Radio România Internațional

Tag: Games

  • Romania at the Olympic games

    Romania at the Olympic games

    Shooting sports at world level has very few top-notch performers capable of measuring up to the achievements of Romanian Corneliu Ion. The Romanian was, in turn, a world record holder as well as an Olympic and European champion. Also, Corneliu Ion walked away with medals in all major shooting sports competitions. In the rapid-fire pistol event, Corneliu Ion was two times capable of getting the maximum number of points, 600 out of 600.

    Corneliu Ion was born in Focsani on June 27, 1951. Between 1971 and 1988, he was signed up by Steaua Bucharest sports club. As early as 1974 Corneliu Ion took international rankings by storm, winning the silver medal at the World Championships. Corneliu Ion became a European Champion in Bucharest, in 1977.

    We should note, however, that Corneliu Ion’s career-best is the gold medal he won in Moscow in 1980. At the end of a cut-throat contest, Corneliu Ion outperformed his challenger from the then German Democratic Republic, Jürgen Wiefel, after no less than three play-off ties. We recall Romania came in 7th in the nations’ competition at the aforementioned edition of the Olympics, with six gold medals. Back then, an appreciable number of Western countries boycotted the Olympic Games.

    In Los Angeles in 1984, countries belonging to the then Communist Bloc boycotted the Olympic Games. Romania did not join in, in a form of protest that was masterminded by the then Soviet leaders. In the nations’ competition, Romania was the runner-up delegation, with a tally of 20 medals. In the rapid-fire pistol event, Corneliu Ion walked away with silver. In 1985, Corneliu Ion became European champion, which was his last remarkable performance as a competitor.

    Corneliu Ion graduated from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. In 1989 he graduated from the International shooting sports trainers School in Wiesbaden, Germany. Corneliu Ion’s specialised background as well as his business studies enabled him to be a successful holder of several management positions in the world of sports.

    Corneliu Ion retired from competition in 1988 and for 12 years he was head of the shooting sports section with Steaua Army Club in Bucharest. Between 1990 and 2001 Corneliu Ion was president of the Romanian Shooting Sports Federation. During his term, a couple of excellent sports shooters, such as Sorin Babii, got prestigious results in world-level competitions.

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  • THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    OG 2024 – Romanian performance

    By Friday, August 2, during the first week of the Olympic Games in Paris, Romanian athletes won 6 medals – 2 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze. At the age of 19, swimmer David Popovici won the final of the 200-meter freestyle event, then won bronze in the 100-meter freestyle final. And rowing provided real moments of joy. Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache won the gold medals in men’s double rowing. Ancuța Bodnar and Simona Radiş also had a heroic race, ending with silver medals in women’s double rowing. Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel won the silver in the women’s double sculls, and Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc – also the silver – in the women’s double sculls, light category. We remind you that Romania’s team at the Olympic Games in the French capital, which will end on August 11, consists of 106 athletes competing in 18 sports disciplines.

    New Romanian sites on the UNESCO Heritage List

    The Monumental Ensemble ‘Way of Heroes’, made by Constantin Brâncuşi in Târgu Jiu, a city from his native region in the southwest of Romania, as well as the Borders of the Roman Empire – Dacia, were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The decision was taken by the World Heritage Committee during its 46th session, held in India. The “Way of Heroes” is a sculptural ensemble erected between 1937 and 1938, consisting of the Endless Column, dedicated to the Romanian heroes who fell in the First World War in the region, the Kissing Gate, and the Table of Silence, surrounded by 12 round chairs, completed by 30 chairs with a square headboard, all placed directly on the ground, as a natural plinth. The ensemble represents a turning point in the history of modern art, especially monumental sculpture and public art. As for the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia, this represents the most complex nomination for the World Heritage List prepared by Romania so far. The case file lists 285 elements scattered along more than 1,000 kilometers, in 16 counties of Romania. Romania has 9 more objectives included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

    Sex scandal in the Romanian university environment

    The Ministry of Education in Bucharest has asked for investigations to be made in universities regarding the cases of sexual harassment that have been in the headlines of the Romanian news for several days. The National Council of Rectors will make a Guide of good practices regarding behavior in the university environment . The measures were announced after several female students declared, in the public space, that they were sexually abused by their teachers, and that their behavior was known among the professional entourage of the respective teaching staff, but that no one took any action. Three names are heavily circulated – sociologists Alfred Bulai and Marius Pieleanu, both from the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA), as well as professor Dorin Ştefan Adam from the University of Architecture in the Capital. Alfred Bulai denies the accusations, but submitted his request for retirement. SNSPA suspended him from the position of director of the Department of Sociology, he will no longer teach during the internal investigation by the Faculty’s Ethics Commission, and he has a criminal record for using his position for sexual purposes. Meanwhile, dozens of people sent emails to the Prosecutor’s Office about his behavior. Marius Pieleanu was accused of sexual harassment by Ana Birchall herself, former Minister of Justice, but the Public Prosecutor’s Office says that it has not received any notification in this case. In the end, Dorin Ştefan Adam asked to be suspended from teaching work at the School of Architecture, after female students claimed that he was sending them indecent messages and naked pictures of himself. On the other hand, the Control Corps of the Ministry of Culture will go to the National Art Museum of Romania, after receiving memos, including about actions that can be interpreted as sexual harassment. In Thursday’s Government meeting, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu emphasized that such situations cannot be tolerated, regardless of the name of the aggressor. The Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, spoke about possible measures being considered – among them, one that provides that reports be sent directly to prosecutors, even if they are anonymous. And the Minister of the Family, Natalia Intotero, urged all those who feel that there is pressure on them or harassment to not wait, and to notify the authorities immediately.

