Marian Kmita takes over Polish Olympic Committee following Piesiewicz detention

Board election and leadership transition

The board of the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl) voted on 14 September 2026 to appoint Marian Kmita as acting president until the conclusion of the current term in April 2027. Kmita, who has served as a PKOl vice president since April 2023 and has directed sports broadcasting at Polsat since 1999, stood as the sole candidate during the meeting. The board approved his appointment under Article 21 of the committee statutes, with 43 members voting in favour, 9 voting against, and one member abstaining. Following the vote, Kmita confirmed that he will step away from his broadcasting role and forgo remuneration at the committee.

I have to say goodbye for these few months. I will probably go on unpaid leave, we will resolve it somehow.

Financial challenges and compensation terms

The leadership handover follows mounting financial pressure inside the Olympic committee. Kmita stated after his selection that the secretary general briefed the board on an acute financial position that will demand attention across the coming months. To reduce expenditures, Kmita announced that he will not receive a salary for his presidential duties, and members of the presidium agreed to reduce operational costs. His predecessor, Radosław Piesiewicz, received a monthly salary calculated at six and a half times the national average wage, which rose to 61,808.63 PLN for August 2026 following an earlier board decision. Over the remainder of his mandate, Piesiewicz was scheduled to earn 494,000 PLN.

The board made a definitive decision, based on Article 21 of the PKOl statute, to entrust the function of PKOl president to me. This state of affairs will last until the end of the term, at least until next April, because that is when the term of this board expires.

Fallout from the Zondacrypto investigation

The change in leadership stems from the detention of Piesiewicz by Warsaw prosecutors in late August 2026 in connection with an investigation into the cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto. A court ordered Piesiewicz held in pre-trial detention for a minimum of three months, leaving the committee without active executive leadership. Tensions between Kmita and Piesiewicz had escalated earlier in 2026 after Kmita organized an opposition letter criticizing Piesiewicz for signing a partnership with Zondacrypto without prior board consultation. Although Piesiewicz has been removed from exercising presidential authority under Article 21, the committee has not yet completed the formal procedure to dismiss him from the board.

Government reaction and statute reform

The Ministry of Sport and Tourism issued a formal statement acknowledging the board decision and outlining expectations for the new administration. The ministry called for responsible management and complete transparency to protect Polish athletes from the governance crisis while maintaining respect for the committee autonomy. Kmita announced plans to request an official meeting with Minister of Sport and Tourism Jakub Rutnicki to address outstanding disputes and align future cooperation. The new leadership also plans to draft amendments to the PKOl statutes to establish clear oversight mechanisms for appointing and removing executive officers.

The Ministry of Sport and Tourism takes note of the decision of the Board of the Polish Olympic Committee. This is a necessary step towards restoring stability and credibility to PKOl. We expect full transparency, responsible management, and actions that will allow trust in the Polish Olympic movement to be rebuilt.