The Sporting Life of Galánta Before the First World War

In Galánta, in the second half of the 19th century, hunting and the associated horse riding and shooting were the main activities. Before the local sports clubs were formed, lawn bowling (tenpins) was popular in the town, and there were certainly those who took up gymnastics and athletics. Swimming and bathing were popular on hot summer days, with the unsafe banks of the Váh River being a favourite spot. In the first decade of the 20th century, the sporting life of Galánta began to spiral up very rapidly. Sándor Jandly-Döbrentei, the high sheriff of the Galánta district, played a significant role in this process, not only as a fan of physical exercise but also as a major promoter. It was thanks to him that in the years before the First World War, Galánta’s sporting life was the most active and colourful in the wider region. This flourishing sporting life came to an end with the outbreak of the First World War. The entry of men into the war made the work of sports clubs inoperable and sport lost its significance as an important factor in the social life of the population.