Sport
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.
Turkmen weightlifters won two medals in Tashkent
11.08.2026The Asian Weightlifting Championships for youth and juniors in the under-17 and youth age groups are currently taking place in Tashkent. Turkmenistan is represented at the continental championships by athletes from the national team, according to IIC Turkmenistan. In the over-60-kilogramme weight category, Atabek Azamatov won the silver medal in the boys’ and girls’ events. His total lift was 245 kilogrammes. Shabnam Kerimbayeva, competing in the under-53-kilogramme weight category, secured another medal for the national team. Her total was 186 kilogrammes.
FIFA held a training session for football referees in the city of Arkadag
08.08.2026A training course for football referees, organised by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), has concluded in the city of Arkadag. The sessions took place from 30 July to 4 August and focused on changes to the laws of the game and improving refereeing standards, according to IIC of Turkmenistan. The programme included studying the new rules, decision-making practice, as well as physical and tactical training. The referees undertook specialised tests and video analysis of match situations. The training aims to improve the quality of refereeing and ensure the application of modern standards during matches.
A coach from the Abu Dhabi Cycling Club spoke highly of the Ashgabat velodrome
07.08.2026From 4 to 20 August, Ashgabat is hosting a joint training camp for the Turkmenistan national cycling team and a cycling club from Abu Dhabi (UAE). Fahd Housh, coach of the Abu Dhabi Cycling Club, spoke highly of the sporting infrastructure in the Turkmen capital. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. According to him, the indoor velodrome meets Olympic standards and provides optimal conditions for professional training due to its high-quality track surface, the parameters of the bends and its modern infrastructure. The expert, who took up cycling in 1985, noted that he is now passing on his many years of experience to young athletes. He also emphasised that Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the development of cycling. It was previously reported that the delegation from Abu Dhabi comprises 28 people, whilst the Turkmen side is represented by 15 athletes led by head coach Kakabay Atayev. During the training camp, the participants will cover around 1,270 kilometres on the open road, hold six training sessions and three seminars at the Olympic Village velodrome. Following the training camp, the Turkmenistan national team will compete in the Track Asia Cup in Thailand, which takes place from 28 to 30 August, and will then take part in the Asian Games in Japan from 29 September to 2 October.
A Turkmen fighter engaged in a stare-down before his bout at the PFL Charlotte tournament
07.08.2026Turkmen mixed martial arts fighter Dovletjan Yagshimuradov exchanged glances with British fighter Simeon Powell ahead of their upcoming bout as part of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) tournament. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. The light-heavyweight bout is set to take place on 7 August in Charlotte (North Carolina, USA) at the Bojangles Coliseum. The fight is on the main card of the PFL Charlotte event. The bout was originally scheduled to take place in New York, but was rescheduled following a decision by the local athletic commission, which barred Powell from competing due to a previous operation. The opponents have remained matched up and will fight a week after the original date. Yagshimuradov’s record stands at 26 wins, 8 losses and 1 draw, whilst Powell’s is 12 wins and 2 losses. The main card is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN. Mixed martial arts enthusiasts and fans of Dovletjan Yagshimuradov in Turkmenistan will be able to watch the bout live on the ‘Belet’ platform. The fight is due to take place at approximately 08:30 am on 8 August, Ashgabat time.
The Turkmenistan U-17 national team will start in Pot 2 of the Asian Cup qualifiers
05.08.2026Turkmenistan’s U-17 football team has been placed in Pot 2 ahead of the draw for the 2027 AFC U-17 Championship qualifiers, which is due to take place on 27 August. The final stage of the tournament will be held in Uzbekistan from 12 to 29 May 2027, according to IIC of Turkmenistan. Nine participants in the final stage have already been determined following the results of the previous edition. In addition to Uzbekistan, these include the national teams of Australia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Japan, China, Vietnam, the Republic of Korea and Qatar. The remaining seven places will be contested in a single qualifying round from 8 to 20 November 2026. Thirty-five teams will take part, divided into seven groups. The group winners will progress to the final stage. In the second pot, alongside Turkmenistan, are the national teams of Malaysia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Kuwait and Laos, so they will not face each other in the group stage. The first pot comprises Yemen, Thailand, Indonesia, the UAE, India, Oman and Iran, whilst the third pot includes Afghanistan, Syria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Hong Kong and Palestine. The fourth and fifth pots comprise the national teams of Pakistan, Mongolia, Singapore, Lebanon, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Bhutan, Cambodia, Macau, Brunei, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Guam.
Read also
Advertising
Read us in Zen
