Chairman Ondřej Průša Reviews the 2024/2025 Season and Looks Ahead: “Some goals and visions reach beyond the next year, but we must start now”

“For me and for Czech ball hockey, it means we have a bright future.”

You took over as chairman in March. What was your entry into the role like? What was the hardest part, and what surprised you in a positive way?

It was hectic – there’s no other word for it. Even though I’ve been involved in ball hockey for over 20 years, many things have changed recently. I needed to get familiar with those changes in depth, which took more time than I would’ve liked. This all shows the need for structural changes, which will gradually become evident. On the positive side, I was pleasantly surprised by the approach of most people working in clubs or within the federation.

Although you’ve only been in the role for part of the season, you’ve certainly had time to observe the atmosphere and competitions. What’s your overall impression?

Since I previously led the Disciplinary Committee, I had a fairly good overview of both national and regional competitions. The federation’s competition department has solid organizational principles in place. It’s more complicated at the regional level, but there are experienced officials there, too.

My impression? Let’s say average. The quality of men’s Extraliga is top-tier. I’m sorry that Karviná withdrew from the league – they’ll be missed, and I hope they return soon. Moravia needs a top-level team. I didn’t see the junior games live, but the footage from Hokejbal TV shows that the finals were very solid, just like in the youth categories. As for youth competitions, especially at the top level or qualifying tournaments, I think parents – as “fans” – need to behave better. We need to face what happened and work with clubs to make sure it doesn’t repeat.

Czech ball hockey had a golden summer – both the U16 and U23 teams won gold at the Junior World Championship on home soil. What does this success mean to you as chairman?

The players capitalized on the outstanding work of their coaching staff. Hats off to everyone involved. Even our second U16 team finishing fifth was a success. For me and for Czech ball hockey, it shows we have a great foundation and a promising future.

Our teams also succeeded at the championships in Slovakia – the U20 girls won gold, and the boys took silver. Do you see this as confirmation of quality youth development?

Absolutely. The girls’ gold is a strong signal that we’re building something stable in women’s ball hockey. Anyone who saw the U20 boys’ final must take their hats off to the team. They fought hard for gold even when it seemed unreachable.

The coaching staffs and the players themselves did a phenomenal job and brought a lot of positive attention to Czech ball hockey. I hope these experiences help them grow and that they can pass this on in their clubs.

“The 2026 World Championship in Ostrava is our biggest opportunity.”

All youth national teams made it to the finals. Can we say that Czech ball hockey currently has a very strong youth generation?

Yes, and other countries recognize that. Opponents came into games against our teams with visible respect. But we need to keep going. We can’t become complacent – that’s how Czech ice hockey stagnated in the early 2000s.

We have to continue developing and stay one step ahead of the competition. I want to thank everyone – players and coaches – for representing Czech ball hockey in such a great way!

Let’s talk about the future. What are your main priorities for the upcoming season?

The priorities are clear:

• Adjusting the federation’s organizational structure

• Filling personnel gaps in certain departments

• Developing a clear, specific strategy for the federation and the sport

We need better organization, revised procedures and programs, improved communication with clubs, municipalities, regional and national sports institutions – and most importantly, among ourselves.

And of course, the World Championship in Ostrava. Some tasks and visions will span several years, but we need to start now.

The peak of the upcoming season will be the Men’s and Women’s World Championships in Ostrava. What is the federation’s vision for this event?

Ostrava should unite our entire movement. It should bring us all together on one path. The event should promote our sport so more people know what ball hockey truly is – and stop confusing it with other sports.

We want the political world to see that we’re not a minor sport but a large, well-organized community. We want to show that public investment in our sport and its infrastructure makes sense. And most importantly, we want children to want to come and play ball hockey.

As you said, Ostrava 2026 offers more than just top-level games – it’s a chance to grow the sport itself. What do you see as the biggest opportunity?

Everything I mentioned above. The key is to present a clear identity of ball hockey, its sporting and organizational quality, and our community in its best light. This is our moment.