Radio România Internațional

Tag: medal

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week


    Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest have
    advanced to the Champions League’s play-offs, coming in 5th
    according to the League’s Group A final rankings. If they want to make headway into
    the quarterfinals, in late March CSM Bucharest will have to prove their mettle against
    Russian opponents ȚSKA Moscow.


    In the last fixture as part of the group stage,
    CSM Bucharest this past Sunday played a home game against Danish opponents Team
    Esbjerg. The game ended 29-all. CSM narrowly missed the win, as guest team Esbjerg
    turned a last-second 7-meter throw into a goal. CSM had a good run for the
    game, while Cristina Neagu was again the most efficient scorer, with 10 goals
    on her record sheet. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate
    Neagu the Athlete of the week.


    CSM’s match against Esbjerg was the second game
    when Cristina Neagu’s being on the court made the difference for the second
    time around in the last week. In this past Wednesday’s domestic championship
    fixture, Neagu’s last-gasp equalizer in CSM’s match against Gloria Bistrita Nasaud
    saved her team from a surprising defeat. The match ended 23-all, with 10 of CSM’s
    goals being scored by Neagu, who also set the final score, coming up with the equalizer
    in the last minute of play.


    Cristina Neagu was born in Bucharest on August
    26, 1988. She made her debut with School Sports Club number 5. As a junior
    handballer, Cristina was designated the world’s best handballer several times beginning
    2005, when the Romanian national squad walked away with the silver medals as part
    of the European Juniors’ Championships held in Austria. In 2006 Cristina Neagu was
    signed up by Rulmentul Brasov. In 2010 she played for Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea,
    the team with which she reached as far as the Champions League final. Oltchim
    was dismantled, so Cristina Neagu was signed up by Buducnost Podgorica, the
    team with which, in 2015, she won the Champions League. Neagu has been playing
    for CSM Bucharest since 2017. In 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, The International Handball
    Federation designated Neagu the world’s best handballer, The Romanian thus
    became the first handballer in history to have won the trophy four times.


    Cristina Neagu’s record with the national team
    includes a bronze medal won as part of the European Championship jointly hosted
    by Denmark and Norway in 2010, and another bronze medal won as part of the
    World Championship in Denmark in 2015. In 2021 Cristina Neagu decided to retire
    from national-level competition, temporarily, in order to better focus on her
    club activity. However, later on Cristina made public the fact that she would return
    to the national team in 2022.


    (EN)

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week


    Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest have
    advanced to the Champions League’s play-offs, coming in 5th
    according to the League’s Group A final rankings. If they want to make headway into
    the quarterfinals, in late March CSM Bucharest will have to prove their mettle against
    Russian opponents ȚSKA Moscow.


    In the last fixture as part of the group stage,
    CSM Bucharest this past Sunday played a home game against Danish opponents Team
    Esbjerg. The game ended 29-all. CSM narrowly missed the win, as guest team Esbjerg
    turned a last-second 7-meter throw into a goal. CSM had a good run for the
    game, while Cristina Neagu was again the most efficient scorer, with 10 goals
    on her record sheet. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate
    Neagu the Athlete of the week.


    CSM’s match against Esbjerg was the second game
    when Cristina Neagu’s being on the court made the difference for the second
    time around in the last week. In this past Wednesday’s domestic championship
    fixture, Neagu’s last-gasp equalizer in CSM’s match against Gloria Bistrita Nasaud
    saved her team from a surprising defeat. The match ended 23-all, with 10 of CSM’s
    goals being scored by Neagu, who also set the final score, coming up with the equalizer
    in the last minute of play.


    Cristina Neagu was born in Bucharest on August
    26, 1988. She made her debut with School Sports Club number 5. As a junior
    handballer, Cristina was designated the world’s best handballer several times beginning
    2005, when the Romanian national squad walked away with the silver medals as part
    of the European Juniors’ Championships held in Austria. In 2006 Cristina Neagu was
    signed up by Rulmentul Brasov. In 2010 she played for Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea,
    the team with which she reached as far as the Champions League final. Oltchim
    was dismantled, so Cristina Neagu was signed up by Buducnost Podgorica, the
    team with which, in 2015, she won the Champions League. Neagu has been playing
    for CSM Bucharest since 2017. In 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, The International Handball
    Federation designated Neagu the world’s best handballer, The Romanian thus
    became the first handballer in history to have won the trophy four times.


