ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan’s first-ever Olympic medallist, weightlifter Polina Guryeva, was gifted an apartment, a car and $50,000 in cash for her exploits at a ceremony in the Central Asian country’s capital Ashgabat on Saturday.
Guryeva, 21, won silver for Turkmenistan at this summer’s Games in Tokyo in the women’s 59 kg weightlifting competition. It was the ex-Soviet country’s only medal at the Games and the first in its history.
Turkmen shooter Marat Niyazov previously won a silver medal representing the Soviet Union at the 1960 Games in Rome.
The celebrations of Guryeva’s victory were led by Honoured Coach of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, the 39-year-old son of the country’s hard-line leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.
At the ceremony in Ashgabat, the younger Berdymukhamedov handed Guryeva, who is ethnic Russian, three white-lacquered wooden boxes.
One contained keys to a three-room apartment in the capital city, the second held keys to a white Lexus SUV and the third $50,000 in cash.
“I cordially congratulate you on this significant event, testifying to the growth of the authority of independent Turkmenistan in the international sporting space,” Berdymukhamedov told Guryeva.
He said her victory “increased the world fame, prestige and authority of the sovereign homeland and the Turkmen people.”
“I dedicate this medal to our president and the Turkmen people in honor of the 30th anniversary of the independence of Turkmenistan,” Guryeva said.
Turkmenistan, a gas-rich nation of around six million people famous for its outlandish displays, gained independence from former master Moscow in 1991.
The secretive country is regularly cited by rights groups as one of the world’s worst abusers of civic, religious and press freedoms.
The younger Berdymukhamedov has received a number of promotions this year making him the second most powerful figure in the country after his father and fueling speculation he will eventually replace the elder as leader of the autocratic country.
First-ever Turkmen Olympic medallist gifted car, apartment, cash
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First-ever Turkmen Olympic medallist gifted car, apartment, cash
- Polina Guryeva, 21, won silver for Turkmenistan at this summer’s Games in Tokyo in the women’s 59 kg weightlifting competition
- Guryeva was awarded a three-room apartment in the capital city Ashgabat, a white Lexus SUV and $50,000 in cash
‘Extra motivation’ — Williams ready to turn Dubai crowd against hometown hero Rahmani
- American fighter enters the Feb. 7 bout hoping to rebound from his August loss to Sergey Bilostenniy at the PFL World Tournament Finals in Hollywood
DUBAI: Karl Williams steps into the PFL cage in Dubai on Feb. 7 knowing exactly what he is up against. His opponent, Pouya Rahmani, carries a perfect 5-0 record and momentum from a brutal first-round finish against Slim Trabelsi in October. But the Virgin Islands heavyweight isn’t fazed by the challenge or the expected hostile crowd at Coca-Cola Arena.
“It doesn’t give me an extra motivation,” Williams said when asked about fighting in Rahmani’s adopted home. “The crowd changes according to the fight so hopefully by the end of the fight they’ll be on my side”.
Williams enters the bout looking to rebound from his August knockout loss to Sergey Bilostenniy at the PFL World Tournament Finals in Hollywood, Florida. That defeat marked the first time Williams had been stopped in his professional career, ending via a perfectly timed left hook in the second round. The fight also featured controversy when Williams was accidentally eye-poked during the sequence.
When asked about the biggest lesson he took from that loss, Williams initially joked: “Don’t get eye poked,” before adding, “but (the) biggest lesson was how to battle adversity of a loss in that manner.”
Williams holds a 10-4 professional record and went 3-1 in the UFC before signing with PFL in 2025. Known for his wrestling background and cage control, he is preparing for Rahmani the same way he approaches every fight. The Iranian-born heavyweight finished Slim Trabelsi with ground strikes at 2:47 of the first round in his most recent outing and has never seen a second round in his professional career.
“He’s not the first fighter that I have faced with similar backgrounds or accolades,” Williams explained. “I prepare like I prepare for all fights to be well-rounded and be able to counter what my opponent brings.”
He added: “He doesn’t have many fights so it’s hard to say what his openings are.”
Behind Williams’ preparation stands coach Dennis Davis, the head MMA coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Davis has built a reputation developing fighters from the amateur ranks to championship level, coaching UFC champions Sean Strickland and Francis Ngannou, among others. Williams also credited Barbour Orthopaedics for keeping him healthy and able to perform at his best.
“Coach Danny Davis, he’s the one that dissects my game plan and my opponents and sets me up for success,” Williams said. “And Barbour Orthopaedics for making sure that I’m healthy and able to perform the way I want to.”
When asked what message he wanted to send Rahmani ahead of the fight, Williams kept it simple. “I don’t really wanna send any messages,” he said. “Once the cage locks, all will be said.”
On an optimistic note, Williams envisions his fight night in Dubai ending with “having his hand raised and going out and enjoying the wonderful city and people.”
The heavyweight bout appears on the main card below two world title fights, with Usman Nurmagomedov defending his lightweight championship against Alfie Davis in the headliner.
