Sport
Turkmenistan U-20 national team learned its opponents for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers
31.05.2026The Turkmenistan U-20 national football team has learned its opponents for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification tournament. According to the draw held at the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Kuala Lumpur, the team has been placed in the same group with Iraq, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. This was reported by Turkmenportal. The final stage of the tournament will take place in China. The qualification matches are scheduled from 25 August to 6 September 2026. Group F matches will be hosted by Thailand. The winners of eight groups, as well as the seven best second-placed teams, will advance to the final stage. The Turkmenistan team, led by head coach Didar Khadzhiev, will play three matches: against Iraq on 31 August, against Thailand on 3 September, and against the UAE on 6 September. It should be noted that in May this year, the U-20 team finished fourth at the Central Asian Championship in Tajikistan. Uzbekistan won the tournament, Kyrgyzstan took silver, and Tajikistan earned bronze.
FC Arkadag Will Meet India’s Goa in AFC Champions League Two Qualifiers
31.05.2026FC Arkadag will play against India’s Goa in the preliminary round of the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Two. The match will take place on August 12 in Goa at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, according to the news website Turkmenportal. At this stage, the qualification consists of a single match: the winner will advance to the group stage of the AFC Champions League Two, while the loser will continue the season in the AFC Challenge League. Goa secured its place in the tournament after winning the 2025/26 AIFF Super Cup. The AFC Champions League Two is the second-tier club competition in Asia organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Turkmen Boxer Won WBC Eurasia Title with First-Round Knockout
31.05.2026Turkmen boxer Khursand Imankuliyev captured the WBC Eurasia title after securing a victory on May 29 at Humo Arena in Tashkent during the WBC Eurasia Boxing Night event. The news was reported by Turkmenportal. Imankuliyev finished the fight in the first round with a knockout against Adam Dachi of Tanzania, who entered the bout with a record of 8–1–1. The contest was held in the welterweight division. For Imankuliyev, a 10-time champion of Turkmenistan and an International Master of Sport, this was the first title fight of his professional career. He previously competed at World Championships and the Asian Games, and has won medals at various international tournaments. The WBC Eurasia belt is a regional title sanctioned by the World Boxing Council (WBC), one of the world's largest boxing organizations, founded in 1963.
Turkmen wrestler wins gold at Asian Under-23 Championships
28.05.2026Alp Arslan Begendzhov became the Asian champion in freestyle wrestling among athletes under 23. The tournament was held in Da Nang, Vietnam. The Turkmen wrestler competed in the weight category up to 86 kg, according to “Turkmenistan: Golden Age”. On his way to gold, the 19-year-old athlete had three matches and did not concede a single point to his opponents. In the quarterfinals, he defeated India’s Sachin Mor 6–0. In the semifinals, he won by technical superiority against Boburbek Ruzimboyev of Uzbekistan 11–0. In the final, he also secured an early victory over Abilaykhan Uzembayev of Kazakhstan 10–0. This is Begendzhov’s first gold medal at the Asian U23 Championships. Last year, he took silver in the 79 kg category at the same tournament. The athlete has been steadily improving on the international stage. In 2024, he won gold at both the Asian and World Championships among U20 athletes. In 2025, he added a silver medal at the U23 level and a bronze at the U20 Asian Championships. In April 2026, he also earned bronze at the senior Asian Championships in Bishkek. Starting this season, Begendzhov moved up to the 86 kg weight class and has already achieved success at continental level. The athlete received his foundational training in Ashgabat, working with various national team coaches. He is currently training under the guidance of Batyr Orazgylydzhov.
Guwanchmuhammet Ovekov elected CAFA Vice President
28.05.2026On May 26, the 11th Congress of the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) was held in an online format. During the meeting, the results of tournaments conducted under the organization’s auspices in 2025 were reviewed. The outcomes of an audit were also considered, and elections for the Vice President were held, according to IIC. The only candidate from Central Asia was the Chairman of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan, Guwanchmuhammet Ovekov. He was elected to the position by a unanimous decision of the participants. Representatives of CAFA leadership and national football governing bodies of regional countries took part in the Congress. Among them were CAFA General Secretary Ulugbek Karimov, as well as leaders and general secretaries of football federations from Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The Central Asian Football Association was founded on June 10, 2014. It began full operations on January 9, 2015. The association includes six countries: Afghanistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Uzbekistan. The headquarters is located in Tajikistan. The President of the association has been Rustam Emomali since 2019. His term runs until 2027. The Secretary General is Ulugbek Karimov.
Turkmen grandmaster finished among the top three at the “Karshi Open-2026”
27.05.2026Turkmen grandmaster Saparmurat Atabayev took third place at the international chess tournament “Karshi Open-2026,” which was dedicated to the memory of Ismat Shukurov. The competition was held in Karshi, Uzbekistan, from May 19 to 24 and brought together 56 chess players from 10 countries, according to the news website Turkmenportal. The tournament was held under the Swiss system over 9 rounds with classical time control. At the end of the event, Vitaliy Bernadsky, Saidakbar Saidaliyev, and Saparmurat Atabayev each scored 7 points. Based on tie-break criteria, the Turkmen chess player won the bronze medal. For his performance, S. Atabayev received a cash prize of 30 million Uzbek soums. Saparmurat’s cousin, Yusup Atabayev, also participated in the tournament and finished eighth with 6 points.
