Military Service: A Sports Company's Unique Experience

The author reflects on his time in the Hungarian military, specifically within the sports company, after completing a two-month basic training. As a sportsman himself, he and dozens of fellow athletes enjoyed special privileges granted by the BM Karhatalom, a force supporting the Újpest club. This sports unit stood out sharply from the harsh barracks environment, populated by wrestlers with cauliflower ears, lanky long-distance runners, burly water polo players, and petite gymnasts.

The military leadership did not always appreciate the athletes' demands, which often required them to be released for daily training sessions or competitions. When confined to the barracks, their tasks were often minimal. The author recounts one instance where his unit was assigned to guard prisoners performing external work at the Újpest stadium on Megyeri Street.

These were not hardened criminals but individuals serving short sentences for minor offenses like petty theft or fraud. The author notes that there was no risk of them escaping, as they were content with their tasks, which involved sweeping, raking, and wheelbarrowing. They could rest and smoke when tired, seemingly having a better time than if they were in prison. The guards eventually paid little attention to them, especially when their section commander, Sergeant Csimbi, frequented the sports complex's canteen.

The afternoon saw a near-complete cessation of work. The prisoners chatted cheerfully, while the guards, with Csimbi still at the canteen, organized a foot-tennis tournament using a ball borrowed from the football equipment manager. This idyllic scene on the cinder training field of Megyeri Street was disrupted when Csimbi returned from the canteen and noticed that a few of the more agile prisoners had been included in the tournament. He nearly had the section confined, but ultimately, they managed to avoid severe punishment. The prisoners were soon released, but the guards remained.