A regular meeting of the Organizing Committee of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games was held under the chairmanship of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat.
... In the morning, the President of Turkmenistan drove to the Sport Hotel in the Olympic Village, where the Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers, the high-ranking officials of military and law enforcement agencies and the hyakims of the regions and Ashgabat gathered together. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov entered the hotel lobby, where the plane tables with the draft designs of the attributes of the 2017 Asian Games and an exhibition of various products, including the Asian Games countdown clock, uniforms for athletes and volunteers, dictionaries and phrasebooks, souvenirs, were arranged.
The draft designs of the Asian Games torch that had been revised and improved in accordance with the Turkmen leader’s recommendations and comments and the sets of medals – the trophies in future sports battles were presented in the separate exposition.
The President headed for the conference room, where the cabinet ministers, the members of the Organizing Committee and the Executive Committee of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the State Committee for Sport and the heads, athletes and coaches representing the National Federation in 21 sports, included in the Asian Games programme, gathered together.
The President opened the meeting and gave floor to Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers S. Toilyev, who reported on the current situation in the sport sector.
It was noted that the creation of modernized sports infrastructure and conditions conducive to improving the skills of our athletes contributed to their successful performance at the world championships and other prestigious international competitions. In 2015, the Turkmen athletes participated in 162 international sports competitions and won 411 medals, including 143 gold, 98 silver and 170 bronze medals. Of them, 74 medals were gained in the world championships and 58 medals in the Asian championships.
Support and encouragement of young sports talents, provision of the sport sector with highly qualified trainers and coaches and other resources are the major aspects of the on-going work aimed at enhancing the international prestige of Turkmen sport and the staging of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. Cooperation with foreign experts is promoted for this purpose. In this context, the National Federations and Centres in 21 sports, included in the 2017 Asian Games programme, are intensifying their activities.
The work aimed at training sports specialists is carried out at the National Institute of Sports and Tourism, the Olympic sports school, the Olimp sports school, the sportsmanship school and other sports institutions and organisations in Ashgabat and the regions. Training sessions are held at the sports centres in the Avaza national tourism zone, Gokdere and Koitendag and foreign countries.
In cooperation with international sports organisations, the negotiations on the test international competitions which will be held at the Ashgabat Olympic Village are under way.
The progress of preparatory work for the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games is reviewed on a regular basis at the meetings of the 2017 Asian Games Organizing Committee, which will be held on the last Sunday of each month in 2016. This enables closer coordination in properly and timely addressing the organisational issues and ensuring the preparedness in accordance with the V Asian Games Master Plan.
The Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers presented the draft Resolution on wide-scale sports, cultural and health promotion actions under the motto Health and Happiness, which are held in April each year to mark World Health Day, to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for consideration. The programme of activities which would be held from April 5 to May 5 this year was presented to the Turkmen leader for consideration.
The President signed the Resolution and ordered that wild-scale sports, cultural and health promotion actions under the motto Health and Happiness should be held each year from April 5 to May 5.
Chairman of the V Asian Games Executive Committee D. Gulgeldiev presented the report, noting that the goal-oriented policy of the leader of Turkmenistan in the sport sector was yielding fruits, Turkmen sport was reaching a new level of development and our country was becoming a venue for major sporting events.
The V Asian Games Executive Committee, founded on December 18, 2013, is intensifying its activities. Given the increased amount of work to be done in preparation for the V Asian Games the Executive Committee has widened its staff and created new departments that adopt useful international practices and developments in their activities.
It was noted that the necessary measures had been taken to attract sponsors and partners to stage the 2017 Asian Games. In this context, international practices were studied thoroughly jointly with the Olympic Council of Asia. The major international companies that acted as the partners and sponsors of the Olympic Games and the Asian Games have expressed their interest in sponsoring the Ashgabat Games. The negotiations with these companies are under way.
Fruitful cooperation with the Olympic Council of Asia in advertising the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in the Asian region as well as in Australia and the countries of Oceania and providing information support for this multisport event is being promoted.
With the view of ensuring the high level of organisation of the Asian Games and training Turkmen specialists in modern drug testing technology Ashgabat hosted the meeting of the Executive Board of the Regional Anti-Doping Organization of Central Asia and the training seminar for national anti-doping inspectors. Turkmen specialists who had attended this training seminar received the certificates of doping control officers.
The 2017 Asian Games Executive Committee is taking further organisational measures to develop detailed plans in compliance with the Asian Games Master Plan and invite experts with relevant expertise to our country.
