The most popular sport in Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

 is football. Other popular sports include team handball

Team handball

Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...

, basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

, tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

 and gymnastics

Gymnastics

Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...

.

Football

Football is popular in Romania, the most internationally known player being Gheorghe Hagi

Gheorghe Hagi

Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time...

, who played for Steaua Bucureşti (Romania), Real Madrid

Real Madrid C.F.

Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

, FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona

Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

 (Spain) and Galatasaray

Galatasaray S.K. (football team)

Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....

 (Turkey), among others. Other famous Romanian players include: Nicolae Dobrin

Nicolae Dobrin

Nicolae Dobrin was a Romanian football player. Dobrin is considered by many to be the best Romanian player of the 1960s and 1970s and one of the most talented players ever to play the game...

, Ilie Balaci

Ilie Balaci

Ilie Balaci is a retired Romanian football midfielder.He was born in Bistreţ, Dolj County and debuted in Divizia A with FC Universitatea Craiova in 1973. He played 12 seasons for Universitatea, winning the league titles in 1980 and 1981. The team also won the Romanian Cup in 1977, 1978, 1981 and...

, Dudu Georgescu, Florea Dumitrache

Florea Dumitrache

Florea Dumitrache was a Romanian football striker. He was considered one of the best Romanian strikers of all time.-Career:...

, Ion Oblemenco

Ion Oblemenco

Ion Oblemenco was a Romanian football striker who spent the majority of his career playing for Universitatea Craiova. He is the club's all-time top goalscorer with a total of 167 goals, and the club's stadium is named in his honour.-Early years:Oblemenco was born in Corabia, Olt County...

, Dan Coe

Dan Coe

-Club career:He was born in Bucharest and debuted in Divizia A with Rapid Bucureşti in 1962. He remained with Rapid for eleven seasons, winning the league title in 1967. He then went to play in Belgium....

, Cornel Dinu

Cornel Dinu

Cornel Dinu is a retired Romanian football defender.He was born in Târgovişte and debuted in Divizia A with Dinamo Bucureşti in 1966. He remained with Dinamo throughout his career, winning six league titles and two cup titles....

, Marcel Răducanu

Marcel Raducanu

Marcel Răducanu is a former football player who played for Steaua Bucureşti, Borussia Dortmund, FC Zürich and the Romanian national team....

, Mircea Lucescu

Mircea Lucescu

Mircea Lucescu is a Romanian former football player and current coach, and one of the most successful Romanian football managers. He is also the father of Rapid Bucharest coach, Răzvan Lucescu...

, Necula "Tamango" Răducanu

Necula Raducanu

Răducanu Necula , widely known as Rică Răducanu, is a retired Romanian football goalkeeper.He was born in Vlădeni and debuted in Divizia A with Rapid Bucureşti in 1966. He remained with Rapid for ten seasons, winning the league title in 1967 and the cup title in 1972. This Rapid team starred...

, Anghel Iordănescu

Anghel Iordanescu

Anghel Iordănescu is a Major General and former Romanian football striker, currently a politician. In 2007 Iordănescu retired from football, and the following February, after his predecessor resigned, he became a member of the Romanian Senate, sitting on the Social Democratic Party benches.-Career...

, Costică Ştefănescu

Costica Stefanescu

Costică Ştefănescu is a retired Romanian football player and coach. He spent the majority of his career at Universitatea Craiova, where he made a club record 378 appearances...

, Rodion Cămătaru

Rodion Camataru

Rodion Gorun Cămătaru is a retired Romanian footballer, who played as a striker.-Club career:He was born in Strehaia and debuted in Divizia A with Universitatea Craiova in 1974. He spent twelve seasons with Universitatea, winning the league titles in 1980 and 1981...

, Ladislau Boloni

Ladislau Bölöni

László Bölöni is a Romanian football manager and former player, who currently manages Greek club PAOK.-Club career:...

, Silviu Lung

Silviu Lung

Silviu Lung is a retired Romanian football goalkeeper. He was born in Sânmiclăuş, Satu Mare and debuted in Divizia A with Universitatea Craiova in 1974. He played fourteen seasons with Universitatea, winning two league titles. In 1988 he joined Steaua Bucureşti and won another league title the...

, Michael Klein

Michael Klein

Michael Klein is the name of:* Michael Klein , Romanian football player, played in Romania and at Bayer Uerdingen* Michael L...

