''The World Cup trophy could not but visit the sports capital of Russia''
The main football trophy reached Kazan and was there for three days
The main and most valuable football trophy of the planet reached Kazan only after the world tour, as well as the trip to the Eastern part of Russia. According to the organizers and officials of FIFA, they simply could not just to bring it to Kazan because it is not just one of the host cities of the World Cup, but also ''the main sports city of the country''. The correspondent of our sports editorial board visited the official presentation of the World Cup on the Millennium Square in Kazan and also visited the press conference of the guests of the city. Who from Tatarstan citizens was lucky to deliver balls to Griezmann, Pique and Draxler in June, what park will be opened in Kazan by benefactors from Coca-Cola, and when first 2018 World Cup teams are expected here – read in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
''We in FIFA hope that the Cup will become the inspiration for Tatarstan little children''
Half an hour before the solemn moment of ''unveiling'' the main football trophy of the planet — the World Cup, which was hidden under a black velvet curtain in a glass cube, young players and, what is remarkable, football players had already gathered on the Millennium Square. There were Tasma youth team, the youth athletic centres Savinovo, Miras and other district teams. The girl students of a secondary school from the city of Agryz became the crowning glory of the celebration. They will be the official ''ball boys'' (or rather, ball girls) at World Cup matches in Kazan. The girls wrote an essay on the topic ''Why I want to get to the World Cup''.
When the officials — Tatarstan Prime Minister Alexey Pesoshin, Tatarstan Minister of Youth and Sports Vladimir Leonov, Project Manager of the Coca-Cola System in Russia for the FIFA World Cup 2018 Mikael Vine and FIFA representative Felicity George — finally came on the stage, the girls were already singing their team slogans on the square.
''Only 30 days left until the moment when Kazan, a host city, the sports capital of Russia, will host its first match at the World Cup. I urge you to be ready for unforgettable emotions,'' Michael Vine said from the stage. ''Since we strive to attract the attention of all Russians to our movement, we will build Play Park with an inclusive football field. This is a joint project with the Naked Heart Foundation.''
Later, when the procession moves to Kazan Arena, Mikael would tell in detail that this project will be built entirely on the money of Coca-Cola foundation. Vine did not specify the cost of the project, but promised that on the site one can not only play football — there will also be places for workout and family sports.
''We cannot disclose all financial details and estimates. But work in this direction was started already last year in Volgograd, then we opened such field in Saransk. And this year, such fields will be opened in Rostov-on-Don, and I am happy to announce it, here in Kazan,'' Vine promised.
The territory of the play park is divided into several parts: the first — for families with little children and for families with children with special mental needs. There is a sector that focuses on adolescents, with weight training benches. And, of course, in such parks there is a football field. Felicity George, in turn, said that she hopes for a positive effect from the visit of the main trophy of world football to Tatarstan:
''It is a great pleasure to be in such a beautiful city on this sunny day. The World Cup is the main symbol of football and one of the main symbols of sport in the world. It embodies the emotions and joy of all football fans of the world, regardless of their nationalities and football preferences. We in FIFA hope that this Cup will be the inspiration for young players and that they will want to raise it over their heads in the future.''
''We could not but stop in Kazan — it's the sports capital of Russia after all''
After that, the guests together with the writing and shooting brothers moved to the very centre of the future football festival — Kazan Arena. Here the Cup was opened for the second time by the same persons, except that the prime minister of the republic went was for business. The Cup was officially presented for the third time when the trophy was transported to the volunteer centre.
Here they told that the World Cup returned to Russia after world voyage on May 1 — after that its tour around the host country began. The first city was Vladivostok, then the trophy went around all the Far East, Siberia, the Urals and finally reached the Volga region. Mikael Vine told that the cooperation of his company with Kazan had lasted for already 7 years, and he together with the Cup just could not but visit the ''sports capital of Russia''.
''The Republic of Tatarstan is very important for us from the position that we have a very long and strong relationship. Starting from 2011, when we discussed preparations for the Universiade in Kazan. Since then we have supported several major events,'' he reported.
They have done everything for disabled fans
Singer and public figure Zara told more details about what the work has been done for disabled fans who will visit the stadiums of the World Cup:
''It all starts with tickets for special groups of people. The first group is people who move with a wheelchair. The second — people with little children, older generation and with disabilities. The third — people visually impaired and those who move with the assistance of guide dogs. The last type of tickets — for people with high body mass index, which also need special attention. In the first three groups, people who accompany them, tickets will be provided absolutely free of charge. They'll be sitting nearby. Also, they will be provided wheelchairs free of charge, as well as golf carts and free travel. The most important, all volunteers and those who are involved in the World Cup, undergo special training to work with such people,'' Zara assured.
