Radio România Internațional

Tag: Tokyo

Athlete of the Week

According to Agerpres News Agency, at the European Race
Walking championships hosted by Podebrady in the Czech Republic, Romanian
athlete Marius Iulian Cocioran managed a 12th position in the 50 km race
and has thus booked plane tickets to Tokyo Olympics. The Romanian set a new
national record of 3 hours 55 minutes and 29 seconds. For his performance in
Podebrady, Radio Romania International has designated Cocioran Athlete of the
week

Pavel Remus Radoi was
the second best Romanian athlete to attend the aforementioned race where he
came in 27th in 4 hours, 13 minutes and 35 seconds setting a
personal record. Ionut Vasilica Plesu has also registered a personal record in
Podebrady after coming 30th in four hours, 26 minutes and 58
seconds. Another Romanian representative, Narcis Mihaila didn’t manage to end
the race.

Romania came in 6th in the teams’ contest. In the
women’s contest, Ana Veronica Rodean came in 13th setting a national
record of 2 hours, 59 minutes and 27 seconds. In the 20 kilometer race walking
Mihaela Acatrinei came in 39th while Maria Diana Lataretu abandoned
the 10 kilometer race.

Marius Cocioran was born in Reşiţa, central Romania on 10th
July 1983. He has already participated in two editions of the Olympic Games. He
came 36th in the 50 kilometer race walking in London in 2012 and
abandoned the race four years later in Rio. He is the sixth Romanian athlete to
have qualified for Tokyo after long jumpers Florentina Iuşco and Alina Rotaru, Claudia
Bobocea in the 1.500-meter dash, Daniela Stanciu, in the high jump event and
discus thrower Alin Firfirică. Romania now boasts 85 athletes qualified for the
Olympic Games this year.

(bill)

18 May 2021
Sports roundup

The delegation to represent Romania at the Olympic Games in
Tokyo grew up to 84 athletes on Sunday. 18 athletes making up the Romanian
men’s and women’s eights have secured their qualification during the
pre-Olympic regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The two boats have come second in the races, getting the
plane tickets for Tokyo. In the women’s competition Romania’s boat came second
to China and before Germany while our male rowers came after New Zealand with
Italy in the third position.

In the single scull, Mihai Chiruţă has failed to qualify for
Tokyo and so has the Romanian four. So, Romania will send to Tokyo 36 athletes
and nine teams who will be competing in the men’s and women’s four oar races,
women’s pair oar and double sculls, the men’s pair and the men’s and women’s
eight races.

Last weekend saw the matches of the eighth leg of the
Romania’s first football league. On Friday in Clinceni, southern Romania, local
side Academica secured a 4-3 win against FC Botosani. On Saturday, CFR Cluj
clinched a 3-1 away win against Universitatea Craiova whereas the game pitching
Sepsi against FCSB ended in a 2-all draw.

Viitorul Constanta outperformed Chindia Targoviste 2-0 on
Friday while Hermannstadt obtained 1-0 win against Poli Iasi. FC Voluntari
defeated Astra Giurgiu 3-0 while UTA Arad secured a 1-0 win against Gaz Metan
Medias. Dinamo Bucharest outperformed FC Arges 2-1 in Pitesti, southern
Romania. Poli Iasi and Hermannstadt are on the last two places in the ranking
and will demote to the second football league. Astra Giurgiu and FC Voluntari are to play tie
matches to keep their position in the first league.

(bill)

17 May 2021
Sports roundup

The delegation to represent Romania at the Olympic Games in
Tokyo grew up to 84 athletes on Sunday. 18 athletes making up the Romanian
men’s and women’s eights have secured their qualification during the
pre-Olympic regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The two boats have come second in the races, getting the
plane tickets for Tokyo. In the women’s competition Romania’s boat came second
to China and before Germany while our male rowers came after New Zealand with
Italy in the third position.

In the single scull, Mihai Chiruţă has failed to qualify for
Tokyo and so has the Romanian four. So, Romania will send to Tokyo 36 athletes
and nine teams who will be competing in the men’s and women’s four oar races,
women’s pair oar and double sculls, the men’s pair and the men’s and women’s
eight races.

Last weekend saw the matches of the eighth leg of the
Romania’s first football league. On Friday in Clinceni, southern Romania, local
side Academica secured a 4-3 win against FC Botosani. On Saturday, CFR Cluj
clinched a 3-1 away win against Universitatea Craiova whereas the game pitching
Sepsi against FCSB ended in a 2-all draw.

