A tall, well-dressed young man briskly entered the fourth-floor corridor of the Olympic Committee building: “Sorry to keep you waiting!” It was the President of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee (MNOC), Battushig Batbold. “I thought it would be good to share the Olympic Committee’s work with the public through you,” he began, and the interview flowed naturally from there. We skipped formal introductions.
Over tea and warm conversation, he asked, “Did you turn on the recorder?” and continued openly. “Sometimes there are attempts to link me or my family with irrelevant issues,” he said. “At times, it feels like those making up stories are trying to hide their own problems.” Today’s interview coincides with the celebration of Olympic Day.
What is the significance of Olympic Day?
Every year on June 23, Olympic Day is celebrated worldwide. It marks the day in 1894 when representatives from 12 countries gathered in Paris and founded the modern Olympic Movement. It is essentially the birthday of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Globally, various events promoting healthy lifestyles and positive societal values through sport are held. This year, a delegation from the Olympic Council of Asia is visiting Mongolia, and we are organizing our traditional “Olympic Day Run”—a special highlight. This year, I’m here in Lausanne attending the handover ceremony for the newly elected IOC President, Kirsty Coventry.” On this occasion, I’d like to extend Olympic Day greetings to all athletes, sports family, and supporters of Mongolia’s Olympic movement.
Since becoming MNOC President, many accomplishments have been made. What are the highlights?
As an IOC member, I’ve participated in two Summer Olympic Games. During the Tokyo Olympics, I led the Mongolian delegation as Chef de Mission. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we secured four medals, with the most athletes competing for medals in final matches—a notable record. At the Paris Olympics, we had 32 athletes in nine sports and won a silver medal. We launched and successfully implemented the “Mongolia House” project in Paris. Over 60,000 visitors came to this space promoting Mongolian culture, history, and heritage. On July 27, right after the Olympic opening ceremony, our Mongolian President U.Khurelsukh visited Mongolia House, which was a great honor. On that same day, wrestler B.Baasankhuu won her critical match to advance to the gold medal match, and we shared that historic moment with a crowd of Mongolians watching at Mongolia House. She eventually won the silver medal, which I had the honor of giving her during the medal ceremony.
Many of our Olympic Committee’s partner organizations played key roles. Major private companies such as Ayan Zalaat, Skytel and Khas Bank were NOC sponsors. My wife N.Tselmuun’s company MAK, which is one of the leading companies in Mongolia showed great support through their subsidiaries such as Hunnu Airlines and Ayan Zalaat hotels. On the public side, the Ministry of Culture led by Minister Ch.Nomin and the Ulaanbaatar Mayor’s Office—an exemplary collaboration. The former Mayor of Ulaanbaatar was the Chef de Mission for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Thoughts on the newly elected IOC President?
When Thomas Bach was elected IOC President in 2013, there were not many countries in the running to host the next Olympic Games. Under his leadership, the movement has become more inclusive and open, with over 10 countries now competing to host the Games in the future. His tremendous leadership has brought our Olympic Movement to new heights with the financial situation stronger it has ever been.
“Olympic Agenda 2020” and “Olympic Agenda 2020+5” was launched under the leadership of Thomas Bach. It consisted of 40 recommendations aimed at reforming the Olympic Movement for greater sustainability, credibility, and youth engagement. “Olympic Agenda 2020+5” was introduced as a continuation and expansion of the original agenda, again under President Bach’s leadership. It included 15 additional recommendations focused on five key trends shaping the future: solidarity, digitalization, sustainability, credibility, and economic and financial resilience. In March of 2025, seven candidates contested for the IOC Presidential election in Greece. Zimbabwean Olympic champion and former Minister of Sport, Kirsty Coventry was elected—the first female and first African President. She is also a close friend and a great person; we are family friends, with our similarly aged children becoming friends and meeting during game times and IOC Events. This election reflects the IOC’s internal commitment to equity and diversity as well as in our belief for her capacity as leader of our movement. In 2026, Africa will host its first Youth Olympic Games in Senegal at Dakar 2026, and smaller countries are now viable hosts for 2030 and 2034.
