MOSCOW, July 5 (R-Sport) – This month's University Games in the Russian city of Kazan have a $4.5 billion price tag, the president of the International University Sports Federation Claude-Louis Gallien said on Friday in the first overall cost estimate for the event.
That makes the Games the second most expensive in history, behind only the $30 billion event in Shenzhen, China, in 2011, when much of the money went on a city-wide redevelopment program.
“It’s too early to speak of specific amounts, but around $4.5 billion was spent on the preparation for the Universiade,” Gallien said.
Of the total cost, around $435 million went on the athletes' village, which will afterwards become Russia's largest student accommodation complex.
The Kazan Arena, which hosts the opening and closing ceremonies and will later house Russian Premier League football club Rubin Kazan, cost another $375 million, up from initial estimates of $270 million.
The Kazan University Games are the biggest ever, with 10,442 athletes from 162 countries competing in 27 sports.
Competition started Friday and runs through July 17.
