1 MONGOLIA MARKS CENTENNIAL WITH A NEW COURSE FOR CHANGE WWW.EASTASIAFORUM.ORG PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      2 E-MART OPENS FIFTH STORE IN ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, TARGETING K-FOOD CRAZE WWW.BIZ.CHOSUN.COM PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      3 JAPAN AND MONGOLIA FORGE HISTORIC DEFENSE PACT UNDER THIRD NEIGHBOR STRATEGY WWW.ARMYRECOGNITION.COM  PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      4 CENTRAL BANK LOWERS ECONOMIC GROWTH FORECAST TO 5.2% WWW.UBPOST.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      5 L. OYUN-ERDENE: EVERY CITIZEN WILL RECEIVE 350,000 MNT IN DIVIDENDS WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      6 THE BILL TO ELIMINATE THE QUOTA FOR FOREIGN WORKERS IN MONGOLIA HAS BEEN SUBMITTED WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      7 THE SECOND NATIONAL ONCOLOGY CENTER TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN ULAANBAATAR WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      8 GREEN BOND ISSUED FOR WASTE RECYCLING WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      9 BAGANUUR 50 MW BATTERY STORAGE POWER STATION SUPPLIES ENERGY TO CENTRAL SYSTEM WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      10 THE PENSION AMOUNT INCREASED BY SIX PERCENT WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      КОКС ХИМИЙН ҮЙЛДВЭРИЙН БҮТЭЭН БАЙГУУЛАЛТЫГ ИРЭХ ОНЫ ХОЁРДУГААР УЛИРАЛД ЭХЛҮҮЛНЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     "ЭРДЭНЭС ТАВАНТОЛГОЙ” ХК-ИЙН ХУВЬЦАА ЭЗЭМШИГЧ ИРГЭН БҮРД 135 МЯНГАН ТӨГРӨГ ӨНӨӨДӨР ОЛГОНО WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     ХУРИМТЛАЛЫН САНГИЙН ОРЛОГО 2040 ОНД 38 ИХ НАЯДАД ХҮРЭХ ТӨСӨӨЛӨЛ ГАРСАН WWW.NEWS.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ЭРДЭНЭС ОЮУ ТОЛГОЙ” ХХК-ИАС ХЭРЛЭН ТООНО ТӨСЛИЙГ ӨМНӨГОВЬ АЙМАГТ ТАНИЛЦУУЛЛАА WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     Л.ОЮУН-ЭРДЭНЭ: ХУРИМТЛАЛЫН САНГААС НЭГ ИРГЭНД 135 МЯНГАН ТӨГРӨГИЙН ХАДГАЛАМЖ ҮҮСЛЭЭ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ENTRÉE RESOURCES” 2 ЖИЛ ГАРУЙ ҮРГЭЛЖИЛСЭН АРБИТРЫН МАРГААНД ЯЛАЛТ БАЙГУУЛАВ WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ORANO MINING”-ИЙН ГЭРЭЭ БОЛОН ГАШУУНСУХАЙТ-ГАНЦМОД БООМТЫН ТӨСЛИЙН АСУУДЛААР ЗАСГИЙН ГАЗАР ХУРАЛДАЖ БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     АЖИЛЧДЫН САРЫН ГОЛЧ ЦАЛИН III УЛИРЛЫН БАЙДЛААР ₮2 САЯ ОРЧИМ БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19     PROGRESSIVE EQUITY RESEARCH: 2025 ОН “PETRO MATAD” КОМПАНИД ЭЭЛТЭЙ БАЙХААР БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19     2026 ОНЫГ ДУУСТАЛ ГАДААД АЖИЛТНЫ ТОО, ХУВЬ ХЭМЖЭЭГ ХЯЗГААРЛАХГҮЙ БАЙХ ХУУЛИЙН ТӨСӨЛ ӨРГӨН МЭДҮҮЛЭВ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19    

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MBCC “Doing Business with Mongolia seminar and Christmas Receptiom” Dec 10. 2024 London UK MBCCI London UK Goodman LLC

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CS:GO Mongolian team set to play Paris Major qualifier under new name www.news.mn

