OCA President hails ‘best ever’ AIMAG at closing ceremony
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: The President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov brought the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games to a close in a party atmosphere at the Ashgabat Olympic Stadium on Wednesday.
The games, which were awarded to Ashgabat by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in 2010, opened on September 17 and involved 6,000 athletes and officials from 65 teams – 45 from the OCA, 19 from Oceania and the African Refugee Team.
Thirteen of the 15 competition venues for the 21 sports were located at the Ashgabat Olympic Complex, and the 45,000-capacity Ashgabat Olympic Stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremony.
The closing ceremony began with the arrival of the athletes, before the OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, addressed the audience.
“This has been a wonderful journey for all of us. Thank you for inviting us to your country and your capital Ashgabat. Congratulations on the best ever event,” said Sheikh Sabah. “This is the end of the games. But it is not the end of our friendship and partnership.
Sheikh Ahmad described the venues as “world-class”, and said he was convinced that Ashgabat had the capability to host more major international events.
“The games have been an outstanding success,” he said. “We have witnessed a special games in a special city and will go home with special memories.”
The closing ceremony ended with an extravagant fireworks display before President Berdimuhamedov waved to the crowd from the VIP balcony and left the stadium alongside Sheikh Ahmad.