Viitorul Constanta outperformed Chindia Targoviste 2-0 on
Friday while Hermannstadt obtained 1-0 win against Poli Iasi. FC Voluntari
defeated Astra Giurgiu 3-0 while UTA Arad secured a 1-0 win against Gaz Metan
Medias. Dinamo Bucharest outperformed FC Arges 2-1 in Pitesti, southern
Romania. Poli Iasi and Hermannstadt are on the last two places in the ranking
and will demote to the second football league. Astra Giurgiu and FC Voluntari are to play tie
matches to keep their position in the first league.

(bill)

17 May 2021
Sports Weekend

Romanian athlete of Russian descent Albert Saritov qualified for the
Tokyo Olympics on Thursday after he had made it to the finals of the 97 kilogram
of the freestyle wrestling contest in the pre-Olympic tournament in Sofia. In the round of sixteen Saritov defeated
Polish Radoslaw Baran, then Samuel Scherrer of Switzerland in the quarters. The
Romanian wrestler managed to outperform Ukrainian Valeri Andriţev in the
semifinals. We recall that in 2016, Albert Saritov won for Romania a bronze
medal at the Olympic Games in Rio.

According to the Romanian Table Tennis Federation, Bernadette Szőcs and Ovidiu
Ionescu have qualified for the mixed doubles of the Olympics in Tokyo. Their qualification
was possible after the Romanian pair had come in one of the first 16 places of a
world ranking made by the International Table Tennis Federation. Romania’s
women side made up of Elizabeta Samara, Bernadette Szőcs, Daniela Dodean
Monteiro and Irina Ciobanu had already qualified for the Olympics in Tokyo.

Romanian football side CFR Cluj
is topping the table of the country’s first football league two points ahead the
side on the second position, FCSB. On Thursday, CFR secured a 1-0 away victory against
Academica Clinceni, while FCSB won in Botosani against the local side 3-1. On
Wednesday in Sfantu Gheorghe, central Romania, local side Sepsi clinched a 2-0
win against Universitatea Craiova. On Sunday FC Botosani will be up against
Universitatea Craiova while CFR takes on Sepsi in Cluj. FCSB will be playing
Academica in Giurgiu, southern Romania.

This weekend will see the games pitching Gaz Metan, on their own turf, against
Astra Giurgiu while Dinamo Bucharest is up at home against Hermannstadt; both
games are due on Saturday. On Sunday, UTA plays in Arad Poli Iasi, while in
Ovidiu, on the Black sea coast, local eleven Viitorul is up against FC Arges.
Monday will see the leg’s last game pitching FC Voluntari against Chindia
Targoviste. Poli Iasi and Hermannstadt are at the bottom of the table heading
for demotion to the second league. FC Voluntari and Viitorul Constanta are going
into playoffs in an attempt to avoid demotion.

(bill)

7 May 2021
Sports Weekend

Romanian athlete of Russian descent Albert Saritov qualified for the
Tokyo Olympics on Thursday after he had made it to the finals of the 97 kilogram
of the freestyle wrestling contest in the pre-Olympic tournament in Sofia. In the round of sixteen Saritov defeated
Polish Radoslaw Baran, then Samuel Scherrer of Switzerland in the quarters. The
Romanian wrestler managed to outperform Ukrainian Valeri Andriţev in the
semifinals. We recall that in 2016, Albert Saritov won for Romania a bronze
medal at the Olympic Games in Rio.

According to the Romanian Table Tennis Federation, Bernadette Szőcs and Ovidiu
Ionescu have qualified for the mixed doubles of the Olympics in Tokyo. Their qualification
was possible after the Romanian pair had come in one of the first 16 places of a
world ranking made by the International Table Tennis Federation. Romania’s
women side made up of Elizabeta Samara, Bernadette Szőcs, Daniela Dodean
Monteiro and Irina Ciobanu had already qualified for the Olympics in Tokyo.

Romanian football side CFR Cluj
is topping the table of the country’s first football league two points ahead the
side on the second position, FCSB. On Thursday, CFR secured a 1-0 away victory against
Academica Clinceni, while FCSB won in Botosani against the local side 3-1. On
Wednesday in Sfantu Gheorghe, central Romania, local side Sepsi clinched a 2-0
win against Universitatea Craiova. On Sunday FC Botosani will be up against
Universitatea Craiova while CFR takes on Sepsi in Cluj. FCSB will be playing
Academica in Giurgiu, southern Romania.

This weekend will see the games pitching Gaz Metan, on their own turf, against
Astra Giurgiu while Dinamo Bucharest is up at home against Hermannstadt; both
games are due on Saturday. On Sunday, UTA plays in Arad Poli Iasi, while in
Ovidiu, on the Black sea coast, local eleven Viitorul is up against FC Arges.
Monday will see the leg’s last game pitching FC Voluntari against Chindia
Targoviste. Poli Iasi and Hermannstadt are at the bottom of the table heading
for demotion to the second league. FC Voluntari and Viitorul Constanta are going
into playoffs in an attempt to avoid demotion.

