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Tag: Romania’s table tennis team

  • Athlete of the Week – Table Tennis Player Bernadette Szőcs

    Athlete of the Week – Table Tennis Player Bernadette Szőcs

    In recent decades, table tennis has been dominated by athletes from Asia. Very few players from Europe have managed to enter the rankings or win medals in world and Olympic competitions. The Champions Tournament made no exception, a competition that factors in the competitive season and brings together the best 16 singles players each year, along with the best eight teams, both men’s and women’s. This year, the competition took place in Kitakyushu, Japan. Europe was represented in the women’s competition only by the Austrian player of Moldovan origin, Sofia Polcanova, ranked 14th in the world, as well as by Bernadette Szőcs, world number 17. The Romanian representative was able to enter the competition following the withdrawal of the Chinese Meng Cheng, the reigning Olympic champion.

     

    In the round of 16, Bernadette ousted Japan’s Hina Hayata, the fourth seed, 3-1. It took her 34 minutes to beat the world number five. She then produced another stellar performance in the quarterfinals, defeating another home team player, Satsuki Odo, the world number eight, 3-0 in just 20 minutes. The Romanian was, however, stopped on her way to the final by China’s Manyu Wang, the second seed and world number two. Bernadette was trailing 3-0 in sets, but she made a spectacular comeback, restoring the tie, 3-3, but Wang prevailed in the final set, at the end of nearly an hour of playtime. The Romanian won the bronze medal, which is why Radio Romania International has designated her Athlete of the Week.

     

    Bernadette Szőcs was born March 5, 1995, in Târgu Mureş (central Romania). She took up sports at the age of 8. The first results in cadet and junior competitions came relatively quickly. Bernadette won several medals in European and world competitions, quickly climbing the international rankings. In 2016, at the European Championships in Budapest, she won bronze in the mixed doubles, alongside Ovidiu Ionescu. A year later, at the European championships in Luxembourg, she won her first European trophy, with the Romanian team. In 2018, in Montreux, Switzerland, she won the European Top 16 tournament, a competition addressing the best players in Europe. A year later, in Nantes, France, she became European champion again with the Romanian team. In Munich, in 2022, she won the European title in women’s doubles, together with Sofia Polcanova, and won silver in mixed doubles, together with Ovidiu Ionescu. At the Paris Olympics this year, in the singles competition, she reached the round of 16, losing to Polcanova. In the mixed doubles, she ranked 5 together with Ovidiu Ionescu. (VP)

  • November 8, 2019 UPDATE

    November 8, 2019 UPDATE

    INFLATION – Romania in neither in the
    precipice, nor on the verge of it, Central Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu has
    said upon presenting the quarterly report on inflation. According to the
    Romanian official, the country’s main vulnerability is that most of the
    economic growth is based on consumption. Mugur Isarescu also said that
    Romania’s deficit of 6.1% for 2021, as estimated by the European Commission,
    cannot be taken into account, because it would endanger Romania’s position on
    the external markets, where it has incurred significant debt. Isarescu has said
    that the Central Bank has decreased to 3.8% the inflation forecast for the end
    of the year and estimates a 3.1% inflation rate for end-2020. The Central Bank
    estimated, in August 2019, a 4.2% inflation rate for the end of 2019 and of
    3.4% for December 2020.




    ELECTION – The campaign for the first
    round of the presidential election comes to an end on Saturday morning. Voters
    will hit the polls on Sunday in Romania, but Romanians living abroad will vote
    over the course of three days, starting Friday at noon and ending Sunday
    evening. Postal voting was for the first time introduced for the voting process
    abroad. These measures were taken to avoid the long waiting hours, which were
    reported at the last presidential election and the European Parliament
    election. A total of 14 candidates have enrolled in the race. The second ballot
    is scheduled for November 24.




    MEETING – Prime Minister Ludovic Orban
    on Friday met US Ambassador Hans Klemm. The parties agreed to deepen and
    develop the Strategic Partnership between the two countries in all its aspects,
    with a focus on military and security cooperation, reads a Government release.
    Ludovic Orban underlined Romania’s openness towards dialogue in order to ensure
    a stable and investor-friendly environment.




