Legendary gymnast Nadia Comaneci was in her native town of Onesti on Sunday for the apparatus finals of the 'Nadia Comaneci - Perfect 10' International Gymnastics Competition.

She was greeted outside the 'Nadia Comaneci' Sports Hall by dozens of children who chanted her name, offered her flowers and took photos with her.

Before entering the competition hall, Comaneci thanked them for the warm welcome and encouraged them to stay active.

'This is an important year for everyone: let's press a restart button for movement. Yes, movement, sport, health, independence - learn how to navigate life and find your limits in what you do, yes?,' Comaneci told the children from the steps of the sports hall that bears her name.

The iconic former gymnast also sounded the alarm over the lack of sports infrastructure and the absence of proper physical education in schools.

'We are missing physical education in school. Normally, it should have been ... as we had it in our time, we had physical education and sport. (...) Every school should have a program supported by the authorities so that children can do sport. Children today no longer have the patience to sit at their desks for so long. (...) So we are missing the foundation, and the foundation is important not for performance, but for the health of the population,' Comaneci said at a press conference in Onesti.

The 'Goddess of Montreal' also had a message for parents, urging them to guide their children toward sport.

'Parents need to understand that for children, sport is an investment in themselves, in their health, especially now when mental health is a major problem and children get lost. (...) We physically discovered every moment of our lives. They just press two buttons, so they lose that joy of discovering the world. And I believe sport is necessary. Sport helps you discover and understand that there are good days and bad days, that you have to be part of a team, and even if you don't feel well, you still have to go because your teammates are waiting for you, because you are responsible for being there with them,' the former great gymnast added.

Nadia Comaneci was in her hometown on Sunday to take part in a series of events dedicated to her, marking 50 years since she earned the first perfect 10 at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.

The day began with an exhibition titled 'Montreal and Beyond Time', by local artist Luminita Patraseanu.

After the apparatus finals and the official awards ceremony, the 'Goddess of Montreal' attended the launch of the NADIA COMANECI apparel collection, designed by Cristian Moreau.

The gala also featured sports demonstrations by 'Special Olympics', the 'Down Clopotica' Association, and gymnasts from the local sports club CSM Onesti.

Later, Nadia Comaneci walked the route called 'The Road to Perfection', from the apartment block where she grew up to the gymnastics hall at the CSM Onesti sports complex, which also bears her name.

The day concluded at the Carom Stadium in Onesti with the Champions' Gala that brought together major gymnastics champions as well as Olympic and world champions from several sports.

The event also included a special concert by Loredana, who is herself an Onesti native. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Gabriel Apetrii; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)