Ahmet Gurbanov has been appointed head coach of the Turkmenistan national hockey team. Under his guidance, the Turkmen team will prepare for the Division III World Championship, which will be held from April 13 to 19 in Cape Town, South Africa. Teams from Turkmenistan, South Africa, Türkiye, Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Thailand will compete for a spot in the Division II tournament.

"Being appointed head coach is a huge responsibility. I know this team well from the inside and understand that in our division, details matter: discipline, a clear division of roles, and psychological stability. This is what we'll be working on in preparation for the World Cup," Gurbanov said.

The national team's training is taking place at the ice rink of the “Galkan” Winter Sports Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan. According to the coach, the expanded roster includes young, promising players and experienced leaders. "The minimum goal is to finish in the top three. The main goal is to win the division and advance to the second division," he noted.

The Turkmenistan Hockey Federation is considering holding friendly matches with foreign teams in preparation for the World Championship. The previous head coach of the national team was Ilyas Veliyev.

Gurbanov is 32 years old. For many years, he played for the Turkmenistan national team as a player and captain, at various times combining playing practice with coaching.

The specialist spent a significant portion of his career in Tatarstan, Russia, where he graduated from Kazan Federal University with a degree in “Physical Education and Rehabilitation Medicine”. Gurbanov also completed IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) coaching courses in Tashkent, along with specialists from Sweden, Finland, and other countries.

As Gurbanov explained, one of the highlights of his playing career was his performance at the 2023 Kazan Hockey Cup international tournament, where he was named the division's most valuable player and participated in the all-star game at “Tatneft Arena”.