Sport support

Sponsorship of sports is an important part of cooperation with local communities. In 2022, the Group carried out promotional and social activities in the region, not only to compensate for the possible difficulties related to the mining activity, but also strengthening friendly attitudes towards the Group through promoting sports and healthy and active lifestyle. Combining these two approaches, the decision was made to sponsor mainly such sports as volleyball (KS Jastrzębski Węgiel), ice hockey (JKH GKS Jastrzębie), soccer (GKS Jastrzębie and GKS 74 Pniówek) or handball (Miejskie Towarzystwo Sportowe "Żory").

Value of sponsorship agreements implemented in JSW SA (professional sports)

  • 2021 - PLN 13.8 million

  • 2022 - PLN 20.2 million

The largest beneficiary of the sponsorship budget is KS Jastrzębski Węgiel. In October 2022, it started the 27th consecutive season of men's volleyball in the country's top league. The club has been very successful in the last few years. In the 2020/2021 season the club won the Polish Championship, the 2021/2022 season ended with the club winning the Polish Vice-Championship, but on top of that the club reached the semi-finals of the European Champions League and the Polish Cup Final and won the Polish Super Cup for the first time in its history. This success is especially significant given the level of the Plus Liga volleyball league, which is one of the highest in the world.

Sponsoring a club such as KS Jastrzębski Węgiel provides significant benefits in terms of image. According to a report prepared on the basis of research conducted by Sponsoring Insight Research&Consulting on behalf of the Polish Volleyball League for clubs competing in Plus Liga, the total advertising value equivalent for the brands of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa, JSW and Jastrzębski Węgiel in the 2021/2022 season amounted to PLN 58,764,591. The total number of viewers of all 48 matches featuring Jastrzębski Węgiel, which were broadcast on Polsat TV in the 2021/2022 season was more than 8 million. The matches played by Jastrzębski Węgiel in the Summer Grand Prix, Plus Liga, CEV Champions League, Polish Cup and Polish Super Cup were broadcast on Polsat TV sports channels (Polsat Sport, Polsat Sport Extra).

KS Jastrzębski Węgiel is also an excellent example of how professional sports can be combined with education for children and youth. Klub Sportowy Jastrzębski Węgiel S.A. sports club and the Jastrzębski Węgiel Talent Academy operated by the Club place great emphasis on education, promotion of a healthy lifestyle and sports training of children and youth at a local and national level. The training of children and youth is the basis for the development of professional sports at both club and national team levels. The Jastrzębski Węgiel Talent Academy is a springboard to Plus Liga. The first Talent Academy graduate to make it to the first team of Jastrzębski Węgiel was Jakub Popiwczak. He made his debut in the first team at the age of 16 and today he is the main libero of the senior team and a national team player. His path was followed by other players: Konrad Formela, Radoslaw Gil, Marcin Ernastowicz, Karol Gdowski, Jakub Turski and Patryk Czyrniański. Wojciech Szwed was another player who made his debut in the first team of Jastrzębski Węgiel. Other academy graduates include: Bartosz Kwolek, Patryk Niemiec, Bartosz Makoś, Bartłomiej Zawalski who represent other Plus Liga teams.

The Jastrzębski Węgiel Talent Academy has become one of the best youth training centers in the country. In the previous season (2021/2022) the players of the Jastrzębski Węgiel Talent Academy won: the Bronze Medal of the Polish Aspirants Championship, the Polish Younger Juniors Vice-Championship, the Polish Juniors Championship, the Silesian Aspirants Championship, the Silesian Aspirants Vice-Championship, the Silesian Juniors Championship and the Bronze Medal of the Silesian Juniors Championship.

JKH GKS Jastrzębie is a club that is very positively associated not only in ice hockey circles. This is evidenced by the fact that the club’s coach has been entrusted with the mission of leading the Polish national team. In the 2021/2022 season, the team won the bronze medal in the Polish Ice Hockey League and the Polish Super Cup, beating the best teams in the country. It was one of the best seasons in the history of ice hockey in Jastrzębie. JKH GKS Jastrzębie won the opportunity to compete in the Hockey Champions League 2021/2022 for the first time in its history and represented JSW SA as its strategic partner in the international competition, scoring seven points in the group stage (the most points ever scored by a Polish ice hockey team).  

JKH GKS Jastrzębie has extensive training facilities for children and youth.  The Jastrzębie Hockey Club Academy was established for this purpose. The Academy runs various children and youth teams: Recruits, Mikrus, Younger Żaks, Older Żaks, Aspirants and Juniors. The history of ice hockey training dates back to the 1950s. For many years now, the Jastrzębie hockey club has been known for its work with youth, producing graduates who have played not only in the club's first team, but also in the Polish national team. In recent years, the youth involved with JKH GKS Jastrzębie have won Polish championship medals in all age categories and have participated in all prestigious tournaments.

In September 2021, following an agreement between JKH GKS Jastrzębie and the heads of the Sports Championship School Complex in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, a Sports Championship School for young ice hockey players was established. In the school year 2022/2023, another class was formed at the first grade of high school, and the club arranged for the establishment of the 4th grade of primary school with an ice hockey profile.