, Mircea Rednic

Mircea Rednic

Mircea Rednic is a Romanian football manager and former defender. As of July 2010, he manages Khazar Lankaran in Azerbaijan....

, Gheorghe Popescu

Gheorghe Popescu

Gheorghe Gică Popescu is a former Romanian footballer who played as a defender, and was a key part of the Romania national team in the 1990s. He played for a string of European clubs in an illustrious career that saw him amass many honours...

, Dan Petrescu

Dan Petrescu

Daniel Vasile Petrescu is a Romanian football manager and former player, currently the manager of Kuban Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League....

, Miodrag Belodedici

Miodrag Belodedici

Miodrag Belodedici is a Romanian former football player.Nicknamed The deer due to his elegant tackles, he won the European Cup twice, in 1986 with Steaua Bucureşti and 1991 with Red Star Belgrade, thus becoming the first player to win the trophy with two different clubs...

, Dorinel Munteanu

Dorinel Munteanu

Dorinel Ionel Munteanu is a Romanian former football midfielder, and current manager of Oţelul Galaţi.-Club career:Munteanu started to play football for Metalul Bocşa, a team which offered him the first chance to play in Divizia B in 1986...

, Bogdan Stelea

Bogdan Stelea

Bogdan Gheorghe Stelea is a retired Romanian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.Having played professionally into his 40's, he played for all three major first division clubs in his country's capital, and also spent a vast part of his career in Spain, mainly with Salamanca.-Club career:Stelea...

, Ioan Lupescu

Ioan Lupescu

Ioan Angelo Lupescu , widely known as Ionuţ Lupescu is a former Romanian footballer who played as a midfielder. He became a member of FIFA's Technical and Development Committee in early 2008.-Club career:...

, Helmuth Duckadam

Helmuth Duckadam

Helmuth Robert Duckadam is a retired Romanian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.He was dubbed "the hero of Seville" due to his heroics in the 1986 European Cup Final, won by his main club, Steaua Bucureşti...

, Marius Lăcătuş

Marius Lacatus

Marius Mihai Lăcătuş is a Romanian retired football player and football coach. He is so far the most successful football player ever to play for Steaua Bucureşti...

, Ilie Dumitrescu

Ilie Dumitrescu

Ilie Dumitrescu is a former Romanian football player and current coach, he last managed Steaua Bucureşti. A tricky forward, he shot to fame when his frontline partnership with Gheorghe Hagi and Florin Răducioiu led the Romania national football team to the 1994 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal,...

, Viorel Moldovan

Viorel Moldovan

Viorel Dinu Moldovan is a retired Romanian football forward, who was a key part of the Romanian national team in the 1990s...

, Florin Răducioiu

Florin Raducioiu

Florin Valeriu Răducioiu is a former Romanian football striker, who played for Dinamo Bucureşti, A.C. Milan, Brescia Calcio, West Ham United, RCD Espanyol, VfB Stuttgart and A.S...

, Adrian Ilie

Adrian Ilie

-Career as football player:Young Ilie started to play football for Electroputere Craiova from a very early age. In 1991, aged 17, he made his debut for the first team...

, Bogdan Lobont

Bogdan Lobont

Bogdan Ionuț Lobonț is a Romanian goalkeeper playing for A.S. Roma and the Romanian national team. Lobonț has been popularly nicknamed "Pisica" in Romania due to his quick reflexes, compared to that of a cat....

, Cosmin Contra

Cosmin Contra

Cosmin Marius Contra is a retired Romanian footballer who played mainly as a right defender.Offensive-minded, he could also appear as a midfielder, and played professionally in four countries , mainly in Spain, where he appeared for three clubs, mainly Getafe CF, which he helped consolidate in the...

, Cristian Chivu

Cristian Chivu

Cristian Eugen Chivu is a Romanian footballer. He currently plays for Internazionale of the Italian Serie A. He usually plays as a left back but can play as a center back as well as in defensive midfield when needed....

 and Adrian Mutu

Adrian Mutu

Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...

.

In 1986, the Romanian football club Steaua Bucureşti became the first Eastern European club ever, and only one of the two (the other being Red Star Belgrade

Red Star Belgrade

Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...

) to win the prestigious European Champions Cup

UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 title. In 1989, it played the final again, but lost to AC Milan. Other important Romanian football clubs are Dinamo Bucureşti, FC Universitatea Craiova

FC Universitatea Craiova

Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian professional football club from Craiova. They became the first Romanian football team to reach the semi-finals of a European tournament, during the UEFA Cup in 1982–83...

