Representatives of Turkmenistan won silver and bronze medals at the Western Asian Junior (under 20) Rapid Chess Championship in Colombo (Sri Lanka), the publication “Turkmenistan: Golden Age” reports.

According to the regulations of the tournament, which was held in 7 rounds, each player was allocated 15 minutes for the entire game with an addition of 10 seconds after each move.

As reported in the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, a student of the Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Vepaly Halyniyazov, achieved silver success in the team. In 7 games he scored 5.5 points.

International master from India G. Harshavardhan had the same amount of money, who, according to additional indicators, was in first place in the final standings.

Another Turkmen chess player, a student of Ashgabat school No. 117 Amanmuhammet Hommadov, had 5 points before the last round and, if he won the final game over the Sri Lankan international master Da Silva, could win a gold medal. However, the opponent's experience turned out to be higher. He eventually became a bronze medalist. And Amanmuhammet finished the tournament in 5th place among 40 participants.

The bronze medalist in the Turkmenistan team was a schoolgirl from the Danev etrap of Lebap velayat Lala Shohradova. In the women's category, in which 36 chess players competed for awards, she scored 5.5 points out of 7 possible. Lala's bronze medal was brought by her victory with black in the last round over the champion of the tournament, women's international master from Kazakhstan Zeynep Sultanbek, who had a 100% result before meeting Lala. The second place with 6 points was taken by the chess player from Sri Lanka Gunawardana Devindya Oshini.

The next set of medals will be played in classical chess, competitions in which will take place in 9 rounds. And the junior championship of Western Asia will end with a blitz tournament on December 6.

Today, in the conference hall of the Sport Hotel in the Olympic Village, a media forum was held dedicated to the results of the XIV World Kurash Wrestling Championship that ended the day before.  

The event was attended by leaders of the International Kurash Association (IKA), the African Union (AKI) and the European Confederation of this type of wrestling (EKC), the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports, the National Olympic Committee, the Kurash Federation of Turkmenistan, the State Committee of the country on television, radio broadcasting and cinematography of Turkmenistan, media representatives.

Opening the media forum, President of the International Kurash Association (IKA) Haydar Farman congratulated those gathered on the successful completion of the World Championship in Ashgabat, 15 sets of medals of which were competed by 181 athletes from 45 countries of four continents, and the IKA congress, held during the 2023 World Cup, was attended by delegates from 53 countries from Asia, Africa, Europe, as well as South and North America.

The head of the International Kurash Association noted that the 2023 World Cup was an outstanding success, expressing special gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Hero-Arkadag for their great contribution to the success of this grandiose event, which has become a new platform for future dialogue and further cooperation.

As emphasized, at the XIV World Kurash Championship, unlike all previous ones, all services worked at the highest level. And this is not surprising. Turkmenistan pays great attention to the development of sports and the expansion of international relations in this area. Having initiated a number of large-scale sports projects of both national and international significance, Hero-Arkadag and the President of Turkmenistan made sport a national idea and an active diplomatic channel, thanks to which our country is increasingly becoming a venue for major competitions.

The President of the International Kurash Association, expressing deep gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan and the Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Hero-Arkadag for the creation by the Turkmen side of the most favorable conditions for holding this tournament, as well as for the exemplary work in the development of physical education and sports, the Olympic movement, strengthening peace and mutual understanding, conveyed they are provided with sports equipment and relevant certificates.

Today, the XIV World Kurash Championship, which brought together representatives from four continents of the planet - from Asia, Africa, Europe, as well as South and North America, triumphantly ended at the Martial Arts Sports Complex of the capital's Olympic village.  Following the results of two days of competition, Turkmen wrestlers won 15 medals in 15 weight categories - seven men's and eight women's.

