Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- A specialist of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee (MNOC) on Monday expressed confidence that China will successfully host the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

"First of all, I would like to thank the Chinese people for hosting the Winter Olympics at a time when the world is on its knees in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. I have no doubt that China will successfully host the Olympic Games because the country knows better than anyone how to fight the pandemic and how to follow the infection control regime," Battogtokh Usukhbayar, education specialist of the MNOC, told Xinhua in an interview.

"In addition, China has the experiences of successfully organizing major continental and world-class events, so we are confident that the Beijing Winter Olympics will be a great success and at the high level," said Usukhbayar.

Two cross-country skiers of Mongolia will participate in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, and under the guidance of a Swiss coach, they have trained for the Beijing Winter Olympics in European countries where skiing is highly developed, the specialist said.

He said that the Mongolian skiers will strive to improve their personal records and achieve the country's best result at the Winter Games in Beijing.

Mongolia and China have been friendly neighbors for many years, Usukhbayar said, adding that during the Olympic Games, leaders of the MNOC are expected to meet relevant high-ranking officials of China to discuss future cooperation.

The New Year Sumo Tournament went down to the wire with the championship being decided on the final bout of the 15-day competition. In the end, the Emperor’s Cup ended up in the hands of a wrestler who also clinched his promotion to the second-highest rank of ozeki.

All eyes on the sole Yokozuna

Before the tournament, a lot of attention was focused on yokozuna grand champion Terunofuji. The Mongolian-born yokozuna showed overwhelming strength last year by winning four out of six tournaments to become the leading figure in sumo. 30-year-old Terunofuji entered the competition having won two consecutive titles since making yokozuna in September. This time he was aiming to engrave his name in sumo history by winning three consecutive titles right after becoming yokozuna… a feat which has not been accomplished for more than a century. The only other grand champions to capture three titles in a row since debuting at the top rank were Tachiyama in 1912 and Tochigiyama in 1919.

A major upset at the top level

Terunofuji was the top contender this time, but other wrestlers stepped up to challenge him. The man leading the charge was Mitakeumi. By the end of the first week of the two-week contest, Mitakeumi was the only combatant with a perfect 8 and 0 record. Terunofuji was still in Mitakeumi’s rear-view mirror with just one loss, followed by six other wrestlers with 2 losses each.

Mitakeumi suffered his first setback with a loss on Day 10 which placed him and Terunofuji as the co-leaders, with five days to go. When the two leaders both lost on Day 12, it created a three-way tie for first place as maegashira rank-and-filer Abi also remained at two losses. With just three days left, it was clear to everyone that the championship was going to be claimed by one of these three wrestlers.

On Day 13, Mitakeumi faced off against Abi and defeated the up-and-comer with little trouble. And then, on Day 14, it was Abi knocking off Terunofuji for a huge upset.

So, heading into the final day, Mitakeumi had sole possession of the lead with 12 wins and 2 losses. He was being trailed by three men with 11 wins and 3 losses each: Terunofuji, Abi and another rank-and-filer, Kotonowaka. First, Abi and Kotonowaka faced each other. Abi won the match and eliminated Kotonowaka from the title race.

Now, the showdown: Mitakeumi versus Terunofuji. If Mitakeumi were to beat Terunofuji, Mitakeumi would clinch the championship. But if Mitakeumi were to lose to Terunofuji it would create a three-way playoff with Terunofuji, Mitakeumi and Abi. The match began with Terunofuji trying to gain an early advantage by establishing an inside position on Mitakeumi but the yokozuna’s strategy was completely blocked by Mitakeumi’s solid defense. Mitakeumi then seized a double inside grip on Terunofuji and drove the yokozuna out of the ring to take the match. The victory gave Mitakeumi the tournament championship with 13 wins and 2 losses. It was his first title since the 2019 September tournament and his third overall. We saw Mitakeumi get emotional during the victory ceremony. I’m sure his tears of happiness will wash away all the frustrations he has endured over the past few years.

