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Universiade helps Kazan to gain fame and vital energy

China's Guangming Ribao daily praises Universiade in Kazan

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

BEIJING, July 11 (Itar-Tass) - Kazan’s hosting of the Universiade allowed to show the whole world beauty and history of this fabulous and culturally rich Russian city, China’s Guangming Ribao daily reported.

“Kazan that was declared as Russia’s sports capital in 2009 amazes with its sport energy that is felt everywhere in the city with a population of around 1.2 million. The city has over 1,600 football fields, swimming pools, skating rings, race tracks and other different sports facilities,” the daily wrote.

All sports facilities built for the World University Games will certainly be used in Kazan, which will host many other great sports events - the World Aquatics Championship in 2015 and the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

“Undoubtedly, the sporting spirit fills hearts of the city’s residents and sport does good to human health and raises mood of the population, but also while hosting the Universiade the ancient city of Kazan gained greater fame and vital energy,” Guangming Ribao wrote.

This time China brought to the World University Games 290 athletes, 255 of them take part in such competitions for the first time. The average age of athletes is 20.8 years.

In the unofficial team medal count after the fourth day of the Universiade China ranks third with 21 medals (7 gold, 10 silver and 4 bronze). Russia is leading with 115 medals (62-26-27) and Japan ranks second with 31 medals (7-11-13).

During the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen the Chinese team was first winning 75 gold medals, 39 silver medals and 31 bronze medals.

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