(bill)

7 May 2021
April 21, 2021 UPDATE

VACCINE Romania is very close to
reaching the targeted capacity of 100 thousand people vaccinated daily,
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday at the inauguration of a
mobile vaccination centre near Bucharest. President Klaus Iohannis also said that
he was quite satisfied with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Romania. Mobile
vaccination centres are operational in Romania as of Wednesday. So far the
vaccination capacity is over 80,000 doses per day, and a total of over 2.7
million people have received at least one dose. In this context, the head of
the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination
Coordination Committee, Valeriu Gheorghiţă, announced that authorities are
considering the option of giving vaccines in non-COVID hospitals for patients
with chronic diseases. Meanwhile, on
Wednesday, 3,006 new COVID-19 infections were reported, and the total number of cases since the
start of the pandemic is now over 1 million. More than 26,600
COVID-related deaths have also been reported so far, 175 of them in the last 24
hours, and 1,436 patients are in intensive care.

MINISTER Romania’s new Health Minister,
Ioana Mihaila, was sworn in at the Cotroceni Palace on Wednesday. Attending the
ceremony, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said that Mihaila is taking over a
very complicated ministry at a difficult time, during the ongoing pandemic and
called on the government to provide support to the new minister. Ioana Mihaila
has been designated by the USR-PLUS Alliance after the sacking of Vlad
Voiculescu. Mihaila, an endocrinologist who has served as a state secretary
with the Health Ministry since January, earlier said that she wanted to solve
the medical crisis through concrete measures aimed at supporting hospitals and
depoliticize the country’s healthcare system. The centre-to-right ruling coalition
in Bucharest on Tuesday night reached an agreement which puts an end to the
deadlock caused by the unexpected sacking of Minister Voiculescu. They amended
the ruling protocol, so that the Constitutional prerogative of the Prime
Minister to sack a minister can be exercised only after the preliminary
notification of the political group that nominated the outgoing minister. The
anti-Covid vaccination remains a key priority of the government and the
coalition, the signatories of the aforementioned amendment have said.

HANDBALL The national women’s handball side of Romania on Wednesday qualified
for this year’s edition of the World Championship after a 35-20 win against
North Macedonia in Skopje. On Saturday, the Romanians won the first match
33-22. This year’s edition of the World Women’s Handball Championship is due
over December 1st and 19th. Romania is the only side in the world to have participated
in all the 24 editions of the aforementioned competition where our handballers
obtained four medals: gold in 1962, silver in 1973 and 2005 and bronze in 2015.
Romania ended the previous edition of the Championship on the 12th position.

FOOTBALL Romania’s football team will
play in Group B of the Tokyo Olympics, alongside New Zealand, South Korea, and
Honduras, according to the draw that took place in Zurich on Wednesday. The
group matches are scheduled between July 22 and 28. The Olympics football
tournament in Tokyo ends on August 7.

CORRUPTION The Senate of Romania Wednesday greenlighted criminal proceedings
against the former health minister Florian Bodog, at the request of the
National Anti-Corruption Directorate. Anti-corruption prosecutors claim that
while a minister, the Social Democratic Florian Bodog took steps to ensure that
one of his personal advisers was paid for one year without showing up for work
or actually fulfilling his obligations as an employee. Meanwhile the Liberal PM
Florin Cîţu approved the resignation of Gelu Puiu (PNL) as a state secretary
with the Environment Ministry, after an independent publication, ʹRecorderʹ,
made public recordings pointing to a blackmailing campaign coordinated by Puiu
and aimed at replacing county forestry managers with members of the Liberal Party
that had no qualifications for the job.

(bill)

21 April 2021
April 21, 2021

COALITION Ioana Mihăilă, state secretary with the Health Ministry, has been nominated by USR-PLUS to be the new health minister, after the Liberal PM Florin Cîțu dismissed Vlad Voiculescu last week. Previously, the leaders of the right-of-centre ruling coalition in Romania had reached an agreement ending the tensions that followed the unexpected dismissal of Vlad Voiculescu. They signed an addendum to the governing protocol, stipulating among other things that the prime minister is to inform the relevant political party of his intention to exercise his constitutional power to dismiss a cabinet member. The COVID-19 vaccine rollout remains a priority for the government and the coalition, reads the document signed on Tuesday night.

