Polish Paralympic Committee launches Guttmanny awards

The Polish Paralympic Committee has launched the eighth edition of the Guttmanny awards, a plebiscite honoring achievements in disability sports. Nominations are being accepted until October 23, with winners to be announced at a gala on December 5. The awards cover six categories: Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Sports Organization of the Year, Sporting Event of the Year, Team of the Year, and the Greatest Achievement in Non-Paralympic Sport of the Year.

Following the announcement of nominees on November 2, an online vote for Athlete of the Year will run through November 30. This initiative aims to recognize the efforts of athletes, coaches, teams, and organizations that support the development of sports for people with disabilities.

This follows recent linguistic and legal shifts in Poland, where the term ‘paralympic’ (paralimpijskie) was officially adopted in the Sports Act as of August 31, 2023, replacing the previous term ‘paraolympic’ (paraolimpijskie).