Earning coveted promotion to ozeki

With his New Year Tournament triumph, Mitakeumi amassed a total of 33 wins in three recent tournaments which is a benchmark to make ozeki, the second-highest rank. Three days after the tournament’s completion on Wednesday, the Japan Sumo Association officially promoted Mitakeumi to the well-respected rank. It was a dream-come-true moment for 29-year-old Mitakeumi, who had spent a total of 18 tournaments at the third-highest rank of sekiwake.

Mitakeumi’s promotion to ozeki is significant. He’s become only the second man from Nagano prefecture in central Japan to rise to ozeki. The last Nagano native to earn the promotion was Raiden in 1795, a full 227 years ago.

Upon receiving the promotion, Mitakeumi said that he’ll try his best not to disgrace the rank of ozeki. He also said that he will always be grateful and will keep working hard by further improving his strength.

Personally, I have been an advocate of Mitakeumi since his pro debut. I’ve interviewed him and spoken to him a number of times and each time he impressed me with his poise and self-confidence. A lot of people have criticized Mitakeumi in the past for his lack of determination to make ozeki. But Mitakeumi always told me that he firmly believes in his own approach, and he has never wavered. His promotion validates him, and he has now silenced all the critics. Way to go Miakeumi! Job well done.

Special prize winners

Mitakeumi not only took home the Emperor’s Cup but he also picked up the Technique Prize for displaying superb techniques throughout the tournament.

The runner-up finisher Abi received the Outstanding Performance Award for upsetting yokozuna Terunofuji and contending for the championship until the last moment.

Kotonowaka also went home with a special award. He was given the Fighting Spirit Prize for making his presence felt by racking up 11 wins.

Looking ahead

Now that the New Year Tournament is in the books, let’s shift our focus to the next tournament; the spring tourney which takes place in March.

The upper echelons will be made up of yokozuna grand champion Terunofuji along with three ozeki champions; Shodai, Takakeisho and Mitakeumi.

Among the four horsemen, the newly promoted ozeki Mitakeumi will likely be leading the charge. He’ll be gunning for his second consecutive, and fourth overall, championship. Furthermore, he’ll be aiming to become the first wrestler since Hakuho in the 2006 May tournament to win the championship in his ozeki debut. Needless to say, Mitakeumi can’t sit on his laurels but must train harder and improve his strength and technique, because his lower-ranked foes will be much more eager and motivated to take down ozeki Mitakeumi moving forward.

Will the top dog Terunofuji redeem himself to bring the Emperor’s Cup back to his living room? For him to do so, he must get himself back in top form. It was evident from about half-way through the New Year Tournament that he was out of shape. He was fighting with limited mobility as he was dealing with pain in his knees. If he wants to overwhelm his foes again he has to take care of his body and enter the spring tourney in tip-top shape.

The two ozeki Shodai and Takakeisho underperformed this time. Shodai ended the contest with a dismal 6 and 9 record. Finishing with a losing record is nothing but a disgrace if you’re an ozeki. Takakeisho also came up way short of expectations, taking himself out of the tournament on Day 4 citing an ankle injury. As a result, both will enter the spring contest as kadoban ozeki --- which means that if they fail to score a majority of 8 wins they will no longer remain at ozeki and will be demoted to a lower rank. We’ll see how Shodai and Takakeisho deal with their predicament in March.

Finally, I want you to keep your eye on Abi. Since his repromotion to the top division in November, he’s now scored back-to-back 12 and 3 records. The only reason Abi was competing in the lower divisions the past year was because of his violation of COVID-19 protocols set by the sumo association. After serving three tournament suspensions, he’s proved his mental maturity and physical prowess and has been nothing short of spectacular. There’s no doubt in my mind Abi has what it takes to win a tournament and become one of the leading figures in sumo in the near future. People often refer to the spring tournament as the “areru haru basho” which literally means the “stormy spring tournament.” Don’t be surprised to see Abi creating a big storm and coming out on top when all is said and done in March.

The Spring Tournament will get underway on March 13 in Osaka, western Japan.

Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia recorded 1,834 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 442,513, the country's health ministry said Sunday.

The ministry said that the latest confirmed cases were all locally transmitted.

