Ivan Chodák

Ivan Chodák (3 February 1914 in Dolný Kubín – 14 February 1994 in Bratislava) was a Slovak footballer, coach, and doctor of medicine.

Ivan Chodák, Slovak footballer, coach and doctor of medicine

He was an excellent sportsman and at the same time, he was one of the best students at the Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava. He took a doctorate degree in 1938. He was one of the most famous and well-known doctors in Bratislava who specialized in otorhinolaryngology.[1] For many years, people called him "Mayor from Orava" in Bratislava.

He was also well-known due to his football skills and gentlemanly behavior. He began his footballing career for Dolný Kubín. At the beginning of 1935, he temporarily played for FC Vrútky and in the autumn he played for VS Bratislava. He played his first league match in club colors of 1. ČsSK Bratislava on 1 December 1935 against Teplitzer FK. He took part in 193 league matches and scored 23 goals. Apart from being a goalkeeper, he played in every different position. As a representative of Slovakia he showed the richness of his football skills eleven times. He finished his active football career in 1946. Due to his fair-play attitude towards games, playmates, referees, spectators, but most of all towards his rivals he had the nickname "Knight in Football Boots". He was never sent off or even reprimanded during a match.

Besides football, he also participated in other sports. For VS Bratislava, he took part in running races from 800m to 5000m, and also practiced high jumping. He played tennis, and he was an excellent swimmer. In 1934, he achieved the academic champion title of Czechoslovakia in cross-country skiing, which was a pass to the Academic World Winter Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland. He reached third place in an 18 km running race.

As a student, he played ice-hockey for VS Bratislava and SK Bratislava. He was a champion of Slovakia, and he played in the finals two times. He was in the selected players team three times. When Hilda Múdra, who was notable for training the Olympic gold medalist Ondrej Nepela, came to Bratislava, he was her first sparring partner in figure skating. Over 25 years, he was the coach of all Slovan teams, from the A-team, through junior teams, to un-registered players.

Since 1994, SFZ announced every year in February "The Dr. Ivan Chodak Fair Play Prize". The place of awarding ceremony is Dolny Kubín. The football stadium in Dolný Kubín also bears his name.

References
  1. a.s, Petit Press. "Dá sa vrcholovo športovať a študovať? Príklady ukazujú, že áno". komentare.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  • Július Psotka mladší: MUDr. Ivan Chodák, rytier v kopačkách. Šport press Bratislava 1999, ISBN 8085742101.
  • Zdenka Lenetayová: Šport a osobnosti / Sport and Personalities. SZTK – Museum of Physical Culture in Slovak Republic, Bratislava 2008. ISBN 978-80-970058-6-3
  • Zdenka Letenayová, Viliam Karácsony: "Ivan Chodák". SZTK – Museum of Physical Culture in Slovak Republic, Bratislava 2014. ISBN 978-80-970816-5-2
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