Winning the World Championship title definitely convinced me to give up my ice hockey career and fully commit to ball hockey, recalls Róbert “Bobby” Kašša

The name Róbert Kašša is well-known in the ball hockey community, not only in Slovakia but internationally as well. This ball hockey globetrotter tried the Canadian league and was inducted into the ISBHF Hall of Fame.

The Zvolen World Championship created lasting friendships

Róbert, your ball hockey resume is quite rich and you’ve achieved many accomplishments. Let’s start with the national team. You’re a two-time world champion from 1999 and 2013. Your first gold medal came at home in Slovakia. How do you remember that tournament? And what did this success mean for the next stage of your career?

Those are beautiful memories. Playing on the same team as stars like Pavol Demitra, Josef Stümpel, Richard Zedník, or Rastislav Pavlikovský is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We built a great team supported by a fantastic crowd, and the gold medal was the icing on the cake. I have to admit, we had a lot of sporting luck – not just in the final against Canada, but already in the semifinal against the Czech Republic. Maybe that luck was karma for the unlucky 1998 championship in Litoměřice, where we beat the Czechs 4–0 in the group stage but lost to them 3–1 in the final. It was my first Worlds, and although we finished second, I remember Litoměřice very fondly.

As for the 1999 Worlds, winning the title convinced me to finally give up ice hockey and focus entirely on ball hockey. That tournament in Zvolen also sparked friendships that last to this day – with Josef Stümpel, Stanislav Petrík, and many others. And you know what? My laptop wallpaper is a photo from the locker room right after the 1999 final, with Pavol Demitra, Richard Zedník, my father, and my brother-in-law, who was also part of that golden team.

Do you remember the conditions provided by the organizers back then? Can they even be compared to those available to players today?

I’d call it the medieval era of ball hockey, even though in Zvolen, everyone did their best to provide us with good conditions. The fact that the Slovak television broadcasted the final live was a miracle in itself. Those were pioneering times, and I’m forever grateful to everyone who contributed. A fun fact — in the final, we didn’t even wear traditional national team jerseys with the Slovak emblem, but ones with a huge sponsor logo that said “Pravá koža” (“Genuine Leather”), who gave us prize money after winning. It came out to 1000 Slovak koruna per player, which is about 35 euros. (laughs)

As a player, coach, or TV commentator, I’ve participated in eleven world championships in total. The development has been incredible — not just in organization and player conditions, but also in the readiness and skill level of both individuals and teams. The championships in Bratislava (2011), Zug (2015), Pardubice (2017), and Košice (2019) were true celebrations of world ball hockey, and both players and fans had to enjoy them.

Your next gold came 14 years later in St. John's, Canada, when you were much more experienced and decorated. What was your role on the team then, and what did the coaches expect from you?

We went to Canada with a clear goal — to reclaim the world title after many years. For me, it was my farewell to the national team as a player, so I gave everything I had during the preparations. My role, as always, was to keep a good vibe in the locker room, act as a liaison between the team and coaches, and of course contribute with my experience in key moments.

Here’s a funny memory — before the final, the younger guys told me to warm up in front of the Czech locker room. They said if the Czechs saw an overweight old guy like me, they’d underestimate us. (laughs)

If you compare the two gold medal tournaments, which one was more difficult in terms of competition? In 2013, for instance, the Czechs were two-time defending champions and aiming for a third.

That’s hard to say because in both tournaments, the big three — Slovakia, Czechia, and Canada — came well-prepared. In Zvolen, we had home advantage and our big trump card was Pavol Demitra. But the Czech squad was stacked too — every name a legend: Král, Kaňkovský, Pletka, Ptáček, Pavlík, Kormunda, Beseda, Hossinger, and Vorel. And the Canadians? They brought a dream team led by future ISBHF president George Gortsos. The Mignos brothers, Mentis, Marchese, and my future teammates in Montreal — Pat Petraccione, Pat Wick, and Paolo Musto — played ball hockey like they were from another planet.

