Slovenia is a relatively young European country, having formed part of Yugoslavia until 1991. As a result, the majority of its former athletes competed under the Yugoslavian flag. Three decades since its independence, the country is beginning to demonstrate its unique sporting talents across several teams and individual sports. In this article, we follow sports expert Tomaš Selinec in his quest to showcase the sports culture in Slovenia.
Generally, the most popular sports in the country are football, basketball, and ice hockey. Despite the dominance of these sports, Slovenians also engage in individual sports like skiing, athletics, tennis, and cycling. The mountainous region is best known in the extreme sports world, where several of its athletes have demonstrated unrivaled strength and excellence. One of such athletes is Martin Strel. The ultra marathon swimmer holds several world records for swimming the entire length of the Mississippi and Danube rivers in record time.
Another of Slovenia’s sporting greats is Late Davo Karničar – who was an alpinist and extreme skier. His notable feats include skiing down the Kilimanjaro and Mount Everest. Davo passed away in 2019 but was the first man to ski down Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Slovenia made its Olympic debut back in 1992 and has gone on to record an impressive nineteen summer Olympics medals and fifteen winter Olympics medals. Notwithstanding their excellent performance at the Olympic Games, the major sports in Slovenia include the following:
. Football:
Football ranks as the most played sport globally, and this is the same in Slovenia, with several nogomet stave operating in the country. The country’s highest domestic league is the Slovenian PrvaLiga which features ten club sides, including Maribor and Olimpija Ljubljana, which produced footballers like Illicic and Jan Oblak. The national team has made appearances at two FIFA Men’s World Cup editions in 2002 and 2010. The Slovenian national team was also featured at the UEFA European Championship in 2000. Famous footballers include 2021 Serie A winner Samir Handanovic and former Slovenian player of the year winner Josip Iličić.
. Basketball
Basketball is another popular sport in the country, with the national Premier A Slovenian Basketball League garnering lots of fanfare and following across the region. The love and passion for the sport are replicated on the Men’s basketball team’s consistency, having qualified for three FIBA World Cups, the most recent one coming in 2014. They have also featured in 13 EuroBasket competitions, coming fourth in 2009 and winning the trophy eight years later in 2017. Some popular Slovenian basketballers include Goran Dragić of the NBA’s Miami Heats and Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks. The country also hosted the EuroBasket competition back in 2013.
. Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in Slovenia, with the national league being formed after the country’s independence by former Yugoslav clubs sides. The national team played their first official game under the Slovenian flag a year later and has since featured at twenty-seven Ice Hockey World Championships. One of the country’s most famous ice hockey players is Anže Kopitar. The Centre man captains NHL side Los Angeles Kings and is the first Slovenian to win the Stanley Cup. Other popular names in Slovenian ice hockey include Robert Kristan and David Rodman.
. Handball
Handball is the fourth most popular sport in Slovenia and is one in which the men’s team has performed strongly. The national team has qualified for nine World Championships, with their bronze medal in 2017 their best position so far. However, the domestic handball sides have gone a tad better, winning the European Handball Federation Championship in 2004. Before winning that final, RK Celje had appeared in five consecutive EHF semi-finals.
Asides from the team sports mentioned above, Slovenians have excelled in several individual sports, including biathlon, ski jumping, cycling, and fencing. Tina Maze also two gold medals in alpine skiing for the country in 2014, while Davo Karničar remains the only person to ski down Mount Everest, achieving the feat in 2000. Since the most famous sport in the country is football, it also leads the way in sports betting, with punters actively searching for nogomet stave during each soccer season.
In conclusion, the Slovenian sports culture is one worthy of emulation. From participating in unconventional sports to catching up with older nations, they have demonstrated tenacity and determination. Given their current crop of sportsmen and women, there is no doubt that the country will achieve more greatness. Sports bettors also stand a great chance to win huge sums by betting on Slovenian leagues and sports due to their high odds. If you’re looking to begin your sports betting journey in Slovenia, then you should familiarize yourself with Mightytips’ reviews, which you can read here.
