One of the newest National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), having formed in 2017, Bhutan is expected to field four athletes.

Gyeltshen Gyeltshen and Chimi Dema have qualified for men’s and women’s shot put F40 respectively while women’s 10m air rifle SH1 shooter Kinley Dem and Para archer Pema Rigsel, competing in men’s recurve event, are keeping their fingers crossed on making the cut.

Gyeltshen and Dema, who made their international debut appearances at the Beijing Grand Prix in 2019, sealed the place at Tokyo 2020 through their performance at the Dubai 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, where - a year after they had started training - they both achieved a Minimum Qualification Score (MQS).

“Both of them managed to secure the MQS at the World Para Athletics Championship in Dubai in November 2019 and since then, they have been preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games,” said Namgyal Wangchuk, NPC Bhutan Chef de Mission for the Tokyo Paralympics.

“We are very happy that they have been granted athlete allocation slots by the World Para Athletics.

“Our athletes have been training continuously, in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and I am quite confident that they will perform well.

“Hopefully, we will also be granted bi-partite quota places by the IPC and ISF for Dema and Rigsel.”

Dema and Rigsel were the first athletes from Bhutan to compete in an international Para event - the Indonesia 2018 Asian Para Games - after the establishment of NPC Bhutan and its affiliation to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Asian Paralympic Committee in 2017.

Dema and Gyeltshen set personal bests at the Beijing Grand Prix two years ago, with Gyeltshen recording a distance of 6.04 metres and Dema attaining 4.29m - metres, enough to make the cut for Dubai 2019 Worlds.

“The past year was difficult owing to COVID-19. But I never gave up on my training and continued practicing at home. My goal is to make my country proud. I am targeting a medal at the Paralympics,” said Dema, who bettered her previous personal mark with a throw 4.51m at Dubai 2019.

“I feel proud about what I have achieved in the last three years.

“My parents are also proud of me.

“My life has changed a lot since I started Para athletics two years back.

“I am also getting all kinds of support from various organisation so I am now solely focusing on my sport.”

Gyeltshen, 28, who comes from a remote village in Trasiyangtse district, also bettered his personal record with a throw of 6.29m at Dubai 2019.

“It feels great to make it to Tokyo,” he said.

“Though there will a tough challenge with so many champions competing.

“But I will try to put up my best effort.”

Wangchuk added that Bhutan is working on preparing more Para athletes for the Paris 2024 Games.

“Right now, we have four athletes in three sports disciplines,” he said.

“But we have now started work on increasing the talent selection pool and perhaps for the next Games, we will be able to field more top athletes.

“We have taken all measures to ensure the health and safety of our athletes and officials, with the wholehearted support of our King and government.”