Thimphu, Bhutan, March 25, 2021: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) government organisation has donated 2,000 surgical masks to the Bhutan Olympic Committee.
Mr. Ryo Namiki, Volunteer Coordinator, and Mr. Thinlay Norbu, Programme Officer, presented the masks to the BOC Secretary General, Mr. Sonam Karma Tshering, on behalf of JICA Bhutan Office in a ceremony on March 23.
“The Bhutan Olympic Committee would like to express our gratitude for your donation. The masks will be distributed to athletes and officials,” the BOC said in a statement.
Reflecting on the overall situation of sport in Bhutan, the BOC said: “Over the last one and half years, the global sports industry has suffered unprecedented disruptions resulting from the pandemic.
“Similarly, sports in Bhutan also suffered from the two nationwide lockdowns and the suspension of most sports programmes and tournaments in the country. Many athletes, coaches and officials also volunteered for national service as frontliners and partook in supporting the efforts of the government in combating the pandemic.
“Furthermore, the postponement and/or cancellation of most Tokyo 2020 qualifiers and global travel restrictions resulted in a lot of inconvenience for our athletes preparing for the Games. Although Bhutan managed to secure a quota place in Archery for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for the first time ever in the history of the Bhutan Olympic Committee, however, our archers could not participate in any further international competitions and championships.
“It has been a challenging period but, nonetheless, the BOC and the National Sports Federations (NSFs) have done their best to adapt and optimize the use of scarce available resources.
“Given the rather unique circumstances, the BOC and NSFs have also tried to capitalize and take advantage of the time available, with the cancellation of the sports programmes, and have shifted their focus to developing and strengthening governing policies and documents. Simultaneously, athletes continue to train behind closed doors.
“Despite the global economic difficulties, the BOC is currently pursuing partnerships with Mizuno, Japan and Lockill, Hong Kong to sponsor sports gear and masks for Bhutanese athletes.”