The Czech Republic curling team trains at the Dunedin Ice
Stadium yesterday. From left are Zdenek Krampera, Jiri
Candra, Jan Letal and Leos Fiala. Photo by Linda Robertson.
The Czech Republic curling team would not be competing at
the New Zealand Winter Games if their country had still been a
communist state.
Curling became a serious sport in the country only after the
collapse of the Iron Curtain in Europe and was first played
in the Czech Republic in 1990.
It is still a minor sport in the country, with only 450
curlers.
Ice hockey, by contrast, has 500,000.
There is only one curling rink in Prague and the 20 curling
clubs all play at the same venue.
Five members of the Aritna Praha club, of Prague, will
represent the Czech Republic at the New Zealand Winter Games
at Naseby next week.
They are lawyer Zdenek Krampera (49), economics student Jiri
Candra (23), finance director Jan Letal (47), sports manager
Leos Fiala (46) and economist Karel Kubeska (53).
"We are happy to be in New Zealand to represent our country
but we are realists and don't expect to win," Candra told the
Otago Daily Times.
The Czech Republic team has not yet qualified for the Winter
Olympics.
"Our men's and women's teams rank from 12 to 15 in the world,
but our junior girls are starting to make their mark," Candra
said.
Candra is coach of that team, which finished seventh at the
world junior championships this year.
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