The 11th Turkmenistan Ice Hockey Championship has begun at the Galkan Winter Sports Complex in Ashgabat.
Eight leading teams representing the country’s security and government agencies are participating in the national championship. The tournament was a logical continuation of a busy hockey season and an important test of strength before international competitions.
The Neutrality Cup, which concluded a week earlier, confirmed the high level of competition. The Galkan club (Ministry of Internal Affairs) won the tournament, defeating the Şir team 9-7 in a tense final. Third place went to the Oguzhan team, which demonstrated consistent and effective play.
Following the cup tournament, individual awards were awarded to Galkan players Arslan Dovletmyradov, Musa Annasaparov, and Armen Movsesyan, who were recognized as the best players in their respective roles. Their form and skill set a benchmark for the rest of the championship participants.
The current national championship will last until the end of January and will be a key stage in the preparation of Turkmenistan’s national teams for the 2026 season. In February, the junior team (U18) will compete at the Division III World Championship in Sarajevo, and in April, the national team will travel to Cape Town to compete in Group A against strong opponents from South Africa, Turkey, Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Thailand.
The Turkmenistan Hockey Federation emphasizes that its confident progress on the international stage has been made possible by systematic state support for the sport and the consistent development of the country’s ice infrastructure.
