On April 4, the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports held an international scientific and practical conference in digital format entitled "Sport is the Ambassador of Peace". The conference was actively attended by representatives of science and education, as well as sports from Uzbekistan, the Republic of Turkey, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Romania, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Belarus, Azerbaijan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Armenia, as well as specialists, teachers, scientists and coaches from Turkmenistan.

Within the framework of the conference in digital format, the heads, faculty of higher educational institutions of foreign countries, research institutions in the field of sports, specialists in the field of physical culture and sports, students, as well as representatives of the management of the International Association of Universities of Physical Culture and Sports and the Eurasian Association of Sports Sciences spoke.

Also, within the framework of the international conference in digital format, a master class "Inclusive Hockey" was held by the representative of the Federation of Adaptive Hockey of the Russian Federation Anton Politov. Then the master class continued under the theme "Sports for All", during which question-and-answer discussions, interactive meetings and training sessions were organized.

As part of the international conference and training events entitled "Sports - Ambassador of Peace", a special exhibition was organized reflecting the development of the sports sector, the achievements, innovative approaches in various areas of sports, as well as the activities of the scientific and methodological center "Olimp" of the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports and scientific circles. This digital exhibition attracted the attention of foreign conference participants.

In addition, mass sports events entitled "Sports - Ambassador of Peace" were widely organized at the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports in cooperation with the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Physical Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, the Central Council of the Youth Organization named after Makhtumkuli and the National Federation of Student Sports of Turkmenistan.

President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov congratulated his compatriots on World Health Day, TDH reports.

"World Health Day occupies a special place in the national calendar, affirming the high ideals of friendship and peace, sports and humanism and symbolizing the unity and cohesion of society. Therefore, on warm days of spring, this holiday is widely and with great enthusiasm celebrated in our beloved Fatherland. Holding mass physical education, sports and cultural events in honor of Health Day, promoting a healthy lifestyle, further strengthens the authority of our independent state as a country of health and spirituality.

In the era of the Revival of a new era of a powerful state, organizing events on the occasion of World Health Day, bike rides with the participation of schoolchildren, students of vocational schools, employees of ministries and departments, as well as competitions in various sports increase our pride in our independent neutral state, confidently moving to new heights of progress.

Dear people!

The socio-economic power and cultural development of our sovereign state are directly related to the happiness and well-being of the people, the health of society and the harmonious physical and spiritual improvement of generations. Guided by the high principles of "The state is for the people!", "The Motherland is the Motherland only with the people! The state is the state only with the people!", in accordance with our policy, we are implementing large-scale reforms in all sectors of the economy, in the fields of science, education, health care, sports, culture and tourism. We attach particular importance to the development of the physical culture and Olympic movement, sports. We are successfully implementing national programs and comprehensive reforms in this direction, worthily continuing the age-old traditions of our people, namely the education of a physically and spiritually healthy generation. In a short period of time, large sports and equestrian complexes, stadiums, sports schools, an Olympic village that meet international standards have been built and put into operation in our beloved country, and a modern specialized infrastructure has been formed. Together, we have made great progress in creating an advanced healthcare system that meets international standards, including medical centers, specialized hospitals and sanatoriums equipped with innovative technologies in our capital Ashgabat, the city of Arkadag and provincial centers, in the name of peace and happiness of our people.

As a member of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia, our country also makes a worthy contribution to the development of the international Olympic movement. Using its sports capabilities in the interests of peace and friendship, Turkmenistan is systematically strengthening cooperation with the world community. The V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the International Rally "Amul-Khazar 2018", the World Weightlifting and Kurash Championships, international hockey and tennis competitions have demonstrated to the whole world that our beloved Motherland, confidently following the path of peace, creation and development, has enormous sports potential.

As a result of the strategically verified state policy formed by Hero Arkadag, on the initiative of our neutral country, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted resolutions declaring June 3 as World Bicycle Day and "Integration of mass cycling into public transport systems to achieve sustainable development", which inspired our people, especially the younger generation.

All these achievements, of course, are a positive result of a peaceful, neutral, good-neighborly policy in the interests of universal peace, well-being and prosperity, successfully carried out by our independent neutral state, advocating for the consolidation of efforts to strengthen peace and unity on the planet," the message of the President of Turkmenistan says.

Several countries are bidding to host the XXXVI Summer Olympic Games in 2036, among which are India, Turkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Poland, and South Korea.

