A team of referees headed by B. Atdyev from the city of Arkadag has been appointed for the match of the 11th round of the Turkmenistan Football Championship between Ashgabat's Altyn Asyr and Ahal from Anau, the website of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan (FFT) reports.

Atdyev will be assisted by assistants I. Kurambayev (Dashoguz), M. Shanazarov (Mary). Reserve referee A. Begnazarov (Mary), match inspector - Azat Hadjipolatov (Balkanabad).

The match between Altyn Asyr and Ahal will be held in the Byuzmeyin etrap of Ashgabat on May 18 and will begin at 17:45 local time.

Other appointments for the 11th round of the Turkmenistan Championship:

May 17, Saturday

Ashgabat vs. Kopetdag – 17:30, Nisa Stadium, referee – E. Annamuradov

Shagadam vs. Arkadag – 17:00, Shagadam Stadium, referee – S. Gurbanov

Merv vs. Nebitchi – 18:00, Merv Stadium, referee – Resul Mamedov

Barcelona became the new Spanish football champions, securing the title with two rounds left in the season after beating Espanyol 2-0 in the 36th round of La Liga.

The decisive match, held on the opponent's field, ended in a confident victory for the blue-garnets. The score was opened in the 53rd minute, when Barcelona's young winger Lamine Yamal made a magnificent strike into the top corner of the goal, leaving the home team's goalkeeper with no chance.

Espanyol's situation became more complicated in the 80th minute of the match, when the team's defender Leandro Cabrera received a direct red card for a gross violation, leaving his team with a man down.

The final result was set in stoppage time of the second half. Lamin Yamal, who had already scored a goal, played the role of an assistant, passing the assist to Fermin Lopez, who put the finishing touches on the match by scoring the second goal into the opponents' net.

Thanks to this victory, the team led by Hansi Flick scored 85 points in the standings and became unattainable for the closest pursuer - Real Madrid. This championship title was the 28th for Barcelona in the club's history.

Turkmen athlete Davranbek Hasanbayev won a gold medal in the snatch at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in China. The Turkmen athlete achieved this success in the 102 kg weight category.

In the snatch, Davranbek held a barbell weighing 182 kg over his head. In the clean and jerk, he lifted a barbell weighing 195 kg. In the combined event, Hasanbayev took third place with a result of 377 kg.

On May 11-12, the 45th General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) was held at a high organizational level in Kuwait. The event was attended by the current President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, the newly elected President Kirsty Coventry, the heads of the International Olympic Committee, the heads of the Association of National Olympic Committees, the presidents of the Asian federations, as well as the Secretary General of the Olympic Committee of Turkmenistan A. Akmammedov and representatives of the National Olympic Committees of 45 Asian countries, according to the website of the Olympic Committee of Turkmenistan.

Vice-President of the Olympic Council of Asia Mr. Timothy Fok and Director General Hussein Al Musallam paid special attention to the development of the Olympic movement in Asia in their speeches. They noted the importance of the organization's work to improve the level of sports, train young people, ensure gender equality and sustainable management.

The President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa congratulated the Arkadag football club on winning the first title of the AFC Challenge League. This was reported by the publication "Turkmenistan: Golden Age" with reference to the press service of the AFC.

The Turkmen club defeated the current champion of Cambodia "Svay Rieng" with a score of 2:1 in extra time in the final match. The match was held at the stadium in Phnom Penh in the presence of 51,600 spectators.

The goals for the winners were scored by Mekan Saparov (59th minute) and Altymurad Annadurdyev (112th minute). Sareth Kria scored for the hosts (82nd minute).

"On behalf of the Asian Football Family, I congratulate FC Arkadag from Turkmenistan on their historic victory in the AFC Challenge League. “The Football Federations of Turkmenistan and Cambodia deserve special praise for creating a dynamic environment for their clubs to thrive on the continental stage,” the AFC press service quotes Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa as saying.

The current two-time champion of Turkmenistan, Arkadag, achieved success despite the fact that many experts preferred the Cambodian team, which includes many Brazilian legionnaires. In addition, the match was held at the home stadium of Svay Rieng.

The AFC President also expressed gratitude to the 18 participating clubs and federations for their contribution to the successful holding of the first AFC Challenge League and noted the work of the organizers of the centralized group stage.

“This new historical chapter could not have been written without the support of all participants. I express my gratitude to the organizers of the group stages and everyone who worked behind the scenes for their contribution to the holding of the first season of the AFC Challenge League,” the head of the Asian Football Confederation emphasized.

The victory of the Arkadag football club in the AFC Challenge League final allowed Turkmenistan to increase its representation in the next season of Asian club tournaments to three teams.

Arkadag received a direct ticket to the group stage of the second AFC Champions League. Ahal will begin its performance with the playoff round of the second Champions League - in case of victory, the club will advance to the group stage of the tournament, and in case of defeat, it will continue to play in the Challenge League. Altyn Asyr guaranteed itself a place in the group stage of the AFC Challenge League.

Recall that in the final match of the AFC Challenge League, Arkadag defeated the Cambodian club Svay Rieng with a score of 2:1 in extra time. The goals for the Turkmen team were scored by Mekan Saparov in the 59th minute and Altymurat Annadurdyev in the 112th minute.

