On Wednesday, 25 May, athletics competitions for students in grades 4–6 of primary schools were held at the athletics stadium by the H. Sucharski Comprehensive and Vocational Schools Complex as part of the nationwide “Athletics for Everyone!” programme. The event was the Nestle Cup qualifiers.
The competition was opened by Rafał Bartosz Gruman, head of MKS Bolesłavia and head coach of the Athletics Centre in Bolesławiec. Bolesławiec Mayor Piotr Roman also spoke: “Today, the City Council decided to allocate a large sum of money to prepare the documentation for the stadium on Spółdzielcza Street, which we will build in cooperation with Bolesłavia’s officials. Bolesłavia is great; it is our asset. We are very pleased to have such a partner.”
The mayor’s presence at the competition was no coincidence. One of Wednesday’s events was the signing of an agreement between the Municipality of Bolesławiec, the Polish Athletics Association and the Athletics Centre in Bolesławiec. The agreement concerns the implementation of the “Athletics for Everyone!” programme.
It is worth noting that new athletics equipment was used during the Nestle Cup qualifiers. It was purchased with funds from the City of Bolesławiec and consisted of 50 hurdles and two starting blocks. The city authorities’ grant amounted to approximately PLN 28,000. “Bolesłavia is the jewel in the crown of Bolesławiec sport, which is why, together with the City Council, we decided to allocate money to purchase this equipment,” added P. Roman.
“It all began when the Lower Silesian Voivodeship decided that 200-metre athletics facilities would be built in Lower Silesia over three years,” Justyna Serafińska-Gruman, coordinator of the “Athletics for Everyone!” programme, told “ii”. “In our voivodeship, the ‘Lower Silesia for the Queen of Sport’ programme was implemented in 2013–2015. In the programme’s final year, an athletics stadium was built by the Comprehensive and Vocational Schools Complex in Bolesławiec.”
The “Athletics for Everyone!” programme also began almost at the same time. “Thanks to this programme, we started offering activities promoting athletics earlier, in grades 1–3,” explains Justyna Serafińska-Gruman. “In grades 4–6, these are already regular athletics training sessions held three times a week.”
The programme continues in lower-secondary schools. The Polish Athletics Association and its partners allocated more than PLN 100,000 to activities in Bolesławiec under the “Athletics for Everyone!” programme.