The multi-sport event will be held in Poland’s southern provinces of Małopolskie and Śląskie, centring around the historic city of Kraków, state news agency PAP reported.
At a ceremony in Warsaw on Tuesday, local, provincial and central government officials signed an agreement with the European Olympic Committees organisation and the Polish Olympic Committee to hold the 2023 European Games.
Those taking part included Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Sports Minister Kamil Bortniczuk and Infrastructure Minister Andrzej Adamczyk.
PM hopes for 'fantastic competition,' Ukrainian athletes
The Polish prime minister said his country had “excellent experience” in staging big, international sports events. He noted that the 2023 European Games would be a qualifying event for other major international sports competitions.
“This will raise the profile of the European Games and create fantastic competition,” Morawiecki said.
He voiced hope that Ukrainian athletes would be able to take part.
Athletes from 50 countries to take part
The event is set to be held between June 21 and July 2, 2023, with athletes from 50 countries competing in 24 sports, officials told reporters.
The first European Games were held in 2015 in Baku, Azerbaijan, while the 2019 edition took place in Minsk, Belarus. Poland will thus become the first European Union country to host the event, reporters were told.
To date, Poland has scooped 34 medals in the European Games, five gold, nine silver and 20 bronze, the PAP news agency reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl