The president of the Romanian Table Tennis Federation (FRTM) Cristinel Romanescu told AGERPRES that the bronze medal won in May this year at the World Championships in the women's team event by the trio of Bernadette Szocs, Elizabeta Samara and Andreea Dragoman was an extraordinary gift for the federation's centennial anniversary.

Marking 100 years since the federation's establishment, the official stressed that Romanian table tennis has been and continues to be represented at the highest level, recalling the exceptional performances achieved in the 1950s by Angelica Rozeanu, who was included in the Guinness Book for her 17 world titles, as well as by Maria Alexandru, Ella Constantinescu, Mihaela Steff, Otilia Badescu, Daniela Dodean, Bernadette Szocs and Elizabeta Samara.

Yet the great wish of the federation led by Cristinel Romanescu remains the winning of an Olympic medal - the only distinction missing from the record of Romanian table tennis.

The FRTM president drew attention to a major handicap for the discipline, explaining that the federation does not have its own hall for training the national teams, and that Romania's infrastructure is a hundred years behind the major powers in Asia or Germany. He also pointed out the difficulties encountered in organizing the more than 30 annual domestic competitions in multipurpose halls, which are mainly occupied by team sports.

Another problem highlighted by Romanescu concerns the demotivation of athletes due to unpaid bonuses outstanding for more than two years - a particularly unpleasant situation in a centenary year and all the more pressing as next year the intense qualifications for the Olympic Games begin.

Despite these difficulties, Romania is nicknamed in the table tennis world 'the China of Europe', a status reflecting the results achieved over the past 25 years exclusively with athletes trained in the country, unlike all major European powers, which have relied on naturalizing players from Asia.

AGERPRES: What do you consider the most glorious moment in the history of Romanian table tennis?
Cristinel Romanescu: Looking across these 100 years, Romanian table tennis has always been represented at the highest level. First, we must not forget Angelica Rozeanu, who achieved remarkable performances in the 1950s. With so many world titles, she is included in the Guinness Book alongside the great athletes of the world. We also remember Maria Alexandru, Ella Constantinescu and many others who carried Romanian table tennis to European and world recognition. Today, Romania remains among the top countries in Europe and worldwide. This May, we won the bronze medal at the World Team Championships in London, showing the strength of Romanian table tennis from youth categories to seniors. In the last 12 years, our women's team has played every European Championship team final - winning some, losing others, but always on the podium. We also have numerous medals in individual events. The only medal missing from our record is the Olympic one. At the last three or four editions we finished fifth, close to the podium. We hope Los Angeles will bring that long-desired medal.

AGERPRES: Is the Olympic medal a special objective now, in the centenary year?
Cristinel Romanescu: Of course it is. It remains our main goal for the 2024 - 2028 Olympic cycle. At all major competitions, especially the Olympic Games, we aim for a medal. Our women's team has the strength and value to achieve it, and recently the men have come very close as well. Last year, at the European Team Championships, both teams reached the final - a first for the men's team. We lost to France, but Romania has an extremely young men's squad, aged 20 - 22, giving us hope for future results similar to those achieved by the women. For Los Angeles, the IOC has announced that the team event will be mixed. To be competitive, you need strong men and women - and we clearly aim for a medal.

AGERPRES: You mentioned Angelica Rozeanu. Are her six consecutive world singles titles the highest point in history?
Cristinel Romanescu: Yes. Those were exceptional results, achieved consecutively - something extremely difficult. That record will probably never be equalled.

AGERPRES: If you were to name the top three Romanian players of all time, Rozeanu would be first. Who would take the other two places?
Cristinel Romanescu: Rozeanu is naturally first. After that, it is difficult to choose. We have always had outstanding women players - Maria Alexandru, who carried the legacy after Rozeanu, and Ella Constantinescu. Later came Mihaela Steff, Otilia Badescu, and today Bernadette Szocs, Elizabeta Samara and Daniela Dodean. We've had generation after generation of top athletes with European and world results. Elizabeta Samara, for example, has won every possible European title - singles, doubles, mixed doubles and multiple team titles. Strictly by results, a ranking might be possible, but longevity and career trajectory matter just as much. I would place many players on the podium - they all deserve our respect. And we must never forget the coaches who dedicated their lives to forming these talents.

AGERPRES: Romanian table tennis seems historically dominated by women. Why have the men not reached the same level?
Cristinel Romanescu: There are several causes. The men's global field is stronger and deeper. Historically, boys also faced interruptions - military service meant losing two years of training, which affected continuity. Various circumstances created this gap. (...) However, in the last 15 years we have brought the men's team much closer to the women's level. Our programs, the coaches' work and the players' effort have produced results. Future generations, both women and men, will have a strong presence in European and world table tennis.

