EURÓPSKA ÚNIA SPORT IN Project was co-fi nances by ERDF – EU funds “Investícia do Vašej budúcnosti” NITRA “Investment into your future” discover the place, live the story FUTBAL Th e beginnings of football below the Zobor can be traced back to the voluntary fi re brigade in the beginning of the twentieth century which adopted the game element, namely football, also in their training. At the turn of the fi fties and the sixties, the team of Nitra participated in the highest competition in the Republic, where it did not get lost amidst the competition of eminent Czech and Slovak stars. In the season of 1961/1962 it gained the second place and, in the next season, it became a fi nalist in the Central European Cup. Th e next big achievement was the third rank in the 1st National League, and the participation in the UEFA Cup in 1989. In the modern-day history of football in Nitra, the FC Nitra club takes pride in the status of being the fi rst professional club in Slovakia with a clearly defi ned philosophy: to promote junior football and focus on the training of the youth. Since the birth of the independent Slovak league, the team has taken part in the fi rst and the second league alternately, with average results. In the season of 2004/2005, they managed to establish a steady cadre, in the centre of which numerous local trainees have found their fi rm position. Th e steady team clearly dominated and thus, in May 2005, could celebrate their advancement to the highest competition after their longest silence since the late seventies. Th anks to their energy in their home environment, Nitra qualifi ed among the elite. By their spectacular game, the players attracted demanding spectators and achieved the biggest success since the era of the independent Slovak League: the 3rd rank (in the season of 2007/2008)! During the subsequent years, the club had to come to terms not only with the departure of the excellent trainer P. Hapal, but also with that of numerous talented players, which eff ected the quality of the game as well as the performance of the team during the next years. FC Nitra, a.s. Jesenského 4, 949 01 Nitra Phone: 037/6513480 [email protected]; www.fcnitra.sk PERSONALITIES 60s – Viliam Padúch, Ladislav Putera, Milan Navrátil, Viliam Hrnčár, Michal Pucher 70s – Vladimír Szabó, Daniel Ižold, Július Porubský, Fedor Štarke, Vladimír Ternény, Ivan Horn, Rastislav Vincúr 80s – Peter Palúch, Ladislav Molnár, Dušan Borko, Jozef Kukučka, Kamil Chatrnúch, Róbert Jež st., Jaroslav Dekýš, Eduard Gajdoš, František Halás, Michal Hipp, Milan Lednický Ľubomír Moravčík - most successful footballer of the decade, Czechoslovak and Slovak representative 90s – Ivan Ondruška, Róbert Tomaschek, Peter Gunda, Jozef Antalovič, Ondrej Ondrovič, Igor Demo, Martin Peško, Jozef Kotula, Norbert Hrnčár, Mikuláš Lörinc, Ivan Kováč, Peter Burák, Henrich Benčík, Juraj Dovičovič, Róbert Jež ml. the years 2000-2012 – Štefan Senecký, Marek Kostoláni, Peter Kostoláni, Marek Bakoš, Róbert Rák, Ján Štajer, Ivan Hodúr, Jozef Jelšic, Tomáš Kóňa, Peter Grajciar, Pavol Farkaš, Miroslav Stoch FUTSAL In 2003, „minor football“ and indoor football were united to a single sport - futsal. Th is sport is very popular in Nitra even today, and during its short history it has become quite successful, too. Th e 1st SC Incar Nitra club achieved a gold medal in the season of 2003/04, and bronze in the next two years. Since 2008, a Municipal Futsal Club has been active in Nitra, setting off their career in the 2nd highest futsal league, the so-called Openliga. However, right in the next season, the team strengthened by several experienced players took part in the highest Slovak competition, the Extraliga. So far the best placement of the club was the 5th rank in the season of 2011/12. Futsalový klub MFSK Nitra +421904148153, +421911318950 [email protected]; www.mfsknitra.estranky.sk ICE HOCKEY Th e beginnings of ice hockey in Nitra can be dated to the winter of 1923/1924. At that time, however, it was not ice hockey in the present-day sense of the word yet, but a so-called bandy, or Russian hockey, played with small, bent sticks and a small rubber ball. Since 1924, the organization of the sport in Nitra has been provided by the AC Nitra sports club. Already in 1926, Canadian hockey was played in Slovakia, which was much more exciting and dynamic. In December 1926, this game was learnt in Nitra too, which, along with the towns of Banská Bystrica, Poprad and Bratislava, became one of the pioneers of Slovak hockey. Nitra achieved biggest success in the 1980s and at the turn of the second and third millennia. Th e boom of hockey in Nitra started in the season of 2002/2003, when the players in white and blue shirts advanced to the extra league. Th e biggest success in the modern-day history of hockey came in the season of 2005/2006. Nitra won the fi rst round of the extra league and, after