Sports News

By Peter Smith

Sport now and let's start with the weekend's football action here in the Czech Republic. The former Sparta Prague stalwart Horst Siegl grabbed the headlines by scoring all Marila Pribram's goals in their 3-0 win over Chmel Blsany. The veteran striker completed his hat-trick a minute from time in what was his home debut for Pribram - the result lifts his team up to third place in the table.

The other outstanding performance of the weekend came from Sigma Olomouc with their comfortable 3-0 home victory over StavoArtikel Brno. Pavel Hapal was the hero for the Moravian side scoring two of the goals - Stanislav Vlcek grabbed the opener.

The principle of innocent-until-proven-guilty appears to have influenced the executive committee of the Czech Football Association - they have voted 7-5 to retain Frantisek Chvalovsky as the Head of the CFA in spite of the continuing fraud investigation against him. Chvalovsky had offered the committee his resignation, but now says that he intends to reconsider his position at the end of June.

Chvalovsky has also apparently received the support of the President of European football's governing body, Lennart Johansson. 'He has welcomed me back as one of his closest friends and colleagues,' said the beleaguered boss of Czech football.

Ice hockey now and the battle to reach the end of season play-offs here in the Czech Republic reached its conclusion at the weekend. Trinec's 6-4 defeat at Zlin means that they fail to make the cut. Slavia Prague confirmed their place in the elite 8 with their 5-4 home win over Ceske Budejovice. Slavia join Vsetin, Pardubice, Litvinov, Znojemsti Orli, Zlin, Vitkovice and Sparta in the play-offs.

Turning to the Nordic skiing and the Czech Olympic medallist Katerina Neumannova stands 5th after the latest rounds of events were held in Toxovo, Russia. Still leading the way though is the all-conquering Bente Skari of Norway, closely chased by the Russian Yulia Chepalova.