New frontier in fitness TV: Meet the Mongolian crew of Physical: Asia

The reality competition series Physical: Asia—a spin-off of South Korea’s Physical: 100—made its global debut in October 2025 with eight national teams vying for supremacy.

Among them, Team Mongolia emerges as a distinctive contender, blending traditional strength disciplines with modern athleticism under the national flag.

Physical: Asia—The Mongolian contingent

Team Mongolia is led by champion wrestler Orkhonbayar Bayarsaikhan and includes representatives from Bokh (traditional Mongolian wrestling), judo, basketball 3x3, MMA, volleyball, and acrobatics.

In the opening episode, via a promotional interview, Orkhonbayar said:

“I am Orkhonbayar. I am a Bokh wrestler and a national champion. I have competed in the national Naadam festival five times. And every time I’ve competed, I’ve done really well and ranked really high.”

By integrating both heritage sport and modern athletic disciplines, Physical: Asia positions the Mongolian team as a new frontier in fitness television, expanding the concept beyond gym-bodies into national sport tradition and cross-discipline athletic skill.

Team Mongolia consists of:

 

•  Orkhonbayar Bayarsaikhan (Captain) — A practitioner of bökh (Mongolian folk-wrestling). He won the President’s Cup in December 2022 among the country’s top 128 wrestlers. His personal intro highlights his legacy: “Everyone in Mongolia’s heard of me.”

Instagram: @b.orkhonbayar

•  Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan — A Mongolian judoka competing in the +78 kg category, age 25. She has achieved major results, including a silver medal at the 2024 Asian Judo Championships and a bronze at the 2022 Asian Games.

Instagram: @amarsaikhan_adiyasuren

•  Dulguun Enkhbat — A professional basketball player in Mongolia’s national 3×3 team; his team claimed the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup titles in 2017 and 2023.

Instagram: @dulguun_enkhbat

•  Enkh‑Orgil Baatarkhuu — An MMA featherweight competitor in ONE Championship, listed with 13 wins and age 36.

Instagram: @enkhorgilmma

•  Khandsuren Gantogtokh — A professional volleyball player, active with Mongolia’s national team since 2015 and for eight years in Japan’s V League. Age 28.

Instagram: @pandayo___

•  Lkhagva‑Ochir Erdene‑Ochir — A Mongolian acrobat, performer with Cirque du Soleil, founder of AcroMongolia, and specialist in high-level acrobatic stunts, including balancing on an 11-metre stack of chairs.

Instagram: @ochir_ub

Why Team Mongolia stands out

While most teams in Physical: Asia draw from combat sports, fitness influencers, and CrossFit backgrounds, Team Mongolia integrates a distinctly national athletic identity rooted in traditional wrestling and circus/acrobatic arts.

The presence of a bökh champion as team captain signals a deliberate cultural positioning. For instance, the show’s promotional material highlights:

“Traditional wrestling specialists lead Mongolia with Orkhonbayar Bayarsaikhan.”

Moreover, in a review of the show, one commentator noted: 

“The team captains, Korea and Japan, talk about the inspiration they take from their country’s people and spirit, Mongolia (who get the occasional hawk-squeal SFX when they appear on-screen) note that they’re descendants of Genghis Khan.”

These elements suggest that Physical: Asia aims to frame Team Mongolia not just as competitors but as emissaries of a cultural legacy.

Format, stakes, and upcoming broadcast

Physical: Asia debuted on Netflix on October 28, 2025. The show is created and directed by Jang Ho-gi.

The format moves away from the single-nation cast of Physical: 100 and instead adopts an international team-based structure. Each elimination will impact an entire national team rather than an individual contestant.

For Team Mongolia, this means their performance will be watched not just as another fitness competition but as a demonstration of national athletic identity, tradition, and adaptability in the modern competitive environment of televised sport.

Significance for fitness television

The launch of Physical: Asia opens a new frontier in fitness television, positioning national teams and diverse athletic disciplines in high-stakes competition.

Team Mongolia exemplifies this frontier: a mosaic of heritage sport practitioners and modern athletes, led by a bökh champion, working under the flag of their country.

The show’s format, high production values, and global release mean Mongolia’s athletic culture will reach a broad audience. For viewers interested in fitness, sport tradition, or the evolution of reality TV competition, Team Mongolia’s journey through Physical: Asia merits attention.

Stay tuned for more updates.