2013 SU Update: FISU Flag Relay awarded with Special Prize of Republican Youth Forum

KAZAN – Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov visited the display booth of the FISU Flag Relay ‘Universiade in Your City!’ set up at the 2011 Republican Youth Forum’s exhibition of winning projects on November 29^th.

The results of the FISU Flag Relay that had travelled through 16 university cities of Russia this autumn were introduced to the President of Tatarstan. The presentation was made by Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Vladimir Leonov, FISU Flag Relay’s participants Alsu Saetova and Dinar Bariev, and representatives of two universities that had partnered with Team 2013 during the relay,Yeltsin Ural Federal University and Saratov State University. Specifically, the presenters talked about Kazan 2013 volunteer recruiting and training centres that had already been opened in 30 major universities ofRussia. On November 28-29 representatives of these centres gathered in the capital of Tatarstan to discuss the system of recruiting, selecting and training Kazan 2013 volunteers in the regions of Russia.

Later on, during the award ceremony of the 2011 Republican Youth Forum, the FISU Flag Relay’s project was granted a special prize as it was named the Best Project of the Year. Chief of Staff of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Larisa Sulima received the trophy from Deputy Chairman of the State Council of theRepublicofTatarstan Rimma Ratnikovaand Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee of Physical Culture and Sports Ildar Gilmutdinov.

Later on, the President visited the exposition of winning projects presented inKazan’s IT Park where he also talked to authors of the projects. Rustam Minnikhanov took an interest in most exhibited projects and ordered ministers in charge to consider possibilities of their implementation.

At the end of his visit, Rustam Minnikhanov granted awards to authors of winning projects of the 2011 Republican Youth Forum. The Tatarstan President marked good prospects of the forum. “Such format is really interesting as we can meet with young people and learn more about what is going on in your midst. We should rely on you, it’s only your involvement that can make innovations and modernization come into our lives. Tatarstan’s future is in your hands,” Rustam Minnikhanov said in his speech.

He also underlined that all award-winning projects must be eventually implemented. The Tatarstan President emphazised that projects could be really useful and authorities should support such youth initiatives.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate – Image source: Press Office of the President of Tatarstan)