Turkmenistan's taekwondo team gearing up for Ashgabat 2017

투르크메니스탄 태권도 대표팀, 2017년 실내무도아시안게임 준비 만전

Turkmenistan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The central Asian country has come a long way since, and is set to host its first international sporting event this September.
Among the the 21 indoor games and martial arts to be featured is Korea's very own Taekwondo.
Kim Hyesung files this report from Ashgabat.

"Ashgabat 2017, the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games is less than five months away, and here at the Ashgabat Olympic Complex, Turkmenistan’s national Taekwondo team is training hard."

Front kick, spinning, left and right, with a shout.
Young, fit, Turkmen Taekwondo masters in their crisp white "Dobok" uniforms practice various moves, a sport that requires balance, speed and technique.


"2017 Indoor and Martial Arts games is very important game for me. Especially, from Korea, our coach Jaesoong Lee, we have training with him everyday, in morning and every evening, in morning, we do running we do physical training and with him evening, we do basic training, technique training, spinning. I hope that on the competition, I will take a gold medal."

Turkmenistan formed its Taekwondo national team in 2000, but the Central Asian country has yet to win a medal in an international event.
Yet coach Lee Jae-soong, who joined the team in February, is very optimistic.


"The Turkmen athletes have great potential as they are very young. Some even have experience in international events like the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. I'm trying to train them techniques that suit their body type. For tall athletes, higher kicks to the head, for shorter athletes, back kicks, which now also get you two points."

The main objective of Taekwondo is to kick the opponent on the scoring areas like the head and the body during three two-minute rounds.
The rules changed earlier this year; kicks to the head are still three points and punches one point, but kicks to the body are now worth two points instead of one, making the sport more dynamic and active.
The fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, showcasing 21 different sports, will take place from September 17th to the 27th in Ashgabat.
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

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