Dear students and staff of Charles University – participants of our traditional event Rector’s Sports Day 2025, dear colleagues from the departments and institutes across the university – organisers, sports coordinators, and my team at the Department of Physical Education of the Second Faculty of Medicine.
First, allow me to sincerely thank all of you who took part in this year’s Rector’s Sports Day for your active participation, the fantastic atmosphere throughout the day, and your competitive spirit – all the more remarkable as many of you come from non-sports faculties.
As is customary, an event like this requires long-term planning, careful organisation, and finally, a thorough evaluation, including the publication of results. Now that we have reached this final stage, it is clear that the beautiful weather played a key role in the high turnout, and for that, I thank everyone of you.
Since the post-COVID period, the Rector’s Sports Day has been organised jointly not only in Prague but also in Plzeň and Hradec Králové – at venues owned by Charles University or hosted by external partners.
By the Rector’s appointment, Vice-Rector Associate Professor Jan Polák represented her at the event. He officially launched the day and took part in the traditional hike From Trojka to Petřín, after which he visited the volleyball tournament held in Albertov.
We were especially pleased by the presence of the Dean of the Second Faculty of Medicine, Professor Marek Babjuk, and the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Associate Professor Vladimír Krylov, who joined us at the University Sports Centre from 10:00 a.m., where they opened and observed events such as table tennis, softball, football, and more. Professor Babjuk even participated in paddleboarding at the Hostivař Reservoir.
As in previous years, the most popular activities were team sports – football, floorball, volleyball, and basketball – with some events reaching full capacity and registration needing to be closed. This is truly encouraging, as it demonstrates not only your athletic abilities but also your sense of teamwork, unity, discipline, cooperation, selflessness, and respect.
The second highest participation was in fitness activities, such as aerobics and Body & Mind,along with orienteering and hiking. We were pleasantly surprised by your enthusiasm for both indoor and outdoor sports, and by your curiosity in trying something new.
This year’s edition was unique in that a great number of international students took part, giving the event a truly international spirit. Thanks to the Czech-English format, we were proud to show participants from many different countries that we all share a common passion for sport – and hearts eager for success and achievement.
Throughout the day, professional medical care was available, and for that, we thank the healthcare teams. We are pleased to report that there were no serious injuries.
As the saying goes, “no pain, no gain” – and so, following the day’s athletic efforts, we rounded off the programme with some well-deserved active relaxation: live music, dancing, singing, a campfire, and plenty of shared stories and joy. The atmosphere was exceptional – and it’s worth reminding ourselves how important it is to pause in our fast-paced lives and enjoy a moment of stress-free joy, with smiles and positive energy.
In closing, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my colleagues at the Department of Physical Education of the Second Faculty of Medicine and all the other organisers, event staff, sports coordinators, the team at the University Sports Centre in Hostivař, colleagues from other faculties and the Rectorate – for your excellent work and cooperation. Thanks to you, this year’s Rector’s Sports Day at Charles University was a great success – vibrant, positive, international, and inspiring.
Though the Rector’s Sports Day 2025 is now behind us, we look back with nothing but positive memories. We all know that a healthy mind lives in a healthy body, and I wish for all of us to carry this spirit forward, so that we may look forward to many more beautiful days together.
The next Rector’s Sports Day will take place on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, and will be hosted by the Department of Physical Education of the Faculty of Law. I wish them a day just as successful and joyful as the one we shared this year.
Finally, I would like to publicly thank the Rector of Charles University for her strong and ongoing support of sport and physical activity among both students and staff.
With respect and appreciation,
Hana Milerová
