Hockey players of the junior national team of Turkmenistan won silver medals at the first Asian and Oceania championship among players under 18 years old, which ended in Ulaanbaatar. The wards of Guvanchmyrat Jepbarov achieved this success by defeating the Iranian team on the final day of the tournament with a devastating score of 14:1.

From the very first minutes of the match, the great playing superiority of the Turkmen team on the ice surface was indicated. The game was, as they say, one goal. So, in the first 20 minutes of the game, the Iranians disturbed our goalkeeper only twice, while the Turkmen hockey players delivered 26 shots to the opponent's goal, and 8 of them reached the goal. In total, for three periods, the national team of Turkmenistan hit the opponent's goal 65 times, and the Iranian team - only 9.

Having won the first period with a score of 8:0, our compatriots, in order not to greatly upset the juniors of Iran, who were unsuccessfully performing at the tournament, slowed down in the second 20-minute period, and the teams left for the second break with a score of 10:1 in favor of the national team of Turkmenistan. The Iranians scored the only goal when the score was 0:8. The defenders allowed Eil Khamze to go one on one with goalkeeper Vlad Zikratykh, who replaced the main goalkeeper Tanryberdi Guvanjov after the first period, and soak the score with an accurate throw under the crossbar.

After the 9th missed goal, the goalkeeper was also changed in the Iranian team. Instead of Hussein Kakavand, Soheil Halaj stood at the gate. But our hockey players also «printed» it. And how! From the centre of the field, from the red line, defender Nazar Orazov decided on a long-range strike. Iran's new goalkeeper was not ready for it, and the puck flew into the net.

In the final period, the juniors of Turkmenistan upset the goalkeeper of the Iranian team four more times, repeating the record of a big score (14:1) in the tournament, which the hockey players of Uzbekistan had also previously set in the game with the Iranians. In the team of Turkmenistan, Nazar Orazov scored a hat-trick, Matvey Arhipov, Allan Muhiyev and Rovshen Ashirov scored doubles, and Allaberdi Guvanjov, Alihan Aliskerov, Serdar Durdyyev, Yusup Atdayev and Erkin Bashimov scored once.

After the game in honor of the fourth consecutive victory of our hockey players, under the arches of the «Steppe» arena, which can accommodate 2600 people, the anthem of Turkmenistan was played, and the expert jury named the best players of the match. These were: defender Mahbod Abdollahi in the Iranian team, and striker Serdar Durdyyev in the Turkmenistan team.

The best player of the championship of Asia and Oceania in our team was the goalkeeper Tanryberdi Guvanjov, who also received a special prize.

Earlier, the juniors of Turkmenistan won against their peers from Thailand - 4:3, the United Arab Emirates - 7:2 and Mongolia - 6:4.

On the final day of the tournament, two more matches took place, which ended as follows: The United Arab Emirates - Uzbekistan - 1:8 and Thailand - Mongolia - 4:6.

Thus, the national team of Uzbekistan became the winner of the Asian and Oceania championship among players under 18 years old, which scored 15 points out of 15 possible. The team of Turkmenistan has 12 points. The Mongolian team closed the top three with 9 points.

The tournament was held under the auspices of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Juniors from Iran, Mongolia, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan argued for the trophy in a one-round competition.

The sports honour of Turkmenistan at the first junior championship of Asia and Oceania (U18) was defended by 20 young hockey players from the clubs «Galkan» of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, «Shir» of the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations and «Oguzhan» of the State Concern «Turkmengas». It was the first international tournament in their life. And it is very gratifying that our compatriots won silver medals in it.

On this remarkable success of our team, Chairman of the Hockey Federation of Turkmenistan Jora Hudayberdiyev was congratulated by telephone from Mongolia by IIHF Vice-President for the Asian region Ayvaz Omorkanov, who noted the good preparation of Turkmen hockey players, their will to win.