Organisers kick off final stage of Kazan 2015 volunteer programme

Seven days are left to go until the start of the Championships and the team of volunteers selected from among Kazan candidates has already been accredited, provided with uniforms and trained. The majority of them have started their shifts today. The volunteer programme draws to a close and in the days to come the Kazan volunteers will be joined by their colleagues from 20 regions of Russia and 10 foreign countries. The major task for volunteers in the coming month is to provide qualified assistance to the Championships OC in the delivery of the World Aquatics Championships.

Volunteers of the Primorsky Krai were first to arrive in the Republic of Tatarstan. This is the farthest region of Russia and they had to cross over 8,000 kilometres and five time zones in order to get to Kazan. The 14-strong team of the Primorsky Krai arrived on July 16 and was accommodated in one of the buildings of the Athletes’ Village.

Ekaterina Kalinich, head of the Primorsky Krai delegation, shared her first impressions: “It’s a great honour and unutterable joy for me to be back to Kazan, even more so to be among the first non-local volunteers arriving in Kazan. For me and for other 24 boys and girls from the Primorsky Krai, being part of the Kazan 2015 volunteer team is a goal that we’ve been pursuing for a long time because we submitted applications as early as last September. I was lucky to work as a volunteer at the 2013 Summer Universiade and also took part in test events and volunteer training camps. But most members of our delegation arrived in Kazan for the first time. However, we all wait for our shifts with equal impatience. To be here and now is a unique opportunity, new experience, new friends from all over Russia and from all parts of the world, new emotions and impressions that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. I’m confident that there are many interesting things ahead of us in the upcoming days, and Kazan will again astonish the entire world!”

Non-local volunteers will have arrived in Kazan by July 18-19, 2015. They will have training, get accreditation and official uniforms before the start of the Championships. Teams from the regions and overseas volunteers are assigned to the key competition venues (Kazan Arena Stadium, Aquatics Palace, Water Polo Arena, Kazanka Venue) and the Tatneft Arena Sports Palace, a non-competition venue where the Opening/Closing Ceremonies will be held. Non-local and international volunteers will be provided with such compulsory services as accommodation (rooms for 3-4 people), 3 meals a day (at places of accommodation and at venues they are assigned to), uniforms, transfer from arrival points in Kazan to places of accommodation and back, shift-time insurance, and motivational programme. The non-local and international volunteers’ shifts will be completed on the last day of the Championships, July 10, 2015. Only Kazan volunteers will help to host the FINA World Masters Championships.

The volunteer programme for the 16th FINA World Championships was created on the federal level. A pool of 20 partner regions was formed and together with Kazan underwent all stages of volunteer preparation. Recruiters spent about three months to have interviews with applicants: over 150 experienced specialists processed 9,887 application forms and organised face-to-face interviews with candidates willing to contribute to the Championships organisation. Record numbers of applications were submitted by St. Petersburg (905 applicants), Moscow (852) and Samara (827). The interviews resulted in lists of 25 applicants, recommended to participate in the Championships and be in the reserve pool.

This year the team of volunteers also includes foreign citizens and selection events for them were especially tough. There had been more than 600 applications from abroad and only 15 volunteers made it into a team. The shortlisted candidates are from Belarus, Italy, Switzerland, the USA, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Finland, Hungary, Sweden, Great Britain. Every single one of them is an experienced, skilled volunteer – Olympic Games, Universiades, World Champonships - and last but not least has a high level of expertise (the majority of them speak more than three foreign languages, including Russian) and strong motivation to be part of the forthcoming Championships.

As we’ve stated previously, 23,927 applications were submitted and only 2,500 have been selected for the team. During the preparation and delivery of the FINA World Championships and Masters tournament from July 17 till August 17, 2015 all the volunteers will be enganged into 24 functional areas such as Arrivals and Departures, Field of Play, Medical Services, Press Operations, Transportation, Event Services, Protocol, Culture and Ceremonies, etc.