1. pets
2. zoo

Standing tall
as a giraffe
And with respect as hefty
as a hippo. How streetwise
Prague Zoo battled its woes
FEATURE pages 12–13
63
Issue 63 l newsstand price CZK 24/¤ 1 l www.e15.cz
9 771803 454314
Monday, 23 March 2015
Backing
a champion
Cultivating successful sporting
talent is a multi-million crown
investment for parents
M
any parents
can relate to
the following
scenario: your
child turns three and you
start to wonder which sport
might be the best for them.
You want something that
they find enjoyable, but
which won’t break the bank
either. Only a handful of
parents believe from the
outset that their young son
or daughter is destined to
become a sports professional. We asked several experts, who all agreed that
true talent is difficult to
spot immediately. Rather,
it tends to manifest itself
from ages seven to 10.
And so in order to even
stand a chance, a child
must start intensive sports
training as early as possible.
Naturally, this doesn’t mean
immediate specialisation
and dozens of hours a week
of training. Rather, introduction to sports should be gradual, with intensive training
only coming later.
In the Czech Republic,
many sports offer the op-
portunity to make a living;
albeit, chances to find
lifelong financial security
are few and far between.
Examples include track and
field athletics, volleyball
and basketball – meaning
sports with a large rate
of participation and long
histories. And occasionally
– as with Czech speedskater Martina Sáblíková – we
see a more “exotic” nontraditional sport yielding
success for Czechs.
For this article we have
selected two sports which
we believe our English-language readers (and their
children) may believe to be
the best potential goldmines for both generations!
Perhaps obvious choices,
but nonetheless: tennis and
football.
Continues on page 8
Photo: Tomáš Novák
Michal Půr, Vadim Fojtík
2/3
news
Galvanised Sobotka eyes elections
Igor Záruba’s notebook
The Social Democrats’ party congress adopted a resolution against the “oligarchisation” of politics
Social policies to the fore.
ČSSD wants to mould itself
as a centre-left party that
address employees, senior
citizens and the middle class
Photo: ČTK
T
he Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) congress
which ended a week ago
produced a predictable outcome – a strong new mandate for
party leader and PM Bohuslav
Sobotka and the approval of his
team of close colleagues exactly
as he envisaged it.
ČSSD wants to stick it out in
the government coalition until
the general election and to also
do as well as possible in the 2016
regional elections. Given all that
it has ahead of it, there is no time
for the party to “change horses”.
The important task for now is to
push through its own priorities
in Cabinet. So for the coming
two-year period, practically all
those who have been put in charge of ČSSD happen to also be
government ministers – with the
exception of just two people.
Interior Minister Milan Chovanec was elected First Deputy
Leader while Labour Minister
Michaela Marksová Tominová
and Foreign Minister Lubomír
Zaorálek were elected Deputy
Leaders. Even the entirely new
face of Lenka Teska Arnoštová amid the party leadership is
connected to a significant post in
the executive – she is a Deputy
Health Minister. Martin Starec,
meanwhile, remains in charge of
the party coffers while Chamber
of Deputies Speaker Jan Hamáček, Sobotka’s right-hand man,
has become another Deputy Par-
ty Leader. Sobotka, re-elected to
the party helm by 85 percent of
the congress delegates, described his party leadership team
as reformist.
“We cannot be made a subsidiary of whatever business conglomerate,” said Sobotka. ČSSD
should in his view act as the defender of standard democratic
practice. The conference went
so far as to adopt a resolution
against the “oligarchisation”
of politics, i.e. it registered its
opposition to the ANO political movement led by Agrofert
group boss Andrej Babiš.
“To prevent a parody of the
democratic system arising in
the near term, which instead
of having competing political
manifestos and democratic
parties would merely feature
wealthy business clans vying
for influence over the state’s
future, we need clearer legal
definitions of conflicts of interest, stricter rules for financing
political parties and election
campaigns and more exactly
specified media legislation,”
asserted ČSSD.
Czech nuclear strategy
back on ice
Jan Stuchlík
Money counterfeiters were busy
Photo: ČTK
As many as 5,461 counterfeited and modified banknotes and coins denominated in various
currencies were intercepted in the Czech Republic last year. That is three-quarters more than
during the year before. Of the total, 2,398 were counterfeited Czech banknotes, 353 more than
were seized in 2013. Forgers have mostly favoured the CZK 1,000 and CZK 500 bills, and most
usually the variants with older anti-counterfeiting measures. The total value in Czech crowns of all
counterfeit money intercepted in 2014 was CZK 2.22bn, up from CZK 1.89bn in 2013
The vision of the Czech Republic producing half of its
electricity in nuclear power
stations, held by Industry and
Trade Minister Jan Mládek
(Social Democrat), seems to
be vanishing in a haze. The Cabinet has shelved deliberations
over the national action plan
for the development of nuclear
power. Among other things, it
was to specify the approach
to building new generation
blocks at nuclear plants. The
move follows on the heels of
ministers at the end of last
year postponing approval for
an updated National Energy
Concept [ASEK] until February. However, ASEK has still
not been addressed yet. The
concept counts on nuclear
power as the country’s main
source of electricity.
Mládek claimed the national
action plan had been included
on the Cabinet agenda merely to
let other government ministers
know that it had been finished.
His ministry now has until the
end of June to complete an analysis of alternatives to brown coal
production. After that, the Cabinet is to deal with both ASEK
and the nuclear strategy.
It cannot be ruled out that
the government will fail to
reach a final decision on mining limits for brown coal,
further delaying the approval
of ASEK as well as any green
light for energy group ČEZ
to start preparations for the
construction of new power generation blocks. “It appears
that everyone is well aware of
the difficulties associated with
funding the nuclear strategy,”
said Jan Ondřich, an analyst at
Candole Partners.
Wonder-working
life hacks
Reopening at baroque marvel
Photo: ČTK
The Holy Trinity Church within the baroque Kuks hospital in Eastern Bohemia is almost set for a
reopening with only a few concluding works remaining unfinished in a CZK-440m reconstruction
project. The historical landmark will once more be open to the public on 28 and 29 March. Only
the hospital and the church remain of the original extensive spa compound. The chateau and
several other buildings were lost to floods and fires. The location is known worldwide for its
collection of sculptures by Matthias Braun
Coffee, vinegar and potatoes in your shopping basket
this week? You may have
just equipped yourself with
more than just groceries – a
veritable DIY car cleaning
arsenal, in fact. German daily
Handelsblatt recently broke
some of the latest miraculous
“life hacks” (low budget-tips
on making life easier): for
one, dead insects can be
removed from windscreens,
not with expensive storebought cleaners, but with
newspaper pages and a little
soap and detergent. Simply
leave the damp paper in
place overnight – women’s
tights can apparently also do
the trick. Odours in cars can,
meanwhile, be removed with
a little freshly ground coffee.
