RRI Sports Club – Table tennis

Both the women's and the men's team have secured qualification to the European Championships.

Florin Orban, 25.01.2017, 13:19

The Romanian womens table tennis team qualified to the European Championships of 2017. In the last preliminary match, the Romanians defeated the Netherlands at home, final score 3-2. Romania won mostly due to the points grabbed by Elizabeta Samara, Bernadette Szocs and Daniela Dodean-Monteiro, at the end of a thrilling game that could have gone either way.

Romania thus ranks first in Group B, with the maximum number of points, 8, followed by the Netherlands with 4 points and Greece with 3 points. The final group fixture will see the Netherlands take on Greece. The match will decide the team ranking 2nd, which will play the playoff match for qualifying to the European Table Tennis Championships, to be hosted by Luxembourg this year over September 13 and 17.

The Romanian mens team also qualified to the European Championships. On Tuesday, the Romanian players defeated the Czech Republic away from home, final score 3-1. This was the last fixture of preliminary Group J. Two of the points coached by Andrei Filimon were scored by Ovidiu Ionescu, and one by Adrian Crisan.

Romania ranks 1st in the Group tables with 6 points in 3 games, followed by the Czech Republic with 4 points in 3 games and Turkey with 2 points in two games. Romania will play the final match against Turkey at home on March 7, and will obtain at least seven points, according to current international regulations. Romania will have thus secured qualification directly to the Luxembourg championships.

Before the European Championships, the World Championships will be held late May and early June in Dusseldorf, Germany. (Translated by V. Palcu)