Polish fans are right to be apprehensive this early in the year already. The male national team, which will defend its world title this year at the 2018 FIVB World Championship, is still without a head coach. To add to its misfortunes, superstar Marius Wlazly was injury-prone all last year, and fellow superstar Bartosz Kurek’s health status is not doing much better. The latter, which is signed to Turkey’s Ziraat Bankasi, was in attendance in a game this weekend between Poland’s B League’s AZS Stal Nysa and AZS Czestochowa. He commented on his foot troubles and the possibility of playing in Poland again in an interview given to Siatka.org:
“I am currently undergoing rehabilitation in Lodz at the Sporto clinic, under the guidance of doctor Domżalski and doctor Sokal. The injury I have suffered is severe, chronic and is the result of many years of playing practically without any rest. My foot now requires a moment of free and sufficiently long rehabilitation. Unfortunately, this does not work in any way on my favor, because we are in the middle of the season. But I still hope that this year I will show the fans my presennce on the courts. I believe that I will still be able to wear a Ziraat’s Jersey and I will fight for some high goals together with the team, because that’s what we are aiming at. Regardig once again plaing for AZS Nysa, if in the future I am able to take part in this project, I would very much like to sign myself in with “arms and legs.”
Kurek is a two-time Olympian (London 2012 and Rio 2016), a 2009 European Champion, a gold medalist of the 2012 World League, a silver medalist of the 2011 World Cup, a bronze medalist of the 2011 World League, the 2011 European Championship and the 2015 World Cup, a three-time Polish Champion (2009, 2010, 2011), and Italian Champion (2014).
Poland will debut on the 2018 FIVB World Championship on September 12 against Cuba. It is pool D together with Bulgaria, Iran, Cuba, Finland, and Puerto Rico.
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