MONGOLIA
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Mongolia: Pujee’s dreams came true
Mongolia has no indoor rink. Mongolian players must play their games in temperatures of minus 20 degree and often even below. But they love ice hockey so much that this is no hinder to them.
Biletkhuu ice rink
Workers from USSR brought ice hockey to Mongolia in 60’s. To be exact, Mongolia plays ice hockey since 1961. The Ice hockey federation was established after 30 years in 1991 and has five regional associations. The first National championship was played in that same season. The inaugural championship was won by the Eermel team from Ulaanbaatar. Eermel held unto the title till the 1994/1995 season.
In 1998 the Mongolian Ice Hockey Federation established the Mongolian Hockey League. Six teams participated in the inaugural 1998/1999 season and Eermel from the Mongolian capitol Ulaanbaatar was again it’s first winner. The formula for the League is two tournaments, where all participating teams play each other. The four top teams (earned points) play a knock out system for the crown.
The Otgon Od team from Ulaanbaatar debuted in the 1999-2000 season. Otgon Od (Small Star) was founded the by Choijiljav brothers Purevdavaa and Baasandavaa. Both brothers played for this team with a group of teenagers. Especially Purevdavaa ’Pujee’ Choijiljav is considered to be the father of Mongolian ice hockey. He is a „playing General Secretary“ not only for Otgon Od but for the Mongolian national team as well and that makes him one of a kind in world ice hockey.
Otgon Od team
Otgon Od ended dead last in its first league season and they could not improve this ranking in the two next seasons. In the 2004-2005 season Otgon Od managed to reach the final, but was defeated by Baganuur, a team from a coal mine city located about 150 kms east of Ulaanbaatar. Purevdavaa’s dream came true in the 2006/2007 season. Otgon Od won the title in a final in Hitchcock style against Baganuur. Jiggur scored the deciding goal in the second overtime. Small Star defended it’s Mongolian gold in the current 2007/2008 season. The Final Four was played outside of Ulaanbaatar for the first time. Erdenet Mining Company celebrated its 30th jubilee by staging the event, but its team Khangardi was defeated by Otgon Od in the final in January 2008. Purevdavaa’s team was the best too in junior competition this season.
Mongolia started its international activities in the 1998/1999 season. The Mongolian national team participated in the Fourth Asian Winter Games and the encounter versus home team Korea (31.1.1999) was the first in its history. In the same tournament Mongolia booked its first victory. The Mongolians defeated Kuweit 5:4 in overtime. The game winning goal was scored by Batbold Galsansanjaa, a doctor in one of Ulaanbaatar’s hospitals.
Purevdavaa ’Pujee’ Choijiljav
The other Pujee’s dream came true last season. The Mongolian national team participated for the first time in World senior championship in Dundalk, Ireland. The unexperienced squad lost all four games, but it was „ice hockey university“ for its players. They most certainly will show their improvements at the Kockelscheuer Ice Arena. On the second day of the World Chapionships the encounter Luxembourg versus Mongolia will be staged. The first time these teams met was last season in Dundalk.
Luxembourg – Mongolia:
10:1 (4:0,3:0,3:1) – 16.4.2007, Dundalk, World Championship D3.
Naidasuren Byambasuren versus Claude Mossong
This season games:
No games
Last season games:
Mongolia – Ireland 0:11 (0:2,0:7,0:2)
Mongolia – Luxembourg 1:10 (0:4,0:3,1:3)
Mongolia - South Africa 1:14 (0:2,1:5,0:7)
Mongolia - New Zealand 1:10 (0:3,0:2,1:5)
For more information see the site of the
Mongolian Hockey Federation
or
the IIHF page on Mongolia.
Very interesting is the NHL.com page on Mongolian Ice Hockey.
