GKS Czarni Bytom

GKS "CZARNI" BYTOM IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL MARTIAL ARTS CLUBS IN POLAND. IT HAS MEDALS WON DURING THE OLYMPIC GAMES, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS AND POLISH CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ALL CATEGORIES. IT HAS MORE THAN 750 ADEPTS AND COMPETITORS EVERY YEAR.

"CZARNI" BYTOM CLUB IS THE WORK OF THE LATE JÓZEF WIŚNIEWSKI AND THE PEOPLE HE MANAGED TO ATTRACT. TOGETHER THEY CREATED THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL JUDO CLUB IN POLAND, WHERE A HUGE NUMBER OF PLAYERS TRAIN UNTIL NOW.

THE EMERGENCE OF JUDO IN BYTOM IS A WORK OF CHANCE. WHEN THE LATE JÓZEF WIŚNIEWSKI HAD JUST MOVED INTO THIS CITY, HE OBLIGED HIMSELF TO ESTABLISH A CLUB THAT WOULD DEVELOP THIS LITTLE-KNOWN SPORT IN POLAND AND COMPLETELY UNKNOWN IN BYTOM.

THE BEGINNINGS WERE NOT EASY. THERE WAS NO PLACE TO TRAIN, NO JUDO MAT, NO KIMONOS, NO MONEY AND NO JUDO PRACTITIONERS. HOWEVER, THANKS TO HIS AMBITION, DETERMINATION AND HARD WORK THE FOUNDER AND THEN, THE COACH OF BYTOM JUDO MANAGED TO ESTABLISH A PLACE WHERE PLAYERS COULD DEVELOP AND STRIVE FOR SUCCESS ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE.

"CZARNI" BYTOM IS A CLUB WITH A GREAT NUMBER OF ACHIEVEMENTS.

AN UNBELIEVABLE SPORTS PHENOMENON WAS WALDEMAR LEGIEŃ, TWO-TIME OLYMPIC CHAMPION, THREE-TIME MEDALIST OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, CHAMPION OF EUROPE AND MEDALIST OF THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, EIGHT-TIME CHAMPION OF POLAND, TWO-TIME WINNER OF THE PLEBISCITE FOR THE BEST ATHLETE IN 1988 AND 1992, DECORATED WITH THE OFFICER'S CROSS OF THE POLAND REBIRTH ORDER. IN 1993 HE BECAME THE TEAM COACH OF THE "BLACKS" ACCEPTING THIS POSITION FROM THE HANDS OF THE OUTGOING COACH - JÓZEF WIŚNIEWSKI AFTER 23 YEARS.