Radio România Internațional

Tag: Championship

Sports Roundup

Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan this past Sunday sustained a 4-6, 1-6 defeat by Caroline Garcia, in the final of the WTA tournament in Warsaw, an event with 251.750 USD in prize money. In the quarterfinal, Garcia had defeated WTA number 1 tennis player Polish Iga Swiatek. For Ana Bogdan, the tournament in Warsaw was the first such event where Ana reached as far as the final. Her notable feat earned Ana Bogdan33 notches up according to the world rankings. The Romanian is now 75th-placed.

The 16th summer edition of the European Youth Olympic Festival drew to a close in Slovakia’s Banska Bystrica on Saturday. With 5 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze medals, Romania came in 8th according to the nations’ competition. Gold went to the women’s artistic gymnastics team, discus thrower Mihai Damian Motorca, 100-kilogram competitor, judoka Bogdan Alexandru Petre, and gymnast Amalia Puflea, for her floor and beam performance.

Romania this past Sunday won four medals in the World Under-19 Rowing Championships hosted by the Italian city of Varese. Gold went to the women’s four crew, made of Andreea Todorică, Iulia Nedelcu, Delia Gradinaciuc and Ana-Maria Matran. Silver went to the women’s coxless four crew, while the bronze medals were won by the women’s coxed quadruple sculls and men’s coxless quadruple sculls crews. According to the final rankings in terms of medals, Romania came in 6th.

Matches counting towards the Romanian football Superleague’s third round were played at the weekend. In Pitesti on Friday, FC Arges defeated Universitatea Cluj, 3-1, while in Ovidiu, in the south east, Farul Constanţa were held by Chindia Târgovişte to a blank draw. In Mioveni, on Saturday, FC Voluntari had no problem outclassing UTA Arad, 3-nil, then in Cluj, CFR trounced CS Mioveni, 4-2. In Ploiesti, on Sunday, Petrolul drew against Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, 1-all. Rapid Bucharest grabbed a 1-nil away win against Universitatea Craiova. Also on Sunday, FCSB and FC U Craiova drew 1-all, in Bucharest. Farul Constanta are at the top of the table with 7 points. Following are FC Botoşani, FC Voluntari, Rapid, CFR Cluj and FC Argeş, with 6 points each. (EN)

1 August 2022
Radio Romania International Sports club

The change of generations Romanian fencing has been going through fatally took its toll on Romanian fencing’s recent results at international
level. We recall that that the Romanian delegation had a zero-medal tally at
the European Championships held in Antalya, Turkey, in June. Little wonder then
that the expectations for the World Championships in Cairo were low. At the
event in Egypt, Romania had full teams for the men’s and women’s saber as well
as in women’s foil and women’s epee events. Also, two other fencers
participated in the men’s individual epee event. The set
target was for the respective team to be placed on one of the first six
positions at least in one single event. Sabre fencers were the favorites to meeting
the set target. We recall that at the European championships the team came in 5th,
while Răzvan Ursachi and Iulian Teodosiu had been 5th and 6th
placed, respectively, in the individual events.

Exceeding all expectations, Romanian fencers succeeded to win two bronze
medals, both in individual events. In the sabre event, Iulian Teodosiu stepped
onto the third step of the podium, while Maria Boldor came in 3rd in
the foil event. It was just expected from Teodosiu to succeed that. Iulian Teodosiu
had already won three medals in nations’ competitions, in 2013, when the team
won silver at the World Championships, in 2016, when the team won bronze, also
in the World Championships, and also in 2016, when the Romanians won another
bronze medal, this time in the European Championships. Foil fencer Maria Boldor used to have a constant and an apparently
unassuming position among the world’s top 100 fencers, being placed somewhere around
the 100th position. 26-year world Maria Boldor did not have exceptional
results on the record, although she had competed in a great number of events ever
since she was 17. However, her notable result in an individual event in Cairo earned Maria
Boldor the 19th place according to the world rankings. The Romanian
is also entitled to keeping her hopes high for the 2024 edition of the Olympic
Games in Paris.

In Cairo, the Romanian teams’ run was utterly disappointing. In the men’s
sabre event, with Iulian Teodosiu and Răzvan Ursachi on the line-up, the
Romanians were defeated in the very first round and came in 17th
according to the final rankings. In women’s sabre, Romania was also defeated,
again in the very first round, by Kazakhstan, and came in 18th. In
the women’s foil event, with Maria Boldor fighting, the Romanians were
outclassed by Singapore, also in the very first round, coming in 20th
according to the final rankings. The women’s epee team was the only Romanian team to have lasted beyond the competition’s first round, when they defeated
Canada yet losing to Italy, the bronze medalists in Tokyo. In the 9-16
places tournament, Romania overpowered China, lost to Estonia and eventually
defeated Egypt, coming in 11th according to the final rankings. A disappointing
result, given that in 2016, the epee event earned Romania gold at the Olympic Games in
Rio, in the nations’ competition, and silver in the individual event, in Tokyo,
in 2021.(EN)