Squeaky windscreen wipers
can be fixed – albeit only for
a few weeks – by wiping them
with a freshly cut potato;
and upholstery stains can be
removed with a little shaving
foam. Finally, undiluted
vinegar is ideal for removing
those leftover bits of glue
from labels and stickers. Simple tips to perhaps try out as
the spring season stirs. Could
such “hacks” ever be turned
into a business? Perhaps it
would turn out to be another
good example of fabled “folk
wisdom”, as the Czechs call it.
Dušan Kütner’s notebook
Minister Pelikán’s great task:
an independent judiciary
Jana Havligerová
Robert Pelikán, a protégé of
ANO chief Andrej Babiš, has
officially assumed the helm of
the justice ministry. Before him
is a fair number of bills urgently
needing completion or drawing
up from scratch. However, the
greatest task of them all is not
amongst them. Despite the
purely political nature of his
function, Pelikán is assuming
he should be able to withstand
political pressures and favouritism. That will, for example,
entail defending the independence of the judicial system and
properly communicating with
judges. The judiciary is an area
that should be completely independent of Cabinet ministers’
priorities. In other words, one
of the most important tasks that
is not discussed nearly often
enough is the preparation of
a bill to regulate the Supreme
Judicial Council, i.e. forming
an umbrella organisation to
represent the judiciary in dealing with the legislative and
executive branches.
Photo: ČTK
Party Politics
Jana Havligerová
No personnel earthquake scheduled.
Pelikán, however, wants the ministry to “show a bit more zeal
than before”
PM Bohuslav Sobotka also
expects the new man at the
head of the justice ministry to
improve communication with
the coalition’s legislators and to
demonstrate a more active approach, contrasting with that of
his predecessor Helena Válková,
in pushing through the Cabinet’s
bills. The new minister’s baptism
of fire will arrive mainly in the
form of the law on the state prosecution service. The ministry is
to submit the bill to the Cabinet
by the end of April with a view to
deliberations in the parliamentary lower chamber starting in
September. Then there is the
Enforcement Agencies’ Code,
with the completion of the “third
wave” of modifications to that
expected by the end of April.
Putin gets with the yap
Following a mysterious
11-day absence Vladimir
Putin finally re-emerged
in public. And he appeared
to be in a very good mood,
too, joking that “life would
be boring without gossip”.
Seems what he meant
was that the annexation
of Crimea and invasion
of eastern Ukraine isn’t
compensation enough for
the tedium of living behind
the Kremlin’s insular walls.
Or perhaps he was copying
Moravian folk king Ječmínek, who like Shakespeare’s Henry V, walked among
his men – “voters” in this
case – to discover their
true feelings. Let’s hope
Putin could understand the
languages of Switzerland.
According to Senator
Jan Veleba, Czech Television (ČT) should broadcast
each and every press
conference of not only
President Zeman, but also
of his spokesperson. Why?
Because: “What else?”. The
senator also claims ČT’s
management is under the
TOP 09 party’s thumb. So
ties to a parliamentary
political party are suspect,
but ties to the president
(who also runs a party) are
OK?
E15 weekly, economic and business newsmagazine | www.e15.cz |
Tomáš Skřivánek, Euro E15 Division Director | Igor Záruba, Executive Editor,
[email protected]; Marian Hronek, Editor, [email protected] | Contacts: Zuzana Faltová,
Secretary | Call (+420) 225 276 461, | Postal address: Mezi Vodami 1952/9, 143 00
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4/5
business
Škoda accelerates in China
up and down
Success in the Far East helped the automaker to deliver more than one million vehicles last year
Automotive industry
Jaroslav Matějka
Š
18.4m
is the net profit made by
Škoda Auto in 2014. It
amounts to a year on year
improvement of 46 percent
data, Škoda can also boast of
excellent financial results for
2014. Net profit climbed 46
percent year on year to EUR
665m, making for a record in
Czech crowns of CZK 18.4bn.
The automaker thus earned
50 million crowns every day.
Bonuses that motivate
Employees of Škoda Auto will receive an April bonus
payment of as much as CZK 25,000 – the highest ever such
payment – thanks to the company’s robust financial results.
Added to the fixed rewards, the average overall bonus at
Škoda will this year reach CZK 60,000
The rosy figures are also set
to cheer shareholders. According to news agency Bloomberg, Škoda is planning to pay
out a dividend of half a billion
euros.
In tandem with the big Chinese interest in the vehicles
with the winged arrow brand
there has been an impressive
market impact among German customers. Škoda has
repeatedly been the strongest
foreign vehicle make among
our Western neighbours.
Rail modernisation’s
eye-watering costs
Jan Šindelář
The transport ministry has
approved the most extensive railway project in recent
Czech history. Perhaps surprisingly, it does not concern
any of the four rail corridors
that cross the country or any
of the key hubs.
Rather, it is an electrification project for 60 kilometres
of the regional line running
from Olomouc via Uničov to
Šumperk.
The project’s parameters
are somewhat unbelievable in
the Czech railway context: the
Railway Infrastructure Administration [SŽDC] estimates
its costs at CZK 5.3bn.
But an outlay on this scale
will allow trains to travel at
160 kph, the maximum speed
permitted on Czech tracks,
The Kunovice, Eastern Moravia-based producer of small sport aircraft has won a record-breaking contract in the US to supply
16 SportCruiser planes worth in excess of
60 million crowns. SportCruiser is a twoseat model that has become a favourite
with flying schools around the world.
czk
Photo: ČTK
koda, the Mladá Boleslavbased vehicle producer
that has set out to conquer the world, is betting more
and more on the Chinese market. Last year, it sold a record
281,000 vehicles in the most
populous country on the planet
and its CEO Winfried Vahland
is planning for an even better
performance. At a conference
in Mladá Boleslav Vahland said
he was counting on reaching
a sales level of half a million
units in China. In his eyes it
should be achievable by 2018.
“For now in China we are not
yet offering our whole range,” he said, adding that also
within three years he wanted
overall Škoda sales to reach
one million in Europe, Russia
and India.
“By reaching 1.04 million
vehicles delivered to customers [worldwide] last year we
achieved a new sales record.
In comparison with the preceding year, we sold 116,500
more vehicles. That’s growth
of 12.7 percent,” Vahland said.
Alongside its raw sales volume
Martin Jurík
Boss of Czech Sport Aircraft
Further waves
of expansion.
Škoda Auto now sees
big potential in Turkey,
Egypt and Israel
between Olomouc and Uničov. Even express trains only
reach that speed on a few
sections of the modernised
corridors.
It is assumed that European funds will be used to
contribute towards the costs
of the project which is scheduled to break ground in
2018. The line is one of the
three busiest non-electrified
lines in the country, being
used by almost 4,000 commuters every day.
SŽDC is also planning
other large-scale investment
projects. The electrification
of further lines is in the pipeline, with a view to subsequent
operational savings. The lines include, for example, the
backbone rail connection that
links Ostrava and Valašské
Meziříčí.
