2013 SU Update: FISU Flag Relay makes First Stop in Izhevsk

KAZAN – The ‘Universiade in Your City!’ train with the FISU Flag Relay delegation on board arrived early this morning in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurt Republic.

Among the FISU Flag Relay delegates are Oleg Matitsyn, FISU 1^st Vice-President and Russian Student Sports Union President; executives of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Vladimir Leonov, Igor Sivov and Larisa Sulima; as well as other representatives of the Universiade Directorate, leaders and activists of the Tatarstan Student League, Creative Youth Academy of Tatarstan, Us… Youth Movement, best creative bands of Tatarstan, Murakami rock band together with its lead singer Dilyara Vagapova, who was recently appointed Kazan 2013 Ambassador. The motorcade with the KAMAZ-master team truck at the head arrived earlier today in Izhevsk.

A warm welcome awaited the delegates at the railway station in Izhevsk, extended by Deputy Minister of Youth of the Udmurt Republic Maksim Sorokin, members of Volunteres of Udmurtia youth public organization, and representatives of various nationalities residing in the Udmurt Republic. After greeting the Kazan 2013 delegates in six different languages and offering them to sample the national dishes, the hosts thanked the Kazan 2013 delegation for an opportunity to become part of the international university sports festival. «We are sincerely happy to welcome the FISU Flag on Udmurt soil. We are proud of Russia’s sports achievements and are ready to further defend Russia’s honor in sports!», said Maksim Sorokin, Deputy Minister of Youth of theUdmurtRepublic, in his welcome speech.

In return, Larisa Sulima, Advisor to the Director General and Chief of Staff of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate, said that «the preparation for the Universiade is the cause of the whole Russia, that’s why in order to stage the best World University Games ever, we are counting on a successful teamwork. In the preparations for the Universiade, we will have ‘to eat a hundredweight of salt’ together, that’s why today we are presenting you with this symbolical bag of salt, so that we could overcome all difficulties!»

On behalf of the Kazan 2013 delegation, Timur Suleimanov, President of the Tatarstan Student League, and Alsu Valeeva, leader of the Creative Youth Academy of Tatarstan, handed a symbolical present to young activists of Udmurtia.

«We’ve been looking forward to today’s events, we even missed our new academic year classes today», volunteers of the Udmurt Republic confessed. «When we watched the FISU Flag Handover Ceremony on TV, we became obsessed with seeing this relic with our own eyes and join the team involved in the preparations of the Games. We are training to become Kazan 2013 volunteers already, because it’s a great chance for us to make new friends from all over the world and become part of the historic event. We are lucky to live in such a wonderful time, that’s why we will do our best to turn our country in not just the best sports power, but the most hospitable state.»

After a short solemn ceremony, the Kazan 2013 delegates headed to downtownIzhevsk, where the main festivities evolved on three main venues: Government House, Udmurt State University and Main Stage which is to host events dedicated to the presentation of the 27th World University Summer Games.

The Kazan 2013 Ambassador title was awarded to Marina Azyabina at the solemn FISU Flag presentation ceremony. The candidacy of Marina Azyabina was chosen for a reason. Being a medal winner at the 1991 Universiade,Marinaworks in sports media now and is one of the most popular TV journalists in Udmurtia.Marinareceived credentials from Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Vladimir Leonov, and the replica of the FISU Flag with the name of the city of Izhevskon it was handed over to Andrey Konkov, winner of the 26th World University Summer Games in Shenzhen and student of Udmurtia State University.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)