Czech Para-Hockey Team Eyes Historic Paralympic Medal in Milan, Faces Toughest Test Against Canada

Milan (from our correspondent) – The Czech para-hockey team enters the Paralympic tournament in Milan with a clear objective: to secure the nation’s first-ever Olympic medal in the sport. Building on a string of three consecutive bronze medals at the World Championships, the team is determined to demonstrate its resilience and skill on the Paralympic stage. The team has already secured a spot in the semi-finals, a significant achievement that has boosted their confidence.

Canada: A Formidable Opponent

For the Czech para-hockey players, Canada represents a significant challenge. In twenty-five previous encounters, the Czech team has never defeated Canada, managing to score only eleven goals against their opponents’ 87.

“It’s a scarecrow for us, an exclamation mark somewhere in the back of our heads,” admits coach Jakub Novotný. “We also discussed it with the mental coach. It is necessary for the boys to completely forget about this and play relaxed.” Novotný believes Tuesday’s duel with Canada will be as much a mental game as a physical one. “Their game is a big problem for all of us, they are uncompromising in finishing and we feel that it is frustrating and we usually do not manage to enter the match properly. But these are the Paralympic Games and maybe it will be completely different,” he adds.

Players acknowledge the opponent’s strength. Captain Radek Zelinka explains, “It will be an extremely challenging match, their team is incredibly well physically prepared, so it will be important to preserve up with them as long as possible.” Martin Žižlavský, who scored two goals against Slovakia, adds, “The matches against Canada hurt a lot, but we have to go all out because then we have two days off, so we definitely want to endeavor to surprise and grab some nice result.”

Confidence After Securing Semi-Final Berth

Despite not being favored in their upcoming matches, the Czechs are approaching the competition with renewed confidence after securing their place in the semi-finals. “It’s a bit of a relief that we managed these two mandatory victories. We accomplished the first part of the task and we will go into Tuesday’s match with much more self-confidence and relaxation, because we have nothing to lose,” says coach Novotný.

This certainty is also reassuring for the players. “It was one of our goals, so we accomplished it, but we’re moving on,” says Zelinka. “We’re de facto playing for first place in the group with Canada, so it’s going to be a great game and we’re going to give it our all.”

Czech Paralympic Team at the 2026 Winter Games

The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games, held from March 6 to 15 in Milan, feature a record 24 Czech athletes competing in para hockey, para biathlon, alpine skiing, and cross-country skiing. Simona Bubeníčková, a skier and biathlete, is also considered a strong medal contender for the Czech Republic.

Jakub Novotný, who has led the team to three consecutive World Championship bronze medals, hopes to guide them to their first Paralympic medal.