Russian Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will fight against Irishman Paul Hughes on January 25. This match will be the main event of the Champions Series tournament, which will take place in Dubai.

Nurmagomedov, undefeated with 18 wins, will defend his title for the third time. Hughes has a record of 13 wins and one loss.

The Iran national team won 3-2 against Kyrgyzstan in the sixth round match of the third stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the Asian zone.

For the winners, goals were scored by Mehdi Taremi (12th minute), Saleh Hardani (33rd), and Sardar Azmoun (76th). For the hosts, Joel Kodjo scored a brace (51st and 64th minutes).

With 16 points, the Iran national team confidently leads Group A. Kyrgyzstan, with three points, occupies the fifth spot in the standings.

In a parallel match of Group A, Uzbekistan narrowly defeated North Korea 1-0 in Vientiane, Laos. The winning goal was scored by Abbosbek Fayzullaev in the 44th minute. In the 83rd minute, Uzbekistan was reduced to ten players after Umar Eshmorodov was sent off. North Korea had a chance to equalize in the 85th minute, but Chong Il Gwan missed a penalty.

Uzbekistan (13 points) retains second place in Group A, which gives them a direct spot in the World Cup, which will be held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

It is worth noting that both teams had previously competed in the same group ("A") with the Turkmenistan national team in the second round of the qualifiers. As a result, Iran and Uzbekistan, finishing in the top two spots, continued their fight for a World Cup berth. Turkmenistan and Hong Kong, finishing third and fourth respectively, will participate in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

According to the current FIFA rankings, Iran is in 19th place, Uzbekistan is in 58th, Kyrgyzstan is in 103rd, Tajikistan is in 105th, and Turkmenistan is in 144th place.

According to The Athletic, Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has agreed with the club's management to sign a new contract. The agreement will be for one year with an option to extend for another season.

The current contract of the 53-year-old specialist expires next summer. It is expected that the extension will be officially announced in the coming days.

Since his appointment as head coach in 2016, Guardiola has led the "Citizens" to six English Premier League titles and a Champions League victory. The high performance of the Spanish specialist has contributed to the club's decision to continue the cooperation.

Turkmen fighter Dovletjan Yagshimuradov is preparing for the most important fight of his career. On November 29, in Saudi Arabia, he will face American Impa Kasanganai in the final bout of the PFL league, where the championship belt and a prize fund of $1 million will be at stake.

Yagshimuradov approaches this fight in excellent shape, having an impressive streak of six consecutive victories. His latest triumph took place in August at the PFL 8 tournament in Hollywood, where he confidently defeated Australian Rob Wilkinson by unanimous decision with a score of 30-27 on all cards.

The Turkmen fighter has every chance of winning thanks to his excellent form and experience in PFL.

Turkmen sambo athletes secured six medals of various distinctions at the 49th World Championships held in Astana.

This major tournament in Kazakhstan, with a prize fund of $311,000, attracted around 470 athletes from 80 countries, who competed for 31 sets of medals in sport and combat sambo for men and women, as well as sambo for blind men in the SVI-1 class (totally blind athletes).

Over three days of competition, Turkmen athletes won 1 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.

On the first day of the championship, two bronze medals were awarded to Zarina Abdyrahmanova (weight category up to 54 kg), a coach and instructor at the sports school of the Ak Bugday etrap of the Main Department of Physical Culture and Sports of Ahal velayat, and Gulzada Jorakulyyeva(up to 72 kg), an athlete from the National Federation of Martial Arts of Turkmenistan. Both achieved success in combat sambo competitions.

On the second day of competition, 26-year-old Master of Sports Muminjan Arzykulyov won a gold medal. He became the world champion in combat sambo in the weight category up to 71 kg, where 24 athletes competed for medals. M. Arzykulyov successfully combines active sports training with his work as a sambo coach at the 5th sports school in Garlyk village, Koytendag etrap, Lebap velayat.

On the final day of the World Championships, the Turkmenistan team's medal tally was further enriched with two silver and one bronze medal.

The silver medalists were: Bagul Nuryyeva, a coach and instructor at the 1st sports school of Charjev etrap of the Main Department of Physical Culture and Sports of Lebap velayat (combat sambo, up to 50 kg), and Sabina Agajanova, a coach and instructor at Danew etrap of the Main Department of Physical Culture and Sports of Lebap velayat (combat sambo, over 80 kg). The bronze medal was awarded to Kambar Umarov, a coach and instructor at the 3rd sports school of Charjev etrap of the Main Department of Physical Culture and Sports of Lebap velayat (sports sambo, up to 71 kg).

The next jubilee 50th World Sambo Championships will be held in Ashgabat in 2025. At the FIAS Congress held in Astana, delegates also confirmed Ashgabat as the venue for Congress-2025 and voted to extend Vasily Shestakov's term as president of the International Sambo Federation until 2029.

