The Olympic silver medallist and current captain of Kontinental Hockey League side Ak Bars Kazan will carry the flame on the first part of its journey from the port city of Vladivostok as it makes its way to the host city Kazan, in the Republic of Tatarstan.

"It is an honour for me to carry the Universiade Flame." said Morozov, who is also an ambassador for the 2013 Universiade.

"Ice hockey is not part of the World University Summer Games, but I am very happy to be involved in this memorable event.

"A great number of students and young people will get closer to the sports world and start playing sports themselves."

Dinara Safina will be among the torchbearers for the Kazan 2013 Torch Relay 

Morozov joins a host of Russian athletes and celebrities on the torchbearers list, including former world number one tennis player Dinara Safina, London 2012 fencing silver medallist Kamilla Gafurzyanova and television presenter Irina Shadrina.

The flame is set to arrive by aeroplane in Vladivostok today after severe weather conditions forced the organisers to change plans for the torch to sail in on the STS Sedov sailing boat.

The flame's nationwide tour of Russia will commence tomorrow and will be carried through 30 Russian cities with high student populations, including Moscow, St Petersburg, and Sochi, the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, before finishing at the under-construction football stadium in Kazan.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
January 2013: Kazan 2013 visits 2015 host country South Korea
January 2013: Kazan 2013 flame stuck at sea due to South China storm
July 2012: Kazan 2013 Torch sets sails from France for global Relay journey