OREANDA-NEWS. On 08 August 2008 was announced, that President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who had arrived in the capital of the People’s Republic of China – Beijing to attend the ceremony of opening the XXIX Summer Olympic Games, had a meeting with the Turkmen sportsmen, the members of the Olympic team, who were to accomplish the important and honorary mission – to present the sports achievements and uphold the country’s honour at the main sporting event of the planet.

Greeting his honorary guests Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov invited them to have a meal at the table ‘crammed’ with the fruits grown in the generous Turkmen land - grapes, fruits, world-renowned sweet water melons and melons and, of course, hot Turkmen bread baked from grain of this year’s harvest – the most delicious food from the homeland.

The meeting over a drinking bowl of green tea became free and easy from the first minutes. Addressing the Turkmen sportsmen with words of encouragement Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the day of opening the main sports forum of the world would be rich in events and impressions and emphasized that Turkmenistan’s participation in the Olympic competitions was another opportunity to demonstrate Turkmenistan’s openness and friendliness, its willingness to maintain wide mutually advantageous co-operation.

“Sport is a living embodiment of strength, beauty, health and aspiration for the heights of the progress,” the President said noting that the Government would continue to attach priority importance to propagation of sport and physical culture.

The President said that the Government intended to invest heavily in sports and physical culture that nowadays thousands of people in Turkmenistan went in for more actively.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that all kinds of sports would be developed in Turkmenistan including those unusual for Turkmenistan – hockey, water sports, particularly canoeing. The new epoch was marked with the large-scale construction of Olympic complexes, stadiums, sports facilities and grounds throughout the country creating the favourable conditions for physical training – the foundation of the healthy lifestyle.

The Turkmen leader said that the people of Turkmenistan from labour collectives to higher educational establishments, schools and kindergartens should be involved in the sports movement.

Chairman of the National Olympic Committee Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that overall support would be provided to the Olympic movement. Cordially congratulating the Turkmen athletes on participation in the Olympic Games Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed belief that they would uphold Turkmenistan’s sports honour and demonstrate their mastery and strength.

On behalf of the national team Chairman of the National Centre of Track and Field Athletics, Coach Khaji Rakhmanov and the standard-bearer, captain of the Turkmen Olympic team Guvanch Nurmukhamedov cordially greeted and thanked the President for the heartfelt wishes. They emphasized that they considered the Turkmen President’s presence in Beijing an evidence of the Turkmen leader’s confidence and utmost attention to them and a powerful incentive to win.

In conclusion the sportsmen thanked the Turkmen leader for the heartfelt wishes and wished Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov good health and new accomplishments in his work for the happiness and benefit of the Turkmen people.