Turkmen chess players among prize winners at tournaments in Astana
19.05.2026In Astana, from May 14 to 17, team chess tournaments were held at the Kazakh National University of Sports: the first championship of the Turkic states among men and women (Turkic Teams Chess Championships 2026) and the youth chess Olympiad under 16 (Turkic Youth U16 Chess Olympiad 2026). This was reported by IIC. Teams from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan (as the host country fielded two teams in each tournament), Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan participated in a round-robin format. Each team consisted of four main players, one reserve player, and a captain. The time control was 45+30. The total prize fund amounted to 27 million tenge (about 54 thousand USD). In the men’s tournament, 13 grandmasters and 18 international masters participated. The Turkmenistan national team included grandmasters Saparmyrat Atabayev (rating 2471) and Meylis Annaberdiev (rating 2425). According to the results, Kazakhstan teams took first and second places among men. Azerbaijan took third place. Saparmyrat Atabayev placed 3rd on board one. In the women’s tournament, Azerbaijan’s national team won (10 points). Kazakhstan took second place (9 points), and Uzbekistan came third. Turkmenistan’s women’s team finished fifth with 6 points. Lala Shokhradova took 3rd place on board one, and Jahan Rejepova took 2nd place on board three. In the U16 youth tournament, the top three included Azerbaijan’s team and two teams from Kazakhstan. Turkmenistan’s representative Dilber Khupbyeva took 3rd place on board four. The organizers were FIDE, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, the Kazakh National University of Sports, and the Akimat of Astana.
The Turkmenistan national team won the medal standings at the JJIF World Championship
19.05.2026Turkmen athletes won 42 medals at the World Contact Jiu-Jitsu Championship held in Antalya, Türkiye. The tournament was organized under the auspices of the Ju-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF) and brought together 245 participants from 16 countries, according to the publication “Turkmenistan: Golden Age”. The Turkmenistan team’s tally included 14 gold, 11 silver, and 17 bronze medals, securing first place in the overall team standings. Vietnam took second place with 14 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze medals. Kazakhstan finished third with 10 gold, 13 silver, and 16 bronze medals. The JJIF World Championships in jiu-jitsu have been held since 1994 on a biennial basis. The “contact jiu-jitsu” discipline has been included in the competition program since 2017.
Turkmen Weightlifter Wins Silver Medal at Asian Championships in India
19.05.2026Turkmen weightlifter Davranbek Hasanbayev won a silver medal at the Asian Weightlifting Championships taking place in Gandhinagar, India. He competed in the men’s 110 kg weight category, according to the news website Turkmenportal. In the combined total, the athlete recorded 392 kg (188 kg in the snatch and 204 kg in the clean and jerk). Hasanbayev also earned a small bronze medal in the snatch event. The gold medal in this category was claimed by China’s Liu Huanhua, who lifted a total of 420 kg (190 kg in the snatch and 230 kg in the clean and jerk). The bronze medal went to Chinese Taipei’s Dong Bincheng with a total of 381 kg (166 kg in the snatch and 215 kg in the clean and jerk). Earlier in the tournament, another Turkmen athlete, Rustem Annaberdyev, won bronze in the men’s 94 kg category with a total of 354 kg (158 kg in the snatch and 196 kg in the clean and jerk). In addition, Bunyad Rashidov secured a small bronze medal in the snatch in the men’s 71 kg category after lifting 147 kg.
Turkmen weightlifters win two medals at the Asian Championships
18.05.2026Turkmen weightlifter Rustem Annaberdyev won a bronze medal at the Asian Weightlifting Championships taking place in Gandhinagar, India, in the men’s 94 kg weight category. This was reported by Turkmenportal. In the combined total, he lifted 354 kg (158 kg in the snatch and 196 kg in the clean and jerk). The winner in this category was Chinese athlete Yi Tu, who recorded a total of 386 kg (175+211). Second place went to Uzbekistan’s Muhammadqodir Toshtemirov with a total of 373 kg (166+207). Earlier at the championships, Turkmen athlete Bunyad Rashidov won a small bronze medal in the snatch in the 71 kg category, lifting 147 kg.
Turkmen athletes excel at international karate tournament
18.05.2026The national team of Turkmenistan won two medals at the international tournament “Karate 1 – Youth League,” held in Manila (Philippines), according to the news website Turkmenportal. The winner of the competition was Rayan Gurbanmyradov, who earned a gold medal in the junior kumite category (16–17 years old) in the under-55 kg weight class. Another medal for the team was brought by Alymuhammet Kakaliyev, who won a bronze medal in cadet kumite (14–15 years old) in the under-57 kg category. A total of 790 athletes from 58 countries took part in the tournament.
Turkmenistan is represented at the first Chess Olympiad of Turkic countries
17.05.2026The national team of Turkmenistan is taking part in the first Chess Olympiad of Turkic countries, which is being held on May 13–18 in Astana. The team includes 14 of the country’s leading chess players, according to the IIC. Teams from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan are participating in the tournament; Kazakhstan has also fielded a second team. In total, seven teams are competing in the open, women’s, and youth (under 16) categories. After two rounds, the women’s team of Turkmenistan is leading in its group. The leadership of the country’s Chess Federation notes the active development of the youth and junior direction: the number of Turkmen players with a FIDE rating has increased from fewer than 100 in 2022 to around 500 today. Plans include creating stronger internal competition within the national team and expanding the roster. As part of the Olympiad, representatives of Turkmenistan are also participating in discussions on the strategic development of the Turkic Chess Association, established in 2025 to expand international cooperation and tournament practice among participating countries.
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