Meanwhile, three more COVID-19 patients died in the past day, raising the national death toll to 2,034.

Currently, 10,591 COVID-19 patients are being hospitalized across the country, while 56,178 asymptomatic or mild patients are receiving home-based care, said the ministry.

Omicron cases currently account for more than 90 percent of the daily total in the country, according to the National Center for Communicable Diseases.

So far, 66.7 percent of the country's total population of 3.4 million have received two COVID-19 vaccine doses, while more than 1,006,400 have received a third dose.

More than 80,800 Mongolians have received a fourth dose, which the country started to administer on Jan. 7 on a voluntary basis.

Lunar New Year may not loom as large as December 31 in Russia, but with more than a million and a half Buddhists in a multi-confessional country that shares borders with China, North Korea, and Mongolia, and some disputed territory with Japan, it should come as no surprise that many Russian citizens are gearing up for lavish celebrations next week.

The Lunar New Year begins on the day after the first New Moon between January 21 and February 20. This year, the Year of the Water Tiger will begin on February 1, bringing with it, so the astrologists promise, a year of risk-taking, adventure, and rapid change, be it for good or ill. Change and adventure sound marvelous to me, so I am preparing to welcome the new year with abandon… and lots and lots of dumplings.

Dumplings are an essential part of celebrating the Lunar New Year; they are not only delicious but also packed with symbolism. Crescent-shaped dumplings resemble gold and silver ingots, once the currency of the Chinese empire. Along with round, twisted “coin purse” dumplings, these dumplings are considered harbingers of good fortune, particularly if one is the recipient of a single gold coin, hidden inside the filling of every batch of dumplings served at Lunar New Year celebrations. Dumplings also symbolize family unity and togetherness: making a batch of dumplings, while time-consuming and repetitive, is so much easier and enjoyable if done as a group.

With all this in mind, I turned to one of Russia’s closest geographic and historical neighbors — Mongolia — for inspiration. It was the nomadic tribes of Mongolia who first brought dumplings to Russia: light, portable, but filling fodder to sustain the armies of Genghis Khan, who occupied the lands of Rus for almost three centuries. Later, the Mongolia was absorbed into China until 1921, when the Mongolian People’s Republic was proclaimed. From that time on, Mongolia was closely aligned with the U.S.S.R., though from 1990 Mongolia has pursued a more independent path. But a lot of dumplings, or rather buuz, as they are known in Mongolia, have made their way into Russia, particularly thanks to the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian railway lines linking Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar with Moscow.

Steamed buuz (pronounced with a broad “oh” as in “boat”) are central to the celebration of Tsagaan Sar or “White Moon” as Lunar New Year is known in Mongolia. Buuz are larger than classic Chinese dumplings, and made with mutton or beef, traditionally flavored with caraway seeds, which gives them a unique taste, then steamed.

Tsagaan Sar is a joyful time, with families fathering together for an expansive and abundant feast, which is considered a positive omen for good fortune in the coming year. To prepare an ample sufficiency of buuz for Tsagaan Sar, Mongolian families wait for bitterly cold days, then gather to form assembly lines, making multiple trays of buuz, which they freeze and store in the frigid outdoors — a trick they handed on to the Siberians who do the same with pelmeni, burying them deep in the packed snow.

I’ve dedicated this (non-lunar) year to mastering the art of dumplings from all over the world, a project I’m calling #Dumplings2022. I spent much of January test-driving about 40 different recipes for dumpling, wonton, gyoza, Jiao, pirogi, and pelmeni wrappers. Yes, you can buy these in Asian grocery stores, but every single dumpling expert advocates making your own, and after cracking the wrapper code, I agree with them! There is a world of difference between store-bought and homemade wrappers, not only in terms of taste but also in the ease of shaping, pleating, and folding the dumplings. Once I had mastered these essentials, I was ready to dive into the fun(er) parts of dumpling science: the fillings, the folding, and the cooking.