The Turkmen leader gave floor to Erol Tabanca, CEO of Turkish Polimeks – the main developer and builder of the grandiose sports complex, who reported that construction work on the Ashgabat Olympic Village were performed in accordance with the work plan.
The first stage of the Olympic Village project was completed in April 2014. Construction work at the second project stage was performed in full in December 2015. Construction work at the third project stage is in full swing; the work plan has been fulfilled for 75 per cent. Currently, builders are engaged in installing the roof and decorating the facade of the Olympic Stadium, the arena of which will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in 2017. To date, 70 per cent of construction work on the stadium has been performed.
The CEO of Polimeks and the Deputy Chairman of the 2017 Asian Games Executive Committee informed the President of Turkmenistan of the measures taken to address the organisational issues related to the staging of the grandiose sport festival at the international level.
In particular, the detailed proposals for the training of specialists in management, operation and maintenance of Olympic venues had been presented to the Ashgabat Hyakimlik and the State Committee for Sport for consideration. The information on the opening and closing ceremonies was presented.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the large-scale work had been done since our country received the right to host the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in 2017.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov summed up the work done and emphasized that the important task of completing the remaining work in a proper and timely manner so that Ashgabat would host the major sports event was to be fulfilled.
The President said that the staging of the V Asian Games was crucial for our neutral country. The Games will create conditions conducive to involving the population in physical culture and sports activities and contribute favourably to bringing up the physically strong younger generation and training outstanding athletes. The Asian Games will play a significant role in promoting the national sport on a global scale. The Turkmen leader said that we should build the on-going work in this field on national traditions and customs that had survived until our days, including hospitality of the Turkmen people.
In this context, the President suggested holding a horse marathon across the country 500 days before the V Asian Games in accordance with our ancient traditions. A special group consisting of 17 horsemen should be formed. Addressing Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers S. Toilyev, the Turkmen leader said that the group of horsemen would take part in the horse marathon that would run across the territory of all the regions of our country.
The Turkmen leader suggested that the marathon would be led by a horseman who would carry the torch and the horsemen with the national flag of Turkmenistan and the flag of the V Asian Games in their hands would be accompanying the horseman with the Asian Games torch on the right and left sides. The parade of sportsmen who gained victories and outstanding achievements in international tournaments should be organized.
The Turkmen leader instructed Chairperson of the Cabinet of Ministers M. Yazmuhammedova to create a group consisting of cultural and art workers, including journalists, TV specialists, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and public organisations, who would be accompanying the group of horsemen along the marathon course and providing the media coverage for the historic event.
The Turkmen leader suggested walking together with citizens of our country along the Path of Health in Ashgabat in the morning on May 5, 500 days before the V Asian Games and gathering together near the monuments in Nisa in the afternoon on that day to start the horse marathon and wish every success to the participants.
The marathon will last 100 days in each velayat. With the aim of popularising and promoting worldwide the national heritage of the Turkmen people and in token of respect for the memory of our glorious ancestors the participants will visit all the monuments and landmarks of the country.
The horse marathon will finish on the territory of Mary Velayat. The ceremony of lighting the V Asian Games torch will take place on the world famous Galkynysh gas field. Then the group will head for the capital of our sovereign Motherland, where it will participate in the Asian Games opening ceremony. A group of horsemen from Ashgabat will pick up the torch.
After crossing all the regions of the country, the participants in the horse marathon with the torch in their hands will arrive in the capital and proceed to the stadium in the Olympic village, where the Olympic flame will be lit.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov dwelt upon another characteristic feature of the Asian Games. As is known, the V Asian Games will be held in 2017. In preparation for the Asian Games, 17 horsemen at 17.00 on May 5 will set off on the marathon across the country. On September 17, 2017, they will return to Ashgabat and move to the stadium in the Olympic village. The opening ceremony of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games will take place at 17.00 on that day.
The Turkmen leader noted that the Turkmen people and the people of the East believed that the numbers 7 and 17 brought happiness and good luck and wished everyone to host the V Asian Games at a high organizational level and athletes to gain outstanding achievements in these competitions.
The President gave floor to sport specialists, young athletes and their coaches, who expressed their views on the themes discussed and the proposals put forward at the meeting.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked everyone for expressing their views and their interesting reports and summed up the meeting of the V Asian Games Organizing Committee. The Turkmen leader said that we would meet again on April 7, World Health Day. We will give start to the horse marathon across the country on May 5.
The Turkmen leader heartily bade farewell to those present and left the conference hall at the Sport Hotel.
