Sports Roundup
During the competition break, several Romanian football teams are training abroad.
Florin Orban, 05.01.2026, 13:45
The 2026 edition of the Dakar Rally has kicked off in Saudi Arabia. Romania is represented only in the motorcycle competition by Emanuel Gyenes. The first stage of the motorcycle race was won on Sunday by Spain’s Edgar Canet from Red Bull KTM. Gyenes finished 22nd, 25.22 minutes behind the winner. This is his 16th Dakar edition. His best result was 14th overall in the 2016 final standings.
The year started with several tennis tournaments scheduled in the southern hemisphere ahead of the Australian Open. At the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane, totaling $1.7 million in prizes, Sorana Cîrstea won her first-round match against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, score 6-3, 6-1. Also in the opening round, Marie Bouzkova of Czechia defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-4, 6-3, while Sofia Kenin of the USA defeated Gabriela Ruse 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
In news from ice hockey, Corona Braşov has consolidated its lead in the Erste League regional ice hockey competition after defeating Budapest Jegkorong Akademia away from home on Sunday, score 4-3. The defending champions ACSH Gheorgheni lost away from home to DEAC Debrecen, 4-0. The other team from Harghita enrolled in the competition, Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc, also lost away from home to Miskolc’s Jegesmedvek, 5-3. Corona ranks first in the League standings with 60 points from 26 games, followed by Gheorgheni, 7 points behind.
Romanian football teams have started their winter training campaign. Several clubs are abroad, where they also have friendly matches scheduled. CFR Cluj players convened on Saturday and left for Spain on Sunday to Oliva Nova for a training camp ending January 14. CFR has signed Swedish player Alibek Aliev during the winter break. In recent seasons, Aliev played for Swedish top-flight team Östers, totaling 63 caps 25 goals.
Dinamo Bucharest is training in Antalya, Turkey, with two friendly matches scheduled over the coming days. Dinamo will first play Swiss side Young Boys Bern on January 7. Young Boys previously played FCSB in Europa League and are currently sitting in 5th place in the Swiss top-flight competition. The next day, on January 8, Dinamo will play South Korea’s Gangwon, who finished 5th in the Korean top league last year. Rapid Bucharest is also training in Antalya and will play two friendly matches: January 10 against Polish leaders Wisla Plock, and on January 11 against Bulgaria’s second-placed CSKA 1948 Sofia. (VP)