The recipe for buuz below is fairly traditional, using beef, because not everyone can get their hands on actual mutton. The key here is grinding the meat coarsely (see recipe for various methods) and making sure that you mix the filling until it takes on a slightly gelatinous texture. I’ve added a few ingredients to make the filling juicer, including beef stock and butter, which aren’t traditional, but I feel make a tremendous difference. I’ve often seen buuz served with no dipping sauce, but I think the tangy soy sauce and vinegar sauce adds a lot, as does hot chili oil, if your tastes incline towards the spicy. Note that a pelemenitsa won’t work here — you need to fold and pleat these dumplings one-by-one yourself, so gather friends and family around your kitchen table on a freezing day and make some of these addictive Mongolian buuz just in time to ring in the Year of the Water Tiger!

For the dumpling wrappers

3-⅓ cups (430 grams) high protein flour**

1 cup (240 grams) boiling water, allowed to cool for 2 minutes

1-½ Tbsp salt

For the filling

1 lbs. (500 grams) of beef with good fat content (strip steak, porterhouse, or rib-eye)

2 small yellow onions

4 cloves garlic

1 egg white

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

2 Tbsp caraway seeds, toasted

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp white pepper

5 scallions, tops removed, and cut into batons

1 Tbsp salt

⅓-cup (80 grams) beef stock

2 Tbsp salted butter, cut into small chunks

For the soy-vinegar dipping sauce

⅓-cup (80 grams) soy sauce

2 tsps. of black vinegar or plain white distilled vinegar

½-tsp brown sugar or honey

1 knob fresh, young ginger, sliced into incredibly thin strips

2 scallions, finely minced

1 tsp sesame seeds

½-tsp hot chili oil (optional — if you don’t like the heat, leave this out)

**A Note on Flour: I tried all kinds of flour for this recipe, and while all-purpose works well enough, it is worth trying to source bread flour or the Gold Standard Italian “00” which is used for making pasta.

Instructions

Make the dumpling wrappers

Sift together the flour and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, or into a sturdy mixing bowl.

Slowly pour the water into the flour and knead on low (2 on a Kitchen Aid) or by hand with a Danish dough hook or sturdy wooden spatula. The dough will be shaggy at first. If you are mixing by hand, tip the shaggy dough onto a floured surface and knead with the heel of your palm until the dough comes together into a smooth ball with slight elasticity (about 10 minutes).

If you are using a standing mixer, knead the dough on medium (3-4 on a Kitchen Aid) for 5 minutes until the dough is fully incorporated, is slightly elastic, and pulls away easily from the sides of the bowl.

Shape the dough into a disk and place it in a plastic bag or wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30-50 minutes at room temperature.

While the dough is resting, make the filling.

Toast the caraway seeds until their flavor amplifies, then add the remaining spices, toss to combine. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, then pound the mixture with a pestle or grind in a spice grinder. Set the spice mixture aside.

If you have your own meat grinder, grind the meat on the coarse setting, or ask a friendly butcher to do this for you. Regular ground beef from the supermarket will work, but the texture of the filling is much better with a coarser grind. If you don’t have a meat grinder or a kind butcher, use your food processor to achieve the desired effect.

How to Grind the Meat in a Food Processor

Cut the beef into small chunks and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze the meat for 30 minutes, together with your food processor steel blade. Working in smaller batches, pulse the meat until it is coarsely ground. Set aside.

Add the peeled onions and garlic to the food processor and process until finely ground. Add the cilantro and scallions and pulse until they are incorporated into the onion mixture.

Combine the meat and onion mixture in a large mixing bowl with the egg white, beef stock, and butter. Knead with clean hands to combine. When the mixture is combined, add the spice mixture and salt.

Use your clean hand or a handful of 6-8 chopsticks to stir the mixture in one direction until it takes on a gelatinous texture, feeling almost slimy to the touch. This may take up to 7-8 minutes. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

Assemble the Buuz

Divide the dough into two equal halves, keeping any dough that you aren’t working with under a damp cloth so that it doesn’t dry out.

Shape each half of the dough into a ring like a bagel, then use your hands to stretch the dough into an ever-widening ring, until the width of the dough is about one inch. Cut the ring into two halves, then use the palm of your hands to roll the dough into long logs. Cut each log into about 10-12 pieces weighing approximately 15 grams each. Note that these wrappers will be larger than pelmeni or gyoza wrappers.

