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The Asian Women's
Sambo Wrestling Championships were held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from August 23-31.
Over 100 athletes from 12 countries competed in three age divisions, though the
Mongolian team participated in the senior division only due to financial
dilemmas.
Four Mongolian women wrestlers, E. Gereltuya (48kg), B. Monkhtuya (60kg), Ch.
Bazarsuren (68kg) and D. Dashdulam (80kg), took gold medals at the week-long
event.
Mongolian wrestlers were also capable of two silver medals in the 56 and 72kg
categories, followed by three bronze medals. The Mongolian team brought in first
place in the championships followed by Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Mongolians are proving to be powerful opponents on the Asian continent in sambo
wrestling.
G. Eredenbat, Mongolia's team coach, said, "If sambo wrestling becomes an
Olympic event, the champion may hail from Mongolia. The International Olympic
Committee will have to make the decision."
The nation will next compete in the Sambo Cup held in September, in which with
the highest-ranking athletes from Asia and Europe will participate.
On August 25, celebrated
Mongolian bicyclist J. Olzii-Orshikh returned home after a successful week of
road races in Pusan, South Korea. From August 15-22, the best Asian cyclists participated
in the second-annual event.
Mr. Olzii-Orshikh raced together with a team of three Japanese and two Taiwanese
cyclists. Bicycle manufacturer Giant sponsored them.
In the longest race, 170km, the Mongolian athlete took third; however, his skills
were sharpened when he entered the 85km haul, and he was able to claim the gold
medal.
In individual standings, Orshikh ranked second. His team also found itself in
the runners-up position at the end of the day.
By B. Tsatsral
A friend of mine
came over to my house on Sunday to bemoan her financial agony. In spite of the
inward desire show her the door and to rest, I heard her out to the bitter, and
I mean bitter end.
As her tirade wound down, she left me with the parting words, "How nice it
would be to get money for nothing."
I answered, "Yeah, keep dreaming."
As I stood staring out the window contemplating my friend's futile desire, I was
struck by how wrong I was-how naïve!
What influenced my thinking was the traffic cop standing in front of my building.
Here is how he operated: Every car coming down the street was summarily stopped,
arguments ensued and, without fail, the hand of each driver reached into his or
her pocket and pulled out cash with which to pay a fine for a supposed traffic
violation, I presumed.
After gawking at this spectacle for well nigh an hour, I saw the policeman finish
his rounds, cross the street and go into a grocery store. When he emerged five
minutes later he was carrying a full bag of groceries. Granted, he may have come
on duty with his own money and a shopping list, but this is an opinion article
and I want to make a point. He may have appropriated some of the fines taken from
drivers for personal expense let's just say.
All hedging aside, some traffic police in Ulaanbaatar undoubtedly take money for
nothing. If not, could someone please explain to me how these officers purchase
high-priced cars and jeeps on an average civil-servant salary of $30-60 a month?
Here's a further example of this preposterous abuse of power.
Last year, as my husband and I were driving down the road, we were pulled over
for no reason. The color of his car is light gray, but during year-2000 auto
inspections,
which he passed by the way, the Transportation Dept. wrote down on his registration
papers that the car was white. Like the homing pigeon of old, the traffic policeman
knew by instinct in which direction to fly. After reading our registration, he
said, "Your car is light gray and it says here that your car is white. I
can't allow you to keep driving it."
I kid you not.
We tried to explain that the Department had made that trivial mistake when they
recorded the color of the car on paper, and that the car passed the inspections
with flying colors. We argued back and forth until the officer suggested we pay
Tg10,000 (around $10) and forget about the whole thing.
My husband replied, "If I pay the money will my car now be white?" This
did not go over well, and we ended up leaving the documents with the police.
After spending three days at the Sukhbaatar District Traffic Police Station we
finally got our papers back and did not pay the ludicrous fine.
But others are paying right now.
At Narantuul outdoor market last week I met an Italian tourist who had also fallen
prey to getting something for nothing. He introduced himself as Francisco. After
helping him fend off more than 10 boot sellers who waylaid him when he showed
an interest in buying, he told me about a misadventure with the authorities during
his 20-day trek through the Gobi.
With his girlfriend, a guide and a driver, Francisco arrived at the frontier post
of Altai soum in the province of Gobi-Altai. There, a soldier informed them, "This
is an exclusive zone. You cannot enter. But let me find out more from my commanding
officer."
Ten minutes later he returned and said his CO wanted to see them. When they went
inside the officer said promptly, "You've entered an exclusive zone without
special permission. You must pay $200." He also took their passports. Their
only other recourse to paying was to leave the Gobi they had traveled halfway
across the world to see. They paid the inordinate price.
