The Slovak Republic
(or, in short form, Slovakia
(Slovak: Slovensko) long form Slovenská
republika is a landlocked state in Central Europe.
It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square
kilometres. Slovakia is
bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria
to the west, Poland to the
north, Ukraine to the east
to the south. The largest city is the capital, Bratislava,
and the second largest is Košice. Slovakia
is a member state of the European Union. The official language is Slovak, a
member of the Slavic language family.
After the 10th century the
territory of today's Slovakia
was gradually integrated into the Kingdom
of Hungary, which itself
became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire or Habsburg Empire. After WWI and
the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the nation of Slovaks and
Czechs established their mutual state - Czechoslovakia. The present-day Slovakia became an independent state on 1
January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
Tourism in Slovakia offers natural landscapes, mountains, caves,
medieval castles and towns, folk architecture, spas and ski resorts. More than
1.6 million people visited Slovakia
in 2006, and the most attractive destinations are the capital of Bratislava and the High Tatras.
Sport in Slovakia is influenced by its climate and
geography; popular summer sports include soccer, tennis, volleyball, swimming,
cycling and hiking, popular winter sports include skiing and snowboarding. The
most watched sports in Slovakia
are soccer, ice hockey and tennis. The country features a typical post-Eastern
Bloc system, where sport is being financed primarily from the state budget. In
2012, the state will pay 30,402,634 euro to over 7,500 different sporting
clubs. Internationally, the most successful sport in Slovakia is ice hockey where
currently, as of 2012, the country is ranked as the sixth best team in the
world by the IIHF World Ranking.
European Champ 2012 Istvan Levai was born in Hungary.
Wrestling in Slovakia
in slovak. The National Wrestling
Federation has its headquarters
in the capital Bratislava
and is called "Slovensky Zapasnicky Zväz"
and as President acts Mr. Frantisek Lengyel.
Wrestling is traditionally
anchored in Slovakia and
there are 31 wrestling clubs across the country. In Slovakia,
both styles are
equally popular and the female wrestling
is also exercised.
Within the Czechoslovak national
team, the Slovak Wrestlers played mostly a good role internationally.
After the political changes and the separation of the Czech Republic
at the beginning of the nineties, this level could not be maintained. The
Slovak Wrestling Association has too few members to compete internationally
with the great wrestling nations. For the small Slovak Wrestling Federation, it
is increasingly difficult to qualify athletes for the Olympic Games. In the
years 1996 and 2000 there were four wrestlers, from 2004 to 2008 decreased the
number of participants from three to two , and in London in 2012 the games were
held without Slovak wrestlers.
At the World Championships 2013 in Budapest
the Slovak Wrestling Federation could send eight fighters to the competition (
four in freestyle , four in greco, no woman ) . The best result achieved Mykola
Bolotniuk with the 12th rank to 60Kg Freestyle . A top ten ranking was
The biggest international
successes of slovakian wrestlers:
– 2. Olympic Games 1936
Athanasov - 3. Olympic Games 1952
– 3. Olympic Games 1980
Strsko - 3. Olympic Games 1980
Lohyna – 3. Olympic Games 1988; 1. World Championships 1990;
Battky – 3. World Championships 2003
David Musulbes - 3. Olympic Games 2008 - (born in Russia)
Istvan Levai – 1. European Championships 2012 - (born in Hungary)
Wrestling-clubs are available in all bigger cities of Slovakia.
In the capital, Bratislava, the
association's headquarters and Dunajplavba (one of the best clubs) is located.
Ranking of the best 10 clubs in Slovakia:
1. ZK 1904 Kosice
2. Vihorlat Snina
3. Dunajplavba Bratislava
4. TJAC Nitra
5. VSC Dukla Banska Bystrica
6. Gladiator Samorin
7. ZK Marcelova
8. ZK Dunja Streda
9. MZK Banovce/Bebr
10. ZSK Gabcikovo
Team Competitions in Slovakia
Slovakia Team Competitions are also known. A team
consists of seven fighters.
LIGA SENIORI 2013“
1. Vihorlat Snina
2. Dunajplavba Bratislava
3. ZK 1904 Kosice
4. Slavia Snina
5. SKP Banska Bystrica
6. Banik Prievidza
7. KAC Kosice
Jozef Lohyna - Freestyle World Champion 1990.
Slovaks in the German Bundesliga
The best known Slovakian Wrestler at the
Bundesliga, was in the nineties
Jozef Lohyna (former
world champion). He won many titles with his
club AC Bavaria
Other famous Athletes like Attila Battky Slovak
Roman Meduna, Peter Bielesz, Marian Stefan Fernyak
Michailik wrestled for different german
Junácka 6,832 80 Bratislava
List of slovakian
Wrestling Clubs at
Slovakian Homepage: http://www.zapasenie.sk/?kluby,5