“The Polish Olympic Committee is not responsible for the results of the Games,” said Polish Olympic Committee President Radosław Piesiewicz. In Paris, Polish athletes won 10 medals, the lowest result in 68 years. The only gold was won by Aleksandra Mirosław in sport climbing.
According to Radio ZET, Radosław Piesiewicz and his family used the VIP area at Warsaw Chopin Airport 35 times and were taken to the plane in a limousine.
Something unpleasant happened. My wife was attacked on the street for allegedly flying for public money. I wanted to prove that this is not the case. This is a transfer to the Polish Olympic Committee from April 2024
– said Piesiewicz on TVN24’s “Fakty po Faktach” program.
Piesiewicz has faced widespread criticism in recent days and is accused of abuses, including misappropriation of public funds.
With the previous management of Polish airports, we agreed on a quick transition procedure for our athletes. Some of them flew with President Andrzej Duda. $90,000 was transferred from my wife’s account for my and my family’s flights. I want to put an end to this matter once and for all.
– he argued.
Piesiewicz: For whose money did Nitras and his entourage fly to the Olympics?
He is accused of having worse conditions for athletes than POC activists. Sports Minister Sławomir Nitras spoke negatively about Piesiewicz and demands explanations about how the public money transferred to the Polish Olympic Committee was spent.
I pay for my business and my family myself. I fly alone, and Minister Nitras and his entire entourage who were at the Paris Olympic Games flew with their own money or with ours from the state budget?
– Piesiewicz asked.
I act in accordance with the law. Guests have always been invited to the Olympic Games. No person or member of the board of directors of the Polish Olympic Committee has evaded the state budget.
– he added.
In 2021, during the Tokyo Games, Polish athletes won 14 medals, including four gold. As many as nine of them were won by athletes who had won only one medal in the French capital. Natalia Kaczmarek came third in the 400m race.
I think that – unfortunately – the medal results are what they are. This has been the situation in Polish sport for many years. There were 14 medals in Tokyo, but in the previous Olympics we had about 10.
– he remembered.
Piesiewicz took part in photo sessions with leading Polish athletes before the games. Later he was seen on billboards, among others, together with tennis player Iga Świątek, sprinter Ewa Swoboda and volleyball player Magdalena Stysiak, which aroused surprise and pity among fans.
I work hard every day for the Polish Olympic Committee. I do everything to ensure that Polish athletes have complete comfort. I was invited to participate in such a session and I was very happy to do so.
– he declared.
The president of the Polish Olympic Committee believes he is not responsible for the modest medal haul of the Polish national team in Paris.
We know that failure is an orphan. We need to ask who is responsible for Polish sport. The Polish Olympic Committee has no influence on the preparation and results of sports.
– he replied.
Minister Nitras claims that the ministry and State Treasury companies transferred PLN 92 million of public money to the Polish Olympic Committee in 2022-2024.
We receive money not as a donation, but as sponsorship. Every quarter or half year, we send reports on the completion of tasks. We also donate part of the money directly to Polish sports associations.
– explained Piesiewicz, who is also president of the Polish Basketball Association.
During a conversation on TVN24, he began to accuse Minister Nitras.
On March 14, the Polish Cukier National Food Group “entered” Pogoń Szczecin. This is no coincidence, because Sławomir Nitras is a member of the local parliament. Seven days later, sugar prices fell and the National Food Group terminated contracts with the Polish Basketball Association. Today, however, we received the notice of resignation from the Polish Olympic Committee. A politician is starting to decide everything. Minister Nitras manually controls state-owned companies, and where is the minister of state assets?
– Piesiewicz asked.
““Polish sport cannot be intimidated”
He accused the Sports Minister of exceeding his powers.
We are an independent association. Minister Nitras is blackmailing sports associations so that they will not receive funds if they do not change me. From the very beginning, he has set himself the goal of changing the president of the Polish Olympic Committee. We will be obliged to inform the IOC about Mr. Nitras’ actions. What he is doing is a scandal. It is unbelievable. We approach this with humility. We have worked and will continue to work. Polish sport cannot be intimidated.
– he declared.
In the first decade of this century, Piesiewicz was active in the Freedom Union and the Democratic Party. According to politicians from the Civic Coalition, he has connections with law and justice.
The Polish Olympic Committee includes Adam Korol, Otylia Jędrzejczak, Leszek Blanik, Tomasz Poręba… Sport should be apolitical. I am not a member of any political party.
– he declared.
According to reports from Onet journalists, Piesiewicz’s wife earned PLN 1,150,000 at Pekao SA bank, which is equivalent to PLN 164,000 per month. She advised the board of directors on marketing issues. There are no traces of her activities at the bank.
My wife is a private person. Please stop harassing my family, wife and children. This is simply outrageous. Do you want to bring up what happened to the late President Adamowicz?
– Piesiewicz asked.
In April 2023, I became the president of the Polish Olympic Committee, which was in debt. We settled accounts with state treasury companies in accordance with the provisions of the contract. Should we have Mr. Nitras’ jurisdiction today?
– he asked.
After the October parliamentary elections, Piesiewicz wanted to change the statute of the Polish Olympic Committee so that his term of office would last eight years.
Such a proposal was made long ago. It was put forward by many members of the council. Looking back, it was a mistake.
– he admitted.
Piesiewicz’s term will end in three years.
The Polish Olympic Committee is not responsible for the results of the Olympic Games. I will run again in 2027
– he announced.
In many international sports structures, the first term of office is eight years. This is how it should be in the Polish Olympic Committee
– he justified.
The Polish Cycling Association was deprived of funding for several months during the Olympic year. It had been drowning in debt for years and the bailiff seized its account. The funds were transferred to it via the Polish Olympic Committee. It took several years.
The Polish Olympic Committee added to this. As early as November 2023, we suggested that there was a problem and that we could not continue because we were adding money from our budget. None of the members of the presidium wanted to take that risk.
– Piesiewicz explained.
There are small associations, such as boxing and judo, that cannot generate adequate advertising equivalent, and the Polish Olympic Committee generates a very large advertising equivalent so that smaller associations can receive money from sponsorship funds. For example, PZB received 50,000 PLN without the help of the Polish Olympic Committee, and with our help they received one million zlotys. These are facts, not myths.
– he continued.
In the years 2010-2022, Polish Olympic athletes were dressed by Polish company 4F, but the white and red collection for the Paris Games was created by Adidas.
4F’s contract with the Polish Olympic Committee has ended. Of the 19 members of the presidium, 18 voted in favor and one abstained. Adidas’ offer won because it was much better. We received the clothes for free. In addition, Adidas pays us financially.
– he informed.
I don’t want to hide anything. We help Polish sports associations. For the first time in history, we organized the Polish House. You can choose anything. Even for the greatest success. We promote Poland abroad. If someone accuses me of being unnecessary, then we have nothing to discuss, because it is a mockery.
– he concluded.
tkwl/PAP
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