HE Mr G. Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan
Notions like seven days of festivities, measuring seven times before cutting once, seven treasures, and seven generations are all deeply rooted in the Turkmen national heritage.
Participants in the horse march will visit historical and cultural sites across the country and the whole ceremony is meant to show respect to the heritage and the transformation of Turkmenistan in recent years. The famous Akhalteke horse features prominently on the emblem of AIMAG. Its image can also be seen on the upper part of the Olympic stadium. The inclusion of equestrian sports in the program of the 5th Asian games and the horse march to mark the 500-day countdown are all part of the effort to raise the international fame of the unique Turkmen horse.
Preparation of Olympic Village well underway
and the construction was carried out by a Turkish company. The Olympic Village is ready with all the necessary infrastructure, including social, cultural and shopping centres, hotels, restaurants, cafes, shops, a car park and a monorail. The only sports arena that has yet to be completed is the 45 000 capacity stadium, similar in size to the home of Chelsea -Stamford Bridge.
The monument of neutrality, on the outskirts of Ashgabat was for some years the tallest structure in the country. It marks the policy of neutrality proclaimed by the country in the 90s. Turkmenistan is actually the first permanently neutral state officially recognised by the UN.
Preparation of the Olympic Village is on track. Bagtyyar Nuryyev, member of the Organising Committee said that the host city, Ashgabat, is ready to welcome thousands of athletes, officials and journalists from over 60 countries.
The Olympic Village, has more than 30 sport facilities, including a multi- purpose arena with a capacity of 15,000 spectators, a velodrome, tennis courts and a medical rehabilitation centre. The total cost of the Olympic Village was around 5 billion US dollars
Turkmenistan is a new country. It gained independence in October 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, it has a long history being part of the Silk Road connecting China with Europe and the Middle East. The monument of independence presents many figures from the proud history of Turkmenistan.
Countdown launched by the Turkmenistan President
fortress of Nisa, the President wished success to all participants. After inspecting the Olympic Village, the Head of State, accompanied by the President of the Asian Olympic Council, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad -Al-Sabah presented the flags of Turkmenistan and the Olympic Council of Asia to two of the horsemen who will take part in the first stage of the marathon. Altogether, the march will cover 5766 kilometres in 500 days and will go through all 5 regions of Turkmenistan. In the last stage of the march, the flame of the 5th AIMAG will be lit in the Galkynysh gas field. After that, the horsemen will head to Ashgabat and they will arrive at the Olympic village on the 17th of September 2017 for the official opening ceremony of the games.
The President of Turkmenistan, His Excellency Mr Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov presided over the start of the horse march.
In the dramatic setting of the ancient
Many Turkmen sportsmen with outstanding achievements in international competitions took part in the ceremony marking the 500-day countdown to the opening of the games. In an interview for the ABU, the Chairman of the Organising Committee for the games, Mr Dayanch Gulgeldiyev, said that they were confident that AIMAG in Ashgabat will be a successful event and that after the games, the capital of Turkmenistan will turn into an important sporting centre in the region thanks to the infrastructure that is already in place. He added that being a member of the ABU, The State Committee of Turkmenistan for Television, Radio and Cinematography is ready to cooperate with the union in preparation for the successful coverage of the Asian Games in 2017.
ABU News 29
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