World Polonia Games
World Polonia Games (Polish: Światowe Igrzyska Polonijne) is a sports event, organized every two years for members of Polonia - e.g. Polish communities living outside of Poland. The Polonia Games are divided into winter and summer events, and the purpose of the event is to bring Polish expatriates closer to the land of their fathers. The 2009 Summer games will be held in Toruń, and usually, there are up to 1500 participants from around 25 - 30 countries of the world.
First Polonia Games took place in 1934 in Warsaw, with 400 athletes of 13 countries. Then the idea was abandoned, and did not return until the 1990s. After a long break, the 1974 Games were organized in Kraków, but Communist government banned participation of ethnic Poles from Soviet Union. The Games are now organized by the Association "Polish Community", with support of President and Polish Parliament.
Hosts of Summer Games
- 1934 - Warsaw
- 1997 - Lublin
- 1999 - Lublin
- 2001 - Sopot
- 2003 - Poznań
- 2005 - Warsaw
- 2007 - Słupsk
- 2009 - Toruń