As you know, on the first day of the competition, our athletes won two gold, three silver and three bronze awards. Dinara Rozykulova (weight category up to 63 kg) and Maria Lokhova (up to 70 kg) rose to the highest step of the podium. The silver medalists were Aishirin Khaidarova (up to 48 kg), Ainur Amanova (up to 52 kg) and Sanzhar Abdirahmanov (up to 90 kg), and the bronze medalists were Gulshat Annaeva (up to 57 kg), Ruslan Esgerov (up to 100 kg) and Sapa Sapaev (over 100 kg).  

The remaining seven sets of medals were played on the final day of the 2023 World Cup, in four men's and three women's weight categories. As a result of the competition, the Turkmen team won three more gold, three silver and one bronze awards today.

Vepa Avlyakuliev (weight category up to 60 kg) brought the third gold medal to the Turkmenistan team. In the first round, he won a clear victory over Mohammed Al-Gharrawi (Iraq), in the quarterfinals he defeated Anil Anil (India), in the semifinals he defeated Muslimbek Karimov (Tajikistan), and in the final he defeated Emur Suleimen (Kazakhstan), who was awarded silver awards. Bronze medals went to Muslimbek Karimov (Tajikistan) and Said Talebi Nia (Iran).

The fourth gold medal in the Turkmenistan team was won by world championship debutant Sabina Kadyrova (up to 78 kg), who in the first round already won a clear victory over Andrea Guillen (Mexico) in the 16th second. Then, in the quarterfinals, she also easily won against Sheetal Sheetal (India), and in the semifinals and finals, in a bitter struggle, she defeated, respectively, bronze medalist Saba Karamali (Iran) and world vice-champion Filura Ergashova (Uzbekistan). Another bronze medal in this weight category was awarded to Chia-Lin Liu (Chinese Taipei).

The fifth gold medal in our team was won by Dayanch Omirov (up to 81 kg). On the way to this success, in the first seconds of the fight he defeated Tom Belen Santana (Dominican Republic), and then in turn won against Chansik Woo (Republic of Korea), Ramin Ahmadzadeh (Iran), Bekadil Shaimerdenov (Kazakhstan) and rose to the highest step of the podium. Kazakh kurashist Bekadil Shaimerdenov won the silver medal, and Iranian Ramin Ahmadzadeh and Umid Esanov (Uzbekistan) won bronze.  Silver medals in the Turkmenistan team were awarded to: Shatlyk Jumanyyazov, Jahan Muhammedova and Sabina Agadzhanova.

Shatlyk Jumanyyazov achieved silver success in the up to 73 kg category, in which Abilkair Maulenin (Kazakhstan) excelled, and Niko Tchikaidze (Georgia) and Jaedeog Kwon (Republic of Korea) won bronze.  Jahan Muhammedova rose to the second step of the podium in the weight category up to 87 kg, in which Pokizahon Kamoldinova (Uzbekistan) became the world champion, and Moldir Nurlanbek (Kazakhstan) and Pargati (India) became the bronze medalists.

Another silver medalist in our team, Sabina Agadzhanova, six years ago at the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, took second place in the jiu-jitsu competition. And now she has become the vice-world champion in kurash in the weight category over 87 kg, in which the first ever gold medal in this type of wrestling for the Dominican Republic was won by Audrey Arelis Puello Perez, and the bronze medalists were Samriti (India) and Fatemeh Barmaki Kordkolai (Iran).

Dovlet Khemrakulyev (up to 66 kg) was awarded a bronze medal in the Turkmenistan team. The second bronze medalist in this weight category was Khairandeshi Murodzoda (Tajikistan), the silver medalist was Majid Vahid Barimanlu (Iran), and the world champion was Chori Zoirov (Uzbekistan).

In recent years, Turkmen kurashists have made a noticeable step forward. If at the previous World Championships in India they won one silver and two bronze medals, now our team has five gold, six silver and four bronze medals. With these indicators, our wrestlers were significantly ahead of the other teams in the total number of medals (15), losing in the team competition in the number of gold awards only to the Uzbekistan national team, which had 7 gold and 1 silver and bronze award each. The top three winners were completed by the Kazakhstan team, whose kurashists won one gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

According to experts, such progress in this sport is the result of the fruitful work of coaches Dortkuli Tejenov, who headed the men's team of Turkmenistan two years ago, and Shirin Kubaeva, who has been leading the country's women's team for many years, having created a good kurash wrestling school in Lebap velayat. By the way, out of 15 medalists at the 2023 World Cup, 14 are graduates of the Lebap wrestling school.

