Sport in the Czech Republic
Sports play a significant part in the life of many Czechs who are generally loyal supporters of their favourite teams or individuals.
The two leading sports in the Czech Republic are football and ice hockey, both of which draw the largest attention of both the media and supporters.
The events considered the most important by Czech fans are: the Ice Hockey World Championship, the Olympic ice hockey tournament, the European football championship, the football World Cup and qualification matches for such events.
In general, any international match involving the Czech ice hockey or football national team draws attention, especially when played against a traditional rival: Germany in football; Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Canada in ice hockey; and Slovakia in both.
From 1996 to 2001, the Czech Republic won six World Championship medals, including three consecutive gold from 1999 to 2001.
Prominent Czech players include Jaromír Jágr, Dominik Hašek, Patrik Eliáš, Tomáš Plekanec, Aleš Hemský, Tomáš Kaberle, Milan Michálek and Robert Lang, who captained the 2006 Olympic team to a bronze medal.
Previously the old Czechoslovakia team were a force to be reckoned with, finishing runners-up twice in the World Cup and winning UEFA Euro 1976.
The sport gained even more support when the national team qualified for their first World Cup since the break-up of Czechoslovakia.
In the 2000s, players such as Petr Čech, Tomáš Rosický, Milan Baroš, and Pavel Nedvěd achieved great success at top European clubs and became national icons.
[2] This places Czech Floorball in third position between Finland and Switzerland in number of members worldwide.
The Superliga florbalu and Extraliga žen ve florbale are the highest Czech floorball leagues.
The Czech Republic was invited to compete in the qualifying round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
[8] In September of 2022, the Czech Republic made history by qualifying for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The Czech Republic finished 5th at the 2023 European Baseball Championship after losing its quarterfinal match to Great Britain, then beating Israel and France to secure its placing.
Since 1995 the West Bohemian town of Loket has hosted a round of the Motocross World Championship in late July or early August every year.
It hosts both domestic and international meetings and had held many of the World Championship finals and Grand-Prix rounds.
Josef Rössler-Ořovský, who introduced a number of sports in the then Czechoslovakia, among others skiing and tennis, was originally credited with starting rugby union as well back in 1895.
Efforts were made to play the game at the Czech Yacht Club, but a public struggle ensued, and rugby subsequently never really caught on.
[15] Currently, Brno in Moravia, and the capital Prague are considered to be the centres for Rugby Union in the country.
Regular athletics meetings are held at the Josef Odložil Memorial in Prague, as well as the Golden Spike Ostrava.
Half marathons are regularly run in cities including České Budějovice, Karlovy Vary, Olomouc, Prague, and Ústí nad Labem.
[17] Other notable mixed martial artists from the Czech Republic include Karlos Vemola, Viktor Pešta, David Dvořák and Lucie Pudilová.
The Czech Republic has produced a number of successful competitors in various skiing disciplines in recent years.
More recently Gabriela Koukalová enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2012–13, scoring four World Cup wins.
The best tennis players from the Czech Republic include Jaroslav Drobný, Ivan Lendl, Jan Kodeš, Petr Korda, Tomáš Berdych, Radek Štěpánek, Martina Navratilova, Hana Mandlíková, Helena Suková, Jana Novotná, Petra Kvitová, Karolína Plíšková, Lucie Šafářová, Barbora Krejčíková, Kateřina Siniaková and Markéta Vondroušová.
Generali Arena – home to AC Sparta Prague, has a seated capacity of 19,416 and was opened in 1917 and rebuilt in 1994.
Ostravar Aréna – Located in Ostrava and opened in 1986, the arena has hosted Ice Hockey World Championships three times: in 2004, 2015, and 2024.
Among the most attractive events for Czech fans are the Ice hockey Olympics, especially against traditional rivals like Russia, Finland, Sweden, Canada, USA and Slovakia.
In 2014, just under 340,000 youths were registered with the Czech Union of Sport, representing a fall of more than a third since 1989's Velvet Revolution.
