The Romanian state does not seem to care about performance in sports. More than that he makes fun of athletes and coaches. The most prolific nursery of performance rowing does not even have a nautical base, the only wrestling hall will be demolished, and equipment has not been received for four years.
The place where Botošan fighters train
Botoșani County is a real nursery of world-class elite athletes, at least in heavy athletics. The North Moldavian county has given Romania elite rowers, Greco-Roman wrestlers and weightlifters. Every year, the national wrestling, weightlifting or rowing championships are dominated by athletes from Botošan. Many of them end up participating, with exceptional results, at the European Championships, the World Championships or even the Olympics. This year, at the Olympics in Paris, no less than 11 athletes from Botosani are participating in the Romanian team.
Among them is Simona Radiș, gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, four years ago, multiple European and world champion in rowing, wrestler Alin Alexuc, who is participating in the fourth Olympics, but also weightlifter Loredana Toma, also multiple European champion and worldwide. Rowing in particular is Botoșani’s strong point, being considered one of the best nurseries of performance athletes in Romania, in this sport. Considering the results, the people from Botošan can be said to be among the best rowers in the world at the moment. However, the Romanian state does not seem very interested in the huge potential of the northern Moldavian county in terms of sports. Nothing has been invested in Botošan rowing and the athletes are allowed to cover 400 kilometers just to train, and they have not received equipment for four years.
Botoșani, home of the queens of world rowing
Botoșani County is a land of waters. It is the second county in Romania in terms of water, with two large rivers and over 140 ponds, plus large reservoirs. Maybe that’s why the Botošan residents of the village have rowing in their blood. They seem to be made for this sport. Real world rowing legends have risen from Botoșani. One of them is Georgeta Damian Andrunache. Born in 1976, in the village of Dracșani, Botoșani county, on the banks of one of the largest ponds in Moldova, Georgeta Damian Andrunache dominated the national and world junior championships, and then, in the 8+1 team of Romania, won three rowing world championships in a row and in 2002, gold at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Simona Radiș and Ancuța Bodnar PHOTO AEP
Together with Viorica Susanu, he won the two-frame event at the World Championships in 2001 and 2002, but also the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. In Athens, he won another gold medal with the 8+1 crew. Iulia Bobeică (Bulie), from Gorbănești commune, is also from Botoșan. Iulia Bobeica, born in 1967, managed to be a three-time world champion and get a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. Moreover, every year, the Botoșani rowers are registered either at the Botoșani Sports Club or at the big clubs in the country achieve great performances. The last great star of Romanian rowing, of Botoșan origin, is Simona Radiș, from Avrămeni commune. Simona is 25 years old and competes in the doubles team, alongside her fellow Sucean Ancuța Bodnar, achieving incredible performances. He has three senior world titles, seven European titles and a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In doubles, he took the silver medal in Paris. Simona Radiș was discovered and selected by the coaches of the Botoșani Sports Club, but she practices rowing at the Steaua Bucharest club. For his part, rower Mugurel Semnciuc, aged 26, managed to get the silver medal at the world championships and also a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The list can continue with many other elite athletes discovered and trained in Botoșani county, by a dedicated team of trainers from the Botoșani Sports Club, which includes the famous Iulia Bobeica. “Many coaches from the country come and make selections in Botoșani for rowing. It is an extraordinary nursery recognized at the national level, with exceptional results”, says Andrei Amos, the deputy director of the Botoșani Sports Club, a real “factory” of champions.
Training 400 kilometers away
Despite the huge potential of the area in terms of sports performance, the Romanian state has not invested anything in Botošan rowing. The brunt of the performances is carried by the coaches and the athletes. Paradoxically, in this county, with a huge surface of sparkling water and villages full of children as if made for rowing, there is no nautical base for training athletes. In the most fortunate case, the child discovered, selected, by the coaches from Botoșani, as happened in the case of Simona Radiș, ends up at a big club in Bucharest. The others, with huge ponds just a stone’s throw away, have to travel 400 kilometers to Snagov to be able to train on the water.
National ergometer championship, in Botoșani PHOTO stiri.botosani.ro
In winter, they do physical training in the gym but also on the ergometer, a special device that imitates the rowing in the boat. “If we had a nautical base in Botoșani, otherwise there would be a problem. We could select more athletes. Since they are close to home, we would have another possibility of accommodation and meals, but also schooling. Close to parents, otherwise things would unfold. This is how they prepare at Snagov, the costs being substantial. For one day of accommodation and one day of meals at 25 lei for accommodation and 50 lei for meals, multiplied by 30 days, for 10-12 athletes, do a calculation. The costs are quite high”, says Andrei Amos. There was an initiative years ago to build a nautical base, on Sitna, in the town of Cătămărăști, but the project inexplicably failed.
The only wrestling hall in Romania, becomes history
The situation of rowing in Botoșani is not unique. Also in the North Moldavian county there is a good nursery of Greco-Roman wrestling. The wrestler Alin Alexuc, an athlete discovered and raised by the Botoșani Sports Club, is participating in the Olympic Games in Paris, being the athlete’s fourth participation in an Olympics. Alexuc is European champion but also has a bronze medal at the world championships. He was the only Romanian wrestler qualified for the Olympic Games in 2012 as well as in 2016. In addition to Alin Alexuc, who is the spearhead, there are other wrestlers from Botošan who have great results, especially at the national level. At the junior level, the High School with Sports Program in Botoșani ranked first, nationally, in Greco-Roman wrestling last year. Moreover, Botoșani was proud of the only special wrestling hall in Romania.
For more than 15 years, the wrestling hall has remained closed, in disrepair and will most likely be demolished with the rehabilitation of the Municipal Stadium. The Sports Club has a small hall, unsuitable for the big performance. “The wrestling room is no longer ours, it belongs to the City Hall. The stadium, where it is, will be demolished to make way for a new one, so you can imagine its fate. That gym was built specifically for wrestling, the only gym in the country built specifically for wrestling.“, says Andrei Amos. The hall had a special surface for practicing wrestling, it had acceptable dimensions, even stands and enough space for strength machines. The great Romanian fighter, Ștefan Rusu said about the fate of the gym in Botoșani, “it’s a shame about this gym because champions could really be born here”. “An Olympic wrestling center could be made here“, adds Andrei Amos.
“Without infrastructure you can’t have champions”
Andrei Amos, after more than three decades of experience in Botošan sports, says that without adequate sports infrastructure there is no point in deluding ourselves that we can raise champions. Or in other words there should be an endless effort of only athletes and coaches. “It is the most important. Without infrastructure you cannot perform, have champions. You start from the children, from the selection and you have to take them to a certain level of participation, to European championships, world championships. If they don’t have a place to train in the right conditions, you can’t reach that level of performance”states Amos.
The deputy director of the Sports Club testifies, among other things, that the athletes have not received equipment for four years. And those used for major competitions are very expensive. Only a special jumpsuit costs over 300 lei, and the specific footwear reaches 700 lei. In addition, athletes also need specific nutrition and recovery bases after competitions.