27 July 2022
Radio Romania International Sports club

The change of generations Romanian fencing has been going through fatally took its toll on Romanian fencing’s recent results at international
level. We recall that that the Romanian delegation had a zero-medal tally at
the European Championships held in Antalya, Turkey, in June. Little wonder then
that the expectations for the World Championships in Cairo were low. At the
event in Egypt, Romania had full teams for the men’s and women’s saber as well
as in women’s foil and women’s epee events. Also, two other fencers
participated in the men’s individual epee event. The set
target was for the respective team to be placed on one of the first six
positions at least in one single event. Sabre fencers were the favorites to meeting
the set target. We recall that at the European championships the team came in 5th,
while Răzvan Ursachi and Iulian Teodosiu had been 5th and 6th
placed, respectively, in the individual events.

Exceeding all expectations, Romanian fencers succeeded to win two bronze
medals, both in individual events. In the sabre event, Iulian Teodosiu stepped
onto the third step of the podium, while Maria Boldor came in 3rd in
the foil event. It was just expected from Teodosiu to succeed that. Iulian Teodosiu
had already won three medals in nations’ competitions, in 2013, when the team
won silver at the World Championships, in 2016, when the team won bronze, also
in the World Championships, and also in 2016, when the Romanians won another
bronze medal, this time in the European Championships. Foil fencer Maria Boldor used to have a constant and an apparently
unassuming position among the world’s top 100 fencers, being placed somewhere around
the 100th position. 26-year world Maria Boldor did not have exceptional
results on the record, although she had competed in a great number of events ever
since she was 17. However, her notable result in an individual event in Cairo earned Maria
Boldor the 19th place according to the world rankings. The Romanian
is also entitled to keeping her hopes high for the 2024 edition of the Olympic
Games in Paris.

In Cairo, the Romanian teams’ run was utterly disappointing. In the men’s
sabre event, with Iulian Teodosiu and Răzvan Ursachi on the line-up, the
Romanians were defeated in the very first round and came in 17th
according to the final rankings. In women’s sabre, Romania was also defeated,
again in the very first round, by Kazakhstan, and came in 18th. In
the women’s foil event, with Maria Boldor fighting, the Romanians were
outclassed by Singapore, also in the very first round, coming in 20th
according to the final rankings. The women’s epee team was the only Romanian team to have lasted beyond the competition’s first round, when they defeated
Canada yet losing to Italy, the bronze medalists in Tokyo. In the 9-16
places tournament, Romania overpowered China, lost to Estonia and eventually
defeated Egypt, coming in 11th according to the final rankings. A disappointing
result, given that in 2016, the epee event earned Romania gold at the Olympic Games in
Rio, in the nations’ competition, and silver in the individual event, in Tokyo,
in 2021.(EN)

27 July 2022
Radio Romania International Sports club

The domestic League One football championship, as of this year labelled
The Super League, has been recently resumed. After the first games, top of the
table is the newly-promoted FC Hermannstadt, thanks to
a most consistent 3-nil win against CS Mioveni. Otherwise, the debut round has
not come up with big surprises. However, the most unexpected result was provided
by the National Arena match, where FCSB have been held by another newly-promoted
team, Universitatea Cluj, to a 1-all draw. Guest team Universitatea was the first
ones to score. Matches counting towards the next round will be played from Friday
and all through to Monday, while the round’s headline-hitting game is the all-time
derby pitting Rapid Bucharest against FCSB.

The refereeing video assistance system, VAR, has been implemented
in the Romanian Super League as a novelty for Romanian football. In the first
round, the system was frequently used, which triggered a lot of controversies
as the VAR cabin referees did not give their feedback on certain phases of play
which the main referee may have found hard to notice on the pitch.

Four Romanian football teams prove their mettle in the
European Conference League’s second preliminary round. In an away fixture, FCSB
takes on Georgian opponents Saburtalo, in Gori. If they advance to the third
round, FCSB play Vikingur, of the Faeroe Islands or Slovakia’s Dunajska Streda.
Having been eliminated from the Champions League preliminaries, CFR Cluj plays
a home game against Inter d’Escaldes of Andorra. If they
make headway into the competition, CFR Cluj will face Belarus team Shakhtar Soligorsk,
On Thursday, Romanian Cup winners Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe play a home game
against Slovenia’s Olimpija Ljubljana. If
they advance to the competition’s third round, Sepsi may play Rijeka of
Croatia, or Swedish team Djurgaardens. In Shkoder, Albania, Universitatea
Craiova faces Vllaznia, and if they advance to the next round, Universitatea
will take on Ukrainian side Zarya Lugansk. (EN)

20 July 2022
Radio Romania International Sports club

The domestic League One football championship, as of this year labelled
The Super League, has been recently resumed. After the first games, top of the
table is the newly-promoted FC Hermannstadt, thanks to
a most consistent 3-nil win against CS Mioveni. Otherwise, the debut round has
not come up with big surprises. However, the most unexpected result was provided
by the National Arena match, where FCSB have been held by another newly-promoted
team, Universitatea Cluj, to a 1-all draw. Guest team Universitatea was the first
ones to score. Matches counting towards the next round will be played from Friday
and all through to Monday, while the round’s headline-hitting game is the all-time
derby pitting Rapid Bucharest against FCSB.

