Two national teams reach the podium at the international ‘Friendship Cup’ held at Chisinau Arena
Water polo has a bright future in the Republic of Moldova! Two teams from our country reached the podium at the international "Friendship Cup," held at the "Chisinau Arena," featuring athletes aged 14 and under.
The winner of the tournament was the team from the Specialized Sports School of Water Polo No. 4, named after Gheorghe Osipov. The team from Chisinau defeated the representative from Lviv, Ukraine, in the grand final. After trailing 0:1, the hosts turned the score around and held on to win 15:12.
"We had incredible emotions. We felt the strength of our teamwork. We worked hard, persevered, and ultimately succeeded," said Teodor Rotaru, a player from the Specialized Sports School of Water Polo No. 4.
The team from the Specialized Sports School "Delfin" in Chisinau finished in 3rd place.
"The tournament was superb and very well organized. There were many supporters. We weren't lucky at times, but overall I enjoyed the tournament. For three consecutive years, I achieved victories with the team of Specialized Sports School No. 4, but this time they emerged victorious. They became stronger than we expected," said Chiril Pismenîi, the team captain of "Delfin."
Eight teams competed in the international tournament. In addition to the three teams from the Republic of Moldova, there were representatives from Ukraine, Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria.
"The level of the teams was quite high, with a few exceptions. In recent years, junior teams have been achieving impressive results. There are two specialized water polo schools in Chisinau, and this sport is gaining popularity. Around 1,200 children are enrolled in these institutions, leading to intense competition," said Oleg Gribanov, director of the Specialized Water Polo School "Delfin."
The International Tournament "Friendship Cup" reached its second edition this year.
