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Turkmen tennis players successfully began their performance at the international tournament Ashgabat Open 2024, which started in the capital of Turkmenistan. On the first day of the competition, athletes from Turkmenistan showed excellent results, advancing to the second round of the tournament.
The tournament is being held at the Tennis Complex of the Olympic Village and has gathered 63 athletes under the age of 14 from 12 countries, including the United Kingdom, India, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, UAE, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan is represented by 20 boys and 22 girls.
According to the publication 'Turkmenistan: Golden Age,' in the men's singles category, Emirhan Rustamov, Yasin Faizullaev, Ilyas Mammetgulyyev, Ali Geldiyev, Erkin Altyyev, Kerimgeldi Velibegov, Alyryza Meredov, Yunus Annamyradov, Eyupbeg Atajanov, Suleyman Khudaiberdiev, and Mukhammedsapa Serdarov advanced to the second round.
Among the girls, Leyli Esenova, Ksenia Sorokina, Safiya Tribunskaya, Selbi Altyeva, Sahra Garakhanova, Sulgun Ishankuliyeva, Imilia Kambarova, Anna Ponyatova, Aynur Atajanova, Ilima Guseynova, Aylara Kakabaeva, Aynur Annamyradova, and Nazli Khudaikuliyeva advanced to the second round.
The competition continues
Turkmen freestyle wrestlers won four medals at the international tournament 'Belt and Road,' which concluded in Xi'an (China). The Turkmenistan team collected one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.
The gold medal in the weight category up to 86 kg was won by Dovlet Orazgulyjov. The silver medal went to Ziyamuhammet Saparov (up to 125 kg), and the bronze medalists were Perman Khommadov (up to 70 kg) and Shatlyk Hemelyaev (up to 97 kg).
Athletes from China, five Central Asian countries including Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, as well as from Azerbaijan and others, participated in the competition.
The Ashgabat Open 2024 international tennis tournament among boys and girls under 14 years old has started in the capital of Turkmenistan. The opening of the competition took place on the territory of the Olympic town. Young talents from different countries are taking part in the tournament.
The tournament was organized by the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Physical Culture and Sports and the Tennis Federation of Turkmenistan. In addition to the sports component, a rich cultural program has been prepared for the participants, including visits to museums, a zoo, a circus, and the International Ahal-Teke Equestrian Complex.
The final matches and the award ceremony for the winners are scheduled for November 16.
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov held a working meeting with the participation of Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers T.Atahalliyev and hakimov velayatov, where they discussed current work in the agricultural sector and the implementation of the National Rural Program, TDH reports.
It was noted at the meeting that cotton harvesting and its transportation to receiving points without losses continues in the velayats. Work is also underway to take care of wheat crops, including soil irrigation and weed control.
Rice is harvested in the Dashoguz and Lebap velayats, and sugar beet is harvested in the Mary region. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov instructed to ensure proper control over all stages of agricultural work and preparation for the next season.
The head of state also instructed to strictly control the construction of social and industrial facilities, which are planned to open in the regions this year.
Turkmen tennis players Maral Akhmedova and Nazar Dovmatov participated in the regional conference for coaches from Western and Central Asia, which took place in Manama.
The regional forum, organized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), brought together more than 50 coaches from 12 countries in the capital of Bahrain. Over three days, they were trained on topics such as organizing the training process, tactical and technical training methods, preparing players for matches, and the role of male and female coaches in competitions and in developing sports reserves.
Maral Akhmedova, a member of the Turkmenistan national team and holder of an ITF Level 1 coaching certificate, successfully combines active tennis participation with coaching at the 7th sports school in Danev etrap, Lebap velayat. She acknowledged that the knowledge gained at the ITF conference will be applied in training processes with children.
The male representative of the Turkmen delegation at the conference was young future coach Nazar Dovmatov, who is currently studying at the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports with a specialization in tennis coaching.
The Tennis Federation of Turkmenistan, led since 2022 by Eziz Dovletov, Master of Sports, winner of the Davis Cup Group IV Asia/Oceania zone, prize-winner of many international and national tournaments, places significant emphasis on coach education and professional skill development. Currently, over 40 certified coaches who have completed the introductory ITF Play Tennis course work with children and beginners in Turkmenistan. The number of coaches holding ITF Level 1 certificates has increased to 18.
Additionally, last year, Mirali Gasanov, the 32-year-old head coach of Turkmenistan's men's national team and the Ashgabat Tennis Academy, became the first in Turkmenistan to obtain the PRO Level certificate. This certification allows him to work with professional players worldwide after successfully completing testing and training at David Ferrer's renowned tennis academy in Valencia, Spain.
