A new page has been written into the history of the Turkmen sports movement: our national team took part for the first time in the Football World Cup among schoolchildren born in 2007-2008, held in the city of Dalian (People's Republic of China). This is reported by the newspaper "Neutral Turkmenistan".

56 teams from 33 countries took part in the tournament. The national teams of Brazil, Mexico, Germany and Uganda played in the same group with the Turkmen national team.

Turkmen football players led by Bayramdurdy Meredov and Eziz Annamukhammedov won over the teams of Brazil (3:0) and Mexico (2:0). The goals in these matches were scored by Mukhammedali Durdyev, Timur Jalilov, Orazguly Orazgulyev, Berdimyrat Danatarov. Goalkeeper Davut Davatov, forwards Omar Datdov and Begench Vepalyev demonstrated an excellent game.

Unfortunately, two victories were not enough to make it to the next round, because in the duels with Germany and Uganda, the Turkmen football players still lost in a stubborn struggle.

And here it is worth saying that our group was one of the strongest, since the Ugandan national team was able to reach the final, where in a penalty shootout they lost to representatives of the hosts of the World Cup, the Chinese national team.

In the autumn of 2024, Turkmen fans will have the opportunity to support their favorite local clubs at the Asian club tournaments of the new 2024/2025 season.

According to information published on the website of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Turkmenistan has received one quota to participate in the AFC-2 Champions League. The application for participation in this tournament was submitted by Altyn Asyr. Another quota was provided for the AFC Challenge League, which was claimed by FC Arkadag.

Both Turkmen clubs will represent their country at prestigious Asian club competitions in the upcoming season.

With the start of the new season in Asia, a new format for club tournaments comes into force. Instead of two tournaments, as it was before, there will now be three competitions, similar to the European system: the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League.

New Asian Competitions

• AFC Elite Champions League — (24 clubs);
• AFC Champions League 2 — (32 clubs);
• AFC Challenge League — (20 clubs).

It is expected that the draw for the group stage will take place at the end of August, determining the composition of participants and the distribution of groups in the above-mentioned tournaments.

Earlier, we reported that five clubs from Turkmenistan have received licenses to participate in AFC tournaments.

The Italian national team defeated Albania in the first round of the Euro 2024 group stage.

The match of group B was held in Dortmund and ended with the victory of Luciano Spaletti's team with a score of 2:1. The Albanians opened the account in this meeting — Nedim Bayrami scored already on the 22nd second. This goal was the fastest in the history of the European Championships.

By the 16th minute, the Italians took the lead. Alessandro Bastoni scored first, then Nicolo Barella. The score did not change in the second half. The result is a 2-1 victory for the Italian national team.

The England national team beat Serbia with a minimum score at Euro 2024 in Germany.

The match in Gelsenkirchen ended with a score of 1:0. The only goal was scored in the 13th minute, when Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham closed the canopy of Arsenal player Bukayo Saka with his head.

In group C, along with the national teams of England and Serbia, the teams of Denmark and Slovenia are represented, the match between which ended in a 1-1 draw. In the second round of the group stage, on June 20, England will play the Danes, and the Serbs will play the Slovenes.

Five clubs from Turkmenistan – “Arkadag”, “Altyn Asyr”, “Nebitchi”, “Ahal” and “Ashgabat” - have successfully completed the licensing process of the Asian Football Confederation and received the right to participate in international tournaments under the auspices of the AFC in the 2024/2025 season. This was reported by the press service of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan.

Club licensing is a key tool for the AFC to raise quality standards and ensure adequate governance and infrastructure in club football.

According to the received licenses published on the AFC website, Turkmenistan received one quota for the AFC-2 Champions League, for which “Altyn Asyr” applied, and one quota for the AFC Challenge League, for which “Arkadag” applied.

On the eve of important international starts, including the Olympic Games in Paris, the Turkmenistan national weightlifting team arrived for training camps in Georgia under the guidance of an experienced 52-year-old Chinese specialist Lin Shufeng, the Turkmenistan newspaper reports: The Golden Age."

