Hotel of the Rowing Centre on the Kaban Lake will have a 500m Recovery Unit
Opening of the new 2016 season took place in the Kazan Rowing Centre on 1 June. Presentation of a new Sports and Recovery Complex at 500m rubles to President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov was dedicated to this event. A correspondent of Realnoe Vremya followed the presidential route and found out what the new centre was like, its content and what difficulties tourists who want to stay in the hotel of the Rowing Centre have to face.
Demonstration of the new complex afar from the press
The territory of the Federal Rowing Centre, which belongs to the Volga Region State Academy of Physical Culture, hosted two important events at the same time. The presentation of the new Sports and Recovery Complex was a priority. However, journalists were not allowed to join the tour together with Rustam Minnikhanov, Ministry of Sport of Tatarstan Vladimir Leonov, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin and Ministry of Construction of Tatarstan Irek Fayzullin. While the high-ranking guests were in the new complex, the representatives of the press were offered to look at how students celebrate the opening of the rowing season.
The place, where the opening was planned to be held, was on the bank of the Kaban Lake close to the moorings. Young athletes were the organisers, presenters, participants and spectators of the event at the same time. One group of them was taking part in a dance battle, another group was cutting through the water by canoe – it was a festivity without adults. But the youth idyll was interrupted by the rector of the Academy Yusup Yakubov who came to the bank to celebrate all people on the opening of the season. According to Yakubov pins all his hopes on this year concerning sports achievements and interesting competitions. What is more, the opening of the new Sports and Recovery Complex had already taken place.
'Having such conditions, we must win'
It should be explained: despite Yakubov's words, there had not been any opening – the Recovery Complex was just presented to Rustam Minnikhanov. From 1 June, athletes will be able to use the services of the Recovery Unit. There will be organised an official opening for the citizens of Kazan. But its accurate date is not known – the new facilities are to be tested by the athletes first.
'An additional facility is open. It is a Sports and Recovery Complex with a swimming pool, sports hall and a gym. Its capacity is about 150 people. In general, it is quite a big place occupying 5,800 square metres,' Yakubov told the details. 'It's price is over 500m rubles. The construction was behind Kazan Kazan Production and Construction Association.'
As the rector of the sports Academy tells, the launch of this kind of facility was very needed for the athletes because they need to train not only during our short summer but also the whole year. So this facility will enable to do it.
Head coach of the rowing team of Tatarstan Sergey Korotkikh gave his opinion too. He says now the athletes have all necessary conditions to reach great results in the future.
'Athletes of the Volga Region State Academy of Physical Culture, team of Tatarstan, young athletes train in this base. The number of athletes who have a level of the national team of Russia is quite big. Last year, 19 athletes of the Volga Academy represented Russia in Gwandju World Universiade,' Korotkikh told. 'Next year we would like to… Let's dream to have four elite athletes. There are all necessary conditions for it. Having such conditions, I think we must win.'
Equipment of 2013 and dreams about sonographic instrument
After the departure of the presidential delegation, the journalists were offered to look at the new Sports and Recovery Complex and Regatta hotel. A covered walkway joins the two buildings. New and deserted sports hall, where President had seen two student basketball teams – men's and women's squads, was the first destination. By the way, this year the women's team won the silver medal of ASB (Association of Student Basketball) Championships.
A 25-metre swimming pool without starting platforms (promised to be installed later) was the next stop. Here there was some life – athletes were swimming under their coach's supervision. Here Minnikhanov acquainted with the team of our university swimmers who became champions of Russia among students, and one of the representatives of the national team Aleksander Krasnykh will go event to the Olympic Games to Rio. Then the gym with special rowing equipment and a Recovery Unit was demonstrated.
As it seems, the participants of the presentation of the Recovery Unit started to leave the place after the presidential delegation, so the journalists' visit was unexpected. We were showed their equipment, which had been turned off, a bulky bag with a logo of a famous fast food chain rested on a table. The latter object did not match the overall climate of the Recovery Unit.
'When rowers come here, we need to examine them first, check their body composition. We have a special Japanese Tanita device that we use to check fat, muscle mass and water percentage. Low-voltage current passes human body, and resistance helps define it. The device is expensive. Earlier it cost about 1m rubles. We bought it as early as 2013,' Dilyara, senior research worker of the Educational and Scientific Centre of Sports Reserve Preparation, explained.
The equipment, which was demonstrated to President of Tatarstan, was purchased during the Universiade: a device used to calculate human's equilibrium and endurance, equipment that helps to analyse rowers' technique using videos. Coach sometimes cannot understand his or her athlete's problem, and the computer finds the rower's weak links due to a high-speed shooting.
'Medical equipment has not been delivered yet. We are waiting for it. We would like to have a sonographic instrument and myographs. We order everything, but is unlikely… It may happen or not,' senior research worker of the Educational and Scientific Centre of Sports Reserve Preparation modestly commented.
'Tourists can accommodate but after the rector's consent
Regatta hotel was the final stop of the tour. The hotel is also included in the complex of Rowing Centre. As we were told in the press service of the Volga Academy, not only athletes but also tourists can stay there. A night in Regatta will cost 750 rubles. However, there was not seen any boom in spite of such a low price – corridors were empty as well as the lobby.
'As for our visitors, it's feast today and fast tomorrow. Now 12 people are living here, on 10 June we will host 169 guests,' Kamilla Muratova, administrator of the hotel, said to Realnoe Vremya. 'I have been working here for five months. And no tourist has been here yet. If earlier any person could stay here, since January our rector decided we will host only groups who are to write him a letter to obtain a permission. Now tourists can come here but after writing a letter.
In the future this facility will be available for people. But now the main goal is to make it a federal sport centre, attractive for national teams. By the way, the equipment and other gimmicks of the Sports and Recovery Complex will be available for the guests of the hotel as well.