So there I stood at the window, pondering these episodes and stories I had before
refused to see were anything more than the run of the mill in this country. Taking
something for nothing is corruption. We pay taxes to the government. Yet we also
pay for someone in that same government to fill their pockets for nothing, save
their position of authority.
Feeling sour, I called my friend on the phone and suggested she become a traffic
officer.
SPORT LISTINGS
Cycling
The National Junior
Mountain Bike Championships will be held in the Saisan Tolgain valley in south
Ulaanbaatar on Sunday, September 9. Secondary school students from the city and
countryside will make up the challengers. Students 14-16 years of age will race
in the 20 km event and students 17-18 years of age will race for 30km.
Horse Racing
From Septmber 2-8, Yarmag Race Track will host a national horserace for stallions five years old and above. Five-year-olds will run in a 9km race and senior horses will compete in a 12km race. A 3km race will include horses of all ages. The Mongolian Horse Racing and Trainers Association is organizing the "Ulaanbaatar Capital Golf" races.
D. Dolgorsuren,
one of Mongolia's celebrated Elephant-titled wrestlers, once said that he could
capture the Naadam sports festival title through vigor and technical prowess.
His words of self-confidence have surely spread to his three sons-wrestlers who
have proved their worth in more ways than one.
In 1996, his eldest son, D. Sumiyabazar, was also awarded the Elephant title after
seven successful rounds of competition in the Naadam festival, the preeminent
sporting event in the nation.
The youngest son fills page after page in the Japanese, Mongolian and international
papers. He is none other than D. Dagvadorji or Asashoryu as he is known in the
sumo world. While older brother Sumiyabazar was competing in Naadam, Dagvadorj
was proving his weight in gold by winning the National Junior Wrestling
Competition,
the minor league championships of Mongolia so to speak.
Following his success in the 1996 competitions, Dagvadorj left for Japan to begin
training for a career as a sumo wrestler. At that time, 1965 Giant-title winner
J. Monkhbat, a demigod of Mongolian sports, rebuked Dagvadorj's father, saying
Dolgorsuren shipped to Japan the future Giant of Mongolian wrestling.
Dagvadorj or Asashoryu has proven to be among the giants of Japan. He now competes
at the highest level in sumo.
The most recent family incursion into the international wrestling scene though
comes from middle brother D. Serjbudee. With sensation being the key, the 1999
Naadam festival Falcon title-holder has entered Japanese professional WWF
wrestling.
Despite losing his first bout, Serjbudee is distinguished by being Mongolia's
first pro-wrestler.
By O. Togoo
September 1 always
marks the beginning of the academic year, even when the 1st falls on a Saturday
as it did this year. Despite having to begin classes on Monday the 3rd, schools
across the country celebrated their opening ceremonies as scheduled last weekend.
This academic year, 506,300 primary and secondary students will study in 606 public
and 77 private schools nationwide-the first time the student body has ever reached
half a million since public education began in Mongolia in 1921.
The nation currently has 19,223 primary and secondary school teachers.
58,600 first graders have entered the school system this year.
As a result of mass resettlements from the countryside to the capital of Ulaanbaatar,
overcrowding has brought the average public school class size up to as much as
45 to 50 students, far exceeding the Ministry of Education's stipulated 35-student
maximum. Conversely, teachers in rural areas are finding classes all but empty.
83,400 pre-school students are attending 628 public and 5 private kindergartens.
This academic year has seen some twenty universities opening their doors for the
first time. Among them are the Technical University of Eastern Siberia (Russian
owned), the University of Kemerov (Russian), the University of Eastern Kazakhstan
in Bayan-Olgi aimag, and many domestic private universities. Only students attending
15 state-run and 11 private colleges are eligible for government loans. The state-run
university system this year has 55,600 students, while private schools take up
32.7% and professional training programs have enrolled 17.3% of the student body
of post-secondary school students.
The president and prime minister, along with federal and provincial officials,
participated in the opening ceremony at the capital. On national TV and radio,
President Bagabandi said, "Today, 58,600 first grade students are crossing
the golden threshold of primary school. A total of 610,000 students, [primary,
secondary and university alike,] will begin studies throughout the nation. I would
like to encourage each student to work hard for his or her education and to make
great contributions to the development of this land in the new century."
Last Friday, August
31 Minister of Health P. Nyamdavaa lead an awards ceremony for Mongolian Olympic
and world championship medallists. According to the 252nd government resolution,
12 athletes were awarded monetary bonuses totaling Tg300 million or approximately
US$275,000. The top prize-winners at the ceremony were international silver-medal
bicyclist J. Olzii-Orshikh, receiving Tg35 million, and Asian gold-medal judokan
Kh. Erdenet-Od who received Tg7 million.
