Radio România Internațional

Tag: Championship

  • Radio Romania International Sports club

    Radio Romania International Sports club

    The first part of Romania’s Super league football championship has drawn to a close. After the 30 rounds of the regular season, the first six teams according to the ranking advance to Group 2, where they will compete for Romania’s championship title. FCSB are at the forefront in the fight for the winning of the championship, with 28 points, CFR Cluj follow suit, with 27 points.

    Following in descending order are three teams with 26 points each, that is Universitatea Craiova, Universitatea Cluj and Dinamo Bucharest. The last team of the batch is another Bucharest squad, Rapid, with 23 points on its record sheet. In the coming weekend, in Craiova, Universitatea Cluj are pitted against Universitatea Craiova. In Cluj, the local side CFR play Dinamo, while in Bucharest, FCSB face Rapid.

    The Superleague’s ten other teams in Group 1 will confront one another to avoid being relegated. With a record of 21 points each, Transylvanian teams Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe and Hermannstadt Sibiu are best-placed according to the table. Worst-placed is Gloria Buzau, with 10 points, that is three points less than the other teams of the batch.

    At the end of the championship, Group 1’s first two teams in descending order enter the competition for a place in the preliminaries of Europe’s Conference League, taking on Group 2’s 3rd-placed team. Group1’s 9th and 10th-placed teams are relegated.

    Replacing them in the Super league are the second tier’s first two teams. In a bid to maintain their place in the Super league, the play-out’s 7th and 8th-placed teams will engage, in the playoff fixtures, with the Second League’s 3rd and 4th-placed teams.

    On Thursday, in France, FCSB play the second leg of the tie against Olympique Lyonnais, in the Europa League’s round of 16. In the first leg, in Bucharest, Olympique Lyonnais won, 3-1.

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest, in 2025 as well, have succeeded to go past the Champions League’s group phase. It has been a while since CSM Bucharest have secured the 3rd position in the competition’s Group A, also succeeding to advance to the quarterfinals’ playoffs.

    CSM had a rather unassuming start in the ongoing season, so they sadly lost a number of precious points which denied them the opportunity to fight for one of the first two positions in the rankings. That could have secured them their ticket for the quarterfinals.

    Gaining access to the competition’s quarterfinals were Metz Handball of France and Ferencváros Budapest, the teams that won their double-legged ties against CSM Bucharest. Notwithstanding, in the wake of their last defeat by French holders Metz Handball on January 12, CSM Bucharest have had a win-all record.

    CSM’s most recent win was the one they succeeded this past weekend, when they trounced Norway’s vice champions Storhamar, 32-21, away, one more time proving they were a truly top-notch team. CSM Bucharest’s most efficient scorer was Crina Pintea, with ten goals on her record sheet.

    Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Crina the Athlete of the week.

    Crina Pintea was born on April 3rd, 1990, in eastern Romania’s Bacau County. At the age of 20, Crina made her debut as a senior player with Handball Club Zalău, with then head-coach Gheorghe Tadici at the helm. In 2015, with Handball Club Zalau, Crina Pintea reached as far as the EHF Cup’s final, also playing the EHF Cup’s semifinals in 2016.

    In 2015, Crina Pintea began talks with HCM Baia Mare, and that is why Gheorghe Tadici excluded her from the team. Crina Pintea was then signed up by German side Thüringer, the team with which she also won the Bundesliga in 2016. In 2017 she played for the French team Issy Paris Hand, later known as Paris 92. For 2017 – 2018 competition season, Crina Pintea was designated the best pivot of the French domestic women’s handball championship. Later on, Crina’s contract with Paris 92 was taken over by the Hungarian side Gyor.

    We recall in 2019, with Gyor, Crina Pintea won the Champions League. Crina Pintea then had a short stint with CSM Bucharest, returning to Gyor afterwards, for one single competition season. She has been playing for CSM Bucharest since 2022. With the national team, Crina made her debut in 2012. In 2015, with the national team, Crina Pintea won bronze at the World Championship in Denmark. Notwithstanding, in 2024, Crina Pintea made public her retirement from the national team.

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    The European figure skating Championships have recently drawn to a close in Estonia’s Tallinn. Four skaters represented Romania. In the women’s singles event, taking the start were Julia Sauter and Ana Sofia Beşchea, while in the dance event, there were Emilia Ziobrowska and Shiloh Judd. Julia Sauter had the best performance coming in 7th. Julia’s performance was the best Romanian result of all time in a European figure skating championship.

    Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Julia Sauter the Athlete of the week.

    Julia Sauter was born in Weingarten, in Germany’s Baden–Württemberg Land, on June 18, 1997. She has been signed up by Corona Brasov in Brasov. As a junior, Julia competed for Germany. As part of her first participation in a seniors’ European competition, in Stockholm, in 2015, Julia Sauter came in 35th.

    In Bratislava, in 2016, Julia came in 27th, then in Ostrava, in 2017, Julia came in 25th. In 2019, in Minsk, a she went past the short-program phase, coming in 14th after the free program. Julia Sauter saw a steady competitional progress one year after the next, so much so that, at present, she is that close to the competitors claiming a position onto the European podium.

    In Tallinn, after the short program, she came in 8th. In the free program, Julia Sauter got the tenth best mark in the competition. Eventually, the total earned her the 7th position. We recall that in Lithuania, in 2024, Julia came in 9th.

    Julia Sauter’s immediate stated aim is a very good performance in the World Championships scheduled in Boston, the United States, in March 2025. Obtaining a position among the world’s best 24 skaters, after the short program, could secure Julia a place among the skaters vying for a medal, also enabling her to meet the technical criteria for the participation in the Olympic Games scheduled in Italy, in 2026.

    According to regulations, in order to compete for Romania, Julia will have to be granted Romanian citizenship. Julia Sauter has said that, for her, being granted the citizenship is still an ongoing process.

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    Romania’s men’s handball team Dinamo Bucharest on Thursday sustained a 29-38 away defeat by German opponents Fuchse Berlin, in a fixture counting towards Champions league’s Group A. Fuchse got their revenge in the wake of their seven-goal defeat three weeks ago in Bucharest, 31-38.

    According to the as-it-stands table, Dinamo are 4th-placed, with 10 points in 8 games played, Holders Dinamo’s next scheduled fixture on November 28 is the away game against 3rd-placed team Sporting Lisbon.

    Romania’s national women’s handball team later this week play its games in the Golden League friendly tournament, hosted by Denmark. On Thursday in their first match in Randers, The Netherlands trounced Romania, 41-26. Florentin Pera’s trainees will next play Denmark and Norway.

    The European Championship kick-starts next weekend, with fixtured in Hungary, Austria and Switzerland. In Group B, Romania will be rubbing shoulders with Montenegro, Serbia and the Czech Republic and will play its fixtures in Debrecen.

    Later this week in Bucharest, Romania’s national rugby squad are pitted against Uruguay, in a test-match. We recall the Romanian national rugby team won both friendlies they played this fall. Two weeks ago, David Gerard’s trainees defeated Tonga, 25-15, also defeating Canada this past Saturday, 35-27.

    Matches counting towards the domestic football championship’s 17th round are scheduled at the weekend. On Friday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe play Gloria Bistriţa , while Farul Constanţa face Oţelul Galaţi. On Saturday in Sibiu, FC Hermannstadt face Universitatea Cluj, while CFR Cluj play a home game against Rapid Bucharest.

    On Sunday, FCSB on the National Arena in Bucharest go against Unirea Slobozia, while in Ploiesti, Petrolul play Dinamo Bucharest. The 17th round’s last two fixtures are scheduled on Monday, when FC Botosani take on Poli Iasi, while UTA play Universitatea Craiova.

    Universitatea Cluj are at the top of the table with 30 points, followed by CFR Cluj, with 27.

  • Radio Romania International Sports Club

    Radio Romania International Sports Club

    Romanian handball player Cristina Neagu has become the top scorer in the history of the Champions League. On Sunday, Neagu scored 10 goals for CSM Bucharest in their home match against Danish side Nykøbing Falster, a match CSM Bucharest won, 27-26. Neagu’s recent feat has thus raised to 1,155 the number of goals scored in the EHF Champions league, that is 10 goals more than the previous record, held by Montenegrin player Jovanka Radičević.

