Athlete of the week

World-acclaimed handballer Cristina Neagu

Steliu Lambru, 18.01.2022, 13:45

Romanian women’s
handball team, title holders CSM Bucharest grabbed a 28-20 away win, 15-9 at
half time, against Montenegrin challengers Buducnost Podgorica. The match
counted towards Champions League’s Group A. CSM had the upper hand all throughout
the match, ending the game 8 points clear of their opponents. However, on 43
minutes, Buducnost were only two goals down from CSM Bucharest, when the scoreboard
displayed a feeble 18-16 advantage for the Romanian team. Yet CSM Bucharest had
a stunning comeback and eventually secured a laid-back advantage at the end of
the game. Cristina Neagu was yet again CSM Bucharest’s top scorer, with 7 goals
on her record sheet. Also scoring for CSM Bucharest were Yvette Broch, 5, Elizabeth
Omoregie, 3, Emilie Hegh Arntzen, 3, Carmen Martin Berenguer, 2, Malin Larsen
Aune, 2, Alexandra Dindiligan, 2. Samara Da Silva Vieira, Siraba Dembele
Pavlovic, Angela Ştefania Stoica and Ema Ramusovic scored one goal each. Team
Esbjerg are at the top of the table, with 15 points. Of Group A’s ten teams, CSM
Bucharest are 4th-placed, with 10 points on its record sheet.

For
her exceptional performance in CSM’s match against Buducnost, Radio Romania International
has designated Cristina Neagu the Athlete of the week.

In August 2022, Cristina
Neagu will be 34. She plays as a left-back and her record is impressive. With
Oltchim Ramnicu Valcea, in 2010 Cristina Neagu played a Champions League final.
With Buducnost Podgorica, Neagu became European champion in 2015.

In
2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, the International Handball Federation designated Cristina
Neagu the world’s best handballer. Neagu thus became the world’s first woman
handball player ever to have won the trophy four times. Cristina Neagu has been
the national team’s captain since 2016. With the national squad, Cristina Neagu
won the bronze medal at the European Championship jointly held in Denmark and
Norway in 2010, and another bronze medal at the World Championship in Denmark,
in 2015. Cristina Neagu made public her retirement from the national squad.
However, she changed her mind afterwards.

(EN)