VACCINE President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday that he was quite satisfied with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Romania. ‘We are very close to our targeted capacity of 100,000 people vaccinated per day. I am very happy with how the campaign has unfolded so far, and the preparations for this stage have been completed in record time,’ the president said. Mobile vaccination centres are operational in Romania as of Wednesday. So far the vaccination capacity is over 80,000 doses per day, and a total of over 2.7 million people have received at least one dose. In this context, the head of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination Coordination Committee, Valeriu Gheorghiţă, announced that authorities are considering the option of giving vaccines in non-COVID hospitals for patients with chronic diseases. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, 3,006 new COVID-19 infections were reported, and the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic is now over 1 million. More than 26,600 COVID-related deaths have also been reported so far, 175 of them in the last 24 hours, and 1,436 patients are in intensive care.

CORRUPTION The Senate of Romania Wednesday greenlighted criminal proceedings against the former health minister Florian Bodog, at the request of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. Anti-corruption prosecutors claim that while a minister, the Social Democratic Florian Bodog took steps to ensure that one of his personal advisers was paid for one year without showing up for work or actually fulfilling his obligations as an employee. Meanwhile the Liberal PM Florin Cîţu approved the resignation of Gelu Puiu (PNL) as a state secretary with the Environment Ministry, after an independent publication, ʹRecorderʹ, made public recordings pointing to a blackmailing campaign coordinated by Puiu and aimed at replacing county forestry managers with members of the Liberal Party that had no qualifications for the job.

TRIAL Former Minneapolis police Derek Chauvin was found guilty on Tuesday on all 3 charges brought against him after African-American George Floyd was killed last year. According to AFP, the sentence may be out in 8 weeks. The defendant may be sentenced to 12.5 years behind bars, although the judge may decide to increase it if there is evidence of aggravating circumstances. Tuesdays ruling is seen as a landmark in the US racial history and as a criticism of the treatment given by the police to African Americans, the international media note. According to Radio Românias correspondent in Washington, after the ruling the US president Joe Biden addressed the nation, describing systemic racism as “a stain on the nation’s soul and mentioning that the killing of George Floyd entailed protests unseen in the country since the 1960s. Derek Chauvin, 45, was filmed kneeling on Floyd, 46, for over nine minutes during his arrest last May.

HANDBALL Romanias womens handball team plays tonight away from home, in Skopje, the return leg against North Macedonia in the playoffs for the 2021 World Championship. On Saturday in the first leg the Romanians beat their opponents 33-22. Romania has taken part in all the 24 editions of the womens World Championship so far, and has won 4 medals (gold in 1962, silver in 1973 and 2005, and bronze in 2015). In the latest season of the World Championship in 2019, in Japan, Romania came out 12th.

FOOTBALL Romanias football team will play in Group B of the Tokyo Olympics, alongside New Zealand, South Korea, and Honduras, according to the draw that took place in Zurich on Wednesday. The group matches are scheduled between July 22 and 28. The Olympics football tournament in Tokyo ends on August 7. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

21 April 2021
Moins de sportifs roumains aux Jeux Olympiques

Les amateurs de football roumain, et ils sont nombreux, déplorent le recul constant de ce sport au cours des deux dernières décennies. Et ils le font surtout en référence aux années 1990, lorsque l’équipe nationale était présente à toutes les Coupes du monde, et réussissait à se hisser dans les quarts de finale du tournoi final accueilli par les États-Unis, en 1994. C’est, en fait, l’unique performance notable du football roumain au premier niveau de représentation.

Que pourraient dire les amateurs de handball, et pas seulement eux, quand ils constatent que la sélection nationale masculine, quadruple championne du monde, est battue, à domicile, par le Kosovo dans les qualifications du Championnat d’Europe, de l’année prochaine ? Les handballeurs roumains ont encore des chances purement théoriques de se qualifier, mais cette contre-performance devant les joueurs de l’ex-territoire yougoslave est impossible à effacer. Perdre à cinq buts de différence face à une équipe dont la fédération a été créée il y a quelques années est une humiliation, a déclaré Radu Voina, champion du monde en 1974 et médaillé olympique en 1972, 1976 et 1980. C’est humiliant, pas seulement douloureux, comme le président de plus en plus contesté de la Fédération de Handball, Alexandru Dedu, a appelé cet échec. Un autre ancien grand handballeur roumain, Vasile Stângă, deux fois médaillé de bronze aux Jeux Olympiques de 1980 et 1984, a déclaré, à son tour, de manière prémonitoire, que si la Roumanie rate la qualification aux Jeux Olympiques en handball féminin, toute la direction de la fédération devrait être destituée.

