Sport and the community
From the first sledge in Kečka and a hockey stick made from wood found in the mountains, right through to promotion to the Second Division and a world champion in fitness.
First sporting activities
The conditions were not exactly ideal when sport first began to develop in Rakytovce. The hard-working people of Rakytovce, many of whom were mainly engaged in mining and agriculture, had little desire for physical activity. Consequently, the beginnings of what are now widely practised sports are associated more with the lives of young people, who had more free time.
The first recorded sporting activity was sledging — references to this date from 1947 to 1949. Young people would sledge along the roads on all-wooden sledges designed for two to three people. Schoolchildren from Rakytovce competed against boys from Badín on the route from ‘Slivkovci’ to Donovalovci.
Skiing and ice hockey
The origins of skiing date back to the period shortly after the Second World War. As the young people had no skis to hand, they made their own ‘dúšky’ — boards cut from an oak barrel, to which straps were nailed and their boots secured. Skiing ability was assessed by the skier setting off directly from Kečka and skiing all the way down to Slobodníková’s garden without falling — a stretch of about 600 metres.
Ice hockey began to take root around the same time. Skating and ice hockey were played on natural frozen surfaces — flooded and frozen meadows measuring 200 x 80 metres. The first hockey sticks were made from wood found in the mountains. The battles on the ice were tough and relentless. Three men from Rakytovce were particularly dedicated to the sport: Ondrej Kvasna, Ján Kvasna and Vladimír Gálus. Ondrej Kvasna even managed to play for the Dukla Olomouc ice hockey team.
Sport for everyone
As well as football and winter sports, a whole range of other sports were practised in Rakytovce.
Volleyball
The first football pitch at Kvasnovské lúky. The team representing Rakytovce was made up of students, with Ján Kvasna, Július Riečan and Milan Bánovský among the best players.
Basketball
Jozef Kvasna, who stood over 200 cm tall, played for Červená hviezda Banská Bystrica — both at youth and junior level. He was selected to play in matches in England and West Germany, but was ultimately unable to take part due to illness.
Table tennis
The first table was bought in the 1960s. People used to play in the old hall at the local council offices all evening, on Saturdays and Sundays. Tournaments against Badín and Kremnička.
Athletics
From 1950 onwards, Ján Kvasna excelled in middle-distance running, whilst Vladimír Gálus excelled in long-distance running. In 1951, three residents of Rakytovce were awarded the Tyrš Fitness Badge.
Swimming
The children started out in the fire reservoir (1946), whilst the more experienced swimmers swam in the Hron River at spots known as Vrbina and Barholaz. Andrej and Ján Kulhány took up competitive swimming.
Flying
Ján Malachovský flew gliders and hang gliders and tried his hand at skydiving. Dušan Petrík is a private pilot licensed to fly the Cessna 152, 172 and 182.
The village’s most popular sport
Football is one of the oldest sports in Rakytovce, with its origins dating back to the 1930s. The first permanent pitch was situated in a meadow where blocks of flats nos. 21 and 27 stand today. The boys didn’t play with a football — a bundle of tied-up paper and old rags was enough for them, and felled trees or even just stones served as goals.
“We used to play wherever we could, with balls and kit that would make today’s spoilt footballers turn their noses up at. And yet we played; we trained from dawn till dusk, and nobody paid us a penny for the matches..."
— Ondrej Kvasna, memories of the early days of football
The turning point came on 30 December 1985, when a friendly match was played between Rakytovce and Vlkanová (4–2). Following this success, the local players called for the establishment of their own club. On 1 July 1986, the sports club TJ STS Rakytovce was founded with 125 founding members. Rudolf Gízel became the first chairman. The club’s colours were red, and its emblem featured a red crayfish holding a football — hence the nickname ‘raky’.
The first match was played on 16 August 1987 in the Third Division against Slovan Jakub (1–1). Vladimír Dian scored the club’s first goal in an organised competition. In the 1988/89 season, the club won the award for the fairest team in the district.
From Division III to the Second Division
In the 1990/91 season, Rakytovce secured promotion to the Second Division. The weekly newspaper *Priekopník* wrote: “Rakytovce remained unbeaten and dropped only two points. This team is packed with experienced players, as well as lively youngsters.”
