CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES
TEAM YAMAL
May 2018 CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
Section I – Evaluation of Performance of the Host Society
Registration and Accreditation Was pre-Games registration convenient and functional? Did the accreditation system at the Games work well? Provide comments or recommendations.
The pre-Games registration system was convenient and functional and proved to be effective not only at Games but very useful after the event was over. The technology implemented and the website structure are easy to understand and to navigate.
In the whole the process of registration and accreditation worked well. There is nothing to be reprimanded.
The only thing that should be thoroughly planned when the Games are held in two distant communities is the delivery of the accreditation badges to their holders. The initial plan of the 2018AWG Host Society was to present all the badges to the Chefs de Mission who were in Hay River. Their assistants went directly to Fort Smith. There were very little chances for the Chefs to be at two towns simultaneously on the arrival date. The Host Society were very responsive in regards to this issue and agreed to deliver the badges to Fort Smith from Hay River.
The plan B was to present the badges in Fort Smith to mission staff as well. Team Yamal’s Fort Smith mission staff arrived together with the team members. They needed to be acquainted with the place, to understand where team members were accommodated and etc. And they could not be in several schools at once as well. In this way the best decision could be the delivery of the badges to accommodation venues directly. Due to some misunderstandings Team Yamal members in Fort Smith had some difficulties with accreditation and accommodation as they were not allowed to enter the school with zero badges.
Welcome/Arrival Services Was the arrival of your team handled in a timely manner with a minimum of confusion? Provide comments or recommendations. The arrival of Team Yamal to both communities was handled in a timely manner with a minimum confusion. The only thing that worked wrong was the unloading of some of sport equipment in the wrong place but this issue was worked out smoothly and in a timely manner.
The whole impression of the arrival services is good and we would like to thank everyone who met our team in Hay River and Fort Smith airports for the warm welcome and hospitality extended upon arrival and during the stay of our delegation in South Slave region.
Opening Ceremonies Did the Opening Ceremonies do a good job of kicking off the week? Were they well organized and choreographed? Provide comments or recommendations.
The Opening Ceremony in terms of scenario and the core idea was a great start to the 2018 Arctic Winter Games. The performing of the 2018AWG theme song by Serena Ryder sounded a true inspiration. It was highly professional and dynamic. The idea of the Host Society to use video addresses at the Ceremony is truly creative and helpful in respect of time management and the whole flow of the event.
But there were some management drawbacks as well.
First of all there were some misunderstandings between the Host Society team and the volunteers that helped to organize the Opening Ceremony. The initial plan to unite Hay River and Fort Smith team’s parts at the certain time seemed to be perfect at the first sight. But when the real event started something went wrong and Fort Smith part marched to the Opening Ceremony venue much earlier than Hay River part were allowed to leave their schools. Thanks to some delay before teams entered the venue Team Yamal had the opportunity to unite and appeared in the arena as a whole team.
CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
The second moment that should be thought over more thoroughly was the ice cover. It was very inconvenient and even dangerous to march on as the material used was unstable on the ice surface.
It was a pity that two big screens placed on the left and the right sides of the scene were not used for broadcasting the Ceremony for those who stood at the back rows on the ice surface. These people could hardly see what was going on.
Team Accommodations Were accommodations sufficiently spacious or too crowded? Well located or too spread out? Were there sufficient washrooms and shower facilities? Was cleaning during the Games adequate for the maintenance of hygiene? Was security in the accommodations area functional and effective? Provide comments or recommendations.
The housing at the 2018AWG was traditionally based on gender principle and vicinity to competition venues. It proved to be very useful, convenient and logic.
The rooms provided met all the requirements. The school directors were very helpful. Security was functional, effective and ready to help every single minute.
The shower facilities were not enough and the plan used lead to some confusions. More than that in Hay River the shower facilities were located just on the road crossing that made this placement a dangerous place. The cleaning of the shower facilities was not enough.
