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Poland confirms financial support for 2023 European Games

Poland’s Minister of Sport and Tourism, Kamil Bortniczuk, has finally confirmed the financial arrangements for the 2023 European Games, which will be held in Kraków and Malopolska. A letter signed by the minister on behalf of the Polish Treasury lays out funding commitments for the event, which is expected to incur operating costs of around €88m ($100m).

The city of Kraków and the region of Malopolska will each cover part of the funding for the Games directly, but each has stated a spending limit of €22,000, around 25% of the current projected costs. The Ministry of Sport and Tourism has now clearly stated their intent to cover the rest, with the reassurance that the expenses will allocated as part of the state budget over the next two years.

The 2023 European Games were awarded to Poland in June of 2019 after a bidding process that began in the spring of 2018 and went through two extension periods, partially due to the level of interest in hosting the Games from multiple countries. The final decision to award the event to Poland was passed with unanimous votes, and authorities in both Kraków and Malopolska were quick to confirm their commitment to hosting the Games. However, in 2020, perhaps unsurprisingly, the mayor of Kraków expressed concerns about the impact the pandemic was having on the city and cuts to city budgets that could hinder the success of the event.

In 2021, the issues surrounding funding the Games continued, with the city of Kraków making it clear that an official guarantee of financial support from the Polish government was needed in order to fully commit to the event and complete the signing of the host city contract. It is a relief that the Polish government has now signed a letter of intent regarding the funding of the Games. Kraków Mayor Jacek Majchrowski has welcomed the government’s commitment, stating that he believes the benefits to the city will outweigh the costs.

Some of the funding is expected to cover sports infrastructure and improved transport infrastructure, potentially benefitting the area around the student campus which will be the site for the Olympic Village. The Games will also boost tourism to the city, with everyone hoping that the pandemic will be under control by the time the Games take place in the summer of 2023 to allow for relatively unrestricted travel to the country.

It remains to be seen exactly which national squads will be travelling to Poland but confirmed sports for the 2023 European Games include archery, badminton, canoeing, cycling, fencing, table tennis and triathlon. The Games are currently scheduled to run from June 21st to July 3rd, 2023. There is a lot resting on the success of the event, in more ways than one, with Polish Olympic Committee President Andrzej Kraśnicki having recently expressed hopes that the Krakow Games will help pave the way for the first European Para Games in the foreseeable future.

Kirk is a lifelong follower of all motorsports, particularly Formula 1, Nascar and WRC. When not found at the side of the circuit, eyes stinging from the burnt rubber, he also covers tennis, eSports and other categories for us.

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