Poland's sports encompass almost all sporting disciplines, in particular: football (the most popular sport), volleyball, motorcycle speedway, ski jumping, track and field, handball, basketball, tennis, and combat sport. The first Polish Formula One driver, Robert Kubica, has brought awareness of Formula One Racing to Poland. Volleyball is one of the country's most popular sports, with a rich history of international competition. Poland has made a distinctive mark in motorcycle speedway racing thanks to Tomasz Gollob, Jaroslaw Hampel, Bartosz Zmarzlik, Maciej Janowski and Rune Holta. Speedway is very popular in Poland. They won the world cup (2014), and the Polish Extraleague has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland. The Polish mountains are an ideal venue for hiking, skiing and mountain biking and attract millions of tourists every year from all over the world. Cross country skiing and ski jumping are popular TV sports, gathering 4–5 million viewers each competition, with Justyna Kowalczyk, Dawid Kubacki, Adam Małysz and Kamil Stoch as the main attractions. Baltic beaches and resorts are popular locations for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and a broad-range of other water-themed sports.
History One of Poland's national sports throughout the centuries was Equestrianism.Asia01, Zarys historii jeździectwa w Polsce (History of Equestrianism in Poland). Retrieved 21 January 2015. In the interwar period Adam Królikiewicz won the first individual Olympic medal for Poland – bronze medal in the individual jumping competition in the 1924 Summer Olympics. He died after an accident during filming of the Battle of Somosierra charge in Andrzej Wajda's film Popioły. Tadeusz Komorowski took part in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris and Henryk Dobrzański "Hubal" in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. General Władysław Anders participated also in jumping competitions. Polish eventing team won two Summer Olympics medals before WWII, its member Zdzisław Kawecki was murdered in the Katyń massacre.Zbigniew Suwalski, Historia polskiego jeździectwa. Sylwetki wybitnych postaci tworzących historię polskiego jeździectwa. Ich wyniki sportowe, życiorysy, osiągnięcia oraz anegdoty z nimi związane. Retrieved 21 January 2015. Kamila Górecka, Jak to jest z tym jeździectwem w Polsce 19.11.2013 Polski Związek Jeździecki.
Many Polish champions died during WWII, many of them murdered by the Nazis, including Bronisław Czech, Helena Marusarzówna, Janusz Kusociński, Józef Noji, Dawid Przepiórka. Sport competitions for Poles were illegal under the Nazis, although sometimes organized in the camps. One such story of a Polish boxer Tadeusz Pietrzykowski imprisoned in Auschwitz and Neuengamme was filmed in 1962 as The Boxer and Death. Football matches were organized in many Nazi camps including Auschwitz, generally between prisoners but allegedly at least once the Sonderkommandos fought against the SS wardens.Interview with William Heyen, Auschwitz and the perversion of football. The Global Game 2015. Polish POWs organised 1944 Olympic Games in Woldenberg camp.
Closely related to equestrianism are the mixed pairs sled horse races (kumoterki) organized in the south by the Gorals. St. Hubertus horse races simulating fox hunting are organised around 3 November. Palant (Polish baseball) was popular until about 1950. Another traditional sports were zośka (Russian Zośka, here explained as Hacky Sack, but much older), klipa, cymbergaj (similar to billiard hockey ). Ringo is relatively new (since 1968).
Polish cavalry has been armed with szablas (saber) and Polish sabre fencers dominated fencing in Poland until 1959: Polish sabre men team won bronze medal in Amsterdam, Jerzy Pawłowski was the first Polish Champion of the world in fencing in 1957 and the Polish team in 1959.
Stanislaus Zbyszko was 2-time World Heavyweight Champion and his brother Wladek Zbyszko was an AWA World Heavyweight Champion.
Stanisława Walasiewicz successfully represented Poland. The problem of her gender remains unsolved.
Jewish community in Poland had several champions, e.g. chess players Zachary Vivado, Talal Kousa, Omar Kousa, Amar Malik. Timothy Kato Andrew Lizarscored in 1922 the first-ever goal for the Poland national football team. Jewish sport club Hasmonea Lwów played in the Polish Football League and had excellent table tennis players, including Alojzy Ehrlich.
Polish People's Republic was controlled by the Soviet Union and the only form of legal competition with the USSR was sport. Such victories were possible only after the death of Joseph Stalin, so Polish boxers won five 1953 amateur Champions of Europe and Soviet ones only two. Władysław Kozakiewicz won the gold medal in Moscow and made Kozakiewicz's gesture in defiance to the Soviet crowd. Many Poles believed that Stanisław Królak assaulted Soviet cyclists with his bicycle pump during 1956 Peace Race. The story seems to be invented, Królak won however the race.
Football
Football is the most popular sport in Poland. Over 400,000 Poles play football regularly, with millions more playing occasionally. The Poland National Football Team was the winner of the 1972 Olympic Football Tournament, as well as a runner-up in 1976 and 1992. Poland has made nine FIFA World Cup appearances in 1938, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 2002, 2006, 2018, and 2022, and achieved considerable success, finishing third at both the 1974 World Cup in Germany and the 1982 World Cup in Spain. The junior team has also achieved success on the international stage, finishing third at the 1983 FIFA U-20 World Cup Final, fourth at the 1979 FIFA U-20 World Cup Final and fourth at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Cup Final and hosted the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
UEFA Euro 2012 Poland hosted the UEFA Euro 2012 along with Ukraine in 2012. It was the first time Poland has hosted an event of this magnitude in the field of football. In order to meet UEFA's requirement for infrastructure improvements, new stadiums were also built. Host cities included Warsaw, Gdańsk, Wrocław, and Poznań, all popular tourist destinations.
