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.)
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The most famous Czech sports grouping is the mass participation Sokol organisation. 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, colourful gymnastics rallies were held regularly in Prague until the German occupation in 1938. The Communist regime banned the organisation after its 1948 rally, but Sokol continued to exist abroad. In July 1994, Sokol staged a triumphant return with a rally in Prague.
Where to hire sport equipment?
Follow provided links to learn more about sport opportunities in the Czech Republic:
Football
Football is the most popular sport in the Czech Republic. The
Czech Football Association has run the country�s top league, the
1st league, since l925. The most popular club, AC Sparta Praha,
have been remarkably successful in both domestic and European
contests. Czechoslovakia were runners-up in the 1934 and 1962
World Cups, European champions in 1976 and the Czech Republic
narrowly lost to Germany in the finals of 1996�s European championships
held in England. F. Pl�nicka, I. Bican, J. Masopust, I. Viktor,
A. Panenka, Z. Nehoda, T. Skuhravy, K. Poborsky, P. Berger and
P. Nedvedare among the most famous Czech footballers.
Ice hockey
For years Czechoslovakia's national ice hockey teams have ranked
among the top five or six national teams in the world. The national
ice hockey team have won the World Hockey Championships seven
times (the last time in 1996 in Vienna). They came 2nd in 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 have left are J. J�gr, D.
Ha1ek, M. Straka, R. Hol�k, R. Reichel, M.Rueinsk� and V. Vujtek.
V. Nedomansk�, J. Holecek, V. Martinec, I. Hlinka, J. J�gr and
D.Hasek are among the most famous Czech ice hockey players.
Tennis
Czech tennis players have been remarkably successful in international
competitions. One of them, Martina Navr�tilov�, 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 Drobn�, J. Kodes, I. Lendl, P. Korda, H. Mandlikov�,
H. Sukov� and J.Novotn�.
Track and Field
Czech athletes have made a great impression on track and field
competitions. The runners E. Z�topek and J. Kratochv�lov�, the
javelin-throwers D. Z�topkov� and J. �elezn�, the discus-throwers
L. Danek and I. Bug�r, the decathlete R. Zmel�k, the shot-putters
H. Fibingerov� and R. Machura and others are among the most famous
Czech athletes. Contemporary world athletics features the decathlete
Tomas Dvorak and triple-jumper Sarka.Kasparkov� - both of them
won the last World Athletics Championship in 1997.
Other Sports
The multiple Olympic medal winner Vera Caslavsk� (1968) became
one of the most famous personalities in Czech sports and also
played an important role in the international Olympic movement.
The Posp�1il 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. Ra�ka, J. Parma, P. Ploc, P. Dluho1). Cross-country bikers
I. Fi�era and R. �imunek have brought home numerous world champion
titles.
Sport links
SOCCER
Clubs
Sparta
Praha
Defending Czech champions Sparta Praha is the Czech Republic's
wealthiest and most successful club.
Slavia
Praha
Sparta's greatest rivals have an impressive official site
that is currently undergoing many improvements. The site also
has an English-language mirror.
Bohemians
Praha
The 'Kangaroos,' one of the nation's most famous and best-known
clubs, still in the 1st division (3 years and counting). Its Web
site is well-designed and has an extensive English-language section.
ICE HOCKEY
General
Czech
Ice Hockey Association (CSLH)
The CSLH (Czech Ice Hockey Association) site is extensive, and
includes pages on each of the elite Czech teams. Unfortunately,
however, none of it is translated into English.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
General
Czech
Association of American Football (CAAF)
Gridiron's governing body in the Czech Republic has a rather
basic Czech-language site.
Clubs
Prague
Lions
One of the country's two oldest clubs (along with the Prague
Panthers), and 1998 national champions, the Lions maintain a large,
accessible site, in English and Czech.
BASEBALL
Czech
Baseball Association (CBA)
The CBA Web site is packed with information on the country's
well-developed baseball scene, and includes information on
the elite Extraliga clubs that battle for the national championship.
BASKETBALL
Czech
Basketball Federation (CBF)
The national basketball federation Web site features an extensive
English-language mirror, covering all areas of Czech basketball,
including the national team and the men's elite Mattoni National
Basketball League.
GOLF
Courses
Golf
Club Praha
This club close to downtown Prague has a colorful history. Founded
in 1926, the original course was destroyed by the communists in
1950. The club survived and moved to its present site --
a former military training area -- in 1989.
HORSE RACING
Prague-Velka
Chuchle Racecourse
The Velk� Chuchle racecourse lies in the south suburbs of Prague.
It was founded in 1906. The racecourse has always played a large
role in the management of horse racing in the country. Races take
place every Sunday from April to November, apart from the midsummer
break in July.
