Our badminton players step onto the podium of a prestigious international tournament for the first time in history

The Central Asian Regional Badminton Championship, held from September 15 to 22 in Tashkent, proved to be highly successful for Turkmen athletes. For the first time in the country’s history, Turkmen badminton players managed to reach the podium at an international competition.

The prestigious tournament brought together 97 athletes from seven countries — Turkmenistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. The competitions were held across three age categories: U15, U17, and U23.

Representing Turkmenistan in the boys’ category were Mergenguly Nurmyradov, Billal Saryyev, Annaberdi Orazdurdyyev, Dowran Hojaberdiyyev, Ybraýym Babaýev, and Shamuhammet Shaberdiyyev. In the girls’ category: Akjemal Kakanova, Gülshen Amanova, Elnara Atayeva, Bahar Jumaniazova, Evelina Yefremova, and Anastasia Kulikova.

Under the guidance of experienced coaches from the Badminton Federation of Turkmenistan, training sessions were organized that contributed to the athletes' strong performance at the international level.

The first achievement came from Evelina Yefremova and Anastasia Kulikova in the U15 category. Competing in the doubles, they defeated players from Kyrgyzstan in the round of 16 and overcame the team from Tajikistan in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they lost to the eventual champions — the team from Iran. As a result, they brought home Turkmenistan’s first-ever international badminton medal — a bronze.

In the mixed doubles event (male and female) for the U23 age group, Billal Saryyev and Gülshen Amanova also earned bronze. They first beat Kyrgyzstan’s team, and although they lost to Kazakhstan in the semifinals, they were awarded bronze according to the tournament’s rules.

During the course of the tournament, the Badminton Asia Confederation conducted a seminar on gender equality and women's participation in sports. Two Turkmen coaches attended the event, gaining valuable experience and knowledge.

Additionally, Turkmenistan’s badminton specialist Yana Sarkisyan served as an umpire during the Central Asian Championship, which reflects the country’s growing commitment to developing badminton as a sport.