Et une semaine après la prestation honteuse des messieurs, voilà l’échec des dames. Dans un tournoi de qualification olympique à trois, avec la participation du géant du handball féminin qu’est la Norvège, et du pays hôte, le Monténégro, les tricolores sont arrivées en troisième position, même si elles ont battu la sélection du petit État ex-yougoslave. Déjà, on parle d’une génération ratée, celle de l’arrière-gauche/demi-centre Cristina Neagu, 32 ans, désignée à plusieurs reprises meilleure joueuse du monde. C’est parce que l’équipe, dirigée sur le terrain par Neagu, n’a remporté aucun trophée au cours de la dernière décennie. Et ce malgré le fait que le handball féminin roumain est encore en vie, surtout au niveau des clubs, mais aussi au niveau national, alors que le handball masculin est en soins intensifs. L’absence de handballeuses réduit sérieusement le lot que la Roumanie enverra aux Jeux Olympiques du Japon, et dans le même temps diminue les chances à remporter des médailles.

D’autre part, les quatre Roumains qui ont évolué en lutte gréco-romaine au tournoi de qualification olympique de Budapest le week-end dernier ont perdu dès les premiers tours. Pour se qualifier aux Jeux Olympiques de Tokyo, les sportifs auraient dû disputer la finale de leurs catégories respectives. Jusqu’à présent, la Roumanie n’a qu’une seule lutteuse qualifiée aux Jeux Olympiques de Tokyo, Alina Vuc – dans la catégorie des 50 kg, qui a assuré sa participation grâce à la médaille d’argent décrochée aux Championnats du monde, organisés au Kazakhstan en 2019. Les lutteurs roumains auront encore une chance de se qualifier aux JO au tournoi préolympique mondial de Sofia, prévu du 6 au 9 mai prochains.

(Trad.: Ligia)

22 March 2021
Mai puţini sportivi români la Olimpiadă

Iubitorii români
ai fotbalului, mulţi şi vocali, deplâng regresul constant al acestui sport în
ultimele două decenii. Şi fac asta prin raportare în special la anii ’90, când
naţionala a participat la toate turneele finale mondiale, reuşind, la cel din
Statele Unite, din 1994, calificarea în sferturi. Este singura performanţă notabilă
a fotbalului românesc la nivel de primă reprezentativă.

Ce să mai zică, atunci,
consumatorii de handbal, şi nu numai ei, când văd că naţionala masculină,
cvadruplă campioană mondială, este învinsă, pe teren propriu, de Kosovo, în
preliminariile Europeanului de anul viitor? Handbaliştii români mai au şanse
teoretice de calificare, dar rămân cu contraperformanţa de a obţine doar un
egal în dubla cu naţionala ex-iugoslavă. Să pierzi la cinci goluri diferenţă cu
o echipă a cărei federaţie s-a înfiinţat acum câţiva ani este umilitor, declara
Radu Voina, campion mondial în 1974 şi medaliat la Jocurile Olimpice în 1972,
1976 şi 1980.

Umilitor, nu doar dureros, cum a calificat eşecul preşedintele
tot mai contestat al Federaţiei de handbal, Alexandru Dedu. Un alt fost mare
handbalist al României, Vasile Stângă, dublu medaliat cu bronz la Jocurile
Olimpice în 1980 şi 1984, afirma, la rândul său, premonitoriu, că, dacă România
ratează cu fetele calificarea la Olimpiadă, atunci întreaga conducere a
federaţiei ar trebui destituită. Iar la o săptămână de la ruşinea băieţilor a
venit şi eşecul fetelor.

Într-un turneu în trei la care au mai participat
gigantul handbalului feminin, Norvegia, şi ţara gazdă, Muntenegru, tricolorele
au ieşit pe locul al treilea, chiar dacă au învins selecţionata micului stat
ex-iugoslav. Deja, se vorbeşte despre o generaţie ratată, cea a interului
stânga Cristina Neagu, 32 de ani, în mai multe rânduri desemnată cea mai bună
jucătoare a lumii. Aceasta, pentru că echipa condusă în teren de Neagu în
ultimul deceniu nu a câştigat niciun trofeu. Şi în ciuda faptului că handbalul
românesc feminin respiră încă, mai ales la nivel de club, dar şi la nivelul
naţionalei, în vreme ce handbalul masculin e la terapie intensivă. Absenţa
handbalistelor subţiază serios lotul pe care România îl va deplasa la Olimpiada
niponă. Şi scade, în acelaşi timp, şansele la medalii.

Pe de altă parte, cei
patru români care au evoluat, în week-end, la lupte greco-romane, în turneul
preolimpic de la Budapesta, au pierdut în primele tururi. Pentru a se califica
la Jocurile Olimpice de la Tokyo, sportivii trebuiau să atingă finala
categoriei. Până acum, România are o singură luptătoare calificată la JO de la
Tokyo, pe Alina Vuc, la categoria 50 de kg, care şi-a asigurat participarea
prin medalia de argint câştigată la Campionatele Mondiale din Kazahstan din
2019. Luptătorii români vor mai avea o şansă de calificare la Tokyo prin
intermediul turneului preolimpic mondial de la Sofia, din perioada 6-9 mai.

