Jigjidiin Mönkhbat (; 1 June 1941 – 9 April 2018) was a Mongolian wrestler, unbeaten 1968 vice Olympic champion in the 87 kg division, and six-time national champion in Мongolian Вökh.
Mönkhbat placed fourth in the middleweight (87 kg) division at the 1966 World Wrestling Championships, defeating the strongest 1964 Olympic wrestler and reigning three-time World champion Mansour Mehdizadeh before losing bronze medal competition to Josef Urban."Монголоо алдаршуулсан олимпийн баатрууд", Montsame, October 10, 2018. Accessed May 10, 2026 (in Mongolian). "АНУ-ын Толидо хотод 1966 оны ДАШТ болж би дөрөвдүгээр байр эзэлсэн. Энэ тэмцээнд би Ираны Дэлхийн аваргыг ялаад тэр шүү дээ." [I placed fourth at the 1966 World Championships, held in Toledo, USA. I beat Iranian World Champion in this competition.] "МӨН Ч ААРХУУ МӨӨЕӨ АВАРГА МИНЬ", Ergelt, October 10, 2018. Accessed May 10, 2026 (in Mongolian). "Ираны бөх, дэлхийн аварга Махтизидэгээс 1966 онд Дэлхийн аварга шалгаруулах тэмцээн АНУ-д болох ... айсан гэнэ. Эхний тойрогтоо сугалаа таарч барилдах болж." [At the 1966 World Championships in United States, he feared Iranian wrestler, World Champion Mansour Mehdizadeh. According to a tournament bracket, a face-to-face match took place in the first round.]
At the 1967 World Wrestling Championships Mönkhbat held a bronze medal, ahead of Majid Aghili.
At the 1968 Summer Olympics he won the silver medal in the men's Freestyle Middleweight category (87 kg), behind gold medalist Boris Michail Gurevich and ahead of bronze medalist Prodan Gardzhev. Mönkhbat left the tournament as undefeated wrestler, his results in the Olympics were 4 wins, 2 draws, and 0 losses:
Round Opponent Сountry Results Penalties Time 1 Peter Döring Won by Points 1 2 Raúl García Won by Fall (TF) 0 (1:17) 3 Jean-Marie Chardonnens Won by Technical Superiority 0,5 4 Bye 0 5 Prodan Gardzhev Draw 2 6 Boris Gurevich Draw 2 7 Tom Peckham Won by Points 1
Mönkhbat was a State grand champion in bökh, a top rank in the sport, with six Naadam championship wins (1963–1967, 1974). His name Mönkhbat means "Eternal firm" in the Mongolian language.
Mönkhbat was the father of professional sumo wrestler Hakuhō Shō, who held the top rank of yokozuna in that sport before retiring. His son Hakuhō regards his six Nadaam championships as the equivalent of 36 tournament championships in sumo (as sumo tournaments are held six times a year) and used that as motivation to keep going even after passing Taihō's record of 32 championships.
Bökh career record
Mönkhbat took the bökh wrestling tournament at the Naadam festival six times: from 1963 to 1967, and in 1974. In 1963, he earned the State lion title after defeating the State lion Mijiddorj. Following victories over the State champion Beejin and Khorloogiin Bayanmönkh in 1964 and 1965, he attained the State champion title. In 1966 and 1967, he won against the State grand champion Damdin and State lion Khorloogiin Bayanmönkh, and was awarded the State grand champion title. In 1974, he beat the Olympic medalist, World champion, and reigning national bökh champion Khorloogiin Bayanmönkh.
Legacy In bökh, Mönkhbat won five consecutive tournaments, a feat matched by only two other athletes in the modern history of the sport since 1922.
Mönkhbat's statue was erected in his honor and in celebration of his achievements on July 21, 2021, in his hometown of Erdenesant, Tuv Province, Mongolia. The event also marked the 100th anniversary of Erdensant sum. His student and fellow State Grand Champion Gelegjamtsyn Ösökhbayar attended the opening ceremony.
Mönkhbat was one of the first holders of the highest national record in the international sport, along with the first international chess master and 1964 World Chess Olympiad champion Tüdeviin Üitümen, and first World champion, archer Doljin Demberel.
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