On August 29 next year, the Polish Speedway National Team will compete in the DPŚ final in Warsaw, at the PGE National Stadium. We recall the team’s talisman.
Leszno is a special place for the Polish speedway national team. The World Team Cup final was hosted three times at the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium, and three times the White-and-Reds achieved success. It was in the seasons 2007, 2009, and 2017.
The first of the Leszno finals was distinguished by something special. Here is what happened in the Polish locker room before the competition.
–I took off my cap, showed the players my bald head, and said, if you want to win today, then kiss – recalls Marek Cieślak, the legendary coach of the Polish national team, for ekstraliga.pl. – I was inspired by what the French national football team goalkeeper Fabien Barthez did– he adds.
What were the details of the ritual in the locker room in Leszno?
– Everyone kissed in turn, starting with Tomasz Gollob and ending with Grzegorz Walasek. Walasek, before doing it, said he would get a sore. I told him that success costs. And he finally kissed too. However, he did it reluctantly. That’s why after two zeros, I had to replace him with Damian Baliński – says half-jokingly, half-seriously Cieślak for ekstraliga.pl.
– The situation with kissing my bald head happened only once. It just happened to be Leszno 2007 – concluded Cieślak.
Poland then won the World Cup for the second time. We did it with the squad Tomasz Gollob, Jarosław Hampel, Rune Holta, Krzysztof Kasprzak, Grzegorz Walasek, and Damian Baliński. It was a season in which, for the one and only time in the DPŚ, team rosters could include as many as six riders (5+1). However, the reserve rider could only take to the track if one of the teammates from the basic lineup was indisposed.
After two zeros in our team, Grzegorz Walasek felt unwell and was replaced by Damian Baliński, who turned out to be the unsung hero of the White-and-Reds, as he scored four points in three starts. The most points for Poland were scored by Krzysztof Kasprzak (14).
DPŚ Final 2017 – Leszno:
1. Poland 55
2. Denmark 52
3. Australia 29
4. Great Britain 15
Let us remind you that from November 25 at 10:00 am, ticket sales will begin for the 2026 PZM FIM SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP – WARSAW
More information on www.sgpnarodowy.pl