    After four rounds, according to the rankings of the most efficient players as part of the League’s ongoing edition, Cristina Neagu is 7th-placed, with 23 goals. At the top of the table, we find Norwegian team Esbjerg’s handball player Henny Ella Reistad, with 39 goals. Following in descending order are Rapid Bucharest’s Serbian player, Andjela Janjusevic, with 29 goals, and CSM Bucharest’s Bulgarian-born Slovenian handballer Elisabeth Omoregie, with 26 goals.

    Cristina Neagu has succeeded the new record of her career having made public the fact, on September 12, that 2024-2025 would be the last in her career. We recall that in December 2023 she had already made public the fact that she would retire from competition at the national team, after the World Championship in Denmark and Norway. Back then Romania wasted the opportunity to qualify to the Paris Olympics.

    Cristina Neagu also holds another impressive record. In 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, the International de Handball Federation designated Neagu the world’s best handballer. Cristina Neagu thus became the first handball player in history to have won the trophy four times. However, she did not win any major international trophy with a Romanian team.

    With Oltchim Ramnicu Valcea, Cristina Neagu reached as far as the Champions League final. After Oltchim Ramnicu Valcea was dismantled, Neagu was signed up by Montenegro’s Buducnost Podgorica, a team with which she won the Champions League in 2015. With the Romanian national squad, Cristina Neagu won two bronze medals, in 2010, at the European Championship jointly hosted by Denmark and Norway, and in 2015, at the World Championship in Denmark.

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup

    Corona Brasov ice hockey team as part of the Erste Liga regional competition’s derby, in Budapest on Sunday defeated Hungarian opponents Ferencváros, 5-3, in a re-enactment of Erste Liga’s 2023 final. Scoring for Corona were Hungarian player Daniel Koger, the Russian Albert Zaghidulin, the naturalized Russian Evgheni Skacikov, who scored two goals, and US player Jared VanWormer.

    Also on Sunday and in extra-time, ACSH Gheorghieni secured a 3-2 home win against Ujpest Budapest. In their most severe defeat in recent years, Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc were outclassed, nil-8, by DEAC Debrecen at home.

    In men’s basketball domestic championship, CSM Oradea grabbed a 72-61 away win against defending champions U-BT Cluj Napoca. For the latter team it was the debut game in the domestic championship’s ongoing season. CSM Oradea’s best basketball player was the Romanian international, US-born Kristopher Jameil Richard, with 22 points and 4 recoveries. U-BT Cluj Napoca’s most efficient scorer was NBA team Oklahoma City Thunder’s former player, Zavier Marquis Simpson of the USA, with 20 points, 6 recoveries and 4 assists.

    Matches counting towards the Romanian Super league football championship’s 11th round were played at the weekend. On Friday, Petrolul Ploiesti secured a 4-1 home win against Fc Hermannstadt, then in Bucharest, Dinamo and FC Botosani drew, 2-all. On Saturday in Iasi, in the east, the local side Politehnica defeated Universitatea Cluj, 1-nil. UTA Arad grabbed a surprising 3-1 win against CFR Cluj, away. Also on Saturday, in Bucharest, the match pitting Rapid against Otelul Galaţi ended in a blank draw.

    In Buzau on Sunday, the local side Gloria grabbed a 1-nil home win against Farul Constanta, then FCSB defeated Sepsi OSK, 1-nil, away. Universitatea Cluj are still at the top of the as-it-stands-table, with 22 points. Following in descending order are Otelul Galati and Petrolul Ploiesti, with 18 points each. The former team have a pending match on their record sheet.

  • Sports flash

    Sports flash

    Romanian women’s table tennis team on Wednesday has advanced to the quarterfinals as part of the World teams Championships in Seoul and the Olympic Games in Paris. In the round of 16, Romania’s Bernadette Szőcs, Elizabeta Samara and Adina Diaconu defeated Egypt, 3-nil

     

    We recall Romania came in 5th at the 2014 edition of the World Championships in Japan, and at the World Championships in Sweden, in 2018. Romanian table tennis team’s most recent performance in South Korea has raised to 76 the number of athletes who have qualified to the Olympic Games in Paris, according to the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, quoted by Agerpres. Romania’s men’s table tennis team was unable to go past the round of 16 in South Korea, having sustained a nil-3 defeat by China.

