MAGIC HOPEFUL OF POLISH TEAM RETURN

FIM Speedway Grand Prix icon Maciej Janowski believes he will return to the Polish national team one day, as he hit out at media “lies” following his omission from this year’s squad.

Janowski was left out of the 2020 Polish team after missing his country’s test match against a Rest of the World team in Rybnik on October 12.

Magic was unavailable to race due to illness and submitted a doctor’s note to prove he was unfit to compete.

However Janowski has been subjected to fierce criticism from certain sections of the Polish media, along with fellow absentees Maksym Drabik and Przemyslaw and Piotr Pawlicki, with national coach Marek Cieslak leaving the riders out of this year’s squad.

Despite Janowski not taking part in Poland’s recent training camp due to his omission from the team, there is nothing in the rules preventing Cieslak from recalling one of the nation’s top riders for the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations in the spring if he wishes.

The media response to his absence has saddened Janowski, but the former Polish team captain hopes he will one day wear his national colours again.

He said: “I believe I will. I want to be a better and better rider. I will do everything to prove I should have a spot in the team. We will see then what happens.

“If you are an athlete, you want to represent your country. It doesn’t matter about what has happened before, when you represent your country, you do your best.

“What has happened is just disappointing because I have a lot of good memories of riding for Poland, and I just don’t understand what has happened now.”

Janowski was stunned by the reaction to his absence, especially having submitted a doctor’s note to prove he was ill.

He said: “Before the meeting I got sick. I was fighting with myself to go but ultimately the disease won and I sent in my doctor's letter. Then I didn’t pick up a call from my coach. I was ready to call him back another day, but when I woke up the next day, I saw a lot of stuff in the media – some interviews.

“Later I found out from the media about the staff changes in the team and that I had been taken off the team. I regret that because I always gave my all for the national team and I was with them for better and for worse. I do hope it is a temporary misunderstanding as there are no reasons to have something against me.

“It’s a little bit disappointing after all these years in the Polish team, but life brings us a lot of different hard things and we will see how everything goes. I don’t stress about it. I am trying to focus on my season and my preparations for 2020. I’m taking my head and focus away from this thing.”

Janowski has been far from happy with some of the media reaction to his absence. He said: “It’s just disappointing. It’s hard because the media can say anything they want; they lie and they even said I was in the Dominican Republic with Drabik and the Pawlicki brothers. That’s such a lie – it’s crazy. I was in the Dominican Republic, but seven years ago.

“It’s very funny for me. They say more and more and all I can say is that 90 percent of it is lies. I don’t read it and I’m keeping myself away from this.”

Janowski has received great support from his Polish club Wroclaw, Swedish side Dackarna as well as his fans around the world. And while the furore has been an unwanted distraction from his pre-season preparations, Magic admits those who know him have not doubted his word.

He said: “I have many fans and many friends who support me. If someone knows me and speaks with me just once, they will know there have been many lies in the media.

“I know what is real. I haven’t done anything wrong that I should feel bad about. I am okay with myself and that is the most important thing.”