The Universiade Flame comes to previous Winter U host city Almaty

ALMATY — On 24 September 2018, the FISU Flame of Winter Universiade 2019 made its way to Kazakhstan. Carried by torchbearers running throughout the Almaty city streets, the Flame has been made quite the impression throughout the capital of the previous edition of the event.

The Universiade Flame was greeted at the territory of Baluan Sholak Sports Palace. The lantern with the Flame was carried by Ermakhan Ibragimov, Olympic Champion in boxing. Oleg Matytsin, the FISU President, Natalya Parshikova, the State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation and Arman Kyrykbaev, Deputy Mayor of Almaty welcomed the participants of the Universiade Flame and the spectators.

“The Universiade in Almaty became a really memorable chapter in the history of Kazakhstan. Thanks to the legacy of the games, now the citizens have comfortable conditions for sports and development of student sports. I am sure that the Krasnoyarsk 2019 Winter Universiade will certainly be a large-scale event and will give many bright days not only to the Krasnoyarsk citizens but to the whole world,” said FISU President Oleg Matytsin.

Natalya Parshikova, Deputy Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation, became the first Flame bearer of the Almaty leg.

The Universiade Flame is a symbol of student sports in the world and a symbol of friendship between countries. All what was done in Khazakhstan for the development of student sports we will continue developing in Russia with a great honour. “We hope that Krasnoyarsk, where a lot of splendid modern sports venues are being constructed now allowing the delivery of major sports events, will become the main host city for winter sports in our country,” said Parshikova.

The total length of the Universiade Flame route in Almaty made 2.5 kilometres. Fifteen Flame bearers took part in the Universiade Flame , among them were Evgeny Bobrov, the Consulate General of RF in Almaty, Kairat Zakiryanov, the President of the National Student Sports Union of Kazakhstan and Islam Kanat, FISU Executive Committee member, the Olympic Games bronze medalist in boxing, Dinmukhambet Suleimanov, the bronze medalist of the European Championship in minifootball, Evgeny Levkin, the Champion of the Asian Games in ski jumping, Vasily Podkorytov, the Winter Universiades two-time silver medalist in Biathlon, Zhibek Arapbayeva,  theWinter Universiades silver medalist in Freestyle Skiing.

Participants of the Universiade Flame ran along the Abay Avenue passing by the Kazakh National University, the National Library of the Kazakhstan Republic, the State Academic Russian Drama Theater named after M.Yu. Lermontov, the University of International Business, the Khazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research.

“I took part in the Universiade Flame for the first time and got a lot of positive emotions”, said two-time silver medalist in Biathlon of the Winter Universiade, Vasily Podkorytov. “Everything was great. I am thrilled, that I was allowed to carry the Universiade Flame, it is important to me. I am a part of the Kazakhstan biathlon national team and I will participate in the upcoming Winter Universiade. I am sure that in Krasnoyarsk everything will be great.”

 The Universiade Flame ended with a big festival on the Abay Square in front of Palace of the Republic. The concert programme featured a field and track performance by Kazakh Academy of Sport and Tourism and a dance performance by Kazakh State Women’s Pedagogical University.

Acting Minister of Sport of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Sergey Alekseev and Director General of the Directorate of the Winter Universiade Maxim Urazov expressedgratitude for Almaty citizens’ hospitality and invited them to Krasnoyarsk for the upcoming multi-sport event.

The Universiade Flame started on the International Day of University Sport, 20 September, in Turin, Italy, where the Universiade Flame lighting ceremony took place. On 26 September, the last international leg of the Universiade Flame will end in the People’s Republic of China in Harbin that hosted the Winter Universiade 2009.

On 29 September, the Universiade Flame will start in Russia. It will take place in 30 major Russian cities and will end on 1 March 2019 in Krasnoyarsk, the 2019 Winter Universiade host city.