Thessaloniki is a city where the centuries-old heritage of Ancient Greece blends harmoniously with modern life. Although the ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, the history of these two places is linked by the country that gave the world the Olympic tradition. Today, this historic legacy lives on through international competitions that bring together outstanding athletes from different countries on a single sporting stage. Here, they demonstrate their skill, determination to win and mutual respect. Thus, Thessaloniki, with its rich cultural heritage and centuries-old history, has become memorable to us as the city where young Turkmen athletes distinguished themselves. The eight medals won by our young athletes at the World Championships are evidence that the younger generation is proudly carrying forward the country's sporting traditions and adding to Turkmenistan's achievements on the international stage.
The success of Turkmenistan's sambo wrestlers has once again proved that determination, hard work and perseverance pave the way to outstanding results. The names of our young champions and medallists have joined the ranks of athletes who proudly represent their homeland at international competitions. Our athletes' performance in Greece was not only a source of pride but also an inspiring example for young people, encouraging them to move forward, improve their skills and strive for new victories.
As a sports enthusiast who closely follows the achievements of Turkmen sambo wrestlers and hopes to see them one day among Turkmenistan's Olympic athletes, I watched the competitions in Greece with particular excitement. That is why the victory of the Turkmenistan team in the boys' combat sambo team standings at the World Youth and Junior Sambo Championships in Thessaloniki brought us twice as much joy. Our athletes won three gold, two silver and one bronze medal, securing first place for the team.
According to the International Sambo Federation, Russian athletes topped the team standings in every discipline except boys' combat sambo. Given that sambo was developed with the participation of Russian specialists and that its technical repertoire was enriched by techniques from the national wrestling styles of peoples who historically inhabited the same geographical region, the strong performances of athletes from CIS countries, including Turkmenistan, are hardly surprising.
At the same time, the victory of Turkmenistan's young athletes over their main rivals in the team competition demonstrates that the Turkmen sambo school is developing a worthy new generation capable of achieving outstanding results in the years to come. Behind this success lie intensive training, the professionalism of their coaches and the young athletes' determination to excel.
Many are familiar with reports on the efforts being made to include sambo in the Olympic Games programme. While imagining the day when these efforts bear fruit, I take particular pride in celebrating the achievements of the younger generation, who have already earned medals at a world championship.
Vasily Shestakov, President of the International Sambo Federation, made the following remarks when summing up the World Championships in Thessaloniki: “These competitions have shown that sambo has a great future. Young athletes from different countries demonstrated a high level of technical skill, determination to win and respect for their opponents.”
These words give us every reason to conclude that the World Championships held in the homeland of the ancient Olympic Games left the participants and spectators with the fondest memories. The success of Turkmenistan's sambo wrestlers has become further proof that our country's sporting traditions are being confidently carried forward by the younger generation, which is opening new chapters in the history of Turkmenistan's national sport.
Hojaberdi APBAYEV,
International magazine «Türkmenistan Sport».
