FISU President shared his expectations from the forthcoming Universiade.
A press conference dedicated to the opening of the Winter World Universiade-2017 took place in Almaty on January 28. The head of the The International University Sports Federation (FISU) Oleg Matytsin expressed his confidence in the forthcoming Universiade. In his opinion, the event will become an important occasion in the life of the city and Kazakhstan on the whole. Moreover, it will leave a lasting legacy.
“It is extremely important for The International University Sports Federation that the project is under the direct attention of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The mayor of Almaty is one of the patrons of the project, which is also important. All this means that the state is expecting the Universiade’s material and intangible legacy to be used by the city’s residents. I would like to note that all the athletic facilities that have been built, including the athlete’s village, will be available to the inhabitants of Almaty and the citizens of Kazakhstan. Students and other member of public will have an opportunity to do sports in a more comfortable environment. The athlete’s village is also a very important social project for struggling families. I am confident that people support the project, we have witnessed active assistance in its implementation. On behalf of FISU, I would like to express the gratitude to President Nazarbayev and the mayor of Almaty Mr Baurzhan Baybek and all the other people taking part in the project. Our preliminary meetings with the participants of the Universiade show that they are happy to have arrived in Kazakhstan. This is a very hospitable country with rich traditions, which has a great experience in hosting major international sporting events. Today, we have no doubts the project will be a success,” said Mr. Matytsin
FISU President also noted that the difficulties occurring in organizing and conducting the competitions are minor.
“A huge, multi-disciplinary sporting event that welcomes students from more than 50 countries requires a great deal of effort in logistics, hospitality management, transport, security and healthcare. There are some minor issues, of course. In overcoming them, people have a chance to feel united. The participating organizations can also use the difficulties as a chance to work as a team. Testing activities on the first day of our arrival have shown that the issues are being solved. The difficulties are minor and I am sure that the opening ceremony tomorrow will be grand. Then the competitions will start, and all of us will witness a great celebration.”
The 28th Winter World Universiade will take place in Almaty between January 29 and February 8.
