Foreign minister apologises after backlash over remarks about female hockey players
Comments the Czech minister of foreign affairs made about women’s ice hockey prompted a strong backlash, including from Czech players in the NHL. Petr Macinka has now apologised, saying he regretted his “very inappropriate” language.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s recently overturned an International Ice Hockey Federation ban on Russian participation in competitions, imposed over its war against Ukraine.
The matter affects Czechia directly, in that it is due to host the sport’s junior women’s world championships in January.
So it was no surprise that ice hockey and the Russians was among the topics on a CNN Prima News discussion show on Sunday featuring the country’s current minister of foreign affairs, Petr Macinka, and his predecessor, Jan Lipavský.
Mr. Macinka said that he could not imagine Russia’s national team competing in Czechia while it is at war with Ukraine.
But then the Czech Republic’s chief diplomat added an aside in language that would few would regard as diplomatic.
“I rather regard ice hockey as a men’s sport. So I won’t please our wonderful feminists by saying that the world championships will have to do without a team of mannish Russian women.”
The word Mr. Macinka employed in Czech was “mužatka”, which can also translate as masculine women or butch women. It is regarded as offensive.
Almost immediately, there was a wave of condemnation of the minister’s words, particularly from the world of sport.
Ahead of a game that evening, the general manager of the Czech women’s ice hockey team, Tereza Sadilová, said the players would “fight for all girls following their hockey dream”.
Current men’s players in the NHL – Martin Nečas, Adam Klapka and Lukáš Dostál – were openly critical of Mr. Macinka on social media. Former NHL star, and Czech hockey legend, Jiří Hrdina used rather stronger language.
The head of the Czech Ice Hockey Federation, Alois Hadamczik, said the sport was open to all, regardless of gender.
Former canoe slalom world champion Vavřinec Hradilek said the Motorists’ leader had merely confirmed the nature of his party.
Following this barrage – which was joined by politicians, including from fellow government parties – the minister of foreign affairs apologised for his “very inappropriate words” on Monday.
“I was speaking about Russian players, not Czech ones, but that’s irrelevant. I can see how the subsequent interpretation of my comments impacted the whole of Czech women’s ice hockey, and the entire sporting world, and I’m genuinely sorry about that.”
Mr. Macinka said he had spoken to women’s hockey official Tereza Sadilová, asking her to relay his apologies to the national team’s players.
He also said he had come in for brickbats at home.
“My wife, Mrs. Macinková, gave me a hard time. She told me that if our daughter wished to sign up to play hockey when she’s older, she can do so – and I can ferry her to training.”
