Tatarstan President has met with members of the FISU Evaluation Commission

October 26 saw the meeting of members of the FISU Evaluation Committee headed by the FISU Secreatary General, Mr. Roch Campana, and the President of Tatarstan, Mr. Mintimer Shaimiev taking place at the Kazan Kremlin.

Opening the meeting, the Tatarstan President marked that the number of well-educated young people is increasing, each year they become more active and better-trained. “The future of our people, of our planet is in the youth’s hands, the head of the republic underlined. – Before the beginning of perestroika we lived in the ideological society, now I more and more coming to believing that sport is the only ideology that unites people on the planet”. Talking about Tatarstan’s economic potential, Mintimer Shaimiev said in Soviet times the republic’s output of industrial production was equal to the corresponding index of three Baltic republics. Today, the development rate of Tatarstan is higher that Russian average, he added.
A discussion about the issues related to Kazan’s potential hosting the Universiade took about half an hour. After the meting, Mintimer Shaimiev, Roch Campana and Oleg Matytsin answered the questions of journalists. The Tatarstan president reminded that five cities are bidding for hosting the 2011 Summer Universiade. “We are very thankful to the FISU that we have come to this orbit. The time will show if we become a star, Mintimer Shaimiev marked, - but the first brave step is made. We have exchanged opinions proceeding from the fact that the fact that sport in all times has served to the mutual understanding, uniting and friendship. We’d like to make our contribution on behalf of the Russian Federation to this world-wide humane mission”. The FISU Secretary General thanked Tatarstan’s leadership for the warm welcome they received in Kazan. “We were impressed by how young people met us, both schoolchildren and students. Everything we have seen shows that sport events are held at the highest level, he emphasized. The meeting with Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev was very productive. Before that we met with Russian President Vladimir Putin”.
Nowadays we are trying hard to revive All-Russian Universiades; a lot has been done for the organization of mass sport events for children, Spartakiades for example, the President of the Russian Sport Student Union, Mr. Oleg Matytsin said.
At the end the Tatarstan President emphasized that if Kazan becomes a host city of 2011 Universiade, there will be no problems with preparation of material and technical base and accommodation for guests.