MOSCOW, November 7 (Itar-Tass) — Sixty sport facilities will be built in Kazan for the 2013 Universiade. Director of the Moscow office of the Executive Directorate of the XXVII World Student Games Andrei Pogorelov cited these data on Monday at the second international forum “Innovative Technology for Sport Facilities” in the Russian capital.
According to him, “As of today, the construction of 38 sports facilities has been completed. The Ak Bars Martial Arts palace has been recently put into operation, the Tennis Academy and the Rowing Sport Centre have been commissioned. Such facilities as the gymnastics centre, the Palace of Water Sports, a football stadium for 45,000 spectators are to be commissioned next. The first two facilities are expected to be commissioned in early 2012, the football stadium - in the second half of 2012.”
Pogorelov specified how the football stadium and the Universiade village will be used. “The stadium is designed not only for the Universiade, but also for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. According to the requirements of the International Swimming Federation (FINA), World Championships competitions can be held only in sports facilities having a capacity for 40,000 spectators. However, does it makes sense to build a special pool for the sake of one event, even such a significant one? The United States and Europe do it differently,” Pogorelov said. “They adapt for the competitions operating sport facilities making in them swimming pools. This is the way it will be done in Kazan where there will be two pools on the football arena.”
As for the Universiade village, it is currently 80 percent ready, 20 buildings for 8,000 people have been commissioned, and it will accommodate a total of 13,500 athletes during the competitions. The village is currently working in a test regime - students of the Volga Academy of Physical Culture and Sports are living there.
The Universiade Village is one of the key venues of the 2013 Summer Universiade, a Games-time residence for athletes and heads of delegations. The project of the Village was designed according to the FISU requirements. Delegations will be accommodated in single, double and triple rooms and will be provided with all the necessary facilities.
The Universiade in Kazan will be “a dress rehearsal for the 2014 Olympic Games,” President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said earlier. Up to 20,000 volunteers will be trained for the University Games, after which they will be engaged for the Olympic Games in Sochi. Minnikhanov believes that the success of the Universiade will depend not only on the sport facilities but also on city transport. “We should create a proper transport system. This will require mobilisation of all forces and strict compliance with quarterly and monthly schedules,” he noted.
Kazan, which has for the first time ever been chosen to host World University Games in 2013, will host them in a worthy manner, the city’s mayor Ilsur Metshin said earlier. “The Games budget exceeds 300 billion roubles,” he noted, adding that 39 billion roubles will be spent on completing the first line of Kazan's subway with six underground stations. Besides, 62 billion roubles will be spent on the construction of 130 kilometres of the city roads with 17 junctions, and 11 billion roubles on the construction of the Games-2013 village for 10,000 sportsmen. “All the facilities for the XXVII World University Games will be built in due time and in compliance with international sports standards,” the mayor said.
Kazan, which is more than 1,000 years old, remains a young city, the mayor stressed. A total of 180,000 students from 15 countries of the world study at its 30 higher educational establishments. The city is developing dynamically, and the amount of investments has grown almost fivefold over the recent years.
Over the past three years, the republic has built 230 sport facilities. Twenty-two new gymnasiums have opened in Kazan, as part of preparations for the World University Games.
The 2013 Games will use a mixture of 64 newly built venues and existing facilities, 36 of them will be constructed specially for the 2013 Summer Universiade.
Sporting venues constructed on the basis of Kazan’s higher education establishments will serve as background for development of university sports. In total, 11 venues will be handed over to universities and institutes of Kazan. Due to a dynamic construction progress of Kazan’s sports infrastructure, the Volga Region State Academy of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism will be founded in the capital of Tatarstan. The freehold of 7 largest sporting venues and part of the Universiade Village facilities will be transferred to the academy.
The mission of the Kazan Universiade is to gather young athletes from all over the world in the city of unique multiethnic heritage; to continue Russian sport traditions, become a launch pad for future generations of athletes; to make the life of Kazan citizens more interesting and convenient; to give the children a possibility to do any kind of sport they like, to lead a healthy way of life; to make a significant contribution to the creation of Russia’s positive image in the world.