22 March 2021
Weekend sportiv

Săptămâna aceasta au avut loc
optimile de finală ale Cupei României la fotbal. Marți, echipa de ligă secundă Petrolul
Ploiești a trecut, acasă, cu 3-0 de
Poli Iași. Miercuri, Chindia Târgoviște s-a impus la Constanța, în fața echipei
Farul, din divizia a doua, cu 3-0. O altă echipă din eșalonul secund,
Universitatea Cluj a învins, pe teren propriu, cu 2-1, formația UTA Arad, iar
Dinamo București a trecut, acasă, cu 1-0, de FCSB. Joi, formația Viitorul Pandurii
Târgu Jiu, din liga a doua, a câștigat cu 1-0, acasă, cu Gaz Metan Mediaș,
Astra Giurgiu a învins, în deplasare, Politehnica Timișoara, din divizia
secundă, cu 2-1, iar Universitatea Craiova s-a impus la Botoșani, cu 1-0. În
sferturi mai merge o echipă din liga a doua, și anume Dunărea Călăraşi, care
s-a calificat automat după retragerea din competiție a unei alte formații din
al doilea eșalon, Turris – Oltul Turnu Măgurele.

Rămânem la fotbal, pentru că în
weekend au loc meciuri contând pentru etapa a 23-a a campionatului primei ligi
române. Vineri, un singur joc: FC Argeș – Viitorul Constanța. Sâmbătă, Chindia
Târgoviște se confruntă, la Buftea, cu UTA, iar Dinamo joacă, la București, cu
Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. Duminică, Astra Giurgiu va evolua la Iași, cu Poli,
Universitatea Craiova se va confrunta, la Clinceni, cu Academica, iar la Mediaș
va avea loc jocul dintre Hermannstadt și FCSB. Luni, ultimele două partide ale
etapei: FC Botoșani cu Gaz Metan Mediaș și CFR Cluj cu FC Voluntari. În
clasament conduce FCSB, cu 48 de puncte. Urmează Clujul, cu 47.

Echipa masculină de polo pe apă a
României se află în Olanda, pentru a lua parte la turneul de calificare pentru
Jocurile Olimpice de la Tokio. Tricolorii fac parte din Grupa B a turneului,
alături de Croaţia, campioană olimpică în 2012 şi vicecampioană olimpică în
2016, de Germania, Rusia, Olanda şi Franţa. În primul joc, România va întâlni,
duminică, formația Croației. Sferturile de finală sunt programate pe 19
februarie, semifinalele în 20 februarie, iar finalele, pe 21 februarie. Primele
trei clasate în turneu se califică pentru Tokio.

Sâmbătă, echipa de handbal feminin
CSM București întâlnește, în deplasare, formația franceză Metz, în Liga
Campionilor, grupa A. Duminică, în grupa B, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea joacă, pe teren
propriu, tot cu o echipă din Franța, Brest Bretagne. Acestea vor fi ultimele
jocuri ale echipelor din România în faza grupelor. Săptămâna trecută, Federația
Europeană de Handbal a hotărât să schimbe din nou sistemul competiţional şi toate echipele din
grupe să se califice în optimile de finală. În Liga Europeană, Dunărea Brăila
va juca duminică, în deplasare, în grupa D, cu echipa franceză Fleury Loiret.
După patru jocuri, Dunărea ocupă locul 3 în grupă.

12 February 2021
Weekend sportiv

Săptămâna aceasta au avut loc
optimile de finală ale Cupei României la fotbal. Marți, echipa de ligă secundă Petrolul
Ploiești a trecut, acasă, cu 3-0 de
Poli Iași. Miercuri, Chindia Târgoviște s-a impus la Constanța, în fața echipei
Farul, din divizia a doua, cu 3-0. O altă echipă din eșalonul secund,
Universitatea Cluj a învins, pe teren propriu, cu 2-1, formația UTA Arad, iar
Dinamo București a trecut, acasă, cu 1-0, de FCSB. Joi, formația Viitorul Pandurii
Târgu Jiu, din liga a doua, a câștigat cu 1-0, acasă, cu Gaz Metan Mediaș,
Astra Giurgiu a învins, în deplasare, Politehnica Timișoara, din divizia
secundă, cu 2-1, iar Universitatea Craiova s-a impus la Botoșani, cu 1-0. În
sferturi mai merge o echipă din liga a doua, și anume Dunărea Călăraşi, care
s-a calificat automat după retragerea din competiție a unei alte formații din
al doilea eșalon, Turris – Oltul Turnu Măgurele.

