Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris: “Kazan is inspiring as the sports capital”

(KZN.RU, February 16, Alsu Safina). Today, Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, accompanied by Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, visited the city’s sports facilities: Palace of water sports and the stadium “Kazan Arena”. The guests were told about how they were used during the Universiade and the World Championship in water sports, and how they function now as well as how the capital of Tatarstan has changed over the past 10 years.

One of the objectives of the Mayor of Paris’s friendly visit in the capital of the republic is the familiarity with the Kazan’s experience in wins in nomination activities of major international competitions. The capital of France is a candidate to host the Summer Olympics in 2024. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, supported the application of the capital of France along with more than 50 heads of cities.

Anne Hidalgo began visiting sports facilities with the Palace of Water Sports. Albert Bagautdinov, the director, told the guests about the object, its unique features, modern technologies, which are used to purify water, and which conditions are created for athletes, spectators and media representatives during the competition. The director of the palace stood on the theme of object’s accessibility for Kazan residents and the mode of its operation. Anne Hidalgo asked A. Bagautdinova about how the work of sports schools is arranged on site.

Damir Fattakhov, the first deputy head of the Executive Committee, said that the World Cup, which was held in the city in 2015, played an important role in promoting water sports among citizens. Previously, football and hockey clubs were in demand among citizens of Kazan, now the amount of parents has increased significantly in the city, which send their children to engage in water sports.

It should be noted that the training of young swimmers, synchronized swimmers and divers were at this time in the pools. Anne Hidalgo was particularly impressed by the jump of Igor Semashko, a high-diver, who not only performs at major sporting events, but also involved in coaching. An athlete himself dedicated his jump, made out of the dome of the palace, to Anne Hidalgo. “Now you have a fan in Paris!”, said the guest, after  acquainting with the athlete.

Also, the Mayor of Paris has left record in the book of honorable guests, noting that Kazan inspires as the sports capital. Anne Hidalgo marked the friendly relations between the cities that share similar values.

After, Kazan guests headed by the Mayor of Paris went to the stadium “Kazan Arena”.

Ivan Kuznetsov, the deputy head of the Executive Committee for Economic Development, said Anne Hidalgo and member of the Paris delegation about the changes, which took place in the capital of Tatarstan in recent years. He introduced them to the demographic situation in the city, the socio-economic indicators of Kazan, the reform of school feeding, modernization of transport infrastructure, the work being done on the improvement of urban parks and gardens, and such important projects for the city as “Green record" and “Blooming Kazan”.

Of course, the sports theme was not left out. In recent years, a large number of sports facilities appeared in the city, including the support of the federal center and the number of residents of Kazan who regularly engaged in physical culture and sport reached 40.1%. This year, the capital of Tatarstan will host the Confederations Cup matches, and a year later - the World Cup in 2018.

The guests were shown videos about how Kazan was preparing and carrying out such large-scale sporting events as the Universiade and the World Cup in water sports, as well as about how the stadium "Kazan Arena", home ground of the football club "Rubin", was transformed into a venue for competition swimming and synchronized swimming at the time of the last tournament. In addition, guests were able to look at Kazan from the bird's-eye using special 3D-glasses.

Ilsur Metshin noted that Kazan is deservedly considered the sports capital of Russia. The Mayor told the guests about how the capital of Tatarstan was able to win the right to host the FINA World Championships. “In Lausanne, where we have come to apply, the leadership asked us what we need this championship for. They said they had never heard of Kazan. We said to them that we just want the whole world to know about our city”, said I. Metshin. “I wish my colleague that you have experienced the joy of victory for the right to host the Olympics in 2024. We will pray for this and we will help you”, said the Mayor of Kazan.

“What you have shown and told us is great!”, said Anne Hidalgo. “I hope that we will experience this joy”. She also marked it is particularly useful to her, as to the mayor, to learn how to use the legacy of sporting events after the holding. Kazan is a vivid example of how to organize the work so that the objects, built for a competition, would not be empty, and would be used in the most effective manner and in demand among citizens of all ages. The fact that Kazan children have discovered new sports, such as high diving, has also become a positive result of the World Cup-2015.

Evgeniya Lodvigova, the deputy head of the municipal formation of Kazan, Damir Fattakhov, the first deputy head of the Executive Committee, Svetlana Vostrikova, the chairman of the Committee of Sports and Physical Education, Daria Sannikova, the director of the Tourism Promotion Committee, and others also participated in the visit.