The Orlik facility in Prażmów (Mazowieckie province), located next to the local school and kindergarten, has been modernised thanks to funding support in the amount of PLN 300,000 provided under the 2024 edition of My pitch – ORLIK 2012 sports facilities modernisation programme. 

The acceleration of the Orlik infrastructure programme is now a reality. The modern sports facilities are used not only by kids; they are turning into family activity zones used by all of us, 

– said Minister of Sport and Tourism Jakub Rutnicki in Prażmów.

In municipalities such as this one, sport is a way to build community, to educate and to improve kids’ health. We hope that with continued support of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism we will keep on developing, 

– said mayor of Prażmów Michał Kmiecik. 

The Mazowieckie province has 260 Orlik sports facilities, of which 34 have already been refurbished and 111 are under modernisation. 

In the whole of Poland, 1015 Orlik facilities are undergoing renovation. The Ministry of Sport and Tourism has allocated PLN 382 million to their refurbishment under the My pitch – ORLIK 2012 sports facilities modernisation programme. 

As Minister of Sport and Tourism, I am proud of this. We promised that every Orlik facility in need of renovation would be refurbished, 

– emphasised the Minister of Sport and Tourism. 

Within this year’s edition of My pitch - Orlik 2012 sports facilities modernisation programme, the Ministry of Sport and Tourism has allocated PLN 144 million for the refurbishment of 377 Orlik pitches. 53 of them will be extended by additional structures. 

This will be possible thanks to the broadening of the modernisation programme, in 2024, by the option to extend Orlik facilities by new sports structures (e.g. a skate park, pump track, circular or straight running track, other element of athletics infrastructure, fitness playground, an additional pitch or a tennis court). 

Construction of new Orlik facilities 

The popular Orlik pitches are of key importance for physical activity development among Poles, in particular children and young people. 

Sport is not only about education and fun. It is also a way of living, 

– said Szymon Marciniak. 

Thanks to such facilities each of us can find a different way. At Orlik, you can play football but you can also do thousands of other things, 

– he added. 

That is why Orlik facilities are modernised and new ones are built throughout the country. 

Currently, there are 2606 such pitches in Poland. Thanks to last year’s edition of the Orlik Facilities Construction Programme the number will increase by 83. Two new facilities in Mazowieckie and Podkarpackie provinces have already been put into use. In this year’s edition applications have been submitted for 163 new Orlik facilities. 

We will soon announce the results regarding the construction of new Orlik facilities. Over 30 percent of Polish municipalities do not yet have any. All local government officials are invited to submit their applications next year, 

– encouraged the minister. 

To date, a total of over PLN 1.5 billion has been allocated from the state budget and the Physical Culture Development Fund for the construction and renovation of Orlik facilities. 

Activities at Orlik facilities 

The meeting in Prażmów was combined with sports activities for children, organised as part of the Active School programme implemented by the ministry. 

Orlik pitches are the main arena of the second edition of the football tournament From Orlik pitch to a stadium. The tournament is held for girls and boys in three age categories: U-13 (born in 2013), U-14 (born in 2012) and U-15 (born in 2011). The regional qualifiers played mostly at Orlik facilities are ending in a few days. The final match will be played on 15 November at PGE Narodowy national stadium. The winning teams will also go to a training camp in Barcelona. 

In a month, the day after the match between Poland and the Netherlands, the kids will play their match at the National Stadium. The venue has seen top players such as defenders Wojtek Szczęsny and Łukasz Skorupski, as well as Robert Lewandowski. The kids will play their match there, which will be a fulfilment of their dreams. I would like to invite as many fans as possible to the final match on 15 November at the National Stadium. I will do my best to be a referee there, 

– said Szymon Marciniak. 

This year, sports competitions at Orlik facilities, conducted as part of the Active School programme, include also a new tournament called Handball at Orlik pitches. The regional stage is about to begin. 

We all want our children to be fit, to get away from their computers and mobile phones. Sport has educational value and is a source of satisfaction, equally in football and handball, 

– said Sławomir Szmal. 

The final match of the tournament ‘Handball at Orlik pitches’ will be played on 1-3 December in Gdańsk at ERGO Arena, a venue that attracts thousands of handball fans. I’ll be there with the young players. We plan to make it an excellent event, full of great emotions for all the kids,

– he added. 

We want to encourage kids to develop through sport, to be active and exercise a lot. And this is already happening,

– underlined the Minister of Sport and Tourism.