A press conference concerning the construction of an athletics track in Bolesławiec was held on Friday, 14 March, at the district office. The conference was attended by Deputy Minister of Sport Tomasz Półgrabski, Bolesławiec County Starost Dariusz Kwaśniewski and Voivodeship Marshal Cezary Przybylski.
The Marshal’s Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship was represented by the director of the sports and recreation department, Marcin Przychodny. Marek Plawgo was also present in the room. He is currently a ministry employee and was formerly an outstanding 400-metre runner and hurdler, a nine-time Polish 400 m hurdles champion and European runner-up in Gothenburg.
The conference was also attended by officials, coaches and athletes from MKS Bolesłavia Bolesławiec: MKS Bolesłavia president Bartosz Gruman, vice-president Tomasz Markowski, secretary Justyna Serafińska-Gruman, coach Dariusz Łomański, and athletes Ewa Ochocka, Dominika Kwaszcz, Monika Sandak, Dawid Kopała and Kacper Olszewski.
The meeting began with a statement by Starost Dariusz Kwaśniewski, who discussed the assumptions, sources and amount of funding for the construction of an athletics track at the Complex of General and Vocational Schools at 6 Komuny Paryskiej Street in Bolesławiec. In the first stage, the track is to be built using voivodeship and county funds, totalling approximately PLN 700,000, and will consist of:
- a four-lane, 200-metre synthetic-surface oval track
- a six-lane, 120-metre sprint track, including a 100-metre section (120 metres with the start and run-off)
- a long-jump pit with a run-up
- a grass football pitch inside the oval track
In the second stage, the stadium will be financed through the Ministry of Sport and Tourism’s “Development of Sports Investments” programme. According to its terms, the programme provides financial support for the modernisation of sports infrastructure through the reconstruction or renovation of existing sports facilities and is intended for facilities used by sports clubs. The maximum funding may amount to 50% of the eligible costs of the investment, but no more than PLN 1 million.
The athletics Orlik funded through the “Development of Sports Investments” programme will gain additional athletics facilities, including a discus and hammer-throw cage, a shot-put circle, and high-jump and pole-vault facilities. A multi-purpose team-sports court will also be built, and the infrastructure around the stadium will be expanded.
The Starost assured those present that Bolesławiec County had funds allocated for both stages. The total amount earmarked for the construction of the athletics stadium from all sources is nearly PLN 1.5 million.
In a brief statement, MKS Bolesłavia president Bartosz Gruman expressed deep gratitude to the Starost for supporting the construction of the athletics stadium. Vice-president Tomasz Markowski presented the club’s achievements in the 2013 season and drew attention to the difficulties connected with the training conditions of Bolesławiec’s athletes.
Deputy Minister Tomasz Półgrabski discussed opportunities for sports clubs to obtain ministerial funding, outlined the priorities of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, and spoke about programmes that would operate in sport in 2014, including Multisport and the “I Can Swim” Universal Swimming Education Programme.
Director Marcin Przychodny spoke about opportunities to obtain additional funds for sports-club activities through UWMD programmes. He mentioned, among other things, the sports-facility modernisation programme, which MKS Bolesłavia has in fact benefited from for several years, including the purchase of seats for the stands at the municipal stadium on Spółdzielcza Street and shelters for storing sports equipment.
After the conference at the Starosty’s Office, representatives of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, UWMD, Bolesławiec County and MKS Bolesłavia met at the site where the Orlik is soon to be built with Laura Słocka-Przydróżna, director of the Complex of General and Vocational Schools. The stadium-construction concept was discussed and its preliminary design was presented.
The official decision on granting funds for the construction of the athletics Orlik under the Lower Silesia for the Queen of Sport programme is expected on Tuesday, 18 March 2014.
(information: MKS Bolesłavia/ii)