But we had luck on our side that year. We beat the Czechs in the semifinals on penalty shots and did the same to Canada in the final. In both games, we were on the back foot, but unlike our opponents, we had Pavol Demitra.

In St. John's, things were different. Besides the traditional powerhouses, Portugal, Greece, and the U.S. were also strong. Portugal really challenged us in the semis, but their level still couldn’t match the intensity of the Canada–Czech semifinal. That match drained the Czechs, especially after a nasty incident where a Canadian player assaulted Honza Bacovský and Lukáš Heczko. We, on the other hand, were fully prepared — physically and mentally — to win. And several Czech players admitted after the final that we were just better that year.

In 2015, Slovakia managed to defend their title, but you were no longer on the field—you were an assistant coach. A large part of the squad played together for Nitra. Do you think this chemistry was key to winning?

That's an interesting perspective—I’ve never looked at our Swiss title this way before. It’s true, we had up to ten players from the Nitra Knights, but we also had well-matched forward pairs from Skalica and Kežmarok, plus experienced defenders from Ružinov and Doprastav. Personally, I credit our victory to the coaching genius of Jozef Ďuris and the immense moral strength of the team.

We had a disastrous start to the tournament—we lost to the USA 3–4, drew with Finland 1–1, and tied with Pakistan 3–3. In the group stage, we only beat Portugal 4–2. No one believed in us, and the quarterfinal against Canada loomed. In the locker room, after an emotional speech from our head coach, we got so fired up that we eventually pushed past the strong teams of Canada, Czechia, and the USA all the way to gold. The club chemistry certainly played a part, but above all, it was about mental setup and huge ball hockey hearts.

Let’s move to your club career. You started in Žilina, but your first big trophy came in Canada with Montreal. In 2002, you won the Canadian Ball Hockey League there. How did you get to Canada, and how do you remember your time there?

At the 2001 World Championship in Toronto, I was Slovakia’s top scorer and named the tournament’s best forward. That caught the eye of Canadian coach and manager Tony Iannitto, who asked if I’d like to play for his Montreal Black Knights that spring. He was also interested in Slovak defender Vlado Žák from Topoľčany, whom he’d spotted at a tournament in Canada earlier.

It was a big challenge, but I had commitments—a budding relationship with my now-wife Katka, a job as a sports editor in Žilina, and I was still playing in the first ice hockey league. I took unpaid leave, hung up my skates, promised my girlfriend I’d come back, and borrowed money for a ticket from my parents. Less than two months before departure, I had a bad car accident and broke my sternum, among other injuries. Still, in January 2002, Vlado Žák and I made it to Montreal and played for both the Black Knights and the lower team, Jules & Emis, for three months.

Tony arranged accommodation with a Czech family in Laval, brought us groceries, and an elderly Czech man cooked for us. In the end, we won the PM Ball Hockey League, which qualified us for the Canadian championship in August. By then, we’d returned home, and only I went back for the tournament. We lost the final to city rivals Red Lite, which included NHL’s Alex Burrows. The next season, we took part again, this time hosting the Canadian championship in Montreal, with Stanislav Petrík in net. Again, we lost the final to Red Lite.

One strong memory was a quarterfinal against Montreal All Blacks, featuring NHL tough guy Georges Laraque. A few minutes before the end, we were down by two. My pregnant wife was in the stands—I’d combined the tournament with our honeymoon—and I wanted to impress her. I tied the game with two goals and won it in overtime with a hat trick. When Laraque shook my hand and complimented me, I felt like I was in ball hockey heaven. I have fond memories of Canada, especially of Montreal, Tony Iannitto and his then-wife Janka. I’m still in touch with my Black Knights teammates.

They called me at work, and I have to admit, I had to hide for a moment because I started crying

After two years overseas, you returned to Slovakia and began your golden era in Nitra, where you won four straight league titles. What was the secret of that team’s strength?

