Sports flash

The latest from table tennis, basketball and women's volleyball

Florin Orban, 02.02.2023, 01:45

Romanian national men’s
table tennis team this past Wednesday in Bucharest’s Multi-purpose Sports Hall grabbed
a 3-nil win against Slovenia. It was the national team’s last scheduled A6 Group
fixture as part of the European Teams Championships’ preliminaries. In the
competition’s group stage, Romania grabbed four wins, two against Slovenia and two against Ukraine. Both fixtures were played in Bucharest.

The Romanian national women’s
table tennis team have already secured their qualification to the European Championships’
final tournament. Also on Wednesday, the women’s national team defeated
Hungary, 3-nil. It was our team’s last scheduled A1 Group fixture as part of
the preliminaries. Europe’s vice champion team, Romania won all their group fixtures
in the competition: there were two wins against Turkey and two wins against
Hungary. In the men’s as well as in the women’s version of the European Championships,
the first two teams in the six groups go straight to the final tournament, to be hosted by Sweden’s Malmo in September. Third-placed teams are to play
additional qualifying matches as part of the second round in the group stage.

In news from basketball. In a confrontation counting towards FIBA
EuroCup, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe this past Wednesday women’s team have bene eliminated
from competition, sustaining a 83-87 home defeat by French opponents LDLC ASVEL in
the second leg, as part of round of 16. Holders Sepsi had also been defeated in the
first leg they played in Lyon, 76-91. In Group L as part of the FIBA Europe Cup’s
men’s version, CSM CSU Oradea sustained a 66-74 away defeat by Polish
opponents Anwil Wloclawek. For CSM CSU Oradea, it was the third consecutive
defeat; notwithstanding, the Romanians still have a chance to advance to the quarterfinals. With
9 points, Wloclawek are at the top of the table, followed
by Brose Bamberg of Germany, with 8, CSM CSU Oradea, with 7 and Cypriot team Keravnos,
with 6. In Group I, SCM ”U” Craiova a sustained a 64-71 home defeat by French
team Cholet Basket. First-timers in the European cups, SCM ”U” Craiova sustained
their fifth consecutive defeat in the second round as part of the group stage.
SCM U Craiova are the bottom-of-the-table team according to the group rankings.

In women’s volleyball, CSM Lugoj this past
Wednesday grabbed a 3-2 win against Belgian side Beveren in the first leg as
part of the Challenge Cup’s quarterfinals. The return leg is scheduled on
February 8 in Lugoj. We recall that in the previous season, CSM Lugoj were
unable to go past the Challenge Cup’s quarterfinals. (EN)