Mongolian players Garidmagnai “⁠bLitz⁠” Byambasuren, Sodbayar “⁠Techno⁠” Munkhbold, Baatarkhuu “⁠Bart4k⁠” Batbold, Tuvshintugs “⁠Annihilation⁠” Nyamdorj, and Chinguun “⁠hasteka⁠” Bayarmaa have revived the tag “The Mongolz” ahead of the BLAST Paris Major Asia RMR and will no longer play under IHC in the tournament, according to the event organizer MESA.
The Mongolians peaked at 18th in the world in February, according to HLTV’s ranking, following their participation in IEM Katowice, when they eliminated paiN Gaming, FURIA, and most notably Cloud9 from the tournament. Dot Esports has reached out to IHC but didn’t receive a response at time of writing.
This news comes just mere days after IHC signed hasteka to complete the lineup and fill the void left open by the departure of star player Tengis “sk0R” Batjargal in early March.
IHC is backed by a cryptocurrency coin of the same name and the future of its esports operations has been in doubt ever since three founders of Ih Bit Global were arrested in February.
The Mongolz has been a mainstay tag in Mongolia’s CS:GO scene since 2015, when the country’s then-best player Enkhtaivan “⁠Machinegun⁠” Lkhagva used it with his teammates in premier tournaments like IEM Katowice in 2016 and IEM Oakland in 2017.
The Mongolz are due to play Nikola “Lobanjica” Mijomanović and Shuaib “D0cC” Ahmad’s Twisted Minds in the opening round of the BLAST Paris Major Asia RMR on Thursday, 6 April at 1:30am CT.
The tournament will feature eight Asian teams playing in a double-elimination bracket and only the top two will book a spot at the BLAST Paris Major in May, which will be the last Valve-sponsored tournament for CS:GO due to Counter-Strike 2’s pending worldwide launch this summer.
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Mongolia: squeezed between China and Russia fears ‘new cold war’ www.theconversation.com

Mongolia’s prime minister, Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, recently expressed his country’s fear that the world is heading towards a new cold war as the relations between Russia and China and the west – particularly Nato – have taken a turn for the worse. “It’s like a divorce,” he said. “When the parents divorce, the children are the ones who get hurt the most.”
The country sits landlocked between Russia and China and is fearful of antagonising either. It gets much of its power from Russia, and China buys much of its exports – mainly agricultural goods and minerals such as copper. By pursuing a nimble foreign and trade policy since it transitioned to a multiparty democracy in the early 1990s, Mongolia has established a stable economy, receiving a thumbs up from the World Bank in its latest country report:
With vast agricultural, livestock and mineral resources, and an educated population, Mongolia’s development prospects look promising in the long-term assuming the continuation of structural reforms.
But the war in Ukraine has brought home to Mongolia just how carefully it must now navigate its foreign and trade policies to remain independent.
Smooth transition to democracy
From 1921 to 1990 Mongolia was effectively part of the Soviet bloc, although not part of the Soviet Union itself, the country’s centralised command economy was almost entirely dependent on Moscow for survival.
The collapse of communism in the early 1990s resulted in what proved to be a smooth transition. The then leader, Jambyn Batmönkh, refused to even consider quelling pro-democracy demonstrations, instead saying: “Any force shall not be used. There is no need to utilise the police or involve the military … Actually, these demonstrators, participants, and protesters are our children.”
His resignation in 1990 and the emergence of Ardchilsan Kholboo (Mongolian Democratic Union) paved the way for the development of a multiparty democracy. The June 1993 presidential election in Mongolia, which was ruled as free and fair by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, saw the incumbent president, Ochirbat Punsalmaa – who had been appointed after a ballot by members of the existing Presidium of the People’s Great Khural (the national assembly) – elected for a four-year term.
