A total of 370 Polish athletes, 188 men and 182 women, are gearing up to compete in the 3rd European Games, which will be held in southern Poland from June 21 to July 2.
Polish Sports Minister Kamil Bortniczuk said ahead of the multi-sport event: "We set ourselves ambitious goals. We hope to finish top of the medal standings."
The Games will be held at 25 venues in Kraków and 12 other southern Polish cities, including Chorzów, Tarnów, Nowy Sącz, Nowy Targ and Zakopane.
Speaking in an interview with private radio broadcaster RMF FM, Bortniczuk said at the weekend that the 3rd European Games "are the first step in efforts by Poland to host some of the world's biggest sporting events."
"Hosting such a large multidisciplinary event, held at many different venues and featuring thousands of competitors, with so many volunteers and other people involved, is absolutely the best way to prepare the country to host the most important events, including the Olympic Games," he added.
The 2023 European Games will feature 12 days of competition in 29 sports. They will start with an opening ceremony in Kraków on Wednesday evening.
More than 7,000 athletes from 48 countries are expected to take part in the event, which will also provide opportunities to win European championship medals and a pathway to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in some of the sports.
Poland won 14 medals, three gold, one silver and 10 bronze, at the 2nd European Games in Minsk, Belarus in June 2019.
Team Poland scooped 20 medals, two gold, eight silver and 10 bronze, at the 1st European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2015.
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Source: PAP