stringtranslate.com

World Polonia Games

The World Polonia Games (Polish: Światowe Igrzyska Polonijne) are a multi-sport event held annually for the Polish diaspora (Polonia) and Polish minorities living outside of Poland.[1] Held annually and alternating between summer and winter games each year, the games bring together hundreds of participants from multiple countries worldwide, such as Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.[1]

The first World Polonia Games were held in 1934 in Warsaw, with 381 athletes from 13 countries. Following a four decade break, the games were revived in 1974 in Kraków and have been held more regularly since.[1] Seventeen different host cities throughout Poland have hosted an installation of the event.[2] Today, the games are organized by the Association "Polish Community" and are covered by TVP Polonia.[3]

The XXI Summer World Polonia Games, its most recent installation, were held in August 2023 in Nysa and Wrocław.[4] The most recent winter games, the XV Winter World Polonia Games, were held in February 2022 in Wisła, Silesian Voivodeship.[5]

History

Background and the first games

The German football team at the 1934 games in Warsaw.

As early as the turn of the century around 1900, during the period of the third partition of Poland, Polish athletes travelled to participate on sports competitions.[1] For example, the "Meeting of the Polish Falconers' Union" (Zlot Sokolstwa Polskiego), which took place in Kraków in 1910 on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Tannenberg, in which around 10,000 Poles from Europe and the United States took part in. Sports and athleticism was developed in Poland in the 1930s, during the time of the independent Second Polish Republic, with the nation participating in the Olympic Games.[1] The growing enthusiasm for sports led to the establishment of numerous Polish sports clubs in the diaspora.[1]

At a "Congress of the Organizing Council of Poles Abroad” in Warsaw in 1933, the "First Polonia Sports Games" (I. Polonijne Igrzyska Sportowe, PIS) were organized for Poles living outside of Poland (including those from the Free City of Danzig).[2] Its organizing committee was headed by the Marshal of the Senate Władysław Raczkiewicz. The firsrt games were held in 1934 in Warsaw, and 400 athletes took part from 13 nations worldwide.[2] The opening ceremony on August 1, 1934, in Warsaw's Stadion Wojska Polskiego was attended by the President of Poland Ignacy Mościcki.[1] The largest team was made up of Poles from the Free City of Danzig with 64 competitors, with the most successful teams being those from France, Danzig, and Czechoslovakia.[1]

The modern games

Team Canada at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter World Polonia Games in Zakopane.

The Second World War and post-war tension resulted in a four decade break in the games until its revival in 1974 in Kraków. Even then, authorities initially prevented the participation of Poles from the Soviet Union and its successor states until the nation's collapse in 1991.[2] In 1986, the first winter World Polonia Games took place in Zakopane for the first time. They were originally held every three years from 1986 to 1992, but have now been held every two years since 2000 after an eight-year break.[6]

In 1990, the association "Polish Community" (Stowarzyszenie "Wspólnota Polska") was founded in Warsaw, which organizes the World Games to this day. The aim of the association is to strengthen ties among Poles living abroad.[1] The association's longtime chairman, the politician Andrzej Stelmachowski, campaigned for a revival of the Games in the 1990s. At the 1991 Summer Games, participants had the opportunity to meet Pope John Paul II, who was present at the event.[1]

Since 1997, the main media patron and co-organizer of the games has been TVP Polonia.[3] The games have been held annually, with the event alternating between summer and winter games each year, since 1999; Summer Games are held in odd-numbered years and Winter Games in even-numbered years. Games hosts vary, while the regular hosts of the Winter Games have been the Beskids (6 times; consisting of the cities of Bielsko Biała, Cieszyn, Szczyrk, Tychy, and Wisła together) and Zakopane (5 times).[7] In 2018, the Winter Games were brought to Krynica-Zdrój for the first time.[8]

The games continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis, although to a reduced extent and with increased health and safety precautions in place for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 games.[9] The games continued with their regular layout in 2023 with the XXI Summer World Polonia Games in Nysa and Wroclaw.[4]

Sports

Summer Games

In addition to a children's and family tournament, the Summer Games have consisted of:

Source:[10]

Winter Games

In addition to a children's and family tournament, the Winter Games have consisted of:

Source:[1]

Participating nations

The games are open to any Polish person or person of Polish descent who does not permanently live in Poland.[11] Participating nations at the World Polonia Games have included those listed in the table below.[citation needed] Numbers indicate the number of times nations have topped a games medal table.[citation needed]

Source:[1][2][10][12]

Notable people

Participants

Attendees

Additional guests at the 2011 Summer Games opening ceremony in Wrocław included Jacek Bocian, Jan Brzeźny, Piotr Rysiukiewicz, Ryszard Szurkowski, and Urszula Włodarczyk.[17] Numerous Polish Olympians were also present during the 2011 Summer Games, including Halina Aszkiełowicz-Wojno, Włodzimierz Chlebosz, Mariusz Jędra, Mieczysław Łopatka, Ryszard Podlas, and Leszek Swornowski.[13]

List of World Polonia Games

Summer Games

Source:[1][2][4][19][14]

Winter Games

Source:[12][21]

Host cities

Number of occurrences

Medal tables

Summer Games

Winter Games

Medal leaders by year

Summer Games

Winter Games

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Hosted by the cities of Chorzów, Rybnik, Sosnowiec, and Wodzisław Śląski.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Team classification was not conducted at the first three installations of the World Polonia Winter Games.
  3. ^ Source material for the 1992 Games was lost.[12]
  4. ^ a b c d e f Hosted by the cities of Bielsko Biała, Cieszyn, Szczyrk, Tychy, and Wisła.
  5. ^ Hosted by the cities of Jelenia Góra, Szklarska Poręba, Sobieszów, and Jablonec nad Jizerou (Czech Republic).
  6. ^ Hosted by the cities of Ustrzyki Dolne, Sanok, and Przemyśl.
  7. ^ a b Team classification was not conducted at the XIV Winter Games because of its reduced size due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Igrzyska Polonijne - Team Canada". www.igrzyskapolonijne.ca. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Woltmann-Żebrowska, Małgorzata (2012). "Lekkoatletyka na polonijnych igrzyskach sportowych w Polsce w latach 1934-2011" (PDF). Prace Naukowe Akademii im. Jana Długosza w Częstochowie. Kultura Fizyczna. 11: 83–98.
  3. ^ a b S.A, Telewizja Polska. "Wystartowały Światowe Igrzyska Polonijne". polonia24.tvp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  4. ^ a b c "STOWARZYSZENIE WSPÓLNOTA POLSKA POLECA: Zakończenie XXI Światowych Letnich Igrzysk Polonijnych". wspolnotapolska.org.pl (in Polish). Stowarzyszenie Wspólnota Polska. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  5. ^ Polska, Stowarzyszenie Wspólnota; EM, STUDIO. "STOWARZYSZENIE WSPÓLNOTA POLSKA POLECA: ZAPRASZAMY NA XV ŚWIATOWE ZIMOWE IGRZYSKA POLONIJNE". pai.media.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  6. ^ Kamińska, Katarzyna (2021-01-11). "Światowe Igrzyska Polonijne: święto sportu ponad granicami". POLSKA360.org (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  7. ^ "Zaproszenie na X Światowe Zimowe Igrzyska Polonijne". Polishnews.com (in Polish). 2012-01-09. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  8. ^ "XIII Światowe Zimowe Igrzyska Polonijne 26.02.-2.03 - Jaworzyna Krynicka". jaworzynakrynicka.pl. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  9. ^ "Zaproszenie na Wielkie Święto Sportu Polonijnego do malowniczej Wisły". l24.lt (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  10. ^ a b "Światowe Letnie Igrzyska Polonijne". wspolnotapolska.org.pl. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  11. ^ Sapiejka, Dariusz. "Podziękowania Stowarzyszenia "Wspólnota Polska" za wsparcie organizacji XX Światowych Igrzysk Polonijnych w Pułtusku".
  12. ^ a b c d e f Nowak, Leonard. "Timeline of World Polonia Winter Games (1986–2016)" (PDF). Prace Naukowe. 2017 (3): 85–105.
  13. ^ a b c d "Podsumowano igrzyska polonijne". umwd.dolnyslask.pl. 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  14. ^ a b Nowak, Leonard. "Timeline of Summer World Polonia Games (1934–2015)" (PDF). Prace Naukowe. 2016 (4): 69–87.
  15. ^ "Igrzyska Polonijne - Team Canada". www.igrzyskapolonijne.ca. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  16. ^ Witkowski, Paweł. "Polonia Kanadyjska poraz drugi drugą ekipą igrzysk". www.igrzyskapolonijne.ca. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  17. ^ a b Starczak-Kozłowska, Krystyna. "Polskich sportowców gromada - to Kanada !". www.igrzyskapolonijne.ca. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  18. ^ a b "Światowe Zimowe Igrzyska Polonijne Szczyrk 2006". www.pasaus.org. Archived from the original on 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  19. ^ "Światowe Letnie Igrzyska Polonijne". Polishnews.com (in Polish). 2017-07-13. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  20. ^ ""XIV ŚWIATOWE ZIMOWE IGRZYSKA POLONIJNE - KRYNICA ZDRÓJ 2020"". www.wspolnota-polska.org.pl. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  21. ^ ""Stowarzyszenie Wspólnota Polska"". www.wspolnota-polska.org.pl. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  22. ^ a b c d "Standings". Team Kanada. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  23. ^ "Klasyfikacje i wyniki zawodów". Stowarzyszenia "Wspólnota Polska". Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  24. ^ "ZAKOŃCZENIE XXI ŚWIATOWYCH LETNICH IGRZYSK POLONIJNYCH". Wspolnota Polska. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  25. ^ "Klasyfikacja Medalowa". Wspolnota Polska. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  26. ^ "KLASYFIKACJA MEDALOWA XIII ZIMOWYCH IGRZYSK POLONIJNYCH KRYNICA-ZDRÓJ 2018". Wspolnota Polska. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  27. ^ "KLASYFIKACJA MEDALOWA XV ŚWIATOWYCH ZIMOWYCH IGRZYSK POLONIJNYCH". Wspolnota Polska. Retrieved 22 June 2022.

External links