A new constitution was adopted, with a three-part structure under the speaker of the parliament, the prime minister and the president and, while there have been instances of political corruption, Freedom House gives the country a high rating for both political rights and civil liberties.
All of which cannot disguise that the fledgling democracy remained wedged between (at the time chaotic) Russia and an increasingly assertive and authoritarian China. The obvious policy for Mongolia to pursue was to attempt to balance the two great powers in the region.
Initially, Mongolia’s foreign policy relied heavily on “omni-enmeshment”. This basically meant building relationships with as many partners as possible, both regionally and globally – including, significantly, the US.
But since 2000, Mongolia has embraced the policy concept of “balance-of-power” to reduce the country’s reliance on any one nation. To this end, they have partnered with strategic states in Asia, such as Japan and India, and rekindled military ties with Russia by entering a “strategic partnership” and conducting joint military exercises, while still maintaining a strong relationship with China. Mongolia has also strengthened bilateral security relations with the US.
Mongolia’s relationship with China is complicated by the fact that a significant part of what was traditionally Mongolia is now an “autonomous region” of China (Inner Mongolia), with a population of ethnic Mongolians larger than that of Mongolia itself. This, and the activities of secessionist groups in the province, is a persistent point of conflict between China and Mongolia.
Third neighbours
But Mongolia sees its independence increasingly threatened as Russia and China grow closer. Since the demise of the Soviet Union, Mongolia has adopted a strategy of maintaining strong ties with “third neighbours” – countries that embrace democratic values but also practice market economics, including the US (it was a term first articulated with connection to Mongolian foreign policy in August 1990 by then US secretary of state James Baker).
The US and Mongolia formalised their relations as a Strategic Partnership in 2019 and in 2022 – clearly with one eye on Ukraine – the two countries announced they were deepening the partnership “in all areas of mutual interest”, including an “open skies” agreement which would guarantee scheduled nonstop passenger flights between the two countries. The US – with other third-neighbour allies – also takes part in the annual Khaan Quest military exercises.
Dangerous times
The war in Ukraine has brought the precarious geopolitical situation in Ukraine into sharp focus. The latest joint declaration from the US-Mongolia Strategic Partnership stressed that “disputes should be resolved by peaceful means and with respect for the United Nations Charter and international law, including the principles of sovereignty and respect for the independence and territorial integrity of states, and without the threat or use of force”. It added: “To this end, both nations expressed concern over the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”
Mongolia has abstained from the UN votes condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while also refusing to criticise the sanctions imposed on Russia by the west, despite the fact that they have affected Mongolia – for example, sanctions against Russian banks have made it difficult to pay for its imports from Russia.
And, for all its efforts to forge ties around the globe, Mongolia remains heavily dependent on both Russia and China. The prospect of a new cold war setting the west against the Beijing-Moscow axis is a major concern for Mongolia. As Elbegdorj Tsakhia, a former prime minister and president of Mongolia – now a member of The Elders group of global leaders told Time magazine in April 2021:
“I feel that we have just one neighbour. China, Russia, have become like one country, surrounding Mongolia … Every day, we face very tough challenges to keep our democracy alive. Mongolia is fighting for its survival.”
Jo Adetunji
Editor, The Conversation UK
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Why Investing in Water Storage Matters in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert www.thediplomat.com

