Kazan Universiade organisers study first Youth Olympics experience 25.08.2010

The purpose of the visit is to study Singapore’s experience in preparation and hosting of the international multi-sport event.

The Kazan 2013 delegation attended the VISITOR programme in the framework of which the YOG organisers presented the Games to the guests and shared their experience of staging the event.

On the first day of the visit the YOGOC representatives told about the key stages of the Games’ preparation, the structure of the Organising Committee and detailed general guidelines of their activity. More specifically the heads of departments made presentations of the YOG programme development and implementation, sports venues, transport infrastructure and logistics, medical services and doping control, and also the main control and technical centre’s infrastructure. The YOG organisers noted that special priority was given to the issues of educational and cultural programmes, promotion of Olympic ideals and values including fair play and doping-free sport. Besides the YOGOC representatives revealed the difficulties they had to face during preparation for the Youth Olympics. Thus, they admitted that the greatest challenge for them had lied in the tight schedule of preparation to the Games that had been held for the first time. Apart from that the YOG programme that comprised 26 sports had undergone a few changes.

The special feature of the Games is the rules of accommodation in accordance with which all the YOG participants leave and return to the Youth Olympic Village at the same time. By the end of the first day presentation the organisers gave a few recommendations.

Next day the delegates visited the Youth Olympic Village and studied carefully its structure and competition venues as well. The Executive Committee officials were especially impressed by the World Culture Village, within which Singapore schools presented cultures and traditions of each country participating in the Games. The Tatarstan delegation also met with the Kazan volunteers that reported about their work at the first Youth Olympic Games. The young people pointed out the amicability and readiness of local people to assist and absence of language barrier in communication. We remind that English is one of Singapore’s official languages.

During their visit to Singapore the Kazan 2013 Executive Committee met with other attendees of the VISITOR Programme – organisers of such multi-sports events as the All-Africa Games that will be held in Mozambique in 2011, Pan American Games that will take place in Mexico in 2012 and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games that are to be staged in Brazil.

We remind that Singapore won the bid to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2008 in a tight race with Moscow, Turin, Athenes and Bangkok. Singapore received 3,600 athletes, that represent 205 National Olympic Committees, 1,700 officials, 2,000 media representatives, 3,000 IOC representatives, 20,000 volunteers. More than 370,000 tickets were sold out. Singapore attaches great importance to the Youth Olympic Games and sees them first of all as means to promote sports and Olympic ideals. Suffice to say that three sports federations were founded during preparation for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games.

Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Committee