Lin Shufeng, the bronze medalist of the 1991 Junior World Championship in the weight category up to 75 kg and a participant in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, was invited to the coaching staff of the Turkmen national team last autumn. Under his leadership, Turkmen weightlifters won a number of medals of various denominations in December 2023 at the international Grand Prix II tournament in Doha (Qatar), in February 2024 at the Asian Championship in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and in April this year at the World Cup in Phuket (Thailand).

Working in tandem with the head coach of the national team, Mansur Rejepov, experienced Chinese mentor Lin Shufeng conducts intensive training for 8 athletes at the sports base of the famous Georgian ski resort Bakuriani. Special attention is paid to the preparation of 23-year-old Davranbek Khasanbayev, who won a ticket to the Olympic Games in Paris.

The silver medalist of the 2023 Turkmenistan football championship “Altyn Asyr” will begin its journey in the AFC-2 Champions League from the qualifying round. The rival of the Turkmen team will be the Indian “East Bengal”.

The decisive match for a place in the group stage of the second most important Asian club competition of the 2024/25 season will be held on August 14 at the “Salt Lake” stadium in Kolkata. The losing team will receive a place in the group stage of the AFC Challenge League.

“East Bengal” is one of the oldest football clubs in India, founded in 1920 in Kolkata. Currently plays in the country's elite division - the Indian Super League.

Dear people!

Dear compatriots!

I cordially congratulate you on the holy Eid al-Adha for the entire Muslim world! May this wonderful holiday, symbolizing humanism, benevolence, and spiritual purity since ancient times, bring prosperity to the prosperous Motherland, native people, and increase our pride in a happy life in the era of the Rebirth of a new era of a powerful state!

Turkmens, committed to millennial noble principles, are one of the peoples who were able to bring beliefs, traditions, customs, views about the Universe, being, man, friendship, peace, benevolence, humanity, wealth to perfection. Great is the merit of our courageous ancestors, who possess the most remarkable character traits, in the formation of principles such as humanity, sincerity, mutual respect, especially in their efforts to turn Eid al-Adha into one of the sacred holidays calling for spiritual and moral purity, high humanity. This holiday is celebrated in the era of the Rebirth of a new era of a powerful state, when the authority of our independent country is increasing all over the world, and is celebrated in unity and cohesion.

In the year "The Storehouse of the Mind of Magtumguly Pragy", the celebration of Eid al-Adha for three days is held at the state level, at various venues, in the cultural and entertainment centers of the cities of Ashgabat and Arkadag, in all settlements, where bright musical and song celebrations, social and cultural events are organized. Sachaks abounding in prepared festive dishes are widely spread in every family, sadaka-kurbanlyk is given and prayers are offered for the further prosperity of the independent Motherland, a happy and prosperous life of the people.

Guided by the motto "The Motherland is the Motherland only with the people! The state is a state only with the people!", we pay great attention to the health and spiritual perfection of every citizen of the country. We attach special importance to the development of our society in accordance with the high principles of humanity, based on spiritual and moral values. We are creating the necessary conditions for our compatriots to make pilgrimages to the shrines of the Muslim world and perform Hajj. In the year of the widespread celebration at the international level of the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great thinker-poet Magtumguly Pragy, on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, a large group from Turkmenistan makes a pilgrimage to participate in the Hajj.

Dear compatriots!

The original, unique material and spiritual values of our people are a golden treasury that contributes to the formation and strengthening of friendly relations between East and West, North and South, the basis of our identity and respect for our nation in the world, our dignity for centuries. That is why, attaching great importance to our national principles and the experience accumulated over thousands of years, we are improving our society on the basis of high ideals of humanism, thanks to boundless love, unity, selfless work of the people, we achieve grandiose victories, multiply the glory of our native Homeland.

Having successfully implemented the adopted programs, reforms, and promising projects, we are confidently following the path of independence and neutrality.

Guided by our peaceful, benevolent and humane principles, as well as the wisdom of the great son of the Turkmen people, thinker Magtumguly Pragy: "A man sleeps or is awake, he will be deeply faithful to his plans," we are building bridges of friendship and brotherhood with the peoples of the world and countries. We are strengthening friendly relations with such reputable international organizations as the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as the Pacific and Asian regions, countries of the Middle East, the Middle East, Europe and America. All this inspires the native people to reach new heights for the comprehensive development of an independent Homeland, strengthening the authority of our neutral state in the world.

