The Czech national soccer team brought home a 1–1 tie from a Euro 2008 qualifier against Ireland in Dublin Oct. 11. The team ended the fall qualification round with three wins and one tie and sits atop its seven-member round-robin group. The Czechs will next play Germany March 24 in Prague.

A1

Tomáš Enge finished second in the feature race of the A1 Grand Prix in Brno, south Moravia, Oct. 8. Enge lost to Malaysia's Alex Yoong in the main race. The podium finish lifted the Czech team to fifth place in the overall standings after two A1 events.

STEEPLECHASE

Czech horse Decent Fellow, ridden by jockey Josef Bartoš, emerged victorious from the 116th Grand Pardubice steeplechase in Pardubice, east Bohemia, Oct. 8. The 11-year-old horse finished in second place twice and third place twice in previous Pardubice races. The race is considered to be one of the world's most grueling.

BODYBUILDER

Prague-based bodybuilder Tomáš Bureš became the first Czech to win the Mr. Universe competition. Bureš took the amateur trophy in Southport, England, Oct. 8. Bureš later finished second in the professional category. Arnold Schwarzenegger won the same trophy in 1967.

OLYMPICS

Prague Mayor Pavel Bém has said a public referendum next spring should decide whether or not Prague would submit a bid to host the Summer Olympics. City officials and the Czech Olympic Committee plan to bid to host the 2016 games and possibly the 2020 games. Should the country pursue its Olympic bid, it will need to officially register as a candidate by June 2007.

RECORD

Tennis player Jiří Novák has made an entry into professional tennis's record books, completing his third round match in an ATP tournament in Tokyo, Japan, at 3:24 a.m. local time Oct. 5, the latest end of a match played on the professional tour. Novák lost in three sets.

OFFICIAL

Former basketball center Jiří Zídek has become a basketball official. The 33-year-old quit the sport due to a chronic knee injury last year and began working as an assistant to the general manager and spokesman for Czech team Nymburk. In the mid-1990s, Zídek became the first Czech to make it to the NBA, playing three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, the Denver Nuggets and the Seattle Supersonics.

BOXING

The two top Czech boxers celebrated victories in a recent Eurofighter boxing event at T-Mobile Arena Oct. 10. Lukáš Konečný defended his belt for the WBO's intercontinental champion after defeating Frenchman Mehdi Azri in the super-welterweight category (148–154 pounds/66.6–69.3 kilograms). Meanwhile, Rudolf Kraj won the WBC belt in the cruiserweight (176–200 pounds) category, beating Russia's Pavel Melkomjan by a technical knockout in the 12th round.

U-21