In Nitra, there was a regular summer ball hockey tournament, the Stümpel Cup, organized by ball hockey enthusiast and former youth national player Marek Strápek. At one of the tournaments, I jokingly told him that Nitra should return to the league map—he ran with it. He managed to secure funding and brought in experienced players from across Slovakia to join the talented locals.

We had four balanced lines and an excellent trio of goalies, led by Stanislav Petrík. In Nitra, we had almost professional conditions, and we tried to repay that with performances on the rink. We were basically a mini-national team—every opponent wanted to beat us and catch up to us organizationally. I think that also helped raise the level of ball hockey in Slovakia at the time.

The Knights won five titles in a row and produced several quality national players. Those were great times—a kind of ball hockey retirement for me. I’d like to send a greeting to heaven and a big THANK YOU to Marek Strápek, who unfortunately passed away six years ago.

Your fifth and final Slovak Extraliga title came in 2016 with ŠKB Martin. Why did you choose that club at the time?

Back when I played for Nitra, my friend Jimmy Hrivnák and I used to dream of one day winning a title in Martin or Žilina. After the World Championship in Switzerland, Aurel Nauš from Martin—then coach and a fellow member of the national team coaching staff—asked if I could help both as a player and someone to unite the team and attract some experienced reinforcements.

On one hand, I wanted to help my longtime friends. On the other, I wanted to see if I still had what it took to play in the Extraliga after a one-year break, especially considering my age and extra kilos. Žilina no longer had a team in the Extraliga, so Martin made sense logistically too.

Nitra kindly released experienced forwards Jimmy Hrivnák and Martin Kollár, along with elite goalie Patrik Polc. At times, I wanted to give up, but in the end, it was all worth it. We had a great group of guys, each one doing their job. That included former Slovak ice hockey national team player Tomáš Starosta.

It was an unforgettable ride. Today I joke that it took a guy from Žilina to finally bring a title to Martin after six silver medals. (laughs)

In 2010, you were inducted into the ISBHF Hall of Fame. What did that mean to you?

They called me at work to tell me, and I have to admit—I had to step away and hide for a moment because I started crying like a little kid. My whole career flashed before my eyes—the wins, the losses, the injuries, the emotions. It was incredibly powerful. It was a recognition of years of dedication and a reward for everything I gave up for ball hockey, including the difficult moments. I take it as a huge honor. I’m grateful not only to those who made the decision but to all my teammates, coaches, fans, and everyone who supported me.

Last year, during the U20 World Championship in Žilina 2024, a legends match was held between Slovak ball hockey legends and Žilina legends. You were part of that game. How did you enjoy it?

I wasn’t just part of it—I was also the main organizer, so I was relieved when it was over. I made dozens of phone calls to confirm participation, and I thank all the guys who found their way to Žilina. I was nervous the whole time, hoping everything would go well and everyone would be satisfied. I scored the opening goal of the game and barely even remembered it... but that was probably due to oxygen debt. (laughs) Looking back, I’m really glad that all the important people in my life were there—my family, friends, and teammates. And I’m especially happy that the legendary Jozef Stümpel came too.

Is there any moment in your career that you regret or something that still bothers you?

They say you shouldn’t regret anything in life. Of course, there are things I’m not proud of—especially times when I couldn’t control my emotions. I’m someone who takes losses really hard, but I’ve always felt bad afterward and never had a problem apologizing. Just ask Jarda Pavlík, who felt the brunt of my frustration near the end of the 2000 European Championship final in Most. Or Vít Řezáč, who saw my worse side at a tournament in Germany. It seems to me that years ago, the rivalry between Slovaks and Czechs in ball hockey sometimes bordered on hostility. But for me, it was always about pride—I never gave anything away, whether it was against Czechs, Canadians, or anyone else. “Hatred” is a foreign word to me. I’m always glad when I run into a former opponent and we can reminisce about the old days.