The refereeing video assistance system, VAR, has been implemented
in the Romanian Super League as a novelty for Romanian football. In the first
round, the system was frequently used, which triggered a lot of controversies
as the VAR cabin referees did not give their feedback on certain phases of play
which the main referee may have found hard to notice on the pitch.

Four Romanian football teams prove their mettle in the
European Conference League’s second preliminary round. In an away fixture, FCSB
takes on Georgian opponents Saburtalo, in Gori. If they advance to the third
round, FCSB play Vikingur, of the Faeroe Islands or Slovakia’s Dunajska Streda.
Having been eliminated from the Champions League preliminaries, CFR Cluj plays
a home game against Inter d’Escaldes of Andorra. If they
make headway into the competition, CFR Cluj will face Belarus team Shakhtar Soligorsk,
On Thursday, Romanian Cup winners Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe play a home game
against Slovenia’s Olimpija Ljubljana. If
they advance to the competition’s third round, Sepsi may play Rijeka of
Croatia, or Swedish team Djurgaardens. In Shkoder, Albania, Universitatea
Craiova faces Vllaznia, and if they advance to the next round, Universitatea
will take on Ukrainian side Zarya Lugansk. (EN)

20 July 2022
July 8, 2022 UPDATE

CONDOLENCES President Klaus Iohannis conveyed condolences to the family of Japans former PM, Shinzo Abe, who died on Friday from his injuries after being shot in the street by an attacker. “He was a strong defender of democracy and multilateralism, but also a true friend,” Iohannis posted on Twitter. Japans ex-PM was shot dead by a former member of the Japanese defense forces, the Japanese public broadcaster NHK reports. Abe, 67, was delivering a campaign speech near a train station in the western Japanese city of Nara when he was the target of an armed attack. Armed violence is extremely rare in Japan, where firearms are banned. Shinzo Abe was the longest-serving Japanese prime minister in history. He led the Japanese executive from 2006 to 2007 and then from 2012-2020. He resigned two years ago for health-related reasons.

STATISTICS Romanias economy grew by 5.1% in the first quarter of the year, compared to the previous quarter, according to preliminary data made public today by the National Statistics Institute. Compared to the corresponding period of 2021, Romanias GDP went up 6.4%, the institution said, to over RON 343.5 bln.

GOVERNMENT Petre Daea was sworn in as minister of agriculture and rural development on Friday at the Cotroceni Palace. Attending the ceremony was president Klaus Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă, the interim Senate speaker Alina Gorghiu, the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu, and presidential advisers. President Klaus Iohannis had signed the decree appointing Petre Daea as agriculture minister earlier that day. On Wednesday the leaders of the Social Democratic Party voted unanimously in favour of the appointment. The former agriculture minister, Adrian Chesnoiu, also a parliament member, stepped down and left the party after the National Anti-Corruption Directorate had requested permission to prosecute him for abuse of office.

NATURAL GAS An interconnector between the gas pipelines in Greece and Bulgaria, which became operational on Friday, gives Romania access to other natural gas resources, in an international context in which it becomes increasingly likely that Moscow will suspend deliveries to the European Union. Romania will be able to help other states in the region reduce their dependence on Russian gas, said Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca in Athens, where he paid a working visit and met with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

FORUM Russias war of aggression against Ukraine has generated the most severe security crisis in Europe since WW2, state secretary in Romanias defence ministry Simona Cojocaru said at the “Atlantic – Black Sea” Security Forum held in Bucharest. In her opinion, if Russia reaches its military goals in the east of Ukraine, its operational efforts will most likely focus on the Ukrainian territories north-west of the Black Sea. Therefore, the risk of regional instability might grow significantly, posing a major challenge to Romania. The most dangerous scenario for Ukraine, Romania and NATO would be a land corridor to Odessa and a connection to Transdniester, Simona Cojocaru explained. In a video call, Ukraines defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Russias aggression on his country will continue until countered by strong resistance. Terror cannot be stopped by diplomacy alone, he emphasised.

