Matej Beňuš is one of many athletes taking part in the initiative ©SOSC

The Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee (SOSC) has launched a "Practice Sport at Home, Slovakia" campaign, encouraging people to stay active while restrictions on movement are in place in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In cooperation with the Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS), SOSC launched the project in April as an alternative to one of its annual projects.

At the end of March, eight cities in Slovakia usually participate in the "Practice Sport, Slovakia" initiative that was launched last year, but due to the crisis, the Government put a stop to mass events, forcing SOSC to adapt to the situation.

The pilot for Practice Sport at Home, Slovakia was broadcast on April 27 on RTVS, with the general public having the opportunity to keep active daily over the next two months, with the nation's top athletes encouraging them to do so.

Athletes are showing people how to exercise using household items, with each 15-minute video including a challenge from the athlete.

They will also be responding to questions from television commentators and the content will be shown on three of RTVS channels - Jednotka, Dvojka and Trojka - as well as SOSC's social media platforms.

Biathlete Anastasia Kuzmina leads the group of athletes taking part is SOSC's campaign ©IBU
Biathlete Anastasia Kuzmina leads the group of athletes taking part is SOSC's campaign ©IBU

Top athletes taking part include triple Olympic biathlon champion Anastasia Kuzmina.

Shooter Danka Barteková - who is an International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission member - and canoeist Matej Beňuš are other Olympic medallists taking part.

Beňuš' team mate Alexander Slafkovský, triathlete Richard Varga, biathlete Paulína Fialková and sprinter Ján Volko are among the other athletes to participate.

"The main goal of the project is to help citizens of Slovakia to stay in a good mental mood and in a good physical shape in the hard time of corona crisis, and to improve their immunity," said an SOSC statement.

"Examples of the top athletes show that people can be physically active also in their home environment, without taking a risk to practise sport in the places with a big concentration of people." 

SOSC President Anton Siekel added: "I am extremely glad that our top athletes are able to be role models for everyone and showcase how they can be active and moving effectively also in this hard times.

"This is a source of motivation and positive energy."

Slovakia to date has more than 1,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19, resulting in the deaths of 26 people - one of the lowest rates in Europe.