New CBHF Chairman Jan Emmer: In the Short Term, I Aim to Stabilize the Situation and Continue Preparing for Both World Championships

Jan Emmer has been elected as the new chairman of the Czech Ball Hockey Federation (CBHF) following leadership changes within the organization. In an interview, he reveals his vision and future steps for Czech ball hockey. How does he plan to lead the association post-changes?

There’s Simply No Other Path Forward

Mr. Chairman, after the 35th General Assembly of the CBHF, the former chairman Martin Komárek was dismissed, while the remaining board members were given a vote of confidence. With some time having passed, how do you view this change?

I still haven’t fully come to terms with it. While it’s certainly within the General Assembly’s right to dismiss any board member, I feel there was a missing follow-up step. If you prepare to remove the chairman, you should also have a replacement ready. In this case, the responsibility fell on the remaining board members, and this occurred less than a year before the Junior World Championships in Hradec Králové and two years before the Senior World Championships in Ostrava, with preparations for both already well underway.

The CBHF board now consists of six members without the co-option of a seventh. Let me ask directly: Will a seventh member be added? If so, what’s the timeline, and do you have any candidates in mind?

This ties into my first response. We need to redistribute roles within the board, speak with the heads of the various committees and departments, and discuss their roles and potential future contributions. Additionally, while the General Assembly approved the budget for this year, the dismissal of M. Komárek unintentionally increased costs. We are managing a federation with a budget exceeding 25 million CZK, numerous departments and committees, and dozens of employees and collaborators. This isn’t a decision we can make hastily; this is a mid-sized organization, not a local ball hockey club. However, according to our bylaws, the board can have up to seven members. With six members, we are fully compliant and can operate without restrictions. Once we’ve finalized the redistribution of responsibilities, we will look to co-opt a seventh member.

Can you explain to ball hockey fans how the board is functioning at the moment? Is the division of responsibilities the same as it was before the General Assembly?

For now, the departments and committees remain as they were. Temporarily, Milan Chovančík has taken over the Development Department, and Jiří Cícha has taken on the Media and Marketing Department. However, this is a provisional solution, and the board has not voted on it. We aim to resolve these issues by the end of November at the latest. A lot will also depend on Martin Komárek’s involvement. His work was not questioned at the General Assembly, and in some areas, he is difficult to replace in the short term.

We need to continue and build upon the work already done, which has been significant and mostly well-executed

At the CBHF board meeting, you were elected as the new chairman until the next General Assembly. What is your approach to this new role? Will you build on Martin Komárek's work, or will you take a different path?

There’s simply no other path forward. We’ve seen membership growth, and we’ve successfully held the Junior World Championships in Liberec, among other achievements. Those who attended the General Assembly know that the delegates didn’t criticize M. Komárek’s work; on the contrary, they applauded it. The issue was with his communication style, which led to his dismissal. We cannot claim everything was wrong and burn bridges with the solid work that’s been done—in fact, quite the opposite. And I couldn’t say otherwise. I’ve been part of the board for several years, contributing to the federation’s operations. So, for me, we need to continue the progress, or I’d be negating my own work. As chairman, I will focus on delegating responsibility to individual committees and their leaders, coordinating and overseeing their work.

What are your main priorities now that you’ve been elected chairman? What key areas need changes, and where do you feel no adjustments are necessary?

In the short term, my goal is to stabilize the situation and continue preparations for both World Championships. I also want to maintain support for regional areas, possibly with a greater focus on certain regions in Bohemia, but I’ll need to analyze that further.

The dismissal of the former chairman has significantly impacted the organization of the Junior World Championships 2025 in Hradec Králové and the Senior World Championships 2026 in Ostrava. How have these events been affected?

We absolutely need to continue and build on the work that has already been done, which has been significant and mostly well-executed. Thanks to the efforts of M. Komárek and M. Koza, for instance, the financial support from Hradec Králové for the Junior World Championships is the highest in the history of the event in the Czech Republic—about three times the usual amount. This deserves a lot of credit, but it also places a significant responsibility on us to bring everything to a successful conclusion.

What message would you like to send to fans and members of the association who may have concerns about the current state of ball hockey?

Ball hockey is financially, organizationally, and in terms of membership, stable. Most people involved in ball hockey work selflessly—many of them in clubs for symbolic fees or rewards. These are often long-time enthusiasts or passionate parents, and I believe that the change in leadership hasn’t negatively affected their enthusiasm. These people deserve a huge thank you! All of us, myself included, love this sport. Let’s focus even more on helping it thrive, reduce internal disputes, sometimes set aside our egos, and focus on what unites us—working for ball hockey and achieving results on the field!