World Polonia Games

The World Polonia Games (Światowe Igrzyska Polonijne) are a multi-sport event held annually for the Polish diaspora (Polonia) and Polish minorities living outside of Poland. 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.

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. Seventeen different host cities throughout Poland have hosted an installation of the event. Today, the games are organized by the Association "Polish Community" and are covered by TVP Polonia.

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

Background and the first games
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. 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. The growing enthusiasm for sports led to the establishment of numerous Polish sports clubs in the diaspora.

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). 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. The opening ceremony on August 1, 1934, in Warsaw's Stadion Wojska Polskiego was attended by the President of Poland Ignacy Mościcki. 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.

The modern games
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. 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.

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. 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.

Since 1997, the main media patron and co-organizer of the games has been TVP Polonia. 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). In 2018, the Winter Games were brought to Krynica-Zdrój for the first time.

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. The games continued with their regular layout in 2023 with the XXI Summer World Polonia Games in Nysa and Wroclaw.

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

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

• Athletics (middle-long distance running) pictogram.svg Nordic walking

• Footvolley pictogram.svg Ringo

•

•

•

•

•

•

• (or duathlon)

• Source:

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

•

•

•

• Figure skating pictogram.svg Ice skating

• Athletics (middle-long distance running) pictogram.svg Nordic walking

•

•

•

• Source:

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

Participants

 * Andżelika Borys (Belarus: 2011), Polish-Belarusian activist and president of the Union of Poles in Belarus
 * Irène Debrunner (Switzerland: 1974), Swiss freestyle swimmer and Olympic athlete
 * Stanisława Walasiewicz (United States: 1934, 1977), Polish-American track and field athlete and Olympic champion
 * Bożena Wojciekian (Canada: 2011), Polish-Canadian shot putter

Attendees
Additional guests at the 2011 Summer Games opening ceremony in Wrocław included Jacek Bocian, Jan Brzeźny, Piotr Rysiukiewicz, Ryszard Szurkowski, and Urszula Włodarczyk. 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.
 * Bogdan Borusewicz (opened the 2011 Summer Games), Marshal of the Polish Senate
 * Anna Gębala-Duraj (torchbearer and guest at the 2006 Winter Games), Polish cross-country skier and Olympic athlete
 * Wiesław Gębala (torchbearer and guest at the 2006 Winter Games), Polish cross-country skier and Olympic athlete
 * Pope John Paul II (guest at the 1991 Summer Games)
 * Grzegorz Lato (guest at the 2011 Summer Games), Polish footballer and president of the Polish Football Association
 * Lech Kaczyński (opened the 2010 Winter Games), President of Poland
 * Longin Pastusiak (opened the 2004 Winter Games), Speaker of the Polish Senate
 * Maciej Płażyński (opened the 2006 Winter Games), Deputy Speaker of the Polish Senate

Summer Games
Source:

Winter Games
Source:

Host cities

 * Number of occurrences


 * Małopolskie – 11 times (5 Summer; 6 Winter)
 * Śląskie – 7 times (7 Winter)
 * Masowieckie – 4 times (3 Summer; 1 Winter)
 * Dolnośląskie – 3 times (2 Summer; 1 Winter)
 * Pomorskie – 3 times (3 Summer)
 * Kujawsko-Pomorskie – 2 times (2 Summer)
 * Lubelskie – 2 times (2 Summer)
 * Podkarpackie – 1 time (1 Winter)
 * Świętokrzyskie – 1 time (1 Summer)
 * Wielkopolskie – 1 time (1 Summer)

Summer Games

 * 1934: 🇫🇷 France
 * 1974: Czechoslovakia
 * 1977: Czechoslovakia
 * 1981: Czechoslovakia
 * 1984: Czechoslovakia
 * 1987: Czechoslovakia
 * 1991: Czechoslovakia
 * 1997: 🇧🇾 Belarus
 * 1999: 🇱🇻 Latvia
 * 2001: 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 2003: 🇧🇾 Belarus
 * 2005: 🇧🇾 Belarus
 * 2007: 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 2009: 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 2011: 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 2013: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 2015: 🇧🇾 Belarus
 * 2017: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 2019: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 2021: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic

Winter Games

 * 1986: n/a
 * 1989: n/a
 * 1992: n/a
 * 2000: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 2002: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 2004: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 2006: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 2008: 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 2010: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 2012: 🇱🇹 Lithuania
 * 2014: 🇱🇹 Lithuania
 * 2016: 🇱🇹 Lithuania
 * 2018: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 2020: n/a
 * 2022: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic