2013 SU Update: Kazan 2013 Supervisory Board Session under Chairmanship of Vitaly Mutko

KAZAN – The first 2011 session of the Kazan 2013 Supervisory Board proceeded via videoconference. Among Moscow representatives there were State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy of Russia Natalya Parshikova, Executive Director of the OCR Marat Bariev, Russian Student Sports Union Oleg Matytsin and Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Vladimir Leonov. The Kazan representatives were Tatarstan President, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board Rustam Minnikhanov, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Informatisation and Communications Nikolay Nikiforov, First Vice Mayor of Kazan Irshat Minkin, Tatarstan Minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism Rafis Burganov and others.

The session was declared open by Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation Vitaly Mutko. The Supervisory Board Chairman expressed his gratitude to the Kazan representatives for their contribution to university sports development and emphasized the necessity of transferring Tatarstans’s experience to other regions in terms of grassroots sports development.

In his welcome speech the Tatarstan President announced that the Kazan 2013 preparations were well under way and were under constant control. At present the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate is working hard to involve Kazan’s education establishments in the preparations of the Games. During the videoconference the Supervisory Board members watched presentations of sports venues under construction (Aquatics Palace and a new football stadium). A live broadcast was also provided from the Olimp Stadium which was hosting the 2nd Student Football League opening match between Kazan State Technological University and Kazan State Agrarian University.

The sitters also heard the Kazan 2013 master plan implementation report read by Director General Vladimir Leonov. The 2013 Games master plan was developed in 2010 and represents a list of missions with schedule times for performance. ‘The master plan is a ‘live’ document that includes so far 600 tasks, 167 of which are already accomplished for the given period’, Vladimir Leonov stated. ‘In accordance with the Kazan 2013 master plan, the preparations and a successful delivery of the World University Summer Games are achieved through implementation of 13 strategies, which will enable us to overcome basic minimal requirements set by the FISU, and expectations of all client groups.’

Kazan 2013 Deputy Director General Igor Sivov delivered a report on adopting the Kazan Universiade marketing program that provided a key topic for discussion. The program is focused on promoting the Universiade’s brand and inviting additional extra-budgetary funding sources aimed at financing the preparations of the 27th World University Summer Games. While discussing the Kazan 2013 marketing program, Rustam Minnikhanov suggested to invite potential partners for the 2013 Summer Universiade to the next scheduled meeting and introduce them to one of the key federal projects in Russia.

The Kazan 2013 financial plan implementation report was read during the session as well. The sitters also approved the concept of the Kazan 2013 volunteer training program.

Summing up the session, Vitaly Mutko stressed the importance of Kazan 2013 federal project: ‘The level of work taken is so high that it deserves attention of leading Russian and international media.’

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)

 Tatarstan President Minnikhanov