Sporting stadium with a greyhound oval will be created by the end of the year in Prague

Construction of a sports hall, source: www.cgdf.cz

Prague - A multipurpose sports stadium, which will also include a racing greyhound oval, is being constructed in Prague 5 - Motol. The investor is Ross Holding, which is cooperating with Berger Bohemia on the construction. The costs of construction are expected to exceed 300 million crowns. The stadium should be approved by the end of this year. This information was provided to ČTK by Zdeněk Grondol, the president of the Czech Greyhound Racing Federation, which currently uses the greyhound racing track in Praskačka near Hradec Králové.
Greyhound racing is operated on an amateur basis in the Czech Republic, unlike in some foreign countries where this sport has a long-standing tradition. "While abroad there are stadiums with capacities of up to 20,000 visitors, in the Czech Republic the audience mainly consists of relatives and the owners of the greyhounds themselves," Grondol stated.
There are several organizations in the Czech Republic engaged in organizing greyhound races. "I did not consider and do not consider other racing associations as competition. We just have a different racing philosophy. This is evident in that our racing rules allow only one race per greyhound on the track per day, while other associations allow more greyhound races per day. We approve greyhound races only on a sand racing track, while other associations also race on grass tracks," Grondol explained.
The Czech Greyhound Racing Federation is not a member of the Czech-Moravian Kennel Union (ČMKU) or any other kennel organization in the Czech Republic, but only of the globally active World Greyhound Racing Federation (WGRF), which deals with professional racing sports.
According to Grondol, greyhounds should start training after reaching 15 months of age. Initially, they train and race on a track of 87 meters, then 300 meters. From 18 months, they have tracks that are 300 and 525 meters long. "On these tracks, they train and race until they are 5 years old. Greyhounds in good condition continue training and racing only on the 300 m track until they are eight years old. After that, greyhounds stop racing and devote themselves to their owners." Grondol explained.
"Owning a greyhound is about passion, not about profession or the owner's social status. The prices of racing greyhounds vary. On the domestic market, the prices of greyhound puppies range from 10,000 crowns to 25,000 crowns; abroad, for example in the USA, Australia, and Ireland, the prices of greyhound puppies start from 10,000 crowns and upwards," Grondol stated.
"It is absolutely essential to love your dog and not prioritize your ego over the health of your greyhound. They are athletes; they love the sport and are beautiful works of art from nature," added Grondol, who has been devoted to greyhounds and their races for over a quarter of a century.