Ashgabat - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 34

Sport Ashgabat Turkmenistan

First-ever golf course opens in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT (TCA) — The opening of the first golf course in Turkmenistan took place in the capital Ashgabat on October 17 with the participation of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reported. The ceremony gathered the chairperson of the Mejlis (Turkmen parliament), members of the Government, heads of military and law enforcement agencies, and mass media. The new golf club occupies more than 70 hectares and is located in the south-west part of the capital, next to fashionable Yilduz Hotel. The golf club includes administration and operation facilities, an 18-hole course, four artificial ponds and one spring, and open and underground parking lots for 90 vehicles. Design and consulting works were carried out by Nicklaus Design from the USA, whose head Jack Nicklaus was met by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov several times to discuss the opportunities of the golf development in the country. The presence of the golf course meeting the highest criteria of similar facilities will allow holding international championships and world tournaments in the Turkmen capital, as well as attracting more tourists. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the President of Turkmenistan noted that the Turkmen government pays special attention to development of mass physical training, sports and Olympic movement. All these measures support wide implementation of a healthy life style, achievement of success of Turkmen sport and recognition of Turkmenistan as a world-class sport center.

Sport Ashgabat Human rights Asia Turkmenistan

Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games kick off in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT (TCA) — The opening ceremony of the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) took place in Turkmenistan's capital, Ashgabat, on September 17 with the participation of a number of heads of state and government, including the presidents of Afghanistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. According to organizers, some 5,500 athletes from 62 countries will be contesting in 21 disciplines — including tennis, ju-jitsu, cycling track, weightlifting, and taekwondo — to September 27, making it Asia's second-largest sporting event, RFE/RL reported. Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov appears to want to use the AIMAG to cast Turkmenistan as a regional success story and sports hub. But human rights groups have raised concern over rights abuses in the run-up of the competition, including "massive housing violations" in Ashgabat by Turkmen authorities and their continued clampdown on independent voices. Turkmenistan expects tens of thousands of foreigners to visit the Games. The Turkmen government has spent billions of dollars preparing for the Games — the most prominent international event ever held in independent Turkmenistan — including some $2.5 billion on a mammoth new airport built in the shape of a falcon in flight. It also built an Olympic Complex located on 150 hectares on the outskirts of the capital and numerous state-of-the-art sporting facilities — including the Olympic Stadium capable of holding 45,000 fans, a 6,000-seat indoor cycling track, a water-sports complex, an indoor tennis court — complete with a circular 5-kilometer monorail system to carry athletes, officials, and fans around the complex. Turkmen officials have said they were planning to bid for hosting other major sports events, including the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, human rights groups have said homeowners and residents in Ashgabat have had to endure "massive housing violations" ahead of the competition. The Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) in Vienna and the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on September 4 that the Turkmen government had "forcibly evicted" homeowners in Ashgabat and demolished their homes "without adequate compensation" in preparation for the games. The two human rights watchdogs have called on the Olympic Council of Asia, as the organizer of the AIMAG, to remind Turkmenistan of its rights obligations. In an effort to improve the country's image when foreigners start arriving to compete in, or attend, AIMAG, Turkmen authorities have banned the sale of alcohol in Ashgabat, restricted the movement of residents of the provinces to the capital, ordered former inmates to stay away from the games' venues, and tried to clear the city of stray dogs and cats as well as child beggars.

Sport Ashgabat Turkmenistan

Foreign visitors to Turkmenistan games unaffected by local bans

ASHGABAT (TCA) — Foreign visitors and participants of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games that will be held in Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat September 17-27 are “isolated” from local citizens and unaffected by local bans, the foreign-based independent website Chronicles of Turkmenistan reports. Continue reading

Sport Ashgabat Human rights Housing Turkmenistan

Homeowners evicted, their homes demolished in Turkmenistan capital ahead of Asian Games

ASHGABAT (TCA) — Two human rights groups — the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) in Vienna and the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) — said on September 4 that the Turkmen government had "forcibly evicted" homeowners in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat and demolished their homes "without adequate compensation" in preparation for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) Ashgabat will host this month. Continue reading

Sport Ashgabat Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan authorities select spectators for Asian Games from among public sector employees

ASHGABAT (TCA) — Authorities in Turkmenistan are selecting spectators to attend sports competitions during the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games which will be held in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat from September 17 to 27, the independent foreign-based website Chronicles of Turkmenistan reports. Continue reading

Turkmenistan Sport Ashgabat

Facilities in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan in the Guinness Book of Records

ASHGABAT (TCA) — Representatives of the Guinness World Records, which collects information for the Guinness World Records Book, have registered new facilities in Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat, as the largest facilities by certain parameters. According to Guinness World Records certificates, the image of the horse decorating the stand of the Olympic stadium in Ashgabat is named the largest architectural symbol of the horse on the planet, and the Centre of Water Sports of the Olympic village is the largest indoor swimming pool built using newest technologies and ecologically friendly materials meeting high international standards, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reports. On this occasion, on August 21 a celebration meeting with participation of the members of the Government of Turkmenistan, mass media, Ashgabat university students, and representatives of non-governmental organizations of the country was held in the office of the Executive Committee for Preparation of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games that will take place in Ashgabat in September. Thorough preparation for the Asian Games in Ashgabat has a visual architectural embodiment — the Olympic village that has no analogies in Central Asia. Artistic monumental image of the horse, which is the key symbol of Ashgabat Games, has a height of 40.05 meters (131 feet and 4.9 inches) and a length of 37.69 meters (123 feet and 7.9 inches). The second certificate was awarded to the Centre of Water Sports of Ashgabat Olympic village, which entered the Guinness World Records Book as the biggest indoor swimming pool built based on modern technologies from ecologically friendly materials meeting high requirements of international standards. This water complex is able to accommodate 5,000 visitors who can watch swimming and water jumping competitions. It has four swimming pools of different sizes designed for competitions and training. The total area of the swimming pools is 4 976.65 square meters (53 568 square feet). Authorities in Turkmenistan hope that success of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat would someday allow the country competing for hosting Olympic Games.