The resolution for the financial remuneration of top-ranking national athletes
was adopted in 1997. Written in the bill are the amounts of compensation offered
for each class of sporting event: Olympic medallist receive anywhere from Tg40
million to Tg80 million depending on which medal he or she wins; international
competition medallists acquire Tg25-45 million; and Asian Games medallists receive
a lesser though still lavish award when measured against the national economy
of Tg8-10 million.
Since the 252nd resolution was approved, a total of 160 Mongolian athletes from
30 international competitions held from 1998 to 2000 have been honored with Tg482
million in bonuses. International gold-medallist sharpshooter D. Monkhbayar, leads
the star athletes with Tg89,250 million in bonuses.
At a regular weekly meeting of the cabinet on Wednesday, August 29, the 252nd
resolution was amended to increase bonus amounts to Tg50-100 million for Olympic
medallists.
A National Committee for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens was also formed during
last week's meeting and a committee budget was drafted. Prime Minister Enkhbayar
will head the committee, while Minister of Health Nyamdavaa and Finance Minister
Ch. Ulaan will implement its procedures.
CULTURAL NEWS
"Ulaanbaatar Cultural Days" will be held in Moscow from Sept. 24-27th under the direction of the Ulaanbaatar and Moscow mayors' offices. More than 50 classical and folk artists will take the part in the three-day event. Photo exhibitions and a Mongolian film festival are also part of the program.
State honored singers G. Erdenebat and Ts. Tuvshintogs of the Academic Theater of Classical Arts and State Philharmonic vocalist D. Enkhzul performed a concert tour of the United States from August 4-21st. Their concert stops included Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. In the American capital, the Mongolian classical artists played in the Ronald Reagan Center on the 15th.
Four Mongolian mimes will travel to Germany to participate in a six-day international mime festival beginning on September 11. Artists from Finland, Germany, Israel, Japan and Uzbekistan will also perform. From there, the Mongolian pantomimes leave for Armenia in southwestern Asia for an autumn festival running from October 4-10th.
The Folk Song and Dance Ensemble of Hangzhou, China will perform a concert tour in Mongolia from September 4-14th. The Ensemble will play at the Academic Theater of Classical Arts in Ulaanbaatar on September 6 and 7th and at the Darkhan City Theater from September 9-12th. The Mongolian Ministry of Education, Culture and Science will organize the tour. Comprised of 25 artists, the group was established 40 years ago and have played dates in France, Japan and the US.
The latest additions
to the Mongolian sports world came this August when successive canoe, kayak, walking
tour, beach volleyball and fishing competitions took place across the country.
Beach volleyball, especially, has taken root over the past two years in a country
already passionate over the traditional variety. One can see just how quickly
it has spread by visiting the Mongolian Volleyball Federation's new neighbor down
the hall: the Mongolian Beach Volleyball Federation. The federation has already
hosted national championships in Darkhan aimag for two years running. The second
annual event ended last Sunday. With 200 competitors, the beach volleyball championship
this year is twice the size of last year's event.
The country also held its first canoeing and kayaking competition last month.
P. Aleksei, secretary general of the Mongolian Canoe Federation, had this to say
about the recent event: "I have made tremendous efforts over the last twenty
years to have a canoeing championships take place in Mongolia. Participants who
didn't know the word 'canoe' four of five days ago are now able to compete internationally."
Because of his efforts, the white water sport is here to stay.
The Mongolian Canoe Federation is right next door to another newly formed sports
group, the Mongolian Fishermen's Federation.
Established two years ago, the federation hosted the Second Annual National Fishing
Championships in Jargalant Lake this summer. Anglers from China, Kazakhstan, Korea,
Mongolia and Russia took part. The Russians took first place by hooking 61 fish
in two hours. With pristine rivers and lakes, Mongolia is an angler's paradise.
At the threshold
of a new academic year, the Department of Turkish Studies was inaugurated at the
Mongolian National University by support from the Turkish International Relations
Association. Department faculty will collaborate with Gazi University of Ankara.
Dr. Battulga, professor of history, leads the new faculty. He stated, "Turkish
professors will instruct our students. During summer vacations, students may work
on a project for the study, restoration and protection of ancient Turkish artifacts
in the Orkhon River valley."
Jurgen Lennsch,
president of the German-based Yak and Camel Research Foundation, participated
in the Sept. 1 opening day ceremony at the Agricultural University, where he donated
Tg10 million and a Russian UAZ-469 jeep. The money will be used for scientific
research.
