Sport
A Turkmen specialist has been appointed as match commissioner for an AFC Champions League 2
23.09.2026Oraz Mammetgeldiyev, Chairman of the International Relations Department of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan, acted as match commissioner for an AFC Champions League 2 fixture. This was reported by the IIC of Turkmenistan. The match between Iraq’s ‘Al-Shorta’ and Oman’s ‘Al-Seeb’ took place on 16 September in Baghdad. The home side secured a 1–0 victory. As an official representative of the Asian Football Confederation, the Turkmen specialist was responsible for organising the match, overseeing the refereeing team and ensuring compliance with the tournament regulations. The appointment marked yet another international experience for this representative of Turkmen football.
Turkmen sambo athletes won four medals at the World Cup in Dushanbe
22.09.2026The Turkmenistan national team won four medals at the Sambo World Cup, which took place on 19–20 September in Dushanbe. The team secured one gold and three bronze medals, according to the IIC of Turkmenistan. On the first day of the competition, Sapar Dovletov took bronze in sport sambo in the under-71kg weight category. On 20 September, Ykbal Saparova won gold in women’s sport sambo in the under-50kg category. In combat sambo, bronze medals were won by Abdulla Nazargeldiyev (under 88 kg) and Malikberdi Begiyev (over 98 kg). Athletes from more than 15 countries took part in the competition.
The Embassy of Turkmenistan in Romania organised a football match
22.09.2026On 19 September 2026, a friendly football match featuring members of the diplomatic corps took place in Romania. The event was organised by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. The match was held to mark the 35th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s independence and the 2026 motto ‘Independent Neutral Turkmenistan − the Homeland of Purposeful Winged Horses’, according to the IIC. Before the match, participants were briefed on Turkmenistan’s achievements since independence in the economic, social, cultural and humanitarian spheres. The country’s foreign policy, based on the principles of neutrality and equal cooperation, was also outlined. Particular attention was paid to state policy on the development of mass sport and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Representatives of the diplomatic corps took part in the friendly match. The match took place in an atmosphere of sporting rivalry, mutual respect and teamwork. The organisers highlighted the importance of such events for the development of sports diplomacy and the strengthening of international partnerships.
Turkmenistan is laying the foundations for new sporting achievements
21.09.2026The development of physical education and sport in Turkmenistan is one of the key priorities of state policy. The country places particular emphasis on creating the conditions for participation in sport, training the next generation of athletes, developing professional sport and enhancing the international competitiveness of the national teams. As part of efforts to achieve these objectives, sports infrastructure, specialised schools and training centres are being developed, and opportunities are being created to host competitions and train qualified specialists. Work with young people holds a special place. Sports competitions are regularly held amongst school pupils, students and young athletes. Representatives from all regions of the country take part in these, which helps to broaden the sporting base and identify promising athletes. The development of student sport is also regarded as an important component of training the next generation of athletes. In 2026, the international results achieved by Turkmen athletes continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of this system. In the first seven months alone, the national teams won 471 medals at international competitions. In the months that followed, the athletes continued to compete in continental and world events, adding to the country’s medal tally. Moreover, the geographical scope and diversity of these achievements span a wide range of disciplines. Turkmen athletes perform successfully in combat sports, weightlifting and athletics, chess, boxing, wrestling and other sports. A significant proportion of these results are achieved by members of the younger generation, which testifies to the development of the sports talent development system. At the same time, the system for training coaches, referees and other specialists is being improved. International seminars and training courses are regularly held in Turkmenistan, focusing on modern training methods, competition rules, refereeing and the organisation of sporting events. Representatives of the country also take part in specialist training programmes abroad. This helps to improve the qualifications of staff and to integrate international standards into the national sports system. International cooperation is also of great importance. Turkmen national teams take part in competitions at various levels, whilst national federations collaborate with international and regional sports organisations. Such cooperation enables athletes to gain experience of competing at major international events, and allows specialists to exchange professional knowledge and best practices. The sports infrastructure is also being developed. Sports facilities, training grounds and specialised institutions are being modernised across the country. The creation of modern training conditions is accompanied by the development of medical and diagnostic support for athletes. Taken together, this creates the necessary environment for the systematic training of athletes. A separate element of state support is the provision of financial incentives for sporting achievements. Athletes and their coaches receive state awards and cash incentives for outstanding results at international competitions. Preparation for the major international competitions of the upcoming Olympic cycle remains a key priority. Turkmen athletes are training in athletics, weightlifting, boxing, judo, swimming, para-powerlifting, and freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Thus, Turkmenistan’s modern sports system is developing along several interrelated lines simultaneously. Mass participation and youth sport build up a pool of talent, specialised training ensures the development of skills, international competitions provide athletes with the necessary experience, whilst the personnel training system and state incentives create additional conditions for achieving high results. It is precisely this combination of factors that enables Turkmenistan to steadily expand its presence on the international sporting stage and to nurture a new generation of athletes capable of representing the country at the major continental and world competitions.
