Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, June 23, 2023: The Olympic movement in Mongolia, together with the Olympic Council of Asia and Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee, celebrated Olympic Day in style at sunbaked Sukhbaatar Square in the heart of the capital on Friday morning.
In hot summer conditions, under blue skies and bright sunshine, 250 people took part in a series of fun runs around the historic square.
There were races for boys and girls and for adults (women and men), while Olympic Day also honoured Mongolian sports veterans, the oldest member of the club being a sprightly 90 years.
The crowd was also entertained by a Mongolian rapper and hip-hop dance crew as the Mongolian National Olympic Committee lived up to the International Olympic Committee’s worldwide theme for Olympic Day – Let’s Move.
The President of Mongolia NOC, IOC Member Battushig Batbold, welcomed all the participants, and Mongolia’s Minister of Sport, Badmaanyambuugiin Bat-Erdene, spoke about the significance of Olympic Day and the Olympic movement in Mongolia. The former wrestler was Mongolia’s flagbearer at three Olympic Games, in 1988, 1992 and 2000.
IOC President Thomas Bach sent a video message from IOC HQ in Lausanne and said Olympic Day provided the perfect opportunity to “get up and move”.
“I wish you a wonderful Olympic Day celebration. Let’s move!” he added.
On behalf of the OCA, Jeans Zhou Jian, Director, Media and Broadcast, gave a speech at the opening ceremony and pointed out that there were only 92 days to go to the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, which will run from September 23 to October 8.
“Please support the Hangzhou Asian Games and please support the athletes from Mongolia,” he said.
Medals and certificates were presented to the top five places in each category.