Food Service Were the hours of operation/serving sufficient and convenient? Was the quality of food adequate? Was enough food available to meet your team’s needs and appetites? Did the box lunch program work well? Provide comments or recommendations.
To our mind the cafeterias for the 2018AWG were perfectly organized. The hours of operation were very convenient and anyone had a chance to eat at any time they had such an opportunity. The idea of having the buffet between the main hours is very wise especially when such events are held. All cafeteria personnel worked very well. Team Yamal would like to thank everyone who worked in the both cafeterias and especially the Chef for their warm welcome, hard and professional work.
It was also very enthusiastic to meet Hay River Mayor in the cafeteria who helped and volunteered there. It was a true example of the outstanding contribution to the Games values.
The decision found for providing hot meals at the distant sport venues and in this way eliminating the needs for box lunches was great. It made the whole process much easier and healthier for the young athletes.
The weak point of the food services was the quality of the food provided. The choice was very poor and not enough to nourish the young athletes.
Awards Ceremonies Provide comments or recommendations on awards ceremonies both at sport venues and at the main awards venue.
The awards ceremonies were well organized. The system used to hold the ceremonies right after the competitions proved to be effective.
Information Technology/Communications/Computer and Network Services Evaluate how the Games’ IT system and staff, communications system and computer and network services performed and provide any comments or recommendations.
The great support to organize the communication of the athletes with their parents and relatives was Wi-Fi Internet in all the 2018AWG venues. We would like to thank the IT Committee members for their good work.
CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
Team Yamal also would like to thank the Host Society and their partners for the cell phones we were given. It was a great help in facilitating communication process.
Mission Offices/Services/Accommodations Were the Mission Offices located in a place that facilitated the work of the Mission Staff, and were the offices conveniently reached by coaches? Were the Mission Offices sufficiently spacious and adequately furnished? Were the supplies provided adequate for the Mission Staff to do its work? Provide comments or recommendations.
The location of the Mission Offices were very convenient. It gave opportunity to the Chefs de Mission and mission staff to communicate with each other, to share their experience and expertise, to discuss the events in the framework of the Games, to give their comments and recommendations.
The mission offices were sufficiently spacious and adequately furnished. We had all the needed office equipment, access to the Internet, stationary.
The atmosphere in the office was very friendly, first and foremost due to the well coordinated and organized work of thе qualified personnel and volunteers who were ready to assist each time it was needed.
It should be mentioned that the most confusing thing in the accommodation process at the 2018 AWG was the accommodation of the mission staff. From Team Yamal’s point of view the accommodation of the mission staff of Team Yamal in Hay River was one of the best solution of the issue in the circumstances provided. The venue was located in the center of the town that was very convenient. But the chosen place could hardly be estimated as safe especially during the night time. The flats provided were not clean; the furniture was not in proper state.
Cultural Program and Facilities Did your cultural delegation feel that they were an integral part of the Games? Did they have enough performance opportunities? Too many? Did your Unit members attend entertainment events? What is your impression of their experience? Provide comments or recommendations related to the Cultural program only. See Entertainment Program section below for other comments.
The cultural contingent of Yamal was honored to be an integral part of the Games. Our cultural representatives are satisfied with the performance opportunities they were given. They said that cultural groups were very talented. All of them presented the culture and traditions of their region in full colors. The shows were vivid and spectacular.
We received no complaints from our cultural group regarding their accommodation or schedules or any other organizing issues. The only thing our performers and athletes were upset about is the lack of time in sport schedules to visit the cultural events and the lack of cultural performances in Hay River.
The goal of the Games is not only to develop sports in the Northern regions but also to share our cultures and traditions, to make our people closer, to be united. To our mind Sport and Culture should be more united during the Games week. In this respect we would like to recommend the Host Society of the 2020AWG try to plan such out-of- cultural-venues activities for athletes to have the opportunity to learn traditions of the North, to meet the culture of another Northern regions. They can take place in sport venues or in the awards ceremonies venue or in the cafeteria.
