In the first days of August in the Turkmen capital, it is planned to hold the open championship of Ashgabat in strict lifting (bench press) of the barbell on the biceps. This was stated in an interview with the newspaper "Neutral Turkmenistan" by the Chairman of the Federation of athletic sports of Turkmenistan Ahmet Pirov. 

According to the information, the winners of the championship will be determined in three weight categories-up to 75 kg, up to 100 kg and over 100 kg.

Currently, representatives of the athletic sports Federation of Turkmenistan, which combines, in addition to powerlifting, such sports disciplines as body building, arm wrestling, kettlebell lifting, power extreme or "strongman" (a type of power athletics for dragging and throwing heavy objects) and the Department of wrestling that opened this year (tug - of-war of an object in a sitting position), are preparing for these competitions with a barbell.

It was with this discipline that the development of powerlifting began. Bicep lifting tournaments, as well as head presses, were held as early as the 1940s. It was not until the late 1950s that the barbell squat, bench press, and deadlift were added to these competitions.