Evald Gayer, a 25-year-old pupil of the Galkan hockey club under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan, as a member of the Turkmenistan national ice hockey team, won the qualification tournament of the 2018 IIHF World Championship Division III qualification tournament in Sarajevo in 2018, and in 2019 became the bronze medalist and best defender of the 2019 IIHF World Championship Division III in Sofia. In an interview with Turkmenportal, Evald talked about himself, as well as how the preparation of the Turkmenistan national ice hockey team for the upcoming 2020 IIHF World Championship Division III (Group A) tournament in Luxembourg is going on, where the rivals of Turkmen hockey players will be the teams of Luxembourg, DPR Korea, Turkey, Taiwan and the UAE. 

– I have been playing hockey for over twelve years, – says E. Gayer. – I have been playing for the Turkmenistan national ice hockey team for about four years. I was started playing in HC Alp Arslan, then in HC Oguzhan. And as soon as the HC Galkan was created at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan in 2012, I was transferred to it. My first trainer was Oleg Grigoryevich Puntya, then improved my skills with Bayram Allayarov. In 2015, I entered the Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan, and now I play for HC Nesil student team, from where I am regularly called up to the Turkmenistan national ice hockey. HC Nesil is an institute team, students play for it. I am in my fifth year and will receive a diploma of higher education next year. 

–  How is the preparation of the Turkmenistan national ice hockey team for the 2020 IIHF World Championship Division III?

– Excellent, at the highest level. We are preparing very seriously. No one is waiting for concessions, preparing with full strength, combat squad.

–  The Turkmenistan national ice hockey team is preparing for the upcoming games under the guidance of an experienced mentor, the legend of Russian hockey Sergey Nemchinov. Share your impressions of his training?

–  The impressions are very positive, the coach is very good. We liked Sergey Lvovich very much; he is preparing a team at the highest level. Everything goes according to plan.

– How do you expect to perform at the 2020 IIHF World Championship Division III (Group A) tournament in Luxembourg?

–  We will try to take first place, there is no turning back. We will try to win every match.

– Was it difficult to play this year at the 2019 IIHF World Championship Division III in Bulgaria?

– Of course, it was not easy. The Division III is a higher level than last year when we played in the qualifying tournament in Sarajevo. All teams were difficult, high level. Had to sweat, fight.

– What was the most difficult match for the Turkmenistan national ice hockey team at the 2019 IIHF World Championship Division III?

– The most difficult match was with the hosts of the tournament – the Bulgarian national ice hockey team players who played in their native walls. In the match with the Bulgarians there were more skirmishes, more struggle. All the stands supported them. Before us, the debutants of the Division III of the IIHF World Championship, the task was to adequately perform at the tournament, and we performed it.