THE SPORT FESTIVAL OF THE MONGOLS(NAADAM)..

This Naadam sport festival, which has been going on for almost 800 years and is still alive today, lasts for 3 days throughout Mongolia. The 3 days have been declared public holidays by the government. Despite covid-19 virus, the traditional festival was celebrated without spectators this year at the Mongolian National Stadium, ‘Ulanbaharoon’. Horseback riding, wrestling and archery are among the highlights of the festival. The festival is attended by members of nine Mongolian tribes. Bands, dancers, Archers, equestrians, wrestlers, monks attend the festival which adds to the beauty of the place. 

Although the festival began during the Kiwi Dynasty, it was first inaugurated in 1926 with state sponsorship. According to Mongolian legend, Genghis, the commander of the army, separated ten of his subordinates from each other, and appointed the leader of the group of ten, who excelled in archery, wrestling, and horseback riding. History has shown that this action helped their war victory to be very successful. 

 Wrestling

Wrestling is a unique sport that is a part of this festival. If any part of the body other than the limbs is touched by the opponent, the player who touches the ground is defeated. Only men are involved. There are 512 or 1024 players, and if there are players who are very famous for this game, they will have the opportunity to choose their opponent. Usually when a player wins a series of 9 or 10 rounds in a row, the player is called “Arislan”, which means “Lion”.

Horseback riding

The riding at the festival is very different compared to other countries. That is, there are distance to be traveled by horses according to age groups. As is the custom here, horses are given a special meal the day before the race. Also, the songs will be sung by the choirs as the competition nears its start. With the conclusion of the competition, the winners will still be presented with special honors and medals, just as the previous king’s day prizes were presented.

 Archery competition

The uniqueness of the archery competition is that it does not discriminate between men and women. In this group of ten, an arrow used by a man is about 75Cm long and an arrow used by a women is about 65Cm long. The tester who oversees the players when they hit a specific target says “uhai”. It is a term used to motivate players. At the end of the competition, the athletes are rewarded with valuable prizes. 

 

The games were originally used to launch military training and today it is a wise move by the Mongolian government to include tourism in the festival. Also, this festival has been able to tell their proud history to the world.                                    

If you find something important here, don't forget to leave a comment....

-SITHUM SANCHANA-