Tournament of Friendly Armies ("Army Spartakiade") 1950-1989

Not to be confused with the Spartakiads.

Tournaments of Friendly Armies were played from 1950 to 1954 on the Day of the Armies of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria.
When the SKDA (Sportivnyj komitet druzhestvennych armij - Sport Committee of Friendly Armies) had been established, the first official Spartakiade of Friendly Armies was held, in 1958.
The SKDA was established on March 12, 1958 at a meeting of representatives of the armed forces of 12 socialist countries: People's Republic of Albania, People's Republic of Bulgaria, People's Republic of China, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, German Democratic Republic, People's Republic of Hungary, People's Democratic Republic of Korea, People's Republic of Mongolia, People's Republic of Poland, Socialist Republic of Romania, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
In the first half of the sixties PR of Albania, PR of China and PDR of Korea stopped participating in the event. Instead, the following countries joined the SKDA: Republic of Cuba (1969), Somali Democratic Republic (1973), People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1974), People's Republic of Angola (1977), Ethiopia (1978) and Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1980); finally, in 1983: People's Republic of Cambodia, People's Republic of Mozambique, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Syrian Arab Republic.
This multi-sports event was structured like an Olympics, but from 1962 to 1989 the football tournaments were held separately. After the Warsaw Pact was dissolved, the SKDA became a member (in 1991) of the Conseil international du sport militaire.

Palmares

Friendly Armies Tournaments
1950    Honvéd Budapest                        (in Czechoslovakia)
1951-I  Honvéd Budapest                        (in Hungary)
1951-II Honvéd Budapest                        (in Czechoslovakia)
1954    Honvéd Budapest                        (in Bulgaria)
SKDA Tournaments
1958    CDNA Sofija                            (in East Germany)
1962    Honvéd Budapest                        (in Czechoslovakia)
1963    Sel. of CSKA Moskva/SKA Rostov-na-Donu (in North Vietnam)
1975    SKA Rostov-na-Donu                     (in Somalia)
1984    Hungary                                (in North Vietnam)
1989    Soviet Union                           (in North Vietnam)

Not to be confused with the Spartakiads.

About this document

Thanks to Marco Bagozzi (Italy) and Stepas Misiunas (Lithuania) for advice and suggestions.

Prepared and maintained by Giovanni Armillotta for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Giovanni Armillotta
Last updated: 15 Oct 2022