AFC Media Release 34/2019: Turkmen playmaker Jemala Yagmurova inspires her country

        MEDIA RELEASE

January 18, 2019

#34/2019

 Turkmen playmaker Jemala Yagmurova inspires her country

The AFC Asian Cup Playmakers programme has played a significant role in 'Bringing Asia Together' and the highly-successful initiative added greater excitement and energy to the stands, this time with Turkmen fans uniting to rally their support behind their team during the group stages.

Jemala Yagmurova, who lives in the UAE but is originally from Turkmenistan, recruited a fan club of over 100 people to support her nation, ensuring that there was plenty of noise and encouragement for her country emanating from the stands.

She is one of the six hundred strong community group, dubbed the 'Playmakers', which was formed to spread awareness and excitement of the tournament across the Emirates. For months now, Jemala and her fellow Playmakers have attended events, functions, mobile roadshows, schools outreach programmes and more, in a widescale effort to drum up support for their own countries.

Despite Turkmenistan bowing out bravely from the competition, her efforts ensured the Central Asians were inspired by a strong fan base. Looking back on her rewarding eight-month journey, Jemala said: "When I first heard the AFC Asian Cup was coming to the UAE, I was very excited and wanted everyone to know about Turkmenistan, our fans and our team.
 
"It was the Playmakers programme that allowed me to do that, by giving me an official platform to spread awareness of the tournament and recruit a special Turkmen fan club. It's been an amazing journey because there has been a feeling of football uniting all countries throughout.

"My fellow playmakers have been going to similar efforts to spread the excitement of this tournament and that culminates in moments like this where we can watch and support our countries in the stadiums."

With tickets selling quickly across the knockout stage matches, fans keen to catch the action can do so by purchasing tickets online via www.asiancup2019.com and in Virgin Megastores outlets with prices starting from just Dhs25. Fans can also join in the conversation online and share their experiences of the tournament by using the hashtag #BringingAsiaTogether.

About the AFC Asian Cup:
 
The AFC Asian Cup is the pinnacle international team tournament held by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) every four years to determine the champion of Asia. The competition is the second-oldest continental football championship (after the Copa America) and was first held in 1956. The AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019TM expands the number of participating nations from 16 to 24, making it the biggest tournament ever.
 
The 2019 tournament will be the second time the UAE has hosted the event, after successfully staging the finals in 1996. The Asian Cup UAE 2019 runs from 5 January to 1 February 2019, with 51 matches being played in eight world class stadiums located across four host cities - Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
 
Match schedules and tickets for purchase are available on www.the-AFC.com. For group ticket packages contact groups@asiancup19.ae.
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theafcasiancup/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/afcasiancup
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afcasiancup/
LOC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bringingasiatogether/
Official hashtags: #AsianCup2019 # كأس_آسيا 2019
 

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