Two champions of Romania, outraged by the state's indifference: "We haven't received our money for two years"

Two champions of Romania, outraged by the state’s indifference: “We haven’t received our money for two years”

The table tennis player Bernadette Szocs and the weightlifter Mihaela Cambei stated, on Monday, at the headquarters of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, that in the last two years they did not receive from the National Agency for Sports the money due for the medals obtained at the international competitions. The two face the authorities.

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“I haven’t received any awards for two years. What more can I say? Unfortunately we did not receive them, but I trust that we will receive them. Because every athlete participates with an open heart, we represent Romania as best we can, with pride, and then I hope we will be rewarded as we deserve“, said Bernadette Szocs, world vice-champion in women’s doubles in 2025, bronze medalist at the World Team Championships in 2026 and multiple European champion.

Weightlifter Mihaela Cambei expressed her hope that this year she will receive the sums due to her following the performances achieved.

“This year we are also waiting for the award, because we haven’t received it in the last two years either. It is the money for European and World. It is quite difficult, because we need this financial support, but we try to understand and wait. But we hope not to wait too long. I would have liked to invest them in something, but I had nothing to do. I have nothing to do until the money comes in”, said Cambei, Olympic vice-champion in Paris in 2024, world vice-champion and multiple European champion.

Cambei stated that in 2026 the most important competition will be the World Championship in China, the first qualifying competition for the Los Angeles Olympic Games: “At the moment I have no emotions for the Olympics in Los Angeles. I will be excited for the World Championship in China, which is at the end of October, because it will also be the first competition for the Olympic Games qualifications“.

Athletes Bernadette Szocs and Mihaela Cambei participated, on Monday, in an event at the COSR headquarters, where a partnership was signed between the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee and the airline AnimaWings.

Adrian Stoica

Adrian Stoica

Adrian is the founder and the visionary behind Cluj Napoca, a media platform committed to capturing and sharing the vibrant stories of Cluj-Napoca and Romania with an international audience. A graduate in international journalism from the University of Bucharest and holder of a Master’s in Cultural Studies from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Adrian has a robust educational background that equips him to understand and analyze the complexities of his native region's culture and history.