It's up to us to attract young people to sports

Dušan Tittel didn't hesitate for a moment when offered the role of ambassador for the tournament.

Dušan Tittel, the best footballer in Slovakia from 1995 to 1997, immediately agreed to be an ambassador for the small football competitions at the inaugural European Team Cup in Bratislava. He has known the organizer, Peter Králik, for a long time from various events and gatherings. The idea of such a large event for young people appealed to him, especially because he has a strong connection to these sports. Tittel, who was a former defender and captain of Slovan Bratislava, has also played for Nimes in France and for Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus.

Tittel believes that small football has managed to find its place among tough competition. He pointed out that there are various forms of football and futsal, but they don't have to compete with each other. They can all coexist. Additionally, small football is often played outdoors on artificial grass, unlike futsal, which is typically played indoors. Many players enjoy participating in both sports.

An Attractive Program The competition is taking place on artificial turf at Kuchajda in Bratislava from today until Thursday. Twenty-four teams are competing for victory in the European Team Cup, with Slovakia fielding five teams, Romania four, and Hungary three. The teams consist of six players (5+1) who are no older than twenty-five, and matches last for 2x12 minutes of pure playing time. Dušan Tittel is looking forward to the tournament on Kuchajda and hopes to witness some exciting sports matches.

According to Tittel, attracting young people to sports is currently twice as important. He pointed out that statistics show that young people who didn't engage in sports during their childhood are less likely to get involved in sports as adults. Those who started sports and later quit tend to stay inactive as well. Tittel believes that former athletes and coaches have a role to play in changing this trend and attracting young people to sports, which is one of the reasons he accepted this role as an ambassador. "I'm delighted that we can present such big names from our football to the young ones here at Primaciálné námestie. I'm glad that we managed to convince Dušan Tittel to take on this role," added Peter Králik, organizer of the European Team Cup.