India is considering New Delhi and Agra as its primary candidate cities. Turkiye is also actively promoting its bid, proposing Istanbul as the host city. Egypt plans to construct a dedicated Olympic village near Cairo.

The final decision regarding the host city of the Olympic Games will be made by the International Olympic Committee in 2026, which adds intrigue to the competition for the right to host this significant sporting event.

From April 2nd to 10th, Almaty will host the Asian Zone 3.4 Championship, which serves as a qualifying tournament for the Chess World Cup 2025. Participants from six nations will compete in the event: Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the host country, Kazakhstan.

A total of 134 participants are registered for the tournament, comprising 88 men and 46 women. The chess players will vie for three qualification spots for the Women's World Cup, scheduled to take place from July 5th to 29th in Batumi, Georgia, and for four qualification spots for the Men's World Cup, which will be held from November 1st to 26th in New Delhi, India.

The Turkmen national team, led by Mergen Kakabayev and Serdar Annaberdiyev, is represented by 11 players at the tournament – 5 in the open category and 5 among women. The delegation includes the country's strongest chess players, notably International Master Saparmyrat Atabayev (rated 2530 as of April 1st), who is awaiting confirmation of his Grandmaster title at the upcoming FIDE Presidential Board meeting, as well as Grandmaster Meylis Annaberdiyev (rated 2449) and FIDE Master among women Lala Shohradowa (2144).

In addition to them, Vepaly Halynyazov (2224, Master of Sports), Amanmuhammet Hommadov (2262, Master of Sports), and Shahruh Turayev (2164, Candidate Master of Sports) will play for Turkmenistan in the open category. Among the women are Candidate Master Leyla Shohradowa (2023, WCM), Bagul Ezizova (1941, WCM), Ogulsuray Bayrambayeva (1889, Candidate Master of Sports), and Jahan Rejepova (2017, 1st category).

The tournament's prize fund amounts to $20,000, which will be divided equally between the men's and women's sections. The winners will each receive $3,000, second place finishers $2,500, third place $1,500, fourth place $1,200, fifth place $1,000, and sixth place $800.

This championship is also noteworthy as it marks the first time a representative from Turkmenistan – the Chairman of the Chess Federation of the country, Vepa Malikgulyyev – has been included in the Appeals Committee of a prestigious official tournament. He joins two other colleagues: the General Secretary of the Asian Chess Federation, Hisham Al Taher (UAE), and international arbiter from Kazakhstan, Alexander Babenko. Such a role is typically entrusted to individuals with impeccable reputations, capable of objectively and impartially adjudicating the most complex contentious situations that may potentially arise during high-level competitions.

On March 29, Kyiv hosted the international mixed martial arts tournament World Warriors Fighting Championship 24 (WWFC 24) as part of the new season of the WWFC League. MMA fighters from Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova met in the octagon, the press service of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Kyiv reported.

A native of Turkmenistan, Babageldi Halymov, who competed in the weight category of 83,9 kg, won a duel with the Ukrainian athlete Yakov Anufriev. Babageldi defeated his opponent ahead of schedule in the first round by painful knockout.

According to the embassy, Halymov is a native of the Galkynysh gengeshlik of the Hojambaz etrap of the Lebap velayat, and is also a graduate of the National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”.

On March 1, Halymov also won an early victory over Evgeniy Drobot in a fight at the international professional mixed martial arts tournament “FCFC Fight Night 7”, which took place in Kyiv.

The Turkmenistan women's national football team learned their opponents in the 2026 Asian Cup qualifying tournament. According to the results of the draw, the Turkmen football players were placed in Group C together with the teams of Myanmar, Bahrain and Bangladesh.

The qualifying matches in all groups will be held in a centralized format from June 23 to July 5, 2025. The candidacy of the head coach of the Turkmenistan women's national team to prepare for the qualifying tournament will be determined later, reports the publication "Turkmenistan: Golden Age".

The winners of the eight groups will advance to the next round of qualification, where they will be joined by the hosts of the final tournament, the Australian team and the three best teams of the previous Asian Cup 2022, held in India - the current champions, the Chinese team, the silver medalists, the Republic of Korea team and the bronze medalists, the Japanese team.

The final tournament involving the continent's 12 strongest teams will take place from 1 to 21 March 2026 in three Australian cities – Sydney, Perth and Gold Coast – at stadiums that hosted the 2023 Women's World Cup matches.