Given that Mongolia has been ranked as one of 36 high-water-risk countries in the world, the recently concluded U.N. Water Conference touched on issues of immense importance to the country.
The U.N. Water Conference ended on March 24 in New York and emphasized that more robust actions are needed to manage, protect, and preserve water sources and improve lives. The conference generated more than 700 commitments by member states, multilateral banks, the private sector, and NGOs. It brought together many stakeholders, including heads of state, world business leaders, civil society, young people, scientists, academics, indigenous people, U.N. agencies, and others to urge the world to accelerate Sustainable Development Goal 6 (water and sanitation for all by 2030) and to make significant progress across all SDGs.
During the conference, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres highlighted that progress on water-related goals remains significantly low, thus undermining the entire sustainable development agenda. Moreover, he urged countries and businesses to work together to tackle issues of water overconsumption and the impacts of climate change to prevent further conflicts and forced migration due to increasing water scarcity worldwide. Guterres said, “We are draining humanity’s lifeblood through vampiric overconsumption and unsustainable use and evaporating it through global heating. Governments must develop and implement plans that ensure equitable water access for all people while conserving this precious resource.”
What can can the government of Mongolia do to tackle water scarcity issues in the Gobi Desert region?
Groundwater is the main water source of drinking and industrial water in Mongolia. This is particularly true for the Gobi Desert region. The Gobi Desert constitutes 30 percent of the country’s territory. In this region, both livestock, which numbered more than 1.8 million as of 2018, and mines, of which there were more than 70 as of 2020, rely on groundwater. Both sectors are regarded as important pillars of Mongolia’s economy.
The Gobi Desert region in Mongolia hosts major mining developments, including the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine, the Tavan Tolgoi coal mines, the Mongolian Alt Corporation coal mines, the Energy Resources coal mine, and the Erdene Resources gold mine among others. All these mining companies use underground water from the Galba Doloodyn Uush River Basin (see figure below). It has been estimated that mining will be the dominant user of water (83 million cubic meters per year) in Mongolia by 2025.
With intensified mining and ore processing, the use of groundwater is increasing dramatically. Mining companies extract water from the Galba Uush Doloodyn Gobi Basin (GUDGB) for their mines; GUDGB has approximately 236 million cubic meters/year of renewable groundwater resources available. Based on estimates of water consumption of approximately 108.2 million cubic meters/year to 2025, there appears to be no immediate water shortage. Recognizing the huge demand by the mining industry, the government put in place a plan to transfer surface water by diversion from Orkhon and Kherlen Rivers. However, the plan hasn’t yet been implemented. Increased mining development with no additional water supply puts more pressure on groundwater reserves.
Many herders in the Gobi Desert have observed water shortages in their wells. Research studies also indicate that climate change poses significant challenges to herders as variability and water extremes increase. The frequency and severity of climate-related natural disasters such as dzuds (extreme winter storms with heavy snowfall, along with droughts, floods, and sand and dust storms) are also projected to increase, with harmful effects on agriculture, livestock, water and land resources, infrastructure development, and the public’s health and well-being.
The availability of water for livestock is one of the toughest issue among Mongolian herders. The scaling up of open-pit mining has fractured and physically destroyed pasturelands, and dust from heavy trucks has deteriorated the living conditions of herders. In a broader sense, this situation threatens not just a few herders, but the livestock sector’s future in the region. In the long run, water scarcity could become a major limiting factor for the economic growth of Mongolia.
In the Southern Gobi region, projections show that expected water demand could exceed available resources in the high-water demand scenario before 2030. At the same time, more mining projects and processing plants are being approved by the government. To ensure sustainable water resources management in the region, and enable long-term economic development, the Mongolian government must invest in water storage in the Gobi region in order to ensure water access to local herding communities and other water stakeholders.
In the Gobi region, groundwater is limited, and future water demands could generate conflicts between mining companies and local communities. Actions to improve water storage in the region should be planned well and implemented immediately.
Why is water storage improvement needed?
Water storage provides three major services that support economic growth, people, and the Earth. It ensures the availability of water, reduces the impacts of floods, and provides a variety of services for economic sectors. In the Gobi region, there is a huge demand to find water solutions. Government and water stakeholders should look for alternative water supply options that are sustainable and efficient. Specifically, solutions such as improving current natural water storage and investing in built water storage systems are of high importance.
Water storage is becoming an essential tool for securing water during the dry season and adapting to climate change. Climate change brings less predictable and more variable precipitation, it makes reliable water supply difficult, affecting the economy and livelihoods. Water storage offers the potential to address these issues by increasing water availability and reducing the impacts of floods.
For instance, herder well rehabilitation and maintenance is one way to improve water storage in the Gobi, and scientists have found a low-cost way to make clean drinking water from the air. There are many technological innovations developed and tested in the world. We need to explore them and find ways to adopt these in the Gobi Desert context based on needs and conditions. Making bioswales is another cost-effective and nature-based solution for water storage.
Improving natural water storage will contribute to addressing water scarcity in the region and prevent potential conflicts, and of course, promote economic growth. Sustainable water solutions are of crucial importance for societal development, human life, and for the Earth.
GUEST AUTHOR
Bolormaa Purevjav
Bolormaa Purevjav is a fellow at the Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia.
 