, Rapid Bucureşti, UT Arad, FC Argeş Piteşti

FC Arges Pitesti

FC Argeş Piteşti is a Romanian professional football club from Piteşti, Argeş county.FC Argeş was one of the most successful Romanian clubs in the 1970s, when it won the national championship twice: in 1972 and 1979, and finished twice as runner-up...

, FC Petrolul Ploieşti, Universitatea Cluj-Napoca

Universitatea Cluj-Napoca

Universitatea Cluj-Napoca may refer to:*Babeş-Bolyai University, an education institution from Cluj-Napoca*U Cluj, a sport club from Cluj-Napoca...

, Sportul Studenţesc

Sportul Studentesc

Sportul Studenţesc is a Romanian football club that was established in 1916 . The Bucharest club has won the Balkans Cup once and its best result in the Romanian league is a 2nd place in 1986...

, FC Timişoara, FC Farul Constanţa

FC Farul Constanta

FC Farul Constanţa is a professional football club from Constanţa, Romania. Established in 1949, Farul is currently competing in Liga II ,after being relegated at the end of Liga I 2008-09. The club has yet to win a Romanian title...

, FC Braşov

FC Brasov

Fotbal Club Brașov is a professional football club based in the city of Brașov, Romania. They were founded in 1936, and since then they have spent 41 season in the top-flight. Brașov kits are yellow-black, and they play their home matches on the Silviu Ploeșteanu stadium.-Early modern football in...

 and FC Progresul Bucureşti. Romanian National Football Team

Romania national football team

The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...

 has taken part 7 times in the Football World Cup, and it had a very successful period through the 1990s, reaching the quarter-finals in the 1994 World Cup in USA, when the "Golden Generation" was at its best.

The top football teams in Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

 include Steaua Bucureşti, Dinamo Bucureşti

Dinamo Bucuresti

Fotbal Club Dinamo Bucureşti is a Romanian professional football club based in Bucharest. Dinamo is one of the two most successful football teams in Romania, having won 18 Romanian Liga I titles, 12 Romanian Cups and 1 Romanian Supercup....

, Rapid Bucureşti, CFR Cluj

CFR Cluj

CFR Cluj is a Romanian professional football club from the city of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania. The club had spent most of their existence in the lower divisions, except for a spell in Divizia A in the 1970s, until they received significant financial backing from Árpád Pászkány in 2002...

 and FC Timişoara.

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. Romania women's national handball team

Romania women's national handball team

The Romanian women's national team, is the national team of Romania. It is governed by the Romanian Handball Federation and takes part in international team handball competitions.- Current squad :Head coach: Radu Voina-External links:...

 has won the Handball World Cup in 1962. Steaua and Dinamo have also won several European titles over the years.

Romania has produced many great handball players, including Gheorghe Gruia

Gheorghe Gruia

Gheorghe Gruia is a former Romanian handball player and world champion in handball. He won the gold medal in the 1964 World Men's Handball Championship and the 1970 World Men's Handball Championship. In 1972 Summer Olympics he won the bronze medal with the Romanian team...

, Vasile Stângă, Cornel Penu

Cornel Penu

Cornel Penu is a former Romanian handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics.In 1972 he won the bronze medal with the Romanian team. He played all six matches as goalkeeper....

, Ioan Moşer, and Cristian Gaţu

Cristian Gatu

Cristian Gaţu is a former Romanian handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics. He has been the president of the Romanian Handball Federation since 1996....

.

Basketball

Basketball is a very popular sport among Romanian youth. Gheorghe Mureşan

Gheorghe Muresan

Gheorghe Dumitru Mureşan, , also known as Ghiţă or George, is a retired Romanian professional basketball player. At 7 ft 7 in , he is one of the tallest players in NBA history, along with Sudanese player Manute Bol, who was also 7 ft 7 in. Both Mureşan's parents are of average size, and,...

 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

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

Romania national rugby union team

The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...

 has so far competed at every

National team appearances in the Rugby World Cup

This article lists the début of national teams that have so far qualified for the Rugby World Cup and their number of appearances.-Début of national teams:25 nations have thus far qualified for the Rugby World Cup...

 Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....

.

Bucureşti Rugby

Bucuresti Rugby

Bucureşti are a rugby union team from Bucharest, Romania, that competes in the European Challenge Cup. The side is a team that is formed every season to play in the Challenge Cup, consisting of footballers playing in the domestic Romanian leagues...

 is the team that represents Romania in the European Challenge Cup

European Challenge Cup

The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...