Shirin Kubaeva is a former famous athlete. For many years, she successfully defended the honor of the country on the world sports arena, becoming the winner and prize-winner of many international competitions. It is noteworthy that in 1997 she successfully graduated from the Turkmen Institute of National Economy with a degree in international economics. For a number of years, Shirin Permanovna combined coaching with work in economic organizations. And only after winning the 2009 Asian Martial Arts Games in Bangkok (Thailand) did she finally decide to focus only on coaching.

“I love being a coach. “Sport is in my genes,” says Sh. Kubaeva, whose father and great-grandfather were engaged in Goresh wrestling and won prizes among palvans at weddings.  According to the head coach of the women's national team of Turkmenistan, the current success of our wrestlers at the 2023 World Cup is a natural result of the policy pursued by the country's leadership on the development of physical education and sports. Thanks to the great attention to the development of this area by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Hero-Arkadag, excellent conditions have been created in Turkmenistan for training athletes and holding international tournaments.

Hosting the World Cup is a big responsibility. Turkmenistan, once again acting as the host country of major competitions that brought together many foreign guests from all over the planet, coped with it “excellently”! This opinion was expressed today by athletes who arrived in Ashgabat from many countries, their coaches, journalists from the world's leading media, specialized publications and television channels, and representatives of the International Kurash Federation (IKA).

According to the general opinion of titled athletes and sports experts, heads of delegations, the Turkmen capital is worthy of hosting world championships in many sports. And for this, all conditions have been created here that meet international requirements, including the ultra-modern sports infrastructure of the Olympic village, the construction of which was personally patronized by the National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

For two days, intense emotions did not subside at the Martial Arts Sports Complex; athletes waged an exciting fight for medals. But despite the intense competition, an interesting rivalry that gave the fans a lot of impressions, the unifying principle was the desire for open and trusting communication and friendship.  For Turkmen athletes and coaches, this was an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the experience of a number of countries and national federations in the development of kurash wrestling and gain useful experience for the future.

A rich cultural program was prepared especially for the guests, which allowed them to get acquainted with the history and rich heritage of the Turkmen people, their original traditions and customs, the sights of white marble Ashgabat and the first “smart” city of Arkadag in Turkmenistan, and taste national dishes.

The current World Cup was a great success. Both athletes and fans received unforgettable impressions from the Ashgabat World Cup, which became possible thanks to the personal attention and support of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero-Arkadag.  The 2023 World Cup has ended, giving everyone a sea of ​​positive emotions and joy. Many became fans of kurash wrestling, the fights were so exciting and filled with the desire to win.

The success of the current tournament increased the pride of all Turkmen citizens for the Fatherland and once again confirmed the status of Turkmenistan as a sports power that is capable of hosting and hosting world-class competitions.

Two representatives of the men's team of Turkmenistan immediately reached the semi-finals of the Ashgabat World Kurash Wrestling Championship, guaranteeing themselves at least bronze medals, the Turkmenportal correspondent reports.  Vepa Avlyakuliev (up to 60 kg) and Dovlet Khemrakuliev (up to 66) defeated their opponents in the quarterfinals. Avlyakuliev defeated the Indian athlete Anil Anil in the quarter finals, and Khemrakuliev defeated the representative of Afghanistan, Mohamed Yusuf Shuaib.  The 14th World Kurash Wrestling Championship is taking place in Ashgabat from November 23 to 28. Watch live broadcasts of fights on the Turkmenistan Sport and Yashlyk TV channels.

Today, competitions in the program of the 14th World Kurash Wrestling Championship began at the Martial Arts Sports Complex of the capital's Olympic Village.

