The President of Mongolia, Khaltmaa Battulga, who last week felicitated the national ice hockey team who returned home as champions from the Asia Challenge Cup in Kuala Lumpur, revealed that construction work on a new winter sports palace, the Steppa Arena, would start next month near Buyant Ukhaa Sports Complex.

“It will be part of preparations for the Children of Asia International Sports Games to be held in Ulaanbaatar in 2020,” President Battulga said. “Moreover, construction work of football and athletics arena with a capacity for 10,000 people will also start next month.”

The Steppa Arena will be built according to Olympic standards and will have a floor area of more than 12,000 square metres.

President Battulga recalled the promise he made a year ago on creating a new winter sports complex to encourage and motivate athletes.

He revealed that, as a result of discussions with the Czech Republic and Canada, the decision was taken to build the Steppa Arena with funding of US$15 million.