List of Shame of the Polish Curling Association

Due to the recent course of events, we have decided to collect PCA’s greatest “achievements” of the last ten years. Please read the list and then give thought to how on earth it is possible that those people have not been sanctioned for what they have done.

"Top" achievements of Polish Curling Association (PCA) in the past decade (in no particular order):

Lack of qualification to the Olympic Games, World Men’s Curling Championship, World Women’s Curling Championship, World Junior Curling Championship A-division, European Curling Championship A-division Women, despite PCA receiving massive state funding solely for this purpose (hundreds of thousands of Polish Zloty).

Interdisciplinary cooperation - (non-existent) Karate Kyokushinkai Kan Club and Warsaw Karate Club as Full Members of PCA.

A debt collector trying to occupy a set of PCA’s curling stones used at Polish Junior Nationals in Warsaw (during the event).

Polish Mixed Curling Championship being organized by PCA in atrocious conditions. Terrified competitors call the fire brigade and Building Inspectorate. [link]

No dedicated curling rink built in 15 years.

PCA President Marek Jóźwik had not been seen for his whole term of office (8 years)

Jóźwik’s successor, PCA President Andrzej Jaworski, claimed to had been asked to “save polish curling” by the National Olympic Committee. NOC never heard of this. Jaworski managed to make an even more enormous mess of PCA, went on a trip to New Zealand, and handed the presidency over to his friend, the next savior, Mariusz Olchowik.

Jaworski’s would-be successor, Mariusz Olchowik - one of a kind person, with “no weak points” in his bio (sarcasm), probably the only President of any Polish Sport Association removed from his office before the end of the General Assembly that elected him. Polish Minister of Sport annulled the GA’s decision to elect him as a President when his criminal conviction was found out.

PCA’s General Assemblies failing to comply with any democratic standards. That includes the most recent GA, which began on December 14th, 2018, and is STILL in progress as you read this after a break was announced right after the election of a new board. [link]

Mariusz Olchowik presenting cardboard checks to the podium finishers of the Polish Nationals (Mixed Doubles, Men, Women and Mixed) in 2019. The total sum of the awards presented was 62,000 Polish Zlotys (approx. 15,000 EUR). Not even a fraction of this money has been ever paid out to the winners. The same goes for the contracts for writing articles - 3000 Polish Zlotys were never paid to the people who delivered the work for Olchowik.

Failure to pay the European Curling Federation Membership Fee which lead to banning polish teams from the European Curling Championships. Teams looking for promotion to A-division were relegated to C-division. [link]

Blocking the free support from the World Curling Federation to the biggest polish curling summer camp (around 100 participants, mostly juniors), Mazury Curling Festival. The juniors would have received professional curling equipment from the WCF - if only PCA had given their consent. But they had not.

Sport Club Perversion, an online shop, kayaking, sailing, rowing and basketball clubs (at least nine organizations that have never been involved in curling) all accepted into PCA in one night to provide the man in charge the votes necessary to keep his power.

[link]

Alicja Oracz - a board member, a treasurer, an accountant and god knows what else in PCA, who has never been seen by anyone and most likely does not even exist. As such, she’s PCA’s remarkable contribution to the development of sport organization management.

Miroslaw Wodzynski - a true legend. A person so dedicated to curling that even a few lean years did not break his enthusiasm for curling - he always came back whenever the state funding was back. For a mere few thousands of euro per year, he managed the PCA office so well that you did not even have to wait half a year to get your curling license issued and the dates for the nationals were announced at multiple days notice! Respect!

Janusz Duda as the voice of the Polish Curling in WCF.

PCA forgetting to send Poland’s entry for the WMDQE2019.

The Polish national curling team not even being aware of who is the national coach. Apparently, that person receives a monthly salary covered by the state funding - over 35,000 zlotys (8,500 EUR) in 2017.

PCA receiving state funding for flight tickets for the teams going to ECC 2009, not passing it to the teams (who bought the tickets themselves), not returning it to the state and, last but not least - not facing any consequences of this move.

Double dipping - obtaining full reimbursement for the same WJCC-B flight tickets from the WCT and from the Polish Ministry of Sport.

Receiving state funding in 2011, 2016, 2017 and 2018, despite failing to submit a settlement for the 2011 funding.

An achievement worth noting in the whole history of the polish sport - not returning the misspent state funding for 11 years (2009-2020).

100% efficiency during ministerial inspections. Every inspection of PCA’s expenditures carried by the Ministry of Sport concluded with an “unsatisfactory” mark and the misspent money from the state funding was ordered to be returned to the Ministry.

Failing to pay the ice rink in Toruń the ice fees for a training camp in 2008. It is worth mentioning that the sets of curling stones owned by the PCA serve as collateral.

Failing to pay the ice rink in Cieszyn the ice fees for hosting the Nationals.

A ghost training camp in Helsinki. It did not happen, but the state funding was used.

The greatest success of them all - driving the Minister of Sport to file an application for termination of the Polish Curling Association.

PCA renting their office under the wrong address for ten years.

Securing a strong position for Poland in WCF. Thanks to a smart move of reporting a larger number of registered curlers (318 although PCA only had 20 registered curlers), Poland has the same number of votes as China, Korea or Finland.

Using the bills paid personally by a player who is one of the most determined critics of PCA to prove their expenditures for a state grant settlement.

96 hours of on-ice practice during a 3-day-long curling clinic for the national squat (on 2 sheets, so 48 hours per sheet - though schedule but technically possible). But the real achievement is that PCA managed to organize Senior Nationals on the same two sheets at the same time…

Not providing the national teams even one day of training but at the same time a national coach, an assistant coach, a sports director and an office manager all received their salary every month….

Not providing or funding mandatory health checks for the national teams. At least in 2018, but word has it that it was common practice in general.

Introducing and collecting an “administrative” fee of 2000 PLN per team (500 EUR) for national teams going to WCF events at their own expense. Players have to buy their own uniforms, tickets, accommodation… and yet the PCA charges them money too.

Introducing charges for PCA gift banners (10 EUR per piece) for teams going to WCF events (again, at their own expense…)

After several years of receiving state funding, leading to situation where there is so little curlers in the country, that it is enough to come to an ice rink to get a Junior Nationals medal.

Surviving all of the above in good health and without facing any consequences.

Want some extra reading? Just google “curling scandal”. We also highly recommend this one: http://weszlo.com/2018/01/21/triki-kanty-oszustwa-dofinansowanie-poprosze/.