MEETING The foreign ministers of the worlds 20 most developed economies had a closed-doors meeting, marked by the conflict in Ukraine. The meeting held on the Indonesian island of Bali brought together Moscow and its harshest critics for the first time since Ukraine was attacked. During the talks attended by Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, the EUs High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy Josep Borrell urged all participants to help end the war, restore Ukraines sovereignty and guarantee the containment of the global fallout. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that Russia has heard “a strong chorus from around the world… about the need for the aggression to end”. “To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out,” Blinken told Lavrov. The latter in fact left the meeting hall where Russia was criticised. According to the German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, this proves Moscows unwillingness to cooperate. The Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi also called for an end to the war in Ukraine.

SWIMMING Romanias David Popovici Friday won another gold medal at the European Junior Swimming Championship held in Otopeni, near Bucharest, in the mens 50m freestyle final, with 22.16 seconds. This is the 4th medal for Popovici, after the gold in the mens 4x100m freestyle relay and the 200m freestyle race, and silver in the 4x100m medley relay. On Thursday, another Romanian athlete, Vlad Stancu, won the 1,500m freestyle final. Romania now has a total of 6 medals, 4 of them gold and 2 silver. David Popovici, 17, is also the defending senior world champion in the 100m and 200m freestyle events, won in Budapest. Taking part in the championship in Otopeni are some 500 athletes from 42 countries. Romania is represented by 26 swimmers, 14 boys and 12 girls. (AMP)

8 July 2022
July 5, 2022 UPDATE

PRESIDENCY Romania is a very involved actor in the European policy
and security policy, president Klaus Iohannis told a press conference on
Tuesday. He emphasised that the recent decisions at the European Council and
the NATO summit made Romania safer and more visible. Romanians are better
protected, Romania is better protected, the head of state pointed out.

TAXES Amendments to Romania’s Fiscal Code are subject to the
decision transparency procedure until Friday, and scheduled for endorsement by
the government next week. The changes agreed by the ruling coalition made up of
the Social Democrats, the Liberals and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians
in Romania in order to improve collection to the state budget include increases
of the tobacco and alcohol excises, of the VAT for the hospitality industry and
of property owner’s taxes. Gambling revenues up to roughly EUR 600 will be
taxed by 10%, those between EUR 600 and 2,000 by 20% and those over EUR 2,000
by 40%. Government sources say another measure introduces a 5% VAT rate for
purchased houses of up to 120 square meters. Other amendments may increase
house owner’s taxes by 60%. Taxes in the hospitality industry may also change
so they may not be under 1% of the turnover starting next year.

NATO
Romania’s foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu hailed Tuesday’s
signing of Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession protocols in Brussels by the
standing representatives of the 2 countries and of the Allied states, including
Romania. According to the Romanian foreign ministry, in
the current security context marked by Russia’s illegal war of aggression
against Ukraine, the 2 countries’ move proves their commitment to the
democratic values and spirit that NATO safeguards and promotes. Romania, the
ministry also says in a news release, has been one of the main supporters of
the Open Door policy as central to NATO’s strategic approach in relation to its
partner states. The decision to join the organization, Bucharest adds, is an
option any state is free to take, based on meeting the criteria defined for the
process and on the consensus of the Allies. No third party may affect NATO’s
enlargement policy. Bucharest is also confident that Finland’s and Sweden’s
accession will contribute to strengthening NATO security. After the
representatives of the 2 countries signed the accession protocol, each NATO
country’s parliament must ratify the decision, which may take up to one year.
Turkey is the only NATO member to make ratification conditional on commitments
regarding terrorism on the part of the 2 Nordic countries.

CABINET Seven months into their term in office, all the ministers
in the Liberal Nicolae Ciucă’s Cabinet have been reconfirmed in office. The PM
talked to president Klaus Iohannis about the assessment of his cabinet members
and according to political sources they agreed reshuffling is not necessary. Ciucă
informed his ministers however that last-minute submissions of key projects
under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan funded by the EU would not be
acceptable. Following a 10-criteria assessment that took into account the
expectations of Romanian citizens and society, PM Ciucă also presented a report
on the work of his government, which included overcoming the health crisis,
stabilisation of the energy crisis and the management of the effects of the war
in neighbouring Ukraine. The report also mentions the largest investment budget
of the last 32 years, the new Offshore Act and strengthening security within NATO
and the EU.

AUTOMOTIVE The city of Craiova, in southern Romania, Tuesday hosted
a ceremony occasioned by the acquisition of the local Ford plant by Ford Otosan,
the largest producer of commercial vehicles in Europe. The US-Turkish company
announced investments of nearly EUR 500 million in the next 3 years, to
increase production. The plant will make the new generation of a freight and
passenger transport model, with a fully electric version as of 2024. Ford Puma,
the best-selling Ford automobile in Europe, will also have an electric version
as of 2024, to be produced in Craiova as well. Attending the event, PM Nicolae
Ciuca highlighted the commitment of the company’s American and Turkish
officials to strengthen and improve economic relations and strategic
partnership with Romania. He also added that Romania’s National Recovery and
Resilience Plan includes a commitment to have 18,000 EV charging stations ready
in Romania by the end of 2026.