On November 16, an amateur archery tournament was held at the Ashgabat Winter Sports Complex. Representatives of the media sphere - journalists, photo correspondents and authors of popular blogs - took part in the tournament.

The friendly competition, organized under the auspices of the National Archery Federation of Turkmenistan, was aimed at popularizing this sport among young people. Approached the competition with responsibility and taking experience from professional shooters the participants of the tournament, divided into two teams.

The tournament consisted of three stages. In the first stage, the participants had to shoot at paper targets representing concentric circles of various colors. The second stage complicated the task by offering the shooters three-dimensional fixed targets in the shape of balls. The final stage was long-range archery at a large target.

During the competition, leadership was repeatedly transferred from one team to another. However, as a result of a stubborn struggle, a team of photojournalists won. The winners were awarded with incentive prizes from the sponsors of the tournament – the companies "Alem Sport", "Çopan" and "Resmi Kepil", also from the organizers.

Vepa Sahedov, Chairman of the National Archery Federation, congratulated all participants with their success, especially noting the significance of the victory in a year held under the motto “The Fount of Reason of Makhtumkuli Fragi”.

The tournament has become a bright event contributing  development of archery and strengthening ties within the media community.

– We are always open to everyone who wants to master one of the most exciting sports – archery, – said tournament organizer Shirin Zhozhieva. – It is never too late to start practicing this sport. You can come at any age and achieve excellent results. Archery develops body posture, precision and concentration.

All detailed information is provided on the official website of the National Archery Federation of Turkmenistan.

The Turkmen duo Nazar Amangeldyev and Kerimgeldi Velibegov won the final of the Ashgabat Open-2024 international youth tournament in doubles, beating compatriots Yunus Annamyradov and Ali Geldiyev with a score of 7:6 (7:4), 7:6 (7:4). The dramatic match lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes, reports “Turkmenistan: Golden Age”.

In the decisive match, Amangeldyev and Velibegov demonstrated strong-willed qualities, managing to come back from a score of 1:4 in the second set.

The path to victory for the tournament’s winners began with a sensational victory over the first seeds Suleyman Hudayberdyev and Emirhan Rustamov in the first round – 2:6, 6:1, 10:5, then in the quarterfinals they defeated Begenchgeldi Hummetov and Govshut Soyunov – 6:2, 6:2, and in the semifinals they beat Yaroslav Bobrov (Kazakhstan) and Muhammetsap Serdarov (Turkmenistan) without scoring – 6:0, 6:0.

The Ashgabat Open-2024 international tournament brought together young tennis players under 14 years of age from 12 countries, including representatives of Great Britain, India, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The competition took place in the capital of Turkmenistan in the Tennis Complex of the Olympic Village.

The first seeded pair of the tournament, Ilima Huseynova and Aylara Kakabaeva, became the winners of the international tennis tournament Ashgabat Open 2024 in doubles among girls under 14 years old. In the final match, the Turkmen athletes beat their compatriots Aynura Annamyradova and Nazli Hudaykuliyeva with a score of 6:4, 6:1, reports «Turkmenistan: Golden Age».

On the way to the title, Huseynova and Kakabaeva left no chance for their opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals, winning two «dry» victories with a score of 6:0, 6:0 over the Iranian pair Mahra Parniyan / Shayla Savakh and the Turkmen duo Ainura Agamuradova / Jennet Orazalieva, respectively.

The Ashgabat Open 2024 international tournament brought together young tennis players under 14 years of age from 12 countries, including representatives of the United Kingdom, India, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The competition was held in the capital of Turkmenistan in the Tennis Complex of the Olympic Village.

The Qatar national team won 3-2 against Uzbekistan in the fifth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament in the Asian zone. The match took place in Qatar.

For the hosts, Almoez Ali scored twice, netting in the 25th and 41st minutes, while the winning goal was scored by Lucas Mendes in the 90+12th minute of added time. For the visitors, both goals were scored by CSKA Moscow midfielder Abbosbek Fayzullaev in the 75th and 80th minutes.

After this victory, the Uzbekistan team, with 10 points, occupies second place in Group A, while Qatar, with 7 points, has risen to fourth place. The top two teams in the group after 10 rounds will qualify for the World Cup, while the teams finishing third and fourth will continue to compete in the next qualifying stage.

In the next round, which will take place on November 19, Uzbekistan will play in Laos against the DPRK team, while the Qatari footballers will face the UAE team away.

The Turkmenistan national weightlifting team continues to prepare for the upcoming World Championship to be held in Bahrain in December 2024. At the moment, the athletes are at the training camp in the Turkish city of Antalya.

Under the guidance of head coach Mansur Rejepov, 30 athletes (19 men and 11 women) are taking part in the training.

