Dubai: The Czech Republic modern pentathlon team, including rising star Martin Vlach and 2015 World Championship gold medal winner Jan Kuf, have expressed their delight with the world-class facilities available at Hamdan Sports Complex, where they are training ahead of the summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games.
Besides Kuf and Vlach, who has already qualified for Olympics, the five-member pentathlon team includes Ondrej Polivka, who represented the country at the 2012 London Olympic Games, Marek Grycz, winner of the men’s relay title alongside Vlach at the 2018 Junior World Championships, and David Kindl.
“Dubai has become one of the top destinations for internationals teams and athletes looking for one-stop solutions as they prepare for big international events,” said Mihail Kouzev, a former Bulgarian Olympian and founder of the Hamdan Sports Complex-based MK Fencing Academy, who organised the trip for the Czechs. “You have some of the world’s most modern and advanced sports facilities here in Dubai, built to the latest international standards, and the country’s sports sector enjoys great support and patronage from the wise leadership, who keep encouraging members of the community to embrace a sporty and physically active lifestyle.
“This is the first time UAE and Dubai are hosting a modern pentathlon team, and the Czechs have been amazed with the facilities available here, as well as the support they have received from every segment, especially the different government entities.
“They are thoroughly enjoying the camp here and their positive feedback is further evidence of Dubai’s growing stature as a top international sports destinations, not just for football and its top stars, but also for teams and athletes of every sport. This has been possible only through teamwork and the desire of every stakeholder to work together for Dubai.”
The Czech modern pentathlon team are also accompanied by an eight-member fencing contingent that includes some of Czech Republic’s top hopes for the future, including Jakub Jurka, whose grandfather Jaraoslav Jurka represented Czechoslovakia in fencing at the Olympic Games in 1976 and 1980, Martin Rubes Jr, Kristian D’Amico, Adam Osicka, Matyas Pavlik and Frantisek Coufal. The two teams, who arrived in Dubai on February 8, will be training daily until February 20 at the Hamdan Sports Complex.
