Radiy Khabirov met with Olympic champions who came to Ufa for ICG opening

UFA, 11 July 2019. /Bashinform News Agency/ translated by Tatiana Aksyutina/.

Ufa this week has become the capital of international children's sports. The capital of Bashkortostan hosts the 53rd International Children's Games, which will be attended by 1,192 athletes from 84 cities in 29 countries. The head of the republic, Radiy Khabirov, met with the guests of honor who arrived in Ufa: Russian Deputy Sports Minister Sergei Kosilov, five-time Olympic champion, General Secretary of the Russian Olympic Committee Anastasia Davydova, three-time Olympic champion, State Duma deputy Alexander Karelin, four-time Olympic champion Alexander Popov and Olympic champion, President of the Federation of wrestling of Russia Mikhail Mamiashvili.

“We are glad to welcome you here. Many children from different countries came to Ufa. They will look at you with their own eyes and be happy. It is important for the republic to host major sporting events. In 2022, the UEFA World Volleyball Championship will be held in Ufa, and successful negotiations on holding a Eurasiade in Bashkortostan were conducted. And the most important thing is that after major sporting events, a large number of children will go to sports clubs”, marked Radiy Khabirov.

According to the Deputy Minister of Sport of Russia Sergey Kosilov, Bashkortostan holds all the events at such a high level that everybody always wants to come back here.

The five-time Olympic champion Anastasia Davydova noted the importance of holding children's games in nine Olympic disciplines. “It was a huge incentive for me when in 1998, I took part in the World Junior Universiade when I saw first-hand many famous athletes. The opening of a new multifunctional sports center in Ufa will be a good incentive for the development of children's sports in the republic, ”said Anastasia Davydova.

Radiy Khabirov invited the distinguished guests to lay a symbolic stone for the start of construction of the Palace of Martial Arts, which, by the way, they plan to name after Vladimir Borman.

Four-time Olympic champion Alexander Popov, in turn, noted that traditions in swimming are strong in Bashkortostan.

In this connection, the head of Bashkortostan said that in the republic swimming pools would be built in 16 municipalities until 2024, where there were no such sports facilities yet.