CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
Thanks to the efforts of our Hero Arkadag and our Hero Arkadagly Serdar much attention is paid to promoting a healthy lifestyle and developing sports. Cycling is also gaining popularity in our Motherland, the land of health and inspiration. Every year on June 3 “World Bicycle Day” is widely and solemnly celebrated in all corners of the country.
In our country, along with other sports, new successes are also being achieved in cycling. A bicycle – is a popular sports vehicle, the most environmentally friendly form of transport and an excellent means of active and healthy recreation. For more than 200 years the bicycle has been the most affordable means of transportation around the world not only for people “from seven to seventy years old” but also for people much younger and older.
The country’s initiatives to develop cycling are widely recognized and supported by the international community. As is known, at the initiative of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in 2018, at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring June 3 “World Bicycle Day”. This is a clear evidence that Turkmenistan’s contribution to the development of sports, the physical-wellness movement, the formation of an ecological culture and a healthy lifestyle in society is widely recognized at the national and global levels.
Also, unanimous adoption at the suggestion of our country at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in 2022 of the Resolution “Integration of mass bicycle use into public transport systems for sustainable development” is a great achievement in the sports field of our country. Also, proclamation of Ashgabat as the “City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth” in accordance with the relevant Decision of the CIS Council of Heads of Government held in the capital in May last year, confirms that the policy pursued by the state in this area has received high recognition throughout the world.
It should be noted that in order to more actively develop cycling in our beloved country from May 31 to June 3, 2024, a 335-kilometer bike ride was organized for the first time on the Mary-Tejen-Ashgabat section of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat high-speed highway.
As our esteemed President noted, sport being a unifying and inspiring force, contributes to world peace and the strengthening of friendly relations between countries and peoples. In our new historical period, sports diplomacy has significantly increased as an actively developing area of our country’s foreign policy. As a result, Turkmenistan is becoming a venue for large international competitions. This is evidenced by the “V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games 2017”, “International Rally Amul-Hazar 2018”, “World Weightlifting Championships”, “Great Silk Road championships in running and cycling”, “Kurash World Championship” and “International Ice Hockey Tournament” with the participation of dozens of countries and other international events.
This confirms that the instructions given by our Scientist Arkadag in his wonderful work “Sport – is the way to friendship, health and beauty” that sport is one of the most important priorities of our state policy and its development – reflects the main essence of the general development of the country are successfully implemented by our esteemed President.
Turkmen athletes participate in prestigious sports competitions around the world, win prizes and raise the green flag of our Motherland high into the sky. This is clearly evidenced by the fact that the “Arkadag” football team of the new city of Arkadag, which debuted in the final tournament of the AFC Challenge League of the 2024-2025 season recently held in Cambodia, won the Cup and a cash prize.
We wish our Hero Arkadag and esteemed President – Hero Arkadagly Serdar, who are leading the great work in our sovereign state to bring Turkmen sports to the world level, health, long life and success in their great deeds!
Hekimberdi Ovezov,
secretary-referent of apparatus of the Commission for holding Elections and referendums in Turkmenistan.