Athletes in the Elán hall in Bratislava in January 2024. (source: TASR)
An iconic venue for athletics in downtown Bratislava, the Elán Hall at Tehelné Pole, is bidding a definitive farewell to athletes after passing into the hands of a new owner, the Hospodarské Noviny daily reported.
Located directly across from the National Football Stadium at Tehelné Pole, the old hall with technical problems will become the National Padel Centre.
Ladislav Asványi, former owner and vice-president of the Slovak Athletics Association, revealed that the reluctance of Bratislava's municipal authorities to discuss the future of the hall led him to sell it.
"I have invested a lot in the hall, but it is not primarily about finances. However, it bothers me that no one from the city hall was interested in discussing the future of the hall," the businessman told the HN daily.
According to him, he was willing to provide the building to the city for free. He only wanted Bratislava to pay him for the land.
The Bratislava sports community now faces the challenge of how to preserve athletics in the absence of this key venue, which is said to be the only venue in the country that meets international parameters.
Athletics without a hall
What will athletics look like in Slovakia without an athletics hall? Probably similar to 30 years ago when athletes were forced to improvise.
Athletes who competed during this period reminisce about the Slovak Championships in Vienna, about training under the Lanfranconi Bridge (where at least it didn't snow, and was less windy), or about improvised workouts in various buildings and gymnasiums, writes the DennĂk N daily.
The new owner of the hall will use the facility for sports purposes for a minimum of five years. However, padel is an unknown sport to many Slovaks. The sport, which is a kind of combination of tennis and squash, is extremely popular on the Iberian Peninsula, notes the HN daily.
Just like in the past, the next national athletics championship may take place in Vienna. NyĂregyháza (HU) and Ostrava (CZ) have been mentioned as other alternatives.
