2011 SU Update: FISU-AIPS Young Reporters have Sneak Peak at Kazan Universiade 2013 in the ‘Russia House’ in Shenzhen

Traditional music at the Russian House (Photo: C. Pierre/FISU)

SHENZHEN – Buildings are being erected, sporting facilities tested and volunteers trained as the Russian city of Kazan prepares to take the torch from Shenzhen, China as the host of the next Summer Universiade.

At a function in Shenzhen on Sunday as the 26th Universiade wound towards a close, officials fromKazanoutlined their progress ahead of hosting the next Games in 2013.

Dilyara Khasanova, the head of the media department for the Kazan Universiade, presented a video that showed a plethora of glistening new facilities that have already been completed in the Russian city.

“We have already started our preparations,” she said.

Khasanova said Russian leaders decided as far back as 2004 that they wanted to bring a “grand multi-sport” event to the city of Kazan.

They settled on the Universiade and immediately started preparing a bid to secure the right to host the giant event.

In Shenzhen, roughly 8,000 athletes have taken part and Kazan Universiade organizers have ambitiously planned to develop accommodation facilities that will have the capacity to house up to 13,500 athletes in 2013.

A total of 64 sports venues will be used during the next Universiade – 36 of which will be built specifically for the competition.

“On May 13, 2009, we celebrated victory inBrusselswhen we were awarded the rights to stage the Universiade inKazan,” Khasanova added.

“Now the city is living and breathing the Universiade and we have advanced a lot.”

While Khasanova admitted that outside ofRussiamany foreigners would know little ofKazan, she described the city – which is an hour-and-a-half flight fromMoscow– as “the sports capital ofRussia”.

A total of 2,500 volunteers inKazanhave already started a training program ahead of the next Universiade.

Marat Bariev – the secretary general of the Russian Olympic Committee – saidRussiaas a country was desperate to once again become a superpower in the world of sport.

He said one way to enhance his country’s chances of achieving such an ambitious goal was to host grand sporting events like the Universiade and the Winter Olympics.

“Sport is very popular in our country and it can be used to solve a number of social problems,” he said.

“We are looking for various ways to develop sport in Russia.”

(Source: Aaron Lawton, FISU-AIPS Young Reporter/New Zealand)

 Kalinka, Kalinka, Kalinka … (Photo: C. Pierre/FISU)