    Cristina Neagu’s record with the national team
    includes a bronze medal won as part of the European Championship jointly hosted
    by Denmark and Norway in 2010, and another bronze medal won as part of the
    World Championship in Denmark in 2015. In 2021 Cristina Neagu decided to retire
    from national-level competition, temporarily, in order to better focus on her
    club activity. However, later on Cristina made public the fact that she would return
    to the national team in 2022.


    (EN)

  • Romania at the Olympic Games

    Romania at the Olympic Games


    For decades,
    Romania was at the top of world gymnastics. Athletes such as the Olympic
    champions Nadia Comăneci, Ecaterina Szabo, Daniela Silivaș, Simona Amânar or
    Cătălina Ponor made for years the headlines in sports news from all over the
    world. In recent years, however, Romanian gymnastics hasn’t got any good
    results. The Romanian teams’ failing to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo
    is the full expression of the catastrophic decline of Romanian gymnastics.


    The last edition of the
    Olympic Games where Romania got some notable results in gymnastics was the one
    in London, in 2012. The women’s team ranked 3rd in the rankings by country, and
    Catalina Ponor won the silver medal in the floor exercise. The best result was
    the first place won by Sandra Izbaşa in the vault event, a result that brought
    the last Olympic gold medal in the Romanian gymnastics’ record.


    Sandra Izbaşa was born on
    June 18th, 1990, in Bucharest. She started practicing gymnastics at the age of
    4. At 12 she was already part of the national junior team. Her first big
    performance as a senior was in 2006, at Romania’s International Gymnastics Competition
    where she won the all-around individual, floor and vault events. Also in 2006,
    at the European Championships in Volos, she won a gold medal on floor, a silver
    one with the team, and a bronze medal in the beam event.


    There followed many other
    medals won at European and world competitions. It all culminated in the Olympic
    Games in Beijing, in 2008, where Sandra won gold on floor. There followed two
    years poor in notable results. In 2011, however, at the European Championships
    in Berlin, Sandra Izbaşa ranked first in both floor and vault. Also, she
    returned with two gold medals from the European Championships in Brussels, in
    2012: one in the vault event and another one with the team. The success scored
    the same year, at the Olympic Games in London, was the last major result of
    Sandra Izbaşa’s sporting career.

    (M.Ignatescu)






  • Romania at the Olympic Games

    Romania at the Olympic Games


    For decades,
    Romania was at the top of world gymnastics. Athletes such as the Olympic
    champions Nadia Comăneci, Ecaterina Szabo, Daniela Silivaș, Simona Amânar or
    Cătălina Ponor made for years the headlines in sports news from all over the
    world. In recent years, however, Romanian gymnastics hasn’t got any good
    results. The Romanian teams’ failing to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo
    is the full expression of the catastrophic decline of Romanian gymnastics.


    The last edition of the
    Olympic Games where Romania got some notable results in gymnastics was the one
    in London, in 2012. The women’s team ranked 3rd in the rankings by country, and
    Catalina Ponor won the silver medal in the floor exercise. The best result was
    the first place won by Sandra Izbaşa in the vault event, a result that brought
    the last Olympic gold medal in the Romanian gymnastics’ record.


    Sandra Izbaşa was born on
    June 18th, 1990, in Bucharest. She started practicing gymnastics at the age of
    4. At 12 she was already part of the national junior team. Her first big
    performance as a senior was in 2006, at Romania’s International Gymnastics Competition
    where she won the all-around individual, floor and vault events. Also in 2006,
    at the European Championships in Volos, she won a gold medal on floor, a silver
    one with the team, and a bronze medal in the beam event.


    There followed many other
    medals won at European and world competitions. It all culminated in the Olympic
    Games in Beijing, in 2008, where Sandra won gold on floor. There followed two
    years poor in notable results. In 2011, however, at the European Championships
    in Berlin, Sandra Izbaşa ranked first in both floor and vault. Also, she
    returned with two gold medals from the European Championships in Brussels, in
    2012: one in the vault event and another one with the team. The success scored
    the same year, at the Olympic Games in London, was the last major result of
    Sandra Izbaşa’s sporting career.

