Kazan to host 2012 University Rowing Championships

Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov recently met with the International Rowing Federation, FISA’s executive director, Matt Smith to confirm the championships.

Smith says the discussions to host the championships came about after Banyoles, Spain was unable to play host. “FISU (International University Sports Federation) immediately contacted Kazan to see if they could stage this event as a test event in the year before the Summer Universiade and they accepted,” says Smith.

The 2013 Summer Universiade goes from 6 – 17 July 2013 and this has been the stimulus in the completion of the new rowing centre. Rowing is an optional sport at the Universiade and the Kazan Universiade organisers have opted to include it as one of the sports. 

“The idea to have the 2013 University Games in Kazan was an attempt from the local government to change the approach to sport,” says Smith. “Up to now sport has been only totally professional and Soviet-style. They bid for and received the University Games as a strategy to re-introduce the concept for sport and participation in sport as a complement to academic and school studies. FISA fully supports this as it is the first time rowing will be back in the University Games since 1993 and Kazan has been very clear from the beginning that rowing will be a part of these Games, even as an optional sport. The Kazan authorities see rowing as a key university sport and fully support it,” says Smith. “FISU asked FISA to support their efforts to convince the authorities of Tartarstan and Kazan to take the championships. FISA stands fully beside FISU in this opportunity to stage the University Championships in Kazan.”

Smith described the new complex as one of the most advanced in the world. It is on a natural lake right in the centre of Kazan, the capital of Tartarstan and has a population of just over one million. Russia’s president, Dmitry Medvedev came to the opening in June this year.

FISU link: http://www.fisu.net/en/Rowing-2012-2763.html