 
 
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Mongolia receives over 130,000 foreign tourists in Q1 www.xinhuanet.com

Mongolia has received more than 130,000 foreign tourists in the first quarter of this year, the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism said Monday.
The Mongolian government has been taking measures to revive the pandemic-hit tourism sector, urging the public to contribute to a more tourist-friendly country.
In January, 34 countries were granted visa-free entry to Mongolia for tourism purposes, increasing the number of visa-exempt countries to 61. Nationals from those countries can remain in Mongolia for up to 30 days until the end of 2025.
The country has also classified 2023-2025 as "Years to Visit Mongolia" and is expected to organize more than 90 events in 2023 to promote tourism.
Currently, Mongolia's economy is mainly dependent on its export-oriented mining sector. Developing tourism is seen as the most viable way to diversify its economy.
Mongolia has set a goal of welcoming at least 1 million foreign tourists and earning 1 billion U.S. dollars from tourism in the coming years.
The country received 290,400 foreign tourists in 2022, earning 350 million dollars from the tourism sector.
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Petro Matad announces operational update www.energy-pedia.com

Petro Matad, the AIM quoted Mongolian oil company, has provided an operational update.
Key Company Updates
The Velociraptor 1 well is scheduled to spud in June 2023 as soon as the rig is released from its current programme.
Documentation to certify the Block XX Exploitation Area as special purpose land is being prepared by the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry for submission to cabinet for approval.
Negotiations between Petro Matad and the government for a new block in Mongolia's 2023 Exploration Tender Round have commenced.
Block V Exploration
Following discussions with selected drilling contractor, Major Drilling, a spud date for the Velociraptor 1 well has been confirmed for June 2023 following completion of Major's current programme for another operator. All required equipment for the well is in country. Field work has commenced to make ready the water supply well that will be used to supply the operation. Site construction will commence during May in good time for the scheduled June spud. The well is expected to take around 30 days to drill to a prognosed total depth of c.1500m.
Photo - see caption
The Velociraptor 1 well is scheduled to spud in June 2023
Block XX Exploitation Licence
Documentation has been prepared by the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry and circulated to other relevant ministries in advance of submission to cabinet to secure approval to certify the Block XX Exploitation Area as a Special Purpose Area. The certification is being proposed on the basis that the Heron development is a project of national importance. We are pushing for the matter to be brought to cabinet urgently in order to allow in-field activities to commence to make the Heron 1 well ready for production.
2023 Exploration Licencing Round
Negotiations have commenced with MRPAM on the block for which Petro Matad has submitted an application in Phase 1 of the 2023 open tender exploration licencing round. Phase 2 of the round has recently been announced and the third phase is expected to be announced in the next few months. The Company is reviewing the newly offered blocks and plans to submit applications on those it has high-graded.
Mike Buck, CEO of Petro Matad, said:
'As shareholders will know, we have wanted to drill Velociraptor for some time now and so we are very excited to have agreed a firm schedule with the drilling contractor. The necessary preparatory work is already underway and all equipment for the well is in country ensuring we are ready to spud in June.
We continue to push the Mongolian Government for the certification of Block XX Exploitation Area as Special Purpose Land and are pleased that the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry is proposing the certification on the grounds of this being a project of national importance.'
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Mongolia to Cooperate with Finland in Education Sector www.montsame.mn

Minister of Education and Science L. Enkh-Amgalan met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Finland to Mongolia, with residence in PRC, Ms. Leena-Kaisa Mikkola on March 28.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Minister of Education and Science congratulated on the presentation of her Letter of Credence to the President of Mongolia and wished her success in her future endeavors.
In 2022, the Working Group of the Ministry of Education and Science to revise the package of Law on Education visited the Republic of Finland two times in order to learn from their education system. During the visit, members of the Working Group visited some government organizations, universities and kindergartens.
The Ministry of Education and Science and "Eduten" company, a spin-off of University of Turku, Finland signed Memorandum of Understanding last year. As a result, Mongolian secondary school students have been able to use Eduten, digital math learning platform, in their mother language.
Minister of Education and Science expressed intends to cooperate in short and long term capacity building training for university teachers, matching funds for students and “President’s Scholar-2100” scholarship program of the President of Mongolia with Finland's universities. In response, Ambassador Ms. Leena-Kaisa Mikkola indicated her readiness to further expand the bilateral cooperation, especially in education sector.
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Central Bank to transfer mortgage loan program to Government within second quarter of this year www.gogo.mn

The general session of the 2023 spring regular session of the Parliament started today, March 31, 2023.
B.Delgersaikhan, the Parliament Member, clarified about the mortgage loan and the economic situation from the Bank of Mongolia.
G.Enkhtaivan, Deputy Governor, Bank of Mongolia, reported, “The Central Bank has been involved in this issue for the past two years under the Covid law approved in 2020. In this framework, mortgage loans of MNT 1 trillion disbursed in 2021 and MNT 700 billion in 2022. Due to Covid Law terminated on December 31, 2022, the Central Bank stopped providing financing for the mortgage loan program. Currently, commercial banks are financing their repayments.
About 20% of mortgage loans are disbursed in rural areas. This year, the loan will be disbursed to citizens who have moved to the rural area or citizens who live there. The mortgage program will focus on rural areas. The Central Bank is working to transfer the mortgage loan program to the government by the second quarter of this year”.
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Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi JSC traded 96,000 tons coal through exchange www.gogo.mn

On March 31, 2023, "Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi" JSC successfully organized another online coal trading and sold 15 batches of 96,000 tons of thermal coal through the exchange.
A total of two enterprises participated in online trading and traded one ton of thermal coal from USD 68.30 to USD 70.30.
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Feasibility study of Shiveekhuren-Sekhee port cross-border railway developed www.gogo.mn