    (M.Ignatescu)






  • Sports flash

    Sports flash


    U-BT Cluj-Napoca Romanian basketball team has advanced
    to the second round of Champions League’s group stage. This past Wednesday, U-BT Cluj-Napoca grabbed a nail-biting 103-101 away win against Turkish
    challengers Daruşşafaka Istanbul. The win booked the Romanians the top position
    in Group G. With an 88-70 lead, on 32 minutes the host team was 18 points clear
    of their Romanian opponents. However, U-BT Cluj-Napoca managed a stunning
    comeback for the final part of the game. Two minutes from time Darussafaka had
    the lead, 101-94, but U-BT Cluj-Napoca scored nine points in a row, and won.
    First-timers in the Champions League, U-BT Cluj-Napoca had a group-stage record
    of five wins and one defeat. In Group G’s other fixture, Israeli team Hapoel
    Holon outperformed Italian opponents Happy Casa Brindisi, 84-80. If they want to make headway into the competition, Hapoel and Darușșafaka
    will have to compete in the playoffs.


    In news from rowing, Ancuta Bodnar has been
    designated the Best Athlete of the Year 2021 by her club Dinamo Bucharest. We recall
    that jointly with Simona Radis, Ancuta Bodnar won gold in the women’s double
    sculls race in the Tokyo Olympics. Simona Radis had previously been designated
    the best Athlete in 2021 by her club, Steaua Bucharest.


    The Romanian Volleyball federation this past Wednesday
    held a ceremony to mark 90 years since the Romanian Volleyball Federation has
    been set up. As part of the ceremony, awards went to the Romanian men’s line-up
    who in the 1980 won domestic volleyball’s only medal, bronze, at the Olympic
    Games in Moscow. Six former volleyball players attended the ceremony, of the
    line-up who won the medals 41 years ago. They are Constantin Stere, Nicu Stoian,
    Dan Gîrleanu, Marius Căta-Chiţiga, Gunther Enescu and Sorin Macavei.


    In news from domestic football, Flavius Stoican is the
    new Dinamo head-coach. We recall Stoican is a former Dinamo footballer of the early
    2000’s. Stoican had two previous stints as a Dinamo head-coach seven years ago.
    Flavious Stoican is in for Mircea Rednic, who took over on October 1st.
    Rednic’s record as a Dynamo head-coach was dismally unconvincing. With Mircea Rednic
    at the helm, Dinamo managed only one winning fixture, two draws and was
    defeated in seven games. One of the iconic footballers of Dinamo in the 1980s
    and the 1990s, Mircea Rednic’s most remarkable feat is the winning of the
    domestic title 14 years ago, in 2007. At present Dinamo is 15th-placed
    according to the domestic rankings, the last-but-one position in the as-it-stands
    table.


    (Translation by Eugen Nasta)

  • Sports flash

    Sports flash


    U-BT Cluj-Napoca Romanian basketball team has advanced
    to the second round of Champions League’s group stage. This past Wednesday, U-BT Cluj-Napoca grabbed a nail-biting 103-101 away win against Turkish
    challengers Daruşşafaka Istanbul. The win booked the Romanians the top position
    in Group G. With an 88-70 lead, on 32 minutes the host team was 18 points clear
    of their Romanian opponents. However, U-BT Cluj-Napoca managed a stunning
    comeback for the final part of the game. Two minutes from time Darussafaka had
    the lead, 101-94, but U-BT Cluj-Napoca scored nine points in a row, and won.
    First-timers in the Champions League, U-BT Cluj-Napoca had a group-stage record
    of five wins and one defeat. In Group G’s other fixture, Israeli team Hapoel
    Holon outperformed Italian opponents Happy Casa Brindisi, 84-80. If they want to make headway into the competition, Hapoel and Darușșafaka
    will have to compete in the playoffs.


    In news from rowing, Ancuta Bodnar has been
    designated the Best Athlete of the Year 2021 by her club Dinamo Bucharest. We recall
    that jointly with Simona Radis, Ancuta Bodnar won gold in the women’s double
    sculls race in the Tokyo Olympics. Simona Radis had previously been designated
    the best Athlete in 2021 by her club, Steaua Bucharest.


