New Sports Club in Wadowice. Campus Bemke focuses on basketball and taekwondo

A sports club has been established at Campus Bemke with two main sections: basketball and Olympic taekwondo. Under the guidance of a Greek taekwondo coach, 60 athletes have already been training in eight groups, from preschoolers to adults. Basketball is new to Campus Bemke, but it is starting with a strong line-up. Thanks to an agreement with MKS Skawa Wadowice, around 100 players and their coaches are joining the club, allowing the local basketball tradition to continue under a new banner.

Sport has played an important role in the life of Campus Bemke from the very beginning — it is not only physical activity, but above all an educational tool that shapes young people’s character. Cooperation, courage, perseverance and teamwork are values that carry over from the court into everyday life and form an integral part of the Campus’s educational mission.

“By establishing the Bemke Sports Club, we want not only to support young people’s physical activity, but above all to give them space to discover their own strength, cope with setbacks and celebrate success. These are experiences that stay with them for life,” says Katarzyna Przybył-Tamowicz, President of the Campus Bemke Foundation.

Basketball with new opportunities for growth

“For years, Skawa has been building the basketball history of Wadowice, and we are proud of that legacy. Today, in cooperation with Campus Bemke, we are taking the next step — we want young players to be able to develop in even better conditions. KS Bemke gives them the opportunity to train in a professional environment with broad educational and organisational support. What matters to us is that Wadowice’s basketball tradition will continue and that children and young people will gain new opportunities for development,” says Roman Kowalczyk, President of MKS Skawa Wadowice.

The KS Bemke basketball section will be represented by teams in different age categories — from ten-year-olds to secondary school students. Around 100 players in total will train for 22 hours each week. More than 60 games are planned for the 2025/26 season, both in Wadowice and away, as well as tournaments and school competitions.

The section is led by Piotr Kunowski — an experienced player, coach and basketball activist who has been associated with MKS Skawa Wadowice for many years. Known for his passion and individual approach to players, he has played an important role in the development of local basketball, coaching both young people and seniors. He is also the originator and organiser of the Kunowski Brothers Memorial — a tournament commemorating his father Adam and uncle Marek, key figures in the history of basketball in Wadowice. The second coach will be Wiktor Woźniak.

“Joining the Bemke Sports Club gives our players an opportunity to grow in a place that combines sport and education. The Campus creates a unique environment — intellectually supportive on the one hand, while setting ambitious goals for young athletes on the other, soon also with modern infrastructure,” emphasises Piotr Kunowski.

“What matters most to me is the well-being of the players and creating conditions for their development that can translate into sporting success in the future. Basketball has a wonderful tradition in our city, and today a new chapter is beginning, giving young athletes even greater opportunities. I wish all players and coaches the best of luck in the coming season — may passion and determination lead them to many victories,” says Bartosz Kaliński, Mayor of Wadowice.

The “Gramy u Siebie” basketball competition, taking place from October 2025 to May 2026, has received the Honorary Patronage of the Mayor of Wadowice, Bartosz Kaliński.

Olympic taekwondo with an international approach

The club’s second pillar is its Olympic taekwondo section, led by Nikolaos “Nikos” Lachanos — a 3rd DAN black belt instructor, multiple Greek Champion and graduate of Physical Education and Sports Science at the University of Thessaly. He has trained in taekwondo since the age of four and gained experience not only as a competitor but also as a teacher, running classes in Greece for children, young people and adults. He trained under Olympic Champion Michalis Mouroutsos and Olympic silver medallist Alexandros Nikolaidis.

At Campus Bemke, Nikos teaches in English, allowing young athletes to improve their language skills at the same time and become open to international experiences. The section currently has around 60 athletes in eight age groups — from preschoolers to adults — and offers 18 hours of training per week.

Throughout the year there are belt examinations, tournaments and demonstrations, including spectacular outdoor grading exams that are both a formal test and a celebration for the whole community.

Nikos’s approach to training goes far beyond teaching techniques. Taekwondo at KS Bemke is a school of character, where young people learn discipline, respect, perseverance and courage, while the belt system gives them a sense of progress and builds self-confidence.

Sport as education

More than 400 hours of sports activities currently take place at Campus Bemke every month as part of the Talent Development Centre. Establishing the Bemke Sports Club professionalises sporting activity on Campus and opens up new opportunities — from organising regular competitions and tournaments, through supporting young athletes, to building a sports community that will become an integral part of young people’s education and lifestyle.