WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - AUSTRALIA VS CZECHIA

March 6, 2026

Pavel Chadim

Tokyo Dome

Team Czechia

Pregame Press Conference

Q. What do you feel about the fans cheering for you here in WBC?

PAVEL CHADIM: Thank you, it's a great question and I want to express something. I think that in Czech, every time we feel and we felt that we have enough courage and we have enough respect to the game to the opponent to the empire, to the fans, to the game, and three years ago we saw it in Japanese team, Samurai Japan, and it help us to feel that this is our strongest things in us and we have to say thank you, all fans, not just check fans, not just all world, but special fans here in Tokyo Dome. We feel support, and this is part of us.

I want to continue, please. Yesterday, I had a lot of messages from Czech fans who are in Doha and in Dubai. It means it's not just everything about sport. They want to be here, our Czech fans, and because war there, they stay there. They still support us. But I want to say that we are with them.

Q. I want to ask you about today's starter. He was not here in 2023. That was his break out season, so it's a two-part question. What did he change working with your pitching coach, John Hussey, and what is his importance to the team in the national team since his debut at the Euros that year?

PAVEL CHADIM: It's not easy to answer. I can answer like partly. One is Tomas Ondra, exactly him. And it's not easy to be amateur and work on baseball field like professional. At one time, a part of his life was job and baseball was stronger and he didn't have enough motivation to show how good he is.

And when he saw on TV WBC 2023, he change his mind. He was hero in Prague Baseball League. He was hero in September in Bronze Medal game, and this is gift for him. For my side, it's thank you, Tomas, for historical Bronze Medal game.

Q. Although yesterday you didn't win from Team Korea but you showed good spirit and attitude. How do you think this year's Czech team is different from three years ago in WBC? Where do you feel the team has improved the most?

PAVEL CHADIM: I will start your first question. I think that three years ago, we had, let's say, six offensive guys in lineup and three defensive, and after three years, we have more choices to have more offensive lineup.

Yesterday we had really nine offensive hitters, the best hitter, Martin Muzik, didn't hit, but the other eight guys were successful. That's a first.

I'm neurologist and I know that if you want to be good hitter, you need more time for decision, go, no go, and where to swing. We tried three years ago with non-specific neurovisual things but three months ago, we met guy who help us with specific baseball neurovision things. You can see exactly before live at-bats, they are doing thinking about colors, about place, when swing, when no swing. They have every day different conditions for it, and you can see that morning after -- after 15 hours after the game, it's not easy to wake up brain.

Q. In recent years -- Czech baseball has collaborated with major baseball countries like the United States and Japan. What do you think has been the biggest impact on baseball in the Czech Republic and has this international influence helped the team grow as well?

PAVEL CHADIM: Cooperation with United States, it's a long time cooperation. They help us 30, 40 years ago. They sent coaches, my first coach Jeff Samuel, Stan Luketich, Bill Holmberg, lot of help. This is long years Major League help us. But three years ago after WBC 2023, it was something amazing. We felt, we feel support from Japan, from NPB, from Mr. Hideki Kuriyama. It's so, so nice, and we feel like a young brother. We feel support. We feel protected, and it speed up our baseball.

And what to say? Thank you, thank you, thank you, and we hope that next three games both countries, both supporters, especially Japanese fans, because we are now here, we are thankful that MLB USA is doing this tournament. Without WBC, we are nobody. But warmly invitation, warmly support we are feel here. I feel like Japanese.