    The Romanian Volleyball federation this past Wednesday
    held a ceremony to mark 90 years since the Romanian Volleyball Federation has
    been set up. As part of the ceremony, awards went to the Romanian men’s line-up
    who in the 1980 won domestic volleyball’s only medal, bronze, at the Olympic
    Games in Moscow. Six former volleyball players attended the ceremony, of the
    line-up who won the medals 41 years ago. They are Constantin Stere, Nicu Stoian,
    Dan Gîrleanu, Marius Căta-Chiţiga, Gunther Enescu and Sorin Macavei.


    In news from domestic football, Flavius Stoican is the
    new Dinamo head-coach. We recall Stoican is a former Dinamo footballer of the early
    2000’s. Stoican had two previous stints as a Dinamo head-coach seven years ago.
    Flavious Stoican is in for Mircea Rednic, who took over on October 1st.
    Rednic’s record as a Dynamo head-coach was dismally unconvincing. With Mircea Rednic
    at the helm, Dinamo managed only one winning fixture, two draws and was
    defeated in seven games. One of the iconic footballers of Dinamo in the 1980s
    and the 1990s, Mircea Rednic’s most remarkable feat is the winning of the
    domestic title 14 years ago, in 2007. At present Dinamo is 15th-placed
    according to the domestic rankings, the last-but-one position in the as-it-stands
    table.


    (Translation by Eugen Nasta)

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week


    Fencer Ana-Maria Popescu is the only Romanian
    athlete to have walked away with a medal in an individual sports discipline, in
    this past summer’s Tokyo Olympics. As of late, the Romanian fencer has yet
    again confirmed her standing as this past Saturday the defending Olympic
    champion won the silver medal in the World Epee Cup in Dubai, Reason enough for
    Radio Romania international to designate Ana-Maria Popescu the Athlete of the
    week.


    In the United Arab Emirates, as part of the MK
    Fencing Academy International Epee Cup’s group stage, Ana-Maria’s trail included
    wins in the confrontations against UAE challengers Sheikha Al-Zaabi, Fajr
    Al-Marzooqi and Afra Abdalla, as well as against Ananya Navalekar of Great Britain.
    Ana maria Popescu then fought straight in the quarterfinals, where she had no
    problem outclassing Zainab Al-Hosany, also from UAE However, in the final, Ana
    maria Popescu was defeated, by the narrowest of margins, 14-15, by Estonia’s Kristina
    Lehis, so the Romanian had to make do with the silver medal.


    Fencing aficionados better know Ana-Maria Popescu by
    her maiden name, Ana-Maria Branza. She was born on 26 November 1984, in
    Bucharest. In 2001 Ana Maria compelled recognition for the first time in her
    career when she came in first at the World Cadets Championships in Poland. In
    2002 she became world juniors champion in Turkey. 2002 was an auspicious year
    for Ana Maria, since she surprisingly came in 3rd at the World Seniors’
    Championships in Lisbon, Portugal. At the Athens Olympics, in 2004, when all hopes
    were pinned on Ana Maria, she unassumingly came in 16th according to
    the final rankings. However, the Romanian braced up and won the silver medal at
    the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Her feat was Romanian fencing’s best performance at
    the Olympic games in China. However, Ana Maria Branza’s career-best occurred in
    2016. At the Rio Olympics, Ana Maria won the gold medal in the nations’
    competition. In Tokyo, in 2020, the Romanian won the silver medal in the women’s
    singles. Ana-Maria Branza’s most recent feat occurred last week, when she was awarded
    the World Cup Trophy for the 2020-2021 season.

    (Translation by Eugen Nasta)


  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week


    Fencer Ana-Maria Popescu is the only Romanian
    athlete to have walked away with a medal in an individual sports discipline, in
    this past summer’s Tokyo Olympics. As of late, the Romanian fencer has yet
    again confirmed her standing as this past Saturday the defending Olympic
    champion won the silver medal in the World Epee Cup in Dubai, Reason enough for
    Radio Romania international to designate Ana-Maria Popescu the Athlete of the
    week.


    In the United Arab Emirates, as part of the MK
    Fencing Academy International Epee Cup’s group stage, Ana-Maria’s trail included
    wins in the confrontations against UAE challengers Sheikha Al-Zaabi, Fajr
    Al-Marzooqi and Afra Abdalla, as well as against Ananya Navalekar of Great Britain.
    Ana maria Popescu then fought straight in the quarterfinals, where she had no
    problem outclassing Zainab Al-Hosany, also from UAE However, in the final, Ana
    maria Popescu was defeated, by the narrowest of margins, 14-15, by Estonia’s Kristina
    Lehis, so the Romanian had to make do with the silver medal.