In the 1992/93 season, the club was renamed ŠK Kvasna Rakytovce, as almost the entire core of the team consisted of players from Kvasna. Ondrej Kvasna recalls: “It was sometimes really quite comical; I even remember that, whilst the line-up was being read out, one of the fans shouted: ‘But this isn’t Rakytovce, it’s Kvasnovce!’”
In the 1997/98 season, under the name FK Rakytovce 85, the team went on an incredible run of 12 consecutive wins and were promoted to the Fifth Division. The successful season was crowned by the construction of the club’s own ground, which was officially opened on 15 July 1998. The opening match was against Spartak Trnava.
Club names
After progressing through the Fourth and Third Leagues, Rakytovce finished in second place in the 2006/07 season — they were ranked 57th out of 2,415 clubs in Slovakia. In the 2008/09 season, they went through the Third Division without a single defeat (21 wins, 7 draws, a goal difference of 67:14). They were promoted to the Second Division twice (in 2007 and 2009).
Rakytovce Sports Complex
The history of the football pitch is a story in its own right. The first enthusiasts used to play on the village meadow, at Farské under the pear tree in Kriedovnica, or whilst herding cattle near Kečka. For years, the club played on rented pitches in Badín, Hronsek, Vlkanová, Horná Mičiná and Tajov.
The committee members eventually decided to build their own complex in Kriedovnica, near Banský potok. The site was littered with rubbish heaps, concrete and scrap steel. Thanks to the efforts of dozens of volunteers and sponsors — notably Ondrej Kvasna, Jozef and Ján Malachovský, and Peter Kukula — the complex was successfully built and officially opened on 15 July 1998.
In 2015, as part of the 30th-anniversary celebrations, a multi-purpose artificial-turf pitch (40 x 20 m) was opened, built by the city of Banská Bystrica. Today, the complex meets even the most demanding criteria for regional and national competitions. It is managed by ZARES.
‘Rakytovce, playground’ bus stop
The importance of the sports ground to the village is also underlined by the fact that the nearby public transport stop is called ‘Rakytovce, ihrisko’ — football is an integral part of the district’s identity.
Athletes from Rakytovce
Surprisingly, a large number of athletes who have made a name for themselves at both national and international level have come from this small district.
Silvia Malachovská
Fitness / BodybuildingTwo-time IFBB World Champion in fitness (2003, 2004 — Santa Susanna, Spain). 2003 Overall World Champion. Three-time European Champion. In 2006, she was world champion in two disciplines — aerobics and athletic WFF. She was awarded the Mayor’s Prize and the title of honorary citizen of Banská Bystrica (2007).
Pavel Kvasna-Krajčír
FootballHe played for Partizán BB (Slovak Under-19 League), Dukla Bratislava and, from 1974, for Spartak Trnava in the First National League — scoring five top-flight goals.
Peter Kvasna
FootballHe played for Dukla Banská Bystrica, Dukla Prešov, Dukla Kroměříž and other clubs in the top divisions.
Maroš Fojtík
FootballMidfielder and long-standing mainstay of FK Rakytovce. Bronze medallist at the 2005 UEFA European Amateur Championship in Kraków as part of the Central Slovak Football Association (SsFZ) squad. Repeatedly named in the SsFZ Team of the Year. Award from the Mayor of Banská Bystrica.
Ondrej Kvasna
Ice hockey / SkiingHe played ice hockey for Dukla Olomouc. In 1956, he came second in a cross-country skiing race in Liptovský Ján.
Dušan Petrík
FlyingPrivate pilot of single-engine aircraft, licensed to fly the Cessna 152, 172 and 182. Passionate about the Zlín 142.
Sport in the 21st century
FK Rakytovce currently plays in the Fourth Division. In addition to the first team, there are also U-19 and U-17 youth teams. In 2017, a new team, FK Rakytovce 0.2, was formed under the leadership of Ing. Dušan Kvasna.
The sports complex in Rakytovce regularly hosts veterans’ football tournaments for the Rakytovce Challenge Cup, held in conjunction with the St John’s Festival. Every year, sports afternoons for children are held, organised in collaboration with the Volunteer Fire Brigade to mark Children’s Day and the Uprising Bonfire.
The sporting tradition in Rakytovce proves that even a small community can produce a world champion, top-flight footballers and several generations of enthusiasts for whom sport is an integral part of life.
Discover more of the village’s traditions
Detailed information about sport can be found in the monograph *Rakytovec: A Town with Seven Streets* by M. Pecník and V. Luptáková (2015).