Andrzej Kraśnicki – the chairman of Polish Olympic Committee and Handball Union in Poland. Sport was always important to him. First he was an athlete, then a Polish representative in handball and afterwards a manager and leader. He is also effective and experienced businessman. For his achievements, experiences, promotion of Olympic values, passion for sport and also consequence, he was honored of the Leader by vocation title in Leader of XXI century category.
LEADER IN SPORT
-True leader is born with adequate genes, should have easiness in making contacts with representatives of various fields and also should effectively cooperate with other people – explains chairman. – For the big part of my life I was the boss and I learnt that consequence in realizing goals, even not the most important ones, holds big significance.
Andrzej Kraśnicki started his serious adventure with sport in high school, while being supervised by his PE teacher professor Stanislaw Siekierski, then by Czesław Cybulski
in MKS Malta Club – and outstanding, specializing in hammer throw, athlete coach and tutor of many Olympic medalists. After coach Cybulski care he won Wielkopolska
Voivdeship championships in a few athlethic competitions. He represented Poland in youth category in competition in Cottbus in NRD. Afterwards, urged by colleagues, he
joined as a handball player in AZS Poznań and began training in a sport discipline that is 
still close to his heart till now. In second half of 1960s, he represented Poland in juniors and youth categories. – Handball is a contact sport, but not brutal. Injuries happen just as much as in other disciplines. It’s a team game in which you need to realize strategy made by coach. You can’t be selfish in this sport and cooperate with teamplayers. And this rule is still very significant in my life – emphasizes Andrzej Kraśnicki.
He started studies in foreign trade in Poznań University of Economic and Business – then named Wyższa Szkoła Handlowa – in which trips abroad were allowed for students. Hovewer, after a year Mr. Andrzej changed school for University School of Physical Education (now Poznan University of Physical Education), which greatly affected his mother.
Unfortunately, his sport career was interrupted by serious injury. He finished studies and started to work as a lecturer. Later, many different opportunities for professional
improvement showed up.
LEADER IN MANAGEMENT
In 1985-1990 years, Andrzej Krassnicki was the director of Culture and Sport Department in the Wielkopolska Voivodship Office. For his biggest achievement at that time he considers his contribution in contructing regatta track on Malta lake for World Championships in canoeing. Together with former president of Poznan – Andrzej Wituski – he managed the organizing committee of this event and also managed Provincial Comission of the POC.
Afterwards, he took care of promoting international business in Poland. He started agribusiness company. Then, together with Dutch partner, he developed security and monitoring company. His firm produced systems for Police Command Centre, monitoring for intersections in Warsaw, sports facilities, institutions, industrials companies and
a part of west border. He established also cable television in Silesia.
But his love for sport was bigger and in the end he came back to it. He was appreciated for his work in management in Posnania Club (water sports). The Club took second position in classification of children and youth sports and many contestants in Polish team in water sports was from Posnania. In 2002-2005 years he was Chairman of Polish Sport Confederation. Afterwards, in 2006, he took over the presidency of Handball Union in Poland and since then our handball players stood on the World Championships thrice. At Olympics in Beijing they were fifth podium, in Rio de Janerio fourth. In 2016 year he was organizer of European Championships in men handball in Poland and the event was great success. Regarding women handball, our players took fourth place on World Championships
twice and vice-championship in the new variant of sand handball in European Championship in 2017. Andrzej Kraśnicki is already in his second cadency being a member
of European Olympic Committee management and also works in one of the committee of International Olympic Committee. In 2005 he started Polish Association for Sport and Leisure Facilities. For 10 years he was a member of International Association for Sport and Leisure Facilities, now he is a honor member of the association.
Andrzej Kraśnicki since 2010 year is the chairman of Polish Olympic Committee, earlier working as vice-chairman. Polish Olympic Committee isn’t supported financially by government budget and have to look for resources and partners. Sponsors of POC are 
usually recognized Polish companies, such as PKN Orlen, Lotto, Tauron, OTCF (with 4F brand) LuxMed, Polish Airlines LOT, Deloitte or Columna Medica.
– Olympic movements depends on effective cooperation of sport enthusiasts – explains the chairman. In Andrzej Kraśnicki opinion, the most important tasks of Committee are: spreading Olympic values, education, cultural and popularizing of Olympic idea activities, publishing magazines, albums, books, preparing exhibitions. Big signifance holds organization of events for integration for example Olympic picnic and taking care of former Olympians.
Coming months for POC are really intense. In 2019 Polish Olympic Committee will celebrate hundred years of its existence. – We’re preparing program not only for Olympians but also for people who simply enjoy and love sports. It’ll be a special day for everyone that respect Olympic ideas. In this jubilee year we want to remind people of our history, successes and also talk about future plans – says Andrzej Kraśnicki
Media call Andrzej Kraśnicki the pillar of Polish Olympism or manager of the sport structures. He was honored with Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2005) by former president Aleksander Kwaśniewski and then by former president Bronisław Komorowski with Commander’s Cross (2015).
– I’m in sport field for many years now. I went through all the steps in my career – from player, coach, chairman of the club, chairman of Polish Sport Confederation to being chairman of Handball Union in Poland and also Polish Olympic Committee. Sport is my passion. What advice I have for parents and youngsters? Leave computers, smartphones behind and start doing sports. Sport will shape you, help you in many different relations and also help in your own emotions.
