Leadership of the Republic of Tatarstan visit the Universiade Venues

Today, President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov made a working tour of a number of sports facilities and transport infrastructure of the World Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan. He was accompanied by Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin, Deputy Prime Minister Asgat Safarov, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Informatization and Communication of the Republic of Tatarstan Roman Shaikhutdinov, Minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing of the Republic Irek Faizullin, Minister of Transport and Road Facilities of the Republic of Tatarstan Lenar Safin, Minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism Rafis Burganov, Head of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Vladimir Leonov and other officials. Before the start of the tour, all participants were examined at the security checkpoint of the Volleyball Centre – this special access mode is already operated at all the Universiade Venues. Rustam Minnikhanov inspected the technical equipment of the security checkpoint and talked to the police. Then, President of Tatarstan examined the Volleyball Centre and assessed its readiness for the Universiade. In Sports Complex “Tulpar”, where rugby competitions will be held during the Univerisade, Rustam Minnikhanov, as well as Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin and Minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism Rafis Burganov signed on the ball as a keepsake for a student rugby team of Russia.

President of Tatarstan visited the Center for Boxing and Tennis and inspected the readiness of the facility for competitions. Here he instructed to equip lighting for the nearby football and athletic stadium, so the residents of settlement Azino could play sports in the dark. In the Gymnastics Palace Rustam Minnikhanov praised the quality of the sound in the main hall for rhythmic gymnastics. It used to be a strong echo therein, but after some corrections by the builders the sound, according to the coaches, became normal. The President of Tatarstan also proposed to actively use the Palace after the Universiade to hold various forums. Rustam Minnikhanov visited training and competitive courts of the Tennis Academy and the Rowing Centre. Here, he instructed Head of the Universiade Directorate Vladimir Leonov to begin using the newly constructed hotel – according to the President of Tatarstan, such high-quality facility should be used as efficiently as possible. The participants of the tour took part in a brief opening ceremony of a new roadway from Tankovoye Koltso to Pushkin Street. The President of Tatarstan and the Mayor of Kazan turned the “No Entry” sign, marking the completion of one of the largest transport infrastructure facilities of the city. During a visit to the Basket Hall” Chairman of the National Bank of Tatarstan, President of basketball club “UNICS” Yevgeny Bogachyov told Rustam Minnikhanov that this sports facility would be one of the most important during the Universiade: it will hold 8 matches of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan daily.  The other participants inspected the restoration of the Old-Tatar Settlement, improvement of the Millennium Square, visited the Central Stadium, stadium “Rubin” and sports complex “KAI-Olymp”. Rustam Minnikhanov noted the high level of the student sport center. “Many foreign universities would envy the sports complex”, he said. Finally, the officials visited the area near the Aquatics Palace to hold beach volleyball competitions. Final preparations are being made herein: builders are erecting stands, and police officers are arranging security checkpoints.