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The Czech Republic's football team have earned a valuable point in their campaign to reach the Euro 2004 Championships in Portugal, with a 1:1 draw away to the Netherlands. In ice hockey, Pardubice are through to the final of the Extraliga play-offs for the first time in nine years, while Slavia Prague are leading Sparta 3:2 in their semi-finals series. And will leading Czech women's tennis player Daja Bedanova adopt German citizenship?

Things have been getting dramatic in the semi-finals of the Extraliga play-offs with Slavia going ahead of Sparta after a thrilling shootout and Pardubice getting hot under the collar as Trinec make it two games each. Superstar Jaromir Jagr has returned from injury in style - after six games out with a hand injury he scored on his comeback for Washington. Football dominates the sports pages as the Euro 2004 qualifiers against the Netherlands and Austria draw near and a star of the Czech side which won the Under 21 European Championships last year

Both semi-final play-offs in ice hockey's Extraliga are drawn at 1:1 after the opening games, while in the Czech football league Sparta Prague have widened the gap over rivals Slavia to four points. Tomas Rosicky has played his first game after injury and is fit for the big Euro 2004 games against the Netherlands and Austria and a new women's record has been set in the Prague Half-Marathon.

Katerina Holubcova has made history by becoming the first ever Czech to win an individual gold in the biathlon World Championships. Prague is planning to make a bid to host the Olympic Games - in 2020. Footballer Jan Koller may not be playing any more Champions League games this season, but has a goal tally to be proud of and the return of Tomas Rosicky will be good news for Czech fans ahead of two crucial Euro 2004 qualifiers.

After 16 years without a Czech medal in individual competition, two Czech biathlonists made it to the podium at the sport's World Championships in Siberia on Saturday. The Czechs took only one medal at the European Indoor Atheltics Championships in Birmingham, when Roman Sebrle scored a disappointing bronze. The line-ups for the ice hockey Extraliga play-offs have been decided, and in football Sparta stay in front with a win over Stare Mesto.

In today's Sports News we talk to Katerina Kurkova who - at just 19 - notched up a remarkable achievement last summer by winning the women's air rifle event at the World Shooting Championships. In ice hockey news, Sparta and Slavia are through to the semi-finals of the play-offs in the Extraliga and things have not been going well for Jaromir Jagr. And there's bad news for football fans: Rosicky is doubtful for the upcoming Euro 2004 qualifiers.

It was an exciting weekend for Czech hockey as the playoffs resumed, two matches ended in a shootout. In the NHL, Roman Cechmanek's win streak came to an end. In football, Sparta regained 1st place in the Gambrinus league. And tennis player Bohdan Ulihrach has been suspended for two years after tests confirmed the presence of a banned substance in his blood.

Yes its that time of the year again and the hockey playoffs have begun in the Czech Republic, all eight teams were in action on Wednesday night. We also take a look at the NHL where Milan Hejduk continues to produce. These stories and more in sports.

This has been an exciting weekend for Czech sports, this week: Martin Koukal wins gold in 50km at world championships. Slavia eliminated from UEFA cup in controversial match. Czech hockey playoffs to commence. Milan Hejduk continues to produce goals in the NHL. League leaders Sparta Prague come-up short in dramatic match in Ostrava. Jiri Novak places second in Dubai Open.

In today's Sports News: Czech skier Martin Koukal adds a 5th place finish to a successful week at the cross country skiing world championships in Italy; Czech football side Slavia get set for the second leg of the UEFA Cup last sixteen; and Jaromir Jagr and Petr Sykora both shine in team wins in NHL ice hockey action.