Radio România Internațional

Tag: OLympics

  • 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)






  • February 10, 2022

    February 10, 2022

    Covid-19–Ro — 26,466 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been registered in Romania in 24 hours along with 139 deaths, the authorities informed on Thursday. The highest number of infected people since the beginning of the pandemic – 40,018 – was registered on February 1. On the other hand, the National Public Health Institute in Romania reports that, in the week January 31 – February 6, 51.4% of the confirmed COVID-19 cases were registered in unvaccinated persons. Of the vaccinated people, 43% got contaminated either immediately after immunization or more than six months after the last dose. More than three-quarters (78.2%) of the deaths reported were in unvaccinated people. Since the onset of the pandemic, 86% of all deaths have been in people over 60, and 54.6% of deaths in the male population. According to the National Public Health Institute 93.3% of the deceased had at least one associated comorbidity. All in all, since the outbreak of the pandemic, two years ago, over two million Romanians have been contaminated with the novel coronavirus and over 60,000 have died.



    Covid–19-world — The state of New York on Thursday lifted the obligation of people wearing sanitary masks indoors, including in shops, restaurants and companies, given that the number of COVID-19 contaminations is declining sharply in the United States. In France, the so-called vaccination permit could be lifted in late March or early April, given the improved health situations, and the Czech Republic is largely relinquishing restrictions. Instead, many Britons have canceled their planned trips to Spain during the school holidays in the UK, because the authorities have asked for the full Covid-19 vaccination of children over 12 years of age. People fully vaccinated entering the UK no longer have to take a COVID test, but other countries maintain some of the restrictions, such as antigen or PCR testing or double vaccination, to avoid testing.



    Troops — The first convoy with military equipment, belonging to the American detachment deployed in Romania as part of the US commitment to the allies on NATOs eastern flank, crossed the western border last night and is heading to Mihail Kogalniceanu base in the southeast of the country. In the coming days, part of the one thousand American soldiers who will be deployed in Romania will also enter the country. Earlier, the Romanian defense minister, Vasile Dîncu, had announced that about a hundred specialists had arrived, whose mission was to prepare the deployment of the contingent. Earlier this month, the US decided to send three thousand additional troops on the NATOs eastern flank, one thousand of whom come to Romania and 1,700 to Poland. France has also announced its readiness to send troops to Romania. A NATO member since 2004, Romania already hosts 900 American, 140 Italian and 250 Polish soldiers.



    Plagiarism –Romania General Prosecutors Office has opened a criminal case in which it is conducting investigations, in rem, following a complaint alleging that the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă plagiarized in his doctoral thesis. Last month, the Carol I National Defense University in Bucharest announced that the procedures for verifying compliance with quality standards and university ethics were initiated in the thesis defended by the current prime minister in 2003. The journalist Emilia Şercan, known as a hunter of plagiarists at the top of Romanian politics and administration, claims that at least 42 pages out of a total of 138 of Nicolae Ciucăs doctoral thesis are plagiarized, and the thesis as a whole is not a product of scientific research. Liberal Nicoale Ciucă is the third PM in Bucharest accused of plagiarizing in his doctoral thesis, after the Social Democrats Victor Ponta and Mihai Tudose.



    Olympics – The Beijing Winter Olympics included eight finals in todays program, figure skating (mens singles), snowboarding (womens halfpipe and mens cross snowboarding), alpine skiing (mens combined), cross-country skiing (10 km womens – classic style), freestyle skiing (mixed team jumping), speed skating (womens 5,000m) and sledding (mixed relay). The only Romanian presence will be in the sledge relay event, in which Raluca Strămăturaru (womens singles), Valentin Creţu (mens singles) and Vasile Marian Gîtlan / Darius Lucian Şerban (doubles) are competing. Romania participates with 21 athletes in the 2022 Olympics, in seven sports: sledding, bobsled, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed skating. (LS)

  • February 7, 2022 UPDATE

    February 7, 2022 UPDATE

    COVID-19
    Bucharest extended the COVID-19 related state of alert in the country for
    another 30 days, beginning on Monday, February 7. Face covering remains compulsory
    both indoors and outdoors. In places with infection rates below 3 per
    thousand, cinema and theatre
    halls as well as restaurants may operate at 50% of their capacity, with the
    ceiling going down to 30% in places with infection rates above this level. An
    emergency order also extends the deadline for filling in the digital forms for
    entering the country, from 24 to 72 hours. Nearly 17,000 new
    Covid cases were reported in Romania on Monday, along with 81 related
    fatalities. In the capital Bucharest the incidence rate continues to rise,
    reaching 32.75 per thousand on Monday. The vaccination rate is close to 42% in
    urban communities and around 30% in the countryside. Only 8 million adults are
    fully vaccinated so far.


