The British had never ruled Mongolia, nor did missionaries have much presence there. There is no historical background of cricket in Genghis Khan’s homeland. Yet, the English sport has not only reached the East Asian country, believe it or not, but in recent times cricket is enjoying a sharp rise in popularity among locals.

Much of that rise can be traced back to one man.

Battulga Gombo was once a national-level judo athlete who represented Mongolia internationally. Today, he is better known as the man who brought cricket to the country. As president of the Mongolian Cricket Association (MCA), he has spent close to two decades building the sport from the ground up.

The story begins in 2005, during a visit to Australia. Gombo found himself at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, watching a charity match organised for tsunami relief. It was his first real encounter with cricket, and it left an impression.

“While visiting my wife in Australia, who was studying at Monash University in Melbourne, I saw cricket being played in the parks for the first time,” Gombo said in a chat with The Crichub from Ulaanbaatar.

“It reminded me of Matka, a Russian bat-and-ball game we used to play as children. Then I went to the MCG. There were around 100,000 people in the stands. I had never seen anything like it. The atmosphere, the scale, the game itself, it all fascinated me. That is when I started learning more about cricket.”

When he returned home in 2007, Gombo decided to act. He set up what was then called the Mongolian Amateur Cricket Association, with little more than intent and curiosity to guide him.

There was no ecosystem to support the sport. No funding, no proper ground, no equipment, and very few people who even knew what cricket was.

“I spoke to the Olympic committee and a few sportspersons, but no one was familiar with the game. A friend suggested I meet an Indian who ran a restaurant in Ulaanbaatar. He explained the basics. I also met a few expats from cricket-playing countries.

“They were interested, but there was no structure. That is when I realised we had to start from scratch,” he says.

That meant going where the players were. In 2008, Gombo returned to Australia to complete a Cricket Australia coaching course, becoming Mongolia’s first qualified cricket coach. He came back with equipment and a clearer plan.

Expansion of cricket in Mongolia

He began visiting schools and orphanages across Ulaanbaatar, introducing children to the sport. With help from friends and expatriates from India, the UK and Australia, small training groups began to form.

“I started going to schools with basic equipment, and the response from children was incredible. That is where the spark was ignited.”

Cricket in Mongolia is shaped as much by climate as by opportunity. With long, harsh winters, the outdoor season is limited to the summer months from May to October. Even so, participation grew steadily.

“Initially, there were 15 to 20 boys and girls in the sessions. But the numbers increased quite quickly,” Gombo says.

“At one stage, we had around 500 children from 18 schools and orphanages. For a country of around three million people, that is a strong base. Around 40 per cent are girls, and some of them are more skilled than the boys.”

While participation grew, proper facilities took time to catch up. Early sessions were held on artificial football pitches. In 2016, the government allocated 1.7 hectares of land in the National Park for a dedicated cricket ground. That venue, now known as the Mongolian Friendship Cricket Ground, has since become the centre of the sport’s activities.

The inclusion of cricket in the National Youth Games in 2019 provided further momentum, expanding the game beyond the capital into other provinces.

“The youth programme has helped generate interest across the country. The government has started investing in team sports, and cricket is part of that vision. We hope to see Mongolia compete regularly at the Asian Games,” Gombo says.

A major step came in 2021, when the International Cricket Council granted Mongolia Associate Membership at its Annual General Meeting. It formalised the MCA’s role as the national governing body and brought Mongolia into the global cricket structure. The country also became part of the Asian Cricket Council pathway.

Two years later came a moment that underlined how far the game had come.

International debut

In 2023, both Mongolia’s men’s and women’s teams featured at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. For many of the players, it was their first experience of international cricket. It also marked the official debut of Mongolia’s women’s team on a global stage.

The jump from school-level cricket to a continental multi-sport event in less than two decades reflects the pace of growth.

Today, there are around 2,500 active cricketers in Mongolia, with women making up close to 40 per cent of participants. The structure remains largely driven by schools and youth competitions, but the base is steadily expanding.

For Gombo, ICC membership was never about status. It was about building a system that could sustain the sport.

“Joining the ICC is fundamental to establishing a proper structure for cricket in Mongolia. The game is helping young people by giving them experiences, skills and values they can carry into other areas of life.

“Our focus remains on school outreach, both in Ulaanbaatar and in the provinces, along with inter-school and inter-province competitions. That is how cricket will grow and become part of Mongolian life.”

The direction is clear. Increase participation, strengthen competitive pathways and ensure the sport has a place within the country’s broader sporting culture.

From a chance visit to the MCG to a growing presence on the international stage, cricket in Mongolia is still in its early years. But the progress so far suggests that the foundations are strong, and the ambition is real.

(Sandipan Banerjee is a senior cricket journalist with over a decade of experience, specialising in international and associate cricket. Known for sharp analysis and on-ground reporting across major tournaments, he can be reached on X at @im_sandipan)

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