The predecessor of the Sports Association of the University of Sopron (SMAFC) was founded in Selmecbánya in 1860 and from that time it has continuously operated as Europe’s second and Hungary’s oldest sports association. SMAFC stands for the Sopron University Club for Athletics and Football (Soproni Műegyetemi Atlétikai és Football Club) whose basketball players made it legendary. The treasured name of SMAFC stems from the fact that from 1934 until 1952 the mining, metallurgical and forestry faculties were part of the József Nádor University of Technology and Economics. Today we still continue to use the cherished name of SMAFC.
The basketball club of SMAFC enriched the history of the university with a number of athletic successes. In the academic year of 1948-49, the legendary basketball team won the second division with no losses. For years they played in the first division, among the best teams for the Hungarian championship in first division. By 1962 an outstanding team was assembled under the leadership of Ferenc Krasznai and had one success after another in the next ten years. In 1969 they were the first team outside Budapest who won the Hungarian People’s Republic Cup. This was particularly noteworthy since in most first-division teams some professionals were playing, but in SMAFC there were only unpaid university students. Ferenc Krasznai’s work was crowned with the selection of several of his players as members of the Hungarian national team. The present sports centre and a basketball tournament are both named after this famous coach.
From that time it has continuously operated as one of Europe’s oldest sports associations. Today excellent results have been achieved in the association’s karate (European Championship gold medals), riding, chess, ski (World Championship silver medals) and orienteering sections too.
In addition to basketball, the university had outstanding results, winning gold medals in the European karate championship, silver medals in horse riding, chess and skiing. We have also had athletic success in orienteering.
SMAFC still provides a wide variety of sports, available for all students of the University of Sopron. For more information, please contact us at international@uni-sopron.hu.
