On 7 April, 2020, in honour of the World Health Day, Turkmenistan planned to host a large-scale bicycle race. The preparations for the race were discussed by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov at the Cabinet session held on 3 April, 2020.
In the night of 7 April, 2020 the state information agency TDH reported that “this year numerous spectacular sports events will be held across the country on the World Health Day”.
For instance, the bicycle race bringing together 3500 participants was scheduled to be organized in Ashgabat and 7 thousand more people were supposed to take part in the race across the country.
The website of the news outlet posted the greetings addressed to the head of state on the occasion of the World Health Day.
However, according to correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”, the sport campaign, which usually takes place in the morning, has not been held by 12 a.m.
Late in the evening of 6 April, 2020 trucks accompanied by specially designated vehicles were transporting bicycles toward Chandybil avenue, the starting point for bicycle races. In the morning of 7 April, however, the bicycles were carried away in the opposite direction.
The avenue and the path to health, where students with flags walk along during sports events, have been empty since early in the morning.
Municipal buses run according to the schedule. No police squads or students are seen in the city. Turkmenbashi avenue is the only street which has been cordoned off.
It is likely that for some reasons the venue of the bicycle race might have been change. “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” will monitor the developments.