    RESIGNATION The president of USR party in opposition, Dacian Cioloş, Monday
    announced his resignation. The decision came after the party’s National Bureau
    convened on Monday rejected Cioloş’s plans to change the structure and
    operation of the party, with 14 votes against and 11 in favour. Dacian Cioloş, who
    had been elected to office in October, when the right-of-centre USR and PLUS
    parties had merged, warned his colleagues that he would step down unless his
    restructuring plan was implemented. USR vice-president Cătălin Drulă will take
    over as interim party president.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said there was no danger of
    Romania being drawn into a military conflict with the Russian Federation.
    Romanian citizens need not worry that we will be dragged into a war close to
    our country, he said in an interview on a private television channel. There
    is at the moment a very powerful security umbrella, which provides all possible
    guarantees for the security and stability of Romania and its citizens, and this
    umbrella is the NATO membership, adding to which is the very strong strategic
    partnership with the US, minister Aurescu mentioned. If Russia attacks
    Ukraine, he added, responses will come both from NATO, which will consolidate
    its eastern flank, and from the EU, which will introduce a substantial set of
    economic and individual sanctions targeting the political decision-makers in
    Russia. In turn, the head of the Information and Public Relations Directorate
    with the Defence Ministry, brigadier general Constantin Spînu, said that the crisis in Ukraine is not a security
    situation that directly concerns Romania or any other NATO member state. Romanians and all other nations in the Euro-Atlantic
    space should not feel directly threatened, gen. Spînu said.


    AGRICULTURE Romania’s agriculture minister Adrian Chesnoiu rules out a
    possible food crisis in Romania and a food rationing scenario. He says the
    authorities are looking for solutions to support both citizens and farmers.
    Chesnoiu also says that authorities are considering the options of introducing
    ceilings on food prices or of stabilising and balancing prices.

    WASTE
    The number of border checkpoints where waste can be brought to Romania for
    recycling will be reduced to 15, and all shipments will have to be entered in
    an electronic register as soon as possible, the environment minister Tánczos
    Barna announced on Monday. The authorities want to make sure that waste is not
    misplaced or discarded in unauthorised places. Last year alone, more than 500
    offences related to waste imports were identified, and over 15,000 tonnes of
    mixed waste were prevented from entering the country, the interior minister Lucian
    Bode said in his turn.


    OLYMPICS Natalia Ushkina, Romania’s representative in
    the biathlon contest has ended the competition on the 57th place in the
    individual 15 km race at the winter Olympics in Beijing. In
    the giant slalom event, Maria Ioana Constantin also from Romania, has come out
    45th, while another Romanian, Raluca
    Strămăturaru, is ranking 30th after the first 2 legs of the luge event. At the current
    edition of the winter Olympic Games, Romania is being represented by 21
    athletes. (A.M.P., D.B.)

  • February 6, 2022

    February 6, 2022

    Pandemic.
    The Romanian government has extended the state of alert for a further 30 days
    from Monday. First declared in 2020 after two months of state of emergency following
    the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, the state of alert provides, among others,
    for the obligatory wearing of face masks both indoors and outdoors. Cinemas,
    theatres and restaurants can open at 50% capacity in localities with an
    incidence rate below 3 per 1,000 inhabitants and at 30% where the incidence
    rate exceeds this level. Under a new emergency order, the deadline for filling
    in the digital form on entering the country has been extended from 24 to 72
    hours. The authorities said the time when the state of alert is lifted is
    nearing, but that a decision in this sense will only be taken after careful
    consideration. More than 16,000 new cases were reported today, as well as 82
    related fatalities, including 7 from an earlier date. Since the start of the
    pandemic, Romania reported 2.3 million Covid cases and over 60,000 related
    fatalities. With only 8 million people fully vaccinated, the country has the
    second lowest vaccination rate in the 27 EU member states, with only Bulgaria
    doing worse.




    Politics. Parliament will be debating on Monday a
    no-confidence motion against the energy minister, the Liberal Virgil Popescu,
    introduced by the Save Romania Union, in opposition. The motion, signed by 51
    MPs, accuses Popescu of being a threat to the country’s energy security, asking
    for his dismissal. The Save Romania Union also denounces what it describes as
    the disastrous way in which the government has managed the energy bills issue,
    saying people have ended paying huge sums, with both citizens and the economy
    suffering as a result of the decisions made by the authorities. The motion will
    be put to the vote on Wednesday. Also next week, the Senate’s specialist
    committees will begin debating a government order on caps and compensations for
    electricity and natural gas bills. The main parties in the ruling coalition,
    the National Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party, disagree, however,
    on how long the new support scheme should be applied for. The Social Democrats want
    it to also apply retroactively, while the Liberals say this may be
    unconstitutional.






    Olympics. Romanian
    athletes are in action today at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Valentin Creţu is
    racing in the third heat of the luge men’s singles competition, while Daniel
    Cacina and Andrei Feldorean are taking part in the ski jumping men’s normal
    hill individual final. Paul Pepene finished 28th in men’s 15km + 15km
    skiathlon. Romania has 21 athletes at the Games, in luge, bobsleigh, alpine skiing,
    cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed skating. Following the
    diplomatic boycott of the United States and other Western states over China’s
    human rights abuses, the Chinese foreign minister accused the US administration
    of violating the principle of the political neutrality of sports and of basing its
    actions on lies and false information and on ideology and political prejudice.
    The US denounced China’s treatment of its Uyghur population, a Turkic-speaking
    Sunni Muslim community in western China, and raised concerns over China’s
    policies in the Buddhist Tibet, which was annexed in 1950, and in Hong Kong, a
    former British colony which returned to Chinese control in 1997.




