THE UNIVERSIADE VILLAGE, Kazan, July 17 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday noted the impeccable work of volunteers at the World Summer University Games in Kazan. He added that they had set a good example for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
About 20,000 aides worked in over 40 directions.
"Thank you very much. You did a good job. This is a very good example for the Sochi Olympic Games. I hope we are going to see you there because we will need your work. As for Kazan, you have been impeccable. Thank you very much,” Medvedev told the volunteers during his visit to the University Games Village on Wednesday.
The prime minister also said that everybody had become convinced that Kazan had organized the best Universiade in the history of World Students Games.
The volunteers took Medvedev to a big cube in which everybody could leave their wishes on a palm-shaped sheet of paper during the World Student Games. “Good Luck to Everybody. 2013,” Medvedev wrote and put down his signature.
By tradition, the volunteers gave the prime minister their badge as a gift.
Medvedev also saw a miniature of the World Student Games Village. He was told that 28 housing dwellings meant for 14,000 people were located on an area of over 53 hectares. The village also has a swimming pool and a Tennis Academy, a shopping center, a polyclinic, a multi-functional stadium, an international information center and other facilities. Medvedev said that the Village looked like a real city.
After that, the prime minister was shown around the Universiade Museum which features medals, uniforms and symbols of the previous World Student Games. When Medvedev approached a show-bench telling about how Kazan had won its 2013 Universiade bid, Russian Sport Minister Vitaly Mutko asked whether they had a photo from the year 2006 when Russia lost its bid to host the World Student Games. There was not such a photo on the grandstand. Both Medvedev and Mutko agreed that such a photo should be put on view.
"It’s not only victories that make history,” Medvedev said.
The prime minister paid attention to the badges and attributes of the 1973 World Student Games that had been held in Moscow. He also saw a video recording of that event.
Medvedev visited the Games control center and got acquainted with the principles of its work. The center is a single management system, which coordinates the activities of volunteers and makes it possible to make prompt decisions in emergency situations.
The center works round-the-clock. All the problems are classified into three categories: “problem”, “incident” and “crisis”. The center deals with problems and incidents. Actions are taken at a higher level, including the federal one, in more serious situations.
Medvedev learnt that 420 emergencies had occurred during the Kazan World Student Games but all had been solved by the center’s experts. For example, one of the incidents was linked to bad weather: outdoor competitions had to be put off to later time because of rain.
Right from the center, Medvedev got in touch with the coordinating units of the Kazan-Arena to ask whether everything was ready for Wednesday’s closing ceremony. They told Medvedev that preparations were going on according to schedule and invited the prime minister to attend the evening festivities.