SPORTS 494
swimmers from 42 countries are competing in the European Junior Swimming
Championships underway in Bucharest until July 10. The host country, Romania,
is represented by 26 athletes, 14 boys and 12 girls, including the world
champion in the 100m and 200m freestyle race, David Popovici. The 17 year old
champion has already qualified for the semifinals of the 200m freestyle race. In
turn, Cristian Lapadat qualified for the 200m butterfly semi-final. Aissia
Claudia Prisecariu and Rebecca-Aimee Diaconescu have qualified for the women’s
50m backstroke semi-finals, while Ana Maria Sibiseanu takes part in the
semifinals of the women’s 200m freestyle race. Romania’s men and women teams will
also compete in the 4×100 freestyle final.

TENNIS US
tennis player Amanda Anisimova will be playing Romanian Simona Halep in the
quarter finals of the Grand Slam tennis tournament in Wimbledon. In the round
of 16, Halep secured a 6-1, 6-2 win against Paola Badosa of Spain, while
Anisimova defeated Harmony Tan of France 6-2, 6-3. A former world leader, Halep
won the 2019 of Wimbledon and a year earlier the one in Roland Garros. (AMP)

5 July 2022
June 23, 2022

MEDAL Romanian David Popovici, 17, is
the second swimmer in history to have become world champion in the 200 and 1000
meter freestyle events of the same edition of a championship. The athlete has
broken three world junior records in the World Aquatics Championships underway
in Budapest. Romania has another representative in the competition, Robert
Glinta, who will compete on Friday in the 50 meter backstroke race. Glinta
ended the 100 meter even on the eighth position. Another two Romanian
representatives, Angelica Muscalu and Constantin Popovici will be competing in
the dive event of the aforementioned competition.

VISIT Marcel Ciolacu, president of the
Chamber of Deputies in Romania is today paying a visit to Brussels for
official talks with Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament and
with the Commissioner for Work and Social Rights, Nicholas Schmit. The Romanian
official is also expected to have talks with the president of the Chamber of
Deputies with the Belgian Parliament as well as the Minister of Labour and
Economy in Belgium. Ciolacu is also to deliver a speech during the meeting he
will have with the leaders of the European Socialist Party.

MEETINGS For two days Brussels will be
seeing the summit of the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans, a European
Council session and the Euro summit. High on the European Council agenda are
debates over the bloc’s relations with close partners in Europe, the situation
in Ukraine, and the accession requests by the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.
Romania is being represented in the EU leaders’ summit and the European Council
by its president Klaus Iohannis, who hailed the recommendation of the European
Commission to grant the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine the status of EU
candidates. The Commission has acknowledged the European aspirations of
Georgia, but this country hasn’t met all the conditions to get the statute of
candidate country. The euro summit due tomorrow will have high on the agenda
the economic situation of the bloc and the developments concerning the banking
union and the capital markets.

MEASURES The ruling coalition in
Romania has reached an agreement regarding a mechanism to offset pump prices
for fuel. This has to be announced shortly after the government session today
and is to come into effect as of July 1st for three months. The mechanism
proposed by the government will compensate with a fixed sum pump prices instead
of a percentage and the compensation will be funded by the state budget and the
companies in the field. The mechanism will lay the foundation for a normative
act the government is to endorse next week.

MOTION USR MPs in Romania have tabled a
simple motion against the country’s Energy Minister whom they accuse of
incompetence in running this ministry. According to USR, during the mandate of
Minister Virgil Popescu, prices in fuel, energy and gas have been constantly on
the rise. This simple motion against the energy minister will be debated upon
on Monday in the Chamber of Deputies and the voting is expected the next day.

(bill)

23 June 2022
Sports Roundup

Andrei Paul Arădoaie won the bronze
in the 86-kilo category of the European Boxing Championships concluded this
weekend in Yerevan, Armenia. This is the first medal for a Romanian fighter in
a European senior competition since 2015. The other 2 Romanians who took part
in the championships in Yerevan, Emanuel Constantin Mican, in the 92-kilo category
and Răzvan Cristian Filip, in the 92+ kilo category, had left the competition
from the first round.

In the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup
held over the weekend in Poznan, Poland, the Romanian canoeist Cătălin Chirilă won
2 silver medals on Sunday, in the 500m and 1,000 m races. He also came out 4th
in the 5,000m final. In the women’s competition, Mălina Trifescu failed to
qualify in the 500m and 200m kayaking finals.