Japanese ambassador to Mongolia M. Hanada also attended the ceremony, and said
that agricultural relations between the countries of Japan and Mongolia have grown
stronger in the last few years.
On Tuesday, September
4 the 2001 Firearm Census began across Mongolia and will be concluded by November
15.
Last year over 40,000 firearms were registered with the police countrywide.
To have a firearm registered with authorities, owners must bring the weapon together
with two unloaded cartridges to the General Police Department downtown for Ulaanbaatar
residents or to a local soum police station for aimag residents.
Owners of firearms who neglected to have their guns registered during last year's
census will not be fined this year. After Thursday, November 15, however, unregistered
firearms will be confiscated by police and fines may be imposed.
By G. Enkhbaatar
The State Harvesting
Commission, led by Food and Agriculture Minister D. Nasanjargal, held a meeting
in the Government Palace last week to review the current state of national agriculture.
At the meeting, Minister D. Nasanjargal and B. Burmaa, head of the Ministry's
Dept. of Harvesting and Technology, reported the annual figures for the agriculture
sector.
Mr. Nasanjargal explained, "The government is implementing the 'Plough-2001'
and 'Crop-2001' projects in order to revamp the agriculture industry. The projects
aim to provide 14,000 tons of crops to over 150 farms…"
The two projects represent the largest assistance packages for farmers nationwide.
This year's crops were sown in 194,200 hectares of arable land and are expected
to yield 168,200 tons of wheat-30,000 tons more than last year's harvest
Under "Plough-2001," 270,400 hectares of fields were ploughed for next
spring's sowing.
The State Harvesting Commission estimates that 42,800 tons of crops will be kept
in reserve after the autumn harvests.
Pertaining to crop transport, the commission has allocated Tg98 million (up from
last year's Tg60 million) for road repairs. The funding will be divided among
certain agricultural aimags, with Tov aimag receiving the largest share of Tg48
million. Approximately 50% of repairs have already been carried out. To transport
this year's harvest, 490km of gravel road will need to be restored. The roadwork
being carried out by four private companies could be finished as early as the
beginning of October.
Half of the nation's 150 truck weigh stations have been certified, according to
information provided at last week's meeting.
Petrol shortages may add difficulties to the already hard-pressed transportation
sector.
"The petrol supply will not be sufficient to transport harvests from over
80 soums in five aimags," noted Ts. Anandbazar, vice-director of NIC, a petroleum
distribution company. The vice-director later stated that a US$2 million loan
would be needed to meet the demand for petrol this fall.
By B. Tsatsral
Mongolian Defence
Minister J. Gurragchaa, Food and Agriculture Minister D. Nasanjargal and Environment
Minister U. Barsbold spoke to reporters last Thursday about preparations for what
looks to be another dangerous winter.
Preliminary forecasts from the Hydro-Meteorology Institute says that in October,
November and December air temperatures will remain on par with national averages,
but precipitation will be heavier than in recent years. January will bring record-low
air temperatures in the central and eastern areas of the country; and above-average
precipitation is expected for February. Both February and March will be warmer
than usual.
The Environment Ministry hopes that preliminary forecasts will help people and
the government better prepare and rely less on foreign aid, which amounted to
nearly US$41 million in cash and goods for last winter's zud, according to a Defense
Ministry report.
With 60 percent of the nation's territory listed as being in fair to poor condition
due to summer droughts, nomadic animal breeders will surely feel the effects in
the winter months.
Agriculture Minister Nasanjargal noted the importance of moving 13 million animals
of six aimags with fair or poor conditions to protected areas having better grazing
lands.
The Mongolian government will establish 10 new state emergency reserves of hay
and fodder this year, bringing the total up to 22.
As of August 15, 36,800 tons of hay and 2,500 tons of fodder have been prepared
throughout the country. Within the framework of a nationwide project, "Harvest
and Fodder 2001," this year 640,000 tons of hay and 274,200 tons fodder will
fill the state emergency reserves, officials report.
The government will allocate Tg900 million for livestock veterinary care to prevent
the spread of infectious diseases.
251 water wells in 130 soums (administrative districts) of 19 aimags are scheduled
for repair by a Tg385-million government stipend.
Mongolia, a country in which animal husbandry makes up 30 percent of its GDP,
is now urgently preparing for the natural disaster known locally as zud. Snow-covered,
frozen pasturelands due to heavy precipitation and extremely cold temperatures
have brought the death toll for cattle and other livestock to around 5 million
over the last two winters.
Business delegates
from the Korean Chamber of Commerce arrived in Mongolia on August 30 by invitation
from its Mongolian counterpart. The Korean delegates have arrived to study the
Mongolian market for foreign investment potential.
