Sports weekend

The latest from men's and women's handball and football

Florin Orban, 09.12.2022, 13:45

The World
Weightlifting Championships are ongoing in Bogota, Colombia, this coming
weekend. In the women’s version of the competition, in the 55-kilogram
category, Andreea Cotruta came in 4th overall, with 194 kilograms,
according to a Romanian Weightlifting Federation’s Facebook post. In the snatch
style Cotruta managed a deadlift of 87 kilograms and was 4th-placed.
In the clean-and-jerk style, Andreea Cotruta came in 6th, with 107 kilograms.
So far, Romania has won only one medal, as this past Tuesday, in the
49-kilogram category, Mihaela-Valentina Cambei won
silver in the snatch style. The World Weightlifting Championships are the only official
competition that matters for the qualification to the 2024 edition of the Olympic
Games in Paris.

In news from men’s handball, on Thursday, in
the Champions League, Dinamo Bucharest and Croatian opponents PPD Zagreb drew, 27-all.
Dynamo’s most efficient scorer was Ukrainian Andriy Akimenko with 6 goals. Iranian-born
Romanian goalkeeper Saeid Heidarirad had no less than 17 interventions, with a
save ratio standing at more than 40 percent. Dinamo Bucharest are 4th-placed
in group A, and next week Romanian title holders go against Hungarian opponents
Veszprem.

In women’s handball, this coming weekend
will see fixtures being played, counting towards the European Cups. In the Champions
League’s Group A, this coming Sunday in Budapest, CSM play Ferencvaros. Cristina
Neagu’s team is 2nd-placed the group, on a par with top-of-table
team, Norway’s Vipers Kristiansand. In Group B, Rapid Bucharest play a home
game against another Hungarian team, the current championship leader, Gyor, on
home turf on Sunday. Romanian title holders Rapid are 4th-placed in Group
B, with two points less than the group’s top-of-the-table team.

Also in news from women’s handball, EHF
European League fixtures will also be played at the weekend. Three Romanian
teams play in the second round as part of the third preliminary round. On Saturday,
Măgura Cisnădie play a home game against Hungarian team Siófok, the winning
team of the first leg, 33 to 24. On Sunday, Ramnicu Valcea Municipal Sport Club
Municipal play a home game against Swedish team Höör,
whom they trounced last week away from home 31-24. Also on Sunday, Gloria Buzău
play a home fixture against Hungarian opponents Mosonmagyaróvár. Gloria need to come from behind and win, in the
wake of a 26-29 defeat in Hungary. The third preliminary round’s winning teams
will play in the European League’s group stage early in 2023. next year.

I

n the Romanian Superleague in football, on
Friday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe take on FC Voluntari. On Saturday, FC Hermannstadt
face Farul Constanţa, with the fixture being hosted by the new stadium in
Sibiu. Three matches are scheduled on Sunday, when Universitatea Cluj are
pitted against UTA Arad, FC Botoşani face CFR Cluj, while Chindia Târgovişte play
FCSB. On Monday, in Craiova, one of the local sides, FC U Craiova go against FC
Arges. On home turf, FC Mioveni
play Universitatea Craiova. In the
round’s last fixture on Wednesday, Rapid Bucharest play Petrolul Ploieşti. Farul
are at the top of the table, with 44 points. CFR Cluj
are the runner-up team, with 40 points. (EN)