2013 SU Update: Kazan Cheerleaders bring New Sport into Fashion

The Kazan Universiade Cheerleading Team 

KAZAN – On April 16^th, the Miras Sports Complex hosted the first cheerleading tournament that gathered teams of Kazan’s universities and institutes. Admittedly, an outstanding show that evolved on the 2013 SU venue became one of the most memorable events of the coming spring.

The Cheerleading Championship’s organizers are the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate and Kazan State Technological University under the auspices of the Burevestnik Youth Physical Culture and Sports Society of the Republic of Tatarstan and Kazan Mayor’s Office.

The cheerleading festival brought together teams of the Tupolev Kazan State Technical University, Kazan State Technological University, Kazan State Finance and Economics Institute, Kazan Federal University, Kazan Social and Law Institute, Kazan Power Engineering University and Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering. There were five nominations at the cheerleading tournament: Team Hip-Hop, Team Freestyle, Solo Jazz-Modern, Solo Hip-Hop and Solo Freestyle. All in all, the 1st Kazan Cheerleading Championship assembled 130 students.

The Championship caused an unusual stir among the student body proving the fact that this new sport is gaining increasing popularity in Tatarstan. Thus, Kazan Federal University, Kazan State Technological University, Tupolev Kazan State Technical University and Kazan State Power Engineering University put forward two teams each. It’s worth noting that the event also attracted some other teams as well, like for instance a team of Mari State Technical University (city of Yoshkar-Ola, Republic of Mari El), Tatarstan’s cheerleading squad, junior cheerleaders and even a quite young team of the Universiade Village.

As Chief of Staff and Adviser to the Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Larisa Sulima said, cheerleading is growing into a sport that is gaining increasing popularity and enables to attract Tatarstan’s students in the preparations and delivery of the 2013 University Games.

‘The Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate supported the initiative on staging the Cheerleading Championship brought forward by Kazan State Technical University students, since our main goals are to develop sports and introduce Kazan citizens to a healthy lifestyle. We see the importance of professionally trained cheerleading teams that will be creating a special festive atmosphere at all the 64 sports venues where 26 sport events will be staged. I’d like to mention that the Cheerleading Championship will become the first tournament to be held in the 2013 SU venue, thus marking the beginning of a series of fascinating and spectacular competitions’, she said. The Cheerleading Championship is included in the program of the 2011 Student Spring Festival. Thus, for the first time ever the program of the Festival includes a sporting event. Besides, cheerleading will be added to the program of the Municipal and Republican Spartakiade.

The tournament entrants awed the audience with plenty of support stunts, amazing outfits and, more importantly, with enthusiasm and strive for victory. A well-coordinated performance, absolute synchronicity in movements and creative approach drew general admiration. It is worth noting that some teams have been formed recently but have already managed to achieve certain results and demonstrate a decent performance on the court of the Miras Sports Complex. Masterclasses, held especially for the tournament participants by best cheerleading coaches of Kazan on April 2-3, became a real support for their training.

The atmosphere that reigned the stands deserves special attention. The fans that came to support their teams were chanting and cheering the universities they root for. The abundance of flags of Kazan universities and institutes was pleasing the eye serving as a reminder that Kazan is a young university city that stands for a healthy lifestyle and pro-active approach to life.

By the end of the tournament the teams were excited about the nearing outcome when winners of the 1st Cheerleading Championship were to be announced. The spectators were applauding, the teams were trying to cover their anxiety by rehearsing already performed numbers. The panel took the floor of the improvised stage and announced the best cheerleading teams.

Grandes from Kazan State Technological University took the Team Hip-Hop nomination, Salt and Dance of the Tupolev Kazan State Technical University ended as runner-ups and Zachet(‘Test’) from Kazan State Architecture and Engineering University finished third. The Team Freestyle nomination went to Techno (Kazan State Technical University), VIP (Tupolev Kazan State Technical University) took the second place and Flesh (Kazan State Finance and Economics Institute) became third.

The winners in solo events were announced as well: Solo Freestyle – 1. Ksenia Zorina (Tupolev Kazan State Technical University); 2. Irina Terentyeva (Kazan State Technological University); 3. Flarik Akhmetov (Kazan State Architecture and Engineering University); Solo Hip-Hop – 1. Ksenia Zorina (Tupolev Kazan State Technical University); 2. Vadim Matveev (Kazan State Technological University); 3. Nino Gurgenidze (Kazan Federal University); Solo Modern-Jazz – 1. Alia Bayazitova (Kazan Federal University); 2. Diana Kostina (Tupolev Kazan State Technical University); 3. Artur Galiullin (Kazan State Finance and Economics Institute).

All the laureates were awarded diplomas, medals and sport equipment gift cards.

‘We are at the very start of our sport journey and it’s obviously hard for us to compete against such experienced teams’, the girls of the Universiade Village cheerleading team admitted. ‘But still, we are very pleased to participate in the championship and it’s especially pleasant that the campus administration supports us. They provided us with the outfit for the competition.’

Happy smiles, greetings from family members and friends, pleased faces of the tournament managers, photos and mementos… The Cheerleading Championship was a success, and it’ll definitely return next year!

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)