Turkmenistan will be represented by 34 athletes at the Asian Games in Japan
20.09.2026The 20th Asian Summer Games, the continent’s largest sporting event, will get underway on 19 September in Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya, Japan. The opening ceremony will take place at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, according to the news website Turkmenportal. The competitions will run from 19 September to 4 October 2026. In addition to Aichi and Nagoya, individual events will be hosted by Tokyo, Osaka, and the prefectures of Shizuoka and Gifu. In the run-up to the opening, a three-day welcome ceremony for the national delegations was held, featuring the raising of national flags and the playing of national anthems. On the final day, the flags were raised for the delegations from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Thailand, Kazakhstan and the Philippines. Turkmenistan will be represented at the Games by 34 athletes. They will compete in eight of the 43 sports included in the programme: freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, wushu, boxing, swimming, weightlifting, kurash, athletics and karate-do.
Turkmen football club ‘Arkadag’ got off to a winning start in the AFC Champions League 2
16.09.2026‘Arkadag’ Football Club beat Bahrain’s ‘Al-Muharraq’ 1–0 in their first match of the AFC Champions League 2 group stage. The Group B fixture took place at the ‘Arkadag’ Stadium in Turkmenistan, according to IIC of Turkmenistan. The only goal came in the 52nd minute, scored by Mekan Saparov with a precise header from a corner. Towards the end of the match, ‘Arkadag’ goalkeeper Rustem Ahallyev saved several shots from the opposition and kept a clean sheet. The match, played at the 10,000-capacity stadium, was officiated by a team of referees from Sri Lanka. ‘Arkadag’ have now secured three points. In the next round on 14 October, the Turkmen club will play away against ‘Al-Jazira’.
Athletes from Turkmenistan won 11 medals at the Central Asian Championships
15.09.2026Athletes from the Turkmenistan national athletics team won 11 medals – 2 gold, 7 silver and 2 bronze – at the 3rd Central Asian Open Championships, which took place in Tashkent. The medals were won in short- and middle-distance running, relays, the hammer throw and the shot put. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. At the end of the tournament, the Uzbekistan national team took first place in the overall standings, Kazakhstan came second and Turkmenistan third. More than 500 athletes from nine countries – Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Georgia – took part in the competition. The Turkmenistan national team was represented by 12 athletes from various age groups. Enejan Esedova won the gold medal in the 400-metre race with a time of 54.93 seconds, adding to this a silver in the 4×100-metre and mixed 4×400-metre relays. Another gold for the team was secured by Mergen Mamedov, a Merited Master of Sport, who threw the hammer 70.90 metres. Gurbannazar Kakajayev won the silver medal in the shot put (15.79 metres). Valentina Meredova, who represented her country at the Olympic Games in Beijing (2008) and Paris (2024), won bronze in the 100-metre race and silver in the mixed 4×100-metre relay. Her protégés – Gurban Orazov and Aysha Charyeva – also made it onto the podium in the relay events.