... In the morning, the President of Turkmenistan drove to the Sport Hotel in the Olympic Village, where the Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers, the high-ranking officials of military and law enforcement agencies and the hyakims of the regions and Ashgabat gathered together. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov entered the hotel lobby, where the plane tables with the draft designs of the attributes of the 2017 Asian Games and an exhibition of various products, including the Asian Games countdown clock, uniforms for athletes and volunteers, dictionaries and phrasebooks, souvenirs, were arranged.
The draft designs of the Asian Games torch that had been revised and improved in accordance with the Turkmen leader’s recommendations and comments and the sets of medals – the trophies in future sports battles were presented in the separate exposition.
The President headed for the conference room, where the cabinet ministers, the members of the Organizing Committee and the Executive Committee of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the State Committee for Sport and the heads, athletes and coaches representing the National Federation in 21 sports, included in the Asian Games programme, gathered together.
The President opened the meeting and gave floor to Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers S. Toilyev, who reported on the current situation in the sport sector.
It was noted that the creation of modernized sports infrastructure and conditions conducive to improving the skills of our athletes contributed to their successful performance at the world championships and other prestigious international competitions. In 2015, the Turkmen athletes participated in 162 international sports competitions and won 411 medals, including 143 gold, 98 silver and 170 bronze medals. Of them, 74 medals were gained in the world championships and 58 medals in the Asian championships.
Support and encouragement of young sports talents, provision of the sport sector with highly qualified trainers and coaches and other resources are the major aspects of the on-going work aimed at enhancing the international prestige of Turkmen sport and the staging of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. Cooperation with foreign experts is promoted for this purpose. In this context, the National Federations and Centres in 21 sports, included in the 2017 Asian Games programme, are intensifying their activities.
The work aimed at training sports specialists is carried out at the National Institute of Sports and Tourism, the Olympic sports school, the Olimp sports school, the sportsmanship school and other sports institutions and organisations in Ashgabat and the regions. Training sessions are held at the sports centres in the Avaza national tourism zone, Gokdere and Koitendag and foreign countries.
In cooperation with international sports organisations, the negotiations on the test international competitions which will be held at the Ashgabat Olympic Village are under way.
The progress of preparatory work for the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games is reviewed on a regular basis at the meetings of the 2017 Asian Games Organizing Committee, which will be held on the last Sunday of each month in 2016. This enables closer coordination in properly and timely addressing the organisational issues and ensuring the preparedness in accordance with the V Asian Games Master Plan.
The Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers presented the draft Resolution on wide-scale sports, cultural and health promotion actions under the motto Health and Happiness, which are held in April each year to mark World Health Day, to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for consideration. The programme of activities which would be held from April 5 to May 5 this year was presented to the Turkmen leader for consideration.
The President signed the Resolution and ordered that wild-scale sports, cultural and health promotion actions under the motto Health and Happiness should be held each year from April 5 to May 5.
Chairman of the V Asian Games Executive Committee D. Gulgeldiev presented the report, noting that the goal-oriented policy of the leader of Turkmenistan in the sport sector was yielding fruits, Turkmen sport was reaching a new level of development and our country was becoming a venue for major sporting events.
The V Asian Games Executive Committee, founded on December 18, 2013, is intensifying its activities. Given the increased amount of work to be done in preparation for the V Asian Games the Executive Committee has widened its staff and created new departments that adopt useful international practices and developments in their activities.
It was noted that the necessary measures had been taken to attract sponsors and partners to stage the 2017 Asian Games. In this context, international practices were studied thoroughly jointly with the Olympic Council of Asia. The major international companies that acted as the partners and sponsors of the Olympic Games and the Asian Games have expressed their interest in sponsoring the Ashgabat Games. The negotiations with these companies are under way.
Fruitful cooperation with the Olympic Council of Asia in advertising the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in the Asian region as well as in Australia and the countries of Oceania and providing information support for this multisport event is being promoted.
With the view of ensuring the high level of organisation of the Asian Games and training Turkmen specialists in modern drug testing technology Ashgabat hosted the meeting of the Executive Board of the Regional Anti-Doping Organization of Central Asia and the training seminar for national anti-doping inspectors. Turkmen specialists who had attended this training seminar received the certificates of doping control officers.
The 2017 Asian Games Executive Committee is taking further organisational measures to develop detailed plans in compliance with the Asian Games Master Plan and invite experts with relevant expertise to our country.