Rămânem la fotbal, pentru că în
weekend au loc meciuri contând pentru etapa a 23-a a campionatului primei ligi
române. Vineri, un singur joc: FC Argeș – Viitorul Constanța. Sâmbătă, Chindia
Târgoviște se confruntă, la Buftea, cu UTA, iar Dinamo joacă, la București, cu
Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. Duminică, Astra Giurgiu va evolua la Iași, cu Poli,
Universitatea Craiova se va confrunta, la Clinceni, cu Academica, iar la Mediaș
va avea loc jocul dintre Hermannstadt și FCSB. Luni, ultimele două partide ale
etapei: FC Botoșani cu Gaz Metan Mediaș și CFR Cluj cu FC Voluntari. În
clasament conduce FCSB, cu 48 de puncte. Urmează Clujul, cu 47.

Echipa masculină de polo pe apă a
României se află în Olanda, pentru a lua parte la turneul de calificare pentru
Jocurile Olimpice de la Tokio. Tricolorii fac parte din Grupa B a turneului,
alături de Croaţia, campioană olimpică în 2012 şi vicecampioană olimpică în
2016, de Germania, Rusia, Olanda şi Franţa. În primul joc, România va întâlni,
duminică, formația Croației. Sferturile de finală sunt programate pe 19
februarie, semifinalele în 20 februarie, iar finalele, pe 21 februarie. Primele
trei clasate în turneu se califică pentru Tokio.

Sâmbătă, echipa de handbal feminin
CSM București întâlnește, în deplasare, formația franceză Metz, în Liga
Campionilor, grupa A. Duminică, în grupa B, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea joacă, pe teren
propriu, tot cu o echipă din Franța, Brest Bretagne. Acestea vor fi ultimele
jocuri ale echipelor din România în faza grupelor. Săptămâna trecută, Federația
Europeană de Handbal a hotărât să schimbe din nou sistemul competiţional şi toate echipele din
grupe să se califice în optimile de finală. În Liga Europeană, Dunărea Brăila
va juca duminică, în deplasare, în grupa D, cu echipa franceză Fleury Loiret.
După patru jocuri, Dunărea ocupă locul 3 în grupă.

12 February 2021
Olympic Prospects 2020

Judo competitions became part of the Olympic programme at the Olympics in Tokyo in 1964. They were left outside at the following edition four years later in Mexico but were reintroduced in Munich in 1972. Romania has been represented in Olympic judo competitions since the Moscow edition in 1980 but had no representative in the 1988 edition hosted by South Korean capital Seoul.

Athletes from Romania started to obtain medals at the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, when Mircea Fratica walked away with bronze from the 78-kilogram category and Mihai Cioc did the same in the open event.

The best Olympic performances were clinched by Alina Dumitru, gold medalist in the 48-kilogram category in Beijing in 2008 and silver medalist in London 2012.

For the upcoming edition in Tokyo, the Romanians have pinned their hopes on the double European champion Andreea Chitu, competing in the 52-kilogram category.

Chitu was born on May 7th 1988 near Bucharest and signed up with the Romanian Army sports club Steaua Bucharest. She reaped silver medals in two world championships, in 2014 in Chelyabinsk, Russia and a year later in Astana, Kazakhstan. She stepped onto the podiums third step in Paris in 2011.

She added five more medals, which she won in European championships: gold in Chelyabinsk in 2012 and in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2014, and silver in Budapest, Hungary in 2013. She also walked away with bronze from Montpellier, France in 2014 and from Kazan, Russia, in 2016. Andreea Chitu qualified for the Olympic Games twice, in London in 2012 and in Rio in 2016 when she ranked 7th.

(translated by bill)

12 November 2020
Sports roundup

The
International Olympic Committee last week approved a new series of qualifying
systems for all sports disciplines ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, delayed until 2021. According to the Spanish EFE news agency, important adjustments are stipulated for athletics, cycling,
weightlifting, basketball and judo. The Olympic football tournament will enable
footballers under 24 to take part in the Olympics, We recall the previous age
limit for participants was 23. Qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics will be
completed by June 29, 2021, while July the 5th is the athletes’
registration deadline. Olympic competitions will kick-start on July 23rd.
The Romanian Youth and Sports Ministers Ionut Stroe this past Saturday posted,
on a social network, a message stating that in Romania, stadiums remained closed
to the public. Stroe went on to say he was adamant about advocating his stance
because of the growing number of COVID-19 cases. Sport does need its
spectators, but stadiums will remain closed to the public as long as the virus still
poses a major threat to the people’s safety. We cannot possibly go easy on
public healthcare, the message also reads, posted by minister Stroe on his
personal Facebook account.

