The statement of the team, which returned to the extra league two years ago and last year finished in eleventh place out of thirteen teams, raised a wave of reactions. The support from the South Bohemian Region, specifically from Governor Martin Kuba, was crucial.
“On the morning of Tuesday, July 2, the governor promised that he would advocate for the extra league to continue in Strakonice. As an extraordinary measure, the required amount of two million crowns is allocated in favor of HBC Strakonice 1921 to stay in the top competition. The club will therefore submit an application to the highest competition,” the team said on its website.
The handball players had support approved by the City Council, but the council did not confirm it at its meeting on June 26. The club has until July 5 to pay the entry fee and thereby officially confirm the application to the highest competition, so it was a difficult task. Get two million crowns elsewhere.
It finally worked out. “I was very pleasantly surprised by the speed and helpfulness of the negotiations on the part of Governor Martin Kuba. He was able to express this support in a minimal amount of time, saying that he wants the extra league in Strakonice to continue. I want to take this opportunity to thank him on behalf of all handball supporters, players and the entire club for the opportunity to enter the 2024/2025 Chance extraleague competition year,” said the chairman of the Strakonice club, Miroslav Vávra.
Despite the difficult days and the uncertain financial situation, the staff of the South Bohemian team should remain together. “I am extremely grateful to the players who did not leave us alone in this difficult situation and will continue in our club in the next season as well. I really appreciate the character and attitude of the players of the entire A-team,” added Vávra.
Statement by the Governor of the South Bohemian Region, Martin Kuba
“The money that the club HCB Strakonice 1921 needs to maintain the extra league and which the administration of the city of Strakonice refused to give, we will provide the club exceptionally as a region. Strakonice handball players managed to reach the extra league level without any support and I consider it a shame that the current ruling coalition is not willing to provide them with financial assistance. As a region, we distribute more than one hundred million crowns from regular subsidy programs to South Bohemian clubs every year. In 2024, more than 70 million crowns will go from the Regional Investment Fund to support the construction of municipal sports fields. Cities then logically join in supporting their clubs and should have support schemes set up for this, such as we have in Budějovice, for example. Unfortunately, in Strakonice, the city management has not been able to set up such a scheme for a long time. I consider it unfair to make excuses about the lack of money at a time when all cities are receiving more and more funds from tax collections. I really don’t want a club with more than a century of history to pay for the short-sightedness and incompetence of the politicians who lead the city. That is why my deputy Tomáš Hajdušek and I got together with the representatives of Strakonice handball and we agreed to help them. I discussed everything with the deputy for sports Pavel Klíma and other colleagues in the coalition, and we decided that at this moment we will help the club once and for all so that Strakonice does not lose the extra league.”
