Turkmen sambists won two bronze medals on the first day of the World Championships that began in Astana (Kazakhstan).

This large-scale event is being held in Kazakhstan for the second time and has brought together around 470 athletes from 80 countries worldwide, including teams from Russia, Belarus, and refugees competing under a neutral status.

Participants in the world championship are competing for 31 sets of medals in sport and combat sambo among men and women, as well as sambo for blind men in the SVI-1 class (totally blind athletes). Notably, the disciplines of women's combat sambo (in seven weight categories) and blind sambo (in three weight categories) have been included in the World Championships program for the first time in history.

The competitions are taking place at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace. The significance of the event was highlighted by the presence of legendary sambist Fedor Emelianenko at the opening ceremony of the 2024 World Championships, as well as a prize fund totaling USD 311,000. The winners of the world championship receive $4,000 each, silver medalists receive $3,000 each, bronze medalists receive $2,000 each, and gold medalists among the blind receive $1,000 each.

On the first day of the championship, winners and medalists were determined in ten weight categories. Among them, Zarina Abdyrakhmanova, a coach-teacher at the sports school of Ak Bugday etrap under the Main Department of Physical Culture and Sports of Ahal velayat (weight category up to 54 kg), and Gulzada Jorakulieva from the National Federation of Martial Arts of Turkmenistan (up to 72 kg) were awarded bronze medals. Both achieved success in combat sambo competitions.

On her way to the podium, Z. Abdyrakhmanova won her first match, which was a quarterfinal, against Khongorzul Delgersaikhan (Mongolia) with a score of 8:0 but lost in the semifinals to 19-year-old silver medalist of the 2024 World Championships and current champion of Asia and Oceania Gulsevar Urakova (Uzbekistan) with a score of 1:4.

Gulzada Jorakulieva also secured one victory by defeating 20-year-old European vice-champion and bronze medalist of the 2024 World Cup in Armenia Angelina Lysenko (Ukraine) with a score of 4:0 in the quarterfinals, but lost in the semifinals to 29-year-old vice-champion of the 2024 World Championships and three-time World Cup winner Yana Polyakova from Russia with a score of 0:8.

Earlier this year, 31-year-old Zarina Abdyrakhmanova won silver medals at the Asian and Oceania Championships in Macau (China) and at the World Cup in Cholpon-Ata (Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan), while 25-year-old Gulzada Jorakulieva received bronze awards at these same competitions.

The World Sambo Championships continues.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulated Guvanchmukhammed Ovekov on his election as Chairman of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan (FFT). The congratulations were published on his social media pages.

On November 4, Turkmenistan held elections for the head of the FFT, following which Guvanchmukhammed Ovekov was unanimously elected to this post.

It is worth noting that in May last year, a meeting was held in Ashgabat between President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. During the meeting, the head of state expressed his readiness to support FIFA's initiatives and proposals for the further promotion of football in the country. Infantino, in turn, noted that he was happy to visit Ashgabat, and as a symbolic gift, he presented the President with a personalized T-shirt with number 10, a football and a FIFA pennant.

President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov ordered the development of a draft National Anti-Corruption Program for 2025-2029. The order was given during a regular meeting of the State Security Council, where the results of the work of security forces for ten months of this year were discussed, reports the State News Agency of Turkmenistan.

At the meeting, Prosecutor General B. Muhamedov presented a report on the work of the department, including the results of supervision over the implementation of legislation and the introduction of digital technologies in the work of the prosecutor’s office. Following the report, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized the need to strengthen control over the strict implementation of laws and ordered the development of a new anti-corruption program in accordance with international legal standards.

“It is necessary to develop, in accordance with generally accepted norms of international law, a draft National Anti-Corruption Program in Turkmenistan for 2025–2029 and other documents", - the head of state emphasized.

The meeting also touched upon issues of strengthening the material and technical base of law enforcement agencies and improving their activities in order to ensure the security of the state.

In the latest round of the Champions League, there were a number of unexpected results. The main sensation of the evening was the victory of Portuguese "Sporting" over the reigning tournament champion "Manchester City" with a score of 4:1. Another unexpected result was "Milan's" away victory over "Real" in Madrid with a score of 3:1.

"Liverpool" demonstrated a confident game, thrashing the German "Bayer" 4:0. An equally impressive victory was achieved by the Dutch PSV, which defeated the Spanish "Girona" with the same score of 4:0.