The Mongolian Chamber of Commerce organized a round table meeting on August 31
with business representatives from both countries. S. Demberel, head of the Mongolian
Chamber, opened the meeting by familiarizing some meeting members with the present
Mongolian social and economy situation, things to which investors must pay heed.
During the meeting, Korean delegates showed interest in investing in the Mongolian
construction and textile sectors.
Kemul Company, in cooperation with the Mongol Postal Bank, is selling Mitsubishi Pajero-III and Nissan cars and jeeps by extended payment with low interest rates. The Monnis Group International, a Nissan distributor in Mongolia, is working with the Anod Bank to offer a similar deal. Buyers must pay at least 50 percent of the total price of the automobile, and the remainder should be paid within 1-12 months. Interest rates vary from bank to bank.
By A. Iveel
The National Employment
Office has issued a report on "Provisions for Micro-loans and for Foreign
Workers in Mongolia" in connection with the July 1 implementation of the
Law on Exported and Imported Labor. In the report, the Employment Office proposes
taking loans from the Asian Development Bank for creating job placements. Since
the law took effect, Zoos, Golomt and Erel banks have granted Tg1.7 billion to
240 individuals and businesses and have helped create 1,600 new jobs nationally.
As of July, the number of registered unemployed people reached 39,900. The average
unemployment rate in the nation's provinces is 5.4% with the highest rate of 13.4%
in the western-most province of Bayan-Olgii and the lowest rate of 2.7% in southeastern
Dornogobi.
So far this year the Employment Office has received 17,621 work orders from employers,
of which 13,502 positions have been filled or 77%. Most orders came from sewing
factories and the service industry.
54% of all unemployed people in Mongolia have no profession and little education-only
6% of the unemployed have received a higher education. 62.4% of all unemployed
workers are between the ages of 16 and 34, 29.7% are between 35 and 45 years of
age, and 7.9% are over 45.
Women represent 52.7% of all unemployed workers in Mongolia.
By July 2001, 2,665 foreign workers from 44 countries are legally employed in
Mongolia. 39% are working in the mining industry, 28% are in professional fields,
and 18.3% work in the construction sector.
Pursuant to the Labor Law, Mongolian businesses employing foreign workers in a
capacity to which a Mongolian worker is capable, the entity must pay a monthly
fee of Tg36,000 to the Employment Office. By August 1, Tg100 million have been
collected from foreign worker fees.
Business representatives
from Bavaria, Germany, lead by Mr. Evald, head of the Economics Department of
the German Ministry of Economics, Transportation and Technology, will visit Mongolia
from September 9-13th. The delegates will meet with Mongolian officials and leaders
of the country's cashmere, leather, meat, and timber-processing companies. During
the visit, the delegates will participate in the autumn trade fair "Ulaanbaatar
Partnership-2001."
The annual international fair will be held from September 11-15 and is organized
by the Mongolian Chamber of Commerce. More then 50 domestic companies and approximately
20 foreign companies from China, Hungary, Japan and Russia will make up the event.
A Mongolian-language book, The History of Mongolian Economics from 1921 to 2000, covering the history of the country's modern foreign and economic relations was published for the first time this summer. Written by ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs D. Saldan, ex-Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs H. Bud and economic and foreign relations specialists, the book consists not only of current relation developments, but brief histories of both communist-era and 1990s economic ties.
Li Ruihuan, chairman
of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee,
met Tuesday with Jamsrangyn Byambadorj, vice-chairman of the State Great Hural
(Parliament) of Mongolia.
Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese
Communist Party Central Committee, said that China and Mongolia are neighbors
and the two peoples have a long history of friendship. In recent years, the good-neighborly
relations between the two countries have developed smoothly, and fruitful cooperation
has been carried out in political, economic, cultural and other fields, Li said.
Further development of friendly cooperative relations conforms to the fundamental
interests of the two peoples and is beneficial to regional peace and stability,
he added.
China found its current road for development and relevant policies after years
of exploration and paying a heavy cost, Li said.
In recent years, China's economy has made achievements that have attracted world
attention, Li said. However, because of its big population, weak economic foundation
and relatively insufficient natural resources, China still lags behind in many
fields.
"In the course of construction, we've experience as well as lessons,"
Li said.
Byambadorj said that the friendship between Mongolia and China can be traced far
back in history, and bilateral cooperation in economic, cultural and other fields
has been quite successful.
China has become the largest foreign investor in Mongolia, he said. The two countries'
relations surely have a bright future.
Byambadorj and his party arrived here Monday for a goodwill visit at the invitation
of the CPPCC National Committee.
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Last Update: 10. September 2006