During the meeting of the CIS Heads of Government Council held in the capital on May 24, 2024, Ashgabat was declared the City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth. And on September 6 of this year, at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the Resolution United Nations Friendship Games initiated by Turkmenistan was adopted.

In commemoration of such a relevant Resolution, on November 2, with the participation of the President of Turkmenistan, a mass ascent along the Health Path took place, as well as a ceremony honoring athletes who demonstrated good results in international tournaments and thereby increased the authority of the Motherland.

To the loud applause of numerous participants, athletes and coaches of the national teams of Turkmenistan who won international competitions were presented with valuable gifts on behalf of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero Arkadag.

The athletes, who received valuable gifts, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, as well as the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero Arkadag, assuring that they will continue to worthily represent the Fatherland in the world sports arena.

The Health Path in Ashgabat is hosted an award ceremony for athletes of the national teams of Turkmenistan who have achieved high results in international competitions. On this occasion, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov sent congratulations to the athletes of the national teams.

Dear participants of the ceremony!
Dear athletes!

I sincerely congratulate you on your successful performance and prize places at major international competitions in 2024, held under the motto The Storehouse of Reason of Magtymguly Pyragy!

Thanks to the grandiose undertakings of the Hero Arkadag, the authority of our country in the world sports arena has risen to a new high level. The protection of human health and the affirmation of the principles of a healthy lifestyle in society, the education of comprehensively developed youth, the popularization of physical education, big-time sports and the Olympic movement, as well as the expansion of international partnerships in sports are the priorities of state policy.

Dear friends!

A reliable platform for broad fruitful cooperation in the field of sports has been formed in Turkmenistan: our country maintains targeted cooperation with more than sixty countries.

At the same time, within the framework of the United Nations, our independent neutral Fatherland puts forward constructive initiatives to strengthen international partnership in sports and, as a member of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia, makes a significant contribution to the expansion of the Olympic movement.

At the suggestion of Turkmenistan, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted Resolutions on declaring June 3 as World Bicycle Day and Integrating mass cycling into public transport to achieve sustainable development. Our country has also been elected to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport for 2023-2027 (CIGEPS).

On September 6, 2024, at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, with the unanimous support of the member states of the Community of Nations, the Resolution United Nations Games initiated by Turkmenistan was adopted. In addition, on May 24, 2024, a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS was held in the capital at a high organizational level: by its decision, Ashgabat was declared the City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth. The fact of adopting these documents will allow our Fatherland to make a significant contribution to maintaining peace and friendship, affirming the principles of a healthy lifestyle, as well as significantly expanding and strengthening contacts and joint actions with international structures. Recently, the Olympic Village, which has no analogues in the Central Asian region, has successfully hosted many major competitions and this fully confirmed Ashgabat's ability to organize world tournaments at a high level. A clear example of this is the decision taken at the Asian Tennis Federation Congress on May 31, 2024, to declare the Tennis Complex in the structure of the capital's Olympic City the Asian Tennis Training Center.

It is worth noting that in the regions, the cities of Ashgabat and Arkadag many sports infrastructure facilities were built and commissioned, in particular, multi-purpose stadiums, physical education and health complexes, racetracks and specialized schools. Our youth, who have linked their fate with sports, successfully perform in tournaments not only at the national level, but also at the regional and international level, increasing the sports authority of the Motherland, demonstrating a brilliant example of patriotism, fearlessness and skill.

Dear participants of the ceremony!

The Program for the Support and Development of Physical Culture and Sports in Turkmenistan in 2021–2025 and the Program for the Revival of a New Era of a Powerful State: National Program for the Socio-Economic Development of Turkmenistan in 2022–2052 define the unprecedented tasks facing us – glorifying Turkmen sports, turning our country into a modern center for holding international tournaments and Olympic Games.

We will create a new sports infrastructure by focusing the potential of sports in the interests of peace and friendship, as well as all the conditions for training true amateurs and masters of sports today. As is known, physical education and sports among young people are the imperative of the times: sports are a source of health and beauty.

Happy youth of an independent neutral Fatherland!

