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Contemporary Music

It’s a Marvel vs. DC Musical Battle – in Turkmenistan

A Turkmen string orchestra plans to perform soundtracks from Marvel and DC superhero movies in Ashgabat this month. On September 17, the Tahir Atayev Orchestra will play theme music associated with Spider-Man, Thor, Batman, and other comic-book icons, promising “a true symphonic confrontation between two worlds.” The event will happen at the Magtymguly National Music and Drama Theater, one of Turkmenistan’s most important cultural venues. The theater, which has a dome and marble columns, can seat about 750 people. Ashgabat Events, a local platform, provides a phone number for ticket inquiries, but doesn’t say how much they cost. The Tahir Atayev Orchestra has sometimes moved beyond classical or conventional repertoire since making its debut in 2018. In June 2020, it joined with vocalists to perform versions of hits by bands such as Queen, AC/DC, and Scorpions in a well-received concert titled “Heat.” “We’ll continue performing and strive to continue surprising audiences with creative ideas, original execution, and discovering new stars,” conductor Tahir Atayev said after the 2020 rock show, according to Golden Age, a state media outlet in Turkmenistan. As it prepares for the superhero concert, the orchestra is relishing not only the childhood and often lifelong feelings that superhero stories evoke, but also the traditional, fan-fueled rivalry between the Marvel and DC franchises. “This is more than just a concert,” the orchestra says. “It’s a clash of two universes, two eras, two musical worlds and two legends that millions of people can recognize within the first few seconds.” Turkmenistan’s government maintains tight media and other restrictions, and it is difficult to assess the popularity and accessibility of superhero movies and other cultural imports in the country. However, the promotional material of the Tahir Atayev Orchestra suggests that organizers believe some portion of the population is familiar with and enthusiastic about the Marvel and DC films. At the beginning of this year, the Zaman-Türkmenistan newspaper reported that the “eagerly awaited” Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three will be released in theaters on December 18, leading to the creation of the term “Dunesday.” The newspaper says it delivers information worldwide via its website and mobile app, but is also printed by state publishers and distributed to “all regions” of Turkmenistan.

World Nomad Games

Kyrgyzstan Beats United States 16-7 as Kok Boru Opens at World Nomad Games

Two years after Kazakhstan beat Team USA in Astana, the Americans again faced a World Nomad Games host in kok boru. Kyrgyzstan won 16–7 at the Cholpon-Ata Kok Boru Arena on Wednesday, but the U.S. riders were a markedly different proposition from the side that failed to score in 2024. Kok boru, whose name means “gray wolf,” occupies a special place in Kyrgyz culture. UNESCO added it to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017, recognizing its place in the country’s cultural identity, while the arena commentator repeatedly described the sport as a point of national pride. Tradition traces the game to mounted hunters fighting for possession of a wolf killed while protecting livestock, an old practice later developed into a team contest. The modern game uses a prepared headless goat carcass, which a rider must carry across the field and get into the opposing tai kazan, the raised circular goal at either end. Kyrgyzstan restored the real carcass for these Games after Kazakhstan used a synthetic rubber serke in Astana, making the object’s weight and bulk unmistakable whenever a rider leaned almost to the sand to seize it. Under the current rules, four riders from each team compete on the field during three 15-minute periods. The carcass normally weighs 30–32 kilograms, and although riders may press one another with their bodies or use their horses to nudge for position, striking is prohibited. [video width="848" height="478" mp4="https://timesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/WhatsApp-Video-2026-09-02-at-21.55.39.mp4"][/video] Team USA started strongly, trading scores with Kyrgyzstan early and holding its own in the scrums for possession. Horses pressed flank to flank in what could look like an impossible embrace as riders bent low into the crush. When one came free with the goat held against the saddle, the tangle opened immediately into a gallop toward the tai kazan. Nurzhan Melisbek uulu opened the scoring for Kyrgyzstan after just 23 seconds, but Team USA answered and kept the opening exchanges close. By the middle of the first period, Kyrgyzstan had begun finding more openings and closed it 7–2. During the first break, Ennio Morricone’s theme from Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars played over the speakers in what appeared to be a nod to the American cowboys. The Americans returned to the field with renewed energy and scored almost immediately, with the board soon showing 8–3. Kyrgyzstan did not loosen its grip for long, but neither did the second period become the one-way procession seen in Astana. The hosts added five points to the Americans’ three, taking the cumulative score to 12–5. During the second period, U.S. No. 33 Zanen Pitts fell from his horse but quickly recovered. No. 2 Nick Willert was also back with Team USA, two years after explaining in a 2024 interview with The Times of Central Asia that the Americans combined techniques learned from Central Asian players with Western horsemanship. Finding suitable horses and having enough time to become familiar with them, he said, had always been a major difficulty for the team. Kyrgyzstan controlled...

