Only a few weeks are left to go before the start of the Winter Universiade 2017. The 28th Worldwide Student Competitions in Almaty will be among the most spectacular and record-breaking ones in the history of the Games. This and many other things we discussed about together with Nail Nurov, the head of the Directorate for Preparation and Holding of the Universiade 2017.
In a matter of one month the southern capital will see over 2,000 sportsmen get together from across the world to have their supporters enjoying a big sports festival. The competitions will unfold at the eight sites around 12 sports: the ice hockey, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, figure skating, short track speed skating, curling, snowboarding, freestyle, ski jumping, speed skating and Nordic combination skiing.
- We want our Universiade to become one of the most memorable, said Nail Nurov. To date 57 countries have confirmed their participation in the competitions. This is a record high! If you may remember in Turkey there were 52. Besides our Games will be among the most efficient in the history of the winter Universiades. We will not seek to surprise the guests with an excessive hospitality but we will do everything to make them want to return to Almaty as tourists.
While the Directorate of the Games is busy finalising the organisational issues the athletes are intensively preparing for the Universiade and trying out its facilities.
- All sports grounds are 100% prepared, carries on Nail Faridovich. The other day there was testing of the Athletes' Village that by the way is our pride. It is for the first time in the history of the Winter Student Games that a so called Olympic Village will be used. In the past, the sportsmen, coaches and the rest of the staff would stay in hotels. So, an athletes' village is our know-how and the place will be really throbbing with life during the Universiade.
Another novelty, the head of the Directorate said, is a torch relay. It will run throughout all the regions of the country. All in all, the flame will travel over 22,500 km of which 200 km will covered by torchbearers.
- Our relay is unique and this scheme has never been used before, Nail Nurov stated proudly. We have declined the idea of a single flame that is to be lit in one place and of a procession across the republic. Each region will ignite its own flame and after travelling over a region the best envoys will deliver it to Almaty. At the grand opening ceremony of the Games 16 flame torches will be merged into a single flame that will symbolise the unity of the Kazakhstani people and the communion of their purposes and strivings. The southern capital will hold the relay on 29 January. The torch will be brought by 100 people along the 20km leg.
Much attention will be paid to the security of sportsmen and supporters, especially in terms of medical care.
- We have purchased thermal cameras and they will be installed at the airport in order to identify guests with high temperature and take immediate measures, our interviewee said. At all the sports sites, reinforced first-aid brigades will be in constant attendance. The Athletes' Village will have a medical centre working comprising doctors in sports medicine, traumatologists and other specialists. Two ambulance helicopters will be in readiness. In addition, close attention will be paid to the doping control issue.
At each sport events site there will be arranged the relevant stations while in the Athletes' Village there will be a command anti-doping centre of the Universiade. Doping control procedures will be implemented in line with the provisions of the World Anti-Doping Code and the International Testing Standard.
As much interesting and spectacular will be the Universiade's grand opening and closing ceremonies. What is more, Mr. Nurov said the show has been staged exclusively by domestic specialists.
- I am not going to disclose all the secrets, anyway I will say that the opening ceremony will be interesting and original, he said. I suppose the spectators will like it. Taking the opportunity, I want to address the supporters. Please, hurry up to get tickets. There will be interesting competitions in skiing and biathlon, short track speed skating, ski jumping, freestyle, speed skating and many others which will see top notch sportsmen competing. It is a real gift for sport supporters to watch them in Almaty. Hockey tournaments also promise to be interesting.
The Winter Universiade will be held in Almaty from 29 January until 8 February 2017. The games will be broadcast to over one billion TV viewers across 80 countries.
Maria VETROVA
The above photo was taken by the author,
Almaty
http://www.time.kz/articles/moment/2016/12/27/nail-nurov-idem-na-rekord