The Arkadag footballers started the Turkmenistan Championship among the clubs of the Higher League with a major victory over the Turkmenbashi Shagadam (4:0), the Turkmenistan: Golden Age publication reports.

The game took place in the "smart" city of Arkadag as part of the 4th round. The current two-time champion of Turkmenistan missed the previous three rounds due to participation in the AFC Challenge League.

The goals for the winners were scored by Ikhlas Saparmamedov (1st minute), Arzuvguli Saparguliyev (15), Didar Durdyev (47) and Begench Akmamedov (60).

Despite the first defeat, Shagadam remained at the top of the tournament table with 7 points, having played 4 matches.

The vice-champion Ahal also suffered its first defeat in the championship, losing to the bronze medalist of last year's national championship Altyn Asyr at the Ashgabat stadium - 0:1. The winning goal for the team of the agency Turkmenaragatnashyk was scored in the 83rd minute by Ruslan Tadzhiev.

After this victory, Altyn Asyr with 6 points rose to second place, ahead of Ahal, which dropped to third place due to the advantage in the personal meeting. Both teams have played 3 matches.

The most productive match in the 4th round was the one held in the Babarap gengeshlik of the Geoktepe etrap of the Ahal velayat between two capital teams Kopetdag and Ashgabat. The opponents scored 5 goals between them. At the same time, three goals flew into the gates of Kopetdag, which, thanks to the efforts of Didar Didarov (32nd minute) and Mezhnun Durdyev (71st), twice came back, but still could not avoid the third defeat in the championship. For Ashgabat, which won its first victory in the current national championship, the following scored: Byashim Gurbanberdyev (25th), Begmurad Pirkuliyev (66th) and Meilis Gayliyev (86th).

Another match of the 4th round in Balkanabat between Nebitchi and Mary Merv was not finished. In the 64th minute, with the score 2:0 in favor of the hosts, the visiting team left the field, and now, in all likelihood, it will be counted as a technical defeat with a result of 0:3.

The 5th round of the 2025 Turkmenistan Football Championship will start on April 2 with the matches Merv vs. Arkadag and Ashgabat vs. Nebitchi, and will end on April 3 with the matches Altyn Asyr vs. Kopetdag and Shagadam vs. Ahal.

The Football Federation of Turkmenistan (FFT) has announced the start of recruitment for coaching courses that will be held in Ashgabat from April to May 2025. Successful completion of the program will allow participants to obtain a category "C" coaching license, the organization reports.

To participate in the courses, it is necessary to submit an application by April 1, 2025, by sending a package of documents in PDF format via the electronic link indicated on the FFT website. After reviewing the applications, candidates will be invited to an interview with representatives of the FFT coaching education department.

It is important to note that all costs associated with participation in the courses, including travel, accommodation and meals, are paid by the sending organization or the participants themselves.

For additional information and consultation on participation, please call: +993 65 90 6195.

On March 25, the Turkmenistan national team defeated the Chinese Taipei national team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The group “D” match took place in Kaohsiung and ended with a score of 2:1 in favor of the guests. Ange Samuel scored for the hosts (63rd minute). Elman Tagayev (48) and Yazgylych Gurbanov (83) scored for the Turkmen team.

For two players of the Turkmenistan national team, this match was their debut for the national team – they included “Ahal” forwards Dayanch Meredov and Mahtymberdy Berenov.

Meredov came out in the starting lineup, played 64 minutes, giving way to Altymurat Annadurdyyev. Berenov came on as a substitute in the 60th minute instead of Shanazar Tirkishov.

In the next round, the Turkmenistan team will host the Thailand team on June 10, and the Taipei team will play away against the Sri Lanka team on the same day.

From March 24 to April 17, Turkmenistan will host a series of friendly hockey games dedicated to two significant events: the International Year of Peace and Trust and the 30th anniversary of the country's neutrality.

Seven teams will take part in the tournament, including the ten-time national champion "Galkan" and such teams as "Oguzhan", "Şir", "Nesil", "Watançy", "Merdana" and "Bürgüt", the newspaper "Neutral Turkmenistan" reports.

The competitions will be held on three ice rinks in the capital:

- Winter Sports Center "Galkan"

- Winter Sports Complex

- National Olympic Sports Palace

The Turkmenistan national football team defeated the Chinese Taipei team in an away match of the first round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round.