In other matches of the round:

• "Dinamo" Zagreb confidently defeated "Slovan" (4:1)
• "Monaco" narrowly beat "Bologna" (1:0)
• "Lille" and "Juventus" drew (1:1)
• "Borussia" Dortmund narrowly defeated "Sturm" (1:0)
• "Celtic" beat "RB Leipzig" (3:1)

November 6, the tournament will continue with the following matches:

At 22:45 (Ashgabat time):

• "Shakhtar" - "Young Boys"
• "Brugge" - "Aston Villa"

At 01:00 (November 7):

• "Sparta" Prague - "Brest"
• "Feyenoord" - "Red Bull Salzburg"
• "Stuttgart" - "Atalanta"
• "PSG" - "Atletico" Madrid
• "Crvena Zvezda" - "Barcelona"
• "Bayern" - "Benfica"
• "Inter" - "Arsenal"

The head coach of the Turkmen “Altyn Asyr”, Yazkuli Hojageldiyev, held a pre-match press conference on the eve of the meeting with the Saudi “Al-Taawun” in the 4th round of the AFC Champions League-2.

According to the coach, the tournament was an excellent school for his young team, which was significantly updated last season. “Despite the fact that we are participating for the first time, I am pleased that with each game the team is acting more confidently, the quality of the game is improving”, - noted Hojageldiyev.

The team is determined for the upcoming match, although they will not be able to count on two players - Ruslan Tadzhiyev and Dovlet Mirsultanov, who are missing the game due to disqualification. The coach acknowledged the high level of the opponent, noting the large number of legionnaires in the “Al-Taawun” squad.

The team's forward Rahman Muratberdiyev assured that the team is fully prepared for the match and intends to “fight for the country and the fans”.

Kadyr Jumayev, a student of the Turkmen State Institute of Economics and Management from Turkmenabat, emerged as the winner of the recently concluded Ashgabat qualifying stage for participation in the first league of the 2025 Turkmenistan Chess Championship. He achieved this success by leading in the open category, which allows both men and womento particupate. Over nine rounds, K. Jumayev scored 7.5 points.

Four players were half a point behind the winner, but based on additional criteria, second place went to Ibrayim Serdarov, a student from the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports. Fifteen-year-old schoolgirl Jennet Yalkanova from Mary velayat completed the top three.

Notably, besides Jennet, two other participants, Ashgabat schoolgirls Mahrijemal Gurbangeldiyeva and Zalina Iminova, made it to the top ten players in Ashgabat and earned the right to participate in the open category of the 2025 championship's first league. According to Mergen Kakabayev, FIDE Master and Secretary General of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, this is a significant achievement and indicates the growth of women's chess in the country.

Sisters Lale and Byagul Vepaeva took an early lead in the women's category. Nine-year-old Lale, who became the Western Asia champion in the U10 group in Kyrgyzstan this August, won the tournament with 7.5 points. Her sister Byagul finished fourth with 6 points after losing her last two games. Dilber Khupbiyeva from Dashoguz velayat and nine-year-old Jumasoltan Muhammetberdiyeva from Mary velayat finished second and third with 6.5 points each.

Many more experienced chess players had already secured their places in the first league and did not participate in this tournament. However, the triumph of young girls in adult competitions is a clear indicator of the development of children's chess in the country.

A total of 99 chess players participated in the Ashgabat qualifying stage: 79 in the open category and 20 in the women's category.

Regional qualifiers for the national chess championship, called "II League," are being held for the second year. The top ten chess players from each region will qualify for participation in the first league scheduled for early next year.

The series of qualifying stages began in Dashoguz velayat, where ten-year-old Omarbek Ismailov and eleven-year-old Sakhra Saparmyradova won in the open and women's categories respectively.

Winners of the next qualifying stage in Lebap velayat will be announced on November 8. The final qualifying stage in Mary velayat will be held from November 11 to 15.

43-year-old Guvanchmuhammed Ovekov was unanimously elected as the new chairman of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan at an extraordinary election conference held in Ashgabat on Monday, the “Jankoyer” website reports.

After finishing his professional career, Guvanchmuhammed worked in the coaching staff of “Ahal”, then managed the football clubs “Ahal” and “Arkadag”. Under his leadership, “Ahal” achieved a “golden double” in 2022, winning the championship and the Turkmenistan Cup, and “Arkadag” achieved similar success the following season. It is noteworthy that both teams spent their championship seasons without a single defeat.

During his professional career, Ovekov played for both Turkmen clubs (“Nisa”, “Balkan”) and abroad. He spent a significant part of his career in Ukraine, and also played in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

As part of the national team, Ovekov set a unique achievement, becoming the only Turkmen footballer to score four goals in one official match – this happened in the game against the Afghan national team at the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008.

