1st Governor’s Archery Gold Cup to start on Aug 22with 19 teams

LALIT DAHAL

GANGTOK, :Sikkim will host the inaugural Governor’s Archery Gold Cup (Compound) from August 22 at Tathangchen here bringing together 19 teams in what organisers describe as a significant step towards strengthening the State’s competitive archery ecosystem and preserving a sport deeply rooted in Sikkim’s cultural heritage.

The tournament, organised by Sikkim Archery Association (SAA), carries a winner’s prize of Rs. 5 lakh, while the runner-up will receive Rs. 3 lakh.

Addressing a press conference today, the SAApresident,minister Sonam Lama, said the Governor’s Gold Cup had been conceived with the support and encouragement of Governor Om Prakash Mathur and the State government, with the broader objective of creating sustained opportunities for athletes to progress from local competition to national and international platforms.

The August 22 opening will be attended by Sikkim Legislative Assembly Speaker M.N. Sherpa, while the final is expected to be attended bythe Governor and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang.

For the Sikkim Archery Association, the tournament is intended to be more than a sporting contest.

Lama has positioned the Governor’s Cup as part of a wider effort to reconnect modern competitive archery with Sikkim’s historical sporting traditions. He noted that archery was practised in Sikkim before its merger with the Indian Union in 1975 and argued that preserving and developing the sport is also a way of safeguarding an important element of the State’s cultural identity.

The tournament is expected to continue for several weeks, with the competition schedule adapted to weather conditions. According to Lama, the possibility of rain makes consecutive days of competition difficult, requiring gaps between some fixtures.

The association is also planning to follow the Governor’s Cup with a President’s Cup, expanding the competitive calendar and providing archers with additional opportunities to compete.

The initiative follows the successful staging of the 24th Chief Minister’s Compound Archery Gold Cup Tournament 2026, held earlier this year at Peythangarchery field in Rabdentse, Gyalshing. That tournament brought together 17 teams from Sikkim, Bhutan and other States.