Skalzang Dorje

Lore & Background

Skalzang Dorje began his archery career in the late 1980s. In 1988, alongside Limba Ram and Shyam Lal, he formed the Indian men's team that won the gold medal at the Asian Archery Championships in Beijing. This victory marked the first international gold medal in archery for India. In 1989, he placed 27th in the Men's Recurve event at the XXXVth Outdoor Target World Championship in Lausanne. At the 1994 National Games in Maharashtra, he won two silver medals in the 70m and 90m categories. Dorje participated in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where he finished 47th in the men's individual event after losing to Italy's Matteo Bisiani, and placed 14th in the team event with Changte Lalremsanga and Limba Ram.

Reader's Guide

Skalzang Dorje's career is notable for being part of the Indian team that secured India's first international gold medal in archery at the 1988 Asian Archery Championships. This achievement helped establish archery as a competitive sport for India on the international stage. Over his career, he accumulated 12 international medals and 32 national medals, reflecting consistent performance across multiple competitions. His participation in the 1996 Summer Olympics placed him among the early Indian archers to compete at the Olympic level. After retiring from competitive archery, Dorje has remained involved in sports administration as the person in-charge of the Youth Services and Sports Department for the Spiti division of Lahaul-and-Spiti district. He also co-runs the Deyzor Hotel in Kaza with Karanbir Singh Bedi. His career represents a bridge between India's early international successes in archery and the sport's subsequent growth in the country.

Did You Know?

• He won two silver medals at the 1994 National Games in Maharashtra, in the 70m and 90m categories.
• Dorje finished 47th in the men's individual event at the 1996 Summer Olympics after losing to Italy's Matteo Bisiani.
• He hails from the Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh and currently lives in Kaza.