Stanislav Martinec
Owner of Koma Modular
A specially chartered armed forces plane has flown another 35 ethnic Czechs to Prague from
troubled Ukraine. The expatriates appealed to leave the wartorn country behind and move to their
ancestral home. They were welcomed at Václav Havel Airport Prague by President Miloš Zeman,
Interior Minister Milan Chovanec and Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek. According to Zeman, as
many as 500 Czechs could eventually arrive from turbulent Ukraine. It is estimated that around
10,000 people with Czech roots currently live in Ukraine, mainly in the northwestern Volhynia region
Tunnelling probe may
nix Buddhist centre
Antonín Koláček, the former
head of mining firm Mostecká
uhelná společnost (MUS – today Czech Coal Group), is seeking to build a large Buddhist
centre in the centre of Prague.
Specifically, the structure, to
be named “Sluneční lázně”
(Sunny Spa), is to be built in
Rytířská street at the sites of
the Palác Hrobčických and
Wimmerův palác.
The coal baron bought the
property several years ago
from fellow billionaire Jiří
Police investigations
have also expanded to
include the accounts and
properties of Maitrea,
the umbrella firm for
Koláček’s spiritual
activities
Mine’s a two-litre can
Photo: ČTK
Plastic bottles just do not provide a dignified packaging for our beer, says the Svijany brewery
(established in 1564), while plugging its own approach to providing customers with a biggervolume product. The brewery has started producing two-litre cans. Last year, beer drunk from
cans accounted for more than six percent of total beer consumption in the country
Photo: ČTK
More ethnic Czechs arrive from Ukraine
Šimáně. But the realisation
of the plan also depends upon
the result of Koláček’s ongoing prosecution for alleged
“tunnelling” and shady takeover of MUS. Police investigations have also expanded
to include the accounts and
properties of Maitrea, the
umbrella firm for Koláček’s
spiritual activities.
“The fate of the project is
closely tied to how this affair
plays out,” said Maitrea spokesperson Petr Sedláček.
Asides from various Buddhistical activities and self-awareness courses, Sunny Spa is to offer services
such as physiotherapy. The
costs of reconstructing the
buildings are expected to run
into hundreds of millions of
crowns. Presently, technical
and construction feasibility studies are taking place
at both palaces. “However,
the project has neither yet
completed such studies, nor
gained a building permit,”
added Sedláček.
Koláček founded Maitrea
following his conversion to
Buddhism. The firm’s basic
capital is CZK 1.6bn. The
firm already operates a similar spiritual centre in Týnská street near Prague’s Old
Town Square. Maitrea representative Petr Sedláček says
that even after the completion
of Sluneční lázně in Rytířská
street the existing centre
would continue to operate.
The firm, based in Vizovice, Eastern Moravia, whose modular design has been used
to create the Czech pavilion for Expo 2015
in Milan, has constructed a trial modularsystem house for French developer Pitch
Promotion. If it proves a success, the
company will purchase dozens.
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6/7
photostory
ČSSD’s welcome dose
of partisanship
Jana Havligerová’s political diary
Lessons and soul-gazing
The Social
Democrats should
be commended
for not copying
ANO’s supposed
“anti-politics”
Photo: ČTK
Our past serves as our
maxim, said Roman
Sklenák, head of the Social
Democratic MPs group, at
his party’s congress. He
went on: “This is the past
and memory of our party,
which was hounded by Austrian absolutists, banned
by Nazis, and humiliated
by communists. Despite
this, the Social Democrats
always managed to stand
strong.” Oh, really...
Martin
Čaban
T
he Social Democrats
(ČSSD) can hardly be applauded for their tax proposals or clumsy approach to
church restitution policy. But in
pure political terms, this traditional party must be commended
for its decision to stand up to
the populist ANO’s attempts to
sell voters on its curious brand
of “anti-politics”. Sure, ČSSD
are partly to blame for enabling
ANO’s rise, but their congress
at least indicated they are up for
a fight. No ČSSD leader before
But a minor skirmish over
the election of the First Deputy
Chairman (Sobotka-ally Milan
Chovanec was elected in the
second round of voting) served
as a warning that the squabbles
which blighted the party after
the last general election in 2013
have not fully evaporated. Such
tensions were however offset
by the easy election of all five
honorary party vice-chairs, including two women. Yet such
smooth sailing carries risks.
Had Jeroným Tejc been elected
an honorary vice-chair (he was
17 votes short), Sobotka could
have been able to exercise greater control over the rebellious
south-Moravian wing of the
party. Instead, his party rivals
remain outside the tent.
But words will not be enough. In the short term, ČSSD
will also have to realise that
in today’s politics, skilful
marketing is as much a key
to victory as policies. The
existing coalition agreement
certainly incorporates many
manifesto pledges from the
Social Democrats, but ANO’s
chameleon-like policy orientation allows this party to
claim successes as its own,
and blame failures on others.
Babiš has already claimed
for himself a crusade by Minister of Health Svatopluk
Němeček (ČSSD) regarding
financial transparency; and he
has done the same regarding
Minister of Education Marcel
Chládek’s (ČSSD) idea to use
Had Jeroným Tejc been elected an honorary
vice-chair, Bohuslav Sobotka could have been
able to exercise greater control over the
rebellious south-Moravian wing of the party.
Instead, his rivals remain outside the tent
Bohuslav Sobotka ever received
85 percent support from the
usually splintered party faithful.
Nor has the party seen, since
the Velvet Revolution, so many
attendees (720 delegates were
present) swelling a congress.
Sobotka need not be worried
about his standing as party
leader.
At the congress, ČSSD
members also countered some
of the barbs issued by Babiš
against their party at ANO’s
recent congress. Surprisingly,
the Social Democrats showed
plenty of proud partisanship
and ideology. This is a welcome antidote to Babiš’s “antipolitics”.
gambling revenues for sports;
not to mention a “State Reconstruction” non-partisan anticorruption programme. Social
Democrats can pat themselves
on the back for not being ANO
all they like, but they would
do well to learn some of the
cutthroat skills perfected by
Babiš’s movement.
that the rest of us probably
lack. I think he isn’t entirely
a natural being. Rather, he
is supernatural. I don’t understand how he can rise at
five in the morning and stay
up till one a.m. the next
day,” Kleslová told Euro.
Chovanec also took some
time to discuss his own personality at the congress. We
learned that a) he makes
mistakes, but his heart is in
the right place; b) he once
Andrej Babiš was also a
looked down into the abyss,
frequent topic at the conbut managed to recover
gress. For example, Social
thanks to PM and party
Democrat First Deputy
leader Bohuslav Sobotka.
Chairman Milan Chovanec
A surprising tale? The
addressed the ANO leader
circumspect first deputy exdirectly: “Believe us that we plained: “Yes, it is possible
do not fear you and intend
to have an interior minister
to defend our people and
with a sensitive soul.”
policies!” (After all, he might
have added, we run the
For the first time Czech
Ministry of the Interior!).
