World Games of Poland Abroad

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Polish President Lech Kaczyński was the patron of the 8th Winter Games in Zakopane in 2010

The World Games of Poles Abroad ( Polish Światowe Igrzyska Polonijne ) are sports competitions organized for members of the Polonia , the Polish diaspora . There are both summer and winter games, which are held in different places in Poland on an annual basis. The aim of the games is to bind Poles living abroad closer to the land of their ancestors. In its principles, the World Games follow the Olympic idea , according to which participation and not victory is the most important thing. The event is organized by the association “Polish Community” ( Wspólnota Polska ) , supported by the Polish President as patron and the foreign broadcaster TVP Polonia , which took over the patronage of the media.

history

Invasion of the Nations at the opening ceremony (8th Winter Games in Zakopane 2010)
In the spectator stands there are many sports-loving members of the Polonia from Canada , whose team took third place in the medal table in 2010. (8th Winter Games 2010 in Zakopane )

background

As early as the turn of the century around 1900, that is, during the third partition of Poland , Polish athletes from near and far met to compete in competitions. One example is the “Meeting of the Polish Falconry” (Zlot Sokolstwa Polskiego) , which took place in Krakow in 1910 . The occasion was the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Tannenberg , which is why the event in Poland is also known as the “ Grunwaldzki meeting” (Zlot Grunwaldzki) . Around 10,000 Poles from Europe and the USA took part in the sporting event.

In the 1930s, the sport also experienced rapid development in Poland, to which the gold medals of the athletes Stanisława Walasiewicz and Janusz Kusociński during the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles contributed. The growing enthusiasm for sports led to the founding of numerous Polish sports clubs in the diaspora.

During the "V. Congress of the Organizing Council of Poland Abroad ”, which took place in November 1933 in Warsaw, it was decided to host the“ first Polonia Sports Games ”( I. Polonijne Igrzyska Sportowe , PIS). They were addressed to Poles from abroad and the Free City of Danzig . Senate Marshal Władysław Raczkiewicz headed its organizing committee .

The first games in 1934

At the first World Games for Poland Abroad in 1934 in Warsaw , 400 athletes took part. The athletes formed 13 teams, including participants from Canada , Brazil and the then Manchukuo Empire in Manchuria . The largest team was formed by Poles from the Free City of Gdansk with 64 competitors. The opening ceremony on August 1, 1934 in Warsaw's Wojska Polskiego stadium was attended by Polish President Ignacy Mościcki . After the Polish national anthem had been played and the flag of Poland had been hoisted , the athletes marched in, all of whom were uniformly dressed in white shirts and red ties. The most successful team were the Polish emigrants from France , followed by the athletes from Gdansk and Czechoslovakia .

1974 until today

The tense situation in Europe and the outbreak of World War II at the end of the 1930s was one reason that the Games were only resumed in Krakow in 1974 after a 40-year break . The authorities prevented the participation of ethnic Poles from the Soviet Union , who have only been able to take part in the games unhindered since 1991.

In 1989 the “World Winter Games of Poland Abroad” took place in Zakopane for the first time. They were originally planned every three years, but have only been held every two years after an eight-year break since 2000. The World Summer Games have been held every two years since 1997, so that since 2000 either summer or winter games have been held alternately every year.

In 1990 the “Polish Community” association (Stowarzyszenie “Wspólnota Polska”) was founded in Warsaw and has organized the World Games to this day. The aim of the association is to strengthen ties among Poles abroad. The long-time chairman of the association, the politician Andrzej Stelmachowski , campaigned vehemently for a revitalization of the games in the 1990s.

Summer games

A relaxed atmosphere in the stands at the 14th Summer Games in Toruń
Happy faces on the podium during the 14th Summer Games in Toruń
No. year place Medal table Remarks
XVIII. 2017 Toruń 1. Czech Republic (161) 2. Lithuania (158) 3. Belarus (97) Czech RepublicCzech Republic 
LithuaniaLithuania 
BelarusBelarus 		 xxx participants from xxx countries in xxx sports

(from July 29th to August 6th 2017)

XVII. 2015 ? 1.

2.

3.

xxx participants from xxx countries in xxx sports
XVI. 2013 Kielce 1. Czech Republic (158) 2. Lithuania (116) 3. Canada (100) Czech RepublicCzech Republic 
LithuaniaLithuania 
CanadaCanada 		 1400 participants from 31 countries in 18 sports
XV. 2011 Wroclaw 1. Germany (171) 2. Canada (169) 3. Austria (87) GermanyGermany 
CanadaCanada 
AustriaAustria 		 1682 participants from 23 countries in 27 sports
XIV. 2009 Toruń 1. Germany (133) 2. Canada (118) 3. Lithuania (94) GermanyGermany 
CanadaCanada 
LithuaniaLithuania 		 1101 participants from 29 countries
in 20 sports
XIII. 2007 Slupsk 1. Germany (94) 2. Lithuania (65) 3. Czech Republic (34) GermanyGermany 
LithuaniaLithuania 
Czech RepublicCzech Republic 		 1068 participants from 28 countries
XII. 2005 Warsaw 1. Belarus (96) 2. Germany (104) 3. Canada (48) BelarusBelarus 
GermanyGermany 
CanadaCanada 		 1000 participants from 28 countries
XI. 2003 Poses 1. Belarus (84) 2. Lithuania (99) 3. Moldova (27) BelarusBelarus 
Lithuania 1989Lithuania 
Moldova RepublicRepublic of Moldova 		 700 participants
X. 2001 Sopot 1. Germany (98) 2. Lithuania (58) 3. Belarus (40) GermanyGermany 
Lithuania 1989Lithuania 
BelarusBelarus 		 500 participants from 21 countries
IX. 1999 Lublin 350 participants from 16 countries
VIII. 1997 Lublin 600 participants from 24 countries
VII. 1991 Krakow 271 participants from 14 countries
VI. 1987 Krakow 1300 participants, 29 teams
V. 1984 Warsaw 1500 participants, 14 teams
IV. 1981 Krakow 383 participants, 12 teams
III. 1977 Krakow 700 participants, 15 teams
II. 1974 Krakow 319 participants, 13 teams,
introduction of age groups
I. 1934 Warsaw 1. France 2. Free City of Danzig 3. CzechoslovakiaFranceFrance 
Gdansk Free CityFree City of Gdansk 
Czechoslovakia 1920Czechoslovakia  		400 participants, 13 teams