In the framework of the port revival, which is included in the new revival policy of the government, Mongolian Railway State-owned shareholding company is performing the construction works of the railway project.
The Shiveekhuren-Sekhee port railway will be put into operation in July, and it is planned to transport 250-300 thousand tons of cargo until the end of December 2023, according to the Ministry of Road and Transport Development.
According to the Government Resolution No. 446, Mongolian Railway SOSC was granted an authority to perform the Shiveekhuren-Sekhee and Bichigt-Zuunkhatavch cross-border railway projects.
Mongolian Railway SOSC is implementing the works necessary for the construction of the Shiveekhuren-Sekhee port railway in stages. Currently, engineering-geodesy, engineering-geology, geotechnical, and hydrological research works have been completed.
The work of developing the detailed design of the railway of the port is under performance to be finished in April. Mongolian Railways SOSC has completed the technical and economic feasibility study and is ready to be discussed and approved by the Scientific and Technical Council of the Ministry of Road and Transport Development.
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Wonder shot helps Mongolia reclaim Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup crown www.straitstimes.com

His team had let slip a 17-12 lead to allow defending champions Australia to draw level at 18-18 in the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup men’s final.
But Mongolia star Anand Ariunbold did not wobble, for he is after all the 2022 Fiba 3x3 World Tour’s Most Spectacular Player, as voted by fans bewitched by his wondrous shot-making.
On Sunday, a capacity crowd of more than 700 fans at the OCBC Square caught a glimpse of the 25-year-old’s magic when he capitalised on a screen by Dulguun Enkhbat to pull off a shot from beyond the arc.
Despite being thrown off balance by Andrew Steel, Ariunbold drilled the two-pointer, drew the foul and converted the free throw to help his team win 21-18 and regain the title they last picked up on home soil in 2017.
In 3x3, every made basket inside the arc is worth one point, and every successful shot behind the arc earns two. The first team to score 21 points, or the side with more points at the end of the single 10-minute period, win.
After preening and accepting the plaudits from the crowd, he said: “I practise difficult shots all the time in training and I’m so happy to see it go in at such a crucial time. This shot is for Mongolia.”
With a population of under 3.4 million, his country is more known for individual sports like boxing and wrestling. But it is now also excelling in the sport, with their women’s 3x3 team qualifying for the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
While Olympian Khulan Onolbaatar and her teammates were knocked out by China in the quarter-finals in Singapore, she cried tears of joy as she watched her 27-year-old brother Enkhbaatar win gold.
The 23-year-old said: “We started playing 3x3 when we were around 18.
“Before that we were just studying and not doing any sports. So this really shows anything is possible if you find something you love and work hard at it.”
Men’s Most Valuable Player Delgernyam Davaasambuu, who also made the Team of the Tournament with Australia’s Daniel Johnson and New Zealand’s Tai Wynyard, shared that 3x3 started gaining more popularity after they won bronze at the 2012 Asian Beach Games.
The 32-year-old, who scored just two points and one rebound in the final but led the team with distinction, said: “We are not too tall or too short, and we are strong and quick, which are perfect conditions for this more physical version of basketball.
“After our 2017 success, even more people started playing 3x3. We made four finals and we have six professional teams – four men’s and two women’s – and a league that has 36 teams.
“It is the most popular sport in Mongolia now.”
The Mongolians’ triumph denied the Aussies a double, as their women’s team breezed past New Zealand 21-11 in their final as Marena Whittle – who scored 10 points and seven rebounds – was voted MVP and made the Team of the Tournament with teammate Anneli Maley and the Kiwi Sharne Pupuke-Robati.
The Australians also made up for previous disappointment after losing the 2022 final to China.
Lauren Mansfield said: “Yeah, three of us returned from last year and having that extra experience helps. We are also a bit more dynamic this year with Alex (Wilson). We can all shoot, we can all attack so we are more complete now.”
Maley, who played for Chicago Sky in the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) in 2022, hailed the Australian basketball “gangaruss” spirit.
The 24-year-old, who is heavily tattooed on her left arm, said: “That’s kangaroo in our indigenous language and we all play for each other.
“We have Lauren who’s the sharpshooter. She’s crafty, she finds everyone. Marena, there’s not a single person in this world who’s stronger than her. Alex Wilson can break anybody’s ankle, and I’m your hustle player.
“We are a family and best mates on and off the court, and yeah we may get new tattoos together to commemorate this win. Watch this space!”
The Kiwi men took the bronze with a 21-13 win over China, who had eliminated Singapore 21-14 in the quarter-finals. The Chinese women beat Thailand 11-9 for third place.
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