World Nomad Games

Bruised but Unbowed: Former TCA Editor Takes on Alysh at World Nomad Games

For Jonathan Campion, a journalist and contributor to The Times of Central Asia, months of anticipation and two weeks of hurried training ended rather more quickly than expected at the World Nomad Games in Cholpon Ata. Inside the airless Gazprom sports complex on Wednesday, the stands were packed to the rafters as wrestlers competed in Alysh, the traditional Kyrgyz form of belt wrestling. Representing Great Britain, Campion entered both the classic and freestyle competitions. [caption id="attachment_55245" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Image: TCA[/caption] The rules leave little room for retreat. Wrestlers remain standing and must keep hold of their opponent’s belt while trying to throw them onto their back. In classic Alysh, wrestlers cannot actively use their legs against an opponent, while freestyle allows trips and other leg techniques. The sport is one of Kyrgyzstan’s oldest traditional forms of wrestling, according to the official rules. Wearing the green jacket, white trousers, and red belt prescribed by the sport, Campion found himself locked chest-to-chest with opponents who had considerably more experience. His first bout, against a Belarusian wrestler, lasted four seconds. His second, against an Afghan opponent, was shorter still. Bruised but unbowed after his introduction to competitive Alysh, Campion spoke to The Times of Central Asia about why he entered the Games, what two weeks of preparation could and could not teach him, and what it felt like to march into the opening ceremony as a member of the Great Britain team. [video width="640" height="364" mp4="https://timesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/1fa1b61d-7341-413f-9474-d31b5d4ab6e0.mp4"][/video] TCA: Why did you decide to compete in Alysh at the World Nomad Games? Jonathan Campion: I’ve been to Central Asia a lot, especially Kyrgyzstan. Whenever I’ve been here, people have always wanted to learn about my culture. They’ve wanted to speak in my language and talk to me about the Beatles and English football. I’ve always felt a little ashamed and embarrassed that British people may not even know where Kyrgyzstan is, and certainly don’t know anything about its culture. I love sport, and I thought a good way to become closer to Kyrgyz culture, and to show people that British people can also take an interest in Kyrgyz culture, would be to participate in these Games. [caption id="attachment_55242" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Image: TCA[/caption] TCA: Because you’d never done this before, how did you find the training, and how were your matches? Jonathan Campion: Before my first fight today, it had only been about two weeks since I really began practicing. I was lucky to find an amazing martial arts teacher in Norwich, where I live, who did absolutely everything he could with me, using his knowledge of judo, taekwondo, and other martial arts. I feel he got me to a point where I had prepared as much as I physically could. But nothing can prepare you for standing on the mat with a very strong opponent opposite you in a real fight. TCA: Who did you fight, and what were the scores today? Jonathan Campion: This morning I fought in the Alysh classic-style tournament. I was...

Sports

Central Asian Judoka Take Seven Medals at Lausanne Grand Slam

Judoka from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan won seven medals at the inaugural Lausanne Grand Slam in Switzerland, collecting two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes. The International Judo Federation event, held August 28-30 at the Vaudoise Arena, brought together 513 competitors from 77 countries. The official standings list five medals for Uzbekistan, one for Kazakhstan, and one for Tajikistan. Uzbekistan finished sixth overall, Kazakhstan ninth, and Tajikistan joint 22nd. Uzbekistan Takes Five Medals Central Asian athletes met in two finals and one bronze-medal contest. The men’s under-90 kg final was an all-Uzbek contest, with Umar Bozorov defeating teammate Nurbek Murtozoev. After a closely fought contest, Bozorov countered an attack and threw Murtozoev for ippon. The victory gave Bozorov his second Grand Slam title. He had won his first in Tbilisi in 2025 before taking silver at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam later that year. Murtozoev reached the first Grand Slam final of his career after previously winning silver at the 2025 Asian Championships and bronze at the Tashkent Grand Slam. [caption id="attachment_55168" align="alignnone" width="300"] Men’s -90 kg final: Umar Bozorov (Uzbekistan) vs Nurbek Murtozoev (Uzbekistan) Image: IJF[/caption] Uzbekistan’s other medals came from Arslonbek Tojiev, who took silver in the under-81 kg division, and bronze medallists Samariddin Kuchkarov and Ernazar Sarsenbaev. Tojiev arrived in Lausanne with an established record at senior international level. He took silver at the Tashkent Grand Slam and bronze at the Asian Championships in 2025 and finished fifth at that year’s World Championships. His Lausanne run ended against Kazakhstan’s Abylaikhan Zhubanazar in the second final involving two Central Asian judoka. Kuchkarov, 20, defeated Kazakhstan’s Sherzod Davlatov in the under-60 kg bronze-medal contest. Almost two minutes into golden score, Kuchkarov used sumi-otoshi to record the decisive yuko. The result continued a strong year in which he had already taken bronze at both the Tbilisi Grand Slam and the Asian Championships. Sarsenbaev, 25, secured under-100 kg bronze against Japan’s Tetta Hamada with a sumi-gaeshi. He had taken silver at the Tashkent Grand Slam and bronze at the Asian Championships earlier this year. Zhubanazar Wins Kazakhstan’s Gold In the under-81 kg final, Abylaikhan Zhubanazar and Tojiev remained scoreless for much of the contest, with each receiving one shido. In the closing stages, Zhubanazar used a de-ashi-harai to record the decisive yuko and claim his first Grand Slam title. The 26-year-old Kazakh judoka had already taken bronze at the Paris Grand Slam and Asian Championships earlier this year, following another Grand Slam bronze at the Qazaqstan Barysy event in 2025. His Lausanne victory moved him to eighth in the IJF world rankings in the under-81 kg division. [caption id="attachment_55167" align="alignnone" width="300"] Men’s -81 kg final: Abylaikhan Zhubanazar (Kazakhstan) vs Arslonbek Tojiev (Uzbekistan); Image: The National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan[/caption] “Winning my first Grand Slam gold is an incredible feeling,” Zhubanazar said after the final, adding that the result gave him confidence ahead of the World Championships in Baku. Asadulloev Extends Strong Tajik Season Tajikistan added the region’s seventh medal...

