Sports roundup
The latest from domestic football
Florin Orban, 20.07.2020, 13:45
The
International Olympic Committee last week approved a new series of qualifying
systems for all sports disciplines ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, delayed until 2021. According to the Spanish EFE news agency, important adjustments are stipulated for athletics, cycling,
weightlifting, basketball and judo. The Olympic football tournament will enable
footballers under 24 to take part in the Olympics, We recall the previous age
limit for participants was 23. Qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics will be
completed by June 29, 2021, while July the 5th is the athletes’
registration deadline. Olympic competitions will kick-start on July 23rd.
The Romanian Youth and Sports Ministers Ionut Stroe this past Saturday posted,
on a social network, a message stating that in Romania, stadiums remained closed
to the public. Stroe went on to say he was adamant about advocating his stance
because of the growing number of COVID-19 cases. Sport does need its
spectators, but stadiums will remain closed to the public as long as the virus still
poses a major threat to the people’s safety. We cannot possibly go easy on
public healthcare, the message also reads, posted by minister Stroe on his
personal Facebook account.
This
past weekend saw matched being played, counting towards the domestic football
championship. 8th round matches were played as part of Group 1. On Friday,
Astra Giurgiu trounced Gaz Metan Medias 4-nil, away from home. This past
Saturday’s scheduled fixture, pitting FCSB against CFR Cluj, was postponed
since the latter team’s 25-year old midfielder Alexandru Paun tested positive
for coronavirus. On Sunday, Universitatea Craiova grabbed a 2-1 win against FC
Botosani, 2-1. Craiova are at the top of the table, being four points clear
from CFR Cluj.
In
Group 2, matches were played, counting towards the championship’s 10th
round. On Friday, in Clinceni, the local
side Academica defeated FC Voluntari, 2-1. On Sunday, FC Hermannstadt from
Sibiu held Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe to a blank draw. This past Sunday’s game
pitting Chindia Targoviste against Dinamo Bucharest, both bottom-of-the-table
squads, was postponed since several footballers tested positive for COVID-19.
(Translation by Eugen Nasta)
