Russia’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko visits Kazan 2013 Volunteer Recruitment Centre

KAZAN – Russia’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko paid a visit to the Kazan 2013 Volunteer Recruitment Centre and met with candidates willing to become volunteer for the Kazan 2013 Summer Universiade.

During his visit to the Volunteer Recruitment Centre, Vitaly Mutko was accompanied by Prime Minister of Tatarstan Ildar Khalikov, State Secretary/Deputy Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy of Russia Natalia Parshikova, 1st Vice President of FISU and Russian Students Sports Union (RSSU) President Oleg Matytsin, Tatarstan’s Minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism Rafis Burganov, Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Vladimir Leonov and Chief of Staff/Advisor to the Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Larisa Sulima.

Russia’s Sports Minister was invited to go through the entire route of a Kazan 2013 volunteer candidate: a welcome zone, a registration zone, a waiting area and booths where volunteer hopefuls are interviewed. In his chat with Kazan schoolchildren and students who came to the centre to have their interviews, Vitaly Mutko asked where the would-be volunteers studied and whether they had already experienced positive changes in the city’s sports infrastructure. «Sure! We were given an awesome Miras Sports Complex. It has a football field and multifunctional sports hall. The complex has recently hosted the All-Russian Cheerleading Festival», said students of Kazan National Research Technological University in response.

In the welcome and registration zones Vitaly Mutko met with recruiters – volunteers and employees of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate. All of them boast vast experience of volunteering at high-profile international competitions. For example, Albina Khusainova, Chief Expert of the Recruitment Unit of the Volunteer Department of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate, said that she had served volunteer internships at three World University Games, two Youth Olympic Games, and now is going to London for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. «Well, I’ll see you there then!», said the Minister to Albina.

In the waiting area Vitaly Mutko was briefed on 40 functional areas where volunteers’ help will be strongly needed in the build-up to the 2013 Games. «The most popular volunteer positions are attaches, language services, accreditation, ‘meet, greet and farewell’ services. These areas are seen as the most challenging ones. But Kazan 2013 volunteers never look for easy ways», the recruiters said.

Vitaly Mutko asked what hospitality services would be rendered to Kazan 2013′s visitors and participants that would travel to Kazan via Moscow. «Kazan 2013 volunteers will meet all the guests at Moscow’s transportation hubs. To ensure that, we’ve been cooperating for over a year with Moscow’s higher education institutions which train specialist volunteers for Kazan 2013», Vladimir Leonov said. «Friends, it is difficult to overstate your work and significance of your role. It is with you that the majority of Kazan 2013 visitors will be communicating and with your help they will be getting to know our country better. You must provide best assistance to those who will come to Russia. Your movement is the foundation of youth policy and new cycle in our country’s development. We cannot imagine our events without you these days. I’m glad that volunteerism which is a common thing worldwide received such a strong impetus in our country as well. We will be always supporting you and we say thank you for your help», Vitaly Mutko said to the volunteers.

In the interview zone Vitaly Mutko had a Skype conference with volunteers of the Sholokhov Moscow State University for the Humanities. He asked how Kazan 2013 volunteer training was going on in Moscow and elaborated on results of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Supervisory Board Meeting that had taken place in the morning. We remind that interviews with non-local and foreign applicants willing to become Kazan 2013 volunteers will be held via Skype.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)