Athlete of the Week
Handballer Sonia Serafinceanu has been designated by Radio Romania International athlete of the week
Florin Orban, 24.03.2026, 13:45
This year Romania might again have two sides in the quarter finals of the Champions League in women’s handball. In 2020, CSM Bucharest and SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea went beyond the main groups, but the competition was stalled by the Covid 19 pandemic. In 2023, CSM Bucharest qualified directly for the group phase, while Rapid Bucharest outperformed Krim Ljubljana in the quarters’ playoffs.
None of them passed the quarters though. In the League’s present edition, CSM ranked second in Group B and went directly into the quarters. Gloria Bistriţa was the last in the group and had to play a tied double against the Danish side Ikast. On Sunday, the Romanians won the first match in Scandinavia 35 – 34. The 69 goals stand proof of the dramatic game. The Danish side had the upper hand most of the game and managed a five-goal difference some time into the game. However, Gloria made a great comeback and won.
The Spanish player Danila So Delgado proved to be the game’s most effective scorer, with 11 goals scored. Out of the Romanian side, winger Sonia Serafinceanu, scored eight goals, and for this reason Radio Romania International has designated her, Athlete of the Week.
Sonia Mariana Serafinceanu was born in Hunedoara, central Romania, on July 25th, 1997. She took up handball at the local school club, and made her debut in the National League with Mureşul Târgu Mureş. She also played for other valuable sides such as Cetate Deva, Universitatea Cluj, CSM Slatina and Minaur Baia Mare, but since 2021 she has been playing for Gloria Bistriţa. Right winger Serafinceanu is one of the most valuable player in the Romanian handball with a noticeable counterattack play and also very effective on the six meter line.
She made her debut with Romania’s national handball side in 2019 in the 51st edition of the Carpathians Trophy held in Brăila and went to numerous European and world tournaments including in the world championship last year in Germany and the Netherlands where she scored 10 times.
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