2013 SU Update: FISU Delegates announced Process for Seeding Teams for Kazan 2013

KAZAN – The FISU Technical Delegates continue their inspection ofKazan’s progress in the build up to the 2013 Summer Universiade. On April 16, the Technical Delegates agreed upon the draw system for team tournaments at the 27th Summer Universiade. Russia, as the Games host, will be drawn in Pool A in all team sports and will be handed a N° 1 seed.

These and other burning questions were discussed during the meeting that saw the presence of Mark Vandenplas, FISU Director for the Summer Universiade; John Warnock, FISU CTI Chair for the Summer Universiade; Melanie Stallecker, FISU Summer Universiade Assistant, and Azat Kadyrov, 1st Deputy Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate.

According to Melanie Stallecker, each sport on the Kazan 2013 program has its own rules for the pool allocation draw. For example, the basketball tournament will have 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams. The men’s teams will be divided in 4 pools of 6 teams each, and the women’s teams will be divided in 4 pools of 4 teams each. The same draw format, with a little difference in the number of teams, will be used for other compulsory team sports, such as football, volleyball, water polo. The same rules will operate during the draw for additional sports, the number of which will be record-breaking at Kazan 2013.

Several months prior to the start of the Games, FISU will seed the teams that applied to participate in the 2013 Summer Universiade. All the participating nations (except for Russia which will be seeded N° 1 in Pool A) will be drawn in pools based on their previous performances in the past Summer Universiades.

The working sessions between Kazan 2013 functional area managers and FISU delegates were held in the Grand Hotel Kazan. The Games organizers and members of sports federations gave a careful consideration to all unresolved issues regarding the provision of quality services tailored to the specific needs of various client groups of Kazan 2013. In particular, the media officers had a meeting with Dejan Susovic,FISUMedia and Communications Director/Head of TV Production, and discussed the regulations relating to the provision of services to the media accredited for the 2013 Summer Universiade. Up to 1,500 journalists of local, regional, national and international media outlets are expected to cover the Games-time sports sessions and cultural events.

In addition, theFISUTechnical Chairs continued their inspection of the Games venues where they evaluated plans for zoning venues according to the requirements of athletes, judges, spectators, media representatives, organizers and support staff.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)

Vandenplas, Susovic & Stallecker