# Mongolia‘s “Physical: Asia” Team Captivates Global Audience
When Team Mongolia first entered the room in the Netflix show “Physical: Asia,” it caused a noticeable stir.Mongolia’s six contestants – including individuals wearing conventional wrestling garments and a shimmery cirque-du-soleil outfit, a judoka, and a modern-day warrior showing two championship belts walking side by side – made a striking impression.
Mongolia’s team had the substance to go with it’s style. Their perseverance and competitiveness sparked both admiration and curiosity in a global audience of millions.
In recent years, Mongolia’s sports industry has become a rapidly growing sector. “Physical: Asia” sets a new benchmark by introducing Mongolia’s athletes to the world.
“Physical: Asia” – a Korean-sponsored Netflix show that debuted in late November – showcased a competition between professional athletes from eight countries: Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Türkiye. The other national teams included world-famous athletes such as the Philippines’ Manny Pacquiao, known as “Pacman,” an eight-division world champion in boxing. Other mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters like Kim Dong-hyun (South Korea), Yushin Okami (Japan), and Robert Whittaker (Australia) were highlights of the show.But Mongolia’s team outlasted them all, making it all the way to compete for the final prize against South Korea. Even though Mongolia came in second the world is still buzzing with discussions about how competitive the Mongolian athletes were, and even more with new interest in the country’s culture.
The Mongolian team combined traditional sports with modern athleticism. The team included a national wrestler (National Lion rank), Orkhonbayar Bayarsaikhan; a featherweight MMA fighter, Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu; national judoka Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan, 3×3 basketball player dulguun Enkhbat, volleyball player Khandaa Gantogtokh, and Lkhagva-Ochir Erdene-Ochir, a national acrobat and contortionist.
Collectively, Team Mongolia represented their country’s growing push to showcase its culture and sports on the world stage. “physical: Asia” reached Netflix’s Top 10 list for global views, reaching 5.2 million viewers in the first week and 3.6 million the following week.
Global viewers may have heard of Chinggis Khaan, but woudl not be fully aware of how global and modern Mongolia is. Team members like Enkh-Orgil, whose style resembled a historic character with a modern twist, left a deep impression.
“Physical: Asia” also showed different sides of Mongolia.