In the 15th Polish Football Championship for Children from Care Homes, held on Saturday 27 April 2024 at the OSiR Bemowo stadium in Warsaw, Sarnów team defended the title of the Polish Champions! Second place was taken by Jelenia Góra, bronze was won by Szczecin.
Individual prizes were also awarded to the players who stood out most on the field:
Best male player and “Biedronka’s Hope” (the main sponsor of the tournament): Patryk Nowak (D.D. Sarnów)
Best female player: Sandra Pilarska (Torpedy Grudziądz)
Top scorer: Patryk Romański (Drużyna Marzeń Jelenia Góra – 18 goals)
Best goalkeeper: Bartosz Krawiec (Zew Morza Szczecin)
The happiest player: Emil Zubrzycki (Wataha Białystok)
The youngest player: Romek Zobenko (MOKS Pęcherzyki Pęchery – 6 years)
For their fantastic sportsmanship, the title of Fair Play Team of the tournament went to the Tygrysy Olsztyn team.
Not only were there great prizes to be won during the Polish Championships for Children from Care Homes – the best players also received a call-up to the national team of children from children care and they will play in the national colours at the 9th Football World Cup for Children from Care Homes, to be held on 10-11 August at the Legia Stadium in Warsaw.
After the emotion-filled final, the usual exhibition match was played, in which, for the first time in the tournament’s history, former Polish national football players – Dariusz Dziekanowski, Jacek Krzynówek, Adrian Mierzejewski and Piotr Świerczewski – faced the 2023 Polish national team of children from care homes. The former Polish national team won with a score of 6:5, confirmed in a series of penalty kicks (7:6).
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Poland winning the bronze medal at the ‘74 World Championships, the guest of honour at the tournament was Władyslaw Żmuda, a 91-time Polish national team player and defender of Kazimierz Górski’s legendary team.
The 15th Polish Championship was attended by 40 teams from care homes from many cities across Poland: Białystok, Czernice Borowe, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Franciszków, Gdańsk, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Gostchorz, Grudziądz, Jasieniec Iłżecki Dolny, Jelenia Góra, Kraśnik, Kłobuck, Koszalin, Kutno, Legnica, Łaskarzew, Łobez, Łódź, Mań, Miechów, Olsztyn, Orzeszów, Pasym, Pęcherzyn, Reszel, Sarnowo, Siedlce, Skopania, Szczecin, Ustka, Warsaw, Wielgie, Pszczółki, Wydrzno and Wyszogród.
Organizer of the 15th Polish Football Championship for Children from Care Homes: ‘Hope for Mundial’ Association.
Honorary patrons: Minister of Sport and Tourism, Minister of Interior and Administration, Ombudsman for Children, Polish Football Association, UNICEF Poland
Media patron: TVP Sport
Strategic Partner: City of Warsaw
Main sponsor: Biedronka chain of stores
Sponsors: Blachy Pruszyński, NOVA
The tournament is supported by the FleishmanHillard Warsaw agency.