Gymnastics Centre opens in Kazan

The event is timed to coincide with the holding of Russia Rhythmic Gymnastics Cup in Kazan. A long-awaited event, the opening of a Gymnastics Centre and Russian rhythmic gymnastics group championship, on Wednesday took place in Kazan.

The official competition opening, attended by President of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation president and Russian national team head coach, Irina Viner-Usmanova, and others, took place on Thursday as well.

“I and Irina Viner agreed earlier we would time the centre’s opening to coincide with the national tournament,” Tatarstan youth affairs, sport and tourism minister Rafis Burganov said. “We did not discuss which one in particular then, because you cannot predict a precise end-of-construction date. We agreed that both the Russia Rhythmic Gymnastics Cup and the championship would be held on the date.”

“I am stunned with the splendour, a fabulous gym, like the world’s best,” said International Gymnastics Federation technical board president, Natalia Kuzmina.

The competition area’s space is nearly 3.5 thousand square metres. During Universiade, it will host rhythmic and artistic gymnastics events. After the Games, the venue is to become a training facility for the Volga State Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism Academy, as well as Kazan’s junior sports schools. Besides, the centre is planned to be used by the Russian junior national team for practising.

The competition area includes an 18-metre-tall gymnasium, measuring 72 by 48 metres, spectator stands seating 3.2 thousand, a press centre with 50 workstations, a conference room, a cafe, as well as offices and studios.

The training area includes 2 training gyms for artistic gymnastics, 2 gymnasiums for rhythmic gymnastics, a choreography room, a weight room, a boarding school for 35 and locker rooms.

The gyms have state-of-the-art licensed equipment installed.

“I am pleased with that the year’s last large competition is held in Kazan,” Irina Viner-Usmanova noted at a news conference after the event. “Everything that I saw yesterday and this morning is compliant with the global standards.”

“I think our gymnasts will perform well at Universiade,” Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation president enhanced. “I do hope we will be our best, although sport can give surprises. This is its beauty.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Tatarstan President, R. Minnikhanov, said the new gymnastics centre was one of the Russian larger sports facilities, measuring over 20 thousand square metres. He wished success to all the athletes competing at the tournament, after which the centre’s builders gave a symbolic key to the Gymnastics Centre director, Lilia Shafeeva.