The opening cup of the summer football season is played at the stadium of the Kazan sports school “Miras”

(KZN.RU, May 18, Ksenia Shvetsova). The opening cup of the summer football season among children born in 2009-2010 is taking place at the stadium of the youth sports school “Miras” in Kazan. This year it is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the sports school. 36 teams are fighting for the victory in the matches at the school stadium. The students and teachers were greeted by Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan. He presented the passports of the beginner athletes and wished young sportsmen success in sports career.

In total, more than 600 children of 9-10 years old take part in football matches. The children were anxiously awaiting the start of the sports festival. Andrey Knyazev, the director of the youth sports school “Miras”, noted that today is a special day for each of them. “The passport of a football player is issued once and for a lifetime, this is our long-standing tradition. And it is a very significant event for them, they all dream of becoming football players”, explained A. Knyazev. “In total, our school has 500 children from the age of 7. Every year the number of people willing to start training is growing. Football is the most popular game in the world, after all”.

The Mayor of Kazan presented football passports to athletes. “We are pleased to welcome beginner footballers who in the future will glorify their school, district, Kazan, Tatarstan and Russia on the football fields. Football is a wonderful sport. Train and carry out all the instructions of the coaches”, I. Metshin said young athletes.

The head of the city also congratulated the staff and students of the Sports School “Miras” on the 30th anniversary of its creation. He presented the school principal with a certificate for the purchase of sports equipment. “I thank all teachers, coaches for raising children, instilling the best qualities in them. Football is a team game. For those children who now learn to be in a team, this will help in the future. I wish you success! May the strongest win”, wished the Mayor.

He thanked coaches and Alexander Gusev, the President of the Football Federation of the RT, for the work. “Today in Tatarstan almost 10 thousand boys and girls play football. We hope that you will become professional football players. But the main thing is for you to be healthy, have a strong spirit and always love football”, he said and presented the students with footballs.

The new summer football season started with symbolic strikes of Ilsur Metshin and Alexander Gusev.

Before the start of the Cup matches, sports competitions were held for children. For example, in one of them, they found out which student of a school can juggle the ball the longest. The team of young footballers “Privolzhanin” won and received a football as a reward. The Russian football freestyle champions team “Elastiko” demonstrated the football juggling skill for the fans.

At the same time, 3 games were taking place at the stadium. Matches will continue there until the evening.

The teams take play-offs. The winning team will receive a valuable prize as well as balls signed by the Mayor of Kazan and the President of the Football Federation of the RT.

Roman Fatkhutdinov, the head of the Sovetsky district, Evgeny Varakin, the head of the Presidential Administration of the Executive Committee, and others attended the event.