Sports Roundup

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Florin Orban, 11.12.2023, 13:45

Romania ended the European Short Course Swimming Championship with two bronze medals. In Otopeni, near Bucharest, Andrei Ungur ranked 3rd in the final of the 100m backstroke on Friday, then, on Sunday, David Popovici also finished 3rd in the 100m freestyle race. In 2021, at the previous edition of the European short course swimming championship, in Kazan, Russia, Popovici won the gold medal in the 200m freestyle, and Robert Glinţă won silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 50m backstroke.

Now news from handball. Romania’s women’s handball team will not go to next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. At the World Championships taking place these days in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, coach Florentin Pera’s trainees missed the qualification in the quarterfinals, a performance that would have opened their way to the pre-Olympic tournaments. From the main Group III, Denmark and Germany, the two teams that defeated Romania, managed to obtain qualification. On Saturday, the Romanian handballers defeated Japan 32 to 28. Romania’s last match takes place on Monday, against Poland.

We pass on to rugby. Dinamo Bucharest is Romania’s rugby champion again, after a 15-year break. On Saturday, at the Arcul de Triumf (Arch of Triumph) arena in Bucharest, in the final of the National League, the Dinamo players defeated the champion of the last four editions, Ştiinţa Baia Mare, score 17 to 13. It is the 17th national championship title won by Dinamo. SCM Timişoara won bronze, after defeating Steaua Bucharest in the third place match with the score 26-8.

Now football. Over the weekend, matches were played in the Romanian Football Superleague, counting for stage number 19. On Friday, Poli Iași defeated UTA Arad 1-0 at home. On Saturday, FC Voluntari won, away from home, against Rapid Bucharest, 2-1. With the same score, Hermannstadt defeated, on Sunday, in Sibiu, Universitatea Craiova. Also on Sunday, Farul Constanţa won the match in Ovidiu with Petrolul Ploieşti 3-1, and the match in Cluj, between CFR and FCSB, ended in a draw 1-1. Monday will see two more matches: FC U Craiova 1948 with FC Botoşani and Dinamo Bucharest with Universitatea Cluj. The stage ends on Tuesday, when Oţelul will take on Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe in Galati. FCSB leads the ranking, with 38 points. Next is CFR with 33. (LS)