    Handball. The Romanian women’s handball
    champions CSM Bucharest are today playing the Croatian side Podravka Vegeta
    Koprivnica in a Champions League Group A match. With only two points, the
    Croatian side are in the last place in the 8-team group, while CSM, who have 12
    points, are in fifth place, which on paper means they have secured their
    qualification to the round of last 16.
    Also today, CS Minaur Baia Mare are playing the French side Les Neptunes
    de Nantes in Group B of the women’s EHF European League. Another Romanian side
    in this completion, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea on Saturday pulled off their third
    consecutive win in Group D, defeating another French side, Chambray Touraine
    Handball 32-27. (CM)

  • February 5, 2022

    February 5, 2022

    Covid-19 update. Romania reported
    almost 29,000 new Covid cases today, as well as 110 related fatalities,
    including two from an earlier date. Tuesday saw the highest daily figure since
    the start of the pandemic, with over 40,000 new cases. The health ministry
    official Adriana Pistol says
    the reproduction number has decreased, but that there will still be rises in
    the number of infections. She said Romania adopted the EU rule according to
    which the validity of the Covid certificate for
    travel within the EU is nine months without the booster shot. In Romania, the
    Covid certificate for travellers who have had the booster shot is valid until
    end of the year, with the EU yet to make a decision in this regard. When
    entering Romania, unvaccinated travellers must produce a negative Covid test
    result valid for 72 hours or proof of recovery from infection in the last 180
    days.




    NATO. NATO must find a replacement
    for its secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, whose term is coming to an end on 1st
    of October, when he is due to take over as governor of the Central Bank of
    Norway. According to dpa news agency, there is no obvious successor to
    Stoltenberg, but the former British prime minister Theresa May, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, the Estonian prime
    minister Kaja Kallas, former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and
    Romanian President Klaus Iohannis have been mentioned as possible candidates to
    replace Stoltenberg. A decision from the 30 NATO member states is expected at
    the NATO summit in June at the latest. In a press conference on Friday, Jens
    Stoltenberg promised to remain fully committed to NATO until his term ends.




    Cooperation. The
    Romanian health minister Alexandru Rafila and his Italian counterpart
    Roberto Speranza on Friday in Rome signed a memorandum of understanding that
    provides for the development of collaboration relations in the field, from
    public health emergencies, training and intervention, to pandemic management.
    The signing was preceded by a visit to the Higher Institute of Health, where
    the grounds of a collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health in
    Romania were laid. The collaboration is all the more important as there are
    over 1.2 million Romanian citizens in Italy, an official statement reads. The
    Italian authorities reiterated the commitments for the provision of medical
    assistance to Romanian children suffering from oncological and cardiac diseases
    and for the training of Romanian specialists in the field of paediatric
    cardiovascular surgery.




    Motorway. Romania may sign an
    agreement with the neighbouring Serbia by the end of March on the construction
    of a motorway between the western Romanian city of Timişoara and the Serbian capital Belgrade.
    The announcement was made by the Romanian transport minister Sorin Grindeanu
    after talks with the Serbian side. The value of the feasibility study is around
    2.8 million euros and is 85% funded by European funds. The duration of the
    contract for the feasibility study is 32 months.




    Olympic Games. The Romanian skiers Daniel
    Andrei Cacina and Andrei Feldorean qualified for the men’s normal hill individual
    event at the Winter Olympic Games hosted by Beijing. Cacina finished 40th
    in the qualification round with a jump of 83.5, for which he earned 70.9
    points, while Feldorean finished 45th with a jump of 76.5 m, earning
    55 points. Another Romanian athlete, Valentin Creţu, will compete in his final
    two heats in men’s singles luge on Sunday. Romania has 21 athletes at the 2022
    Olympic Games in seven events: luge, bobsleigh, alpine skiing, cross-country
    skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed skating. (CM)

  • February 4, 2022

    February 4, 2022

    Covid-19 update. The Romanian government has extended
    the state of alert by a further 30 days from 7th February. A number
    of measures will remain in place, including the mandatory wearing of face masks
    in all indoor and outdoor areas. The government also adopted the rule according
    to which the validity of the Covid certificate for entering Romania is nine
    months without the booster shot. Otherwise, a negative Covid test result or
    proof of recovery from infection are needed. The deadline for filling in the
    digital form for entering the country has been extended from 24 to 72 hours.
    The pilots of the planes flying to and from Romania and the Romanian citizens
    living on the border and working in neighbouring countries no longer have to fill
    in this form. On Friday, Romania reported almost 32,000 new Covid cases and
    almost 100 new fatalities.




    Protest. Trade unions in the metallurgical industry today staged a rally
    outside the government building in Bucharest to protest against the fact that
    businesses in this sector do not benefit from a cap on energy prices. The
    government exempted non-household users who already received state aid from the
    cap on electricity and natural gas prices. Trade unions are saying the move is
    unfair and are asking the government to cap electricity and natural gas prices
    to the level of December 2020 for at least another year. The workers at ALRO
    Slatina also staged a protest yesterday, their management having cut production
    and sent 1,500 workers on furlough.