    MOTION – The Socialist Party in the
    Republic of Moldova, a ruling coalition party, on Friday filed a no-confidence
    motion against Maia Sandu’s Cabinet. The Socialists decided to withdraw their
    political support for the government, claiming the Government’s bill on the
    regulation of the Prosecutor’s Office is in breach of the Constitution and
    international standards. Igor Dodon’s Socialist Party has two representatives
    in the Government, the Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, Vasile Sova,
    and Defense Minister Pavel Voicu.




    HEARINGS – The hearings of the new
    commissioners designated by Romania, Hungary and France will held on November
    14, the European Parliament’s leaders decided on Friday. Once the candidates
    are greenlit by the JURI Committee on Legal Affairs, which will investigate any
    potential conflcits of interest, the three candidates, namely Adina Valean from
    Romania, Olivier Varhelyi from Hungary and Thierry Breton from France, will
    appear before Parliament’s special committees. Adina Valean will appear before
    the Transport and Tourism Committee, Olivier Varhelyi will appear before the
    Foreign Affairs Committee, while Thierry Breton will appear before the
    Industry, Research and Energy Committee. The European Commission’s President
    Elect Ursula von der Leyen will subsequently present her team and governing
    program in a joint Parliament session. We recall the nomination of Romanian MEP
    Adina Valean for the position of EU Commissioner for Transport was accepted by
    Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday.




    FILM – The film Queen Marie of Romania directed by Alexis Sweet
    Cahill is as of Friday screened in cinemas across Romania. Based on true
    events, the film follows a landmark of the year 1919, the Paris Peace
    Conference. The script relies on excerpts from the Queen’s diary, period press
    articles as well as testimonies of politicians at the time. The film was shot
    in genuine locations from Bucharest and Paris, recreating the mood of 1919.
    Relying on an international cast, the film features Romanian actress Roxana
    Lupu in the lead role. The granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, Queen
    Marie (1875-1938) was wife to King Ferdinand I. She constantly sought to
    strengthen ties between Romania and the UK. Following the Paris Peace
    Conference, she undertook diplomatic efforts for the international recognition
    of enlarged Romania.




    TABLE TENNIS – The Romanian women’s
    table tennis team, the defending European champions, lost nil-3 to Japan in the
    quarterfinals of the World Cup venued in Tokyo. In September, Romania won gold
    at the European Table Tennis Championships in Nantes, France, after defeating
    Portugal in the final.


    (Translated by
    V. Palcu)

  • November 6, 2019

    November 6, 2019

    SESSION – The new Liberal Government in
    Bucharest, led by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, is today convening for its
    first joint session. According to the Prime Minister, the agenda for today
    includes an emergency decree on reducing the number of ministries, from 24 to
    16. On Tuesday the newly-appointed ministers took over their portfolios.
    Ludovic Orban promised the new Government will engage in permanent dialogue and
    will take into account Romanians’ expectations. Orban’s Cabinet has replaced the
    outgoing Social-Democratic Government led by Viorica Dancila after the later
    did not survive a no-confidence motion in Parliament on October 10.




    TRANSPORT – Romanian haulers have pointed
    the serious issues reported on the Hungarian border in the last few days, where
    freight trucks wait in a 25-km-long line to cross the border. One of the
    biggest employers in the field has announced protests and the blocking of
    crossing points for light traffic. The Europa 2002 Association of Transport Employers
    from Arad say crossing the Hungarian border has never been harder, pointing the
    finger at Hungarian authorities, who starting November 1 have been performing
    detailed inspections of freight transport vehicles, which incrementally
    increases waiting times for crossing the border.




