Krzysztof Bas: We have many enthusiasts for riding in the school

Known as the one-man band by president Krzysztof Sichma, Krzysztof Bas in Śląsk Świętochłowice mainly runs the training school. He also helps in other matters, such as fighting for the return of league speedway to Świętochłowice. In an interview for ekstraliga.pl, he not only described his activities but also assessed the current state of the club’s school.

– The return is already marked with such big letters that it’s impossible for it not to succeed. We’ve been fighting for so many years together with activists, fans, President Daniel Beger, that there is really a big chance for it. The building is renovated, the track is new, in the fall we have assured city funding for expanding 3,500 seats, so our infrastructure is growing and it’s good – said Krzysztof Bas.

Working with youth and fostering talent is very important for Świętochłowice. As the coach emphasizes, things are going well. – Even though there is no league here, gems do appear. Gathering ten, maybe fifteen athletes is not a problem. The issue is ensuring there is enough equipment for everyone to translate into quality – he emphasized.

Currently, it seems the biggest problem for young speedway riders are the costs of practicing speedway. However, Krzysztof Bas says the Świętochłowice club initially tries to help young athletes as much as possible. – At our place, it’s a bit different. We help those parents who cannot afford it in the initial phase as much as we can. I am grateful to the sponsors, thanks to whom we together purchased a lot of equipment. I think this is the method. Later, as the athlete starts developing, you have to explain to the parents that they need to share the costs. It must be balanced. Both club support and parental support – explained the coach of Śląsk Świętochłowice.

As for the interest of young speedway learners, many boys are from Świętochłowice, but not only. – Primarily from Świętochłowice. However, everyone is close here. Remember, it’s a metropolis, and living in, for example, Chorzów is not an issue. But most kids are from Świętochłowice – acknowledged our interlocutor.

Krzysztof Bas is responsible not only for juniors in Świętochłowice but also in Opole. How does the situation look there? – We definitely hope to develop and move upwards. Everyone knows what the last years were like in Opole, but we can’t turn back time, and we must think about the future. I believe that president Dziemba and the city authorities will strive to bring the club to a higher level and finally advance to METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga. Of course, infrastructure needs some improvement. The school is at a good level; new players get licensed every year. Jakub Fabisz, Oskar Stępień are developing well. So we can’t complain, just try to advance the league higher – he stressed.

According to Krzysztof Bas, the issue of transitioning from one league to another is not only a problem for Opole. – I think it’s a national issue. It’s too big a leap. We need to do something to mitigate it. It’s like the National Speedway League does the groundwork. Many good players come from there. In my opinion, these regulations should be more lenient for clubs at the lowest level in terms of finances, to mitigate this leap – he summarized.

Wiktor Jarzębiński