This evening, Wednesday, the opening ceremony of the Future Games was held in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin attended, along with the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Putin stated in his speech at the opening ceremony that Russia has been and will remain one of the leading sports powers in the world. He emphasized that the Future Games represent "our gift to the global sports family."
The opening ceremony of the Future Games featured a digital display titled "Journey to the Future" utilizing 3D illusions, showcasing a time travel story for young players who find themselves alongside their avatar "twins" in future Russia.
The mascot of the Future Games is a firebird symbolizing harmony between body and mind, which embodies energy composed of words and symbols that flow dynamically in different languages. During the opening ceremony, participating nations were presented.
The games will take place in Kazan from February 21 to March 3, gathering digital sports alongside classic sports. Approximately 2,000 participants from 107 countries worldwide will compete in 21 innovative disciplines (16 in the main program and five in the expanded program) using modern technologies, a digital environment, and physical activity.
Competitions are divided into five "challenges": sports, tactics, strategy, technology, and speed. The "games" combine classical sports with their digital counterparts: traditional football, basketball, hockey, martial arts, speed racing, skiing, and virtual cycling. Tactics competitions include electronic shooting games and laser tag contests.
Strategy competitions feature famous battle arenas from MOBA games and World of Tanks, as well as endurance tests. Participants will need speed to complete traditional games as quickly as possible before competing in physical challenges. The technology competitions will consist of drone competitions, robotics controlled by participants, dance simulators, virtual reality games, electronic battles, and sports programming.