AGERPRES: Romanian table tennis continues to win medals despite fierce competition, especially from Asia. What is the main ingredient behind these results - work or talent?
Cristinel Romanescu: Both are essential, but I must first highlight a major problem: infrastructure. We do not have our own hall for national team training, which creates a huge handicap. Even today, at 100 years, the federation lacks a dedicated facility. In terms of infrastructure, compared with China, South Korea, Japan or Germany - our direct competitors - we are, frankly, a century behind. As for performance, work and perseverance come before talent. Without them, no matter how talented you are, you cannot achieve exceptional results. Talent alone may bring an isolated success, but it will not confirm long-term value.

AGERPRES: How difficult is it to attract sponsors in a sport that delivers consistent results but lacks the media exposure of football or tennis?
Cristinel Romanescu: This is a long-standing problem across Europe, not only in Romania. In Asia - China, Korea, Japan - we play in full arenas with over 10,000 paying spectators, which shows the strength of this sport. Investments there are enormous compared with ours.
In Romania it is very hard to attract sponsors because each partner wants maximum visibility. Despite our results, the lack of spectators locally makes sponsors hesitant. I hope things will change, as international and European federations are investing more and more. At the World Cup in Chengdu there were over 15,000 spectators; in London, at the World Championships in May, Romania's matches were played in front of more than 10,000 people, many of them Romanians. However, it was unpleasant that the Romanian television did not broadcast the World Championships, where our women won bronze. I don't think any other Romanian team sport today can claim a world podium. This 2026 bronze medal was an extraordinary centenary gift. We deserved it. The girls have unquestionable value. We beat very strong teams like South Korea and Taipei in the so-called 'group of death'; only China defeated us. We are on a good path and have high hopes for an Olympic medal.

AGERPRES: The transition from juniors to seniors is a major issue in Romanian sport. Many talents are lost. How does your federation manage this?
Cristinel Romanescu: It is increasingly difficult to keep athletes motivated at a high level. As they gain value internationally, they compare themselves with athletes from other countries and immediately see differences - especially in infrastructure and financial rewards. When they see the money earned elsewhere for European or world titles, they are disappointed. They tell us, we pass it on to decision-makers, but we do not know what long-term vision exists for high-performance sport. A major frustration is related to unpaid bonuses: for more than two years, the amounts owed for their results have not been transferred. This is extremely unpleasant, especially in a centenary year and with Olympic qualifications starting next year. We hope these young athletes remain motivated. In table tennis we have always managed to keep them dedicated to the national team. We have excellent coaches and champions at all levels, but we need financial support and infrastructure. We cannot compare with the best in the world. Our results are there, but what we receive in return is a quarter or half - or nothing, as with these unpaid bonuses. We have received many written complaints from athletes and parents, but these funds do not depend on the federation. We have fulfilled all our obligations.

AGERPRES: Have you received any response from the National Sports Agency?
Cristinel Romanescu: No, not yet. We do not know what will happen with these bonuses. We hope the situation is resolved quickly, especially as we are halfway through the Olympic cycle. Next year qualifications begin, along with European Games, World and European Championships - two very intense years. These frustrations weigh heavily on the athletes' morale. Moreover, the IOC decided in May that every athlete qualified for Los Angeles will receive a direct bonus of USD 10,000. This shows that Olympic qualification itself is highly valued globally. The world is changing, and Romania must keep pace if it wants high-performance sport.

AGERPRES: Given the infrastructure issues you mentioned, how do you see the future of Romanian table tennis?
Cristinel Romanescu: Strictly sport-wise, the situation is good. We are third in the world at women's teams, second in Europe with both teams, and have very young squads and exceptional juniors. But we do not know what the medium- and long-term future holds. Like all Romanian sport, we await change - starting with infrastructure. Many halls are not compliant, and those that are remain occupied mainly by team sports. Individual sports struggle to access multipurpose halls. These halls often refuse us, citing handball, basketball or volleyball schedules funded by city halls. FRTM has 33 - 34 national competitions per year, and we cannot fit them all into the short off-season of team sports. It is a constant dispute and a major frustration.

AGERPRES: In the circuit, Romania is often called 'the China of Europe'. Does this flatter or bother you?
Cristinel Romanescu: It does not bother us. Our results have been exceptional and consistent for 20 - 25 years across all age categories.
Romania is almost the only top European country that has not naturalized Asian players. Strong nations like Germany, France, Portugal, Spain or the Czech Republic have done so. We played European finals against Germany, that had three Chinese players, or the Netherlands with two - and we won with athletes trained entirely in Romania. This is why the table tennis world congratulates us and uses us as an example: the correct solution is developing your own athletes to compete with Asia, especially China. We are getting closer to China, both women and men. At the recent World Championships, the men lost 1 - 3, but we led 1 - 0 and played at the same level. It surprised the Chinese officials. No one knows what will happen next time.

AGERPRES: Do you have a message for the Romanian table tennis community on the federation's centenary?
Cristinel Romanescu: On behalf of the Romanian Table Tennis Federation and on my own behalf, I thank all practitioners, affiliated clubs, coaches and parents. Together we have formed top-level athletes for many years, and I hope Romanian table tennis remains just as strong for the next 100 years. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Marius Tone; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)