A new chapter in intellectual sports has begun in Asia with the participation of Turkmenistan.
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Representatives of national Olympic committees and intellectual sports federations from 29 countries attended the founding meeting of the Asian Mind Sports Association (AMSA) on February 25 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Opening the session, the Secretary General of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Husayn Al-Musallam, stated that ASMA was created to expand the sports program on the continent, which already exceeds the scope of the Olympic Games. Given the growing interest in intellectual games and esports, OCA initiated the formation of this organization, which will be responsible for organizing Asian championships and promoting these sports.
A key moment of the meeting was the approval of the AMSA constitution, which will serve as the foundation for the development of intellectual sports in Asia. Currently, AMSA includes chess, go, bridge, Chinese chess (xiangqi), and sports poker (Texas Hold'em) as intellectual games.
During the meeting, the Executive Council for the period 2025–2029 was elected, with Gordon Tang, Vice President of OCA and Chair of the OCA Committee on Esports, Martial Arts, and Intellectual Sports, being chosen as the Association’s President. The headquarters of the new association will be located in Singapore.
Turkmenistan was also represented at this important event by the Chairman of the Chess Federation, Vepa Myalikgulyev, highlighting the country’s commitment to developing its potential in intellectual sports and actively participating in international initiatives. During his visit to Thailand, Vepa Myalikgulyev also met with the President of the Chess Federation of Thailand, Sahapol Nakwanitch, to exchange experiences and discuss cooperation prospects, including mutual participation of chess players in tournaments held in both countries.
