SPORTS

In this section you can read about achievements and the latest events in Czech Sports - soccer (including the Czech National League Results), ice hockey, tennis and track and field. Addresses of public sport facilities ( fitness centres, golf courses, soccer and hockey stadiums, swimming-pools, tennis courts etc.) can be found in the sport section of Resources.

The most popular sports in the Czech Republic are football (soccer), ice hockey, volley-ball, tennis and kickball (an original Czech sport similar to volley-ball in which the players kick the ball over a low net.)

• The most famous Czech sports grouping is the mass partcipation Sokol organization. Although the main goal of Sokol is to promote national health and sports, it played a key role in the national resistance to the Austrian Empire, the Nazi occupation and the Communist regime. Soon after it was founded in 1862, colorful gymnastics rallies were held regularly in Prague until the German occupation in 1938. The Communist regime banned the organization after its 1948 rally, but Sokol continued to exist abroad. In July 1994, Sokol staged a triumphant return with a rally in Prague.

Achievements in Czech Sports

Soccer

• Soccer is the most popular sport in the Czech Republic. The Czech Football Association has directed the most competitive domestic soccer league, I. league, since l925.
• The most popular club, AC Sparta Praha, has been remarkably successful in domestic and European contests.
• The Czech soccer team placed 2nd at the World Cup of Soccer in l934 and l962 and in l976 it became the European champion.
• F. Planicka, I. Bican, J. Masopust, I. Viktor, A. Panenka, Z. Nehoda and T. Skuhravy are among the most famous Czech footballers.

Ice hockey

• For years Czechoslovakia's national ice hockey teams ranked among the top five or six national teams in the world.
• The national ice hockey team won the World Hockey Championships six times. It placed second at the Canada Cup in 1976.
• Today Czech ice hockey suffers from a mass exodus of its best players to foreign leagues, especially to the NHL. Among the most famous players to leave are J. Jagr, M. Straka, J. Beranek and D. Hasek.
• V. Nedomansky, J. Holecek, V. Martinec, I. Hlinka are among the most famous Czech ice hockey players.

Tennis

• Czech tennis players have been remarkably successful in international competitions. One of them, Martina Navratilova, is arguably the best female tennis player of all time.
• Many other male and female tennis players have appeared in the top 1OO rankings of international tennis including J. Drobny, J. Kodes, I. Lendl, P. Korda, H. Mandlikova, H. Sukova and J. Novotna.

Track and Field

• This "queen of the sports" has been witness to many great achievements to Czechs on the international field.
• The runners E. Zatopek and J. Kratochvilova, the javelin-throwers D. Zatopkova and J. Zelezny, the discus-throwers L Danek and I. Bugar, the decathlete R. Zmelik, the shot-putters H. Fibingerova and R. Machura and others are among the most famous Czech athletes.

Other Sports

• The multiple Olympic medal winner Vera Caslavska (1968) became one of the most famous personalities in Czech sports and also played an important role in the international Olympic movement.
• The Pospisil brothers won 20 world championship titles in bicycle polo.
• The famous Czech school of ski-jumpers has fostered athletes who have won several European and world titles and Olympic victories ( J. Raska, J. Parma, P. Ploc, P. Dluhos).
• Cross-country bikers I. Fisera and R. Simunek can take pride in their numerous "world champion" titles.