Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, on the final day of the multisport tournament Games of the Future, together with Oleg Matytsin, Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, and Rustam Minnikhanov, Head of the Republic of Tatarstan, presented awards to the best volunteers of the competition.
Gratitudes were given to 21 volunteers from eight regions of Russia, as well as Algeria and India. In total, the team of volunteers included more than 2,000 people from 20 countries aged from 15 to 83 years.
The Deputy Prime Minister thanked volunteers for their hard work and for the most valuable thing they gave – their time.
“It is, of course, a great honor to have you, among a huge number of people, it is you, who became volunteers of the first Games of the Future tournament in the history of mankind, which was held here in the sports capital of Russia – Tatarstan. Thanks to your professionalism, hospitality, smiles, knowledge of languages, understanding of very difficult professions, you managed to held Games of the Future at an incredible level together with the organizers. You did it easily and playfully. The most important thing that will stay with you after this tournament, of course, is the memory that you were the very first. We were the first in space, we are the first in phygital and you will always be the first volunteers”, Dmitry Chernyshenko addressed the volunteers.
He then added that the volunteer movement was created in Russia on the eve of the Universiade in Kazan and the Olympic Games in Sochi.
“You showed the face of a new, modern Russia here, at these competitions, and now you have become one team. From Games you will take not only the memory of this event, but also friendship, connections, relationships that will be with you through all your life. Thank you all so much and take care!”
“Today we give our gratitude to the volunteers, because they have created another miracle in Russia, which gave the world a new project – the phygital direction. If it was not for your energy, smiles, and emotions that you gave and continue to give to this project, it would not have been such a bright, confident step into the future. I wish everyone of you to be proud that you are part of a huge team, a team of winners. And today we are proud once again that our country is giving the world such a great project – Games of the Future”, said Oleg Matytsin.
The volunteers of Games of the Future met guests and participants of the tournament at the airports and train stations, helped them at the venues, accompanied athletes to hotels and on the excursions, translated interviews and briefings for the media, monitored transport and did a lot of other work, without which it would be impossible to hold such a large-scale competition.
“I sincerely thank each of you for the good work that you have done. Here we have volunteers from 20 countries. I am sure that everyone who was here will remember the warm welcome, cordiality and high level of hospitality of Tatarstan,” said Rustam Minnikhanov.
The volunteer program of Games of the Future reflects the philosophy of phygital: everyone could join. More than 6,000 people from all over the world applied, and the final team included 820 people from the regions of the Russian Federation, 1,042 from Kazan and the Republic of Tatarstan, 97 corporate and 41 foreign volunteers from 20 countries.
“It is incredible to feel like a part of the huge team of Games of the Future, such a significant event for our country. Two eventful weeks of the competition felt like a moment, but the memories of this historic tournament, the experience gained here in Kazan, will remain with us for the rest of our lives,” said Anna Kazakova, a volunteer from Moscow. “Now we can proudly say: “I helped to hold the first ever Games of the Future!”
The Deputy Prime Minister also attended the final match in the Gazprom Phygital Football discipline. The winner is Peñarol from Uruguay, which beat FC Lokomotiv (6:5).