His passion for the sport brought him all the way to Hyderabad from Bhutan. “Shooting is very dear to me and is a life-long hobby. And my father and my grandfather have been my greatest inspirations since my childhood,”said His Royal Highness Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck. The 28-year-old crown prince of Bhutan is in the city for a period of four days, during which he is not just expected to be a spectator at the 56th National Shooting Championship in Bog Bore, but will also be participating in the 300 mt Prone event. “I believe that to be a good leader, one has to experience things with everybody, which is when you will get an honest feedback on things,” said the Crown Prince.
His passion for shooting is perhaps a gift of the family legacy. “My grandfather and my father have been my childhood heroes and my greatest inspirations,” he said.
Strengthening sports in Bhutan Not just shooting, but he also shares an interest in sports like archery, basketball and cycling.
“My brother Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck share a deep interest in shooting, archery, basketball and a few other sports. But, sadly in Bhutan, we have only short shooting ranges. We will now start working on building resources in that area,” he said. His Majesty also mentioned that they are working on strengthening the sports sector in Bhutan.
“We are definitely handicapped in this area, when it comes to coaches, infrastructure and advocacy of sports. Right now we have over 15 different federations for football, basketball and many other sports. We will work on strengthening it.”
Comparing India’s sports scene to Bhutan, he mentioned, “India is light years ahead of us.”
Also the president of the Olympic Committe in Bhutan, he visited India to witness the Republic Day parade this year. “India is the first country I am visiting with regard to this sport. The main purpose is however to get individual feedback on how we can learn from here and take it back to Bhutan,” he said.
Bhutan and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs have come up with a proposal for training Bhutanese soldiers in Shotgun. Considering the quality of shooting from Bhutanese soldiers, India and Bhutan will coordinate in developing facilities for Shotgun in India, informed Raninder Singh, resident of the National Rifle Association of India.
Tryst with the Nawabi city
On his second visit to the city, he said, “I was here about 20 years ago, when I came with my mother. But, I was too young then, so this definitely feels like my first visit.”
Ask him what he likes about the city, His Excellency replied, “It is too early for me to talk about it, as I have not visited many places yet. I am looking forward to travelling. But, people here are so warm and welcoming and I just love that fact.”
He is also looking forward to try the cuisine of Hyderabad, specially the biryani. A lunch at the Taj Falaknuma Palace has been arranged for him.