Ekstraliga (speedway)
| File:Speedway Ekstraliga logo2.jpg | |
| Sport | speedway |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2000 |
| CEO | League Commissioner: Wojciech Stępniewski |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country | Poland |
| Most recent champion(s) | Motor Lublin x 1 times |
| TV partner(s) | England: Premier Sports Poland: Eleven Sports PL and nSport+ |
| Official website | Official site |
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The Speedway Ekstraliga (English: Polish Extraleague, Polish: Ekstraliga żużlowa) is the top division of motorcycle speedway in Poland. It has been called the "richest and most popular speedway league in the world",[1] and attracts riders from all over the world. The Ekstraliga has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland.[1]
With the fall of communism in Poland in the 1990s and the resultant sharp increase in the value of the Złoty, the sport began to attract a wider range of star riders from other countries. The first of these was Denmark’s Hans Nielsen.[1]
In 2000, the First Division was renamed Ekstraliga, and the number of teams was reduced.[1] Since 2015 the official sponsor of Ekstraliga is the Polish energy company PGE, which signed the financial contract for three consecutive seasons in 2021. The top division tournaments are named PGE Ekstraliga respectively.[citation needed]
2022 PGE Ekstraliga
- BETARD Sparta Wrocław
- Motor Lublin
- Moje Bermudy Stal Gorzów
- FOGO Unia Leszno
- zielona-energia.com Włókniarz Częstochowa
- FOR NATURE SOLUTIONS Apator Toruń
- ZOOLESZCZ GKM Grudziądz
- Arged Malesa Ostrów Wlkp.
Teams
| City | Club | Current team name | Seasons in Ekstraliga | Total Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leszno | Unia Leszno | FOGO Unia Leszno | 2000-22 | 23 |
| Wrocław | WTS Wrocław | BETARD Sparta Wrocław | 2000-22 | 23 |
| Toruń | KS Toruń | FOR NATURE SOLUTIONS Apator Toruń | 2000-19, 2021-22 | 22 |
| Częstochowa | Włókniarz Częstochowa | zielona-energia.com Włókniarz Częstochowa | 2000-14, 2017-22 | 21 |
| Zielona Góra | ZKŻ Zielona Góra | Stelmet Falubaz Zielona Góra | 2001, 2003-05, 2007-21 | 19 |
| Gorzów Wlkp. | Stal Gorzów Wlkp. | Moje Bermudy Stal Gorzów | 2000-02, 2008-22 | 19 |
| Tarnów | Unia Tarnów | Unia Tarnów | 2004-08, 2010-16, 2018 | 13 |
| Bydgoszcz | Polonia Bydgoszcz | Abramczyk Polonia Bydgoszcz | 2000-07, 2009-10, 2012-13 | 12 |
| Grudziądz | GKM Grudziądz | ZOOLESZCZ GKM Grudziądz | 2015-22 | 8 |
| Gdańsk | Wybrzeże Gdańsk | Zdunek Wybrzeże Gdańsk | 2000, 2002-03, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2014 | 7 |
| Rzeszów | Stal Rzeszów | Texom Stal Rzeszów | 2006-08, 2011-13, 2015 | 7 |
| Rybnik | RKM Rybnik | ROW Rybnik | 2004, 2006, 2016-17, 2020 | 5 |
| Piła | Polonia Piła | Budmax-Stal Polonia Piła | 2000-03 | 4 |
| Lublin | Motor Lublin (speedway team) | Motor Lublin | 2019-2022 | 4 |
| Gniezno | Start Gniezno | AFORTI Start Gniezno | 2013 | 1 |
Ekstraliga Champions
See also
External links
- ^ a b c d Kevin Meynell & Marcin Babnis (7 July 2004), History of Polish Speedway. Main competitions. Rules. Retrieved 25 October 2014.