Slovakia

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 and Hungary 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

Wrestling is called "zapasy" 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.

International situation

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 not successful.

The biggest international successes of slovakian wrestlers:

Josef Herda – 2. Olympic Games 1936
Mikulas Athanasov - 3. Olympic Games  1952
Dan Karabin – 3. Olympic Games  1980
Julius Strsko -  3. Olympic Games 1980
Jozef Lohyna – 3. Olympic Games 1988; 1. World Championships 1990;
Attila Battky – 3. World Championships 2003
David Musulbes - 3. Olympic Games 2008 - (born in Russia)
Istvan Levai – 1. European Championships 2012 - (born in Hungary)

 National Situation
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

In Slovakia Team Competitions are also known. A team consists of seven fighters.

„SLOVENSKÁ 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 (Team League)

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 Goldbach.
Other famous Athletes like Attila Battky Slovak Roman Meduna, Peter Bielesz, Marian Stefan Fernyak Michailik wrestled for different german Bundesliga Teams.

Slovakian Wrestling Federation

SLOVENSKÝ ZÁPASNÍCKY ZVÄZ

Junácka 6,832 80 Bratislava

Homepage:

http://www.zapasenie.sk/

 List of slovakian Wrestling Clubs

 Wrestling Clubs at Slovakian Homepage: http://www.zapasenie.sk/?kluby,5