Turkmen karateka wins silver at the Asian Championships
11.09.2026Gurbannazar Amandurdyev, a 17-year-old karateka from Turkmenistan, won a silver medal at the 24th Asian Cadet, Junior and Under-21 Championships in Amman. This was reported by the news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’. The Turkmen athlete finished second in the kumite competition for juniors under 17 in the under-55kg weight category. The Asian Karate Federation (AKF) Championships brought together 338 athletes from 21 countries in the Jordanian capital. Turkmenistan is represented by three athletes and an international-level referee. This is Amandurdyev’s second medal at the Asian Championships. In 2025, he won bronze at the continental championships in Shaoguan, China. The athlete began practising karate as a child. In January 2020, he won silver at an international tournament in Turkey for children under 10 in the under-30 kg weight category. In 2024 and 2026, Amandurdyev also won bronze medals at stages of the ‘Karate One-Youth League’ of the World Karate Federation (WKF) in Fujairah (UAE). He is currently in the 12th year at Specialised Secondary School No. 16 in the Ak Bugday etrap of the Ahal velayat. He is coached by Aydin Charyev, head coach of the Turkmenistan national team. Amandurdyev is among the contenders for a place at the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games, which will take place in Dakar from 31 October to 13 November 2026.
The Turkmenistan national team will compete in an international tournament in China
10.09.2026The Turkmenistan national football team will take part in the CFA Team China International Football Competitions Chongqing 2026, an international tournament to be held in the Chinese city of Chongqing. This was reported by IIC of Turkmenistan. Five national teams will take part in the competition: Turkmenistan, China, New Zealand, Palestine and Tajikistan. The Turkmenistan national team will kick off their campaign on 24 September with a match against New Zealand. On 28 September, they will face the Palestinian national team. Turkmenistan’s final match will be against the tournament hosts, the Chinese national team. The match will take place on 2 October at 19:35 Beijing Time in Chongqing.
Turkmenistan’s national teams will compete at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand
09.09.2026The Turkmenistan national teams will take part in the 46th World Chess Olympiad, which will be held in Samarkand from 15 to 27 September. This was reported by the news agency Orient. The country will be represented by men’s and women’s teams, each comprising five chess players. The women’s team comprises Leyla Shohradova, Lala Shohradova, Jahan Rejepova, Myahri Agamyradova and Ogulsuray Bayrambayeva. The men’s team will be represented by Saparmyrat Atabayev, Meylis Annaberdiyev, Amanmuhammet Hommadov, Vepaly Halyniyazov and Shahrukh Turayev. Preparation for the Olympiad included training camps in Kazakhstan, including in Kokshetau.
Referees from Turkmenistan officiated at the Japan vs Kuwait match in Cambodia
04.09.2026Referees from Turkmenistan officiated the first-round match of the qualifying round for the 2027 AFC Youth Football Cup (under-20s) between the national teams of Japan and Kuwait. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. The match was refereed by international referee Resul Mammedov, with Ahmet Begnazarov serving as the assistant referee. The Group ‘G’ match took place on 31 August at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh (Cambodia). Japan won the match 4–0. The federation highlighted the high standard of the Turkmen referees’ work on the international stage.
Turkmen wrestlers won gold and bronze at the Nomad Games
03.09.2026Athletes from Turkmenistan won gold and bronze on the first day of the wrestling competition at the 6th World Nomad Games, which are being held in the Kyrgyz Republic. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. On 1 September, at the ‘Gazprom’ sports and fitness centre in Cholpon-Ata, the competitions in the over-100kg weight category for three wrestling disciplines – Mongolian wrestling, kurash and goresh – came to an end. This was announced by the tournament organisers. Annagurban Allaberdiyev secured gold for the Turkmen national team by winning the Goresh – the national style of wrestling. The silver in this discipline went to Asankeldi Nurkazym uulu of Kyrgyzstan, whilst the bronze medals were shared between athletes from Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Kemal Kemalov added another medal to the Turkmenistan team’s tally by winning bronze in kurash. First place in this wrestling discipline went to Numonjon Rajabov of Uzbekistan, with silver going to Sadegh Azarang of Iran, whilst the second bronze was won by a representative from Kyrgyzstan. In Mongolian wrestling, the gold was won by Anar Dorj of Mongolia, the silver by Monge Ertine Kuular of Russia, and the bronze medals went to athletes from China and Kyrgyzstan. The winners of the competitions received cash prizes of 100,000 som, the silver medallists 80,000 som, and the bronze medallists 50,000 som. The 6th World Nomad Games are taking place from 31 August to 6 September, with the main events organised in Cholpon-Ata. Athletes from more than 100 countries are taking part in the events, which feature competitions across 43 sports.
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