Prague, Jan 31 (CTK) – The former Czech ice-hockey goalkeeper and a member of the Chamber of Deputies, Milan Hnilicka (ANO), a gold medalist from the 1998 Nagano Olympics, became the government commissioner for sports, Hnilicka told journalists on Wednesday.
Hnilicka will officially take up the post in early March. Before it, he will end his job with the national ice hockey team.
Hnilicka will be in charge of sports strategy and financing.
Hnilicka said he would head a consultancy body of the Education Ministry and that he would help draft a new law on support for sports.
Hnilicka said cooperation with the ministry on financing of individual sports would be his crucial role.
He said he would insist on transparency in the financing of sports because the fair distribution of money could always be discussed.
The policy statement of Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s government (ANO) suggests the creation of the post of government commissioner for sports.
Hnilicka, 44, is about to go to the forthcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics as general manager of the Czech national ice-hockey team.
“I am ready to resign after the Olympics. The status is to take effect on March 1,” Hnilicka said.