Forms and Publications Evaluate the effectiveness of forms provided by the Host Society and any publications of the Host Society; including Ulu News, directories, sport schedules/programs, results, posters, etc.
The coverage of the Games was endless: all media resources were used. To be honest the resources used, the way it was managed were at the high level.
The informative and colorful Ulu News issues once again proved to be nice reading covering all the possible subjects: telling about the events of the day, highlighting the most outstanding competitions and results, telling about the social and cultural life at the Games, the Host Society and the place the Games were held at.
CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
It was a good idea to invite professional photographers to the Games who made amazing photos! To our mind it would be also worth if this people could arrange their photos in sets per team or in any other way and sell as a gift at the end of the Games. Sometimes it is very difficult to make good photos on your own and such a commercial gift could be a good memory of such a great event as the Arctic Winter Games are.
Media Describe the media coverage you saw in the host community, both print and electronic. Provide comments or recommendations.
In general all journalists were very professional and the coverage of the Games was full and very interesting. To be honest they worked very hard and the results were always perfect.
Medical Services/Polyclinic Was the medical staff helpful? Did they provide quality care? Was the location of the polyclinic convenient and the hours it was open sufficient? Provide comments or recommendations.
Fortunately for Team Yamal its representatives had no chance to witness the work of medical staff and to experience their professionalism in practice.
Results Were accurate results produced and disseminated in a timely manner? Provide comments or recommendations.
According to our coaches’ comments they had no complaints about the work of the results system. They received the results in time and all results were right.
Security Did the security arm of the Games work effectively? Were the security people helpful? Did you note any security lapses that affected members of your team? Provide comments or recommendations.
The security arm of the Games worked effectively. All security members were professional and operative in deciding on different issues. They were very friendly and always ready to help with any issue.
Social Program Were there sufficient opportunities for your young people to socialize with their peers from other delegations? Were social functions well run and well supervised? Provide comments or recommendations.
It is worth to mention that the social program of the 2018AWG was amazing and full of events that helped the young northerners to make new friends, to look for new opportunities, to learn something new about different northern regions and cultures. The Host Society managed to meet different tastes and interests of the youth as well as to focus on their further personal development.
The housing principle used at the Games worked effectively from the social point of view: the athletes and coaches had the great opportunity to meet new friends and share their experience not only during the competitions but at any other time of the day. Our Team made friends with Northern Alberta, Yukon, Alaska and Greenland.
Transportation at the Games Provide comments or recommendations on the internal Games transportation system.
The transportation system worked well at the Games and there were zero complaints from Team Yamal’s members.
Web Presence/Website Did the Host Society’s website and web presence function in a way that was helpful to you, your team, and parents from your area? Provide comments or recommendations.
CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
The work of the Website developers was highly professional. The Website of the Games was very logic, informative, functional and colorful. The Website was updated daily. It was a reliable information resource on the Games events not only for the mission staff but also for the athletes’ friends and relatives, media and guests.
The Games mobile application was a very handy tool to use and find all necessary data. It is very helpful.
The promotion of the Games in social networks was the best experience. It helped a lot to follow the Games and felt their spirit. The corresponding committee of the Host Society did the great and the perfect job that with no doubt should be taken in mind by the following Games host societies.
Closing Ceremonies Did the Closing Ceremonies provide a fitting ending to the week? Were they of an appropriate length? Did they keep the spirit of the Games going? Provide comments or recommendations. The Closing Ceremony was a dynamic show. The most remarkable thing was the ceremony of passing the AWG Flag to the 2020Host Society. All speeches were so touching and true. They proved once again that the people who organized the 2018AWG were people with open hearts.
Our athletes were very enthusiastic and touched and full of positive impression. They made a lot of new friends. We think that it is the most important thing that meets the main goal of the Games.
Send Off/Departure Was your team’s departure handled smoothly with a minimum of confusion and hassle? Provide comments or recommendations.
Team Yamal’s departure went smoothly. Everything was organized as it was planned.