Turkmen sambists won two bronze medals on the first day of the World Championships that began in Astana (Kazakhstan).
This large-scale event is being held in Kazakhstan for the second time and has brought together around 470 athletes from 80 countries worldwide, including teams from Russia, Belarus, and refugees competing under a neutral status.
Participants in the world championship are competing for 31 sets of medals in sport and combat sambo among men and women, as well as sambo for blind men in the SVI-1 class (totally blind athletes). Notably, the disciplines of women's combat sambo (in seven weight categories) and blind sambo (in three weight categories) have been included in the World Championships program for the first time in history.
The competitions are taking place at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace. The significance of the event was highlighted by the presence of legendary sambist Fedor Emelianenko at the opening ceremony of the 2024 World Championships, as well as a prize fund totaling USD 311,000. The winners of the world championship receive $4,000 each, silver medalists receive $3,000 each, bronze medalists receive $2,000 each, and gold medalists among the blind receive $1,000 each.
On the first day of the championship, winners and medalists were determined in ten weight categories. Among them, Zarina Abdyrakhmanova, a coach-teacher at the sports school of Ak Bugday etrap under the Main Department of Physical Culture and Sports of Ahal velayat (weight category up to 54 kg), and Gulzada Jorakulieva from the National Federation of Martial Arts of Turkmenistan (up to 72 kg) were awarded bronze medals. Both achieved success in combat sambo competitions.
On her way to the podium, Z. Abdyrakhmanova won her first match, which was a quarterfinal, against Khongorzul Delgersaikhan (Mongolia) with a score of 8:0 but lost in the semifinals to 19-year-old silver medalist of the 2024 World Championships and current champion of Asia and Oceania Gulsevar Urakova (Uzbekistan) with a score of 1:4.
Gulzada Jorakulieva also secured one victory by defeating 20-year-old European vice-champion and bronze medalist of the 2024 World Cup in Armenia Angelina Lysenko (Ukraine) with a score of 4:0 in the quarterfinals, but lost in the semifinals to 29-year-old vice-champion of the 2024 World Championships and three-time World Cup winner Yana Polyakova from Russia with a score of 0:8.
Earlier this year, 31-year-old Zarina Abdyrakhmanova won silver medals at the Asian and Oceania Championships in Macau (China) and at the World Cup in Cholpon-Ata (Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan), while 25-year-old Gulzada Jorakulieva received bronze awards at these same competitions.
The World Sambo Championships continues.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulated Guvanchmukhammed Ovekov on his election as Chairman of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan (FFT). The congratulations were published on his social media pages.
On November 4, Turkmenistan held elections for the head of the FFT, following which Guvanchmukhammed Ovekov was unanimously elected to this post.
It is worth noting that in May last year, a meeting was held in Ashgabat between President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. During the meeting, the head of state expressed his readiness to support FIFA's initiatives and proposals for the further promotion of football in the country. Infantino, in turn, noted that he was happy to visit Ashgabat, and as a symbolic gift, he presented the President with a personalized T-shirt with number 10, a football and a FIFA pennant.
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov ordered the development of a draft National Anti-Corruption Program for 2025-2029. The order was given during a regular meeting of the State Security Council, where the results of the work of security forces for ten months of this year were discussed, reports the State News Agency of Turkmenistan.
At the meeting, Prosecutor General B. Muhamedov presented a report on the work of the department, including the results of supervision over the implementation of legislation and the introduction of digital technologies in the work of the prosecutor’s office. Following the report, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized the need to strengthen control over the strict implementation of laws and ordered the development of a new anti-corruption program in accordance with international legal standards.
“It is necessary to develop, in accordance with generally accepted norms of international law, a draft National Anti-Corruption Program in Turkmenistan for 2025–2029 and other documents", - the head of state emphasized.
The meeting also touched upon issues of strengthening the material and technical base of law enforcement agencies and improving their activities in order to ensure the security of the state.
In the latest round of the Champions League, there were a number of unexpected results. The main sensation of the evening was the victory of Portuguese "Sporting" over the reigning tournament champion "Manchester City" with a score of 4:1. Another unexpected result was "Milan's" away victory over "Real" in Madrid with a score of 3:1.
"Liverpool" demonstrated a confident game, thrashing the German "Bayer" 4:0. An equally impressive victory was achieved by the Dutch PSV, which defeated the Spanish "Girona" with the same score of 4:0.