MOTOR SPORTS
Masaryk Circuit
The country's premier motor racing circuit, in Brno, hosts motorcycling's
Czech Republic Grand Prix, probably the nation's best-attended
sporting event. The Masaryk is also lobbying to become a Formula
One venue. Its Web site is fully translated into English.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Prague
International Marathon
The annual Prague International Marathon is held in the spring.
Organizers also sponsor other events on the day of the marathon
and the whole year round. For information on all these events,
check out the Marathon site.
OTHER SPORTS
CSTV
(Czech Physical Education Union)
As an umbrella organization for the vast majority of Czech sports
federations, the CSTV site, though only in Czech, provides a treasure
trove of links to many of the smaller Czech sports associations'
official Web sites and e-mail addresses.
Sports Equipment Hire
13
Praha 1, N�rodn� t��da 43
Tel: 224 22 97 02 Fax: 224 22 97 02
10:00-19:30
Saturday: 10:00-14:00 Sunday: Closed
Adidas
Also at I-3, Praha 1, Na po���� 42, tel. 222 32 50 13. Open 09:00
- 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 15:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00.
Praha 1, Na p��kop� 12 Tel: 224 21 02 04
09:00-20:00
Saturday: 09:00-19:00 Sunday: 11:00-19:00
Drapa Sport
Praha 1, Revolu�n� 1
Tel: 221 80 33 12
10:00-19:00 Saturday: 10:00-18:00
Sunday: Closed
El Nino
Snow and skateboarding shop with the attitude of a nasty wind.
Praha 2, Palack�ho n�m�st� 2
Tel: 224 91 31 17
09:30-18:30 Saturday: 09:30-13:30
Sunday: Closed
Giga Sport
A Czech sporting superstore - all the brands and a massive range
meaning good for the all-round sportsman but a little lacking
in specialisation. Praha 1, Na p��kop� 19-21
Tel: 224 23 35 52 Fax: 224 23 74 94 E-mail
09:30-19:00
Happy Sport
Sking and snowboarding equipment rental, sales and services amongst
other sport equipment. Also at Praha 4, Kotorsk� 1598, tel. 241
40 39 43. Open Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00, Sat 10:00-13:00. Closed Sun.
Praha 6, N�rodn� obrany 16, tel. 224 32 55 60. Open Open Mon-Fri
10:00-19:00, Sat 10:00-13:00. Closed Sun. Praha 9, Beranov�ch
127
Tel: 286 92 01 12 E-mail
09:00-20:00
Saturday: 09:00-17:00 Sunday: 10:00-15:00
JB Sport
They have a lot of ice-hockey equipment should you be big, butch
and have twinkle toes. Praha 1, Dl�d�n� 3
Tel: 224 21 09 21 Fax: 224 21 09 51 E-mail
09:00-18:00 Saturday: 09:00-13:00 Sunday: Closed
Minimax
Flogging sparkling new snowboards and associates. Praha 1, Vodi�kova
34
Tel: 224 21 12 40 E-mail
10:00-18:00
Saturday: 10:00-13:00 Sunday: Closed
Mystic Skates
Big trousers, both waterproof and leaky, snowboards and skateboarding
- look cool with broken limbs. Praha 1, �t�p�nsk� 31
Tel: 222 23 20 27 Fax: 222 23 20 27 E-mail
10:00-19:00 Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed
Pomi
Complete equipment and service for skiers age 2 to 100 years.
Praha 2, Slavojova 10
Tel: 224 93 64 42 E-mail
09:30-19:30
Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed
Prague Store
Praha 1, V�clavsk� n�m. 18
Tel: 224 23 79 21 Fax: 224 23 79 60 E-mail
10:00-20:00
SKI Servis Radot�n
All winter sports equipment sold, serviced or rented. Praha 5,
Topasov� 5
Tel: 257 91 30 63 Fax: 257 91 09 91 E-mail
09:00-22:00
Snowboardel
New and second-hand boards and accessories. Praha 3, Husitsk�
29
Tel: 222 54 12 71 E-mail
10:00-18:00
Saturday: 10:00-14:00 Sunday: Closed
Sport YMCA
You know the dance - come get the gear. Praha 1, Na po���� 12
Tel: 224 87 58 11 / 224 87 53 82 Fax: 224 87 58 18 E-mail
09:00-18:00 Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed
Sun & Snow
Tucked into the side of a hotel and knocking out new snowboards.
Praha 7, Milady Hor�kov� 19
Tel: 220 10 61 78 E-mail
10:00-18:00
Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed
Umbro
Lower class sports wear, but beggars can�t be choosers, eh? Praha
1, Na p��kop� 7
Tel: 224 22 57 25
09:00-19:00
Saturday: 09:00-18:00 Sunday: 10:00-16:00
HellyHansen.cz
Select-Sport.cz
Sports in the Czech Republic