Universiade in Kazan: 69 Days before the Official Opening Ceremony

The official opening ceremony of the XXVII World Summer Universiade in Kazan is going to take place in 69 days while 76 days, a little more, are left until the beginning of the competitions in SAMBO within the framework of the major start of quadrennium for students. Today we will tell you about the present state of affairs in Kazan. You will find out from our report about the statistics of student Kazan and logistics of the Universiade, visa-free regime and Kazan Village, number of doping-samples which sportsmen will have to pass and about the capital of the Winter Universiade -2019.

Let’s start with figures or with statistics to be more precise. As it turned out, the XXVII World Summer Universiade provided a powerful impetus towards development of student sport in the Republic of Tatarstan (Russia). This fact is indicated by figures. Since 2007 the number of students who have a healthy lifestyle has increased by more than two times in Tatarstan and today it amounts for 62%.

In fact, a necessary sports infrastructure has been created for this impressive percentage of young people in Tatarstan today. Of course, all the sports sites are currently built here with an eye to the Universiade but a second life undoubtedly expects them.

Today everything is practically ready in Kazan. Only two most technically difficult sites remain unfinished. They are the Football Stadium for 45 thousand viewers where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Universiade will take place and the Palace of Water Sports.

Besides, free-visa entrance to Russia has been organised for sportsmen who participate in the Universiade. Sportsmen have to obtain special certificates by June 6 in order to be able to use it. That’s what will allow sportsmen to enter the country during the period of June 25 – July 25 without procurement of visas.

All the sportsmen are going to live at the Universiade Village which was officially opened to welcome guests 2 weeks ago. Let’s have a look at just a few more figures. The total area of the site together with its internal infrastructure accounts for about 53 ha; 274 thousand square meters are allotted for living area. The Complex will be able to welcome more than 13 thousand sportsmen, accompanying persons and delegates upon completion of all the external and internal construction works.

Let’s recall that the Universiade Village is basically a student campus which includes 28 residential buildings. A medical centre, a safety centre, feeding stations, rent of sports equipment, a supermarket, a post office, a drug store and even a beauty salon are located in the territory of the Village.

The Village even has its Mayor who is sonorously called the Mayor of the Universiade Village in Kazan. His job duties also include organisation of meetings with the residents of the Village where most topical questions and issues are opened and which are usually eliminated at very short notice. And there are already residents in the Village as the sports area fulfils a function of a student campus now apart from the direct purpose during the Universiade. The participating sportsmen of the Universiade will start moving in since June 29 of the current year.

Today about 10 thousand athletes mailed their applications for participation in the competitions in the capital of Tatarstan. Of course, not all of them, but 950 people and this figure is known for sure, will pass doping samples for the use of forbidden preparations. Moreover, this figure is a record in the history of the Universiades.

Sportsmen and organisers are going to set records at the Winter Universiade-2019 either in Krasnoyarsk (Russia) or in Valais (Switzerland). Precisely these cities will struggle for an honorary right to become the capital of the World Winter Universiade. This decision will be taken already on November 9, 2013. By this time Krasnoyarsk and Valais should develop and present a brand style of the Universiade-2019 to the principal authority in students sport in accordance with the requirements of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) by November. The Siberians have two variants of the brand and four mascots so far – husky, elk, bullfinch and bear.

While Russian and Swiss functionaries prepare for the finals which will determinate a capital of the next World Winter Universiade, those sambists who have already been selected during national championships get ready to win first in the history of SAMBO medals of the Summer Universiade. For our part we remind you that the sambo tournament within the framework of Kazan Universiade will be held July 14-16. And very soon we will find out names of those sambists who will write themselves in the chronicles of the world student sport thanks to their achievements.

Natalya Yukhareva,
www.sambo.sport