    Romanian firefighters on duty in Greece

    The requests from abroad addressed to Romanian firefighters are proof that the civil defense system works – declared the Minister of the Interior, Cătălin Predoiu, on the occasion of the departure of a contingent of rescue workers to Greece. They have proven their ability to save lives, to protect communities, in the country and abroad – the official recalled. The current mission of the Romanian firefighters is carried out within the framework of the European Mechanism for Civil Protection, with European funding. A first contingent of 40 firefighters, accompanied by 8 technical devices, went to Greece to help the Greek authorities manage the situations caused by the fires. They will be replaced, after a few weeks, by two other batches of rescuers. The Romanian firefighters are requested for the 4th time in a row to send contingents to Greece.

  • Romania at the Olympic Games – Los Angeles 1984

    Romania at the Olympic Games – Los Angeles 1984

     

    Romania was in the Olympics elites for many years. Between 1976 and 1988, more to the point in the Olympic Games in Montreal and Seoul, the Romanian delegation was among the top ten teams in the world in terms of medals. The best games in terms of medals, though, were those in Los Angeles in 1984, in which Romania came in second in terms of medals, namely 53, of which 20 gold, 16 silver, and 17 bronze, right behind the top team, the United States.

     

     

    The 1984 Olympic Games were boycotted by several countries from the Communist bloc. The Soviet Union announced its decision to opt out of the games on May 8, 1984, followed by Bulgaria and East Germany on May 10, then by almost all satellite states. Romania was the only country in the Soviet sphere of influence to refuse the boycott. As a result, the Romanian athletes gained a lot of sympathy among the sports fans attending the games.

     

     

    Without a doubt, the number one athlete in the Romanian delegation in Los Angeles was gymnast Ecaterina Szabo. She won four gold and one bronze medal. Since the Soviet athletes were not present, she was considered already a favorite in the competition. She missed winning the top Olympic title, though, because she took a fall in the beam event. She got her groove back at the finals winning three gold in the vault event, the floor event, and the beam event. In the last event, she tied with another Romanian gymnast, Simona Pauca. At the same time, her contribution was decisive to Romania’s victory.

     

     

    Another discipline where Romania shined was rowing. With 6 gold and two silver medals, the Romanian team dominated the competition. It was the edition in which Elisabeta Lipa, one of the world’s greatest rowers, won her first Olympic gold medal, next to Marioara Popescu. Lipa went on to win four more gold medals in future editions.

     

     

    Romanian athletics had its best results ever in Los Angeles. Thanks to the three gold medals won by Maricica Puica in the 3,000 m event, by Doina Melinte in the 800 m event, and by Anisoara Cusmir in the long jump event, Romania came in fourth in the world.

     

     

    Let us also take note of the fact that Los Angeles 1984 is the last edition attended by Ivan Patzaichin, the greatest Romanian canoeist in history. Next to Toma Simionov, he came in first in the double canoe, 1000 m event. Along his career, Patzaichin won 4 gold Olympic medals, in the 5 editions he took part in, between 1968 and 1984. (tr. C. Cotoiu)

     

  • Predictions for the Paris Olympics

    Predictions for the Paris Olympics

    We have 3 months left until the world’s top sports event, the summer Olympics, scheduled to take place in Paris between July 26 and August 11.

     

    Although overshadowed by a war that has reached its 3rd year in Ukraine and by a volatile situation in the Middle East, the Olympics stir well-deserved interest, including in terms of statistics.

     

    Experts have set out to produce a predicted medal table for the Paris Olympics, with the number of medals each country is expected to win. According to this ranking, released recently by Nielsen Gracenote, Romania is forecast to win 10 medals, of which two gold, three silver and five bronze ones. The country would thus come out 25th in the ranking by total number of medals.

     

    Should this projection come true, this would make Romania’s best performance in the past 5 editions of the summer Olympics, after the 9 medals won in Beijing 2008, 7 in London 2012 and 4 each in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

     

    At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Romania won a total of 19 medals. But all these pale in comparison to Romania’s exceptional performance at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. With 53 medals (20 gold, 16 silver, and 17 bronze) Romania ranked second in the nations’ table, after the US.

     

    According to the Gracenote predictions, the US team will dominate the Paris Game as well, with a forecast 123 medals, followed by China, with 89 medals and the UK with 66. The host country, France, is expected to win 55 medals. In a standing taking into account gold medals only, France ranks 3rd, after the US and China. While Russia and Belarus will not take part in the competitions, for obvious reasons, Ukraine is predicted to take home 13 medals.

     

    The predicted medal table is a projection based on team and individual results in the previous Olympic Games, the World Championships and the World Cups, to establish the most likely medal winners from each country.

     

    Romania so far has 80 athletes qualified for the Paris Games, in events including athletics, swimming, boxing, rowing, kayaking, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, water polo, table tennis, wrestling and weightlifting.

