The opening ceremony of the International tournament in national wrestling Goresh and belt wrestling Alysh, which is attended by athletes from 13 countries of Europe and Asia, took place in the Turkmen capital. This event became a new vivid evidence of the transformation of Ashgabat into a recognized international sports center, broad support from the World Federations of Goresh (WGF) and Alysh (WAF), implemented under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, as well as the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Hero-Arkadaga, a targeted strategy for the development of physical culture and sports, which stands for one of the priority directions of Turkmenistan's state policy.

In the era of the Renaissance of a new era of a powerful state, Russian sport has reached qualitatively new frontiers. As a member of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia, our State makes a worthy contribution to the development of the international Olympic movement. Realizing its sports potential for the sake of peace and friendship, Turkmenistan systematically strengthens and increases international cooperation.

An eloquent confirmation of the appreciation of our country's successes in the development of sports and the promotion of the values of physical culture and recreation movement was the announcement of June 3 as World Bicycle Day on the initiative of Turkmenistan, as well as the unanimous adoption of Resolutions of the UN General Assembly "Integration of mass cycling into public transport systems to achieve sustainable development" and "United Nations Friendship Games".

In 2017, the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games were held in Ashgabat with great success, bringing together more than 5,000 of the strongest athletes from 62 countries, including Oceania, and in 2018, the Amul–Khazar 2018 International Rally, which ran along the route of the historic Great Silk Road, and The World Weightlifting Championships.

In June 2023, the Turkmen capital became the venue for the Central Asian Men's and girls' under-12 Tennis Team Championship for the second time, in which the title of the strongest was contested by young athletes from six countries – Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. And in November of the same year, the 14th Kurash World Wrestling Championship with the participation of athletes from 45 countries of four continents ended triumphantly for the Turkmen national team in the Martial Arts Sports Complex of the Olympic Town, in which domestic athletes in 15 weight categories won 15 medals – 5 gold, 6 silver and 4 bronze.

Thanks to the large-scale multidimensional work carried out, the Turkmen capital has gained a high reputation in the international arena as a rapidly developing center of world sports, which has all the conditions for holding competitions of the highest level. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the announcement of Ashgabat as the "City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth" at the regular meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government held on May 24, 2024 in the Turkmen capital was a sign of special trust in Turkmenistan from the international sports community, recognition of our country's achievements in the development and popularization of physical culture and sports, and strengthening international cooperation in this field. In the same year, the Tennis Complex of the Ashgabat Olympic Town was recognized by the Asian Tennis Federation as the "Training Center of the Asian region." 

And now Ashgabat is organizing another representative competition – the International Tournament in national Wrestling Goresh and belt Wrestling Alysh, which is attended by athletes from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Belarus, Georgia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In order to hold the competitions at a high level, the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Physical Culture and Sports established a working group, which included representatives of ministries and departments, and approved a plan of relevant events.

National goresh and belt alysh are types of wrestling that have ancient historical roots and embody the heroic spirit, courage and sports culture of the Turkmen and their friendly peoples. These types of martial arts are not just a sporting hobby, but also an integral part of the cultural heritage of peoples, glorifying noble traditions passed down from generation to generation.

Specialists of the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Physical Culture and Sports, in cooperation with the World Goresh Federation, whose headquarters are located in Ashgabat, are consistently working to further spread the Turkmen national wrestling in different parts of the world.

In March 2017, the European Goresh Federation was established in the Republic of Lithuania. And already on April 29 – May 2, in the city of Novi Sad of the Serbian Republic, for the first time in the history of the continent, the European Championship in Turkmen goresh was organized with the participation of wrestlers from 10 countries - Belarus, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine and Russia. In May 2017, Cape Town (South Africa) hosted the First African Championship in Turkmen National Wrestling, which was also included as a separate sport in the program of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, held in September 2017 in Ashgabat.

The venue for the opening ceremony of the International National Wrestling Tournament Goresh and Belt Wrestling Alysh was the Martial Arts Sports Complex, part of the infrastructure of the capital's Olympic Campus, built on the initiative of the National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to host the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. Now the largest sports facility in the Central Asian region is used for major competitions, as well as for training athletes and classes for anyone who wants to improve their health.

The organization of these competitions was preceded by serious, responsible and comprehensive training on the part of the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports, the Belt Wrestling Federation of Turkmenistan and the World Goresh Federation. The necessary conditions have been created in the capital's Olympic campus for athletes and everyone involved in these prestigious competitions, as well as for guests and fans. 100 volunteers from higher educational institutions of the country have been trained.

On the day of the start of the international tournament, its participants got acquainted with the exhibition that opened in the lobby of the Martial Arts Sports Complex, demonstrating the numerous achievements of Turkmen athletes. The opening ceremony of the International Goresh National Wrestling and Alysh Belt Wrestling Tournaments took place here in the afternoon.

The welcoming Address of the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, is read out in a solemn atmosphere, in which it is noted that our ancestors, who lived in the heart of the Great Silk Road – on the ancient Turkmen land, attached special importance to wrestling in the context of educating a physically strong and strong-minded generation, and also formed a kind of national wrestling training school. Today, along with national wrestling goresh, much attention is paid to other disciplines of this sport, including belt wrestling alysh.

"The Turkmen, who wholeheartedly protected their heritage – national wrestling, have been honing their skills for many centuries, making a significant contribution to the formation and development of wrestling as a separate sport. Today, the art of wrestling of our people is consistently improving," the head of state stressed, expressing confidence that the current significant event in the sports chronicle of Turkmenistan will significantly strengthen international targeted cooperation, triumphantly establish peace and friendship, promote and popularize the principles of the Olympic movement, as well as enhance the skills and experience of athletes in national wrestling goresh and belt wrestling. alysh.

The welcoming Address of the President of Turkmenistan was listened to with great enthusiasm and met with thunderous applause.

Then Shohrat Mammadov, Chairman of the Belt Wrestling Federation of Turkmenistan (BWFT), and Adilet Bayaman uulu, President of the Alysh World Federation (WAF), addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. Expressing sincere gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero Arkadag, for their great attention to the development of sports and, in particular, belt wrestling, as well as for the opportunity to hold representative major competitions at a high level, the heads of sports organizations cordially congratulated the participants of the tournament on its start and wished them a successful performance.

Gold medals were won by Ashyrmyrat Amandurdiyev (up to 57 kg), Yakup Babayev (up to 62 kg), Ylas Begmyradov (up to 68 kg), Agayusup Garayev (up to 75 kg), Sylapberdi Nuryev (up to 82 kg), Annagurbanallaberdiyev (up to 90 kg), Palvan Gurbangeldiyev (up to 100 kg), Nurmukhammet Baydogdiyev (over 100 kg).

Silver medals in our team were awarded to Mukhammetarslan Geldiyev (up to 57 kg), Atageldi Tejendurdiyev (up to 75 kg), Dovran Dzhumadurdiyev (up to 82 kg), Begli Khojammayev (up to 100 kg) and Ovezgeldi Berdiyev (over 100 kg). Palvan Akmyradov (up to 68 kg) became the bronze medalist.

Thus, following the results of the first day of the tournament, the national team of Turkmenistan won 14 medals (8 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze). The second place in the medal standings with 2 silver and 3 bronze medals is taken by the Kyrgyz team, and the third place is taken by the athletes of Afghanistan, who have 1 silver and 5 bronze medals. Wrestlers from Uzbekistan won three bronze medals and representatives of Azerbaijan, India, Iran and Mongolia each won one.

On April 24, belt wrestling masters Alysh will compete for medals, who will compete for 10 sets of awards – six for men and four for women.