Dear compatriots!

Dear people!

Once again, I cordially congratulate you on Eid al-Adha!

And may the festive sadaqah performed by you on the days of Eid al-Adha, the good prayers for the prosperity of our independent neutral Homeland, a happy and peaceful life of the people be accepted by Almighty Allah, Kabul bolsun!

I wish you good health, longevity, happiness and family well-being!

President of Turkmenistan 

Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV.

Spain - Croatia (3-0)
On June 15, the Spanish national team beat Croatia with a big score in the group stage match of the European Football Championship.

The meeting of group B, held in Berlin, ended with a score of 3:0. The goals were scored by Alvaro Morata (29th minute), Fabian Ruiz (32) and Dani Carvajal (45+2).

At the end of the second half, Croats forward Bruno Petkovic missed a penalty.

Barcelona striker Lamin Yamal joined the starting line-up of the Spanish national team and made an assist. He became the youngest participant in the European Championships at the age of 16 years and 338 days.

In the next round, the Croatian team will face the Albanian national team on June 19, the Spaniards will play the Italians the next day.

Hungary - Switzerland (1:3)

In the other match of the game day, the Swiss national team defeated the Hungarian team.

The Group A meeting was held in Cologne and ended with a score of 3:1 in favor of the Swiss, which featured Kwadwo Dua (12), Michel Ebisher (45) and Brel Embolo (90+3). The Hungarians' only accurate shot was delivered by Barnabasha Varga (66).

In the next match, Hungary will play the hosts of the tournament, Germany, on June 19, and the Swiss will play a match with Scotland on the same day.

The European Championship takes place in 10 German cities from June 14 to July 14.

On June 14, at the Mirvais Sadek sports complex in Herat, the Consulate General of Turkmenistan in Afghanistan organized a futsal tournament dedicated to the year "The Storehouse of the Mind of Magtumguly Pragy" and the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great Turkmen poet and thinker.

The event was attended by teams of the Turkmen diaspora of Herat province. The tournament has become not only a sporting event, but also a symbol of friendly and good-neighborly relations between the two states.

Medals, diplomas, souvenirs, as well as the coveted Champion's Cup were presented to the winner and prize-winners of the tournament on behalf of the Consulate General.

At the end of the event, all those present, including players and fans, were treated to dishes of Turkmen national cuisine.

This tournament not only marked an important event in the cultural history of Turkmenistan, but also strengthened sports ties between the two countries.

The third match of the Stanley Cup Finals series between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers took place. Florida won the first two.

The Panthers won the first period with a minimal advantage, and after the second they were already 4-1 in the score, making a significant bid for final success. Edmonton left the final 20 minutes behind and scored two goals, but could not save the match or put the game into overtime.

As a result, Florida won 4-3, and the score in the series was already 3-0 in favor of the Cats.

The teams will play the next match of the final series on June 16. If they win, the Florida Panthers can close out the series and win the Stanley Cup.

The German national team beat the Scottish national team (5-1) in the opening match of the European Football Championship.

The meeting was held in Munich at the Allianz Arena stadium. The first goal of the tournament in the 10th minute of the match was scored by Florian Virus, who hit the Scottish goal from the penalty area. In the 19th minute, the Germans managed a quick attack, which was completed by Jamal Musiala with a powerful blow.

At the end of the first half, the main referee of the meeting, Clement Turpin, removed the defender of the Scots, Ryan Porteous, who hit the legs of the captain of the German national team Ilkay Gundogan with spikes within the penalty area. The referee awarded a penalty, which was successfully implemented by Kai Havertz. The score was 3-0.

In the second half, substitute Niklas Fulkrug scored the fourth goal of the German national team in the 68th minute.

In the 87th minute, the Scots managed to score a prestige goal, which was recorded by the defender of the German national team Antonio Ruediger.

The final score in the third added minute was set by Bundestim midfielder Emre Jan - 5:1.

The German national team took the lead in the Group A standings, scoring three points. In the next match, the hosts of the tournament will play with the Hungarian national team, and the Scots will meet with the Swiss team. Both meetings will be held on Wednesday, June 19.