    PROTEST – Coal miners from Paroseni and
    Uricani on Jiu Valley continue to protest underground for the tenth consecutive
    day. Due to be laid off on January 1, miners demand the same rights as other
    employees made redundant in the sector, namely monthly redundancy payments for
    two years and the inclusion of this period on their seniority with the mining
    company. Trade unions say the 100 miners are determined to continue their
    protest, the longest in the last 15 years, until the Government passes an
    emergency decree that meets their demands. The matter could be settled in today’s
    Government session, which will discuss the passing of a decree. Laszlo Domokos,
    the head of a miners’ syndicate, is today in Bucharest discussing the miners’
    demands with representatives from the line ministry. At the end of 2017 the two
    mines were listed for shutdown and remand.




    TABLE TENNIS – Romania’s table tennis
    team, the defending European champions, is today playing its first match at the
    World Cup in Tokyo against Taiwan. Drawn in Group C, Romania will also play against
    Vanuatu on Thursday. The top two teams will qualify to the quarterfinals.
    Romania’s team is made up of Elizabeta Samara, Daniela Dodean Monteiro, Bernadette Szocs and
    Adina Diaconu. We recall that in September Romania reaped gold at the European
    Table Tennis Championships in Nantes, France, defeating Portugal in the final.




    HANDBALL – The Romanian men’s handball team Dinamo Bucharest on Wednesday
    is playing Kadetten Schaffhausen of Switzerland in Champions League Group D.
    The match has a major stake. If it wins, Dinamo will secure mathematical qualification
    to the playoff. Dinamo ranks first in the group tables with 10 points, followed
    by GOG Svendborg of Denamrk with 8 points, Kadetten of Switzerland with 6
    points, Wisla Plock of Poland with 5 points, Chehkovskie Medvedi of Russia with
    4 points and Kristianstad of Sweden with 3 points. The top two teams will
    advance to the next phase. In the women’s Champions League, CSM Bucharest has
    already qualified to the main group phase, while champions SCM Ramnicu Valcea
    on Sunday is playing SG BBM Bietigheim of Germany in Group C. Brest Bretagne
    Handball of France is top of the tables with 6 points, followed by Buducnost of
    Montenegro with 6 points, SCM Ramnicu Valcea with 2 points and SG BBM
    Bietigheim with 0 points. The top three teams will qualify to the main group
    phase.


    (translated by V.
    Palcu)

  • Athletes of the Week on RRI – Romania’s table tennis team

    Athletes of the Week on RRI – Romania’s table tennis team

    At present Romania has some of Europe’s top table tennis players. In the last few years our players have won numerous medals, both in doubles and in singles competitions. This year Romania won the team event at the European Table Tennis Championships hosted by Luxembourg. It was the first European title after a 12-year break. For this reason, we have designated Elizabeta Samara, Daniela Dodean Monteiro and Bernadette Szocs, Athletes of the Week on RRI.



    Elizabeta Samara currently holds the most table tennis titles. She was born on April 15, 1989 in Constanta. Prior to the Luxembourg tournament she had won six gold medals in the European Championships: in 2005 with Romania’s team in Aarhus, Denmark, in 2009 in Stuttgart, Germany in the doubles event, then in the mixed doubles in 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey, and finally in 2012 in Buzau, Romania, also in the mixed doubles. That same year Samara won the doubles gold in Herning, Denmark. In 2015 she won the women’s singles at the European Championships hosted by Ekaterinburg, Russia.



    Daniela Dodean-Monteiro was born on January 13, 1988. So far she won three European trophies, of which two in the women’s doubles, jointly with Elizabeta Samara in 2009 in Stuttgart, and then in 2012 in Herning. Last year she won the mixed doubles trophy with her husband, Joao Monteiro of Portugal, at the European Championships hosted by Budapest, Hungary.



    Bernadette Szocs joined Romania’s national team at only 16 years of age, in 2011, when she won silver with the team at the European Table Tennis Championships hosted by Sopot, Poland. She was born in Targu Mures on March 5, 1995. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • September 29, 2015 UPDATE

    September 29, 2015 UPDATE

    CENSURE MOTION – The censure motion filed by the Liberal opposition against Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Tuesday was rejected by Parliament, with 207 votes in favour and 8 votes against. To pass, the motion needed the votes of 275 MPs. The Liberals say the accusations levelled by anti-corruption prosecutors against Victor Ponta, namely forgery, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering, no longer allow him to sign laws or take responsibility for the countrys budget and prosecuting the Prime Minister severely affects Romanias credibility. Alongside the former Social Democrat Senator Dan Sova, Ponta is accused of involvement, while being a lawyer, in committing crimes which brought the state a prejudice of over 16 million euros, more exactly to the Rovinari and Turceni energy companies in southern Romania.



