Evaluation Committee 2013 SU in Kazan - Day 2
May 17th, 2008
Meeting with the President of Tatarstan, Mr Shaimiev
Today, May 17th, the Evaluation Committee for the 2013 Summer Universiade spent its second day in Kazan, Russia. The FISU delegates started their working visit on a good note meeting the President of the Tatarstan Republic, Mr. Mintimer Shaimiev and Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov. Also present at the meeting were representatives of the federal authorities of the Russian Federation, i.e. Ildar Gilmutdinov, Deputy Chairman of the RF State Duma Committee on Physical Training and Sport, Stanislav Biryukov, Chief of Directorate on Physical Training of the RF Agency on Physical Training and Sport and Oleg Matytsin, President of the Russian Students Sports Union. On the part of the authorities of the Republic of Tatarstan were also present Timur Akulov, State Advisor to the RT President on International Issues; Marat Bariev, Minister of Youth Affairs, Sport and Tourism; Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan; Aleksander Terentyev, Chief of the Directorate of Domestic Policy of the President; Airat Zaripov, Head of the Press Service of the President and Myakzyum Salakhov, Head of the Council of University Rectors and Rector of Kazan State University.
FISU Vice-President Bergh presents President Shaimiev with a FISU souvenir
‘You have an important mission’, the President told the members of the Evaluation Committee, ‘sport unites nations and young people need the opportunity to express themselve. Sport is perfect for that. In competition, there can only be one winner, we know that. But this time, we are better prepared than we were for the 2011 bid. Our students have a great desire to be part of this important event. Like our President Medvedev told you yesterday, 1973 is a long time since a Universiade was staged in Russia. 2013 would be 40 years later, a cycle of life. We are open to your advice and I wish you a productive work visit.’
‘We are grateful for this meeting Mr. President’, Stefan Bergh, Chair of the Evaluation Committee said. ‘Yesterday at the Moscow Kremlin, we learned that your bid has the highest political support in your country, which is an important factor for FISU. Today, here in the Kazan Kremlin, we learned once again that the Government of the Tatarstan Republic is also for 100 % behind the bid of Kazan and we also see the strong link between the National University Federation of Russia and the bid. Sport is indeed a bridge builder and Russia is a great sports country. Please see our remarks at the end of this working visit not as criticism but as good advice. We now are ready for the technical part of our 3-day stay, i.e. visiting the venues. After the meeting the President, together with Mr. Bergh, talked to the press. After the meeting with President Shaimiev, the FISU delegates received a guided tour around the Kazan Kremlin.
Next they went to the Sport Complex ‘Olympus’ to officially open this new venue. They were welcomed by an enthusiast crowd of students and were surprised by an opening show by students and schoolchildren performing all the sports that can be practiced in this multi-functional sports centre: (dance, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, martial arts, boxing, etc.). From there the FISU delegates travelled to the construction site of the Martial Arts Palace, which is nearly finished. This new venue will be used for judo and wrestling during the SU and will in fact be a multi-functional complex with martial arts centre, fitness centre, swimming pool and a multi-functional hall for team sports. The complex consists of 4 storeys and the building covers 16,859 sqm. The complex will be finished this year.
At the ‘Trudoviye Rezervy' Stadium
Then the FISU delegates visited the ‘Trudoviye Rezervy’ Stadium which is a complex for mass sport with a seating capacity for 5,680. Next, the delegates visited the Korston Hotel, which will be the proposed hotel for the FISU Family and the FISU Headquarters during the games. The Hotel will also host the General Assembly. The morning tour ended with a visit of the top-notch training centre of the professional ice hockey club Ak Bars Kazan, which houses an ice rink for training, dormitories for talented youth players, pro player apartments, sports hall, swimming pool, press room etc.
After lunch, the FISU delegates visited the Kazan State University where they were welcomed by its rector Mr. Salakhov and a great number of students showing their commitment for the Universiade. KSU produced some fine scientists and also had two historical prominent students: Tolstoi and Lenin. After KSU, the delegates inspected the Sports Palace, a twin ice rink arena, where the recently held IIHF U18 Ice Hockey World Championship was staged and which will be used for Gymnastics if the 2013 SU will come to Kazan.
Next to this venue lies the Central Stadium, for football and opening and closing ceremonies and adjacent lies the indoor training hall for football and track and field, being the only indoor hall in Russia with a 400 m track. Next the Evaluation Committee visited the Anti-crisis centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where the Minister of Internal Affairs himself gave a guided tour showing the most advanced equipment in security. Then the group travelled to the newly built Kazan Hippodrome, where the bidding committee proposes to stage beach volleyball as an optional sport.
From the Hippodrome, the delegates took a helicopter ride to have good overview of all current venues in the city and their proximity. The helicopters dropped the FISU officials off at the Alpine Ski Complex with adjacent golf course where they will spend the night. Tomorrow, May 18th, more venues will be inspected.
Stefan Bergh and the Prime Minister cut the ribon to officially open the venue
The Inauguration show at the Olympus Sports Complex
At the new martial arts arena
The top-notch training centre of ice hockey club Ak Bars Kazan
Meeting with the students from Kazan State University
Rector Salakhov of KSU shows the FISU delegates around his university
The Sports Palace
Arial view of the Central Stadium and the indoor track and field training centre
