2013 SU Update: Kazan 2013 Volunteers are ready for the Universiade

KAZAN – The ‘We Are Ready!’ All-Russian Student Volunteer Forum took place in the Tatneft Arena Sports and Concert Complex on February 29th to commemorate a milestone event – 500 days to go to the start of the 27th Summer Universiade inKazan and launch of the biggest volunteer recruitment campaign.

The forum brought together up to 9,000 young people from federal cities and regions of Russia: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Tyumen, Republic of Mordovia, Orenburg, Samara, Republic of Mari El, Republic of Chuvashia, Ulyanovsk, Republic of Bashkiria, Nizhny Novgorod, Penza, Saratov, Republic of Udmurtia, Republic of Tatarstan. The profile of the young people who attended the event included: representatives of youth NGOs and volunteer organisations, leaders of student self-government, students of universities, technical schools and colleges and high school children of Kazan.

The Kazan 2013 OC members, including Russia’s Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko, President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin and other officials, were among special guests at the ceremony.

The presentation of the Kazan 2013 volunteer program was held on the sidelines of the forum; special stands were set up in the lobby of Tatneft Arena with Kazan 2013 volunteers taking all those willing to be part of the Universiade through the online registration process.

A spectacular show unfolded on stage of Tatneft Arena with the participation of Russian show business celebrities and UNI-elite/UNI-reserve laureates. Those volunteers that could not be present at the forum, attended the event via video conferencing and sent their greetings to forum participants from different parts of Russia.

First, the floor was given to the hosts of the event – students of the Republic of Tatarstan. «We have a big day today. We challenge ourselves, we toss a challenge to time, we endeavour to stage the best Universiade ever. The organisers have entrusted us with a great mission, and we are ready!» announced President of the Tatarstan Student League Timur Suleimanov.

Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin was met with loud cheers and warm applause when he appeared on stage of Tatneft Arena. «We are sincerely glad to welcome friends of the Universiade in our city. Only true friends are capable of an unselfish friendship. Participants competing in the Universiade come from all nations of the world. All higher education institutions of Russia backed this initiative. We are to become hosts of the Universiade and Kazan says that we are ready! Welcome to Kazan!», the Mayor of Kazan exclaimed.

The show saw the attendance of merited worker of culture of the Republic of Tatarstan Mikhail Volkonadsky, popular singer Yulia Kovalchuk and First Channel’s TV presenter Yana Churikova. The two latter together with First Channel’s news reader Maksim Sharafutdinov and silver medallist of the Sydney Olympic Games Irek Zinnurov were revealed as Kazan 2013 Ambassadors. The credentials were given by Russia’s Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy Minister Vitaly Mutko and President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.

«From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank you all for being present here today», Vitaly Mutko said to the crowd. «I’d like to congratulate you on reaching such a milestone event and express you my gratitude for the decision to support Russia’s grand and important project and help to make the Universiade happen in the wonderful city ofKazan.»

He also noted that the Universiade was of great significance to Russia. «We are given a perfect opportunity to demonstrate a new Russia to the entire world, to show the modern European-level city of Kazan that enjoys a rich history and opens its doors to students», Vitaly Mutko said. Today Russia has all chances to become a great, powerful and strong country, he added.

«It’s a very exciting day – there are 500 days left to go to the start of the 2013 Games inKazan. The Kazan 2013 Organising Committee held a meeting today under the chairmanship of first Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Shuvalov, to whom we deliveredKazan’s progress report. And I’m telling you – everything is going according to the plan», Rustam Minnikhanov said. He also admitted that something like ten years ago it would have been hard to imagine thatKazanwould witness such grand events.

The forum’s culmination was an oath taking ceremony when two most recognizable volunteers of Kazan 2013 – Nelya Fakhrutdinova, a student of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University who had been named the Volunteer of the Year 2011, and Alik Saifutdinov, a student of the Tupolev Kazan National Research Technical University – undertook a pledge to serve devotedly to their country and promote the ideas of university sports. After the ceremony, they accepted a symbolical ‘volunteer torch’ from their Chinese colleagues – volunteers of the 26th World University Games in Shenzhen.

The forum climaxed with an exciting gig that featured pop singer Yulia Kovalchuk, Lyube band and Murakami rock band.

For reference:up to 20,000 volunteers are to be recruited for the 2013 Summer Universiade. The ‘Make U Real’ volunteer selection campaign opened on September 20th, 2011. Potential volunteers can register to become a volunteer by simply completing an online volunteer application at www.makeureal.kazan2013.com. Over 10,000 people, young and old, have already applied to make their contribution to the 2013 Games through volunteering.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)