Turkmenistan to get league going!

[theknuckler]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500290_1...ay-ice-hockey/

see link for whole article!!!!

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan - Ice hockey is hardly the most suitable sport for a desert nation where temperatures can soar as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

And yet, Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov has ordered state enterprises and departments to create a hockey league.

State daily Neutral Turkmenistan reported Wednesday that the police are already busy setting up their own team.

Turkmenistan has overcome the weather issue by using revenue generated from its natural gas exports to build costly indoor skating rinks.

Critics of the idea are unlikely to make their thoughts public in a country where government opponents face severe reprisals.

Berdymukhamedov has in recent months been busily preaching the need for his former Soviet Central Asian nation to become a sporting power and has personally led the way by showing off his active side.

At the weekend, he donned ice hockey garb and skated in front of thousands of people at a recently constructed indoor arena in the capital, Ashgabat. Afterward, teams played in the country's first ever ice-hockey tournament — one of several events organized for the "Week of Health and Happiness" recently devised by Berdymukhamedov.

Earlier that same day, the president unexpectedly took part in a time-trial car race, and won.

These displays appear to be part of a state-engineered design to project the president — who won presidential elections in February with 97 percent of the vote — as a man of action.

The ceaseless idolization of the leader bears strong hallmarks of the cult of personality built by Berdymukhamedov's eccentric predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov, who died unexpectedly in late 2006..

good news for the turkmenistan hockey fans. I was talking to some old Romanian hockey players, they said once communism went away, the hockey went with it.

[woeisme]

"State television displays a constant, golden profile of Niyazov at the bottom of the screen. Newscasters begin each broadcast with a pledge that their tongues will shrivel if their reports ever slander the country, the flag, or the president." Source: http://cpj.org/reports/2006/05/10-mo...-countries.php

I wonder if all the jerseys will feature a smiling head shot of their dicktator Delusionalcuntenov on the front.

[blackngold]

If anyone wants an update on how hockey has developed in this desert country, read this story. Some absurd ****ing ****.

One game, 60 goals allowed: How political controversy led Alexander Medearis to goaltending infamy

Here's the beginning:

Exhausted, Alexander Medearis watched the puck drop for what he assumed would be the final centre ice faceoff of the night, as only a few seconds remained in the game, if you could call it a game: His club, the United Arab Emirates U17 team, trailed the HC Silver Lions from St. Petersburg 59-0.

Medearis, 14, had been in net for all 59 goals, surrendering one nearly every minute during a game that was played almost exclusively in his end. St. Petersburg had tested him over 200 times at that point: 81 shots in the first, 57 in the second and 66 in the third.

Yes, the Silver Lions actually shot more in the final period than the second. They scored more too. While most clubs might have shown a little sportsmanship and eased up at some point after they took, say, the 16-goal lead the Silver Lions had after 20 minutes, the Russians just kept coming. They poured it on in the third and even found another gear inside the final minute, scoring twice in the last 25 seconds.

When the official dropped the puck at centre ice following their 59th goal, Alexander could only watch as the Silver Lions won the draw and charged straight ahead. They faced little resistance from the Emirati skaters (just as they had for much of the game but even moreso now as the boys, trailing by 59, checked out in the dying seconds).

Soon, St. Petersburg was charging into the UAE end on another odd-man rush. They beat Alexander and the clock for one last goal.

When the final horn sounded, the score was 60-0.

How did Medearis get into this predicament, watching 60 shots fly by him?

It all started with a phone call, and a president that wanted a desert nation to become a hockey powerhouse.

Keep Reading...

[woeisme]

There needs to be a NHL premiere game there next season. Just cause.

[Stevens Lindros]

That'd be pretty cool, might be dangerous though, and any female family members of players taking in the game better be prepared to wear burkas.

Would never happen though.

[theknuckler]

Originally Posted by blackngold

If anyone wants an update on how hockey has developed in this desert country, read this story. Some absurd ****ing ****.

One game, 60 goals allowed: How political controversy led Alexander Medearis to goaltending infamy

Here's the beginning:

Keep Reading...

It's a cool story, Turkmen apparently had a couple russians to prop up their status in the tournament to obviously boost their views in the eyes of the public. UAE did about as good as anyone would expect, with no questionable moves on their part. Good read about the young kid trying as hard as you can.


well there is good news... communist/dictatorships have been known in the past to pour tons of money into hockey programs. I wouldn't be surprised to see vast improvements in 10 or so years. Romania is a prime example, they went to **** when communism left.

[Gtrain15]

When's try outs?

[theknuckler]

Originally Posted by Gtrain15

When's try outs?

get your citizenship and live there for 2 years and you'll be on the national team!

[Phila26Flyers]

It all started with a phone call, and a president that wanted a desert nation to become a hockey powerhouse.

And thus began the move from Winnipeg to Phoenix.