Visitors’ impression of Kazan depends on volunteers’ professionalism, the mayor says

Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin met with Kazan 2015 volunteers at the Athletes’ Village today. He had a friendly chat with the young people who are going to become an embodiment of Kazan's hospitality and openness during the Championships and also gave them some useful tips ahead of their work.

According to Head of the Volunteer Department of the Executive Directorate for Sports Projects, Anna Zakhmatova, 2,500 people will volunteer for the Organising Committee during the 16th FINA World Championships. 540 of them will come to Kazan from Serbia, Hungary, the USA, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Great Britain and other countries and 20 regions of Russia: Udmurtia, Primorsky Krai, Moscow, Astrakhan Oblast, St. Petersburg, Volgograd and Krasnoyarsk Krai.

Volunteers from Kazan and Tatarstan were first to begin work. They already collected their bright uniforms and are ready to take up their duties at competition venues. More volunteers are expected to arrive in the host city on July 18 and to take part in a number of exercises until their shifts begin.

The Mayor met with 60 volunteers – students of Kazan’s universities and institutes – who will work at the FINA Water World Park and their team leaders. Ilsur Metshin thanked the boys and girls for their commitment and asked them about their experience at other sporting events. “Being part of the Championships is a great honour. My congratulations to you: you have successfully passed a strict selection - 10 applicants per place. 2,500 volunteers have been selected out of 25,000 candidates, you are the best of the best!” the Mayor said.

The Mayor also stressed that volunteers play one of the most crucial parts in the upcoming Championships. He also reminded that active and positive volunteers were one of the highlights of the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan. “That positive impression that our young people left on our visitors became an unexpected bonus for us. Volunteers are everywhere, they work at all events, but our volunteers are special. Today you are the main decoration of our city and of our Championships,” Ilsur Metshin said.

“Volunteers are the first people whom our visitors will meet upon landing in Kazan. How impressed they will be by the city and how many of them will want to return to Kazan will depend only on you. You’ll shape the future of Kazan. And I encourage you to show the best of you to them: smile and please do a little bit more than you are asked of. If you see someone at a loss, go to them, ask them, help them. You are the forefront of our future victories. You will represent not only Kazan or our republic, but a new Russia!” the Mayor said and wished the volunteers good luck.