    B9. We cannot accept the threat of the use of force
    or outdated concepts such as that referring to the sphere of influence, said
    the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday in Bucharest, speaking
    about concerns that Russia’s actions are seeking to undermine the European
    security architecture. Aurescu hosted a round of talks held in hybrid format and
    attended by the Bucharest Nine foreign ministers of the states on the eastern
    flank. The talks were also attended by the French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le
    Drian, who was on a trip to Bucharest, and the Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro
    Kuleba. Diplomatic actions to defuse the standoff on the Russian-Ukrainian
    border have also taken place in other capitals in recent days.




    EU sanctions. The European Union has
    prepared a robust and comprehensive package of sanctions against Russia if it
    continues its aggression against Ukraine, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told
    the Handeslblatt and Les Echos newspapers, according to Reuters. The sanctions
    include limiting Russia’s access to foreign capital and exports controls,
    especially on technical goods, von der Leyen explained. The controversial North
    Stream 2 gas pipeline is also targeted by the package of sanctions, depending
    on Russia’s behavior if it is put into operation, she added. Russia, who
    annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and supports the separatists
    in eastern Ukraine, has massed some 100,000 soldiers near the Ukrainian border,
    demanding security guarantees from the West, including that Ukraine would not
    be accepted into NATO. The Kremlin accused Washington of ignoring its calls for
    easing the tension as the latter said it would deploy an additional 3,000
    troops to Poland and Romania, Reuters also notes.


    Winter Olympics. The 24th edition of the
    Winter Olympic Games got under way in Beijing amid concerns about the Covid
    pandemic and a diplomatic boycott from some western countries. Beijing is the
    first city to have hosted both the Summer Games, back in 2008, and the Winter
    Games. 22 Romanian athletes are taking part in the competitions, in sledding, bobsled, skeleton, cross country skiing,
    alpine skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed skating. On 17th
    January, following a rise in Covid infections and the first confirmed case of
    Omicron in Beijing, the organisers announced tickets would not be sold to the
    general public and that a limited number of spectators would be admitted based
    on invitations. The US, Britain and other allied states launched a diplomatic
    boycott of the Games because of China’s human rights situation. Beijing denied,
    however, the accusations of human rights violations. (CM)

  • Sports flash

    Sports flash


    The opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic
    Games is scheduled this coming Friday. A 22-strong Romanian delegation will compete
    in the Olympics, with 8 women athletes and 14 men athletes vying for medals. Luge,
    bobsleigh, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed
    skating are the competing disciplines. However, the head-coach of the Olympic luge
    team, Ioan Apostol, is Covid-19-infected, according to an announcement made by
    the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. The Romanian sports body added the
    Romanian head-coach would stay in isolation, in keeping with the Games Organizing
    Committee’s system of regulations. All participants in the Winter Olympics are being
    tested daily.


    The Romanian Sports Minister Eduard Novak has stated the
    Gymnastics and Athletics federations have climbed 9 and 10 notches down, respectively,
    following a classification compiled according to a state-budget form of financing earmarked for the two federations. The causes of that are the poor results Romanian gymnasts and athletes have had
    in recent years. The parameters that were taken into account for the
    classification were the 2021 results in international competitions, that is
    world, European cups, world and European championships, seniors’, Under-21 versions
    of competitions, as well as the number of medals. Minister Novak spoke highly
    of the rowers, with their 34 medals, and of judokas, with 14 medals. Eduard Novak also mentioned the table tennis players, with their 9 medals. The
    Romanian sports minister went on to say, QUOTE, I want us to invest, since 48
    of the clubs belong to the Ministry and a mere 12 or 15 gymnastics departments,
    which is quite unassuming. I intend to open, in two, maybe three years’ time, 15
    or 20 other gymnastics sections. Because gymnastics, just like the winter
    sports, is being practiced in certain areas alone. And if we want our
    gymnastics to grow on firm grounds, we need to have gymnastics practiced countrywide,
    it’s the key to all that, UNQUOTE.


    There are a couple of stadiums in Bucharest that have been recently refurbished
    to host the teams that will be preparing, in Romania, for EURO 2020. As of late, these stadiums have timidly entered
    the competition circuit. On Saturday, the Triumphal Arch Stadium will be
    hosting the rugby match pitting the Romanian national team against Russia.
    However, the Arena will soon be opened for football competitions as well, yet pending
    legal matters are still to be sorted out.


    Romanian vice-champions, FCSB, have already made public their intention
    to play on the new stadium, which has a seating capacity of 80,000 seats. Rapid
    head-coach Mihai Iosif told a press conference that the Giulesti Stadium, on
    February 26, could host the Bucharest derby pitting Rapid against Dinamo.
    Construction works for the new Giulesti Stadium were completed in late 2021. On
    January 4, 2022, Rapid Sports Club officially took over the administration of
    the new stadium. The club immediately initiated the procedures to obtain all
    official permits for the stadium.

    (EN)


  • Sports flash

    Sports flash


    The opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic
    Games is scheduled this coming Friday. A 22-strong Romanian delegation will compete
    in the Olympics, with 8 women athletes and 14 men athletes vying for medals. Luge,
    bobsleigh, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed
    skating are the competing disciplines. However, the head-coach of the Olympic luge
    team, Ioan Apostol, is Covid-19-infected, according to an announcement made by
    the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. The Romanian sports body added the
    Romanian head-coach would stay in isolation, in keeping with the Games Organizing
    Committee’s system of regulations. All participants in the Winter Olympics are being
    tested daily.


