Khaltmaagiin Battulga: "Mongolian People Enjoy SAMBO Very Much"

This year's Asian SAMBO Championships were held in Mongolia. The tournament became such an important and conspicuous event in the life of the country that its opening was attended by President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga, who was World Champion in SAMBO back in 1983. In an interview given to journalists, he revealed his attitude to the Asian Championships and to SAMBO on the whole.

- This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of SAMBO in Mongolia. It is one of those sports that have a long history in our country. Besides, this is also an anniversary tournament for the whole continent – the 25th Asian SAMBO Championships. I was engaged in this martial myself and became world champion in SAMBO, and therefore I feel very happy about this event. Mongolian people enjoy SAMBO very much, and they know this sport very well, too.

- Why did you start practicing SAMBO?

- Back then, when the history of SAMBO was only beginning in Mongolia, many Russian SAMBO athletes were working in this country, and they acted as coaches for the local athletes. At the time when I myself was engaged in this sport, national SAMBO and judo teams were training together. Mongols are very fond of martial arts and send their children from an early age to various sports clubs.

- What do SAMBO and Mongolian national wrestling have in common?

- These martial arts have many similar techniques. The difference is that in national Mongolian wrestling there are no weight categories, and there is no wrestling in par terre, either.

[VIDEO] President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga at the opening of the Asian Sambo Championships 2018 in Ulaanbaatar