The Turkmenistan national hockey team will compete in the first division for the first time at the IX Asian Winter Games, which will be held from February 7 to 14, 2025 in the Chinese city of Harbin. This became possible thanks to the team's triumphant victory in the second division at the previous Games in 2017 in Sapporo, the “Neutral Turkmenistan” newspaper reports.
According to the Chairman of the Hockey Federation of Turkmenistan, Jory Hudayberdyev, the Turkmen hockey players will compete in a group with teams from Kyrgyzstan, Thailand and Hong Kong. The competition is expected to be tough, as the opponents have significantly strengthened their rosters and improved their skills over the past eight years.
Despite the difficulty of the upcoming matches, the Turkmen national team is determined. The team's confidence is boosted by the recent victory of the “Galkan” club at the international tournament in Ashgabat, where they beat strong opponents from 10 countries, including the “ORKHIS-Kazan” team from Tatarstan in the final.
Preparations for the Games are in full swing, and Turkmen hockey players intend to represent their country with dignity at this prestigious sporting event.
