their performance, managing recovery and ensuring they are physically and mentally ready for competition.
The Games will be held from September 19 to October 4, bringing together athletes from across Asia.
Bhutan will make its 11th participation at the Asian Games, with athletes competing in taekwondo, athletics, boxing and archery, including recurve and compound events.
According to the Bhutan Olympic Committee (BOC), preparations are progressing well, with athletes and coaches focusing on final adjustments rather than making major changes to their training programmes.
The final phase focuses on technique, fitness, tactics and mental preparation, while recovery, nutrition, equipment and other practical arrangements are also being addressed ahead of the team’s departure for Japan.
The BOC is looking at broader measures of performance, including athletes achieving personal bests, competing confidently against strong opponents and improving on previous performances.
For the recurve archers, training has centred on maintaining consistency and refining technical details such as shot timing and posture. The team has also worked on repeating the same shot process under pressure through competition simulations, individual and team matches, time-controlled shooting and pressure-based exercises.
Training camps in Punakha and Bangladesh provided exposure to hot, humid and windy conditions, while equipment tuning, hydration, recovery and mental routines have remained part of the programme.
Recurve coach Yeshi Dema said the Asian Games is one of the toughest archery competitions in the world.
“Many of the world’s leading archers come from Asia, so we are realistic about the level of competition we will face. Based on our preparation, scores and recent competition exposure, I believe our archers are capable of competing at this level.”
Recent international exposure has provided encouraging results, including strong qualification scores and a gold medal at the WAA President’s Challenge Cup. However, the priority now is to reproduce that performance consistently during qualification and elimination matches.
For boxer Kinga Wangmo, training has focused on speed, endurance, technique and tactics, alongside physical and mental conditioning. She has also worked on understanding how to plan fights and remain composed throughout each round.
“Training has been intense, and I have been working on both my physical and mental strength,” she said. “A lot of my focus has been on improving my speed, endurance, technique and tactics, as well as understanding how to plan my fights in the ring.”
She expects to face technically strong and experienced boxers and has been preparing to adapt to different fighting styles.
“Representing Bhutan at the Asian Games is a great honour, but it also comes with a big responsibility,” she said.
Her aim is to give her best performance while carrying the support of those who have been part of her journey.
Taekwondo athlete Dorji Yangkee has similarly combined physical conditioning with mental preparation. Her training has included strength and conditioning, technical work, sparring, endurance and speed, while she has worked on correcting weaknesses and improving her composure during demanding sessions.
“I expect the competition to be very challenging because I will be facing experienced athletes from some of the strongest taekwondo nations in Asia,” she said. “The biggest challenge will be adapting to different fighting styles and staying calm under pressure.”
She hopes to learn from the experience and return stronger for future competitions. Her focus will be on competing with discipline and sportsmanship while making the most of the experience.