The Hague (from our correspondent) – You won’t even notice at first glance, but the Sportcampus Zuiderpark building is a large building that was ceremonially opened seven years ago in the middle of a green area. It doesn’t disturb it, it blends in with its surroundings, around it you can find an outdoor basketball court, a beach volleyball court with stands, several youth soccer fields or a picture wall colored by Hague legend Aad Mansveld. Ducks stroll merrily on the lawn, a hare whistles here and there, and in August the area played host to cycling enthusiasts as the center of the first stage of the women’s Tour de France .
As soon as you slip through the front door in front of the reception, you have to carefully study the map to even find the main hall. The pompous campus offers 11 modern sports fields, including covered beach volleyball courts, an athletic hall or a ballroom. Simply a paradise full of fun.
As you weave your way around Michael Jordan’s quote about obstacles that can never stop a basketball player, even if he hits his head against the wall, you’ll be greeted by 3,600 red seats. The Vysokane tribe facing the substitutes looks dangerous for the players on the pitch. Meanwhile, the damn fans are close to deck.
“You know, this is a classic baseball hall. We would need more of them in the Czech Republic. With a capacity of four thousand seats, maybe five thousand, there is no need for more. And only for basketball. If you want to advertise basketball, you need the right halls for that,” explained the Spanish coach of the Czech national team, Diego Ocampo. “The hall is very nice, the fans cheered, the atmosphere was great,” said captain Vojtěch Hruban.
It is a fact that the producers do not like real baseball fields at home. For competitive FIBA matches only one meets the standards – Opava, which is also currently not in good condition after the recent floods.
The last time the Czechs played in Opava in November three years ago against Lithuania, the other twelve competitive battles on home soil were held mostly by hockey halls – five times by Prague O.2 arena during the EuroBasket, once the Chomutov Rocknet arena and six times in the Pardubice Enteria arena, which is home to the Czech national team recently and may continue.
“We will work with Pardubice on a new contract. They are almost in the middle of the country, from Prague you can get there by train in an hour. We stand for long-term cooperation,” Martin Peterka, Marketing Director of the Czech Basketball Federation, told Sport.cz.
But it is still true that the Pardubice hall is specially designed for hockey games. Anyway, the Czechs are the only team from qualifying group F that does not hold its duels in ball sports halls. The Dutch play in the building declared for two billion in The Hague, the Greeks use the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus or the PAOK Sports Arena in Thessaloniki, the British, on the other hand, their matches for the EuroBasket in the Copper Box London Arena, which was created for the needs of the Olympics there in 2012, and to the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle.
The Czech Republic will have to wait for a luxury basketball home. The halls of Královka and Folimanka in Prague are far from meeting the conditions for an international meeting, although Chomutov’s one-off effort was appreciated by the players, but even there the table was far from the stands. “Because the hall was smaller, the atmosphere was better. That’s not to say that it would be bad in Pardubice. But a smaller hall will create a better acoustic background,” pivot Ondřej Balvín said at the time. And Czech basketball head Miroslav Jansta said: “The environment is fantastic. It’s just a shame it’s not a basketball hall not really, but a hockey hall.”
When will the Czech Republic get a basketball hall for the needs of the national team? Pardubice and the Dukla sports project will bring hope again. “It’s already hit the ground running,” said Peterka, adding that the multi-purpose hall should have a capacity of around 3,700 seats for ball sports. There has been talk of a basketball arena. in Ostrava for a long time, the national team also sees the ice hockey stadium in Jihlava, which is being renovated, as a possible option for home games.
But before any of the new centers are available, it is very likely that basketball players will be at home in the field of Enteria Pardubice. Opava is weighed down by poorer transport access to the rest of the country. “And it’s long even for us as a national team,” Peterka said.
Nevertheless, the Hague experience once again showed how a suitable hall for ball sports would suit the Czech Republic. “Personally, I prefer only baseball fields. You have a lot of them in the German league, for example. The halls are smaller, the audience is closer. You see the atmosphere completely different,” says representative quarterback Ondřej Sehnal. “But at the same time, there is nothing wrong with the Pardubice hall,” he said.
2024-11-25 05:51:00
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Considering the potential for long-term growth, should the Czech Republic prioritize a state-of-the-art basketball hall designed specifically for high-level competition, or a multi-purpose facility that could accommodate a range of events and cater to a broader audience?
## Open-Ended Questions Inspired by the Article:
This article highlights the Czech Republic’s need for a suitable basketball hall, using the experience in Hague as a reference point. Here are some open-ended questions that encourage discussion and diverse perspectives:
**On the Need for a Basketball Hall:**
* How crucial is having a dedicated basketball hall for the development and success of the Czech national team?
* What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of building a basketball-specific arena versus a multipurpose hall?
* What specific features should be prioritized in a new basketball hall to best serve the needs of players, fans, and the community?
**On Comparing Options:**
* The article mentions Pardubice, Ostrava, and Jihlava as potential locations. What factors should be considered when deciding on the best location for a new basketball hall? (Access, stadium size, potential fan base, etc.)
* Should the Czech Republic prioritize building a new hall or renovating existing facilities like the ice hockey stadium in Jihlava?
* What lessons can be learned from the Sportcampus Zuiderpark in Hague that could inform the design and development of a new hall in the Czech Republic?
**On the Player’s Perspective:**
* Ondřej Sehnal expresses a preference for smaller, intimate basketball venues. What are the advantages and disadvantages of playing in different types of arenas?
* How important is the atmosphere created by the spectators in a basketball hall? How can a new hall be designed to foster a vibrant and supportive environment?
**On the Broader Impact:**
* How can a new basketball hall contribute to the growth of basketball in the Czech Republic? Could it attract more young people to the sport and foster community engagement?
* What economic benefits could a new basketball hall bring to the chosen location and the surrounding area?
**Beyond the Specifics:**
* What are some innovative design features that could make a new basketball hall in the Czech Republic stand out and become a model for other countries?
* How can the Czech Republic leverage this new facility to strengthen its position in international basketball?
By using these open-ended questions, we can encourage a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding the Czech Republic’s need for a new basketball hall and explore potential solutions from different angles.