The traditional sports festival among diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Turkmenistan took place on Friday. The employees of the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not stand aside either, but most importantly, the employees of the institute subordinate to him, whose employees have become one of the main heroes of today's competitions.

But everything is in order.

Competitions with the participation of diplomatic missions in honor of the International Day of Neutrality have been held in Ashgabat for a number of years. They take place in the arenas of the Olympic Town in several sports. The most interesting of them are tennis, chess, volleyball and futsal.

Of course, not world stars perform in such competitions, and sometimes it causes a kind smile among observers when they try to catch up with an elusive ball with the speed of a lame hippopotamus or, getting confused in their own legs, make a "a la Maradona" reception at the best times of his career.

And it's even funnier when players, not knowing which hand to hit a volleyball with, connect a foot that came from nowhere to this procedure. But at the same time, everything looked fun and exciting. Something, but the fighting fervor and passionate desire to win at all costs cannot be taken away from the participants of the competition.

And the fans were constantly adding fuel to the fire, urging "their" players to go on the attack.

And what is the result?

In the unofficial team competition, the first place was won by the closest personnel reserve of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan – students and teachers of the Institute of International Relations. They have three medals – one first place in chess, and two second – in football and again in chess.

In the second team place with two awards is the team of the US Embassy: one first place in football, and the second in volleyball.

The third step on the team podium went to the Indian national team, which has the second place in chess and the third in volleyball.

Iran, Pakistan, the United Nations, Romania and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan each have one medal of different denominations and in various sports disciplines.

The final match for the first place in volleyball between the teams of the embassies of the USA and Iran turned into the most exciting spectacle. Everyone was in suspense when the strongest, and therefore irreconcilable rivals on the playground lined up on different sides of the volleyball net.

Under the furious appeals of the fans, the game activity and the advantage in the first set passed from one team to another.

But the first round with a minimal advantage was on the side of the Iranian team. Their American colleagues discussed further tactics very energetically during a short break, and as a result, having entered the court in a fighting mood, they leveled the score.

The second break was more beneficial to the Iranians, who, without panic, judiciously distributed playing duties and very disciplined brought the third set to a victorious end.

The fourth game was supposed to determine who had stronger nerves: if the Americans won, then the overall score would be equal and they would have to play an additional fifth set. But at the same time, the psychological advantage will be on the side of a younger and physically strong US team.

Actively supported by the fans, our neighbors in the region were well aware that if they did not give everything, even beyond their capabilities, then the joy of victory could slip away.

To their advantage, they were able to gather and bring the game to a triumphant end with a seven-point difference under the joyful ovation of their fans.

...The playgrounds were indeed filled with uncompromising struggle. And best of all, the analysis of the chess tournament will cool down the hot energy of the duels.

Everything happened there according to the rules of diplomatic equanimity, cheerfulness and clarity of thought. But the ball was still ruled by future diplomats from the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

The fight for the first place went to the last plan (paradoxically it sounds), since from the first to the last round Annagozel Mekanova, a student of this university, went to the top of the podium without a win. She is also a master of FIDE, in the recent past a world champion among schoolchildren.

Others got the fate of finding out on a 64-cell board who would be the second. But even here the initiative was in the hands of young diplomats. Fellow student Annagozel – Azim Yangibayev confidently outplayed his main rivals, deservedly taking the second step of the podium.

The third place went to the second secretary of the Indian Embassy Mallapragad Sunil Raj Kumar, who, after intense battles at the chess table, said many kind words to the organizers of the tournament.

He personally and all the other participants of the tournament were invited by the Secretary General of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, FIDE master Mergen Kakabayev to the open tournaments, which are held every Saturday in the Chess and Checkers Center of Ashgabat.

It has already become a tradition that Mergen Kakabayev conducts a training analysis of some games after chess battles. Today his review is devoted to instructive moments in the game between IMO student Annagozel Mekanova and the representative of the US Embassy Gleb Andreev.

This was a sports festival in honor of the International Day of Neutrality. But there will be others soon. It doesn't take long to wait.

And in memory of today, the winners (and not only them) will have photos:

Bekdurdy AMANSARYEV
Photo by ORIENT, Video by Suleiman CHARYEV