President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov held a meeting with members of the national Billiards Federation in the Olympic town today as part of the celebration of world Bicycle day in Turkmenistan. The Federation has recently achieved notable success in international competitions.

Turkmen Billiards players showed a good result during the Asian indoor and martial arts games held in Ashgabat in 2017. At that time, the 15 – member Turkmenistan team made its first appearance at a competition of this level, winning seven medals-two gold, one silver and four bronze.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the training halls where seven billiard tables of four types were installed for various types of this game: English snooker, American pool, French carom and Russian pyramid. The latter, by the way, is the most developed in Turkmenistan – it was in these competitions that our team took the second team place among 21 countries at the 2017 Asian games.

According to the State news Agency of Turkmenistan, the Head of state showed mastery and fluency cue, virtuoso technique, having a game with her grandson Kerim, who demonstrated a reasonably good level of skill to use effectively different techniques from the Arsenal man.

Those present also watched this exciting game of the head of state with his grandson with great interest. Kerim changed the sharp, sniping strokes of the cue to soft, twisting ones, achieving the desired trajectory of the balls in a difficult situation on the field.

After finishing the game, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov spoke with the Russian Ambassador, exchanging views on the important place that sports occupies in the agenda of bilateral cooperation, its role in the development of relations of friendship and humanitarian dialogue.

A small master class was held for high-profile guests of the Olympic town by professional Billiards players, showing the correct stance – the position of the player's body above the pool table, the setting of the cue and the wrist rest, the technical nuances of different types of impact.

Then they played a full game. This game forces players to fully exercise their intellectual and physical abilities, improves spatial perception, logic and thinking, the head of state noted in a conversation with foreign ambassadors.

The President of Turkmenistan brought to the conversation the Chairman of the billiard sports Federation, honored coach of Turkmenistan Batyr Ashirov. He thanked the head of state for his support and attention.

The successful performance of the national team in Billiards at the V Asian games contributed to the promotion of this sport in the country and an increase in the number of young people who are interested in Billiards. This game is also popular at the Amateur level, among the population of different ages. In the cultural, entertainment and health complexes built in all regions of the country, Turkmen citizens play Billiards with great pleasure.

The national Billiards center was officially established in 2012, and in 2015, the country's Billiards Federation was established on its basis. To date, there are 500 members of this Association – representatives of all regions of Turkmenistan. The national team already includes about 70 athletes.

Domestic tournaments, national Championships, Cups and Championships are regularly held, and Turkmen Billiards players go to international competitions, gaining the necessary experience. Athletes of the national team participate in the world, Asian and other major competitions, where they take prizes. Thus, at the 2018 Free pyramid world Cup held in Moscow, the representative of our country became the third.

Turkmenistan's entry into the world Billiards arena will undoubtedly contribute to the popularization of this beautiful sport, which is called chess in motion.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was presented with an exclusive billiard cue on behalf of the Federation as a sign of gratitude for the full support of sports development in the country.

The meeting ended with a General photograph of all its participants. Separate photos for memory and for the history of the Federation captured the President of Turkmenistan surrounded by athletes-billiard players.