Winter games

No. year place Medal table Remarks
XII. 2016 ? ? ?
XI. 2014 Giant Mountains ten disciplines
X. 2012 Silesian Beskids 1. Lithuania (113) 2. Czech Republic (75) 3. Russia (49) LithuaniaLithuania 
Czech RepublicCzech Republic 
RussiaRussia 		 700 athletes from 20 countries
in ten disciplines
IX. 2010 Zakopane 1. Czech Republic (40) 2. Lithuania (30) 3. Canada (29) Czech RepublicCzech Republic 
LithuaniaLithuania 
CanadaCanada 
VIII. 2008 Silesian Beskids 1. Canada (42) 2. Russia (30) 3. Sweden (26) CanadaCanada 
RussiaRussia 
SwedenSweden 
VII. 2006 Beskydy Mountains
VI. 2004 Beskydy Mountains 600 athletes
in seven disciplines
V. 2002 Beskydy Mountains 1. Czech Republic (386 p.) 2. Lithuania (275 p.) 3. Belarus (201 p.) Czech RepublicCzech Republic 
Lithuania 1989Lithuania 
BelarusBelarus 		 500 participants
from over 20 countries
IV. 2000 Beskydy Mountains 220 athletes from 16 countries
in four disciplines
III. 1992 Zakopane
II. 1989 Zakopane
I. 1986 Zakopane

Web links

Commons : World Games of Poland Abroad  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

References and comments

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Jerzy Dąbrowa: Krótka historia Igrzysk Polonijnych In Team Canada Dolny Śląsk 2011 , accessed on November 28, 2010 (Polish)
  2. ↑ a b Stowarzyszenie "Wspólnota Polska": VIII Światowe Zimowe Igrzyska Polonijne , accessed on November 28, 2010 (Polish)
  3. ↑ see also: Union Polonaise de Football en France
  4. ↑ A team did not always represent a state.
    Unless otherwise stated, the information comes from Jerzy Dąbrowa: Krótka historia Igrzysk Polonijnych
  5. ↑ Klasyfikacja Medalowa , accessed on September 6, 2017 (Polish)
  6. ↑ Światowe Letnie Igrzyska Polonijne ( Memento from January 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on February 12, 2014 (Polish)
  7. ↑ Biuro XVI ŚLIP Kielce 2013: r. - Ceremonia otwarcie ( Memento from March 16, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), (Polish)
  8. ↑ Biuro XV ŚLIP Dolny Śląsk 2011: Klasyfikacja medalowa ( Memento of July 28, 2011 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on December 1, 2011 (Polish)
  9. ↑ Biuro XV ŚLIP Dolny Śląsk 2011: July 31, 2011 r. - Ceremonia otwarcie już za nami  ( page can no longer be accessed , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed December 1, 2011 (Polish)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / igrzyskapolonijne.dolnyslask.pl  
  10. ^ Stowarzyszenie "Wspólnota Polska": Igrzyska Polonijne w Toruniu , accessed on November 28, 2010 (Polish)
  11. ↑ Stowarzyszenie "Wspólnota Polska": XIII Światowe Igrzyska Polonijne - Słupsk 2007 , accessed on November 28, 2010 (Polish)
  12. ↑ Stowarzyszenie "Wspólnota Polska": XII Światowe Igrzyska Polonijne - WARSZAWA 2005 , accessed on November 28, 2010 (Polish)
  13. ↑ Stowarzyszenie "Wspólnota Polska": XI Światowe Igrzyska Polonijne - POZNAŃ 2003 , accessed on November 28, 2010 (Polish)
  14. ↑ Stowarzyszenie "Wspólnota Polska": "Przez sport do polskości" , accessed on November 28, 2010 (Polish)
  15. ↑ Unless otherwise stated, the information comes from the association "Wspólnota Polska": VIII Światowe Zimowe Igrzyska Polonijne
  16. ↑ a b Klasyfikacja medalowa: Klasyfikacja medalowa ( Memento from July 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), (Polish)
  17. ↑ Stowarzyszenie “Wspólnota Polska”: V Światowe Zimowe Igrzyska Polonijne "Śląsk-Beskidy 2008" , accessed on November 28, 2010 (Polish)
  18. ↑ a b Stowarzyszenie "Wspólnota Polska": Rosja - Hej, kto Polak - na BESKIDY! , accessed on November 28, 2010 (Polish)
  19. ^ Stowarzyszenie "Wspólnota Polska": Polonijne Igrzyska Zimowe - Beskidy 2002 , accessed on November 28, 2010 (Polish)