The national triathlon championships, organised in partnership with the Romanian Triathlon Federation, concluded the series of events held as part of Aegyssus Sport Fest at the end of last week and marked the opening of the tourist season in the Danube Delta for outdoor sports enthusiasts, who are expected at the end of this week to take part in the Ivan Patzaichin International Rowing Marathon.

More than 250 athletes aged between 6 and 65 took part on Sunday in the triathlon competitions held on the shore of Ciuperca Lake, including the national super sprint championships organised by the Romanian Triathlon Federation.

'As in any sport, we are somehow up to date financially, but there are certain delays. However, we are adapting to the current situation and trying to keep triathlon alive in Tulcea. On May 30-31, we have another competition in Mamaia. It will also include the Regional Development Cup, we will have competitors from other countries and there will be three triathlon events,' Romanian Triathlon Federation secretary general Andrei Andreiu told AGERPRES.

He competed alongside local host Mihai Ivanov, representative of the Aqua Vita Delta club and organiser of the Delta Triathlon competition, an event brought to Tulcea by multiple Olympic champion Ivan Patzaichin.

'This time I won't beat Andrei because we are in different age categories,' Mihai Ivanov joked.

The first athlete to cross the finish line in the national super sprint triathlon championships was Anna Maria Besenyei of Seven Athletic. Competing in Tulcea for the tenth time, she also spoke to the audience about her experience as a student in the United States.

'I was hoping for a good result in this competition, but at the same time I had just returned from America on Tuesday and did not know how I would feel. It seems, however, that I felt good. I cannot say academic life in the US is easy or suited to everyone. We train at least 20 hours a week and also have at least 20 hours of classes, but I can say that I like the atmosphere,' said Anna Maria Besenyei, winner of the national super sprint triathlon event.

In the men's competition, the winner of the same event was Steaua athlete Vlad Remzing, also a veteran of the Tulcea competition, attracted by the city's hosting of a national-level event.

'l walked around the city and rode my bicycle. We said we would also come to the Delta, but the time has not come yet. The next competition will be in Mamaia and it could help Romania's team qualify for the Olympic Games,' Vlad Remzing said.

For many participants in the Tulcea competition, the event was effectively a way of testing their own abilities in order to perform even better in future races.

'The race was good. I need to learn how to handle open waters better. The cycling course had several 180-degree turns, but I managed better than I expected, while the running part went very well, especially since the lake helped cool me down. I know what I need to improve for the competition in Mamaia,' said Mihai Rares Dobre, a member of Bucharest-based club Unstoppable.

Aegyssus Sport Fest featured nine Olympic and non-Olympic sports competitions, all facing financial difficulties despite being recognised by the national authorities. The Romanian Pangration Athlima Federation is among them.

'Unfortunately, the budget allocated this year was very small and we were forced to lay off two of our three employees. We only kept the accountant because we cannot cover salaries. With the support of the National Sports Agency, we managed to organise two major international competitions in recent years, but we were also forced to attract sponsors because the sponsorship law does not help us,' said Gheorghe Cojocaru, chairman of the Romanian Pangration Athlima Federation.

The current geopolitical context continues to cast uncertainty over the venues that will host major international competitions this year.

'In November, we will take part in the World Championships, which will be held either in Germany or Greece, but we have not yet received official confirmation,' federation chairman Gheorghe Cojocaru also said.

According to archaeological evidence, pangration athlima was practised as far back as the 7th century BC, including by Socrates, while in Tulcea the Sakura Dojo club, affiliated to the national federation, was founded 35 years ago.

'In pangration, we hold the world champion title won two years ago and the European champion title obtained last year in Greece. Around ten athletes took part then and most of them reached the podium. When we first affiliated to the federation and entered a competition, after two years we managed to win third place. We celebrated as if we had won the Olympics. Last year, around 3,500 athletes took part in the world championships,' said Sakura Dojo chairman Ovidiu Tarlogeanu.

For many people, sport is not only a leisure activity but also a form of personal development.

'Chess helps me be fair-play towards others, teaches me how to lose without getting upset, helps me in mathematics because I can look at things as a whole and in perspective, and helps me socialise with different people and discover new places in Romania. Although I did not achieve my best results in this competition, I enjoyed it because I played some interesting games and had fun, and that is the main purpose when I come to a chess tournament,' said Maria Butacu from Galati, a ninth-grade student and former national chess runner-up two years ago, after the rapid chess tournament organised by Logic Delta club as part of Aegyssus Sport Fest.

Maria's coach, Ionel Covrig, also took part in the rapid chess tournament and said afterwards he was proud to have been defeated by his students.

'We are proud of Romania's youngest grandmaster, Samuel Ghimpu. The satisfaction is even greater when you see results from children you took on from kindergarten or preparatory school. I want more and more students to defeat me, because that is in fact the greatest satisfaction for a teacher. As for the Tulcea competition, we can only give it top marks, because besides medals and participation diplomas, the children also receive prize money, and for them it means a lot to put it in their piggy banks,' said ACS Galati chairman Ionel Covrig.

Chess is not a traditional sport in the county, so the Logic Delta club is already making history after Tulcea's chess players secured promotion to Division A for the first time last year, according to the club chairman.

'The five athletes who managed to promote the Logic Delta team to Division A are Sebastian Laurentiu Sarighioleanu, Matei Mocanita, Dimitrie Miron, Eduard Panaite and Daniel Lefterache. We are trying to keep three juniors in Division A and perhaps attract senior athletes as well, at least one grandmaster, in order to remain in Division A, because it is very difficult to survive with juniors alone,' said Logic Delta chairman Marius Sarighioleanu.

Aegyssus Sport Fest, financially supported by Tulcea City Hall, ended on Sunday, but the stone chess tables on the Ivan Patzaichin promenade in Tulcea are used almost daily.

'We play chess here throughout the summer season. We do not go to competitions. We have our own competition here. There are also those chessboards on the pavement with large pieces. Children sometimes come and play with them. We prefer these smaller ones,' said two elderly men focused on their game.

The tourist season in the Danube Delta for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts will continue at the end of this week with the Ivan Patzaichin International Rowing Marathon. Now in its second edition, the event organised by the Ivan Patzaichin-Mila 23 Association (IPM23) will start on Saturday morning in Tulcea and conclude on Sunday in the village of Mila 23, along the reserve's first route dedicated to non-motorised boats, 'Ivan's Delta'.

The roughly 45-kilometre route can be covered by kayak, canoe, stand-up paddle board and canotca boats and is intended not only as a sports competition, but also as a model for sustainable tourism combining environmental protection, ecological education, promotion of natural and cultural heritage and the development of innovative infrastructure.

Elite athletes will compete in a dedicated section, while recreational participants will be able to spend the night at a specially arranged stop along the route. The Ivan Patzaichin International Rowing Marathon will conclude with a party at the museum dedicated to the great athlete in the village of Mila 23. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Luisiana Bigea; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)