Basketball In the Land of Chinggis Khann

A collaboration involving Mercy Corps and Nike has brought basketball to areas of rural Mongolia where youth migration is emptying villages. Photo: Mercy Corps Mongolia

Hoops have come to rural Mongolia.

A project called “Nike - In the Land of Chinggis Khann” helped to provide equal access to new sporting opportunities to rural Mongolian youth. The project gave youth the opportunity to challenge themselves in nationwide basketball competitions and to initiate sports activities in some remote rural areas of Mongolia. The program also reached out to marginalized youth living in the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar.

The program was designed to reduce the isolation among rural youth and to enhance social activities by improving access to national level sports competitions, particularly basketball. Developing team sports, which contributes to community development, can help slow down the migration process to larger cities, which has resulted in huge numbers deserting rural villages to seek new economic opportunities.

With material support from Nike and cooperation from the local Development Guide Franchise Cooperatives, the Mongolian Basketball Association was able to bring team sports to rural boys and girls, up to age 17. This provided an equal opportunity by providing rural teams access to nationwide basketball competitions, as well as initiating sports activities in remote rural areas of Mongolia.

“Since we were kids we have played basketball in our neighborhood but there were no basketball tournaments organized,” said Zolzaya, an 11th grader who participated in the tournament. “By organizing these games, the sponsoring organizations gave us an opportunity to actively take part."

The start of this event coincided with the 800th Anniversary of the Great Mongol State, which lasted for 238 days - from September 2, 2006 to April 29, 2007. Sporting events were organized with the cooperation of various Governors’ offices within the provinces and soums.

The project toured 20 centers in the Provinces, 39 locations in the soums and 25 locations in rural areas of Mongolia. Approximately 20,000 people - 1.39 percent Mongolia's entire population - participated in sporting events.

"I think this tournament has had a positive impact on how we spend our free time,” said Zolzaya.

Don't be surprised if Asia's next great basketball prospect comes from the vast deserts where Chinggis Khann once roamed.