The holding of a planetary scale tournament in white marble Ashgabat is a clear indication of the close attention paid by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, as well as the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Hero-Arkadag, to the development of mass physical education and sports, which directly contributes to the steady increase in the authority of Turkmenistan in the international sports arena.

In recent years, the country has created ample opportunities for the development of the sports movement - modern sports and recreation complexes, multifunctional stadiums and other specialized facilities equipped with the necessary equipment have been built in all regions.

The emergence of an Olympic village with modern sports complexes in Ashgabat, which has no analogues in Central Asia, contributed to bringing Turkmen sports to a new, higher level. It was here that the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games were held with great success in 2017, opening a new bright page in the history of national sports.

The Amul-Khazar international rally held in 2018, as well as the World Weightlifting Championships, were of great importance for honing the skills of domestic athletes and establishing Turkmenistan as a major sports power.

Thus, by initiating and organizing significant events in the sporting life of the planet, Turkmenistan, as a full member of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia, makes a significant contribution to the expansion and popularization of the Olympic movement and the active involvement of young people in it.

In our country, kurash has developed rapidly after the formation of the National Federation of this type of martial arts in December 2014. After the admission of the Kurash Federation of Turkmenistan to the relevant International Association (IKA) and the Kurash Confederation of Asia and Oceania (KCAO), since 2015, Turkmen masters of this type of wrestling began to participate in the World Championships and other major international competitions, including the Asian Beach Games, Asian Games indoors and martial arts, World Martial Arts Games, Asian Championships.

Over the years, from all these competitions, our compatriots brought medals of various denominations to their homeland. Before the current world championship in Ashgabat, Turkmen athletes took part in four World Kurash Championships in Iran, Turkey, the Republic of Korea and India, where they stood on the podium 21 times, winning a total of 2 gold, 7 silver and 12 bronze medals.

Our wrestlers continued their winning traditions at the current World Championships, where 15 sets of medals are awarded in seven men's and eight women's weight categories. Today, champions and prize-winners were determined in the three heaviest weight categories for men and five for women. And in each of them, Turkmen masters of kurash were awarded medals.

At the end of the first day of competition, the Turkmen team won two gold, three silver and three bronze medals.

Dinara Rozykulova (weight category up to 63 kg) brought the first gold to the Turkmenistan team. On the way to this success, she won in the quarterfinals against Snehal Ramesh Kaware (India), caught a throw in the semifinals and won a clear victory over Tahereh Azarpeivand (Iran), and in the finals, in a bitter fight, she prevailed over Wang-Ting Lee (Chinese Taipei) , who was awarded a silver medal. The bronze medalists in this weight category were Iranian Tahereh Azarpeivand and Russian Vladlena Guseva, who competed under the flag of the International Kurash Association (IKA).

(up to 70 kg). Four years ago, this talented athlete became the Asian champion at competitions in Pune, India. And now she has added the title of world champion to this title, defeating Sina Sina (India) in the quarterfinals, Ly Huynh Tuon Vi (Vietnam) in the semifinals, and Donya Aghai (Iran) in the final, who became the silver medalist. Bronze medals in this weight category were awarded to Ly Huynh Tuon Vi (Vietnam) and Azhar Salykova (Kazakhstan).

Our team received silver awards: 2022 world vice-champion and 2019 world championship bronze medalist Aishirin Khaidarova, 2019 world champion and bronze medalist of the 19th Summer Asian Games in Hangzhou (China) Ainur Amanova and Sanzhar Abdyrakhmanov.

Aishirin Khaidarova achieved silver success in the up to 48 kg category, in which Ulbusin Khakimova (Uzbekistan) excelled, and Savira Dia Fitri Rizkianti (Indonesia) and Begumnaz Dogruyol (Turkey) won bronze medals.

Ainur Amanova rose to the second step of the podium in the weight up to 52 kg, in which Hilola Ortikboeva (Uzbekistan) became the world champion, and Nada Ashraf (Egypt) and Yu-Suan Chuan (Chinese Taipei) became the bronze medalists.