Television opted not to
Police force numbers could broadcast live a briefing by
just about exceed army
presidential spokesperson
personnel at ANO’s Ministry Jiří Ovčáček. The Castle has
of Defence. But who really
vowed to fight back, incluknows what will happen
ding by lodging a complaint
between the two coalition
with the broadcasting
“partners”? Especially
watchdog, the Council for
since Babiš appears to be
Radio and Television Broadsuperhuman – as recently
casting. Reliable sources
discovered by new top
suggest that Zeman may
ANO leadership member
also try to have the definitihnutí Radmila Kleslová. “He on of censorship revised in
possesses the kinds of skills Czech dictionaries.
joke
Pall cast over ECB inauguration
Pandemonium broke out in Frankfurt
last Wednesday as thousands of
‘Blockupy’ activists descended on the
city to protest against the European
Central Bank (ECB) moving into its new
EUR-1bn skyscraper headquarters.
Amid the hurling of stones and the
firing of tear-gas canisters, dozens
of police and firefighters and 100
protesters were injured while 350
people were arrested. Police vehicles
and barricades were set alight. “Caviar
for All,” read one placard
Photos: Reuters
opinion
A151001803
a dv e r t i s i n g
8/9
cover story
Backing
a champion
One factor appears to universally hold true: the greater the
membership base (especially
as regards to youth categories), the greater the chance
Czech sports players have
of making their mark in the
world, making the Sáblíkovás
of this world more of a norm
than outliers. But such hopes are only a pipe dream without sufficient government
funding.
of around CZK 3bn. As an
example, neighbouring Slovakia spends five times more
than this country on sports.
“If Czech sports enjoyed the
same resources as are available in Slovakia, we would
be receiving 15 rather than
Almost a quarter of
families, comprising
450,000 children, are
unable to cover the basic
costs of sporting activities
Wells running dry
While EU-wide sports subsidies continue to grow, and are
heading towards 0.5 percent
of GDP, the Czech Republic has experienced a totally
converse trend: over the past
25 years, state expenditures
have been cut by about 250
percent to today’s figure
criticism from sporting associations. In truth, they have
themselves to blame for some
lost funds. Specifically, a few
years ago, additional hundreds
of millions of crowns flowed
into Czech sports from the
betting firm Sazka. But this
three billion a year,” the Czech
Sports Union [ČUS] stated in
a recent study.
The current state of affairs
has long been the target of
business, operated by sporting
associations headed by ČSTV
(the predecessor to ČUS) did
not survive the reign of longserving CEO Aleš Hušák, who
Become the next Ronaldo
When AFC Ajax player Václav Černý – currently the
most promising Czech player – was 13-years-old, he
received perhaps the greatest gift a boy of his age
could dream of: an internship at English Premier
League club Chelsea. From an early age, clubs such
as Manchester United, Arsenal and Bayern Munich
were fighting over the budding young talent.
Former Czech football star Pavel Nedvěd, now a
board member at Juventus F.C., even made a trip
back home to try to lure Černý to Italy. Ultimately,
the young player’s affinity for Dutch-style attack-based football led to him joining Ajax Amsterdam.
Incidentally, this club possesses one of the most
refined youth training programmes in the world.
“Large clubs are sending scouts out all across
Europe,” noted Václav Černý Sr., father to the rising
young Czech star, and also a trainer to the under-18
Czech national team. “Specific scouts cover certain
regions. The word spread that we have some
clever boys here. Václav then started to attend the
internship programme. We first attended Chelsea
in 2011. In our case we were very lucky that all the
clubs we attended fully covered all expenses.”
The fact that the father of the Czech Republic’s
greatest footballing talent was himself a football
player, and now serves as a coach, played a major
role in moulding the future career choices of Václav
Černý Jr. But the now 17-year-old player also serves
as proof that the path to Czech football stardom
need not lead only through domestic clubs, and also
need not ruin parents intent on helping support
their children’s sporting dreams. Černý joined Ajax
from minor club FK Příbram, not a major one like
Sparta Prague, Slavia Prague or Pilsen, despite
Sparta and others repeatedly making approaches
to the youngster.
“The sports school at Příbram which Vaclav joined
operates superbly and should serve as an example
for all such schooling,” said Černý Sr. “There was
no reason for me to seek out anything better. He
Photos: Tomáš Novák
Continued from page 1
The household share fuelling
overall sporting activities is as
high as 80 percent,” notes the
15 billion crowns
aforementioned ČUS study.
is how much sporting representatives envisage gaining in
Which, as the study’s authors
state budget support by 2025
note, also means that 23 percent of families (comprising
60 billion crowns
at least 450,000 children) are
is the value of properties administered by existing sporting
unable to cover the sporting exfacilities in the Czech Republic
penditures of their children.
20 percent
The ČUS leadership is now
of girls and 25 percent of boys partake in some sporting
pressing for the Czech state
activities each day
to increase 2016 funding of
sport by CZK 3bn (to roughly
37 billion crowns
6bn). And for 2017, it wants as
is the annual revenue generated for state coffers by the
much as CZK 7bn. “The aim is
Czech sports industry
to reach between 0.3-0.4 percent of GDP by 2015, which
departed in 2011. After that, in 2015 prices means about
Sazka came into the ownership CZK 12-15bn annually,” said
of investment group KKCG, the association’s chief Miroheaded by Karel Komárek Jr. slav Jansta.
Sports industry insiders
warn that reduced government Genes aren’t everything
funding of sports is leading to At present, it remains far from
a decline in both membership clear whether this sporting
of Czech sporting associations, association will be able to
and also sports facilities. Rou- “wring” such funding from
ghly a fifth of Czechs belong the state. Similarly, it is also
to some kind of sports club; unclear whether such billions
in neighbouring Austria, that would be able to reverse the
number is 40 percent. At the trend of increased parental insame time, individual house- put regarding the sporting ophold expenditures on sports portunities of offspring. What
are climbing. “The overall per- is clear, however, is that sports
household share expended in in general are becoming more
financing basic sporting faci- sophisticated and technologylities is as high as 42 percent. -driven .
Sport in numbers
played among a great group of players. The 1996
year group was headed by a coach who loved
football and gave his utmost to the players. He
managed to assemble a very talented group of
players from the area.”
According to Černý Sr., unlike many sports, football
has managed to keep its feet firmly planted amidst
its working class roots. After all, practically every
kid already has a tracksuit, and so the only real
necessary investment is in a pair of football boots,
which should certainly be of top quality. But
even these won’t set parents back more than CZK
3,000. “When kids become members of clubs,
then obviously this involves both fees and training
camps. In most cases, youth clubs receive no
state support and it is a question for the parents
as to how they can best be funded. For children’s
football, fees can range from CZK 500 to 1,000 per
month. After that, prices vary. Some clubs increase
membership fees with the age of the participants.
But in other cases, the opposite is the case,” said
Černý Sr.