During the meeting of the CIS Heads of Government Council held in the capital on May 24, 2024, Ashgabat was declared the City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth. And on September 6 of this year, at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the Resolution United Nations Friendship Games initiated by Turkmenistan was adopted.

In commemoration of such a relevant Resolution, on November 2, with the participation of the President of Turkmenistan, a mass ascent along the Health Path took place, as well as a ceremony honoring athletes who demonstrated good results in international tournaments and thereby increased the authority of the Motherland.

To the loud applause of numerous participants, athletes and coaches of the national teams of Turkmenistan who won international competitions were presented with valuable gifts on behalf of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero Arkadag.

The athletes, who received valuable gifts, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, as well as the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero Arkadag, assuring that they will continue to worthily represent the Fatherland in the world sports arena.

The Health Path in Ashgabat is hosted an award ceremony for athletes of the national teams of Turkmenistan who have achieved high results in international competitions. On this occasion, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov sent congratulations to the athletes of the national teams.

Dear participants of the ceremony!
Dear athletes!

I sincerely congratulate you on your successful performance and prize places at major international competitions in 2024, held under the motto The Storehouse of Reason of Magtymguly Pyragy!

Thanks to the grandiose undertakings of the Hero Arkadag, the authority of our country in the world sports arena has risen to a new high level. The protection of human health and the affirmation of the principles of a healthy lifestyle in society, the education of comprehensively developed youth, the popularization of physical education, big-time sports and the Olympic movement, as well as the expansion of international partnerships in sports are the priorities of state policy.

Dear friends!

A reliable platform for broad fruitful cooperation in the field of sports has been formed in Turkmenistan: our country maintains targeted cooperation with more than sixty countries.

At the same time, within the framework of the United Nations, our independent neutral Fatherland puts forward constructive initiatives to strengthen international partnership in sports and, as a member of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia, makes a significant contribution to the expansion of the Olympic movement.

At the suggestion of Turkmenistan, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted Resolutions on declaring June 3 as World Bicycle Day and Integrating mass cycling into public transport to achieve sustainable development. Our country has also been elected to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport for 2023-2027 (CIGEPS).

On September 6, 2024, at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, with the unanimous support of the member states of the Community of Nations, the Resolution United Nations Games initiated by Turkmenistan was adopted. In addition, on May 24, 2024, a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS was held in the capital at a high organizational level: by its decision, Ashgabat was declared the City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth. The fact of adopting these documents will allow our Fatherland to make a significant contribution to maintaining peace and friendship, affirming the principles of a healthy lifestyle, as well as significantly expanding and strengthening contacts and joint actions with international structures. Recently, the Olympic Village, which has no analogues in the Central Asian region, has successfully hosted many major competitions and this fully confirmed Ashgabat's ability to organize world tournaments at a high level. A clear example of this is the decision taken at the Asian Tennis Federation Congress on May 31, 2024, to declare the Tennis Complex in the structure of the capital's Olympic City the Asian Tennis Training Center.

It is worth noting that in the regions, the cities of Ashgabat and Arkadag many sports infrastructure facilities were built and commissioned, in particular, multi-purpose stadiums, physical education and health complexes, racetracks and specialized schools. Our youth, who have linked their fate with sports, successfully perform in tournaments not only at the national level, but also at the regional and international level, increasing the sports authority of the Motherland, demonstrating a brilliant example of patriotism, fearlessness and skill.

Dear participants of the ceremony!

The Program for the Support and Development of Physical Culture and Sports in Turkmenistan in 2021–2025 and the Program for the Revival of a New Era of a Powerful State: National Program for the Socio-Economic Development of Turkmenistan in 2022–2052 define the unprecedented tasks facing us – glorifying Turkmen sports, turning our country into a modern center for holding international tournaments and Olympic Games.

We will create a new sports infrastructure by focusing the potential of sports in the interests of peace and friendship, as well as all the conditions for training true amateurs and masters of sports today. As is known, physical education and sports among young people are the imperative of the times: sports are a source of health and beauty.

Happy youth of an independent neutral Fatherland!

The era of the Revival of a New Era of a Powerful State opens a new milestone of sporting achievements for you. Now, when an advanced national sports system is being formed, the task of increasing the authority of our country in this area falls primarily to you. I am sure that with your brilliant successes at the competitions you will raise the Flag of our Motherland – Turkmenistan – and thereby increase its authority.

