How was the first ice rink built in Mongolia?

20.10.2023

We continue to tell about the history of the emergence and stages of the formation of ice hockey in the ADIHIC countries. Mongolia is next in line.

The main winter sport appeared in the country back in the 1960s, when workers from all over the USSR began to come there and showed the ice hockey to local residents. Improvised sites were created in more densely populated cities, such as Darkhan, Baganuur, Bor-Under and Hutul. The next stage of development came in 1991, with the collapse of the USSR and lasted for quite a long time. But everything was changed by the building of one new sports facility.

One of the main steps in the development of ice hockey in Mongolia was the opening of the first indoor ice rink. A big celebration for Mongolian ice hockey players took place in 2021, when a huge sports complex appeared in the capital of the country.

Ulaanbaatar, which is considered the coldest capital of the world, did not have an ice palace until recently. Mongolian athletes had to train only in winter, sometimes at extremely low temperatures. The only option for training and training was to travel abroad to use ice facilities in other countries.

The Steppe Arena is the first ice palace in Mongolia, where Mongolian ice hockey players began to train. Its roof resembles the aerodynamic profile of an airplane wing. The size of the rink is 30 by 60 meters, which corresponds to the approved standards of the International Olympic Committee and allows Mongolia to organize regional and international competitions.

The indoor palace accommodates 3,500 spectators, and has already been tested at the matches of the fourth division of the Ice Hockey World Championship in March 2023.

Since 1999, Mongolia is a member of the IIHF, and in 2023 joined the ADIHIC. Although the Mongolian team is not currently among the top 50 national teams in the world, it has already won medals in various ice hockey competitions several times.