     

    Results in fixtures counting towards the Romanian Women’s National Handball League’s 17th round have been predictable, with a win-all record for the favorite teams. Holders CSM Bucharest defeated Minaur Baia Mare, 33 – 28. Vice-champions Rapid Bucharest defeated Dacia Mioveni, 27-22. In their match against Handbal Club Zalău, Gloria Bistriţa grabbed a 28-23 win. The other Romanian team to have made it to the Europa League’s quarterfinals, Dunărea Brăila, outclassed Magura Cisnadie, 25 – 21. CSM Bucharest are still at the top of the as-it-stands table, being 6 points clear of 2nd and 3rd-placed teams, Rapid Bucharest and Gloria Bistritsa, respectively.

     

    In the National Women’s National Basketball league on Wednesday. Baschet Arad grabbed a 63 – 47 home win against Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. In the wake of a lackluster European run, Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe has yet against put on a disappointing performance, this time in the domestic championship, with a negative record of scored points and with the second defeat in their last three domestic championship fixtures.

     

    In April this year, Bucharest will play host to an ATP 250 tennis tournament. After a eight-year gap, Ţiriac Open will be resumed in Romania’s capital city: the event will have 580 thousand USD in prize money. Matches will be played on a clay court and the winner will be granted 250 ATP points. The first top-flight tennis player who has confirmed his participation to the Tiriac Open was the Canadian Denis Shapovalov, a former WTA no 10.

  • Sports flash

    Matches
    counting towards the 11th round as part of the Champions League in Women’s
    Handball’s group stage are scheduled at the weekend. Romanian teams’ fixtures
    are scheduled on Sunday. Rapid Bucharest travel to Denmark for an away Group B
    match against Ikast. At present, Romanian vice-champions are 7th
    placed, with 7 points, and are in dire need of a good result if they want to keep
    their hopes alive they can still earn a place among the first six teams so they
    can go past the group stage. With 13 points, Ikast are 3rd-placed in
    the group. In Group A, CSM Bucharest play a home game against Swedish team
    Savehof, a bottom-of-the-table team with a record of ten defeats in ten games
    played. Holders CSM are 4th-placed in the group.


    Three other
    Romanian teams play in Europe’s second-tier competition, the EHF European
    League. On Saturday, Gloria Bistrița receive the visit of French top-flight
    team Nantes. According to group C table, Gloria Bistrita are 2nd-placed,
    with 4 points in two games played, the same as-top-of the-table French team,
    which has, however, a better goal average. Also on Saturday, CSM Târgu Jiu play
    an away game against Norway’s Sola. CSM Targu Jiu are at the bottom of the table
    in Group D, with zero points on their record sheet. In Croatia on Sunday, Dunărea
    Brăila play Lokomotiva Zagreb, a bottom of the table team in Group B. With two
    points, Dunarea Braila are second-placed in the group, after German team Thuringer.


    Matches
    counting towards the Romanian football Super League’s 22nd round are
    scheduled at the weekend. On Friday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe play Poli Iași,
    while Rapid Bucharest play FC U Craiova 1948. On Saturday, Universitatea Cluj play
    a home game against FC Hermannstadt, while in Ploiesti, the local team Petrolul
    play a home game against Bucharest team Dinamo. On Sunday, CFR Cluj play an
    away match against FC Botoșani, while Universitatea Craiova play a home fixture
    against Farul Constanta. On Monday, FC Voluntari take on Oțelul Galați, while FCSB
    are pitted against UTA Arad. With 44 points, that is 8 points clear of the runner-up
    team, CFR Cluj, FCSB are at the top of the table.



  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    For Romania’s
    women’s handball team, the World Championship held these days in Denmark,
    Sweden and Norway came to an end. The Romanians finished on 12th place,
    after concluding the main group III stage on the 3rd place. Coach Florentin
    Pera’s students lost to Denmark and Germany, which finished on the top 2
    positions and moved on to the quarter-finals. Romania won all the other group
    matches, against Chile, Serbia, Japan and Poland, but this was not enough.




    Romania
    could have finished on a higher place in the final ranking, had they not lost
    their 3rd match in the world competition with a 16-goal defeat to Denmark.
    Because of its poor goal average, Romania was taken over in the final ranking
    by Brazil, Hungary and Slovenia, which came out 9th, 10th
    and 11th, respectively.