Miscellaneous Provide a summary as outlined above or in other areas where the Host Society established a separate committee or operating unit. Provide any other comments or recommendations that will improve the operation of future Arctic Winter Games
Notwithstanding with the comments provided above we would like to highlight the high level of the Host Society work. The 2018 Host Society proved to be the professionals in all spheres. They did a great job to make the Games be the unforgettable magnificent event.
More than that the communities inspiration, involvement and support were felt every single day, every single moment and at every single Games event. There is no doubt that South Slave region community benefited from the Games from sport, cultural and education perspective and truly achieved the principal goals of the Arctic Winter Games. CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
Section II – Comments and Recommendations Pertaining to the Unit
General Unit Management Provide a brief description of how the Unit was managed. Include any recommendations on changes to previous methods of operation that worked well. Include copies of organizational charts, job descriptions, etc
Two units of the Yamal-Nenets Government are responsible for the arrangements of the Team Yamal participation in the Arctic Winter Games: the Yamal-Nenets Department for International and External Economic Relations and the Yamal-Nenets Deaprtment for Physical Culture and Sports.
All management decisions are made by the Chef de Mission, his assistant and the administrative group. Chef de Mission, Mr. Alexander Mazharov, is Deputy Governor, Director of the Yamal-Nenets Department for International and External Economic Relations. The administrative group is presented by the officers of the Yamal- Nenets Department for International and External Economic Relations who know English and do all administrative work during the Games and mass media representative.
Chef de Mission develops the general plan of work at the Games, the scheme of cooperation between sport delegation and the administrative group.
The administrative group help the team members to cope with care and comfort issues, arranging social and cultural activities of the team, cooperate with mass media representatives, translate papers and prepare summaries of morning meetings for Chef de Mission.
During the Games Chef de Mission and mission staff visit all venues twice a day in the morning and in the evening to hold meetings with our coaches and athletes. They also visit sport competitions to cheer up team members.
Intra-team Communications Describe the system of communications within the team at the Games and provide any comments or recommendations.
Due to the very convenient accommodation plan it was very easy to organize intra-team communication at the 2018 Games. More than that the provided cell phones were also of great help to connect with Fort Smith part of the mission staff group.
Cultural Delegation Selection Describe the selection system used by your contingent. Provide comments or recommendations.
The cultural delegation were selected under the technical package requirements set by the Host Society. The main aspects were the age of the participants and the show they could present.
Finance Describe how the Unit raised the funds necessary to finance its involvement in the Games. Complete the charts provided at the end of this section.
The participation of the Team Yamal in the 2018 Arctic Winter Games was fully financed at the expense of the Yamal- Nenets regional budget.
Forms, Publications, Team Booklets/Manuals/Hadbooks Provide one copy of each form, publication or manual developed and used by this Unit.
The mission staff traditionally prepared a handbook for the athletes and coaches to familiarize them with the history of the Games, logo, mascot and mission of the Games, itinerary, the system of accreditation, accommodation plans, medical information and the rules of living.
CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
Insurance Describe the insurance obtained for the Games and provide recommendations.
To participate in the Games the Team Yamal obtained general medical insurance for the travelling abroad. Each member of the Team Yamal was insured to the sum of 50 000 US dollars. The object of insurance is the property interest of the Insured or the Insurant associated with the unforeseen expenses to provide emergency medical and medical evacuation assistance incurred while travelling abroad as well as repatriation expenses.
The copy of the insurance policy was sent to the Host Society.
Media Describe the media coverage provided by media located within your Unit for the Games, and describe how you promoted it. Provide comments or recommendations.
The media coverage was provided by one media company “Yamal” that is the branch of the All Russian State Broadcasting Company “Rossiya”.
All expenses were covered by the company. The administrative group of the Team Yamal provided only some consultations on visa application, route of the Team, customs clearance and accreditation system. They also translated some papers for the media person, helped him the interview the guests of the Games, athletes from another contingents. The media person was an integral part of the mission staff of the Team and helped in return in deciding on some organizing issues.