Flatten each piece of dough into a disc, then roll it out, making the edges of the round wrapper thinner than the middle: this will support the filling.

Spoon 2 teaspoons of filling into the center of the dough wrapper, then pleat and fold the wrapper into your desired shape: noting that the twisted coin purse and ingot are both considered traditional and very lucky for Lunar New Year.

If you want to freeze the buuz ahead of time, line the baking sheet with parchment paper ahead of time. Freeze the tray of buuz for 30 minutes, then remove the frozen dumplings to an airtight plastic container or bag, where they will keep in the freezer for up to 5 months.

Steam the buuz

If you love dumplings and plan to make them often, a bamboo steamer is an excellent investment: it’s easy to use and you can bring the dumplings right to the table in the basket. But you can also use a plain old metal steamer basket as well. Be sure to line both with either parchment paper or Napa cabbage leaves, so that the dumplings don’t stick.

Get the water going at a sturdy boil in a wok or saucepan, taking care that the water level will not come into contact with the bottom of the steamer basket. Arrange the buuz in the steamer, leaving at least ½-inch between them as they will expand as they cook. Place the steamer basket over the boiling water, cover, and let steam for 8 minutes if the buuz are fresh or 10 minutes if they are frozen.

While the buuz are cooking, make the dipping sauce: whisk all the ingredients together until the sugar dissolves and serve in a shallow dish.

BY: Jennifer Eremeeva

Jennifer Eremeeva is a longtime expat who writes about cuisine, history and culture.

Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian government will promote the development of winter sports through its policies, the country's Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene has said.

Oyun-Erdene made the remarks during a virtual meeting with athletes and coaches who will participate in the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics on Friday, the government's press office said in a statement.

"I am very confident that you all will successfully and responsibly take part in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games and reach your goals and aspirations. I support you all and I will go there in person," Oyun-Erdene said.

Mongolia has every chance to succeed in the Winter Olympics, he said, noting that the government plans to support the development of winter sports through policy and do a lot to improve the material base and environment.

Three skiers of Mongolia have qualified for the 2022 Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games, according to the Mongolian National Olympic Committee.

The Mongolian government has decided to award 10 million Mongolian Tugriks (3,500 U.S. dollars) to each of these athletes.

The test ride for the 416.1 km-long railroad en route Tavantolgoi - Zuunbayan is planned to be launched on March 15 this year, informed CEO of ‘Mongolian Railway’ State-owned Joint Stock Company O.Batnasan during the working visit of Minister of Road and Transport L.Khaltar at the company.

The Minister became acquainted with the operations of ‘Mongolian Railway’ State-owned JSC, and ‘Tavantolgoi Railway’, ‘Zuunbayan Railway’ LLC as well as the current project being implemented, and tasked the companies to ensure preparations for the launch of railway transport in the route of Tavantolgoi - Zuunbayan. Noting that a technical commission of the Ministry assessed the construction of the railroad as good quality, he highlighted the importance of commissioning the railroad on schedule.

The Minister tasked the corresponding officials to open the Tavantolgoi-Zuunbayan railroad and complete the construction of the Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait railroad on time.

“Furthermore, meetings are planned to be organized with investors in order to have the construction of the project on cross-country railroads in the western and eastern regions launch in March,” said Minister of Road and Transport L.Khaltar and tasked officials to launch the construction of the project on a 13-km railroad in the route Shiveekhuren-Sekhe.

During the meeting CEO of ‘Tavantolgoi Railway’ LLC N.Udaanjargal also introduced the progress of the projects being implemented. Currently, the company is in charge of implementing the projects on 233.6 km-long railroad in route Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait, 22 km-long railroad connecting the railroads of Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait and Tavantolgoi-Zuunbayan, and the Bogdkhan railway.

Highlighting that the construction of the Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait railroad must be completed by July 1, Minister L.Khaltar tasked the officials to complete the feasibility study for establishing a terminal based at Gashuunsukhait border checkpoint in the first quarter of the year, and fully ensure preparations for the railroad construction in route Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod and launch its construction on May 1.

