Kazan 2013 SU Organisers to simulate their Busiest Days ahead of Games

KAZAN – The Four Days of the Universiade rehearsals designed to simulate the busiest days of this summer’s premier university sports event and to test the Games Management System’s readiness will be held in Kazan on June 8, 15, 21, 22.

The large-scale exercises aim to check the workforce’s readiness for the Games, the interaction within the Organising Committee and the Games Management System (GMS). The rehearsals will be held at 40 competition venues and 3 non-competition facilities of the Summer Universiade – Kazan International Airport, Universiade Village and Kazan Arena Stadium. 

During the four days, over 8,000 people will take part in the simulation events and perform the roles of athletes, judges, referees, members of the FISU Family and other dignitaries. Temporary personnel, who have already received role-specific training, will join the permanent staff of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate during these rehearsals. 

Over 170 services will be tested at the simulation events, among them arrivals and departures, transport logistics, catering, accommodation, sport and sport services, victory ceremonies, medicine, security and so on. The accreditation system will be put to the test as well. All participants in the exercises will receive accreditation passes similar to those that will be distributed during the Games. 

Each rehearsal day will feature a full-scale simulation of a certain day of the 2013 Summer Universiade, enabling the organisers and participants to understand the size and scope of the upcoming sporting event. For example, the rehearsal scheduled for June 8 will simulate the full scenario of July 12. Competitions in 14 sports across 24 sports venues will be staged that day and all emergency and non-emergency situations will be executed to ensure that the organisers are ready to respond to any situation that could arise during the Games. The exercises that will be held on June 15 will simulate the activities taking place on July 10, Day 4 of the Games. 

The rehearsal due to be held on June 21 will demonstrate the OC’s readiness to receive visitors at the Kazan International Airport and Universiade Village. June 22 will feature the run-through of the Games Opening Ceremony, including the sports events unfolding on July 6 and the Athletes’ Parade at the Kazan Arena Stadium. 

Given that the rehearsals to be staged on these four days will be as realistic and similar to the Summer Universiade programme as possible, the organisers call upon citizens of Kazan to be patient with the inconveniences caused by these events. Specifically, the right lane, which is normally designated for use by public transport, during the simulation events, as well as during the Summer Universiade, will be reserved for accredited Games buses and vehicles only. In this regard, drivers will be asked to strictly observe traffic regulations and avoid driving right lanes. 

The so-called Look of the Games will set the mood and look of the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan: with the help from the Mayor’s Office, the organisers will install stylised art objects around the city and dress up streets, squares, parks and public spaces in the official colours and branding that will greet athletes and visitors with an eye-catching design.

Vladimir Leonov, Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate, commented on the progress of the Games preparations: “The Kazan 2013 team headed by the country’s leaders and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, with an active assistance from the federal centre and the International University Sports Federation have carried out a tremendous amount of work in the run-up to the Games. Anyhow, there is only one month left to go to the start of the major sporting event for which we have been preparing for five years. All main works – the construction of the sports and urban infrastructures, workforce training – are already complete. Today it’s very important to test our operations in real-time mode – the way they will be during the Universiade, on the same full scale, with the same potential risks. The upcoming exercises will enable us to polish our skills and fix all flaws in the Games Management System. That’s why there are breaks between the rehearsals so that we will have enough time to analyse and adjust our plans. Our main task is to hone our team actions to perfection so that to make the Games a huge success.”

As was reported earlier, a number of test events of international, national and republican levels has been held in Kazan ahead of the Games. Therefore, the overall readiness of the Games sports venues is unquestionable. A lot of attention will be paid to testing services rendered to client groups, interaction between functional areas, interdepartmental communications, Games Management System, and transportation plan. Meanwhile, the Games venues keep hosting test events – the Volga Federal District University Football Championship and Russian Junior Athletics Championship are to get underway in the host city of the 2013 Summer Universiade any time soon.

In February 2012, the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate already simulated one of the busiest days of the Summer Universiade – the basketball tournament – and put the infrastructure and workforce to the test against a series of scenarios to ensure a successful delivery of the Games. 

(Source: Kazan 2013 Media Dept.)