Naadam sports festival held in Mongolia behind closed doors without COVID precautions
First time in 800 years
Mongolia's annual Naadam sporting festival kicked off Saturday without a live audience for the first time in its 800-year history as COVID-19 fears gripped the Central Asian country.
Traditional attire
At a ranch outside Ulaanbaatar, athletes showed off the "three manly skills" of horsemanship, archery and wrestling, dressed in traditional "zodog shuudag" wrestling suits and "deel" tunics.
Limited entry
The sports festival, which usually attracts tens of thousands of onlookers and street vendors, permitted only a handful of guests including top politicians this year, with ordinary citizens barred by police from entering the venue under crowd control measures intended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Social distancing and masks missing
While no social distancing was enforced and no face masks were worn at this year's games, child jockeys racing on Mongolian horses had their temperatures taken in a nod to the virus threat.
Live broadcasts available
Mongolia has reported 227 cases and no deaths till now. While some coronavirus-related restrictions have been lifted in recent days, allowing cinemas and nightclubs to reopen with limited hours, political protests and most sporting events are still banned. Therefore, Mongolians were instead encouraged to watch the games on live broadcasts.
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