Wrestling in the Rural Sports Teams Association in Podlasie as an example of success in the international arena (1947–1989)

Abstract

Wrestling in Podlasie was initiated in 1947 at the Railway Sports Club in Białystok. With the advent of successes and their promotion in the local press, activists of the Voivodeship Council of the Rural Sports Teams Association became interested in this discipline. With its organizational and financial support, seven years later the first Rural Sports Team Centre (LZS) with a wrestling section was established in the Choroszcz Commune. In the following years, other centers were founded – Rural Sports Clubs Starosielce, “Promień” Mońki, “Narew” Łomża, "Warmia" Grajewo. Their graduates successfully represented the region in numerous national competitions and international tournaments. They also competed in the European Championships. Ryszard Grzegorzewski was the first to receive this honor in 1970, fighting on the wrestling mats in Husqvarna (Sweden). Athletes from Podlasie also tried their hand at: Oulu (Finland, 1978); Łódź (Poland, 1984); Bologna (Italy, 1985); Malmö (Sweden, 1986) and Wałbrzych (Poland, 1988). Three LZS representatives also competed in the world championships: Wiesław Joszczyk – Haparanda (Sweden, 1979); Zbigniew Kuźnicki – Schifferstadt (Germany, 1986); Krzysztof Czyżewski – Budapest (Hungary, 1989). A few competitors also went down in the Olympic Games history. Among the leading training centers was LKS Starosielce, which after organizational changes, had been functioning for several years as the Voivodeship Rural Sports Club "Podlasie" Białystok.