What is Mongolia’s policy on hosting the Olympics?
We have officially expressed interest in hosting the Youth Olympic Games in 2030 or 2034. Around 10 countries are in the process for bidding for it, including several from Latin America and Asia such as India, Thailand, and Indonesia, all actively engaging the Future Host Commission including Mongolia.
We also aim to expand Mongolia’s participation in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. We’re preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to enhance cooperation, similar to the MOU signed with Qatar’s NOC last May and South Korea last week in June. These agreements promote athlete development, experience-sharing, and collaboration as well as visa support for our athletes and their coaches. The Qatar MOU was particularly significant, as it was our first strategic partnership with an NOC from outside East Asia. I view LA2028 not just as a sports event but as a strategic opportunity to elevate Mongolia–U.S. relations.
Hosting a Youth Olympics is a tremendous opportunity. Over 100 IOC members typically visit to attend part of the Games and see the country, placing the host nation at the center of global sports attention and offering unparalleled tourism and marketing exposure. It also encourages a healthy lifestyle and awareness of sport among youth aged 15–18 and brings lasting educational, cultural, and economic benefits. It’s not just a sports event but also an educational and cultural event that brings nations together.
I first proposed this idea in 2021 during the Tokyo Olympics, presenting it officially to President Bach with a support letter from then-Speaker of Parliament G.Zandanshatar, who welcomed and supported it. He just became Prime Minister (PM) of Mongolia this June, and before he became PM, as Olympic Committee member and President of Mongolian Chess Federation, was supportive of Mongolia’s 2026 Youth Olympics team and we were planning to have him become the Chef de Mission. However, with the new position, our NOC executive board will explore further who would be the best person to lead Team Mongolia in Dakar 2026. I strongly believe in the new Prime Minister for his consistent support for sports and look forward to further collaboration.
What programs are being implemented for youth development?
In 2022, when I became the President of MNOC, we started the translation and began implementing the IOC’s “Olympic Values Education Program” (OVEP) in Mongolia. This innovative approach develops children’s ethics, social skills, physical health, and knowledge through sport. Through games and exercises, values like excellence, respect, and friendship-together are taught together. I originally received the information and had the interest to pursue this program in Mongolia from the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina in 2018, when I was the first Vice President of the MNOC.
OVEP has been successfully adopted worldwide and integrated into public education systems, such as in New Zealand, where it’s combined with PE and civics classes. In countries like Tanzania and the Philippines, it has enhanced social cohesion and gender equality. We’re adapting these best practices for Mongolia. We are rolling out the program in public schools in phases, training instructors and partnering with educational institutions. I’m deeply grateful to the MNOC’s First Vice President Naranbaatar, the Mongolian Olympic Academy, and our team for prioritizing this program and contributing so significantly.
Let’s get back to your personal story. How has your education at top global universities shaped you?
Studying at the University of Chicago is a personal pride. It’s a leading institution in economics, law, philosophy, and physics, with over 100 Nobel laureates affiliated. My years as a student were some of the most enlightening, hardworking, and self-transformative periods of my life. Faced with real challenges, I discovered myself and elevated my thinking to a new level—this has become a fundamental foundation for how I approach life, work, and leadership today. Earning my undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Chicago laid a strong foundation for my future in banking and finance. That education deepened my understanding of economic theory, analytical tools, and policy approaches.
When I returned to Mongolia in 2016 and was appointed to the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank (Bank of Mongolia), the knowledge and methodology I had gained became directly applicable and meaningful. Graduating from Harvard Business School gave me the invaluable experience of engaging with some of the world’s most intellectually curious and dynamic minds. I had the chance to witness firsthand how they think and solve problems, and to sharpen my own thinking by debating and defending ideas in the classroom.
