Sports News
The Czech Republic's men's tennis team have drawn Thailand away in the play-offs for the Davis Cup World Group: Jiri Novak says it will be a tough tie. In ice hockey Slavia lead the final series in the Extraliga play-offs and Milan Hejduk is the first Czech ever to become the top-scorer in the regular NHL season. Sparta Prague have been beaten in the Czech cup after showing their lack of interest in the competition by fielding a weak team and attendance at football games is getting even worse.
Czechs to face Thailand in Davis Cup World Group play-offs
"I've never been to Thailand in my life but I know they have one very good player, Paradorn Srichaphan, who is around 15th in the world rankings at the moment. The fact that they'll be playing at home will be unpleasant for us. I think there will really be tropical heat there, tropical weather, so it'll be a very hard game for us."
Slavia edge ahead in play-offs after nine-goal thriller against
Pardubice Slavia Prague edged ahead of Pardubice in the ice hockey Extraliga play-offs final series on Wednesday with a thrilling 5:4 victory in over time at their Eden stadium. The best-of-seven series now stands at 2:1 to Slavia, who are in the final for the first time in the club's history. Defender Pavel Kolarik got the home side's winner in what - at 66 minutes and 11 seconds - was the longest game of this year's play-offs so far, and said it was the most important goal of his career.
Hejduk first ever Czech to win NHL top-scorer award
Milan Hejduk has caused a sensation in Czech hockey circles as the first Czech player ever to become top striker in the NHL. Hejduk, who is 27, scored 50 goals for Colorado Avalanche in the 2002-2003 regular season. The Usti nad Labem native can now add the Maurice Richard goal-scoring award to his 1998 Olympic gold medal and his 2001 Stanley Cup ring.
Sparta pay for fielding weak team in Czech Cup tie
The under-strength team Sparta Prague fielded against Ceske Budejovice in the Czech football cup showed just how little interest there is in the competition. Coach Jiri Kotrba, who had included only a couple of first-team regulars in his side for Wednesday's game, threw on a few more when his side were 2:0 down but to no avail, with the final score Sparta 0 Ceske Budejovice 4. The real action however takes place on Saturday with the most anticipated league game so far this season between leaders Sparta and second-placed Slavia. The latter are trailing by four points and this may be their last chance to catch up.
Attendance at football games goes from bad to worse
Though attendance at Czech league football games has been low for some years, there are worrying signs the stands are becoming even more bare. While in the first half of the season the average attendance was over 4,000, last weekend's games drew an average of 2,653, with the lowest turnout - a pitiful 1,233 - at the game between Viktoria Zizkov and Olomouc on Monday.