The team is supported by seven experienced specialists: Meret Sahetmyradov, Azat Gorganov, Ahmet Saryyev, Guvanch Sahydov, Bayram Geldiyev, Gurbandurdy Amanov and Zair Huseynov. All of them play an important role in the organization of the training process, which is aimed at achieving high results at the World Championship.

The main start of the year for the Turkmen weightlifters is the 89th World Weightlifting Championship, which will be held from 4 to 14 December in Manama (Bahrain). To successfully prepare for the tournament, the team is conducting daily training sessions, including two sessions a day. In addition to traditional gym workouts, the athletes are also warm-up exercises along the Mediterranean coast to help maintain a high level of physical fitness and improve recovery.

The training camp in Antalya will last until 21 November, after which the team will travel to Bahrain to continue preparations ahead of the World Championship.

At the international tennis tournament “Ashgabat open 2024” among boys and girls under 14 years old, which is taking place in the Turkmen capital, competitions in doubles have begun.

According to the publication “Turkmenistan: Golden Age”, 16 pairs are competing for the title of the strongest in this type of program among young men, demonstrating a huge will to win. Three matches were very indicative in this regard, two of which ended sensationally. Thus, in the first of them, first-seeded Suleiman Hudayberdyev and Emirhan Rustamov unexpectedly lost in a super tie-break to their compatriots Nazar Amangeldyev and Kerimgeldi Velibegov, who were inferior in rating.

It is noteworthy that at first nothing foreshadowed a sensation. S. Hudayberdyev and E. Rustamov confidently won the first set – 6:2. However, they relaxed in the second and lost – 1:6. In the end, everything was decided in a super tie-break, which N. Amangeldyev and K. Velibegov won – 10:5 and advanced to the quarterfinals.

The second sensation was born in the match, in which third-seeded Keimir Annaev and Ilyas Memmetgulyev surprisingly easily lost to the Malaysian duo Gareth Lim Hao Zhe and Jacob Wong – 1:6, 1:6.

Following the tennis players from Malaysia, the international duo of Seyran Delakov (Turkmenistan) and Muhammad Ermatov (Uzbekistan) showed great will to win, defeating the pair of Efe Daniel Akar (Turkmenistan) and Guvanch Dovletov (Turkmenistan) in a tough fight – 7:6(3), 6:4 and advanced to the quarterfinals.

The following also advanced to the quarterfinals: Turkmen pairs Yunus Annamyradov and Ali Geldiyev (seeded second), Begenchgeldi Hummetov and Govshut Soyunov, Eyupbeg Atajanov and Alyryza Meredov and international duets Rashid Aljesmi (UAE) and Ayman Hammoudeh (Jordan), as well as fourth-seeded Yaroslav Bobrov (Kazakhstan) and Muhammetsapa Serdarov (Turkmenistan).

In the women's doubles, where 14 duets are competing for the prizes, there were no particular sensations. The first two seeded duets from Turkmenistan - Ilima Huseynova/Aylara Kakabayeva and Ainur Annamyradova/Nazli Hudaykuliyeva, thanks to a lucky draw, reached the quarterfinals without a fight. But the rest had to work hard to proceed to the next round of the competition. Based on the results of the day's play, the following earned this right:

Turkmen pairs Ainur Agamuradova and Jennet Orazalieva (seeded fourth), Selbi Altyeva and Imilia Kambarova, Leyli Esenova and Anna Ponyatova, Victoria Kurbaeva and Mahri Mammedova, tennis players from Iran Mahra Parniyan and Shayly Savakh, and the international duo Sulgun Ishankulieva (Turkmenistan) and Safiya Sharipova (Uzbekistan), seeded third.

Let us remind that the international tournament “Ashgabat open 2024” is taking place in the Tennis Complex of the Olympic town with the participation of athletes from 12 countries - Great Britain, India, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The footballers of Dashoguz's "Turan" will participate in the final tournament of the Turkmenistan championship among First League teams. They earned this right by winning the zonal competitions in the northern region of the country.

In Dashoguz velayat, eight teams competed for the sole ticket to the final stage of the competition, playing each other twice—home and away. By defeating their opponents in all matches, "Turan" achieved a perfect score of 42 points, securing first place. The victorious team was led to this success by head coach Alibek Sapayev, with assistance from Sharafatdin Jumaniyazov.

Dashoguz's "Oguz" took second place with 34 points (coach – Aziz Atakhanov). "Kopetdag" from Dashoguz completed the top three (coach – Hurmat Karimov).

The top scorer of the zonal tournament in Dashoguz velayat was Azizbek Rozimov from the "Oguz" team, scoring 25 goals.

The final tournament of the First League championship, featuring winners from velayats and Ashgabat, will take place for the first time after a five-year break. It is planned that all its matches will be held in Dashoguz.