Tatarstan President bestows awards upon high officials. Part 3
Today, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, who is also Deputy Chairman of the Organising Committee for the 27th Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan, presented state awards to representatives of the Russian Presidential Administration and the Government of the Russian Federation, federal departments and agencies that have made a significant contribution to the planning and staging of the World University Summer Games in Kazan in July 2013. The grand ceremony was held in the Plenipotentiary Representative Office of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia.
At the beginning of the meeting, participants were shown a short film about the Kazan Universiade, which included footage featuring the preparations for the event, the grand opening, competition highlights and the spectacular closing.
"I felt some sadness after watching this film," Tatarstan President said in his welcome speech. "We all together - the whole country, the federal leadership, the Government, the republic, our local authorities - were able to host an epic world-scale event." Rustam Minnikhanov said that there were two sides of the the preparations for the World University Summer Games: the visible one connected with the construction, infrastructure, events, and the invisible one, which ensured the Games well-being and safety. The Russian President, the Prime Minister and the FISU President highly commended the Games in Kazan.
"We had a great collaboration. It was not easy as we did most of the things for the first time. Five years of the preparations for the Games were like five years of studying at the university. During this time we were able to train a huge number of managers, judges and other professionals. The Kazan Universiade was a dress rehearsal for the Winter Olympic Games. I do hope that the Sochi Olympics will also be held as flawlessly and smoothly as the Universiade," Minnikhanov added and stressed that sporting events of this scale are a great opportunity to show the country's power, the unity of all its peoples and subjects.