2013 SU Update: Volga Federal District is ready to meet Universiade

KAZAN – The Volga Federal District Youth Forum ‘Universiade in Your City!’ successfully wrapped up inKazan. 15 regions of Russia negotiated the preparations for the FISU Flag Relay scheduled for this autumn

Within four days, spent in the brand new Volga Youth Centre, representatives of regional youth agencies and administration of largest state universities, leaders of youth public organizations and student self-government bodies of the Volga Federal District and Moscow received an opportunity to get acquainted with the host city of the 2013 Summer Universiade, its sports infrastructure and system of coordinating youth activities. Apart from the forum’s sessions and workshops, the program of ‘Universiade in Your City!’ also included attendance of the President of the Russian Federation Prize horse race, Tatar national holiday Sabantuy and Creation of Peace Festival.

Discussion and elaboration of the FISU Flag Relay’s detailed plan became a key topic on the forum’s agenda.Moscowand Volga Federal District representatives appointed the ‘Universiade in Your City!’ project’s regional coordinators in the cities on the route of the FISU Flag Relay. According to the project, the FISU Flag Relay kicks off inRussiaon August 31. The official FISU Flag Transfer Ceremony is scheduled to take place during the Closing Ceremony of the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen on August 23. On September 1 the Flag is to start its trip to the Russian university cities, such as Izhevsk, Orenburg, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Saratov, Penza, Saransk, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Saint Petersburg, Cheboksary, Yoshkar-Ola, Kirov and on September 25 the Flag returns to Kazan. The total length of the route is 6,295 km.

Every city which is to welcome the FISU Flag Relay will have an extensive program including Kazan 2013 presentations, sports festivals, world peace events, concerts reflecting national diversity of each region, as well as meetings with local student activists and cooperation agreement signing with universities and institutes of the Volga Federal District. Thanks to this agreement, the Volga Federal District’s higher education establishments will be awarded the status of Kazan 2013 volunteer recruitment and training centers. After the FISU Flag Relay travels through the cities of Russia, each of them will gain a small part of the Universiade that will be reminding them of their involvement in the Games preparations, specifically flowerbeds with tulip, the Kazan 2013 mascot, will be set up in the cities where the FISU Flag Relay will take place.

The priority goal of the FISU Flag Relay is to involve as much as possible youth into the preparations of the 2013 Summer Universiade. It stands to note that the Volga Federal District Youth Forum became the first serious step towards promotion of the 2013 World University Summer Games. «We were pleasantly surprised by how much our colleagues from neighboring regions are interested in being involved in the preparations for the Universiade. Due to this motivation, the forum was more than a success. We’ve managed to elaborate the FISU Flag Relay’s plan in the context of each city. Each forum participant will become a reliable partner of the Universiade Directorate, we put great hopes on cooperation with young leaders, experts and youth coordinators», Chief of Staff of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Larisa Sulima said.

«Its’ great that for the first time in many years my colleagues and I gathered here from all the regions of the Volga Federal District. It’s a double pleasure to have the meeting inKazan. Here we could sense the approaching of the Universiade, see its impact on the life of the city, of students, we could see for ourselves that the 2013 Games are truly a nationwide project. After the forum, the Universiade will serve as a uniting centre for both the Volga Federal District and the whole nation. Moreover, I personally see the Universiade as a national idea that promotes sports, a healthy lifestyle and encourages nations to create and live in friendship. Here, at the forum, we saw a very young, but hard-working and professional team which, I’m positive, is capable to deliver the Universiade at the highest possible level. And we are more than glad to join this team and to contribute to the delivery of the Games», Pro-Rector for Extra-curricular Activities of Perm State University Olga Ilinykh said.

Accompanied by Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan Andrey Kondratyev, the Volga Federal District students also went on a guided tour of the Rowing Centre. Together with the venue’s director, the Deputy Minister presented the largest Rowing Centre inEuropeand showed around the complex. The Rowing Centre is equipped with a 1,500-seat stand and a finish tower. There are a number of facilities erected on the territory of the venue as well, such as boathouses, an administrative building, an indoor rowing pool and a bicycle track. The venue’s project also stipulates construction of a skatepark and mountain bike tracks.

While talking to the ‘Universiade in Your City!’ participants, Andrey Kondratyev introduced the system of coordinating youth activities that was set up in Tatarstan within more than 15 years of implementing the state youth policy. «There are children’s and youth public organizations actively working in Tatarstan, they all have become reliable social partners of the state. These organizations are involved in the preparations of the most significant and largest projects and programs and often initiate them on their own», Andrey Kondratyev said.

After touring the premises of the Rowing Centre and attending the All-Russian University Rowing Competitions, All-Russian University Canoe/Kayak Competitions, participants of ‘Universiade in Your City!’ had a meeting with Minister of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation Vitaly Mutko and Rafis Burganov, Minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan. Vitaly Mutko drew attention to increase in involvement of Tatarstan’s student construction teams in building the Kazan Universiade’s sports facilities. «It’s very important that young people contribute to building their own present and future. All these venues constructed by young builders, are already serving to improve their health and for good of future generations», Vitaly Mutko said.

Vitaly Mutko, Minister of Sports

The Minister of Sports met with the Kazan 2013 construction team and students that are to travel toSochito join the construction of the 2014 Winter Olympic venues there. Vitaly Mutko wished themsuccess in their efforts and handed letters of gratitude to the most distinguished of them.

«It’s nice that the Universiade brings young people together in various fields of activities. We know that the Kazan 2013 construction team is made up of representatives from various regions ofRussia, especially from the Volga Federal District. And while young constructors are erecting sports and road facilities, leaders of youth movement in the Volga Federal District arrived in Kazan to discuss the project designed to promote the Universiade as a nationwide project. Provided we work together and pursuit common interests, the Universiade inKazanwill be delivered at the highest level», Vitaly Mutko expressed confidence in his speech.

All official agreements were put on record in the final resolution of the Volga Federal District Youth Forum ‘Universiade in Your City!’. Under the resolution, the regions will start preparations for reception of Tatarstan’s delegation bringing the FISU Flag Relay to their cities. Some of the Volga Federal District representatives are expected to attend the specialized session of the ‘Universiade is Us!’ Volunteer Camp which is to be held on July-August 2011 in the Crimea.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)