    The Romanian Sports Minister Eduard Novak has stated the
    Gymnastics and Athletics federations have climbed 9 and 10 notches down, respectively,
    following a classification compiled according to a state-budget form of financing earmarked for the two federations. The causes of that are the poor results Romanian gymnasts and athletes have had
    in recent years. The parameters that were taken into account for the
    classification were the 2021 results in international competitions, that is
    world, European cups, world and European championships, seniors’, Under-21 versions
    of competitions, as well as the number of medals. Minister Novak spoke highly
    of the rowers, with their 34 medals, and of judokas, with 14 medals. Eduard Novak also mentioned the table tennis players, with their 9 medals. The
    Romanian sports minister went on to say, QUOTE, I want us to invest, since 48
    of the clubs belong to the Ministry and a mere 12 or 15 gymnastics departments,
    which is quite unassuming. I intend to open, in two, maybe three years’ time, 15
    or 20 other gymnastics sections. Because gymnastics, just like the winter
    sports, is being practiced in certain areas alone. And if we want our
    gymnastics to grow on firm grounds, we need to have gymnastics practiced countrywide,
    it’s the key to all that, UNQUOTE.


    There are a couple of stadiums in Bucharest that have been recently refurbished
    to host the teams that will be preparing, in Romania, for EURO 2020. As of late, these stadiums have timidly entered
    the competition circuit. On Saturday, the Triumphal Arch Stadium will be
    hosting the rugby match pitting the Romanian national team against Russia.
    However, the Arena will soon be opened for football competitions as well, yet pending
    legal matters are still to be sorted out.


    Romanian vice-champions, FCSB, have already made public their intention
    to play on the new stadium, which has a seating capacity of 80,000 seats. Rapid
    head-coach Mihai Iosif told a press conference that the Giulesti Stadium, on
    February 26, could host the Bucharest derby pitting Rapid against Dinamo.
    Construction works for the new Giulesti Stadium were completed in late 2021. On
    January 4, 2022, Rapid Sports Club officially took over the administration of
    the new stadium. The club immediately initiated the procedures to obtain all
    official permits for the stadium.

    (EN)


  • January 30, 2022

    January 30, 2022

    Covid- 19 Ro — The number of new cases of Covid-19 remains high in Romania, but it is declining sharply after a period of 4 consecutive days with over 30,000 new cases, the days with the highest incidence of new cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic. On Sunday, more than 19,660 new cases of COVID-19 were reported along with 52 deaths. The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, said that next week the number of daily cases is going to exceed 40,000 and that the pandemic will subside hardly after 10 days. With many people infected and a high transmissibility rate, especially of the Omicron strain, the authorities are looking for ways to facilitate access to testing and treatment for decreasing the pressure on hospitals and ambulance services. A quick test can be done for free in 4,000 family doctors offices across Romania and at a minimum price in 138 lei in pharmacies. 861 people are in ICUs. Almost 8 million people have been fully vaccinated so far.



    Covid world — More and more cases of coronavirus infection have been reported among athletes and delegations arriving in Beijing, where the Winter Olympics will begin next week. Five members of the Canadian delegation have been quarantined. The rules are much stricter than at last years Tokyo Summer Olympics. In Beijing, athletes, team officials and journalists are only allowed in hotels, media centers and competition venues. So far, 23 cases of infection have been identified among athletes and officials, most of them at the airport, where all those arriving in China must be tested. Then, daily tests are made for everyone present at the Olympic Games who are locked in what is called a “closed loop system”. On the other hand, Russia and Ukraine reported on Saturday the highest number of COVID cases since the onset of the pandemic. Kiev has announced more than 37,000 cases, while Russia has exceeded 100,000 infections for the first time. In Europe, more and more countries are facing a record number of coronavirus cases, amid the spread of the Omicron variant.



    Ukraine– NATO does not intend to deploy soldiers in Ukraine, a country that is not a NATO member, in case of a Russian invasion, said Sunday NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. There is a difference among being a NATO member and being a strong and much appreciated partner, such as Ukraine, he added. The UK announced that it would propose NATO a “major” deployment of troops, warships and fighter planes in Europe. In her turn, the French Defense Minister, Florence Parly, reiterated that Paris was ready to send hundreds of soldiers to Romania. Washington will soon send troops to Eastern Europe as well, the US President Joe Biden said. The US has already alerted 8,500 troops to join NATOs rapid reaction force in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the other hand, Germany is sending three Eurofighter planes to Romania in February and March, in the context of boosting NATOs presence in Eastern Europe. The German planes will be integrated into the Italian contingent which has been already in Romania since last month, consisting of another four Eurofighter planes that perform air policing missions. Moscow has mobilized more than 100,000 troops and a large amount of fighting equipment on Ukraines borders, but says it does not want a war. If the former Soviet republic is invaded, Russia risks unprecedented economic sanctions, the West warns.



