Dear friends, athletics fans,

It is an honor for me to assume the auspices of the event which spread the good name of our country in the world for many years and it belongs among the Slovak sports jewelry. I am very pleased that it was possible to restore the tradition of the Pravda – Televízia – Slovnaft meeting last year. Many thanks go to everyone who contributed to the return of the legend.

I had the chance to experience the last year´s 51st year of the “P-T-S” personally. I will remember it as the only start of Matej Tóth in 2016 before his Olympic triumph in Rio.  The event was successful. It indicated that if skilled enthusiastic organisers get together with like-minded people from business, politics and government, big thing may happen. Restoring the tradition of the P – T – S meeting was such event undoubtedly.

I am glad that it is just Šamorín, the place where I live, to welcome this great event. Once, it had the epithet Zurich of the East. Not unjustly, because at the P – T – S, as well as in Zurich, dozens of Olympic medalists, world and European champions competed there. From the major stars we will mention a few – Merlene Ottey, Jarmila Kratochvílová, Marita Koch, Stefka Kostadinova, Galina Chistyakova, Helena Fibingerová, Linford Christie, Michael Johnson, Albert Juantorena, Colin Jackson, Javier Sotomayor, Sergey Bubka and Jan Železný.

There are also several athletes coming from Šamorín region who spread the fame of Czechoslovakia and later Slovakia on major world events – like world champion in discus throw Imrich Bugár, the only Slovak female athlete with an Olympic medal – long jumper Eva Šuranová-Kucmanová, or the former youth world vice-champion in high jump Renáta Medgyesová. I therefore believe that it is the “P-T-S” meeting in the modern sports complex in Šamorín what will boost the region to raise the next athletic champion again.

P-T-S is a brand. Brand of the highest quality. I hope that the renewed tradition of which second half-century we started last year will stay for many years. I wish you all a nice athletic experience.

BÉLA BUGÁR, Vice-chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic

Zo šamorínskeho regiónu pochádzajú aj viacerí atléti, ktorí na vrcholných svetových podujatiach šírili slávu Československa a neskôr Slovenska – napríklad majster sveta v hode diskom Imrich Bugár, jediná slovenská atlétka s medailou z olympijských hier, diaľkarka Eva Šuranová-Kucmanová či bývalá vicemajsterka sveta do 17 rokov, výškarka Renáta Medgyesová. Preto verím, že práve „péteeska“ v modernom šamorínskom športovom komplexe bude impulz, aby v regióne opäť vyrástol atletický šampión svetového mena.

P – T –  S je značka. Značka najvyššej kvality. Verím, že obnovená tradícia, ktorej druhú polstoročnicu sme minulý rok začali, vytrvá dlhé roky. Želám vám všetkým krásny atletický zážitok.

BÉLA BUGÁR, podpredseda Národnej rady Slovenskej republiky