Abstract
This paper looks at Josef Rössler-Ořovský, the founding father of sport in the Czech lands, who was instrumental in the development of sports in the Czech lands and in Czechoslovakia from the 1880s until the end of the 1920s. J. Rössler-Ořovský was a sportsman in his body and soul. In addition to his own sporting career, he was known for his efforts to get a large number of sports clubs and associations established in the Czech lands and have them registered in international sports federations. He also played a significant role in the Czech Olympic Committee. Josef Rössler-Ořovský, who would have celebrated his 150th birthday in 2019, is indisputably one of the greatest names in Czech sport.