Od wrogości do akceptacji. Polsko-litewskie kontakty sportowe w dwudziestoleciu międzywojennym

ENIn the interwar period, Polish sportspeople competed with representatives of several countries with which Poland maintained sour political relations due to the past events. It is possible to indicate here competitions with the representatives of Czechoslovakia, Germany, and the Soviet Union. Often, sports events with the participation of these countries were mutually boycotted. The competitors did not like each other. By the end of 1930s, after Poland and Lithuania established diplomatic relations, the sportsmen of these two countries began a large-scale competition in several disciplines, among others in basketball, athletics, football, chess, and table tennis - the disciplines in which, with certain exceptions, the Lithuanians were among European leaders. It could be stressed that at the end of 1938 and early 1939, Poles and Lithuanians became the constant partners in the sports. The Lithuanians openly emphasised that in some disciplines they maintained contacts despite repeated defeats, since it was the only way to improve their performance.