Foreword – Andrzej Janecki
The idea of reconstructing the results of all Polish Veterans Championships arose in early 1992, a few months before the championships organized in Warsaw, by three officials: Aleksandra Dąbczyńska, Andrzej Zając, and Andrzej Janecki. The most important reason for undertaking this arduous task was the desire to precisely determine which Polish Veterans Championships would be held in the capital, and thus to determine the championship number. No one had previously numbered them.
I decided to establish this, I believed, important number. I obtained information about all the championships before 1992: from the championship organizers, from their archival documentation, from my own collection of printed materials (news bulletins – from the Central Badminton Commission of the Main Board of the TKKF, and later the Polish Badminton Association), and by calling the organizers and medalists. I would like to express my special thanks to Antoni Malcharek, Kazimierz Prędki, Jan Toczek, and Czesław Ziobro, who greatly assisted me in establishing the facts. Unfortunately, I didn’t obtain complete information about all the championships. However, the most important goal was achieved. The 1992 Veterans’ Championships received their number 13. The collected information confirmed that the championships weren’t held every year, but in 1980, they were held twice, although in two separate badminton seasons. First in the spring, and then at the beginning of the following season in the fall. Therefore, I decided to ensure that the championships were held annually and always assigned a consecutive number. I encouraged my badminton colleagues to organize the championships, asked them to publish the consecutive number of the championships, and after the championships were held, I compiled the results. At first, it was a bit of a hassle, but now, after 20 years, it may seem ridiculous. There is no shortage of people willing to organize the Veterans’ Championships, and the numbering has become a matter of course.
I am pleased to share this historical material about the first twenty Veterans’ Championships (1976-1999) with those interested. I also appeal to all competitors to try to complete the information from the championships, as my knowledge is incomplete. Please send any information to the Senior Council at pluszkiewicz@wp.pl.
Sincerely,
Andrzej Janecki
Warsaw, August 27, 2012