Czech foreign minister apologises over Russian hockey players remark

Petr Macinka, the Czech deputy prime minister and foreign minister, apologised on Monday for describing Russian women's hockey players as mannish. Speaking on the CNN Prima News programme Partie on Sunday, Macinka, who leads the Motoristé party, called hockey a men's sport and said “our wonderful feminists” would have to get through the world championship without Russian “mužatky”, a derogatory Czech word for mannish women, the Czech public broadcaster ČT24 reported.

What the debate was about

The discussion was about the women's under-18 world championship, which Ostrava hosts from 8 to 16 January. Since the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on 30 October that Russian national teams may return to hockey tournaments, the Czech Republic has been debating whether a Russian team could play there. Macinka said he could not imagine Russian players competing in the country and that it does not issue visas to Russian athletes. Sports Minister Boris Šťastný said the state had enough legal tools to prevent them from playing in Ostrava.

Players hit back

“Mr Macinka has probably not seen how much hard work goes into women's sport,” Czech captain Aneta Tejralová said, as quoted by ČT24. Assistant coach Ivo Mocek said only someone with complexes could use such a word, adding that the minister knew nothing about hockey, especially women's hockey.

NHL players who won the 2024 world title also weighed in. “How can anyone say that?” Martin Nečas wrote on social media. Anaheim Ducks goalkeeper Lukáš Dostál wrote that hockey is not a men's sport: “I unequivocally condemn such words, and I am ashamed that a person like that represents us as foreign minister.” Several opposition politicians also criticised Macinka.

The apology

After a cabinet meeting on Monday, Macinka admitted his remark had been very inappropriate. “I am truly sorry,” he said, adding that he had scored “an own goal”. He said he had apologised by phone to the general manager of the Czech women's national team and that his wife had given him a severe telling-off at home, the Czech news agency ČTK reported.

The question of Russia's return also concerns Latvia, which, along with the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, has said it will not play Russian teams under current circumstances. The IIHF, the International Ice Hockey Federation, has yet to make a final decision on Russia's return.