Ashgabat 2017: at the dawn of the future V Asian Games

Currently Turkmenistan is one of the most dynamically developing nations in the world. The high speed of development can be observed through a variety of economic sectors. Moreover, regionally, Turkmenistan is acquiring the status of a sports state, where the health and lifestyle has become a priority of the state politics. Due to state programs and policy, the development of high performance sport has become a guide for each sports clubs even in the most remote cities of the country.
Our country is Neutral and this year the Neutrality of the country is celebrating its 20^th anniversary. This jubilee is significant for us, because our state offers all the necessary conditions for life and development, first and foremost, for life in peace and harmony. In Neutral Turkmenistan the care of citizens’ health, development of mass sports and recreation movement are the prior directions of the state politics, which aims to consolidate nation’s health and bring up a physically strong and spiritually wealthy new generation. In view of this fact, it is of great importance to create all the necessary conditions for holding big sports events, among which Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games play a significant role. The Games contribute not only to increasing of international sports prestige of Turkmenistan, but also to further training of highly qualified sportsmen and popularization of different kinds of sport in our country.
The bilateral agreement about hosting the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games in Ashgabat in 2017 was signed between Olympic Committee of Asia and National Olympic Committee of Turkmenistan and also the city administration of Ashgabat on the 19^lh of December 2010. The news, that Turkmenistan was the first city in Central Asian region to get the right to host 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games, became a significant event in the life of Turkmenistan.
The 5^th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games will be held in the white-marbled city of Ashgabat, “the pearl of Asia”, in 2017. For the first time a great number of countries (guests from 62 countries, including 45 countries of Asia, 17 Pacific countries) will be received. For comparison 42 countries for 9 kinds of sport took part in the games in Incheon in 2013. We also expect 5 thousand athletes from 21 kinds of sport, 2,5 thousand coaches, more than 10 thousand foreign guests, more than 1,5 thousand technical staff members and over 10 thousand volunteers. Approximately 150- 200 thousand sport fans are supposed to arrive in Ashgabat in September 2017. Opening and closing Ceremonies of the Games will be held at the open air stadium with the capacity of 45000 spectators. For the sake of transportation convenience on the vast territory, a monorail way will connect Olympic Village for 12 thousand “residents” with other venues of Olympic Park.
The sports venues, which have no analogues in Central Asia, are being built in our Olympic Park with the square of 156 hectares. Our Olympic Park is one of the unique objects in Central Asia; it includes over 30 multi-purpose venues, Paralympic Complex and Medical Rehabilitation Center. Having the variety of top-level sports venues at disposal, which will be soon put into operation, it is the exigencies of modern time to organize major international sports events. The venues will be provided with high quality sports equipment manufactured by leading world companies, also the peculiarities of venue decorations will be taken into account. Moreover all sportsmen and participants will be offered all the necessary conditions. Major competitions change image of cities, force their development, thus Ashgabat truly has a bright future.
Executive Committee of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games is implementing complex and massive projects on Games preparation, temporal character of which demands high-level organizational activities and effective cooperation with various institutions, organizations and companies. It is especially important to share know-how with leading countries, which have great experience in keeping major international sports events. Such closest partners of Turkmenistan are Olympic Council of Asia, National Olympic Committees of different countries, Sports Federations.
On the 3 – 5 April 2014 the International Exhibition “Ashgabat – the capital of Asiada 2017” was held in the Exhibition Palace of Ashgabat City. Over 60 world sports companies participated there. At the beginning of the exhibition sports equipment, sports requisites and sports clothing were presented. Companies from Russia, Great Britain, Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Austria, Spain and many others presented their achievements and services. Among them there are also companies, which take first steps to establish mutually beneficial connections with our country.
On the 8-10 April 2014 the opening ceremony of Masterclass “Asiada Cuisine 2017” took place in the National tourist zone “Awaza”. Experienced cookery experts from over 20 countries – Great Britain, Germany, China, Korea, Malaysia, India, Nepal, Japan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Ukraine and others – arrived to Turkmenistan to participate in this event. The forum participants were introduced to the peculiarities of the national traditional cuisine of Turkmenistan. As it was pointed, agriculture and animal farming have developed since ancient times and the products of these sectors contributed to the development of the local cuisine. Currently, Turkmen culinary art has a great potential for further development. Foreign delegation representatives pointed the significance of this event. It allows not only to represent culinary peculiarities of Asian and other countries, but also important for strengthening of relations between different countries.
In a period of time between the 30^th April and 3^rd of May the 54th International Conference of the Sports Group of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union took place in Ashgabat. During this conference the foreign delegates were informed about the process of preparation for Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games and discussed issues relating broadcasting of sports competitions in different parts of the world during AIMAG 2017.
On the 27^th of May 2014 the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov held a meeting with AIMAG 2017 Organizing Committee. With the purpose of thorough preparation for the Games, the President appointed the staff of the Organizing Committee and gave a permission to sign an agreement with the British company “CSM Sport & Entertainment LLP trading as CSM Strategies” on the AIMAG general plan development.
Belt Wrestling World Championship took place in Ashgabat at the end of November 2014. About 250 sportsmen from 25 countries – the Russian Federation, Korea, India, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Pakistan, Mongolia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Israel, the Ukraine, Moldavia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, etc. – participated in it. In our country belt wrestling is considered to be not only a kind of sport, but also a tradition, a historical and cultural heritage. Today, belt wrestling is one of the most dynamically developing kinds of sport, it is recognized in 70 countries and every year it becomes more and more popular in the international sports stage. “Goresh” Wrestling World Championship will be held in Turkmenistan for the first time. The aim is to popularize and develop the belt wrestling in Turkmenistan and the world, to strengthen and expand international sports relationship, to share experience with different nations, to preserve ancient traditions, healthy lifestyle, ideas of friendship and peace.