Rapid Bucharest is Romania’s new
women’s handball champion. In the last leg of the National League, Rapid won
away from home, 35 to 27 against SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea. The vice-champions are CSM
Bucharest, who came only 1 point behind Rapid in the final rankings.

The national football championship
also came to a close on Sunday, with the second leg of the playoff round that
decided who stays and who qualifies into League 1. Chindia Târgovişte will
continue to play in League One, after defeating Concordia Chiajna in Ploieşti, 4-1
in the penalty shootouts. In the first round, Concordia had won 2-1. Universitatea
Cluj is the team that will move up to Romania’s top football league next season,
after a draw against Dinamo Bucharest and 2-0 in the first leg of the playoffs.
They will join Petrolul Ploieşti and FC Hermannstadt, who have also been promoted
to League One. Dinamo is relegated to the second league for the first time
since the club was set up in 1948.

For the 5th consecutive
time and for the 8th time in their history, CFR Cluj are Romania’s
football champions and they will play in the Champions’ League qualifiers. In turn,
the 2nd and 3rd runners-up, FCSB and Universitatea
Craiova, will play in the qualifiers of the Europa Conference League, along
with Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, the winner of the Romanian football cup. Romania’s
Super Cup is scheduled for July 9. (AMP)

30 May 2022
Sports Roundup

Andrei Paul Arădoaie won the bronze
in the 86-kilo category of the European Boxing Championships concluded this
weekend in Yerevan, Armenia. This is the first medal for a Romanian fighter in
a European senior competition since 2015. The other 2 Romanians who took part
in the championships in Yerevan, Emanuel Constantin Mican, in the 92-kilo category
and Răzvan Cristian Filip, in the 92+ kilo category, had left the competition
from the first round.

In the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup
held over the weekend in Poznan, Poland, the Romanian canoeist Cătălin Chirilă won
2 silver medals on Sunday, in the 500m and 1,000 m races. He also came out 4th
in the 5,000m final. In the women’s competition, Mălina Trifescu failed to
qualify in the 500m and 200m kayaking finals.

Rapid Bucharest is Romania’s new
women’s handball champion. In the last leg of the National League, Rapid won
away from home, 35 to 27 against SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea. The vice-champions are CSM
Bucharest, who came only 1 point behind Rapid in the final rankings.

The national football championship
also came to a close on Sunday, with the second leg of the playoff round that
decided who stays and who qualifies into League 1. Chindia Târgovişte will
continue to play in League One, after defeating Concordia Chiajna in Ploieşti, 4-1
in the penalty shootouts. In the first round, Concordia had won 2-1. Universitatea
Cluj is the team that will move up to Romania’s top football league next season,
after a draw against Dinamo Bucharest and 2-0 in the first leg of the playoffs.
They will join Petrolul Ploieşti and FC Hermannstadt, who have also been promoted
to League One. Dinamo is relegated to the second league for the first time
since the club was set up in 1948.

For the 5th consecutive
time and for the 8th time in their history, CFR Cluj are Romania’s
football champions and they will play in the Champions’ League qualifiers. In turn,
the 2nd and 3rd runners-up, FCSB and Universitatea
Craiova, will play in the qualifiers of the Europa Conference League, along
with Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, the winner of the Romanian football cup. Romania’s
Super Cup is scheduled for July 9. (AMP)

30 May 2022
Radio Romania International Sports club

Four Romanian
national rugby team players proved themselves in the Rugby Europe Championship’s
last round. Ovidiu Cojocaru, Adrian Moţoc, Daniel Plai and Hinckley
Vaovasa have been included in the round’s dream team, when Romania trounced the
team of the Netherlands, 39-12, away from home. Picked up among the dream team’s
substitutes were Costel Burţilă and Gabriel Rupanu. Most
of the dream team players, 7, come from Georgia, the team that won the Rugby Europe
Championship, having thrashed Spain, 49 to 15. Georgia and Spain are the first
two teams in descending order according to the combined rankings of the Rugby Europe
Championship’s 2021 and 2022 editions, so they booked
their direct qualification to the 2023 edition of the World Cup in France. 3rd-placed
Romania is to play in the repechage in November, if they want to secure a
position for the World Cup.

Joining
Romania for the repechage tournament are also teams from the two Americas, from
the Asia-Pacific Zone and Africa. Teams will play
according to the round-robin system. Of the Americas, the winner will be
decided after the double confrontation pitting the USA against Chile. The
winning team qualifies to the World Cup, directly, while the defeated team
plays in the repechage tournament. According to the world rankings, USA are 18th-placed,
while Chile are 23rd, being outclassed by Romania, currently 17th-placed
according to the same rankings. For the Asia-Pacific Zone, the winner will be
decided in the confrontation pitting the team of the state of Tonga against the
Asia’s champions. Again, the winning team qualifies to the World Cup directly,
while the defeated team plays in the repechage tournament. Tonga is by far the favorite team.

