For the first time in history, Romania’s men’s team played in the final of the European Table Tennis Championship, held from October 12 to 19 in Zadar, Croatia, winning the continental silver medal. At the same time, the women’s team won the title of European runner-up for the third consecutive time.
Romania’s men’s team lost in the final to France, the favorite of the championship, in a 3-0 game. However, the silver medal they obtained was the first in 16 years for the men’s team. Until now, the team had played in six European semifinals, in 1958, 1964, 1966, 2005, 2007, and 2009, according to Profit.ro.
The silver medal, won by athletes Eduard Ionescu, Iulian Chirița, Ovidiu Ionescu, Darius Movileanu, Andrei Istrate, and coaches Andrei Filimon (head coach), Ionuț Seni (assistant), Anamaria Sebe (assistant), Mădălin Ionașcu (assistant), and Adrian Crișan (assistant), is also the best achievement for the Romanian men’s team.
At the same event, the women’s team won silver after losing in the final to Germany, 3-0. It was the sixth European final played by Romania’s women’s team and the third consecutive second-place finish, after the editions in 2023 (Malmö) and 2021 (Cluj-Napoca).
The silver-medal-winning team was made up of athletes Bernadette Szocs, Elizabeta Samara, Andreea Dragoman, Adina Diaconu, and Elena Zaharia. The women’s team last won gold in 2019.
(Photo source: Cristi Romanescu on Facebook)
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