The largest in Central Asia Olympic Sports Complex meeting the international standards will be constructed in the Turkmen capital. It will be built near the Olympic Stadium in Ashgabat. Young people of Turkmenistan will receive at their disposal modern stadiums, covered arenas, sports and play grounds, ice palace, cycle track, water sports complex, tennis court, gymnasiums and other sports facilities supplied with special-purpose equipment in accordance with the high Olympic standards.

The sports facilities will be constructed in the area of about 100 hectares creating the necessary conditions for all-year trainings, qualification tournaments and knock-out competitions in accordance with the sports know-how and present-day international rules. The sports base, which has no analogues in the region, for holding the high-level international tournaments and training the national teams and Olympic reserve in various sports are being created on the initiative of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov.

That the decision to construct the Olympic sports complex was taken on the eve of the XIX Olympic Games in Beijing vividly evidences Turkmenistan’s support of the Olympic movement, embodies the President’s course towards developing and propagating the national physical training and sport movement and bringing youth to harmoniously combine the spiritual wealth and physical perfection. On the initiative of the Turkmen leader the projects on construction of stadiums, sport complexes and grounds and other cultural and sports facilities were launched throughout the country to involve the people in practicing sports and to propagate the healthy lifestyle.

The project on construction of the sports complex, which will host the largest international competitions in the future, will considerably contribute to the success of this important social programme. The new sports centre will be used for training and practice in sports by students of the higher educational institutions, which will be constructed nearby within the next few years. These include the buildings of the Turkmen institute of economy and development, institute of culture, school of music and military academy.

Almost 20 facilities will be constructed nearby the Olympic Stadium, which will receive up to 50,000 spectators after reconstruction. The 3,000-seat covered tennis court with two training playgrounds, gymnasiums and other facilities will be built in the northern part of the complex. 10 open-air tennis courts will be constructed nearby. The competitions in swimming, high board diving, synchronized swimming and water polo will be held at the Olympic water sports complex including covered and open-air swimming pools and 5,000-seat stands.

The project stipulates for constructing the Para-Olympic centre, which will host the competitions in power lifting, wrestling, table tennis, mini football, basketball and volleyball. The centre will house gymnasiums, medical rooms and other auxiliary facilities.

The universal sports arenas will be constructed for athletes and footballers. The 3,000-seat covered cycle track s and the sports arena for the martial arts, weight lifting and fencing will be opened in the Olympic village. The 10,000-seat covered sports arena will be the largest sports facility in the south of the village.

The gymnasiums for wrestlers, boxers, basketball and volleyball players as well as open-air sports grounds for playing handball, mini football and other sports and the medical and recreation centre will be built in the south of the Olympic village. The 5,000-seat Ice Palace will spring up nearby the Water Sports Complex at the intersection of Oguzkhan Street and Ataturk Street.

The project of the Olympic village stipulates for constructing the cottages sportsmen, who will take part in the competitions and have long-term team practice sessions. The social and cultural centres and beautiful landscape park will beautify the locality that will rank among the most attractive parts of the Turkmen capital.