“The football stadium for the Universiade-2013 must be one of the best”

Director General of the autonomous non-commercial organization “Executive Directorate of the 27th World Summer Universiade-2013 in Kazan”, Vladimir Leonov, gave an exclusive interview to Tatar-inform information agency. He informed about deadlines of commissioning the Games sport facilities, the forthcoming presentation at the prestigious exhibition MIPIM in Cannes, etc.

The first question concerns one of Kazan World Student Games-2013 key sites – a football stadium with capacity of 45 thousand seats where the Universiade opening and closing ceremony will take place. Who will be engaged in designing and construction works of the site and what is the deadline of putting the stadium into operation?

V.L.: Russian Intex will be the managing company. Intex works in consortium with one of the largest American architectural bureaus Populous. General planner of the project will be Tatinvestgrazhdanproject; the Central Institute of Research and Design of Industrial Buildings will also be involved in planning.

The international architecture and design bureau Populous jointly with Mosproject-4 has created the architectural concept of the central stadium for the Olympics-2014 in Sochi. Populous bureau also constructed the Olympic stadium in Melbourne and now is working on an analogical project in London. Moreover, Populous will design the stadium for the 17th Asian Games (Asiade) in Incheon, South Korea.

Development and mutual approval of the sketch plan will be accomplished by the middle of May. Approval of the project will be finished at the end of November. The football stadium project conception will have been completed by the end of the year. The project is expected to be commissioned a year before the Universiade – in 2012. Construction works will begin as soon as all the projects have been approved.

Our task is to create one of the most modern football stadiums among the existing world arenas. It must be unique and functional, which is of much importance as well.

How many Universiade-2013 objects will be put into operation this year?

V.L.: We are ready to open some sport facilities on May 9 and another – on August 30. We’ll find out in April exactly which objects will have been completed by Victory Day. Still, the main issue is quality.

Our task is to put into operation all Universiade sport sites this year, except several large objects, such as the football stadium, Water Sports Palace, Centre of Gymnastics and Volleyball and some others.

Other 12-13 universal sports complexes are expected to be commissioned this year.

“Kazan-2013” Universiade Directorate delegation will take part in the international exhibition of commercial real estate MIPIM-2010 in Cannes. What do you plan to present in France?

V.L.: We plan to take the Universiade investment projects to the exhibition in Cannes. We will present the existing infrastructure and the planned projects – the football stadium on the Kazanka River bank, Water Sports Palace, the Universiade Village zone. Anyway, we are looking for a large hotel group which would be able to accommodate “the point of attraction”.

We face the following problem: there is considerable interest to the Universiade; a lot of guests will arrive in Kazan in 2013, but the hotel room stock doesn’t meet all demands. At present, Kazan hotel room stock capacity is for 4 thousand people approximately. If the room stock increases by 2013, it will be easier to accommodate officials, the Universiade guests, tourists, technical personnel, journalists, and referees.

Thus, we go to Cannes in order to present Kazan, investment attractiveness of the city, unique sites which will appear in Tatarstan capital, and also to find investors interested in construction of hotels.

What other presentations of the Universiade-2013 are scheduled for this year, besides Cannes?

V.L.: We have been invited to Shenzhen, China (the capital of the Summer Universiade-2011 – Tatar-inform) where the session of FISU (the International University Sports Federation) executive committee will be held. We will deliver a report on preparation for the World Summer Universiade of 2013 in Kazan. Besides, we will discuss engagement of our specialists in organization of the Games-2011 in China.

We will send quite a large delegation to Shenzhen in order to provide opportunities for all interested departments to gain experience. They say one must see what had been done before him and do then even better.

What agreements do you have with organizing committee of London and Sochi Olympics?

V.L.: We plan to send volunteers to London to let them gain some experience. We are closely cooperating with Sochi-2014 organizing committee. Our delegation will go to the Winter Olympics-2014 capital for a working trip this summer. A report on results of Vancouver Olympics will be delivered to Sochi, which is of particular interest for us.

What impressed you during your working trip to Vancouver Olympics?

V.L.: In opinion of specialists, Vancouver Olympic Village is the best in the Olympics history. Wonderful conditions were created for athletes there. But there were two villages of the Games. And the number of residents was much less that we expect in Kazan in 2013 – some 2 thousand athletes.

Which issues will be considered at the Universiade-2013 forthcoming organizing committee meeting?

V.L.: The next meeting will be held in Moscow under chairmanship of Russian First Vice-Premier, head of the organizing committee, Igor Shuvalov. The following issues will be discussed: the conception of the Universiade heritage – using the Games facilities after the Games, the conception of security, IT-conception and other issues.

Will FISU executive committee visit Kazan in the near future?

V.L.: The International University Sports Federation operational group will arrive in Tatarstan capital in April. FISU member will have a chance to get acquainted with the Universiade infrastructure and rates of preparation for the Games.

By Kristina IVANOVA

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