Anastasia, 11, out to make a splash in the Ashgabat 2017 pool

Turkmenistan's future in swimming is bright

The future of female Swimming in Turkmenistan appears to be bright after three swimmers aged 11, 15 and 16 were named in their 11-member squad for the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games taking place in Ashgabat from 17–27 September.

Anastasiya Morgenstern, Darya Semyonowa and Enes Begmyradowa are among the youngest participants in the entire tournament, but they are relishing the opportunity of competing in front of their home fans at the impressive Aquatics Centre.

Anastasiya, who will only turn 12 in October, could well be Ashgabat 2017’s youngest competitor and she is understandably nervous.

“Honestly, my inclusion in the national team came as a huge surprise for me,” she said. “I’m nervous and I really don’t know how well I can perform. But in a way, it really helps that I’m making my debut at home. Seeing my parents and relatives in the crowd will have a calming effect on me. I’ll try my best to perform well.”

The pre-teen, who once tried her hand at DanceSport before taking up Swimming at her grandfather’s insistence, said she would try not to be overawed by the situation.

“While I’m nervous, I also understand what a great opportunity and responsibility this is for me. My aim is to set a new personal best time and I’m confident about doing it. The experience is going to stand me in good stead in the future,” said Anastasiya, who is expected to feature in the 50m and 100m Freestyle races.

Darya, 15, who took part in the 100m Breaststroke at last year’s Rio Olympic Games, is clearly the most experienced despite only being 15. A supremely confident teenager, she said she was under no pressure as Ashgabat 2017 looms closer.

“I will not be under any pressure while competing at home,” said Darya, who is expected to compete in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and backstroke events. “I swam at the world’s biggest sporting event — the Rio Olympics — and learned a lot from the experience. It taught me to handle pressure and keep my anxiety in check. In fact, I’m looking forward to the competition at home as it will be fun to perform in front of my friends and family.”

Her brother Denis, 11, is also an up-and-coming prospect and she hopes that “one day we will become the most successful siblings in the sport”.

Meanwhile, Enes, 16, competed in the 2015 Junior Swimming World Championships in Singapore and said her aim was to set new personal best records in each category she was expected to take part in — the 100m and 200m Individual Medley.

“Although I’ve been a part of a Junior World Championship, this is my first major senior competition and I’m looking forward to it,” said Enes, who started Swimming at the age of six. “My only aims are to set new personal best times and to learn from competing against some of the best swimmers in Asia.”

The girls are coached by Russian, Yepifanov Sergey Petrovich, who is expecting them to flourish in the Ashgabat pool.

“They’re young, but also very promising,” he said. “They’re the best female swimmers in Turkmenistan at the moment and they’ll gain a lot of experience here. I’m confident they’ll give a good account of themselves at Ashgabat 2017.”

The Short Course Swimming competitions will take place inside the Aquatics Centre at the Ashgabat Olympic Complex from 22–25 September.