This week the hockey family lost 2 dear friends of hockey. Our thoughts are with their families, friends and the French and Czech Federations.
Georges Corbel, former French international hockey player and former President of the Fédération Française de Hockey (FFH), passed away this week.
With his club le FC Lyon, he won the French Championship ten years in a row between 1968 and 1977 – an achievement that has never been matched.
Georges was selected for the French national team for the first time aged 18 in 1960 and represented France at three Olympic Games – Rome, Mexico and Munich.
*****************
We also learned of the passing of Jan Vaněk at the age of 84. Jan was born on 25 th August 1930 to devote almost his entire life to sport, especially the promotion and popularization of field hockey in Czechoslovakia and later in the Czech Republic.
In 1946 was he one of the founders of HC 1946 Praga and then a longtime president of the club. After finishing his playing career was he fully devoted to coaching. The fact that hockey is his love and passion for life confirmed Jan ,among others, by his writing and campaigning about field hockey for more than 50 years.
It was hockey, which fulfilled Jan´s life. As a player and later coach in the 90´s of the 20th century, then he devoted his life as an editor to popularize this Olympic sport in our country. Since 1994 he was the editor of the magazine “Náš hokej” (Our hockey), which had been published for 15 years.
Georges and Jan may you rest in peace.