Evaluation Committee 2013 SU in Kazan - Day 1
May 16th, 2008
The meeting with President Medvedev (r) at the Kremlin in Moscow
Today, May 16th, the Evaluation Committee for the 2013 Summer Universiade spent its first day of its 3-day visit in Russia. On the way to Kazan, the Russian candidate for the 2013 SU, the FISU delegates made a stop-over in Moscow where they met the newly elected President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Medvedev in the Kremlin at the historical Red Square.
President Medvedev
‘I’m glad to welcome you here in Moscow’, President Medvedev said to the FISU delegates, ‘and I sincerely hope your inspection visit in Kazan will be productive. I will not campaign for Kazan, as you will be able to see for yourself that this city is ready to host the Games. However I would like to point out two elements. First, it’s been since 1973, that my country staged those Games and 35 years ago is a long time. And second, Kazan is a well developed city with a huge potential. The city has a great number of successful professional sports clubs, such as ice hockey, football and basketball and it has hosted many international sporting competitions.’
Committee Chair and FISU Vice-President Stefan Bergh thanked the President for the invitation to the Kremlin, especially at this day, being in office for hardly a week and having a full agenda. ‘It is a strong signal to FISU being received by the highest political authority of the country’, Mr. Bergh said. ‘Since the Kazan bid for the 2011 SU, we got to know the people from Kazan and also the fact that the city boasts a high student population and has a passion for sports.’
‘I know how important the involvement of students is’, Mr. Medvedev told the FISU delegates, ‘as 8.5 years ago I was a university professor. I last visited Kazan during my electoral campaign and I communicated a lot with the students there, and they all want the Universiade to come to Kazan. Russia is booming and new sport venues are a priority. I’m convinced we can carry out this test so Kazan can be the host of the 2013 Summer Universiade. I will be glad to meet you again in 2013 in Kazan and in 2014 in Sochi, the President told the FISU delegates at the end of the meeting.’
After the meeting with President Medvedev, the Evaluation Committee members left for Kazan. The next two days they will be inspecting the proposed sport venues for the 2013 SU.
Prior to the meeting with the Russian President, the FISU delegates enjoyed a guided tour inside the historical buildings of the Kremlin
The Evaluation Committee for the 2013 Summer Universiade is composed of Stefan Bergh, FISU Vice-President; Michael Ralete Malumbete, 1st Assessor; Stavros Douvis, Kemal Tamer, Sinisa Jasnic and Hisato Igarashi, Assessors and Christian Pierre, FISU Staff member.
President Medvedev of the Russian Federation greets FISU Vice-President Stefan Bergh
The meeting with the Russian President was televised on national TV. Stefan Bergh, chair of the Evaluation Committee thanks the President for meeting the FISU delegates
A warm welcome in Kazan