    Fencing aficionados better know Ana-Maria Popescu by
    her maiden name, Ana-Maria Branza. She was born on 26 November 1984, in
    Bucharest. In 2001 Ana Maria compelled recognition for the first time in her
    career when she came in first at the World Cadets Championships in Poland. In
    2002 she became world juniors champion in Turkey. 2002 was an auspicious year
    for Ana Maria, since she surprisingly came in 3rd at the World Seniors’
    Championships in Lisbon, Portugal. At the Athens Olympics, in 2004, when all hopes
    were pinned on Ana Maria, she unassumingly came in 16th according to
    the final rankings. However, the Romanian braced up and won the silver medal at
    the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Her feat was Romanian fencing’s best performance at
    the Olympic games in China. However, Ana Maria Branza’s career-best occurred in
    2016. At the Rio Olympics, Ana Maria won the gold medal in the nations’
    competition. In Tokyo, in 2020, the Romanian won the silver medal in the women’s
    singles. Ana-Maria Branza’s most recent feat occurred last week, when she was awarded
    the World Cup Trophy for the 2020-2021 season.

    (Translation by Eugen Nasta)


  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    The former double Olympic medalist Maricica Puica has
    recently been awarded the Golden Girdle, the highest award given by Romania’s
    Olympic and Sports Committee in recognition of a life dedicated to Sports and
    Olympic ideals. Besides her career in sports, Maricica Puica has constantly
    been involved in the process of supporting children and junior athletes on
    their way to performance.






    Her contribution along the years included prizes and
    equipment for the promising young athletes. In 1997 she was nominated National Ambassador
    for Sports, Tolerance and Fair Play with the Council of Europe. In 2000 she was
    awarded the National Order of Faithful Service in rank of knight and in 2004
    she got the Order of Sports Merit First Class.




    Maricica Puică was born in Iasi on June 29th 1950
    and trained at the Olympia Sports Club in Bucharest. Experts believe that this
    remarkable athlete would have run during training and contests a total over 90
    thousand kilometers, which means double the Earth’s circumference. In a sports
    career spanning over 20 years she mustered 25 gold medals in top competitions,
    21 silver and one bronze.




    At the age of 17 she obtained her first notable performance
    in Istanbul when she became a Balkan champion in a cross country race. She
    became world champion in 1978 with a Romanian team which also included Natalia
    Andrei, Georgeta Gazibara, Antoaneta Iacob and Fiţa Lovin.




    She managed to win the world title in 1982 and 1984 also as
    a cross-country racer. She set 6 world records on various distances, 2 European
    and 15 Balkan.


    In 1984, after she had become the world’s cross country
    champion, she walked away from the Los Angeles Olympics with 2 medals, one gold
    in the 3-thousand-meter race and bronze in the 15-hundred-meter dash.




    At the Los Angeles Olympics, Puica set two records in the
    3-thousand-meter race. Furthermore, she was the only athlete to have obtained a
    world and an Olympic title in the same year. Her last big performance was the
    gold medal she got at the European Championship in The Hague in 1989 at the age
    of 39.

    (bill)

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    The former double Olympic medalist Maricica Puica has
    recently been awarded the Golden Girdle, the highest award given by Romania’s
    Olympic and Sports Committee in recognition of a life dedicated to Sports and
    Olympic ideals. Besides her career in sports, Maricica Puica has constantly
    been involved in the process of supporting children and junior athletes on
    their way to performance.






    Her contribution along the years included prizes and
    equipment for the promising young athletes. In 1997 she was nominated National Ambassador
    for Sports, Tolerance and Fair Play with the Council of Europe. In 2000 she was
    awarded the National Order of Faithful Service in rank of knight and in 2004
    she got the Order of Sports Merit First Class.




    Maricica Puică was born in Iasi on June 29th 1950
    and trained at the Olympia Sports Club in Bucharest. Experts believe that this
    remarkable athlete would have run during training and contests a total over 90
    thousand kilometers, which means double the Earth’s circumference. In a sports
    career spanning over 20 years she mustered 25 gold medals in top competitions,
    21 silver and one bronze.