     

    Octavian Morariu, a member of the International Olympic Committee and of the Romanian Executive Olympic and Sports Committee, says the 10-medal forecast for Romania may be realistic, but should not be taken for granted. “There are events where we have really good chances to win medals, for instance rowing, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, canoeing. So this is what we should pin our hopes on, at the Paris Olympics,” Morariu said. He argued that these are the events in which Romanians have had good results lately and which are an indication of what could be achieved this summer. (AMP)

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    The recently-held IHF World Women’s Championship brought the women’s international competition season to a standstill for about
    a month. The season has been resumed, with a new stage as part of the European
    Cups.


    Five Romanian teams have been proving their
    mettle in the Champions league and the EHF European League, respectively. They
    are CSM Bucharest, Rapid Bucharest, Dunarea Braila, Gloria Bistrita and CSM
    Targu Jiu.


    CSM Bucharest this past weekend had an
    excellent run, trouncing Montenegro’s Buducnost
    Podgorica, 44 to 26. CSM was lucky
    enough to have Cristina Neagu on the lineup, in top shape. At the recently-held World
    Championships, Cristina was part of the lineup but she played one single
    game, the fixture against Germany in the main group, having incompletely
    recovered from an injury. In this past Sunday’s game, Cristina Neagu was again
    her team’s top handballer, and the seven goals she scored mattered a lot in CSM’s
    confrontation against Buducnost.


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


    Cristina Neagu was
    born in Bucharest, on August 26, 1988. She made her debut with the School
    Sports Club number 5. In 2006, Cristina Neagu turned pro, being signed up by
    Rulmentul from Brasov, then she had a stint with Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea. In
    2010, playing for Oltchim, Cristina Neagu reached as far as the Champions League
    final. When Oltchim was dismantled, Neagu was signed up by Buducnost Podgorica,
    winner of the Champions League in 2015. Since 2017, Cristina Neagu has been
    playing for CSM Bucharest. In 2010, 2015, 2016 și 2018, the IHF designated
    Cristina Neagu the world’s best handballer. Cristina thus became the first
    handballer in history who won the title four times. After the IHF Women’s World
    Championship in December, when the Romanian national team wasted the
    opportunity to qualify to the Olympic Games in Paris, Cristina Neagu announced her
    retirement from the national team.


    As a Romanian national
    team player, Cristina Neagu won two bronze medals, in 2010, at the European
    Championship, jointly hosted by Denmark and Norway, and at the World
    Championship in Denmark, in 2015.

  • Sports Flash

    Sports Flash




    Krakow
    and the region of Malopolska in Poland are these days hosting the European
    Games. On Wednesday, Romanian athletes won 2 more medals. In boxing, Lăcrămioara
    Perijoc qualified into the semi-finals of the 54 kg category, thus securing a
    spot in the Paris Olympics. She will take on Turkey’s Hatice Akbaş, the
    category’s defending world champion, and if she loses, she still gets the
    bronze medal. In teqball, the Romanian athlete Kinga Barabasi, no 5 in the
    world, has secured a place in the women’s final, after defeating Nanna Lind
    Kristensen (Denmark) in the semi-final on Wednesday. The other finalist is
    Amelie Julien of France.




    Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse failed to
    move up to the main competition of the Wimbledon, after losing the 2nd
    qualification round to Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Gabriela
    Ruse gets GBP 21,750 and 20 WTA points. Irina Begu, Sorana Cîrstea, Ana Bogdan and
    Jaqueline Cristian are taking part in the main draw, with Begu seed no 29.




    Also in tennis, Monica Niculescu and Eri
    Hozumi are playing the semi-finals of the WTA 250 tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany.
    In the quarter-finals, the Romanian – Japanese pair defeated seeds no 2, Yana
    Sizikova (Russia) and Kimberley Zimmermann (Belgium), 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.




    Romanian football teams have started their
    summer training season. Rapid Bucharest, currently on a training session in
    Slovakia, drew 1-all against Dunajska Streda in a friendly played on this
    occasion. On Saturday, they are playing another friendly against the Hungarian
    side Győr, and next Wednesday they are scheduled to play against Slovakian
    champions Slovan Bratislava. (AMP)

  • Sports Flash

    Sports Flash




    Krakow
    and the region of Malopolska in Poland are these days hosting the European
    Games. On Wednesday, Romanian athletes won 2 more medals. In boxing, Lăcrămioara
    Perijoc qualified into the semi-finals of the 54 kg category, thus securing a
    spot in the Paris Olympics. She will take on Turkey’s Hatice Akbaş, the
    category’s defending world champion, and if she loses, she still gets the
    bronze medal. In teqball, the Romanian athlete Kinga Barabasi, no 5 in the
    world, has secured a place in the women’s final, after defeating Nanna Lind
    Kristensen (Denmark) in the semi-final on Wednesday. The other finalist is
    Amelie Julien of France.




    Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse failed to
    move up to the main competition of the Wimbledon, after losing the 2nd
    qualification round to Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Gabriela
    Ruse gets GBP 21,750 and 20 WTA points. Irina Begu, Sorana Cîrstea, Ana Bogdan and
    Jaqueline Cristian are taking part in the main draw, with Begu seed no 29.




