On Thursday, Romania won three gold medals in table tennis at the Games of La Francophonie in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, write Agerpres.
After the gold in the mixed team event, Romania won all the other table tennis events – mixed doubles, women’s singles and men’s singles.
In the women’s singles, Elena-Adriana Zaharia beat Rima Hlgatian (Armenia) 3-0 in the semi-finals, and in the final she defeated Tunisian Fadwa Garci 3-0 (11-4, 11-1, 11-7).
In the men’s singles event, Andrei-Eduard Ionescu prevailed 3-1 in the semi-final over Cameroonian Ylane Batix, and in the final he won against Fabio Adrien Rakotoarimanana of Madagascar 3-1 (11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7).
In the mixed doubles final, Zaharia and Ionescu defeated the Ryan Heendiressen Desscann/Sandhana Ivana Desscann (Mauritius) duo 3-0 (11-2, 1-5, 11-6).
In African wrestling, the Romanian men’s team (Razvan-Marian Kovacs, Maxim Vasilioglo, Nicolae Mihai Palaghia, Alexandru Besliu) beat Burkina Faso 3-2, but lost to Niger 0-5 in the group and will compete for bronze against Burkina Faso on Saturday.
Runner Maria Bisericescu advanced to the final of the women’s 200m race.
Romania consolidated its second position in the overall medal ranking, with 11 gold, 6 silver and 8 bronze medals, behind Morocco (14-12-15) and ahead of Cameroon (8-5-11)
Romania’s gold medallists so far are Razvan Marian Kovacs (men’s freestyle wrestling 57 kg), Maxim Vasilioglo (men’s freestyle wrestling, 74 kg), Beatrice Ionela Ferent (women’s wrestling, 53 kg), Amina Roxana Capezan (women’s wrestling, 65 kg), Maria Larisa Nitu (women’s wrestling, 72 kg), Catalina Axente (women’s wrestling, 76 kg), mixed table tennis team (Andrei-Eduard Ionescu, Elena-Adriana Zaharia), Alin Alexandru Firfirica (men’s athletics – shot put), mixed table tennis team (Andrei-Eduard Ionescu, Elena-Adriana Zaharia), mixed doubles table tennis (Eduard Ionescu/Elena Zaharia), Eduard Ionescu (table tennis – men’s singles) and Elena Zaharia (table tennis – women’s singles).
Silver medals went to Ukrainian-born Kateryna Zhydachevska (women’s wrestling, 59 kg), Mihai Nicolae Palaghia (men’s freestyle wrestling, 92 kg), Anamaria Nesteriuc (women’s athletics – 100 m hurdles) , Federica Apostol (women’s athletics – high jump), Alexandru Matei (men’s judo 60kg), Florina Badiceanu (women’s judo, 52kg).
Bronze medals went to Stefan Ionut Coman (men’s freestyle wrestling, 65 kg), Ana-Maria Pirvu (women’s wrestling, 50 kg), Adina Ionela Irimia (women’s wrestling 68 kg), Catalin Buta (men’s cycling, road race), Marius Musteata (men’s athletics – shot put), Lucian Laris Bors-Dumitrescu (men’s judo -66 kg), Andreea Iuliana Lungu (athletics, women’s discus throw), Women’s 4×100 relay race (athletics – Marina Andreea Baboi, Maria Bisericescu, Anamaria Nesteriuc, Cristina Daniela Balan).
Romania has lined up 57 athletes for the 9th edition of the Games of La Francophonie , July 28 – August 6, in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, competing in athletics, women’s basketball, freestyle wrestling and African wrestling, road cycling, table tennis and judo.