The era of the Revival of a New Era of a Powerful State opens a new milestone of sporting achievements for you. Now, when an advanced national sports system is being formed, the task of increasing the authority of our country in this area falls primarily to you. I am sure that with your brilliant successes at the competitions you will raise the Flag of our Motherland – Turkmenistan – and thereby increase its authority.

Dear participants of the ceremony!
Dear athletes!

Once again, I sincerely congratulate you on your achievements at international tournaments! I wish you good health I wish you happiness, prosperity and great success in raising the authority of the Fatherland in the international sports arena!

President of Turkmenistan
Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV.

In the coming days, Turkmenistan will once again become the venue for an international competition. This time, the Turkmen capital will host participants of the international tennis tournament "Ashgabat Open 2024" for boys and girls under 14 years old for the first time.

Deputy Prime Minister B. Orazdurdyeva, who supervises sports sphere, announced at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on Friday that the competitions will be held at the Tennis Complex of the capital's Olympic Village from November 8 to 17 this year. It is expected that the competitions will be attended by 70 athletes (37 boys and 33 girls) and sports delegations from 12 countries, including Turkey, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Iran, Jordan, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and China.

After hearing the report, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to develop sports in the country and enhance its international sports reputation. He emphasized that all conditions have been created in Turkmenistan for hosting sports competitions of various levels.

Highlighting the importance of the international tennis tournament "Ashgabat Open 2024," the head of state instructed the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure a high level of organization for the upcoming competitions and prepare domestic athletes participating in them.

Turkmenistan has previously hosted major international competitions. In 2017, the capital's Olympic Village successfully hosted the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. 

The country's sports reputation was further enhanced by events such as the 2018 International Rally "Amul–Khazar" and the World Weightlifting Championship, which added new bright chapters to both national and global sports history.

Among other significant sports events held in Ashgabat were the 14th World Kurash Championship and an international hockey tournament featuring teams from Commonwealth countries and other nations.

Notably, last year, Turkmenistan's capital successfully organized the Central Asian Team Championship in tennis for boys and girls under 12 years old for a second time. Young athletes from six countries—Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan—competed for top honors. 

Now Ashgabat is preparing to host another prestigious international tennis tournament—the "Ashgabat Open 2024." To ensure its high-level organization, Turkmenistan's State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports has established a working group comprising representatives from various ministries and agencies, and approved a plan of relevant activities.

Based on experience gained from hosting major international sports competitions in the country, preparatory work is underway to organize upcoming events at a high level.

A five-day technical coaching course of the Olympic Solidarity in handball has ended in Ashgabat, following which more than 20 Turkmen specialists successfully passed exams and received the international coaching category «D». Certificates on behalf of the International Handball Federation were presented by Hungarian expert Zoltan Marcinka, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reports.

The training course was attended by 29 coaches from all regions of the country. The program included both theoretical classes and practical training on the handball court. Participants studied warm-up methods, principles of team formation, defense and attack tactics. To consolidate the material, friendly matches were held between the seminar participants and professional athletes.

Among those who received the international category were seven coaches from Ashgabat, five from the Lebap velayat, four from the Mary velayat, three from the Balkan velayat and two from the Dashoguz velayat. The remaining participants received certificates of completion of the course.

The course was conducted by Doctor of Physical Sciences, lecturer at the Hungarian University of Science and Sport Zoltan Marcinka, who has 25 years of experience as a lecturer at the International Handball Federation. According to him, the level of training of Turkmen handball players is quite high, he especially noted the professionalism of the Ashgabat women's team.

«Sports facilities in Turkmenistan meet all international standards, and the future of the Turkmen handball school is very promising,» the Hungarian specialist emphasized.

The "Turkmenaragatnashyk" Agency and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan invite all those interested in scientific and technological progress and innovative developments to participate in the international exhibition and scientific conference "Turkmentel-2024".

The international forum and exhibition, which will be held from November 14 to 16, will provide an opportunity to learn about the experiences of technologically advanced countries, achievements in the field of communications, as well as the latest developments in the telecommunications industry - from "smart systems" to the latest satellite and robotic technologies.

It is expected that leaders and representatives of leading global information and telecommunications companies, international organizations, technological centers, as well as scientists and experts will participate.

Members of the government of Turkmenistan, representatives of the Mejlis, ministries and sectoral departments, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions, international organizations, public associations, higher educational institutions, media, and honored elders will also take part in the conference.