    Also in tennis, Monica Niculescu and Eri
    Hozumi are playing the semi-finals of the WTA 250 tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany.
    In the quarter-finals, the Romanian – Japanese pair defeated seeds no 2, Yana
    Sizikova (Russia) and Kimberley Zimmermann (Belgium), 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.




    Romanian football teams have started their
    summer training season. Rapid Bucharest, currently on a training session in
    Slovakia, drew 1-all against Dunajska Streda in a friendly played on this
    occasion. On Saturday, they are playing another friendly against the Hungarian
    side Győr, and next Wednesday they are scheduled to play against Slovakian
    champions Slovan Bratislava. (AMP)

  • June 24, 2023 – UPDATE

    June 24, 2023 – UPDATE

    PRICES
    Romania is the EU member country with the smallest prices for foodstuffs and soft
    drinks, according to the European Statistics Office. Specifically, in Romania, such
    products were nearly 30% cheaper than the European average. In fact, Romania
    also saw the lowest levels of household end consumer prices. At the opposite
    pole, Ireland, Denmark and Luxembourg are the most expensive countries to live
    in. The most significant differences were in terms of alcohol and tobacco
    prices-such products are over 3 times more expensive in Denmark compared to Bulgaria.
    The latter country also reports the lowest prices in the hospitality industry.


    ENERGY The European Commission approved the takeover
    of the Romanian operations of the Italian utilities group Enel by the Public
    Power Corporation (PPC) in Greece. The EC reached the conclusion that the
    takeover raises no competition concerns, given that the operations of the 2
    companies do not overlap. Enel announced in March it would sell its Romanian
    operation to PPC for EUR 1.26 bln, in a plan to reduce debt and focus on green
    energy. Enel group, which operated in Romania since 2005, is currently a major
    player in energy supply and distribution, in renewable energy and advanced
    energy services. It services over 3 million consumers in 3 major regions in
    Romania. With the takeover completed, the Greek group Public Power Corporation becomes
    the largest player in the electricity market in South-Eastern Europe.


    BLOUSE The Romanian blouse was celebrated this year as
    well on 24 June, both in the country and in Romanian communities around the
    world. The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is a cultural diplomacy
    instrument and a means to promote Romanian culture and traditions. The country
    hosted events devoted to the traditional blouse, ia, including an Art Safary
    exhibition of folk costumes in Bucharest, screenings and creative workshops for
    children, as well as a fashion show featuring the traditional blouse as a street
    wear element. Some museums, including the Ethnography Museum in Braşov and ASTRA
    Museum in Sibiu, received visitors free of charge if they came dressed in
    traditional blouses. Last year the Romanian blouse was included in the UNESCO Heritage list.


    THEATRE
    The central Romanian city of Sibiu, a European capital of culture in 2007, is
    hosting the International Theatre Festival, currently in its 30th
    year. This year’s theme is Miracle.
    Until 2 July, 825 indoor and outdoor events
    will take place, bringing together some 5,000 artists and guests from 75 countries.
    All the outdoor performances are free of charge. The festival also keeps its
    online section, which includes 40 shows. The official opening took place on
    Friday night, with the play A Cathedral Full of Organs staged at the Lutheran
    Cathedral of St. Mary in Sibiu.


    HOLIDAY Orthodox and Greek-Catholic
    Christians celebrated on Saturday the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the
    last Old Testament prophet. St. John the Baptist was born 6 months before Jesus;
    he urged people to repent their sins and baptised them in the River Jordan. John
    also baptised Jesus, presenting him to the world as the Messiah. The Christian
    feast day of St. John the Baptist overlaps a pre-Christian tradition in which
    24 June was devoted to the Sânziene, gentle fairies believed to bring fertility
    and wealth.


    ROWING Romania’s Cătălin Chirilă won the silver in the men’s canoe single
    500m final on Saturday at the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska (Poland). This
    was the 4th medal for Romania, after Bianca Ghelber won the silver in
    the hammer throw event, athlete Andrea Miklos won the bronze in the 400 m race,
    and Ştefan Comănescu also came in 3rd at the 67 kg kumite.
    Romania takes part in the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska, between 21 June
    and 2 July with 150 athletes in 18 disciplines. (AMP)

  • Radio Romania International Sports club

    Radio Romania International Sports club

    One of 2023’s most important
    sports events is underway in Poland’s Krakow. The European Games, until July 2nd
    brings together almost 7,000 athletes of 48 countries, competing in 19 sports
    disciplines. Representing Romania are 150 athletes, of whom 74 compete in the
    women’s version of the event and 76 will prove their mettle in the men’s
    version of the competition. The Romanian athletes will take the start in
    athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, judo, Kayak-canoe, karate,
    rugby in 7, ski jumps, diving, fencing, taekwondo, table tennis, teqball, target
    archery, shooting sports and triathlon. Several world and European champions
    are part of the Romania delegation, among whom the two athletes who will bear
    the flags at the Games’ opening ceremony: men’s canoe world and European
    champion, rower Cătălin
    Chirilă, and the European title holder in the hammer throw event, athlete Bianca
    Ghelber.


