FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with Guvanchmuhammed Ovekov, Chairman of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan, in Doha on Wednesday. Infantino announced the meeting on his Instagram account.
During the meeting, Infantino commended the Federation's efforts to promote football in Turkmenistan. “We spoke about future development projects and how FIFA can continue to support President Ovekov and his team's plans for growing football in Turkmenistan," he said.
Ovekov was elected as the Chairman of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan on November 4.A prominent figure in Turkmen football, the 43-year-old began his career with the Ashgabat club "Nisa" at the age of 20.
He has played for various teams abroad and represented the Turkmen national team, including a stint with "Balkan" (now "Nebitchi") from 2011 to 2012.
In 2014, Ovekov joined "Ahal" as both a player and coach, later becoming the head coach and manager. He has been instrumental in the success of &ARKADAG; which won consecutive Turkmenistan championships.
Infantino previously visited Ashgabat in May 2023, where he met with the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, at the Olympic Stadium. During that visit, the Head of State expressed support for FIFA initiatives aimed at developing football both domestically and globally.
During the visit, Infantino described the opportunity to personally see the world-class stadium built in Ashgabat from white marble as an unexpected gift.
Last week, Ovekov and the Secretary General of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan, Serdar Geldiev, participated in an online meeting with representatives from Villarreal's football academy. They discussed potential collaboration on youth football development and coaching education.
The Football Federation of Turkmenistan was established in 1992 and became a member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation in 1994.