Gold medal for Romania’s women in the doubles competition at Table Tennis European Championship

Newsroom 22/10/2012 | 12:12

Romanian tennis players Daniela Dodean and Elizabeta Samara won the first prize in the Women’s Doubles competition at the European Championships that took place in Herning (Denmark), overcoming the Hungarian partnership of Krisztina Toth and Georgina Pota, with 7-11, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 21-19, 11-5, according to ettu.org (European Table Tennis Union).

According to International Table Tennis Federation, the victory of Daniela Dodean and Elizabeta Samara gives them a special place in the annals of Romanian table tennis. Despite the immense success enjoyed by Romania at the European Championships, no Romanian partnership has ever won the Women’s Doubles title on more than one occasion. Angelica Rozeanu won in Budapest in the inaugural tournament in 1958 when she partnered Ella Constantinescu; two years later in Zagreb she won again, on that occasion partnering Maria Alexandru. Two titles for Angelica Rozeanu and two for Maria Alexandru, she won again in 1978 in Duisburg, partnering Liana Mihut.

However, the most successful Romanian is Mihaela Steff. She won on three consecutive occasions; she struck gold inZagreb in 2002, one year later in Courmayeur and in 2005 in Aarhus but the successes were not with a compatriot, she partnered Croatia’s Tamara Boros on each occasion. In the men’s competition,Romania’s Adrian Crisan qualified for the semifinals of the European Championships in Herning,Denmark, on Saturday, ensuring that Romania will win a medal in the men’s table tennis competition after a 52-year break.