01.11.2020
In Slovakia, we decided to change the Slovak Cup competitions into a league that better reflected the long-term nature of the competition. We named it characteristically the Slovak National Armwrestling League (SNLP). The competition exists under this name to this day.
Since we had the competition divided during the year similarly to, for example, hockey players (autumn/spring), the last two rounds of the Slovak Cup (Lučenec, Turzovka) took place in 2000, and in the autumn, the SNLP already started with two rounds (Banská Štiavnica, Revúca). The new name of the competition took root slowly, and for example, in Slovarm, the name Slovak Cup is still used for the 2000/2001 season, although it was already the SNLP.
The team competition underwent a very significant change. Until then, points were counted for the team competition based on the placement of individuals, and after summing the points for 4 rounds, the best club won the title of Slovak Champion. From 2000 onwards, this was no longer the case. The best 4 teams after the long-term competition met in the finals, where the first team measured its strength against the fourth, and the second against the third. The winners then met in the final for the title of Slovak Champion, and the losers for third place. And how did the competition itself proceed? In each category, club representatives met in a best-of-three format, earning points for the team. The club with more points advanced to the next round. Another revolutionary innovation that Slovakia brought to the world of armwrestling. If you follow news from the world of armwrestling, you have certainly noticed that a team league is starting in Sweden in exactly this way.
In addition to the SNLP, we naturally organized several other competitions with the main goal of promoting armwrestling in the regions and giving amateurs, who no longer had a chance of success in the "first" league competitions, the opportunity to compete. We continued the successful project of regional championships, helped organize the Brezovská ruka, Železná ruka, Gemersko-malohontská ruka, Strong Hand of High Schoolers, and at the end of the year, we naturally met at the New Year's Eve Hand.
We organized the Junior Slovak Championships in Ivanka pri Dunaji, which became their home for many years, and the seniors met at the Slovak Championships in Žarnovica. A number of domestic competitions helped in building a high-quality national team. Among the juniors, several promising talents appeared (M. Rigo, B. Zajvald, M. Skrutek), who gradually began to establish themselves among the seniors. The backbone of the senior national team consisted of M. Pastuchová, P. Mišovič, R. Dobrovič, P. Jarombek, J. Germánus, and P. Gazdarica.
Of the international competitions at the beginning of the new millennium, we only participated in the Golem Hand in the Czech Republic. There was somehow no time for the others with such a full domestic scene. However, this did not diminish our strength, and at the European and World Championships, our athletes shone again.
The European Championships were held again "under one roof." Both juniors and seniors met in Istanbul, Turkey. The championship itself was preceded by an inspection visit, attended by EAF President Milan Čapla, and I accompanied him. It wasn't just as an escort; as the person responsible for the technical execution of the championship, I went to check the organizer's readiness in this regard. The Turks convinced us that they approached the organization responsibly, and a successful championship awaited us in the summer. Due to work commitments, I could not attend the championship itself, nor the World Championships in the USA. I waited at home in suspense for a phone call with good news. Back then, the internet was not everywhere, so communication happened the old, good, and not exactly cheapest way – by telephone.
Slovakia won one gold (J. Germánus) and two silver (J. Germánus, M. Pastuchová) medals in the senior categories at this championship. Although the juniors won more medals in terms of numbers, they did not reach gold in 2000. Junior medals were won by B. Zajvald (silver), K. Sherhauferová (2x bronze), and S. Hlubík (bronze).
The Junior World Championships were organized by our neighbors in the Czech Republic. We sent a large delegation to Prague with expectations of good results. In high-quality competition, our athletes eventually won gold (R. Dobranský), silver (B. Zajvald), and three bronze medals (M. Ďalák, M. Rigo, E. Kollárová). Especially memorable is the Slovak final in the under 80 kg category, in which the talented Košice native won gold in a thrilling rematch.
The Senior World Championships were held in the USA (Virginia Beach) for the second time in a short period (previously in 1996). This championship was written in golden letters into the history of Slovak armwrestling. The successes we achieved were incredible and unimaginable a few years ago. Four gold medals speak for themselves. Germánus repeated his gold double from Vladikavkaz. M. Pastuchová and R. Dobrovič contributed other golds. M. Pastuchová won silver, and P. Mišovič won bronze. I remember the phone call in which the SAPR president announced this joyful news to me, how I stood in disbelief and didn't understand. However, the initial surprise was very quickly replaced by immense joy and pride in our athletes.
We also recorded great success in the diplomatic field. At the WAF Congress, Dr. Milan Čapla, president of SAPR, was elected President of this organization. It was a huge recognition of his work for world armwrestling and a vote of confidence that under his leadership, armwrestling would join the community of recognized sports (GAISF).