State Great Khural (Parliament of Mongolia) opened its irregular session today on January 28 to discuss amendments to State Budget 2022.

“As the Covid-19 pandemic that has been raging across the world for the past two years is negatively affecting the country’s economy and people's livelihoods, the Parliament and the Government of Mongolia is pursuing a policy to protect citizen’s health and restore businesses,” highlighted Speaker of the Parliament G.Zandanshatar at the opening ceremony of the session.

"Mongolia's economy revived in 2021, with the export reached USD 9.2 billion and the foreign trade balance was in surplus of USD 2.4 billion. Despite these positive indicators, one of the problems facing the world is the increase in commodity price. Retired citizens who make a living from their pension and citizens who are in need of welfare are suffering the most due the increase in commodity prices. Therefore, in accordance with the President's directions, the Cabinet made a decision to amend the law on State Budget for 2022 to increase the amount of pensions and submitted the bill today," the Speaker said.

Regarding the matter, plenary meeting of the irregular session started discussions of bills on Budget Framework Statement for 2022, amendments to the budget assumption for 2023-2024, amendments to the budget for 2022, amendments to the budget of the Social Insurance Fund for 2022.

Following the directions given by President U.Khurelsukh, the Government reflected on the amendment bill the minimum pension to be MNT 500 thousand. For pensioners having more than MNT 500 thousand, their pension will be raised by 15 per cent. A total of MNT 637 billion is required for the pension increase and it plans to source it by cutting some expenditure in the State Budget for 2022. The bill also reflects actions to stabilize consumer goods price, said PM L.Oyun-Erdene in his presentation.

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"As a result of the implementation of the Government's MNT 10 trillion plan to protect public health and recover the economy, we managed to have economic growth of 3.6 percent since 1992, which has fallen to -5.3 per cent," highlighted the PM, noting that budget revenue for 2022 outperformed by 2.7 per cent.

On January 26, the agreement on supplying power for Oyu Tolgoi’s mining operations from the country’s central power grid was established between the ‘National Power Transmission Grid’, ‘Southern Region Electricity Distribution Network’ state-owned joint stock company, ‘National Dispatching Center’, and ‘Oyu Tolgoi’ LLC.

At the signing ceremony, Minister of Energy N.Tavinbekh highlighted that the decision to supply power for the Oyu Tolgoi mine is an important event for the country’s economy as well as the energy sector. He then continued on to say, “The establishment of the agreement today serves as a “guarantee” for Mongolia’s economy and income for the energy sector. Once the agreement comes into effect, it becomes possible to keep the funds amounting to a minimum of USD 120 million - the annual fee for importing electricity, in the country. This would also result in a decrease of outflow for foreign exchange reserves. Furthermore, the agreement would serve as a crucial document for sourcing the corresponding necessary financing for the Tavantolgoi TPP project and carrying out works to renew the equipment being used for the energy sector.”

Following the signing of the agreement, CEO of ‘Oyu Tolgoi’ LLC Armando Torres underlined that electricity is crucial for the mine, and said, “A very reliable electricity source is needed in order to ensure the safety and carry out continuous operations at the Oyu Tolgoi mine. The Ministry of Energy has informed us that our electricity demand will be supplied from several sources. I am confident that the agreement served as a mutually beneficial solution for both sides. This is one of the results of the efficient way of cooperation between the Government of Mongolia and ‘Oyu Tolgoi’ company based on mutual understanding.”

Currently, the Government of Mongolia is carrying out works in phases to put certain strategically-important mining deposits in the Southern Gobi region into economic circulation, such as those in Nariinsukhait, Ovoot Tolgoi, Tavan Tolgoi, Oyu Tolgoi, Tsagaansuvarga, and Shivee-Ovoo. In aims of supplying electricity for the aforementioned deposits in its framework, the construction of a 670 km-long aerial power transmission line and three 220 kW substations were completed in 2021.

Works are also being carried out by the government to establish the 450-MW Tavantolgoi TPP, which will replace the electricity being imported from the power grid of Inner Mongolia, PRC.