The International Children's Day is celebrated on the first of June. On this occasion, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov addressed congratulations to the citizens of the country.

"I sincerely congratulate you on the International Children's Day! The significant date itself is a kind of celebration of friendship and peace, so I am sure that the celebrations timed to it in our independent neutral Homeland – the land of happy childhood, where the brightest dreams come true and grandiose goals are achieved, will leave pleasant memories for children – the charming flowers of our life!", the message says.

Every day of this year, the motto of which is "The Storehouse of the mind of Makhtumkuli Fraga", is full of bright events. Intense celebrations on the occasion of the International Children's Day are taking place, as before, throughout the country, including in the cities of Ashgabat and Arkadag.

"The festive events are imbued with national flavor, the spirit of unity and cohesion. The summer vacation season is also beginning solemnly in children's health centers located in the greenery-filled Gekder, the world-famous Avaza National Tourist Zone and in the regions of our country," the President noted.

The Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Care is also doing a lot of work for the harmonious spiritual and physical development and upbringing of children and adolescents left without parents or care of persons replacing them. And such activities of the Foundation are a clear evidence of the triumph of the ideals of humanism inherent in our society. With the assistance of the Foundation, a Children's tennis festival will be held in Ashgabat.

Special attention is also paid to the construction of modern kindergartens, secondary schools, sports, recreation and entertainment complexes, thereby creating a favorable environment for the upbringing of happy children with a broad outlook and high moral standards, the message emphasizes.

"And may the merry laughter of beloved children – the charming flowers of our life - not cease in the era of the Rebirth of a new era of a powerful state!" the head of state concluded, wishing the country's children good health, longevity and a happy life, TDH reports.

The gold and bronze awards were won by Turkmen tennis player Ilima Huseynova at the Asian 14&U Grade A international tournament.

The competition was held from May 25 to June 1 in Hyderabad, India.

Athletes from the USA, Singapore, Thailand, Chinese Taipei and the host country of India competed in the tournament together with Elena Huseynova.

In singles, Mirali Hasanova's ward won the bronze medal, beating Indian tennis player Karthika Harsha Oruganti with a score of 6:2, 6:2 in the match for third place.

Huseynova achieved equally impressive results in doubles, where she competed in pairs with Indian athlete Karthika Padmakumar. In the final match, the Huseynov duo/Padmakumar defeated the Indian pair Kiran/Balaji 6-3, 6-3 to win the gold medal.

According to the established good tradition, the International Children's Day was widely celebrated in Turkmenistan on the first of June. In honor of the significant date, the opening of the children's tennis festival took place, as well as the presentation of the Certificate of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) declaring the Olympic town of Ashgabat the "Educational and Training center of the Asian region".

The venue for the celebrations was a tennis complex, part of the infrastructure of the capital's Olympic Town, built on the initiative of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. And now this largest sports facility in the Central Asian region serves for holding major sports competitions, as well as for training athletes and anyone who wants to improve their health.

The festive event was attended by the Chairman of the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports of Turkmenistan, the rector of the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, representatives of the International and Asian Tennis Federation, National Olympic and Paralympic Committees and National sports federations of Turkmenistan, the media, numerous young athletes and children.

Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the development of sports and mass physical culture movement, as well as the organization of comprehensive measures to popularize the principles of a healthy lifestyle in society.

On May 30, 2024, consultations between the heads of structural divisions of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka took place in the format of a videoconference. This is reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

During the consultations, the parties discussed the current state of bilateral relations in the political, trade, economic, investment, cultural, humanitarian, and agricultural spheres, and also identified priorities for further bilateral cooperation. In particular, it was noted that there is potential for cooperation in the oil and gas and chemical industries, the transport and logistics sector, the textile industry, tourism and education.

The interlocutors discussed the prospects for exchanging visits at various levels and expanding ties between the parliaments of Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka.

The importance of improving the contractual and legal framework of the bilateral partnership was emphasized.

The diplomats noted the importance of continuing inter-ministerial political consultations, enhancing economic ties by establishing close relations between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the two countries, as well as holding business forums with the participation of the business circles of Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka.

The Turkmenistan team won 7 medals at once, including 3 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals at the World Youth Weightlifting Championships, held in the capital of Peru.

About 280 young athletes from 50 countries came to the tournament.

The main star of the Turkmen team was Suleyman Jafarov, who competed in the weight category up to 102 kg. He surpassed all his opponents, winning gold medals in the snatch (143 kg) and combined combined (313 kg), as well as a bronze medal in the clean and jerk (170 kg).

No less Impressive results were achieved by 16-year-old Ogulshat Amanova in a weight of up to 49 kg. Her result of 77 kg in the snatch brought her a gold medal. In the clean and jerk, Ogulshat won bronze, holding a barbell weighing 91 kg over her head. And the double event total of 168 kg allowed her to become a silver medalist.

Didarbek Jumabayev won the bronze medal in the clean and jerk discipline in the weight category up to 67 kg, pushing a barbell weighing 155 kg. His final result of 272 kg in the double event allowed him to enter the top four young weightlifters in the world.

