Sport in Romania

The most popular sport in Romania is football (soccer). Other popular sports include team handball, basketball, rugby union, tennis and gymnastics.

Football (soccer)

See also Football in Romania

The best known footbal player ever to come from Romania is Gheorghe Hagi. Other famous Romanian players include: Nicolae Dobrin, Marcel Răducanu, Dan Coe, Necula "Tamango" Răducanu, Florea Dumitrache, Emerich Dembrovschi, Radu II, Gheorghe Popescu, Dan Petrescu, Miodrag Belodedici, Ilie Balaci, Ilie Oana, Rodion Cămătaru, Dudu Georgescu, Adrian Ilie, Marius Lăcătuş, Helmuth Duckadam, Ladislau Boloni, Ilie Dumitrescu, Cornel Dinu, Florin Răducioiu, Ion Oblemenco, Cristian Chivu, Aurel Lucaciu and Adrian Mutu.

The top football teams in Romania include Dinamo Bucuresti, Steaua Bucureşti, and Rapid Bucureşti.

Handball

Handball is the most popular sport in Romania after football. The Romanian men's national team has won the Handball World Cup a record 4 times (1961, 1964, 1970, and 1974). The only other team to have matched this record is Sweden in 1999. Steaua and Dinamo have also won several European titles over the years.

Romania has produced many great handball players, including Gheorghe Gruia, Vasile Stângă, Cornel Penu, Ioan Moşer, and Cristian Gaţu.

Basketball

Basketball is a very popular sport among Romanian youth. Gheorghe Mureşan was the first Romanian to enter NBA, and he became known as the tallest man ever to play in that league. Another product of the Romanian basketball school was Toni Alexe.

Rugby union

See also Rugby union in Romania

Rugby union is a fairly popular team sport played in Romania with a tradition of more than 80 years.

Though maybe not the force they once were, the Romanian national rugby team has so far competed at every Rugby World Cup.

Tennis

Romania reached the Davis Cup finals three times (1969, 1971, 1972). The most famous Romanian tennis player of all times is Ilie Năstase, presented by the Tennis Hall of Fame presents as "the most talented player ever to hold the racquet". He was the only Romanian player to every achieve the number 1 ranking. Other famous men's tennis players include Ion Ţiriac and Andrei Pavel. In ladies' tennis, Virginia Ruzici, Irina Spîrlea, and Ruxandra Dragomir are among the top Romanian players of all times.

Gymnastics

Romania holds a long tradition in artistic gymnastics, especially in the ladies' competition. The most famous Romanian gymnast is Nadia Comăneci, who was the first gymnast to ever score a perfect 10 at the Olympic games, during the 1976 Summer Olympics. Other famous gymnasts include: Lavinia Miloşovici, Gina Gogean, Simona Amânar, Andreea Răducan, Maria Olaru, and Cătălina Ponor.

Top Romanian men's gymnasts include Marius Urzică and Marian Drăgulescu.

Olympics

See also Romania at the Summer Olympics

Romania has appeared in 18 of 25 of the Summer Olympic Games. The nation debuted at the 1900 Summer Olympics, appeared again three times between the World Wars, and has competed at every event since the 1952 Summer Olympics.

Oina

See also Oina in Romania

Oina is a traditional Romanian sport with similarities to baseball.