    In the Olympic
    sports disciplines where events as part of the Games are jointly hosted by
    Krakow and Malopolska Polish province, results in all disciplines also count
    towards the qualification to the 2024 edition of the Paris Olympics. For that particular
    reason, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee has been very keen on the
    Romanian delegation’s auspicious participation in the Polish event. Talks with
    the federations that will participate in the European Games, have revealed a
    stated aim of 12-14 medals, the president of the Olympic and Sports Committee
    Mihai Covaliu has stated in Bucharest.


    We recall
    that 4 years ago at the European Games in Minsk Romania came in 26th
    according to the nations’ competition final rankings, wit 10 medals Of those
    two were gold, three silver and five bronze, Gold went to the winner of the 10m
    air rifle event, Laura Georgeta Coman, and Cătălin Chirilă and Victor
    Mihalachi, winner of the men’s pair 1,000m race. Silver went to Dacian Barna and
    Andreea Bogati in the aerobic gymnastics mixed pairs event. In table tennis, the
    mixed doubles pair made of Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szőcs and Romania’s women’s
    table tennis team also walked home with silver. In sambo, the winners of the
    bronze medals were Daniela Poroineanu, in the 56-kilogram category, Anda
    Mihaela Vâlvoi, in the 64-kilogram category and Alina-Petronela Păunescu, in
    the 80+kilogram category. In
    wrestling, bronze also went to Kriszta Incze, in the 62-kilogram category. Also
    bronze went to the aerobic gymnastics team.

  • Radio Romania International Sports club

    Radio Romania International Sports club

    One of 2023’s most important
    sports events is underway in Poland’s Krakow. The European Games, until July 2nd
    brings together almost 7,000 athletes of 48 countries, competing in 19 sports
    disciplines. Representing Romania are 150 athletes, of whom 74 compete in the
    women’s version of the event and 76 will prove their mettle in the men’s
    version of the competition. The Romanian athletes will take the start in
    athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, judo, Kayak-canoe, karate,
    rugby in 7, ski jumps, diving, fencing, taekwondo, table tennis, teqball, target
    archery, shooting sports and triathlon. Several world and European champions
    are part of the Romania delegation, among whom the two athletes who will bear
    the flags at the Games’ opening ceremony: men’s canoe world and European
    champion, rower Cătălin
    Chirilă, and the European title holder in the hammer throw event, athlete Bianca
    Ghelber.


    In the Olympic
    sports disciplines where events as part of the Games are jointly hosted by
    Krakow and Malopolska Polish province, results in all disciplines also count
    towards the qualification to the 2024 edition of the Paris Olympics. For that particular
    reason, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee has been very keen on the
    Romanian delegation’s auspicious participation in the Polish event. Talks with
    the federations that will participate in the European Games, have revealed a
    stated aim of 12-14 medals, the president of the Olympic and Sports Committee
    Mihai Covaliu has stated in Bucharest.


    We recall
    that 4 years ago at the European Games in Minsk Romania came in 26th
    according to the nations’ competition final rankings, wit 10 medals Of those
    two were gold, three silver and five bronze, Gold went to the winner of the 10m
    air rifle event, Laura Georgeta Coman, and Cătălin Chirilă and Victor
    Mihalachi, winner of the men’s pair 1,000m race. Silver went to Dacian Barna and
    Andreea Bogati in the aerobic gymnastics mixed pairs event. In table tennis, the
    mixed doubles pair made of Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szőcs and Romania’s women’s
    table tennis team also walked home with silver. In sambo, the winners of the
    bronze medals were Daniela Poroineanu, in the 56-kilogram category, Anda
    Mihaela Vâlvoi, in the 64-kilogram category and Alina-Petronela Păunescu, in
    the 80+kilogram category. In
    wrestling, bronze also went to Kriszta Incze, in the 62-kilogram category. Also
    bronze went to the aerobic gymnastics team.

  • April 17, 2022 UPDATE

    April 17, 2022 UPDATE

    EASTER Catholic and
    Protestant Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. At the Vatican,
    Pope Francis once again called for peace, describing Easter as the gift of hope
    during the Mass held in a basilica with thousands of believers. On Sunday, the
    service took place in San Pietro Square after 2 years of Covid-related
    restrictions. For Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers, who celebrate Easter
    next weekend, it was Palm Sunday, commemorating the moment when Jesus Christ
    entered Jerusalem. In Romania, a mostly Orthodox country, nearly one and a half
    million people celebrated their name day on Sunday. President Klaus Iohannis
    wished happy and peaceful holidays to all those who celebrate Easter or Palm
    Sunday.


    UKRAINE As of midnight
    Russian vessels are no longer allowed to enter EU ports, Romanian ports
    included. The ban also covers ships that replaced the Russian flag with the
    colours of another state after February 24 when the war in Ukraine started, but
    not those which need assistance or shelter for safety reasons or those which
    have saved lives at the sea. In an interview to Sunday’s issue of the German
    magazine Bild am Sonntag, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der
    Leyen said the next stage of EU sanctions will target Russia’s oil and banking
    sectors, particularly the country’s largest bank, Sberbank. She added that
    Brussels was working on smart mechanisms to include Russian oil in the new list
    of sanctions, so as to reduce the financing for Vladimir Putin’s invasion army.
    EU member states are currently paying for Russian gas and oil via Sberbank and
    Gazprombank, which have so far been exempt from Europe’s sanctions, Reuters
    explains. The EU announced on Sunday that EUR 50 million would be earmarked for
    humanitarian aid to be sent to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Some EUR 45
    million will go into humanitarian programmes in Ukraine, while the Republic of
    Moldova, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have taken refuge since the
    start of the war, is set to receive EUR 5 million.