The media representatives sent interviews and reports to their office daily. The entire region had the opportunity to be a part of the Games and support their athletes every day of the Games by reading the news and watching the TV reports.
Medical Services What sort of medical services did you provide within your team? Provide comments or recommendations.
The Team doctor who is a part of our Mission Staff is a specialist in sport medicine. She had the necessary set for providing the first aid services and special sport needs help. Her primarily task is to provide medical services on the way of the Team to the place where the Games are held and on the way back home.
Sports Provide a brief summary of the Unit’s involvement in and any comments or recommendations on each sport.
Arctic Sports We had 4 athletes and 1 coach-athlete in the Arctic Sports. They won 4 gold and 2 silver medals. They had no general comments on the way the competitions were held or the gym.
Biathlon Ski Team Yamal was presented by 8 athletes and 1 coach in this sport. They did a good job and won 7 gold, 4 silver and 6 bronze medals.
Biathlon Snowshoe We had 8 athletes and 1 coach in the Biathlon on Snowshoe who won 13 gold, 9 silver and 3 bronze medals.
Both biathlon teams would like to thank the host society members for their support and help with biathlon rifles and ammunition. The efficient and quick response to the challenges that Team Yamal faced made it possible for our young athletes to be an integral part of the competitions and to acquire the skills to accommodate to the unknown equipment in a new environment. It was a truly fair play and a true Games spirit.
Cross Country Skiing We had a team of 18 athletes and 3 coach at the 2018AWG in cross country skiing. Our young athletes had 3 silver and 9 bronze medals.
CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
Figure Skating Our figure skating team was presented by 8 skaters and 1 coach. They did a great job and won 13 gold medals.
Futsal We had one futsal team – juvenile male – that consisted of 8 players and 1 coach. They won silver medal.
Snowshoeing The snowshoeing team of Team Yamal consisted of 8 athletes and 1 coach. They did a good job and won 1 silver and 3 bronze medals.
Table Tennis Table tennis team was presented by 8 athletes and 1 coach. They won 12 gold and 6 silver medals.
Transportation Describe the logistics of transporting your team to and from the Games.
Team Yamal used regular and charter flights to get to the place of the 2018AWG.
The trip was made through Moscow, Frankfurt and Calgary. The charter flight inside Canada was organized with the help of Canadian North Inc. that was a great experience. Each flight was on time, with no delays and with the maximum assistance from the company representatives.
It proved to be the most convenient, fast, cost effective and safe route.
Team Selection Process Describe the process used to select team members including specifics on the trials process. Complete the attached form.
The selection process includes two levels: 1st level is local competitions held in towns and areas of the Yamal-Nenets autonomous district; 2nd level is all-region competitions. To become a member of the Team Yamal an athlete should win all-region competitions.
Team’s Website Describe your team’s web presence and how you used the Web and the Internet to facilitate your administrative tasks. Complete the attached form.
Since 2011 Team Yamal launched its own website located at www.teamyamal.com. This is the place where the main news is presented as well as the information on the history of the Arctic Winter Games, the upcoming Arctic Winter Games, the photos and other relevant information. There is a special section to exchange the documents with the coaches, athletes and their parents on the website.
Some information on the Games and Team Yamal participation is located on the websites of the the Yamal-Nenets Government (правительство.янао.рф), the Yamal-Nenets Department for International Relations (www.interyamal.ru) and the Yamal-Nenets Department for Physical Culture and Sports (www.yamal-sport.ru). CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
Section III – General Comments and Recommendations Directed to the International Committee
Executive Summary and Recommendations Provide a synopsis of the general observations and recommendations that the Chef has made in the body of the report.
1. Where it is possible the accommodation of the mission staff members in the hotels is desirable and preferable.
2. If the Games are held in two distant communities and the possibility for the mission staff members to arrive to these communities in advance are in doubt it could be wise to spread the accreditation badges among the accommodation venues for the athletes to be accommodated in timely manner with minimum of confusion.