    At the age of 17 she obtained her first notable performance
    in Istanbul when she became a Balkan champion in a cross country race. She
    became world champion in 1978 with a Romanian team which also included Natalia
    Andrei, Georgeta Gazibara, Antoaneta Iacob and Fiţa Lovin.




    She managed to win the world title in 1982 and 1984 also as
    a cross-country racer. She set 6 world records on various distances, 2 European
    and 15 Balkan.


    In 1984, after she had become the world’s cross country
    champion, she walked away from the Los Angeles Olympics with 2 medals, one gold
    in the 3-thousand-meter race and bronze in the 15-hundred-meter dash.




    At the Los Angeles Olympics, Puica set two records in the
    3-thousand-meter race. Furthermore, she was the only athlete to have obtained a
    world and an Olympic title in the same year. Her last big performance was the
    gold medal she got at the European Championship in The Hague in 1989 at the age
    of 39.

    (bill)

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week


    Epee fencer Ana Maria
    Popescu walked home with gold in the 2016 of the Rio Olympics in the nations’
    competition. In the wake of that most remarkable feat, Ana Maria Popescu has
    become the 60th athlete to have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.
    The Romanian Fencing Federation and the Olympic and Sports Committee some time
    ago have jointly made the announcement. Ana Maria has bought her ticket for
    Tokyo since she came at the top of the table according to the epee world
    rankings. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Ana-Maria
    Popescu the Athlete of the week. Swimming, athletics, rowing, football,
    artistic gymnastics, three on three basketball, cycling, wrestling, shooting
    sports, kayak-canoe, table tennis and fencing. These are the thirteen sports
    disciplines for which the Romanian athletes have qualified as part of the Tokyo
    Olympics.


    Ana-Maria Popescu stands the
    highest chances to winning a medal in the fencing events as part of the Tokyo Olympics.

    Nee Ana-Maria Branza, the award-winning epee fencer was born on November 26,
    1984 in Bucharest. She first compelled international recognition in 2001, when, in Poland, she was at the top of the table in the World Cadets’ Championships.
    In 2002 Ana Maria Popescu won the world title in the World Juniors’ Championships held in Turkey. It was a special year, 2002, for Ana-Maria Popescu, since her
    remarkable feat in the Juniors’ Championships in Turkey was followed by the
    bronze medal she won in the World Seniors’ Championships in Lisbon. In the Athens Olympics in
    2004 all hopes were pinned on Ana-Maria Popescu’s performance, yet she came in
    16th, unfortunately. However, Ana-Maria came from behind and in 2008 at
    the Beijing Olympics she walked away with silver. Ana-Maria Popescu’s
    career-best occurred at the 2016 edition of the Olympics Games in Rio, when
    Ana-Maria won the gold medal with Romania’s epee team.




  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week


    Epee fencer Ana Maria
    Popescu walked home with gold in the 2016 of the Rio Olympics in the nations’
    competition. In the wake of that most remarkable feat, Ana Maria Popescu has
    become the 60th athlete to have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.
    The Romanian Fencing Federation and the Olympic and Sports Committee some time
    ago have jointly made the announcement. Ana Maria has bought her ticket for
    Tokyo since she came at the top of the table according to the epee world
    rankings. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Ana-Maria
    Popescu the Athlete of the week. Swimming, athletics, rowing, football,
    artistic gymnastics, three on three basketball, cycling, wrestling, shooting
    sports, kayak-canoe, table tennis and fencing. These are the thirteen sports
    disciplines for which the Romanian athletes have qualified as part of the Tokyo
    Olympics.


    Ana-Maria Popescu stands the
    highest chances to winning a medal in the fencing events as part of the Tokyo Olympics.

    Nee Ana-Maria Branza, the award-winning epee fencer was born on November 26,
    1984 in Bucharest. She first compelled international recognition in 2001, when, in Poland, she was at the top of the table in the World Cadets’ Championships.
    In 2002 Ana Maria Popescu won the world title in the World Juniors’ Championships held in Turkey. It was a special year, 2002, for Ana-Maria Popescu, since her
    remarkable feat in the Juniors’ Championships in Turkey was followed by the
    bronze medal she won in the World Seniors’ Championships in Lisbon. In the Athens Olympics in
    2004 all hopes were pinned on Ana-Maria Popescu’s performance, yet she came in
    16th, unfortunately. However, Ana-Maria came from behind and in 2008 at
    the Beijing Olympics she walked away with silver. Ana-Maria Popescu’s
    career-best occurred at the 2016 edition of the Olympics Games in Rio, when
    Ana-Maria won the gold medal with Romania’s epee team.




