Yekaterinburg's Hospitality Industry Workers Brush Up English Ahead of World Cup

YEKATERINBURG (Sputnik) - Almost 800 hospitality industry workers in Russia's Sverdlovsk Region, whose capital Yekaterinburg will host four FIFA World Cup matches this summer, have taken English courses ahead of the tournament, the department of information policy of the region's head said Wednesday.

"Seven hundred eighty employees of the Sverdlovsk Region's hotels and public catering facilities have completed their English courses and received certificates," the department said in a statement, adding that a total of 77 hotels and 46 cafes and restaurants took part in the training.

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According to the statement, 550 more hospitality industry workers attended English courses in the region in 2017.

A total of four group-stage games will be played at the city's 35,000-seat stadium with Egypt taking on Uruguay on June 15, France playing Peru on June 21, Japan facing Senegal on June 24, and Mexico playing Sweden on June 27.

Russia will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup from June 14 to July 15, with Yekaterinburg being one of the 11 host cities.