Lech Wałęsa and Serhiy Bubka are "Friends of EURO"

053 – Celebrities supporting historical staging of EURO in Central and East Europe

Poland and Ukraine are about to write a new chapter in the history of the UEFA European Football Championship – and to generate further excitement among either population the two local organising committees (LOC's) have launched a promotional campaign called "Friends of UEFA EURO 2012".

100 people in each country will get the privilege of being officially nominated "Friends of EURO".

Among the first public figures nominated on the occasion of two special ceremonies, staged on 3 September in Kyiv and on 4 September in Łódź, were former President of Poland and founder of the "Solidarność" movement, Nobel Peace Prize laureate 1983 Lech Wałęsa; and pole vault world-record holder, Olympic gold medallist in 1988, six times world champion and IOC member Serhiy Bubka.

Commenting on the historical staging of UEFA EURO 2012 in his homeland, Lech Wałęsa, said:

"I like winning and because I am on board I want to win the preparations for UEFA EURO 2012. I will control and encourage the LOC representatives. UEFA EURO 2012 it is not purely sport event but a reason for our national pride growing. Both Poland and Ukraine are young nations, and we need to put all our efforts to prepare the best possible tournament."

Serhiy Bubka added:

"I am extremely pleased to be a Friend of EURO 2012 and very grateful for this confidence. I am very glad that today we have one team that does everything possible to deliver the tournament at a really high level. I am confident that EURO 2012 will be successful, and that our countries will be proud of an excellent staging of the championship".

Valeriy Borzov, winner of the 100m and 200m at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich; Ivan Malkovych famous poet and book publisher; and Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, singer of the pop-band Okean Elzy and 2006 United Nations Ambassador of Goodwill; were the other public figures from Ukraine announced during the ceremony in Kyiv.

Four time Olympic gold medallist racewalker Robert Korzeniowski; 1982 World Cup bronze medallist goalkeeping legend Józef Młynarczyk; and famous singer Maryla Rodowicz, performer of the opening song at the 1974 World Cup in Munich; were the other Polish celebrities joining the exclusive group of "Friends of EURO".

Half of the "Friends of EURO" will be public figures and celebrities, while the remaining spots will be open to the citizens of the two host countries via various competitions. Children will, for instance, be able to participate in drawing contests across several age categories. The subject, naturally, will relate to the organisation of UEFA EURO 2012 in their native land and how they feel about it.

The competition winners will receive an assortment of EURO-branded material, ranging from caps and polo shirts to rare collector's items such as "Friends of UEFA EURO 2012" pennants and pins produced in limited and numbered editions.

Regular announcements concerning the competition winners and any newly nominated public figures in the exclusive group of "Friends of UEFA EURO 2012" will be made on www.uefa.com/uefaeuro2012