As part of the international exhibition and scientific conference "Turkmentel-2024", multilateral negotiations and meetings are planned as an open international platform for identifying new directions of mutually beneficial cooperation and implementing joint projects.

Also, during the forum, the winners of the "Digital Solution - 2024" innovative project competition among Turkmen youth will be announced, and they will be awarded valuable prizes and honorary certificates.

Dear compatriots!

Respected banking sector employees!

I sincerely congratulate you on the 31st anniversary of the introduction of the national currency of Turkmenistan – the manat, which is a symbol of the country's economic development and achievements in the era of the Revival of the new epoch of the powerful state!

The introduction of the national manat has created positive opportunities for the harmonious development of the economy, stable monetary circulation, and the effective implementation of a unified state monetary policy. The strategy of this policy is to create favorable macroeconomic conditions to ensure the stability of monetary circulation and achieve stable economic development, improve the material well-being of the population, strengthen the competitiveness of the national economy, and successfully integrate the banking system into the international financial market. In achieving these goals, the banking system of the state is given great importance as an integral part of the market economy.

The banking sector, as the most important part of the country's economy, has become one of the rapidly developing structures. Ensuring its sustainable development through the widespread introduction of digital systems, effective risk and capital management mechanisms, the development of corporate governance systems, as well as the improvement of business forms, increasing the profitability and income of banks are among the priority tasks for the future.

The successful implementation of national programs is also reflected at the international level. International organizations positively assess the stable economic development of our Motherland.

Respected banking sector employees!

Currently, work continues to bring the country's banking regulatory legislation in line with international standards. In the context of modern requirements, the range of banking services is also developing. To accelerate settlements and cash flow, the introduction of advanced forms of service using technologies for safe and fast money transfers by the population is expanding the range of electronic payments in the banking sector.

The introduction of digital technologies has made it possible to automate labor-intensive work, activate the activities of the financial and economic system, expand the range of banking services provided, which contributes to increasing its efficiency and speed. The circulation of the national manat in the economy is also being improved, where rapid monetary circulation has led to an increase in the number of new productions. In addition, fruitful work is being carried out to improve the financial literacy of the population. The professionalism of banking employees is systematically growing.

Investment projects aimed at implementing the adopted programs for the development of Turkmenistan's foreign economic relations by the authorized credit organizations of the country are financed by attracted funds for the long and short term. Foreign financial organizations are actively involved in this work. In terms of socio-economic development and the volume of gross domestic product per capita, Turkmenistan has reached the average level of high-income countries. This is a concrete indicator of the effectiveness of the monetary, tax-budgetary, pricing, and investment policies pursued in the Motherland. The achieved successes are confirmed by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other authoritative international organizations.

We will continue to pay special attention to the consistent improvement of the country's monetary policy, increasing the volume of lending to the production sectors of the national economy, stimulating small productions, increasing the volume of credit financing for the population, forming affordable interest rates, improving the quality of banking services, as well as developing fruitful cooperation with international financial organizations, and the widespread introduction of innovative technologies.

Dear compatriots!

Respected banking sector employees!

Once again, I sincerely congratulate you on the 31st anniversary of the introduction of the national currency unit of independent neutral Turkmenistan – the manat! I wish you good health, family well-being, a peaceful and happy life, and great success in your work for the further progress of our sovereign state!

President of Turkmenistan
Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov held a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, who arrived in Ashgabat on an official visit to participate in a meeting of the co-chairs of the Turkmen-Russian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, reports the State News Agency of Turkmenistan.

During the meeting, an interested exchange of views took place on priority aspects of bilateral cooperation. It was noted that Turkmen-Russian relations, based on the principles of sincere friendship, trust and equality, are currently developing successfully in all directions. The political dialogue is being consistently strengthened and active inter-parliamentary interaction is taking place. Productive ties have been established between Turkmenistan and the regions and constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

“The trade and economic sphere was identified as the key area of Turkmen-Russian cooperation. For many years, the Russian Federation has been one of the leading trading partners of Turkmenistan. The Intergovernmental

Commission works effectively, within the framework of which efforts are coordinated on the entire range of issues of bilateral partnership,” the statement says.