At HBS with the case study method, there is always dialogue about innovation, disruption, and new solutions emerging across sectors. It made me especially focused on how technological innovation could be applied back home in Mongolia. During my time at these schools, I also formed a global network of brilliant and interesting friends—relationships that remain valuable and active to this day. Beyond education, these are lifelong assets.
You’ve shown a strong interest in advanced technologies and artificial intelligence.
Yes. In recent years, technology and AI have revolutionized not just business, but all aspects of society. I’m actively studying how to implement AI systems in Emart Mongolia’s operations. For example, using in-store cameras to detect risks in advance, automatically identify service disruptions, and analyze customer behavior to make smarter decisions—these are all areas where AI adds real value. We also see that technological solutions can be highly effective in sports, not just the private sector.
The IOC, for example, is using AI to identify and support young athletes in remote areas. As part of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, they’ve started collecting video data of youth athletes’ movement abilities, flexibility, and speed. That data is uploaded to the cloud, where AI analyzes it to spot talent as early as possible. It’s a new way to offer equal opportunities to children worldwide, regardless of their environment. In Mongolia, we want to introduce similar technologies to create environments where children and youth can pursue sports and to identify promising local talent early. This is not just a business initiative—it’s a national strategic priority to improve our global competitiveness.
What about your private business ventures?
I currently serve as Chairman of the Board of Altai Holding and Emart Mongolia (Sky Hypermarket). I was also Chairman of Skytel’s Board for nine years, until Altai Holding successfully sold its stake in Skytel in March of this year. Since then, I’ve shifted focus to new areas—technology, content, and strategic advisory services. I’ve begun investing and launching new projects in these sectors. Currently looking at partnering with a US cashmere company to develop a local cashmere supply chain from Mongolia as most of it currently comes from China for the final products.
We also have a small content company that my wife and I founded, called Unet Production which is to identify and promote content that can be consumed globally but based on Mongolian mythology, history, and local folklore. So far, the show we invested in Mongolia was one of the top shows called “37th Toichka”, and we feel that there are a lot of opportunities to create historical shows with US and European companies to show the history of parts of the Mongol Empire and Chinggis Khan’s descendants.
People often mention that you’re the son of former Prime Minister S.Batbold. Does that feel like pressure?
My father guided and mentored me as much as he could as I was away in the US with my mother since I was 11 years old after their divorce. He always urged me to focus on my studies and stay committed to sports. One word of advice was “Always start what you finish.” When I had doubts about finishing business school after the first year due to health issues, these words resonated, and I completed my studies. He is a good man and father who I believe has helped Mongolia in many ways, especially diplomatically, with the third neighbor policy of balancing Mongolia’s relations with China and Russia with third neighbors such as USA, Japan, and Korea, and western countries. Under his government Mongolian economy grew 17.8 percent. I studied and worked abroad from age 11 to 29, spending most of my time overseas. But when I returned home for summer breaks, I would spend time with my father, get his advice, and learn from him about life as well as travel all over the country in our beautiful Mongolian countryside.
Today, he respects my ideas and supports me in forging my own path. It’s true he laid the foundation for our family business journey, but my ambition and drive are what are guiding me now. I see myself as someone shaping my own future in my way, of course, sometimes with many things to learn.
My father founded our family’s business in 1991 under the name “Altai Trading.” It was one of Mongolia’s early success stories during the transition from socialism to democracy, with Mongolia running the Chinggis Khaan Hotel, Altai Cashmere, Skytel, and other ventures across multiple sectors. He entered politics in 2000, but he had already established his place in the business world well before that. Unfortunately, over time, some people forget this and try to say maybe he was in politics before business to damage his reputation on purpose.
Occasionally, attacks are aimed at our family because of the high positions my father once held. Whether that’s old-school political tactics or deliberate defamation is hard to say, but even at the Mongolian National Olympic Committee, we have always had this kind of coordinated media attacks. But I believe that the new generation of leaders and politicians should compete based on values, ideas, and policies, not baseless accusations or smear campaigns. I’m confident that culture is beginning to take root not only in Mongolia but hopefully worldwide as our generation gets more into leadership positions.
