The 25th Summer Universiade is underway, but in University Village future Universiades’ host- towns – Erzurum, Turkey; Shenzhen, China; and Kazan, Russia are organizing their promotions.
Their Cultural centers will work in University Village until July 12th, until the end of the Universiade hosted by Belgrade. Teams in charge of promoting future University Games will try to interest and acquaint residents of University Village with their towns. Erzurum, a town in Turkey, will be the host of the next Winter Universiade 2011. Murat Sankara, deputy coordinator of the 26th Winter Universiade says that this is the right time to present Turkey and the town of Erzurum, situated in east Anatolia.
– We would like to promote our organization and to create a bond between young people. Preparations are underway. What we can at this moment guarantee is that all sports venues will be very close to one another, including the airport – said Murat Sankan.
In order to present the town, where the next students’ competitions are to held, Turkish team in charge of Erzurum promotion have brought to Belgrade their official mascot.
– We are still trying to find the name for the mascot. We have decided that our mascot should be the two-headed eagle because many countries have this symbol on their coat of arms. Also, the two-headed eagle has a symbolic meaning in Turkey – one head is turned eastwards, the other westwards – explained Murat Sankar.
The Chinese town of Shenzhen, the host of the 26th Summer Universiade, has also found a niche for themselves in University Village. According to the PR of Shenzhen Universiade, Tan Bin, they aim at reaching the highest possible standards of organization set by the Beijing Olympic Games last year. Preparations began two years ago, and the only thing left to do is to finely tune every single detail.
– We are here to learn. Our ambition is to organize a better Universiade than the one in Belgrade. We want it to be successful. We need to have everything ready on time. Shenzhen will get a new stadium, at least two new hotels for officials. Everything will be newly built, especially for the Universiade. Our concept of the Universiade is that it should be a big party full of young people and fun – said Bin.
A group of young people arrived from Kazan to show what student-athletes and all people of good will can expect to find in this town in Russia, where the 27th Summer Universiade is to be held. Nazil Nasibulin, one of the Kazan promoters, says that his home town will have a difficult task in attain the standards set by the 26th Universiade, in Shenzhen, China.
– Like everybody else, we want to promote our town, where in four years’ time the 27th Summer Universiade is to be held. Kazan is a specific town with very rich history. It is a town full of cultural and religious diversity, a town where Russian and Tatar cultures meet. That is why we believe that Kazan is the proper place where young people from the four corners of the globe should meet – said Nasibulin.
