Speakers

Witold Bańka was appointed Minister of Sport and Tourism on 16 November 2015. In the government of Prime Minister Beata Szydło he is responsible for promoting physical culture and its social value, as well as creating conditions for the development of professional sport in Poland. He also manages matters relating to the tourism sector. He is a graduate of the University of Silesia in Katowice, the Faculty of Social Sciences. He was a multiple representative of Poland in international 400m race events. In 2007, he won a bronze medal in the World Athletics Championships in Osaka. He officially ended his sports career in 2012. He worked in the public relations sector and delivered training courses in media relations and image management. As a minister in the government of Prime Minister Beata Szydło he initiated the amendment of the Act on Sport whose main objective is to increase the transparency of the work of Polish sports associations and to eradicate corruption and nepotism from sport. He is the author of the bill on the Fight Against Doping in Sport, which comprehensively regulates all matters relating to combating doping in Poland. He is also the European representative in the Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (his formal appointment will take place on 18 May 2017). He actively supports the establishment of the House of Polish Territorial Tourism Brands together with a system of tourism policy coordination.