Sanzhar Abdyrakhmanov won a silver medal in the weight category up to 90 kg, in which Erkin Kozokov (Uzbekistan) won the highest award, and Masud Gavibazu (Iran) and Zhamalbek Asylbek Uulu (Kyrgyz Republic) won bronze medals.

Bronze medalists in the Turkmenistan team were Gulshat Annaeva, Ruslan Esgerov and Sapa Sapaev.

Gulshat Annayeva won bronze in the up to 57 kg category, in which Rauza Nurmakhammetova (Kazakhstan) also climbed to the third step of the podium, Pardis Eidivandi (Iran) to the second, and Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc (Vietnam) to the first.

Ruslan Esgerov achieved bronze success in the weight category up to 100 kg, in which the second bronze medal was awarded to Firdavs Nasimov (Tajikistan), the silver medal to Hamed Rashidi (Iran), and the gold medal to Jamshid Mamatrakhimov (Uzbekistan).

In the super heavy weight category over 100 kg, the prize places were distributed as follows: first - Mukhsin Khisomiddinov (Uzbekistan), second - Abdulfazl Torabi (Iran) and third - Sapa Sapaev (Turkmenistan) and Khurshed Majidov (Tajikistan).

On November 28, the remaining 7 sets of medals will be played at the World Kurash Championship - four for men and three for women.

The opening ceremony of the 14th World Kurash Wrestling Championship took place today in Ashgabat. The venue was the Martial Arts Sports Complex, which is part of the infrastructure of the capital's Olympic city, TDH reports.

Numerous spectators gathered in the stands of the 5,000-seat arena, excitedly awaiting the start of the celebration marking the start of the competition.

The national flags of the countries participating in the World Cup were brought into the arena of the sports complex. They lined up. The official part of the opening of the tournament has begun.

In international relations, a welcoming address from the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov was read out. Then the World Kurash Championship was declared open. The head of the International Kurash Association (IKA), Haidar Farman, addressing the audience, the United States, is sincerely glad to see everyone in the beautiful capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, at the opening of the World Kurash Championship.

Stressing that the Turkmen side has created the most favorable conditions for holding this tournament, including excellent sports facilities, Haidar Farman, on behalf of the IKA, expressed deep gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for their enormous support and significant contribution to the development of wrestling kurash

“At the end of the official part of the ceremony, the participants of the celebration were shown a video about the beauty of Turkmen nature, national values ​​and riches of Turkmenistan. Next, the audience was presented with a number of dance numbers dedicated to the national Turkmen wrestling, Turkmen carpets, and cultural heritage items. And of course, what would a holiday be without the fiery ancient magical dance kushtdepdi,” comments TDH.

The World Kurash Championship has started. Ahead of the fans are exciting fights in seven men's and eight women's weight categories.

A high assessment of the work done to prepare for the 2023 World Cup was voiced today at the congress of the International Kurash Association (IKA), uniting 118 national federations from Asia (32), Africa (22), Europe (33), North and South America (22) and Oceania (9).

Kurash is a traditional belt wrestling of the Turkic peoples, which originated in Central Asia. This martial arts has a three-thousand-year history, which has made it one of the most popular sports not only in the region, but also in the world. Kurash is mentioned in the folk epics «Gorogly» and «Gorkut Ata». Men demonstrated their wrestling skills at weddings, festivals and fairs. In 2003, kurash was officially included in all continental games held in Asia. The issue of including it in the program of other Games, including Islamic Solidarity, is currently being considered.

As for the World Championships in this type of wrestling, they began to be held in 1999. At first, until 2002 – annually, and from 2005 – once every two years.

