Czech sport clubs struggle with funding as state support lags

A recent survey by the Czech Union of Sport involving 2,331 clubs shows that 30% of Czech sport clubs now lack sufficient financing, a reversal of the improvement seen in 2021 when state aid reduced the deficit rate to 30% from 52% the previous year. The programme "My Club", which provides direct subsidies, has risen only minimally despite record inflation and soaring energy costs, and a separate grant for the operation and maintenance of sport facilities has been discontinued. Only three percent of clubs can afford to pay qualified coaches, leaving 80% unable to adequately fund coaching staff.

Karel Kovář, chief of the National Sport Agency, told a meeting of the Czech Union of Sport that the sport budget has hovered around 8‑9 billion CZK for the past four years and that the agency aims to raise it to roughly 12‑15 billion CZK to meet the estimated 5 billion CZK needed for infrastructure renewal. He stressed the need for faster disbursement of funds and a reduction in bureaucratic hurdles to support both winter sports and broader club activities.