A junior on the women's tennis team, Esu Erdenebat was invited by Mongolia, her native country, to participate in the Asian Games, the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. The Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and are held every four years. The inaugural Games were hosted in New Delhi, India with 11 countries competing in 1951. The 17th Games featured 45 nations competing in 36 sports and were held in Incheon, South Korea from September 19-October 4th. We spoke to Erdenebat, who grew up in Fairfax, about her once in a lifetime experience.
GoMason.com: You had the opportunity to participate in the Asian Games that were held in Incheon, South Korea just last month. How did you qualify to represent Mongolia? When were you asked to participate?
Erdenebat: I am originally from Mongolia. I have been playing tennis since I was seven years old. Even though I came over to America in 2005, I have been going back to Mongolia to play in the Mongolian National open every year. I have been consistently been ranked as one of the top players in Mongolia. I received an invitation from the Mongolian National Olympic Committee to participate in the Asian Olympics. It was really an amazing feeling to receive an invitation from my home country Mongolia asking me to represent them in the Asia Olympics.
GoMason.com: How long were you in South Korea for the games and how was your experience as an athlete representing your country?
Erdenebat: I arrived in South Korean on September 29. When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by the Asian Olympics committee and they welcomed me to the games. Truly, I felt humbled to be considered one of the top players and invited to such an elite international stage. My experience there was one of the best experiences I've ever had as an athlete. For example I played against several top 25 ranked tennis players in the world, including Yaroslava Shvedova. I actually won a match in the Asian Olympics in doubles against Nepal. It was the first ever win for Mongolia in tennis at the Asian Olympics in 20 years (5 Asian games).
GoMason.com:. What other experiences off the court during your experience that made an impact on you?
Erdenebat: The camaraderie amongst the athletes was amazing! Even after winning a gold medal, the athletes would still come together and socialize and practice together every day.
GoMason.com: Did you have the opportunity to be a fan and watch other events outside of tennis?
Erdenebat: Yes I did! I saw the Mongolia vs. Kuwait basketball game. It was a fun game although there was a bit of controversy at the end and I had to step in as a translator for the Mongolian team.
GoMason.com: What are three things that you will remember from this experience?
Erdenebat: The win, the amazing atmosphere that was present at the Asian Games and the Olympic Walk were the three experiences that I will treasure forever.
