Minister Macinka faces backlash over remarks on women’s hockey
Foreign Minister Petr Macinka sparked widespread condemnation after referring to female hockey players as “mužatky” (masculine women) during a broadcast on the Sunday program Partie Terezie Tománkové.
Macinka stated he considers ice hockey a “man’s sport” and remarked that Czech feminists would have to “survive” the tournament without the participation of the “Russian team of masculine women.” His comments drew immediate criticism from fellow politicians and professional athletes, according to Novinky.
The minister’s remarks were made in the context of an arbitration court ruling that seeks to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international tournaments, a decision that directly impacts the upcoming women’s U18 hockey championship scheduled for January in Ostrava.
NHL stars condemn the remarks
Several Czech NHL players publicly criticized the minister on social media. Adam Klapka, a forward for the Calgary Flames, posted on Instagram: “Enough of this demented man, please.” Martin Nečas, also of the NHL, reshared the post with a vomiting emoji and the comment, “Wow, how can someone say this?” as reported by zpravy.aktualne.cz.
Lukáš Dostál, a goaltender for the Anaheim Ducks, defended his female colleagues by asserting that supporting equality is a fundamental tenet of feminism.
“I absolutely do not understand how a person in such a significant political function can publicly utter such statements,” Dostál wrote, adding that he is ashamed to be represented by the minister and urging female athletes not to be discouraged by the “prejudices and limited thinking of others.”
Nazývat jakékoliv sportovkyně „mužatkami“ není odvaha ani názor. To je od @petr_macinka jen projev arogance a jeho pocitu nadřazenosti. A také nebezpečné přesvědčení, že on sám je něco víc. Respekt k druhým by měl být samozřejmostí.”
Calls for physical retribution and political accountability
The backlash against the minister extended to calls for physical confrontation. Michaela Šebelová, deputy chair of the Chamber of Deputies, branded Macinka’s words a “disgusting foul.”
Marek Ženíšek, a member of the TOP 09 party, suggested on X that for such “respect” toward female representatives, the minister “would deserve a few symbolic cross-checks on the ice and then an MMA sparring session,” adding that perhaps it would “brighten him up.”
Political fallout and calls for resignation
Government coalition partners from the ANO movement also distanced themselves from the minister’s rhetoric. Education Minister Robert Plaga, also representing ANO, countered the minister’s stance with data regarding the popularity of the sport. He noted that all seven matches of the Czech women’s team at the 2025 World Championship in České Budějovice were sold out, with 5,859 spectators per game, emphasizing that this interest was independent of feminist activism, according to Seznam Zprávy.
The opposition party TOP 09 formally called for Macinka’s resignation, while STAN euro-deputy Danuše Nerudová labeled his comments “sexism, boorishness, and thinking stuck in the last century,” Novinky reported.
Minister of Sport Boris Šťastný attempted to mitigate the impact of the remarks by praising the discipline of female athletes, though he stopped short of explicitly condemning his party leader, a move that prompted further criticism from STAN leader Vít Rakušan, according to Seznam Zprávy. Rakušan noted that in Šťastný’s lengthy statement, he found only “alibi” rather than a clear condemnation of the minister’s words.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Russian and Belarusian players a subject of debate? An arbitration court decision seeks to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international tournaments. Minister Macinka publicly opposed this, specifically targeting the potential presence of a Russian women’s team in the upcoming Ostrava tournament, zpravy.aktualne.cz reported.
What specific term used by the minister caused the most offense? The minister referred to female players as “mužatky,” a derogatory term in Czech implying that women are masculine.
How did the Czech national team respond? Tereza Sadilová, general manager of the women’s national team, stated she felt “maximum pride” toward the players following the controversy, adding that the team would “fight for all the girls who are chasing their hockey dreams” in their match against Switzerland.
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Petr Macinka označil naše hokejistky za „mužatky“. Za takovou “úctu” k ženám, které nás reprezentují, by si zasloužil nejdřív pár symbolických krosčeků na ledě a pak trénink MMA sparingu. Třeba by se mu rozsvítilo. Nemusím ani připomínat, že za tyhle výroky se v politice končí.”
👊 „Ženský hokej za 5 let přivezl 5 medailí a výborně reprezentuje Česko. Rozhodně lépe než takový člen vlády,“ řekl trenér nároďáku 👀 @webhokejcz https://t.co/fw1fS9jUAj”
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