ULAN BATOR, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Nine child jockeys were injured during a horse race organized on Sunday without permission in central Mongolia's Govisumber Province, amid persistent outcry over alleged use of child labor in horse racing in the country.
The nine child jockeys, aged 10-13, fell off from their horses as a result of dustiness and wind blowing and three of them were hospitalized, Mongolian General Police Department said in a statement on Monday.
The rights of child jockeys have become a critical issue in recent years, and many alarming issues have emerged concerning injuries or fatalities of child jockeys due to such falling-off incidents.
In this connection, the government of Mongolia in January decided to ban horse races in winter, and children under 12 are prohibited from participating in all horse races held in winter and early spring.
According to the Rules of the National Naadam Horse Racing, the minimum age of child jockeys is seven years of age. However, this rule does not apply to all horse races organized throughout the year.
Using child jockeys during winter and spring should be viewed as a dangerous form of child labor, critics say.
According to statistics, over 1,500 child jockeys were injured during training and races in the last five years. Many children became disabled for life as a result of these races, and more than 10 lost their lives during a race.