OREANDA-NEWS. December 22, 2010.  This good news came from Kuwait. The ceremony of signing the host city contract between the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the National Olympic Committee of Turkmenistan took place in Kuwait. In accordance with the document signed by the OCA Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah and the members of the delegation, who had arrived in Kuwait on the instructions of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Ashgabat will host V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in 2017.

“We are happy to sign the host city contract with Turkmenistan and Ashgabat city”, said OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah at the signing ceremony welcoming the consistent steps taken by our country to host Asian Games in 2017.

He underlined that “OCA recognizes the efforts made by Turkmenistan and the city of Ashgabat; we are looking forward to hosting our 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games for the first time in the Central Asia region.”

In its turn, the Turkmen side expressed belief that Turkmenistan would be able to host in 2017 the first Asian Games held ever in Central Asia.

The Asian Indoor Games held under the patronage of by the Olympic Council of Asia bring together best athletes representing Asian countrie, who compete in 20 sports. The first Games were held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2005 the second Games were held in Macao in 2007 and the third ones were hosted by Vietnam last year. In Vietnam our sportsmen achieved the good results and ranked the 4th in the team tournament.

Starting from IV Asian Indoor Games, which will be hosted by Doha in 2013, these competitions will be organized every four years. The programme will include the martial arts tournaments. In four years Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games will be held in Ashgabat.

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The news that Turkmenistan will be the first country in the Central Asian region to host the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in 2017 drew a wide response all over the world and became a landmark event in the life of our country.

The decision of the Olympic Council of Asia was a striking result of the large-scale scale activity conducted under the patronage and with direct participation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to promote sports and physical culture in the country and facilitate its integration in the global sports processes. This was focused on at the briefing held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan to mark the OCA’s decision to make the Turkmen capital as the host city of V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.

The objectivity of the OCA’s choice of Ashgabat as the capital of the continental multi-sport event follows the great efforts taken by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who gives considerable significance to promotion of physical culture and sports as the priority aspects of the state policy. In the capacity of the Vice Premier in charge of the sports sector Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Acting initiated the activity aimed at organizing Asian Games in Turkmenistan.

In early 2000 the country started developing a qualitatively new approach to organizing and promoting the physical culture and sports movements. At the same time, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov initiated and supported the new sports policy in the country. In particular, the representatives of the International Olympic Committee, heads of the Olympic Council of Asia and other leading international sports organisations visited Turkmenistan at the invitation of the Turkmen leader. On the initiative of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Olympic Council of Asia was held in Ashgabat in 2006, during which the decisions aimed at enhancing the status of Ashgabat as one of the sports capital of the world. At that time the firm foundation for Turkmenistan’s involvement in the international Olympic movement was laid.

After Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov assumed office, he defined as promotion of physical culture and sports, development of the spiritual and physical potential of the nation as a priority of the national policy. Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Turkmenistan, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who is a staunch supporter of a healthy lifestyle, pays particular attention to promotion of the sports and physical culture and healthy lifestyle movement.

That is vividly illustrated by the fact that the World Health Day was included into the calendar of the national holidays on the initiative of the Turkmen leader. The Health National Programme was developed and is being successfully implemented under the patronage of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who was in charge of the health sector for many years. A number of clinics, diagnostic and treatment centres meeting international standards have been built in Turkmenistan in recent years. 10,000 seat stadiums were built in all velayats of the country. A number of sports facilities including hippodromes, motorcycle racing tracks, sports and health improvement centres are under construction throughout the country.

The results of the Turkmen leader’s strategy aimed at promoting the health of the nation include new schools and kindergartens with gyms, basketball and volleyball courts, tennis courts, swimming pools built all over the country. Children’s health improvement centres in Geokdere settlement near Ashgabat and in the Avaza national tourism zone, the world-class seaside resort on the ecologically pure Caspian coast offer the favourable conditions for recreation. The artificial river in the Avaza is a venue for the competitions in rowing and canoeing, sailing regattas. In the near future, a ski complex with skating rinks and aqua parks will be built there. Of total, 119 sports schools and 128 sports facilities are to be built in Turkmenistan till 2020.

Turkmen sport has received powerful incentives to develop through the open door policy pursued by the Turkmen leader, wide international cooperation, organisation of large-scale sport competitions in the country and wider involvement of Turkmen athletes in the Olympic movement. The participation in XXIX Summer Olympic Games in Beijing gave a strong impetus for our sportsmen. As is known, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov arrived in the Chinese capital to attend the official ceremony of opening the 20008 Olympic Games and address the Turkmen team with words of encouragement.