As noted at the IKA Congress, its holding was preceded by the most serious, responsible and comprehensive preparation on the part of the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports, the Kurash Federation and the NOC of Turkmenistan. The capital's Olympic village has created the necessary conditions for athletes and everyone who will be involved in these prestigious competitions, as well as for guests and fans. 310 volunteers were trained from five higher educational institutions of the country - the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Education and Sports, the Turkmen National Institute of World Languages named after Dovletmammed Azady, the Turkmen State University named after Magtymguly, the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International University of Humanities and Development.

In addition, a large cultural program has been prepared for the guests, within the framework of which they will visit various museums of the country, visit the State Historical and Cultural Reserve «Nisa», the International Akhal-Teke Equestrian Complex, the Said Jemaladdin Mosque in the Ak Bugday etrap of the Ahal velayat, shopping and entertainment centers «Berkarar» and «Ashgabat», where fan zones have been created for watching competitions, film shows in the «Ashgabat» cinema, and also get acquainted with the sights of the first «smart» city of Arkadag in Turkmenistan.

Today, in the conference hall of the capital's «Sport» Hotel, the international media forum «World Kurash Championship - in the world media» was held, which brought together the leaders of the International Kurash Association (IKA), the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports, and the NOC of Turkmenistan before the opening of the 2023 World Cup , representatives of domestic and world media.

During it, journalists were informed about the readiness of all services for the world championship, as well as about the stages of preparation of the Turkmenistan national team for the most important tournament of the year.

In preparation for the 2023 World Cup, Turkmen kurash masters took part in several training camps abroad, as well as in a number of international competitions. They spent the final stage of preparation for the World Championship in the multifunctional sports complex in the city of Arkadag, where all the necessary conditions were created for fruitful preparation for the upcoming competitions.

According to tradition, before important starts, the honorary elders of the country blessed our wrestlers for victory.

The task of our athletes is to raise the authority and prestige of domestic sports as high as possible, for which a lot is being done in the country, including under the personal patronage of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero-Arkadag.

It was also noted at the media forum that the Ashgabat World Championship aroused great interest in the international media even before its start. Thus, individual programs and videos dedicated to this tournament were broadcast on the TV channels «Mir24», «TRT Avaz», «CCTV» and «EURONEWS», and were also covered among the broadcasters of the news group of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Association «Asiavision» and the Interstate information pool. In addition, materials about the World Kurash Championship were published in the publications of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and the Asian Sports Press Union (ASPU). They noted the high degree of readiness for the largest sporting event in Ashgabat.

The World Kurash Championship matches will be broadcast live on the «Turkmenistan Sport» and «Yashlyk» TV channels. And our foreign partners will have the opportunity to cover the tournament via the «Turkmen Alem 52E» satellite.

The Information Center of the Kurash Federation of Turkmenistan has published the schedule of competition days within the framework of the 14th World Championship in this belt wrestling, which will be held from November 23 to 28 in the Olympic village of Ashgabat, reports the publication “Turkmenistan: Golden Age”.

When will be the opening ceremony?

The opening ceremony of the 14th World Kurash Wrestling Championship will be on November 25 in the Olympic village of Ashgabat.

Who will represent the national team of Turkmenistan?

The men's national team of Turkmenistan included: Vepa Ovlyakulyev (weight category up to 60 kg), Dovlet Hamrakulyev (up to 66 kg), Shatlyk Jumaniyazov (up to 73 kg), Dayanch Omirov (up to 81 kg), Sanzhar Abdyrahmanov (up to 90 kg), Ruslan Esgerov (up to 100 kg) and Sapa Sapayev (over 100 kg).

Women's: Ayshirin Haydarova (up to 48 kg), Aynur Amanova (up to 52 kg), Gulshat Annayeva (up to 57 kg), Dinara Rozykulova (up to 63 kg), Maria Lohova (up to 70 kg), Sabina Kadyrova (up to 78 kg) , Jahan Muhammedova (up to 87 kg) and Sabina Agajanova (over 87 kg).

Competition schedule:

On November 27, competitions will be held in the following weight categories:

Men: -90 kg, -100 kg, +100 kg;
Women: -48 kg, -52 kg, -57kg, -63 kg, -70 kg.
Preliminary tour – from 10:00 to 13:00.
Semi-final – from 15:00 to 18:00.
Final – from 18:00 to 19:30.

