Russia 2018 volunteer programme hits 100,000 applications - RUSSIA 2018
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| LOC |
Applications from individuals wishing to become volunteers at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ have reached more than 100,000 over the first three months of the campaign. The applications are open until December 2016 by visiting FIFA.com/volunteers and candidates can also apply via Russia 2018 volunteer centers in all 11 FIFA World Cup Host Cities. The campaign was launched on 1 June by Russian President Vladimir Putin and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“While I have strength, desire and good health, I want to join the other volunteers at the turnstiles, assist at the places where the teams will eat and stay, and keep order at the stadiums”, says 59-year-old Galina Kukushkina, from Volgograd, who sent in the 100,000th application to be a volunteer at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. “If needs be, I can meet visitors from all over the world at stations and airports, conduct tours around my home city and help our guests with transport and accommodation questions. I can also direct people in big crowds, regulate traffic at car parks and provide first aid.”
“One hundred thousand applications from prospective volunteers is an amazing figure that shows how much people want to get involved in the hosting of the Confederations Cup and World Cup in Russia,” added Alexey Sorokin, CEO of the Russia 2018 Local Organising Committee. “We are confident that our volunteers will be active, responsible and always ready to help. Put simply, they will become a team in their own right.”
In Russia the most applications were received by the volunteer centres in Moscow (26,249 applications) and Saint Petersburg (12,317). Also in the top five were Sochi (5,813), Rostov-on-Don (4,721) and Ekaterinburg (4,014).
58 per cent of the candidates are currently women, while 78 per cent came from candidates in the 16 to 25 age range. Furthermore, 19 per cent of the applicants are aged between 26 and 40, while one per cent came from those aged between 41 and 60, and two per cent aged 60 and older.
So far, the most popular positions applied for are in team services (15,576 applications), ceremonies operations (8,380 applications) and language services (6,338 applications). There will be around 5,500 volunteers involved in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and 15,000 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.