Unlike most other sports, football possesses one
other clear advantage: it offers opportunities to
youngsters of various shapes and sizes – what
matters is talent, meaning eye-leg coordination
(and eye-hand for goalkeepers). “Physical
parameters don’t present a limitation in football,”
argued Černý. “Football is available to a range of
somatotypes, and so whether a player is small
or well-built isn’t a major factor. What matters is
movement and coordination; how well a player can
master these things. And speed is crucial too.”
Tennis for millions
Andre Agassi explained in his memoirs what
exactly was responsible for his becoming a
professional tennis player: “My father actually
moved out from Chicago just so he could play
tennis 365 days a year, so it was – it was a place
we played every day. We played before school.
We played after school. We woke up. We played
tennis. We brushed our teeth.” So should you
see a potential rising Grand Slam champion in
your offspring, Agassi’s book, entitled Open, is
well worth a close read. Tennis may be elegant,
but it is also ruthless, expensive and lonely. The
chances of a breakthrough success are barely
above zero.
The costs of raising a professional tennis star
exceed even the earnings of an above-average
household. Miroslav Černošek, manager of TK
Agrofert Prostějov, estimates that just to train
top Czech stars Petra Kvitová and Tomáš Berdych
cost him an investment worth between CZK
10-15m. And these two were extra lucky in that
sponsors spotted their talents in time, thus it
was possible to avoid an unsustainable financial
burden being placed on their families.
But even an entrance into the professional
sphere is no guarantor of success. Not long
ago, the International Tennis Federation (ITF)
released a study, which revealed that only 1.3
percent of professional male players, and 3.1
percent of professional female players made a
profit in 2013. The average costs of participation
in a tennis season are a staggering USD 160,000
(CZK 4.1m). What about the costs for individual
age groups? Tennis school, which usually begins
at ages five or six, has the advantage that the
This situation is demanding
innovative new ways to unearth the talents of potential
future sporting stars. Last
year, Uzbekistan’s Institute
of Bio-organic Chemistry announced that it had developed
a simple blood test for small
children, which could reveal
the presence of 50 genes apparently required for sporting
talent. This year, that country’s Olympic Committee is
seeking to utilise such testing
in the fields of football, swimming and rowing.
Scientific breakthroughs
aside, ultimately it will be parents who determine whether
their children are able to devote themselves to a particular
sport. In a study of available
data for this article, a simple
conclusion was reached: for
parents who want a cheap
sporting option for their child,
offering genuine potential for
success, football is the obvious
choice. But golf, too, offers an
interesting price/output correlation. On the other hand,
one might advise that anyone
thinking they might be able to
bring through the next tennis
star along the lines of Petra
Kvitová or Tomáš Berdych
should instead opt for a very
cold shower.
costs of a trainer are split between more than
one family. Consequently, an hour of play may
end up costing around CZK 150; at prestigious
clubs, however, this can be as much as CZK 400.
Monthly training can come to anywhere from CZK
1,500-4,000.
“Baby-tennis” (for ages 7-9) sees costs climb as
the number of participants falls. And if you have
hopes that your little one is to become a tennis
pro, then by this age, he or she should already be
training at least five times a week, and have their
own trainer. If the sport is merely to be taken as
a pastime, then it will cost about CZK 3,000 per
month. But if you are pushing for entrance into
the professional sphere, then the costs are the
same – only per week. Nonetheless, beware bad
habits. Even those learned at ages seven to nine
are difficult to completely shake. Which makes
the quality of the training received all the more
crucial.
School-based and junior tennis will also hit the
family finances via the costs of travelling to
various tournaments. Families opting for fulltime trainers will expend around CZK 50,000 per
month. Training abroad is another option, with
one year at the prestigious Nick Bollettieri Tennis
Academy in Florida costing around USD 70,000
(CZK 1.8m).
Some American sports schools offer a
scholarship, and the best Czech tennis clubs,
namely ČLTK Praha, Sparta Praha and Prostějov,
also offer financial support to the most promising
players.
10/11
face to face
AdriAnA Krnáčová:
Adriana Krnáčová (55)
i’m not a politician,
i’m a manager
about how previous mayors [Krnáčová is the fourth Prague mayor in office since construction began in 2007
–Ed.] proceeded. From at least 2013,
they must have been aware of water
leakage issues, and that the tunnel lacked sufficient insulation. Despite this,
they continued, promising that Blanka
would be opened by December 2014.
I believe that the approach here was
completely idiotic.
You suggest that the main party at
fault is Inženýring dopravních staveb
(IDS), which was tasked with oversight.
In truth, I do not know who is to
blame. It is a combination; everyone involved shares part of the blame.
But no-one appears willing to man-up
and accept this – a common Czech
problem. For this reason, too, I want
to have a parliamentary investigative
committee look into the tunnel. They
would have far greater tools at their
disposal to identify exactly what occurred, which decisions were made, and
the implications of the financial decisions made at the time. It could also discover whether the planned materials
for the project were actually the ones
used. Which obviously also pertains
to the cables issue.
Alas, we don’t have such experts
at City Hall. No, we will hire external
Following a recent meeting with con- specialists.
tractors regarding the faulty cables
discovered in the Blanka tunnel, you Will this be subject to a public tender?
No, I will bring along people who
said that there was considerable mutual finger-pointing. Has there been have taken an interest in this matter
and who are experts in their respective
any progress since?
A finding on this should be ready by fields. We will survey the tunnel and
the end of March. And we are set to visually identify all damages, including
receive a timetable from ČKD Praha potential damages, and shortcomings.
DIZ [the firm that installed the cables These will then be put to paper, fol–Ed.] regarding how they envisage lowed by the quizzing of companies
both replacing the cables and the ove- on what can be done to put matters Are you suggesting that Blanka tunnel
rall entire situation. You see, the cables right. Or what they should have done, has fallen victim to a criminal conspiaren’t the only issue.
but didn’t.
racy?
Absolutely. All the available evidenWhat other issues plague the tunnel? Insurers have purportedly declined to ce suggests that. Two theories exist:
either those responsible, meaning
There are also leaks and dampness cover some of the damages.
We had building inspectors in place both top politicians and contractors,
issues – which DIZ cannot fix. This is
a construction problem. If sufficient tasked with providing the following had no idea what they were doing.
insulation is not installed, then the instructions: either lay the cables, or Or they were fully aware and had
leaking will continue indefinitely. Or don’t because the subsoil either is or hatched a clever scheme to extract
so say the experts with whom I con- is not acceptable. I do not know what money from City Hall. But Prague
sulted. Where faulty installation is an they were doing. I am also unclear citizens cannot be held hostage in this
issue, repairs must be made. But someone must accept responsibility for
the mistakes. This will be expressed
in the finding I mentioned. I will also
visit the tunnel with several experts
to assess if other issues beyond the
faulty cables threaten the tunnel. It is
clear that Blanka is a far from standard
construction.
Tereza Čapková, Pavel Otto
Will these experts be from City Hall
itself?
