"Grandpa, Grandpa!"shouted my grandson as he came back from school. After school he always comes to our place, where his grandma cooks lunch for him.

"Could you please help me with a project we are starting now in school?" he continued.

"If I will be able to help you with this project of yours, then it will be my pleasure. What is the topic of the project?" I always enjoyed helping Jožko, my only grandchild, with his projects and I also feel that he likes it, when I am helping him.

"Well this times something, about which you know lots of things. We have to choose a big success in the history of sport in our country."

Yes, this was certainly my favorite topic. Seven nice years I spent as the chairman of the Slovak Olympic Committee I devoted my whole life to sports, from my early childhood until the day I retired. And, as part of my work agenda, I traveled around the world presenting the biggest successes of our sport. From the first moment I heard the topic from Jožko's lips, I knew which topic I will recommend him to present. Yes, the success that happened 48 years ago, in 2002.

"Come Jožko, until grandma will cook delicious goulash, I will show you something in the back room" I could see anxiety on his face as I led him to my back room.

Back room that is how I call my ancient work room, where I store now ancient things as DVDs, CDs, old articles, books...etc. It was quite a small room, which would not be able to fulfill another purpose as my back room. Its walls were filled with bookshelves and below a large window, was table, on which there was a laptop and a TV, which I used when I wanted to watch something else as my wife.

As we entered the room, I took out a DVD covered with dust and a book. Both had the same title: "Golden Boys from Goteborg". I saw my grandson was really puzzled, as he saw the front cover.

So I asked him: "Do you know what sport is this?"

"Yes of course, its ice hockey." he was still puzzled. "Why ice hockey? We are one of the worst countries in this sport. Is this some kind of a joke?"

"No. I am completely serious. Well now we are one of the worst countries, but in the days when I was young, we were one of the best. As you see on this picture," I showed him the cover of the DVD "we actually won once the world championship. All the players who played for our country on that tournament became national heroes. The sport became really popular. And that can be your topic, if you want. <The Golden Years of Slovak Ice Hockey>"

"Yes I would like do my project about this topic. The others will surely do their projects about Slovak rugby or baseball successes."

I was really glad, when I heard his answer. Now in these days those were the two most popular sports. In my youth years I would not even think about it, in those days people hardly knew what rugby or baseball is.

I began explaining Jožko how the historical background of our accomplishments. First of all, I told about the success in the 1994 Lillehammer games, which came after IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) relegated us into the C category, while Czech Republic was placed following the split of Czechoslovakia in the A category World Championship. We proved to the IIHF with the 6^th place that we belong among the best sixteen teams. Then after 2 years of hard work we qualified for the World Champs in Vienna in 1996. Jožko stunned to hear about players like Peter Šťastný, Miro Šatan, Pavol Demitra, Žigo Pálfy and Peter Bondra, who were also respected in the oversea National Hockey League.

“We had famous players in that league?” my grandson asked

“Certainly. They were even one of the best players there. When you mentioned the word Slovakia to any Canadian he would not be able to say to you where the country is or how it is there, but he could name you more than dozen of Slovak players in the NHL”

Now we finally got to the topic of his presentation. The five years, in which we won 4 medals in 2 categories.

“It all began in 1999, when our juniors came home from the World Champs with a bronze medal. This generation was hence called <The Golden Generation>. Next year with the same coach and joined by few older experienced players they surprisingly advanced to the final, in which we lost to our biggest rivals the Czechs 3-5. But there is a saying that once you are and the next moment you are down. That happened in 2002. First we failed to qualify for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. We have not won a single game, although we had an easy group with teams like Germany, Latvia or Austria”

“Why does it say then on this DVD that we won the gold medal?” asked Jožko eagerly

“Because we have won the gold medal. Not at the Olympic Games, but next two months after that in Goteborg, where the World Championship took place that year.” I explained

I turned on my laptop and put the DVD inside it. And I showed him the highlights from this amazing tournament: the win over Ukraine in the Group stage, the tense game against the Russian Federation the 2^nd round, the amazing turnaround in the game against the first nation of hockey (Canada), the fabulous saves of our goalie and the breathtaking shootout against the Swedes in the semis and the whole final game against Russia.

Jožko stared on the screen smiling without saying a word as he saw that after the first period we were winning 3-1, and looked nervous as the Russians scored the goal to tie the game. But was filled with joy as Bondra scored 60 seconds before the end of the final 3^rd period the game deciding goal. The last thing I showed him was the amazing atmosphere on the Hviezdoslav square in Bratislava during the final and as the <Golden Boys> came back from Goteborg. I was also happy to see these nostalgic moments. I remembered that in those days I thought that these moments would last forever.

Jožko interrupted my nostalgic thinking as he asked: “How come this came to an end? I mean what went wrong?”

“No one knows exactly, except some people. But I guess that it was that after this great tournament the Slovak hockey went rapidly down. One year later we won bronze medal and in 2004 we finished 4^th, but then we never reached semifinal again.” I explained to him

“Why?”

“Everyone criticized the hockey association for doing nothing but no one suggested a solution. The old generation grew too old and there was no one to replace them. There was a slight chance again as we were to organize the 2011 Championships.”

“Did we organize them?”

“No. First of all we relegated to the group C again to play with teams like Turkey, Croatia or Maldives. Second of all for the Champs you need arenas. There was one build in Kosice, but the other which was supposed o be in Bratislava was never built. The people in charge of choosing the location did nothing but fight with each other and they just made themselves richer and richer at the expense of the Slovak hockey. Eventually the Championship was moved to Sweden and our media and fellow countrymen lost interest in this wonderful game. Sad is that no one was punished for destroying one of our traditional sports. As we got better and better in rugby and baseball, the National stadium of these two sports was built on the site where the hockey one was supposed to be.”

There was a moment of silence as we were both thinking about it. Really all the people escaped without serving even one month in jail. Justice made in Slovakia.

“There is one more thing I have to tell you. If you are interested, there is monument before the National stadium dedicated to the hockey heroes of 2002. Unfortunately it is in a place, where you can see it only by chance. You have there also names of all our heroes and the important dates of our hockey history.” I brought this to his attention

“Yes certainly. I would like to use your books, if I may borrow them. You made the topic even more interesting then it was.” Jožko said really happy. You could see how he was deeply interested in this project.

“Certainly you may. Thank you very much.” I replied gladly. My mission was fulfilled. We could go and have lunch now. In the evening, still in nostalgic mood, I watched the DVD again and kept on asking myself: “What went wrong? Why?” Those two questions are never going to be explained properly.