The 12-day event is due to feature 65 delegations from across Asia and Oceania with 6,000 athletes and team officials participating.

Television images of the Opening Ceremony, scheduled to take place at the Ashgabat Olympic Stadium on Sunday (September 17), as well as the sports action in the ensuing days are set to be beamed to 57 territories around the world.

The number of rights holders broadcasters signed up is said to have delighted organisers, who expect Ashgabat 2017 to be watched by more people than any of the four previous editions of the AIMAG.

"We are looking forward to hosting a cultural celebration of humanity in Ashgabat over the next two weeks and we are delighted that it will be enjoyed by a massive worldwide television audience," Dayanch Gulgeldiyev, chairman of the AIMAG Executive Committee, said.

"Our motto for Ashgabat 2017 is health, inspiration, friendship so we are thrilled that so many people from such a large number of diverse parts of the world can tune in to witness what will be something truly special taking place here in Turkmenistan."

Nineteen of the 21 sports will be covered live from the 15 competition venues, with various television packages edited and provided to the broadcasters for optimal event coverage.

All the live coverage of Ashgabat 2017, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, will also be available on ashgabat2017.com in selected countries worldwide.

Action is due to get underway tomorrow with ju-jitsu, futsal and traditional wrestling launching the Games’ sports programme.

In all, there will be 21 sports contested across 15 venues at the Ashgabat Olympic Complex.

Ashgabat was awarded the Games by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in 2010.

The fifth AIMAG Executive Committee will organise and run the Games in cooperation with the OCA.