Oleg Matytsin: Tatarstan performance level meets European standards 26.06.2010

- Oleg Vasilyevich, what do you think was the first test event in the framework of the preparation to the 2013 Universiade: the IV European Universities Table Tennis Championship or the first Russian summer Universiade that was held in Kazan in 2008?

- I think that the final round of the first summer Universiade in Russia is the first test Kazan passed. Because the Universiade cannot be considered as a complex of championships in different sports as it is an entity of parallel complex events. An Universiade is an exam for sportsmen, organisers, sports federations and volunteers. On the other hand the IV European Universities Table Tennis Championship became the first “pancake”, the first international test event where interpreter service was involved. Though prior to that Kazan organized the World Championship…

- World Universities Boxing Championship in 2008…

- No, I’ve meant not only universities championship but also let’s say a professional one. And Kazan staged the World Field Hockey championships, the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship and the Junior European Volleyball Championship. I’m certain that the experience you’ve amassed will not go in vain. It’s priceless.

- I understand that international tournaments have their own regulations but just now I would like to know your opinion. The above-mentioned Universiade tested a Tatarstan know-how when the sportsmen were accommodated by sports not by the regions. What do you think is more reasonable?

- The regulations of international competitions stipulate accommodation of athletes by nations and continents. I think that it’s correct. You shouldn’t forget that the participants of the Russian Universiade speak the same language. As for international competitions apart from sports results the teams need to feel patriotism, team unity of sportsmen from one country. These days the teams feel like a single organism, pursue the shared objective and to my mind this is quite correct.

- Oleg Vasilyevich, what do you think was the first test event in the framework of the preparation to the 2013 Universiade: the IV European Universities Table Tennis Championship or the first Russian summer Universiade that was held in Kazan in 2008?

- Well, on the threshold of the World Summer Universiade it’s logical to test the readiness of the Republic in summer sports. The plans haven’t changed. We’ve discussed the possibility of staging the Russian Universiade with former Minister of Sports of Tatarstan Marat Bariev, new Minister of Sports of Tatarstan Rafis Burganov, Director General of the World Summer Universiade-2013 Vladimir Leonov. In order to adopt a professional approach to management of sporting events Kazan needs to hold a large number of international competitions. Transportation, accreditation, volunteers, logistic services must meet the international standards. Though on this point the All-Russian games have certain differences. Nevertheless Kazan is to host a large complex competition like the Russian Universiade and it will be a full rehearsal of the coming international event.

- On the threshold of the Russian Universiade Kazan is preparing not only the sports venues but also its team by attracting talented Russian sportsmen from other regions. Does our kind of aggressive way of recruiting bother the other regions?

- The Universiade will represent the national team. In such cases I never make the corner-stone the sportsmen’s background. We do not split honors. Though it stands to reason that Tatarstan sports lovers will support their own sportsmen. In this case I would advise to initiate a long-dated sportsmen training system. Not just to invite them for a short period of time but to create a system of a long-term investment in sports future. Your School of the Olympic Reserve and Children and Youth Sports Schools are doing well. Though a three year period is not long but it’s enough for training the athletes to whom Tatarstan will feel like home. As for the other regions attitude towards your Republic I hope that following the competitions results we’ll have enough success to share.

- Oleg Vasilyevich, taking into account your work schedule we may call you a Tatarstan citizen. I venture to suggest that in recent years you visited Kazan a little bit less than Moscow. I would like to know whether you see any changes in the host city of the future Universiade every time you visit Kazan.
- Today I attend the final round of the European Universities Championship. I see how the Championship services work: not discretely but like a single organism where managers, umpires, accreditation system, volunteers operate jointly. I feel that the relations between the services get more natural and this large complex functions in an increasingly harmonious way. Professional level of the organizing committee increases as well. When the team of the committee was being formed it needed time for common understanding and problem solving. I think that the time has come. It’s obvious that the team is taking shape and is improving its activity. I think that we’ll see the similar tendency in ten days during the European Universities Beach Volleyball Championship. At present the management level of competitions in Kazan ranks together with the the management of professional championships. They differ only in scale though the operation principles are similar and the performance level here meets all the necessary international standards.

Djaudat Abdullin, special correspondent
IV European Universities Table Tennis Championship