Cheboksary becomes 23rd city to host Universiade Torch Relay

      On 10 June, the main symbol of the 2013 Summer Universiade arrived in Chuvashia: the Flame of the 27th World University Summer Games which was yesterday welcomed by the capital city of the Mari El Republic – Yoshkar-Ola – was greeted today by residents of Cheboksary. 40 Torchbearers carried the Flame along the streets of Chuvashia's capital. Cheboksary has become the 23rd city of the Russian leg of the Universiade Torch Relay.

       The honour of carrying the Universiade Flame across Cheboksary was given to the best students of the city, famous athletes, including Merited Master of Sport, world champion, 20km race walking silver medallist of the Olympic Games Olympiada Ivanova; Master of Sport in Biathlon, repeat winner and runner-up in the World and European Championships as a member of the Russian national team Evgeny Petrov; Master of Sport in Athletics; European cross country running champion as a member of the Russian national team Ekaterina Matyunina; Master of Sport in aAhletics, USSR cross country running champion, two-time champion of the Spartakiade of People of the RSFSR Nikolai Grigoriev. The honour to carry the Torch was also given to volunteers, representatives of youth organisations as well as the 2013 Summer Universiade's partner companies.

       "The Torch Relay was excellent! I compare international competitions and our today's sports celebrations, and I have to say honestly that the emotions are very intense here," said Master of Sport in Biathlon, repeat winner and runner-up in the World and European Championships, Torchbearer Evgeny Petrov. "I would like to thank everyone who organised the Torch Relay in our city, also my parents, coaches and, of course, those people who gave me the opportunity to take part in this Torch Relay as a Torchbearer!"

       "I feel like I am part of something great! You get charged with positive energy coming from the emotions of the people that you meet on the streets of the city. It is an indescribable experience!" shared her impressions student at Cheboksary Institute of Economics and Management, Torchbearer Elena Pushkova.

       The Torch Relay in Cheboksary was 5,000 metres long, and it went through the central streets and squares of the city. The Torch Relay in Cheboksary kicked off in the square in front of the city's railway station, then the Relay's motorcade travelled past Chapaev Square, Yuri Gagarin Statue, Republic Square, as well as Red Square where the Torch Relay concluded with the lighting of the City Cauldron of the World University Games. The privilege of lighting the City Cauldron was given to student at Chuvash State Pedagogical University named after I.Ya. Yakovlev, winner at the 2011 Summer Universiade Kseniya Kirillova.

       The solemn ceremony was attended by Minister of Land and Property Relations of the Republic of Tatarstan Azat Khamayev; Minister of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Chuvash Republic Sergey Melnikov; Mayor of Cheboksary Leonid Cherkesov; and Oleg Viktorov, Vice-Rector for Educational Work and Security of the Chuvash State University named after I.N. Ulyanov.

      "We are delighted to welcome the Universiade Flame to our city. Today, we have a unique opportunity to take part in a historic event. And I think that this opportunity was given to us as the high appreciation of the large contribution of the Chuvash Republic to the development of university sport," noted Sergey Melnikov. "Our athletes have always defended our country's honour by winning the highest places on the podium, and I am sure that the athletes of Chuvashia will win medals for the Russian national team at the Universiade in Kazan."

       "The city of Cheboksary is proud of the fact that today we are hosting the Universiade Flame. The Torch with the Flame carried along the central squares and streets lit our residents' hearts with patriotism and sports spirit. I think that after this event even more people will be engaged in sports," noted Leonid Cherkesov.

       "I welcome you on behalf of the leadership and the inhabitants of the Republic of Tatarstan, and I invite you to the World University Games in Kazan! The Universiade is the celebration of youth and sport. The capital city of Tatarstan will receive 13,000 athletes from 127 countries who will be competing in various sports over a period of 11 days. Let us wish our national team victories and major sports achievements!" underlined Azat Khamayev. At the end of the ceremony, he presented souvenir torches to the leadership of Cheboksary.

        Tomorrow the Universiade Flame will set off to the next host city of the Torch Relay – Ulyanovsk. 

        The Universiade Torch Lighting Ceremony took place at Paris-Sorbonne University where the first ‘World Student Games’ were held in 1923. The historic moment in the Torch Relay arrived when the Universiade Flame embarked on a round-the-world voyage aboard the world’s largest bark - the tall ship Sedov. On July 15th, the Torch was handed over to a team of navy cadets – the Keepers of the Universiade Flame. Travelling aboard the bark Sedov, the Torch covered 45,000 nautical miles and repeated the route of greatest sailors of all times. 

       The Russian leg of the Universiade Torch Relay started off on January 25, on Russian Students' Day. Travelling from east to west, the Flame is carried through Russia’s 30 top student cities such as Khabarovsk, Yakutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Arkhangelsk, Stavropol, Pyatigorsk, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg, Vladimir, Moscow, Perm, Izhevsk, Kirov, Nizhny Novgorod, Yoshkar-Ola, Cheboksary, Ulyanovsk, Saransk, Penza, Saratov, Samara, Orenburg, Ufa and passes through 43 municipal districts of the Republic of Tatarstan, finishing its odyssey in Kazan on July 6, on the opening day of the 2013 Summer Universiade. 2,013 Torchbearers will carry the Universiade Torch as it will make its way all over the country. 

       Universiade Torch Relay partners:

       Hyundai Motor CIS is the General Partner and Official Transport Provider of the Kazan 2013 Summer Universiade. Hyundai Motor CIS is an exclusive distributor of Hyundai cars in the Russian Federation. Currently the company owns one of the largest dealer networks in the Russian automotive industry and comprises over 140 automobile showrooms.

       Coca-Cola HBC Eurasia LLC is an Official Partner of the 27th Summer Universiade Kazan 2013. The Coca-Cola system is a long-standing partner of some of the world’s most important sporting events and places great emphasis on promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyle around the world. Coca-Cola HBC Eurasia gives a warm welcome to the Universiade Flame in Russia and acts as the partner of the 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay.

      OAO MegaFon is the General Partner of the 27th Summer Universiade Kazan 2013 and the Russian leg of the Universiade Torch Relay. MegaFon is one of the leading all-Russian universal communications operators running its business in all segments of the telecommunications market in Russia. MegaFon became the first operator with a network covering all regions of Russia. It was also the first national operator to launch 3G network for commercial operation and is currently the leader of mobile Internet services.

      SOGAZ Insurance Group is the Official Partner and Insurance Provider of the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan. SOGAZ Insurance Group: be nervous only about victories at the games, all other things at the Universiade are insured!

      ОАО Aeroflot Russian Airlines is the Official Partner and Official Airline of the 27th Summer Universiade Kazan 2013. Apart from that, Aeroflot is the partner of the 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay.

      OOO Trade House Forward (FORWARD Sportswear) is the Official Provider to the 27th Summer Universiade Kazan 2013 and official partner of the 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay. FORWARD Sportswear is quality, vibrancy, comfort and beautility! Being with FORWARD means being part of achievements and victories of great Russia!