WELCOME ADDRESS FROM THE PRESIDENT OF

THE UNIVERSITY SPORTS ASSOCIATION OF WROCLAW

Mr MARIAN DYMALSKI

The Akademicki Zwiazek Sportowy (en. University Sports Association), is the organization that brought together Polish higher education and the sports movement. The initiative of forming an association was born among the students of the Jagiellonian University. After several weeks of organizational work and preparations, the association obtained the rights of legal operation in June 1909. The statuoryaim of AZS was to waken the passion for sport among young people and give members of the association the possibility of working together to develop physical strenght with the help of different healthy and suitable sports, entertainment and games based on movement.The founders of the University Sports Association called on the ideals of sport of Ancient Greece. Particular attention was given to a balanced physical and intellectual education of students. Sport and tourism should be regarded as vital elements of health and education.

We boast an important contribution to the development to the development of Polish sport in the 20th century.This contribution can be measured not only in the number of Olympic medals, world and European championships, Universiades, World University Championships and records broken during those. One must remember the important role the University Sports Association played in the early days of its existence in propagating different forms of sport and tourism in Polish society, in promoting new sports, in introducing innovative medical solutions in sports training and in the development of the first international sports relations. The University Sports Association has actively participated in forming the organizational structures of Polish sport.

Several members of the AZS have held important positions in the Polish Olympic Committee, in the national federations of deifferent sports as all as in the Polish administration on ministerial level. Today the University Sports Association is the biggest university association in Poland. There are more than 55000 AZS memebrs active in 321 clubs operating within universities and as independent organizationsm and they practice sport every day in more than 3000 sports sections.Among them are those who represented Poland during the Beijing Olympic Games and won golden and silver medals: Leszek Blanik (gymnastics), Tomasz Majewski (athletics), Adam Korol, Michal‚ Konrad Wasilewski, Marek Kolbowicz (rowing), as well as the students who practice sports for health and satisfaction.

With these things in mind, our association would like to host yet another splendid event where students can compete against each other in the spirit of fair play. Our rich experience can ensure a perfect organization of such an important international event. We hope to see you all during the 11^thEuropean Universities Tennis Championships in Wroclaw in 2015. 

Marian Dymalski