Sport
FC ‘Ahal’ has been informed of the AFC Challenge League fixture list
21.08.2026The Asian Football Confederation has approved the fixtures for the group stage of the 2026/27 AFC Challenge League. Turkmenistan’s ‘Ahal’ will compete in Group A of the ‘West’ zone, according to IIC of Turkmenistan. The group’s matches will be played in a centralised format in Bhutan. The team’s opponents will be Lebanon’s ‘Al Ansar’, Syria’s ‘Al-Ittihad’ and the tournament hosts, ‘Paro’. The eight strongest clubs will progress to the play-offs. The knockout matches will begin in spring 2027. ‘Ahal’ fixtures: 17 October – ‘Ahal’ vs ‘Paro’; 20 October – ‘Al-Ittihad’ vs ‘Ahal’; 25 October – ‘Ahal’ vs ‘Al Ansar’.
A Turkmen tennis player has reached the quarter-finals of the Roland Garros Junior Series
21.08.2026Ali Geldiyev, a 14-year-old tennis player from Turkmenistan, has reached the quarter-finals of the Roland Garros Junior Series regional qualifying tournament in Almaty. The competition is being held on the clay courts of ‘Gorky Tennis Park’, according to the news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’. The tournament features 16 boys and 16 girls aged 16 and under from countries in Central and West Asia. Turkmenistan is represented by Ali Geldiyev, who qualified to compete in Almaty thanks to his high international and Asian rankings. In Group A, Geldiyev defeated Beksulton Voksidov of Uzbekistan 7–6(1), 6–0, and Dong Seon Kim 6–0, 6–1. In his match against the tournament’s top seed, Rodion Traigel of Kazakhstan, the Turkmen tennis player lost in the decisive tie-break — 3–6, 6–2, 5–10. Having finished second in the group, Geldiyev advanced to the quarter-finals. His opponent will be the eighth seed, Kiarash Sadeghizeidi from Iran, the winner of Group D. The winners of the qualifiers will secure places in the final stage of the Roland Garros Junior Series, which will take place in Japan in October. There, the sole place in the main draw of the 2027 Roland Garros Junior Championships will be up for grabs. In May, at the age of 14, Ali Geldiyev became the men’s champion of Turkmenistan for the first time, setting a national record. He began his training at Children’s and Youth Sports School No. 9 in Turkmenabat under the guidance of Babamurat Mamatrasulov. The player is currently training in Ashgabat with Meylis Orazmuhammedov and Yuri Rogussky.
A Turkmen chess player has been crowned Asian rapid chess champion
21.08.2026Turkmen chess player Lala Shohradova won the gold medal in the rapid chess tournament at the Asian Junior Chess Championship (under-20) in Mumbai. This was reported by the IIC of Turkmenistan. After seven rounds, the player scored 6 points out of a possible 7. Pratitee Bordoloi of India achieved the same result, but Lala Shohradova was awarded first place on tiebreaks. In the third round, she lost to her compatriot WFM Jahan Rejepova, after which she won four games in a row. Sixty female chess players from seven countries took part in the women’s rapid chess competition. Turkmenistan was represented by Jahan Rejepova, Myahri Agamyradova, Leyla Shohradova and Lala Shohradova. For Lala Shohradova, this is her second medal of the current championship. On 17 August, she won the silver medal in the blitz tournament.
Turkmen football club ‘Arkadag’ has learnt the dates of its AFC Champions League 2 matches
20.08.2026The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has published the fixture list for the group stage of the 2026/27 AFC Champions League 2. ‘Arkadag’s opponents in Group B are ‘Al-Jazira’ (UAE), ‘Gol Gohar’ (Iran) and ‘Al-Muharraq’ (Bahrain), according to the news website Turkmenportal. The Turkmen club will begin the group stage on 15 September with a home match against ‘Al-Muharraq’, kicking off at 18:45 Ashgabat time. On 14 October, ‘Arkadag’ will play away against ‘Al-Jazira’. The matches against ‘Gol Gohar’ will take place on 28 October and 4 November: as the Iranian club is technically hosting its opponents on neutral ground, the first match will be held in Tajikistan and the return leg in Turkmenistan. The group stage will conclude with matches against ‘Al-Muharraq’ on 25 November and ‘Al-Jazira’ on 9 December. ‘Arkadag’ will play their home matches at their 10,000-capacity stadium in the city of Arkadag. ‘Arkadag’s fixture list in Group B: Round 1, 15 September, 18:45 – ‘Arkadag’ vs ‘Al-Muharraq’ Round 2, 14 October, 20:00 – ‘Al-Jazira’ vs ‘Arkadag’ Round 3, 28 October, 18:45 – ‘Gol Gohar’ vs ‘Arkadag’ Round 4, 4 November, 18:45 – ‘Arkadag’ vs ‘Gol Gohar’ Round 5, 25 November, 19:00 – ‘Al-Muharraq’ vs ‘Arkadag’ Round 6, 9 December, 18:45 – ‘Arkadag’ vs ‘Al-Jazira’
The Turkmenistan national wrestling team is set to travel to Bratislava
20.08.2026Three members of the Turkmenistan national freestyle wrestling team will compete at the World Junior (U20) Championships, which begin on 20 August in Bratislava (Slovakia). This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. The national team comprises Azatberdi Ashirgulyev (up to 61 kg), Alp Arslan Begenjov (up to 86 kg) and Dovletgeldi Myradov (up to 92 kg). The tournament is organised by United World Wrestling (UWW). Matches featuring the Turkmen athletes will be broadcast live on the ‘Belet’ platform. The broadcast will begin at 13:30 Ashgabat time.