Dear participants of the ceremony!
Dear athletes!

Once again, I sincerely congratulate you on your achievements at international tournaments! I wish you good health I wish you happiness, prosperity and great success in raising the authority of the Fatherland in the international sports arena!

President of Turkmenistan
Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV.

In the coming days, Turkmenistan will once again become the venue for an international competition. This time, the Turkmen capital will host participants of the international tennis tournament "Ashgabat Open 2024" for boys and girls under 14 years old for the first time.

Deputy Prime Minister B. Orazdurdyeva, who supervises sports sphere, announced at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on Friday that the competitions will be held at the Tennis Complex of the capital's Olympic Village from November 8 to 17 this year. It is expected that the competitions will be attended by 70 athletes (37 boys and 33 girls) and sports delegations from 12 countries, including Turkey, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Iran, Jordan, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and China.

After hearing the report, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to develop sports in the country and enhance its international sports reputation. He emphasized that all conditions have been created in Turkmenistan for hosting sports competitions of various levels.

Highlighting the importance of the international tennis tournament "Ashgabat Open 2024," the head of state instructed the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure a high level of organization for the upcoming competitions and prepare domestic athletes participating in them.

Turkmenistan has previously hosted major international competitions. In 2017, the capital's Olympic Village successfully hosted the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. 

The country's sports reputation was further enhanced by events such as the 2018 International Rally "Amul–Khazar" and the World Weightlifting Championship, which added new bright chapters to both national and global sports history.

Among other significant sports events held in Ashgabat were the 14th World Kurash Championship and an international hockey tournament featuring teams from Commonwealth countries and other nations.

Notably, last year, Turkmenistan's capital successfully organized the Central Asian Team Championship in tennis for boys and girls under 12 years old for a second time. Young athletes from six countries—Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan—competed for top honors. 

Now Ashgabat is preparing to host another prestigious international tennis tournament—the "Ashgabat Open 2024." To ensure its high-level organization, Turkmenistan's State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports has established a working group comprising representatives from various ministries and agencies, and approved a plan of relevant activities.

Based on experience gained from hosting major international sports competitions in the country, preparatory work is underway to organize upcoming events at a high level.

A five-day technical coaching course of the Olympic Solidarity in handball has ended in Ashgabat, following which more than 20 Turkmen specialists successfully passed exams and received the international coaching category «D». Certificates on behalf of the International Handball Federation were presented by Hungarian expert Zoltan Marcinka, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reports.

The training course was attended by 29 coaches from all regions of the country. The program included both theoretical classes and practical training on the handball court. Participants studied warm-up methods, principles of team formation, defense and attack tactics. To consolidate the material, friendly matches were held between the seminar participants and professional athletes.

Among those who received the international category were seven coaches from Ashgabat, five from the Lebap velayat, four from the Mary velayat, three from the Balkan velayat and two from the Dashoguz velayat. The remaining participants received certificates of completion of the course.

The course was conducted by Doctor of Physical Sciences, lecturer at the Hungarian University of Science and Sport Zoltan Marcinka, who has 25 years of experience as a lecturer at the International Handball Federation. According to him, the level of training of Turkmen handball players is quite high, he especially noted the professionalism of the Ashgabat women's team.

«Sports facilities in Turkmenistan meet all international standards, and the future of the Turkmen handball school is very promising,» the Hungarian specialist emphasized.

The "Turkmenaragatnashyk" Agency and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan invite all those interested in scientific and technological progress and innovative developments to participate in the international exhibition and scientific conference "Turkmentel-2024".

The international forum and exhibition, which will be held from November 14 to 16, will provide an opportunity to learn about the experiences of technologically advanced countries, achievements in the field of communications, as well as the latest developments in the telecommunications industry - from "smart systems" to the latest satellite and robotic technologies.

It is expected that leaders and representatives of leading global information and telecommunications companies, international organizations, technological centers, as well as scientists and experts will participate.

Members of the government of Turkmenistan, representatives of the Mejlis, ministries and sectoral departments, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions, international organizations, public associations, higher educational institutions, media, and honored elders will also take part in the conference.

As part of the international exhibition and scientific conference "Turkmentel-2024", multilateral negotiations and meetings are planned as an open international platform for identifying new directions of mutually beneficial cooperation and implementing joint projects.

Also, during the forum, the winners of the "Digital Solution - 2024" innovative project competition among Turkmen youth will be announced, and they will be awarded valuable prizes and honorary certificates.