Following the final match, two representatives of Arkadag were awarded individual prizes. Altymurat Annadurdyev, who scored the decisive goal, became the tournament's top scorer with five goals scored. Shanazar Tirkishov was recognized as the most valuable player of the final match.

President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed an order to award cash prizes to coaches and athletes of the Arkadag football club of the Arkadag city administration, TDH reports.

As stated in the document, the award was given "considering the great contribution to bringing Turkmen sports to a high level, successful performance in the Turkmenistan Premier League, and victory in the AFC Challenge League final."

Recall that in the decisive match of the tournament, Vladimir Bayramov's team defeated the Cambodian club Svay Rieng with a score of 2:1 in extra time. The goals for the Turkmen team were scored by Mekan Saparov (59th minute) and Altymurat Annadurdyev (112th minute).

The official ceremony honoring the winners took place on Monday in the city of Arkadag on the square next to the stadium.

The Balkan Velayat Equestrian Complex hosted the next competitions of the spring racing season, the Turkmenistan newspaper reports.

In the first race, where three-year-old horses competed over a distance of 1,400 meters, the bay stallion named Shasenem from the farm of Begli Shaniyazov won, covering the distance in 1 minute 45 seconds.

The second race, also among three-year-old horses over a distance of 1,400 meters, was won by the black horse Garayel with a result of 1 minute 45 seconds.

In the third race, five horses of four years and older competed. The winner was the chestnut stallion Govenek, belonging to the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Water Management, covering the distance of 1,400 meters in 1 minute 51 seconds.

In the fourth race for horses four years and older at a distance of 1800 meters, the racehorse named Makhriban from the farm of Begli Shaniyazov won with a result of 2 minutes 14 seconds.

In the fifth race, the bay stallion Dovletli, owned by Seyitguly Tyulegenov, won, covering the distance in 2 minutes 15 seconds.

Shanazar Tirkishov and Altymyrat Annadurdyev became key figures in the victory of the Turkmen club Arkadag in the AFC Challenge League final. In a tense match against the Cambodian Svay Rieng, which ended with a score of 2:1, the players demonstrated a high level of skill.

Altymyrat Annadurdyev scored the decisive goal in the 112th minute of extra time, which brought the team victory in the tournament. This goal was the forward's fifth in the competition, which allowed him to win the title of the AFC Challenge League's top scorer.

Shanazar Tirkishov, in turn, was recognized as the most valuable player of the final match. His actions on the field significantly influenced the outcome of the match in favor of the Turkmen club.

Football club Arkadag triumphantly completed its performance in the AFC Challenge League, having achieved a historic victory in the final over Cambodian Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng with a score of 2:1 in extra time. Goals by Mekan Saparov and Altymyrat Annadurdiyev brought the prestigious trophy to the Turkmen team.

On the way to the final, Arkadag, led by Vladimir Bayramov, confidently won its group, beating Maziya Sport, Abdysh-Ata and Al-Arabi. In the playoffs, they defeated Indian East Bengal and Kuwaiti Al-Arabi in a dramatic semi-final. Arkadag's opponent, Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng, had previously defeated Shan United and Madura United.

This victory of Arkadag became an important milestone in the history of Turkmen football, demonstrating the growing level of national sports thanks to the attention and support of the country's leadership.

The Football Federation of Turkmenistan (FFT) has opened enrollment for a training course to obtain a category "D" coaching license, the FFT press service reported.

To enroll in the course, you must submit an application with a package of documents in PDF format via an electronic form before May 20. The training will take place on May 24-25 in Ashgabat.

After reviewing the applications, the FFT coaching education department will interview the candidates.

The national team of Turkmenistan will continue its participation in the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championship in Group A of Division III. The composition of this group was determined following the conclusion of the world tournaments in the lower divisions.

Turkmenistan's opponents will include familiar teams from previous championships: Turkey, South Africa, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as newcomers to the group: Mexico, which was promoted from Group B of Division III, and Thailand, which was relegated from Group B of Division II.

While the venue for the tournament has not yet been announced, preparations for the competitions are fully underway. The Turkmen team, consistently performing at the Division III level, will strive to improve its standing and compete for promotion to a higher division.
Meanwhile, the Uzbekistan national team, which made a successful debut in 2024 and won Division IV, will play in Group B of Division III next season. Its opponents will be the teams of North Korea, Hong Kong, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Luxembourg, which was relegated from Group A of Division III. Uzbekistan is being considered as one of the potential hosts for the tournament of this group, provided an official bid is submitted.

The Kyrgyzstan national team, which won Group A of Division III, will be promoted to Group B of Division II next season. Its opponents have already been determined as Bulgaria, Chinese Taipei, Iceland, and New Zealand. The final composition of the group will be known after the completion of the matches in Group A of Division II.

At the highest level of the World Championship, the Kazakhstan national team will compete. In the top division, starting on May 9th, its group opponents will be the United States, Czechia, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, and Hungary. The top four teams will advance to the playoffs, while the bottom team will be relegated from the elite division.