For Bhutanese taekwondo athlete Dorjee Yangkee, months of rigorous preparation are about to culminate in the biggest competition of her career.
The 19-year-old national athlete will leave for Japan tomorrow to represent Bhutan at the 20th Asian Games, where she will compete in the women’s under-67-kilogramme category next Friday. She is the only Bhutanese athlete to have qualified for taekwondo at the Games.
In the final stretch before departure, Dorjee has been spending four hours a day training under South Korean coach Master Lee Ju Sang. Her preparations combine endurance and fitness work with technical drills designed to sharpen her speed, power, accuracy and response during a bout.
A typical session starts with a 10- to 15-minute warm-up, followed by interval training to build endurance. Target-based exercises focus on attacking and defensive movements, scoring accuracy, punches, kicks and spinning techniques. Sparring sessions then allow her to apply those skills in conditions closer to actual competition.
The demanding training schedule is only one part of Dorjee’s daily routine. The athlete from Paro is also pursuing a Bachelor of Sports and Health Science at Royal Thimphu College.
Managing the two commitments has not always been easy, she says, but the discipline developed through taekwondo has helped her cope with the demands of both.
“Balancing my studies with my training hasn’t always been easy, but through taekwondo I’ve learned discipline and time management,” Dorjee says. “I try to put that same mindset into my studies as well. It has always helped me overcome my challenges.”
Dorjee will arrive at the Asian Games with experience competing beyond Bhutan. She has previously represented the country in Mongolia and won a bronze medal in Nepal. At the Korean Cup Tournament, she went a step further, winning gold and being named Best Female Player.
The Asian Games, however, will present a significantly bigger challenge, placing her against some of the strongest competitors in the sport.
Dorjee says she is conscious of the level of competition but wants to trust the preparation she has put in rather than be overwhelmed by the occasion.
“I know this journey is not going to be easy because I will be competing against elite players from across the world,” she says. “But I want to believe in what I have practised so far. I want to stay composed throughout the competition, give my very best, and meet the expectations I have set for myself and my country.”
Her coach believes Dorjee’s confidence and commitment will be important as she steps onto the Asian Games stage.
“She has confidence and passion for the game as a national player,” Master Lee Ju Sang says. “We have many shortcomings, but we take the challenge to achieve good results.”
He also thanked the Bhutan Olympic Committee and the Bhutan Taekwondo Federation for providing the opportunity to participate in the Games.
For Dorjee, the competition represents more than another international appearance. It is the culmination of months of physical conditioning, technical preparation and the daily challenge of balancing elite sport with college life.
With her final training sessions nearly complete, the young athlete now heads to Japan hoping to translate that preparation into performance—and make Bhutan’s sole taekwondo berth at the Asian Games count.