  • November 19, 2019

    November 19, 2019

    ELECTION In Romania, the campaign for the second round of the presidential election continues. The vote is scheduled for Sunday, November 24th. Competing are the incumbent president, Klaus Iohannis, backed by the National Liberal Party in power, and the former Social Democrat PM Viorica Dancila. According to data made public by the Central Electoral Bureau and validated on Friday by the Constitutional Court, in the first round Klaus Iohanis got 37.82% of the votes and Viorica Dăncilă 22.26%. The turnout was 51.19%. Abroad, where Romanian citizens were able to vote Friday through Sunday, record-large numbers of voters showed up in polls (over 675,000). In the runoff as well, the Romanians living abroad will have 3 days to cast their ballots, between noon on Friday and Sunday at 9 PM, with a possible extension to midnight.




    AUTOMOTIVE In October Romania was the most dynamic automobile market in Europe, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association announced. Last month, around 11,000 vehicles were registered in Romania, up 58.1% since the same month last year. In the first 10 months of 2019, around 135,000 automobiles were registered in Romania, accounting for an annual growth rate of 18.9%, whereas the European automobile market saw a 0.7% decline. Dacia reported a 7.8% rise in sales in Europe in October, to 40,687 units. The Romanian carmaker Dacia was taken over by Renault in 1999. Relaunched in 2004 with the new Logan model, Dacia turned into a major player in the European automobile market.




    TRAGEDY The owner of the Romanian company that provided pest extermination services for 2 apartment buildings in Timişoara, western Romania, was arrested for 24 hours this morning, under charges of manslaughter, bodily harm and trafficking in controlled substances. The court will decide whether he will be kept in pre-trial arrest. Recently, 3 people died following a pest and rodent extermination operation—a 9-day baby, a 3-year old and his mother, while 20 other people, adults and children, are hospitalised. The 2 buildings have been evacuated. Preliminary investigations reveal that the intoxication was caused by neurotoxins. The tragedy caused panic among the locals, with scores of people requesting medical check-ups.




    STATISTICS Over one-quarter (27.7%) of the population of Romania were living in 2018 in households without indoor toilets. The figure is down from the 29.7% reported in 2017, but still more than 10 times above the EU average of 2.1%, according to data made public today by Eurostat, on World Toilet Day. In as many as 19 member states, the percentage of people living in housing without indoor toilets in 2018 was below 1%, including Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden where the figure is very close to zero. At the opposite pole, Romania is preceded by Bulgaria with 15.3%, Lithuania (10.6%), Latvia (9.9%) and Estonia (5.3%). Still, the number of people living without proper sanitation services in the EU dropped from 3.3% in 2010 to 2.1% last year, and in Romania it fell from 40.9% to 27.7%.




    THEATRE The Government of Japan awarded the Order of the Rising Sun to the actor Constantin Chiriac, director of the Radu Stanca National Theatre in Sibiu and president of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, in recognition of his contribution to promoting the Japanese culture in Romania and the cultural exchanges between the 2 countries. The Order of the Rising Sun was established in 1875, and is one of the most important decorations bestowed by the Japanese government, second to the Order of the Chrysanthemum, and is the highest awarded to foreign citizens, for distinguished achievements in international relations, for the promotion of the Japanese culture and of projects aimed at preserving the environment.




    FOOTBALL Romanias Under-21 football team are playing tonight away from home against Northern Ireland in the 2021 European Championship qualifying Group 8. With 3 wins and a loss in previous matches, the Romanians rank second in the group, after Denmark. The senior team Monday lost to Spain, 0-5 away from home, in Group F of next years European Championship qualifiers, and finished 4th in the group. After the defeat, manager Cosmin Contra announced his resignation. The only chance left for Romania to qualify into the final tournament is the Nations League playoff due in March. The draw for Euro 2020 will take place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 3 group matches and an eighth-final.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • July 26, 2019 UPDATE

    July 26, 2019 UPDATE

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION Romania targets a European commissioner post in the field of transports, energy or environment, PM Viorica Dăncilă said on Friday. Bucharest will make 2 nominations, a man and a woman, in line with the equal opportunity principle promoted by the EU. The Prime Minister added that she had discussed the matter with President Klaus Iohannis as well. On July 16, the European Parliament elected the former German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen as president of the Commission, replacing Jean-Claude Juncker. The 28 Member States must next nominate their candidates for the commissioner posts. The hearings will be held by the specialised committees in Parliament between September 30 and October 8. Parliament will then take a vote on the commissioners, most likely between October 21 and 24.