World Nomad Games

World Nomad Games Return Home as Kyrgyzstan Welcomes World Leaders

Few periods since independence have put Kyrgyzstan so squarely in the international spotlight. On August 31, the country marked 35 years of independence, opened the sixth World Nomad Games, and prepared to host a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit that has brought more than a dozen foreign leaders to Bishkek. The Games themselves were back where they began. Kyrgyzstan launched the World Nomad Games in 2014 and staged the first three editions at Cholpon Ata before the event moved to Turkey in 2022 and Kazakhstan in 2024. This year's Games run through September 6, with The Times of Central Asia reporting from Bishkek and Issyk-Kul throughout the week in our special coverage. The opening took place at the new Bishkek Arena, rising out of the dust on the southwestern edge of the capital near the foothills of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range. Around 30,000 spectators attended the ceremony. The stadium will eventually hold more than 51,000, but it is not formally due to open until October 5. The Games opened while work on the arena was still underway, with parts of the building still looking unfinished. In the weeks before the ceremony, horses had circled the arena floor during rehearsals while drilling continued around them. By the time the spectators arrived, the construction site had become the biggest show in town. Before the politics and pageantry, there was pop. Kyrgyzstan put many of its best-known performers on stage in a concert that at times had a distinctly Eurovision feel. Energetic hosts introduced a succession of singers and rappers while tightly choreographed dancers moved between traditional dress and contemporary styling. The lineup included Bayastan, Malika Dina, Erlan Andashev, Begish, and others, but veteran singer Baktiyar Toktorov received the loudest reaction. When he launched into "Yza," known almost universally by its "Bui-Bui" refrain, spectators rose from their seats and sang with him. Even some of the security guards joined in. The refrain does not demand many words, but almost everybody in the arena seemed to know them. The new stadium also showed some early teething problems, with concession stands running out of bottled water and food as crowds built. After the concert, the momentum disappeared. The audience waited for around 90 minutes while footage of arriving dignitaries played on the giant screens. The reason for the pause soon became clear, as one motorcade after another delivered guests for the formal ceremony. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko were among those in the stands. The presidents of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan also attended, along with leaders and senior officials from elsewhere in Asia, the Caucasus, and Africa. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was among the international guests. One expected heavyweight was missing. Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Bishkek for a state visit and the SCO summit, had been due to attend the opening. Presidential spokesman Askat Alagozov said Xi had stayed away because of the deadly flooding and landslides in...

Fashion

Turkmen Fashion Heads to Paris

Designers from Turkmenistan will display their ready-to-wear clothing at Who's Next in Paris, an international fashion trade show that runs from September 5–7. Under an EU-funded initiative, four designers and brands from the Central Asian country will participate in the show, according to the International Trade Centre, an agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organization that promotes small and medium-sized businesses in emerging economies. They are Mukaddes Ibragimova, whose work includes corsets, jackets and trousers in denim, embroidered silk and garments using ikat, a dyeing and weaving technique; Desert Heritaga, which works with handwoven silk, cotton, linen and camel wool; Aymahri Boutique, whose hand embroidery on linen is inspired by Nisa, an ancient capital of the Parthian Empire that lies near modern-day Ashgabat; and Binaym Project, which draws on traditional Turkmen techniques for its denim patchwork. In June, the TurkmenTextile Expo in Ashgabat highlighted the role of traditional textiles in fashion and featured the Eurasian Council for Craft & Design, a platform that promotes regional designers and artisans. Turkmenistan has said it is increasing investment in spinning, weaving, knitwear, sewing production, and other aspects of its textile industry. Part of that effort has included the introduction of new production technologies from Japan and Europe. Turkmen officials say they are bringing the textile industry into line with international standards despite concerns about labor conditions during the annual cotton harvest.