27th Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan

The Universiade or the World University Games are an international multi-sport event organised for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). Founded in 1923, the Games were held for the first time in our country in Moscow in 1973. 40 years later the World University Games were hosted by Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Kazan’s victorious bid was announced in Brussels on May 31, 2008. Kazan received 20 out of 27 votes of the FISU Executive Committee, beating Vigo (ESP) and Gwangju (ROK).

The 2013 Summer Universiade was the first high-profile multi-sport event in the history of modern Russia.

The World University Games were held in Kazan from July 6-17, 2013. The sporting event brought together 7,980 athletes representing 160 countries.

The competition programme featured 27 sports, 13 compulsory and 14 optional ones: athletics, basketball, fencing, football, rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, judo, swimming, diving, water polo, table tennis, volleyball, shooting, rowing, canoe sprint, wrestling, chess, weightlifting, field hockey, badminton, beach volleyball. Such sports as sambo, rugby 7, boxing, synchronised swimming and belt wrestling made their debut at the Universiade in Kazan. 351 medal events were contested. 67 Universiade records were set in four sports.

64 sports venues were used to host the World University Games. The largest of them that were constructed especially for the Games are the Kazan Arena Stadium, Aquatics Palace, Tennis Academy, Ak Bars Wrestling Palace, Saint-Petersburg Volleyball Centre, Boxing and Table Tennis Centre and Rowing Centre. The Universiade Village was constructed to accommodate athletes at the World University Games. The Main International Centre (MIC) was also built to serve as an office building.

The Opening/Closing Ceremonies were held at the Kazan Arena Stadium. 1,270 performers were involved in the Opening Ceremony; 7,000 athletes marched during the Nations’ Parade; 500 artists and 4,100 athletes took part in the Closing Ceremony.

The Games were broadcast to more than 100 countries. Over 3 bln people worldwide watched the coverage of the Kazan Summer Universiade.

In the build-up to the World University Games, the host city’s transport infrastructure was considerably refurbished; the terminal of the Kazan International Airport was reconstructed. Upon completion of the Summer Universiade, the Universiade Village was transformed into a student campus for Kazan Federal University and Volga Region State Academy of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism. All sports venues were also made available for public use.