Naadam
Yesterday you watched the winner of a Mongolian wrestling tournament dance like a falcon to celebrate his victory. Today you’re cheering on hundreds of horses as they race across the Gobi Desert. Tomorrow you’ll see the Prime Minister of Mongolia compete in an archery competition. You must be at Naadam, Mongolia’s annual national festival that’s sometimes described as Mongolia’s version of the Olympics.
Naadam translates to “men’s three variety of games,” of which Mongolian wrestling is by far the most popular. Mongolian wrestling involves more skill and balance than brute force: a wrestler wins by making his opponent’s elbow, knee or back touch the ground. In horse racing, the second most popular competitions, it’s the horse that wins the race and not the rider. Therefore horses are trained to keep running toward the finish line even if the rider falls off. You’ve seen the Olympic Games, now see Mongolia’s version.
Naadam translates to “men’s three variety of games,” of which Mongolian wrestling is by far the most popular. Mongolian wrestling involves more skill and balance than brute force: a wrestler wins by making his opponent’s elbow, knee or back touch the ground. In horse racing, the second most popular competitions, it’s the horse that wins the race and not the rider. Therefore horses are trained to keep running toward the finish line even if the rider falls off. You’ve seen the Olympic Games, now see Mongolia’s version.
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