    Under these
    circumstances, the Romanian players’ chances to qualify for the pre-Olympic
    tournaments are now null. Basically, the World Championship in Scandinavia sends
    its winners straight to the 2024 Olympics, with the next 6 places in the
    standings securing a ticket to the pre-Olympic qualifiers due in April.




    Of the
    quarter-finalists, France, which hosts next year’s Games, and defending
    champions Norway, are already qualified for the Paris Olympics. Taking part in
    the pre-Olympic tournaments are also the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Sweden,
    Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. And since one of these teams is set to
    win the World Championship, this will free an extra spot for the pre-Olympics
    qualifiers. This spot should have been taken by Brazil, which finished 9th,
    but because this team is already qualified thanks to their win of the
    Pan-American Games, its place was taken by Hungary.




    As for
    Romania’s performance at the World Championship, the progress made by the team
    since coach Florentin Pera joined the staff is quite notable. Although star
    player Cristina Neagu missed most of the matches because of an injury, the
    Romanian team played well and was on a par with the other participants, except
    for Denmark. Excellent performances came from Eliza Buceschi, who was the best
    player of the team in all the 4 matches won by Romania. Goalkeepers Daciana
    Hosu and Diana Ciucă also put up good performances, making up for the absence
    of Iulia Dumanska. (AMP)

  • Radio Romania International Sports club

    Radio Romania International Sports club

    Denmark,
    Norway and Sweden starting Wednesday will jointly play host to the World’s
    Women Handball Championship. The final is scheduled on November 17. The fixture
    will be hosted by the Jyske Bank Arena in Denmark’s Herning. It is also there
    that the Group E games will be played, Romania’ s games included. Florentin Pera’s
    trainees on December 1st take on the team of Chile. On December 3rd,
    Romania faces Serbia. The most challenging game, scheduled on Tuesday, is the
    match against one of the teams that are favorite to winning a medal, Denmark.
    The first three teams in Group E play straight in the 3rd Main
    Group, alongside the first three teams in Group F. Romania’s likely opponents
    in the 3rd main group are Germany, Poland, Japan or Iran. The game
    will also be played in Herning. The first two teams in descending order in the
    main four groups will then prove their mettle in the quarterfinals, The
    semifinals and the finals follow.


    The
    Romanian national team’s set target for the World Championship is earning a place
    among the world’s top seven teams, which paves the way for the 2024 edition of
    the Olympic games. The world champion will book its ticket to Paris jointly
    with the continental champions. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th,
    5th, 6th and 7th-placed teams at the World
    Championship will secure their participation to the pre-Olympic tournament in
    April, which will complete the list of teams that will participate in the 2024
    edition of the Olympics.


    The
    Romanian national squad is the only team that has so far taken part in all 25
    editions of the World Women’s Handball Championship since the inaugural edition
    held in the former Yugoslavia in 1957. In 1962, Romania itself played host to the
    world championship. We recall that back then Romania won the world title. In
    1973, Romania played the final which they lost to then the World Championship
    host country, former Yugoslavia. Romania also reached as far as the final in 2005, when
    they were defeated by the national team of host country Russia.


    Ahead
    of their participation in the World Championship, Romania last week won the
    Carpati Trophy, a competition held in Bistrita, in the north. Romania won the
    games against Switzerland, 33-28, Portugal, 33-22 and Austria, 41-35.



  • Romanian national football team has successfully booked its ticket for EURO 2024

    Romanian national football team has successfully booked its ticket for EURO 2024




    After a dismal eight-year gap, with unfulfilled expectations, Romanian national team fans have, yet again, enjoyed a qualification to a final tournament. Which this time has been very special, since the national squad’s record is a no-defeat one. Romania is at the top of the table in the preliminaries’ Group 1, thus earning its place among second-pot teams, ahead of the draw. So, in theory, at least, Romania can avoid locking horns with more top-tier teams than they would have faced had they finished 2nd and been included in pot four. Romania secured the top-of-the-table position in the group, this past Tuesday grabbing a 1-nil home win against Switzerland, a team that has also secured its ticket for EURO 2024, earning the runner-up position in the group.



