Gangtok, Sep 17 In order to preserve the essence of its culture, Sikkim is trying to revive its age-old traditional sports like archery, and bamboo fight, which are an indispensable ingredient of the culture of the state.

In order to preserve the indigenous culture, which is being taken over by sports like Mountain Biking, Trekking, River Rafting and Yak Safari, people residing in Kyonsa village organized various cultural events organized by Kyonsa Samaj organizing committee.

"Our main aim is to popularize the old system of sports. We mainly focus on Footballs, Volleyball and Archery. Our endeavor is to keep the traditional old style of sports in our rural areas. And the most important thing is to entertain the public," said Sonam Bhutia, member of Kyonsa Samaj organizing committee.

A large number of people turned out to witness and take part in the event.

"As a young Sikkimese what I feel is that such rural sports encourage and bring out the best in the villagers who come out from various remote areas. All Sikkim people, they come out and gather for the big occasion. The rural sports bring back the old charm feeling. It preserves the dying out traditional sports," said Anand Lepcha, a local.

Such initiatives will go a long way in preserving the identity of the people of Sikkim and will ensure that the future generation remains connected to its traditions. By Tashi Pradhan (ANI)