トルクメニスタン初の五輪メダリスト　国が家と車、現金を贈呈

【アシガバートＡＦＰ＝時事】東京五輪の重量挙げ女子５９キロ級で銀メダルを獲得し、トルクメニスタンに初めて五輪のメダルをもたらしたポリナ・グリエワに対して、国がアパートと車、現金５万ドル（約５５０万円）を贈呈した。（写真は東京五輪の重量挙げ女子５９キロ級で銀メダルを獲得し、報奨金などを受け取るトルクメニスタンのポリナ・グリエワ＜右＞）
　２１日に首都アシガバートで行われた祝賀会で、２１歳のグリエワはグルバングルイ・ベルドイムハメドフ大統領の息子で、トルクメニスタン名誉コーチの称号を持つセルダル氏から白い木箱を三つ手渡された。箱には首都にある部屋三つのアパートの鍵と白のレクサスのキー、現金５万ドルが入っていた。
　トルクメニスタン関連では、旧ソビエト連邦時代にマラート・ニヤゾフ氏が１９６０年ローマ五輪の射撃で銀メダルを獲得しているが、独立後のメダル獲得はグリエワが初めてとなる。
　会を主催したセルダル氏は、「君を心から祝福する。今回の重要な大会で、独立トルクメニスタンが国際スポーツの世界で成長したことを証明してくれた」と話し、グリエワの快挙は「この国と国民の世界的な名声と威信、権威を高めた」と続けた。
　グリエワも「このメダルを大統領と独立３０周年を迎えた国民にささげる」とコメントした。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/08/25-11:22）

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 hardline 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 honour 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 fuelling speculation he will eventually replace the elder as leader of the autocratic country.