    UN General Assembly – The international community should do more to combat terorrism, a threat to global peace, president Klaus Iohannis said in a new speech before the UN General Assembly in New York. The president said Romania and Spain have kicked off a process to set up an International Court for Terrorism-Related Crimes. Additionally, the president said the UN should employ realism and action to deal with the main causes of migration. This is the third speech of the Romanian president after he previously tackled gender equality and the sustainable development agenda. The presidents agenda also includes his participation in the summit devoted to combating the Islamic State and violent extremism, chaired by US president Barack Obama. Previously, Klaus Iohannis met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The two tackled hot topics on the international agenda and highlighted the role of the UN on the global security map. On Monday, Klaus Iohannis discussed with US vice-president Joe Biden about the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States, the fight against terrorism and the refugee crisis facing Europe.



    BLACK SEA – Romanias Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Tuesday chaired the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers of countries members of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (OBSEC). Aurescu outlined the main objectives of Romania, the country currently holding the chairmanship-in-office of this organization, namely the regional inter-connection of policies in the fields of transport, energy and the environment, combating organized crime and tax evasion. Previously Aurescu took part in an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, held on the sideline of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The Romanian official said that in the case of the Syrian conflict, only a political solution could offer a long-term result, adding that the negotiation process should prevent extremist groups from consolidating their position in the area.



    SYRIA – Also in the case of Syria, US president Barack Obama and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have taken different stands. Obama insists that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad should leave power, whereas Putin underlines no one truly fights against the Islamic State jihadist group, except for Assad and his militia. Putin called on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution meant to instate a broad coalition against the Islamic State, reiterating that Russia will not take part in any action meant to topple what he called ‘a legitimate government. A meeting of the contact group for Syria, comprising the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Egypt has already been set for October.



    RESIGNATION – The Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liberal Dan Motreanu on Tuesday tendered his resignation, which could become official as early as October 1. On Monday, anti-corruption prosecutors indicted Dan Motreanu and former presidential advisor George Scutaru, charged with receiving hundreds of thousands of euros in bribe for funding the 2008 election campaign of the National Liberal Party.



    IMF – Romania this year will request the signing of a new standby assistance programme with the IMF. Negotiations will focus on the implementation of structural reforms, not on the budget deficit, as Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici on Tuesday had told Reuters. The previous standby-agreement with the IMF signed in 2013 and worth 2 billion euros expired on Saturday. Its purpose was to safeguard the economy against external market shocks. Since the outset of the economic crisis in 2009, Romania has signed three consecutive loan agreements with the IMF and the EU, which helped the Government carry sustain its budget and economic policies and privatise state-owned companies.



    TABLE TENNIS – The Romanian womens table tennis team on Tuesday won the silver medal at the European Championships in Russia after losing the final to Germany 3-nil. A win would have brought the fourth continental title for the Romanian players after the wins of 1992, 2002 and 2005. The mens team had a disappointing run in this years edition, ranking 15th after grabbing its first win on Tuesday, in the last match against Ukraine.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, ranked 2nd in WTA standings on Tuesday defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 33rd WTA-ranked, in the second round of the WTA tournament in Wuhan, totalling 2,2 million dollars in prize money. Seeded first in the competition, Halep won in two sets, 6-2, 6-1 and will next take on Johanna Konta of the United Kingdom in the round of last 16. Also on Tuesday, irina Begu lost to Roberta Vinci of Italy, while Monica Niculescu, ranked 47th in WTA standings, lost to Carla Suarez Navarro, ranked 10th in WTA standings. Irina Begu and Monica Niculescu has qualified to the doubles round of last 16, where they will take on Ala Kudriavtseva of Russia and Olga Savchuk of Ukraine.