I will answer like a mother [in
commenting on Matěj Stropnický]:
somewhere in his upbringing a
mistake was evidently made. He
lacks both humility and experience
plastic card [Opencard], there would be
electronic and also paper ticketing options available. I think that time exists
to formulate an effective system for
the future.
way: told that if they don’t pay up the
tunnel simply won’t open.
Will you be taking further legal action?
That is one available option. But
firstly we must determine the precise
trail of decisions which were made
affecting the tunnel’s construction.
At what stage are negotiations pertaining to the Opencard [the Prague public
transport payment card system]? Will
you try to save the system by purchasing it, or simply abolish this troubled
project?
We are seeking to reach a settlement
with the current card operator, namely
eMoney Services [Opencard operator
–Ed.]. Our legal experts are appraising
the support activities of this company.
We must find a way to contract an effective support system; some 40,000
licences still exist in this regard. But
we won’t be [exclusively] returning to
paper tickets. We undertook protective measures due to an unreliable
supplier. The city must protect itself
against potential abnormal operating
conditions, and this has already occurred once before.
What about the recommendation of
the architects’ lobby, arguing that Prague ignores the ministry’s prescriptions and instead goes to court over the
matter?
We certainly have no intention of
taking the ministry to court. This body
is the senior authority above our municipal government. Why should I do
battle with them? We chose a speedy
solution. We have been in charge at City
Hall for three months and are discovering that for three to five years nothing
moved with regards to this body’s key
projects.
My predecessor Tomáš Hudeček
(TOP 09) was unable to successfully address the ministry’s concerns. I frankly
cannot comprehend his obstinacy in
this. Why such an idiotic approach?
Additionally, no-one appeared to be
responsible for the overall operation
of City Hall. I am not a politician, I’m
an operations manager.
But you must deal with political matters. For example, a recent squabble
between the three-party coalition
[ANO, the Social Democrats and the
Green Party –Ed.], with the two strongest parties wanting to remove Matěj
The electronic version would be ope- Stropnický (Greens) as deputy mayor.
We are still tackling that. I am just
rated by the Prague Public Transit Co.
one-ninth of the coalition team.
[DPP]?
In all likelihood, yes.
Should the 31-year-old Stropnický stay
What will happen to the existing Open- or go?
I will answer like a mother: socard system?
If the system’s technical validity mewhere in his upbringing a mistake
expires, the user will be able to cho- was evidently made. He lacks both huose between the electronic and paper mility and experience. It is very difficult
options. The overall life of the entire for me to explain matters to him. RunOpencard project is finite. We are ba- ning City Hall is not the sport of some
sically in divorce proceedings with its activist. It is a full-time job.
operator.
How do you react to the opinion, exAnd so a crisis plan is no longer requi- pressed in certain media, that as
red to prepare for potential problems mayor you are on a “leash” subserviassociated with eMoney Services?
ent to the whims of Prague ANO party
We are ready to react within days to chief Radmila Kleslová?
any such troubles with the initiation
I really don’t feel that way. And I don’t
of an electronic ticketing system. The read tabloids. I have a very good relationpaper variety is already prepared. If the ship with Ms. Kleslová and we see each
company wants to end up in court, that other often. I don’t know where such
is a decision for it to make. This is part allegations come from, and it is beneath
Is Prague considering the option of ful- of some divorces too, after all.
me to constantly respond to them.
ly buying Opencard and operating the
The Czech antimonopoly office [ÚOHS] You were elected as an “independent”
system itself?
No.
has begun investigating Prague’s on the ANO party ticket. Have you offibuilding regulations as well its long- cially joined the party since?
You have been talking of an Opencard term contract with JCDecaux [a French
I have submitted my application.
replacement for three months now. firm, which administers many large This must now be processed by the
When will a specific plan emerge?
billboards across Prague, hit by new regional party committee.
We are considering the initiation of tougher building codes. The new rules
a specific alternative electronic system pushed by the Regional Development Would you consider some kind of post
targeted at mobile phones. But I don’t Ministry prohibit certain kinds of bill- in the ANO party leadership?
I don’t have time for politics. I spend
want to go into the details of that now boards in the city and need approval
– give me one or two more weeks. It from the European Commission –Ed.]. 24 hours a day dealing with Prague’s
is important to cover all ticket-holder How do you foresee the case playing problems, including Saturdays and
Sundays.
groups. This means that alongside the out?
Photo: Michael Tomeš
T
he previous leadership at Prague City
Hall must have been fully aware that
serious issues threatened to derail the
scheduled opening of the Blanka tunnel. So
claims Adriana Krnáčová (ANO), Mayor of Prague
since November 2014. “Two theories exist: either
those responsible, meaning both top politicians
and contractors, had no idea what they were
doing. Or they were fully aware and had hatched
a clever scheme to extract money from City Hall”
Studied art and languages at
the Faculty of Arts, Comenius
University, Bratislava. From
1991-1995, Krnáčová headed the
Soros Center for Contemporary
Arts in Bratislava before
spending three years as a
representative (and co-owner)
of art trading and exhibition
firm Makum. In 2000, she
joined the Czech branch of
Transparency International,
climbing to Executive Director.
From 2007-2009, she served
as Communications Director for
the Czech branch of Johnson &
Johnson. Until 2014, she also
served as a representative (and
owner) of marketing consultants
BlueOceanSolutions. Last
year, she served as a Deputy
Interior Minister before being
elected Prague Mayor that same
November. Krnáčová is divorced,
with two children.
We will proceed in the way we have
already stated. Now it’s up to the European Commission.
12/13
feature
A zoo that
studies the
habits of
human beings
Iveta Křížová
When it comes to the famous
sites of Prague, the Zoo can
claim to be on an equal footing with the likes of Prague
Castle and the Old Town Astronomical Clock. It can hardly complain about low visitor
numbers. Prague Zoo was visited by 1.38 million people last
year. It was a figure that broke
the record for the 83 year-old
institution. Another marked
success came in the form of the
result achieved in the world’s
most popular zoo poll: Prague
Zoo finished a lucky seventh
in the ranking published by
TripAdvisor.com, the world’s
biggest travellers’ server.
However, although the zoological park has a number of
reasons to celebrate, it certainly does not mean to become
complacent. “It is our duty to
continue developing the Zoo,
modernising it in order to
make sure that both the animals we keep and the visitors
who come to see them feel as
comfortable as possible. The
facility’s team does its utmost
to achieve these things,” said
Miroslav Bobek, the Director
of Prague Zoo, commenting
on the poll results. Inspiration
from abroad is sought by the
Zoo. “Regardless of the good
name our Zoo has made for
itself abroad, we find inspiration in other zoos, such as Bronx
Zoo, Chester Zoo in the UK,
the zoo in Leipzig, Germany,
and numerous others,” Vít Kahle, head of the Zoo PR and
Marketing Department, told
Strategie magazine.
