Perm warmly welcomes Universiade Torch Relay

PERM – The Torch Relay of the 27th Summer Universiade arrived in Perm on 5 June. 68 Torchbearers carried the main symbol of the World University Games along the city streets and squares and lit the City Cauldron at the Esplanade.

Perm is the 18th city in Russia hosting the Torch Relay. It has the longest route in Russia so far, totalling more than 11 kilometres. The Relay started at Perm State National Research University, passed through Perm Finance and Economics College, the Perm Gates, which is the symbol of the city, Perm Regional Library named after M. Gorky, and finished at the Esplanade, where the City Cauldron was lit.

The best students of the city, famous athletes, volunteers, representatives of youth organisations and corporate partners of the 2013 Summer Universiade became Torchbearers in Perm. Andrey Sabitov, Master of Sport International Class in Armwrestling, silver medallist at the 32nd World Armwrestling Championship, had the honour of starting the Relay.

“When you carry the Universiade Flame, you feel that you make history. Everyone looks at you, waves and smiles. It gives you a lot of positive emotions!” said Irina Kostevich, one of the Torchbearers, Master of Sports in Sports Tourism. “First of all, the Universiade is for students. It is a chance to show who you are. It is a competition among the best athletes in university sports.”

The citizens of Perm gave the Universiade Flame a warm welcome. Thousands of people, including children, youngsters and adults, greeted the Torch Relay waving flags bearing the logo of the Summer Universiade.

“The Perm Krai had the enormous honour of hosting the Universiade Torch Relay today. In our region, about 130,000 students study these days and each one of them contributes to the development of university sports. 27 students from the Perm Krai will participate in the Universiade in Kazan. I think that this is recognition of the contribution that the Perm Krai makes to university sports’ development,” noted Viktor Basargin, Governor of the Perm Krai.

“With each day we get a little closer to the major sporting event of the year. With every city, the Universiade Flame gets closer to its destination: Kazan. I am sincerely happy that Perm has hosted the Torch Relay today, because tens of thousands of sports enthusiasts live in our city. It’s very important that young people feel that they’re involved in big world events,” Mayor of Perm, Igor Sapko, emphasised.

“There are 31 days left until the Universiade Flame is lit in Kazan. This is the largest sports competition in Russia in recent years. Representatives from 170 countries will compete in 27 sports. Today the Universiade Flame is making its way across the country and, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, I would like to express gratitude to Perm for hosting the Relay so well,” noted Andrey Pominov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Viktor Basargin, Governor of the Perm Krai, receives a souvenir torch

To remember the Torch Relay in Perm, Andrey Pominov presented souvenir torches to Viktor Basargin, Governor of the Perm Krai, and Vladimir Malanin, President of Perm State National Research University.

The Universiade Flame continues its journey to Izhevsk.

(Source: Kazan 2013 Media Dept.)