3. In case of the limited showers in the accommodation venues the shower facilities should be placed in a safe environment and as closer to the accommodation venues as possible.
4. The menu should be balanced and include more options of meat, salads, vegetables and fruits. Breakfasts should include hot meals (for example, porridge, boiled eggs and etc). The decision to provide hot meals at the distant sport venues is worth to follow further.
5. It is a good idea to use big screens at the opening and closing ceremonies to broadcast everything that is presented on the scene for those who are placed at the back rows on the arena.
6. Athletes and cultural performers should have more options to communicate with each other and share their skills: the athletes should have the possibility and time to visit the cultural concerts and events and the cultural groups members should have an opportunity to support their team mates at the sport competitions. One of the solutions can be to open medal presentations with one of the cultural groups performing.
7. Games mobile application proved to be very effective and helpful tool.
8. It was a great idea to actively use social networks to promote the Arctic Winter Games and follow them during the Games week. It is highly recommended to proceed with this experience and to share the Games spirit around the world.
Arctic Winter Games International Committee Provide any recommendations on how the AWGIC could improve the assistance provided to the Units involved in the Arctic Winter Games.
Team Yamal would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to the Arctic Winter Games International Committee for the opportunity provided to Yamal to participate in such great and important sport and culture event as the Arctic Winter Games. It is a true honor for us to be an integral part of the world of friendship and cooperation and fair play calling the Arctic Winter Games.
To be honest it is pleasure to work with professionals who give always clear recommendations. The Arctic Winter Games International Committee are always fair to everyone and strictly follow the AWG Staging Manual. CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
Section IV – Charts
ARCTIC WINTER GAMES UNIT INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY
2018 GAMES TEAM YAMAL
Participation Summary Regional Trials Jurisdictional Trials Games Athletes 76 837 10 067 70 Coaches ------11 Mission Staff ------6 Sport Officials ------0 Total ------87 Communities Involved 13 13 9 Aboriginal Athletes Involved 6 424 510 3 Male Athletes Involved 49 388 7 012 34 Female Athletes Involved 27 449 3 055 36
Summary by Sport Sport Regional Trials Jurisdictional Trials Games Arctic Sports 6 424 510 4 Biathlon (Ski) ------8 Biathlon (Snowshoes) ------8 Cross Country Skiing ------18 Figure Skating 3 500 1 307 8 Futsal 900 540 8 Snowshoeing 750 309 8 Table Tennis 2 700 908 8 Total 14 274 3 265 70 CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
Summary of Revenue and Expenditures* (regional trials)
REVENUE EXPENDITURES
Federal Contribution --- Transportation
Territorial/Provincial/State Contribution Accommodations
Donations --- Clothing & Accessories
Athlete Contribution --- Facilities
Sales --- Sport Officials
Other (Please specify) --- Administration
Other (Please specify) 1 253 900
Total Total 1 253 900
* The sums are given in the Canadian dollars. The exchange rate used is 1 Canadian Dollar = 50 rubles
Summary of Revenue and Expenditures (jurisdictional trials)
REVENUE EXPENDITURES
Federal Contribution --- Transportation
Territorial/Provincial/State Contribution Accommodations
Donations --- Clothing & Accessories
Athlete Contribution --- Facilities
Sales --- Sport Officials
Other (Please specify) --- Administration
Other (Please specify) 899 400
Total Total 899 400
CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES TEAM YAMAL
Summary of Revenue and Expenditures (AWG)
REVENUE EXPENDITURES
Federal Contribution -- Transportation 281 807
Territorial/Provincial/State Contribution Accommodations 32 318
Donations -- Clothing & Accessories 76 327
Athlete Contribution -- Facilities
Sales -- Sport Officials
Other (Please specify) -- Administration 65 100
Other (gifts, mascot, flags 42 537 etc)
Total Total 498 089