.

Gymnastics

Romania holds a long tradition in artistic gymnastics, especially in the ladies' competition. Gymnastics is responsible for the majority of Romania's Olympic medals, gold, silver and bronze. The most famous Romanian gymnast is Nadia Comăneci

Nadia Comaneci

Nadia Elena Comăneci is a Romanian gymnast, winner of three Olympic gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and the first female gymnast ever to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. She is also the winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer...

, who was the first gymnast to ever score a perfect 10 at the Olympic Games, during the 1976 Summer Olympics

1976 Summer Olympics

The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...

. She also won three gold medals, one silver and one bronze, all at the age of fourteen. Her success continued in the 1980 Summer Olympics

1980 Summer Olympics

The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...

, where she was awarded two gold medals and two silver medals. At the 1976 Olympics, Teodora Ungureanu

Teodora Ungureanu

Teodora Ungureanu is a retired Romanian gymnast who competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics. She is a three-time Olympic medalist and a world silver medalist. After retirement from gymnastics she enjoyed a successful career as a gymnastics coach...

 did very well too, but did not receive as much fame as Nadia. Other famous gymnasts include: Daniela Silivaş

Daniela Silivas

Viorica Daniela Silivaş-Harper , best known as Daniela Silivaş, is a Romanian gymnast who is most famous for winning six medals in women's artistic gymnastics at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea...

, Ecaterina Szabo

Ecaterina Szabo

Ecaterina Szabo is an ethnic Hungarian former artistic gymnast from Romania who won 20 Olympic, world and continental medals...

, Lavinia Miloşovici

Lavinia Milosovici

Lavinia Corina Miloşovici is a Romanian Olympic gymnast. An exceptionally successful athlete on the international competition circuit, Miloşovici, also known as "Milo" in the gymnastics community, is considered to be one of Romania's top gymnasts of the 1990s and one of the most prolific female...

, Gina Gogean

Gina Gogean

Gina Gogean is a retired gymnast from Romania who competed internationally in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. During her career she won an impressive number of 30 medals at Olympic Games, world championships or continental championships...

, Simona Amânar

Simona Amânar

Simona Amânar is a Romanian gymnast. She is a seven-time Olympic medalist and a ten-time world medalist. Amânar helped Romania to win four consecutive world team titles as well as the 2000 Olympic team title. She has a vault named after her, the Amanar...

, Andreea Răducan

Andreea Raducan

Andreea Mădălina Răducan is a retired gymnast from Bârlad, Romania.Răducan began competing in gymnastics at a young age and was training at the Romanian junior national facility by the age of 12½. As one of the standout gymnasts of the Romanian team in the late 1990s, Răducan was known for both...

, Maria Olaru

Maria Olaru

Maria Ludovica Olaru is a retired Olympic artistic gymnast from Romania. She is an Olympic, world, and European gold medalist with the team. Individually, she is the 1999 all around world champion and the 2000 Olympic all around silver medalist. Her best event was the vault on which she medaled at...

, and Cătălina Ponor

Catalina Ponor

Cătălina Ponor is a gymnast from Constanţa, Romania. After beginning training with the national team in 2002, Ponor won several medals with the Romanian team, along with individual balance beam and floor exercise medals. Almost unknown until late 2003, Ponor has made several important...

.

Top Romanian men's gymnasts include Marius Urzică

Marius Urzica

Marius Daniel Urzică is a Romanian gymnast. Urzică is an Olympic champion, a three-time world champion and a three-time European champion on pommel horse. He competed at three Olympic games, medaling each time on pommel horse and contributed to the team bronze in Athens 2004...

 and Marian Drăgulescu

Marian Dragulescu

Marian Drăgulescu is a Romanian artistic gymnast. During his senior gymnastics career he has won an impressive number of 26 medals at Olympic games, World or European Championships among which eight gold medals at World Championships...

.

Tennis

Ilie Năstase

Ilie Nastase

Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...

, the tennis player, is another internationally known Romanian sports star. He won several Grand Slam

Grand Slam (tennis)

The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...

 titles and dozens of other tournaments and was the first player to be ranked as number 1 by ATP

Association of Tennis Professionals

The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...

 from 1973 to 1974; he also was a successful doubles player. Romania has also reached the Davis Cup

Davis Cup

The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...

 finals three times. Virginia Ruzici

Virginia Ruzici

Virginia Ruzici is a former professional tennis player from Romania. She was born in Câmpia Turzii, Romania and turned professional in 1975. One of her main assets on court was her powerful forehand....

 was a successful tennis player in the 1970s.

