Yoshkar-Ola welcomes Universiade Torch with celebration

YOSHKAR-OLA – On 9 June, citizens of the capital city of the Mari El Republic welcomed the Universiade Flame. Yoshkar-Ola has become the 22nd city of the Russian leg of the Universiade Torch Relay. 28 Torchbearers carried the main symbol of the Universiade along the streets and squares of Mari El’s capital and lit the City Cauldron in Yoshkar-Ola.

Along the Relay’s entire 5,000m route stretching across the central streets and tourist attractions of the city, the main symbol of the Universiade was greeted warmly by the residents of the republic’s capital, old and young. The Torch Relay’s route passed through the Spartak Sports Complex, where it kicked off, Karl Marx Street, then Voznesenskaya and Sovetskaya Streets, Chavain Boulevard, Patriarshaya and Central Squares as well as the Yoshkar-Ola Kremlin.

Mari El Minister Vladimir Shishkin holds the Torch during the ceremony

The residents of Yoshkar-Ola were greeted by the Keepers of the UniversiadeFlame. “We’ve been taking good care of the Flame handing it over from one city to another, and today we are passing it on, with honour and dignity, from Nizhny Novgorod to Yoshkar-Ola. It is a great honour for us to participate in the Torch Relay as the Flame is the symbol of peace, friendship and student solidarity,” underlined Universiade Flame Keeper Eduard Tokar.

The Relay Torchbearers in Yoshkar-Ola were the best students of the city, famous athletes, including the Master of Sport in Swimming, champion and record-holder of the Mari El Republic, finalist of the Volga Federal District Swimming Championship Andrey Smyshlyaev; Master of Sport in Swimming, medallist of one of the stages of the Russian Swimming Cup, finalist of the 2011 FINA World Cup Stage 3 Anastasia Mikheeva; European champion in fitness aerobics Maria Izmailova; volunteers, representatives of youth organisations as well as the 2013 Summer Universiade’s partner companies. The privilege of lighting the City Cauldron was given to champion of the Mari El Republic, medallist of the Volga Federal District Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship Timur Katkov.

Torhcbearers meet at the exchange point near the Yoshkar-Ola Kremlin

“The Torch Relay has created the warmest feelings in me”, Master of Sport of Russia, member of the Russian national team, winner all-Russian athletics competitions, Torchbearer Elena Marsova shared. “This mission is an enormous responsibility. Everyone is looking up at you, and you have no right to a mistake. My impressions of the Relay have inspired me for further sports accomplishments!”

Among the honorary guests of the solemn ceremony of the Universiade Torch Relay in Yoshkar-Ola were Forestry Minister of Tatarstan Nail Magdeev; Minister of Sport of the Mari El Republic Vladimir Chumakov; Minister of Health Care of the Mari El Republic Vladimir Shishkin; Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Mari El Republic Enze Idiatullina.

“I would like to thank the organisers for including our wonderful city in the Universiade Torch Relay route. The Relay’s leg in our city has come to an end, but I think that the ideas that it is based on – a healthy lifestyle and engaging in sports – will stay with the people of our city,” noted Vladimir Shishkin.

The City Cauldron is being lit

The residents of Yoshkar-Ola were greeted on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan by Nail Magdeev: “Thank you for your warm welcome of the Universiade Flame to your city! I invite you to the World University Games in Kazan to support the Russian national team. Your support will help our athletes win medals at the Universiade.”

At the end of the ceremony, Nail Magdeev handed souvenir torches to the city of Yoshkar-Ola.

On the same day, the main symbol of the World University Games set off to the next city of the Torch Relay route across Russia, the capital city of the Chuvash Republic –  Cheboksary, which welcomed the Universade Flame on 10 June.

(Source: Kazan 2013 Media Dept.)