On November 28, competitions will continue in the following weight categories:

Men: -60 kg, -66 kg, -73 kg, -81 kg;
Women: -78 kg, -87 kg, +87 kg.
Preliminary tour – from 10:00 to 13:00.
Semi-final – from 15:00 to 18:00.
Final – from 18:00 to 19:30.

Where will be the competition held?

The main competitions will be held at the Martial Arts Sports Complex of the Olympic village.

Ashgabat once again becomes the venue for the next major sports tournament. According to the Resolution of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, from November 23 to 28, the 14th World Kurash Wrestling Championship will be held in the Olympic town of the white marble capital, which is intended to write another bright page in the history of Turkmen sports.

The organization of a championship on a planetary scale is new evidence of the transformation of Ashgabat into a recognized international sports center, broad support from the world community implemented under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, as well as the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Hero-Arkadag, for a targeted strategy for the development of physical culture and sports, which is one of the priority directions of state policy of Turkmenistan.

“Sport is strength, beauty and health. Love for sports is love for life. Sport is important both for your physical and spiritual health, and for the health of our society as a whole,” emphasized National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, speaking to the younger generation with a general lesson on the occasion of the Day of Knowledge and Student Youth and the beginning of the new academic year.

On the initiative of Hero-Arkadag, compulsory physical training lessons have been introduced in all schools, secondary specialized and higher educational institutions, which creates conditions for the harmonious upbringing of the younger generation.

A few days remain until the start of the 14th World Kurash Wrestling Championship in Ashgabat, which, we can already say, will go down in history as one of the major sporting events of the year.

Even before it began, this world championship set a kind of record for the number of declared participants. According to new data provided today by the Kurash Federation of Turkmenistan, more than 490 people are expected to attend the World Championships in Ashgabat, including athletes (243), coaches, judges and other officials from 53 countries. By the way, last year's World Championships in the Indian city of Pune attracted 126 fewer people.

This is new clear evidence of the transformation of Ashgabat into a recognized international sports center, broad support from the International Kurash Association (IKA) implemented under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, as well as the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Hero-Arkadag for a targeted strategy for the development of physical culture and sports, which is one of the priority areas of state policy of Turkmenistan.

In the Era of the Revival of the New Epoch of the Powerful State, our neutral Fatherland is demonstrating impressive achievements in the sports field. Thus, the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Ashgabat in 2017 were crowned with an undeniable triumph, resulting in a grand celebration. And in 2018, the International Rally «Amul-Hazar 2018» and the World Weightlifting Championships were held with great success.

A landmark event in the history of national sports was the winning of the first Olympic silver medal at the women's weightlifting tournament in the program of the XXXII Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021.

It is also noteworthy that in June of this year, the Turkmen capital for the second time became the venue for the Central Asian team tennis championship among boys and girls under 12 years old, in which young athletes from six countries - Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan - competed for the title of the strongest. and Turkmenistan.

And now Ashgabat is ready to host another major world-scale tournament. In order to hold the World Kurash Championship at a high level, the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed a Resolution on the 12th of July, creating the Organizing Committee and approving its composition.

Another significant event on the eve of the opening of the 2023 World Kurash Championship was the unanimous election of Turkmenistan as a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee on Physical Culture and Sports for 2023–2027. All this testifies to the high international authority of the Fatherland, as well as recognition of its significant contribution to the development of physical education and sports, and the widespread popularization of the principles of a healthy lifestyle in the world.

The World Championship, at which 15 sets of medals will be competed in seven men's and eight women's weight categories, will be held at the martial arts sports complex of the Olympic village. On the eve of its opening, which will take place on the 25th of November, the composition of the Turkmenistan national team became known. He was determined based on the results of qualifying competitions in which the best masters of kurash took part.

