Club Spotlight: Hunters FC

Image property of Hunters FC

As the 2024/2025 Mongolian Premier League season kicks off, there is one new club in the lineup. Hunters FC begins its maiden campaign in the top flight, coming off of a First Division championship last season. Here is all you need to know about the emerging club.

Hunters FC, a club from the Crystal Town neighborhood of Ulaanbaatar, has been competing in the Mongolian league system since at least 2019. That season the club entered the National Amateur Cup and, despite only earning only a top-8 finish, was promoted to the inaugural campaign of the Second League later that year.

The club bounced between the third and fourth divisions until 2020 when all football in Mongolia was stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When activity resumed in 2021, Hunters FC found itself in the First League, the country's second tier, for the abbreviated season.

Following the 2021/2022 campaign, a major shake up happened at Hunters FC which would completely transform the middling club. Hunters FC was purchased by Dong-geun Kim of South Korea and placed under his Mongolia Korea Economy Support Conference umbrella. The group purchased the club for the purpose of doing Christian missionary work and evangelization in Mongolia. It was the goal to have a club for Mongolia's Christians with a roster of Christian players.

The club has close ties to South Korea with its ownership, business team, and sponsors hailing from the country. Some of the ten or more Korean companies that provide financial support include Wycon Italian Cosmetics, the Sunjin Group, and Juseong Eco Solutions.

Prior to 2022/2023 Second League season, the new ownership rebranded the club but chose to not change the name. A new logo and uniforms were created and presented to players. Over the first two seasons with new ownership, the club would earn two consecutive promotions as part of back-to-back undefeated seasons, culminating in a Premier League place for the 2024/2025 campaign.

Former Hunters FC logo. Image property of club.

While it would have been easy to assume the club was not serious about competing at the highest level, Hunters FC made some key additions during the summer transfer window, including former First League Golden Boot winner Erdene-Ochir Mungunbagana and at least three Korean imports. Perhaps the biggest addition was the signing of Chimeddorj Munkhbat as new head coach. Munkhbat holds an AFC "A" license and has had stints at FC Ulaanbaatar, Athletic 220, and Khovd Western. He most recently served as head coach and Technical Director of Deren FC, joining the player development powerhouse in February 2023.

Hunters FC played its first-ever top-flight match on 17 August 2024, suffering a 0-3 defeat to Deren FC. With the result, the club crashed back to reality with its first defeat in a league fixture since 2022.

While an adjustment period is expected, Hunters FC will surely not be satisfied with the result. Now the focus should shift to avoiding relegation and continuing to build for next year. With Tuv Azarganuud apparently set on jettisoning most high-calibers players on its roster during the off-season and suffering a 0-14 defeat to a weakened Erchim FC in its opening match, it seems Hunters FC will be aiming for at least the relegation play-offs spot or better by season's end.

Hunters FC's first-ever MPL starting line-up. Image property of the MPL.