MESSAGE TO THE MEDIA The Joint Statement of Turkmenistan and Brazil "On Encouraging the Valuable Contribution of the Olympic Teams of Refugees to the Promotion of Peace and Human Rights" adopted on September 15, 2017, at the 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) in Geneva, Switzerland, on the initiative of the Government of Turkmenistan was supported by many foreign governmental and international experts in the field of human rights. For example, on its online information por...

Ashgabat welcomes sports delegations and fans from the countries of Asia and Oceania These days, thousands of foreign guests arrive in Turkmenistan capital to participate in the V Asian indoor and martial arts games, the grand opening of which will be held on September 17. Large-scale arrangements for the preparation of major international competitions, held for the first time in Central Asia, attracted the attention of representatives of the world sports community, spectators and fans from a...

World class Velodrome ready for racing Among the jewels in Ashgabat’s sporting crown is its 6,000-capacity Velodrome. It was designed and built to the highest standards with key materials for the 250-metre track imported from Finland. The facility, which was completed in 2014, is widely expected to lead to a bid to host major world track cycling events in the future. Track Cycling at Ashgabat 2017 fits into two broad categories: Sprint races and Endurance races. There are individual and te...

Turkmen Belt Wrestlers grappling with high hopes of a nation In the basement of the Ashgabat Stadium, Turkmen Belt Wrestlers are stepping up their training day after day in the hope of winning numerous medals at the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, starting on Sunday in the Turkmenistan capital. The seven-year wait is nearly over for this proud nation to host the biggest ever sporting event ever held in the Central Asian region, and many of the Turkmen Belt Wrestlers began making t...

REFUGEE TEAM FROM AFRICA TO COMPETE IN INDOOR ATHLETICS TRACK EVENTS The refugee team of five athletes taking part in Ashgabat 2017 has been named and will compete in the Indoor Athletics track events. The delegation’s Chef de Mission is Kenya’s legendary marathon runner Tegla Loroupe, who will be joined by two more officials and a coach. The five athletes – Paulo Amotun Lokoro (entered in 1500m), Wiyual Puok Deng (400m), Gai Yang Tap (800m), Ukuk Uthoo Bul (3000m), and Yiech Pur Biel (800...

A sparkling white city for sports The city of Ashgabat looks forward to opening its doors to the thousands of athletes, officials and supporters, visiting for the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.  Ashgabat has been widely redeveloped, and is now a sparkling showcase city of modern hotels, brilliant white and marble office and ministerial buildings, fountains and monuments. A fresh chapter in the history of Asian sport will be written when the gleaming new Ashgabat Olympic Comple...

Ashgabat 2017 in numbers The Ashgabat -2017 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games are set to get underway on 16 September with two early medal events (Traditional Wrestling and Jiu-jitsu), followed by the Opening Ceremony on 17 September. As befitting a sporting event of this size taking place on the most populous continent in the world, Ashgabat -2017 boasts some truly impressive numbers in the “facts and figures” department, with a massive cast of characters, incredible feats of engine...