The Polish Olympic Committee (PKOL) is defending its sponsorship deal with cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto as athletes report difficulties converting token rewards into cash.
Polish Olympic Committee Stands by Zondacrypto Sponsorship
Despite reported irregularities, the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOL) sees no grounds to terminate its sponsorship agreement with Zondacrypto, announced PKOL President Radosław Piesiewicz at a press briefing in Warsaw.
Piesiewicz stated the PKOL was unaware of issues related to Zondacrypto at the time the agreement was signed in 2025.
Athlete Concerns Over Token Payments
Some athletes have reported that while tokens awarded for their performance at the recent Winter Olympics are credited to their accounts, attempts to exchange them for Polish złoty have been unsuccessful. Pancrationist Damian Żurek and ski jumper Kacper Tomasiak, a triple medalist, have voiced concerns.
PKOL Maintains Financial Obligations Were Met
Piesiewicz affirmed that the PKOL fulfilled all financial and in-kind award obligations, and that Zondacrypto also provided in-kind awards and tokens to athletes. He emphasized the sponsorship enabled the PKOL to send athletes to the Games, stating, “Without these funds, they simply would not have gone.”
Prior Legal Review and ABW Notification
Before signing the agreement with Zondacrypto, the PKOL commissioned two independent legal opinions, which found no formal or legal obstacles to the partnership. Prior to the October 22, 2025 announcement, the PKOL also notified the Internal Security Agency (ABW) of its plans to expand its sponsorship portfolio to include providers of non-standard products and services.
The PKOL requested information or training regarding potential risks associated with collaborating with such entities, but has yet to receive a response from the ABW.
Allegations of Russian Mafia Ties and Lack of Warning
Piesiewicz expressed frustration that the PKOL was not informed of alleged connections between Zondacrypto and the Russian mafia, despite the ABW possessing this information for several months. He questioned why the Prime Minister was not informed of this information six months ago.
Sponsorships Terminated by Other Polish Clubs
In recent days, football club Raków Częstochowa and basketball team Dziki Warszawa have terminated their sponsorship contracts with Zondacrypto, with GKS Katowice also announcing a similar move. Zondacrypto also sponsors other Polish Ekstraklasa football teams, including Lechia Gdańsk and Pogoń Szczecin, as well as Italian clubs Atalanta Bergamo and Juventus Turin, and supports other sports like Polish cycling.
Questioning the Timing of Criticism
Piesiewicz questioned the recent surge in negative publicity surrounding Zondacrypto, asking who benefits from it. He rhetorically asked how the PKOL, as an association, could have been expected to foresee the situation or verify potential connections.
Criminal Investigation Launched
The Śląsk prosecutor’s office initiated an investigation into Zondacrypto on Friday, assigning the case to the Central Cybercrime Bureau in Wrocław. As of Monday, prosecutor Michał Binkiewicz stated that several hundred individuals have been identified as victims of Zondacrypto, with the amount of damages continuing to rise, currently estimated at 350 million złoty.