This
past weekend saw matched being played, counting towards the domestic football
championship. 8th round matches were played as part of Group 1. On Friday,
Astra Giurgiu trounced Gaz Metan Medias 4-nil, away from home. This past
Saturday’s scheduled fixture, pitting FCSB against CFR Cluj, was postponed
since the latter team’s 25-year old midfielder Alexandru Paun tested positive
for coronavirus. On Sunday, Universitatea Craiova grabbed a 2-1 win against FC
Botosani, 2-1. Craiova are at the top of the table, being four points clear
from CFR Cluj.

In
Group 2, matches were played, counting towards the championship’s 10th
round. On Friday, in Clinceni, the local
side Academica defeated FC Voluntari, 2-1. On Sunday, FC Hermannstadt from
Sibiu held Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe to a blank draw. This past Sunday’s game
pitting Chindia Targoviste against Dinamo Bucharest, both bottom-of-the-table
squads, was postponed since several footballers tested positive for COVID-19.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

20 July 2020
Sports roundup

The
International Olympic Committee last week approved a new series of qualifying
systems for all sports disciplines ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, delayed until 2021. According to the Spanish EFE news agency, important adjustments are stipulated for athletics, cycling,
weightlifting, basketball and judo. The Olympic football tournament will enable
footballers under 24 to take part in the Olympics, We recall the previous age
limit for participants was 23. Qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics will be
completed by June 29, 2021, while July the 5th is the athletes’
registration deadline. Olympic competitions will kick-start on July 23rd.
The Romanian Youth and Sports Ministers Ionut Stroe this past Saturday posted,
on a social network, a message stating that in Romania, stadiums remained closed
to the public. Stroe went on to say he was adamant about advocating his stance
because of the growing number of COVID-19 cases. Sport does need its
spectators, but stadiums will remain closed to the public as long as the virus still
poses a major threat to the people’s safety. We cannot possibly go easy on
public healthcare, the message also reads, posted by minister Stroe on his
personal Facebook account.

This
past weekend saw matched being played, counting towards the domestic football
championship. 8th round matches were played as part of Group 1. On Friday,
Astra Giurgiu trounced Gaz Metan Medias 4-nil, away from home. This past
Saturday’s scheduled fixture, pitting FCSB against CFR Cluj, was postponed
since the latter team’s 25-year old midfielder Alexandru Paun tested positive
for coronavirus. On Sunday, Universitatea Craiova grabbed a 2-1 win against FC
Botosani, 2-1. Craiova are at the top of the table, being four points clear
from CFR Cluj.

In
Group 2, matches were played, counting towards the championship’s 10th
round. On Friday, in Clinceni, the local
side Academica defeated FC Voluntari, 2-1. On Sunday, FC Hermannstadt from
Sibiu held Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe to a blank draw. This past Sunday’s game
pitting Chindia Targoviste against Dinamo Bucharest, both bottom-of-the-table
squads, was postponed since several footballers tested positive for COVID-19.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

20 July 2020
Gymnast Marian Drăgulescu

Maria Holbura and Marian Dragulescu
got qualification at the World Championships held in Stuttgart in
October. Holbura qualified for the individual all-round event, while
Dragulescu for the vault competition.

Dragulescu stands most chances to win
a medal as he came in fourth in Stuttgart, missing the podium by a
small margin. The prestigious competition next year will be the fifth
Olympics in the career of Marian Dragulescu who is going to turn 40.

In an interview with Agerpress news
agency, the Romanian athlete confessed that he can no longer train as
intensely as 20 years ago but his training now relies on increased
effectiveness and attention to details. The gymnast also believes his
training is much more challenging from the psychological point of
view and that he spends more time studying video recordings of his
performances. ‘Luck is part of the game’ Dragulescu says
referring to the landing, a part, for which in his opinion one cannot
train enough, the same source reports.

Marian
Dragulescu is Romania’s best gymnast at the moment. He was born on
18th December 1980 in Bucharest and obtained his first
title at the European Under Twenty-one Championship held in Saint
Petersburg 1998, when he came first in the pommel horse event.

He
made his debut in major international competitions a year later at
the World Championship in Tianjin, China, where he obtained the
fourth position in the vault event. His
prize closet includes three Olympic medals, one silver and two
bronze; he obtained both in Athens 2004.

Dragulescu
has also won 10 medals in World Championships, eight gold and two
silver. Out of the 18 medals he obtained in European championships,
ten are gold, six silver and two bronze. The only medal he lacks is
the Olympic gold. In 2005 and 2009 Marian Dragulescu was designated
the best Romanian athlete of the year. Also worth noting is the
existence of a vault exercise that bears his name.

(translated
by bill)

15 July 2020