2013 SU Update: FISU Delegates start Inspection Visit to Kazan

KAZAN – The second inspection visit of FISU Technical Delegates to Kazan has officially commenced on April 15^th.

During the opening ceremony, 1st Deputy Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Azat Kadyrov greeted the guests and expressed hope that the negotiations with the Technical Chairs would be a success. «We are happy to be present here and this meeting is really important to us», said Marc Vandenplas, FISU Director for the Summer Universiade in reply. He also mentioned that there was plenty of hard work ahead of the FISU Technical Delegates and their colleagues from Kazan in the next few days.

«We hope that upon completion of the inspection visit our experts and Kazan 2013 organizers will come to a common conclusion regarding the implementation of all key areas in the build-up to the Games. We know that there are new challenges always emerging in the promotion and delivery of high-profile events. And forFISUthe Games inKazanare to become the biggest in its history. The burden of organizational responsibility, of course, lies on the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate which has built a team of professionals and is handling its job perfectly. We have already reached the homestretch in the run up to the 2013 Summer Universiade», John Warnock, FISU CTI Chair for the Summer Universiade, said to the meeting participants. «Presently we have unresolved issues related to the organization of the Games competition schedule, and the main task is to deliver the 2013 Summer Universiade at the highest possible level», he said.

The second inspection visit will allow theFISUTechnical Delegates to evaluate the preparation progress for the 27th Summer Universiade inKazan. This visit is to become the last one in the lead up to the 2013 Summer Universiade. The first visit took place during the Summer of 2010. The FISU Inspection Delegation includes Mark Vandenplas, FISU Director for the Summer Universiade; John Warnock, FISU CTI Chair for the Summer Universiade; Dejan Susovic, FISU Media and Communications Director/Head of TV Production; Jing Zhao and Melanie Stalecker, Sport Assistants, as well as FISU Technical Delegates of the sports on the Kazan 2013 program.

Implementation of key functional areas in the preparations for the 2013 Summer Universiade will be the main issue discussed by the Kazan 2013 organizers, sports managers and FISU Technical Delegates at the working sessions. Priority attention will be given to the preparation of the sports competition schedule and sports venues, transport infrastructure management, athletes’ accommodation and catering planning, broadcasting, operation of the Command Centre, etc. In addition, the FISU Technical Chairs will inspect the Games venues and will evaluate plans for zoning venues according to the requirements of athletes, judges, spectators, media representatives, organizers and support staff.

( Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)

Azat Kadyrov

Marc Vandenplas & John Warnock