Avenue of stars of Polish sportsmen and sportswomen, Rzeszów 2023

On Saturday, July 15, the Polish Stars of Sport Hall of Fame was officially opened in Rzeszów. It is located in the Polonia Unity Park with Macierz, opposite the entrance to the building of the Rzeszów Sports and Recreation Center. This is a project initiated by the Aleja Gwiazd Foundation and created in cooperation with the SPORTNET Foundation. For now, the avenue consists of five bronze plaques with the handprints of outstanding Polish origin athletes who have achieved great success, but do not necessarily live in Poland.

– I would like to thank the originators of this great idea and the implementers. I am very proud that I was one of the first to be included in this avenue of stars among such great athletes – said Marek Karbarz, volleyball player of Hubert Jerzy Wagner’s “golden team”, world champion and Olympic champion, 4-time Polish champion from Resovia, recalling with sentiment his game in the ROSiR hall. I hope that there will be many of these hands until the end of the avenue, because in Rzeszów there were many great athletes who made Poland and Rzeszów famous in all arenas of the world – added Marek Karbarz.

– I am happy to receive this distinction, I value it very much. I left my handprints on the board, but maybe I should also have my… foot – smiled Jan Domarski, the famous “Domar” (former striker of Stal Rzeszów, Stal Mielec, Resovia and, among others, Wisła Chicago, Polish representative, participant and winner of the third place during the World Championships , the best sniper in the history of Stal Rzeszów football, scorer of the historic goal at Wembley 50 years ago).

Rafał Wilk, three-time Paralympic handbike champion and multiple world champion, was on a high-altitude training camp in Italy, where he is preparing for the world championships in Glasgow. Therefore, he sent his statement on video, thanking him for this distinction. The plaque with handprints was unveiled by his mother Kazimiera and daughter Wiktoria, a great sports acrobat and trainer. They both praised the idea of the Hall of Fame.

Two former great sports stars from the USA did not hide their emotion during this nice ceremony. Ann Meyers – Drysdale, former brilliant American basketball player of Polish origin, world champion, Pan American Games champion, Olympic runner-up, multiple US champion. This member of several basketball halls of fame said she really appreciates this Polish distinction, she likes it very much and I am very grateful for it.

Bob Brudziński, a former standout American football linebacker of Polish descent, a big man who played 13 seasons in the National Football League; he played in the Super Bowl seven times and won 3 trophies and, like Ann Meyers, Drysdale specially came to Saturday’s opening and said he was honored that his name was included in the Polish Hall of Fame. This is a big deal for him.

Zygmunt Potocki, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Calgary, sent congratulations on the opening of the Hall of Fame in a video.

The mayor of Rzeszów, Konrad Fijołek, also did not hide his satisfaction and announced that next year this idea would be continued, and there would be more plaques with the handprints of outstanding athletes in the alley.

The initiative was held under the patronage of the Minister of Sport and Tourism, Kamil Bortniczuk, and Zygmunt Potocki, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Calgary.

The ceremony was honored with a performance by a folklore group from Chicago. The event was also accompanied by American cars from the friendly American Cars Mania Foundation.

The event – the Alley of Stars of Polish Athletes Abroad received funding from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism – “Sport for All” program and from the PGE Foundation.

Partners:

– Ministerstwo Sportu i Turystyki – Miasto Rzeszów
– TVP Sport
– Fundacja PGE

– TVP Polonia
– TVP3 Rzeszów
– Handlopex S.A.
– Kempa
– Spalding
– Rzeszowski Ośrodek Sportu i Rekreacji