Turkmen athletes won 21 medals of various denominations at the Central Asian Karate Championships held in Aktau, Kazakhstan.
421 karatekas from Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the competition. Athletes competed in the disciplines of kata (a demonstration of formal exercises) and kumite (a competition) among cadets, juniors and adults.
After three days of the tournament, our compatriots won 4 gold, 7 silver and 10 bronze medals.
On the first day of the kata competition, Muhammetresul Hairullaev won gold in the 12-13 age category, Allanur Yalkabov won silver in the 16-17 age category, and Musa Gurbanov and Shirmukhammet Garymyradov won bronze in the 10-11 age category.
On the second day of the kumite competition, Safiya Nazarova (up to 47 kg) won gold in the 12-13 year old girls' category, while Leyli Khommatmyradova (up to 36 kg) won gold in the 10-11 year old girls' category. Emir Gurbanov won silver in the over 45 kg weight category among 10-11 year old athletes. Gulayim Dovletova (up to 32 kg) and Babageldi Myradov (up to 40 kg) also won two silver medals in the same junior age category. Bronze medals were won by Shamuhammet Hojayev in the up to 40 kg weight category among 10-11 year old athletes, and by Kasym Hallyev (up to 40 kg), Muhammetaly Atdayev (up to 50 kg) and Anara Baratova (up to 47 kg) in the 12-13 year old age category.
On the final day of the championship, Alymuhammet Kakalyyev took the top spot in the 63 kg weight class among boys aged 14-15. His student, Remezan Gurbanov, also won a silver medal in the same age category and weight class. Similar successes were achieved in the older age category – among juniors aged 16-17 – by Gurbannazar Amandurdyyev (55 kg) and Diana Gorinova (66 kg).
In the 14-15 age category, Remezan Orazmammedov (57 kg) and Nurana Amandurdyyeva (over 61 kg) won bronze for the Turkmenistan team. Among juniors aged 16-17, Annaoraz Azadov (68 kg) won bronze. Arslan Babanazarov won another bronze medal, this time among adult athletes, in the super heavyweight (over 84 kg) category.
Our karatekas' success at the 2026 Central Asian Championships is rightfully shared by their mentors – head coach of the Turkmenistan national team Aydyn Charyyev, his assistant Esenbay Yazmedov, and national coaches Maksat Atdayev and Serdar Muhammetnazarov.
The Turkmen sporty newspaper
