Members of the Refugee Team who participated in the Ashgabat 2017 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games have expressed hope that more global competitions will open their doors for them in the future. Five athletes – Paulo Amotun Lokoro, Wiyual Puok Deng, Gai Nyang Tap, Ukuk Uthoo Bul and Yiech Pur Biel – were selected for Ashgabat 2017 following trials organised by the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya.  Biel, who reached the semi-finals of the men’s 800m, said the experie...

On September 22, 2017, at the Government meeting, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov instructed on behalf of the National Olympic Committee to reward the members of the refugee team with honorary awards and gifts for their active participation in the V Asian Indoor Games and Martial Arts, emphasizing that this step is the first practical implementation of the Declaration "On Encouragement of Valuable Contribution of the Refugees Olympic Teams to Consolidation of Peace and Human...

On September 19, 2017 The Olympic Council of Asia held their 70th Executive Board meeting at the Olympia Hotel in Ashgabat. The OCA President, Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, welcomed the members to the capital city of Turkmenistan on the occasion of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and ahead of the OCA General Assembly meeting which took place on 20th of September. “I am honoured to be here with the sports family from Asia and Oceania, the International Olympic Committee, Inter...

On September 18, 2017 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs there was a meeting on the adoption at the 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council of the Declaration on the Encouragement of valuable contribution of the Refugees Olympic teams to consolidation of peace and human rights. Turkmen diplomats, political scientists, representatives of public organizations, mass media, teachers and students of higher educational institutions took part in the meeting. The fact that Turkmenistan was the in...

On September 17, 2017 in Ashgabat with the participation of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, heads of states and governments of several countries, prominent foreign figures, heads of international organizations and other honorary guests, the official opening ceremony of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games was held. In the second half of the day, the head of state arrived at the building of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan, where participants...

The Joint Statement of Turkmenistan and Brazil "On Encouraging the Valuable Contribution of the Olympic Teams of Refugees to the Promotion of Peace and Human Rights" adopted on September 15, 2017, at the 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) in Geneva, Switzerland, on the initiative of the Government of Turkmenistan was supported by many foreign governmental and international experts in the field of human rights. For example, on its online information portals, the US diplomatic...

On September 15, 2017, in Geneva, Switzerland, the UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) adopted the Joint Statement of Turkmenistan and Brazil "On encouraging valuable contribution of Olympic refugee teams in strengthening peace and human rights", initiated by the Government of Turkmenistan. According to this document, UN HRC member states welcome the participation of refugees and refugee teams in major international multi-sport events, as pioneered in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and, most recentl...