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V Gala Sport Biznes Polska, fot. Marcin Bulanda

Sport Is a Way of Life for Us

Marshal Piotr Całbecki received the 2025 Sport Biznes Polska Award on Tuesday (March 31) during a ceremonial gala in Warsaw. The award, granted by representatives of the sports and business communities from across Poland associated with the Sport Biznes Polska Association, recognized his efforts in promoting sport in the region, supporting associations and clubs, and expanding and modernizing sports and recreational infrastructure.

“Sport is a way of life for us. I thank the residents of the region, because thanks to them we can implement a strategy of increasing financial resources allocated to sport. We engage thousands of people in organizing sports events and activities. The past year was truly exceptional, as we entered the final stage of preparations for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26, which were recognized as the best in history. We achieved an organizational success by involving the region’s residents. We will continue in this direction. We are building infrastructure, supporting clubs, and spreading the idea of believing in sport among all residents. Thank you for this distinction, and congratulations to all those receiving awards today,” said Marshal Piotr Całbecki during the gala.

At the 5th Sport Biznes Polska Gala, the Marshal received the statuette in the Sports Local Government of the Year 2025 category, in which the cities of Gdańsk and Elbląg were also nominated. The winner was selected by a jury composed of members of the SBP Program Council and the association’s founders.

In 2025, the regional self-government implemented projects and programs targeting students, athletes, their coaches, and sports clubs.

“Believe in Sport” is an innovative regional initiative aimed at promoting physical activity, a healthy lifestyle, and social integration through sport and recreation among residents.

The regional self-government also awards grants for:

  • organizing sports events at international, national, regional, and local levels,
  • training regional teams of younger juniors and juniors,
  • organizing championship competitions,
  • extracurricular sports activities for children (including cycling academies, free ice-skating lessons for children aged 3 – 6, swimming programs for primary school pupils, and co-financing sports and development activities),
  • supporting initiatives for children and youth from rural areas.

Support for sports clubs and athletes includes:

  • funding youth sports training within the Youth Sports System,
  • sports scholarships for top-performing athletes from the region (in 2025, 137 athletes received scholarships of 9,000 PLN or 13,000 PLN over eight months),
  • the Kujawy Pomorze Team program supporting clubs in four priority disciplines: cycling, rowing, canoeing, and athletics (18 clubs in 2025).

The regional self-government also invests in sports infrastructure through programs such as:

  • Kujawsko-Pomorskie Small Sports Infrastructure (support for smaller projects up to 200,000 PLN),
  • Regional Sports Infrastructure Development Program, implemented jointly with the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.

Among key investments is a modern two-storey sports hall for athletics and shooting, currently under construction at the Zawisza sports complex in Bydgoszcz. Inside, under a roof shaped like a drop of water, athletes will train for major national and international competitions.

Support was also provided for the construction of the Academic Sports Centre of the Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, which includes a multifunctional hall, gym, climbing wall, fitness and dance rooms, and outdoor athletics track, courts, and playing fields.

The culmination of the region’s commitment to sport was the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26, co-organized in Toruń, with Marshal Piotr Całbecki serving as head of the organizing committee of this prestigious international event.

During the championships, held from March 20 to 22 at the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Arena Toruń, 632 athletes from 111 countries competed, including 32 representatives of Poland, who received their national team nominations from the Marshal.

Beata Krzemińska
Spokesperson of the Marshal’s Office

April 1, 2026