SPORTS NEWS

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia /MONTSAME/ Judoists of the national selected team successfully competed in the Qingdao Grand Prix tournament organized by the International Judo Federation (IJF) held last weekend in Qingdao city, China. It attracted some 200 judoists from 18 countries, and Mongolia has been represented at the tournament by 18 male and female judoists, and most of them were young judoists. Mongolia grabbed three gold, two silver and three bronze medals, taking 2nd place by the team results. The host country took the 1st place, winning four gold, two silver and ten bronze medals. A young judoist G.Kherlen won a gold medal in the men's 60 kg weight category contest, international masters of sports D.Tomorkhuleg (men's 66 kg) and D.Sumya (women's 57 kg) also won gold medals. Silver medals went to D.Amartuvshin (men's 60 kg) and B.Khishigbayar (men's 66 kg); and bronze medals-to G.Odbayar (men's 73 kg), O.Uuganbaatar (81 kg) and M.Urantsetseg (52 kg). Other judoists of the national team will compete in the Tokyo Grand Slam to run from November 30 to December 2. Mongolian team has comprised for this tournament Ch.Boldbaatar, D.Amartuvshin (men's 60 kg), D.Altansukh (66 kg), Kh.Tsagaanbaatar (73 kg), S.Nyam-Ochir, N.Dagvasuren (81 kg), B.Temuulen (-100 kg), B.Togoldor (+100 kg) and M.Uuganjargal (women's -78 kg). ** ** ** Mongolian team for mind sports led by Kh.Khatanbaatar, an international master of mind sports grabbed medals in the MEMORIAD-2012 World Memory, Mental Calculation & Photographic Speed Reading Olympiads took place November 24-25 in Antalya city, Turkey. An international master S.Akjol won a silver medal in the contest of speed cards; and other Mongolians T.Myagmarsuren and S.Tsogbadrakh captured gold medals in the contests of Mental calendar dates and Flash numbers. ** ** ** Mongolian draughts players won gold medals in the 2012 Asian Draughts Championship concluded on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The tournament attracted players from Mongolia, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, competing in the men's and women's basic, blitz and rapid categories. 36 Mongolian players competed in the tournament, and won five gold, silver and bronze medals and took the 1st place. Mongolia was followed by China that grabbed four gold medals. ** ** ** A State Honored Sportsman and long-distance runner B.Ser-Od won the race of the 2012 Osaka Marathon held Sunday in central Osaka, Japan. Ser-Od crossed the line in two hours, 11 minutes and 54 seconds, well ahead of Japan's Yasuyuki Nakamura, who finished second in two hours, 15 minutes and 39 seconds. He left all the other runners far behind in the final 20 kilometers, showing stable and rhythmical run. Lidia Simon of Romania, meanwhile, finished first among female athletes, with two hours, 33 minutes and 14 seconds. The Mongolian runner expressed his happiness, saying that he could well control his own running pace, not taking into account of the time of any other runners around him in the last part of the marathon route. But he added that he could have aimed to finish with a time of two hours 10 minutes. The seasonal marathon event, organized by the Osaka prefecture government and the city of Osaka, began last year. According to organizers, there were more than 28,000 contestants from 35 countries and regions worldwide, including China, taking part in the 2nd edition of the marathon. ** ** ** A State Honored Sportsman of Mongolia and Grand champion of Yokozuna title holder Hakuho M.Davaajargal won the Kyushu basho (November tournament) at the highest division of professional sumo wrestling ended on Sunday in Fukuoka, Japan. The Mongolian wrestler won this tournament with 13 wins and two loses, and received the Emperor's Cup for 23rd time. Competed for the first time with the Yokozuna title, another Mongolian Harumafuji D.Byambadorj ended his tournament with nine wins and six loses. "It's been awhile since I have won the title,'' Davaajargal said before thanking his fans in Mongolia in his native language. "I never gave up hope that this day would come again,” he added. In a bout worthy of ozeki rivals, Mongolia's Kakuryu and Kisenosato both went for the belt and grappled determinedly against each other at center ring. Although they were evenly matched, Kakuryu had the deeper grip--and the looser belt--and Kisenosato fell to his fifth loss. Kakuryu finished with nine wins. B.Khuder