    It was a great win, and an unexpected one, at that, all the more so as Switzerland is 14th placed according to world rankings, while Romania is 48th placed. In Bucharest on Tuesday, in the wake of a game that had nothing special about it, Edward Iordănescu’s trainees won, 1-nil, thanks to Denis Alibec’s goal on 50 minutes. Here is what the Romanian striker said right after the match



    We’re so happy we have succeeded to close the campaign with a win and be at the top of the table in the group, even though there were many people who did not place their stakes on us, early into the campaign, yet we proved that we were a family, that we knew how to fight together. Switzerland had a much better line-up, but ours was a walk-or-die performance on the pitch.



    Captain Nicolae Stanciu:



    For me, it is the finest evening in my entire footballer’s career, all the more so as we’ve had a couple of difficult years, since we were unable to qualify to this or that competition. I believe tonight we can afford partying and we are anxious for EURO to draw near, as we fully believe in ourselves and we want to have a summer to remember.



    Alibec and Stanciu are Romanian pool of regulars’ only footballers who had played in a final tournament before, that is in 2016, at the European championship in France. Back then national team head coach was Edward Iordanescu’s father, Anghel Iordanescu. It was Iordanescu junior’s turn, right after the game against Switzerland, to prove he himself was a valuable head-coach.



    Edward Iordanescu:


    We’re closing this qualification campaign in a fabulous way. Words simply fail me, personally, in my bid to express gratitude to these wonderful lads, for their determination, for their behavior, for the fine way they proved themselves. And if there is anything, anything at all I deserve any praise for, it is the fact that I believed in them unconditionally, that I succeeded to persuade them to believe in what they can do, in the potential they have, in how wonderful the things they can accomplish are, when they are a family and work together.



    The drawing for the European Championship’s final tournament in Germany will take place in Hamburg on December 2nd.


  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    Romanian cyclist
    Ede-Károly Molnár this past Sunday won
    the European title in the mountain bike cross-country eliminator held in
    Sakarya, Turkey. It was Romanian cyclism’s all-time high so far. Reason enough
    for Radio Romania International to designate Ede-Károly Molnár the Athlete of
    the week.


    According to
    Agerpres Romanian news agency, in Turkey, Molnar overpowered great mountain bike
    cyclists such as the French Titouan Perrin-Ganier or Nils-Obed Riecker and Simon
    Gegenheimer of Germany. Molnar was also lucky, because during the last leg of
    the race one of his three challengers got his bike chain broken, so right from
    the start Molnar secured a medal for himself. The Romania stepped up a little
    bit and walked away with gold, being one second faster than many-time European and
    world champion, Titouan Perrin-Ganier,


    Ede-Károly
    Molnár hails from Sfântu Gheorghe, in central Romania. He was born on March 6, 1996.
    Molnar has been competing in the Concurează la cross-country eliminator (XCE) since
    2022 when he also won a bronze medal at the European Championship in Portugal. He also competed in the Olympic cross-country (XCO) and in the short-track (XCC) races, where he walked
    away with silver at the National Championships in 2023. Molnar was only defeated
    by Vlad Dascălu, a cyclist who will represent Romanian at the 2024 edition of
    the Olympic Games in Paris, in the Olympic cross-country race.


    For the Romanian
    cyclist, the next top-notch competition is drawing near as in two weeks’ time
    the World Championships are about to kick-start, held in Palangkaraya, Indonesia. It is the competition where
    Molnar will have the opportunity to prove the success in Turkey was not a
    random performance.


    —–

  • Sports weekend

    Romania’s national football team in Bucharest
    on Sunday face the team of Andorra. The Group I fixture counts towards the
    preliminaries of the European Championship in 2024. A sanction was placed against
    the Romanian Football Federation as of late because of the stands incidents that
    occurred during Romania’s match against Kosovo, so the match against Andorra will
    be played in an empty stadium. Notwithstanding, children younger than 14 will
    be allowed to watch the game.


    In Budapest
    on Thursday, Romania’s match against Belarus ended in a blank draw. On home turf, Andorra sustained a nil-3 defeat by
    Kosovo. Israel’s upcoming home game against Switzerland was postponed to November 15. Switzerland
    is at the top pf the table, with 15 points. Romania and Israel follow suit,
    with 13 and 11 points, respectively. With 7 points on their record sheet,
    Kosovo are 4th-placed. Belarus are 5th-place, with 5
    points, while Andorra are at the bottom of the table, with 2 points. Switzerland
    and Israel have each played 6 fixtures so far, while the other teams, 7. Advancing
    to the European Championships’ final tournament are the first two teams in
    descending order.