The next important event was the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of participating of 17 Pacific Countries in the Games between the Organizing Committee of the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games, Olympic Council of Asia and National Olympic Committees of the Pacific Countries on the 28^Lh of November 2014. 19 kinds of sport are included into the Games 2017. In his speech at the signing ceremony, the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov offered to include two more kinds of sport – hurdle racing and Turkmen national “goresh” wrestling.
 

 
During the above-mentioned event also Sports Media Forum took place, where the representatives of international mass media organizations, accredited in Turkmenistan, participated.
Our country is an object of regard of many international public members. In April 2015 the International conference “Asiada 2017 and the Role of Turkmenistan in Development of Sport for Progress and Peace” was held in Ashgabat. Within this conference international and Turkmen Sports specialists, media experts, the representatives of field-specific departments, sport clubs and some international press agencies participated in the international Sports Media Forum. Among the guests there were delegates of both Asian and European countries – the United Arab Emirates, China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Qatar, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Great Britain, Austria, France, etc. Ashgabat – 2017 will become an excellent opportunity to show the world the progress of our country, achieved under the leadership of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, both in sports and economy, cultural and humanitarian area and other sectors of political and social life. Strict requirements will be specified to the organization of sports competitions and providing conditions for effective work of mass media.
Currently the main goal of Turkmenistan is to host innovative Asian Games. These Games are of great importance for Turkmenistan, which will contribute to increasing of international prestige of Turkmenistan; it is an important step to the integration into the international sports movement. The Games will be helpful for establishing of the atmosphere of trust and sympathy in the region and the world, and also will stimulate the national economy, cultural life and tourism industry.
Another important event of this year is the 43th meeting of Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly, which took place on September 15 and 16. The delegates of National Olympic Committees of Asian and Pacific Region Countries, heads of IOC and OCA took part in the meeting, which was held in the Olympic Park. Also within this forum the Executive and Finance Committee of OCA held meetings. Also at the beginning of the meeting two beautiful hotels in the Olympic Park celebrated its grand opening. The head of the country expressed his confidence, that this important event, which took place in Turkmenistan for the first time, plays a significant role in sports development in the whole Asian region, offers a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with our country and our progress in sports.
Much work for preparation for the most major event in sports life of Turkmenistan has been done by the 5^th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games Organizing Committee – agreements with leading international companies were signed, famous coaches were invited for training our sportsmen and so on.
In March 2015 the 5^th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games Executive Committee together with the Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists of Turkmenistan and the Central Council of Makhtumkuli Youth Organization announced a competition for creating a motto of Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games 2017. This motto should become a reflection of inner feelings of Turkmen people, their peacefulness, their devotion to sport and love to their independent neutral fatherland. The motto of the Games has been chosen. Here it is in three languages: “Sagdynlyk. Ruhubelentlik. Dostluk.”, “Health. Inspiration. Friendship.”, “Здоровье. Воодушевление. Дружба.”
In September 2015 the 5^th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games Executive Committee announced a bid for international countries for operational planning in all activity directions, mentioned in Asiada – 2017 Master Plan. At the present time a tender winner is being defined.
The 5^th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games Executive Committee was established in December 2013. Considering difficult tasks, which the Committee has to fulfill, new departments were initiated in September 2015.
For the purpose of the coverage of the Games events, an international bid to create an informational website was announced. “Asman оку” company won the bid. This company is working now on a website platform and its data protection. It is planned to complete the work on the main platform of the website and open the first phase of the official website of the Games by the end of this year.
We are planning to start test competitions at the beginning of 2016. These test events will give an opportunity to estimate the readiness of sports infrastructure and its reliability for the upcoming Games.
Volunteers are one of the most important parts of AIMAG 2017 team. They are pledge of successful Games. The main part of volunteers will consist of young students, who will take part in various activities, ranging from meeting delegates at the airport to helping in organizing Opening and Closing ceremonies. Currently, volunteers are being linguistically prepared and also provided training in various directions. Without doubt they will contribute to the successful Games.
Turkmenistan is acquiring the status of a sports state, where the health and lifestyle has become a priority of the state politics. Due to state programs and policy, the development of high performance sport has become a guide for each sports clubs even in the most remote cities of the country.
Thanks to the politics of our honored President, Turkmenistan has been transformed economically and socially. Though our country has been commercialized, people stay socially secured. And in future the major aim of Turkmenistan is to host innovative Asian Games.
These Games are of great importance for Turkmenistan, which will contribute to increasing of international prestige of Turkmenistan; it is an important step to the integration into the international sports movement. The Games will be helpful for establishing of the atmosphere of trust and sympathy in the region and the world, and also will stimulate the national economy, cultural life and tourism industry.
It is commonly known that the best example is the personal example. Our Head of the state is a follower of healthy life style and he always finds time for physical training. The President points out that regular trainings strengthen a person not only physically, but also bring up self-control, diligence and determination.
The 5^th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games, which take place in Turkmenistan for the first time and become the first massive world sports event, will bring unique knowledge, skills and experience, development of patriotic feeling, engaging young generations in sports, volunteer movement progress and so on.
I am glad, that I am a part of AIMAG 2017 team and we believe that the Games will be held at a high organizational level.
Shirin Nazarova,
Specialist of Executive committee
on preparation of V Asian Games (AIMAG 2017).