A workout, a horse ride, a song: a day in Turkmen leader's life

Effortlessly bowling a strike, netting a basketball and riding a horse before thrashing out a new song with his grandson — Turkmenistan's president has showcased his hobbies in a festive television news feature.

The "day in the life" of Central Asian leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, a former dentist with a pervasive cult of personality, took up much of a weekend news broadcast in the tightly controlled country.

State television in the gas-rich authoritarian state regularly gives time to the president's leisure activities but the Sunday evening broadcast to celebrate the forthcoming New Year holiday was longer than usual.

Berdymukhamedov was shown trotting around a racecourse on a beautifully schooled Akhal-Teke horse — a breed of racehorse for which Turkmenistan is famous — before driving off in his white Mercedes 4X4 to a sports centre.

Here the 62-year-old was shown casually netting a basket while giving officials a masterclass in basketball, and ten-pin bowling, where he smoothly hit two strikes.

He also demonstrated a move rolling on a gym ball, watched by nodding officials who took notes.

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov poses with melons during Melon Day celebrations in Ashgabat. File photo/AFP 

The leader has promoted healthy living and sport — including mandatory public stretching sessions for civil servants.

He also regularly shows off his physical prowess in stunts reminiscent of judo-loving ice-hockey fan Vladimir Putin.

The Russian president has also been known to bash out American and Russian hits on the piano — and the Turkmen leader too has a penchant for music, writing songs and performing.

The finale of Sunday's news item was a seven-minute segment devoted to his music-making with teenage grandson Kerimguly, considered to be his favourite.

The duo were shown working in the studio on a cover of "Karakum" — a pop song from the 1980s about the desert that covers much of Turkmenistan.

Berdymukhamedov was pictured sporting tinted glasses and strumming a guitar during the clip.

The pair's duet is "an example of dialogue between the generations... important for the harmonious development and aesthetic education of the Turkmen youth", a presenter said during the report.

State television rarely shows any of Berdymukhamedov's family except his son Serdar Berdymukhamedov, a provincial governor, and grandson Kerimguly.

While Serdar Berdymukhamedov's rise through the state bureaucracy has sparked talk of his succeeding his father, Kerminguly's appearances seem designed to show a softer side to the hardliner.

Berdymukhamedov came to power in 2006 after the death of his eccentric predecessor Saparmurat Niyazov, who styled himself as "Father of the Turkmen" and revelled in a personality cult that drew regular comparisons with North Korea.

Agence France-Presse