On the international sports stage, as well as in other areas, Turkmenistan demonstrates a steady growth of its authority. This is confirmed by the success of our athletes at major international competitions and Olympics. This year, our young chess players also presented the country with a valuable gift for the Independence Day celebrations by returning with awards.

From 10 to 22 September, the 45th World Chess Olympiad was held in Budapest (Hungary), where more than 2,000 athletes from almost 200 countries took part. Young chess players of Turkmenistan, who won small gold medals, returned home today. Earlier, "Orient" informed you about the successes of Turkmen chess players during the tournament. Today, at the Ashgabat International Airport, with bouquets of flowers, the winners were warmly welcomed by representatives of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan and their relatives. Orient portal also did not stay away from this event and met the winners to tell the readers how they achieved success in the international tournament. Of course, what could be better than returning home with a victory on the eve of Independence Day?!

The small gold medalists shared their joy and pride with us. Let’s hear from our outstanding chess players!

Head of the Turkmen delegation, Secretary General of the Turkmenistan Chess Federation (TKF) Mergen Kakabayev:

-The Chess Federation of Turkmenistan conducted a series of training camps to prepare for participation in the world tournament. At this international competition, our men's and women's national teams achieved the best results in the history of Turkmen chess. The men's team took 1st place in category B and the women took 1st place in group C, bringing home a total of 12 small gold medals. The collaborative efforts of the Chess Federation and the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Physical Culture and Sports to prepare our young athletes for participation in such major international competitions were justified. We can confidently say that this victory was a wonderful gift to our Hero Arkadag, the Esteemed President and the entire Turkmen people in honor of the 33rd anniversary of Turkmenistan's Independence!

Lala Shohradova, 18-year-old vice-champion of Turkmenistan in chess:

-I played on the first board as a member of the national team at the 45th World Chess Olympiad in Hungary. The competition was very intense and exciting. We prepared thoroughly for each match against strong opponents. My experience from the 2018 World Chess Olympiad in Georgia played a significant role in this success. In addition, our results were the result of the training camps held in Turkmenistan since April this year. I am very happy and proud that we have achieved such high results. I am confident that the experience gained in Budapest will help me succeed in future international tournaments. I congratulate everyone on the upcoming Independence Day!

25-year-old International Sports Master, Saparmyrat Atabayev:

-Our team at the 45th World Chess Olympiad in Budapest consisted of only five athletes. I played on the first board and managed to win in group B. We defeated strong teams from Canada, Switzerland, Israel and Iceland. We prepared for this biennial tournament for a long time. We have participated in various international competitions and more big tournaments are ahead of us. I would like to take this opportunity to cordially congratulate everyone on the 33rd anniversary of Independence!

The 18-year-old champion of Turkmenistan, Meryem Agajanova:

-I have been practicing chess since I was 9 years old. In recent years I have participated in several international tournaments in Dubai, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka and India. Previously, I have competed in both women's events under 20 and open tournaments. The competitions in Budapest were challenging for me and I wasn’t able to secure a prize. However, I gained valuable experience playing against strong female chess players from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, India and Italy. This Olympiad featured strong teams from all over the world, and we played 11 matches. Thanks to the team effort we were able to achieve victory and take first place. Of course, these competitions were very intense and left unforgettable impressions.

Engaging in sports is wonderful, especially intellectual sports. Making the right moves is important not only in chess, but also in life.

We wish our chess players to make the right moves and achieve victories in future competitions. May success always accompany our athletes!

Seyli ARYSHOV