The President of Turkmenistan emphasizes that the Government will continue to make every effort to improve the health of citizens, bring up a physically strong, diligent younger generation, promote the sport and physical culture and Olympic movement in the country, and create the favourable conditions for Turkmen sportsmen so that they will represent our Motherland in a worthy manner at international competitions and their victories will enhance the country’s prestige.

By the way, President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, President of the Olympic Council of Asia, who visited our country last year, was impressed greatly with the scale and pace of changes taking place in Turkmenistan.

“Present-day Turkmenistan where progressive reforms are being successfully implemented to guarantee a happy and prosperous life to the Turkmen people sets an example for many countries of the world,” said the head of the largest continental sport organisation.

One of these unique facilities, which has no analogues in the Central Asian region and will become a venue for the Asian Indoor Games, is the Olympic Village. As is known, the project of an unprecedented scale and significance is initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. On November 5, the President of Turkmenistan attended the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Olympic Village in Ashgabat – the multipurpose sports complex, which will have over 30 facilities including the Paralympics complex and rehabilitation centre; the investments worth about USD 2 billion will be allocated at the first construction phase.

The policy pursued actively and consistently in the country to promote sport and physical culture enabled Turkmenistan to win bid to host one of the largest international sporting events – Asian Indoor Games, which will take place for the first time in the Central Asian region.

The decision of the Olympic Council of Asia to hold the Games in Ashgabat is a striking illustration of the high international prestige of our country, the policy of wide international cooperation and friendliness pursued by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, evidence of respect and recognition of the indubitable progress made by Turkmenistan in the political, socio-economic and other spheres, its commitment to the lofty humanistic ideals of the Olympic movement.

As is known, since the policy of reforms was launched on the initiative of the leader of the Turkmen state, sport in Turkmenistan had become a bright symbol of ascent of new heights of civic spirit, progress and constructive endeavours. The motto ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’ has become incredibly popular among young citizens of the country largely due to the example set by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Taking up the lead of the President of Turkmenistan, our youth makes doing sports a rule of their lives that helps boys and girls become not only physically strong but also strengthen their will, insistence and persistence in coping with any difficulties, achieving new heights in studies and work, mastering professional skills. This is recognized by the world community.

Our people take pride in the Turkmen leader’s sports achievements – President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov holds one of the highest of the oriental martial arts titles – the 6th Dan Black Belt awarded in the autumn of 2008 by the World Karate Federation and the certification for the holder of the 7th Dan Black Belt. In recognition of the great services to the international sports community the height award of the Olympic Council of Asia – the Order of Merit was awarded to the leader of Turkmenistan, and this year President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov became a member of the Japanese Karate Do Federation.

By the way, during his foreign visits Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov usually finds time to do sports and is interested in the experience in developing the sport sector in different countries and organizing large-scale sporting events. Such were the Turkmen leader’s visits to many countries, including Germany, Belarus, Qatar, which has recently won the bid to host the World Football Cup in 2022.

Certainly, the OCA’s decision to hold Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games will offer a powerful impetus to promote the sport and physical culture movement in our country. The good incentives were provided to youth on their way to the good health, physical and spiritual self-perfection by the Spots Games in various sports initiated by the President in the epoch of new Revival. In accordance with the Resolution of the President the teams of secondary, vocational and higher schools, ministries and departments, velayats and Ashgabat were involved in the competitions organized under the motto “Turkmenistan – the Country of High Spirit and Health”

The establishment and organization of massive competitions among professional sportsmen as well as admirers of physical activity vividly evidence Turkmenistan’s real support for and contribution to the international Olympic Movement, an embodiment of the Turkmen leader’s strategy for promoting physical culture and sport in the country and bringing up youth, who will be spiritually rich and physically perfect.

It was reported at the above mentioned briefing at the MFA of Turkmenistan that in accordance with the host city contract the Organizing Committee will be established in Turkmenistan in the near future. It is envisaged that the competitions will be organized in such sports as field and track athletics, weightlifting, basketball, volleyball, handball, mini football, free style and Graeco-Roman wrestling, judo, taekwondo, goresh, tennis and table tennis, gymnastics, cycle racing, etc.

“Our duty and ultimate goal is to support and promote the sport and Olympic movement, actively involve youth in it and give citizens access to sport and physical culture from childhood, form the habit of working, establish the values underlying a healthy lifestyle, diligence and constructive endeavours,” emphasizes the leader of the Turkmen state.

The Olympic Village, where best athletes’ of Asia will compete for medals and titles in seven years, is to serve these purposes.