Red Tape Hot Box on The Quest for hardware
Barely in the double digits
Much has already been said and written about our national team's recent poor showing at the Olympics. In fact, as far as medals go (and that's what counts), these were our worst games since 1956. Ten medals for a country with a population of 38 million just isn't impressive at all, considering the fact that much less populous countries like Hungary, Sweden and Romania had no problems with winning places on the podium.
Well, unfortunately, this poor result is not an accident and we can't blame everything on bad luck, though it seems that Lady Luck has never stood on our athletes' side. Those 10 medals are a reflection of the way sport is treated in this country, by state and local authorities as well as by the ordinary people themselves.
Money matters
Every year less and less money is spent on sports. In next year's budget only 0.06 percent of all funds available will be distributed among the various associations representing different disciplines.
By contrast, Turkey's government is required by their constitution to care for the physical condition of the people and it spends a lot on athletics. With good results, the country's football team-a traditional underdog-took 3rd place at the last World Cup.
Hardly conducive
In Poland we still do not have a modern football stadium, and the main athletic venue in the center of our capital is used not for sports but as one of the largest open markets outside of the Middle East.
Schoolchildren have physical education only once a week and many schools don't even have a gym. Most courtyards are used as parking lots and therefore playing any sport there is prohibited.
Bicycle routes are often seen as the vagaries of a few fitness fanatics. While one can easily ride on a bicycle from Vienna to Budapest, getting through Warsaw on a bike is nothing short of an obstacle course. So where are the world-record breakers and gold medalists supposed to come from?
Why it matters
But there is also another side of sports that Poland needs to remember. It wouldn't be at all surprising if the Czech Republic's performance at the Euro 2004 ends up doing more to turn people's attention to that country than all the brochures and TV spots. And many people probably hear about some places for the first time during the athletes' parade at the Olympics. So sport can really be a powerful means of promoting a country, reaching an audience that is as wide as it gets. Perhaps it's time for Poland to rethink its priorities.
Much has already been said and written about our national team's recent poor showing at the Olympics. In fact, as far as medals go (and that's what counts), these were our worst games since 1956. Ten medals for a country with a population of 38 million just isn't impressive at all, considering the fact that much less populous countries like Hungary, Sweden and Romania had no problems with winning places on the podium.
Well, unfortunately, this poor result is not an accident and we can't blame everything on bad luck, though it seems that Lady Luck has never stood on our athletes' side. Those 10 medals are a reflection of the way sport is treated in this country, by state and local authorities as well as by the ordinary people themselves.
Money matters
Every year less and less money is spent on sports. In next year's budget only 0.06 percent of all funds available will be distributed among the various associations representing different disciplines.
By contrast, Turkey's government is required by their constitution to care for the physical condition of the people and it spends a lot on athletics. With good results, the country's football team-a traditional underdog-took 3rd place at the last World Cup.
Hardly conducive
In Poland we still do not have a modern football stadium, and the main athletic venue in the center of our capital is used not for sports but as one of the largest open markets outside of the Middle East.
Schoolchildren have physical education only once a week and many schools don't even have a gym. Most courtyards are used as parking lots and therefore playing any sport there is prohibited.
Bicycle routes are often seen as the vagaries of a few fitness fanatics. While one can easily ride on a bicycle from Vienna to Budapest, getting through Warsaw on a bike is nothing short of an obstacle course. So where are the world-record breakers and gold medalists supposed to come from?
Why it matters
But there is also another side of sports that Poland needs to remember. It wouldn't be at all surprising if the Czech Republic's performance at the Euro 2004 ends up doing more to turn people's attention to that country than all the brochures and TV spots. And many people probably hear about some places for the first time during the athletes' parade at the Olympics. So sport can really be a powerful means of promoting a country, reaching an audience that is as wide as it gets. Perhaps it's time for Poland to rethink its priorities.
