Slovaks are not very fond of sports and the country is among the bottom half of EU countries when it comes to the ratio of people taking part in sport, according to a Eurobarometer survey of physical activity and sport published by the European Commission on March 29.
According to the survey, 30 percent of Slovaks take part in sport at least once a week, which makes Slovakia the 18th most active among the 27 European Union countries. However, Slovakia fared best among the Visegrad Four countries in this parameter, with Hungary in 23rd place, Poland 22nd and the Czech Republic in 20th place. Sweden was in first place, followed by Finland, Denmark and Ireland.
The survey, as quoted by the TASR newswire, says that only five percent of Slovaks go in for sport on a regular basis (five times per week or more). Some 25 percent of Slovaks engage in sport "sometimes" (one to four times per week) and 35 percent "rarely" (once to three times per month). Another 35 percent reported that they never take part in sport. The countries with the fewest number of people regularly going in for sports are Greece, Italy and Bulgaria.
Slovaks cited medical problems as their main motivation for being active (61 percent), with those who don't do any sport blaming it on a lack of time (46 percent). In Slovakia, the survey was carried out by the AISA SK agency in October 2009 on a sample of 1,006 respondents.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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