Chełm Rejects Grant for Wrestlers. Chełm Arena to be Built for 100 Million PLN

The authorities of Chełm have made a radical shift in local sports policy, abandoning the long-planned modernization of a historic wrestling club in favor of building a multi-functional hall. During a stormy, over four-hour City Council session on February 25th, councilors from the "Chełmianie" and PiS clubs voted to remove funds for the renovation of the MKS Cement Gryf Chełm facilities on Kąpieliskowa Street from this year's budget and decided to return a 7 million PLN grant previously awarded by the ministry. Instead, the city intends to implement the project of building the modern Chełm Arena hall, with an estimated cost of 80–100 million PLN. Mayor Jakub Banaszek, associated with PiS, presented the new concept on social media as an investment for many sports and clubs, replacing the idea of the Eastern Wrestling Center. The decision provoked a violent reaction from the sports community. During the session, decorated wrestlers, coaches, activists, and parents of young athletes protested en masse. The club's vice-president, Zdzisław Biały, expressed public bitterness, reminding that the club is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and the city authorities recently declared 2026 as its namesake year. „Na poprzedniej sesji z okazji jubileuszu 60-lecia istnienia klubu Rada uchwaliła rok 2026 Rokiem Cementu Gryf Chełm, a władze miasta chwaliły się otrzymaniem dotacji i budowaniem Wschodniego Centrum Zapasów” (At the previous session, on the occasion of the club's 60th anniversary jubilee, the Council declared 2026 as the Year of Cement Gryf Chełm, and the city authorities boasted about receiving the grant and building the Eastern Wrestling Center.) — Zdzisław Biały. The case illustrates a classic conflict between supporting existing, specialized sports infrastructure and investing in a multi-functional, prestigious facility of a much larger scale and cost. The Cement Gryf club has an established position in Polish sports. Wrestling as an Olympic discipline has a long tradition in Poland, dating back to the interwar period, and the successes of Polish wrestlers at the Olympics and world championships were an important element of the country's sports identity, especially during the communist era. Over 60 years of activity, the club has trained eight Olympians, and its athletes have won a total of 56 medals at the Olympics, world, and European championships. The argument of the decision's opponents is therefore the threat to the continuity of training and the potential dispersal of a community that has built its brand in a specific location for decades. From the point of view of local government, the key question becomes the optimal allocation of limited public funds and the city's real ability to finance a much more expensive investment.