The Grand Prix of Combat Sambo, which was held according to the new rules of the Combat Sambo League, ended in Ulan-Ude (Republic of Buryatia, Russia). In the weight category up to 88 kg, Turkmenistan's Suvkhan Ovezgeldiev won, defeating Russian Ivan Intyukhov in the final.

The Combat Sambo League was established in February 2020 with the aim of popularizing this sport and supporting professional sambo wrestlers. The key feature of the Grand Prix in Ulan-Ude was the holding of the tournament without preliminary meetings - athletes immediately went to the final matches in their weight categories.

Wrestlers from Russia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan took part in the competition. The winners were awarded cash prizes in the amount of 100,000 rubles and championship belts.

The Turkmenistan Track Cycling Championship in Ashgabat kicked off the festive events dedicated to the World Bicycle Day celebrated on June 3 around the planet.

The venue of the competition, organized by the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports of Turkmenistan and the Cycling Federation of the country, was the cycle track located in the Olympic Village.

More than 50 athletes born in 2006-2010 from Ashgabat, velayats, the School for Training Young Olympians, and other sports organizations of the country competed in the flying 200 m time trial, individual time trial, individual pursuit and team sprint 500 and 750 meters. The winners and prize-winners of the Turkmenistan championship were awarded valuable prizes.

As previously reported, within the framework of the celebration of World Bicycle Day, a 335-km bicycle marathon is also planned with the participation of the national team along a special route on the Mary-Tejen-Ashgabat high-speed highway section from May 31 to June 3. On June 3, a mass bicycle race is envisaged to be organized in the capital.

It is worth recalling that the World Bicycle Day was established on the initiative of Turkmenistan in April 2018 at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly.

Turkmen athletes have won two gold and two silver medals at the Kyokushin Karate World Championship in Jakarta (Indonesia). 

The gold medals were won by Dayanch Gylychdurdyev, a 5th year student at the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, in the men's under 65kg weight category, and Ogulbagt Kurbanowa, a coach at the National Kyokushin Karate Center of Turkmenistan, in the women's over 65kg weight category. 

The silver medals were won by Gulnabat Yazilova (under 55 kg), a 1st year student at the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, and Ayymjan Sultanova (under 65 kg), a coach at the 5th sports school in Dashoguz city, Dashoguz region. 

340 athletes from 13 countries participated in the competition.

Athletes of Turkmenistan won 20 gold, 7 silver and 10 bronze medals at the international tournament «Balt Cup-2024» in the non-Olympic version of ITF taekwondo, which was held in the capital of Estonia.

About 500 athletes from 8 countries competed for awards in various age categories.

The Turkmenistan team was represented by 25 athletes who, based on the results of all types of the program, won 37 medals - 8 more than last year at the same tournament.

It is also gratifying that this is not the first success of ITF taekwondo masters from Turkmenistan at international competitions this year. Two months ago, at an international tournament in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), they won 34 medals, of which 19 were gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze.

Hans-Dieter Flick has become the new helmsman of the Catalan “Barcelona”, the club's press service reports. The 59 years old German specialist signed a contract with the “Blaugrana” until June 30, 2026.

Let us remind that on May 24, “Barcelona” announced their separation from Xavi, who had led the team since the beginning of this year.

Flick is best known for his work with “Bayern” Munich, whom he coached from 2019 to 2021. During this time, under his leadership, the Bavarians won two league titles, two German Cups, two German Super Cups, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

In 2021, Flick led the German national team, but failed to take them out of the group at the 2022 World Cup. This was followed by a series of unsuccessful friendly matches, which ultimately led to the specialist’s resignation.

The rival of the national team of Turkmenistan in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, the Hong Kong team, has changed its head coach. 44 years old Austrian specialist Wolfgang Luisser has been appointed as the new mentor, replacing Jorn Anderson, who worked in the position for 3,5 years. In June 2022, Anderson successfully led Hong Kong to the finals of the 2023 Asian Cup, the first time this has happened in 54 years.

Luisser will assume the duties of acting head coach, leading the team into the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Turkmenistan.

Meanwhile, the football players of the Turkmenistan national team arrived for a training camp in Antalya, Türkiye, where until June 4 they will prepare for the upcoming qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup with the teams of Uzbekistan and Hong Kong.

Let us remind that 24 football players have been invited to the national team to prepare for the final qualifying games of the 2026 World Cup.

In the 5th round of the qualifying stage of the 2026 World Cup, Turkmen football players will meet on June 6 in Tashkent with Uzbekistan, and in the final qualifying match they will play on June 11 at home with Hong Kong.

After four rounds, the Turkmenistan team takes third place in group E with 1 point.

In honor of the International Children's Day, Ashgabat will host a concert with the participation of the Youth Symphony Orchestra and the United Children's Choir. The event will begin at 15:00 on June 1 at the Mukam Palace of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan.

The concert was organized by a specially created Organizing Committee, which carefully selected talented children from art, music and specialized educational institutions of the country. Children from all regions of Turkmenistan, including the cities of Ashgabat and Arkadag, participated in the selection.

110 talented young musicians from the Youth Symphony Orchestra and about 120 members of the united Children's Choir will perform on stage. Young singers and musicians will also perform with them, who will perform famous works by Turkmen and foreign composers.