Moscow, Nov 17 (IANS) Two-time Olympic pole vault champion Elena Isinbayeva will be present at the Confederations Cup 2017 football's draw ceremony, global football's governing body FIFA said on Thursday.
The event will take place in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, on November 26, reports Tass.
Former Russian footballer Sergei Semak will also attend the draw ceremony.
Well known Russian athletes will assist FIFA Deputy Secretary General Zvonimir Boban and FIFA Director of Competitions Colin Smith in conducting the final draw.
"Moscow has developed infrastructure and broad options for hosting high-level competitions, Kazan is one of the most sports-oriented cities in Russia," Semak said on Thursday.
"St. Petersburg, a city with rich cultural and historical heritage, not only loves the game, but also fosters the cult of football. As for Sochi, it has a unique geographical location where the warm sea and snow covered mountain peaks are a stone's throw away from each other. Sochi has transformed into a true European class resort after the Olympic games."
"As a person who has devoted his life to sports, I am very pleased that my country is paying such great attention to sports and hosts major competitions every year," Isinbayeva emphasised.
"The Confederations Cup will certainly become a major sporting event next year. It means that all football fans are in for a big sports festival and some excellent football," the Russian pole vault champion stressed.
The 2017 Confederations Cup will take place in Moscow (The Otkrytiye-Arena); St. Petersburg (Krestovsky Stadium also known as the Zenit Arena); Sochi (Fisht Olympic Stadium) and Kazan (The Kazan-Arena) from June 17 to July 2.
--IANS
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