The Turkmenistan 3x3 basketball team will compete in a tournament in Singapore
20.08.2026The Turkmenistan U23 3x3 basketball team is set to take part in the FIBA 3x3 Youth Nations League 2026 international tournament. This was reported by IIC of Turkmenistan. The competition will take place from 20 to 26 August in Singapore at the SCAPE Arena. Taking part in the Nations League will give the Turkmen athletes the opportunity to improve their skills and exchange experiences with the world’s strongest teams.
The opponents for ‘Arkadag’ Football Club in the AFC Champions League 2 have been announced
19.08.2026The draw for the group stage of the 2026/2027 AFC Champions League-2 took place in Kuala Lumpur. The reigning champions of Turkmenistan, ‘Arkadag’ Football Club, will compete in Group B, reports IIC. The Turkmen side’s opponents will be ‘Al-Jazira’ from the United Arab Emirates, Iran’s ‘Gol Gohar’ and Bahrain’s ‘Al-Muharraq’. Following the draw, ‘Al-Jazira’ were placed in Pot 1, ‘Gol Gohar’ in Pot 2, ‘Al-Muharraq’ in Pot 3 and ‘Arkadag’ in Pot 4. The group stage will begin on 15 September 2026. The tournament final is scheduled for 15 May 2027. ‘Arkadag’s fixture list will be published at a later date.
Turkmen weightlifters won 14 medals at the Asian and Central Asian Championships
13.08.2026The Turkmenistan weightlifting team has won 14 medals at the Asian Youth and Junior Championships in Tashkent. The tournament is taking place from 7 to 14 August, with over 300 athletes from 29 countries taking part. At the same time, the winners of the Central Asian Championships are being decided, according to IIC. In the under-60 kg category, Atabek Azamatov from the ‘Olimp’ sports school won two silver medals at the Asian Championships. He lifted 113 kg in the snatch and totalled 245 kg in the total. Shabnam Kerimbayeva from Dashoguz velayat, competing in the under-53 kg category, won gold in the clean and jerk with a lift of 103 kg and two silver medals – in the snatch (83 kg) and the total (186 kg). In the junior competition, she won two silver and one bronze medal. At the Central Asian Championships, she won three gold medals. Gulzada Berdimuhammedova from the Mary velayat, competing in the under-57kg category, secured three silver medals for the national team at the Central Asian Championships. Her results were 67kg in the snatch, 85kg in the clean and jerk, and 152kg in the total. In total, Turkmen athletes won 8 medals at the Asian Championships — 1 gold, 6 silver and 1 bronze — and 6 medals at the Central Asian Championships — 3 gold and 3 silver. The competitions are still ongoing.
A joint training camp for cyclists from Turkmenistan and the UAE is taking place in Ashgabat
12.08.2026Joint training camps involving the Turkmenistan national cycling team and representatives of the ‘Abu Dhabi’ club from the United Arab Emirates are continuing in Ashgabat. The athletes are carrying out training sessions and tactical drills at the Olympic Village, according to the IIC of Turkmenistan. As part of the programme, the foreign athletes underwent medical examinations at the Health and Rehabilitation Centre. Specialists carried out complete blood counts and electrocardiograms, assessing the athletes’ physical condition and their adaptation to training loads. Based on the results of the examinations, individual recommendations were drawn up for the athletes to adjust their training programmes. Representatives of the UAE delegation also noted the infrastructure of the Olympic Village, the medical care and the climatic conditions in Ashgabat. The joint training camp is aimed at developing international sporting cooperation and preparing athletes for upcoming competitions.
Italian Sports Day is to be held in Ashgabat
12.08.2026The Italian Embassy in Turkmenistan will host ‘Italian Sport Day’ in Ashgabat on 21 August. The event will take place from 18:00 to 19:00 at the building of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan, according to the IIC of Turkmenistan. The event is being organised in collaboration with Turkmen Expo as part of the specialised exhibition ‘Kids Expo: Everything for Kids’. Admission is free for all. Italian Sport Day in the World is held as part of an international initiative by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. In 2026, events are being held with the participation of Italian diplomatic missions and cultural centres in various countries. The event in Ashgabat aims to develop humanitarian and youth ties between Turkmenistan and Italy.
FFT specialists took part in the AFC conference
11.08.2026A conference organised by the Asian Football Confederation for elite female referees and assistant referees was held in Malaysia. Kristina Bersenyova, an international referee from Turkmenistan, took part in the event, according to IIC Turkmenistan. The participants underwent testing on the laws of the game and physical fitness. The Turkmen referee successfully met all the standards. Following the conference, Kristina Bersenyova received an invitation to officiate matches in the AFC Women’s Champions League.
A representative of the FFT took part in the CAFA seminar in Dushanbe
11.08.2026Azat Annaorazov, a representative of the Turkmenistan Football Federation, took part in a two-day training seminar organised by the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) for match commissioners for the 2026 tournament, which took place in Dushanbe. This was reported by IIC of Turkmenistan. The event was attended by specialists from all CAFA member countries. The sessions were led by Kemal Tokabayev, an official FIFA and AFC match commissioner, and international CAFA experts. The programme included theoretical sessions and practical training on the organisation of football matches. The seminar was aimed at enhancing the skills of specialists and facilitating the exchange of experience. The event also contributed to the implementation of FIFA and AFC standards in regional competitions.
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