The third element of the Naadam festival of Mongolians is archery. The noisy bow serves as an instrument for signaling and terrifying the enemy in ancient time has developed nowadays up to becoming one of modern sport competition.
The foreigners are very interested in Mongolian archery competition which holds usually in simmer time. Sharpshooters dressed in national costumes compete in specially designated place to hit the target from definitive distances. Archers use a bent composite bow made of layered horn, bark and wood. Usually arrows made from willows and the features are from vultures and other birds of prey. The procedure and rule of archery is specific and prominent. The competition is run in three categories as the adult men and women, and children.
After each shot, special judges who stand near the target, emit a short cry called uukhai, and raise their hands in the air so as to indicate the quality of the shot. Male archers stand 75 meters from the target, while women stand 6 meters and children stand 45-65 meters. The target is a line of up to 360 grey and red leather cylindrical rings on the ground.
Since 2003, the winners in the archery games have been awarded the special titles by the order of the President of Mongolia. It is an evidence of that the ancient archery is respected at the level of the State and Government. Six kind of titles for sharpshooters are bestowed depending on how many times they win in the State Naadam Festival.
In XXIII century, every Mongolian household has bow and arrows apart from Morin khuur or Horse-headed fiddle. Bow and arrows are closely connected to the history of Mongolian warriors and army. In ancient time, Mongolian heroic warriors could shoot the target from very long distance. For instance, in the history of Mongolian army, Yesunge mergen, a son of Chinggis khaan’s younger brother Khasar has been shot the target from the longest distance or about 520 meters.