    Romania-NATO – Romania, as a NATO member, is not in a position to enter the war at the moment, even in the worst scenario, in which Russia would invade Ukraine, the Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu told a TV station. He explained that Romania is a member of a strong defense system, and the NATO Treaty provides for possible military intervention if a country that is a member of the Alliance is attacked. Ukraine is not a NATO member, it is trying to become one, so it does not have this status yet, Vasile Dîncu added. Asked if Romanian men, especially young men, should be afraid that they will be drafted, in the context of the situation in the region, he underlined that not even Ukraine mobilized its reservists.



    Rome — The Italian President Sergio Mattarella was re-elected on Saturday for a second seven-year term in office, obtaining an absolute majority of votes from the 1,009 senators, deputies and regional officials called to vote. He was congratulated by the Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who also asked him to remain in office for the well being and stability of the country. Mattarella, 80, unexpectedly agreed to remain president and prevent a power void, as the parties failed to nominate another candidate to win a majority in parliament. Mattarella had repeatedly stated that he wanted to retire. He is the second most voted head of state in the history of Italy after Sandro Pertini in 1978. With a career spanning more than four decades, Sergio Mattarella entered politics after the assassination of his brother by the Sicilian mafia. He held four minister seats and was a judge in the Supreme Court before being elected president in 2015. The Italian Republic has so far had 12 presidents. (LS)

  • Athletes of the Year 2021

    Athletes of the Year 2021

    The Tokyo Olympics were the most
    important sports event of the year 2021. Although held one year later than
    scheduled, the competitions were by no means less spectacular. New records were
    set, new champions emerged, while some of the old ones reconfirmed their worth.


    In Tokyo, Romania’s delegation went
    up on the Olympic podium 4 times, with rowing occasioning 3 of these instances.
    The most valuable medals were won by the women’s double sculls team made up of Simona
    Radiș and Ancuța Bodnar, winners of the Olympic gold. Silver medals went to Mihăiţă
    Ţigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ştefan Berariu and Cosmin Pascari in the men’s coxless
    four event, and to Ciprian Tudosă and Marius Cozmiuc for the coxless pair event.


    The only individual medal was won in
    fencing, where veteran Ana-Maria Popescu won the silver in the epee final.


    Thanks to these performances, Radio
    Romania International designates Olympic champions Ancuţa Bodnar and Simona
    Radiş as Athletes of the Year 2021.


    In the double sculls final, Bodnar and
    Radiş won by a comfortable margin, after having led the race from beginning to
    the end. Second came the rowers of New Zealand and the Netherlands. The Romanian
    team finished in 6:41:03, a new Olympic record over 3 seconds better than the
    previous one, set in London in 2012 by Britain’s team.


    Ancuţa Bodnar was born on 25th September 1998, in
    the village of Vatra Moldoviţei in Suceava County (north). She races for the
    Bucharest club Dinamo. Simona Radiş is a few months younger: born on 5th
    April 1999, in Botoşani (also in the north), and a member of the rival club,
    Steaua Bucharest.

    The 2 athletes have been part of the same double sculls team
    since 2019. Their first major performance was recorded in the same year, in
    early June-the silver medal in the European Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland.
    Later that year, in September, in Linz, they won the silver in the World
    Championships.

    The next major competition was the 2020 European Championship in
    Poznan, Poland, followed by the 2021 European Championship in Varese, Italy, in
    which Ancuţa Bodnar and Simona Radiş won the gold. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • August 18, 2021 UPDATE

    August 18, 2021 UPDATE

    Finance – Dan Vîlceanu is the new finance minister of Romania, after he was sworn in on Wednesday. He had been nominated by the National Political Bureau of the National Liberal Party – PNL, the main party in the ruling center-right coalition in Romania. The Prime Minister Florin Cîţu last month dismissed the former finance minister, Alexandru Nazare, and has acted as interim finance minister so far.



    Covid – 541 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Wednesday in Romania, following about 35,000 tests. The authorities also reported 6 deaths in 24 hours in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. The number of patients who need hospitalization continues to grow. Currently, there are over 1,000 people in hospital of whom 146 are in intensive care units. Against the backdrop of the rapid growth of COVID cases, hospitals have begun preparations for the 4th wave, which is expected in September, according to some experts.



    Summit – US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have agreed, on the phone, to attend a G7 virtual summit on Afghanistan next week, the White House and Downing Street have announced. It is President Joe Bidens first conversation with a head of state or government since the Taliban entered the Afghan capital, Kabul, after 20 years of military intervention by US-led international coalition in which the United Kingdom played an important role. In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, admitted that the West had made mistakes in Afghanistan, especially because it did not anticipate the Talibans rapid takeover. He explained that the EU’s priority was to evacuate the European citizens as well as the Afghans who worked for the EU bloc. On the other hand, official sources from Abu Dhabi announced that the Afghan president Ashraf Ghani and his family are on the territory of the United Arab Emirates, where they were received for humanitarian reasons after leaving the country on Sunday.



