Sports roundup

Florin Orban, 19.07.2021, 13:33

We’re only
a couple of days away from the kick-start of the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Romania has sent a 101-strong delegation to the upcoming edition of the
Olympics. In 17 sports disciplines, 46 athletes will be competing in the women’s
version of the games, and 55 in the men’s version. Our athletes are set to
prove their mettle in swimming, athletics, rowing, football, artistic
gymnastics, 3-on-3 women’s basketball, cycling, wrestling, shooting sports,
canoeing, table tennis, boxing, judo, archery and lawn tennis.

Also included
in the delegation are 9 substitute athletes and 40 head-coaches. Footballers at
the first ones to enter the competition, one day before the Olympics’ opening
ceremony. On July 22, our national team goes against Honduras.

The
European officials have made public the fact that in a written message
dispatched to the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas
Bach, they demanded that the European Union flag should accompany the Slovenian
delegation at the opening ceremony held in Tokyo on Friday. Signing the letter
were the European Commission’s Vice-president, Margaritis Schinas, and
Slovenian prime Minister Janez Jansa. We recall that Slovenia has taken over
the Union’s rotating presidency as of July the 1st this year.

Horia
Tecău and Kevin Krawietz were defeated in the men’s doubles final in the
Hamburg tennis tournament, an event with 1, 030, 900 Euro in prize money all told.
The pair made of Germany’s Tim Puetz and Michael Venus of New Zealand secured a
6-3, 6-7, 10-8 win against the Romanian-German pair. It was for the fourth time
when Tecău and Krawietz teamed up for a final fixture, and their second match
on a clay court. Tecau and Krawietz won their only title together in June this
year, in Halle, on a grass court. Tecau and Krawietz played the final of the
Rotterdam tournament on a hard court. They played another final in Barcelona,
on a clay court.

A new
edition of the Romanian League One domestic football championship kick-started
late last week. On Thursday, FC Botosani held FCSB to a blank draw. On Friday,
Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe grabbed a 2-nil home win against Academica Clinceni. Also
on Friday, holders CFR Cluj secured a 3-2 win against FC U Craiova. On
Saturday, Gaz Metan Medias won the game they played against CS Mioveni, 1-nil,
while Universitatea Craiova grabbed a 1-nil home win against FC Arges.

On
Sunday, UTA Arad ended in a blank draw the home fixture against Farul
Constanta. In a match hosted by the National Arena in Bucharest, Rapid defeated
Chindia Targoviste, 1-nil.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)