The Olympic Village of Ashgabat hosted the ceremony of raising the flags of five participating countries, the delegations of which have already arrived in the Turkmen capital for participation in the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. On a ground with flagpoles that yesterday was a venue for the ceremony of raising the State Flag of Turkmenistan and the Flag of the Olympic Council of Asia, the festive atmosphere has reigned tonight as well. The guests were welcomed with music, performances of artists and traditional festive “pishme” flat cakes. Top management of the Executive Committee of the Games “Ashgabat 2017” greeted the public. Further, soldiers of the Guard of Honor started the ceremony, paying tribute to the national symbols of the countries participating in the Games. The flag of Guam was raised first to the sound of the National Anthem of this country. Its blue cloth with a red edge is decorated in the center with a picture of the Emblem of this island state in the Pacific Ocean: a sailboat in the bay of Hagåtña, the capital city of Guam, a coast with a coconut palm, a river and the inscription “GUAM” in red letters. The National Olympic Committee of Guam sent to Ashgabat the national team of tens of athletes who will participate in seven kinds of sports such as basketball, bowling, track and field athletics, short course swimming, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling. Guam will enter the competitions on September 18 in men’s taekwondo event. Next was Lebanon, to the sounds of the Anthem of which the Flag of this country was raised: a cloth with the red stripes at the top and bottom and a wide white stripe in the middle. In its center is a Lebanese green cedar. Red color symbolizes the struggle for independence, and white means purity and peace. Hoisted further with the proper honors were the star-blue Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Flag of Syria, traditional for the flags of the Arab countries red, white and black in color with green stars. The ceremony was concluded by Yemen. The black-and-white-and-red Flag of this South-West Asian Republic was raised to the strains of the country’s National Anthem. Captains of the national teams were presented with beautiful Turkmen carpets by the organizers as remembrance gifts. Congratulations and best wishes were expressed for sporting successes and bright victories.