The opening ceremony of the Mongolian National Winter Sports Festival, designed to develop traditional winter sports and pass cultural heritage to younger generations, was held on 22 January 2026 at the ice rink in Khandgait.

The ceremony was attended by G.Dashnyam, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Youth, Jargalsaikhan, D.Head of the Department for Coordination of the Implementation of Physical Education and Sports Policy, and O. Battulga, Chairman of the State Committee for Physical Education and Sports. 

Deputy Minister G.Dashnyam said the festival will help strengthen public health, encourage active lifestyles, develop teamwork and physical fitness, improve winter-sports performance, and showcase Mongolia’s unique traditional sports internationally.

The festival’s competitors include a wide age range: the oldest participant is 74-year-old D.Batdelger (ice knucklebone shooting, Sukhbaatar District) and the youngest is 17-year-old B.Purevdorj (Bayanzurkh District). Finals for the winter events, including ice archery and ice knucklebone shooting, are being held at the Khandgait ice rink and at the “Uukhain Duu” holiday camp in Tsonjin Boldog from 22–25 January 2026.