Oliver Kurek promotes mas-wrestling among the population. In November he will bring the European Championship to Bystrica.

Oliver is one of the most prominent figures in Slovak strength sports. His family introduced him to sports fr om a young age, and today he is a well-known name not only in powerlifting but also in the less known but dynamically developing sport of mas-wrestling.

"I come from a family that lives for sports. Mom, dad, my brother, and I - we're all athletes," says Oliver. His sports path began with football, continued through mountaineering and indoor rowing, and led to powerlifting. It was in this discipline that he made history - he became the first Slovak who managed to do a deadlift more than four times his own body weight. "In 2021, when I weighed 75 kilograms, I managed to lift 305 kilograms. This performance brought me a world record in the GPC federation, which I still hold," he recalls.

However, gradually his attention was drawn to mas-wrestling, which comes from distant Yakutia. "Mas-wrestling could be described as a strength-based tug of war. You sit opposite your opponent, there’s a board between your legs, you hold a wooden stick, and your task is to pull it out of your opponent's hands or throw him back towards you," he explains.

One of his greatest experiences was his first World Championship in Yakutia, wh ere he took second place. "In Yakutia, this sport is a national phenomenon. Even at the airport, we were greeted by representatives of the press and fans. It was amazing to see thousands of spectators applauding in the stadium. I will never forget this," he adds.

The European Championship will gather the best athletes in the world in Banská Bystrica.

Today, in addition to the national team, Oliver is also busy organizing events. This year, he will host the European Championship in mas-wrestling, which will take place in Banská Bystrica fr om November 7 to 9, 2025. "It was originally supposed to be held in Georgia, but it was canceled due to the security situation. Since I had already organized a similar event in Brezno, I decided to bring it this time to the very heart of Slovakia," he says. The competition days will be held in the "Dukla" sports hall in Štiavničky and in the Europa SC shopping center, wh ere the finals in the absolute category will also take place.

Entry for spectators will be free, there will be a lottery, an accompanying program, and demonstrations for the public. "We want everyone to be able to come and see this sport. Maybe he will try it himself," he adds.

The goal is to bring sports closer to young people.

Mas-wrestling is also trying to bring children and schools closer together. In schools, we often find that students do not want to engage in sports. For this, mas-wrestling is ideal – you take a wooden stick and do not even realize how an hour flies by. According to him, children do not want to stop after their first contact with this sport. At first, they approach it with caution, but once they warm up, we can't get them off the board, he adds with a laugh. In November, he is also preparing a nationwide school tour for students, which aims to stimulate interest in sports and attract young athletes from across Slovakia.

Oliver believes that Slovakia has the potential to become one of the best. "We already have several world and European championship medalists. If we develop this sport, we can join the ranks of the top countries," he says convincingly.

In conclusion, he addresses all the young people from Bystrica: "Don't be afraid to try something new. Mas-wrestling is a sport for everyone, regardless of whether you've done sports or not. Maybe you will become the next world champion from Slovakia."