Romania reached the Davis Cup

Davis Cup

The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...

 finals three times (1969, 1971, 1972).
The most famous Romanian tennis player of all time is Ilie Năstase

Ilie Nastase

Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...

, 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 ever achieve the number 1 ranking. Other famous men's tennis players include Ion Ţiriac

Ion Tiriac

Ion Țiriac is a Romanian former tennis player and businessman. He is also the current owner of the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open.-Sports career:...

 and Andrei Pavel

Andrei Pavel

Andrei Pavel is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Romania. He is currently coaching former world No. 1 and the current world No. 15 of the WTA, Jelena Janković.-Career:...

. In ladies' tennis, Virginia Ruzici

Virginia Ruzici

Virginia Ruzici is a former professional tennis player from Romania. She was born in Câmpia Turzii, Romania and turned professional in 1975. One of her main assets on court was her powerful forehand....

, Irina Spîrlea

Irina Spîrlea

Irina Spîrlea is a former tennis player from Romania, who turned professional in 1990. She won four singles and six doubles titles during her career. The right-hander reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on October 13, 1997, when she became number 7 in the world...

, and Ruxandra Dragomir

Ruxandra Dragomir

Ruxandra Dragomir Ilie is a retired female tennis player from Romania, who won four singles and five doubles titles during her career. The right-hander reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on August 25, 1997, when she became the number 15 of the world...

 are among the top Romanian players of all times. As for active players, the top Romanians on the men's side include Victor Hănescu

Victor Hanescu

Victor Hănescu is a Romanian tennis player. He achieved his career high rank of no. 26 on July 6, 2009.- Professional career :...

 and Victor Crivoi

Victor Crivoi

Victor Crivoi is a Romanian tennis player who lives in Bucharest. In 2005, he played in the International Tennis Federation's Professional Circuit and won seven titles. As a result, he was named the ITF's "Player Of The Year" for 2005. At the end of 2005, he was ranked #269 by the ATP, up from...

. On the women's side, the top Romanians include Sorana Cîrstea

Sorana Cîrstea

Sorana Mihaela Cîrstea, is a Romanian tennis player. Her career high rank was World No. 23, achieved on 17 August 2009, after she reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 French Open and the semifinals of the 2009 Los Angeles Open.- Playing style :...

, Ioana Raluca Olaru

Ioana Raluca Olaru

Ioana Raluca Olaru is a Romanian tennis player. As of 2 August 2010, she is ranked World No. 158 in singles and No. 104 in doubles. The winner of nine singles and six doubles ITF Circuit titles, Olaru reached one WTA Tour singles final, at the 2009 Gastein Ladies, losing to Andrea Petkovic 6–2, 6–3...

, Alexandra Dulgheru

Alexandra Dulgheru

Alexandra Dulgheru is a Romanian professional tennis player. She achieved a singles career high of World No. 26 on April 11, 2011. Her career high in doubles was World No. 47 on March 21, 2011.She is coached by Gabriel Urpi.-Biography:...

, and Monica Niculescu

Monica Niculescu

Monica Niculescu is a Romanian tennis player. As of October 24, 2011 she is ranked No. 29 at the WTA Tour Singles Ranking. Her highest WTA ranking is currently her present ranking in singles, reached on 24 Oct 2011, and No. 24 in doubles, reached on June 7, 2010.Niculescu was born in Slatina,...

. There are also many junior stars like Simona Halep

Simona Halep

Simona Halep is a world top-50 tennis player playing on the ITF Women's Circuit and the WTA Tour, and is currently the number-two ranked women's tennis player in Romania.-Career:...

, Ana Bogdan

Ana Bogdan

Ana Bogdan is a Romanian tennis player. Bogdan is currently having a successful junior career. Her highest juniors ranking, which factors both singles and doubles, has been Junior World Number 2, on 5 January 2009...

, and Elena Bogdan

Elena Bogdan

Elena Bogdan is a Romanian professional tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking was 155, which she reached on July 4, 2011 whilst her best doubles ranking was 107 on June 13, 2011...

.

