In recent days, the KV Arena has become a center for aid to war-torn Ukrainian refugees and has become a humanitarian aid depot. The governor of the Karlovy Vary region, Petr Kulhánek, decided on that, and the effort of the mayor, Andrey Pfeffer Ferklová, to find a solution that would allow hockey players, for example, to finish the extra-league year in peace was not valid.
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“I must very much appreciate the factual approach of the management of Karlovy Vary, the CEO of KV Arena, but also the management of HC Energie, because the schedule of hockey matches is significantly affected by the expansion of the refugee center to the hall,” said Kulhánek. help centers for Ukraine, which was established last week by the crisis staff of the Karlovy Vary region, but the mayor and the club itself had no say in the decision-making process.
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“Thank you very much for your understanding of the situation and the helpfulness with which they approach this solution. Now this is the only way we can double the capacity without interrupting the centre’s operations, thus speeding up the check-in of Ukrainian citizens. We hope that the fans of HC Energie and other visitors to the KV Arena, who were expecting the first spring event, will understand this as well, “added Kulhánek.
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However, some Karlovy Vary supporters have a hard time bearing the fact that Energie hockey players will lose their home environment in a key match. Especially when all the measures against the covid were canceled at the beginning of March, so that the Ore Mountains derby could easily watch the “full house”.
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“It is a bit incomprehensible to me that it was not possible to wait even three days for the basic part to be completed, and the stadium had to close immediately. I think it could have been done differently, “said Milan Antoš, Czech Television’s hockey co-commentator and author of the columns on Sport.cz.
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The goal joy of the Karlovy Vary hockey players.Photo: Slavomír Kubeš, CTK
Former hockey coach Alois Hadamczik has a similar view of the whole situation. “Of course I am in favor of any help for refugees from Ukraine. I also take it as our moral duty. I sympathize with them and I am only in favor of being offered hotels and other accommodation facilities where they could live, “he told Sport.cz, adding that he himself accommodated refugees from Ukraine in his hotel in Kravaře.
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“But they used the hall of Karovy Vary as a warehouse for humanitarian aid. At the same time, they have plenty of such spaces in the city, for example at the airport. And Mr. Hejtman chose KV Arena anyway, “Hadamczik does not understand.
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“It is incomprehensible to me what the town hall in Vary did. I understand that the war is more important, but the warehouse could have been made elsewhere for those few days before the end of the basic part, “Hadamczik shakes his head.
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“It simply came to our notice then. People go to hockey in Vary all season and politicians don’t even realize what hard work they do for the club; having regard to its budget; this season has been. And now that they can have the advantage of the home environment and the fans in full at the stadium, the town hall will kill them, “Hadamczik wonders.
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“They did not invite anyone from the club to the discussion at all, they only announced the result to the general manager. So that’s not how respect is. At the same time, they could at least try to find a solution so that the club could finish the extra league in the city. But that did not happen. If Karlovy Vary had not advanced to the preliminary round in the end, I would have blamed the town hall, “concludes the 69-year-old coach.
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