A new chapter is set to be added to the remarkable recent success story of Polish squash, with plans unveiled for a new 17-court mega club in Katowice.
SquashOK, a seven-court club that has served the city in the Silesia region of southern Poland for almost 10 years, announced its closure at the end of June as the lease had come to an end.
But SquashOK President Rafał Adamiec revealed in a social media post that a new venue is set to be built only four minutes away in a project he called "the biggest investment of my life."
Set for completion at the end of 2027, the new club will feature: 17 squash courts including one all-glass show court, six badminton courts, a gym, modern fitness area, yoga and group exercise studio, wellness zone with saunas, physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation clinic, café, changing rooms, pro shop, reception and lounge area, dedicated space for tournaments, leagues and corporate events, plus a junior academy and coaching programmes.
"I believe it will be a place that we will all be proud of and that will become a new home for our sporting community," said Adamiec in his Facebook post.
Speaking to Squash Player, he added: "I’ve been a squash enthusiast for 12 years. I believe this club will change the situation in Europe, and I’m really excited about it.
"The Silesian agglomeration [region] has a population of around 3.4 million, making it the best place for a club like this.
"For me, this is a major investment in my life, and there is a lot of hard work ahead of me."
Poland has a burgeoning club scene, a growing grassroots participation base and a raft of competitive opportunities, with local and national tournaments taking place virtually every weekend.
Poland already boasts the world's biggest squash club — the mighty 32-court Hasta La Vista Club in Wroclaw — which has hosted many major international competitions. A 10-court facility, Atras Squash Club, opened in Krakow in 2023, hosting this year's European Junior Championships. Legia Warsaw Squash Academy, led by Marc Lopez, has produced many top-ranked juniors.
This growing infrastructure, augmented by increased government funding, is rapidly translating into success in international competition at junior and senior level.
Poland finished in a best-ever fifth place at the 2025 European U19 Mixed Team Championships and the Polish team reached the final for the first time ever at last year's European U15 Mixed Team Championships in Bordeaux, a feat they repeated this year in Prague, losing on both occasions to England.
At senior level, Poland are scaling new heights too. The senior women’s team reached the quarter-finals in its first ever European Team Championships Division 1 campaign in 2025, and the men achieved promotion from Division 2 for the first time.
Katowice now seems set to provide a launchpad for further success as Poland continues to buck global trends and grow the sport successfully from grassroots level upwards.