In other matches of the round:
- "Dinamo" Zagreb confidently defeated "Slovan" (4:1)
- "Monaco" narrowly beat "Bologna" (1:0)
- "Lille" and "Juventus" drew (1:1)
- "Borussia" Dortmund narrowly defeated "Sturm" (1:0)
- "Celtic" beat "RB Leipzig" (3:1)
November 6, the tournament will continue with the following matches:
At 22:45 (Ashgabat time):
- "Shakhtar" - "Young Boys"
- "Brugge" - "Aston Villa"
At 01:00 (November 7):
- "Sparta" Prague - "Brest"
- "Feyenoord" - "Red Bull Salzburg"
- "Stuttgart" - "Atalanta"
- "PSG" - "Atletico" Madrid
- "Crvena Zvezda" - "Barcelona"
- "Bayern" - "Benfica"
- "Inter" - "Arsenal"
The head coach of the Turkmen “Altyn Asyr”, Yazkuli Hojageldiyev, held a pre-match press conference on the eve of the meeting with the Saudi “Al-Taawun” in the 4th round of the AFC Champions League-2.
According to the coach, the tournament was an excellent school for his young team, which was significantly updated last season. “Despite the fact that we are participating for the first time, I am pleased that with each game the team is acting more confidently, the quality of the game is improving”, - noted Hojageldiyev.
The team is determined for the upcoming match, although they will not be able to count on two players - Ruslan Tadzhiyev and Dovlet Mirsultanov, who are missing the game due to disqualification. The coach acknowledged the high level of the opponent, noting the large number of legionnaires in the “Al-Taawun” squad.
The team's forward Rahman Muratberdiyev assured that the team is fully prepared for the match and intends to “fight for the country and the fans”.
Kadyr Jumayev, a student of the Turkmen State Institute of Economics and Management from Turkmenabat, emerged as the winner of the recently concluded Ashgabat qualifying stage for participation in the first league of the 2025 Turkmenistan Chess Championship. He achieved this success by leading in the open category, which allows both men and womento particupate. Over nine rounds, K. Jumayev scored 7.5 points.
Four players were half a point behind the winner, but based on additional criteria, second place went to Ibrayim Serdarov, a student from the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports. Fifteen-year-old schoolgirl Jennet Yalkanova from Mary velayat completed the top three.
Notably, besides Jennet, two other participants, Ashgabat schoolgirls Mahrijemal Gurbangeldiyeva and Zalina Iminova, made it to the top ten players in Ashgabat and earned the right to participate in the open category of the 2025 championship's first league. According to Mergen Kakabayev, FIDE Master and Secretary General of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, this is a significant achievement and indicates the growth of women's chess in the country.
Sisters Lale and Byagul Vepaeva took an early lead in the women's category. Nine-year-old Lale, who became the Western Asia champion in the U10 group in Kyrgyzstan this August, won the tournament with 7.5 points. Her sister Byagul finished fourth with 6 points after losing her last two games. Dilber Khupbiyeva from Dashoguz velayat and nine-year-old Jumasoltan Muhammetberdiyeva from Mary velayat finished second and third with 6.5 points each.
Many more experienced chess players had already secured their places in the first league and did not participate in this tournament. However, the triumph of young girls in adult competitions is a clear indicator of the development of children's chess in the country.
A total of 99 chess players participated in the Ashgabat qualifying stage: 79 in the open category and 20 in the women's category.
Regional qualifiers for the national chess championship, called "II League," are being held for the second year. The top ten chess players from each region will qualify for participation in the first league scheduled for early next year.
The series of qualifying stages began in Dashoguz velayat, where ten-year-old Omarbek Ismailov and eleven-year-old Sakhra Saparmyradova won in the open and women's categories respectively.
Winners of the next qualifying stage in Lebap velayat will be announced on November 8. The final qualifying stage in Mary velayat will be held from November 11 to 15.
43-year-old Guvanchmuhammed Ovekov was unanimously elected as the new chairman of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan at an extraordinary election conference held in Ashgabat on Monday, the “Jankoyer” website reports.
After finishing his professional career, Guvanchmuhammed worked in the coaching staff of “Ahal”, then managed the football clubs “Ahal” and “Arkadag”. Under his leadership, “Ahal” achieved a “golden double” in 2022, winning the championship and the Turkmenistan Cup, and “Arkadag” achieved similar success the following season. It is noteworthy that both teams spent their championship seasons without a single defeat.
During his professional career, Ovekov played for both Turkmen clubs (“Nisa”, “Balkan”) and abroad. He spent a significant part of his career in Ukraine, and also played in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
As part of the national team, Ovekov set a unique achievement, becoming the only Turkmen footballer to score four goals in one official match – this happened in the game against the Afghan national team at the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008.