the play-off , gained a historic third place, which meant achieving bronze medals. Th e so far best season was marked by the champion title of our trainees, too. PERSONALITIES: Štefan Valent, Oliver Juhári, Ján Filc, Rudolf Uličný, Ivan Hrtús, Jozef Daňo, Ľubomír Kolník, Dušan Milo, Juraj Štefanka, Ivan Čiernik, Miroslav Šmidriak, Juraj Kolník, Jozef Stümpel HK Nitra Jesenského 2, 949 01 Nitra Phone: 037/651 34 81 hknitra@hknitra. sk; www.hknitra.sk BALL HOCKEY Called street hockey, deck hockey or ball hockey in the North American continent, in Slovakia it is „hokejbal“ for players as well as fans. As a spontaneous game of boys in the street, ball hockey has gradually evolved into a form of a highly strategic game, requiring considerable kinetic skills and emphasizing manoeuvrability, speed and orientation skills. Th e temperament of ball hockey and its openness to wide masses of the society are making this game sort of a mass event, proven by the fact that in Nitra, too, hundreds of men of all age categories are practicing this sport at present. Amateur ball hockey in Nitra is coordinated by two umbrella leagues, the Parish Ball Hockey League, founded in 1994, and the Nitra Ball Hockey League. Th e professional niveau of this sport in Nitra has, since 2010, been provided by the HBK Nitrianski rytieri (Nitra Knights) club, which is a double champion of the Slovak Republic. Moreover, an international ball hockey tournament, STÜMPEL CUP, is organized in Nitra every year. HBK Nitrianski rytieri [email protected]; www.hbknitrianskirytieri.sk Farská hokejbalová liga [email protected]; www.fhbl.ccvcnitra.sk Nitrianska hokejbalová liga www.nhbl.sk VOLLEYBALL Volleyball has been played in an unorganized form in Nitra already after 1918 in both secondary schools, but also in the various parts of the town and at the swimming pools, where the youth used to meet. Th e history of the present-day VK Ekonóm club started in 1952, when the men‘s volleyball division at the Slávia Physical Training Association of the College of Agriculture in Nitra was established. Volleyball became one of the most popular and most successful sports in the history of the college, now the Slovak Agricultural University. At present, the volleyball team called VK Ekonóm SPU Nitra is active in the Slovak extra league. Th e great attention devotes to training the youth, what was refl ected in their results in junior categories achieving medals in championships in the Slovak Republic, and in some seasons, they became champions of the SR. BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS - 1970 – advancement to the extra league - 1985 – Academic champions of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic - 1987 – champion of the First Slovak National League, qualifi cation for advancement to the extra league - 1989 – champion of the First Slovak National League, qualifi cation for advancement to the extra league PERSONALITIES Ján Paška – merited with establishing the volleyball division at the Slávia Physical Training Association of the College of Agriculture in Nitra Trainers: Štefan Szalay – men‘s and junior trainer at VK, representative men‘s and academicians‘ trainer in the SR Peter Kalný - trainer at VK Players: Paška, Lietava, Morháč, Čaplovič, Felix, Antalík, Richter, Feješ, Belaj, Cehula, Rendek, Tománek, Ris, Vicena, Kamenár, Brezovský, Kottek, Dobák, Rajt, Ďurica, Mackovič, Mikula, Folkman, Zentko, Dvonč, Kanás, Hukel, Pavlík, Kraščenič, Stumpel, Látečka jr., V. Holla, B. Holla, Bíro, Kučera, Bystrický Paška, Kožík, Klimek, Pažcký, Uzskay and others VK Ekonóm SPU Nitra Čsl. Armády 1, 94976 Nitra [email protected]; www.volejbalnitra.sk Women‘s volleyball in Nitra was formed in the 1950s in the townwide physical training association, Lokomotíva, and was later embraced by the College Physical Training Association Slávia. During the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the association maintained its effi ciency on an above average level within the First Slovak National League. At present, two volleyball divisions are active in Nitra, functioning in the women‘s extra league. Th e volleyball division of the Constantine the Philosopher University is a steady participant in the highest competition, but has not achieved signifi cant success so far. Its best placement was ranking 5th in the seasons of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. Th e other division, called COP Nitra (Centre for Olympic Preparation) is established at the Sport Grammar School in Nitra under the auspices of the Slovak Volleyball Federation. Besides the women‘s team, the COP Nitra club has a junior women‘s and cadets‘ team, too. Its main aim is to provide a complex sports preparation, including training and the competition process, for talented female players. Th e biggest achievement of the club was the 2nd rank in the Women‘s Extra league in 2007/2008.