    REFUGEES The number of Ukrainian nationals who reached
    Romania on Saturday was 12.4% higher than on the previous days, the Romanian
    border police announced. Since the start of the crisis, over 730,000 Ukrainian
    citizens have entered the country, most of them leaving Romania for other
    destinations.


    POLL The Church ranks first in a public confidence
    poll in Romania. The survey conducted by CURS at the end of March indicates
    that 67% of the respondents trust the Church, up 4% since January. The Army, on
    the other hand, has lost 8% in the same survey. The most significant increase
    in public confidence was reported for the National Bank of Romania, with 42% of
    the respondents saying they trust the central bank, as opposed to half this
    figure in January. The poll was commissioned by the National Liberal Party and
    has a +/- 1.9% margin of error.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian Foreign Ministry celebrates 25 years
    since the Joint Statement on the Romania-Italy Strategic Partnership was
    signed. The genuine friendship between the 2 countries is facilitated by the
    presence of over 1 million Romanians in Italy, making up the largest foreign
    community in that country and also the largest Romanian community abroad, reads
    a news release issued by the institution.


    NORTH KOREA North Korea announced
    the successful test firing of a new type of tactical guided weapon aimed at boosting
    the country’s nuclear capabilities, which may indicate that Pyongyang is ready
    to resume nuclear testing. North Korea suspended nuclear testing in 2017, and
    the following year it blew up the tunnels in its underground nuclear test site,
    but recent satellite imagery indicates digging and construction activities have
    been resumed.



    INVICTUS A
    group of 20 Romanian military wounded in battle fields are taking part in the
    one-week long Invictus Games, hosted his year by The Hague in the Netherlands.
    They will compete in 7 sports, 6 of them individual competitions (hand archery,
    athletics, rowing, powerlifting, cycling
    and swimming) and a team sport (sitting volleyball). The
    Invictus Games promote respect and empathy for the sacrifice and traumas of
    wounded military, whose involvement in these activities is an opportunity for
    social reintegration and for regaining self-confidence, the Romanian Defence
    Ministry says. For Romanian troops, this year’s Invictus participation is the
    third, after the ones in Toronto, in 2017, and Sydney, one year later. (AMP)

  • April 17, 2022

    April 17, 2022

    EASTER Catholic and
    Protestant Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. At the
    Vatican, Pope Francis once again called for peace, describing Easter as the
    gift of hope during the Mass held in a basilica with thousands of believers.
    Today, the service takes place in San Pietro Square after 2 years of
    Covid-related restrictions. For Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers, who
    celebrate Easter next weekend, today is Palm Sunday, commemorating the moment
    when Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem. In Romania, a mostly Orthodox country,
    nearly one and a half million people are celebrating their name day. President
    Klaus Iohannis wished happy and peaceful holidays to all those who celebrate
    Easter or Palm Sunday today.


    UKRAINE As of midnight
    Russian vessels are no longer allowed to enter EU ports, Romanian ports
    included. The ban also covers ships that replaced the Russian flag with the
    colours of another state after February 24 when the war in Ukraine started, but
    not those which need assistance or shelter for safety reasons or those which
    have saved lives at the sea. In an interview to Sunday’s issue of the German
    magazine Bild am Sonntag, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der
    Leyen said the next stage of EU sanctions will target Russia’s oil and banking
    sectors, particularly the country’s largest bank, Sberbank. She added that
    Brussels was working on smart mechanisms to include Russian oil in the new list
    of sanctions, so as to reduce the financing for Vladimir Putin’s invasion army.
    EU member states are currently paying for Russian gas and oil via Sberbank and
    Gazprombank, which have so far been exempt from Europe’s sanctions, Reuters
    explains. Meanwhile, Russia carries on attacks on several cities in Ukraine,
    including the capital Kyiv, in response to the sinking of its Black Sea
    flagship, the Moskva. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in
    Ukraine, Russian forces shelled several cities in the south of Ukraine, whereas
    in Herson Ukrainian troops continue to attack the occupying Russian forces.


    REFUGEES The number of Ukrainian nationals who reached
    Romania on Saturday was 12.4% higher than on the previous days, the Romanian
    border police announced. Since the start of the crisis, over 730,000 Ukrainian
    citizens have entered the country, most of them leaving Romania for other
    destinations.


    INVICTUS A group of 20 Romanian military wounded in battle
    fields are taking part in the one-week long Invictus Games, hosted his year by
    The Hague in the Netherlands. They will compete in 7 sports, 6 of them
    individual competitions (hand archery, athletics,
    rowing, powerlifting, cycling and swimming) and a team sport (sitting volleyball). The Invictus Games promote respect
    and empathy for the sacrifice and traumas of wounded military, whose
    involvement in these activities is an opportunity for social reintegration and
    for regaining self-confidence, the Romanian Defence Ministry says. For Romanian
    troops, this year’s Invictus participation is the third, after the ones in Toronto,
    in 2017, and Sydney, one year later.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian Foreign Ministry celebrates 25 years
    since the Joint Statement on the Romania-Italy Strategic Partnership was
    signed. The genuine friendship between the 2 countries is facilitated by the
    presence of over 1 million Romanians in Italy, making up the largest foreign
    community in that country and also the largest Romanian community abroad, reads
    a news release issued by the institution.


    NORTH KOREA North Korea announced
    the successful test firing of a new type of tactical guided weapon aimed at
    boosting the country’s nuclear capabilities, which may indicate that Pyongyang
    is ready to resume nuclear testing. North Korea suspended nuclear testing in 2017,
    and the following year it blew up the tunnels in its underground nuclear test
    site, but recent satellite imagery indicates digging and construction
    activities have been resumed.(AMP)

  • April 16, 2022 UPDATE

    April 16, 2022 UPDATE

    DAY
    Roman-Catholics and protestant believers are this Sunday celebrating Easter, whereas
    the Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers are celebrating Palm Sunday. Orthodox
    believers on Saturday attended various religious processions dedicated to Jesus
    Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which also marks the beginning of the last
    week of Lent, also known as the Passion Week, before Easter, which they
    celebrate on April 24th. Saturday was also the first day of Jewish
    Holiday of Passover, which celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery
    in Egypt.








    RATING The trust signal conveyed by the Romanian government to foreign
    investors was also confirmed by the rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and
    Fitch, the Executive in Bucharest announced on Saturday. Growth prospects are
    underpinned by the unprecedented volume of national and EU funds, which are to
    be pumped into the main areas of the Romanian economy, such as industry,
    agriculture, energy, environment, digitization and also by the government
    development policies, the Executive went on to say. Romania’s Finance Minister Adrian
    Câciu hailed a recent decision by the financial rating agency Standard &
    Poor’s to reconfirm Romania’s Sovereign credit rating to ‘BBB minus’ with
    stable outlook. ‘This is another proof that the national policies of funding
    the economy were right’ Câciu says. According to Standard & Poor’s, Romania’s
    rating is underpinned by EU membership and international capital flows. At the
    same time the risks posed by the war in Ukraine are diminished by the prospects
    of absorbing a major volume of EU funds as well as by the low energy dependence
    on imports of natural gas and oil from Russia. However, the agency has significantly
    dropped the country’s growth estimates down to 2.1% and has increased estimates
    regarding the inflation rate, which in 2022 is expected to go up to 9% as
    compared to 6% forecast in December. Another major rating agency Fitch last
    week confirmed Romania’s rating at ‘BBB minus’, with negative outlook, the last
    notch in the investment-grade category.


    BNR Romania’s
    Central Bank (BNR) expects the country’s inflation rate to increase in the
    following months against the intitial forecasts. So, Romania’s inflation rate is
    going to exceed the level of 11.2% forecast in June. The phenomenon was caused
    by the latest price hikes in fuel and processed food against the war in Ukraine
    and the international sanctions imposed on Russia. In another development,
    although pressure for pay rises might be felt, at least in the sectors facing a
    shortage of qualified personnel, substantial pay rises are very unlikely to
    happen in the near future. We recall the annual inflation rate went up to
    10.15% in March from 8.5% in February reaching the highest level in the past 18
    years.










    INVICTUS A team made up of 20
    servicemen of the Romanian army, who got wounded in various operation theatres
    around the world are for a week participating in the Invictus Games underway
    this year in the Hague. They are competing in six sporting events, such as
    archery, athletics, rowing, powerlifting, cycling, swimming and sitting
    volleyball. According to the Defence Ministry in Bucharest, these games are
    designed to promote the respect and empathy for the sacrifice and trauma
    suffered by the wounded soldiers whose involvement in these activities is an
    opportunity for social re-integration and regaining self-confidence. This has
    been the Romanians’ third participation in the Invictus Games after those in
    Toronto, in 2017 and Sydney, a year later. The opening ceremonies in the Hague
    have also been attended by Romania’s Defence Minister Vasile Dincu.






    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Irina Bara on Friday qualified for the
    semifinals of the ITF tournament in Palm Harbor, Florida after a 6-3, 6-4 win
    against Grace Min of the USA. Bara has also qualified for the doubles finals
    together with Italian Lucrezia Stefanini after a 6-3, 6-1 win against Kayla Day
    and Ellie Douglas of the USA.




    (bill)

  • July 23, 2021 UPDATE

    July 23, 2021 UPDATE

    Covid-19 In Romania, 104 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were reported on Friday, out of over 26,000 tests performed. Authorities have also announced 2 Covid-19 related deaths and 38 people admitted to intensive care. The number of cases started to increase on July 12 and, according to an analysis by the National Center for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases, last week almost half of the cases were reported in Bucharest, Cluj (center-west), Iasi (northeast), Ilfov and Constanta (southeast). According to data from the European Covid-19 Forecast Hub, it is estimated that by the end of the month, in Romania, up to 200 new cases will be registered per day. Experts say vaccination is the way out of this pandemic. Regarding immunisation, the authorities announced that almost 16,000 people have been vaccinated in the last 24 hours. Currently, over 4.7 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated.



    Report Accessing EU funds must be a priority for authorities, in order to support investments and to modernize the economy, the National Bank of Romania recommends in a report on financial stability. The NBR mentions that Romania can access funds of over 52 billion euros from the multiannual budget of the Union, adding to which will be another 32 billion euro, after the National Recovery and Resilience Plan is approved. The report also shows that in order to maintain easy access to and low costs of borrowing from foreign financial markets, Romania must engage in fiscal reforms that improve the sustainability of public finances and ensure better predictability of the legal framework. The document also shows that the net wealth of the population reached an all-time high after increasing this year by 6% compared to 2019. Real estate assets still account for most of the wealth of Romanians (75%), while financial assets account for approximately 24% of the total.



    Visit Not only will Romania continue to support the Republic of Moldova, but it will accelerate the provision of support in all fields, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said at a joint press conference with Moldovas President Maia Sandu. He talked about the implementation of several long-term projects especially in the fields of energy and infrastructure. In turn, Maia Sandu said she appreciated a lot the Romanian authorities’ availability and support. Bogdan Aurescu’s visit takes place just days before the first meeting of the new Parliament and the formation of a new government in Chisinau. He is the first official from an EU member state to visit Moldova after the parliamentary elections of July 11th, won by pro-Europeans. Also in Chisinau, Mr. Aurescu attended the ceremony granting new humanitarian aid to the Republic of Moldova, consisting in 100,000 doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccine.



    Pandemic The European Medicines Agency (EMA) Friday approved the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for the 12-17 age bracket. Moderna becomes the second vaccine authorised for EU teenagers, after Pfizer/BioNtech. Two hundred million Europeans have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, which is more than half of the adult population, the European Commission announced on Thursday. The Commission had set the goal of 70% of adults to be vaccinated by the end of this summer. At a meeting of health ministers and officials in Athens, the WHO warned that the COVID-19 pandemic would have a long-term impact on people’s mental health. In another development, following the increase in the number of infections in Europe, countries are taking additional measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Greece announced on Thursday that all unvaccinated workers in tourism and hospitality would have to undergo regular coronavirus tests. In turn, Italy has announced that it will introduce a compulsory health permit as of 6 August for access to enclosed spaces such as clubs and restaurants. Worldwide, over 193 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus so far. According to worldometers.info, nearly 176 million have recovered and more than 4.1 million have lost their lives to this disease.



    Olympics The Summer Olympics, the world’s largest sports competition, kicked off in Tokyo on Friday. Japans tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, no 2 in the world, was the one to light the Olympic flame. Due to COVID-related restrictions, the opening ceremony was simple and restrained, with no public on the National Olympic Stadium, except for 950 people, including Emperor Naruhito of Japan, the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, the president of France Emmanuel Macron, and First lady Jill Biden. The public will not have access to any of the Olympic events, as Tokyo is in a state of emergency. Nearly 2,000 new infections were reported on Thursday, the biggest figure in six months. Despite the restrictions, the number of cases has also increased in the Olympic Village by the day. Romania is represented by 101 athletes at this 32nd edition of the games, who will compete in 17 events. Canoeist Simona Radiş and swimmer Robert Glinţ were the bearers of the national flag. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • ROMANIA AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

    ROMANIA AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES


    Romania was in the Olympics elites for many years. Between 1976 and 1988, more to the point in the Olympic Games in Montreal and Seoul, the Romanian delegation was among the top ten teams in the world in terms of medals. The best games in terms of medals, though, were those in Los Angeles in 1984, in which Romania came in second in terms of medals, namely 53, of which 20 gold, 16 silver, and 17 bronze, right behind the top team, the United States.



    The 1984 Olympic Games were boycotted by several countries from the Communist bloc. The Soviet Union announced its decision to opt out of the games on May 8, 1984, followed by Bulgaria and East Germany on May 10, then by almost all satellite states. Romania was the only country in the Soviet sphere of influence to refuse the boycott. As a result, the Romanian athletes gained a lot of sympathy among the sports fans attending the games.



    Without a doubt, the number one athlete in the Romanian delegation in Los Angeles was gymnast Ecaterina Szabo. She won four gold and one bronze medal. Since the Soviet athletes were not present, she was considered already a favorite in the competition. She missed winning the top Olympic title, though, because she took a fall in the beam event. She got her groove back at the finals winning three gold in the vault event, the floor event, and the beam event. In the last event, she tied with another Romanian gymnast, Simona Pauca. At the same time, her contribution was decisive to Romania’s victory.



    Another discipline where Romania shined was rowing. With 6 gold and two silver medals, the Romanian team dominated the competition. It was the edition in which Elisabeta Lipa, one of the world’s greatest rowers, won her first Olympic gold medal, next to Marioara Popescu. Lipa went on to win four more gold medals in future editions.



    Romanian athletics had its best results ever in Los Angeles. Thanks to the three gold medals won by Maricica Puica in the 3,000 m event, by Doina Melinte in the 800 m event, and by Anisoara Cusmir in the long jump event, Romania came in fourth in the world.



    Let us also take note of the fact that Los Angeles 1984 is the last edition attended by Ivan Patzaichin, the greatest Romanian canoeist in history. Next to Toma Simionov, he came in first in the double canoe, 1000 m event. Along his career, Patzaichin won 4 gold Olympic medals, in the 5 editions he took part in, between 1968 and 1984. (tr. C. Cotoiu)