Oină

Oină

Oina

Oină is a Romanian traditional sport, similar in many ways to baseball and lapta.-History:Oină was first mentioned during the rule of Vlaicu Vodă in 1364, when it spread all across Wallachia...

 is a traditional Romanian sport with similarities to baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

.

Boxing

Boxing is popular in Romania, especially in the TV broadcastings. Famous boxers include Nicolae Linca

Nicolae Linca

Nicolae Linca Nicolae Linca Nicolae Linca (1 January 1929 in Cergăul Mare (village now incorporated in the town of Blaj, Alba County, Romania – 27 June 2008 in Feisa, Alba County, Romania) was a Romanian amateur boxer and Romania's first olympic boxing champion....

, Francisc Vaştag

Francisc Vastag

Francisc Vaştag was the first Romanian boxer to win the supreme belt in his category. His victory greatly stimulated boxing in Romania. The champion boxer Adrian Diaconu said that he considers Vaştag to be a brother and mentor.-References:**...

, Mihai Leu

Mihai Leu

Mihai Leu also known as Michael Loewe is a Romanian former professional boxer who lived and fought out of Hamburg, Germany. He is the former WBO Welterweight Champion....

, Lucian Bute

Lucian Bute

Lucian Bute is a Romanian-Canadian professional boxer, currently based in Montreal, Canada. Bute is the current IBF Super Middleweight champion...

, Leonard Doroftei

Leonard Doroftei

Leonard Dorin Doroftei is a Romanian-Canadian former boxer, the WBA Lightweight World Champion from 5 January 2002 to 24 October 2003.-Amateur highlights:...

 and Adrian Diaconu

Adrian Diaconu

Adrian Diaconu is a Romanian professional boxer, living and fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada...

.

Rowing and canoeing

Romanian oarspeople have brought numerous successes, including 35 Olympic medals (18 gold) for rowing and 34 medals (10 gold) for canoeing. Romania is a leading rowing nation. Often boasting many wins each year in the Junior World Rowing Championships. In the u23's age level, Romania often field a strong team. Often medalling in the women's events.

The Romanian Senior Women's rowing team is particularly strong. They have been the poster child team as regards women's rowing. They consistently perform in the coxed women's eight. This Olympics they won the women's coxless pair. This was one of the team members 6th Olympic gold medal. Now she is the most decorated female rower in history.

Chess

Chess is fairly popular among some groups, especially retired people and mathematicians. The highest FIDE rating

Chess rating systems

A chess rating system is a system used in chess to calculate an estimate of the strength of the player, based on his performance versus other players. They are used by organizations such as FIDE, the US Chess Federation , International Correspondence Chess Federation, and the English Chess Federation...

 Romanian player is the grandmaster Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu

Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu

Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu is a Romanian chess grandmaster. His peak FIDE rating was 2707 in October 2005, when he was ranked fifteenth in the world, and the highest ranked Romanian player ever...

.

Auto racing

While motor sports are very popular for TV broadcasting, the lack of availability of large sums of money for investments have limited the expansion of this sport. Nevertheless, there is a motor ring near Arad

Arad, Romania

Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...

 and more recently, Bucharest Ring

Bucharest Ring

The Bucharest Ring is a street circuit in the Romanian capital city of Bucharest.Designed by famed track designer Hermann Tilke, the circuit is in the city centre, and has the Palace of the Parliament in its infield....

 has taken place on the streets of the capital.

Olympics

Maybe slightly surprising for a country of its size, Romania has been one of the most successful countries in the history of Summer Olympic Games

Summer Olympic Games

The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...

 (15th overall) with a total of 283 medals won throughout the years, 82 of which are gold medals. The largest amount of medals won by Romania at the Olympics in any one sport is gymnastics, with a total of 69 medals from the sport, 24 of which are gold.

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.
| Basketball
| 5,247
| 114
|-
| Handball

Romanian Handball Federation

The Romanian Handball Federation is the governing body of handball in Romania. It is based in Bucharest. FRH is led by 6 departments.-History:...

| 4,993
| 146
|-
| Martial Arts

Martial arts

Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

| 4,993
| 148
|-
| Athletism
| 4,886
| 190
|-
| Wrestling

Wrestling

Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...

| 4,298
| 132
|-
| Karate

Karate

is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

| 4,201
| 54
|-
| Sport Dance
| 3,452
| 91
|-
| Chess
| 3,177
| 151
|-
| Judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

| 3,067
| 120
|}

Attendances

The highest football division has attracted about 1.65 million spectators in 2006-07, with an average attendance of 5417 per game.