The Prague Zoo brand is
promoted by a five-strong marketing team. The team works
Photo: archive
sands [of crowns], not millions,” said Kahle.
Media celebrity. Richard the gorilla achieved fame in 2006
by winning mock reality show “Odhalení” [Revelation]. A joint
project of Czech Radio, Czech Television, Prague Zoo and
telecommunication company Visual Connection, it mapped the
life of a five-strong troop of lowland gorillas
With a whiff of exaggeration it
could be said that Prague Zoo
has rather become the journalists’ pet. The Zoo’s management is still often bombarded
by inquiries from the media. It
seems that whatever happens
in the Czech capital, the media
seldom forget to ask the Zoo
for its take on the story. The
origins of this fascination can
be found in the catastrophic
event that was the disastrous
floods of 2002. This to a great
extent comes down to the fact
that the management was then
headed by Petr Fejk, who became popular with the media
after taking the Zoo’s helm. It
was under Fejk that the Zoo
embarked on a journey of extensive modernisation. It may
seem a small detail but Fejk
and the whole Zoo have already made it into popular music
thanks to an Eben Brothers
song.
Photo: ČTK
Reborn amid floods
back then and the solidarity
shown with the Zoo was unique. The one-in-a-thousandyears flood had a poignant symbol in Gaston the brown fur
seal. Carried off by the current,
Gaston ended up on a journey
that was eagerly followed by
the nation. He navigated the
Vltava and then the Elbe all the
way to Germany, where he was
eventually captured. Sadly, he
died of exhaustion shortly afterwards. Another hero and
Prague Zoo promotes its brand on its own,
doing without the support of professional
marketing or PR agencies
on its own. No support from
professional marketing or PR
agencies is contracted. “With
the care of a diligent custodian we make use of profitable
partnerships, striving to drain
as little as possible from the
operating budget, and this results in annual expenses that
amount to hundreds of thou-
But let us come back to the
floods. There can be hardly
anyone who witnessed the disaster in 2002 who does not remember images from the submerged zoological gardens. In
marketing terms, the tragedy
helped the Zoo become more
visible. All Czechs seemed to
come across as animal lovers
symbol of hope was Slávek the
hippo. He managed to survive two days in the flooded big
mammals pavilion (pictured).
Slávek has been one of the most
visited residents of Prague Zoo
ever since.
The challenging water element was felt again in 2013
when floods attacked the Zoo
once more. Also once more
symbols emerged; this time
from the big apes pavilion, the
part of the Zoo at the lowest
level.
Forget winter dormancy
It would be foolish, nevertheless, to think that the Zoo has
profited from the floods. The
losses, both in terms of the
animals that perished and the
financial costs of restoration,
were enormous. The Zoo will
not fully recover from them
for quite some time to come.
Yet the floods played their part
in the Zoo initiating several
highly successful marketing
campaigns that have earned it
substantial financial support.
The successes listed by Kahle include for example the
virtual animal adoption campaign (the Zoo last year obtained almost CZK 3.5m from
adoptive “care takers”, creating a new historical record),
the “Seznamte se!” [Meet …!]
campaign that promotes the
Zoo’s residents as celebrities
(recently transformed into
a book published by the Pa-
seka house under the title of
Hvězdy pražské zoo [Stars of
Prague Zoo]), the campaign
that promotes the Zoo’s seventh place in the global poll,
and the promotion of the Zoo’s
new entertainment facility, the
Bororo Reserve.
Where visitor numbers are
concerned, the best assistant
the Zoo can have is the sun
and nice weather. The Zoo is
regularly full to bursting throughout the spring and summer.
However, the gardens have
recently come forward with a
number of creative ideas that
attract visitors during otherwise dull periods. One such programme is Happy Mondays.
Every Monday from January
until the end of the year, a
select group of visitors has a
chance to visit the Zoo for the
symbolic price of one crown.
One crown also suffices to gain
admission for anyone arriving
by public transport during the
month of November, while
everyone pays just that one
crown in December with the
exception of dogs to whom the
regular canine ticket price still
The first
director.
Ever since the
16th century,
Praguers had
aspired to
have zoological
gardens. The
zoo eventually
opened in 1931
with Professor
Jiří Janda serving
as its director
Photo: archive
C
hildren love it, parents respect it
and the media sings its praises.
Money is not exactly abundant,
but when times get tough it is shrewd in
attracting extra funding. To some extent,
that is down to marketing campaigns
that it is very hard not to notice
A hero and a symbol.
Slávek the hippo survived
in the flooded big mammals
pavilion for two days in 2002
The Zoo is successful in
attracting visitors even
during the off-season
months with dull weather
applies. January brings onecrown admission to all donors
who have contributed towards
the construction of the new big
apes pavilion while February
is the month for anyone bringing an old mobile phone –
such surrendered phones are
transformed into support for
rainforest rangers who protect
the natural habitats of lowland
gorillas – while March means
benefits for families expecting
a child.
The Zoo also offers a relatively broad range of supplementary services all year round.
The feeding and exercising of
various animals with simultaneous commentary have proved
highly popular, along with diverse educational events, series
of lectures, special events, adventure programmes and other
features. The Zoo has also enhanced its self-promotion by
having an increased number
of shops and souvenir booths
where children as well as their
parents can choose from a selection of toys, clothing items,
cups, umbrellas, CDs, DVDs,
computer mouse pads, pin
badges, stickers, postcards
and various publications. Of
course, the Zoo also operates
an e-shop and has a profile on
Facebook.
The Zoo could hardly survive on people’s love of animals
alone. There are occasionally
those who bequeath houses of
rented apartments, lucrative
plots of land or considerable
amounts of money, but these
gifts still do not suffice when
it comes to making ends meet.
Therefore, the Zoo, a contribution-based organisation
funded by the City of Prague,
must put considerable effort
into raising enough extra money to take care of both its
animal “clients” and human
employees. The Zoo’s clear
target group, i.e. families with
children, can be expected to
remain loyal but it would be
foolish to dismiss competition
from other zoological gardens
and other leisure attractions
in the country.
Taken from the magazine
14/15
wine & dine
society
society
Pension KladsKá
a gift for disabled children from The dominator
serious about the game
Dominik Hašek – known to fans as The Dominator for his strong
performances as a goaltender during his ice hockey days – and his Smarty
Drink business presented insurer Česká pojišťovna’s foundation with a cheque
for CZK 100,000. The donation will be used to support sports and leisuretime activities for children with visual impairments as part of the Leotinka
Foundation’s initiative. The activities are devised to help the children fulfil
wishes and goals in spite of their disabilities. Pictured from left are Miroslav
Žbel (Česká pojišťovna Foundation), Barbara Hucková (Leontinka Foundation)
and Dominik Hašek
Photo: Best Communications
The dense forests
above Mariánské
Lázně hide a
unique restaurant
and wine cellar
Best firm award for architects Chapman Taylor
a dv e r t i s i n g
A151002200
Photos: archive
Petr Holec
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Pension KladsKá
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353 01 Mariánské Lázně
Tel.: 354 691 888
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2015
Monday, 23 MarchCZK
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Issue 63 l newsstand price
Standing tall
as a giraffe
And with respect as hefty
e
as a hippo. How streetwis
Prague Zoo battled its woes
FEATURE pages 12–13
Varied offer of
local game, skilfully
prepared
Exceptional wine list
A unique location
Limited choice of
wines by the glass
in a cream sauce with cranberries (360 crowns).