Romania will most likely play the Asian
champion, to be decided between Hong Kong, South Korea and Malaysia. According
to the world rankings, Hong Kong are 22nd-placed, South Korea, 29th,
while Malaysia are 50th placed. Africa’s championship will be held in France in
July. The eight competing teams will play according to a knock-out system. The winning team qualifies to the World Cup,
directly, while the finalist plays in the repechage tournament. Of the African teams,
best-placed according to the world rankings are Namibia, which is 24th-placed
and Zimbabwe, which is 34th-placed.

(EN)

23 March 2022
Radio Romania International Sports club

Four Romanian
national rugby team players proved themselves in the Rugby Europe Championship’s
last round. Ovidiu Cojocaru, Adrian Moţoc, Daniel Plai and Hinckley
Vaovasa have been included in the round’s dream team, when Romania trounced the
team of the Netherlands, 39-12, away from home. Picked up among the dream team’s
substitutes were Costel Burţilă and Gabriel Rupanu. Most
of the dream team players, 7, come from Georgia, the team that won the Rugby Europe
Championship, having thrashed Spain, 49 to 15. Georgia and Spain are the first
two teams in descending order according to the combined rankings of the Rugby Europe
Championship’s 2021 and 2022 editions, so they booked
their direct qualification to the 2023 edition of the World Cup in France. 3rd-placed
Romania is to play in the repechage in November, if they want to secure a
position for the World Cup.

Joining
Romania for the repechage tournament are also teams from the two Americas, from
the Asia-Pacific Zone and Africa. Teams will play
according to the round-robin system. Of the Americas, the winner will be
decided after the double confrontation pitting the USA against Chile. The
winning team qualifies to the World Cup, directly, while the defeated team
plays in the repechage tournament. According to the world rankings, USA are 18th-placed,
while Chile are 23rd, being outclassed by Romania, currently 17th-placed
according to the same rankings. For the Asia-Pacific Zone, the winner will be
decided in the confrontation pitting the team of the state of Tonga against the
Asia’s champions. Again, the winning team qualifies to the World Cup directly,
while the defeated team plays in the repechage tournament. Tonga is by far the favorite team.

Romania will most likely play the Asian
champion, to be decided between Hong Kong, South Korea and Malaysia. According
to the world rankings, Hong Kong are 22nd-placed, South Korea, 29th,
while Malaysia are 50th placed. Africa’s championship will be held in France in
July. The eight competing teams will play according to a knock-out system. The winning team qualifies to the World Cup,
directly, while the finalist plays in the repechage tournament. Of the African teams,
best-placed according to the world rankings are Namibia, which is 24th-placed
and Zimbabwe, which is 34th-placed.

(EN)

23 March 2022
Sports Roundup

One leg before the end of 2022 Rugby Europe
Championship, Romania still has chances to qualify into next year’s World Cup. On
Saturday, the national team lost in Bucharest, 23 – 26 to Georgia, the winner
of the competition and already qualified to the World Cup. Second-ranking in
the overall standings for 2021 and 2022, Spain defeated Portugal in Madrid on
Sunday, 33-28, and also qualified to the 2023 World Cup, after a 23-year long
absence. Romania, which is ranking 4th in the overall standings,
still has a match to play on March 19, away from home, against the Netherlands.
If it wins, Romania will leave behind Portugal, which is currently 3rd-placed
but without any more matches to play. The 3rd place secures presence
in the playoffs scheduled for November. Teams from Europe, Africa, the Americas
and Asia / Pacific will play in a round-robin scheduling, with the winner
getting the last ticket to the World Cup.

The Romanian athlete Alexandru Novac won the gold in
the javelin event of the European Throwing Cup held in Leiria, Portugal. The Romanian
athlete’s best throw was 80.49 m and was his best performance this season. Last
year in the Tokyo Olympics, Novac came out 12th.

On Tuesday, Simona Halep and Sorana Cîrstea will play
against each other in the round of 16 of the Indian Wells tournament. In
the 3rd round on Sunday, Halep, seed no. 24, defeated the American player
Cori Gauff 6-3, 6-4. Sorana Cîrstea, seed no. 26, won 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 against Anna
Kalinskaya of Russia.

This weekend
matches were played in the first leg of the play-off / play-out stage of the
Romanian Football League 1. In the play-off, Universitatea Craiova Friday beat FC
Argeș at home, 3-0. On Saturday, defending champions CFR Cluj won at home
against FC Voluntari, 3-1. The last game, FCSB vs. Farul Constanța, was scheduled
for Monday. Cluj top the standings at this point with 41 points, followed by
FCSB, with 31, and Universitatea Craiova, with 30.

