NPR

For Mongolia's Ice Shooters, Warmer Winters Mean A Shorter Sports Season

This season's final competition, originally scheduled for mid-March, had to be bumped up by two weeks. "The river was already melting," the town's mayor explained.
Ice shooting players Ser-od Dechingalav, 30 (right), and Enkhbaatar Batdelger, 30, won the partner contest.

On a bright Sunday afternoon in early March, the Tamir River in the steppes of Mongola becomes a bowling alley. Two dozen Mongolian herdsmen have gathered to play , known as "ice shooting." Right now, the ice on the river is perfect. Clear and smooth. The players are cheerful and focused.

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