The men's national team of Turkmenistan included: Vepa Ovlyakulyyev (weight category up to 60 kg), Dovlet Hamrakulyyev (up to 66 kg), Shatlyk Jumaniyazov (up to 73 kg), Dayanch Omirov (up to 81 kg), Sanjar Abdyrahmanov (up to 90 kg), Ruslan Esgerov (up to 100 kg) and Sapa Sapayev (over 100 kg). And in the women's category - Aishirin Khaidarova (up to 48 kg), Aynur Amanova (up to 52 kg), Gulshat Annayeva (up to 57 kg), Dinara Rozykulova (up to 63 kg), Maria Lohova (up to 70 kg), Sabina Kadyrova (up to 78 kg), Jahan Muhammedova (up to 87 kg) and Sabina Agajanova (over 87 kg).

The final training camp for the World Championship - from 20th of October to 21st of November - was held by Turkmen kurash masters in the multifunctional sports complex in the city of Arkadag, where all the necessary conditions were created for fruitful preparation for the upcoming competitions. Thanks to the assistance of the administration of the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Education and Sports, psychologists and massage therapists-rehabilitators worked with the national team for the entire month. And the private company «Ussat inžener» took care of the high-calorie nutrition of the athletes, providing a chef who prepared a varied and vitamin-rich menu every day.

The task for our athletes at the World Championships in Ashgabat is to raise the authority and prestige of domestic sports as high as possible, for which a lot is being done in the country, including under the personal patronage of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero-Arkadag.

Last year at the World Championships in India, our compatriots won one silver and two bronze.

This time, the Turkmen kurash masters must perform much more successfully, the Turkmenistan team believes.

According to the coaches of our team, the great attention of the President of Turkmenistan and the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Hero-Arkadag to the development of elite sports gives additional strength to the sportsmen and confidence in victory.

There are only a few days left before the start of the 14th World Kurash Wrestling Championship in Ashgabat. We can already say that the upcoming world championship will go down in history as one of the major sporting events of the year.

According to new data provided today by the Kurash Federation of Turkmenistan, more than 490 people are expected to attend the World Championships in Ashgabat, including athletes (243), coaches, judges and other officials from 53 countries. By the way, last year's World Championships in the Indian city of Pune attracted 126 fewer people, reports the TDH news agency.

The World Championship, at which 15 sets of medals will be competed in 7 men's and 8 women's weight categories, will be held at the martial arts sports complex of the Olympic village. On the eve of its opening, which will take place on November 25, the composition of the Turkmenistan national team became known:

The men's national team of Turkmenistan included:

• Vepa Ovlyakulyev (weight category up to 60 kg),
• Dovlet Hamrakulyev (up to 66 kg),
• Shatlyk Jumaniyazov (up to 73 kg),
• Dayanch Omirov (up to 81 kg),
• Sanjar Abdyrahmanov (up to 90 kg),
• Ruslan Esgerov (up to 100 kg),
• Sapa Sapaev (over 100 kg).

And in the women's room:

• Ayshirin Haydarova (up to 48 kg),
• Aynur Amanova (up to 52 kg),
• Gulshat Annaeva (up to 57 kg),
• Dinara Rozykulova (up to 63 kg),
• Mariya Lohova (up to 70 kg),
• Sabina Kadyrova (up to 78 kg),
• Jahan Muhammedova (up to 87 kg),
• Sabina Agajanova (over 87 kg).

Turkmen kurash masters held the final training camp for the World Championship at the multifunctional sports complex in the city of Arkadag. Psychologists, massage therapists, rehabilitation therapists and a special cook worked with them, who prepared a varied and vitamin-rich menu every day.

The goal of Turkmen athletes at the World Championships in Ashgabat is to raise the authority and prestige of domestic sports. Last year at the world championship in India they won one silver and two bronze medals. This year, Turkmen kurash masters are counting on more successful performances.

According to the coaches of the Turkmenistan national team, the enormous attention of the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the development of elite sports gives athletes additional strength and confidence in victory.