As we mentioned, you played ball hockey abroad. Did you ever consider playing in the Czech Extraliga? Did any Czech clubs ever approach you?

I really wanted to. At one point, I even considered joining TJ KOVO Praha with Michal Krček. But something always came up, so I never played in the Czech Extraliga. I’ll be turning fifty in two months—maybe some club will give me a one-game contract as a birthday gift. Then I could say I played in the three best ball hockey leagues in the world.

After officially ending your playing career, you entered politics and are now a member of the City Council of Žilina and the Žilina Regional Government. Can you share what this work involves and what your main responsibilities are?

From my position in both city and regional councils, I naturally focus mainly on sports. In the city, I serve as the chair of the grant and subsidy commission for sports, I help organize the annual Athlete of the Year awards in Žilina, and I’m also involved in a unique event called the Sports Club Fair. Thanks to my position as a city councilor, we managed to secure significant support from the local government for hosting last year’s junior world championship in Žilina.

As a regional councilor, my focus is primarily on revitalizing sports facilities at high schools. One project has already been completed, and others are in the works. Of course, I also deal with other areas—education, social services, and transportation.

However, my livelihood comes mainly from my companies, which organize exhibitions and events in shopping centers. I have a portfolio of around ten original exhibitions, which I create from concept to content and finally install myself. It’s essentially a “traveling” museum that people can visit right in a shopping mall.

As an athlete, I’m especially fond of exhibitions with sports themes. For example, I offer expositions dedicated to Peter Sagan, the history of winter sports, Slovak hockey, world football, the Olympic movement, and the history of Slovak ball hockey. These exhibitions also awakened a collector’s passion in me. My collection includes numerous relics from famous Slovak athletes, as well as dozens of mechanical typewriters, vintage cameras, and retro items from the socialist era. As a journalism graduate, I also remain involved in the media field.

National Team Achievements:

• 2× World Champion (1999, 2013)

• 2× World Championship Silver Medalist (1998, 2005)

• 4× World Championship Bronze Medalist (2001, 2003, 2007, 2011)

• 1× European Championship Silver Medalist (2000)

• 1× Masters World Champion (2022)

Club Achievements:

• 4× Slovak Extraliga Champion with HBK Nitrianski Rytieri Nitra (2011–2014)

• 1× Slovak Extraliga Champion with ŠKB Imperial Vitamins Martin (2016)

• 2× Canadian Championship Silver Medalist with Montreal Black Knights (2002, 2003)

• 1× P.T.M. Canadian Ball Hockey League Champion (2002)

• 1× Czechoslovak Super Cup Winner (2013)

• 1× Club World Cup Bronze Medalist with Nitra (2013)

• 3× European Club Cup Silver Medalist – with ŠK Exposervice Ružinov (1999) and HBC 07 Žilina (2000, 2005)

• 1× European Club Cup Bronze Medalist with Nitra (2012)

• 2× Slovak Championship Silver Medalist (Ružinov 2001, Expresprint Žilina 2002)

• 6× Slovak Extraliga Bronze Medalist – HBC 07 Žilina (1996, 1999, 2000), Expresprint Žilina (2005), LG Franklin Bratislava (2006), HBC Žirafa Žilina (2007)

Individual Awards:

• ISBHF Hall of Fame Inductee (2010)

• Best Forward of the World Championship (2001)

• MVP of the Slovak National Team at the World Championship (2001)

• All-Star Team Member of the European Championship (2000)

• Best Player of the European Club Cup (2000)

• 3× Slovak Ball Hockey Player of the Year (2000, 2002, 2013)

• Star of the Slovak Extraliga Season (2012/2013)

• SHBÚ Hall of Fame Inductee (2018)

Coaching Career:

• 1× World Champion as Assistant Coach (2015)

• 1× World Championship U20 Bronze Medalist as Assistant Coach (2018)