And you should probably
not leave Kladská without at
least trying the steak tartare
de Paris (225 crowns). Its raw
energy is just the tonic before
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peace, as even your mobile
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Use the e-mail address
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63
beef is almost as popular as
steak, though few restaurants
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wonderfully tender and ideally complemented by a rich
wine sauce, which cleaves to
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all over the plate. With rice
and a glass of Tuscan red it
can’t fail.
Kladská (at a higher altitude than Špindlerův Mlýn) is
one of the coldest and wettest
places in the country. Wet,
however, means water and
that means fresh river fish.
As you might expect, this is a
daily offer depending on the
recent catch but the trout
with potato (285 crowns) comes highly recommended.
But let’s get back to the
game. The current menu offers saddle of roe deer with a
sauce of redcurrants and port
wine (465 crowns), red deer
steak in a wild mushroom and
Madeira sauce (435 crowns),
wild boar tenderloin wrapped
in bacon with rosehip sauce, a
mixed game plate in a juniper
sauce (both 375 crowns) or
leg of hare with bacon strips
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ame is enjoyed across
the Czech Republic
but in Kladská it is
truly savoured. This hunting
settlement, secreted deep inside the forests and marshlands surrounding Mariánské
Lázně, has been in use since
the end of the 19th century.
One of the more venerable
lodges in the area is Pension
Kladská, which includes a restaurant and wine cellar created by the chef, wine buff and
globetrotter Vlastimil Reitmajer. His cooking embraces the
now popular fusion of French
and traditional Czech cuisines, exploring in particular
their shared fondness for
game meats and rich sauces. Veal shank. Sous-vide preparation with champignons, potato
But the basics must still come purée and butter squash
first and even frying an ordiCrème
nary veal schnitzel requires
a certain amount of artistry.
caramel.
You acknowledge this right
A custard
before you take your first
dessert topped
bite; the Kladská schnitzel
by a layer of soft
(325 crowns) is remarkably
caramel
free of grease.
The same aura of diligence, along with some delicious
aromas, emanates from another house specialty - beef
cheeks in wine (295 crowns).
Nowadays, thanks to the omnipresent Prague chef Zdeněk Pohlreich, this cut of
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g
Cultivating successful sportin
crown
talent is a multi-million
investment for parents
far
cial security are few and
between. Examples include
and field athletics,
any parents can track
and basketball –
relate to the fol- volleyball
sports with a large
lowing scenario: meaning
participation and long
your child turns rate of
–
histories. And occasionally
wonder
to
start
you
r
and
three
best as with Czech speedskate
see
which sport might be the
Martina Sáblíková – we
for them. You want some- a more “exotic” non-traditithing that they find enjoyable, onal sport yielding success
the
but which won’t break
for Czechs.
have
bank either. Only a handful
we
article
this
For
the
which
of parents believe from
or selected two sports
outset that their young son
we believe our English-lan
daughter is destined to beco- guage readers (and their
l. We
to be
me a sports professiona
who children) may believe
asked several experts,
goldmiis the best potential
s!
all agreed that true talent
. nes for both generation
difficult to spot immediately Perhaps obvious choices,
Rather, it tends to manifest but nonetheles s: tennis
10.
itself from ages seven to
and football [note: a longer
And so in order to even stand Czech-language version of
start
a chance, a child must
as this article also included
intensive sports training
golf, ice-hockey, biathlon
early as possible. Naturally, and floorball].
this doesn’t mean immediate
Continues on page 8
of
dozens
specialisation and
Rahours a week of training.
ther, introduction to sports
inshould be gradual, with
tensive training only coming
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later.
In the Czech Republic,
many sports offer the opportunity to make a living; albeit,
chances to find lifelong finan-
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Photo: Reuters
diversions
picture of the week
Wading in
London Mayor Boris Johnson (right) donned chest-high waders and lent a hand joining horticulturists, apprentices and students to plant young Victoria Amazonica
water lilies in the Princess of Wales Conservatory in the Royal Botanic Gardens. The lively Johnson – tipped by many to be the next British Tory PM – is no stranger
to wading in... though usually into heated political controversies. Kew, in west London, is itself currently at the centre of a divisive storm with critics warning its
world-class research is being undermined by short-term, stop-start funding from the government
invitations
PHOTOGRAPHY
FINAL FRONTIER
ALBUM LAUNCH
EASTER
Bhutan, A Land
Close to Heaven
Best pictures from
Jazz World Photo
Gateway to Space,
by NASA
Mydy Rabycad begin
with Good Times
Festival of Sacred
Music in Brno
Prague’s Náprstek Museum of
Asian, African and American
Culture is hosting the exhibition Bhutan – A Land Close to
Heaven. Until 14 June, visitors
can take in singular historical
and contemporary treasures
of Bhutanese culture lent by
the Royal Textile Academy of
Thimphu. Photography and
exhibits from travellers will
also bring home the beauty of
the Himalayan kingdom.
The opening of an exhibition
of pictures from the first Jazz
World Photo contest will take
place on 24 March at the
American Center at Tržiště 13,
Prague 1. A Pavel Koutecký
film entitled Where Was Bill:
Partnership for Jazz, which includes Bill Clinton’s saxophone
performance at Reduta, will be
screened. The contest winners
will be announced at Jazzinec
festival in Trutnov.
A unique exhibition, created
and presented under the auspices of NASA, has opened at
Prague’s Holešovice Exhibition
Grounds. The most essential
events and moments involving
astronauts and the exploration of the universe provide
the focus for a space display
unparalleled for its extent and
content in Czech exhibition
history. Open until the end of
May.
Electroswing band Mydy Rabycad are promoting their single
Good Times as an invitation to
the launch of their new album
Glamtronic on 26 March. The
group is made up of red-haired femme fatale, singer and
actress Žofie Dařbujánová,
saxophonist Mikuláš Pejcha,
bass guitarist Jan Drábek and
multi-instrumentalist Nèro
Scartch. The album will be
“christened” at a Lucerna
Music Bar event.
The 24th edition of this Easter
attraction will be held in Brno
churches from 29 March to 12
April. The event pays homage
to the most important Christian holidays on the calendar,
and also to the beauty of
Brno’s church architecture.
The programme will arc over
medieval centuries with, for
instance, early French chorus
meeting choral chants from
Polish Queen Elizabeth Richeza’s manuscript. Contemporary works are also performed.
Photos: Nino Zardalishvili, archive
EXHIBITION