President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov
held a meeting on the preparation and holding of the first Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) Games in Kazan in August 2020.
The meeting was held at the Volga State Academy of physical
culture, sports and tourism, and was attended by the Minister of sports of the
Russian Federation Pavel Kolobkov. Also, head of the Tatarstan President's
Office Asgat Safarov, mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin, deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan
Leila Fazleyeva, General Director of the ANO “Directorate of sports and social
projects” Azat Kadyrov and others participated in the discussion.
Minister of sports of Tatarstan Vladimir Leonov recalled
that on October 25, 2019, the Council of heads of government of the CIS countries
decided to hold sports games of the CIS countries. The CIS Games are scheduled
to be held in Kazan on August 20-27, 2020.
In addition to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine
will participate in the competition – a total of 11 countries.
Competitions will be held in 21 sports- basketball, boxing, beach
volleyball, table tennis, artistic gymnastics, water polo, judo, athletics,
swimming, wrestling, sambo, fencing, football (mini-football), belt wrestling
and kurash, karate, dance sport, arm wrestling, mas-wrestling, kettlebell
lifting, Thai boxing and chess.
It is expected that the competition will be attended by
2,500 athletes aged 14 to 23 (depending on the sport) and about a thousand
officials from 11 CIS countries.
It is planned to use 13 sports venues in Kazan, including 7
facilities of the Volga region Academy of physical culture, sports and tourism
for the CIS Games.
The opening and closing ceremonies of the games are planned
to hold at the basketball sports venue “Basket hall”.
According to the Tatarstan President’s Press Office, a
business program is provided within the framework of the CIS Games. Thus, the “CIS
– territory of sport” forum and a meeting of the CIS Council of Ministers of
sport are planned. In addition, the VI Russian festival of national and
non-Olympic sports is planned to be held in Kazan on August 21-23, 2020.