The Turkmen leader gave floor to Erol Tabanca, CEO of Turkish Polimeks – the main developer and builder of the grandiose sports complex, who reported that construction work on the Ashgabat Olympic Village were performed in accordance with the work plan.
The first stage of the Olympic Village project was completed in April 2014. Construction work at the second project stage was performed in full in December 2015. Construction work at the third project stage is in full swing; the work plan has been fulfilled for 75 per cent. Currently, builders are engaged in installing the roof and decorating the facade of the Olympic Stadium, the arena of which will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in 2017. To date, 70 per cent of construction work on the stadium has been performed.
The CEO of Polimeks and the Deputy Chairman of the 2017 Asian Games Executive Committee informed the President of Turkmenistan of the measures taken to address the organisational issues related to the staging of the grandiose sport festival at the international level.
In particular, the detailed proposals for the training of specialists in management, operation and maintenance of Olympic venues had been presented to the Ashgabat Hyakimlik and the State Committee for Sport for consideration. The information on the opening and closing ceremonies was presented.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the large-scale work had been done since our country received the right to host the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in 2017.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov summed up the work done and emphasized that the important task of completing the remaining work in a proper and timely manner so that Ashgabat would host the major sports event was to be fulfilled.
The President said that the staging of the V Asian Games was crucial for our neutral country. The Games will create conditions conducive to involving the population in physical culture and sports activities and contribute favourably to bringing up the physically strong younger generation and training outstanding athletes. The Asian Games will play a significant role in promoting the national sport on a global scale. The Turkmen leader said that we should build the on-going work in this field on national traditions and customs that had survived until our days, including hospitality of the Turkmen people.
In this context, the President suggested holding a horse marathon across the country 500 days before the V Asian Games in accordance with our ancient traditions. A special group consisting of 17 horsemen should be formed. Addressing Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers S. Toilyev, the Turkmen leader said that the group of horsemen would take part in the horse marathon that would run across the territory of all the regions of our country.
The Turkmen leader suggested that the marathon would be led by a horseman who would carry the torch and the horsemen with the national flag of Turkmenistan and the flag of the V Asian Games in their hands would be accompanying the horseman with the Asian Games torch on the right and left sides. The parade of sportsmen who gained victories and outstanding achievements in international tournaments should be organized.
The Turkmen leader instructed Chairperson of the Cabinet of Ministers M. Yazmuhammedova to create a group consisting of cultural and art workers, including journalists, TV specialists, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and public organisations, who would be accompanying the group of horsemen along the marathon course and providing the media coverage for the historic event.
The Turkmen leader suggested walking together with citizens of our country along the Path of Health in Ashgabat in the morning on May 5, 500 days before the V Asian Games and gathering together near the monuments in Nisa in the afternoon on that day to start the horse marathon and wish every success to the participants.
The marathon will last 100 days in each velayat. With the aim of popularising and promoting worldwide the national heritage of the Turkmen people and in token of respect for the memory of our glorious ancestors the participants will visit all the monuments and landmarks of the country.
The horse marathon will finish on the territory of Mary Velayat. The ceremony of lighting the V Asian Games torch will take place on the world famous Galkynysh gas field. Then the group will head for the capital of our sovereign Motherland, where it will participate in the Asian Games opening ceremony. A group of horsemen from Ashgabat will pick up the torch.
After crossing all the regions of the country, the participants in the horse marathon with the torch in their hands will arrive in the capital and proceed to the stadium in the Olympic village, where the Olympic flame will be lit.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov dwelt upon another characteristic feature of the Asian Games. As is known, the V Asian Games will be held in 2017. In preparation for the Asian Games, 17 horsemen at 17.00 on May 5 will set off on the marathon across the country. On September 17, 2017, they will return to Ashgabat and move to the stadium in the Olympic village. The opening ceremony of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games will take place at 17.00 on that day.
The Turkmen leader noted that the Turkmen people and the people of the East believed that the numbers 7 and 17 brought happiness and good luck and wished everyone to host the V Asian Games at a high organizational level and athletes to gain outstanding achievements in these competitions.
The President gave floor to sport specialists, young athletes and their coaches, who expressed their views on the themes discussed and the proposals put forward at the meeting.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked everyone for expressing their views and their interesting reports and summed up the meeting of the V Asian Games Organizing Committee. The Turkmen leader said that we would meet again on April 7, World Health Day. We will give start to the horse marathon across the country on May 5.
The Turkmen leader heartily bade farewell to those present and left the conference hall at the Sport Hotel.