The 2017 edition of the Annual Gala of the Polish University Sports Association (AZS) was held in Opole on October 19. During the ceremony, AZS summed up academic sport season 2016/2017 and officially opened the new season 2017/2018.

Special guests honoured organizers with their presence, among them the representative of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the authorities of Opole, rectors and representatives of university authorities from all over Poland, as well as university sport representatives from other organisations, among them also the President of the European University Sports Association (EUSA) Mr Adam Roczek.



The ceremony was opened by AZS President Mr Alojzy Nowak. He referred to the award that Polish University Sports Association received from FISU – The title of The Best Sports Federation. Mr Nowak highlighted that this prize is the result of hard work of many generations. He also gave a special thanks to all institutions and companies supporting university sport and to FISU Vice-President Mr Marian Dymalski, who by his work in international structures has contributed to this success.

The Gala was also great opportunity to congratulate medallist of international competitions. In last season, Polish students won 12 medals at the Winter Universiade in Almaty and 25 at the Summer Universiade in Taipei. Special awards were given to Joanna Linkiewicz, whose silver at 400 meters was the medal no. 500 in the history of Polish performances at the Universiades and to Pawel Fajdek – at the Summer Univesiade he achieved fourth gold medal.



Awards for the best achievements at the 2017 European Universities Championships were received by the University of Warsaw, which dominated the European Universities Beach Volleyball Championship, the University of Rzeszow, organizer and winner of the European Universities Volleyball Championship, and the University of Opole for success at the European Universities Badminton Championship.

The Gala was also the time to sum up the Polish Universities Championships. More than 15,000 students from nearly 200 universities, competed in 43 disciplines. In the 2016/2017 season the Academy of Physical Education Katowice won the medals classification, ahead of the University of Warsaw and the Lodz University of Technology. In the general classification of the national championships, the title was received by the University of Warsaw. Second place went to the winner of two previous cycles - AGH University of Science and Technology and the third to Gdansk University of Technology.



As every year during the Gala AZS gave the individual distinctions for activists. The organizers of the Integrated Polish Championships of AZS, originators of the first e-sports universities competitions were awarded. The young AZS activists were given Eugeniusz Pietrasik prizes, among them also EUSA Student Commission member Ms Katarzyna Czalej as one of the recipients.

For more information, please see www.azs.pl.