    Olympics — The nine Romanian athletes who received medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo were decorated, on Wednesday, in Bucharest, by President Klaus Iohannis. These are: Nicoleta Ancuţa Bodnar and Simona Geanina Radiş — winners of the gold medal in the womens double sculls, Ana-Maria Popescu — winner of the silver medal in womens epee, Marius Vasile Cozmiuc and Ciprian Tudosă – silver in the mens double sculls, and Mihăiţă Vasile Ţigănescu, Mugurel Vasile Semciuc, Ştefan Constantin Berariu and Cosmin Pascari — winners of the silver medal in the quadruple sculls. The Romanian athletes’ victories in Tokyo are all the more remarkable as they were obtained in pandemic conditions, President Iohannis underlined. He also stated that Romanian sport should become a priority again, as it represents an important pillar for a healthy society. We remind you that Romania ranked 46th in the medals ranking obtained at the recent Olympic Games.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (13 WTA) on Tuesday obtained her first victory after a break of three and a half months, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, against the Polish Magda Linette, in the first round of the tournament WTA 1,000 in Cincinnati (USA), which has total prizes up for grabs of over 2 million dollars. In the second round, Simona Halep will be up against Jessica Pegula. Also on Tuesday, the Romanian-German pair Horia Tecău / Kevin Krawietz qualified to the eighth finals of the doubles event of the ATP Masters 1,000 tournament in Cincinnati. The two defeated the Argentinean pair Federico Delbonis/Diego Schwartzman 7-5, 6-3. In the eighth final, the Romanian-German couple will face the pair Marcelo Arevalo (El Salvador) and Fabio Fognini (Italy). Tecău already won a title in Cincinnati, in 2012, together with the Swede Robert Lindstedt.



    Agriculture – The wheat, barley and rapeseed crops obtained by Romania this year are the highest since the countrys accession to the European Union in 2007, the Agriculture Ministry officials announced. For wheat, the crop exceeds 11 million tons, an amount twice as big as that reported last year, when it was affected by drought. The total barley output stands at 1.88 million tons this year, which is a record level while the rapeseed output exceeded 3 tons per hectare. (LS)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    North America has recently become
    home to top international tennis competitions. These are presently being hosted
    by the United States and Canada before the upcoming US Open in Flushing
    Meadows, due to kick off on August 30th. The Canadian city of
    Toronto last week hosted a major tennis tournament with total prize of more
    than 2,850,000 dollars. Romania was represented only by Horia Tecau, who,
    together with German player Kevin Krawietz, had made it to the semifinals. The
    Romanian-German pair was eventually stopped in its tracks by top-seeded Nikola
    Mektic and Mate Pavic of Croatia who won the game 7-6, 7-6.






    For his performance in Toronto,
    Radio Romania international has designated Horia Tecau athlete of the week.






    Tecau, who comes 20th in
    ATP doubles ranking, was born in Brasov, southern Romania on January 19th
    1985 and took up tennis at the age of 7. In 2002 he became champion in the
    under-21 competition in Wimbledon together with his compatriot Florin Mergea.
    He turned professional a year later and since 2008 he has been among the
    world’s top 100 players.






    In November 2009 he joined the
    world’s best 50 players and has gone up in the doubles ranking until the second
    position, which he occupied in November 2015 after his winning together with
    his Dutch teammate Jean Julien Rojer the Champions Tournament in London. Tecau
    and his compatriot Florin Mergea became silver medalists in the doubles contest
    of the Olympic Games in Rio. In the mixed doubles Tecau should have played
    together with Simona Halep, Romania’s best female player at present.
    Unfortunately, injuries have prevented Halep from playing in Tokyo.




    (bill)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    North America has recently become
    home to top international tennis competitions. These are presently being hosted
    by the United States and Canada before the upcoming US Open in Flushing
    Meadows, due to kick off on August 30th. The Canadian city of
    Toronto last week hosted a major tennis tournament with total prize of more
    than 2,850,000 dollars. Romania was represented only by Horia Tecau, who,
    together with German player Kevin Krawietz, had made it to the semifinals. The
    Romanian-German pair was eventually stopped in its tracks by top-seeded Nikola
    Mektic and Mate Pavic of Croatia who won the game 7-6, 7-6.






    For his performance in Toronto,
    Radio Romania international has designated Horia Tecau athlete of the week.






    Tecau, who comes 20th in
    ATP doubles ranking, was born in Brasov, southern Romania on January 19th
    1985 and took up tennis at the age of 7. In 2002 he became champion in the
    under-21 competition in Wimbledon together with his compatriot Florin Mergea.
    He turned professional a year later and since 2008 he has been among the
    world’s top 100 players.






    In November 2009 he joined the
    world’s best 50 players and has gone up in the doubles ranking until the second
    position, which he occupied in November 2015 after his winning together with
    his Dutch teammate Jean Julien Rojer the Champions Tournament in London. Tecau
    and his compatriot Florin Mergea became silver medalists in the doubles contest
    of the Olympic Games in Rio. In the mixed doubles Tecau should have played
    together with Simona Halep, Romania’s best female player at present.
    Unfortunately, injuries have prevented Halep from playing in Tokyo.




    (bill)

  • Romania at the Tokyo Games

    Romania at the Tokyo Games

    The 32nd
    edition of the Olympics Games came to an end. The closing ceremony, hosted by
    Tokyo’s National Stadium, put an end to the first edition in modern era to be
    held without spectators. The Covid-19 pandemic seriously disrupted sports competitions,
    with many being delayed for one year, which had a major impact on final rankings.




