Roger Chappot during a game of his club HC Villars in 1964.
photo: Walter Scheiwiller / Keystone
Former Swiss national team player Roger Chappot lost his battle against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). He passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 79.
As lematin.ch reported, Chappot was first hospitalized in Rennaz between 20 and 24 March and was able to go back to his home in Villars in the canton of Vaud. But then it became worse on 1st April and he had to be put in intensive care and on a ventilator.
Chappot, who in his life outside of hockey ran a handicraft business, was a legend in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and one of the best centres in the country in the ‘60s. He played in Switzerland’s top league for HC Villars and Geneve-Servette and won back-to-back championships with Villars in 1963 and 1964 where he led the first line. He was the scoring leader of the league in 1964.
Chappot represented Switzerland in 101 international games including the 1964 Olympic Winter Games, three top-level World Championships (1959, 1962, 1972) and several B-Pool World Championships. In the B-Pool he even had some games against his brother Maurice, who played with him in Switzerland but represented France.
Born in Martigny in the canton of Valais to a Swiss father and French mother, Chappot grew up in Chamonix (France) where he started to play hockey in the club of his uncles before returning to Switzerland at the age of 16.
After finishing his career at the top level at the age of 38, he continued to play amateur hockey for Villars, Monthey, Chateau-d’Oex and Champery until the age of 57.
Chappot had four children – three daughters and a son. Due to the current pandemic, his family will organize a ceremonial farewell on 17 October, the day he would have celebrated his 80th birthday.
As lematin.ch reported, Chappot was first hospitalized in Rennaz between 20 and 24 March and was able to go back to his home in Villars in the canton of Vaud. But then it became worse on 1st April and he had to be put in intensive care and on a ventilator.
Chappot, who in his life outside of hockey ran a handicraft business, was a legend in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and one of the best centres in the country in the ‘60s. He played in Switzerland’s top league for HC Villars and Geneve-Servette and won back-to-back championships with Villars in 1963 and 1964 where he led the first line. He was the scoring leader of the league in 1964.
Chappot represented Switzerland in 101 international games including the 1964 Olympic Winter Games, three top-level World Championships (1959, 1962, 1972) and several B-Pool World Championships. In the B-Pool he even had some games against his brother Maurice, who played with him in Switzerland but represented France.
Born in Martigny in the canton of Valais to a Swiss father and French mother, Chappot grew up in Chamonix (France) where he started to play hockey in the club of his uncles before returning to Switzerland at the age of 16.
After finishing his career at the top level at the age of 38, he continued to play amateur hockey for Villars, Monthey, Chateau-d’Oex and Champery until the age of 57.
Chappot had four children – three daughters and a son. Due to the current pandemic, his family will organize a ceremonial farewell on 17 October, the day he would have celebrated his 80th birthday.