Norilsk Nickel Mining & Metallurgical Company General Partner of 29th WU Krasnoyarsk 2019

KRASNOYARSK – The Organising Committee for the 2019 Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, has signed Norilsk Nickel Mining and Metallurgical Company (MMC Norilsk Nickel) as its General Partner.

The deal will see MMC Norilsk Nickel commit more than one billion rubles to the project in return for exclusive rights and promotional opportunities around the event.

MMC Norilsk Nickel is the world’s number one manufacturer of nickel and palladium and one of the largest producers of platinum and copper. The company owns the entertainment park ‘Bobrovy Log’ in Krasnoyarsk, which is one of the sports venues for the 2019 Winter Universiade.

It also owns the professional basketball team ‘CSKA Moscow’, the mini-football club ‘Norilsk Nickel’, and is an official sponsor of the Russian Football Union and the Russian national football team.

Announcing the deal  with a press conference at the TASS Russian News Agency office in Krasnoyarsk were Oleg Matytsin, President of the International University Sports Federation (FISU); Elena Bezdenezhnykh, Vice President of MMC Norilsk Nickel; Maxim Urazov, General Director of the 2019 Winter Universiade; and Alena Zavarzina, Ambassador of the 2019 Winter Universiade.

Oleg Matytsin, President of FISU, said: “The Winter Universiade is very important for FISU. Its concept is based on interaction with the University community, and Krasnoyarsk is home to the biggest federal University in Russia: the Siberian Federal University. So we are very pleased to announce that Norilsk Nickel has become the General Partner of the 2019 Winter Universiade. The company has great experience in helping to deliver global sports projects, and was involved in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Norilsk Nickel has shown support for educational programmes, children’s sport, and now University sport as well.”

Elena Bezdenezhnykh, Vice President of MMC Norilsk Nickel, said: “We support University sport as it is very important not only for Krasnoyarsk, but for the whole of Russia. We are proud that Norilsk Nickel is now the General Partner of this global event. It is especially important for us as the 2019 Winter Universiade will take place in the Krasnoyarsk region, where the Polar Branch – our main production area – is located. We hope that, with our support, the 2019 Winter Universiade will not only be a successful event, but a place where people meet and make friends, remembering the experience for years to come. The Universiade legacy is also important to us. Our agreement contains a whole range of rights and obligations concerning the upkeep of ‘Bobrovy Log’ after the staging of the Winter Universiade, enabling the citizens of Krasnoyarsk, Siberia and the whole of Russia to use its venues and enjoy sport.”

Maxim Urazov, General Director of the 2019 Winter Universiade, said: “Siberian cities now have a great chance to showcase themselves. Krasnoyarsk has hosted many sporting events, but this project is a first. For me, as for the citizens of Krasnoyarsk, it is a good opportunity. Our announcement today proves that we are taking concrete steps forward. The involvement of Norilsk Nickel means investment and an opportunity to use their experience. It is a recipe for success. Many of Krasnoyarsk’s citizens will be able to take part in the preparation and staging of the event. We will open Krasnoyarsk and Siberia to the world and show that we have large cities with developed infrastructure and welcoming citizens. We appreciate the participation of Norilsk Nickel in this event. I promise we will do our best. People will talk proudly about this project and it will put Krasnoyarsk on the map, proving we can host similar events in the future. Everyone is invited to Krasnoyarsk to experience its development.”

Alena Zavarzina, Ambassador of the 2019 Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, said: “I used to take part in Winter Universiades, and it was very important for me as a young athlete. The Universiade is a great event. It is the mini Olympics and, as you know, the Olympic Games are a very special event in the life of an athlete. I am glad the Universiade will take place in Krasnoyarsk. I am Siberian – I am from Novosibirsk – and Krasnoyarsk is my second home. It adopted me into its sports family from the age of 16 and still continues to support me. Krasnoyarsk has always hosted events at a high level, and I appreciate that Norilsk Nickel is supporting this project. It is very important at the moment. Our sports need support. We must continue to participate in sport and promote these values in spite of everything; that is why I appreciate the support and invite everybody to Krasnoyarsk in 2019 for the Universiade.”

FISU elected Krasnoyarsk as the host city for the 2019 Winter Universiade on 9 November 2013. It will be held from 2-12 March 2019, with athletes competing across 11 sports in 73 disciplines.

(Source: Krasnoyarsk OC 2019)