Sports flash
The latest from tennis, men's handball and football
Steliu Lambru, 07.03.2024, 17:47
The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne has admitted the appeal filed by Romanian tennis player Simona Halep. Accordingly, the four-year doping ban ruled by the International Tennis Integrity Agency on September 13, 2023, has been reduced to nine months. The World Tennis Players Association Tuesday night confirmed the fact that Halep can immediately return to the professional tennis circuit.
In its last fixture as part of the European League’s 4th main group, Romania’s men’s national handball team CSM Constanţa was defeated by German opponents Fuchse Berlin, 35-31, away. In the 4th main group’s other match, another Romanian team, Dinamo Bucharest, sustained a 27-31 home defeat by Sporting Lisbon. Sporting was at the top of the table with 10 points, followed by Fuchse Berlin, with 8. 3rd and 4th-placed are Dinamo Bucharest and CSM Constanţa, with 4 and 2 points, respectively. Sporting Lisbon has advanced to the European League’s quarterfinals. Fuchse Berlin and Dinamo Bucharest will compete in the playoffs.
Romanian national football team’s head-coach Edward Iordănescu has sent 28 preliminary invitation letters for the footballers playing abroad. The footballers have been summoned for the first test matches ahead of the Euro 2024 participation. Romania takes on Northern Ireland and Columbia. Among the novelties in the Romania pool of regulars are defenders Virgil Ghiţă and Alexandru Paşcanu, midfielders Andrei Cordea, Andrei Artean and Vlad Dragomir as well as striker Antonio Sefer. On March 22nd the Romanian national team takes on Northern Ireland and Columbia, on March 26th.
Romanian head-coach Marius Şumudică on Wednesday terminated his contract with the Turkish football team Gaziantep, the management of the club has announced. We recall Marius Şumudică has taken over the team in September 2023 when Gaziantep was 20th placed, at the bottom of the table, with zero points on its record sheet. At present Gaziantep is 18th placed with 28 points in 28 rounds. The last four teams are relegated to the second division. Gaziantep FK’s pool of regulars includes four Romanians, keeper Florin Niţă, midfielders Alexandru Maxim and Deian Sorescu, striker Denis Drăguş, but also Brazilian Junior Morais, a former Romanian championship footballer.