    Romania’ s women’s handball team this coming Saturday take on Greece,
    away from home, in a Group 1 fixture counting towards the European Championship
    preliminaries 2024. In Mioveni on Wednesday, Cristina Neagu and her teammates trounced
    Bosnia and Herzegovina, 49 la 17. Also in Group I, in Karlovac, Croatia
    defeated Greece, 32 – 22. 24 teams will take part in the final tournament, that
    is the first two teams in descending order in the 8 qualifying groups, plus
    the best four 3rd-placed teams. Host teams, that is Austria, Hungary
    and Switzerland, qualify straight to the final tournament, and so does defending
    champion Norway.


    In Romania’s capital city on Sunday, the Bucharest International
    Marathon is held. Apart from the main race, other asphalt-running races are
    staged. We recall the first edition of Bucharest International Marathon was
    held 15 years ago.

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    The European U-19 Women’s Handball Championship
    hosted by Romania draws to a close at the weekend. In this coming Friday’s
    semifinals, Portugal plays Denmark while Romania takes on Hungary. The latter
    team is the winner of the last two European titles in the U-19 category.


    The European U-23 Athletics Championships are
    underway in Espoo, Finland, this coming weekend. The Romanian delegation is
    made of 20 athletes, of which 8 boys and 12 girls.


    The Romanian Super League football championship
    resumes this coming weekend. Otelul Galati is pitted against UTA Arad and Rapid
    Bucharest goes against Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe. On Saturday, holders Farul
    Constanţa travels to Sibiu for a fixture against FC Hermannstadt, while CFR
    Cluj play a home game against Poli Iaşi. In Ploiesti on Sunday the local side Petrolul
    goes against Universitatea Cluj, while in Târgu Jiu, FC U Craiova 1948 takes on
    Bucharest side FCSB. On Monday, FC
    Botosani plays FC Voluntari, while Dinamo Bucureşti faces Universitatea
    Craiova.


    The regular season’s home series is made of 15 rounds and draws to a close
    in early November. The away series follows, scheduled until March 2024. The first
    six teams in descending order compete in Group 1, for the title and for a place
    in the European Cups. The other teams play in Group 2, mainly to avoid
    relegation. The teams that will be finally ranked 9th and 10th
    in Group 2 will be relegated to the second league. Group 2’s 7th and
    8th-placed teams will play their playoff fixtures, taking on the
    second league’s 3rd and 4th-placed teams. The results
    count towards maintaining their place or being promoted to the Super League.

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    In the speed races, athletics or swimming,
    records, more often than not, cannot be broken for dozens of years. In 2022,
    Romanian swimmer David Popovici provided a stunning surprise breaking the 100m
    freestyle world record set in 2009. However, there are national records that
    lasted even longer, all the more so as, back in the day, they were set by top-flight
    champions.


    The most accomplished
    Romanian swimmer, Diana Mocanu, in Pitesti, in 2002, set the national 50m
    backstroke record. Diana clocked 28 seconds and 73 hundredths of a second. We recall
    Diana Mocanu was a two-time Olympic champion in Sydney, in 2000, in the 100m
    and 200m backstroke events. 21 years on, that is in last week’s European Juniors’
    Swimming Championships in Belgrade, 14-year-old Daria Silisteanu won the first
    50m backstroke semifinal, clocking 28 seconds and 59 hundredths of a second. Daria thus improved Romania’s national seniors’
    record with 14 hundredths of a second. Then in the 50m backstroke final, Daria
    Silisteanu broke her recently-set record, clocking 28 seconds and 46 hundredths
    of a second and winning the bronze medal. Daria’s trail in the 100m backstroke event
    was, again, way above par, since Daria walked home with the silver medal.

    Reason
    enough for Radio Romania
    International to designate Daria Silisteanu the Athlete of the Week.


    Daria Silişteanu was born in Fălticeni, eastern Romania. She is signed
    up by Dinamo Bucharest Sports club. Daria’s coaches are Luis Lăcătuș and Adrian
    Pinticanu. She compelled recognition in April 2023, when she won as many as 12
    medals, at the National Swimming Championships in Otopeni. Among other things,
    Daria won three national titles in the seniors, U-21 and Juniors’ categories,
    in the 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke events.