A conversation with the President of the Czech Boxing Association, Svatopluk Žáček

A conversation with the President of the Czech Boxing Association, Svatopluk Žáček

What is your program for this Olympic Cycle 2017/2020?

“We are focusing on the new generation of boxers and trainers. Our aim is to prepare the right conditions for them to develop their skills to nominate to Olympics games in 2020”.

In the last years how much has your boxing movement improved?

“We have stabilized balanced budget within Czech boxing association. Executive committee has 2 main goals: national team representation but also national”.

Is women’s boxing improvement in your country?

“We have Martina Schmoranzové, medalist of European Championship. She belongs to the best boxers in her weight category all over the world. There are young talented girls, but they need time for the development”.

After Aiba opening to professional boxing, how will you improve this area?

“We are not cooperating with Czech union of professional boxers. Honestly speaking we have still problem with them. They are taking the best boxers from our national team, including the young talented boys and girls which were trained by our coaches for the years without any benefits to Czech boxing association. Profi teams are not supporting the roots of our sport. We are thinking about the right strategy”.

From July 25th to July 30th, in Ústí nad Labem, was held the 48th International Elite Men´s Boxing Tournament ”Grand Prix”. What feelings do you have from this Tournament?

“It is an elite international competition but we see it mainly as a feast of boxing. We use it mainly to promote boxing and show to young girls and boys the beauty of our sport. Therefore kids under 15 years of age had free entrance. The motto of the tournament is: Sport against criminality of youth and drug addiction”.

How are the dealing with the fight against doping?

“We try to spread information about risks and negative effects of doping  within boxers and coaches. We cooperate with Czech Anti-Doping Committee and our boxers are randomly checked not only during the national competitions but also during the training period”.

Svatopluk Žáček: his history

“I had been boxing for more than 15 years (9 years in Czech national team) with more than 300 bouts. I am bronze medalist from European championship in Halle in 1977. I studied coaching at University and being a Coach for 26 years at almost every level and age category including a position of head coach at several Olympics games. I use to be a chairman of Coach Commision of CBA and head of Sport center of Ministry of Internal Affairs. I am president of Czech Boxing association since 2010 and member of Coach Commision of EUBC. This is the proof that AIBA Heads up career program could be real”.

Svatopluk Žáček, President of the Czech Boxing Association and Wladimir Klitschko