Czech coach Jaroslav Mráz passes away

The EHF has to sadly report the death of Dr. Jaroslav Mráz at the age of 86.

The former coach of the Czechoslovakia and Netherlands men’s and women’s national teams passed away on 10 May 2016.

Mráz also served on the technical committees of both the European and International Handball Federations.

He was an honorary member of the International Handball Federation and last year received honorary membership of the Dutch Handball Federation for services to handball in the Netherlands.

During his coaching career he took the Czechoslovakian men’s team to third place at the 1964 World Championship in his home country and also led them in the preparation phase for the 1967 World Championship in Sweden, where they won the gold medal.

1964 World Championship in Prague: Czechoslovakia team with Jaroslav Mráz top left.

His international coaching career continued in the Netherlands where he coached both the men’s and women’s national teams, taking the women’s team to eighth place at the 1972 World Championship.

The former professor of the University of Prague was a coach in all of the major clubs in Prague as well as in Dietzenbach (Germany), Brixen and Teramo (both Italy).

The EHF together with the whole of the international handball family would like to express its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dr Jaroslav Mráz at this difficult time.

Photos: contributed by family of Dr Jaroslav Mráz