Sports News
By Peter Smith
Turning to sport and the Czech Football Union has finally put an end to the ten-year reign of its president Frantisek Chvalovsky. After six hours, delegates at Sunday's general meeting in Prague voted overwhelmingly to remove the controversial Chvalovsky from office, and replace him with his former deputy Jan Obst - the vice-president of the Union since 1990.
It was always on the cards that Chvalovsky would be removed as president of the Union - the businessman's reputation has been tainted ever since he was charged by the police with abuse of loaned money in February, and he has been in custody for the last three months. The loans relate to Chvalovsky's meat trading business, not football, and the case has yet to go to court. The former chief has always claimed he is innocent of the charges and refused to resign from his post. However, according to the spokesman of the Czech Football Union, Jaroslav Kolar, the accusations alone are sufficient to bring the whole of Czech football into disrepute. Obst's main rival for the post, Pavel Mokry, conceded defeat and became the new vice chairman.
Staying with football and the Czech Republic captain Pavel Nedved has won the Golden Ball, presented to the best Czech footballer of season. Not a bad week for the busy midfielder, then - he put pen to paper on a new 5-year contract with Italian team Lazio on Friday.
It's awards all round this week, and in hockey the Czech Republic's Olympic medal winning goaltender Dominik Hasek has once more received the Vezina Trophy for the best man between the sticks in the NHL. However, the 36-year old refused to be drawn upon where he will be playing next season, or confirming that he could be set to leave his present employers, Buffalo Sabres, and play for Toronto.
Hasek told reporters "I want to play hockey for a team that has a chance of winning the Stanley Cup - and also for the Czechs at the Olympics. But it is also possible that I will end my career."
So, that's cleared up, then.
