We want to end the three-year cycle with a win, said U19 coach Semera

Players born in 2002 and 2003 lost their chance to compete on the World Championship in Switzerland because of the COVID-19 pandemics, but the U-19 players will have their last chance to say goodbye in Žilina, where they will play two matches with the Slovak national team.

The head coach of U-19 Tomáš Semera revealed in the interview his future plans with category as well as what he expects from the trip to Slovakia.

In August you are going to play two friendly matches against Slovakia, what is your goal in Žilina?

First of all it will be last two matches for players born in 2002-2003 under U19, so it will their farewell with the category. Our goal is to win both matches and successfully end up this three year cycle.

Is there already the final roster in the nomination or are you still choosing from a wider range of players?

We have chosen players who were regularly attending our camps and were in the nomination for the World Championship. Unfortunately our last camp has been year ago and this season was again interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemics, so there was no time to try new players. On the other side some players have quitted, others are injured. We will see which squad we will choose.

Are you afraid that some player may lose their form during summer or do you count on their professionalism?

Members of national team are expected to work hard for their future development. Despite the summer vacation, they should still stay fit and sometimes do some exercise with a hockey stick. Next year there will be U20 World Championship which should be motivation for them.

What would you tell the players? How should they prepare?

All the players should use their free time to do as much sports as they could. For example tennis, beach volleyball, swimming, cycling etc. It is really important for their all-round physical development. They should worn on their physical condition, but they should also focus on their stick handling. There is a lot of things to do.