Particular attention was paid to the humanitarian sphere, in particular, cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture and healthcare. In this context, the intention of both countries was confirmed to increase mutually beneficial diverse cooperation, which, being based on historical ties, meets mutual long-term interests and the strategy of interstate relations.

The Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) was recognized as the best regional Association of the year in Asia for the second year in a row. This was reported by the official website of the organization.

The award ceremony took place at the annual gala in Seoul. Founded in 2015, CAFA is the youngest regional Association of the Asian Football Confederation, but it has already gained significant recognition.

CAFA includes the Football Federations of six countries: Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The headquarters of the Association is located in Dushanbe.

The current champion of the Turkmenistan Premier League, Arkadag, defeated the champion of the Kyrgyz Republic, Abdysh-Ata, in the second round of the AFC Challenge League.

The match took place on Tuesday in Kuwait and ended with a 2:0 victory for Arkadag. The goals were scored by Shamammet Hydyrov (27th minute) and Abdy Byashimov (49).

Thanks to this victory, Vladimir Bayramov’s team scored 6 points and took the clear first place in Group B.

In the final, third round, the matches of which will take place on November 1, Arkadag will play against the Al-Arabi team from Kuwait, and Abdysh-Ata will meet the Maldivian club Maziya.

The AFC Challenge League is the third most important club tournament in Asia.

Spanish and Manchester City midfielder Rodri has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or, awarded by France Football magazine to the best footballer of the season. The award ceremony took place on Monday at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris. The only African winner of the Ballon d’Or and former President of Liberia George Weah presented the award to Rodri.

Rodri demonstrated outstanding results last season, becoming the champion of England with Manchester City and winning the European Championship with the Spanish national team. Despite a serious knee injury sustained in September, Rodri took to the stage on crutches, supported by the host of the ceremony, Didier Drogba. This moment was especially touching for everyone present.

In addition to Rodri, the top four nominees included three Real Madrid players: team captain Dani Carvajal (4th place), English midfielder Jude Bellingham (3rd place) and Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior (2nd place). Rodri became the first Spaniard to receive the Ballon d’Or since 1960, when Luis Suarez Miramontes won the award.

The ceremony also recognized the achievements of other outstanding personalities in the world of football. Italian Carlo Ancelotti, who heads Real Madrid, was named the best coach of the 2023/24 season. Under his leadership, Real became the champion of Spain, winner of the Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup.

The best coach in the world in women’s football was Emma Hayes, who last season headed London’s Chelsea and led the US team to gold medals at the Olympic Games in Paris.

The best goalkeeper for the second time in a row was recognized as the Argentine Emiliano Martinez from the English Aston Villa. He received the Lev Yashin Prize. Forwards Harry Kane from Munich Bayern and Kylian Mbappe from Madrid Real shared the award for the best striker of the season – the Gerd Müller Prize, and the Raymond Kopa Prize for the best young player of the season was won by Barcelona and Spanish national team player Lamin Yamal.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has entrusted a team of Turkmen referees to officiate the second round match of the Challenge League between the teams "Paro" from Bhutan and "Nejmeh" from Lebanon.

Resul Mammedov has been appointed as the main referee, working with assistants Ahmet Begnazarov and Palvan Palvanov. The match will take place on October 29 at the "Changlimithang" stadium in Thimphu (Bhutan) and will start at 16:00 Ashgabat time.

This is the first time for Turkmen referees to officiate a match within the Challenge League.

Resul Mammedov, a FIFA-licensed referee, previously officiated one of the qualifying matches of the Asian Cup for players under 20, making this match the second in his career as the main referee in AFC tournaments.

Turkmen athletes won one silver and two bronze medals at the World Traditional Karate Championships held in the Spanish city of Cambrils.

In the paired performance of en-bu, Selim Muratdurdyev and Nurgeldy Annagurbanov became silver medalists. In the individual kumite competitions, Selim Muratdurdyev added a bronze medal to the team's collection. Turkmen athletes won another bronze in the team kumite, where Hemra Begjanov, Kemal Atayev, Selim Muratdurdyev and Eziz Zekeryayev distinguished themselves.

In total, more than 500 athletes from 17 countries took part in the championship. Turkmenistan was represented at the competition by 10 karatekas.