The I Winter Sport Games “Children of Asia”, where Turkmenistan national junior team takes part, has started in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia.Our country, for which the snow is an exotic, is represented by junior ice-hockey team and two figure skaters.
Bright opening ceremony of the Games, where young sportsmen from Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Philippines, Japan as well as teams from Moscow, the Republic of Tatarstan, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Far East, Siberian and Ural Federal Districts of Russian Federation take part, was held at the Spartak Stadium in the regional centre of Sakhalin.
The medals of the competitions were presented and symbolically handed over to Nysh the Steller’s sea lion on the day before.This is the species of the seals that became the talisman of current Games.
More than 30 competitions in different disciplines will take place during the week. 8 sports, namely biathlon, cross country skiing, figure skating, snowboarding, downhill skiing, ice hockey, speed skating (short track) and ski jumping, have been nominated.
Starting from February 11, young Turkmenistan hockey players will have to compete against the teams from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Kazakhstan and Ural Federal District of Russia.Figure skaters will start the competitions on February 13 with short programme.
At present time, the sportsmen undergo acclimatization period and actively train getting used to unusual for Turkmenistan citizens weather.