photo: vlada.cz

The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, opened the Czech House on Friday, July 26, 2024, ahead of the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games. The Czech House offers both indoor and outdoor spaces for sports fans and serves as a unique, informal meeting place for spectators and athletes.

"Sport always brings national pride, we saw that recently at the World Ice Hockey Championship, and also just a few days ago when Barbora Krejčíková won Wimbledon," said the Prime Minister, adding that the Czech Republic is likely to experience similar moments at the Olympics.

According to the Prime Minister, the Olympic ideal of peace and fair competition is very important – something that Russia is not respecting in its actions towards Ukraine. Therefore, the Czech Republic, the Czech Olympic Committee, and the National Sports Agency have been consistently opposed to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Fiala recalled how closely sport is linked to society and historical events. According to the Prime Minister, sport always has a social function that changes over time. He also emphasized the role and importance of sport in the lives of children and young people: "Sport teaches young people to win, but also to lose, to play by the rules. It teaches that success cannot come without effort, and also how important physical activity is."

During his visit to the Czech House, the Prime Minister thanked the organizing team of the Czech Olympic Committee and the volunteers who contributed to the preparations.

He then wished the Czech team good luck. "I wish you all a great time at the Olympic Games here in Paris. I wish our athletes a lot of medals, and together with millions of Czech citizens, I will be cheering you on," Fiala concluded.

Czech Olympic Houses have a very good reputation. This time, visitors will be able to experience Czech culture and gastronomy. The centerpiece of the space in front of the Czech House is the sculpture "Věra" by David Černý, which is a tribute to the gymnast and seven-time Olympic champion, Věra Čáslavská.

In the afternoon, Prime Minister Petr Fiala and his wife, Jana, will attend a reception at the Élysée Palace at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, and in the evening, they will jointly attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

vlada.cz/gnews.cz-roz

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Premiér Fiala při otevření Českého domu v Paříži: „Chceme, aby sport učil mladé lidi hrát podle pravidel.“
Předseda vlády ČR Petr Fiala otevřel před zahájením XXXIII. letních olympijských her v pátek 26. července 2024 Český dům. Ten nabídne vnitřní i vnější prostor nejen pro sportovní fanoušky. Jde o unikátní neformální místo pro setkávání diváků a sportovců.