2011 SU Update: Russian Delegation seen off to Shenzhen

MOSCOW – On August 2nd, a solemn seeing-off ceremony for the Russian national delegation to the 26th World University Summer Games in Shenzhen took place at the Ministry of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation.

The event saw attendance of Vitaly Mutko, Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation; Andrey Fursenko, Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation; Arthur Avetisyan, Russian Presidential Administration representative; Marat Bariev, Executive Director of the Russian Olympic Committee; Oleg Matytsin, Russian Student Sports Union President, athletes, coaches and other delegates.

«Dear friends, this is a great occasion that has gathered us here. We are seeing off Russian athletes to the Summer Universiade in Shenzhen», Vitaly Mutko started his welcome speech. «Physical culture and sports are getting an increasing attention in recent years. University sport is developing. Competition at large international events is getting fiercer. The forthcoming Universiade will be challenging, but our team includes both Olympic champions and young athletes that, I do hope, will defend Russia’s honor with dignity. The Universiade in China will become some kind of a talent show for reserve summer sport athletes, especially prior to the Olympics inLondon.»

 «The upcoming Universiade will be very tough, not just because it will take place in China. As you know, an athlete is seen as a hero there, and Chinese athletes will do everything to prove it to the world. Another reason is that for the first time ever the Universiade programme will comprise 24 sports», President of the Russian Student Sports Union Oleg Matytsin pointed out.

Vitaly Mutko and Andrey Fursenko wished the delegates success and victory at the Universiade in China, they promised to support them at the Games and do their best to develop university sports in Russia. To prove the seriousness of their intentions, the federal ministers and Oleg Matytsin signed a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy, Ministry of Education and Science and Russian Student Sports Union.

The seeing off ceremony ended with a transfer of the Russian student national team’s flag from Erzurum 2011 champions in figure skating Nodari Maisuradze and Lyubov Ilyushechkina to the Shenzhen 2011 delegates. The flag was handed over to Evgenia Polyakova, the Beijing 2008 Olympic champion, and world-class master of sport in athletics Pavel Karavaev.

Vitaly Mutko reminded that the next World University Summer Games were coming toKazanin 2013. «We do everything to turn the capital of Tatarstan in the world capital of university sports», he announced. According to the minister, the delegation made up of representatives of the Russian Ministry of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy and Kazan 2013 Organizing Committee will visit the Summer Universiade in Shenzhen to adopt the experience of organizing and delivering the Games.»

The Russian national delegation comprises 672 representatives, 476 of which are athletes from 62 regions of the Russian Federation. It’s noteworthy that Tatarstan will be represented by 38 athletes, 27 of which are in the main squad and 11 are in reserve. 8 of them are masters of sport, 6 are world-class masters of sport, 1 is an honored master of sport. Kazan (Volga Region)Federal University delegated 5 student athletes, the largest number among higher education establishments in Tatarstan. They are Yelena Migunova (athletics), Andrey Demanov (weightlifting), Yelena Shasharina (fencing), Arthur Mingazov (trap shooting) and Alexander Shibaev (table tennis). Among other establishments, that delegated their students to Shenzhen, are Kazan State Finance and Economics Institute,Tupolev Kazan State Technical University, TISBI Academy of Management, Academy of Social Education and Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical Institute.

Tatarstan puts its gold medal hopes on Yelena Migunova, Andrey Demanov, Alexander Furasyev (trap shooting), Ksenia Lykina (tennis) and Yelena Shasharina. During the Belgrade 2009 University Games, Tatarstan athletes won 6 medals, 2 gold and 4 silver.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate – Image source: www.minstm.gov.ru)