The Group D match ended with a score of 2:1. The winners were scored by Ahal forward Elman Tagayev (48th minute) and Arkadag midfielder Yazgylych Gurbanov (83). The hosts' only goal was scored by Samuel Kouame.

In the next round, Turkmenistan will host Thailand on June 10, and the Chinese Taipei team will play away against Sri Lanka.

The winners of six qualifying groups will advance to the final tournament of the 2027 Asian Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia for the first time.

Earlier, 18 teams have already secured the right to participate in the final stage of the 2027 Asian Cup. These are the participants of the 3rd round of the 2026 World Cup qualification: Australia, Bahrain, Indonesia, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, China, the DPRK, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Palestine, Uzbekistan, Japan and Saudi Arabia (as the organizer).

Turkmen football players have participated in the final stages of the Asian Cup twice. The first time was in 2004, when the tournament was held in China, and the second time was in 2019 in the United Arab Emirates. In the previous draw, the Turkmenistan national team took 3rd place in the qualifying group "E" and did not make it to the final tournament of the Asian Cup, which took place in 2023 in Qatar.

The Asian Cup is held every four years. Its first draw took place in 1956. Since 2007, the tournament has been held in odd years. The current Asian champions are Qatar, who have won the continental trophy twice in 2019 and 2023.

On one of the most significant and beloved holidays of the East — International Day of Novruz — the first stage of the new chess tournament of the Turkmenistan Grand Prix ended in the capital's Chess and Checkers School.
This tournament is a series of six stages covering all five velayats of Turkmenistan, and its final with knockout games will also be held in Ashgabat. The first stage, which started on March 17, brought together 130 participants: 86 in the open category and 44 in the women's category. At the moment, the players are gaining important points for the overall standings.

Surprises in the Women's Category
The women's category of the tournament was won by Enesh Arazmedova (FIDE rating - 1811), gold medalist of the 2024 World Chess Olympiad in Budapest in category "C". Despite the fact that Enesh started the competition as the sixth seed, she managed to get ahead of more experienced rivals and win first place with 7.5 points, which allowed her to increase her rating by 96 points. She trains under the guidance of Honored Coach of Turkmenistan Serdar Annaberdiev.

The second place with 7 points was taken by Gulmira Seyilkhanova (rating 1926), an 11th-grader of Secondary School No. 41 in Turkmenabat. 
Third place was shared by four chess players with 6.5 points, but the bronze medal for additional indicators was received by Byagul Ezizova (rating 1939), a candidate for FIDE master, who is currently also training with Serdar Annaberdiev.

The young chess players competed with dignity with their older rivals. Among the cadets, Aya Bayramova (6th place, 6.5 points), Nurana Soyunova (7th place, 6 points), and Dilber Khupbyeva (9th place, 6 points) distinguished themselves. 
Nurana Soyunova's rating improvement was especially impressive, adding 126 points. The head coach of the women's team of Turkmenistan, Shakhrukh Turaev, pins his hopes on the future performances of these girls in international tournaments.

Tournament Innovations: Real-Time Online Broadcast
One of the tournament's striking innovations is the introduction of real-time online broadcasting of games, which has become a real step forward for chess in Turkmenistan. In the test mode, 7 boards were presented in the open category and 3 boards in the women's category.

This was made possible thanks to cooperation with the Dutch company DGT, a manufacturer of specialized chess equipment, and the leading Turkmen IT company "Imdat Elektronika".
Open category: Khommadov dominates
In the open category of the tournament, gold was won by Amanmukhammet Khommadov (rating 2251), a student of the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Education and Sports. The protégé of Serdar Annaberdiev scored 8 points out of 9 possible, without losing a single time – 7 wins and 2 draws.

The fight for silver and bronze in this category was tense, as four players scored 7 points each, and the fate of the medals was decided by coefficients.
Silver went to Lale Shokhradova (rating 2137), a student of the International University of Oil and Gas.

Bronze was won by Serdar Bayramov (rating 1998), a student of Secondary School No. 31 in Turkmenabad.
Jahan Rejepova, the champion of the 2025 Major League in the women's category, scored 6.5 points and took 7th place among 86 participants.

The next stage of the Grand Prix of Turkmenistan is planned for May this year in Balkan velayat, the Chess Federation reported.