Basketball player Gortat 'proud to be born in Poland'
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
22.09.2016 13:01
Polish basketball player Marcin Gortat, who plays for the NBA’s Washington Wizards, has spoken about his love for Poland and his pride of being Polish.
![Marcin Gortat. Photo: Andrzej Romański / PLK.pl [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://external.polskieradio.pl/files/00673441-e63f-4d65-b975-9958ed040e17.file "Marcin Gortat. Photo: Andrzej Romański / PLK.pl [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
Marcin Gortat. Photo: Andrzej Romański / PLK.pl [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
“My roots are hugely important for me. I’m proud of the fact that I was born and raised in Poland. I’m proud of my native town of Łódź and of sporting Poland’s White Eagle on my uniform. I’m not going to shake hands with anyone who is ashamed of being Polish,” Gortat told the Do Rzeczy weekly.
He added that his plans after concluding his sporting career include business projects in Poland, helping the youngest generation of Polish basketball players and perhaps having a go at local politics.
“To run for the mayor of Łódź would be a great prospect,” Gortat said.
Asked about his political sympathies, he said he is not interested in political antagonisms and party in-fighting, but is ready to enter into partnership with those politicians and governments who want to work together for the common good.
Gortat began his international career 14 years ago. He is involved in a wide range of charity initiatives in Poland. He has funded visits to the United States for families of Polish soldiers who died on foreign missions, as well as summer camps for hundreds of Polish children. (mk/rg)