    101
    Romanian athletes went to Tokyo, but only four won a medal, three of which in rowing.
    Ancuţa Bodnar and Simona Radiş won the gold in women’s doubles sculls. Mihăiţă
    Ţigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ştefan Berariu and Cosmin Pascari won the silver in
    the men’s coxless four, while Ciprian Tudosă and Marius Cozmiuc won the silver
    in men’s coxless pair. Ana-Maria Popescu (Brânză) won the silver in the women’s épéeindividual competition. After the
    closing of the Games, the president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee
    Mihai Covaliu said:






    We
    definitely could have won more medals. I’m thinking about swimmer David
    Popovici who missed out on a medal by just two hundredths of
    a second. He has a bright future ahead of him, of course, but it was important
    for him to win a medal here in Tokyo, especially because he is very, very young.
    I’m also thinking about Laura Ilie in shooting. She was also very close to an
    Olympic final, where I’m sure she could have won a medal. I’m thinking about Alina Vuc and Albert Saritov in
    wrestling, who could also have hoped to win a medal had they gone past the
    first round. These are all excellent athletes who, unfortunately, did not
    manage to overcome their nerves and the pressure of these Olympic Games. Unfortunately,
    we only managed to win four medals. The Sports Technical Committee predicted
    four to six medals. The federations aimed for much more. They achieved little.
    I’m not satisfied with these four medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games.




    The dissatisfaction
    of the Romanian sports official is understandable. Romania ranked 46th in the
    team medal count ranking, a position it shared with Venezuela. It’s true that
    Romania fared even worse at the Rio Games, in 2016, when it ranked 47th. One explanation
    for these poor results is the collapse of certain sports, such as gymnastics,
    where Romania was a world leader for years and which accounts for a third of
    Romania’s gold medals at the Olympic Games. In Tokyo, no Romanian gymnast
    competed in a single final. To complete the sad picture of Romanian sports, no
    Romanian weightlifter was able to compete in Tokyo because the Romanian Weightlifting
    Federation was banned from competition over several violations of antidoping
    regulations.




    The causes
    of the Romania’s poor results at the Tokyo Games will surely be analysed in the
    coming days. As for fans, they can only hope that things will be better next
    time, in Paris, in 2024. (CM)

  • August 7, 2021 UPDATE

    August 7, 2021 UPDATE


    Attack. The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu welcomed Fridays joint declaration from the G7 foreign ministers and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell with respect to the recent drone attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker off the coast of Oman. Two crew members were killed, a Romanian and a Briton. The signatories of the declaration condemned the attack, which they say was deliberate, targeted and a violation of international law. They also say that Iran threatens global peace and security and that all available information points to Iran as being behind the attack. Tehran denies any involvement.



    Covid-19. Romania added France and Iceland to the red list of countries with high epidemiological risk, while Turkey and Montenegro were moved to the yellow list from Sunday. Travellers to Romania from yellow list countries will not be asked to isolate if they are fully vaccinated or present a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours. Arrivals from red list countries are asked to isolate unless they are vaccinated, with the exception of children under 3 and those aged between 3 and 16 if they present a negative Covid test result. On Saturday, Romania reported 255 new Covid cases from 30,000 tests and 8 related-fatalities. 540 Covid patients are receiving hospital treatment, including 73 in intensive care. Also on Saturday, as part of a pilot project carried out at Sibiu Airport, in central Romania, dogs trained to detect Covid-19 sniffed out three of the 150 passengers on board a flight from Spain.



    Aid. Two Romanian Air Force aircraft will provide assistance to North Macedonia, which has been battling forest fires for several days. According to the Romanian defence ministry, 15 crew members are operating the two planes, a C-27 J Spartan aircraft reconfigured for fire-fighting and a C-Hercules aircraft providing logistical support. This is the second international mission involving these Romanian planes, after July 2018 in Greece.



    Fires. The Romanian foreign ministry is advising Romanian citizens travelling to Greece, which is a popular tourist destination for many, to find out in advance about the weather situation in that country, where temperatures of up to 46 degrees Celsius were forecast for Saturday. At least two people were killed, homes were destroyed and thousands of people evacuated because of the fires raging in Greece. Smoke from the fire ripping through Athens suburbs causes poor air quality in the Greek capital. Fire is also wreaking havoc in the island of Evia and the Peloponnese. Ukraine, Cyprus, Israel, France, Switzerland, Sweden and Croatia have sent assistance, while Romania deployed 112 firefighters and 23 special vehicles to help Greece put out the fires. In Turkey, emergency services continued on Saturday to battle the worst fires in that country in over a decade. At least 8 people died and 100,000 hectares of forest and farmland were destroyed.



    Tokyo Games. Romanias Cătălin Chirilă finished 11th in the mens canoe single 1,000 m at the Tokyo Olympic Games. A many-time winner of international competitions, Chirilă finished fifth together with Victor Mihalachi in the mens canoe double 1,000 m at an earlier event. Romania won 34 medals in kayak and canoe competitions in the history of Olympic Games, namely ten gold, ten silver and 14 bronze, but no Romania has won a single Olympic medal in these events in the last 21 years, ever since the Sydney Games. (CM)