Mongolia is to launch its own Olympic hospitality house for the first time at Tokyo 2020 next year, it has been revealed. The plan has been initiated by B.Battushig, the Acting President of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee, who has identified a site next to the Tokyo Tower as its location. Tokyo Tower is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower and, as the second tallest structure in Japan, is a landmark in the capital.

The idea is also supported by Hakuhō Shō, one of Japan’s best-known and most successful sumo wrestlers who was born in Mongolia. B.Battushig has held talks with Tokyo 2020 President Yoshirō Mori to present his plan.

He got the idea after visiting USA House during the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang last year. “Setting up a country house is not only a name card of your nation where you introduce the athletes and host many guests, but it’s also a big promotion of your country to the world. “Therefore, in 2018, I met with the Ambassador of Mongolia to Japan Mr. D.Batjargal and the President of the Japanese Olympic Committee regarding building a Mongolia House during the Tokyo Games.

Mongolia made their debut in the Olympics at Tokyo 1964 – the last occasion the Japanese hosted the event – and have appeared in every Games since with the exception of Los Angeles 1984 when they joined the boycott led by the Soviet Union. The country has so far won a total of 26 medals, including two gold, both of which came at Beijing 2008 when N.Tüvshinbayar won the men’s over-100 kilometres in the judo and boxer E.Badar-Uugan triumphed in the bantamweight division.

At the last Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Mongolia sent a team of 43 athletes who competed in nine sports. They won a total of two medals, a silver in the women’s judo for Dorjsürengiin Sumiyaa in the under-57kg category and bronze for boxer Dorjnyambuugiin Otgondalai in the men’s lightweight division.