During a press conference on Wednesday, Sławomir Nitras said that some high-ranking Polish sports officials stayed in high-end Paris hotels costing over PLN 4,000 (USD 1,000) per night, while some team doctors, such as those for volleyball, had to stay in modest "pilgrim accommodation" costing EUR 48 per night.
Nitras criticized the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl), headed by Radosław Piesiewicz, for this unequal treatment and requested documentation on the lodgings used by various sports federation heads and board members in the French capital.
He told reporters that half of the sports federations had already submitted such information, confirming his observations in Paris.
Nitras promised to halt all payments under his control until a full report on the expenditures and accommodations at the Paris Games is disclosed.
In addition, Nitras said that some coaches were forced to buy their own tickets to support their athletes because of legal restrictions preventing the sports ministry from covering these costs.
Meanwhile, the Polish Olympic Committee, which is funded by public money and supposed to support athletes, used its funds to cover high accommodation costs for top officials, according to Nitras.
He also addressed what he described as the misuse of VIP services at Warsaw's Chopin Airport, saying that these were intended for athletes' comfort but were instead used by Piesiewicz and other officials.
This criticism comes amid broader concerns about wasteful public spending. Nitras addressed a recent controversy involving a sports facility in the southwestern ski resort of Duszniki-Zdrój, which he said was built with public funds but has remained inoperative, costing the government millions in losses annually.
Team Poland's sports performance in Paris, where the country won 10 medals and finished 42nd overall — its lowest in 68 years — has intensified scrutiny on the organization and support structures around Polish athletes, prompting a public demand for transparency and reform in sports administration.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP
