2013 SU Update: FISU Flag presented in Yelabuga

YELABUGA – The Flag of the International University Sports Federation was presented to students at the Yelabuga Branch of Kazan (Volga Region)FederalUniversity on Tuesday, October 25th. Thus, Yelabuga became the first town where the Tatarstan stage of the FISU Flag Relay kicked off.

Within the FISU Flag presentation-related events in Yelabuga University, representatives of the Kazan 2013 delegation, namely Chief of Staff of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Larisa Sulima and Director of the New Media Youth Information Agency Alsu Saetova, met with Yelabuga’s student activists headed by Pro-Rector for Education of the Yelabuga Branch of Kazan Federal University Airat Galyaviev, as well as officials of Yelabuga’s higher education institutions and secondary specialised education establishments.

«It’s no coincidence that we start the Tatarstan stage of theFISUFlag Relay in Yelabuga. The branch of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, that have already become a reliable partner to the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate in athlete and volunteer training for the Games, is located here. It’s important for us to give students of our native republic a chance to become part of the unique international sporting event which will leave after it a unique sports, social and cultural legacy», said Larisa Sulima.

Yelabuga’s students got familiarized with the overall preparation progress of the 27th World University Summer Games inKazan, as well as the ‘Universiade in Your City!’ FISU Flag Relay’s project that was implemented this autumn by the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate together with the Tatarstan Student League and Creative Youth Academy of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The Kazan 2013 volunteer selection program became the key topic of the meeting between the Universiade Directorate and representatives of one of the largest university centres of Tatarstan. Students of Yelabuga were told about the areas of volunteer responsibility during the Games 2013, volunteer selection, training and incentive systems. The majority of the meeting’s participants that are activists of Yelabuga’s organs of student self-government, expressed readiness to become volunteer team leaders and apply their experience of participating in various events, including the All-Russian Summer Village Sports Games.

Later on, the solemn ceremony of transferring theFISUflag replica to Yelabuga took place during the gala concert dedicated to Fresher’s Day in the Yelabuga Branch of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University. The event was attended by Director of the Yelabuga Branch of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University Elena Mirzon and celebrated athletes of Yelabuga who were bestowed with the honor of carrying out the FISU Flag for the ceremony.

In her welcome address to first-year students, Larisa Sulima wished them happy student years: «You are extremely lucky to be students at the time when Russia was awarded with the right to host the World University Summer Games. Thanks to your talents and motivated involvement in the preparations and hosting of the Universiade, we will succeed to stage the best Games ever.»

«Today we were given a unique chance to become part of the amazing event, the hosting of which our homeland, our native republic, was entrusted with. Being the main keeper of the FISU Flag replica is not only a never-ending joy, but a serious responsibility that will inspire us to new victories and achievements», Elena Mirzon said with confidence.

Meanwhile, the FISU Flag replica will be kept in the Yelabuga Branch of Kazan Federal University till July 2013 when all replicas of the Flag will be assembled in Kazan for the Opening Ceremony of the Games 2013.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)