The Turkmenistan women’s handball team has advanced to the semifinals of the 6th Asian Beach Games, currently being held in the Chinese resort city of Sanya, located on Hainan Island in southern China.
Eight teams are competing for medals in the women’s beach handball tournament.In the preliminary stage, they were divided into two groups.Group A featured teams from Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the Philippines, while Group B included China, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, and Sri Lanka.
In their opening match, the Turkmen team, coached by Gulendam Narbayeva and Marina Divanova, secured a confident straight-sets victory over Sri Lanka, winning 1210 and 84.In the second round, they were defeated by the host nation, China, in two sets, 316 and 1322.
In their final group-stage match, however, the Turkmen handball players earned a hard-fought 21 victory over Mongolia.After losing the first set 1416, the Turkmen team rallied to take the second set 1210.
The outcome was then decided by a shootout, in which the Turkmen players proved more accurate, winning 104.By finishing second in Group B, Turkmenistan qualified for the semifinals, where they will face Vietnam, the winners of Group A.
Vietnam topped their group with identical 20 victories over Thailand, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.The second finalist will be determined in the semifinal match between China and Thailand.
Held under the auspices of the Olympic Council of Asia, the Asian Beach Games are a multi-sport event featuring athletes from 45 countries.Their popularity continues to grow thanks to the relatively low cost of temporary venues, the availability of suitable beaches, and the appeal of coastal tourist destinations for spectators and visitors alike.
Since their inception, the Asian Beach Games have been hosted by five countries.Originally, the Games were held every two years.The inaugural Asian Beach Games took place in 2008 in Bali, Indonesia.
The second edition was held in 2010 in Muscat, Oman, the third in 2012 in Haiyang, China, the fourth in 2014 in Phuket, Thailand, and the fifth in 2016 in Da Nang, Vietnam.
The 6th Asian Beach Games were originally scheduled for 2020 but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Now, ten years after the Games in Da Nang, athletes from 45 Asian nations have once again gathered to compete for 62 sets of medals across 14 sports.
Notably, Sanya has become the second Chinese city to host the Asian Beach Games, following Haiyang in 2012.Turkmen athletes have participated in the Asian Beach Games since 2010, winning a total of 27 medals.
These include one silver medal in 2012; one gold, three silver, and seven bronze medals in 2014; and two gold, four silver, and nine bronze medals in 2016.At this year’s Asian Beach Games in Sanya, Turkmenistan is represented by ten female athletes, all competing exclusively in women’s beach handball.