In
the play-out group, on Friday UTA Arad defeated Academica Clinceni 3-0. On Saturday
Chindia Târgoviște and FC U Craiova drew, 0-0, and on Sunday Sepsi Sfântu
Gheorghe won 3-1 against CS Mioveni, while Rapid beat Dinamo with the same
score. Four teams are at the top of the table with 24 points each: UTA, Rapid,
Sepsi and FC Botoșani. (A.M.P.)

14 March 2022
Sports Roundup

One leg before the end of 2022 Rugby Europe
Championship, Romania still has chances to qualify into next year’s World Cup. On
Saturday, the national team lost in Bucharest, 23 – 26 to Georgia, the winner
of the competition and already qualified to the World Cup. Second-ranking in
the overall standings for 2021 and 2022, Spain defeated Portugal in Madrid on
Sunday, 33-28, and also qualified to the 2023 World Cup, after a 23-year long
absence. Romania, which is ranking 4th in the overall standings,
still has a match to play on March 19, away from home, against the Netherlands.
If it wins, Romania will leave behind Portugal, which is currently 3rd-placed
but without any more matches to play. The 3rd place secures presence
in the playoffs scheduled for November. Teams from Europe, Africa, the Americas
and Asia / Pacific will play in a round-robin scheduling, with the winner
getting the last ticket to the World Cup.

The Romanian athlete Alexandru Novac won the gold in
the javelin event of the European Throwing Cup held in Leiria, Portugal. The Romanian
athlete’s best throw was 80.49 m and was his best performance this season. Last
year in the Tokyo Olympics, Novac came out 12th.

On Tuesday, Simona Halep and Sorana Cîrstea will play
against each other in the round of 16 of the Indian Wells tournament. In
the 3rd round on Sunday, Halep, seed no. 24, defeated the American player
Cori Gauff 6-3, 6-4. Sorana Cîrstea, seed no. 26, won 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 against Anna
Kalinskaya of Russia.

This weekend
matches were played in the first leg of the play-off / play-out stage of the
Romanian Football League 1. In the play-off, Universitatea Craiova Friday beat FC
Argeș at home, 3-0. On Saturday, defending champions CFR Cluj won at home
against FC Voluntari, 3-1. The last game, FCSB vs. Farul Constanța, was scheduled
for Monday. Cluj top the standings at this point with 41 points, followed by
FCSB, with 31, and Universitatea Craiova, with 30.

In
the play-out group, on Friday UTA Arad defeated Academica Clinceni 3-0. On Saturday
Chindia Târgoviște and FC U Craiova drew, 0-0, and on Sunday Sepsi Sfântu
Gheorghe won 3-1 against CS Mioveni, while Rapid beat Dinamo with the same
score. Four teams are at the top of the table with 24 points each: UTA, Rapid,
Sepsi and FC Botoșani. (A.M.P.)

14 March 2022
Radio Romania International Sports club

Edward Iordănescu has been appointed head-coach
of Romanian national football team. The President of the Romanian Football
Federation, Razvan Burleanu, made the announcement on Tuesday. Burleanu also stated the new head-coach has been tasked with getting the national squad regain its position among
the European football elite teams. Razvan Burleanu firmly believed Iordanescu had
the qualities and skills required to rebuild Romania’s national team from
scratch. The Romanian top-ranking sports official added that Iordanescu’s top
priority was to have the national squad qualify for Euro 2024.

Here is what Edward
Iordanescu has recently told a press conference.

Edward Iordanescu:

Honestly,
as far as I am concerned, the joy, the pride and the enthusiasm I feel are
literally overwhelming. By all means, when you get to represent the Romanians
and Romania, that also means a huge responsibility, and I am prepared for that.
I am dead positive that, jointly with the lads, with the Federation’s management
and, of course, with the support we can get from our fans and with the
confidence we can get from you all, we can build a team we can yet again be proud
of, a team that can arise and shine so we can deliver, in order to meet everyone’s
expectations.

The Romanian national
team had been without a head-coach for almost a year. We recall that on November 24, 2021, the outgoing head-coach Mirel Radoi announced he did not intend to carry on with his job any longer,
since the national team had failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup playoffs. Radoi
had been appointed the Romanian national squad’s head-coach on November 26,
2019. Back then Radoi filled in a job vacancy created by Cosmin Contra’s
departure.

43-year-old Edward
Iordănescu had been free of contract also from November 2021. We recall that
back then he gave up on his job as a FCSB head-coach by mutual consent. Edi Iordanescu
was also a head-coach for CFR Cluj, ȚSKA Sofia, Astra Giurgiu or Gaz Metan
Mediaş. His record includes the winning of the domestic title with CFR Cluj, in
2021, and the winning of two editions of the Supercup, in 2019 and in 2021.

Edward Iordanescu
is the son of Anghel Iordanescu, one of the greatest Romanian footballers
and one of the most accomplished head-coaches.

(EN)

26 January 2022