JAKARTA - The Special Winter Olympics are ready to be held in Kazan, Russia in 2022. The countdown for this international event which will be attended by more than 2,000 athletes from around 100 countries has started.
It is estimated that 3 thousand volunteers will support activities that compete in a number of these sports, namely Alpine skiing, snowboarding, floorball, cross-country skiing, figure skating, short track speed skating and snowshoeing.
"The Special Olympics is proud to host the 2022 World Winter Olympics in Kazan in Russia," said Chief Executive of the Special Olympics Mary Davis, reported Insidethegame.
"Kazan has established itself as a city capable of hosting the best international sporting events. I believe the World Winter Games 2022 will leave a lasting legacy of inclusion in Russia and show the world that sport is a catalyst for inclusion and peace," he added.
Some of the venues prepared are, Burevestnik Stadium, Lokomotiv Sports Complex, Sviyaga Hills Ski Resort and Sport Palace.
Russian punishment
Kazan was selected in the final minutes of determining the hosts, replacing Sweden who withdrew for financial reasons. This is a controversy in itself, considering that Russia is currently undergoing sanctions and may not be involved in international sporting events. Both single event and multi event.
Russia was given a four-year ban by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because the Moscow laboratory manipulated data on the use of doping by Russian athletes in December 2019. This ban was reduced to two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in December 2020.
"We as a country are ready for a greater message of equality. And, because the International Special Olympics is not about signing the World Anti-Doping Agreement. Therefore, we are in the best place to come to Russia with a world competition," said a member of the International Board of Directors. The Special Olympics, which is also a model from Russia, Natalia Vodianova, as reported by Euronews.
"There is a lot of misunderstanding and a lot of miscommunication about the abilities of people with special needs. Therefore, I hope the world Olympics will bring more clarity and break some of the stigma around possibilities and opportunities for people with special needs," he added.
This is not the first international event for Kazan in southwest Russia. Previously, Kazan hosted the 2015 Aquatic World Championship and one of the cities that hosted the 2018 Football World Cup.
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