Sports flash

We begin with news from women's handball. As part of the ongoing European Women's Handball Championship, Romania has advanced to the competition's main group stage. On Wednesday in Skopje, Romania outclassed the host country team, North Macedonia, 31 -23. With 10 goals, our national squad's top scorer was Cristina Neagu. Romanian keeper Daciana Hosu was the best player of the match, with a buoyant 43.5% mean save percentage. Romanian has thus come in 3rd in Group C. In main group II, head-coach Florentin Pera's trainees will join France and Montenegro, each with 4 points, the Netherlands and Spain, with 2 points each, and Germany, which gained access to the main group stage with zero points, the same as Romania. On Friday, Romania goes against Spain. The first two teams in each main group will advance to the Championship's semifinals.

Matches counting towards the second round as part of Romanian Cup in Football's group stage are scheduled this week. On Tuesday, in Group A, in Ploiesti, the local side Petrolul were held to a blank draw by Unirea Slobozia. In Bucharest, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe won the game against Dinamo, 3 - 2. In Group B, CS Mioveni grabbed a 1-nil home win against FC Botoşani. On Wednesday, UTA Arad defeated Gloria Buzău, 3-1, away from home. Also on Wednesday, in Group C, in Bucharest, Farul Constanţa defeated Rapid, 2-nil. In Group D, FC Hermannstadt defeated Minaur Baia Mare 3-2 also away from home. In Ploiesti, Chindia Târgovişte and FC Argeş drew, 1-all. In Zlatna, Ocna Mureş and Universitatea Craiova drew, also 1-all. On Thursday, in Group A, FC U Craiova go against Voluntari, and in Group B, Oţelul Galaţi play FCSB. In Group C, Alexandria play Universitatea Cluj, while Dumbrăviţa are pitted against CFR Cluj.

The Romania-Hungary confrontation, counting towards the play-off stage as part of the Billie Jean King Cup in women's tennis is scheduled in Oradea this coming Friday and Saturday. Part of Romania's team are Ana Bogdan, Jaqueline Cristian, Gabriela Ruse, Monica Niculescu and first-timer Anca-Alexia Todoni. The head of the Romanian delegation is non-playing captain Horia Tecău. In the women's singles, best-placed is Ana Bogdan, WTA 48th, while in the women's doubles, WTA 47th Monica Niculescu is the best-placed among the Romanian tennis players. (EN)