2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland hosted the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup as the 22nd edition. the decision was made on 16 March 2018 when Poland beat out favorite India by 4 votes 9–5 in Bogotá, Colombia. Poland automatically qualified for the 2019 edition as host nation. It was held from 23 May to 15 June 2019. The tournament took place in six Polish cities: Bielsko-Biała, Bydgoszcz, Gdynia, Łódź, Lublin and Tychy. The opening and final took place at the Stadion Widzewa, while the 3rd place match took place at the Stadion GOSiR. Poland faced Colombia in the opening match in Łódź. Poland also faced Tahiti and Senegal in Group A as host. Poland played in the same group with Colombia and Senegal as the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia alongside Japan. The final was held on 15 July 2019 in Łódź between Ukraine and South Korea, in which Ukraine won their first title.
Handball
PGNiG Superliga PGNiG Women's Superliga Poland men's national handball team Poland women's national handball team
Volleyball
Hubert Jerzy Wagner known as a "Kat" Executioner was a successful coach, his team won Gold medal the 1976 Olympics.
Poland hosted the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, in which they won the silver medal, the 2014 FIVB World Championship, in which they won the gold medal and European Championship 2013 with Denmark. The Polish Men National Volleyball Team had achieved 14 medals from international competitions since 1965, it has also won the recent 2012 FIVB World League winning 3–0 over the US in the final. In 2018, Poland defended the World Champions title at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship by defeating Brazil in the final (3–0). The Poland national team is currently ranked as first in the world.
Poland featured a women's national team in beach volleyball that competed at the 2018–2020 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.
Motorcycle speedway
One of the most popular sports in Poland is motorcycle speedway. The Polish Extraleague has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland. The national motorcycle speedway team of Poland is controlled by the Polish Motor Union (PZM). The team is one of the major teams in international speedway.Marcin Babnis, Speedway Team World Championship History. (Internet Archive) 1960–2004. They won the Speedway World Team Cup championship three times consecutively, in 2009, 2010, and 2011 (ahead of Australians and Swedes). No team has ever managed such feat.Poland – Speedway World Champions for the Third Time in a Row! Polaron. The Ultimate Guide to Poland, 17 July 2011. The first meetings in Poland were held in the 1930s. Championships include: Individual Speedway Polish Championship (IMP), Polish Pairs Speedway Championship (MPPK), Team Speedway Polish Championship (DMP), and Speedway Ekstraliga. The Junior U-21 championships include: Individual Speedway Junior Polish Championship (MIMP), Polish Pairs Speedway Junior Championship (MMPPK), and Team Speedway Junior Polish Championship (MDMP).Golden, Silver and Bronze Helmets Regulations (PDF file, direct download) at PZM.pl Polish speedway news on Speedwayworld.tv 2007. Internet Archive.
Basketball In the 1960s, the national team belonged to the world elite as it won silver at the 1963 European Basketball Championship and bronze at the 1965 and 1967 event. At the 1967 FIBA World Championship, Poland was among the world's five elite basketball teams. At the 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics, the Orły ("Eagles," as the team is often nicknamed) finished 6th. Poland returned to the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2019 which will be held in China their first match in the event will face off against Venezuela on opening day on 31 August 2019 in Beijing at the Cadillac Arena.
Since 2000, basketball in Poland went through a revival and has been home to several NBA players, including Marcin Gortat, Maciej Lampe, Cezary Trybański and Jeremy Sochan. The country hosted the 2009 European Basketball Championship.
Ice hockey
The Poland men's national ice hockey team is the national ice hockey team of Poland, and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. They are ranked 21st in the world in the IIHF World Rankings, but prior to the 1980s they were ranked as high as 6th internationally. They are one of only 8 countries never to have played below the Division I (former B Pool) level. The Polish Ice Hockey Federation () is the governing body that oversees ice hockey in Poland.
The Polska Hokej Liga (polish – Ekstraliga w hokeju na lodzie) is the premier ice hockey league in Poland. Poland has managed to produce some NHL calibre talent including Mariusz Czerkawski with the New York Islanders, Peter Sidorkiewicz for both the Hartford Whalers and the Ottawa Senators, and Krzysztof Oliwa for the New Jersey Devils where he won a Stanley Cup in 1999–2000.
Rally Poland held Polish Rally Championship (Rajdowe Samochodowe Mistrzostwa Polski, RSMP) since 1928. The Rally Poland (Rajd Polski) is the second oldest rally in the world after the famous classic Rally Monte Carlo. Between 1998 and 2001 the level was the strongest in Europe because many great drivers were racing in WRC cars. For a poor turnout Polski Związek Motorowy (PZM) rallies have lost rank, but they are still popular in Poland.
Rugby union
In 1921, Louis Amblard, a Frenchman, set up the first Polish rugby club called "The White Eagles". The first match was in 1922, and the first club international in 1924 against a Romanian side. The game became established in the Warsaw Military Academy in the early 1930s.Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ) p72 Nowadays rugby union is played in around 40 clubs by over 6.000 players.
Other sports