    SANCTIONS The Romanian Foreign Ministry Friday responded to recent accusations from neighbouring Serbia, which claimed that Bucharest seized a shipment of military vehicles coming from Russia on the Danube. According to the Romanian authorities, Bucharest only implemented the sanctions ordered by the European Union against Russia. Moreover, under the Romanian law, transit permits for the transport of military products can only be issued to a Romanian carrier. This is in keeping with the decision of the Council of the EU on restrictions against Russia following its destabilising intervention in Ukraine, the Romanian diplomacy also says.




    BORDER The number of Romanian and foreign citizens registered at the Vama Veche checkpoint in the south-east of Romania has hit an all-time record, with over 730,000 people crossing the border there in the first half of the year, the Coast Guard reports. Compared to the first half of 2018, the number of people transiting the Vama Veche checkpoint is almost 40% higher. Border police officers say there is an increase at present in the number of foreign and Romanian tourists crossing the Romanian-Bulgarian border, and in order to reduce waiting time the Coast Guard has increased the personnel and is making full use of the infrastructure. In Constanta County there are 5 road border crossing points to Bulgaria, with a total of 9 inbound and 10 outbound lanes.




    MEDAL President Klaus Iohannis Friday signed a decree awarding the National Order of the Star of Romania to tennis player Simona Halep. According to the Presidency, the head of state awarded this medal in “recognition and appreciation for winning the Wimbledon tennis tournament, for the exceptional athletic performances achieved throughout her career, for her position among the best players in the world and also for the talent, devotion, professionalism and dedication in the service of affirming Romanian sports at world level and of making tennis popular among Romanian youth. The award ceremony will take place on Tuesday. No 4 WTA, Simona Halep (27) was the leader of womens world tennis standings twice, between 2017 and 2019. She held this position for 64 weeks, being the 10th longest holder of the world tennis circuit leadership in history.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • July 15, 2019 UPDATE

    July 15, 2019 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT The Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition in Romania, will have its own candidate in the presidential election due in November, and a Congress will be convened on August 3rd to validate the candidate, the PM and party president Viorica Dancila announced at the end of a National Executive Committee meeting on Monday. During the same meeting, Senator Nicolae Moga was validated as the new nominee for the interior minister post, after earlier on Monday Carmen Dan had tendered her resignation. According to the Romanian media, Dan was on the list of Cabinet members set to be replaced in the forthcoming Government reshuffle. Viorica Dancila also announced that Mihai Fifor was confirmed as deputy PM for strategic partnerships. Social Democratic leaders also acknowledged the proposal of their ruling coalition partners, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, to replace Teodor Meleşcanu with Ramona Mănescu as foreign minister.




    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has gone up 3 places in the WTA ranking, to number 4 in the world. Halep returned to Romania on Monday after her Wimbledon victory against the American Serena Williams in the final. President Klaus Iohannis decided to award her the highest distinction of the Romanian State, making her a Dame of the Star of Romania National Order, for her Wimbledon win. “With her dedication, devotion and professionalism, proved both on the tennis court and outside it, Simona Halep has promoted Romania throughout the world. Simona Halep is a role model for the young generation, and her involvement in making tennis popular among children is a huge gain for Romanian sports’, reads a news release issued by the Presidency.




    PHYSICS Romania won 4 silver and a bronze medal at the 50th International Physics Olympiad, held in Tel Aviv (Israel) between July 7th and 15th, the National Education Ministry announced. This years Olympiad brought together more than 380 participants from 82 countries. The competition consisted in 2 tests, one on theoretical and the other one in experimental physics, each lasting 5 hours. The first International Physics Olympiad was held in 1967, in Warsaw (Poland), with participants from 5 countries, including Romania, which also hosted the event twice, in 1972 and 1983.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)