Czech Republic looks to ice hockey, soccer for inspiration
04/27/2006
Tokyo, April 27, 2006 -- Slovak coach Igor Prielozny has been given the task of bringing the glory days back to volleyball in the Czech Republic. The Czechs, before the breakup of the former Czechoslovakia in 1993, won two gold medals and four silver (all behind the Soviet Union) in the first six editions of the World Championships from 1949 to 1966. Prielozny, 48, succeeded Frenchman Laurent Tillie at the start of this year. Here, the new head coach of the Czech Republic men's team joins in a Question and Answer session with the official website of the World Championships.
1) Outline your preparations for the World Championships, for example training camps, international tournaments etc.
We have three phases of preparation for the World Championships. The first is the European Championship Qualifications, including six home and away matches. The second phase is club preparations, especially in France and Italy, and the last part of our preparations is three weeks before the World Championships with friendly matches against Russia in the Czech Republic, a tournament in France and probably matches against Poland.
2) What are the strong points of your team's play?
Our strong points are at the middle of the net and serve.
3) Which aspects of your play do you need to improve ahead of the World Championships?
The situation from reception.
4) Who are your key players?
Our key players are: a, Jakub and Marek Novotny; b, Martin Lebl; c, Michal Rak. I hope that the strongest players will be in the team.
5) You have a very hard Pool C, including Italy and USA. What are your chances of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the second round?
We want to play so good that we will be a hard opponent not only for Italy and USA. We have big respect for all the teams that have qualified for the World Championships.
6) The Czech Republic finished =13th in the 2002 World Championships and =19th in 1998. What is your target this time?
For us the goal is to finish in the highest position in the history of independent Czech Republic. The pattern for us are the national ice hockey and soccer teams.
7) Czechoslovakia finished first or second in the first six World Championships, from 1949 to 1966. Can you ever become World No. 1 again?
Nothing is impossible…
8) If the Czech Republic cannot win the gold medal in Japan 2006, who is the favourite and why?
I think that the World Championships tournament is very long and four to six teams have a real chance to win the gold medal. The surprise will be if, from the competition among teams in Pool A and Pool D in the second round, Poland, Russia and Serbia and Montenegro will not fight for the gold medal.
(Ivan Iro, International Secretary/Technical Coordinator, CVF)
