Budding artists join Poland's Friends of EURO

The exclusive group of Friends of UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland gained 20 new members as the winners of a drawing competition for young people were presented on national television today.

A jury comprising four well-known Polish people – artists Maria Kiesner, Radosław Szaybo and Andrzej Mleczko, and four-time Olympic champion Robert Korzeniowski – picked out the five best drawings in each age group (5-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-16). Over 750 children had entered the drawing contest, on the theme of their country staging UEFA EURO 2012 and what it means to them.

"It's much easier to choose winners in sport," admitted race walker Korzeniowski. "We looked for emotion, fair play and joy of sport in these works." UEFA EURO 2012 tournament director Adam Olkowicz, who chaired the panel, expressed his delight at attracting "so many beautiful works". The Local Organising Committee will, he added, organise similar contests over the coming two years.

An individual winner from each age group unveiled their works on TV show Kawa czy Herbata (Tea or Coffee) this morning, the start of an action-packed day for the quartet and their parents. They were invited to view progress on the construction of Warsaw's National Stadium, before trips to the Copernicus Science Centre and the Polish capital's Old Town.

The special prize of a trip to Poznan to watch the Poland-Ivory Coast friendly international on 17 November now awaits the four girls. They and the other competition winners received an assortment of EURO-branded merchandise, 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.

A sister competition concluded in Ukraine last week.