Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent.
Slovak player in Czech league ranked among hidden hockey treasures
Alex Tamáši (source: X / Mountfield HK)
Slovak hockey forward Alex Tamáši is making a name for himself in the Czech ice hockey league. He competes in the Czech Tipsport Extraliga for the Mountfield Hradec Králové hockey club, where he is in his second season.
The Czech portal isport.blesk.cz has ranked the Rimavská Sobota native among the top 5 hidden gems among forwards. An earlier article by flashscore.sk noted that Tamáši’s team had extended their winning streak to eight games. Tamáši played the best game of his career against Kladno last month, scoring a hat trick and securing his team’s victory in a shootout.
"I’d say it was probably the game of my career. The last time I scored a hat-trick was back in juniors. When you score three goals in a game, it definitely boosts your confidence a bit," Tamáši said in an article published by his club’s website.
Slovakia vies to host prestigious basketball tournaments
Minister Dušan Keketi (second from right in the image on the left) says he supports basketball in Slovakia. (source: TASR - Pavel Neubauer / Ministry of Tourism and Sport)
Slovakia's tourism and sports minister, Dušan Keketi, has backed negotiations that could result in the country hosting one of Europe’s prestigious sporting events.
On November 22, Keketi met with representatives from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Slovak Basketball Association (SBA). Together, they discussed Slovakia’s bid to host EuroBasket Women 2027 and Youth EuroBasket 2026.
The ministry said that the meeting sends a clear signal that Slovakia aims to rank among the leading nations hosting large-scale sporting events. EuroBasket Women is one of the world’s most prestigious basketball events, and Slovakia is in the running to serve as its host. According to a Host City Impact Study analysis, the tournament has the potential to attract thousands of sports enthusiasts from around the globe.
A Slovak hospital gets to examine a 3,000-year-old 'patient'
While Slovakia remains embroiled in a tense pay dispute between the government and hospital doctors, one Slovak hospital has conducted a CT scan of an Egyptian mummy – a truly unique case.
At the hospital in Rimavská Sobota, a CT scan was performed on a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy. The remains belong to a woman named Tasheritnetiak, who lived in the town of Abusir el-Meleq and is believed to have died aged between 50 and 70.
"This is a unique mummy, as there are only five mummies in Slovakia, and just one of them is female. It dates back to a period between 1,080 and 600 BCE," explained Eva Kereňi, director of the Gemer-Malohont Museum in Rimavská Sobota.
The mummy was brought to Slovakia over a century ago. Measuring 142 cm in length, its arms are crossed on its chest, reflecting the standard mummification practices for members of the Ancient Egyptian middle class.
The study aims to reconstruct the woman’s face and thereby generate another exhibit for the museum.
Five feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator to read
Eight-year-old Rebeka stumbled upon an ancient treasure near the village of Košolná in Trnava Region, western Slovakia.
Marek Slobodník has been discovering the world by riding unconventional vehicles.
A 200-year-old chimney is not just the tallest structure in the village of Utekáč, in the Poltár district of southeastern Slovakia – it is now a unique attraction for climbers.
A Slovak innovator has been listed among TIME’s 100 AI leaders.
The magical Christmas tram is operating in Bratislava. It's free to ride, and this year includes a public literary programme.
Meme of the week
Caption: When you sell out Bratislava twice in short order.
This meme, published by the Slovak satitirical site Zomri, reflects on recent popular protests against controversial moves by the current leadership of the Culture Ministry. Large demonstrations have been held in the streets of several Slovak cities.
The biggest one took place in Bratislava, where, in addition to actors from the Slovak National Theatre (SND), famous Slovak singer Paľo Habera also took to the stage.
Habera had held a concert in Bratislava, on December 6 at the TIPOS Aréna, to celebrate his 60th birthday and the 40th anniversary of his band, Team.
Last night, he performed at a so-called "cultural strike" protest against the Culture Ministry. According to organisers' estimates, around 6,000 people participated in the evening demo in Bratislava on December 12.
You can send me your tips on good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: kseniia.husieva@spectator.sk. Thank you!
