Sports Roundup
News from weightlifting, wrestling, handball, and football.
Florin Orban, 20.04.2026, 13:45
The Romanian athlete Mihaela Valentina Cambei, an Olympic vice-champion in Paris, won a gold medal and two silver medals in the 53 kilo category on Sunday at the European Weightlifting Championships in Batumi, Georgia. The Romanian won the gold in the snatch event, with 95 kilos, and silver in the clean and jerk (114 kilos) and in the overall standings (209 kilos). The gold medals in the snatch and overall went to the Belgian Nina Sterckx. Romania sent 15 athletes to the Batumi competitions: seven girls and eight boys.
The European Judo Championships also took place in Georgia, but in Tbilisi. Nine athletes from Romania took part, 8 of them in the men’s competition and one in the women’s competition. They came back with only one medal: bronze in 90 kilo event, thanks to Alex Creț. The Romanians had not won a medal at the European Championships since 2024, in Zagreb, when Alex Creț also won the bronze in the 90 kilo category. Romania’s last continental title dates back to 2015, when Andreea Chițu won the 52 kilo category in Glasgow.
In the women’s handball Champions League, matches counting for the first leg of the quarterfinals took place on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, in Bistrița, Gloria was defeated 36-35 by the French team Brest Bretagne, then, in Denmark, Team Esbjerg won 26-25 against CSM București. The return matches of the Romanian teams are scheduled for Sunday. No Romanian team has moved past the Champions League quarter-finals since 2018.
In the Romanian football Super League, matches were scheduled over the weekend for the 5th leg of the final phase. In the play-out, where the fight to avoid relegation to the second tier is underway, Oțelul Galați beat UTA 1-0 on Friday. On Saturday, in Miercurea Ciuc, Csikszereda won 3-2 against Unirea Slobozia, and on Sunday, in Ploiești, Petrolul and Hermannstadt drew 1-1. The last games, on Monday: FC Botoșani vs Metaloglobus and Farul Constanța vs FCSB. UTA and FCSB hold the top two places, which lead to the play-offs for the Conference League qualifiers. In the bottom two, which lead to direct relegation, are Slobozia and Metaloglobus.
In the play-offs, where the stake is winning the championship, CFR Cluj beat FC Argeș 1-0 in Mioveni on Friday. On Saturday in Bucharest Dinamo defeated Universitatea Cluj 2-1, and on Sunday, Universitatea Craiova won 1-0 at home against Rapid Bucharest. The top two positions, tied on points, are Universitatea Cluj and Universitatea Craiova. (AMP)
