By Slovak Weightlifting Federation
From 17 to 20 September 2026, the Slovak village of Bobrov hosted the 12th European Union Cup in Weightlifting, a prestigious international event dedicated to the development of young European weightlifting talents. The competition took place in the Bobrov Sports Hall and attracted athletes, coaches, referees, weightlifting officials from across Europe, as well as a large number of spectators.
National teams from 14 countries participated in the European Union Cup, competing over several days in the youth age categories of Under 15, Under 17, and Under 20. For the young weightlifters, the event represented not only an opportunity to compete for team and individual honours, but also a valuable international experience.
The fair and professional conduct of the competition was ensured by a team of 15 referees, technical officials, sound engineers, and other event staff who worked throughout the competition to guarantee its smooth operation.
A significant contribution to the success of the 12th edition was made by a dedicated team of volunteers led by Mr. Ondrej Kružel Sr., who were responsible for a wide range of organizational, technical, and logistical tasks throughout the event. As stated by Mr. Tomáš Chovanec, President of the Slovak Weightlifting Federation and member of the Executive Board of the European Weightlifting Federation:
“The work of people behind the scenes is an essential part of every major sporting event. Bobrov once again demonstrated that high-quality organization is the foundation of a successful international competition.”
The event also welcomed distinguished guests from both the European and Slovak sporting communities, including Dr. Astrit Hasani, President of the European Weightlifting Federation. Speaking about their presence, the President of the Slovak Weightlifting Federation commented:
“It was a great honour for us to host the President of the European Weightlifting Federation. His presence significantly increased the prestige of the event. We also highly appreciate the active participation of representatives of national federations, whose ideas and experience contributed to the further development of both the competition and youth weightlifting. During the four days, we held several working meetings focused on the future of weightlifting in Europe. It is quite rare to see representatives of so many national federations gathered together outside major championship events.”
Among the distinguished guests were:
- Mr. Jesmond Caruana, President of the European Union Confederation and Vice President of the European Weightlifting Federation. Mr. Caruana was instrumental in ensuring that the competition was conducted to the highest standard.
- Also in attendance were Mr. Giuseppe Minissale, General Secretary of the European Union Confederation;
- Mr. Dušan Kováč, Member of the EWF Executive Board and President of the Czech Weightlifting Federation;
- Mr. Alex Padure, President of the Romanian Weightlifting Federation and
- Mr. Zdzisław Żołoba, President of the Polish Weightlifting Federation.;
- Mr. Lech Labudda, Vice President of the Polish Weightlifting Federation;
- Mr. Slavko Laljek, President of the Slovenian Weightlifting Federation;
- and Mr. Attila Adamfi, Vice President of the Hungarian Weightlifting Federation.
Their presence emphasized the significance of the event and served as recognition of the work carried out by both the organizers and the Slovak Weightlifting Federation.
Their presence emphasized the significance of the event and served as recognition of the work carried out by both the organizers and the Slovak Weightlifting Federation.
The 12th European Union Cup in Weightlifting was held under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Slovak Republic and with the support of the Sports Support Fund. The Sports Support Fund contributed €21,500 towards the organization of the event. Additional support was provided by the International Visegrad Fund.
The European Union Cup brought not only high-level sporting performances to Bobrov, but also the atmosphere of a major international sporting event. For Slovakia and the Orava region, hosting the competition was an opportunity to demonstrate that even a small municipality can successfully organize a significant international sporting event and provide excellent conditions for young athletes from across Europe.
The 12th European Union Cup in Weightlifting in Bobrov therefore represents another important milestone for Slovak weightlifting and confirms Slovakia’s ambition to play an active role in the organization of international weightlifting events.
Finally, the President of the Slovak Weightlifting Federation expressed his sincere gratitude to Mr. Ondrej Kružel Sr. and Mr. Marek Štít for their dedication and professional management of the competition, which contributed significantly to the overall success of the event.