Dome for Winter Football
When Mongolia's U-17 women’s national team entertained Hong Kong at home in a friendly international last Thursday, the hosts knew the game would go down in the nation’s football history. It was the first-ever international match in their newly-constructed Air Dome.
With the wind whistling and land covered in snow, the cold weather of early April is not usually a time conducive for football in Mongolia. However, with the recent completion of the FIFA-funded Air Dome and its huge structure providing cover, the players could play on the football turf at the National Team Training Center (NTTC).
"This game [against Hong Kong] was the first international match in the Air Dome," an excited Mr.Terbaatar Dambiijav, General Secretary of Mongolian Football Federation (MFF), told FIFA.com.
"The match was very important for our team to prepare for the forthcoming AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup Group B qualifier.
"The Air Dome is a successful FIFA Forward project. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to FIFA on behalf of the MFF for its consistent support for us. This ensures that football is now available for us across all four seasons."